JP6385739B2 - Refrigeration circuit for refrigerators that can be cooled to extremely low temperatures - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigeration circuit of a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigeration circuit that cools to an extremely low temperature, such as a blast chiller refrigeration circuit.

  Conventionally, as a refrigeration circuit that cools to an extremely low temperature, for example, a blast chiller refrigeration circuit (refrigerant circuit) shown in FIG. There, the cooler is connected to an accumulator via a refrigerant pipe. The accumulator is connected to the compressor via a refrigerant suction pipe. That is, the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas from the cooler is sucked into the compressor through the accumulator, and is converted into the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas by the compressor.

JP 2001-235267 A

  Usually, as the cooling temperature decreases, the low-pressure pressure of the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor decreases. Since the load on the compressor increases when the low-pressure pressure of the refrigerant gas decreases, the refrigeration circuit is generally provided with a low-pressure cut function that stops the operation of the compressor when the low-pressure pressure falls below a set pressure. However, in a blast chiller refrigeration circuit that cools the interior to a very low temperature, for example, −40 ° C., the low-pressure cut function operates before the interior temperature reaches the set temperature, and the interior temperature does not reach the set temperature. It is possible.

  If the low-pressure cut function is activated before the internal temperature reaches the set temperature, the refrigerant pressure exceeds the set pressure, and the operation of the compressor is resumed. Then, the low-pressure cut function is activated again, and if the compressor stop / restart cycle is repeated in a short time, the compressor life may be shortened.

  Therefore, this specification provides the freezing circuit of the refrigerator which can suppress the operation | movement of an unnecessary low voltage | pressure cut function, when cooling the inside to a cryogenic temperature.

The refrigerator refrigeration circuit disclosed in the present specification includes a refrigerant circulation path formed by sequentially connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator by a refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant gas output from the evaporator and sucked into the compressor has a low pressure cut function to stop the operation of the compressor when the refrigerant gas pressure falls below a specified pressure value, and is output from the compressor A bypass circuit including a bypass pipe that returns the high-pressure refrigerant gas returned to the refrigerant pipe between the evaporator and the compressor is provided for the circulation path, and the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor A valve that opens when the pressure drops to a valve opening pressure value set to a value higher than the specified pressure value is provided in the bypass circuit.
According to this structure, the bypass circuit which returns the refrigerant | coolant output from the output side of the compressor to the refrigerant | coolant piping between an evaporator and a compressor is provided with respect to a circulation path. Thus, the high-pressure refrigerant gas output from the compressor can be supplied to the low-pressure refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor, and the low-pressure pressure of the refrigerant gas can be increased. Further, since the valve opening pressure value is set to a value higher than the specified pressure value for operating the low pressure cut function, the operation of the low pressure cut function can be reliably suppressed. As a result, when the interior is cooled to an extremely low temperature, the operation of the unnecessary low-pressure cut function can be reliably suppressed.

In the refrigeration circuit of the refrigerator, the valve is preferably constituted by a constant pressure expansion valve that opens and closes according to the pressure of the refrigerant gas.
According to this configuration, by configuring the valve with a constant pressure expansion valve that opens and closes according to the pressure of the refrigerant gas, the high-pressure refrigerant gas is moved to the low pressure side with a simple configuration without using other members such as a pressure sensor. Can be returned automatically.

Further, in the refrigeration circuit of the refrigerator, the refrigerant gas may be placed between the evaporator and the compressor in the circulation path so that the pressure of the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor does not rise above a set pressure. A suction pressure adjusting valve for adjusting pressure is provided, one end of the bypass circuit is connected to the output side of the compressor, and the other end of the bypass circuit is connected between the evaporator and the suction pressure adjusting valve. You may make it do.
According to this configuration, the high-pressure refrigerant gas is returned to the upstream side of the suction pressure adjustment valve. Therefore, even when excessive high-pressure refrigerant gas is returned by the bypass circuit, it is possible to suppress the low-pressure pressure of the refrigerant gas from being excessively increased by the suction pressure adjustment valve. Thereby, it can suppress that an excessive load is applied to a compressor.

In the refrigeration circuit of the refrigerator, the bypass circuit may be provided in the bypass pipe, and may include an opening / closing member that opens and closes the bypass pipe separately from the valve.
According to this configuration, when the interior is not cooled to an extremely low temperature, the bypass circuit can be disabled by closing the bypass pipe with an opening / closing member such as a valve. In general, when the interior can be cooled to a set temperature without the low pressure cut function being operated, such as when the interior is not cooled to an extremely low temperature, the bypass circuit is not required. Therefore, the use / nonuse of the bypass circuit can be switched as needed by the opening / closing member.

