Heat medium improvement device for temperature controller, temperature controller, and heat medium improvement method for temperature controller

Abstract

A heat medium improvement device 2 reduces power consumption of a temperature controller by improving fluidity of a heat medium. The heat medium improvement device 2 has: a switching type converter 22; a band-pass filter 23 to which the voltage outputted from the converter 22 is inputted and which outputs a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise; and a conductive wire 25 that applies the output voltage of the band-pass filter 23 to a pipe 31 through which the heat medium flows, the conductive wire being connected to the band-pass filter 23.

Description

Heat medium improving device for temperature controller, temperature controller, and heat medium improving method for temperature controller

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for improving the condition of a heat medium such as a refrigerant in a temperature regulator.

[0002] Temperature control devices such as refrigerators and air conditioners circulate a refrigerant and exchange heat by repeatedly compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating the refrigerant. Because temperature control devices consume a relatively large amount of power, various power-saving methods have been attempted. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that supplying negative ions generated from a refrigerant regulator to the refrigerant circulating through the piping of a refrigerator improves the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant and reduces the refrigerator's power consumption.

[0003] JP 2016-44959 A

[0004] It is also known that the power consumption of temperature controllers increases with age. One possible cause of increased power consumption due to age is a decrease in the flow of heat transfer media such as refrigerants. For example, fluorocarbons, such as hydrofluorocarbons, which are widely used as refrigerants, can aggregate due to intermolecular forces and form supramolecules. The viscosity of supramolecular refrigerants increases, reducing their fluidity. This results in the consumption of a lot of power to circulate the heat transfer media.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a heat medium improving device and a heat medium improving method for a temperature controller that can reduce the amount of power consumed when operating the temperature controller.

[0006] A heat medium improvement device for a temperature controller according to a first embodiment includes a switching converter, a bandpass filter that receives a voltage output from the converter and outputs a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise, and a conductor connected to the bandpass filter that applies the output voltage of the bandpass filter to a pipe through which a heat medium flows.

[0007] A second aspect of the heat medium improvement device is the heat medium improvement device of the first aspect, wherein the bandpass filter outputs a voltage having a frequency component exceeding 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz. A third aspect of the heat medium improvement device is the heat medium improvement device of the first or second aspect, further comprising a voltage regulator that adjusts the output voltage of the bandpass filter, and applies a voltage adjusted to 200 mV to 5 V by the voltage regulator to the piping.

[0008] A temperature controller of a fourth embodiment has a pipe through which a heat medium flows and any one of the first to third heat medium improvement devices, and the conductor of the heat medium improvement device is electrically connected to the pipe.

[0009] A fifth aspect of the heat transfer medium improvement method for a temperature controller involves applying a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise, obtained using a voltage output from a switching converter, to a pipe through which the heat transfer medium flows via a conductor.

[0010] A heat medium improving device of a sixth aspect is the heat medium improving method of the fifth aspect, wherein a connection terminal of the conductor is electrically connected to the pipe, and a connection portion between the connection terminal and the pipe is insulated from the outside.

[0011] The heat medium improving device of the present invention can improve the fluidity of the heat medium in a temperature controller, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed by the operation of the temperature controller.

[0012] 1. A schematic diagram of a temperature controller according to one embodiment. A schematic diagram of a heat medium improving device according to one embodiment. An enlarged view of the circled portion III in FIG. 1. An enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. A reference diagram showing an example of a waveform of an output voltage from a converter. A reference diagram showing an example of a waveform of an output voltage from a bandpass filter. A graph showing absorption loss of metals versus frequency.

[0013] In this specification, a numerical range expressed as "lower limit X to upper limit Y" means a range from lower limit X to upper limit Y. When multiple numerical ranges are separately described, it is understood that any lower limit and any upper limit of those numerical ranges can be selected.

