JPH08134862A - Heat-pipe type snow-melting apparatus using compost as heat source - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To stably melt snow, by effectively utilizing the heat of fermentation of compost. CONSTITUTION: An evaporating part 9 for heat pipes 2 is located in compost 5 so as to enable heat-exchange each other, and a condensing part 10 therefor is located at a place where snow is to be melted so as to enable heat-exchange each other. A control valve 8 for the flow rate of working fluid is provided on each of the heat pipe 2. Heat being held in the compost 5 is conveyed to the place by the working fluid when the control valve 8 is opened.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a snow melting apparatus using a heat pipe as a means for transporting heat from a heat source to a snow melting portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an area where a large amount of snowfall occurs, snow removal (snow removal) on roads, roofs and the like is indispensable from the viewpoint of ensuring convenience of daily life and traffic safety. For example, snow removal on roads is generally done by using a civil engineering machine such as a shovel loader.However, this type of snow removal is performed only after a certain amount of snow has been accumulated, and snow removal work is performed temporarily on traffic. In some cases, roads with heavy traffic may require an alternative method. Also, as a means for preventing the freezing of the road surface, a means of spraying an antifreezing agent such as lime is known, but since this antifreezing agent may adversely affect the vehicle, the road surface, and eventually the surrounding environment, The use of inhibitors is not always the preferred method. Therefore, recently, as a device for preventing snow melting and freezing on a road, a device for spraying groundwater and a device for burying a heat pipe just below the road surface to keep the road surface warm by geothermal heat are known.

[0003]

The above-mentioned device for spraying groundwater has a temperature of about 5 to 15 ° C. and has a sufficient amount of heat to melt snow. Although it is a device that performs snow melting on the road surface, it consumes a large amount of groundwater because it is necessary to constantly pump up groundwater and spray it on the road surface during the entire snow season, which may result in ground subsidence. In addition, since it requires power to pump up groundwater, running cost is inconvenient.

Further, in a device for drawing up geothermal heat to the vicinity of the road surface by a heat pipe, since the heat in the natural world is used as it is and only the heat is transferred, no running cost is required and there is no moving part. However, in many cases the amount of snowfall is greater than the amount of geothermal heat that can be used for snow melting, and in such cases an auxiliary heat source must be used, and in the end, in order to compensate for the lack of geothermal heat. There was a problem that required the cost and equipment.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a heat pipe type snow melting apparatus capable of performing stable snow melting by effectively utilizing the fermentation heat of compost. is there.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is such that the evaporating portion of the heat pipe is arranged so as to be able to exchange heat with the compost serving as a heat source and the condensing portion of the heat pipe is provided. However, it is characterized in that it is arranged so that heat can be transferred to and from the snow-melted portion, and that the heat pipe is equipped with a valve for controlling the flow rate of the working fluid.

[0007]

[Function] As is well known, compost generates heat during fermentation. Further, in the present invention, since the evaporating portion of the heat pipe is arranged so as to be capable of exchanging heat with the compost, the heat pipe automatically starts operating when the valve is opened.
That is, the working fluid inside the container is heated by the heat of the compost to evaporate, and flows to a portion of the heat pipe where both the internal pressure and the temperature are low, that is, the condensing portion. Then, the heat is taken away by the snow-melted portion and returns to the liquid phase again. That is, the heat of the compost is transferred to the snow melting location via the heat pipe. The condensed working fluid is returned to the evaporation section by gravity or wick, and is heated there again by the heat of the compost. In addition, when snow melting is not required, the valve is fully closed to put the evaporation section in a dry-out state, so that the heat pipe function is stopped. In this way, the heat of the compost can always be efficiently used for snow melting.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are schematic views showing an example in which the snow melting apparatus of the present invention is applied to a road constructed on a bank.
That is, one end of the heat pipe 2 is buried immediately below the road surface 1 made of asphalt or concrete, and the other end of the heat pipe 2 is inside the compost box 4 installed near the slope 3. It is installed in. In addition, snow (not shown) is accumulated on the road surface 1.

The compost box 4 is provided for accommodating, for example, grass cut from the slope 3 to form compost, and for efficiently utilizing the fermentation heat of the compost 5 as a heat source. As shown in FIG. 2, it is a rectangular container whose upper portion can be freely opened and closed, and is made of concrete or metal. Further, a drain hole 6 is provided below the side surface so that the inside can be easily washed.

