JP6004684B2 - Thermal storage device and trigger unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat storage device using a heat storage material that is in a supercooled state and retains energy for latent heat at an ambient temperature during heat storage, and a trigger unit that induces crystallization of the heat storage material in a supercooled state.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a heat storage device that stores midnight power, motor exhaust heat, solar heat, or the like and uses it as a heat source when necessary (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this type of heat storage device, the size of the device is reduced by using a latent heat storage material having a large heat storage density as the heat storage material.
By the way, the latent heat storage material used as the heat storage material in the heat storage device becomes a supercooled state in which it remains in a liquid state and does not crystallize even when the melted material is cooled to a temperature below the freezing point and retains the energy of the latent heat. Has properties. This kind of heat storage material starts crystallization by giving a stimulus, and releases latent heat by crystallization. Therefore, the heat storage device is provided with a trigger unit that gives a stimulus to the heat storage material at an arbitrary timing. As a mechanism of the trigger unit, for example, there are various methods such as mechanically stimulating the supercooled heat storage material or applying a voltage, but the heat storage material cannot be surely induced to crystallize. There was a problem. Therefore, there is known a technique for reliably inducing crystallization of the heat storage material by contacting a seed crystal obtained by crystallizing the same material as the heat storage material. For example, in the heat storage device described in Patent Document 1, a seed crystal obtained by crystallizing the same material as the heat storage material is filled in a pipe, and the seed crystal is in a supercooled state at an arbitrary timing by moving the pipe. It is brought into contact with the heat storage material to induce crystallization of the heat storage material.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-22194

However, in the conventional configuration, since the seed crystal is filled in a pipe having a smooth inner surface, the holding force for holding the seed crystal in the pipe is not sufficient, and the seed crystal is released from the trigger mechanism at an unintended timing. There was a possibility of falling on the heat storage material. If the seed crystal falls on the supercooled heat storage material and touches the heat storage material, it will cause crystallization of the heat storage material at an unintended timing, and use the heat stored in the heat storage material when necessary. There was a problem that could not be.
An object of the present invention is to provide a heat storage device and a trigger unit that can solve the problems of the conventional techniques described above and can prevent the seed crystal from falling with a simple structure.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a heat storage unit having a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature during heat storage in a container, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material. The trigger unit includes: a holding member that holds the seed crystal; and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can contact the heat storage material. The holding member is a cylindrical member, and includes a seed crystal holding portion having a recess in which the seed crystal is placed , and the seed crystal holding portion is a plate shape that closes an opening at a tip of the cylindrical member. The holding member is provided with a through hole that is formed in the space between the inner wall of the cylindrical member and includes the recess, and the recess communicates with the space inside the container .

Further, the present invention comprises a heat storage unit provided in a container with a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature during heat storage, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material, and the trigger The unit includes: a holding member that holds the seed crystal; and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can come into contact with the heat storage material. A cylindrical member comprising a seed crystal holding portion having a recess on which the seed crystal is placed, and the seed crystal holding portion is formed in a plate shape that closes an opening at a tip of the cylindrical member, and the cylindrical shape A through hole that includes the recess in a space between the inner wall of the member, provides a projecting portion that protrudes into the cylindrical member substantially at the center of the seed crystal holding portion, and communicates the recess with the space inside the container. Is provided on the protruding portion. To.

Further, the present invention comprises a heat storage unit provided in a container with a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature during heat storage, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material, and the trigger The unit includes: a holding member that holds the seed crystal; and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can come into contact with the heat storage material. A plate-like member, comprising a seed crystal holding portion having a recess on which the seed crystal is placed, and bending the tip of the plate-like member to form the seed crystal holding portion; a part of the seed crystal holding portion And the concave portion is provided .

Further, the present invention comprises a heat storage unit provided in a container with a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature during heat storage, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material, and the trigger The unit includes: a holding member that holds the seed crystal; and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can come into contact with the heat storage material. A cylindrical member, comprising a seed crystal holding portion having a concave portion on which the seed crystal is placed, provided with a slit extending in the longitudinal direction at the tip of the cylindrical member, and bending the tip outward to hold the seed crystal And a recess is provided by recessing a part of the seed crystal holding part .

  In the heat storage device according to the present invention, the holding member is provided with the seed crystal holding portion, and includes a shaft portion that slides while maintaining the hermeticity of the container with respect to the seal portion. .

  According to the present invention, since the holding member includes the seed crystal holding unit having the concave portion on which the seed crystal is placed, the seed crystal can be placed on the concave portion and held without dropping.