[0014] [Temperature controller and heat medium improvement device] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a temperature controller 1 according to this embodiment. The temperature controller 1 includes a temperature controller main body 3 including a pipe 31 through which a heat medium flows, and a heat medium improvement device 2. The connection terminals of the conductors of the heat medium improvement device 2 are electrically connected to the pipe 31. An output voltage from the heat medium improvement device 2 is applied to the pipe 31 via the conductors.

[0015] The temperature control unit main body 3 (temperature control unit 1) may be a cooling unit that cools an object or a person, or a heating unit that heats an object or person, or a cooling / heating unit that can switch between cooling and heating.

[0016] The temperature controller body 3 may be a device that has been publicly known or that will become publicly known after the filing of this application. Specific examples of the temperature controller body 3 include air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, heat pumps, and cooling water circulation systems. It is particularly preferable to equip air conditioners with the heat medium improving device 2 of the present invention. For example, the temperature controller body 3 may be an air conditioner used in facilities where many electronic processing machines are installed, such as data centers, in factories manufacturing various products, such as semiconductor manufacturing factories, or in facilities used by an unspecified number of people, such as department stores and concert halls.

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an air conditioner as the temperature control device main body 3. The air conditioner may have a conventionally known configuration and typically involves repeatedly compressing, condensing, evaporating, and compressing a heat transfer medium. As shown in FIG. 1 , the temperature control device main body 3, which is an air conditioner, includes a piping 31 through which a refrigerant circulates, a first heat exchanger 32, a second heat exchanger 33, a compressor 34, an expansion valve 35, and a switching valve 36 (e.g., a four-way valve). The first heat exchanger 32 and the second heat exchanger 33 are provided in a first housing 37, and the second heat exchanger 33 is provided in a second housing 38. The piping 31 is a closed circulation path, and the heat transfer medium circulates within the piping 31 in a predetermined direction. Here, the heat transfer medium refers to a fluid used to transfer heat from a low-temperature location to a high-temperature location or from a low-temperature location to a high-temperature location. The heat transfer medium is generally a fluorocarbon such as a hydrofluorocarbon, which is a polar molecule, but is not limited to this. The heat transfer medium may also contain a lubricant (such as refrigerating machine oil) to reduce internal wear and abrasion of the compressor 34, piping 31, etc.

[0018] 1, the direction in which the heat medium flows is indicated by arrows. In the illustrated example, the state during cooling operation is shown, with the first heat exchanger 32 corresponding to a condenser (heat emitter) and the second heat exchanger 33 corresponding to an evaporator (heat absorber). The heat medium compressed by the compressor 34 releases heat in the first heat exchanger 32, turns into gas in the second heat exchanger 33, and is compressed again by the compressor 34. In the illustrated example, the temperature control unit main body 3 is an air conditioner, with the first housing 37 located outdoors and the second housing 38 located indoors.

[0019] The piping 31 is not particularly limited as long as it is a conductive tubular body, and a metal piping is typically used. Examples of materials for the metal piping (piping 31) include iron; iron alloys such as carbon steel and stainless steel; copper; and aluminum. The wall thickness of the piping 31 is set appropriately depending on the material and diameter of the piping, and is, for example, 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, and preferably 0.7 mm to 2 mm. The outer diameter of the piping 31 is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 5 mm to 70 mm.

[0020] The pipe 31 is directly or indirectly grounded. In the illustrated example, a ground wire 39 is electrically connected to a portion of the pipe 31 (in this case, the ground is directly attached to the pipe 31). Although not illustrated, for example, a ground may be attached to a component of the temperature regulator main body 3, such as the first housing 37 or the second housing 38, so that the pipe 31 can be electrically connected to the component (in this case, the ground is indirectly attached to the pipe 31).

[0021] 2 is a schematic diagram of the heat medium improvement device 2. The heat medium improvement device 2 includes a switching converter 22 having a power cord 21, a bandpass filter 23, a voltage regulator 24, and a conductor 25. The converter 22 and the bandpass filter 23 are electrically connected, and the bandpass filter 23 and the voltage regulator 24 are electrically connected, respectively.

