JP5219657B2 - Cooling device and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling device, and more particularly, a primary circuit that mechanically circulates a primary refrigerant, a secondary circuit that naturally circulates a secondary refrigerant, and heat exchange between a primary heat exchange unit and a secondary heat exchange unit. It is related with a cooling device provided with the heat exchanger which performs.

There is a cooling device that includes a primary circuit that mechanically circulates the primary refrigerant and a secondary circuit that naturally circulates the secondary refrigerant, and is configured to exchange heat between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant (for example, patents). Reference 1). As shown in FIG. 16, the primary circuit 94 of such a cooling device 90 includes a compressor CM that compresses the gas-phase primary refrigerant, a condenser CD that liquefies the compressed primary refrigerant, and the pressure of the liquid-phase primary refrigerant. The expansion valve EV to be lowered and the primary heat exchanging part 96 that is provided in the plate heat exchanger 110 and vaporizes the liquid phase primary refrigerant are connected by a pipe 98, and the secondary circuit 104 has a plate type. A plate formed by connecting a secondary heat exchange unit 106 provided in the heat exchanger 110 for liquefying the gas phase secondary refrigerant and an evaporator EP for vaporizing the liquid phase secondary refrigerant through another pipe 108. In the heat exchanger 110, the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant exchange heat to finally cool the evaporator EP of the secondary circuit 104. In the refrigeration equipment provided with such a cooling device 90, the constituent members CM, CD, EV of the primary circuit 94 and the plate heat exchanger 110 are disposed in an open space exposed to the outside air, and a base plate. An evaporator EP that constitutes the secondary circuit 104 is disposed in a closed space defined below the open space via 112 to cool the inside of the closed space.
JP 2002-48484 A

  By the way, in the cooling device 90 provided with the above-described natural circulation type refrigeration circuit (secondary circuit 104), the liquid phase secondary refrigerant condensed in the plate heat exchanger 110 is naturally flowed down to the evaporator EP by gravity. Thus, the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant is determined. Therefore, in the cooling device 90, the plate heat exchanger 110 is installed in an upright state (an attitude in which the overlapping direction of the plates is in the horizontal direction) so that the secondary refrigerant can naturally flow down in a certain direction. A gas phase secondary refrigerant inlet is provided on the upper end side of the exchanger 110, and a liquid phase secondary refrigerant outlet is provided on the lower end side of the plate heat exchanger 110. On the other hand, in order to increase the heat exchange efficiency between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant in the plate heat exchanger 110, the flow direction of the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant is configured to be opposite. That is, in the cooling device 90, an inlet through which the primary refrigerant flows into the primary circuit 94 side is provided at the lower end side of the plate heat exchanger 110, and an outlet of the primary refrigerant is provided at the upper end side of the plate heat exchanger 110. Thus, in the primary circuit 94, the primary refrigerant flows through the plate heat exchanger 110 against gravity. Here, in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant in the plate heat exchanger 110, in order to effectively use the heat transfer area of the primary refrigerant in the path of the primary heat exchange unit 96, The path of the primary heat exchange unit 96 is preferably filled with a primary refrigerant. In the conventional cooling device 90, the primary refrigerant flows against the gravity in the plate heat exchanger 110, so that the refrigerant density increases in the rising process of the primary refrigerant, and the amount of refrigerant staying in the path of the primary heat exchange unit 96 Increases the amount of refrigerant used, leading to problems such as increased costs.

  In addition, in a device such as a refrigerator in which a storage chamber (corresponding to the closed space) is internally defined, there is a high demand for increasing the storage chamber volume without changing the size of the device itself. However, as described above, the secondary circuit 104 determines the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant by using the difference in level between the inlet and outlet of the secondary refrigerant in the plate heat exchanger 110. Since the exchanger 110 is installed on the base plate 112 in an upright state, the storage chamber volume located below the base plate 112 is pressed.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a compact cooling device that can reduce the amount of primary refrigerant used without reducing the heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchanger, and that suppresses the height of the heat exchanger, and a method for manufacturing the same. The purpose is to provide.

In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, a cooling device according to the present invention includes:
In a cooling device comprising a primary circuit that mechanically circulates a primary refrigerant, a secondary circuit that naturally circulates a secondary refrigerant, and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant,
The primary circuit includes a compressor that compresses the primary refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the primary refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a decompression unit that decompresses the primary refrigerant condensed by the condenser, and a heat exchanger. A primary heat exchange part for evaporating the primary refrigerant formed and condensed in the condenser, and a primary liquid pipe for connecting the condenser and the primary heat exchange part via a decompression means on one end side of the heat exchanger And a primary gas pipe connecting the compressor and the primary heat exchange unit is connected to the other end side of the heat exchanger,
The secondary circuit includes a secondary heat exchange unit that is formed in the heat exchanger and condenses the secondary refrigerant, and an evaporator that evaporates the secondary refrigerant condensed in the secondary heat exchange unit, A secondary liquid pipe that connects the secondary heat exchange section and the evaporator is connected to a connection end side of the primary liquid pipe in the heat exchanger, and a secondary pipe that connects the secondary heat exchange section and the evaporator. The gas pipe is configured to be connected to a connection end side of the primary gas pipe in the heat exchanger,
An open space in which the primary circuit is disposed and a closed space in which the evaporator of the secondary circuit is disposed are separated by a heat insulating wall,
The heat exchanger is disposed between a pair of outer members constituting the heat insulating wall,
The heat exchanger is arranged in a horizontal posture or a posture inclined with respect to a horizontal plane so that a refrigerant flow path of the primary heat exchange section extends in a horizontal direction or with respect to a horizontal plane. .

That is, by connecting the heat exchanger with respect to the horizontal plane so that the refrigerant flow path of the primary heat exchange section is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the connection site of the primary liquid pipe and the connection site of the primary gas pipe in the primary heat exchange unit The vertical component that rises against gravity is reduced, the rate of increase in the primary refrigerant density in the heat exchanger is reduced, and this also reduces the rate of increase in the amount of accumulated refrigerant. The amount of primary refrigerant used in the primary circuit can be reduced. At this time, in the heat exchanger, heat exchange is performed between the primary refrigerant flowing through the primary circuit and the secondary refrigerant flowing through the secondary circuit by latent heat having a relatively large heat transfer coefficient. Even if the amount of refrigerant staying in the exchanger decreases, the heat exchange efficiency is not impaired. In addition, by tilting the heat exchanger with respect to the horizontal plane, the vertical height of the heat exchanger can be suppressed, and the cooling device can be made compact. By disposing the heat exchanger in the heat insulating wall, it is not necessary to cover the heat exchanger with a separate heat insulating material.

The gist of the invention according to claim 6 is that the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger, and the plate heat exchanger is arranged in a horizontal posture or a posture inclined with respect to a horizontal plane.

  That is, the plate type heat exchanger is easy to change the capacity.

The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the heat exchanger is inserted into the outer tube that forms either the primary heat exchange unit or the secondary heat exchange unit, and the primary heat exchange unit. Or it makes it a summary to comprise from the inner pipe | tube which makes any one of the said secondary heat exchange parts.

  That is, by using a so-called double tube type composed of an outer tube and an inner tube as a heat exchanger, the degree of freedom of shape is high and a space can be used effectively.

In the invention according to claim 8 , the angle θ formed by the heat exchanger and the horizontal plane is a positive value that is inclined upward toward the connection end side of the gas pipe with respect to the connection end side of the liquid pipe. In this case, the gist is that it is set in a range of −4 ° <θ ≦ 45 °.

  When the angle θ between the heat exchanger and the horizontal plane is set in the range of −4 ° <θ ≦ 45 ° in this way, the secondary refrigerant in the heat exchanger is directed from the secondary gas pipe to the secondary liquid pipe. The cooling capacity is not reduced. In addition, it is possible to install a heat exchanger in the heat insulating wall that separates the open space and the closed space.

In the invention according to claim 9 , the angle θ formed by the heat exchanger and the horizontal plane is a positive value that is inclined upward toward the connection end side of the gas pipe with respect to the connection end side of the liquid pipe. In this case, the gist is that the angle is set in a range of 4 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °.

  Thus, when the angle θ formed by the heat exchanger and the horizontal plane is set in the range of 4 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °, the natural circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant in the heat exchanger can be determined by the gravity action.

