KR102247995B1 - Low power consumption cooling system with improved efficiency by using condensed water - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention prevents freezing on the core surface by directly contacting the evaporator coil with the heat transfer fluid in the core unit, but collects low-temperature condensate water generated on the core surface to cool the condenser and heat exchange of the low-pressure refrigerant system. It relates to a low-power air conditioner that improves efficiency by using condensed water that is recycled for harm.

Description

Low power consumption cooling system with improved efficiency by using condensed water}

The present invention relates to a cooling device, and in detail, by directly contacting the evaporator coil with the heat transfer fluid in the core, freezing on the core surface is prevented, but the low temperature condensate generated on the core surface is collected and the cold air is cooled by the condenser. And it relates to a low-power cooling device that improves efficiency by using condensed water recycled for heat exchange of a low-pressure refrigerant system.

The air conditioner represented by air conditioner is an air conditioner that drops the indoor temperature lower than the outside temperature. In the summer, when the temperature is high in an environment with a large seasonal temperature difference, it creates a pleasant indoor environment and smooth activities through cooling. .

This air conditioner has a common basic configuration and includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The evaporator cools the air by absorbing heat by evaporating the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the outside of the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve, and compresses the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the evaporator through the compressor to the saturation pressure Then, the compressed high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is cooled through a condenser to liquefy, and the refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator as a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant by the throttling action of the expansion valve.

In this way, when operating a cooling device represented by an air conditioner, a device that exceeds a certain standard is required for smooth cooling of the installation space, and not only the power consumption of a general compressor is large, but also because the surface is frozen due to the excessive low temperature of the evaporator, the thermal efficiency decreases. As a result of this adjustment, efficiency decreases, and excessive power consumption occurs for reasons such as requiring a large-standard air conditioner in response to the cooling area.

As such power consumption is closely related to the cost for power generation and environmental pollution, many policies are emerging to reduce it.In particular, as households place a lot of burden by applying a progressive system of power rates, they reduce power consumption and increase cooling efficiency. There is a need for a variety of possible solutions.

On the other hand, in a general air conditioner, condensate water is inevitably generated as the surface temperature of the evaporator is low, and has a characteristic of having a considerably low temperature corresponding to the surface temperature of the evaporator. The amount of condensed water may vary depending on the size of the evaporator, but when the temperature of the evaporator is low and there is a lot of condensed water, condensed water may be generated up to several hundred liters per hour. There was.

Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2018-0010750 (2018.01.31)

The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to allow the diffusion of cold air to the entire core by contacting the evaporator coil with the heat transfer fluid in the core, It is to provide a low-power air conditioner that improves efficiency by using condensed water that collects and stores low-temperature condensed water, cools the condenser, and partially accommodates a low-pressure refrigerant system for heat exchange.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a low-power cooling device capable of integrally implementing a heating function by additionally installing a heater on the side of the heat transfer fluid inside the core.

For the above purposes, the present invention provides a plurality of first and second header tanks that are opposite to each other in which the heat transfer fluid is accommodated, and connects the first and second header tanks to flow the heat transfer fluid. 1 In a cooling apparatus comprising a core unit comprising a heat exchange tube, a cooling fin coupled between the first heat exchange tube, a compressor and an expansion valve, a first evaporator that is built into a first header tank to cool a heat transfer fluid coil; A condensed water storage tank receiving and storing condensed water generated on the surface of the core unit; A condenser immersed in the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage tank and cooled; A second evaporator coil branched from the outlet of the first evaporator coil to deliver cold air to the condensed water collected by being located in the condensed water storage tank; It characterized in that it consists of.

At this time, the condensed water storage tank is provided with a water level control sensor for sensing the level of the condensed water, communicated with the condensed water storage tank, and the condensed water from the condensed water storage tank is transferred and stored through a transfer pump interlocked with the water level control sensor, or A temporary storage tank for transferring the stored condensed water to the condensed water storage tank; It may further include.

