RU2190167C2 - Thermoelectric water reserve cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: thermoelectric water reserve cooling systems. SUBSTANCE: the system has a reservoir with an inlet, thermoelectric modules with flow-type heat sinks, drain cock and a water filter. The heat sinks are located and the reservoir walls. The water filter is connected to the reservoir and flow-type heat sinks through the inlet. The reservoir side inner surface may be made with projecting heat-conducting plates. The vessel with the drain cock is located under the reservoir and connected to the flow-type heat sinks of the thermoelectric modules. EFFECT: modified thermoelectric water reserve cooling system. 4 cl, 4 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to refrigeration, and in particular to small-sized thermoelectric coolers for water supplies used in the preparation of food and drinks at trade and catering establishments, in medical institutions, in offices, in children's institutions, in industrial premises, etc.

 A device for cooling a beverage "Container for a drink", US patent 5042258, F 25 B 21/02, published in the journal "Inventions of the World" in 1993, is also known as "Thermoelectric container for a drink", Russian patent 2128810, F 25 B 21/02, published in the Bulletin of Inventions for 1999. These devices can be used to cool the supply of water, but they cannot provide filtering and cleaning of the water poured into them to cool the water.

 Their performance is limited, because either air (US patent) is used in them to cool the heated side of thermoelectric modules, which, compared with water, has lower thermal conductivity (2.1 kcal / m • h • deg - air and 47.4 kcal / m • h • city - water), or untreated running water, which also reduces thermal conductivity due to the deposition of contaminants on the walls of the flow channels of heat sinks (Heat exchangers of refrigeration units. L .: Mashinostroenie, 1973, p. 116-117). Pollution of channels of flowing heat sinks reduces the reliability of their operation and the device as a whole.

 Known thermoelectric cooling devices: US patent 5111664, F 25 B 21/82, published in the journal "Inventions of the World" for 1990; international application 90/00708, F 25 B 21/02, published in the journal "Inventions of the World" for 1990; US patent 4726193, F 21 B 21/02, published in the journal "Inventions of the World" for 1992. These portable cooling devices are used to store refrigerated liquids in standard packaging (bottles, cans, bags, etc.). ), and are not intended for storage in a refrigerated state of the stock of water without packaging.

 A portable device according to US patent 4996847, published in the journal "Inventions of the World" for 1992, is used to cool the dose of the drink and its automatic dispensing. It is not intended for storage in a cold state of the water supply.

 A device is known in which the filter is connected to flow heat sinks (as SU SU 853315, class F 25 B 19/04, 1981), but does not supply purified water to the cooling tank.

 A device is known for a thermoelectric water cooling system, which is equipped with a filter connected to the tank through the inlet of the tank (patent RU 2121635, class F 25 D 9/00, 1998), it does not provide the supply of purified water to the tank and flow heat sinks through the inlet, which makes it impossible to increase the performance of the thermoelectric system.

 An analogue of the invention is US patent 5154661, CL. F 25 B 21/02, published in the journal "Inventions of the World" for 1994, "Thermoelectric Refrigeration Unit and its Method of Operation". In this device, the thermoelectric module is located on the lower surface of the plate, which, located under the bottom of the tank, is cooled, thereby cooling the tank with water. Heat from the thermoelectric module is removed by water through a flow heat sink connected to an autonomous capacity. Water from the tank into the flow heat sink is supplied by a pump.

 This device does not provide for the filtration of water supplied to the flow heat sink, which reduces the performance and reliability of the device. Not provided for the filtration of water poured into the tank for cooling, which narrows the scope of use of the device - untreated water can not be used for drinking purposes. It should be noted that untreated water cools in the tank much more slowly than purified water.

 For the prototype selected US patent 5072590, F 25 B 21/02 "Thermoelectric cooling system for bottled water", published in the journal "Inventions of the World" in 1993. The system has a reservoir for storing cooled water with an inlet and a drain valve. The thermoelectric module is located under the bottom wall of the tank. One side of the thermoelectric module is cooled, thereby cooling the water tank, and on the other, heated side there is a flow heat sink through which water is circulated through the pipeline using a pump. Water in the lower part of the pipeline is cooled by a radiator and a fan.