In the invention according to claim 10 , the angle θ formed by the heat exchanger and the horizontal plane is a positive value that is inclined upward toward the connection end side of the gas pipe with respect to the connection end side of the liquid pipe. In this case, the gist is that it is set in a range of −4 ° <θ <4 °.

  Thus, when the angle θ formed by the heat exchanger and the horizontal plane is set in a range of −4 ° <θ <4 °, the secondary refrigerant can be naturally circulated due to the presence of the temperature gradient in the heat exchanger. That is, since the heat exchanger can be installed in a nearly horizontal state where the inclination angle θ is −4 ° <θ <4 °, redundancy in design is ensured.

The invention according to claim 11 is characterized in that the evaporator in the secondary circuit is configured such that an inflow end connected to the secondary liquid pipe is located above an outflow end connected to the secondary gas pipe. And

  When the heat exchanger is disposed in the range where the inclination angle θ is −4 ° <θ <4 °, the reversal of the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant may occur due to a decrease in the refrigeration load. At this time, the inflow end connected to the secondary liquid pipe is arranged at the upper part of the evaporator, and the outflow end connected to the secondary gas pipe is arranged at the lower part of the evaporator, thereby transferring the secondary refrigerant in the evaporator. The heat area can be reduced, and the cooling capacity can be automatically suppressed.

The invention according to claim 2, the pre-Symbol heat exchanger, and summarized in that configured to inclined at an inclination angle θ relative to the horizontal plane by a projection formed on the heat exchanger or outer member.

Thus, since the protrusion is formed on the heat exchanger or the outer member and the heat exchanger is positioned at the inclination angle θ, the heat exchanger can be accurately arranged at the inclination angle θ by a simple operation.

The gist of the invention according to claim 3 is that the protrusion is formed of a member having heat insulation performance.

  Thus, the heat insulation performance of a heat insulation wall part is not impaired by forming the said projection part with the member which has heat insulation performance.

The invention according to claim 4, before the inclined surface as the inclined angle θ with respect to formed horizontal plane Kigaikaku member, the inclination angle θ heat exchanger with respect to a horizontal plane by installing the heat exchanger The gist is that it is configured so as to be inclined.

Thus, it is because in addition to installing the heat exchanger to the inclined surface formed on the outer Guo member may position the heat exchanger in the inclination angle theta, arranged exactly heat exchanger with a simple task it can.

The invention according to claim 5, before Kigaikaku member that is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and summarized in that the heat exchanger is configured to be inclined at an inclination angle θ relative to the horizontal plane.

In this way, by installing the heat insulating wall portion provided with the heat exchanger so that the outer member is inclined at the inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane , the heat exchanger can be set at the inclination angle θ, so that the simple work Thus, the heat exchanger can be accurately arranged.

The invention which concerns on Claim 12 manufactures the cooling device as described in any one of Claims 1-11 comprised so that the said heat exchanger may be arrange | positioned between a pair of outer shell members which comprise the said heat insulation wall part. A method,
A state in which the heat exchanger is disposed between the pair of outer members, and a pipe connecting the primary circuit and the heat exchanger and a pipe connecting the secondary circuit and the heat exchanger are held by a restraining jig The gist is that the foam material is filled between the pair of outer members.

  As described above, when the heat exchanger is disposed in the heat insulating wall, each pipe connected to the heat exchanger is held by a restraining jig, so that the foam material is filled between the pair of outer members. It is possible to prevent the heat exchanger from being displaced. Also, by holding each pipe connected to the heat exchanger with a restraining jig, the heat exchanger can be held at an inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane, so that the heat exchanger can be tilted with a simple operation. At the same time, a cooling device in which the heat exchanger is accurately inclined at the inclination angle θ can be manufactured.

  That is, according to the cooling device and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention, the amount of primary refrigerant used can be reduced without reducing the heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchanger, and the height dimension of the heat exchanger can be suppressed. The device itself can be made compact.

  Next, preferred embodiments of the cooling device and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment, a cooling device provided for a large refrigerator that can be used for business purposes such as a store and can store a large amount of articles such as vegetables and meat will be described as an example. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same member and structure as the member and structure demonstrated in the prior art.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 10 according to the first embodiment includes a box 12 having a heat insulating structure that internally defines a storage chamber (closed space) 14, and a metal panel 18 provided above the box 12. And a cabinet 16 constituting an outer wall. In the box 12, an opening portion 12 a that opens to the front side and serves as an entry / exit port for goods is opened in communication with the storage chamber 14. Further, a heat insulating door 22 is rotatably disposed at a front portion of the box body 12 by a hinge (not shown), and by opening the heat insulating door 22, an article can be taken into and out of the storage chamber 14 through the opening 12a. In addition, the storage chamber 14 can be sealed by closing the heat insulating door 22.

  Inside the cabinet 16, a machine room (open space) in which a part of a cooling device 32 for cooling the storage chamber 14 and a control electrical box (not shown) for controlling the cooling device 32 are arranged. ) 20 is defined (see FIG. 2). At the bottom of the machine room 20, a base plate (heat insulating wall part) 24 that is placed on the top plate 12 b of the box 12 and serves as a common substrate for the devices disposed in the machine room 20 is installed. The metal panel 18 forming the outer wall of the cabinet 16 is provided with air circulation holes (not shown) communicating with the machine room 20 at appropriate locations, and the atmosphere in the machine room 20 and the outside air are communicated through the air circulation holes. And are to be replaced.

  In the upper part of the storage chamber 14, a cooling duct 26 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the lower surface of the top plate 12b in the box 12, and the cooling duct 26 and a notch formed in the top plate 12b of the box 12 are provided. A cooling chamber 28 is defined between the base plate 24 facing the storage chamber 14 via 12c. The cooling chamber 28 communicates with the storage chamber 14 through a suction port 26a formed on the front side of the bottom of the cooling duct 26 and a cold air outlet 26b formed on the rear side, and a part of the storage chamber 14 as a closed space is formed. It is composed. A blower fan 30 is disposed at the suction port 26a. By driving the blower fan 30, the air in the storage chamber 14 is taken into the cooling chamber 28 from the suction port 26a, and the cool air in the cooling chamber 28 is drawn from the cool air outlet 26b. It is sent to the storage chamber 14. The notch 12c of the top plate 12b is hermetically closed by the base plate 24, and the storage chamber 14 (cooling chamber 28) and the machine room 20 are separated from each other by the base plate 24 and become independent spaces. (See FIG. 1).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling device 32 tilts two systems of circuits, a mechanical compression primary circuit 34 forcibly circulating the primary refrigerant and a secondary circuit 44 composed of a thermosiphon in which the secondary refrigerant naturally convects. A secondary loop refrigeration circuit connected (cascade connection) via the arranged plate heat exchanger HE is employed. The plate heat exchanger HE includes a primary heat exchange unit 36 that constitutes the primary circuit 34, and a secondary heat exchange unit 46 that is formed in a separate system from the primary heat exchange unit 36 and constitutes the secondary circuit 44. And disposed in a base plate 24 that divides the storage chamber 14 and the machine chamber 20 (see FIG. 1). That is, independent refrigerant circulation paths are formed in the primary circuit 34 and the secondary circuit 44, respectively. Further, as the primary refrigerant circulating in the primary circuit 34, HC refrigerant such as butane or propane having excellent characteristics as a refrigerant such as heat of evaporation and saturation pressure, ammonia, or the like is adopted and circulated in the secondary circuit 44. As the secondary refrigerant, carbon dioxide having high safety that does not have toxicity, flammability, and corrosivity is employed.

(Primary circuit)
The primary circuit 34 includes a compressor CM for compressing the gas phase primary refrigerant, a condenser CD for liquefying the compressed primary refrigerant, an expansion valve EV for reducing the pressure of the liquid primary refrigerant, and the plate heat exchanger. And a primary heat exchange unit 36 provided in the HE to evaporate the liquid phase primary refrigerant. In the primary circuit 34, the condenser CD, the expansion valve EV, and the primary heat exchange unit 36 are connected by a primary liquid pipe 38 through which the liquid phase primary refrigerant flows, and the primary heat exchange unit 36, the compressor CM, and the condenser are connected. CDs are connected by a primary gas pipe 40 through which a gas phase primary refrigerant flows (see FIG. 2). That is, in the primary circuit 34, the primary refrigerant is compressed in the order of the compressor CM, the condenser CD, the expansion valve EV, the primary heat exchanger 36 (plate heat exchanger HE), and the compressor CM by the compression of the primary refrigerant by the compressor CM. Is forcedly circulated, and the liquid phase primary refrigerant is vaporized in the primary heat exchanging section 36 to cool the plate heat exchanger HE (see FIG. 3).

