KR100675687B1 - Refrigerator by driving fuel cell - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel cell-driven refrigerator, the present invention relates to a refrigerator main body having a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a refrigerator door for opening and closing the freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, and an evaporator installed in the freezer compartment to form cold air and cold air formed in the evaporator. Installed in a mechanical fan provided in the blower fan and the refrigerator main body for circulating and flowing the gas inside the refrigerator, and a compressor configured to form a refrigeration cycle device together with the evaporator and the mixed fuel supplied from the fuel supply means to be supplied to the hydrogen supply gas. And electrochemical reaction between a fuel reformer for generating reaction heat, hydrogen gas supplied from the fuel reformer, and oxygen supplied separately, and the electricity generated from the stack and the fuel reformer for forming a power source of a driving unit including the compressor and the blower fan. Heat formed in the evaporator It is configured to include defrosting means for defrosting the frost to generate electric energy and heat by the fuel supplied by itself to maintain the freezer and refrigerating chamber at the proper temperature state by the electric energy, and to remove the frost with the heat, thus the energy efficiency of the system It is very high, environmentally friendly, and free to use without being restricted by the place of use.

Description

Fuel Cell Driven Refrigerator {REFRIGERATOR BY DRIVING FUEL CELL}

1 is a side cross-sectional view schematically showing a typical refrigerator,

2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a fuel cell driven refrigerator of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a piping diagram showing the defrosting means constituting the fuel cell-driven refrigerator of the present invention.

(Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing)

10; Refrigerator body 20; door

30; Compressor 40; evaporator

50; Blower fan 70; Fuel reformer

80; Stack 90; Defrosting means

91; Storage tank 92; Heat transfer tube

93; Pump F; Freezer

R; Cold room

The present invention relates to a fuel cell-driven refrigerator, and more particularly, to a fuel cell-driven refrigerator that not only increases the efficiency of energy used to store food in a fresh state, but is also environmentally friendly and allows a free use place.

In general, a refrigerator is a system that keeps food in an appropriate temperature state so that food is stored in a frozen or refrigerated state so that food can be stored longer in a fresh state. Such a refrigerator is equipped with a refrigeration cycle device connected by a connecting pipe so that a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator form a sequential circulation cycle, and circulates cold air formed in the evaporator in a refrigerator to maintain the inside of the refrigerator at an appropriate temperature. Let's go.

1 illustrates an example of a refrigerator currently being used. As shown in the drawing, the refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment R and a freezer compartment F in a refrigerator body 10 having a predetermined shape, and a lower side thereof. The machine room (M) is provided at one side of the refrigerator body 10 is coupled to the door 20 for opening and closing the freezer compartment (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R). And a compressor (30) for generating noise and heat in the machine room (M) is installed, a condenser (not shown) and expansion means (not shown) is mounted on one side of the refrigerator main body (10) and in the freezer compartment (F) Evaporator 40 is mounted. The evaporator 40 may be installed only in the freezing compartment F or in the freezing compartment F and the refrigerating compartment R, respectively, depending on the refrigerator.                         

In addition, a blower fan 50 and a motor 51 are mounted on the side of the evaporator 40 to allow the cool air formed in the evaporator 40 to flow. And the cold air circulation passage C is formed inside the refrigerator main body 10 to circulate and flow into the refrigerating chamber R.

And a defrost heater 60 for removing the frost formed in the evaporator 40 is installed on the evaporator 40 side.

Referring to the operation of the refrigerator as described above are as follows.

First, when the power of the refrigerator is applied, the compressor 30 is operated while the power supplied to the building, that is, electric energy is supplied to the refrigerator, and is compressed in the compressor 30 by the operation of the compressor 30 to be at a high temperature and high pressure. The refrigerant discharged to form a circulating cycle which flows back into the compressor 30 while passing through the condenser, the expansion means, and the evaporator 40, and at this time, cold air is formed by absorbing external heat from the evaporator 40. . At the same time, the cold air formed in the evaporator 40 is circulated through the cold air circulation passage C by the rotation of the blower fan 50 to maintain the freezing chamber F and the refrigerating chamber R at the set temperature. During operation, a part of the water contained in the food stored in the freezer compartment F and the refrigerator compartment R circulates with the cold air, and freezes to the evaporator 40 to form frost. As the heater heats up, it defrosts.

However, as described above, the refrigerator currently used is generated by a power plant and operated by electric energy supplied to each building, so that the refrigerator cannot be used in a building or an area where electric power generated by the power plant is not supplied, and a power failure situation may occur. If there is a problem that the stored food is broken. In addition, the electrical energy supplied from the power plant to the building is generated by converting thermal energy generated by burning oil or coal in the power plant, which is low in energy efficiency, and in the process of supplying the electrical energy to each building through the power transmission line. The losses generated are so great that the energy efficiency used to operate the refrigerator is very low. And there is a problem that causes environmental problems due to the pollutants generated while burning the oil or coal.