It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows schematic structure of the thermal storage apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the thermal storage device which shows the state change of a thermal storage material, (A) is a figure showing the state where a thermal storage material is a supercooled state, and (B) makes a seed crystal contact thermal storage material with a trigger unit. It is a figure which shows the state which induced the crystallization of the thermal storage material, (C) is a figure which shows the state which the thermal storage material crystallized. It is a perspective view of a holding member. It is a perspective view of the holding member of a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the holding member of 3rd Embodiment, (A) is a disassembled perspective view, (B) is sectional drawing. It is a figure which shows the holding member of the modification of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the modification of a structure of the lower end of a holding member, (A) is a figure which shows the holding member whose lower end is a tapered shape, (B) is a figure which shows the holding member provided with the external thread on the outer periphery of a lower end. is there. It is a perspective view which shows the holding member of 4th Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the holding member of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the holding member of 5th Embodiment, (A) is a perspective view which shows the holding member before forming a seed crystal holding part, (B) shows the holding member which formed the seed crystal holding part. It is a perspective view. It is sectional drawing which shows the holding member of 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the axial part of 6th Embodiment, (A) is sectional drawing which shows one form of the groove | channel formed in the hollow part, (B) Another form of the groove | channel formed in the hollow part is shown. It is sectional drawing. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows schematic structure of the trigger unit of 7th Embodiment, (A) is a figure which shows the state which a heat storage material is a supercooled state, (B) uses a seed crystal as a heat storage material with a trigger unit. It is a figure which shows the state which made it contact and induced the crystallization of the thermal storage material. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows schematic structure of a container. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the container of 8th Embodiment, (A) is a figure which shows the state in which a thermal storage material is a supercooled state, (B) makes a seed crystal contact a thermal storage material with a trigger unit, It is a figure which shows the state which induced the crystallization of the thermal storage material. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows schematic structure of the heat storage apparatus of 9th Embodiment, (A) is a figure which shows the state which a heat storage material is a supercooled state, (B) uses a seed crystal as a heat storage material with a trigger unit. It is a figure which shows the state which made it contact and induced the crystallization of the thermal storage material.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a heat storage device 100 according to the first embodiment to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the heat storage device 100 radiates heat from the heat storage unit 50 including a latent heat storage material (heat storage material) 2 that is supercooled at an environmental temperature during heat storage, and the latent heat storage material 2. A trigger unit 10 for triggering. The heat storage device 100 is thermally connected to the latent heat storage material 2, and heat is stored in the first heat transporting means 4 that transmits heat from the heat source 3 to the latent heat storage material 2 and the heat stored in the latent heat storage material 2. Second heat transporting means 5 for transmitting to the utilization device 6. With this configuration, the latent heat storage material 2 stores the heat transmitted from the heat source 3 via the first heat transporting means 4 and supplies the heat stored via the second heat transporting means 5 to the heat utilization device 6. To do.

The container 1 can be formed from stainless steel with high corrosion resistance, for example. Further, the container 1 may be configured of a light and low-cost metal such as aluminum having an inner surface coated with a resin coat. Furthermore, the container 1 may have a configuration in which a synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and an aluminum foil are laminated in layers.
The 1st heat transport means 4 and the 2nd heat transport means 5 are comprised by heat-medium piping, such as a heat pump and a water circulation apparatus, or a heat pipe, for example. The first heat transporting means 4 and the second heat transporting means 5 may be arranged outside the container 1 and indirectly in contact with the latent heat storage material 2, or the container 1 The structure which is arrange | positioned inside and is in direct contact with the latent-heat storage material 2 may be sufficient. When the first heat transporting means 4 and the second heat transporting means 5 are disposed inside the container 1 and are in direct contact with the latent heat storage material 2, the surface is coated with a resin or the like in order to prevent corrosion by the latent heat storage material 2. The structure to which is given may be sufficient. Moreover, although illustration was abbreviate | omitted, even if it is the structure which provides fin materials, such as a fin tube and a heat pipe heat sink, in the 1st heat transport means 4 and the 2nd heat transport means 5, and improves a heat-transfer area. good.

  The heat storage device 100 is a combination of the heat source 3 and the heat utilization device 6, for example, midnight power and hot water supply in a heat pump water heater, motor exhaust heat and heating in an electric vehicle, solar heat and hot water in a solar water heater, midnight in a floor heater. It can be applied to various products such as electric power and heating. The heat storage device 100 may be configured such that the first heat transporting means 4 and the second heat transporting means 5 are detachable, and can be used as a thermal battery or an emergency heat source that can be used alone at a location away from the heat source 3. It can also be used.

  The latent heat storage material 2 is sodium acetate trihydrate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, barium hydroxide octahydrate, sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, magnesium nitrate hexahydrate, calcium chloride -Hexahydrate, sodium sulfate decahydrate, xylitol, or / and their mixtures and aqueous solutions can be used, and the latent heat has the property of storing or releasing heat using latent heat during melting or solidification. It is a heat storage material. Since the heat storage device 100 can increase the heat storage density by using the latent heat storage material 2 as a heat storage material, compared to a method using sensible heat such as water, the heat storage unit 50 can be downsized. . Further, the heat generation temperature of the heat storage device 100 can be adjusted by adjusting the concentration of the latent heat storage material 2.

The latent heat storage material 2 is supercooled that retains the heat energy of the latent heat as it is without being crystallized even if it is cooled to a temperature below the freezing point (environment temperature at the time of heat storage) in the melted state after heat storage. It has the property of becoming a state. Since the heat storage device 100 uses this property of the latent heat storage material 2, it is possible to retain thermal energy at an ambient temperature without using a heat insulating material.
Since the latent heat storage material 2 in the supercooled state releases latent heat by crystallization, the trigger unit 10 is configured to stimulate the latent heat storage material 2 at any timing to induce crystallization. Yes. Possible stimuli that can induce crystallization of the supercooled latent heat storage material 2 include mechanically stimulating the latent heat storage material 2 or applying a voltage. In the present embodiment, in particular, the trigger unit 10 directly induces crystallization more than other methods by bringing the seed crystal 30 serving as a nucleus of crystallization into direct contact with the latent heat storage material 2 in a supercooled state. It is configured to be able to.