  The compressor CM and the condenser CD are commonly disposed on the base plate 24 in the machine room 20, and a condenser fan FM for forcibly cooling the condenser CD is also placed on the stage facing the condenser CD. Arranged on the plate 24. That is, outside air is taken into the machine room 20 from the air circulation hole opened in the metal panel 18 by driving the condenser fan FM, and heat exchange is performed with the condenser CD and the compressor CM. The control electrical box described above is disposed on the base plate 24 at a position that does not obstruct the air flow by the condenser fan FM in the machine room 20 (side of the machine room 20 in the first embodiment). .

(Secondary circuit)
The secondary circuit 44 includes a secondary heat exchange unit 46 that is provided in the plate heat exchanger HE and liquefies the gas phase secondary refrigerant, and an evaporator EP that vaporizes the liquid phase secondary refrigerant. (See Figure 2). The secondary circuit 44 is a pipe that connects the secondary heat exchange unit 46 and the evaporator EP, and leads the secondary secondary refrigerant from the secondary heat exchange unit 46 to the evaporator EP under the action of gravity. It has a liquid pipe 48 and a secondary gas pipe 50 that guides the gas phase secondary refrigerant from the evaporator EP to the secondary heat exchange unit 46. Here, the evaporator EP is disposed in the cooling chamber 28 defined below the base plate 24, and from a secondary heat exchange section 46 (plate type heat exchanger HE) disposed in the base plate 24. The evaporator EP is configured to be positioned below. That is, in the secondary circuit 44 in which the evaporator EP is disposed below the secondary heat exchanger 46 (plate heat exchanger HE), the plate heat that is forcibly cooled by the operation of the compressor CM in the primary circuit 34. The liquid phase secondary refrigerant condensed in the exchanger HE (secondary heat exchange section 46) flows down to the evaporator EP under the action of gravity, and the liquid phase secondary refrigerant that has flowed down flows into the cooling chamber 28 (storage chamber) in the evaporator EP. 14) It constitutes a refrigerant circulation cycle that returns to the secondary heat exchange section 46 by exchanging heat with the air inside and evaporating. An expansion tank 54 is connected to the secondary circuit 44 in the middle of the secondary gas pipe 50 so as to suppress an increase in the pressure of the secondary refrigerant that does not liquefy at room temperature when the cooling device 32 is stopped. (See FIG. 2).

  Here, the evaporator EP has an evaporation pipe (refrigerant path) 52 having a meandering pipe line, and an inflow end 52a of the evaporation pipe 52 connected to the secondary liquid pipe 48 is formed above the evaporator EP. In addition, an outflow end 52b of the evaporation pipe 52 connected to the secondary gas pipe 50 is provided at the lower part of the evaporator EP (see FIG. 2). That is, the evaporator EP is configured such that the inflow end 52a of the evaporation pipe 52 is located above the outflow end 52b. The evaporation pipe 52 is formed so as to extend between the upper and lower widths of the inflow end 52a and the outflow end 52b, and the liquid-phase secondary refrigerant that has flowed into the evaporation pipe 52 is moved to the outflow end 52b side under the action of gravity. Guided to diffuse. More specifically, the evaporating pipe 52 is formed in a meandering shape in which the inclined straight part is folded in a distorted state in an up-and-down relationship, and the bent part is laterally spaced, and this pipe line is formed at the inflow end. It is comprised so that it may become a downward slope as it goes to the outflow end 52b side from 52a side.

(Plate heat exchanger)
As shown in FIG. 3, the plate heat exchanger HE is configured by arranging a plurality of plates 60 facing each other in parallel so as to be spaced apart from each other, and the primary circuit 34 is disposed between the opposed plates 60, 60. A plurality of first flow paths 60a constituting the primary heat exchange section 36 and a plurality of second flow paths 60b constituting the secondary heat exchange section 46 of the secondary circuit 44 are formed in parallel. Here, the first flow path 60a and the second flow path 60b are independently formed so as to be alternately positioned in the overlapping direction of the plates 60, and the primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe. Each of 40 is configured to communicate with each first flow path 60a, and each of the secondary liquid piping 48 and the secondary gas piping 50 is configured to communicate with each second flow path 60b. That is, in the plate heat exchanger HE, the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant are allowed to flow independently through the respective plates 60 by allowing the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant to flow independently through the adjacent first and second flow paths 60a and 60b. Heat is exchanged between the refrigerants. The plate heat exchanger has an advantage that the capacity can be easily changed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the plate-type heat exchanger HE is arranged in the base plate 24 so that the first and second flow paths 60a and 60b intersect the horizontal plane at a required inclination angle θ. (See FIG. 4). The primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 are connected to the surface side (inclined upper surface side) facing the machine chamber 20 in the plate heat exchanger HE, and face the storage chamber 14 in the plate heat exchanger HE. The secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are connected to the surface side (inclined lower surface side). Further, the primary liquid pipe 38 and the secondary liquid pipe 48 are connected to the corresponding heat exchanging portions 36 and 46 on the same end side (inclined lower end side in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4) of the plate heat exchanger HE. In addition, the primary gas pipe 40 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are connected to the end side away from the primary liquid pipe 38 and the secondary liquid pipe 48 in the plate heat exchanger HE (in FIG. 3 or FIG. Are connected to the corresponding heat exchanging parts 36, 46 on the part side).

  In the following description, the angle between the plate heat exchanger HE and the horizontal plane is expressed as an inclination angle θ with reference to the end portion side where the liquid pipes 38 and 48 are connected in the plate heat exchanger HE. To do. Further, when the plate type heat exchanger HE is inclined upward from the primary liquid pipe 38 and the secondary liquid pipe 48 to the primary gas pipe 40 and the secondary gas pipe 50, the inclination angle θ is set to a positive value. The inclination angle θ when the heat exchanger HE is inclined downward is a negative value.

  Here, the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed on the base plate 24 so that the inclination angle θ is in the range of −4 ° <θ ≦ 45 °. When the inclination angle is set to 45 ° <θ, the height of the inclined plate heat exchanger HE becomes too large, and the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed in the base plate 24. It becomes difficult. Further, by setting the inclination angle θ of the plate heat exchanger HE to −4 ° <θ, the secondary refrigerant is supplied from the secondary gas pipe 50 to the secondary in the secondary heat exchange section 46 of the secondary circuit 44. While the required refrigeration capacity can be exhibited by natural circulation to the liquid pipe 48, the secondary refrigerant is converted into the secondary liquid in the secondary heat exchange unit 46 when the inclination angle θ is set to θ ≦ −4 °. The refrigerant is circulated from the pipe 48 to the secondary gas pipe 50 to cause a reduction in refrigeration capacity. The circulation of the secondary refrigerant from the secondary gas pipe 50 to the secondary liquid pipe 48 in the secondary heat exchange unit 46 is referred to as normal circulation, and the secondary refrigerant from the secondary liquid pipe 48 to the secondary gas pipe 50 is called. This circulation is referred to as reverse circulation. In order to arrange the plate heat exchanger HE in the base plate 24 while the secondary refrigerant is normally circulated in the secondary heat exchange section 46, the inclination angle θ is set to −4 ° <θ ≦ 8 °. It is preferable to set. When the inclination angle θ is set to 8 ° <θ, the base plate 24 becomes thicker than the thickness dimension necessary for heat insulation between the storage chamber 14 and the machine chamber 20.

  Further, the plate heat exchanger HE has a narrow relationship of about 1 mm between the opposing plates 60, 60 in the second flow path 60b, for example, so that the viscous force or surface of the liquid phase secondary refrigerant is reduced. The lower part of the second flow path 60b (secondary heat exchanging portion 46) on the secondary circuit 44 side is configured so as to cause a so-called liquid sealing in which the lower portion of the second flow path 60b (secondary heat exchanging portion 46) is closed with the liquid phase secondary refrigerant. (See Figure 3). In the first embodiment, the liquid sealing portion 62 (see FIG. 3) generated in the second flow path 60b of the secondary heat exchange portion 46 due to the circulation of the liquid phase secondary refrigerant functions as a resistance portion with respect to the gas phase secondary refrigerant. The vapor phase secondary refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator EP is prevented from flowing backward.

