JP5221321B2 - Cooling device for refrigerant recovery cylinder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder that cools a refrigerant recovery cylinder that is used when recovering a refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioning or refrigeration apparatus such as an air conditioner or a refrigerator.

  When replacing, repairing, or disposing of the refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner or refrigerator such as an air conditioner or a refrigerator and parts (for example, a compressor) constituting the refrigerant circuit, or specifying the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit as a CFC system From the viewpoint of preventing destruction of the ozone layer and global warming due to the atmospheric release of CFCs when replacing CFCs (eg R12) or HCFC-designated CFCs (eg R22) with HFC-based alternative refrigerants (eg R407C or R410A), An operation of collecting the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is performed.

  In such a refrigerant recovery operation, the internal pressure of the refrigerant recovery cylinder is increased particularly when the outside air temperature is high, such as in summer. When the internal pressure of the refrigerant recovery cylinder becomes high, it becomes difficult for the refrigerant to enter the cylinder, and there is a problem that the time for recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit becomes long.

  Patent Document 1 listed below describes a refrigerant recovery device that cools a refrigerant recovery container by injecting liquid nitrogen into a heat insulating container containing the refrigerant recovery container. According to this refrigerant recovery device, the refrigerant recovery container can be cooled by liquid nitrogen. When the refrigerant recovery container is cooled, the refrigerant in the container is liquefied or solidified to lower the internal pressure, so that the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit can be recovered efficiently and the working time can be shortened.

  Patent Document 2 describes a refrigerant recovery apparatus in which a Peltier element is provided in a refrigerant recovery container. According to this refrigerant recovery apparatus, the refrigerant recovery apparatus can be cooled by the Peltier element. When the refrigerant recovery device is cooled, the refrigerant in the container is liquefied and the internal pressure is reduced, so that the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit can be recovered efficiently and the working time can be shortened.

JP 2001-174109 A JP 2003-269825 A

  In the refrigerant recovery apparatus of Patent Document 1, as described above, the refrigerant recovery container is cooled by liquid nitrogen to reduce the internal pressure of the container, so that the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit can be recovered efficiently, Time can be shortened. However, since liquid nitrogen requires care in handling, the cooling device for cooling the refrigerant recovery container has a complicated structure with an emphasis on safety. For this reason, there is a problem that the cooling device becomes bulky and heavy, and labor is required for preparation and cleaning up of the refrigerant recovery work, which requires carrying the cooling device.

  Moreover, in the refrigerant recovery apparatus of Patent Document 2, as described above, the refrigerant recovery container is cooled by the Peltier element to reduce the internal pressure of the container, so that the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit can be recovered efficiently. Work time can be shortened. However, since the Peltier element is an expensive product, there is a problem that if it is provided so as to cover the entire periphery of the refrigerant recovery container, the cost increases.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder that can efficiently cool the refrigerant recovery cylinder with an inexpensive and simple structure.

  The present invention is provided so as to cover the periphery of a refrigerant recovery cylinder that recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioning or refrigeration apparatus, cooling means for cooling the cylinder, water supply means for supplying water to the cooling means, An air blowing means for sending air to the cooling means, and when the air sent from the air blowing means passes through the cooling means, the vaporization of the water supplied from the water supply means to the cooling means is promoted to vaporize the water. The refrigerant recovery cylinder is cooled by heat.

  The cooling means may have a water retention member that absorbs and holds the water supplied from the water supply means.

  Further, the water retaining member can have air permeability.

  In addition, the cooling means may have a heat radiating member whose base end is in contact with the refrigerant recovery cylinder and whose front end is formed in a fin shape inside the water retention member and radiates the heat of the refrigerant recovery cylinder into the water retention member. .

  Further, the heat radiating member can be made of a metal material having good thermal conductivity.

  In addition, the housing has a housing for accommodating the refrigerant recovery cylinder and the cooling means. The housing has an inlet for introducing air into the inside from the outside of the housing and an outlet for letting out air from the inside of the housing. The inlet is the housing. In the lower part of the housing, outlets are provided in the upper part of the housing, respectively, so that air entering the inside of the housing from the inlet can pass through the cooling means and exit from the outlet to the outside of the housing.

  Further, the blowing means can be provided at at least one of the inlet and the outlet.

  In addition, the cooling means and the water supply means are connected to each other, and a tubular water flow path in which water flows from the water supply means to the cooling means, and a flow rate adjusting means that is provided in the water flow path and adjusts the flow rate of the water. Can do.

  Further, the water supply means can be a portable container that can store and carry water.

  Further, the air blowing means can be a fan driven by a dry battery.

  According to the cooling device for the refrigerant recovery cylinder of the present invention, the refrigerant recovery cylinder can be efficiently cooled with an inexpensive and simple structure.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a cooling device 10 for a refrigerant recovery cylinder according to the present embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  The cooling device 10 is a device that cools the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 for recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioning or refrigeration apparatus. The refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 is connected to a refrigerant circuit (not shown) of an air conditioning or refrigeration apparatus via a refrigerant recovery pipe 14. The refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 is a cylindrical container that stores the refrigerant recovered from the refrigerant circuit. For example, this container can store 20 kg of refrigerant.