  According to the refrigeration circuit of the refrigerator disclosed in the specification, when the inside of the refrigerator is cooled to an extremely low temperature, the operation of an unnecessary low-pressure cut function can be suppressed.

Circuit configuration diagram of refrigeration circuit according to the embodiment Schematic perspective view near the bypass circuit of the refrigeration circuit

<Embodiment>
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

1. Configuration of Refrigeration Circuit A refrigerator refrigeration circuit (hereinafter simply referred to as “refrigeration circuit”) 2 of the present embodiment is equipped in a refrigerator 1 that cools the interior of a refrigerator such as a blast chiller or a shock freezer to a very low temperature. That is, in this embodiment, a blast chiller or a shock freezer is assumed as the refrigerator 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a condensing unit 1A and a main body 1B.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration circuit 2 includes a refrigerant circulation path 10 formed by sequentially connecting a compressor 12, a condenser 13, an expansion valve 14, and an evaporator 16 through a refrigerant pipe 11. The compressor 12 and the condenser 13 are provided in the condensing unit 1A, and the expansion valve 14 and the evaporator 16 are provided in the main body 1B.

  In the present embodiment, two evaporators 16, the first evaporator 16 </ b> A and the second evaporator 16 </ b> B, are provided in the interior of the main body 1 </ b> B (indicated by the broken line frame 1 </ b> C), and correspondingly The refrigerant pipe 11 branches into a first refrigerant pipe 11A and a second refrigerant pipe 11B in a part of the main body 1B. The first expansion valve 14A, the first temperature sensing cylinder 15A, and the first evaporator 16A are provided in the middle of the first refrigerant pipe 11A, while the second expansion valve 14B, the second evaporator 16A are provided in the middle of the second refrigerant pipe 11B. A two temperature sensing cylinder 15B and a second evaporator 16B are provided. Here, each expansion valve 14A, 14B is a temperature type expansion valve in which the opening degree is adjusted based on the temperature of the refrigerant gas on the outlet side of the evaporator 16 detected by the corresponding temperature sensing cylinders 15A, 15B, respectively. is there. In addition, a plurality of fans 17 are provided for diffusing the cool air in the cabinet with respect to the first evaporator 16A and the second evaporator 16B.

  In the following description, the first expansion valve 14A and the second expansion valve 14B, the first temperature sensing cylinder 15A and the second temperature sensing cylinder 15B, and the first evaporator 16A and the second evaporator 16B are not distinguished. Are simply referred to as an expansion valve 14, a temperature sensing cylinder 15, and an evaporator 16.

  The refrigerant pipe 11 between the condensing unit 1A and the main body 1B is provided with a suction pressure regulator (SPR) 18. The suction pressure adjusting valve 18 adjusts the low pressure PL so that the low pressure PL of the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor 12 does not rise above a predetermined set pressure.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration circuit 2 includes an accumulator 21, a pressure switch 22, an oil separator 23, a liquid receiver 24, a dryer 25, and the like in the circulation path 10 in the condensing unit 1A.

  The accumulator 21 is provided between the evaporator 16 and the compressor 12, and separates the liquid refrigerant contained in the refrigerant gas. The pressure switch 22 is provided between the accumulator 21 and the compressor 12. The pressure switch 22 is turned on and turned on when the low pressure PL of the refrigerant gas in the refrigerant pipe 11 between the accumulator 21 and the compressor 12 falls below a low pressure cut pressure value (an example of a specified pressure value) Pth1. Accordingly, the operation of the compressor 12 is stopped. That is, the refrigeration circuit 2 has a low-pressure cut function that stops the operation of the compressor 12 when the low-pressure pressure PL of the refrigerant gas falls below the low-pressure cut pressure value Pth1.

  The oil separator 23 is provided between the compressor 12 and the condenser 13 and separates an oil component contained in the refrigerant gas that has been increased in pressure and temperature by the compressor 12. The liquid receiver 24 is provided between the condenser 13 and the dryer 25 and stores the refrigerant made liquid by the condenser 13. The dryer 25 removes moisture contained in the refrigerant liquid. Further, a strainer 26 for removing impurities such as dust in the refrigerant is provided on the upstream side of the expansion valve 14 of the main body 1B.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigeration circuit 2 returns the high-pressure refrigerant gas output from the output side of the compressor 12 to the refrigerant pipe 11 between the evaporator 16 and the compressor 12. A bypass circuit 30 including a bypass pipe 31 is provided for the circulation path 10. Specifically, one end 30 </ b> A of the bypass circuit 30 is connected to the output side of the compressor 12, and the other end 30 </ b> B of the bypass circuit 30 is connected between the evaporator 16 and the suction pressure adjustment valve 18.

