JPWO2014041621A1 - Heat pump device and temperature control device using electric calorie effect - Google Patents

Abstract

The heat pump device 1 using the electric caloric effect for transporting heat using the electric caloric effect includes a member 31 having an electric caloric effect and an electrode 32 for applying an electric field to the member having the electric caloric effect. An electric calorie effect element 3, a hollow container provided with a heat receiving part 21, a connection part 22, and a heat radiating part 23, and a heat pipe 2 composed of a working fluid enclosed in the hollow container and the vapor of the working liquid And the connecting portion of the heat pipe is made of a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat receiving portion, and the electrocaloric effect element is connected to the heat receiving portion of the heat pipe. With this configuration, it is possible to separate the heat generation and heat absorption of the electric calorie effect without providing a movable part, and it is possible to obtain a heat pump device that uses the electric calorie effect with high efficiency and high reliability.

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat pump device and a temperature control device using an electric calorie effect.

  Currently, heat pumps that transport heat are widely used to control the temperature of devices such as electronic components and a certain space. As means for realizing a heat pump, a compression refrigeration cycle using a refrigerant, a device using a Peltier effect, or a device using a magnetocaloric effect is widely used.

  However, the refrigeration cycle often used in air conditioners requires a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, and thus has a complicated structure and is not easy to downsize. On the other hand, those using the Peltier effect are suitable for miniaturization because the Peltier element does not have a mechanical movable part. However, since the amount of heat transport depends on the value of the current flowing through the element, Joule heat becomes a problem, and it is not easy to increase the efficiency during cooling. Moreover, in the refrigerator using the magnetocaloric effect, there is a problem that it is not easy to downsize a device for generating a strong magnetic field.

  These conventional heat pumps can be miniaturized and are expected to be applied to heat pumps using the electric calorific effect that allows temperature changes to be obtained with an easily controlled electric field. The electrocaloric effect is a phenomenon that generates heat when an electric field is applied to the pyroelectric body and absorbs heat when the electric field is removed. However, in the electrocaloric effect, the element itself having the electrocaloric effect repeatedly generates and absorbs heat, so that the temperature of the element returns to the original when the change of the electric field is completed. Therefore, a single element having an electrocaloric effect cannot be used as a heat pump.

  For this reason, the structure which isolate | separates the heat_generation | fever and heat absorption of an electric calorie effect has been examined. For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-176082), an element having an electrocaloric effect is arranged in a substrate, and the element causes an endothermic reaction in accordance with the time required for cooling. The electronic components mounted on the substrate are cooled.

  Further, in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-508637), heat generation and heat absorption are mechanically separated by combining an element having an electrocaloric effect and a piezoelectric material.

JP 2011-176082 A JP-T-2001-508637

  In the device described in Patent Document 1, since an element having an electrocaloric effect is disposed in the substrate, the element cannot separate heat absorption and heat generation cycles. For this reason, in the thing of patent document 1, heat absorption cannot be performed continuously from the electronic component mounted in the board | substrate, and there exists a subject that the heat_generation | fever after heat absorption raises board | substrate temperature.

  Moreover, in what is described in Patent Document 2, a piezoelectric element is used and mechanically moved with respect to a heat source so as to separate heat generation and heat absorption. It is difficult to increase the contact heat resistance and increase the efficiency of heat transport. Furthermore, since there is a drive unit for mechanically moving, there is a problem that reliability is lowered.

  An object of the present invention is to obtain an efficient and highly reliable heat pump device and temperature control device using the electric heat amount effect so that the heat generation and heat absorption of the electric heat amount effect can be separated without providing a movable part. It is in.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a heat pump device using an electric caloric effect for transporting heat using the electric caloric effect, and a member having the electric caloric effect and a member having the electric caloric effect. An electrocaloric effect element including an electrode for applying an electric field, a hollow container including a heat receiving part, a connection part, and a heat radiating part, a working fluid enclosed in the hollow container, and a vapor of the working liquid A heat pipe, and the connection portion of the heat pipe is formed of a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat receiving portion, and the electric heat quantity effect element is connected to the heat receiving portion of the heat pipe. It is characterized by.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the heat pump device includes a plurality of heat pump devices and a heat insulating container, the heat dissipating part of at least one heat pump device of the plurality of heat pump devices is installed in the heat insulating container, The electric heat quantity effect element of at least one other heat pump device among a plurality of heat pump devices is installed in the heat insulating container, and heat is dissipated from the heat dissipating part installed in the heat insulating container, and in the heat insulating container There is a temperature control device using an electric calorific value effect configured to control the temperature in the heat insulating container by absorbing heat to the electric caloric effect element installed in the apparatus.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to separate the heat generation and heat absorption of the electric calorie effect without providing a movable part, and to obtain a heat pump device and a temperature control device that use the electric calorie effect with high efficiency and high reliability. Can do.

