Thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration coupled refrigerator

Abstract

The refrigerator comprises a refrigerator shell, a generator is installed on the side wall of the back of the refrigerator shell, a semiconductor chilling plate is fixedly connected to the top of the refrigerator shell, and the cold end face of the bottom of the semiconductor chilling plate extends into a condensation pipe; a liquid cooling head is arranged on the hot end face of the top of the semiconductor chilling plate, a first heat conduction pipe is fixedly connected to the side wall of the liquid cooling head, one end of the first heat conduction pipe extends into the generator and is fixedly connected with a second heat conduction pipe, and the liquid cooling head, the first heat conduction pipe and the second heat conduction pipe are all filled with heat conduction liquid. Absorption type circulation is driven by waste heat at the hot end of the semiconductor chilling plate, direct heat exchange at the cold end is combined, efficient coupling of a thermoelectric refrigeration part and an absorption type refrigeration part is achieved, waste heat is effectively utilized, and energy consumption is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and more particularly to a refrigerator that couples thermoelectric refrigeration with absorption refrigeration. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements and improved living standards, refrigerators have become a necessity in every household. Currently, most refrigerators are compression refrigerators. Compression refrigerators achieve cooling through a "vapor compression refrigeration cycle," focusing on "transferring heat" rather than "creating cold," utilizing the gas-liquid phase change of the refrigerant and the cyclical operation of four core components. In recent years, people's health awareness has gradually increased, leading to a greater demand for food preservation. As the most commonly used household appliance for food storage, refrigerators face pressing technological challenges in food preservation, energy consumption, and noise reduction.

[0003] However, traditional compression refrigerators have certain limitations in terms of energy consumption, noise, and food preservation. While absorption refrigerators and semiconductor refrigerators offer high cost-effectiveness and low noise, they are technically complex, difficult to maintain, and have low ownership rates. This patent aims to provide a refrigerator that couples thermoelectric refrigeration with absorption refrigeration, solving the heat source requirements of absorption refrigeration and the heat dissipation problem of the semiconductor array, thereby reducing energy consumption and improving the refrigerator's lifespan and level of intelligence. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a refrigerator that couples thermoelectric refrigeration with absorption refrigeration to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration includes a refrigerator shell, a generator installed on the back side wall of the refrigerator shell, a semiconductor refrigeration chip fixedly connected to the top of the refrigerator shell, the cold end face of the bottom of the semiconductor refrigeration chip extending into a condenser tube, a liquid cooling head provided on the hot end face of the top of the semiconductor refrigeration chip, a first heat conduction pipe fixedly connected to the side wall of the liquid cooling head, one end of the first heat conduction pipe extending into the interior of the generator and fixedly connected to a second heat conduction pipe, and the liquid cooling head, the first heat conduction pipe, and the second heat conduction pipe are all filled with heat conduction liquid;

[0007] A condenser tube is fixedly connected to the top of the generator. A solution pump is fixedly connected to the back side wall of the refrigerator shell. An absorption tube is fixedly connected to the inlet end of the solution pump. The bottom end of the condenser tube is connected to the bottom of the absorption tube. The upper end of the absorption tube penetrates the side wall of the refrigerator shell and is fixedly connected to an evaporator. The evaporator is S-shaped. A capillary drain tube is fixedly connected to the output end of the solution pump. One end of the capillary drain tube penetrates the side wall of the refrigerator shell and is connected to the bottom end of the evaporator. A return pipe is fixedly connected between the top side wall of the absorption tube and the side wall of the generator. The generator, absorption tube, and evaporator are all filled with ammonia solution.

[0008] Preferably, the heat-conducting fluid is made from the following components in mass percentage:

[0009] The liquid metal alloy comprises 70-85% gallium indium tin, bismuth, and silver, with a mass ratio of gallium indium tin: bismuth: silver = 70:15:15.

[0010] 2-5% functionalized graphene, wherein the functionalized graphene is prepared by covalently modifying graphene oxide with terminal amino ion liquid;

[0011] Aluminum nitride particles: 10-20%, particle size: 100-500 nm;

[0012] Silver nanowires 3-8%, diameter 50-100nm, length 10-20μm.

[0013] Preferably, the preparation method of the liquid metal alloy is as follows: pour the molten liquid metal alloy into a high-frequency induction furnace protected by argon gas, and introduce argon gas to remove air; control the temperature at 150-200℃, then gradually add bismuth particles, stir until completely dissolved, then add silver particles in batches, and continue stirring for 30-60 minutes to ensure uniform distribution, thereby obtaining the liquid metal alloy.