  The bypass pipe 31 is provided with a constant pressure expansion valve 33 that automatically opens when the pressure PL of the refrigerant gas output from the evaporator 16 and sucked into the compressor 12 decreases to a predetermined valve opening pressure value Pth2. ing. Here, the valve opening pressure value Pth2 is set to a value higher than the low pressure cut pressure value Pth1 when operating the low pressure cut function. Here, the low pressure cut pressure value Pth1 is set to, for example, -0.02 MPa, and the valve opening pressure value Pth2 is set to, for example, 0.01 MPa. Therefore, the constant pressure expansion valve 33 is opened before the low pressure PL of the refrigerant gas reaches the low pressure cut pressure value Pth1, and a part of the high pressure refrigerant gas output from the compressor 12 passes through the bypass pipe 31 to the evaporator. 16 is returned to the refrigerant pipe 11 between the compressor 16 and the compressor 12.

  Further, a packed valve (an example of an opening / closing member) 32 that opens and closes the bypass pipe 31 separately from the constant pressure expansion valve 33 between the constant pressure expansion valve 33 of the bypass pipe 31 of the bypass circuit 30 and one end 30A of the bypass circuit 30. Is provided. When the packed valve 32 is closed, the function of the bypass circuit 30 is disabled. The packed valve 32 is not necessarily provided on the downstream side of the constant pressure expansion valve 33 in the bypass pipe 31, and the packed valve 32 may be provided on the upstream side of the constant pressure expansion valve 33. Further, the opening / closing member is not limited to a packed valve, and may be, for example, an electromagnetic valve that is controlled to open and close by a control device.

  Although not shown, the refrigeration circuit 2 includes other well-known temperature sensors, control devices, electromagnetic valves, and the like for setting the cooling temperature to a predetermined temperature.

2. Action / Effect of Refrigeration Circuit As a basic cooling operation of the refrigeration circuit 2, a high-temperature / high-pressure refrigerant gas is obtained by the compressor 12, and the high-temperature / high-pressure refrigerant gas is condensed by the condenser 13 and And sent to the expansion valve 14. Next, the expansion valve 14 expands the high-temperature / high-pressure refrigerant liquid into a low-temperature / low-pressure refrigerant liquid, which evaporates in the evaporator 16 and performs a predetermined cooling action by the endothermic action at that time. The low-pressure refrigerant gas is returned to the compressor 12 side.

  The operation according to the present embodiment is as follows. That is, when the inside of the refrigerator is cooled to an extremely low temperature, for example, −40 ° C. by the refrigeration circuit 2, the bypass valve 30 is activated by opening the packed valve 32. When the pressure of the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor 12 is lowered to the valve opening pressure value Pth2 during cooling in the refrigerator, the constant pressure expansion valve 33 is opened, and a part of the high-pressure refrigerant gas output from the compressor 12 is It is returned to the upstream side of the suction pressure adjusting valve 18 via the bypass circuit 30. As a result, the pressure of the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor 12 increases, and when the refrigerant gas pressure exceeds the valve opening pressure value Pth2, the constant pressure expansion valve 33 is closed.

  When the pressure of the refrigerant gas decreases again to the valve opening pressure value Pth2 during cooling in the chamber, the constant pressure expansion valve 33 opens again, and a part of the high-pressure refrigerant gas output from the compressor 12 passes through the bypass circuit 30. Thus, it is returned to the upstream side of the suction pressure adjusting valve 18. In this manner, the constant pressure expansion valve 33 is repeatedly opened and closed during the cooling of the interior, and the interior is cooled to an extremely low temperature of −40 ° C. At this time, since the high-pressure refrigerant gas is returned to the input side of the compressor 12 by repeating the valve opening operation of the constant pressure expansion valve 33, the pressure of the intake refrigerant gas is suppressed from decreasing to the low-pressure cut pressure value Pth1. Is done. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the low-pressure cut function from being activated and to shorten the life of the compressor 12.

  At this time, since the high-pressure refrigerant gas is returned to the upstream side of the suction pressure adjusting valve 18, even when excessive high-pressure refrigerant gas is returned by the bypass circuit 30, the refrigerant pressure is reduced by the suction pressure adjusting valve 18. It is possible to suppress an excessive increase in the low-pressure pressure. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an excessive load on the condensing unit 1A.