It is a front view which shows Example 1 of the heat pump apparatus using the electric calorie | heat amount effect of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. It is a diagram explaining the temperature change of an electric calorie effect element. It is a diagram explaining the temperature change of the electric calorie | heat amount effect element in the heat pump apparatus using the electric calorie | heat amount effect in Example 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the example which applied the heat pump apparatus of the said Example 1 to cooling of an electronic device. It is a front view which shows Example 2 of the heat pump apparatus using the electric calorie | heat amount effect of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. It is a front view which shows the Example of the temperature control apparatus using the electric calorie | heat amount effect of this invention. It is a front view which shows the example which applied the temperature control apparatus using the electric calorie | heat amount effect shown in FIG. 8 to the temperature control of a genetic test | inspection apparatus.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in each drawing, the portions denoted by the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding portions.

  The heat pump device using the electrocaloric effect in the embodiment of the present invention is a combination of an element having an electrocaloric effect (hereinafter also referred to as an electrocaloric effect element) and a heat pipe having high thermal conductivity anisotropy. is there. That is, heat generation and heat absorption that occur in the electro-caloric effect element due to the electro-caloric effect are separated using a heat pipe having the anisotropy of heat conduction, thereby realizing heat transport without providing a movable part. Is. The basic configuration and operation of this embodiment will be described below.

  The electrocaloric effect element is a member having an electrocaloric effect that increases in temperature by applying an electric field and decreases in temperature by removing the electric field (hereinafter also referred to as an electrocaloric effect member), and Two opposing electrodes fixed to sandwich the electrocaloric effect member are provided. Here, the electrocaloric effect member and the electrode need not be one set, and may be configured by laminating two or more sets of the electrocaloric effect member and the electrode.

  The heat pipe is formed of a container including a heat receiving part, a connection part, and a heat radiating part, and a working medium, that is, a working liquid and a working liquid vapor are sealed inside the container. The connecting portion is formed in a hollow tubular shape that connects the heat receiving portion and the heat radiating portion, and is made of a material having lower thermal conductivity than the heat receiving portion and the heat radiating portion. Thereby, the heat receiving part and the heat radiating part are thermally separated. Further, the electric heat quantity effect element is fixed to the heat receiving portion of the heat pipe via an insulating member.

  When an electric field is applied to the electrode fixed to the electrocaloric effect element, the electrocaloric effect element generates heat and its temperature rises. The generated heat is transmitted to the heat receiving portion via the insulating member, and raises the temperature of the working fluid in the heat pipe. Then, when the working fluid boils, the working fluid vapor passes through the hollow connecting portion and reaches the heat radiating portion, and the working fluid vapor passes through the surrounding environment (ambient air). The liquid is returned to the liquid by exchanging heat with the cooling water or the like, and passes through the connecting portion to be returned to the heat receiving portion. Thus, since the heat generated by the electric heat quantity effect element is radiated from the heat radiating portion to the surrounding environment via the heat pipe, the temperature of the electric heat quantity effect element becomes a temperature corresponding to the temperature of the surrounding environment.

  Next, when the electric field applied to the electrocaloric effect element is removed, the electrocaloric effect element absorbs heat, so that the temperature of the electrocaloric effect element falls. At this time, the temperature of the heat receiving part of the heat pipe and the hydraulic fluid that are thermally connected to the electric heat quantity effect element through the insulating member also decreases, but the connection part is made of a material having low thermal conductivity. Therefore, heat penetration from the heat radiating part to the heat receiving part side is suppressed. Accordingly, since the temperature of the electric heat quantity effect element becomes lower than the ambient environment temperature, the electric heat quantity effect element absorbs heat from the surroundings.

