JPH03117862A - Fluorocarbon gas recovering apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To normalize the regeneration cycle at the time of starting by providing a bypass conduit for connecting a conduit on the outlet side of a liquid pump for a regeneration unit with a conduit on the inlet side of a condensing unit, and arranging a communication control means for communicating the bypass conduit at the time of starting of the pump and interrupting it after predetermined time. CONSTITUTION:A bypass conduit 62 is connected to a conduit 56 between a moisture indicator 60 and a check valve 58, its end is connected to a conduit 30 which is opened to an oil separator 25, and a solenoid valve 63 is provided at the conduit 62. When a liquid pump 57 is started at the time of starting regeneration of liquid fluorocarbon, the valve 63 is opened for predetermined time to discharge gas in the conduits 48, 56 to the separator 25. That is, gas initially stored in the conduits of a regeneration unit 6 is introduced into the separator 25 and removed from the unit 6 thus enabling operation of the pump 57 so that only the fluorocarbon is circulated, passed through a filter drier 55, and regenerated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a fluorocarbon gas recovery device for recovering fluorocarbon gas used mainly in vehicle air conditioners.

(Prior Art) This type of device is provided with a regeneration unit for regenerating the recovered fluorocarbon gas, and the regeneration unit includes, for example, a cylinder that stores liquefied fluorocarbon gas and an impurity in the liquid fluorocarbon gas. A filter dryer for removing the liquid and a liquid pump for circulating the liquid fluorocarbon are connected through a pipe line to form a closed circuit, and the liquid fluorocarbon is circulated within the closed circuit for regeneration.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, when the regeneration unit is started, that is, when the liquid pump is started, the Freon that has been vaporized by taking heat from the outside is accumulated in the pipe line of the regeneration unit. The problem was that the liquid pump compressed the gas and the fluorocarbon did not flow through the pipes, making it impossible to perform the regeneration cycle normally.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a fluorocarbon gas recovery device that solves the above problems and normalizes the regeneration cycle at the time of starting the regeneration unit.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the fluorocarbon gas recovery device according to the present invention includes an introduction unit for introducing fluorocarbon gas, a separation unit for removing impurities from the introduced fluorocarbon gas, and a fluorocarbon gas recovery device for condensing the fluorocarbon gas. It is equipped with a condensing unit, a compressor for sucking and compressing fluorocarbon gas, and a regeneration unit that stores the condensed liquid fluorocarbon and regenerates it as necessary. a filter dryer for removing;
In a fluorocarbon gas recovery device that is connected to a liquid pump via a pipeline to form a closed circuit, a bypass pipe that communicates the pipeline on the outlet side of the liquid pump of the regeneration unit with the pipeline on the inlet side of the condensation unit. A passage is provided, and the bypass passage is provided with communication control means for communicating the bypass passage when the liquid pump is started and for blocking the communication for a predetermined period of time.

(Function) Therefore, a bypass line is provided between the liquid pump and the condensing unit, and the bypass line is communicated for a predetermined period of time when the liquid pump is started. The fluorocarbon gas accumulated in the pump is sent to the low-pressure condensing unit, and only liquid fluorocarbon remains in the closed circuit of the regeneration unit, which has removed the gas, allowing the liquid pump to operate normally, which solves the above problem. It is something that will be done.

(Examples) Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a fluorocarbon gas recovery device 1 is connected to a refrigerant circuit of a vehicle air conditioner to collect fluorocarbon gas (for example, R
12: An introduction unit 2 for introducing chemical formula C1zFz), a separation unit 3 for removing impurities such as water and oil from the introduced fluorocarbon gas, a condensation unit 4 for condensing the fluorocarbon gas, and a compressor for sucking and compressing the fluorocarbon gas. 5, and a regeneration unit 6 that stores the condensed liquid fluorocarbon gas and regenerates it as necessary.

The introduction unit 2 includes a manifold 10 having a connection joint 8 connected to the high pressure side of a refrigerant circuit (not shown) mounted on a vehicle and a connection joint 9 connected to the low pressure side. The manifold 10 has pressure gauges 1la11b on the high pressure side and low pressure side, and also has connection joints 8, 9.
A conduit 14 is connected to the connection joint 12 between the two, leading to the separation unit 3, and the cough conduit 14 includes a backless valve 17, a check valve 18, a pressure switch 19, a pressure gauge 20, a solenoid valve 21 and are arranged in this order, and the flow of freon gas is controlled by opening and closing these valves 17 and 21. The pressure switch 19 is connected to the input side of the compressor 5, and is configured to issue a stop signal and automatically stop the compressor when the pressure becomes lower than a predetermined pressure.

