TW202415899A - Set-type ice-storage equipment and method of operating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A set-type ice-storage equipment is connected to an air-conditioning box of an air-conditioning equipment, the ice-storage equipment includes an ice-storage tank, a refrigeration system and a heat exchanger, and the refrigeration system includes a plurality of independently arranged copper pipes, a pair of collecting pipes and a refrigeration device. The ice-storage tank and the heat exchanger form an ice melting loop to melt the ice in the ice-storage tank, and the copper pipes, the collecting pipes and the refrigeration device form a refrigeration loop to make ice from the water in the ice-storage tank. In an ice-storage mode, the refrigeration device performs ice making operation on the water in the ice-storage tank through the refrigeration loop. In an ice melting mode, the water in the ice-storage tank passes through the ice melting loop to melt the ice in the ice-storage tank, so as to perform heat exchange through the heat exchanger and supplementary air conditioning for the air-conditioning equipment.

Description

Packaged ice storage equipment and operation method thereof

The present invention relates to an ice storage device and an operating method thereof, and in particular to a packaged ice storage device and an operating method thereof.

Circular economy is an important solution to achieve net zero emissions. The world will move towards net zero emissions, and it is necessary to fundamentally change the way products are produced and used. According to the statistical analysis of energy audits in office buildings, the proportion of annual electricity consumption of major energy-consuming equipment is as follows: air conditioning accounts for 47.9%, lighting accounts for 19.55%, office equipment accounts for 9.93%, ventilation equipment accounts for 4.27%, water supply and sewage equipment accounts for 3.38%, elevator equipment accounts for 6.85%, refrigeration and refrigeration equipment accounts for 0.76%, and other equipment accounts for 7.35%. The annual electricity consumption of air conditioning systems is mainly for chillers, followed by fans, pumps and cooling towers. According to air conditioning energy saving analysis, reasonable temperature control methods and improving the COP of chiller operation efficiency are most effective in reducing the impact of air conditioning peak loads. According to statistics from Taipower, air conditioning accounts for about 30% of the peak electricity consumption in summer, while chiller units account for about 50-60% of air conditioning electricity consumption. Therefore, in order to ensure a stable supply of air conditioning during normal working hours, more peak electricity consumption and higher power contract capacity are required, resulting in additional power consumption and increased operating costs.

Therefore, how to design a packaged ice storage device and its operation method to adjust the temperature in a specific space during peak electricity consumption without using traditional air-conditioning equipment to reduce electricity consumption and achieve energy conservation needs is a major topic that the creator of this project wants to study.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a packaged ice storage device to overcome the problems of the prior art. Therefore, the ice storage device of the present invention is connected to the air-conditioning box of the air-conditioning device, and is assisted by the air-conditioning device to perform backup air conditioning to adjust the temperature of a specific space. The ice storage device includes an ice storage trough, a refrigeration system and a heat exchanger, and the refrigeration system includes a plurality of independently configured copper tubes, a pair of collecting pipes and a refrigeration device. The ice storage trough includes a water inlet and a water outlet, and the water inlet is located higher than the water outlet in the ice storage trough. One end of the heat exchanger is connected to the air-conditioning box, and the other end is connected to the ice storage trough, so that the ice storage trough and the heat exchanger form an ice melting circuit for melting the ice in the ice storage trough. A plurality of independently configured copper tubes form a spiral pipeline from the water inlet to the water outlet, and the copper tubes are arranged in a concentric circle manner. One of the headers is connected to the head ends of the copper tubes near the water inlet, and the other header is connected to the tail ends of the copper tubes near the water outlet. The refrigeration device is connected to the pair of headers so that the copper tubes, the pair of headers and the refrigeration device form a refrigeration circuit for making ice for the water in the ice storage tank. In the ice storage mode, the refrigeration device makes ice for the water in the ice storage tank through the refrigeration circuit, and in the ice melting mode, the water in the ice storage tank melts the ice in the ice storage tank through the ice melting circuit, so as to perform heat exchange through the heat exchanger to assist in backup air conditioning for the air conditioning equipment.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an operating method of a packaged ice storage device to overcome the problems of the prior art. Therefore, the packaged ice storage device of the present invention is connected to the air conditioning box of the air conditioning device, and assists in the backup air conditioning of the air conditioning device to adjust the temperature of a specific space; the packaged ice storage device includes an ice storage tank, and includes a refrigeration circuit for making ice for the water in the ice storage tank and an ice melting circuit for melting the ice in the ice storage tank. The operating method includes the following steps: (a) Determining whether it is an off-peak period. (b) When it is not an off-peak period, entering the ice melting mode, the water in the ice storage tank melts the ice in the ice storage tank through the ice melting circuit, and detecting a temperature of the ice storage tank. (c1) When the temperature does not reach the upper limit, the ice melting mode will continue until the off-peak period begins. (c2) When the temperature reaches the upper limit, the air conditioning mode of the air conditioning equipment will be put into operation together until the off-peak period begins.