  Next, the configuration of the trigger unit 10 will be described. The trigger unit 10 includes a holding member 11 that holds a seed crystal 30 to be described later at a lower end (tip) 12 </ b> A, and a seal portion 20 for attaching the holding member 11 to the container 1 in an airtight manner. The holding member 11 includes a shaft portion 11 </ b> A and a seed crystal holding portion 15. The seal part 20 has a hole 22 through which the shaft part 11 </ b> A passes, and is configured so that the airtightness (sealing property) in the container 1 can be maintained by allowing the holding member 11 to pass through the hole 22. Yes. In addition, the seal portion 20 includes an O-ring 21 that is mounted on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 11 </ b> A and maintains the airtightness between the shaft portion 11 </ b> A and the container 1. The shaft portion 11 </ b> A is provided to be slidable up and down with respect to the O-ring 21 fixed in the seal portion 20. The seed crystal holding unit 15 holds the seed crystal 30, which will be described in detail later. The shaft portion 11 </ b> A is slid downward, and the tip 12 </ b> A that is the lower end of the shaft portion 11 </ b> A is attached to the latent heat storage material 2 in the container 1. When inserted, the seed crystal 30 held by the seed crystal holding part 15 is configured to come into contact with the latent heat storage material 2. The seal portion 20 is provided to prevent moisture change of the heat storage material 2 that is a hydrate, and is configured to support the holding member 11 with respect to the container 1 while keeping the hermeticity of the container 1. Has been.

As shown in FIG. 2, the holding member 11 is provided such that the tip 12 </ b> A can move up and down in the container 1. Although the illustration of the movement of the holding member 11 is omitted, for example, it may be configured by a mechanical operation using a motor and a cam, or may be configured by a manual operation. The holding member 11 has a smooth surface on the outer surface (outer periphery) 11B of the shaft portion 11A and is provided so as to be slidable while maintaining airtightness with the O-ring 21.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the heat storage device 100 holds the latent heat storage material 2 in the container 1 in a supercooled state, that is, in a liquid state, after storing the heat. According to this configuration, heat can be stored in the latent heat storage material 2 at ambient temperature without using a heat insulating material. In the following description, the latent heat storage material 2A indicates the supercooled (liquid) latent heat storage material 2, and the latent heat storage material 2B indicates the crystallized solid heat storage material 2.

When it is desired to use the heat stored in the latent heat storage material 2A of the heat storage device 100, the seed held by the holding part (seed crystal holding part) 15 as shown in FIG. The shaft portion 11A is pushed down so that the crystal 30 contacts the latent heat storage material 2A, and the seed crystal holding portion 15 is moved downward. When the seed crystal 30 comes into contact with the latent heat storage material 2A, the seed crystal 30 becomes the nucleus of crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2A, and the crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2A is started, and the latent heat held in the latent heat storage material 2A by crystallization. Minute heat energy is released.
The holding member 11 is lifted to a predetermined position after the crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2A is started. At this time, the seed crystal 30 is held in the seed crystal holding unit 15. FIG. 2C shows a state in which the latent heat storage material 2 is all crystallized, and the heat release from the heat stored in the latent heat storage material 2 is finished. The heat storage device 100 is configured to be repeatedly usable as a heat source by storing and melting the latent heat storage material 2B again to melt and crystallizing the latent heat storage material 2A in a supercooled state at an arbitrary timing.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the holding member 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the holding member 11 includes a cylindrical shaft portion 11A and a seed crystal holding portion 15 that is connected and fixed to the tip 12A of the shaft portion 11A. The seed crystal holding portion 15 is fixed to the tip 12A of the shaft portion 11A by, for example, welding, soldering, brazing, adhesion, caulking, or the like. The seed crystal holding portion 15 is formed in a bowl shape including a bottom portion 16 and a peripheral wall portion 17 that stands from the outer edge of the bottom portion 16 and surrounds the periphery of the bottom portion 16. The shaft portion 11A is fixed at substantially the center of the bottom portion 16, whereby the seed crystal holding portion 15 is formed with an annular recess 18 around the shaft portion 11A. A seed crystal 30 is installed in the recess 18, and the seed crystal 30 can be brought into contact with the latent heat storage material 2 in the container 1 by moving the shaft portion 11 </ b> A up and down while maintaining the airtightness of the container 1. it can.

  Next, a method for installing the seed crystal 30 in the recess 18 of the holding member 11 will be described. For example, there are two methods for installing the seed crystal 30 in the recess 18. The first method is a method of attaching the holding member 11 to the container 1 after the latent heat storage material 2 is put in the recess 18 outside the container 1 and solidified in advance. For example, the latent heat storage material 2 may be configured to be placed in the recess 18 in a powder state and melted and crystallized after cooling, or the subcooled latent heat storage material 2A may be formed in the recess 18. It may be configured to be put and crystallized. In the case where the subcooled latent heat storage material 2A is poured into the recess 18, the configuration may be such that the latent heat storage material 2A in the supercooled state outside the container 1 is poured into the recess 18. The latent heat storage material 2 </ b> A poured into the recess 18 in the supercooled state is solidified in the recess 18, and the seed crystal 30 is placed on the bottom 16 of the seed crystal holding unit 15. As described above, since the seed crystal 30 is provided on the bottom 16 in the recess 18 provided at the tip 12A of the holding member 11, the seed crystal 30 falls from the holding member 11 at an unintended timing. There is no.

  The second method of installing the seed crystal 30 in the recess 18 is to fix the trigger unit 10 in an airtight manner to the container 1, bring the latent heat storage material 2 in the container 1 into a supercooled state, and then push down the holding member 11. In this method, the tip 12A is inserted into the latent heat storage material 2A, the latent heat storage material 2A is scooped into the recess 18 and solidified in the recess 18. According to this configuration, the seed crystal 30 can be easily installed in the recess 18 by inserting the bowl-shaped seed crystal holding part 15 into the latent heat storage material 2A. And since the seed crystal 30 is mounted in the recessed part 18 and hold | maintained at the holding member 11, the seed crystal 30 does not fall from the holding member 11 at an unintended timing.

