JPH0440136Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] "Industrial application field" This invention relates to a device for separating and removing water, oil, etc., which can reliably capture water that has entered the low-pressure section of a refrigeration cycle and turned into fine ice. In particular, the present invention relates to a moisture removal device suitable for use in extremely constant temperature cooling cycles where the low pressure section of the refrigeration cycle is in a vacuum state.

"Prior Art" Generally, refrigeration cycles that use refrigerants, particularly equipment that uses fluorocarbon-based refrigerants, do not like moisture, and it is better to avoid moisture for a long period of time in order to prevent corrosion of the various devices that make up the refrigeration cycle. When operating a cooling system, moisture often enters the system due to maintenance or other reasons.

Normally, water removal from cooling equipment is carried out by a dryer installed at the outlet of the condenser or liquid receiver, but in low-pressure areas, especially in areas below 0°C, water turns into ice and Does it adhere to the inner wall surface?
Since the frozen water is mixed into the refrigerant as fine ice, it will remain in the cooling cycle unless it is removed in the low-pressure section. Especially in a cooling system that is operated continuously for a long time, the frozen water will gradually disappear. As the ice accumulates and more than a certain amount of ice gets mixed into the refrigerant, the ice accumulates in various places in the device or adheres to the inner wall of the device to a certain thickness or more, causing the operation to continue. There are times when this is not possible.

For this reason, many common cooling devices are constructed so that the finely frozen water is also discharged together with the oil through a discharge valve attached to an oil sump connected to the low pressure section.

In other words, to remove oil using an oil sump, first store a mixture of water containing refrigerant, oil, and thin ice in the oil sump from the low-pressure part, and then use the heater (heating After evaporating the refrigerant by heating the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle, the evaporated refrigerant is returned to the low-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle, leaving oil and moisture in the oil sump and discharging the remaining amount. I am doing it.

However, in extremely low temperature refrigeration cycles where the low pressure section is in a vacuum state, when the oil sump is heated, water evaporates together with the refrigerant due to the water vapor partial pressure, and the evaporated water is refrigerated. The water gets mixed into the cycle and condenses, causing problems such as clogging valves and pipes, making it impossible to completely remove the water.

In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention has been developed to separate water, oil, etc., which can completely remove the finely frozen water together with oil even in extremely low temperature refrigeration cycles where the low pressure section is in a vacuum state. The purpose is to provide a removal device.

"Means for Solving Problems" In order to achieve the technical problem, the present invention has the following points: A heating means 2 is provided at the bottom of a container 1 that stores a liquid mixture of water containing a refrigerant, oil, and fine ice. The heating means 2 is a heating means that heats the liquid mixture to a temperature higher than the evaporation temperature of water.The low-pressure refrigerant of the cooling cycle, more specifically, is placed in a space above the liquid mixture storage position of the heating means 2. A heat exchanger 3 is provided that conducts a refrigerant having a temperature below the freezing point of water.After the mixed liquid is heated by the heating means 2,
The refrigerant gas after the evaporated water in the liquid mixture has been deposited as frost on the heat exchanger 3 can be introduced into the low pressure section of the refrigeration cycle through the pipe 9 provided above the heat exchanger 3. We propose a separation and removal device for water, oil, etc. as an essential component.

"Function" For example, when the container 1 is connected to the low pressure section 10 (low receiver) of a cryogenic refrigeration cycle, the ice becomes fine in the low temperature range of 0°C or less in the low pressure section and the remaining water is removed by the refrigerant. After taking it out to the storage container 1 side together with the oil, it is heated by the heating means 2 located at the bottom of the container 1 to melt the thin ice and evaporate it together with the refrigerant.

The mixed gas of the refrigerant and water vapor then comes into contact with the heat exchanger 3 provided in the container 1, whereby the mixed gas is cooled again, and only the water vapor is frozen and adheres to the coil 3a of the heat exchanger 3. However, only the refrigerant gas from which moisture has been removed by the heat exchanger 3 is introduced into the low-pressure part side of the cooling cycle via the pipe line 9.

The frozen moisture adhering to the coil 3a of the heat exchanger 3 is melted using defrost or hot gas, and is allowed to fall to the bottom side of the container 1 and released to the outside together with the oil remaining on the bottom side or alone. Let it drain.

As a result, the moisture evaporated by the heating means 2 can be completely captured by the heat exchanger 3, thereby eliminating the risk of the moisture entering the refrigeration cycle again and condensing, and keeping the low pressure section in a vacuum state. Even in extremely low-temperature refrigeration cycles, it is possible to easily and reliably remove water that has turned into fine ice.

It should be noted that the present invention can be easily applied to refrigeration cycles that use refrigerants other than extremely low temperature refrigeration cycles.