In addition, the auxiliary heat exchanger communicating with the condensate storage tank through a circulation pipe, circulating the condensed water in the condensed water storage tank through a transfer pump installed in the circulation pipe, and performing heat exchange between the condensate water and outside air through an auxiliary fan; It may further include.

In addition, the first header tank and the second header tank may be disposed in a vertical direction, respectively, and a heater coil may be installed inside the second header tank to perform heat exchange with a heat transfer fluid.

In addition, the lower side wall of the core unit 10 guides condensed water, but a sloping plate extending to the upper surface of the condensate water storage tank is coupled, and a plurality of perforated tools for introducing condensate water are formed on the upper side of the condensate water storage tank, Inside, in order to prevent heat loss, a plurality of guide plates of a leverrinth type for guiding the condensate flowing through the other tool may be disposed.

In addition, a second heat exchange tube to which a cooling fin is not connected is disposed at an edge between the first header tank and the second header tank, and windshield plates for preventing heat exchange with the outside are coupled to both sides of the second heat exchange tube. I can.

In addition, a circulation pump may be installed to circulate the heat transfer fluid at high speed by connecting between the first header tank and the second header tank.

The surface temperature of the evaporator coil is at the level of -30 to -20°C, unlike conventional air conditioners in which cooling efficiency rapidly decreases due to freezing of the surface, in the present invention, the evaporator coil is diffused to the core unit through the heat transfer fluid. , By maintaining the temperature of the heat transfer fluid at 0℃ ~ 3℃, freezing on the surface of the core unit can be prevented.

Through this, while miniaturizing the size of the core unit, there is an effect of increasing the efficiency of the air conditioner by cooling a part of the condenser and the low-pressure refrigerant system using condensed water generated on the surface of the core unit.

In addition, by arranging a heater coil inside the heat transfer fluid, both cooling and heating functions can be used through a single device, and the vertical core unit structure optimized for convection of cold or hot air enables fast and efficient delivery of cold or hot air. Can be done.

1 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a side view of a cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is an operation diagram of a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention,
4 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the configuration of a low-power air conditioner having improved efficiency using condensed water according to the present invention will be described in detail.

1 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of a cooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an operation diagram of a cooling apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. .

In the related art, the evaporator becomes a core in a manner in which cooling is performed by directly injecting a low-temperature refrigerant passing through an expansion valve in a cooling device, whereas in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. The invention is a so-called indirect method in which the evaporator coil directly contacts the heat transfer fluid in the core unit to take the heat of the received heat transfer fluid, and the cooled heat transfer fluid circulates throughout the core unit 10 by convection to take the heat of the blown air. There is a big difference in that the cooling is done.

In a typical air conditioner, the surface temperature of the evaporator is at the level of -30 to -20°C, so that the air being blown can be quickly cooled. However, due to the occurrence of frost and icing on the surface, the efficiency is inevitably lowered at some point. Considering that the air temperature blown from a general air conditioner is at the level of 10 to 14°C, even if the surface temperature of the evaporator coil is reduced to -30°C, the temperature of the core unit 10 is about 0°C due to indirect cooling through the heat transfer fluid. Smooth cooling can be achieved.

In addition, in the conventional air conditioner, the refrigerant oil injected into the compressor circulates the system together with the refrigerant gas, thereby impairing the efficiency of the evaporator. In an environment such as an electric vehicle, for power management, such as stopping the vehicle or stopping the compressor during low-speed operation. When the air conditioner was temporarily stopped for measures, freezing of the core unit or temperature control, the indoor temperature had to rise rapidly. However, in the present invention, even if the compressor is temporarily turned off at an appropriate temperature due to the storage cooling function of the heat transfer fluid, there is no sudden temperature increase, which is very efficient in terms of energy saving.