Further, a sight glass 22 is provided between the packless valve 17 and the check valve 18, so that the operator can visually check the recovery status of the fluorocarbon gas during the recovery operation. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the fluorocarbon gas has been reliably recovered at the time of recovery, and even if there is a problem with the device, it can be reliably dealt with.

The opening and closing of the solenoid valve 21 is controlled in response to a control signal from a central processing unit (not shown).

The separation unit 3 includes a dryer 2 that mainly removes moisture.
3, a heat exchange oil separator 25 that liquefies fluorocarbon gas and removes oil through heat exchange, and a filter oil separator 24 disposed upstream of the heat exchange oil separator.

The dryer 23 uses particulate adsorbent such as activated carbon as a filter to capture and remove moisture, dust, etc. from the fluorocarbon gas passing through it.

This dryer 23 is provided with a monitor gauge 23a that measures the clogging of the filter based on the pressure difference between its upstream and downstream sides.

A filter 26 is interposed in the center of each oil separator 24, and the fluorocarbon gas introduced from above passes through and the separated oil is collected in a discharge pipe 27 provided below the filter 26. It has become. A backless valve 28 is provided at the lower end of the discharge pipe 27, and this valve 28 is provided at the lower end of the discharge pipe 27.
It is designed to be pulled out to a measuring cylinder 29 at the same time. The fluorocarbon gas that has passed through the filter oil separator 24 is introduced from above the heat exchange oil separator 25 via the pipe line 30.

In this way, by interposing the oil separator 24 before introducing it into the heat exchange oil separator 25, it is possible to reliably remove impurities such as oil from the fluorocarbon gas, increase the purity of the fluorocarbon gas, and improve heat exchange efficiency. .

In the heat exchange oil separator 25, fluorocarbon gas is ejected from the pipe line 30 into the heat exchange container 25a, so that the fluorocarbon gas expands adiabatically. As a result, the temperature inside the heat exchange container is cooled to 0''C to 20C.

The fluorocarbon gas after adiabatic expansion is sucked from the pipe 31 to the suction side of the compressor 5, is pressurized from the discharge side, and is transferred to the pipe 32.
The oil is introduced into the other oil separator 34, and the oil mixed in the compressor 5 is removed. The separated oil passes through the filter 44 and into the capillary tube 4.
5, flows through a conduit 47 provided with a valve 46, and is returned to the suction side of the compressor 5. After passing through the oil separator 34, the fluorocarbon gas passes through the pipe line 35 again for heat exchange with the oil separator. At night 25, the gas is returned and introduced into the heat exchange vibe 36 disposed in the heat exchange container 25a, where it is cooled by the adiabatic expansion described above, thereby liquefying the fluorocarbon gas. In this way, as described above, the heat exchanger can save energy by cooling the heat exchanger using the heat of adiabatic expansion of the fluorocarbon gas.

Further, oil separated as the fluorocarbon gas is liquefied is drawn out to a measuring cylinder 38 through a valve 37.

The liquefied fluorocarbon gas is led out from the heat exchange oil separator 25 through a conduit 40 and collected into a cylinder 43 provided in the regeneration unit 6 via a pressure switch 41 and a check valve 42.

The cylinder 43 is composed of a container 50 and 20 valves 49 that connect the pipe line 40 and the outlet pipe line 48. Inside the container 50 is an injection pipe 51 extending from the valve 49.
and a suction pipe 52 are extended, and first and second level sensors (not shown) are provided for detecting the amount of stored liquid fluorocarbon gas. The first and second level sensors are arranged at predetermined positions on an extension piece (not shown) extending from the valve 49 to near the bottom of the container 50. For example, the first and second level sensors are located at a position of 80% capacity. The first level sensor is attached to the second level sensor at the 30% capacity position. These first and second sensors are, for example, a known float type sensor that detects the level of the fluorocarbon liquid, and the detection signal of the first level sensor is sent to the central controller (
Not shown. ), the compressor 5 is stopped in response to this detection signal, and the fluorocarbon gas recovery action is automatically stopped. Further, the second level sensor detects a shortage of internal refrigerant liquid during supply to the refrigeration cycle, which will be described later, and stops the supply.

The outlet pipe 48 connected to the 20 valve 49 leads to a filter dryer 55 equipped with a monitor gauge 55a, and is connected to the above-mentioned pipe 40 via a liquid pump 56 and a check valve 57 provided on the pipe 56. When the liquid pump 57 is operated, the liquid Freon in the cylinder 38 is circulated through a closed circuit of pipes 48, 56, and 40.

The dryer 55 removes moisture, dust, oil, etc., similarly to the dryer 23 described above.

Furthermore, a so-called reuse joint 59 with a refill is provided between the 20-valve 49 and the fill dryer 55, from which the recycled liquid refrigerant is taken out.