[0014] Preferably, the method for preparing the heat-conducting fluid includes the following steps:

[0015] Graphene oxide was reacted with an amino-terminated ionic liquid at 80°C for 24 hours, and then reduced with hydrazine hydrate to obtain functionalized graphene.

[0016] The liquid metal alloy was heated to 100°C, and functionalized graphene, aluminum nitride particles and silver nanowires were added. The mixture was ball-milled for 2 hours to obtain the heat-conducting fluid.

[0017] Preferably, the terminal amino ionic liquid is 1-aminopropyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide.

[0018] Preferably, the top section of the condenser tube is fixedly connected with multiple heat dissipation fins.

[0019] Preferably, the generator is arranged in a cylindrical shape.

[0020] Preferably, a PTC heating element is provided on the outer wall of the generator.

[0021] Preferably, the first heat pipe is made of heat-insulating material, the second heat pipe is made of heat-conducting material, and the second heat pipe is arranged in a spiral tube shape.

[0022] Preferably, a heat pipe radiator is fixedly installed on the cold end face of the bottom of the thermoelectric cooler located inside the condenser tube.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0024] This invention achieves efficient coupling between the thermoelectric cooling section and the absorption cooling section by using waste heat from the hot end of a semiconductor refrigeration chip to drive an absorption cycle, combined with direct heat exchange at the cold end. This enables effective utilization of waste heat and reduces energy consumption.

[0025] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are given in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the refrigerator proposed in this invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure and back of the refrigerator shell proposed in this invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the front view of the back of the refrigerator proposed in this invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerator structure after the refrigerator shell is removed, as proposed in this invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal cross-sectional structure of the generator proposed in this invention.

[0032] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0033] 1. Refrigerator shell; 2. Condenser tube; 3. Semiconductor cooling chip; 4. Liquid cooling head; 5. First heat pipe; 6. Heat dissipation fins; 7. Return pipe; 8. Generator; 9. Absorption tube; 10. Capillary flow tube; 11. Solution pump; 12. Evaporator; 13. PTC heating element; 14. Second heat pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The principles and features of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The invention is described more specifically in the following paragraphs by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms used in this specification of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] Please see Figures 1-5 In this embodiment of the invention, a refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration includes a refrigerator shell 1. A generator 8 is installed on the back side wall of the refrigerator shell 1. The generator 8 is cylindrical. A PTC heating element 13 is provided on the outer side wall of the generator 8. A TEC19906 type semiconductor refrigeration chip 3 is fixedly connected to the top of the refrigerator shell 1. The cold end face of the bottom of the semiconductor refrigeration chip 3 extends into the condenser tube 2. A liquid cooling head 4 is provided on the hot end face of the top of the semiconductor refrigeration chip 3. A first heat conduction pipe 5 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the liquid cooling head 4. One end of the first heat pipe 5 extends into the interior of the generator 8 and is fixedly connected to the second heat pipe 14. Both the liquid cooling head 4 and the first heat pipe 5 are made of alumina insulation material to prevent the heat of the liquid cooling head 4 and the first heat pipe 5 from being lost into the air. The second heat pipe 14 is made of stainless steel heat-conducting material and is arranged in a spiral tube shape. The liquid cooling head 4, the first heat pipe 5, and the second heat pipe 14 are all filled with heat-conducting liquid. The heat-conducting liquid has ultra-high thermal conductivity, which can ensure that the heat at the hot end of the semiconductor cooling chip 3 is efficiently transferred to the generator 8.

[0038] A condenser tube 2 is fixedly connected to the top of the generator 8. Multiple heat dissipation fins 6 are fixedly connected to the top section of the condenser tube 2. A solution pump 11 is fixedly connected to the back side wall of the refrigerator shell 1. An absorption tube 9 is fixedly connected to the inlet end of the solution pump 11. The bottom end of the condenser tube 2 is connected to the bottom of the absorption tube 9. The upper end of the absorption tube 9 penetrates the side wall of the refrigerator shell 1 and is fixedly connected to the evaporator 12. The evaporator 12 is located inside the refrigerator shell 1 and is arranged in an S-shape. A capillary drain tube 10 is fixedly connected to the output end of the solution pump 11. One end of the capillary drain tube 10 penetrates the side wall of the refrigerator shell 1 and is connected to the bottom end of the evaporator 12. A return pipe 7 is fixedly connected between the top side wall of the absorption tube 9 and the side wall of the generator 8. The generator 8, the absorption tube 9, and the evaporator 12 are all filled with ammonia solution.