  Next, an arrangement method for arranging the plate heat exchanger HE described above at an inclination angle θ with respect to a horizontal plane will be described. In Example 1, as shown in FIG. 8, a protrusion 25 is provided between outer members 24a and 24a constituting the outer surface of the base plate 24 and the inclined upper end side of the plate heat exchanger HE, A plate heat exchanger HE is positioned with respect to the outer member 24a at a predetermined inclination angle θ. Here, the protrusion 25 is provided on either the outer members 24a, 24a of the base plate 24 or the plate heat exchanger HE. Moreover, the said protrusion part 25 is formed with the member which has heat insulation performances, such as a polystyrene foam. The outer members 24a and 24a have correspondingly formed through holes (not shown) through which the pipes 38, 48, 40 and 50 connected to the plate heat exchanger HE are inserted. A gap between each pipe 38, 48, 40, 50 and the through hole is sealed by (not shown).

  The plate-type heat exchanger HE is inclined with respect to the outer member 24a of the base plate 24, and the outer sides of the outer members 24a are fixed by predetermined foaming jigs 72 and 72, and the plate-type heat exchanger The primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 connected to the HE are fixed by a first restraining jig 74, and the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are each fixed by a second restraining jig 76. In this state, the outer shell members 24a and 24a are filled with a foaming material and cured, and after the foaming material is cured, the jigs 72, 74, and 76 are removed, so that the plate-type heat is placed in the base plate 24. The exchanger HE is arranged in an inclined state. Thereafter, the plate plate 24 is horizontally installed on the top plate 12b of the box 12 in the refrigerator 10, so that the plate heat exchanger HE disposed in the plate 24 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. It is inclined at θ.

[Operation of Example 1]
Next, the operation of the cooling device according to the first embodiment will be described.

  First, the case where the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed at an inclination angle θ of 4 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 ° will be described. In the cooling device 32, when the cooling operation is started, circulation of the refrigerant is started in each of the primary circuit 34 and the secondary circuit 44. At this time, in the primary circuit 34, the compressor CD and the condenser fan FM are driven, and the gas phase primary refrigerant compressed by the compressor CM is supplied to the condenser CD through the primary gas pipe 40, and the condenser fan FM. A liquid phase primary refrigerant is obtained by condensing and liquefying by forced cooling. The liquid phase primary refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion valve EV via the primary liquid pipe 38 and takes heat from the secondary refrigerant flowing through the secondary heat exchange unit 46 in the primary heat exchange unit 36 of the plate heat exchanger HE. (Endothermic) expands and vaporizes all at once. That is, the primary circuit 34 functions to forcibly cool the plate heat exchanger HE (secondary heat exchange unit 46). Then, the gas phase primary refrigerant evaporated in the primary heat exchange unit 36 repeats the forced circulation cycle that returns to the compressor CM through the primary gas pipe 40.

  On the other hand, in the secondary circuit 44, the secondary heat exchange unit 46 (plate heat exchanger HE) is cooled by the primary refrigerant circulating in the primary circuit 34. The secondary refrigerant condenses and changes into a liquid phase secondary refrigerant. Here, in a state where the plate heat exchanger HE is inclined at an inclination angle θ of 4 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °, the connection of the secondary liquid piping 48 in the secondary heat exchange section 46 (plate heat exchanger HE) is performed. The part is located below the connection part of the secondary gas pipe 50. That is, the liquid phase secondary whose specific gravity is increased by changing from the gas phase to the liquid phase due to the height difference (head difference) generated between the connection portion of the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the connection portion of the secondary gas pipe 50. The refrigerant naturally flows under the action of gravity along the second flow path 60b of the secondary heat exchange unit 46. Further, in the secondary circuit 44, the secondary heat exchange unit 46 is disposed in the base plate 24, while the evaporator EP is disposed in the cooling chamber 28 located below the base plate 24, thereby performing secondary heat exchange. A head is provided between the portion 46 and the evaporator EP. For this reason, the liquid phase secondary refrigerant naturally flows under the action of gravity toward the evaporator EP via the secondary liquid pipe 48 connected to the secondary heat exchange unit 46. The liquid phase secondary refrigerant evaporates by exchanging heat with the air in the cooling chamber 28 in the process of flowing through the evaporation pipe 52 of the evaporator EP, and changes its state to a gas phase secondary refrigerant. Then, the gas phase secondary refrigerant is refluxed from the evaporator EP to the secondary heat exchange unit 46 via the secondary gas pipe 50, and the secondary circuit 44 has a simple configuration without using power from a pump, a motor, or the like. The cycle in which the secondary refrigerant naturally circulates is repeated.

  Then, the air in the storage chamber 14 sucked into the cooling chamber 28 from the suction port 26a by the blower fan 30 is blown onto the cooled evaporator EP to exchange heat with the evaporator EP, and to exchange heat with the evaporator EP. The storage chamber 14 is cooled by sending the cold air from the cooling chamber 28 to the storage chamber 14 via the cold air outlet 26b. Furthermore, the inside of the storage chamber 14 is cooled to a predetermined temperature by repeating a cycle in which the air whose temperature has increased by cooling the storage chamber 14 returns to the cooling chamber 28 again through the suction port 26a.

  Thus, in the cooling device 32, the primary circuit 34 and the secondary circuit 44 are connected by the plate heat exchanger HE, so that the primary heat exchange unit 36 and the secondary heat exchange of the plate heat exchanger HE are performed. In the part 46, the primary refrigerant of the primary circuit 34 and the secondary refrigerant of the secondary circuit 44 exchange heat under the action of evaporation and condensation. That is, the plate heat exchanger HE according to the first embodiment is configured to perform heat exchange between the primary refrigerant of the primary heat exchange unit 36 and the secondary refrigerant of the secondary heat exchange unit 46 using mutual latent heat. As a result, heat exchange can be performed more efficiently than heat exchange by sensible heat.

  Here, by arranging the plate heat exchanger HE in an inclined manner, the difference in height between the primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 can be reduced as compared with the case where the plate heat exchanger HE is installed in an upright state. The rate of increase in the density of the primary refrigerant that evaporates while circulating against gravity is suppressed. For this reason, compared with the form which installs plate type heat exchanger HE in an upright state, the usage-amount of the primary refrigerant | coolant in the primary circuit 34 can be reduced. By reducing the amount of primary refrigerant required for the primary circuit 34, it is possible to avoid exceeding the use upper limit amount of the refrigerant stipulated by laws and regulations, etc., and the type of refrigerant used as the primary refrigerant A wider range of options.

  Further, when the plate heat exchanger HE is inclined, the difference in height between the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 is also reduced, so that the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant due to the gravity action is reduced. For this reason, in the form of heat exchange by sensible heat with a low heat transfer coefficient, it is usually adopted because it causes a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant and the cooling capacity decreases. I can't. On the other hand, in the cooling device 32 according to the first embodiment, the primary circuit 34 and the secondary circuit 44 are connected by the plate heat exchanger HE, and the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant of the primary circuit 34 are connected to the heat exchanger HE. The secondary refrigerant of the circuit 44 is configured to exchange heat under the action of evaporation and condensation. That is, since the heat exchange between the latent heats having a very high heat transfer rate compared to the sensible heat is performed in the plate heat exchanger HE, the plate heat exchanger HE is inclined and arranged due to the gravity of the secondary refrigerant. Even if the natural flow rate decreases, it is possible to prevent the heat exchange amount in the heat exchanger HE from decreasing, and the cooling capacity of the cooling device 32 is not impaired.

  Next, the case where the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed at an inclination angle θ of −4 ° <θ <4 ° will be described. Even in this case, the flow of the primary refrigerant on the primary circuit 34 side is the same as the case where the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed at an inclination angle θ of 4 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °. That is, as compared with the case where the plate heat exchanger HE is installed in an upright state, the difference in height between the primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 can be reduced, so that the amount of primary refrigerant used can be reduced.