  As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the heat storage unit 50 provided in the container 1 with the latent heat storage material 2 that is supercooled at the environmental temperature during heat storage, and the crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2 A trigger unit 10 that holds a seed crystal 30 that induces heat. The trigger unit 10 holds a seed member 30 that holds the seed crystal 30, and the latent heat storage of the tip 12 A of the holding member 11 in the container 1. The holding member 11 is provided with a seed crystal holding part 15 having a recess 18 on which the seed crystal 30 is placed. As a result, the holding member 11 places and holds the seed crystal 30 in the recess 18 of the seed crystal holding unit 15, and moves the seed crystal 30 and the latent heat storage material 2 by moving the seed crystal 30 without unexpectedly falling. They can be brought into contact with each other, and the crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2 can be reliably induced at an arbitrary timing as required.

  Further, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the holding member 11 includes the seed crystal holding portion 15 provided at the tip 12A, and the shaft portion 11A that slides while keeping the airtightness of the container 1 with respect to the seal portion 20. Therefore, the holding member 11 can be moved to bring the seed crystal 30 held in the seed crystal holding part 15 into contact with the latent heat storage material 2 while keeping the hermeticity of the container 1. The moisture change of the heat storage material 2 can be prevented.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment described above, the shaft portion 11A is fixed to the center of the bowl-shaped seed crystal holding portion 15, and the concave portion 18 is annularly provided around the shaft portion 11A. However, the holding member 11 includes a concave portion 18 on which the seed crystal 30 is placed, and a shaft portion 11A that supports the seed crystal holding portion 15 having the concave portion 18 so that the seed crystal holding portion 15 can be inserted into the latent heat storage material 2A. For example, the shaft portion 11 </ b> A may be fixed anywhere on the seed crystal holding portion 15. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the holding member 11 is fixed to the outer edge portion 19 of the substantially bowl-shaped seed crystal holding portion 15 in which the tip end 12A of the shaft portion 11A has a concave portion 18 at the center. It is formed in a substantially ladle-like shape. In addition, the schematic structure of the heat storage apparatus 100 of 2nd Embodiment is the same as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, The description is abbreviate | omitted.

  According to this configuration, the seed crystal 30 is placed and held in the concave portion 18 of the seed crystal holding unit 15, and the holding member 11 is moved without the seed crystal 30 falling unexpectedly, so that the seed crystal 30 and the latent heat storage material 2 are moved. Can be brought into contact with each other, and crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2 can be reliably induced at an arbitrary timing as required.

<Third Embodiment>
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the holding member 11 includes a columnar shaft portion 11A and a substantially bowl-shaped seed crystal holding portion 15 fixed to the tip 12A of the shaft portion 11A. It was a configuration to provide. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, a holding member 111 provided with a seed crystal holding portion 115 on the inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical shaft portion 111A will be described. In addition, the schematic structure of the heat storage apparatus 100 of 3rd Embodiment is the same as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, The description is abbreviate | omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the holding member 111 includes a cylindrical shaft portion (tubular member) 111A and a seed crystal holding portion 115 fixed to the tip 112A that is the lower end of the shaft portion 111A. The seed crystal holding portion 115 is formed in a disk shape having substantially the same diameter as the shaft portion 111A, and includes a protruding portion 116 protruding upward at a substantially central portion, and a through hole 117 penetrating vertically at a substantially central portion of the protruding portion 116. It has.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the seed crystal holding part 115 is fixed to the holding member 111 so as to close the opening of the tip 112A of the shaft part 111A. The protruding portion 116 protrudes into the holding member 11 when the seed crystal holding portion 115 is fixed to the tip 112A. The holding member 111 is formed in such a diameter that an annular recess 118 is formed between the outer periphery 116A of the projecting portion 116 of the seed crystal holding portion 115 and the inner periphery (inner wall) 112C of the tip 112A of the shaft portion 111A. Yes. The seed crystal holding unit 115 holds the seed crystal 30 in the recess 118. Although illustration is omitted, the upper end 112B of the holding member 111 is sealed by welding, pressure welding, adhesion, a valve, or the like in order to keep the container 1 airtight.

  There are, for example, two methods for installing the seed crystal 30 in the concave portion 118 of the holding member 111. The first method is a latent heat storage material in a powder state in the concave portion 118 before sealing the upper end 112B. 2 is melted and crystallized after cooling, or the latent heat storage material 2A in the supercooled state in the container 1 is poured into the suction recess 18 using an external suction means to be crystallized. . In the second method, after the upper end 112B is sealed, the trigger unit 10 is airtightly fixed to the container 1 and the latent heat storage material 2 in the container 1 is brought into a supercooled state, and then the holding member 111 is pushed down. The tip 112A is inserted into the latent heat storage material 2A, and the latent heat storage material 2A in the container 1 is sucked into the recess 118 through the through-hole 117 and solidified in the recess 118.

  According to this configuration, since the seed crystal 30 can be placed and held in the concave portion 118 provided along the inner periphery 112C of the cylindrical shaft portion 111A, the seed crystal 30 is intended with a simple structure. It is possible to prevent the holding member 111 from falling at an undesired timing. Moreover, since the seed crystal holding part 115 can be provided without projecting in the radial direction from the outer periphery of the shaft part 111A, the holding member 111 can be easily pulled out even from the latent heat storage material 2A after crystallization is started. The seed crystal 30 held in the recess 118 can be used repeatedly.