In addition, in the present invention, due to this indirect cooling structure, the length of the evaporator coil can be significantly reduced compared to the prior art, and the size of the core unit can be reduced, while the condenser (condenser) is cooled using condensate generated on the surface of the core unit. However, the condensed water may directly or indirectly contact the refrigerant pipe at the outlet side of the evaporator coil to discharge residual cold air.

The low-power cooling apparatus of the present invention includes a first header tank 11 and a second header tank 12 arranged to face up and down so that a heat transfer fluid can be circulated, and the first header tank 11 and the second header tank ( 12) A core unit 10 comprising a first heat exchange tube 13 coupled in parallel and a cooling fin 15 coupled between the first heat exchange tubes 13 are provided.

At this time, the blowing fan (F) is located at the front or rear of the first heat exchange tube (13) is configured to supply the cold air to the room through the cool air radiated from the first heat exchange tube (13).

In addition, the first evaporator coil 20 is built inside the first header tank 11 located at the top of the first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12 of the core unit 10, so that the heat transfer fluid and the It is configured to be in contact and to be cooled directly.

Through this structure, the cooling efficiency is increased while minimizing the length of the first evaporator coil 20 compared to the prior art, thereby providing a basis for miniaturizing the size of the core unit 10.

Here, considering that the surface temperature of the first evaporation coil 20 is at the level of -30 to -20°C, unlike a general air conditioner in which the cooling efficiency rapidly decreases from a certain moment due to condensation or freezing on the surface, the first evaporation coil ( By directly contacting 20) with the heat transfer fluid, the temperature of the heat transfer fluid is stabilized at 0°C to 3°C, thereby preventing freezing of the surface of the first heat exchange tube 13, thereby implementing a low-power cooling device.

In addition, a condensed water storage tank 30 for receiving and storing condensed water flowing on the surface of the core unit 10 is provided.

The condensed water storage tank 30 is provided separately from the core unit 10, and condensed water is supplied to the lower side wall of the core unit 10 as the condensed water generated by the temperature difference from the air flows downward by gravity. A condensate storage tank 30 is provided so as to guide the swash plate 17 and speech.

At this time, at the top of the condensed water storage tank 30, a plurality of perforated tools 31 for introducing condensed water flowing down from the core unit 10 along the swash plate 17 are formed to minimize the inflow of foreign substances other than condensed water, and internal heat. In order to minimize the loss, that is, the discharge of the cold air of the condensed water, a plurality of guide plates 32 of a leverrinth type for guiding the condensed water flowing through the perforated tool 31 are disposed.

That is, since the condensed water initially has a low temperature equal to or close to the surface temperature of the core unit 10, this cold air is recycled in the present invention, and in order to minimize heat loss, the condensed water storage tank 30 is surrounded by an insulating material and subjected to thermal insulation treatment. It is natural that you can.

In the present invention, a condenser 40, which is one of the main elements of a refrigeration system, is formed in the condensed water storage tank 30 so that water cooling is performed through low-temperature condensed water. That is, when the refrigerant compressed at high temperature and high pressure through the compressor 60 is cooled and liquefied through the condenser 40, the condensation efficiency is greatly improved compared to the air cooling method by allowing all or part of the refrigerant to be immersed in the low temperature condensed water.

At this time, the condensed water storage tank 30 is branched from the outlet of the first evaporator coil 20 to cool the incoming condensate and the condensed water evaporated due to heat exchange with the condenser 40 and maintain a low temperature state of the condensed water as much as possible. The second evaporator coil 21 is installed.

There are two installation methods. First, the second evaporator coil 21 is completely immersed in condensed water to supply cold air to the condensed water.Through this, the remaining cold air of the second evaporator coil 21 is effectively transferred to the condensed water and completely evaporated. It is possible to induce complete vaporization of the refrigerant that has not been performed, thereby solving the problem caused by the liquid refrigerant sucked into the compressor 60.