The object of the present invention devised in view of the above point is to provide a fuel cell-powered refrigerator that not only increases the efficiency of energy used to keep food fresh, but also is environmentally friendly and allows for a free use place. have.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention as described above, a refrigerator body having a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a refrigerator door for opening and closing the freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator mounted in the freezer compartment to form cold air, and cold air formed in the evaporator. A blowing fan for circulating and flowing inside the refrigerator, a compressor mounted in a machine room provided in the refrigerator main body to form a refrigeration cycle device together with the evaporator, and a mixed fuel installed in the refrigerator main body and supplied from a fuel supply means to receive hydrogen A fuel reformer for generating gas and heat of reaction, a stack for forming a power source of a driving unit including the compressor and a blower fan by electrochemical reaction between hydrogen gas supplied from the fuel reformer and oxygen supplied separately; Reaction heat generated in the fuel reformer is formed in the evaporator Ereul defrost a fuel cell-powered refrigerator characterized in that it comprises a defrosting means are provided for.

Hereinafter, the fuel cell driven refrigerator of the present invention will be described according to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

2 illustrates an embodiment of a fuel cell driven refrigerator of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the fuel cell driven refrigerator includes a refrigerating chamber (R) and an inside of a refrigerator main body 10 having a predetermined shape. In addition to the freezing compartment (F) is provided with a machine room (M) on the lower side, the door 20 for opening and closing the freezing compartment (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R) is coupled to one side of the refrigerator body (10). And a compressor (30) for generating noise and heat in the machine room (M) is installed, a condenser (not shown) and expansion means (not shown) is mounted on one side of the refrigerator main body (10) and in the freezer compartment (F) Evaporator 40 is mounted.

In addition, a blower fan 50 and a motor 51 are mounted on the side of the evaporator 40 to allow the cool air formed in the evaporator 40 to flow. And the cold air circulation passage C is formed inside the refrigerator main body 10 to circulate and flow into the refrigerating chamber R.

In addition, a fuel reformer 70, which receives a mixed fuel and generates hydrogen gas, is installed at one side of the refrigerator main body 10 and connected to the fuel reformer 70 to separate the hydrogen gas generated from the fuel reformer 70. A stack 80 is installed in which the supplied oxygen causes an electrochemical reaction. The fuel reformer 70 includes a reactor 71 and a burner 72, and the stack 80 includes a fuel electrode 81, an electrolyte membrane 82, and an air electrode 83. A plurality of batteries are stacked. In addition, an electric supply line is connected to supply electricity generated from the stack 80 to the compressor 30, the motor 51 of the blower fan, and other power supply units.

And defrosting means 90 for defrosting the frost formed in the evaporator 40 by the reaction heat generated in the fuel reformer 70 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the defrosting unit 90 is filled with a heat transfer fluid for recovering and storing heat generated by the fuel reformer 70 to recover and store heat generated by the fuel reformer 70. A heat transfer tube 92 and a heat transfer tube that form a fluid circulation flow path with the storage tank 91 so that heat stored in the storage tank 91 and the heat transfer fluid of the storage tank 91 is transferred to the evaporator 40. 92 is configured to include a pump 93 for circulating the heat transfer fluid of the storage tank 91 to the heat transfer tube 92 so that the heat stored in the heat transfer fluid during the defrosting operation is transferred to the evaporator 40. A portion of the exhaust pipe 73 through which the reaction heat generated by the fuel reformer 70 is discharged is disposed in the storage tank 91, and the heat transfer fluid filled in the storage tank 91 is preferably made of water. The heat transfer tube 92 is formed to have a predetermined length so as to be located on the evaporator 40 side through the refrigerator main body 10 and forms a fluid circulation path with the storage tank 91.

Hereinafter, the operational effects of the fuel cell driven refrigerator of the present invention will be described.

First, when a mixed fuel mixed with water such as methanol, natural liquefied gas (aka LNG) or gasoline and water is supplied to the fuel reformer 70, steam reforming reaction and partial oxidation reaction are performed in the fuel reformer 70. It occurs in combination, generating hydrogen gas and reaction heat. Hydrogen gas generated from the fuel reformer 70 is supplied to the stack 80 and oxygen is separately supplied to the stack 80. In the stack 80, hydrogen gas and oxygen supplied generate an electrochemical reaction to generate electricity, heat, and water. In other words, the electrochemical oxidation reaction of hydrogen gas occurs at the fuel electrode 81 of the unit cell constituting the stack 80, and at the same time, the electrochemical reduction reaction occurs by the oxygen supplied from the air electrode 83. Electric energy is generated by the movement of, and reaction heat and water are generated during the reaction.