The main purpose and effect of the present invention is that during a specific time period, the air conditioning system of the present invention uses ice storage equipment to adjust the temperature in a specific space, and outside the specific time period, the air conditioning system uses air conditioning equipment to adjust the temperature in the specific space, so as to avoid the power consumption of the air conditioning system exceeding the preset power consumption value, causing the user to bear additional electricity bills and failing to achieve the effect of energy saving needs.

In order to further understand the technology, means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention. It is believed that the purpose, features and characteristics of the present invention can be understood in depth and in detail. However, the attached drawings are only provided for reference and explanation, and are not used to limit the present invention.

The technical content and detailed description of the present invention are as follows with accompanying drawings:

Please refer to FIG. 1 for a circuit diagram of the air conditioning system of the present invention. The air conditioning system 100 includes an air conditioning device 200 and a packaged ice storage device 300 (hereinafter referred to as the ice storage device 300), and the air conditioning device 200 and the packaged ice storage device 300 operate in a coordinated manner to jointly adjust the temperature in the specific space A. Specifically, the air conditioning system 100 can operate in a first air conditioning mode in which the air conditioning device 200 operates alone, a second air conditioning mode in which the ice storage device 300 operates alone, and a third air conditioning mode in which the two operate together, or a standby mode in which neither the air conditioning system 100 nor the ice storage device 300 adjusts the temperature of the specific space A. The ice storage device 300 is mainly used to cool the fluid medium after absorbing heat of the air-conditioning device 200, so as to adjust or maintain the temperature of the specific space A by lowering the temperature of the fluid medium. The air-conditioning device 200 includes an air-conditioning circuit 202 and an air-conditioning box 204, and the air-conditioning circuit 202 is connected to the air-conditioning box 204, so that the air-conditioning box 204 can adjust the temperature of the specific space A through the control of the air-conditioning circuit 202.

The ice storage device 300 includes an ice storage tank 1, a refrigeration system 2 and a heat exchanger 3, and the refrigeration system 2 includes a copper tube 22, a pair of manifolds 24A, 24B and a refrigeration device 26. The ice storage tank 1 includes a water inlet 1A and a water outlet 1B, and the water inlet 1A is located higher than the water outlet 1B in the ice storage tank 1 so that the flow of water can flow smoothly from the water inlet 1A to the water outlet 1B. Preferably, the position of the water inlet 1A can be as close to the top of the ice storage tank 1 as possible, and the position of the water outlet 1B can be as close to the bottom of the ice storage tank 1 as possible, that is, two opposite positions of the ice storage tank 1. The ice storage tank 1 is mainly used to store water/ice. When performing an ice making operation, the ice storage device 300 condenses the water in the ice storage tank 1 into ice. When performing an ice melting operation, the ice storage device 300 melts the ice in the ice storage tank 1 into water.

The refrigeration system 2 is mainly used to provide the ice storage tank 1 with an ice-making operation, so as to cool and condense the water in the ice storage tank 1 into ice. Specifically, the header 24A is connected to the head end of the copper tube 22 near the water inlet 1A, and the header 24B is connected to the tail end of the copper tube 22 near the water outlet 1B. The refrigeration device 26 connects the headers 24A and 24B, and the copper tube 22, the headers 24A, 24B and the refrigeration device 26 form a refrigeration circuit Lr for making ice (i.e., ice-making operation) for the water in the ice storage tank 1. After the water in the ice storage tank 1 is condensed into ice, it can store cold energy in advance, so that it can be melted into water when needed to release the pre-stored cold energy. The fluid medium circulating inside the pipe of the refrigeration loop Lr is the refrigerant, and the refrigeration system 2 mainly performs ice making operation on the water in the ice storage tank 1 through the refrigerant.

One end of the heat exchanger 3 is connected to the air-conditioning box 204, and the other end is connected to the ice storage tank 1, so that the ice storage tank 1 and the heat exchanger 3 form an ice melting circuit Lm for melting the ice in the ice storage tank 1 (i.e., ice melting operation). After the ice in the ice storage tank 1 melts into ice water, it exchanges heat with the air-conditioning box 204 through the heat exchanger 3, so that the air-conditioning box 204 can use the cold energy of the ice water to adjust the temperature in the specific space A. Specifically, the heat exchanger 3 includes a first cold source end 3A, a first heat source end 3B, a second cold source end 3C, and a second heat source end 3D. The first cold source end 3A is connected to one end of the air-conditioning box 204, and the first heat source end 3B is connected to the other end of the air-conditioning box 204, so as to perform cold/heat exchange through the circulation from the air-conditioning box 204 to the heat exchanger 3. The second cold source end 3C is connected to the water outlet 1B, and the second heat source end 3D is connected to the water inlet 1A. The ice water in the ice storage tank 1 is converted into hot water through the water outlet 1B, the second cold source end 3C, and the second heat source end 3D. The hot water then enters the water inlet 1A to perform ice melting operation, so as to perform cold/heat exchange through the circulation from the ice storage tank 1 to the heat exchanger 3.

Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 100 operates in the first air conditioning mode or the standby mode, the ice storage device 300 can be operated in the ice storage mode. The refrigeration device 26 can perform an ice making operation on the water in the ice storage tank 1 through the refrigeration circuit Lr to condense the water in the ice storage tank 1 into ice. When the air conditioning system 100 operates in the second air conditioning mode or the third air conditioning mode, the ice storage device 300 can be operated in the ice melting mode. The water in the ice storage tank 1 can perform an ice melting operation on the ice in the ice storage tank 1 through the ice melting circuit Lm. The melted ice water is heat exchanged through the heat exchanger 3 so that the air conditioning box 204 can utilize the cold energy of the ice water to adjust the temperature in the specific space A alone/in addition.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, the ice storage device 300 further includes a first circulation pump 4 and a second circulation pump 5. The first circulation pump 4 is connected between the water outlet 1B and the second cold source end 3C, and the water in the ice storage tank 1 enters the heat exchanger 3 through the pumping of the first circulation pump 4. The second circulation pump 5 is connected between the first cold source end 1A and the air conditioning box 204, and the fluid medium (such as but not limited to water or refrigerant) in the air conditioning box 204 enters the heat exchanger 3 through the pumping of the second circulation pump 5. Specifically, if the flow of the fluid does not have a pressure/conducting force in a specific direction, the flow force of the fluid is too low, resulting in a poor heat exchange effect. Therefore, by applying pressure/conducting force in a specific direction (i.e., the direction of entering the heat exchanger 3) through the first circulation pump 4 and the second circulation pump 5, the heat exchange effect can be improved and the efficiency of the ice storage device 300 can be improved.

Please refer to FIG. 2A for a top view of the arrangement of copper tubes in the ice storage trough of the present invention, FIG. 2B for a first cross-sectional view of the arrangement of copper tubes in the ice storage trough of the present invention, and FIG. 2C for a second cross-sectional view of the arrangement of copper tubes in the ice storage trough of the present invention, and refer to FIG. 1 in conjunction. As shown in FIG. 2A , the ice storage trough 1 includes a plurality of independently configured copper tubes 22A to 22F, and it can be clearly seen from the top view that the copper tubes 22A to 22F are arranged in a concentric circle. A copper tube 3-point copper tube (diameter 0.95 cm) and a cross-sectional area of (0.713 cm ² ) are used, and the thickness of the external ice is 1 cm. As shown in FIG. 2B , the copper tubes 22A to 22F form a spiral pipeline from the water inlet 1A to the water outlet 1B. For the convenience of illustration, copper tubes 22D~22F are used as an illustration. As shown in FIG2B , it is a cross-sectional view of the ice storage trough 1 from the center position. It can be clearly seen that all copper tubes 22A~22F are arranged from the water inlet 1A to the water outlet 1B, and are arranged in a concentric circle from the outside to the inside. Referring to FIG2C , copper tubes 22D~22F are arranged from high to low as 22F~22D, and copper tubes 22A~22C are covered in copper tube 22D. Therefore, all copper tubes 22A~22F form a spiral pipeline from the water inlet 1A to the water outlet 1B. The manifold 24A connects the head ends of the copper tubes 22A~22F near the water inlet 1A, and the manifold 24B connects the tail ends of the copper tubes 22A~22F near the water outlet 1B. In this way, the pipeline pressure drop of all copper tubes 22A-22F can be equalized. It is worth mentioning that in one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid medium inside the copper tubes 22A-22F is not limited to flow from the head end of the copper tubes 22A-22F to the tail end of the copper tubes 22A-22F, and it can also flow from the tail end of the copper tubes 22A-22F to the head end of the copper tubes 22A-22F.

The copper pipe specifications are as follows: 24” pipe has an outer diameter of 600mm, an outer wall thickness of 9mm, an inner diameter of 581mm, and a height of 1m. The diameter of the copper pipe used is 9.5mm, the spacing between the windings is 30mm (the ice thickness is 1cm), and the volume is 0.265m ³ The copper tubes are divided into 6 loops in total and arranged in concentric circles. The diameter of the copper tube 22A loop (1) is d1, the diameter of the copper tube 22B loop (2) is d2, the diameter of the copper tube 22C loop (3) is d3, the diameter of the copper tube 22D loop (4) is d4, the diameter of the copper tube 22E loop (5) is d5, and the diameter of the copper tube 22F loop (6) is d6. The maximum number of windings in loop (1) is used as the basis, and the total length is calculated so that all windings are equal in length and the pressure drop of the pipeline is equal. The total cross-sectional area of the copper tube is A ₂ , copper tube diameter d1 and ice storage thickness X. Since the copper tubes 22A~22F are arranged in a concentric circle, the water in the ice storage tank 1 can be uniformly condensed into ice, and the ice in the ice storage tank 1 can also be uniformly melted into water, without causing the ice storage tank 1 to have a dead corner of partial condensation/melting ice inside the ice storage tank 1 due to improper pipe configuration. The present invention calculates the cooling capacity 𝑄 _𝑐 according to the total length (L) of the copper tubes of different copper pipe designs. The total area of the copper tubes used is shown in the following formula (1):

…(1)

The total ice volume V is expressed as follows:

…(2)

The stored cold energy is shown in the following formula (3):

…(3)

Assuming the number of winding turns is Y, the total length of the copper tube can be calculated as follows (4):

…(4)

Please refer to FIG. 3 for a schematic diagram of power consumption of the air-conditioning device of the present invention when applied to a specific space, and refer to FIG. 1~2B in conjunction. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis is time (hours), and the vertical axis is the power consumption of the air-conditioning device 200. FIG. 3 includes the peak power consumption period Tp and the off-peak period (i.e., the period other than the peak power consumption period Tp). During the peak power consumption period Tp, the power consumption of the air-conditioning device 200 exceeds the preset power consumption value Cp, which makes the user afraid that he needs to bear additional electricity bills and cannot achieve the energy saving demand. Therefore, the main purpose and effect of the present invention is that during the peak power consumption period Tp, the air conditioning system 100 of the present invention uses the ice storage device 300 to cool the fluid medium after absorbing heat of the air conditioning device 200 to adjust the temperature in the specific space A, and during the off-peak period, the air conditioning system 100 uses the air conditioning device 200 to adjust the temperature in the specific space A. At the same time, during the off-peak period, the ice storage device 300 uses the margin between the power consumption of the air conditioning device 200 and the preset power consumption value Cp to perform refrigeration and ice storage, so as to avoid the power consumption of the air conditioning system 100 exceeding the preset power consumption value Cp, which causes the user to bear additional electricity charges and fails to achieve the effect of energy saving needs.

That is, the ice storage device 300 of the present invention adopts a full ice storage system to transfer all peak air conditioning loads to off-peak hours. The operation mode of the full ice storage system design is to operate the ice storage device 300 during off-peak hours. The ice storage device 300 does not make ice during the air conditioning peak hours. At this time, all air conditioning loads are supplied by the ice storage device 300. The full ice storage operation feature can significantly reduce the power load during the peak hours. The invention develops the ice storage device 300 for the purpose of utilizing the off-peak hours of nighttime electricity to store ice and store cold, and then melt the ice to supply the cold room demand during the peak hours, which can significantly reduce the power consumption during the peak hours and avoid the continuous full load of the chiller host. In addition, by shifting the peak power consumption, the power contract capacity applied for can be reduced.

Specifically, since the ice storage device 300 needs to replace the air conditioning device 200 during the peak power consumption period Tp, the refrigeration capacity of the ice storage device 300 must be able to support the temperature of the specific space A until the peak power consumption period Tp ends. Under this premise, the ice storage capacity of the ice storage tank 1 must be specially designed to meet the requirements of making the ice storage device 300 easy to miniaturize and easy to configure. Therefore, in the present invention, the ice storage capacity of the ice storage tank 1 is related to the peak power consumption period Tp, corresponding to the refrigeration capacity of the air conditioning device 200, so as to just meet the air conditioning demand during the peak power consumption period Tp. The calculation of the ice storage capacity of the ice storage tank 1 is shown in the following formula (5):

…(5)

in, is the flow rate in period n (kg/s), is the specific heat of the refrigeration liquid (kJ/kg°C), is the temperature difference in period n (°C), is the heat (kWhr) due to ancillary components (such as, but not limited to, air agitation), is the heat transfer to the surrounding environment (kWhr), is the time (in seconds) for each reading of data. The calculation of net cooling capacity is shown in the following formula (6):

…(6)

The calculation of the average cooling rate is shown in the following formula (7):

…(7)

The calculation of the average cooling rate is shown in the following formula (8):

…(8)

Among them, in the above formulas (6) to (8), it is necessary to know the characteristics of the fluid medium of the ice melting loop Lm, and the fluid medium of the ice melting loop Lm is water, so the characteristics of the fluid medium can be known. Therefore, through the calculation of the above formulas (6) to (8), the refrigeration capacity can be obtained, and the power consumption (air conditioning equipment 200) during the peak power consumption period Tp in Figure 3 can be used to confirm whether the refrigeration capacity can support the end of the peak power consumption period Tp.

Please refer to FIG. 4A for a schematic diagram of the flow meter configuration position of the present invention, and refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 in conjunction. The ice storage device 300 further includes a flow meter 6, which is connected to the ice storage tank 1, and the flow meter 6 can use a float type flow meter. Among them, the flow meter 6 is used to detect the change of the throttling area of the ice storage tank 1 during the ice melting operation to know the water level. The principle of the flow meter 6 is to keep the pressure drop unchanged and use the change of the throttling area to measure the flow rate. It consists of a tapered tube that gradually expands from top to bottom and a rotor or float placed in the tapered tube. When the fluid flows through the tapered tube, the float in the tube is pushed up to a height corresponding to the flow rate and floats. When the flow rate increases, the impulse acting on the float increases. Since the weight of the float in the fluid is constant, the float rises, and the annular gap between the corresponding rotor and the tapered tube also increases. The flow rate of the fluid flowing through the annular gap decreases, and the impulse also decreases, allowing the float to achieve balance in the new position.

Please refer to FIG. 4B for a top view of the temperature sensor configuration position of the present invention, FIG. 4C for a cross-sectional view of the temperature sensor configuration position of the present invention, and FIG. 4D for a schematic diagram of the liquid level window configuration position of the present invention, and refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4A in conjunction. In FIG. 4B , the ice storage device 300 further includes a plurality of temperature sensors 7, and the temperature sensor 7 can be, for example but not limited to, a K-type thermocouple. The temperature sensor 7 is configured on the surface of the copper tubes 22A to 22F in the ice storage tank 1, and the configurable position includes the center of the concentric circle and the four-way position of the concentric circle, and is closely attached to the surface of the copper tubes 22A to 22F. The temperature sensor 7 is used to sense the temperature of the ice storage tank 1, so as to perform ice making, ice melting, stopping and other operations on the ice storage device 300 by knowing the temperature of the ice storage tank 1. In FIG. 4C, the temperature sensor 7 can be arranged at any height of the ice storage tank 1 from the water inlet 1A to the water outlet 1B. The more evenly the temperature sensor 7 is arranged, the more accurate the temperature sensing will be. In FIG. 4D, the ice storage device 300 further includes a liquid level window 8, and the liquid level window 8 is formed on one side of the ice storage tank 1. The liquid level window 8 is used for the operator to intuitively know the liquid level height in the ice storage tank 1.

Please refer to FIG. 5 for a flow chart of the operation method of the packaged ice storage device of the present invention, and refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4C in conjunction. In step (S100), it is determined whether it is an off-peak period. If it is not an off-peak period, it means that it is in the peak period Tp of electricity consumption. Therefore, the air conditioning system 100 starts the ice storage device 300 and enters the ice melting mode (S120), so that the water in the ice storage tank 1 melts the ice in the ice storage tank 1 through the ice melting loop Lm, and the ice storage device 300 simultaneously detects the temperature of the ice storage tank (via the temperature sensor 7). Then, it is determined whether the temperature reaches the upper limit value (S140). When the temperature does not reach the upper limit, it means that the ice storage device 300 still has cold energy available, so it can return to step (S120) to continue the ice melting mode until entering the off-peak period. When the temperature reaches the upper limit and the peak power period Tp has not ended, it means that the remaining cold energy of the ice storage device 300 can no longer be maintained, so the air conditioning mode of the air conditioning device 200 is put into operation, so that the air conditioning mode and the ice melting mode are operated together (S160) until entering the off-peak period, and after entering the off-peak period, it returns to step (S100).

After entering step (S120), the return water temperature of the water entering the ice storage tank 1 in the ice melting loop Lm can be optionally detected, and it can be judged whether the return water temperature reaches the lower limit of the water temperature or the upper limit of the water temperature (S200)~(S220). When it is judged that the return water temperature reaches the lower limit of the water temperature, it means that the water temperature in the copper pipe 22 is too low, so the operating frequency of the first circulation pump 4 can be reduced (S240) to reduce the circulation speed of the water flow in the ice melting loop Lm. In this way, the power consumption of the first circulation pump 4 can be reduced, and at the same time, additional cold energy loss can be avoided. On the contrary, when it is judged that the return water temperature reaches the upper limit of the water temperature, it means that the water temperature in the copper tube 22 is too high, so the operating frequency of the first circulation pump 4 can be increased (S260) to increase the water flow circulation speed of the ice melting loop Lm. In this way, the heat exchange rate of the ice melting loop Lm can be increased. On the other hand, when it is judged that the return water temperature is between the lower limit of the water temperature and the upper limit of the water temperature, it means that the water temperature in the copper tube 22 maintains a good application rate, so the operating frequency of the first circulation pump 4 can be maintained (S280) to maintain the water flow circulation speed.

When the judgment of step (S100) is yes, it means that it is in the off-peak period. The air conditioning system 100 can control the ice storage device 300 to enter the ice storage mode or stop operation according to the actual status of the ice storage tank 1. Specifically, when the judgment of step (S100) is yes, the ice storage device 300 can determine the water level of the ice storage tank 1 through the flow meter 6 (S300). When the water level is not lower than the lower limit of the water level, it means that the stored cold energy is insufficient, so the air conditioning system 100 controls the ice storage device 300 to enter the ice storage mode (S320). At this time, the ice storage device 300 controls the refrigeration device 26 to perform ice making operation on the water in the ice storage tank 1 through the refrigeration loop Lr, and returns to step (S300) to continue to judge the water level. On the contrary, when the water level is lower than the lower limit of the water level, it means that the stored cold energy is sufficient, and the remaining water is used as the fluid medium during the ice melting operation, which is not suitable for ice making. Therefore, when the water level is lower than the lower limit of the water level, the ice storage mode is stopped (S340), and the step (S100) is returned to continue to judge the time period. Among them, when the ice storage mode is stopped, the ice storage device 300 can stop operating (that is, stop all components from operating) to save power consumption. Alternatively, the ice storage device 300 can be in standby mode to detect whether the water level of the ice storage tank 1 naturally melts to a too high level during the subsequent period of stopping the ice storage mode, so as to facilitate restarting and entering the ice storage mode.

Therefore, in summary, the packaged ice storage device 300 developed by the present invention has a design of concentric copper tubes 22, and the ice storage tank 1 is designed based on the refrigeration capacity during the peak period of electricity consumption, and the operating frequency of the first circulation pump 4 is adjusted based on the water flow of the ice melting circuit Lm. Therefore, the power consumption of the ice storage device 300 can be as low as 25 kW, and the refrigeration capacity can be maintained at 64500 kcal/hr, and the ice storage capacity can reach about 1000 kg two barrels. In addition, due to the miniaturized design of the ice storage tank 1, the ice storage tank 1 can be limited to a size of about 1.56m in diameter and 1.8m in height. Due to the miniaturized design of the ice storage equipment 300, the high engineering costs and monitoring system costs that were previously consumed can be saved, and the failure rate and initial design costs can be effectively reduced. Furthermore, the ice storage equipment 300 can save the funds that previously required more engineering costs, is easy to operate, saves energy and reduces carbon emissions, retains the value of products and materials as much as possible, and uses resources in a circular, manufacturing and use manner.

In order to make the air conditioning system 100 applied to buildings to achieve power saving, energy saving and meet the requirements of air conditioning load, the present invention develops a reliable, easy to operate and simple to control ice storage device 300, which increases the use efficiency of the air conditioning system 100 and reduces the peak power load of air conditioning. According to Taipower's demand bidding measures (this measure refers to the high-load period of the system), users compete with Taipower by suppressing the contract capacity, and open users to sell the saved electricity back to Taipower, and users bid for the bid. Taipower will determine the winner by the method of the lowest bidder first. If the winner actually reduces the electricity consumption during the period of low electricity consumption, he can get a reduction in electricity bills. The air conditioning system 100 of the present invention can give users more autonomy through the user self-reporting demand response method, stimulate the potential to reduce power consumption, improve the system load pattern, and further delay the development of new power sources or reduce the risk of power curtailment that may be faced.

However, the above description is only a detailed description and drawings of the preferred specific embodiments of the present invention, but the features of the present invention are not limited thereto, and are not used to limit the present invention. The entire scope of the present invention shall be subject to the following patent application scope. All embodiments that conform to the spirit of the patent application scope of the present invention and its similar variations shall be included in the scope of the present invention. Any changes or modifications that can be easily thought of by anyone familiar with the art within the field of the present invention can be covered by the following patent scope of this case.

100: Air conditioning system 200: Air conditioning equipment 202: Air conditioning circuit 204: Air conditioning box 300: Ice storage equipment 1: Ice storage tank 1A: Water inlet 1B: Water outlet 2: Refrigeration system 22, 22A~22F: Copper tube 24A, 24B: Manifold 26: Refrigeration device 3: Heat exchanger 3A: First cold source end 3B: First heat source end 3C: Second cold source end 3D: Second heat source end 4: First circulation pump 5: Second circulation pump 6: Flow meter 7: Temperature sensor 8: Liquid level window A: Specific space Lr: Refrigeration circuit Lm: Ice melting circuit Tp: Peak power consumption period Cp: default power consumption value

FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioning system of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a top view of the arrangement of copper tubes in the ice storage tank of the present invention;

FIG2B is a first cross-sectional view of the arrangement of copper tubes in the ice storage tank of the present invention;

FIG2C is a second cross-sectional view of the arrangement of copper tubes in the ice storage tank of the present invention;

FIG3 is a schematic diagram of power consumption when the air conditioning device of the present invention is applied to a specific space;

FIG4A is a schematic diagram of the flow meter configuration position of the present invention;

FIG4B is a top view of the configuration position of the temperature sensor of the present invention;

FIG4C is a cross-sectional view of the configuration position of the temperature sensor of the present invention;

FIG4D is a schematic diagram of the configuration position of the liquid level window of the present invention; and

FIG5 is a flow chart of the operation method of the packaged ice storage device of the present invention.

100: Air conditioning system

200: Air conditioning equipment

202: Air conditioning circuit

204: Air conditioning box

300: Ice storage equipment

1: Ice storage tank

1A: Water inlet

1B: Water outlet

2: Refrigeration system

22: Copper tube

24A, 24B: Collecting pipe

26: Refrigeration equipment

3: Heat exchanger

3A: First cold source end

3B: First heat source end

3C: Second cold source end

3D: Second heat source end

4: First circulation pump

5: Second circulation pump

A: Specific space

Lr: Refrigeration circuit

Lm: Ice melting loop

Claims (10)

A packaged ice storage device is an air-conditioning box connected to an air-conditioning device, and assists in performing backup air conditioning on the air-conditioning device to adjust the temperature of a specific space. The ice storage device includes: An ice storage tank, including a water inlet and a water outlet, and the water inlet is located at a position higher than the water outlet in the ice storage tank; A refrigeration system, including: A plurality of independently configured copper tubes, the copper tubes form a spiral pipeline from the water inlet to the water outlet, and the copper tubes are arranged in a concentric circle; A pair of headers, one of which is connected to the head ends of the copper tubes near the water inlet, and the other header is connected to the tail ends of the copper tubes near the water outlet; and A refrigeration device connected to the pair of headers so that the copper tubes, the pair of headers and the refrigeration device form a refrigeration circuit for making ice for the water in the ice storage tank; and A heat exchanger connected to the air conditioning box at one end and the ice storage tank at the other end so that the ice storage tank and the heat exchanger form an ice melting circuit for melting the ice in the ice storage tank; Wherein, in an ice storage mode, the refrigeration device performs an ice making operation on the water in the ice storage tank through the refrigeration circuit, and in an ice melting mode, the water in the ice storage tank performs an ice melting operation on the ice in the ice storage tank through the ice melting circuit, so as to perform a heat exchange through the heat exchanger to assist in performing backup air conditioning for the air conditioning equipment. The operating method as described in claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises: a first cold source end connected to one end of the air conditioning box; a first heat source end connected to the other end of the air conditioning box; a second cold source end connected to the water outlet; and a second heat source end connected to the water inlet; wherein the water in the ice storage tank passes through the water outlet, the second cold source end, the second heat source end and the water inlet to perform the ice melting operation. The ice storage device as described in claim 2 further includes: a first circulation pump connected between the water outlet and the second cold source end; and a second circulation pump connected between the first cold source end and the air conditioning box; wherein the water in the ice storage tank enters the heat exchanger through the pumping of the first circulation pump, and a fluid medium in the air conditioning box enters the heat exchanger through the pumping of the second circulation pump. The ice storage device as described in claim 1, wherein the refrigeration system performs the ice making operation on the water in the ice storage tank through a refrigerant. The ice storage device as described in claim 1, wherein an ice storage capacity of the ice storage tank is related to a refrigeration capacity during a peak power consumption period, so as to just meet the air conditioning demand during the peak power consumption period. The ice storage device as described in claim 1 further includes: A flow meter connected to the ice storage tank; A plurality of temperature sensors arranged at a center of the concentric circle and a four-way position of the concentric circle and closely attached to the surface of the copper tubes; wherein the flow meter is used to detect a water level of the ice storage tank during the ice melting operation, and the temperature sensors are used to sense a temperature of the ice storage tank. As described in claim 1, the ice storage tank further comprises: A liquid level window formed on one side of the ice storage tank; Wherein, the liquid level window is used to visually know the liquid level height in the ice storage tank. A method for operating a packaged ice storage device, wherein the packaged ice storage device is connected to an air conditioning box of an air conditioning device, and assists in performing backup air conditioning on the air conditioning device to adjust the temperature of a specific space; the packaged ice storage device includes an ice storage tank, and includes a refrigeration circuit for making ice for the water in the ice storage tank and an ice melting circuit for melting the ice in the ice storage tank. The operation method includes the following steps: (a) Determining whether it is an off-peak period; (b) When it is not the off-peak period, entering an ice melting mode, the water in the ice storage tank performs an ice melting operation on the ice in the ice storage tank through the ice melting circuit, and detecting a temperature of the ice storage tank; (c1) When the temperature does not reach an upper limit, the ice melting mode is continued until the off-peak period begins; and (c2) When the temperature reaches the upper limit, an air conditioning mode of the air conditioning equipment is put into operation together until the off-peak period begins. The operating method as described in claim 8, wherein the ice melting circuit includes a first circulation pump, and step (b) includes the following steps: (b1) detecting a return water temperature of the water entering the ice storage tank from the ice melting circuit; (b2) when it is determined that the return water temperature reaches a water temperature lower limit, reducing an operating frequency of a first circulation pump connected between the water outlet and the second cold source end to reduce a water flow circulation speed of the ice melting circuit; (b3) when it is determined that the return water temperature reaches a water temperature upper limit, increasing the operating frequency to increase the water flow circulation speed; and (b4) when it is determined that the return water temperature is between the water temperature lower limit and the water temperature upper limit, maintaining the operating frequency to maintain the water flow circulation speed. The operating method as described in claim 8 further includes the following steps: (d) determining a water level of the ice storage tank during the off-peak period; (e1) when the water level is not lower than a water level lower limit, entering an ice storage mode to control a refrigeration device to perform an ice-making operation on the water in the ice storage tank through the refrigeration circuit; (e2) when the water level is lower than the water level lower limit, stopping the ice storage mode.

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