Next, by placing the second evaporator coil 21 on the upper side of the condensed water and installing it on the lower side of the perforated tool 31, it is supplied to contact the falling water droplets. In addition to delivering to the condensed water, the inside of the condensed water storage tank 30 is cooled as a whole, so that the evaporated condensed water can be recondensed.

In the accompanying drawings, the former example is shown, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that it is possible to select the second method.

Through this structure, the temperature of the condensed water is prevented from rising due to the heat generated in the condenser 40, and the condenser 40 is constantly cooled, so that effective cooling can be performed even with low power.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the circulation path of the refrigerant in the system in the low-power cooling device according to the invention is as in a general refrigerator, along the first evaporator coil 20 → compressor 60 → condenser 40 → expansion valve 70. Based on the circulation, the second evaporator coil 21 in which the outlet side of the first evaporator coil 20 is partially branched passes through the condensate water storage tank 30 and then recombined to the compressor 60 inlet. Is connected to the side.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the core unit 10, the first evaporator coil 20 on which the cooling action is performed is installed inside the first header tank 11 to take away cool air from the heat transfer fluid received, and the cooled heat transfer fluid is convective. It moves downward by means of the first heat exchange tube 13, and circulates through the second header tank 12 and the second heat exchange tube 14.

At this time, the blown air is generated by cold air emitted from the first heat exchange tube 13.

In addition, since the heat transfer fluid passing through the first heat exchange tube 13 rises in temperature and flows into the second header tank 12, the heat transfer fluid with an elevated temperature rises through the outer second heat exchange tube 14 It is circulated to the header tank (11).

In addition, the condensed water generated on the surface of the core unit 10, that is, the surfaces of the first heat exchange tube 13 and the cooling fin 15, flows into the condensate storage tank 30 through the swash plate 17. At this time, the inflow of condensate is introduced into the perforated hole 31 perforated on the surface of the condensed water storage tank 30, and the condensed water flowing into the perforated tool 31 goes into the interior along the guide plate 32 of a leverrinth type. Flow in.

The condensed water stored in the condensed water storage tank 30 has a condenser 40 stored therein, and cooling is performed through water cooling.

The refrigerant in the condenser 40 is rapidly liquefied from the gas through the low-temperature condensed water, and the liquefied refrigerant passes through the expansion valve 70 and the refrigerant reduced to low temperature and low pressure is supplied to the first evaporator coil 20.

The second evaporator coil 21 branched from the outlet of the first evaporator coil 20 is installed in the space of the condensed water storage tank 30 to supply residual cold air to the condensed water, and the temperature of the condensed water is reduced by the condenser 40. Restrain from rising.

Accordingly, the stored condenser 40 is constantly cooled, and effective cooling can be performed even at low power, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of the cooling device.

4 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

When the inflow of condensate increases in various situations such as when the standard of the core unit 10 is large, or when the ambient humidity is high, and the level of condensate in the condensate storage tank 30 increases, the level of condensate is increased to prevent overflow. Need to adjust.

To this end, the condensed water storage tank 30 is provided with a water level control sensor 33 that detects the level of the condensed water, and it is necessary to detect the water level, and in connection with this, the solenoid valve 35 connected to the discharge pipe 34 ) Can be discharged by automatically opening the discharge pipe (34).

In this case, not only wastes the remaining cold air of the condensate, but also requires a separate configuration for drainage depending on the installation environment, so in the present invention, it is communicated with the condensed water storage tank 30 and interlocked with the water level control sensor 33 A temporary storage tank 50 may be installed to receive and store the condensed water from the condensate storage tank 30 through the pump 38 or to transfer the stored condensed water to the condensate storage tank 30.

That is, the water level control sensor 33 detects that the water level is above a certain level and transfers the condensed water through the circulation pipe 37 and the transfer pump 38 communicating with the temporary storage tank 50 to convey the condensate water in the condensate storage tank 30. The water level is adjusted to a certain level.