  A cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder (hereinafter simply referred to as a cooling device) 10 according to the present embodiment includes a cooling means 16 provided so as to cover the periphery of the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12, and water for supplying water to the cooling means 16. It has supply means 18 and blower means 20 for sending air to cooling means 16. When air is sent from the blowing unit 20 to the cooling unit 16 and passes through the cooling unit 16, vaporization of the water supplied from the water supply unit 18 to the cooling unit 16 is promoted. Then, the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 can be efficiently cooled by the heat of vaporization of water. Thus, according to the cooling device 10 according to the present embodiment, the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 can be efficiently cooled with a simple structure by utilizing the heat of vaporization of water.

  Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the cooling device 10 will be described.

  The cooling device 10 includes a housing 22 that houses the cooling recovery cylinder 12 and the cooling means 16. The housing 22 has a cylindrical shape and is made of a lightweight material, for example, plastic, for easy carrying. An opening (not shown) is formed on the bottom surface of the housing 22, and the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 and the cooling means 16 can be accommodated through the opening. Note that the housing 22 may be configured to have a shape divided by a plane including a cylindrical axis in consideration of carrying and can be assembled in the refrigerant recovery work place. Thereby, the labor concerning preparation and cleaning up of a refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery operation | work can be reduced.

  The housing 22 is sized so that the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion of the housing 22 and the outer periphery of the cooling means 16 are in contact with each other in order to save the space of the cooling device 10. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the cooling means 16 is not damaged by the contact between the housing 22 and the cooling means 16 when the housing 22 accommodates the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 and the cooling means 16 through the opening on the bottom surface. In addition, the housing 22 is formed such that a slight gap is left between the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion of the housing 22 and the outer periphery of the cooling means 16. In addition, when the housing 22 is configured in a divided shape as described above, the possibility of damage to the cooling means 16 is reduced, so that the space between the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion of the housing 22 and the outer periphery of the cooling means 16 is reduced. The housing 22 may be formed so as to eliminate a gap generated in the.

  The housing 22 has an inlet 24 through which air enters from the outside of the housing 22 and an outlet 26 through which air flows from the inside of the housing 22 to the outside. The inlet 24 is provided in the lower part of the housing 22. Specifically, a plurality of parts are provided below the cylindrical portion of the housing 22 at intervals in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, the outlet 26 is provided in the upper part of the housing 22. Specifically, it is provided at the center of the upper end portion of the housing 22. As the arrow 20 shown in FIG. 1 is driven, the air that has entered the interior of the housing 22 from the inlet 24 ascends the interior of the housing 22 and passes through the cooling means 16. Go outside. Here, as described above, there is a slight gap between the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion of the housing 22 and the outer periphery of the cooling means 16. For this reason, air can flow through the gap inside the housing 22. However, this gap is a slight interval, and the cooling means 16 has air permeability as will be described later, so that most of the air flows through the cooling means 16.

  The air blowing means 20 is disposed at the outlet 26. The air blowing means 20 is a fan driven by a dry battery. Therefore, the air blowing means 20 can be driven even in a place where there is no power source (for example, an outlet). In this embodiment, although the case where the ventilation means 20 was arrange | positioned at the exit 26 was demonstrated, it is not limited to this structure, You may arrange the ventilation means 20 in the inlet 24. FIG. Further, the air blowing means 20 is not limited to a fan driven by a dry battery, but may be a fan driven by electric power supplied from a power source such as an outlet.

  The cooling device 10 includes a water flow path 28 that connects the cooling means 16 and the water supply means 18, and a flow rate adjusting means 30 provided in the water flow path 28. The water channel 28 is a tube-shaped channel through which water flows from the water supply unit 18 to the cooling unit 16. The water flow path 28 extends through the housing 22 into the housing 22 and is attached to the cooling means 16 so as to surround the periphery thereof. A plurality of holes 28 a are formed in the portion of the water flow path 28 wound around the cooling means 16 so that water flows out of the holes 28 a and is supplied to the cooling means 16. The flow rate adjusting means 30 is a device that adjusts the flow rate of water flowing through the water flow path 28, and is, for example, a valve. The flow rate adjusting unit 30 can adjust the cooling capacity of the cooling unit 16 that cools the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 by adjusting the flow rate of the water supplied to the cooling unit 16. Although the case where the water flow path 28 of this embodiment is attached so as to surround the periphery of the cooling means 16 has been described, it may be attached so as to be embedded inside the cooling means 16.

  The water supply means 18 is a portable container that can store and carry water, and is, for example, a plastic bottle. As a result, even if the refrigerant recovery operation is a place where there is no faucet such as the rooftop of a building, water necessary for the operation can be secured in advance, thereby simplifying the labor required for preparation and cleaning up of the refrigerant recovery operation. , Work can be done smoothly.

  Next, the cooling means 16 will be specifically described. The cooling means 16 has a maintenance member 16 a that absorbs and holds the water supplied from the water supply means 18. The water retaining member 16a is made of a porous material having good air permeability, such as cotton. The water retaining member 16a is provided so as to cover the periphery of the coolant collecting cylinder 12 while being in contact therewith.