  According to this configuration, the holding member 111 has a cylindrical member, and the seed crystal holding portion 115 is formed in a plate shape that closes the opening of the tip 112A of the shaft portion 111A, and is substantially at the center of the seed crystal holding portion 115. Is provided with a protruding portion 116 protruding inside the shaft portion 111A, a recess 118 is provided in a space between the protruding portion 116 and the inner periphery 112C of the shaft portion 111A, and the protruding portion 116 has a space inside the recess 118 and the container 1. Since the through-hole 117 that communicates with each other is provided, by inserting the tip 112A of the holding member 111 into the latent heat storage material 2A, the latent heat storage material 2A can be easily guided to the recess 118 through the through-hole 117 and solidified. In addition, the seed crystal 30 placed and held in the recess 118 can be repeatedly used by contacting the latent heat storage material 2A through the through hole 117 at any timing.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing a modification of the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the holding member 111 has a disk-shaped seed crystal holding portion 115 at the tip 112A of the hollow cylindrical shaft portion 111A. The structure provided may be sufficient. A through-hole 117A that penetrates from the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 111A to the inner peripheral surface is provided at the tip 112A of the shaft portion 111A. The seed crystal holding unit 115 holds the seed crystal 30 in the recess 118 formed by the seed crystal holding unit 115 and the inner periphery 112C of the tip 112A. As described above, the holding member 111 may have a configuration in which the seed crystal 30 held in the recess 118 and the latent heat storage material 2A in the container 1 can be brought into contact with each other through the through hole 117A.

  In order to easily pull out the holding member 111 from the latent heat storage material 2A after the start of crystallization, the tip 112A of the holding member 111 is configured to be tapered as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the male screw 113 may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip 112A as shown in FIG. 7B. In the present embodiment, the shaft portion 111A is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and the seed crystal holding portion 115 is formed in a disk shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shaft portion 111A is formed in a square tube, and the shaft portion 111A is formed. A configuration may be adopted in which a rectangular plate-shaped seed crystal holding portion 115 is fixed to the tip 112A.

As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the holding member 111 has the shaft portion 111A that is a cylindrical member, and the seed crystal holding portion 115 has an opening at the tip 112A of the shaft portion 111A. A shaft portion 111A, which is formed as a closing plate and includes a recess 118 in a space between the inner periphery 112C of the shaft portion 111A and the through holes 117 and 117A that communicate the recess 118 with the space inside the container 1, is a cylindrical member. Alternatively, since the seed crystal holding unit 115 is provided, the seed crystal holding unit 115 can be provided without projecting in the radial direction from the outer periphery of the shaft portion 111A. Thereby, the front end 112A of the holding member 111 can be easily pulled out even from the latent heat storage material 2A after the start of crystallization.
Further, since the holding member 111 is provided with the through hole 117 that allows the recess 118 to communicate with the space inside the container 1, the latent heat storage material 2 </ b> A can be easily guided to the recess 118 through the through hole 117 and solidified. The seed crystal 30 placed and held on 118 can be repeatedly used by contacting the latent heat storage material 2A through the through-hole 117 at any timing.

  In the present embodiment, the holding member 111 includes a cylindrical shaft portion 111A, and the seed crystal holding portion 115 is provided at the tip 112A of the shaft portion 111A. However, the entire shaft portion 111A does not have to be cylindrical, for example, a configuration in which a cylindrical member (cylindrical member) configured from a member different from the columnar member is connected to the tip of the columnar member. It is also good. In this case, a concave portion for holding the seed crystal is formed by the inner periphery of the cylindrical member and the seed crystal holding portion, and the through hole is formed in the cylindrical member or the seed crystal holding portion.

<Fourth embodiment>
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the O-ring 21 is mounted around the outer periphery of the columnar shaft portion 11A, and the shaft portion 11A is slid up and down in a state where the container 1 is kept hermetically sealed. It was a configuration that was movable. However, if the shaft portion 11A can be slidably provided in the container 1 while maintaining airtightness, the shaft portion 11A is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and the holding member 211 is, for example, as shown in FIG. As shown, it may be configured by a rectangular plate-like member. In addition, the schematic structure of the heat storage apparatus 100 of 4th Embodiment is the same as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, The description is abbreviate | omitted.

The holding member 211 is formed of a rectangular plate-like member, and includes a shaft portion 211A and a seed crystal holding portion 215 formed by bending a tip 212A, which is the lower end of the plate-like member, at a substantially right angle with respect to the shaft portion 211A. Prepare. The seed crystal holding part 215 is provided with a concave part 218 in the approximate center in plan view, for example, by drawing. Although not shown, the holding member 211 is provided so that the seed crystal 30 is placed in the recess 218 and can be moved up and down while maintaining airtightness in the container 1.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the holding member 211 may be configured by stacking two shaft portions 211A back to back and including a seed crystal holding portion 215 on the front side and the back side of the shaft portion 211A. good.
According to these configurations, the seed crystal 30 is placed in the recess 218 and held by the holding member 211. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the seed crystal 30 from falling from the holding member 211 at an unintended timing.

  As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the holding member 211 is a plate-like member, the tip 212A of the plate-like member is bent to form the seed crystal holding portion 215, and the seed crystal is held. Since a part of the part 215 is recessed and the recess 218 is provided, the holding member 211 can be easily manufactured and can hold the seed crystal 30 so as not to fall at an unintended timing.