At this time, the temporary storage tank 50 is insulated to keep the condensed water cool as much as possible and prevents the temperature of the temporarily stored condensed water from rising due to external heat.

In addition, since the condensed water storage tank 30 is empty during the initial driving period or during the rest period of the cooling device according to the present invention, the cooling effect of the condenser 40 through water cooling is greatly reduced until a certain amount of condensed water is collected after driving. In this case, the condensed water accommodated in the temporary storage tank 50 through the transfer pump 38 may be transferred to the condensed water storage tank 30 to maintain an appropriate amount of condensed water level.

If the temporary storage tank 50 is also empty, it may be configured to supply tap water by connecting a separate external inlet pipe 36.

5 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In the case where the amount of condensed water generated in the core unit 10 is relatively small, and in the case of a high temperature condition of the condenser 40 or the surrounding temperature, the temperature of the condensed water contained in the condensate storage tank 30 increases, leading to a significant decrease in condensation efficiency. I can.

Accordingly, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the condensate water of the condensate storage tank 30 is communicated with the condensed water storage tank 30 through the circulation pipe 37, and the transfer pump 38 installed in the circulation pipe 37 It can be configured to further cool the condensed water contained in the condensate storage tank 30 by circulating and providing an auxiliary heat exchanger 80 that allows heat exchange between the condensed water and the outside air through the auxiliary fan F'. .

This can be installed together with the temporary storage tank 50 mentioned in the previous embodiment 2, or can be individually installed without the temporary storage tank 50, and in the latter case, the auxiliary heat exchanger 80 receives some condensate and Temporary storage can be made.

In the case of the temporary storage tank 50, it may be connected to the condensate storage tank 30 through a single circulation pipe 37 and a transfer pump 38 capable of bidirectional transfer, but in the case of the auxiliary heat exchanger 80, for circulation. It is obvious that the condensate storage tank 30 is provided with an inlet pipe 36 and an outlet pipe 34 and is connected through a pair of circulation pipes 37, and a solenoid valve opened and closed by the water level control sensor 33 ( 35) can be mounted.

6 is a structural diagram of a cooling apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the core unit 10 includes a second heat exchange tube 14 to which the cooling fins 15 are not connected to the edges of the first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12. It is disposed, and windshield plates 16 are further coupled to both sides of the second heat exchange tube 14 to prevent contact with the blown wind.

This configuration is such that the heat transfer fluid in the second header tank 12 whose temperature has risen can be circulated along the second heat exchange tube 14 by a convection phenomenon. That is, the heat transfer fluid cooled in the first header tank 11 descends along the first heat exchange tube 13 as the volume decreases and the density increases, and the heat transfer fluid in the second header tank 12 rises in temperature. As the volume expands, it is a configuration that helps the second heat exchange tube 14 to be elevated and circulated by the convection phenomenon.

That is, the heat transfer fluid passing through the first heat exchange tube 13 rises in temperature and flows into the second header tank 12, and the heat transfer fluid with an elevated temperature rises against the wind blown by the windshield plate 16. Avoiding interference, it is elevated to the second heat exchange tube 14 and circulated to the first header tank 11.

On the other hand, when the present invention is used as a heater, the first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12 are disposed in the vertical direction, and the second header tank 12 has heat transfer fluid and heat exchange inside the second header tank 12. A heater coil (H) made of this may be installed. That is, the cold air reflects the convection characteristic of moving downward and the heat upward, and by selectively using this, rapid diffusion of cold air or heat is achieved.

In addition, in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as mentioned above, the cold air may be basically transmitted through convection, but if necessary, a circulation pump between the first and second header tanks 11 and 12 18) can be installed to circulate the cold air of the first evaporator coil 20 to the first heat exchange tube 13 at high speed. This can be temporarily utilized as a measure for rapid diffusion of cold air at the initial stage of operation, and can be implemented by installing the circulation pump 18 in a manner that sucks the heat transfer fluid from the second header tank 12 and supplies it to the first header tank 11. Do.

