JPH08136070A - Icemaker using hfc non-azeotrope refrigerant mixture - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To develop an icemaker which can economically and stably make ice of uniform quality by using non-flamable HFC refrigerant without danger for damaging an ozonosphere. CONSTITUTION: An icemaker has a condenser for condensing to liquefy refrigerant, a pressure-reducing valve, an evaporator 1A for evaporating the liquefied refrigerant with an icemaking cell, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a switching valve for hot gas by using HFC non-azeotrope refrigerant mixture as the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, and comprises a heat exchanging coil 2A having a pipeline coupled in parallel with the evaporator 1A, wherein the refrigerant mixtures flowing the pipelines flow in different directions.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice-making device using a HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture, and more specifically to a non-flammable HFC that does not have a risk of depleting the ozone layer.
The present invention relates to an ice making device that can produce ice of uniform quality using a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12) and azeotrope mixed refrigerants R-12 and 1,1-difluoroethane (R-) have been used as refrigerants for ice making machines.
152a) and many R-502s.

[0003] However, each of the above refrigerants, due to its high ozone depletion potential, destroys the ozone layer when it is released into the atmosphere and reaches the ozone layer above the earth. The destruction of the ozone layer is caused by chlorine groups (Cl) in the refrigerant. Therefore, a refrigerant having a low chlorine group content, for example, chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22,
R-22), a refrigerant containing no chlorine group, such as difluoromethane (HFC-32, R-32), pentafluoroethane (HFC-125, R-125), 1,1,1,2
-Tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a, R-13
4a), or mixtures thereof, are considered as alternative refrigerants for these.

The HFC-based refrigerant mixture is a mixture of HFC-based refrigerants.
It is a mixture of three or more kinds, and usually, there are many combinations in which the boiling point and the dew point of the mixture are different. In the present invention, these mixtures are referred to as HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture. The HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture is specifically, for example,
R125 / R143a / 134a (weight ratio 44/52 /
4) (R404A, boiling point -46.78 ° C, dew point -46.
08 ° C, trade name: HP62, manufactured by DuPont, hereinafter HP6
2), R32 / R125 / 134a (weight ratio 20)
/ 40/40) (R407A, boiling point −45.4 ° C., dew point −38.8 ° C., trade name: KLEA60G2, manufactured by ICI, hereinafter referred to as KLEA60).

FIG. 5 shows an example of a refrigeration circuit of a typical ice making device. 5 is a compressor, 6 is a condenser, 10 is a receiver, 7 is a dryer, 11 is an expansion valve (pressure reducer), 1 is an evaporator provided with an ice making cell, 2 is a heat exchange coil, 8 is a refrigerant inlet, 9 Is a refrigerant outlet, 12 is a hot gas on-off valve, a solid arrow indicates a flow direction of the refrigerant during ice making, and a dashed arrow indicates a flow direction of the refrigerant during ice removal. At the time of ice making, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 5 flows through the condenser 6, the receiver 10, the dryer 7, and the expansion valve 11 from the inlet 8 to the heat exchange coil 2 of the evaporator 1 having the ice making cell to cool the ice making cell. Then, ice is made in the ice making cell, and is sucked into the compressor 5 through the outlet 9. At the time of ice removal, the hot gas on-off valve 12 is opened, and the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 5 flows from the inlet 8 to the heat exchange coil 2 of the evaporator 1 via the on-off valve 12 to heat the ice-making cell to heat the ice-making cell. The ice is separated from the ice and is sucked into the compressor 5 through the outlet 9.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a typical ice making section. 1
Is an evaporator having an ice making cell, 2 is a heat exchange coil, 16 is a water storage tank for storing water for ice making, 13 is a pump, 14 is a pipe line for supplying water for ice making, 15 is a nozzle for water for ice making, 17
Is a pipeline for supplying tap water to the water storage tank.

FIG. 7 is a sectional explanatory view of the ice making section. 1
Is an evaporator with an ice making cell 18, 2 is a heat exchange coil, 1
6 is a water storage tank, 13 is a pump, 14 is a pipeline for supplying water for ice making, 15 is a nozzle for water for ice making, and 17 is a pipeline for supplying tap water or the like to the water storage tank. The arrow indicates the flow of ice making water. At the time of ice making, the ice making water in the water storage tank 16 is sprayed by the pump 13 from the pipe line 14 through the nozzle 15 into the ice making cell 18 cooled by the evaporator 1 to make ice in the ice making cell 18. The deficient ice making water is supplied from the pipe line 17 into the water storage tank 16. At the time of ice removing, water sprinkling is stopped, and the ice making cell 18 is heated to remove the ice in the ice making cell 18.

When an HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture is used as the refrigerant in the ice making apparatus as described above, the refrigerant is a non-azeotropic mixture, so that the heat exchange coil 2 of the evaporator 1 has an inlet 8 and an outlet 9 between them. The composition of the liquid refrigerant of the refrigerant mixture changes, the temperature changes greatly, and there arises a problem that uniform quality ice cannot be obtained.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to use an HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture that is non-flammable and does not pose a risk of depleting the ozone layer, and the inlet and outlet of the heat exchange coil of the evaporator. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice making device capable of economically and stably producing ice of uniform quality by reducing the temperature change between them.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of intensive studies conducted by the present inventor in view of the above-mentioned problems, the evaporator is provided with heat exchange coils connected in parallel, and the flow direction of the refrigerant mixture flowing through the respective pipelines is determined. The inventors have found that the above problems can be solved by reversing the above, and have completed the present invention.