[0039] The working process of this invention is as follows:

[0040] 1. Start-up phase:

[0041] When the semiconductor refrigeration chip 3 is connected to a 24V DC power supply, it starts to work based on the Peltier effect, with the temperature of the top hot end rising and the temperature of the bottom cold end decreasing.

[0042] 2. Thermoelectric refrigeration stage:

[0043] The heat generated at the hot end of the semiconductor cooling chip 3 is transferred to the first heat pipe 5 and the second heat pipe 14 through the heat-conducting liquid in the liquid cooling head 4, and finally enters the generator 8 to provide the heat source required for absorption cooling. The heat-conducting liquid filled in the liquid cooling head 4, the first heat pipe 5, and the second heat pipe 14 has ultra-high thermal conductivity, which can ensure efficient heat transfer.

[0044] Meanwhile, the cold end of the thermoelectric cooler 3 can exchange heat with the air inside the refrigerator, directly reducing the internal temperature of the refrigerator. It should be noted that a heat pipe radiator (not shown) can be fixedly installed on the cold end surface of the bottom of the thermoelectric cooler 3. The heat pipe radiator can effectively exchange heat between the cold end of the thermoelectric cooler 3 and the air inside the refrigerator.

[0045] 3. Absorption refrigeration stage:

[0046] The second heat pipe 14 can heat the ammonia solution in the generator 8. After absorbing heat from the hot end of the semiconductor cooling chip 3, the ammonia solution in the generator 8 evaporates to form high-pressure ammonia gas. After entering the condenser pipe 2, the ammonia gas is forced to cool by the heat dissipation fins 6 and condenses into liquid ammonia. The liquid ammonia flows through the bottom of the absorption pipe 9 and mixes with the ammonia solution to form a concentrated ammonia solution. The concentrated ammonia solution enters the capillary drain pipe 10 through the solution pump 11 and is depressurized. The low-pressure (0.3-0.5MPa) concentrated ammonia solution enters the evaporator 12 to evaporate and absorb heat, so that the surface temperature of the evaporator 12 is maintained at 1-5℃, thereby cooling the air inside the chamber.

[0047] 4. Redundant heating and heat preservation stage:

[0048] When the thermoelectric cooler 3 stops working due to a malfunction, the PTC heating element 13 attached to the outside of the generator 8 automatically starts. The PTC heating element 13 keeps the temperature of the generator 8 stable above 80°C, maintaining the continuous operation of the absorption refrigeration cycle.

[0049] Example 2

[0050] In this invention, the heat-conducting fluid is made of the following components in the following mass percentages: 70-85% liquid metal alloy, 2-5% functionalized graphene, 10-20% aluminum nitride particles, and 3-8% silver nanowires;

[0051] Among them, functionalized graphene is 2-5%, which is prepared by covalently modifying graphene oxide with terminal amino ionic liquid; aluminum nitride particles 1 have a particle size of 100-500nm; silver nanowires have a diameter of 50-100nm and a length of 10-20μm.

[0052] The liquid metal alloy is composed of gallium indium tin (GaInT): bismuth: silver in a mass ratio of 70:15:15. By combining GaInT: bismuth and silver, the thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, and oxidation resistance are synergistically optimized. The preparation method of the liquid metal alloy is as follows: the molten liquid metal alloy is poured into a high-frequency induction furnace protected by argon gas, and argon gas is introduced to remove air; the temperature is controlled at 150-200℃, and bismuth particles are gradually added and stirred until completely dissolved. Then, silver particles are added in batches and stirred continuously for 30-60 minutes to ensure uniform distribution, thus obtaining the liquid metal alloy.

[0053] The preparation method of this heat-conducting fluid includes the following steps:

[0054] The first step involves dispersing 1g of graphene oxide in 100mL of water, adding 2g of terminal amino ionic liquid (1-aminopropyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide), stirring at 80℃ for 24 hours, then adding 5mL of hydrazine hydrate, refluxing at 95℃ for 12 hours, and centrifuging and washing to obtain functionalized graphene.

[0055] The second step involves heating 75g of liquid metal alloy to 100°C, adding 3g of graphene oxide, 15g of aluminum nitride particles and 5g of silver nanowires, and ball milling for 2 hours (500 rpm) to obtain the heat-conducting liquid.

[0056] The performance test results of the heat transfer fluid are as follows: Thermal conductivity: 105 W / m·K, measured by laser scintillation method. Interfacial thermal resistance: 0.04 mm, measured by TIM tester. 2 • K / W. Stability: Thermal conductivity decreases by 2.8% after 1000 thermal cycles.