[0022] The converter 22 has a power cord 21 for connecting to a commercial power source such as 100V or 200V. The switching-type converter 22 may be an AC / DC converter with a power semiconductor, a DC / DC converter, a three-terminal regulator, or the like. The converter 22 may also include a transformer for reducing the voltage. The switching-type converter 22 may be a commercially available product, such as a "10 Watt AC / DC Encapsulated Chassis" product manufactured by Traco or an "AC / DC Converter 24V 10W" product manufactured by XP Power. The use of a switching-type converter 22 has the advantage of making the voltage and frequency of spike noise uniform to a certain extent, making it easier to obtain the desired spike noise.

[0023] The voltage output from the converter 22 is input to the band-pass filter 23. The band-pass filter 23 extracts a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise from the voltage from the converter 22 and outputs the extracted voltage. The band-pass filter 23 may be a variable type that can change the frequency to be extracted, or may be a fixed type that cannot change a preset frequency.

[0024] FIG. 5 shows an example of the waveform of the output voltage from the converter 22, and FIG. 6 shows an example of the waveform of the output voltage from the bandpass filter 23. The switching-type converter 22 generates noise when switching on and off (this noise is called switching noise). The converter 22 generates noise with frequency components of, for example, 60 Hz to 1 GHz. The bandpass filter 23 passes (extracts) voltage having frequency components corresponding to spike noise. Spike noise refers to noise with a relatively sharp waveform. The frequency components are, for example, greater than 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz, preferably greater than 100 Hz and less than 20 kHz, and more preferably greater than 100 Hz and less than 1 kHz. Applying a voltage having frequency components within this range to the pipe 31 generates an electromagnetic field within the pipe, thereby reducing the viscosity of the heat transfer medium.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the absorption loss versus frequency for aluminum, copper, and soft iron. The numbers following the metal names indicate thickness. Aluminum, copper, and soft iron are metals used to form pipes. As shown in FIG. 7, each metal has low absorption loss at frequencies between 60 Hz and 20 kHz. Therefore, when a voltage having a frequency component greater than 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz is applied to the pipe 31, it is difficult for the voltage to be absorbed by the pipe 31, and an electromagnetic field due to the applied voltage can be effectively generated within the pipe 31.

[0026] The voltage regulator 24 adjusts the output voltage from the bandpass filter 23. The voltage regulator 24 may be of a type that lowers or increases the input voltage before outputting, or may be of a type that increases the input voltage and then lowers it before outputting, or may be of a type that decreases the input voltage and then higher before outputting, or decreases the input voltage and then higher before outputting. The voltage adjusted by the voltage regulator 24 is applied to the piping 31 through the conductor 25. The voltage regulator 24 adjusts the input voltage to, for example, 200 mV to 5 V before outputting, preferably to 400 mV or more and less than 5 V before outputting. A transformer or the like can be used as the voltage regulator 24. Applying a voltage within the above range to the piping 31 generates an electromagnetic field within the piping, thereby reducing the viscosity of the heat transfer medium. Furthermore, by limiting the upper limit of the voltage applied to the piping 31 to 5 V, electrical corrosion of the piping 31 can be effectively prevented.

[0027] A conventionally known electric wire can be used as the conductor 25 that transmits the output voltage of the voltage regulator 24 to the pipe 31. In general, a cord or cable in which a metal wire is covered with an insulating resin can be used.

[0028] Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the connection portion 4 between the conductor 25 and the pipe 31, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view thereof. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the conductor 25 is composed of a conductive wire portion 251 and an insulating coating portion 252 provided around the wire portion 251. At one end of the conductor 25, the coating portion 252 is partially removed to expose the wire portion 251, and the exposed wire portion 251 serves as a connection terminal for the conductor 25. Although not shown, the other end of the conductor 25 is electrically connected to the voltage regulator 24 (or the bandpass filter 23 if the heat medium improving device 2 does not have the voltage regulator 24).