  On the other hand, when the plate-type heat exchanger HE is inclined until the inclination angle θ is in the range of −4 ° <θ <4 °, the secondary liquid piping 48 in the secondary heat exchange section 46 is connected to the secondary portion. The difference in height (head difference) generated between the gas pipe 50 and the connected portion is reduced, and the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant due to the gravitational action cannot be determined, so that the cooling capacity of the cooling device 32 may be reduced. It is done. Here, in the state in which the plate heat exchanger HE is inclined until the inclination angle θ is in the range of −4 ° <θ <4 °, the primary refrigerant changes its state with evaporation. The temperature of the inflow side of the liquid phase primary refrigerant is lower in the portion 36 than the temperature of the outflow side of the gas phase primary refrigerant (see FIG. 5A). That is, in the secondary heat exchange section 46, the temperature on the secondary liquid pipe 48 side is lower than the temperature on the secondary gas pipe 50 side. On the other hand, in the secondary heat exchange section 46, the gas phase secondary refrigerant condenses and changes into a liquid phase secondary refrigerant, so that the liquid phase is placed on the low temperature side (that is, the secondary liquid piping 48 side) with high condensing action. The secondary refrigerant is collected (refrigerant collecting action), and the liquid phase secondary refrigerant can flow down to the evaporator EP via the secondary liquid pipe 48. Thus, even if the plate-type heat exchanger HE is installed so as to be inclined until the inclination angle θ is in the range of −4 ° <θ <4 °, the secondary heat exchange unit 46 causes the secondary heat exchanging effect to cause the secondary heat exchange. Since the circulation direction can be determined so that the refrigerant circulates normally, the refrigeration capacity of the cooling device 32 can be maintained (see FIG. 5A). If the plate heat exchanger HE is tilted until the tilt angle θ of the plate heat exchanger HE becomes θ ≦ −4 °, the temperature of the secondary heat exchange section 46 is increased to the secondary liquid pipe 48 side. The concentration effect of the liquid phase secondary refrigerant is greater than the gravity effect of the liquid phase secondary refrigerant flowing down from the secondary liquid pipe 48 side to the secondary gas pipe 50 side due to the head difference, and the circulation direction is reversed. Is more likely to be invited.

  By the way, when the cooling of the storage chamber 14 (cooling chamber 28) sufficiently proceeds and the amount of heat exchange between the air in the storage chamber 14 (cooling chamber 28) and the secondary refrigerant decreases, the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant The amount of heat exchange with the refrigerant also decreases (that is, the refrigeration load decreases). When the refrigeration load is reduced, the liquid phase primary refrigerant is saturated up to the outflow side (primary gas pipe 40 side) of the primary heat exchange unit 36. In this case, temperature glide is generated due to the pressure loss in the primary heat exchange section 36, so the temperature on the outflow side (primary gas pipe 40 side) of the primary heat exchange section 36 is higher than the temperature on the inflow side (primary liquid pipe 38 side). It becomes lower and the reverse decrease of the temperature gradient appears (see FIG. 5 (b)). In this case, the secondary refrigerant in the secondary circuit 44 is concentrated on the low temperature side (that is, the secondary gas pipe 50 side) having a high condensing action, so that the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant is reversed.

  Here, in the plate heat exchanger HE according to the first embodiment, the primary liquid pipe 38 in the primary circuit 34 and the secondary liquid pipe 48 in the secondary circuit 44 are provided on the same end side, and the primary in the primary circuit 34. Since the gas pipe 40 and the secondary gas pipe 50 in the secondary circuit 44 are provided on the same end side, the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant in the plate heat exchanger HE are opposed to each other during normal operation. A flow is made and efficient heat exchange is performed between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant. On the other hand, when the refrigeration load of the cooling device 32 decreases and the flow direction of the secondary refrigerant is reversed, the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant in the plate heat exchanger HE form a parallel flow, so that the counter flow However, the temperature difference between the fluids increases and the heat exchange efficiency between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant decreases. That is, in the cooling device 32 according to the first embodiment, in the situation where the inside of the storage chamber 14 is cooled and the cooling capacity of the cooling device 32 becomes excessive, the cooling capacity is automatically increased by reversing the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant. Can be suppressed. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a special part such as a solenoid valve for controlling the refrigeration capacity of the cooling device 32 according to the temperature of the storage chamber 14, and the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts, and troubles such as failure occur Therefore, the reliability of the operation of the cooling device 32 is improved.

  By the way, in the secondary circuit 44 of the cooling device 32 according to the first embodiment, the inflow end 52a of the evaporator pipe 52 in the evaporator EP (connecting portion with the secondary liquid pipe 48) is provided at the upper part of the evaporator EP and the outflow is performed. By providing the end 52b (connection portion with the secondary gas pipe 50) at the lower part of the evaporator EP, the inflow end 52a is positioned above the outflow end 52b, and there is a drop between the inflow end 52a and the outflow end 52b. Is configured to occur. In addition, the evaporation pipe 52 has a meandering shape in which the linear portion is folded up and down between the outflow end 52b and the inflow end 52a, and is inclined downward from the inflow end 52a toward the outflow end 52b. A pipe line is formed. That is, the evaporation pipe 52 is inclined downward toward the front side in the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant as a whole in a situation where the secondary refrigerant is normally circulated, and therefore, the evaporation pipe 52 from the inflow end 52a (secondary liquid pipe 48). The liquid phase secondary refrigerant that has flowed into the pipe can be evaporated while being guided to the outflow end 52b (secondary gas pipe 50) side along the pipe line under the action of gravity. Therefore, during normal operation of the cooling device 32, in the evaporator EP, the liquid phase secondary refrigerant stays in the vicinity of the inflow end 52a of the evaporation pipe 52 and does not preferentially evaporate in the vicinity of the inflow end 52a. Is naturally diffused along the conduit toward the outflow end 52b, so that a wide heat transfer area can be secured and the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator EP can be improved (see FIG. 6).

  On the other hand, when the refrigeration load of the cooling device 32 is reduced and the flow direction of the secondary refrigerant is reversed, the liquid phase secondary refrigerant flows from the secondary gas pipe 50 side (that is, the outflow end 52b side) to the evaporator EP. The gas phase secondary refrigerant that has flowed into the evaporator and evaporated in the evaporator EP flows out from the secondary liquid pipe 48 (that is, the inflow end 52a side). That is, when the flow direction of the secondary refrigerant is reversed, the evaporator EP has an upward gradient toward the front side in the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant in the secondary circuit. Therefore, the liquid phase secondary refrigerant flowing into the evaporation pipe 52 is Gravity action preferentially evaporates by staying in the vicinity of the outflow end 52b of the evaporation pipe 52, and the heat transfer area becomes smaller as opposed to normal operation, so that the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator EP decreases (see FIG. 7). . That is, in the cooling device 32 according to the first embodiment, in a situation where the inside of the storage chamber 14 is cooled and the cooling capacity of the cooling device 32 becomes excessive, only the heat exchange efficiency between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant is reduced. In addition, the cooling capacity can be automatically suppressed by reducing the heat exchange efficiency in the evaporator EP.

  Further, in the plate heat exchanger HE according to the first embodiment, the protrusions 25 are provided on the outer members 24a and 24a of the base plate 24 or the plate heat exchanger HE, and the plate heat exchanger HE is used as the outer member. By being disposed on 24a, the plate heat exchanger HE is inclined at a predetermined inclination angle θ, and in this state, the foam material is filled and cured between the outer members 24a, 24a. That is, since the plate heat exchanger HE can be inclined at the inclination angle θ simply by providing the projection 25, the plate heat exchanger HE can be simply positioned. Prior to filling the foam material between the outer members 24a, 24a, the primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 connected to the plate heat exchanger HE are fixed by the first restraining jig 74, Since each of the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 is configured to be fixed by the second restraining jig 76, it is possible to prevent the plate heat exchanger HE from being displaced during filling and curing of the foam material. The plate heat exchanger HE can be reliably held at a predetermined inclination angle θ.

  Further, by configuring the plate heat exchanger HE to be embedded in the base plate 24 that insulates the storage chamber 14 and the machine chamber 20, heat loss of the plate heat exchanger HE is prevented, and the primary refrigerant and Since it is possible to improve the efficiency of heat exchange with the secondary refrigerant, there is no need to cover the outer periphery of the plate heat exchanger HE with a separate heat insulating material, which reduces costs by reducing the number of parts and simplifies the manufacturing process. Figured. In particular, the base plate 24 for heat insulation between the storage chamber 14 and the machine room 20 uses a foam material having high heat insulation performance, so that compared to a case where a separate heat insulation material is attached to the plate heat exchanger HE. There is an advantage that the heat insulation performance can be improved and the heat loss can be effectively reduced.