The electric energy generated by the stack 80 is supplied to a power supply unit including the compressor 30, a blowing fan, and a motor 51 through an electric supply line 100. The compressor 30 is operated by the electric energy supplied from the stack 80, and the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 30 and discharged at a high temperature and high pressure by the operation of the compressor 30 is a condenser, an expansion means, and an evaporator ( While passing through 40 to form a circulating cycle to be introduced into the compressor 30 again, cold air is formed by absorbing external heat from the evaporator 40. At the same time, the blower fan 50 rotates by the electric energy supplied from the stack 80 to circulate the cold air formed in the evaporator 40 through the cold air circulation passage C. As the cold air circulates through the cold air circulation passage C, the freezer compartment F and the refrigerating compartment R are maintained at a set temperature.

And during operation, a part of the water contained in the food stored in the freezer compartment (F) and the refrigerator compartment (R) circulates with the cold air and freezes to the evaporator 40 to form frost, and the frost formed on the evaporator 40. The reaction heat generated in the fuel reformer 70 by the defrosting operation is removed while being transferred to the evaporator 40 through the defrosting means 90.

Referring to the process of removing the frost formed in the evaporator 40 by the defrosting means 90 in more detail the reaction tank in the process of the reaction heat generated in the fuel reformer 70 is discharged through the exhaust pipe 73 Heat-exchanged with the heat transfer fluid stored in 91 is absorbed and stored in the heat transfer fluid. When the pump 93 is operated during the defrosting operation, the heat transfer fluid stored in the storage tank 91 circulates through the heat transfer tube 92 while the heat stored in the heat transfer fluid is transferred to the evaporator 40. Defrost formed on the evaporator 40 is removed.

The present invention not only maintains the inside of the furnace at an appropriate temperature state by the electric energy generated from the fuel cell composed of the fuel reformer 70 and the stack 80, and uses the heat of reaction generated from the fuel cell to evaporator 40. Since the frost formed in the frost is removed, the energy efficiency is very high. That is, the energy efficiency of supplying fuel energy and converting the electrical energy into electrical energy by the electrochemical reaction of the fuel energy becomes much higher than the energy efficiency of converting electrical energy by burning the existing fuel energy. Defrost using the heat of reaction, the energy efficiency is very high (existing power efficiency; 40%, thermal-power composite efficiency; more than 70%). In addition, the present invention is environmentally friendly because environmental pollutants are not discharged during operation.

And the fuel reformer 70 and the stack 80 constituting the system without a separate power supplied from the outside, that is, the electricity generated from the fuel cell includes the compressor 30 and the motor 51 of the blower fan and the like. Since the freezing chamber F and the refrigerating chamber R are maintained at a set temperature while being supplied to the driving unit, the freezing chamber F and the refrigerating chamber R can be used even where electric energy is not supplied. In addition, power outages essentially stop the system from damaging food.

As described above, the fuel cell-driven refrigerator according to the present invention generates electrical energy and heat by the supplied fuel, and keeps the freezer and the refrigerating chamber at the appropriate temperature with the electric energy to store food. The heat is removed to make the system very energy efficient and environmentally friendly, which not only reduces energy consumption, but also protects the environment, and makes it possible to use it freely regardless of the place of use. Not only can be used, there is an effect that can facilitate the use.

Claims (2)

A refrigerator main body including a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, a refrigerator door for opening and closing the freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator mounted in the freezer compartment to form cold air, and a blower fan for circulating cold air formed in the evaporator in the refrigerator, and the refrigerator main body A compressor that is mounted in a machine room provided in the compressor to form a refrigeration cycle device together with the evaporator, a fuel reformer installed in the refrigerator main body to receive a mixed fuel supplied from a fuel supply means, and generate hydrogen gas and reaction heat; Hydrogen gas supplied from the reformer and oxygen supplied separately are electrochemically reacted with the stack to drive the drive unit including the compressor and the blower fan with the generated electrical energy, and the reaction heat generated from the fuel reformer is received through the fluid. The fluid is circulated to the evaporator to Fuel cell-powered refrigerator characterized in that it comprises a defrosting means for defrosting the frost that are generated. The method of claim 1, wherein the defrosting means is filled with a heat transfer fluid for recovering and storing the heat generated from the fuel reformer is filled in the storage tank for recovering and storing the heat generated by the fuel reformer, and stored in the heat transfer fluid of the storage tank A heat transfer tube that forms the storage tank and a circulation passage so that heat is transferred to the evaporator and flows back into the storage tank; A fuel cell driven refrigerator comprising a pump for circulating a heat transfer fluid to a heat transfer tube.

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