The present invention can be applied to household air conditioners, industrial air conditioners, and automobile air conditioners.

The rights of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments described above, but are defined by what is described in the claims, and that a person having ordinary knowledge in the field of the present invention can make various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the rights described in the claims. It is self-explanatory.

10: core unit 11: first header tank 12: second header tank
13: first heat exchange tube 14: second heat exchange tube
15: cooling fin 16: windproof plate
17: swash plate 18: circulation pump
20: first eva coil 21: second eva coil
30: condensate storage tank 31: other tool 32: guide plate
33: water level control sensor 34: discharge pipe
35: solenoid valve 36: inlet pipe
37: circulation pipe 38: transfer pump
40: condenser
50: temporary storage tank
60: compressor
70: expansion valve
80: auxiliary heat exchanger
F: Blowing fan F': Auxiliary fan H: Heater coil

Claims (7)

The heat transfer fluid flows by connecting the first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12 and the first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12 oppositely arranged to accommodate the heat transfer fluid. A core unit 10 composed of a plurality of first heat exchange tubes 13 and cooling fins 15 coupled between the first heat exchange tubes 13, a compressor 60 and an expansion valve 70 are provided. In one air conditioner,
A first evaporator coil 20 built in the first header tank 11 to cool the heat transfer fluid;
A condensed water storage tank 30 receiving and storing condensed water generated on the surface of the core unit 10;
A condenser 40 that is immersed in the condensed water stored in the condensed water storage tank 30 and cooled;
A second evaporator coil (21) branching from the outlet of the first evaporator coil (20) and transferring cool air to the condensed water collected by being located in the condensate water storage tank (30); Is made of,
A second heat exchange tube 14 to which the cooling fins 15 are not connected is disposed at the edge between the first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12,
A low-power air conditioner with improved efficiency using condensed water, characterized in that the windshield plates 16 for preventing heat exchange with the outside are coupled to both sides of the second heat exchange tube 14.
The method of claim 1,
The condensed water storage tank 30 is provided with a water level control sensor 33 that detects the level of the condensed water,
The condensed water from the condensed water storage tank 30 is transferred and stored in communication with the condensed water storage tank 30 through a transfer pump 38 interlocked with the water level control sensor 33, or stored condensed water is stored in the condensed water storage tank. Temporary storage tank 50 to be transferred to (30); Low-power air conditioner with improved efficiency using condensed water, characterized in that it further comprises.
The method of claim 1,
It communicates with the condensate water storage tank 30 through a circulation pipe 37, and circulates the condensed water in the condensate water storage tank 30 through a transfer pump 38 installed in the circulation pipe 37, and an auxiliary fan F' ) Through the auxiliary heat exchanger (80) to allow heat exchange between the condensed water and the outside air; Low-power air conditioner with improved efficiency using condensed water, characterized in that it further comprises.
The method of claim 1,
The first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12 are each disposed in an up-down direction, and a heater coil H is installed inside the second header tank 12 to exchange heat with the heat transfer fluid. A low-power air conditioner with improved efficiency using condensed water, characterized in that.
The method of claim 1,
Condensed water is guided to the lower sidewall of the core unit 10, but a swash plate 17 extending to the upper surface of the condensed water storage tank 30 is coupled,
A plurality of perforated tools 31 for introducing condensed water are formed in the upper part of the condensed water storage tank 30, and a lever for guiding the condensed water flowing through the other tool 31 to prevent heat loss therein. )-Type guide plate 32 is a low-power air conditioner that improves the efficiency using condensed water, characterized in that a plurality of arrangements.
delete The method of claim 1,
A low-power cooling device with improved efficiency using condensed water, characterized in that a circulation pump 18 is installed that connects the first header tank 11 and the second header tank 12 to circulate the heat transfer fluid at high speed. .

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