 This system has no reserves to increase productivity, reliability, since there is no water filtration in front of the tank and flow heat sink, as in the analogue. It also does not provide simultaneous preparation of stocks of purified cold and purified heated water.

 The problem solved by the invention is the improvement of the thermoelectric cooling system for the supply of water. The technical result consists in increasing the productivity of the process of cooling the supply of water, increasing the reliability of the system by eliminating the possibility of contamination of the channels of flowing heat sinks and expanding the functionality of the thermoelectric system, namely, to ensure the purification of the water poured into the system for cooling, and at the same time to obtain a supply of purified chilled water obtaining a stock of purified heated water.

 The specified technical result is achieved by the fact that the water filter of the thermoelectric cooling system of the water supply is connected both to the tank and to the flow heat sinks of the thermoelectric modules through the inlet, which provides cooling of the purified water in the tank and its entry into the flow heat sinks. In the prototype, water is poured into the tank from large bottles (≈19 L) for cooling. But this requires additional costs, since water in the bottle must be poured already purified or natural spring. These bottles in the installation must be periodically loaded and unloaded to change empty bottles and fill with purified water. If there are artificial commercially available water filters in the thermoelectric system, it can be connected, for example, to a water supply system and obtained by filtering tap water with water that is not inferior in quality to natural (spring) water. The connection of the filter with flowing heat sinks through the inlet makes it possible to feed into the flow heat sinks not only purified, but also pre-cooled water due to the cold walls of the tank, which, firstly, increases the heat transfer coefficient from the heated side of thermoelectric modules to running water and productivity the process of cooling the stock of purified water, and, secondly, by eliminating the pollution of the channels of flowing heat sinks, the durability of flowing heat sinks increases, and the investigator but the reliability of the thermoelectric cooling system water inventory as a whole.

 Thermoelectric modules with flow heat sinks are located vertically on the side walls of the tank, which makes it possible to flow water through the channels of flow heat sinks by gravity, without the use of additional pumps, thereby simplifying the design and control system of the thermoelectric water supply cooling system. The lateral inner surface of the tank is made with protruding heat-conducting plates, which makes it possible to transfer cold from the side walls of the tank evenly throughout the volume of the water supply, without mixing it, as in the prototype. This increases reliability and simplifies the design - there are no rotating, rubbing mechanical parts in the water. The thermoelectric system is equipped with a tank with a drain valve located under the tank and connected to flowing heat sinks. The capacity makes it possible to accumulate purified water heated in flowing heat sinks and use it for drinking purposes.

 In FIG. 1. depicts a design variant of a thermoelectric water supply cooling system with automation elements; figure 2 is a General view of a thermoelectric system in section; figure 3 is a section II; figure 4 is a section KK.

 The thermoelectric system comprises a casing 1, a tank 2 with an inlet 3 and a drain valve 4, thermoelectric modules 5 with flow heat sinks 6. The system is equipped with a water filter 7 (figure 2), which is, for example, a commercially available membrane filter of JSC "Polymersynthesis" Vladimir city. In front of the filter 7 and after the filter 7, serial hydraulic electrovalves 14 and 15 are located, which supply water from the water supply system 30 (Fig. 1) to the filter 7 in the direction of arrow A and from the filter 7 (Fig. 2) of purified water in the direction of arrow B to the tank 2 through inlet 3, and then into the flow heat sinks through the cold walls of the tank 2.

 Thermoelectric modules 5 with flowing heat sinks are located vertically on the side walls of the tank 2 (Fig.2, 3). The lateral inner surface of the tank 2 is made with built-in heat-conducting plates 8. The tank 2 is equipped with a typical float sensor for water level 16 (FIG. 2), which allows maintaining a certain level of water 18 in the tank 2, as well as a typical temperature sensor 17, which allows maintaining a constant temperature of water 18 in the tank 2. The thermoelectric system is equipped with a tank 9 with a drain valve 10 (Fig.1, 2) connected to the flow heat sinks 6 with hoses 12 (Fig.1, 2) and located under the tank 2. The tank 9 is also equipped float sensor 19 water level 20.