As one example, one end of the heat pipe 2 is formed in a lattice shape and is attached along the inner wall of the compost box 4. With this configuration, even if a partial temperature difference occurs in the compost 5 stacked in the compost box 4, the working fluid can absorb heat almost uniformly, and when the compost 5 is taken in and out. To heat pipe 2
Less likely to damage the. Then, from one end portion of the heat pipe 2 assembled in the lattice shape, two straight pipes substantially parallel to each other extend toward the road surface 1, and the tip portion thereof is positioned slightly above. It is buried between the road surface 1 and the ground 7 in a closed state. A flow control valve 8 is provided in the middle of the container of the heat pipe 2. This is provided to adjust the flow rate of the working fluid to arbitrarily control the operation of the heat pipe 2. Then, the unit of the heat pipe 2 and the compost box 4 as described above is installed along the road at predetermined intervals.

Here, the heat pipe 2 is a condensable fluid such as water or alcohol enclosed as a working fluid in a vacuum deaerated state inside a container such as a metal pipe whose both ends are closed, It operates when a temperature difference occurs, and the working fluid evaporated in the high temperature portion radiates heat and condenses in the low temperature portion to transfer heat as latent heat of the working fluid. The apparent thermal conductivity is superior to metals such as copper and aluminum by several tens to several hundreds.

Next, the operation of this apparatus constructed as described above will be described. Using the above snow melting equipment,
When carrying out freeze prevention, first, the flow rate control valve 8 is opened to a predetermined opening. As described above, since the heat pipe 2 is laid in an inclined state, the working fluid in the liquid phase stored in one place of the container is the end portion of the heat pipe 2 disposed in the compost box 4. Run down to.

On the other hand, the inside of the compost box 4 has already reached a temperature of, for example, about 70 ° C. due to the heat of fermentation of the compost 5. Therefore, the operation of the heat pipe 2 is started when the flow control valve 8 is opened. That is, the liquid-phase working fluid is evaporated by the heat of the compost 5 transmitted through the container to become working fluid vapor, and the end portion of the heat pipe 2 where both the internal pressure and the temperature are low, that is, the end portion embedded in the road surface. Flow toward. Therefore, here, the end of the heat pipe 2 arranged on the side of the compost box 4 serves as the evaporator 9, and the end of the heat pipe 2 arranged on the side of the road surface 1 serves as the condenser 10.

As described above, since the temperature of the end portion on the condenser portion 10 side is low due to the snow on the road surface 1, the working fluid vapor flowing into the end portion is deprived of heat and condensed. In other words, the heat of the compost 5 at about 70 ° C. is transferred to the road surface 1 via the working fluid. Therefore, the snow on the road surface 1 is melted. In addition, the working fluid condensed by radiating heat flows down the inner bottom of the container toward the end on the evaporator 9 side, is heated and evaporated again there, and the same cycle is continued thereafter.

On the other hand, when snow melting is stopped, if the flow rate control valve 8 is fully closed, the liquid phase working fluid is pooled above it, that is, the evaporation section 9 is in a dry-out state, so that the heat pipe. No more functioning as 2, so that the road surface 1 is no longer heated. Needless to say, the flow control valve 9 is maintained in the fully closed state during the season such as summer when snow melting is not performed.

As described above, by the compost box 4 and the heat pipe 2 having a large evaporation area, it is difficult for the heat of the compost 5 to escape.
Stable snow melting can be performed with clean natural energy regardless of weather and time. Furthermore, by using the compost 5, which has not been paid any attention as a heat source for snow melting, there is an advantage that so-called waste can be effectively used.

In the above embodiment, the heat pipe in which the evaporation portion side is connected in a grid pattern is adopted, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and is of a general single tube type. A heat pipe or a loop-type heat pipe in which the evaporation part and the condensation part are connected by a circulation path can be adopted, and they can be arbitrarily laid out. Further, the snow-melted portion is not limited to the road (road surface), and can be similarly applied to, for example, a roof of a house or a slope at the entrance of a multi-storey parking lot.

[0018]

As is apparent from the above description, in the present invention, the evaporating portion of the heat pipe can exchange heat with the compost,
Since the condensing part is arranged so that heat can be transferred to and from each of the snow melting points, and the heat pipe is equipped with a valve that controls the amount of working fluid, it is possible to use the fermentation heat generated from the compost to stabilize the heat. Can melt snow.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a heat pipe and a compost box partially cut away.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Heat pipe, 5 ... Compost box, 8 ... Flow control valve,
9 ... Evaporator, 10 ... Condenser.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Koichi Masuko 1-5-1, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Fujikura Ltd. (72) Inventor Hitoshi Hasegawa 1-1-5, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Shareholders Inside Fujikura

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An evaporating part of a heat pipe is arranged to be able to transfer heat to a compost which is a heat source, and a condensing part of the heat pipe is arranged to be able to transfer heat to a snow-melted portion. Further, the heat pipe type snow melting apparatus using compost as a heat source, wherein the heat pipe is provided with a valve for controlling the flow rate of the working fluid.