JPH0771838A - Cold generating device using metallic hydride - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To rapidly cool an object to be cooled and to make a device compact by connecting a pair of high-pressure side heat exchangers through a pump, while connecting a low-pressure side heat exchanger and an air heat exchanger through another pump, when cold is generated. CONSTITUTION:A pair of high-pressure side metal vessels 1, 2 are filled with metal hydride MH2 having high equilibrium hydrogen pressure characteristics, and heat exchangers 3, 4 are provided. On the other hand, a low-pressure side metal vessel 7 is filled with metal hydride MH1 having low equilibrium hydrogen pressure characteristics and a high temperature imparting means 10 and heat exchanger 11 are provided. And when cold is generated, switching valves 14a, 14b are switched to one another so that the heat exchangers 3, 4 are connected through a pump 13, while the heat exchanger 11 and an air heat exchanger 15 are connected through another pump 18. By this method, cold delivery parts 3a, 4a of the vessels 1, 2 are heat exchanged with an object to be cooled 19 to rapidly cool it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cold heat generator using a metal hydride, and more particularly to a cold heat generator using a metal hydride most suitable for quick freezing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is known that certain metals and alloys occlude hydrogen to form metal hydrides, and various types of cold heat generators utilizing an endothermic reaction when releasing the metal hydride are known. Proposed.

For example, JP-B-58-19956 discloses two metal containers each containing two kinds of metal hydrides having different hydrogen equilibrium pressures, a heat exchanger provided in the metal container, and the metal. And a means for connecting containers via an automatic valve, wherein hydrogen gas is released from the metal container by using solar heat or various waste heats, and a metal hydrogen which exerts a cooling function on the metal hydride side having a high hydrogen equilibrium pressure. A cooling device using a compound has been proposed.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned cold heat generating device, the heat exchanger incorporated in the metal container and the heat exchanger for taking out cold heat are separately provided, and rapid freezing of the object to be cooled is performed. Have difficulty.

That is, in the above-described metal hydride container that also serves as a heat exchanger, it is difficult to obtain a rapid freezing effect because the load is cooled through a cooling medium such as air. When hydrogen is returned to the metal container for generation, equipment for supplying the cooling medium is required in order to remove the generated heat by using cooling water or the like, and the entire apparatus is large.

Therefore, the conventional cold heat generator using a metal hydride has been unsuitable for rapid cooling and use as a compact cold heat generator.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a compact cold heat generating device which rapidly cools an object to be cooled.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a metal hydride having a high equilibrium hydrogen pressure characteristic is filled with a heat exchanger having a cold heat extraction portion for cooling an object to be cooled on the outside.
A pair of high-pressure side metal containers arranged so as to form a cooled space for cooling an object to be cooled by the cold heat take-out portions facing each other, a high temperature applying means together with a heat exchanger, and low equilibrium hydrogen pressure characteristics. A low-pressure side metal container filled with a metal hydride, and a moving mechanism for freely changing an interval of the cooled space of the high-pressure side metal container so that the objects to be cooled come into contact with the cold heat extraction part, respectively, during cooling; ,
A first hydrogen pipe that connects between the pair of high-pressure side metal containers and is arranged so as to be adaptable to change in the distance by the moving mechanism, and the first hydrogen pipe from the low-pressure side metal container via a hydrogen valve. Heat that is appropriately connected to the second hydrogen pipe connected to the 1 hydrogen pipe and either the heat exchanger of the pair of high-pressure side metal containers or the heat exchanger of the low-pressure side metal container via the heat medium pipe and the pump The heat exchanger for discharge and the heat medium pipe are appropriately arranged, and at the time of cooling, they are switched to form a circulation flow path between the heat exchangers of the pair of high-pressure side metal containers, and the low pressure While switching to connect the heat exchanger of the side metal container and the heat release heat exchanger, during regeneration, the heat exchanger of the pair of high-pressure side metal container and the heat release heat exchanger are connected. And a switching valve that switches In which it was to be provided.