<Fifth Embodiment>
In the fourth embodiment described above, the seed crystal holding portion 215 is formed by bending the tip 212A of the rectangular plate-like holding member 211 at a substantially right angle with respect to the shaft portion 211A. In the fifth embodiment, the holding member 311 is formed from a cylindrical member, and the tip 312A, which is the lower end of the cylindrical member, is bent outward to form the seed crystal holding portion 315. A plurality of holding portions 315 are provided radially around the shaft portion 311A. In addition, the schematic structure of the heat storage apparatus 100 of 5th Embodiment is the same as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, The description is abbreviate | omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the holding member 211 is formed of a cylindrical member, and has an opening 314 at the tip 312A. Although not shown, the upper end 312B of the holding member 211 is sealed by, for example, welding, pressure welding, adhesion, or a valve. A plurality of slits 316 having a predetermined length extending from the opening 314 in the longitudinal direction of the holding member 211 are provided at the tip 312A of the holding member 211 at predetermined intervals. The slit 316 divides the tip 312A in the circumferential direction, for example, into six equal parts. As a result, strip-shaped end portions 317 are formed at the tip 312 </ b> A by the same number as the slits 316 by the slits 316. As shown in FIG. 10B, each end portion 317 is bent outward substantially at a right angle to the shaft portion 311A, and seed crystal holding portions 315 are formed radially from the shaft portion 311A. A concave portion 318 is provided in the approximate center of the various crystal holding portions 315 in plan view, for example, by drawing. Although not shown, the holding member 311 is provided so that the seed crystal 30 is placed in the recess 318 and can be moved up and down while maintaining airtightness in the container 1.
According to this configuration, the seed crystal 30 is placed in the recess 318 and held by the holding member 311. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the seed crystal 30 from falling from the holding member 311 at an unintended timing. In addition, although the holding member 211 of the present embodiment is configured to be a cylinder, the configuration is not limited thereto, and may be a configuration of a square tube.

  In the present embodiment, the holding member 211 is composed of a cylindrical member, and includes a seed crystal holding portion 315 at the tip 312A of the cylindrical member. The holding member 211 does not need to be cylindrical in its entire region, and may be configured, for example, by connecting a cylindrical member formed of a member different from the shaft portion to the tip of the columnar shaft portion.

<Sixth Embodiment>
In the above-described fifth embodiment, the holding member 311 includes the seed crystal holding portions 315 provided radially around the shaft portion 311A, and the seed crystal 30 is placed in the concave portion 318 of the seed crystal holding portion 315. The seed crystal 30 was held so as not to fall. In the sixth embodiment, a seed crystal holding portion 415 provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 411A and a holding member 411 that holds the seed crystal 30 in the hollow portion 413 of the cylindrical shaft portion 411A will be described. In addition, the schematic structure of the heat storage apparatus 100 of 6th Embodiment is the same as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, The description is abbreviate | omitted.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the holding member 411. In the holding member 411, as shown in FIG. 11, the seed crystal 30 is disposed in a concave portion 418 of a seed crystal holding portion 415 provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 411A and a hollow portion 413 inside the shaft portion 411A. The For example, the seed crystal holding unit 415 has the same configuration as the seed crystal holding unit 315 of the holding member 311 of the fourth embodiment illustrated in FIG.
In the hollow portion 413 of the shaft portion 411A, a groove 460 is formed at least on the inner surface 413A of the tip 412A, as shown in FIG. The groove 460 may be configured to extend linearly in the longitudinal direction of the hollow portion 413 as shown in FIG. 12A, or the longitudinal direction of the hollow portion 413 as shown in FIG. It may be configured to extend spirally in the direction. Note that the upper end 412B of the holding member 411 is sealed by welding, pressure welding, adhesion, a valve, or the like in order to keep the container 1 airtight.

Next, an example of a method for installing the seed crystal 30 in the seed crystal holding part 415 and the hollow part 413 of the holding member 411 will be described.
After the trigger unit 10 is airtightly fixed to the container 1 and the latent heat storage material 2 in the container 1 is supercooled, the holding member 411 is pushed down, and the tip 412A is inserted into the latent heat storage material 2A. At this time, the latent heat storage material 2A is scooped into the recess 18 of the seed crystal holding part 415 provided at the tip 412A. The groove 460 is a thin groove having a groove width W of approximately 0.1 mm and has a capillary action. Therefore, when the tip 412A is inserted into the latent heat storage material 2A, the latent heat storage material 2A is sucked into the hollow portion 413 into the groove 460 by capillary action. The latent heat storage material 2 </ b> A is solidified and held in the recess 18 and the groove 460.

  According to this configuration, the holding member 411 holds the seed crystal 30 so as not to fall because the seed crystal 30 is placed in the recess 18 and is held in close contact with the groove 460. . In particular, when the groove 460 is a spiral groove formed in a spiral shape, the frictional force acting between the seed crystal 30 and the surface of the groove 460 increases, and the seed crystal 30 is held in close contact with the inner surface 413A. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the seed crystal 30 from falling from the hollow portion 413 of the holding member 411 at an unintended timing. In the present embodiment, the groove 460 is provided on the inner surface 413A of the hollow portion 413 of the holding member 411, and the seed crystal 30 is held in the hollow portion 413. The structure which attaches the porous member which has an effect | action, makes the said porous member absorb the latent heat storage material 2A, and may solidify may be sufficient.

  In this embodiment, the holding member 411 includes a cylindrical shaft portion 411A, and a seed crystal is provided in the seed crystal holding portion 415 provided at the tip 412A of the shaft portion 411A and in the hollow portion 413 of the shaft portion 411A. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and although not shown in the drawings, the entire shaft portion 411A does not have to be cylindrical. For example, a separate member from the columnar member is provided at the tip of the columnar member. It is good also as a structure which connected the cylindrical member comprised from these.