 The thermoelectric water supply cooling system can be equipped with an additional tank 22 (FIG. 2) located under the tank 9 and connected to it through a hydraulic electrovalve 21. This tank can be removed from the casing 1 (FIGS. 1, 2) along arrow D together with the stock heated water through door 25. It can also be equipped with a float sensor 23. Power to the thermoelectric modules is supplied from the mains (Fig. 1) through a plug with cord 28 and a converter from 220 V to 12 V (not shown). Water enters the thermoelectric cooling system for the water supply from the water supply system 30 with the tap 31 open through the hose 29 in the direction of arrow A. The thermoelectric system (Fig. 1) is turned on from the button 26 with the luminous eye 27.

 Thermoelectric cooling system for the stock of water works as follows. At the beginning of operation, the faucet 31 opens, and water from the water supply system 30 through the hose 29 in the direction of arrow A (Fig. 1) enters the thermoelectric cooling system, stopping in front of the closed hydraulic electrovalve 14 (Fig. 2). The button 26 is pressed, while the eye-bulb 27 (figure 1) lights up. The current from the mains through the cord 28 (Fig. 1) and a voltage converter from 220 V to 12 V (not shown) is supplied to thermoelectric modules with a voltage of 12 V (Figs. 2, 3) and with a voltage of 220 V to hydraulic electrovalves 14, 15, 21 (Fig. 2). In this case, the hydraulic valves 14 and 15 open, and the valve 21 is not. Water from the water supply in the direction of arrow A enters the filter 7, where the tap water is purified. From the filter 7, the purified water in the direction of arrow B through the open hydroelectric valve 15 enters the tank 2 through the inlet 3, and then into the flow heat sinks 6 through the cold walls of the tank 2.

 Flowing heat sinks (figure 4) are metal plates, inside which are made Z-shaped channels for the passage of water. Since thermoelectric modules 5 are under a voltage of 12 V, due to the Peltier effect, one side of the thermoelectric modules in contact with the side walls of the tank 2 is cooled, thereby cooling the entire tank 2 with protruding heat-conducting plates 8 and with a supply of purified water 18. The other side of the thermoelectric modules 5 is heated, heating the metal flow heat sinks 6 and the water passing through the channels in them. In this case, heat is removed from the heated side of the thermoelectric module.

 From the flow heat sinks 6, purified, heated water through the hoses 12 and arrows B enters the tank 9. When the tank 2 is overfilled with water 18, the level sensor 16 instructs the hydroelectric valve 15 to stop the water flow along arrow B to the tank (Fig. 2). But in the flow heat sinks 6, water from the filter 7 arrives until the hydroelectric valve 14 receives a command from the temperature sensor 17 to stop the water supply to the filter 7. If there is an overflow of water 20 of the tank 9 (figure 2), then the level sensor 19 gives the command to the hydroelectric valve 21 to dump the entire volume of water 20 into the tank 22.

 The filling of the container 22 with water 24 can also be monitored by a float sensor 23 or visually through a glass eye (not shown). When the tank 22 is overfilled with water 24, a light or sound signal can be received from the sensor 23. In this case, the tank 22 together with the volume of heated water 24 is discharged from the system through the door 25 in the direction of arrow D (Figs. 1, 2).

 Thus, the thermoelectric system allows the simultaneous accumulation and filling through the taps 4 and 10 (figure 2) of purified chilled and heated water.

Claims (4)

 1. Thermoelectric water supply cooling system comprising a tank with an inlet, thermoelectric modules with flowing heat sinks located on the walls of the tank, and a drain valve, characterized in that the system is equipped with a water filter connected through the inlet to the tank and flow heat sinks.  2. A thermoelectric water supply cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermoelectric modules with flowing heat sinks are located vertically on the side walls of the tank.  3. Thermoelectric system for cooling the water supply according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral inner surface of the tank is made with protruding heat-conducting plates.  4. Thermoelectric cooling system for water supply according to claim 1, characterized in that the system is equipped with a tank with a drain valve located under the tank, connected to flowing heat sinks of thermoelectric modules of the tank.

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