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a condenser for condensing and liquefying a refrigerant, a pressure reducing valve, an evaporator equipped with an ice making cell for evaporating a liquefied refrigerant, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a hot gas on-off valve, and the like. In an ice making device using a HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture as a refrigerant compressed by the compressor, the evaporator is provided with a heat exchange coil having pipe lines connected in parallel,
It is an ice-making device using an HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture, characterized in that the refrigerant mixture flowing in each of the pipelines flows in different directions.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture according to the first aspect, the inlet and the outlet of the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator are at the same location of the evaporator. It is characterized by being provided in.

The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture according to claim 1, two or more inlets of the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator are provided. And

The invention of claim 4 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture according to claim 1, two or more outlets of the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator are provided. And

[0015]

The evaporator is provided with a heat exchange coil in which pipelines are connected in parallel, one of the pipelines is supplied with the refrigerant mixture from the inlet of the evaporator, and the other pipeline is provided with the evaporator. By flowing the refrigerant mixture toward the outlet in the opposite direction to exchange heat well with each other, the temperature from the inlet of the refrigerant mixture of the heat exchange coil of the evaporator to its outlet can be made uniform, Stable production of uniform quality ice.
The inlet and outlet of the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator may be provided at the same location of the evaporator, or a plurality of inlets of the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator may be provided at different locations of the evaporator, and the refrigerant of the evaporator may be provided. Multiple outlets for the mixture may be provided at different locations on the evaporator. The cross-sectional shape, size, material and the like of the heat exchange coil in which the two pipes used in the present invention are connected in parallel are not particularly limited.

[0016]

EXAMPLES The contents of the present invention will be described more specifically below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, but the present invention is not limited to these contents. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of an evaporator used in an ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture of the present invention. A heat exchange coil 2A having an inlet 3 and an outlet 4 of the refrigerant mixture is provided at the same position of the evaporator 1A. The arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant. The refrigerant mixture entering from the inlet 3 of the evaporator 1A flows through one of the heat exchange coils 2A in which two pipes are connected in parallel, and is folded back into the other pipe to form an evaporator. The refrigerant mixture flowing to the outlet 4 of 1A flows in the opposite direction, is well exchanged with each other, and flows out of the outlet 4. By using the evaporator 1A, the temperature from the inlet 3 to the outlet 4 of the refrigerant mixture of the heat exchange coil 2A can be made uniform, and ice of uniform quality can be stably manufactured.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of another evaporator used in the ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture of the present invention. The arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant. The inlets 3 and 3 ′ of the refrigerant mixture are provided at different positions of the evaporator 1B, and the refrigerant mixture entering from the inlets 3 and 3 ′ flows backward in the pipe of the heat exchange coil 2B and merges. It flows out from the exit 4. By using the evaporator 1B, the heat exchange coil 2B
The temperature from the inlets 3 and 3'of the refrigerant mixture to the outlet 4 thereof could be made uniform, and ice of uniform quality could be stably manufactured.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of another evaporator used in the ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture of the present invention. The arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant. Inlet 3,3 'and outlet 4, of the refrigerant mixture at different points of the evaporator 1C,
4'is provided, and the refrigerant mixture entering from the inlets 3 and 3'reversely flows in the pipe of the heat exchange coil 2C, flows out from the outlets 4 and 4 ', and joins outside the evaporator 1C. . By using the evaporator 1C, the heat exchange coil 2C
The temperature from the inlet 3, 3'of the refrigerant mixture to the outlet 4, 4'can be made uniform, and ice of uniform quality can be stably produced.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a heat exchange coil in which two pipe lines used in the present invention are connected in parallel. (A)
2 shows the cross-sectional shape of the heat exchange coil 2D in which the two pipelines a and b are connected in parallel and connected via the partition wall c. (B) shows a cross-sectional shape of the heat exchange coil 2E in which two pipelines a ′ and b ′ are connected in parallel via a partition wall c ′.

[0020]

The ice-making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture of the present invention uses the non-flammable HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture without the risk of destroying the ozone layer. Since it is possible to reduce the temperature change between the inlet and the outlet of the exchange coil, it is possible to produce ice of uniform quality economically and stably. The ice making device of the present invention is economical because it has a simple structure, and has a large effect as described above and a high industrial utility value.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of an evaporator used in the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of another evaporator used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of another evaporator used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a heat exchange coil used in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an example of a refrigeration circuit of a typical ice making device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a typical ice making unit.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a typical ice making unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 a, a ', b, b'conduit c, c'partition wall 1, 1A, 1B, 1C evaporator 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E heat exchange coil 3, 3', 8 inlet 4, 4 ' , 9 Outlet 5 Compressor 6 Condenser 7 Dryer 10 Receiver 11 Expansion valve 12 Hot gas on-off valve 13 Pump 14, 17 Pipe line 15 Nozzle 16 Water tank 18 Ice making cell

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A condenser for condensing and liquefying a refrigerant, a pressure reducing valve, an evaporator equipped with an ice making cell for evaporating a liquefied refrigerant, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, an on-off valve for hot gas, etc., and compressed by the compressor. In an ice making device using a HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture as a refrigerant, the evaporator is provided with a heat exchange coil having pipelines connected in parallel, and the refrigerant mixtures flowing through the pipelines flow in different directions. An ice making device using an HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture characterized by the above. 2. The ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture according to claim 1, wherein an inlet and an outlet of the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator are provided at the same location of the evaporator. 3. The ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture according to claim 1, wherein two or more inlets for the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator are provided. 4. The ice making device using the HFC-based non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture according to claim 3, wherein two or more outlets of the refrigerant mixture of the evaporator are provided.