  Further, when the inside of the refrigerator is not cooled to a very low temperature, the bypass pipe 31 can be closed by the packed valve 32 to invalidate the function of the bypass circuit 30. Generally, the bypass circuit 30 is not necessarily required when the interior can be cooled to the set temperature without the low pressure cut function being activated, such as when the interior is not cooled to an extremely low temperature. Therefore, the packed valve 32 can switch the use / non-use of the bypass circuit 30 as necessary.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the bypass circuit 30 that returns the high-pressure refrigerant gas output from the compressor 12 to the refrigerant pipe 11 between the evaporator 16 and the compressor 12 is provided for the circulation path 10. . Thereby, the high-pressure refrigerant gas can be supplied to the low-pressure refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor 12, and the low-pressure pressure of the sucked refrigerant gas can be increased. As a result, when the interior is cooled to a very low temperature, the operation of the unnecessary low-pressure cut function can be suppressed.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention, and further, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention other than the following. Various modifications can be made.

  (1) In the above embodiment, the constant pressure expansion valve 33 that automatically opens and closes based on the low pressure of the refrigerant gas is provided as the valve that opens when the low pressure of the refrigerant gas decreases to the valve opening pressure value Pth2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As the valve, for example, instead of the constant pressure expansion valve 33, an electromagnetic valve that is controlled to open by a control device based on a detection result of a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the refrigerant gas may be provided in the bypass circuit 30. Good.

  (2) In the above embodiment, an example in which the suction pressure adjustment valve 18 is provided between the evaporator 16 and the compressor 12 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the suction pressure adjustment valve 18 may be omitted.

  (3) Although the example which provided the packed valve 32 in the bypass circuit 30 was shown in the said embodiment, not only this but the packed valve 32 may be abbreviate | omitted.

  (4) In the above embodiment, an example in which two systems related to the evaporator 16 are provided has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The configuration related to the evaporator 16 may be, for example, one system or three systems.

  (5) In the above embodiment, a blast chiller or a shock freezer is assumed as the refrigerator, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the refrigerator may be a cooling storage such as a refrigerator-freezer.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Refrigeration circuit, 10 ... Circulation path, 11 ... Refrigerant piping, 12 ... Compressor, 13 ... Condenser, 14 ... Expansion valve (expansion mechanism), 15 ... Temperature sensing cylinder (expansion mechanism), 16 ... Evaporator, 18 ... Suction pressure regulating valve, 30 ... Bypass circuit, 31 ... Bypass pipe, 32 ... Packed valve, 33 ... Constant pressure expansion valve

Claims (3)

In a refrigeration circuit of a refrigerator capable of cooling to a cryogenic temperature , including a refrigerant circulation path formed by sequentially connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator by a refrigerant pipe,
Having a low-pressure cut function for stopping the operation of the compressor when the pressure of the refrigerant gas output from the evaporator and sucked into the compressor drops below a specified pressure value;
A bypass circuit including a bypass pipe for returning the high-pressure refrigerant gas output from the compressor to a refrigerant pipe between the evaporator and the compressor is provided for the circulation path;
A valve that opens when the pressure of the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor drops to a valve opening pressure value set to a value higher than the specified pressure value is provided in the bypass circuit ;
The bypass circuit is provided in the bypass pipe, and includes an opening / closing member that opens and closes the bypass pipe separately from the valve,
When cooling to a very low temperature, the open / close member is opened to enable the bypass circuit, and when cooling to a temperature that does not reach a very low temperature, the open / close member is closed to invalidate the bypass circuit. A refrigeration circuit for a refrigerator that can be cooled to extremely low temperatures . In the refrigerating circuit of the refrigerator which can be cooled to the cryogenic temperature according to claim 1,
The said valve is a refrigeration circuit of the refrigerator which can be cooled to very low temperature comprised by the constant pressure expansion valve opened and closed according to the pressure of refrigerant gas. In the freezing circuit of the refrigerator which can be cooled to the cryogenic temperature according to claim 1 or 2,
A suction pressure adjusting valve is provided between the evaporator and the compressor in the circulation path to adjust the pressure of the refrigerant gas so that the pressure of the refrigerant gas sucked into the compressor does not rise above a set pressure. And
One end of the bypass circuit is connected to the output side of the compressor, the other end of the bypass circuit is connected between the evaporator the suction pressure regulating valve, frozen coolable cooling chamber to cryogenic temperatures circuit.

Images