<Seventh embodiment>
In the first embodiment described above, since the seed crystal holding part 15 protrudes in the outer peripheral direction of the shaft part 11A, it is held when the holding member 11 is moved up and down to induce crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2A. The front end 12A of the member 11 may adhere to the latent heat storage material 2B, and the holding member 11 may not be extracted from the latent heat storage material 2B. In the seventh embodiment, a heat storage device 500 that can easily remove the tip 12A of the holding member 11 from the crystallized latent heat storage material 2B will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

As illustrated in FIG. 13A, the heat storage device 500 includes a trigger unit 510 that is airtightly attached to the container 1 of the heat storage unit 50. The trigger unit 510 includes a shaft portion 11A, a seal portion 20, an upper stopper 511, a lower stopper 513, and a spring 512. The upper stopper 511 is provided at the upper end 12B of the holding member 11 and has a vertical and horizontal dimension larger than the diameter of the shaft portion 11A. The trigger unit 510 can move the holding member 11 and bring the tip 12 </ b> A into contact with the latent heat storage material 2 </ b> A by applying a load that pushes the upper stopper 511 into the container 1.
A spring 512 is provided between the lower surface 511 </ b> A of the upper stopper 511 and the upper surface 20 </ b> A of the seal portion 20. The spring 512 is a coiled compression spring, and is compressed as shown in FIG. 13B by moving the holding member 11 so as to press the upper stopper 511 against the seal portion 20. When the load applied to the upper stopper 511 is removed, the upper stopper 511 is pushed up by the force of returning to the original state of the spring 512, thereby making it difficult to remove from the latent heat storage material 2B where crystallization has started. The front end 12A of the holding member 11 can be easily pulled out from the latent heat storage material 2B.

A lower stopper 513 is provided at the distal end 12 </ b> A of the holding member 11. The lower stopper 513 is provided around the holding member 11. The lower stopper 513 interferes with the lower surface 20B of the seal portion 20 when the upper stopper 511 is pushed up by the force to return the spring 512, and the tip 12A of the holding member 11 comes out of the container 1. Or the seed crystal holding part 15 is prevented from interfering with the lower surface 20B of the seal part 20.
As described above, since the lower stopper 513 is provided at the distal end 12A of the holding member 11, the upper stopper 511 is provided at the upper end 12B, and the compression spring 512 is provided between the upper stopper 511 and the seal portion 20, the holding member 11 is provided. Can be prevented from slipping out of the container 1 or falling into the container 1, and the latent heat storage material in which the tip 12A of the holding member 11 is crystallized by the force of returning to the compressed spring 512. 2B can be easily removed.

  By the way, when the amount of the latent heat storage material 2 in the container 1 is small and the force for lifting the holding member 11 upward to pull out the tip 12A from the crystallized latent heat storage material 2B is larger than the weight of the heat storage unit 50. There is a possibility that the heat storage unit 50 is lifted together with the holding member 11 together with the holding member 11 after the latent heat storage material 2 is crystallized. As a countermeasure, as shown in FIG. 14, the container 1 may include a fixing portion 530 for fixing the container 1 to an arbitrary installation surface 520. The fixing portion 530 includes a through hole 532 through which the bolt 531 passes, and the container 1 is fixed to the installation surface 520 with the bolt 531.

<Eighth Embodiment>
In the first embodiment described above, the seal portion 20 includes the O-ring 21, and the holding member 11 is axially sealed with the O-ring 21, so that the holding member 11 can be moved in an airtight manner with respect to the container 1. did. In the eighth embodiment, a part of the container 601, for example, the upper surface (seal part) 602 is formed of an elastically moving member, so that the holding member 11 is attached to the container 601 using the upper surface 602 as a seal part. A heat storage device 600 that can be moved in an airtight manner will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15 (A), the container 601 has four side surfaces and a bottom surface formed of stainless steel, aluminum with a resin coating on the inner surface, or a material in which a synthetic resin and an aluminum foil are laminated in layers, For example, it has a diaphragm-like upper surface (seal portion) 602 formed of an elastic material such as rubber. The upper surface 602 is attached to the upper edge of the four side surfaces forming the container 601 by, for example, adhesion, and keeps the container 601 airtight. The upper surface 602 functions as a seal portion that supports the holding member 11 so as to be movable in a state where the container 601 is kept airtight. For example, a hole having a diameter smaller than that of the holding member 11 is provided on the upper surface 602, the holding member 11 is inserted into the hole, and the hole is elastically deformed, whereby the holding member 11 is hermetically supported on the upper surface 602. Also good.

  Since the upper surface 602 is formed in a diaphragm shape by an elastic material, when the holding member 11 is pushed down so that the front end 12A comes into contact with the latent heat storage material 2A in the container 601, as shown in FIG. 602 extends and the tip 12A is inserted into the latent heat storage material 2A. Thereby, the seed crystal 30 held at the tip 12A of the holding member 11 comes into contact with the latent heat storage material 2A, and crystallization of the latent heat storage material 2A is started. When pulling out the holding member 11 from the crystallized latent heat storage material 2B, the holding member 11 can be lifted by the force of returning to the upper surface 602, and the holding member 11 can be easily pulled out from the latent heat storage material 2B. Can do. According to this configuration, by attaching the holding member 11 to the upper surface 602 formed of an elastic material, the holding member 11 can be airtightly attached to the container 1 with a simple configuration, and from the crystallized latent heat storage material 2B. The holding member 11 can be easily pulled out.