  Then, by repeatedly applying and removing the electric field to and from the electric caloric effect element described above, the electric caloric effect element continuously absorbs heat, and the absorbed heat is radiated from the heat pipe through the heat pipe. Since heat can be continuously radiated from the part, it can be operated as a heat pump device.

  With such a configuration, heat generation and heat absorption in the electrocaloric effect element can be separated without providing a movable part, so that a heat pump device using the electrocaloric effect with high efficiency and high reliability can be obtained. .

Next, a specific example of the heat pump device using the electric calorie effect in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of a heat pump device using the electric caloric effect of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. The examples shown in these drawings are examples in which a cooling device is configured using an electrocaloric effect element.

  In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a heat pump device using an electric calorie effect. The heat pump device 1 is roughly constituted by a heat pipe 2 and an element (electric calorie effect element) 3 having an electric calorie effect. The heat pipe 2 includes a heat receiving portion 21, a connecting portion 22, and a heat radiating portion 23, and has a hollow structure as shown in FIG. The heat pipe 2 contains a working fluid 24 and steam of the working fluid 24 as a working medium. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 22 of the heat pipe 2 is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat receiving portion 21 and the heat radiating portion 23. The connecting portion 22 only needs to have a thermal conductivity lower than that of at least the heat receiving portion 21, and may have a thermal conductivity equal to or higher than that of the heat radiating portion 23.

  The electrocaloric effect element 3 includes a member 31 having an electrocaloric effect (electrical calorie effect member) and two opposing electrodes 32 fixed to the member 31 so as to sandwich the electrocaloric effect member 31. Yes. This electric heat quantity effect element 3 is fixed to the heat receiving portion 21 of the heat pipe 2 via an insulating member 33.

Next, the relationship between the application and removal of the electric field in the electrocaloric effect element 3, the heat generation and the heat absorption will be described. The electrocaloric effect is that an electric field is applied to or removed from the electrocaloric effect member 31 to cause an entropy change in the electrocaloric effect member 31, and heat and heat absorption are caused accordingly. The temperature changes. The temperature difference of the electrocaloric effect member 31 generated by this electric field can be obtained by Equation 1. In Equation 1, ΔT is the temperature change of the electrocaloric effect element 3, T is the temperature of the reference electrocaloric effect element 3, ρ is the density, _CE is the heat capacity, D is the electric flux density, and E is the electric field. .

上記電気熱量効果素子３単体に電場を印加、除去したときの温度変化を図３に示す線図により説明する。図３において、上の線図（ａ）は電気熱量効果素子３の温度変化ΔＴを示し、下の線図（ｂ）は電気熱量効果素子３に印加する電場Ｅを示している。上記線図（ａ）（ｂ）において、横軸はいずれも時間ｔである。

A temperature change when an electric field is applied to and removed from the electrocaloric effect element 3 alone will be described with reference to a diagram shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the upper diagram (a) shows the temperature change ΔT of the electrocaloric effect element 3, and the lower diagram (b) shows the electric field E applied to the electrocaloric effect element 3. In the diagrams (a) and (b), the horizontal axis represents time t.

  By applying the electric field E to the element 3 having the electrocaloric effect, the temperature of the electrocaloric effect element 3 rises according to Equation 1, and the temperature of the electrocaloric effect element 3 becomes higher than the surrounding environment. After that, heat is radiated from the electric heat quantity effect element 3 to the surrounding environment, so that the temperature gradually returns to the same temperature as the surrounding environment.

Next, when the electric field E applied to the electrocaloric effect element 3 is removed, the temperature of the element 3 decreases, and the temperature of the element 3 becomes lower than the ambient temperature. Then, it absorbs heat from the surrounding environment and gradually returns to the same temperature as the surrounding environment.
As described above, even when the application and removal of the electric field E is repeated, the electrothermal effect element 3 returns to the same temperature as the surrounding environment by itself.

  Next, the temperature change of the electric calorie effect element 3 in the heat pump device using the electric calorie effect in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, as in FIG. 3, the upper diagram (a) shows the temperature change ΔT of the electrocaloric effect element 3, and the lower diagram (b) shows the electric field E applied to the electrocaloric effect element 3. In the diagrams (a) and (b), the horizontal axis represents time t.