A moisture indicator 60 is provided between the liquid pump 57 and the check valve 58 to display the water content in the liquid Freon.
is placed so that the regeneration status of the liquid Freon used can be checked. This moisture indicator 60
The inner surface of the sight glass is coated with a known paint that changes color depending on the water content. Therefore, the operator can easily check whether the moisture in the liquid Freon has been sufficiently removed, and if it has not been removed, the regeneration unit 6 continues to circulate and the filter dryer 55 removes the moisture.

In addition, a moisture indicator 60 and a check valve 5
A bypass pipe line 62 is connected to the pipe line 56 between the oil separator 8 and the oil separator 25 . The bypass conduit 62 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 63, and the electromagnetic valve 63 is connected to the drive circuit of the liquid pump 57 via a timer relay 64, as shown in FIG.

This timer relay 64 controls the above-mentioned electromagnetic pulp 63 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 3 to 3 seconds) when the drive switch 61 is turned on.
5 seconds) The power is turned on.

Therefore, when regeneration of the liquid fluorocarbon starts, that is, when the liquid pump 57 is started, the electromagnetic valve 63 is opened for a predetermined period of time, and the gas in the pipes 48 and 56 is discharged to the heat exchange oil separator 25.

That is, first, the gas accumulated in each pipe line of the regeneration unit 6 is introduced into the heat exchange oil separator 25 and removed from the regeneration unit 6, and the liquid pump 57 is enabled to operate.
Only the liquid Freon is circulated and passed through the filter dryer 55 to perform a regeneration action.

In the figure, reference numeral 65 is a valve, 66 is a safety valve, and 67 is a pressure gauge.

According to the above configuration, when recovering fluorocarbons from the refrigerant circuit of an automobile, the manifold 10 is connected to the high pressure pipe and the low pressure pipe of the refrigerant circuit, and the compressor 5 is driven.

As a result, the pipe line 1 for recovering fluorocarbon gas from the refrigerant circuit
After removing impurities such as water, oil, and dust in the separation unit 3, it is liquefied in the heat exchange oil separator 25 using the heat of adiabatic expansion of the fluorocarbon gas, and then transferred to the cylinder 43.
to be collected. At this time, when the liquid Freon in the cylinder 43 reaches approximately 80%, the first level sensor detects this and stops driving the compressor 5, and the valve 2
1 to stop refrigerant recovery.

Furthermore, when the pressure inside the pipe line 14 is reduced to a predetermined level while recovering fluorocarbon gas from the refrigerant circuit of an automobile, the pressure switch 19 is turned off, the compressor 5 is stopped, and the valve 21 is closed at the same time. will be stopped.

On the other hand, the liquid Freon collected in the cylinder 43 is injected into the refrigerant circuit of another vehicle or the like for reuse. In this case, the connecting joint 12 is connected to the reusable joint 59.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, a bypass line is provided between the liquid pump and the condensing unit, and the bypass line is communicated for a predetermined period of time when the liquid pump is started. The fluorocarbon gas accumulated in the regeneration unit can be removed via the bypass line, allowing the liquid pump to operate normally, resulting in normal operation of the regeneration cycle and shortened regeneration time. It is something that can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a fluorocarbon gas recovery device according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 shows a drive circuit for the liquid pump and electromagnetic valve. ■...Freon gas recovery device, 2...Introduction unit,
3... Separation unit, 4... Condensation unit, 5...
- Compressor, 6... Regeneration unit, 43... Cylinder, 55... Filter dryer, 57. ,. Liquid pump, 62... Bypass pipe line, 63. ,,Electromagnetic pulp. Procedural amendment (method) 1. Indication of the case Heisei Patent Application No. 54644 2. Name of the invention CFC recovery device 3. Person making the amendment Relationship with the case

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An introduction unit for introducing fluorocarbon gas, a separation unit for removing impurities from the introduced fluorocarbon gas, a condensation unit for condensing fluorocarbon gas, a compressor for sucking and compressing fluorocarbon gas, and housing the condensed liquid fluorocarbon. and a regeneration unit for regenerating as necessary, the regeneration unit comprising at least a cylinder for storing liquid Freon, a filter dryer for removing impurities, and a liquid pump, which are connected by a pipe line to form a closed circuit. In the fluorocarbon gas recovery device, a bypass pipe is provided that communicates the pipe on the outlet side of the liquid pump of the regeneration unit with the pipe on the inlet side of the condensing unit, and the bypass pipe is provided with a pipe on the outlet side of the liquid pump of the regeneration unit, A fluorocarbon gas recovery device, comprising a communication control means that connects the bypass line when a pump is started and disconnects the bypass line after a predetermined period of time.