JPH02259374A - Cooling apparatus using metal hydride - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the capacity of a freezing system using metal hydride for enabling the refrigerating system to work by air-cooling, by a method wherein containers, where first and second metal hydrides are contained respectively, are connected to each other through a hydrogen ON-OFF valve, and fans for a heat radiator and a heat absorber, heating of heat recovery unit, and the hydrogen ON-OFF valve are controlled unitarily. CONSTITUTION:A heat radiator 6 consisting of a gravity type heat pipe 7, and a fan 9 is installed above a first container 1 where a first metal hydride M1H is contained, and connected to the first container 1 so that heat exchange takes place. A heat absorber 10 consisting of a gravity type heat pipe 15 and a fan 13 is installed under the first container 1, and connected to the first container 1 so that heat exchange takes place. On the other hand, a container 2, where a second metal hydride M2H having a hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristic different form that of the first metal hydride M1H is contained, is installed on a heat source side of waste gas, etc. A radiator consisting of a gravity type heat pipe 15 and a fan 17 is installed above the second container 2, and a heat recovery unit 18 consisting of a gravity type heat pipe 19 is installed under the second container 2. The containers 1 and 2 are connected to each other by a hydrogen pipe 4 provided with a hydrogen ON-OFF valve 5, to transfer the hydrogen, and the cooling operation cycle is carried out with the regeneration performed by heat absorption action and heating.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (b) Industrial application fields The present invention relates to a cooling device using metal hydrides.

(b) Prior Art In general, refrigerators and freezers, which are typical products of refrigeration equipment, mainly use a cooling system using an expansion evaporator using a compressor, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-21894. In addition, as a special cooling device that does not use these expansion type evaporators, there is currently a cooling system that cools a room by an endothermic reaction when a metal hydride releases hydrogen, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 64-4111. is proposed.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the conventional cooling system shown in Utility Model Publication No. 62-21894, intermittent noise from the kelp nozzle and fan is generated, and this noise causes discomfort while sleeping. There are drawbacks.

Furthermore, the refrigeration system using metal hydrides disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-4111 obtains a large amount of cold energy, resulting in large-sized equipment. Therefore, in order to promote a smooth and efficient operating system for heat exchange, a water-cooled system is required, which requires the separation of cooling water sources and the installation of cooling towers. Cooling water piping is required between the pump and the cooling water pump. Therefore.

The present invention reduces the capacity of a refrigeration system using metal hydrides, enables air-cooled operation, is compact and easy to use, can be easily installed in a cooling room, and is connected to the cooling room and a heat supply section. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cooling device using metal hydride that can be constructed with simple piping even over long distances.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The cooling device using metal hydrides of the present invention includes a heat absorber consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan disposed in a space to be cooled, and a heat absorber disposed above the heat absorber. a radiator consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan disposed outside the space to be cooled above the first container for metal hydride; and a space to be cooled. a heat recovery section consisting of a gravity heat pipe arranged outdoors away from the heat recovery section; and a second metal disposed above the heat recovery section and having hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristics different from those of the first metal hydride. A container containing a hydride, and a heat radiator consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan installed outdoors above the container, the heat absorber and the heat radiator being connected to the first metal hydride. connected to the container in a heat exchange manner, and communicating between the first metal hydride container and the second metal hydride container via a hydrogen on-off valve;
A control means is provided for centrally controlling the fan of the heat radiator, the heating of the fan heat recovery section of the heat absorber, and the hydrogen on-off valve.

(e) Action A container housing the first metal hydride (hereinafter referred to as -0H) and a container housing the second metal hydride (hereinafter referred to as A2)). While the hydrogen on-off valve of the hydrogen pipe connecting the hydrogen piping is closed, for example, M21 which is occluding hydrogen]
The heat recovery section is heated using a heat source such as waste gas, and the pressure is increased.
It releases hydrogen.

On the contrary, M and H, which do not absorb hydrogen, are kept at room temperature by running the fan of the radiator. When the hydrogen on-off valve is opened in this state, hydrogen moves from the high pressure M21] side to the 111 side and is stored on the M and H sides. The M2R side tends to be lower in temperature and pressure due to the endothermic action accompanying hydrogen release, but the heat recovery section is heated by waste gas, etc., and 1 (2H The high temperature and high pressure state is maintained.Also, at this time, the fan of the radiator above the M2H is stopped to suppress heat radiation in this part.On the other hand, on the H side, the high temperature and high pressure occur due to the heat generation effect due to hydrogen absorption. However, the heat is radiated by turning the fan of the upper radiator using a gravity heat pipe.