  Further, by embedding the plate heat exchanger HE in the base plate 24, each of the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 that connect the storage chamber 14 (cooling chamber 28) and the plate heat exchanger HE. Compared to the conventional configuration in which the plate type heat exchanger HE is disposed in the machine room 20 and the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are piped in the machine room 20. Heat loss can be greatly reduced. Further, since the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are piped only in the low temperature region (cooling chamber 28), there is no need to provide a heat insulating material for insulating the pipes 48, 50, and the cost can be reduced. There is also. Further, since the plate heat exchanger HE is supported by the foam material of the base plate 24, it is not necessary to separately provide a support member for supporting the plate heat exchanger HE, and the structure is simplified and the number of parts is reduced. The cost can be reduced.

  Further, by embedding the plate heat exchanger HE in the base plate 24, an empty space can be secured in the machine room 20, and the condenser CD, the condenser fan FM, the compressor CD, and the expansion provided in the machine room 20 are expanded. The degree of freedom in arranging the tank 54 and other members is improved. Further, in the cooling device 32 according to the first embodiment, the air taken into the machine room 20 from the front side of the cabinet 16 and exchanging heat with the condenser CD and the compressor CM is blown to the expansion tank 54 by driving the condenser fan FM. In addition, the expansion tank 54 is heated. Here, the amount of the secondary refrigerant staying in the expansion tank 54 is a value that changes according to the pressure and temperature, and this pressure changes because it depends on the evaporation temperature determined by operating conditions and the like in the primary circuit 34. I can't let you. Therefore, by raising the temperature of the expansion tank 54 by the exhaust heat of the primary circuit 34, the secondary refrigerant density in the expansion tank 54 is reduced, so that the amount of the secondary refrigerant staying in the expansion tank 54 can be reduced. . If the amount of the secondary refrigerant staying in the expansion tank 54 is reduced, there is an advantage that the amount of secondary refrigerant in the secondary circuit 44 can be reduced.

  Next, a cooling device according to the second embodiment will be described. However, the cooling device according to the second embodiment is basically the same in configuration as the cooling device 32 described in the first embodiment, and members / configurations having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are given. Omitted.

  In the cooling device 32 according to the second embodiment, the temperature of the circulating liquid phase primary refrigerant is detected as an expansion valve EV provided between the condenser CD and the primary heat exchange unit 36 in the primary liquid pipe 38 of the primary circuit 34. In addition, a temperature detection type expansion valve that can change the throttle degree is provided. Specifically, the expansion valve EV is configured such that when the temperature of the liquid phase primary refrigerant flowing through the primary liquid pipe 38 rises to a predetermined temperature or more, the expansion degree EV is reduced and the liquid phase flowing to the primary heat exchange unit 36 is reduced. Adjust to reduce the amount of primary refrigerant.

  That is, as described above, in the state in which the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed at the inclination angle θ of −4 ° <θ <4 °, the air in the storage chamber 14 (cooling chamber 28) and the secondary refrigerant When the amount of heat exchange between them decreases and the refrigeration load decreases, the liquid phase primary refrigerant becomes saturated up to the outflow side (primary gas pipe 40 side) of the primary heat exchange unit 36, and the pressure loss in the primary heat exchange unit 36 is reduced. Temperature glide occurs due to the influence. In the cooling device 32 according to the second embodiment, when temperature glide occurs in the primary heat exchange unit 36 and the liquid phase primary refrigerant is heated to a predetermined temperature, the amount of liquid phase primary refrigerant flowing to the primary heat exchange unit 36 is reduced. The expansion valve EV adjusts the degree of throttling. That is, by reducing the amount of the liquid phase primary refrigerant flowing to the primary heat exchange unit 36 by the expansion valve EV, generation of temperature glide in the primary heat exchange unit 36 can be prevented, and the inflow side (primary The temperature of the liquid pipe 38 side) is maintained at a lower temperature than the temperature of the outflow side (primary gas pipe 40 side). For this reason, in the secondary circuit 44, since the liquid phase secondary refrigerant can be concentrated on the low temperature side (that is, the secondary liquid pipe 48 side) having a high condensing action, the reverse phenomenon of the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant can be prevented. In addition, since the amount of primary refrigerant flowing through the primary heat exchange unit 36 in the plate heat exchanger HE is reduced, the amount of heat exchange between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant is reduced. In a situation where the cooling capacity of the cooling device 32 becomes excessive due to cooling, the cooling capacity can be automatically suppressed without reversing the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant.

  Thus, in the cooling device 32 according to the second embodiment, by providing the temperature detection type expansion valve EV, the plate-type heat exchanger HE is disposed at an inclination angle θ of −4 ° <θ <4 °. In this case, the natural circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant can be kept constant, and the cooling capacity of the cooling device 32 can be controlled. In the second embodiment, the temperature detection type expansion valve EV is provided in the primary circuit 34. However, the capacity of the primary heat exchange unit 36 in the plate heat exchanger HE is increased, or the primary circuit 34 is distributed. By reducing the amount of primary refrigerant, the temperature gradient of the primary heat exchange unit 36 can be kept constant in a phase where the refrigeration load is reduced, and the circulation direction of the secondary refrigerant in the secondary circuit 44 can be kept constant. .

  Next, a cooling device according to Embodiment 3 will be described. However, the cooling device according to the third embodiment is basically the same in configuration as the cooling device 32 described in the first embodiment, and members / configurations having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description is given. Omitted.

  In the third embodiment, another manufacturing method in which the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed at an inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane will be described. In the cooling device 32 according to the third embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9, an inclined surface 80 having an inclination angle θ with respect to a horizontal plane is formed on the outer member 24 a configuring the base plate 24. By installing the plate heat exchanger HE, the plate heat exchanger HE is positioned at an inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane. The plate-type heat exchanger HE is inclined with respect to the outer member 24a of the base plate 24, and the outer sides of the outer members 24a are fixed by predetermined foaming jigs 72 and 72, and the plate-type heat exchanger The primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 connected to the HE are fixed by a first restraining jig 74, and the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are each fixed by a second restraining jig 76. In this state, the outer shell members 24a and 24a are filled with a foaming material and cured, and after the foaming material is cured, the jigs 72, 74, and 76 are removed, so that the plate-type heat is placed in the base plate 24. The exchanger HE is arranged in an inclined state. Thereafter, the plate plate 24 is horizontally installed on the top plate 12b of the box 12 in the refrigerator 10, so that the plate heat exchanger HE disposed in the plate 24 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. It is configured to tilt at θ.

  That is, in the cooling device 32 according to the third embodiment, the outer surface member 24a of the base plate 24 is provided with the inclined surface 80, and the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed on the inclined surface 80, thereby providing a predetermined inclination. Since the plate heat exchanger HE can be inclined at the angle θ, the positioning of the plate heat exchanger HE can be performed simply. Similarly to the above, the primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 connected to the plate heat exchanger HE are connected by the first restraining jig 74 prior to filling the foam material between the outer members 24a and 24a. Since the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are each fixed by the second restraining jig 76, the plate heat exchanger HE is displaced when the foam material is filled and cured. Therefore, the plate heat exchanger HE can be reliably held at a predetermined inclination angle θ.

  Next, a cooling device according to Embodiment 4 will be described. However, the cooling device according to the fourth embodiment has basically the same configuration as the cooling device 32 described in the first embodiment, and members and configurations having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted. Omitted.

  In the fourth embodiment, another manufacturing method in which the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed at an inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane will be described. In the cooling device 32 according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the plate heat exchanger HE (the primary heat exchanging unit 36 and the secondary heat exchanging unit 46) with respect to the outer member 24 a constituting the base plate 24. Are installed in parallel. Then, the outside of each outer member 24a is fixed by predetermined foaming jigs 72, 72, and the primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 connected to the plate heat exchanger HE are fixed by the first restraining jig 74. Further, each of the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 is fixed by the second restraining jig 76. In this state, the foam member is filled and cured between the outer members 24a and 24a, and after the foam material is cured, the jigs 72, 74, and 76 are removed to be parallel to the base plate 24. A plate type heat exchanger HE is arranged. Thereafter, the plate heat exchanger HE disposed in the base plate 24 is placed on the top plate 12b of the box 12 in the refrigerator 10 so that the base plate 24 is inclined at an inclination angle θ. Is inclined at an inclination angle θ.

  Here, in order to install the base plate 24 in the box 12 so that the outer member 24a is inclined at an inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane, as shown in FIG. By providing a height difference in the installation site, when the base plate 24 is installed in the box 12, the base plate 24 can be inclined at an inclination angle θ due to the height difference of the box 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), if a support portion 82 that hangs downward is formed at one end of the base plate 24, the base plate 24 is supported by the support portion 82 when the base plate 24 is installed on the box 12. 24 can be tilted at the tilt angle θ.