[0009]

With the above structure, in the process of generating cold heat, the object to be cooled is cooled by performing heat exchange of heat conduction by contact between the cold heat take-out portion of the high-pressure side metal container and the object to be cooled, and in the low-pressure side metal container. , Heat exchange with the air is performed by the heat radiating heat exchanger via the heat medium. During the regeneration process, the metal hydride in the metal container is heated by the high temperature applying means installed in the metal container on the low pressure side, and the stored heat generated in the metal container on the high pressure side is radiated through the heat medium for heat exchange. The heat exchange with the air is performed by the vessel. Therefore, the object to be cooled can be rapidly cooled and a compact cold heat generating device can be provided.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cold heat generator using a metal hydride showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, a pair of metal container 1 and metal container 2 are arranged so as to face each other, and each is filled with metal hydride MH2, and a heat exchanger 3 and a heat exchanger 4 are provided. The heat exchanger 3 and the heat exchanger 4 are provided with a cold heat extraction portion 3a and a cold heat extraction portion 4a, which are in contact with an object to be cooled, which will be described later, on the outer sides of the metal container 1 and the metal container 2, respectively. Outside of the cold heat extraction section 3a,
Heat exchange pipes 3b and 4b, which communicate with 3b and are provided inside the corresponding metal containers 1 and 2, are arranged so as to meander.

The metal container 1 and the metal container 2 are communicated with each other by a flexible connecting hydrogen pipe 5 which will be described later, and a cooling space between the cold heat take-out portion 3a and the cold heat take-out portion 4a which is vertically moved in the figure by a moving mechanism 6 which will be described later. The distance is movable so that 21 can be changed.

The metal container 7 communicates with the metal container 2 via the hydrogen valve 8 through the hydrogen pipe 9, and is filled with the metal hydride MH1 and further comprises a high temperature applying means 10 composed of a heater and a heat exchanger 11. Built-in.

The cold heat extraction portion 3a of the heat exchanger 3 and the cold heat extraction portion 4a of the heat exchanger 4 are connected by a heat medium pipe 12a, and the heat exchange pipe 3b is connected to the flow path switching valve 14a by the heat medium pipe 12a. It is connected. The heat exchange pipe 4b of the metal container 2 is connected to the flow path switching valve 14a via the pump 13. Further, the heat exchanger 11 of the metal container 7 is connected to the flow path switching valve 14b by the heat medium pipe 12b.

The air-type heat exchanger 15 is provided with a fan 16 for radiating heat and a heat exchange pipe 17, one of the heat exchange pipes 17 is connected to the flow path switching valve 14a, and the other is through a pump 18. It is connected to the flow path switching valve 14b.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side structural view showing an example seen from the direction of the chain line arrow in FIG. The cold heat extraction portions 3a and 4a of the heat exchangers 3 and 4 are hollow and have a rectangular thin plate shape having the same thermal conductivity as the outside of the metal containers 1 and 2, for example. , Copper, etc., and the outside is in contact with an object to be cooled to transfer cold heat. The heat exchange pipes 3b and 4b communicating with the cold heat extraction units 3a and 4a are arranged in an airtight manner so as to exchange heat with the inside of the metal hydride MH2 of the metal containers 1 and 2, respectively.

The connecting hydrogen pipe 5 is formed by a hose in which mounting fittings having excellent pressure resistance and heat resistance are attached to the metal containers 1 and 2, and can be bent. For example, SWAGELOK C
An Ana Ltd Swagelok ™ flexible metal hose tube connector is used.

The moving mechanism 6 is composed of a gear 6b which is interlocked with a motor 6a and spur gears 6c and 6d which are engaged with the rotation of the gear 6b and are converted into vertical movements. One spur gear 6c is attached to the metal container 1. The other spur gear 6d is attached to the metal container 2, and further, the guide portions 20 are provided at the four corners on the side where the metal container 1 and the metal container 2 face each other.

The guide portion 20 has a support portion 20b having a guide hole 20a shown by a chain line on the metal container 2 side, and a guide rod 20c which is slidable by being inserted into the guide hole 20a is on the metal container 1 side. The space of the cooled space 21 can be smoothly changed by moving the moving mechanism 6 in the vertical direction.

Here, the metal hydride MH1 and the metal hydride MH2 have temperature-equilibrium characteristics as shown in FIG. 3, and MH2 (illustrated by I) filled in the metal containers 1 and 2 is a metal container. It has the characteristic of higher equilibrium pressure at the same temperature as MH1 (illustrated II) filled in No. 7. As the object to be cooled, for example, frozen storage blood packed in silicon or the like, a cold storage material, or the like can be applied.

First, the cooling of the object to be cooled 19 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. As an initial state, the metal hydride MH2 of the metal containers 1 and 2 is in a hydrogen storage state, that is, the state of A shown in FIG. Then, the metal hydride MH1 of the metal container 7 is in a hydrogen-releasing state, that is, the state of B shown in FIG.