Also, at this time, the fan of the heat absorber in the space to be cooled is stopped. Here, since the gravity heat pipe transfers heat in only one direction, there is no heat transfer to the heat absorber. In this way M
, H sides are maintained at a low temperature and low pressure state, and the M, H side maintains a higher pressure gradient than the M, H side to absorb hydrogen on the M, l( side. When the state of heat generation has progressed to a certain extent on the M and H sides, the hydrogen on-off valve is closed and the supply of waste gas is stopped.Then, the high temperature state on the M and H sides is
By turning the fan on the radiator at the top of the 2H, the temperature is returned to room temperature. Therefore 1. The N□H side absorbs hydrogen and is in a low-temperature, high-pressure state, while the M2R side releases hydrogen and is in a normal-temperature, low-pressure state.

Next, when the hydrogen on-off valve is opened, M, which is storing hydrogen,
Hydrogen is released from H and moves to the M2R side through hydrogen piping. Since Town H emits hydrogen endothermically, M2O
Refrigeration heat is generated on the side, and as a result, efficient heat absorption is performed by rotating the fan of the heat absorber, and the space to be cooled is cooled. Also, stop the fan of the radiator above M1H. At this time, there is no heat transfer to this radiator due to the structure of the gravity heat pipe.

By repeating this cycle, the temperature of the space to be cooled is lowered to the cooling temperature.

(f) Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

Figure 1 shows hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristic diagrams for two types of metal hydrides used in the cooling device of the present invention;
Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a cooling device constructed using metal hydrides with the characteristics shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a structural diagram of individual storage containers that store each metal hydride. Figure 4 is a diagram of these individual storage containers. The overall configuration of a metal hydride container is shown.

First, to explain based on FIG. 2, 1 is the first element of the M, Ni, system having the hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristics shown as I in FIG.
The first container contains the metal hydride M1H, and is installed on the upper outer surface of the cooling chamber 3, which is the space to be cooled. 2 similarly has the hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristics shown in ■, N,
A second container containing the second s-based metal hydride M,+1 is installed on the side of a heat supply source such as waste gas. 4 is a hydrogen pipe connecting between the containers 1 and 2, and a hydrogen on-off valve 5 is provided in the middle, and the distance between these containers 1 and 2 is determined by making the hydrogen pipe 4 thicker. 100
Even if the distance is more than m, sufficient hydrogen can be exchanged. A radiator 6 disposed above the container 1 of the cooling chamber 3 (l'llll) is connected in a heat exchange manner by a gravity type heat pipe 7 without a wick using water as a working fluid.
This gravity type heat pipe 7 has heat dissipation fins 8゜8...
This fin 8, 8 has a well-known structure with
It is equipped with a fan 9 that effectively exchanges heat with...

A heat absorber 10 is disposed above the cooling chamber 3, and is connected to the container 1 for heat exchange through a wickless gravity heat pipe 11 using methanol as a working fluid. This heat absorber 10 also has this gravity heat pipe 11.
It has a well-known structure in which heat dissipation fins 12, 12, etc. are attached to the fins 12, 12, and is equipped with a fan 13 that effectively exchanges heat between the fins 12, 12, and so on. On the other hand, in the container 2 on the heat supply source side, there is also a radiator 14 disposed above it, a gravity heat pipe 15 without a wick that uses water as a working fluid.
are connected for heat exchange. The radiator 14 includes radiation fins 16, 16, . . . on the gravity heat pipe 15.
This fin 16.
16... Equipped with a fan 17 that effectively performs heat exchange. A heat recovery section 18 is disposed at the bottom of the container 2, and waste gas is fed into the heat recovery section 18. The heat recovery unit 18 and the container 2 are connected to each other by a gravity type heat pipe 19 without a wick, which contains water as a working fluid.
This is a well-known configuration in which the heat exchanger is connected for heat exchange, and the heat of the waste gas is transferred through a large number of fins 20, 20, . . . attached to the gravity heat pipe 19. A control device 21 using a microcomputer or the like is appropriately provided to centrally control the fans 9, 17 of the heat radiators 6, 14, the fan 13 of the heat absorber W110, the hydrogen on-off valve 5, and the introduction of waste gas. It is being

Incidentally, the structures of the containers 1 and 2 that house the metal hydrides M, H, and M2R are as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, if the container 1 shown in FIG.
Hydrogen is introduced into each individual storage container 1a, ], a... by a branch pipe 4a made of a porous metal pipe branched from a hydrogen pipe 4. Furthermore, the heat medium liquid inside the heat radiator 6 and the heat absorber 10 is transferred to the storage container 1a through individual heat medium pipes 7a, lla, etc. using gravity heat pipes.

1a... is circulated in a heat exchange manner, and endothermic and exothermic reactions occur in each storage container la, la..., and the cold energy is collected and utilized.