[0057] Functionalized graphene in the heat transfer fluid is covalently modified with terminal amino-ion liquids (such as 1-aminopropyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide). By introducing amino groups to form coordination bonds with the liquid metal alloy, the interfacial compatibility between the functionalized graphene and the liquid metal alloy is enhanced. In addition, the metal atoms in the liquid metal alloy form non-covalent bonds with the nitrogen atoms in aluminum nitride, which enhances the interfacial bonding strength and reduces the interfacial thermal resistance at the nanoscale. The high specific surface area and excellent conductivity of silver nanowires enable them to form efficient heat conduction channels at the interface, reducing heat flow resistance. Thus, through the synergistic effect of aluminum nitride and silver nanowires, the interfacial thermal resistance in the heat transfer fluid is significantly reduced, and the overall heat conduction efficiency in the heat transfer fluid is improved.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Those skilled in the art can readily implement the present invention based on the accompanying drawings and the above description. However, any modifications, alterations, or variations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, utilizing the disclosed technical content, are equivalent embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, any modifications, alterations, or variations made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration, comprising a refrigerator shell (1), characterized in that, A generator (8) is installed on the back side wall of the refrigerator shell (1). A semiconductor cooling chip (3) is fixedly connected to the top of the refrigerator shell (1). The cold end face of the bottom of the semiconductor cooling chip (3) extends into the condenser tube (2). A liquid cooling head (4) is provided on the hot end face of the top of the semiconductor cooling chip (3). A first heat pipe (5) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the liquid cooling head (4). One end of the first heat pipe (5) extends into the interior of the generator (8) and is fixedly connected to a second heat pipe (14). The liquid cooling head (4), the first heat pipe (5), and the second heat pipe (14) are all filled with heat-conducting liquid. A condenser tube (2) is fixedly connected to the top of the generator (8). A solution pump (11) is fixedly connected to the back side wall of the refrigerator shell (1). An absorption tube (9) is fixedly connected to the inlet end of the solution pump (11). The bottom end of the condenser tube (2) is connected to the bottom of the absorption tube (9). The upper end of the absorption tube (9) penetrates the side wall of the refrigerator shell (1) and is fixedly connected to an evaporator (12). The evaporator (12) is arranged in an S-shape. A capillary drain tube (10) is fixedly connected to the output end of the solution pump (11). One end of the capillary drain tube (10) penetrates the side wall of the refrigerator shell (1) and is connected to the bottom end of the evaporator (12). A return pipe (7) is fixedly connected between the top side wall of the absorption tube (9) and the side wall of the generator (8). The generator (8), absorption tube (9), and evaporator (12) are all filled with ammonia solution.

2. The refrigerator with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration coupled according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat-conducting fluid is made from the following components in the following mass percentages: The liquid metal alloy comprises 70-85% gallium indium tin, bismuth, and silver, with a mass ratio of gallium indium tin: bismuth: silver = 70:15:

15. 2-5% functionalized graphene, wherein the functionalized graphene is prepared by covalently modifying graphene oxide with terminal amino ion liquid; Aluminum nitride particles: 10-20%, particle size: 100-500 nm; Silver nanowires 3-8%, diameter 50-100nm, length 10-20μm.

3. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preparation method of the liquid metal alloy is as follows: pour the molten liquid metal alloy into a high-frequency induction furnace protected by argon gas, and introduce argon gas to remove air; control the temperature at 150-200℃, then gradually add bismuth particles and stir until completely dissolved, then add silver particles in batches and continue stirring for 30-60 minutes to ensure uniform distribution, and obtain the liquid metal alloy.

4. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method for preparing the heat-conducting fluid includes the following steps: Graphene oxide was reacted with an amino-terminated ionic liquid at 80°C for 24 hours, and then reduced with hydrazine hydrate to obtain functionalized graphene. The liquid metal alloy was heated to 100°C, and functionalized graphene, aluminum nitride particles and silver nanowires were added. The mixture was ball-milled for 2 hours to obtain the heat-conducting fluid.

5. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 4, characterized in that, The terminal amino ionic liquid is 1-aminopropyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide.

6. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top section of the condenser tube (2) is fixedly connected with multiple heat dissipation fins (6).

7. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 1, characterized in that, The generator (8) is arranged in a cylindrical shape.

8. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 1, characterized in that, The generator (8) is provided with a PTC heating element (13) on its outer wall.

9. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first heat pipe (5) is made of heat-insulating material, and the second heat pipe (14) is made of heat-conducting material. The second heat pipe (14) is arranged in a spiral tube shape.

10. A refrigerator coupled with thermoelectric refrigeration and absorption refrigeration according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heat pipe radiator is fixedly installed on the cold end face of the bottom of the semiconductor cooling chip (3) located inside the refrigerator shell (1).

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