[0029] The connection terminal of the conductor 25 is in contact with the outer surface of the pipe 31. Therefore, the connection terminal of the conductor 25 is electrically connected to the pipe 31. In order to closely contact the connection terminal with the pipe 31, tape 5 is attached to the connection portion 4 (the portion where the connection terminal is in contact with the pipe 31). In particular, insulating tape 5 is attached from the viewpoint of suppressing radiation at the connection portion 4. By attaching the insulating tape 5, the connection portion 4 is insulated from the outside. The insulating tape 5 is attached so as to be wrapped around the periphery of the pipe 31, including the connection portion 4. As the insulating tape 5, so-called vinyl tape, adhesive tape laminated with aluminum foil, adhesive tape having a rubber base, etc. can be used. It is preferable to use adhesive tape laminated with aluminum foil because it also has excellent heat resistance.

[0030] The connection portion 4 of the conductor 25 is not particularly limited as long as it is a part of the piping 31. From the viewpoint of efficiently reducing the viscosity of the heat medium, it is preferable to arrange the connection portion 4 of the conductor 25 at a location where the heat medium exists in a liquid state or in a state immediately before changing from a gaseous state to a liquid state. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , in the temperature regulator main body 3 during cooling operation, the connection portion 4 of the conductor 25 is preferably arranged in the piping 31 between the compressor 34 and the second heat exchanger 33 (corresponding to an evaporator during cooling), more preferably in the piping 31 between the compressor 34 and the expansion valve 35, and even more preferably in the piping 31 between the compressor 34 and the first heat exchanger 32 (corresponding to a condenser during cooling). The connection portion 4 may be arranged at one location or at two or more locations. In the illustrated example, two connection portions 4 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the piping 31 between the compressor 34 and the first heat exchanger 32. In the illustrated example, the conductor 25 of one heat medium improver 2 branches in parallel and is connected to two or more locations on the piping 31, but a heat medium improver 2 may be provided corresponding to each connection portion 4 (not shown). For example, the conductor 25 of one heat medium improver 2 may be connected to one connection portion 4, and the conductor 25 of another heat medium improver 2 may be connected to another connection portion 4.

[0031] [Method for Improving Heat Medium in a Temperature Controller] In the heat medium improving method of the present invention, a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise, obtained using the voltage output from a switching converter, is applied to a pipe through which a heat medium flows via a conductor. Preferably, a voltage having a frequency component greater than 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz is applied to the pipe through which the heat medium flows via a conductor. Preferably, a voltage of 200 mV to 5 V is applied to the pipe through which the heat medium flows via a conductor. The heat medium improving method can be performed using the heat medium improving device described above. However, the heat medium improving method may also be performed without using the heat medium improving device configured as described above. For example, if a switching converter is provided in the temperature controller main body, the voltage from the converter may be branched, and a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise may be extracted and applied to the pipe.

[0032] The heat medium improving device 2 applies a voltage having a frequency component greater than 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz, for example, from the converter 22 through the bandpass filter 23 to the pipe 31. For example, applying a voltage causes a weak current to flow from the connection 4 to the ground 39 through the pipe 31. Applying such a voltage reduces the amount of power consumed when the temperature controller is in operation. The reason for this power consumption reduction is believed to be as follows: It is said that the heat medium in a temperature controller undergoes supramolecularization over time due to intermolecular forces, increasing its viscosity and thereby increasing the temperature controller's power consumption. By applying a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise, for example, a voltage having a frequency component greater than 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz, to the pipe 31 using the heat medium improving device 2 of the present invention, an alternating current electromagnetic field is generated near the connection 4. This electromagnetic field causes a bias in the movement of electrons in the heat medium molecules, and this bias changes abruptly when the alternating current switches between positive and negative, increasing the kinetic energy of the electrons. The increase in the kinetic energy of the electrons increases the potential energy of the heat transfer medium molecules, which in turn weakens the intermolecular forces of the heat transfer medium, eliminating the supramolecularization of the heat transfer medium. In particular, applying a voltage with a frequency of 1 kHz or less can more effectively generate an electromagnetic field in the heat transfer medium within the piping, which is less likely to be absorbed by piping made of metals such as iron, copper, or aluminum. Applying a voltage with a frequency of 100 Hz or more can more effectively generate an electromagnetic field in the heat transfer medium within the piping, which has enough energy to weaken the intermolecular forces. Eliminating the supramolecularization of the heat transfer medium in this way improves the fluidity of the heat transfer medium, thereby suppressing the increase in power consumption associated with the operation of the temperature controller. Therefore, according to the present invention, the power consumption of temperature controllers that have been installed for many years can be reduced.

