TWM619733U - Refrigeration apparatus and cooler comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigeration apparatus is disclosed. The refrigeration apparatus include an apparatus body and a pressure control device. The apparatus body includes an accommodation space for containing refrigerant and a pressure control device for controlling evaporation/sublimation pressure and connected with the apparatus body, making the accommodating space fluid communicate with outside of the apparatus body. The pressure control device includes a shut-off valve for opening or closing the communicating of accommodating space and the outside of the apparatus body. Such that, the temperature around the apparatus can be maintained at an approximately fixed temperature. A cooler is also disclosed. The cooler includes an internal space. The refrigeration apparatus is disposed in the internal space and communicates the accommodating space of the refrigeration apparatus with outside of the apparatus body via the pressure control device.

Description

Refrigeration device and cold storage box containing it

This creation is related to a refrigeration device and a cold storage box containing the same, especially a refrigeration device that can control the evaporation/sublimation pressure to maintain the temperature around the refrigeration device or in the cold storage box, and a cold storage box containing the same.

Many raw materials and products need to be placed in a proper temperature environment to be effectively stored. As the global environmental temperature changes intensified, maintaining the temperature of the storage space becomes extremely important.

Take food as an example. In tropical and subtropical regions, the storage temperature of food is usually lower than the outdoor temperature. In order to maintain the low temperature, refrigeration/refrigeration units (including compressors and related accessories) have been installed on transportation vehicles for a long time. Maintain a low space temperature over time. Correspondingly, it takes up a lot of space, uses a lot of power, and generates a lot of operating noise.

In recent years, due to people's pursuit of convenience and preventive measures against epidemic diseases, in addition to the transportation of large quantities of food, the delivery of small quantities of food has become increasingly popular.

Since small quantities of food are transported more easily, it is difficult to transport a small amount of food (such as a locomotive) and will not be equipped with a freezer/refrigerator unit. Instead, the food is wrapped with heat insulation material, or the food is mixed with ice cubes. Dry ice is placed together to absorb the heat in the space. However, the cold preservation effect of this method cannot be maintained for too long, and the temperature of the storage space cannot be kept constant according to the demand. Ensure the flavor of the food and may cause other problems, such as the production of a lot of waste insulation materials, the inability to discharge carbon dioxide gas in the space, and/or the inability to temporarily stop refrigeration to maintain the refrigeration power for a longer period of time.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a refrigeration device and a cold storage box containing the same, which can control the evaporation/sublimation pressure to maintain the temperature around the refrigeration device or in the cold storage box, while at the same time, it does not use extra electricity, does not occupy a lot of space, and temporarily stops cooling. And/or no noise, etc.

To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the refrigeration device provided by this creation includes a device body and a pressure control component. The device body includes an accommodating space, and the accommodating space is suitable for accommodating the refrigerant. The pressure control component can be set to control the evaporation/sublimation pressure, and is connected with the device body, so that the containing space is in fluid communication with the outside of the device body. The pressure control assembly includes a shut-off valve, which can open or close the communication between the containing space and the outside of the device body.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, this creation also provides a cold storage box, which includes a space inside the box, and the space inside the box is provided with a refrigerating device. The refrigerating device can communicate with the accommodating space of the refrigerating device and the outside of the cold storage box through a pressure control component.

In one embodiment, the refrigerant provided by the refrigeration device and the cold storage box containing it is liquid carbon dioxide.

In one embodiment, the pressure control component of the refrigeration device and the cold storage box containing the refrigeration device provided by the present invention includes a back pressure regulating valve, and is set to control the evaporation or sublimation pressure between 0.1 and 72.9 barG.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration device provided by the present invention and the device body of the cold storage box including the device further include an evaporation tube, an upper tube and a lower tube. The upper tube is set above the evaporation tube and is The hair tube is in fluid communication. The down tube is arranged below the evaporation tube and is in fluid communication with the evaporation tube. The upper tube is connected with the pressure control assembly.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration device provided by the present invention and the evaporating tube of the cold storage box containing it include at least one heat sink.

In one embodiment, the evaporating tube of the refrigeration device and the cold storage box containing the refrigeration device provided by the present invention includes a cross-sectional shape, which is a six-star, eight-star or snowflake shape.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration device provided by the present invention and the upper tube of the cold storage box containing it further include a filling port suitable for filling with refrigerant.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration device provided by the present invention and the cold storage box containing the same further include a protective shell that surrounds the device body and is made of metal materials.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration device provided by the present invention and the protective shell of the cold storage box containing the same include a plurality of holes.

In one embodiment, the refrigeration device provided by the present invention and the device body of the cold storage box containing it are made of aluminum alloy.

In order to make the above objectives, technical features, and advantages more obvious and understandable, a detailed description will be given below with a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

1, 1’: Refrigeration device

10: Device body

11: shell

12: upper tube

12D: Length extension direction

13: accommodation space

14: Evaporation tube

14a: upper end

14b: bottom

14D: Length extension direction

15: fluid connector

16: down tube

16D: Length extension direction

18: carbon dioxide

20: Pressure control components

22: Shut-off valve

24: Evaporation pressure adjustment valve

26: Exhaust pipe

30: Protective shell

31: Hole

100: cold box

110: opening

121: Filling Port

122: Filling valve

123: Pressure gauge

142: Heat sink

142D: Length extension direction

b: length

c: length

T: thickness

Td: Difference

Te: evaporation temperature

To: The temperature inside the cold storage box

L: Liquid

G: gas

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of the refrigeration device created;

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the refrigeration device created;

Figure 3 is a perspective schematic view of the evaporation tube of the refrigeration device of Figure 2;

Figures 4a to 4c are schematic diagrams with different cross-sections of the evaporating tube of the refrigeration device in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the refrigeration device created with a protective shell;

Figure 6 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cold storage box created;

Figure 7 is a comparison chart of the temperature inside the cold storage box created and the cooling capacity of the refrigeration device; and

Figure 8 is a comparison chart of the temperature and endurance of the cool box created.

The following will specifically describe specific embodiments based on this creation; however, without departing from the spirit of this creation, this creation can still be practiced in various forms of embodiments, and the scope of protection of this creation should not be construed as being limited to what is stated in the specification. Presenter.

Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form "one" used herein also includes the plural form, and the orientation (such as up, down, inside, outside, etc.) is a relative orientation, which can be based on the refrigeration device or cold box The definition of use status does not indicate or imply that the refrigeration device or cold storage box needs to have a specific structure or operation, nor should it be understood as a limitation of this creation.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a refrigeration device 1 according to an embodiment of the present creation. The refrigeration device 1 includes a device body 10 and a pressure control assembly 20. The device body 10 may have a casing 11 to define an accommodating space 13, and the accommodating space 13 can accommodate a refrigerant. The refrigerant can optionally be solid carbon dioxide, liquid carbon dioxide or other environmentally friendly refrigerants. The housing 11 may be made of one or more of aluminum alloy, copper alloy, iron-based alloy, or other thermally conductive materials. The pressure control assembly 20 can control an evaporation or sublimation pressure and is connected to the device body 10 so that the containing space 13 and the outside of the device body 10 can be fluidly connected to discharge the phase-change refrigerant to the outside of the device body 10. In this way, in addition to the physical properties of the refrigerant in the device body 10 that it absorbs heat (the latent heat required during phase change) during evaporation/sublimation to achieve the cooling effect, it is also possible to further maintain the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant at a fixed temperature by controlling the evaporation or sublimation pressure. Interval.

In detail, please refer to FIG. 2. The casing 11 of the device body 10 of an embodiment of the refrigeration device 1 of the present invention can be divided into an upper tube 12, an evaporation tube 14 and a lower tube 16. The upper tube 12, the evaporating tube 14, and the lower tube 16 are a tubular container (or other containers of any shape that can encapsulate the refrigerant). The upper tube 12 is arranged above the evaporating tube 14, and the lower tube 16 is arranged below the evaporating tube 14. . In this embodiment, the length extension direction 12D of the upper tube 12 and the length extension direction 16D of the lower tube 16 are substantially parallel to each other, and the length extension direction 14D of the steam tube 14 is the same as the length extension directions 12D, 16D of the upper tube 12 and the lower tube 16 Roughly vertical. The upper tube 12, the evaporation tube 14, and the lower tube 16 can be manufactured by integral molding; they can also be manufactured separately and separately and then connected to each other. For example, the upper end 14a and the lower end 14b of each evaporation tube 14 can be provided with a fluid joint. 15. The evaporating tube 14 can be in fluid communication with the upper tube 12 and the lower tube 16 and jointly define a containing space 13. When the refrigeration device 1 is placed in such a way that the length extension direction 14D of the evaporating tube 14 is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the placement plane, and the refrigerant in each evaporating tube 14 is a fluid (for example, liquid L), the refrigerant can be reduced by The arrangement of the tube 16 is maintained at the same height in the evaporation tube 14 so that the heat transfer capacity is evenly distributed among the evaporation tubes 14. The upper tube 12 may include a filling port 121 for the user to fill refrigerant into the accommodating space 13 of the device body 10. When the refrigerant is a fluid, the filling port 121 may be provided with a filling valve 122, such as a hydraulically controlled filling valve Or spring return type filling valve to help filling. In order to increase the heat transfer area, the device body 10 may be provided with several evaporation tubes 14. In Figure 2, five evaporation tubes 14 are shown, but this is not a limitation.

Following the above embodiments, the pressure control assembly 20 of the refrigeration device 1 can be arranged in fluid communication with the upper tube 12. The pressure control assembly 20 can include a shut-off valve 22, an evaporation pressure adjustment valve 24, and an exhaust pipe 26 in sequence from upstream to downstream in the direction of fluid flow, but the sequence is not limited by this. The shut-off valve 22 is used to open or close the communication between the accommodation space 13 and the outside of the device body 10. When the shut-off valve 22 is opened, the evaporated gas G can be discharged to the refrigeration device 1 through the pressure control assembly 20 and the exhaust pipe 26 External; when the shut-off valve 22 is closed, the evaporated gas G cannot leave the refrigeration device 1, thereby avoiding the phase change of the refrigerant and prolonging the refrigeration Capacity of the battery life. The evaporation pressure regulating valve 24 can mechanically control the evaporation or sublimation pressure to maintain the evaporation or sublimation temperature. The evaporation pressure regulating valve 24 can be a pressure reducing valve or a back pressure regulating valve. For example, the back pressure regulator can be the KPB series of Swagelok (Swagelock) regulators. The exhaust pipe 26 may be a long tubular shape to adjustably discharge the refrigerant to a place away from the refrigeration device 1.

Because when the evaporation pressure of liquid carbon dioxide is controlled between 4.2 and 72.9 barG, it can correspond to the evaporation temperature of -56.6 ~ 31.1 ℃; when the sublimation pressure of solid carbon dioxide is controlled between 0.1 and 4.0 barG, it can correspond to -78~- The sublimation temperature of 57°C is more in line with the cold preservation temperature expected in the use situation of this creation, and carbon dioxide has the advantages of non-toxic, non-flammable, and will not destroy the ozone layer. The following uses carbon dioxide as a refrigerant to explain in detail the function of the evaporative pressure regulating valve 24 as follows:

If the refrigerant is liquid carbon dioxide, the pressure in the accommodating space 12 of the device body 10 is maintained at 72.9 barG by the evaporation pressure adjusting valve 24, and the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant can be maintained at 31.1°C in principle; if the refrigerant is solid carbon dioxide, The pressure in the accommodating space 12 of the device body 10 is maintained at 0.1 barG, and the sublimation temperature of the refrigerant can be maintained at -78°C in principle. The principle is that when the evaporation pressure is maintained at 72.9barG, the critical point temperature for converting liquid carbon dioxide into gaseous carbon dioxide is 31.1℃ (that is, the evaporation temperature when the evaporation pressure is 72.9barG). If the ambient temperature is greater than 31.1℃, the liquid carbon dioxide will be It will continue to evaporate until the ambient temperature drops to 31.1°C. As long as the ambient temperature is not higher than 31.1°C, the liquid carbon dioxide in the device body will be maintained in a liquid state, will not undergo phase change, and will not receive heat from the outside, and the refrigeration device 1 can have a longer endurance. In the same way, when solid carbon dioxide is used as a refrigerant and the sublimation pressure is maintained at 4barG, the critical point temperature for the conversion of solid carbon dioxide to gaseous carbon dioxide is -57℃ (that is, the sublimation temperature when the sublimation pressure is 4barG), as long as the ambient temperature If the temperature is not higher than -57℃, the solid carbon dioxide in the device body will remain in a solid state and will not receive heat from the outside, so as to have a longer endurance.

Therefore, the refrigeration device 1 of the present invention can have a fixed evaporation or sublimation temperature by setting a fixed evaporation or sublimation pressure in advance. In order to facilitate users to adjust according to different needs, a pressure gauge 123 can also be provided on the upper tube 12 to monitor the evaporation or sublimation pressure in the containing space 13, and then adjust the temperature around the refrigeration device 1 by controlling the evaporation or sublimation pressure. Optionally, the evaporative pressure regulating valve 24 and the pressure gauge 123 can be connected to a controller (not shown), so that the user can directly set the required temperature through the controller, and the controller can read the pressure value through the pressure gauge 123 and then The evaporation or sublimation pressure to be maintained by the evaporation pressure regulating valve 24 is automatically adjusted.

In addition, the upper tube 12 can also be connected with other parts, such as a spring-type safety valve, a lever-type safety valve, or a pulse-type safety valve (not shown) to avoid accidents caused by overpressure.

Please refer to Figure 3, which is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the evaporation tube 14 of this creation. In order to increase the contact area between the evaporation tube 14 and the air, at least one heat sink 142 may be provided on the outer surface of the evaporation tube 14. The heat sink may have a thickness T, for example, about 1 mm, but this is not a limitation. The heat sink 142 may have a length extension direction 142D, which is substantially parallel to the length extension direction 14D of the evaporation tube 14. In other words, the heat sink 142 may extend along the length extension direction 14D, and may have a length c equal to or shorter than the length b of the evaporation tube 14. Please refer to Figures 4a to 4c, which are schematic cross-sectional diagrams of the evaporation tube 14 of this creation. When the evaporation tube 14 has a plurality of radiating fins 142, the radiating fins 142 can be spaced apart from each other and arranged in different shapes, so that the cross-sectional shape of the evaporating tube 14 can present a six-star shape (Figure 4a) and an eight-star shape (Figure 4a). Figure 4b) or snowflake shape (Figure 4c), but not as a limitation. If the evaporator tube 14 has a sufficient heat dissipation area (for example, only in a tube shape) after the manufacture is completed, the heat dissipation fins 142 may not be provided.

Please refer to FIG. 5, the refrigeration device 1 of the present invention may further include a protective shell 30. In this embodiment, the protective casing 30 may have a rectangular shape to surround the upper tube 12, the evaporation tube 14 and the lower tube 16, but does not form a closed space. The pressure control assembly 20 may be arranged outside the protective casing 30, but Not limited system. The protective shell 30 can be used to prevent the refrigeration device 1 or the device body 10 from being damaged by collisions, and also to prevent the shell 11 of the device body 10 from contacting human skin and causing frostbite accidents. The protective shell 30 may further include a plurality of holes 31, so that the air can circulate smoothly and contact the evaporation tube to exchange heat. The holes 31 can have different sizes and shapes, and can also be arranged in different patterns or characters to provide diversified decorative effects. The protective shell 30 can also be made of metal (for example, stainless steel) to facilitate cleaning and assist in heat conduction. Since the protective shell 30 can be a spaced apart covering the refrigeration device 1 or the device body 10, its temperature will not cause frostbite , But not as a limit. The material of the protective housing 30 may also include plastic materials.

Next, please refer to FIG. 6, which is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cold storage box 100. The cold storage box 100 is provided with at least one cooling device 1'. The technical content of the cooling device 1'can refer to the technical content of the above-mentioned cooling device 1. In this embodiment, the cold storage box 100 may be a rectangular shell, which may be made of plastic, metal or foam material, and optionally provided with a vacuum interlayer. The cold storage box 100 may include at least one switchable opening 110 for the user to place food or objects that need to be kept cold. The refrigeration device 1'can be placed in the cold storage box 100 in a direction in which the upper tube 12 is located above and the lower tube 16 is located below (also called the upright direction), but this is not a limitation. According to different needs, the device body 10 of the refrigeration device 1'can be inside the cold storage box 100, and the pressure control assembly 20 can be exposed outside the cold storage box 100, which is convenient for the user to open or close the refrigeration device 1'and avoid unnecessary loss of refrigerant. Or it is convenient for the user to adjust the space temperature of the cold storage box 100 without opening the cold storage box 100, and directly discharge the evaporated refrigerant to the outside of the cold storage box 100 through the pressure control assembly 20. If the pressure control assembly 20 is located in the cold insulation box 100, the discharge end of the exhaust pipe 26 can still be arranged outside the cold insulation box 100 to discharge the evaporated refrigerant to the space outside the cold insulation box 100.

Please refer to Fig. 7, which is a comparison chart for maintaining the internal temperature of the cold storage box 100 and the cooling capacity of the refrigeration device 1'(including five evaporating tubes 14 with a cross-sectional shape of snowflakes). Fig. 8 is a comparison diagram of the temperature inside the cold insulation box 100 and the endurance of the refrigerating device 1'. In this embodiment, the cold storage box 100 has a box The internal dimensions are 43 cm in width, 43 cm in height, 43 cm in height, and a volume of 0.080 cubic meters. The volume of the refrigeration device 1'installed in the cold storage box 100 is 0.64 liters (L), which can be filled with 0.384 kg ( kg) liquid carbon dioxide, and set the evaporation pressure with the back pressure regulator. The temperature difference (Td) in the table = the temperature inside the cold storage box (To)-the evaporation temperature (Te). If the user wants the temperature inside the cold storage box 100 to be -20°C, the evaporation pressure needs to be set at 16.6barG to maintain the corresponding evaporation temperature at -26°C, with a cooling power of 0.012 kilowatts (kW), and battery life 1.67 hours (Hrs), of which the consumption of liquid carbon dioxide is 0.147 kg/h (kg/h).

In summary, the refrigeration device of this invention and the cold storage box containing it have a longer cooling capacity, adjustable and maintain the desired space temperature, and a controllable temperature range than the conventional cold insulation method. It has a wide range of methods, takes up less space than traditional freezing/refrigeration units, can increase or decrease the number of refrigeration devices placed according to demand (easy to dispatch), does not need to use electricity and power, no noise and vibration during operation, and the components used are less prone to failure Other advantages, in addition to conducive to the transportation of small quantities of goods, but also can be flexibly applied to other life, industry, medical and other aspects.

The above-mentioned embodiments are only used to exemplify the implementation of this creation and explain the technical features of this creation, and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this creation. Any changes or equal arrangements that can be easily completed by those familiar with this technology belong to the scope of this creation, and the scope of protection of the rights of this creation shall be subject to the scope of the patent application.

1: Refrigeration device

10: Device body

11: shell

12: upper tube

12D: Length extension direction

13: accommodation space

14: Evaporation tube

14a: upper end

14b: bottom

14D: Length extension direction

15: fluid connector

16: down tube

16D: Length extension direction

20: Pressure control components

22: Shut-off valve

24: Evaporation pressure adjustment valve

26: Exhaust pipe

121: Filling Port

122: Filling valve

123: Pressure gauge

142: Heat sink

b: length

L: Liquid

G: gas

Claims (11)

A refrigeration device includes: a device body including an accommodating space suitable for accommodating a refrigerant; and a pressure control assembly suitable for controlling an evaporation or sublimation pressure, and is connected with the device body to make the The accommodating space is in fluid communication with the outside of the device body; wherein the pressure control assembly includes a shut-off valve, which is suitable for opening or closing the communication between the accommodating space and the outside of the device body. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant is liquid carbon dioxide. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the pressure control component includes a back pressure regulating valve and is set to control the evaporation or sublimation pressure between 0.1 and 72.9 barG. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the device body further comprises: an evaporation tube; an upper tube arranged above the evaporating tube and in fluid communication with the evaporating tube; and a lower tube arranged on the evaporating tube The lower part is in fluid communication with the evaporation tube; wherein, the upper tube is connected with the evaporation pressure control assembly. The refrigeration device according to claim 4, wherein the evaporation tube includes at least one heat sink. The refrigeration device according to claim 5, wherein the evaporating tube includes a cross-sectional shape, and the cross-sectional shape is a six-star, an eight-star, or a snowflake shape. According to the refrigeration device of claim 4, the upper tube further includes a filling port suitable for filling the refrigerant. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, further comprising a protective casing surrounding the main body of the device, and is made of a metal material. The refrigeration device according to claim 8, wherein the protective casing includes a plurality of holes. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein the body of the device is made of aluminum alloy. A cold storage box comprising an inner space provided with a refrigerating device according to any one of claim 1-10, the refrigerating device communicates with the accommodating space of the refrigerating device and the cold storage through the pressure control assembly The outside of the box.

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