  Moreover, the cooling means 16 has the heat radiating member 32 which radiates the heat | fever of the refrigerant | coolant collection cylinder 12 to the inside of the water retention member 16a, as FIG. 2 shows. The heat radiating member 32 is made of a metal material having good thermal conductivity, for example, copper. The heat dissipating member 32 is formed such that its base end is in contact with the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 and its tip extends into the water retaining member 16a. A plurality of fins are formed between the proximal end and the distal end. With such a configuration, the heat of the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 can be efficiently radiated to the inside of the cooling means 16.

  The cooling means 16 is provided so as to be in contact with the periphery of the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12, specifically, the cylinder portion. Therefore, in order to facilitate attachment / detachment of the cooling means 16 to / from the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12, the cooling means 16 can be configured as shown in FIG.

  The cooling means 16 is cut along the axial direction of the cylinder, and is formed into a petal shape. With this configuration, the end of the cooling means 16 can be expanded so that the cooling means 16 can be easily covered with the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12, and the cooling means 16 can be easily removed from the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12. is there. Further, in the cooling means 16 configured as described above, the water flow paths 28 are branched according to the number of the cooling means 16 divided by the cuts, and the branched water flow paths 28 are respectively attached to the respective cooling means 16. It is suitable to leave. Thereby, the labor concerning preparation and cleaning up of the refrigerant recovery operation can be omitted.

  Next, the operation of the cooling device 10 during the refrigerant recovery operation will be described. First, water is stored in the water supply means 18 and the water is supplied to the cooling means 16. The supplied water is absorbed and retained by the water retention member 16a. And the ventilation means 20 is driven. By driving the air blowing means 20, air enters the cylinder from the inlet 24 of the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12, passes through the cooling means 16, and exits from the outlet 26. At this time, the ventilation in the cooling means 16 promotes the vaporization of the water retained in the water retaining member 16a, and the vaporized water takes away the surrounding heat as the heat of vaporization. That is, the heat of the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 in contact with the water retaining member 16a is taken away. Moreover, since the heat of the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 is easily transferred to the water retention member 16a by the heat radiating member 32 provided in the water retention member 16a, the heat of the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 can be efficiently taken.

  According to the cooling device 10 having such a configuration, the refrigerant recovery cylinder 12 can be efficiently cooled by using heat of vaporization, in other words, latent heat necessary for evaporation, with an inexpensive and simple structure. As a result, the time for collecting the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit can be shortened.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the cooling device of the refrigerant | coolant collection cylinder of this embodiment. It is sectional drawing by the AA line of FIG. It is a figure which shows the divided cooling means.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cooling device of refrigerant | coolant collection cylinders, 12 Refrigerant collection cylinders, 16 Cooling means, 18 Water supply means, 20 Blowing means, 22 Housing, 24 Inlet, 26 Outlet, 28 Water flow path, 30 Flow rate adjustment means, 32 Radiation member.

Claims (7)

Cooling means provided to cover the periphery of the refrigerant recovery cylinder for recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioning or refrigeration apparatus, and cooling the cylinder;
Water supply means for supplying water to the cooling means;
A blowing means for sending air to the cooling means;
Have
The cooling means is
A water retaining member that absorbs and retains water supplied from the water supply means and has air permeability;
A base end is in contact with the refrigerant recovery cylinder, a tip is formed in a fin shape inside the water retention member, and a heat dissipation member that dissipates the heat of the refrigerant recovery cylinder into the water retention member;
Have
When the air sent from the blowing means passes through the cooling means, vaporization of the water supplied from the water supply means to the cooling means is promoted, and the refrigerant recovery cylinder is cooled by the heat of vaporization of water.
A cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder. In the cooling device of the refrigerant recovery cylinder according to claim 1 ,
A cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder, wherein the heat dissipating member is made of a metal material having good thermal conductivity. In the cooling device of the refrigerant recovery cylinder according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A housing for accommodating the refrigerant recovery cylinder and the cooling means;
The housing has an inlet for introducing air into the interior from the outside of the housing and an outlet for letting air out of the housing from the inside,
Cooling of the refrigerant recovery cylinder, characterized in that an inlet is provided at the lower part of the housing and an outlet is provided at the upper part of the housing, and the air that has entered the housing from the inlet passes through the cooling means and exits from the outlet to the outside of the housing. apparatus. In the cooling device of the refrigerant recovery cylinder according to claim 3 ,
The cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder, wherein the blowing means is provided at at least one of the inlet and the outlet. In the cooling device of the refrigerant recovery cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A tubular water flow path connecting the cooling means and the water supply means, and water flows from the water supply means to the cooling means;
A flow rate adjusting means for adjusting the flow rate of water provided in the water flow path;
A cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder, comprising: In the cooling device of the refrigerant recovery cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder, wherein the water supply means is a portable container that stores water and can be carried. In the cooling device of the refrigerant recovery cylinder according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The cooling device for a refrigerant recovery cylinder, wherein the blowing means is a fan driven by a dry battery.

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