At this time, the object to be cooled 1 is indicated by the arrow in the figure.
9 is inserted into the space to be cooled 21, and the metal container 1 is moved in the direction of the metal container 2 (chain line in the figure) by the moving mechanism 6 composed of a motor to cool the object 19 to be cooled by the cold heat extraction portion 3a and the cold heat extraction portion 4a. Make sure to hold it. As a result, the one-side cold heat extraction portion 3 of the object to be cooled 19
a, and the other side of the object to be cooled 19 is the cold heat extraction portion 4a.
Contact with.

Further, the flow passage switching valve 14a is switched so that the heat exchanger 3 and the heat exchanger 4 form a closed flow passage via the heat medium pipe 12a and the pump 13. Furthermore, the flow path switching valve 1
4b is connected to the heat transfer pipe 17 of the air heat exchanger 15 via the heat transfer medium pipe 12b and the pump 18 on the heat transfer medium pipe 12b, and switches so as to form a circulation flow path.

In this initial state, the hydrogen valve 8 is opened and the pump 13 and the pump 18 are operated. As a result, the hydrogen of the metal hydride MH2 in the metal containers 1 and 2 is released, the released hydrogen of the metal container 1 merges with the released hydrogen of the metal container 2 via the connecting hydrogen pipe 5, and the hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen pipe 9 to the metal. It is stored in the metal hydride MH1 in the container 7.

In the metal containers 1 and 2, the metal hydride MH
Cold heat is generated by the endothermic reaction due to the release of hydrogen from 2, and the cold heat is exchanged with the heat exchanger 3 and the heat exchanger 4, respectively,
The cooled heat medium circulates in the closed flow path by the operation of the heat medium pipe 12a and the pump 13 on the heat medium pipe 12a. Gradually, the temperature of the cold heat extraction portions 3a, 4a is lowered, and the object to be cooled 19 is cooled by heat conduction from the cold heat extraction portions 3a, 4a. As a result, the object to be cooled 19 that contacts the cold heat extraction portion 3a and the cold heat extraction portion 4a is rapidly cooled.

On the other hand, in the metal container 7, the metal hydride MH
1 absorbs hydrogen to generate heat of absorption. This heat is heat-exchanged with the heat medium of the heat exchanger 11, and is radiated by the fan 16 from the heat medium pipe 12b and the pump 18 on the heat medium pipe 12b from the heat exchange pipe 17 of the air-type heat exchanger 15.

When the cooling step is completed, the moving mechanism 6 widens the space of the cooled space 21, the cooled object 19 is taken out, and the pumps 13 and 18 are stopped. The object to be cooled 19 taken out is used according to the purpose.

Next, the regeneration process will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the flow passage switching valve 14b is switched so that the heat exchanger 11 forms a closed flow passage, and the heat exchanger 3, the heat exchanger 4, and the heat exchange pipe 17 of the air heat exchanger 15 are connected. The flow path switching valves 14a and 14b are switched so that a circulation flow path is formed by the heat medium pipe 12a and the pump 13 on the heat medium pipe 12a.

Then, when the metal hydride MH1 of the metal container 7 is heated by the high temperature applying means 10, the hydrogen valve 8 is opened and the pump 13 and the pump 18 are operated. As a result, the metal hydride MH1 in the metal container 7 becomes high temperature and high pressure, and enters the state of C shown in FIG. 3, and the hydrogen flows through the hydrogen valve 8 in the direction of D, that is, the metal containers 1 and
And is occluded by the metal hydride MH2.

At this time, storage heat is generated in the metal hydride MH2 of the metal containers 1 and 2, but this heat is generated by the heat exchanger 3.
Heat is radiated from the heat exchanger 4 to the outside through the heat medium pipe 12a and the heat exchange pipe 17 of the air heat exchanger 15.

When this regeneration step is completed, the initial state for cooling the next object to be cooled 19 is returned to.

As described above, in the process of generating cold heat, the cold heat take-out portion 3a of the metal containers 1 and 2 and the cold heat take-out portion 4a are brought into contact with the object to be cooled 19 to perform heat exchange of heat conduction, so that the object to be cooled 19 is cooled. In addition to cooling, the metal container 7 on the heat absorption side is caused to exchange heat with air by the air heat exchanger 15 via the heat medium.