  As described above, in the cooling device 32 according to the fourth embodiment, the base plate 24 in which the plate heat exchanger HE is embedded in parallel is disposed in the box body 12 so as to be inclined at the inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane. The plate heat exchanger HE can also be inclined at an inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, when the plate heat exchanger HE is disposed on the base plate 24, it is not necessary to adjust the inclination angle θ of the plate heat exchanger HE itself, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified. In addition, since the inclination angle θ of the plate heat exchanger HE with respect to the horizontal plane can be adjusted by the inclination of the base plate 24, the plate type heat exchange is compared with the configuration in which the plate type heat exchanger HE is inclined in the base plate 24. There is an advantage that the inclination angle θ of the vessel HE can be easily adjusted. Similarly to the above, the primary liquid pipe 38 and the primary gas pipe 40 connected to the plate heat exchanger HE are connected by the first restraining jig 74 prior to filling the foam material between the outer members 24a and 24a. Since the secondary liquid pipe 48 and the secondary gas pipe 50 are each fixed by the second restraining jig 76, the plate heat exchanger HE is displaced when the foam material is filled and cured. Can be prevented.

  Next, a cooling device according to Embodiment 5 will be described. However, the cooling device according to the fifth embodiment is basically the same in configuration as the cooling device 32 described in the first embodiment, and members / configurations having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description is given. Omitted. In addition, the structure of the inclination angle θ of the heat exchanger, the arrangement structure and the arrangement position, and the manufacturing method of the cooling device 32 described in the first to fourth embodiments can be applied to the fifth embodiment as appropriate.

In the cooling device 32 according to the fifth embodiment, a double-pipe heat exchanger HE1 is employed. The heat exchanger HE1 of Example 5 will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 13 or FIG. 14, the heat exchanger HE1 as a premise example of the fifth embodiment has a tubular secondary heat exchange portion 46 made of a metal material having excellent heat conductivity as an inner tube. This is a double-tube heat exchanger in which the primary heat exchange part 36 that covers the outside of the heat exchange part 46 with a primary refrigerant flow space is used as an outer pipe. In addition, the primary heat exchange part 36 is comprised with a metal material. The heat exchanger HE1 is arranged such that the secondary heat exchanging portion 46 extends in a spiral shape with the vertical direction as an axis, and the primary heat exchanging portion 36 covers the outside of the secondary heat exchanging portion 46 and the secondary heat exchanging portion 36 Like the next heat exchanging section 46, it is configured to extend spirally. That is, the heat exchanger HE1 is a spiral tubular body configured to draw a ring on a plane (see FIG. 13), and the secondary gas pipe 50 is connected to the upper end of the secondary heat exchange unit 46, A secondary liquid pipe 48 is connected to the lower end of the secondary heat exchange unit 46 so that the secondary refrigerant flows through the secondary heat exchange unit 46 from above while swirling along the spiral shape. On the other hand, the primary heat exchange section 36 has a primary liquid pipe 38 connected to the expansion valve EV connected to the lower end, and a primary gas pipe 40 connected to the compressor CM connected to the upper end. The primary refrigerant circulates in the circulation space 36 from below to above while spiraling along a spiral shape. That is, the heat exchanger HE1 is configured such that the flow direction of the secondary refrigerant flowing through the secondary heat exchange unit 46 and the flow direction of the primary refrigerant flowing through the primary heat exchange unit 36 are opposite to each other. .

The heat exchanger HE1 is disposed on the upper side of the compressor CM in the machine room 20, and is disposed so that the compressor CM faces the ring formed by the heat exchanger HE1 (see FIG. 1 or FIG. 2). ). Further, the heat exchanger HE1 is disposed in the machine room 20 at a position lower than the top of the condenser CD, which is taller than the compressor CM, and does not protrude from the machine room 20. Furthermore, the heat exchanger HE1 is disposed on the downstream side in the flow direction of the air sent by the condenser fan FM, and is located on the path of the air flow sent by the condenser fan FM. The heat exchanger HE1 is disposed in a horizontal posture or a posture inclined at an inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane so that the refrigerant flow path of the primary heat exchange unit 36 extends in a horizontal direction or inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The Moreover, the heat exchanger HE1 is formed in a spiral shape so that the passage through which the refrigerant flows in the lateral direction is elongated, and the size in the upper and lower overlapping directions is reduced, so that the overall shape is a laterally long shape. Note that the heat exchanger HE1 may be disposed in a horizontal posture. Here, the heat exchanger HE1 of the fifth embodiment is disposed in the heat insulating wall 24 as shown in FIG.

Even in the heat exchanger HE1 of the fifth embodiment, the inclination angle θ between the heat exchanger HE1 and the horizontal plane is set to the connection end side of the gas piping 40, 50 with reference to the connection end side of the liquid piping 38, 48. If the posture that tilts upward toward is positive, set it appropriately within the range of -4 ° <θ ≦ 45 °, 4 ° ≦ θ ≦ 45 °, and -4 ° <θ <4 °. Thus, the same effects as those of the first to fourth embodiments are produced.
That is, by connecting the heat exchanger HE1 with respect to the horizontal plane so that the refrigerant flow path of the primary heat exchange section 36 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the connection site of the primary liquid piping 38 and the primary gas in the primary heat exchange section 36 are obtained. The height difference from the connection portion of the pipe 40 can be reduced, the vertical component rising against gravity is reduced, and the increase rate of the primary refrigerant density in the heat exchanger HE1 is reduced, thereby increasing the retention refrigerant amount Therefore, the amount of primary refrigerant used in the primary circuit 34 can be reduced. At this time, in the heat exchanger HE1, heat exchange is performed between the primary refrigerant that circulates in the primary circuit 34 and the secondary refrigerant that circulates in the secondary circuit by latent heat having a relatively large heat transfer coefficient. Even if the amount of the refrigerant staying in the heat exchanger HE1 is reduced, the heat exchange efficiency is not impaired. In addition, by tilting the heat exchanger HE1 with respect to the horizontal plane, the vertical height of the heat exchanger HE1 can be suppressed, and the cooling device 32 can be made compact. In addition, the double-pipe heat exchanger HE1 has a high degree of freedom in shape and can effectively use space. Here, the primary heat exchange unit 36 may be an inner tube, and the secondary heat exchange unit may be an outer tube.

(Change example)
The cooling device and the manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention are not limited to those of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

In actual施例1-4 and configured to dispose the plate heat exchanger in the heat insulating wall.

  In each example, in the evaporator in the secondary circuit, the inflow end connected to the secondary liquid pipe is configured to be located above the outflow end connected to the secondary gas pipe, but is not limited thereto, It is also possible to configure so that the inflow end connected to the secondary liquid pipe is positioned below the outflow end connected to the secondary gas pipe.

  In each embodiment, the outer member constituting the heat insulating wall is provided with an inclined surface, or the plate heat exchanger is arranged in an inclined state by the protrusion provided on the outer member or the plate heat exchanger. However, it is also possible to position the plate heat exchanger in an inclined state using only a jig for positioning and fixing each pipe of the plate heat exchanger.

  Moreover, as an evaporator tube of the evaporator, a so-called fin tube having a radially extending fin on the outer periphery, or a so-called spiral fin tube having a spiral extending radially on the outer periphery is adopted. Also good. Further, the pipes of the evaporation pipes are branched into a plurality of (two systems) systems at the inflow end, and these plurality of system branch evaporation pipes extend in a meandering manner so as to have a downward slope toward the front side in the circulation direction. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that exists and is brought together again at the outflow end.

  In each embodiment, the evaporation pipe is formed so as to incline downward from the inflow end side to the outflow end side. However, if the liquefied refrigerant can be diffused under the action of gravity toward the outflow end side as a whole, the pipe line A part that is inclined upward toward the outflow end side or a part that extends horizontally may be provided in a part of the part.

  In each embodiment, as a means for preventing the back flow of the gas phase secondary refrigerant, a liquid seal formed in the flow path of the secondary heat exchange section in the plate heat exchanger is used. What is necessary is just to provide the drag which becomes distribution resistance with respect to a gaseous-phase secondary refrigerant between the secondary liquid piping from the connection part vicinity with the secondary liquid piping in the inside of an exchanger. For example, as a configuration in which the liquid phase secondary refrigerant is stored in the inner bottom portion of the heat exchanger or in the middle of the secondary liquid pipe, a head (water head) of the secondary refrigerant stored in the storage portion may be used as the resistance portion. Furthermore, a means for increasing the flow resistance in the secondary liquid pipe, a pipe shape provided with a throttle part or a trap, or a check valve inserted in the secondary liquid pipe can be used as the resistance part. In addition to using the resistance portions of these various modes alone, the configurations of the first embodiment and the modified example may be combined to function as a resistance portion.