[0033] EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0034] A heat medium improving device having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 was fabricated and connected to an air conditioning unit installed in a factory (the air conditioning unit had been installed for five years). Power consumption was measured and evaluated using APF. Specifically, during the summer, the indoor temperature of the factory's air conditioning unit was set to 24°C and cooling operation was performed continuously. Power consumption over the two-week operation period was measured every 10 minutes, and the APF was calculated. Next, the connection terminals of the conductors of the heat medium improving device were connected to copper piping through which the refrigerant of the air conditioning unit circulated. The conductors were connected at one point on the piping between the compressor and condenser of the outdoor unit of the air conditioning unit, and the connection was insulated with aluminum insulating tape. A switching converter (manufactured by Traco under the trade name "10 Watt AC / DC Encapsulated Chassis") of the heat transfer medium improvement device was connected to a 60 Hz, 100 V commercial power supply, and a bandpass filter was used to extract a voltage having frequency components greater than 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz. The voltage was finally reduced to 500 mV using a voltage regulator, and the voltage was applied to the piping. In this state, the air conditioning equipment was operated at a set temperature of 24°C in the same manner. The power consumption over a two-week period was measured every 10 minutes, and the APF was calculated. When measuring each power consumption, the outdoor temperature, room temperature, and indoor humidity were also measured. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0035]

[0036] In Table 1, "Before installation" is the result when the air conditioner was operated without the heat medium improvement device connected, and "After installation" is the result when the air conditioner was operated with the heat medium improvement device connected. In Table 1, the outdoor temperature is divided into 5°C ranges, and the average calculated APF values ​​are summarized for each outdoor temperature range. APF stands for Annual Performance Factor and was calculated in accordance with JIS B 8616:2015. The higher the APF value, the better the energy saving performance. As is clear from Table 1, connecting the heat medium improvement device improves the power energy consumption efficiency.

[0037] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Temperature controller 2 Heat medium improvement device 22 Converter 23 Bandpass filter 24 Voltage regulator 25 Conductor 3 Temperature controller body 31 Piping 4 Connection part between the conductor and the piping

Claims

1. A heat transfer medium improving device for a temperature controller, comprising: a switching converter; a band-pass filter that receives the voltage output from said converter and outputs a voltage having a frequency component corresponding to spike noise; and a conductor that is connected to said band-pass filter and applies the output voltage of said band-pass filter to a pipe through which a heat transfer medium flows.

2. The heat transfer medium improving device for a temperature controller according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter outputs a voltage having frequency components exceeding 60 Hz and less than 20 kHz.

3. A heat transfer medium improving device for a temperature controller as described in claim 1, further comprising a voltage regulator that adjusts the output voltage of the bandpass filter, and applies a voltage adjusted to 200 mV to 5 V by the voltage regulator to the piping.

4. A temperature controller comprising a pipe through which a heat medium flows and a heat medium improvement device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conductor of the heat medium improvement device is electrically connected to the pipe.

5. A method for improving the heat transfer medium in a temperature controller, in which a voltage having a frequency component equivalent to spike noise, obtained using the voltage output from a switching converter, is applied via a conductor to a pipe through which the heat transfer medium flows.

6. The heat transfer medium improving method for a temperature controller according to claim 5, wherein a connection terminal of the conductor is electrically connected to the piping, and the connection portion between the connection terminal and the piping is insulated from the outside.

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