Embodiments Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in this example are not intended to limit the scope of this invention, but are merely illustrative examples. It's nothing more than that.

The drawing shows that water and oil are separated and removed from a mixture of refrigerant, oil, and water containing thin ice taken out from the low-pressure receiver 10 (low-pressure liquid reservoir), which is the low-pressure part of the refrigeration cycle, and only the refrigerant is transferred to the low-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle. 1 shows a separation and removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is returned to a container.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical container arranged upright to store the mixed liquid, and the mixed liquid stored in the low receiver 10 is passed through a conduit 5 and a regulating valve 6.
It is constructed so that it can be taken out into the container 1 from its midsection.

Further, the container 1 has a discharge valve 7 on the bottom side, and a discharge valve 7 on the bottom side.
A heater 2 is installed at the inner bottom side, a coiled heat exchanger 3 is installed above the midsection, a hot gas outlet 13 is installed at a position facing the heat exchanger 3, and a refrigerant return pipe 9 is installed at the top of the container 1. are set up respectively. Next, the various members will be explained in detail.

The heater 2 heats the liquid mixture stored in the container 1, and sets the heating temperature to a temperature sufficient to melt at least the thin ice and evaporate the refrigerant.

The coiled heat exchanger 3 has a branch pipe 8 that branches a conduit 20 connecting the low receiver 10 and the refrigerator 11.
The refrigerant that has been heat exchanged in the container 1 by the coiled heat exchanger 3 is connected to the branch pipe 8 and the conduit 2.
0, refrigerator 11, evaporator 12, low receiver 1
0, pump 18, conduit 14 and regulating valve 15 to be circulated to the heat exchanger 3 side.

The hot gas outlet 13 is connected to the discharge side of the compressor and other hot gas sources (not shown) via a conduit 17, and is configured to be able to melt water frozen in the cooling coil 3a of the heat exchanger 3.

A refrigerant return pipe 9 provided at the top of the container 1 is connected to a regulating valve 16.
It is connected to a conduit 20 that connects the low receiver 10 and the evaporator 11 via a pipe.

Next, the operation based on this configuration will be explained.

The upper layer of the refrigerant retained in the low receiver 10 is a liquid mixture containing oil and thin ice, and is sent into the container 1 via the conduit 5 and the regulating valve 6.

The mixed liquid stored in the container 1 is heated by the heater 2 to evaporate the refrigerant containing water. When the water-containing refrigerant contacts the coil 3a of the heat exchanger 3, it is cooled and only moisture freezes on the cooling coil 3a of the heat exchanger 3, and only the refrigerant is sent from the top of the container 1 to the refrigerant return pipe 9 and the regulating valve 16. The refrigerant can be returned to the low-pressure conduit 20 side through the low-pressure conduit 20, pass through the low receiver 10, and be sucked into the refrigerator 11 together with other refrigerants.

On the other hand, if a predetermined amount or more of water freezes in the cooling coil 3a of the heat exchanger 3, the heating of the heater 2 is stopped, and the supply of low-pressure refrigerant into the heat exchanger 3 is stopped.In other words, the cooling coil 3a is stopped. After cooling is stopped, the hot gas from the compressor is discharged from the outlet to dissolve the water frozen in the cooling coil 3a and discharged from the discharge valve 7 together with the oil.

Note that similar results can be obtained even without oil.

According to such an embodiment, the effects of the present invention can be smoothly achieved.

In addition, in the figure, 18 is a pump that circulates the refrigerant liquid in the low receiver 10, 21 is a level switch, and 22
is a pressure gauge and 23 is a safety valve.

"Effects" As described above, according to the present invention, even in an extremely low temperature cooling cycle where the low pressure part is in a vacuum state with a simple configuration, the finely frozen water can be completely removed together with the oil. I can do things. It has various effects such as

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a schematic explanatory diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention for removing moisture mixed in a low-pressure part of a cooling cycle. 10...Low receiver, 2...Heating means, 3...
...Heat exchanger, 1... Container.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] In a device for separating and removing water, oil, etc., which is incorporated into a refrigeration cycle, the device is provided at the bottom of a container that stores a liquid mixture of water containing a refrigerant, oil, and fine ice, and the liquid mixture is separated into water. A heat exchanger that conducts a refrigerant having a temperature below the freezing point of water is provided in a space above the liquid mixture storage position of the heating means that heats the liquid mixture to a temperature higher than the evaporation temperature of water, and after the liquid mixture is heated by the heating means, It is characterized in that the refrigerant gas after the evaporated water in the mixed liquid is deposited as frost on the heat exchanger can be introduced into the low pressure section side of the refrigeration cycle through a pipe line provided above the heat exchanger. Separation and removal equipment for water, oil, etc. built into the refrigeration cycle.