The internal structure of each storage container 1a is as shown in FIG. The heat medium pipe 7a leading to the heat radiator 6 and the heat absorber 1
Two heat medium pipes 11a leading to hydrogen are arranged in parallel with a required spacing, and above them is provided a main pipe, that is, a hydrogen branch pipe 4a through which hydrogen passes. The hydrogen branch pipe 4a is made of a porous metal pipe so that hydrogen gas can freely enter and exit the storage container 1. and,
This container 4a.

Common to 7a and lla, a large number of heat exchange fins 2
2゜22... are installed and fixed perpendicularly. A first metal hydride is filled between these fins 22, 22, and is housed in a heat-resistant and pressure-resistant storage container 1a, which is a module that performs heat absorption and heat generation. Therefore, the amount of metal hydride, the heat of exothermic and endothermic reactions based on the reaction between hydrogen and hydrogen are transferred to the methanol in the heat medium pipes 7a and lla through these fins 22, 22... Alternatively, heat is exchanged with a heat medium such as water.The diameter of one module IA is 5 to 10 mm.Similarly, the container 2 installed at the heat supply source has the same configuration,
Needless to say, hydrogen flows between the modules through the hydrogen piping 4. Thus a large number of modules IA
In combination, they form a heat exchanger that can extract the thermal energy of hydrogen release, reversible heat absorption associated with hydrogen storage, and heat generation.

In the above configuration, this control operation will be explained next. The amount of the first metal hydride, [1 is made to absorb hydrogen in advance, and the second amount of metal hydride is
When all hydrogen has been released from the metal hydride M2) 1, by opening the hydrogen shut-off valve 5,
Between the containers 1 and 2, the container 1 side is at low temperature and high pressure, and the container 2 side is at room temperature and low pressure, so hydrogen is released from the container 1 side, and this hydrogen is released due to the hydrogen pressure difference between the containers 1 and 2. It moves to the container 2 side through the hydrogen pipe 4 and is occluded in the second metal hydride M741. That is, in this state, in FIG. 1, the first metal hydride MiH is in the low-temperature, high-pressure equilibrium state shown at point a, while the second metal hydride M2H is in the room-temperature, low-pressure equilibrium state shown at point b. in a state.

Therefore, based on the hydrogen pressure difference between the equilibrium characteristic points a and b, hydrogen moves from the first container 1 side to the second container 2 side. On this container 1 side,
(releases hydrogen and causes an endothermic reaction. Therefore, in order to utilize this endothermic action, the fan 13 on the heat absorber 10 side is rotated to efficiently absorb the heat in the cooling chamber 3 with the heat absorber 10 and cool it. conduct.

On the other hand, since heat is generated on the side of the second container 2 which causes an occlusion reaction with the hydrogen moving through the hydrogen pipe 4, the fan 17 of the radiator 14 is rotated to radiate this generated heat. At this time, heat exchange with the heat absorber 10 on the side of the container 1 is performed using the gravity heat pipe 11. Therefore, due to the characteristic of this gravity heat pipe 11 that only moves in one direction, There is no transfer of heat between the radiator 6 and the container 1.

When such heat absorption and heat dissipation state has progressed to a certain extent, the control device 21 stops the rotation of the fans 13 and 17,
The hydrogen on-off valve 5 is closed. Next, with the hydrogen on-off valve 5 kept closed, the waste gas is sent to the heat recovery section 17, and the second container 2 side is heated to a high temperature and high pressure. Then, the second metal hydride M21 (which stores hydrogen) changes to the high temperature and high pressure state shown at point 0 in Figure 1, and releases hydrogen. 1 storage container 1
By rotating the fan 9 of the radiator 6, the metal hydride M111 on the side efficiently radiates heat and is maintained at room temperature, and is in the state of room temperature and low pressure shown at point d in FIG. When the hydrogen on-off valve 5 is opened here, since there is a hydrogen pressure difference between the 0 point and the d point between the containers 1 and 2, hydrogen is released from the high pressure M211 side.
This hydrogen moves to the H side through the hydrogen pipe 4 under low pressure, and is occluded on the M and H sides. At this time, on the A211 side, the temperature and pressure tend to decrease due to the endothermic reaction accompanying hydrogen release, but the high temperature state is maintained by heating with waste gas, while the N
On the □1 side, hydrogen is absorbed and heat is generated, but the heat is radiated by rotating the fan 9 of the radiator 6, and a low temperature and low pressure state is maintained.

That is, the pressure gradient between the 0 point and the d point is maintained, and hydrogen continues to be stored stably on the gate ()] side. At this time, since the fact that the gravity heat pipe 7 transfers heat in only one direction is utilized, there is no transfer of heat between the heat absorber 10 and the container 1.