In the regenerating process, the metal hydride MH1 in the metal container 7 is heated by the high temperature applying means 10 installed in the metal container 7, and the metal container 1 is heated by the air heat exchanger 15 via the heat medium. , 2 and air are exchanged with each other. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently perform freezing of the object to be cooled 19, heat dissipation of the heat generating side alloy, and alloy heating during regeneration.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the process of generating cold heat, the cold heat take-out part of the high-pressure side metal container and the object to be cooled are contacted with each other to conduct heat exchange for heat conduction to cool the object to be cooled. Since the object to be cooled is cooled, the object to be cooled can be rapidly cooled, and a compact and highly efficient cold heat generating device can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cold heat generator using a metal hydride showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a main part of a cold heat generator using the metal hydride of FIG.

3 is a hydrogen pressure-temperature equilibrium characteristic diagram of the cold heat generator using the metal hydride of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a cooling step of a cooling heat generator using the metal hydride of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a regeneration process of the cold heat generator using the metal hydride of FIG. 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 and 2 metal containers 3 and 4 heat exchangers 3a and 4a cold heat extraction part 5 connecting hydrogen piping 6 moving mechanism 7 metal container 8 hydrogen valve 9 hydrogen piping 10 high temperature giving means 11 heat exchanger 13 pumps 14a and 14b flow path switching valve 15 Air Heat Exchanger 16 Fan 17 Heat Exchange Piping 18 Pump 19 Cooled Object 20 Guide Part 21 Cooled Space MH1, MH2 Metal Hydride

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 11, 1994

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Claims]

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0008

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0008]

According to the present invention, a metal hydride is charged together with a heat exchanger having a cold heat extraction portion for cooling an object to be cooled, and the cold heat extraction portion faces each other. A pair of high-pressure side metal containers arranged to form a cooled space for cooling the cooled object,
A high-temperature applying means together with a heat exchanger, a low-pressure side metal container filled with a metal hydride having a lower equilibrium hydrogen pressure characteristic than the metal hydride filled in the pair of high-pressure side metal containers, and at the time of cooling, the object to be cooled is A moving mechanism for freely changing the space of the cooled space of the high-pressure side metal container so as to come into contact with each of the cold heat take-out parts, and a connection between the pair of high-pressure side metal containers, and the moving mechanism. A first hydrogen pipe arranged so as to be adaptable to changes in the interval, a second hydrogen pipe connected from the low pressure side metal container to the high pressure side metal container via a hydrogen valve, and the pair of high pressure side metals A heat exchanger for heat release, which is appropriately connected to either the heat exchanger of the container or the heat exchanger of the low-pressure side metal container via a heat medium pipe and a pump, and is appropriately arranged on the heat medium pipe, and cooled. Sometimes , Switching so as to form a circulation flow path between the heat exchangers of the pair of high pressure side metal containers, and connecting the heat exchanger of the low pressure side metal container and the heat release heat exchanger On the other hand, at the time of regeneration, at the time of regeneration, a switching valve for switching the heat exchanger of the pair of high-pressure side metal containers and the heat exchanger for heat release to be connected is provided.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0027

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

When the cooling step is finished, the space between the cooled spaces 21 is widened by the moving mechanism 6, the cooled object 19 is taken out, and the pumps 13 and 18 are stopped. The object to be cooled 19 taken out is used according to the purpose.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heat exchanger having a cold heat extraction portion for cooling an object to be cooled and a metal hydride having a high equilibrium hydrogen pressure characteristic are filled with the heat exchanger, and the cold heat extraction portions are opposed to each other to be cooled. A pair of high-pressure side metal containers arranged to form a cooled space for cooling the object, a high-temperature applying means together with a heat exchanger, and a low-pressure side metal container filled with a metal hydride having low equilibrium hydrogen pressure characteristics, A connection between a moving mechanism that freely changes the space of the cooled space of the high-pressure side metal container so that the objects to be cooled come into contact with the cold heat extraction portion during cooling, and between the pair of high-pressure side metal containers. And a first hydrogen pipe arranged so as to be adaptable to the change in the distance by the moving mechanism, and a second hydrogen pipe connected to the first hydrogen pipe from the low-pressure side metal container via a hydrogen valve. Elementary piping, a heat exchanger for heat release, which is appropriately connected to either the heat exchanger of the pair of high-pressure side metal containers or the heat exchanger of the low-pressure side metal container via a heat medium pipe and a pump, Appropriately arranged on the medium pipe, at the time of cooling, it is switched so as to form a circulation flow path between the heat exchangers of the pair of high-pressure side metal containers, and the heat exchanger of the low-pressure side metal container and the heat exchanger. While switching to connect to the heat release heat exchanger, at the time of regeneration, a switching valve that switches to connect the heat exchanger of the pair of high-pressure side metal containers and the heat release heat exchanger is provided. A cold heat generator using a metal hydride.