In the present embodiment, since the connecting portion 22 of the heat pipe 2 is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat receiving portion 21 and the heat radiating portion 23, the heat absorption and heat generation of the electric heat quantity effect element 3 are separated. can do. This principle will be described.
Heat generated in the electrocaloric effect element 3 when the electric field E is applied is transmitted to the heat receiving portion 21 of the heat pipe 2 through the insulating member 33 and is transmitted to the working fluid 24 held in the heat pipe 2. As a result, the temperature of the hydraulic fluid 24 rises to become steam 25 and travels toward the heat radiating portion 23. The steam 25 is cooled by exchanging heat with the surrounding environment in the heat radiating unit 23, returns to the liquid 26, and returns to the heat receiving unit 21 again.

  As described above, the heat generated by the electric heat quantity effect is quickly dissipated through the working fluid 24 enclosed in the heat pipe 2, so that the temperature rise of the electric heat quantity effect element 3 is small and the surroundings can be quickly taken. Return to the same temperature as the environment.

  Next, when the electric field E is removed from the electrocaloric effect element 3, the temperature of the element 3 decreases and absorbs heat from the heat receiving portion 21 and the hydraulic fluid 24 through the insulating member 33. At this time, the hydraulic fluid 24 remains in the heat receiving portion 21, and heat is not transported from the heat radiating portion 23 to the heat receiving portion 21 side. Furthermore, since the heat pipe 2 has the connection portion 22 having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat receiving portion 21, heat penetration from the heat radiating portion 23 to the heat receiving portion 21 is very small. Therefore, the temperature of the electrocaloric effect element 3 is lower than the temperature of the surrounding environment.

  By repeating the procedure for applying and removing the electric field E similar to the above to the electric calorie effect element 3, heat is transported to the heat radiating part 23 by evaporation of the working fluid 24 only when the element 3 generates heat, When the element 3 absorbs heat, reverse heat transport does not occur. For this reason, the temperature of the electric heat quantity effect element 3 is lowered, and an endothermic action from the surrounding environment can be generated. By repeating these procedures, the temperature of the element 3 can be made lower than the temperature of the surrounding environment. That is, as the heat flow, the electrical heat quantity effect element 3 absorbs heat from the ambient environment (for example, an electronic component that generates heat) as shown in 41, and the heat pipe 2 dissipates the ambient environment (for example, It can be operated as a heat pump device that radiates heat to ambient air, cooling water, etc.) as indicated at 42.

The heat receiving portion 21 and the heat radiating portion 23 are preferably made of a material having high thermal conductivity, and for example, copper or aluminum can be considered.
Further, since the electrocaloric effect is a pyroelectric reverse reaction, the member 31 having the electrocaloric effect is composed of a pyroelectric material. Typical examples of the material include barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate, and a polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoride ethylene copolymer.

  In addition, since the calorific value is determined by the volume of the electric calorie effect member 31, when it is desired to increase the calorific value and the heat absorption amount, the electric calorie effect member 31 is increased in volume or the electric calorie amount. What is necessary is just to comprise combining the effect member 31 in multiple numbers.

  The connection portion 22 of the heat pipe 2 is preferably formed of a material having low thermal conductivity, and for example, ceramic or glass may be used. Moreover, since the connection part 22 should just have heat conductivity lower than the said heat receiving part 21 and the heat radiating part 23, even if it is a material of the same heat conductivity as the said heat receiving part 21 and the heat radiating part 23, it conducts heat. A structure in which the diameter is reduced or the connection portion 22 is made thin so as to reduce the cross-sectional area may be employed.

  In addition, instead of the heat pipe 2, a member having anisotropy of heat conduction (including an anisotropic material) may be used, and the heat receiving portion thermally connected to the electrocaloric effect element 3 If the member has a high thermal conductivity from 21 to the heat radiating part 23 and a low thermal conductivity from the heat radiating part 23 to the heat receiving part 21, it can be used as a heat pump device utilizing the electric calorie effect. it can.

  It is preferable to provide a cooling device such as a fin or a fan in the heat radiating portion 23 of the heat pipe 2 so as to promote the heat radiation indicated by 42 in FIG. Further, the ambient environment for radiating heat is not limited to ambient air such as the atmosphere, but may be configured to radiate heat to cooling water or the like.

  The hydraulic fluid 24 sealed in the heat pipe 2 preferably undergoes a phase change depending on the amount of heat generated by the electrocaloric effect element 3. Adjust the type and amount. For example, when the calorific value due to the electric calorific effect is small, acetone or a fluorinated liquid having a small specific heat and latent heat of vaporization may be sealed as the working fluid 24. In addition, when the calorific value due to the electric calorific effect is large, water having a large specific heat and latent heat of vaporization may be used as the working fluid 24.

  The connecting portion 22 of the heat pipe 2 can change its shape to guide the heat radiating portion 23 to an arbitrary place, and a heat absorption 41 (heat receiving portion 21) formed by the electrocaloric effect element 3 The heat radiation 42 (heat radiation portion 23) from the heat radiation portion 23 of the heat pipe 2 can be separated from each other.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the heat generation and heat absorption generated in the electrocaloric effect element 3 can be efficiently separated without providing a drive unit, the heat is absorbed on the electrocaloric effect element 3 side. Heat can be transported to the heat radiating portion 23 side and radiated to the surrounding environment such as ambient air and cooling water. Therefore, the heat pump device of the present embodiment can be used for a cooling device for electronic equipment, a temperature control device for a target space, a refrigeration air conditioner, a heat transport device between a low temperature and a high temperature.

  Here, the example which applied the heat pump apparatus of the said Example 1 to cooling of an electronic device is demonstrated with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

  In FIG. 5, 51 is a power source for applying an electric field to the pair of electrodes 32 of the electrocaloric effect element 3 in the heat pump device 1, and 52 is a substrate on which an electronic component 53 is mounted. The electronic component 53 fixed to the substrate 52 generates heat during its operation, but if the temperature rises excessively, its operation becomes unstable or, in the worst case, may ignite.

  Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the heat generated in the electronic component 53 is removed by the heat pump device 1 using the above-described electric heat quantity effect. That is, the electric heat effect element 3 of the heat pump device 1 is fixed in contact with the surface of the electronic component 53, and the voltage is turned on by using the power source 51 for the electrode 32 of the electric heat effect element 3. Control off. As a result, the electric heat quantity effect member 31 can absorb heat from the electronic component 53 and can radiate heat from the heat radiating portion 23 of the heat pipe 2 to the surrounding environment. As a result, an excessive temperature rise of the electronic component 53 can be suppressed.

  A second embodiment of the heat pump device utilizing the electric heat quantity effect of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a front view of the heat pump apparatus showing the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 denote the same or corresponding parts.

  In the present embodiment, the heat receiving portion 21 of the heat pipe 2 is shared as one electrode 32 for applying an electric field to a member 31 having an electrocaloric effect. For this reason, as the material of the heat receiving portion 21, a material having not only good thermal conductivity but also good electrical conductivity is used.

  This will be described in more detail. The heat pipe 2 includes a heat receiving portion 21, a connection portion 22, and a heat radiating portion 23, and has a hollow structure. Further, inside the heat pipe 2, a working fluid 24 as a working medium and a vapor of the working fluid 24 are sealed. The heat receiving portion 21 and the heat radiating portion 23 have good thermal conductivity, and at least the heat receiving portion 21 uses a material having electrical conductivity at the same time.

  In this embodiment, copper or aluminum is used as the material constituting the heat receiving portion 21 and the heat radiating portion 23. Since these materials have good heat conductivity and electrical conductivity, the heat receiving portion 21 is used as one electrode for applying an electric field to the electrocaloric effect member 31 in this embodiment. Further, the other electrode 32 is provided on the surface facing the heat receiving portion 21 with respect to the electric heat quantity effect member 31 as in the first embodiment.

The principle of separating heat absorption and heat generation in the electrocaloric effect element 3 is the same as in the first embodiment. In other words, when heat is generated by applying an electric field to the electrocaloric effect element 3, the generated heat is transmitted to the working fluid 24 enclosed in the heat pipe 2 and is transported to the heat radiating unit 23 by the working fluid 24. Heat is dissipated to the surrounding environment (ambient air, cooling water, etc.). On the other hand, at the time of heat absorption generated by removing the electric field to the electric heat quantity effect element 3, heat transfer from the heat radiating portion 23 to the heat receiving portion 21 is suppressed by the connection portion 22 having a low thermal conductivity. The temperature of the electrocaloric effect element 3 is lowered.
By repeating this procedure, it is possible to realize the heat pump device 1 that absorbs heat as indicated by 41 and dissipates heat as indicated by the heat radiating portions 23 to 42 by the electrocaloric effect element 3.

  As in the second embodiment, by using the heat receiving portion 21 as one electrode of the electrocaloric effect element 3, the heat generated in the electrocaloric effect element 3 is reduced by the insulating member 33 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Since it can be effectively transmitted to the hydraulic fluid 24 without intervention, it is possible to obtain the same effect as in the first embodiment and to realize the heat pump device 1 with higher efficiency.

  In addition, in the present Example 2, since the insulating member 33 shown in Example 1 is not used, there is a possibility of electric leakage if the heat pipe 2 contacts another electrically conductive member. Therefore, by using a material having low thermal conductivity and electrical insulation, for example, ceramic or glass, as the material of the connecting portion 22, leakage or the like can be prevented. However, when there is no risk of leakage, such as when the heat pipe 2 is not in contact with other electrically conductive members, the connection part 22 of the heat pipe 2 has a low thermal conductivity, You may comprise with an electrically conductive material.

  An embodiment in which a plurality of heat pump devices using the electric heat quantity effect in the embodiment described above are combined and used as a temperature control device for a predetermined space will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view showing an embodiment of a temperature control device using the electric caloric effect of the present invention. Further, in FIG. 8, the portions denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the same or corresponding portions.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the temperature control device 5 using the electric caloric effect according to the third embodiment uses two (two) heat pump devices 1a and 1b using the electric caloric effect and has the electric caloric effect. An example in which the temperature control device 5 is configured by combining the heat absorption 41a, 41b of the elements (electrocaloric effect elements) 3a, 3b and the heat radiation 42a, 42b from the heat radiation portions 23a, 23b of the heat pipes 2a, 2b. It is.

  Reference numeral 4 denotes a heat insulating container that insulates from the surrounding environment. Inside the heat insulating container 4, a heat radiating portion 23a of the heat pipe 2a in the one heat pump device 1a is disposed, and the electric power in the other heat pump device 1b is arranged. A calorie effect element 3b is arranged. Moreover, the connection part 22a and the heat receiving part 21b of the heat pipe 2a in the one heat pump device 1a and the electric calorific value effect element 3a are arranged outside the heat insulating container 4. Further, the heat receiving portion 21b, the connecting portion 22b, and the heat radiating portion 23b of the heat pipe 2b in the other heat pump device 1b are also arranged outside the heat insulating container 4.

  Each of the heat pump devices 1a and 1b is provided with insulating members 33a and 33b, respectively, as in the first embodiment, and each of the electric heat quantity effect elements 3a and 3b has an electric heat quantity effect. It has members (electrical calorie effect members) 31a and 31b and electrodes 32a and 32b.

Next, the principle of controlling the temperature in the heat insulating container 4 in the third embodiment will be described.
As in the first embodiment, the heat pump device 1a separates heat absorption and heat generation to absorb heat as indicated by the electrocaloric effect elements 3a to 41a, and into the heat insulating container 4 from the heat radiation portion 23a of the heat pipe 2a. The heat is radiated 42 as indicated by 42a. The heat radiation 42 can raise the temperature of the heat insulating container 4.

  On the other hand, the heat pump apparatus 1b separates heat absorption and heat generation in the same manner as in the first embodiment, thereby absorbing the heat in the heat insulating container 4 as shown by the electrocaloric effect elements 3b to 41b, and the heat pipe 2b. As shown by the heat radiating portions 23b to 42b, heat is radiated to the surrounding environment (such as ambient air and cooling water). And the temperature in the said heat insulation container 4 can be dropped by the said heat absorption 41b.

Therefore, by controlling the two heat pump devices 1a and 1b independently, the temperature control device 5 that can arbitrarily control the temperature in the heat insulating container 4 can be obtained.
In the third embodiment, the example in which the heat pump devices arranged in the heat insulating container 4 are constituted by two units 1a and 1b is not limited to this, and three or more heat pump devices are arranged in the heat insulating device. You may arrange | position to the container 4 and you may comprise so that temperature control may be carried out.

  Thus, the heat absorption 41a, 41b from the electric heat quantity effect elements 3a, 3b in the heat pump devices 1a, 1b using the electric heat quantity effect and the heat radiation 42a, 42b from the heat radiation portions 23a, 23b of the heat pipes 2a, 2b are used. By doing so, not only a cooling device for electronic parts and the like can be realized, but also a temperature control device for the target space can be realized.

  Here, an example in which the temperature control device using the electrocaloric effect of the third embodiment is applied to temperature control of an aqueous solution in a genetic test device will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 9, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 8 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

  In a genetic test apparatus, for example, in order to amplify a predetermined deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), it is necessary to perform a polymerase chain reaction (PCR method). The PCR method is a method for amplifying DNA by cooling the aqueous solution containing the DNA after raising the temperature. This PCR method requires accurate temperature control of the aqueous solution.

  In order to realize such a reaction on the substrate, as shown in FIG. 9, a flow path 55 is formed on the test substrate 54, and an aqueous solution 56 containing DNA is passed through the flow path 55. A temperature control device 5 including two heat pump devices 1a and 1b and two heat sinks 57a and 57b is provided in the middle of the flow path 55. The temperature control device 5 is installed on the inspection board 54.

  Then, the electric heat quantity effect member 31a in one heat pump device 1a absorbs heat from the one heat sink 57a and supplies this heat from the heat radiating portion 23a to the temperature adjusting portion 58 (corresponding to the heat insulating container 4 in FIG. 8). The temperature of the adjustment unit 58 is increased. Further, in the electric heat quantity effect member 31b in the other heat pump device 1b, the temperature of the temperature adjusting unit 58 is lowered by absorbing heat from the temperature adjusting unit 58 and dissipating this heat from the heat radiating unit 23b to the heat sink 57b. I try to let them.

  Then, an aqueous solution 56 containing DNA is introduced into the flow path 55 to form a flow of the aqueous solution 56. The aqueous solution is heated or cooled by the temperature adjusting unit 58 of the temperature control device 5 provided in the middle of the flow. The PCR method can be realized by repeatedly heating and cooling the aqueous solution in the temperature adjusting unit 58.

Thereafter, the aqueous solution 56 containing DNA amplified by the temperature adjusting unit 58 flows through the flow channel 55 and is finally amplified in the aqueous solution 56 by the detection device 59 provided on the downstream side of the flow channel 55. It is configured so that the detected DNA can be detected.
In this way, by using the temperature control device 5 using the electric heat quantity effect for temperature control of the genetic test device, a genetic test device capable of accurate temperature control can be realized.

  In the example shown in FIG. 9, only one temperature control device 5 is provided in the flow direction of the flow path 55, but two temperature control devices 5 are provided in the flow direction of the flow path 55. It is also possible to provide the above. By providing two or more temperature control devices 5 in the flow direction of the flow channel 55, a heating unit and a cooling unit can be formed in the flow channel 55. The operation of cooling with the temperature control device on the downstream side can be repeated, and it is possible to amplify DNA by realizing the PCR method while flowing the aqueous solution 56 without stopping the flow.

1, 1a, 1b ... a heat pump device using the electric caloric effect,
2, 2a, 2b ... heat pipe,
3, 3a, 3b ... elements having an electrocaloric effect (electrocaloric effect elements),
4 ... heat insulating container, 5 ... temperature control device,
21, 21 a, 21 b ... heat receiving part, 22, 22 a, 22 b ... connecting part,
23, 23a, 23b ... heat dissipation part,
24, 26 ... hydraulic fluid, 25 ... hydraulic fluid vapor,
31, 31a, 31b ... members having an electric calorie effect (electric calorie effect member),
32, 32a, 32b ... electrodes, 33, 33a, 33b ... insulating members,
41, 41a, 41b ... endothermic, 42, 42a, 42b ... exothermic,
51 ... Power source, 52 ... Substrate, 53 ... Electronic component,
54 ... test substrate, 55 ... flow path, 56 ... aqueous solution containing DNA,
57 ... Heat sink, 58 ... Temperature adjusting unit, 59 ... Detection device.

Claims (12)

A heat pump device using an electric caloric effect for transporting heat using an electric caloric effect,
An electrocaloric effect element comprising a member having an electrocaloric effect and an electrode for applying an electric field to the member having the electrocaloric effect;
A hollow container provided with a heat receiving part, a connection part, a heat radiating part, and a heat pipe composed of a working liquid enclosed in the hollow container and a vapor of the working liquid,
The connection part of the heat pipe is composed of a member having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat receiving part,
The electric heat quantity effect element is configured to be connected to the heat receiving portion of the heat pipe. A heat pump device using the electric caloric effect according to claim 1,
A heat pump using an electrocaloric effect, wherein the electrocaloric effect element and the heat pipe are connected via an insulating member between the electrocaloric effect element and the heat receiving portion of the heat pipe. apparatus. A heat pump device using the electric caloric effect according to claim 2,
The electro-caloric effect element has the electrodes provided on both side surfaces of the member having the electro-caloric effect. A heat pump device using the electro-caloric effect. A heat pump device using the electric caloric effect according to claim 1,
The heat pump device using the electrical calorific effect, wherein the connection portion of the heat pipe is made of ceramic or glass. A heat pump device using the electric caloric effect according to claim 1,
The heat receiving portion of the heat pipe is made of an electrically conductive material, and the heat receiving portion is fixed to a member having the electrocaloric effect, and the heat receiving portion is shared as one electrode of the electrocaloric effect element.
The other electrode is provided in the opposing surface of the said heat receiving part of the member which has the said electrocaloric effect. The heat pump apparatus using the electrocaloric effect characterized by the above-mentioned. A heat pump device using the electric caloric effect according to claim 5,
A heat pump device using an electrocaloric effect, characterized in that the connection portion of the heat pipe is made of an electrically insulating material. In the heat pump device using the electrocaloric effect according to claim 1, in place of the heat pipe, a member having anisotropy of heat conduction is used.
The member having thermal conductivity anisotropy is thermally connected to the electro-caloric effect element and has high thermal conductivity from the heat receiving portion to the heat radiating portion, and conversely, heat from the heat radiating portion to the heat receiving portion. A heat pump device using an electrocaloric effect, characterized in that the conductivity is low. A heat pump device using the electric caloric effect according to claim 1,
The electric caloric effect element of the heat pump device is fixed in contact with the surface of an electronic component, and the electric caloric effect is controlled by turning on and off the voltage using a power source for the electrode of the electric caloric effect element. A heat pump device using an electrocaloric effect, wherein the heat is absorbed from the electronic component by a member and is radiated from the heat radiating portion of the heat pipe to the surrounding environment to suppress a temperature rise of the electronic component. A plurality of the heat pump devices according to claim 1 and a heat insulating container,
A heat dissipating part of at least one of the plurality of heat pump devices is installed in the heat insulating container,
The electric heat quantity effect element of at least one other heat pump device among the plurality of heat pump devices is installed in the heat insulating container,
The temperature in the heat insulation container is controlled by heat radiation from the heat radiating unit installed in the heat insulation container and heat absorption to the electric calorific effect element installed in the heat insulation container. A temperature control device using an electric caloric effect characterized by A temperature control device using the electrocaloric effect according to claim 9,
A test substrate, a flow channel for flowing an aqueous solution containing DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) formed on the test substrate, a temperature control device using the electrocaloric effect installed in the middle of the flow channel, and the temperature A detection device for detecting DNA provided in the flow path downstream of the control device;
The aqueous solution containing the DNA flowing through the flow path is heated and cooled repeatedly by the temperature control device to amplify the DNA in the aqueous solution, and the detection device detects the DNA in the amplified aqueous solution. A temperature control device using the electric caloric effect, characterized by A temperature control device using the electrocaloric effect according to claim 10,
The temperature control device is configured to form a heating part and a cooling part in the flow direction of the flow path by providing two or more with respect to the flow direction of the flow path. Temperature control device using A temperature control device using the electrocaloric effect according to claim 10,
The temperature control device includes one and the other two heat pump devices and two heat sinks,
The electric heat quantity effect member in the one heat pump device absorbs heat from the one heat sink, and supplies this heat from the heat radiating section to a temperature adjusting section provided in the middle of the flow path, thereby adjusting the temperature of the temperature adjusting section. Raise,
The electric heat quantity effect member in the other heat pump device is configured to absorb the heat from the temperature adjustment unit and to dissipate the heat from the heat dissipation unit to the other heat sink, thereby lowering the temperature of the temperature adjustment unit. A temperature control device using an electrical caloric effect, characterized in that

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