When such heat absorption and heat dissipation state has progressed to a certain extent, the fan 9 and the waste gas are stopped and the hydrogen shutoff valve 5 is closed. This is one cycle.

While repeating such a cycle, the heat transfer is extremely rapid due to the use of gravity heat pipes, and the operation cycle time can be shortened, so that the cooling chamber 9 can be heated between 0°C and -2°C.
It is maintained at a low temperature of about 0°C.

In addition, heat exchange can be easily performed by making the structure of each storage container that constitutes containers 1 and 2 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
Since the height is limited to 10 to 30 m (2 m), it is easy to install it in a cooling room, and if the diameter of the containers 1 and 2 is made thicker for hydrogen transfer, etc., it is possible to separate them by 100 m or more.

Furthermore, by taking advantage of the fact that heat transfer in the gravity heat pipe is only unidirectional, the heat exchange action can be easily controlled by simply controlling the ON/OFF of the fan.

(g) Effects of the invention As described above, according to the invention, the first metal hydride Mi
A radiator consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan is connected and installed above the container housing H, and a heat absorber consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan is installed below to exchange heat within the space to be cooled. On the other hand, a container containing a second metal hydride M2H having different hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristics from the first metal hydride is provided on the side of the heat supply section for waste gas, etc. each connected to the container in a heat exchange manner,
A radiator consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan is installed in the upper position, and a heat recovery unit is installed in the lower position of the gravity heat pipe.These containers are connected by a hydrogen pipe equipped with a hydrogen on-off valve, and both storage containers are connected. By transferring hydrogen between containers, M2O
This is a cooling device that performs an operation cycle in which heat absorption on the M2O side is used for cooling and regeneration is performed by heating the M2O side. Therefore,
The side to be cooled and the heat supply section can be connected to the hydrogen piping over a considerable distance even if they are separated by suppressing pressure loss during transportation of hydrogen by increasing the diameter or other means. Therefore, more effective use of waste gas, etc. can be achieved.

In addition, since heat exchange with each container uses a gravity heat pipe heat radiator and heat absorber, heat is inevitably transferred in only one direction, and most valves for controlling the flow of heat medium are not required. This simplifies the piping configuration and allows heat exchange to be performed using an air-cooled system rather than a water-cooled system, eliminating the need for a cooling water source or cooling tower, cooling water pump, or heat transfer pump. Therefore, it is possible to provide a compact air-cooled cooling device using metal hydride.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristic diagram of two types of metal hydrides used in the cooling device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the cooling device of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the storage of metal hydrides. The structure of a single storage container is shown, (a) is an external front view, (b)
) is a front view of a heat exchanger with fins attached to the hydrogen pipes and heat medium pipes arranged in the storage container, (c) is a side view, and Figure 4 shows the storage container itself assembled. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the constructed container and its related parts. 1.2... Container, 1a... Single storage container, 3...
・Cooled space (cooling room), 4...Hydrogen piping, 5...
Hydrogen on/off valve, 6, 14... radiator, 7.11.15.
19...Gravity heat pipe, 9, 13.17...
・Fan 10... Heat absorber, 18... Heat recovery section, 21
...control means, 22...fin. Ward 1

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A heat absorber consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan disposed in a space to be cooled, a first metal hydride container disposed above the heat absorber, and a first metal hydride A radiator consisting of a gravity heat pipe and a fan is placed above the container outside the space to be cooled, and a heat recovery section consisting of a gravity heat pipe is placed outdoors away from the space to be cooled. a second metal hydride container disposed above the recovery section and having different hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristics from the first metal hydride; and a second metal hydride container disposed outdoors above the second metal hydride container. a gravity type heat pipe and a heat radiator consisting of a fan, the heat absorber and the heat radiator are connected to the first metal hydride container in a heat exchange manner, and the second metal hydride container is A heat recovery unit and a radiator are connected to the container in a heat exchange manner, and the first metal hydride container and the second metal hydride container are communicated via a hydrogen on-off valve,
A cooling device using a metal hydride, characterized by being provided with a control means for centrally controlling a radiator fan, a heat absorber fan, heating of a heat recovery section, and a hydrogen on-off valve. (2) A large number of fins are fixedly installed on two heat medium pipes and one hydrogen pipe, and metal hydride is filled between these fins, and this is stored in a heat-resistant and pressure-resistant storage container. One module for heat exchange is formed, and a large number of these are arranged, one of the heat medium pipes is connected to a radiator with fins at the top, and the other one is connected to a heat absorber or a heat recovery section at the bottom. 2. The cooling device using a metal hydride according to claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger.