JPH04366371A - Cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To carry out efficient heating and cooling operation by feeding cold heat generated in a pair of heat exchangers which store mechanical hydride separately to a cold heat accumulator on one side ti cooling service on the other side by war of different routes and circulating the heat generated from the metallic hydride heating operation without passing through the cold accumulator. CONSTITUTION:A heat exchanger 1a which stores metallic hydride M1H with a lower hydrogen occlusion pressure is connected to a heat exchanger 1b which stores high pressure metallic hydride 2H by means of a hydrogen piping 14. Inthis case, the cold heat of the hear exchanger 1b is supplied to a cold heat accumulator 3 on one side whereas it is supplied to the cooling service for a space 13 to be cooled on the other side. In the regeneration process, dampers 15 and 16 are changed over so as to supply cold heat from a cold accumulation material of the cold heat accumulator 3. During heating operation, the dampers 15 and 16 are changed over so that no cold heat may pass through the cold heat accumulator 3. A heat circulation passage is controlled by means of dampers 4 to 8 so that the heat exchanger 1a side may heat-exchange with the heating space 13 while the heat exchanger 1b side may heat-exchange with outside air.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling device that combines a metal hydride and a regenerator material.

0002

[Prior Art] For example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-131664, a metal hydride and a cold storage material are combined, and the cold heat generated by the metal hydride during the cooling process is used to simultaneously cool the space to be cooled and store the cold in the cold storage material. In the regeneration process in which hydrogen is returned to the heat exchanger for cooling generation, a device has been proposed that cools the space to be cooled using cold energy stored in a cold storage material.

This device is shown in FIG. In the same figure,
In order to exchange heat between the metal hydride M2H side and the cooling space 13 and the storage unit 3 through the air path as shown in FIG. 2a, and
Metal hydride M1H is caused to exchange heat with the outside air, and when valve 2 is opened, M2H releases hydrogen endothermically due to the equilibrium pressure difference between both metal hydrides M1H and M2H, and M1H absorbs hydrogen exothermically. As a result, the cooling space is cooled and heat is removed from the cooler 3. At this time, by setting the temperature of the cooling air to be lower than the solidification temperature of the cold material, the cold material is solidified.

Next, after the hydrogen has finished moving from the M2H side to the M1H side, the valve 2 is closed and the dampers 4 to 8 are switched to flow high temperature air to the M1H side as shown in FIG.
When outside air flows to the M2H side, the equilibrium pressures on the M1H side and M2H side are reversed. At this time, when valve 2 is opened, hydrogen becomes M1H.
It moves from the side to the M2H side, and returns to the initial state in FIG. 2 after the movement is completed. Further, at this time, cooling is not generated from the metal hydride, but cooling is performed by extracting the cold heat (heat of fusion of the cold storage material) stored in the cold storage in the process shown in FIG.

[0005] At this time, suppose the refrigerating capacity is 500Kcal.
/h, and if the air condition in the cooled space is maintained at 10℃ and the relative temperature is 80%, then using a cold storage material with a freezing point of about 9℃, the circulating air volume in the cooled space during the cooling process will be about 4m.
3/min, the circulating air volume in the space to be cooled during the regeneration process must be approximately 70 m3/min.
The influence of wind pressure on fan power, noise, and objects within the space to be cooled is significant.

[0006]

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, patent application No. 2-
In the heating and cooling system shown in No. 131664, the temperature in the space to be cooled is kept constant through a cooling process that uses the cold heat generated by metal hydrides and a regeneration process that uses the cold heat stored in the cold storage material. requires a large amount of air circulation into the cooled space during the regeneration process, and air circulation with the regenerator also occurs during heating, so the amount of sensible heat in the regenerator and the regenerator is lost compared to the heating heat output. becomes.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of these points, and in the cooling process, the cold heat generated from the metal hydride is circulated through separate routes for cooling the space to be cooled and for storing the cold in the cold storage material. Also, during heating, the heat generated from the metal hydride is circulated to the heated space without passing through the regenerator.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a first heat exchanger containing a metal hydride with a low hydrogen storage pressure, and a second heat exchanger containing a metal hydride with a high hydrogen storage pressure. , hydrogen piping forming a hydrogen path between the first and second heat exchangers, high temperature application means for applying high temperature to the first heat exchanger, and cooling the second heat exchanger. a cooling means, a regenerator capable of exchanging heat with the second heat exchanger and the space to be cooled, the second heat exchanger, the regenerator, and the space to be cooled; and a switching means for switching the heat exchange state of the second heat exchanger, the regenerator, and the space to be cooled.

[0009]

[Operation] With this configuration, the cold heat generated by a pair of cooling blocks made of metal hydrides is routed through separate routes, one for storing cold in the cold storage material, and the other for cooling the space to be cooled. If the cold energy stored in the cold storage material is supplied to the space to be cooled during the regeneration process, a stable supply of cold energy can be achieved with a relatively small amount of circulating air inside the refrigerator. moreover,
By providing a damper or the like, during heating operation, the heat output from the metal hydride does not pass through the regenerator and is circulated only with the space to be heated, thereby allowing heating operation with less sensible heat loss due to the regenerator and cold storage material.

0010

[Embodiments] Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, Figure 1 shows metal hydrides M1H and M2 used in the present invention.
Figure 3 shows the temperature-equilibrium pressure characteristics of H and the cycle diagrams for cooling and heating, respectively. Figure 3 shows the configuration of a heating and cooling system constructed using a metal hydride having the characteristics shown in Figure 1, and its cooling and heating. The operating status in each case is shown.

First, FIGS. 3 and 4 will be explained. In these figures, 1a and 1b are the first and second heat exchangers filled with the metal hydrides M1H and M2H shown in FIG. 1, respectively, and the metal hydride containers ( (not shown) are connected to each other by a hydrogen pipe 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, if the circulation paths from the heat exchanger containing metal hydride M2H for generating cold heat to the space to be cooled and the regenerator are arranged in parallel in the cooling process,
Operating conditions in Figure 2 above (refrigeration capacity 500Kcal/
h, air condition 10℃, 80%), by using a cold storage material with a freezing point of approximately 3℃, the circulating air volume to the space to be cooled during the cooling process can be reduced to approximately 2 m3/min, and the circulating air volume of the regenerator to approximately 15 m3/min. The regenerator in the regeneration process
The amount of circulating air in the space to be cooled may be approximately 4 m3/min.

[0013] As described above, when the operating system as shown in Fig. 3 is used, the amount of circulating air in the space to be cooled during cooling operation is significantly reduced compared to the operating system as shown in Fig. 2 (particularly in the regeneration process). ), fan power, noise, and the effects of wind pressure on objects in the space to be cooled are reduced, leading to an improvement in the overall efficiency of the system.

Next, FIG. 4 shows a heating operation method using the apparatus of the present invention. First, the M1H side is connected to the heating space 13 by controlling the air flow path using the dampers 4 to 8 as shown in FIG. 4a. When the valve 2 is opened, the equilibrium pressure relationship is M2H>M1H, so the M1H side absorbs hydrogen and generates heat, heating the space 13. At this time, hydrogen is released on the M2H side and an endothermic reaction occurs, but the equilibrium pressure difference with the M1H side is maintained by supplying heat from the outside air.

Next, after the hydrogen has finished moving from the M2H side to the M1H side, valve 2 is closed, and the damper is switched to flow high temperature air to the M1H side as shown in Figure 4b.
When heat is exchanged with the heating space 13 on the side, the relationship of equilibrium pressures is reversed, and the pressure on the M2H side becomes smaller than the pressure on the M1H side. At this time, when valve 2 is opened again, the hydrogen is
It moves from the 1H side to the M2H side, and the M2H side absorbs hydrogen and generates heat to heat the space 13.

[0016] In this way, if the metal hydride and the regenerator and the metal hydride and the space 13 are circulated through separate routes, the dampers 15 and 16 are closed during heating, so that the heat output from the metal hydride is stored in the cold storage. Space 1 without passing through vessel 3
3 is circulated, and sensible heat loss due to the cold storage material and the cold storage device can be prevented.

As described above, in the heating mode, the heat generated by the metal hydride can be utilized in both processes shown in FIG. 3ab.

In these embodiments, the regeneration process is carried out by sending high-temperature air, but this may also be carried out by direct heating with a heater or the like.

[0019]

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the fan power (improve the overall efficiency) of a cooling device that combines a metal hydride and a regenerator, reduce noise, and reduce the wind pressure in the space to be cooled. reduction (improvement of practicality).

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristic diagram of two types of metal hydrides used in the cooling device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a conventional heating and cooling device.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the cooling device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the cooling device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a First heat exchanger 1b Second heat exchanger 2 Valve ３　　　　Regenerator 4 Damper 5 Damper 6 Damper 7 Damper 8 Damper 9 Duct 11 Fan 12 Fan 13 Fan 14 Hydrogen piping 15 Damper 16 Damper

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A first heat exchanger containing a metal hydride with a low hydrogen storage pressure; a second heat exchanger containing a metal hydride with a high hydrogen storage pressure;
a hydrogen pipe forming a hydrogen path between the heat exchangers; a high temperature application means for applying a high temperature to the first heat exchanger; a cooling means for cooling the second heat exchanger; An air circulation system comprising a heat exchanger and a regenerator capable of exchanging heat with the cooled space, the second heat exchanger, the regenerator, and the cooled space, and the regenerator and the cooled space are provided in parallel. A cooling device comprising: a path; and switching means for switching the heat exchange state of the second heat exchanger, the regenerator, and the space to be cooled.