<Ninth embodiment>
In the first embodiment described above, the seed crystal holding portion 15 is provided at the tip 12A of the holding member 11, and the seed crystal 30 is placed and held in the concave portion of the seed crystal holding portion 15, thereby dropping the seed crystal 30. It was set as the structure which prevents. In the ninth embodiment, a configuration in which a lid member 722 that prevents the seed crystal 30 dropped from the holding member 711 from contacting the latent heat storage material 2A at an unintended timing is provided in the seal portion 720 will be described. In addition, about the structure similar to 1st Embodiment mentioned above, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected in a figure and the description is abbreviate | omitted.
The heat storage device 700 includes a heat storage unit 50 and a trigger unit 710. The trigger unit 710 includes a holding member 711 that holds the seed crystal 30, and a seal portion 720 that includes the holding member 711 so that the container 1 can move up and down while maintaining the airtightness of the container 1. The holding member 711 may be configured to hold the seed crystal 30 in any of the configurations of the first to seventh embodiments described above, or the seed crystal 30 is provided in a pipe having a smooth inner surface. It may be a configuration.

As shown in FIG. 16A, the seal portion 720 includes an accommodation space 721 in which a tip 712 </ b> A that is the lower end of the holding member 711 retracted from the container 1 is accommodated below the O-ring 21. A lid member 722 is provided between the storage space 721 and the container 1 so as to be freely opened and closed. The accommodation space 721 is configured to communicate with the container 1 by opening the lid member 722 while keeping the airtightness of the container 1.
As shown in FIG. 16B, the lid member 722 is configured to be pushed open by the holding member 711 when the holding member 711 is lowered. That is, the lid member 722 is provided so as to open inside the container 1 when a predetermined load or more is applied downward. The lid member 722 is configured to automatically close with a spring or the like, for example. That is, when the holding member 711 is lifted and the tip 712A is retracted into the storage space 721, the lid member 722 is automatically closed so as to separate the storage space 721 from the inside of the container 1.

  According to this configuration, even if the seed crystal 30 falls from the holding member 711 at an unintended timing, the inside of the container 1 is kept until the seed crystal 30 is pushed onto the lid member 722 and the lid member 722 is pushed open by the holding member 711. Can be held without falling. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the latent heat storage material 2A from starting crystallization accidentally due to the seed crystal 30 falling at an unintended timing.

1,601 container 2 latent heat storage material (heat storage material)
2A latent heat storage material (undercooled latent heat storage material)
2B Latent heat storage material (crystallized latent heat storage material)
10, 510, 710 Trigger unit 11, 111, 211, 311, 411, 711 Holding member 11A, 111A, 211A, 311A, 411A Shaft part 15, 115, 215, 315, 415 Seed crystal holding part 16 Bottom part 17 Peripheral wall part 18 , 118, 218, 318, 418 Recess 20, 602, 720 Seal 21 O-ring 30 Seed crystal 50 Heat storage unit 100, 500, 600, 700 Heat storage device 316 Slit

Claims (5)

A heat storage unit provided in a container with a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature at the time of heat storage, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material,
The trigger unit includes a holding member that holds the seed crystal, and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can contact the heat storage material .
The holding member is a cylindrical member, and includes a seed crystal holding unit having a recess in which the seed crystal is placed .
The seed crystal holding portion is formed in a plate shape that closes the opening at the tip of the cylindrical member, and includes the concave portion in a space between the inner wall of the cylindrical member,
The heat storage device according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is provided with a through hole that allows the concave portion to communicate with a space inside the container .   A heat storage unit provided in a container with a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature at the time of heat storage, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material,
  The trigger unit includes a holding member that holds the seed crystal, and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can contact the heat storage material.
  The holding member is a cylindrical member, and includes a seed crystal holding unit having a recess in which the seed crystal is placed.
  The seed crystal holding portion is formed in a plate shape that closes the opening at the tip of the cylindrical member, and includes the concave portion in a space between the inner wall of the cylindrical member,
  Providing a projecting portion that projects into the inside of the cylindrical member at the approximate center of the seed crystal holding portion,
  A through hole for communicating the recess with the space inside the container is provided in the protrusion.
  A heat storage device characterized by that.   A heat storage unit provided in a container with a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature at the time of heat storage, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material,
  The trigger unit includes a holding member that holds the seed crystal, and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can contact the heat storage material.
  The holding member is a plate-like member, and includes a seed crystal holding unit having a recess in which the seed crystal is placed,
  The tip of the plate-like member is bent to form the seed crystal holding part, and a part of the seed crystal holding part is recessed to provide the concave part.
  A heat storage device characterized by that.   A heat storage unit provided in a container with a heat storage material that is supercooled at an environmental temperature at the time of heat storage, and a trigger unit that holds a seed crystal that induces crystallization of the heat storage material,
  The trigger unit includes a holding member that holds the seed crystal, and a seal portion that movably attaches the holding member to the container so that the holding member can contact the heat storage material.
  The holding member is a cylindrical member, and includes a seed crystal holding unit having a recess in which the seed crystal is placed.
  A slit extending in the longitudinal direction is provided at the tip of the cylindrical member, the tip is bent outward to form the seed crystal holding portion, a part of the seed crystal holding portion is recessed, and the concave portion is provided.
  A heat storage device characterized by that. The holding member, the seed crystal holding part is provided, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a shaft portion which slides maintain hermeticity of the container relative to the sealing portion Heat storage device.

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