  In each embodiment, the storage chamber and the machine room are separated so that there is no air flow between the machine room and the storage room by a base plate that is a common substrate of the equipment disposed in the machine room. The machine room and the storage room may be separated from each other by a box top plate.

  In each of the embodiments, the case where the cooling device is employed in the refrigerator has been described as an example.

  In the embodiment, the expansion valve is used as the pressure reducing means (throttle mechanism) of the primary circuit, but a capillary tube or other means can be adopted.

  In the fifth embodiment, the double-tube heat exchanger is formed so as to extend in a spiral shape with the upper and lower axes as axes, but may be formed so as to extend through an appropriate path such as a meandering shape or a staircase shape.

It is a sectional side view which shows the refrigerator cooled with the cooling device which concerns on suitable Example 1 of this invention. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram illustrating a cooling device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a plate heat exchanger according to Example 1. FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the installation state of the plate type heat exchanger which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the temperature gradient in the plate type heat exchanger which concerns on Example 1, and the distribution direction of a secondary refrigerant | coolant, (a) shows the state in which a secondary refrigerant is circulating normally, (b) Indicates a state in which the secondary refrigerant is reversely circulated. It is AA sectional view taken on the line of the evaporator shown in FIG. 2, Comprising: The state which a secondary refrigerant | coolant circulates normally is shown. It is AA sectional view taken on the line of the evaporator shown in FIG. 2, Comprising: A secondary refrigerant | coolant shows the state which reversely circulates. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning method of the plate type heat exchanger which concerns on Example 1. FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning method of the plate type heat exchanger which concerns on Example 3. FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning method of the plate type heat exchanger which concerns on Example 4. FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning method which inclines and arrange | positions the base plate which arrange | positioned the plate-type heat exchanger which concerns on Example 4, Comprising: (a) shows the structure made to incline with a box structure, b) shows a structure in which the base plate is inclined by the base plate structure. It is a sectional side view which shows the refrigerator cooled by the cooling device provided with the heat exchanger which concerns on the premise example of Example 5. It is a top view which shows the machine room in the refrigerator cooled with the cooling device provided with the heat exchanger which concerns on the premise example of Example 5. FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a partially broken heat exchanger according to a premise example of Example 5. It is a sectional side view of the refrigerator which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the heat exchanger which concerns on Example 5. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which showed typically the cooling device which concerns on a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

14 storage room (closed space), 20 machine room (open space), 24 base plate (heat insulation wall)
24a outer member, 25 projection, 34 primary circuit, 36 primary heat exchange section 38 primary liquid piping, 40 primary gas piping, 44 secondary circuit, 46 secondary heat exchange section 48 secondary liquid piping, 50 secondary gas piping, 52 Evaporating Tube (Refrigerant Path), 52a Inlet End 52b Outlet End, 74 First Restraint Jig, 76 Second Restraint Jig, 80 Inclined Surface CD Condenser, CM Compressor, EP Evaporator, HE Plate Heat Exchanger HE1 heat exchanger

Claims (12)

Primary circuit (34) that mechanically circulates the primary refrigerant, secondary circuit (44) that naturally circulates the secondary refrigerant, and heat exchangers (HE, HE1) that exchange heat between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant )
The primary circuit (34) includes a compressor (CM) that compresses the primary refrigerant, a condenser (CD) that condenses the primary refrigerant compressed by the compressor (CM), and a condenser (CD) that condenses the primary refrigerant. Pressure reducing means (EV) for depressurizing the primary refrigerant, and a primary heat exchange unit (36) for evaporating the primary refrigerant formed in the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) and condensed in the condenser (CD), A primary liquid pipe (38) that connects the condenser (CD) and the primary heat exchange section (36) via a decompression means (EV) is connected to one end side of the heat exchanger (HE, HE1). The primary gas pipe (40) connecting the compressor (CM) and the primary heat exchange section (36) is configured to be connected to the other end side of the heat exchanger (HE, HE1),
The secondary circuit (44) is formed in the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) and is condensed in a secondary heat exchange unit (46) that condenses the secondary refrigerant and the secondary heat exchange unit (46). An evaporator (EP) for evaporating the secondary refrigerant, and a secondary liquid pipe (48) connecting the secondary heat exchange section (46) and the evaporator (EP), the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) is connected to the connection end side of the primary liquid pipe (38), and the secondary gas pipe (50) connecting the secondary heat exchange section (46) and the evaporator (EP), the heat exchange It is configured to connect to the connection end side of the primary gas pipe (40) in the vessel (HE, HE1),
An insulating space (24) comprising an open space (20) in which the primary circuit (34) is disposed and a closed space (14) in which the evaporator (EP) of the secondary circuit (44) is disposed. Separated by
The heat exchanger (HE, HE1) is disposed between a pair of outer members (24a, 24a) constituting the heat insulating wall (24),
The heat exchanger (HE, HE1) has a horizontal posture or a posture inclined with respect to a horizontal plane so that a refrigerant flow path of the primary heat exchange section (36) extends in a horizontal direction or inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. A cooling device that is arranged. Before Stories heat exchanger (HE, HE1) is heat exchanger (HE, HE1) or outer member (24a, 24a) to be inclined at an inclination angle θ relative to the horizontal plane by a projection formed on the (25) configuration claims 1 Symbol placement of the cooling device. The cooling device according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion (25) is formed of a member having heat insulation performance. Before Kigaikaku member inclined surface as the inclined angle θ with respect to formed by a horizontal plane (24a) (80), the heat exchanger by installing the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) (HE, HE1) There configured claim 1 Symbol placement of the cooling device to be inclined at an inclination angle θ relative to the horizontal plane. Before Kigaikaku member (24a) that is inclined relative to a horizontal plane, said heat exchanger (HE, HE1) is configured according to claim 1 Symbol placement of the cooling device to be inclined at an inclination angle θ relative to the horizontal plane. The said heat exchanger is a plate type heat exchanger (HE), and this plate type heat exchanger (HE) is arrange | positioned with the attitude | position which inclines with respect to a horizontal attitude | position or a horizontal surface. The cooling device according to one item . The heat exchanger (HE1) is inserted into the outer tube forming either one of the primary heat exchange unit (36) or the secondary heat exchange unit (46), and the primary heat exchange. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cooling device is configured by an inner pipe that constitutes one of the section (36) and the secondary heat exchange section (46). The angle θ formed by the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) and the horizontal plane is upward toward the connection end side of the gas pipe (40, 50) with respect to the connection end side of the liquid pipe (38, 48). The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , which is set in a range of -4 ° <θ ≤ 45 ° when the tilting posture is a positive value. The angle θ formed by the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) and the horizontal plane is upward toward the connection end side of the gas pipe (40, 50) with respect to the connection end side of the liquid pipe (38, 48). The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , which is set in a range of 4 ° ≤ θ ≤ 45 ° when the inclined posture is a positive value. The angle θ formed by the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) and the horizontal plane is upward toward the connection end side of the gas pipe (40, 50) with respect to the connection end side of the liquid pipe (38, 48). The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , which is set in a range of -4 ° <θ <4 ° when the tilting posture is a positive value. The evaporator (EP) in the secondary circuit (44) has an inflow end (52a) connected to the secondary liquid pipe (48) above an outflow end (52b) connected to the secondary gas pipe (50). The cooling device according to claim 10 , wherein the cooling device is configured to be located in The heat exchanger (HE, HE1) is configured to be disposed between a pair of outer members (24a, 24a) constituting the heat insulating wall (24), according to any one of claims 1 to 11. A method of manufacturing a cooling device (32), comprising:
The heat exchanger (HE, HE1) is disposed between the pair of outer members (24a, 24a) and pipes (38, 40) connecting the primary circuit (34) and the heat exchanger (HE, HE1). And a pipe (48, 50) connecting the secondary circuit (44) and the heat exchanger (HE, HE1) with a restraining jig (74, 76), a pair of outer members (24a, 24a) A method for manufacturing a cooling device, wherein a foaming material is filled in between.

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