Industrial water chiller and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an industrial water chiller and a control method thereof, relates to the technical field of refrigeration equipment, and solves the problem that the power of the refrigeration equipment of the water chiller is repeatedly adjusted. The water return main pipeline is connected with the water diversion pipeline through the three-way adjusting valve, and when the heat power of water return input is higher than the maximum heat extraction power of the compressor during rated power operation, part of water return can be shunted into the first water tank through the water diversion pipeline. A refrigerant pipeline of the refrigeration equipment is connected with the refrigerant flow dividing pipeline through the three-way adjusting valve, and when the minimum heat extraction power of the compressor during rated power operation is higher than the heat power of return water input, part of refrigerants can be divided into the first water tank through the refrigerant flow dividing pipeline. Return water within a certain temperature range can be allocated outside the refrigeration equipment, so that the heat load of the return water finally input into the refrigeration equipment is matched with the heat extraction power of the refrigeration equipment, and a compressor can operate at high-efficiency rated power for a long time, so that the service life of the compressor is prolonged, and the overall energy consumption level is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration equipment technology, specifically to an industrial chiller and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] In some industrial equipment, such as injection molding machines and bipolar plate presses, the operating temperature exhibits a cyclical alternation of heating and cooling. During the processing phase, the temperature of the industrial equipment gradually rises from a lower standby temperature to the maximum temperature required by the process. After processing is completed, the temperature of the industrial equipment rapidly cools back to the standby temperature to prepare for the next processing cycle. These types of industrial equipment use chillers as the cooling water supply. This cyclical temperature change in the industrial equipment causes the return water heat load of the refrigeration equipment, which ultimately supplies the chiller, to also change cyclically. To cope with the cyclical changes in return water temperature, the compressor of the refrigeration equipment constantly switches between high and low power operating states. This results in a shortened lifespan for the compressor due to frequent adjustments and also causes the compressor to operate more frequently in inefficient states, leading to an increase in the overall energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to design an industrial chiller and its control method to solve the problem of repeated power adjustment of the chiller's refrigeration equipment.

[0004] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: On one hand, the present invention provides an industrial chiller for providing circulating water for cooling industrial equipment. The industrial chiller includes a refrigeration unit, a main water supply line, a main return water line, a water distribution line, a first water tank, a first makeup water line, and a refrigerant distribution line. The refrigeration unit is used to cool the circulating water. The inlet of the main water supply line is connected to the outlet port of the refrigeration unit, and the outlet port is connected to the inlet port of the industrial equipment to receive the cooled circulating water and supply it to the industrial equipment. The inlet of the main return water line is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment, and the outlet port is connected to the inlet port of the refrigeration unit to supply the refrigeration unit with circulating water to be cooled. The inlet of the water distribution line is connected to the middle section of the main return water line via a first three-way regulating valve, which diverts a portion of the water in the main return water line to the water distribution line. The first water tank is connected to the outlet of the water distribution line and is used to receive the water discharged from the water distribution line. The inlet of the first water replenishment pipeline is connected to the first water tank, and the outlet is connected to the main water supply line, for replenishing the water in the first water tank to the main water supply line. The inlet of the refrigerant distribution pipeline is connected to the refrigerant pipeline of the refrigeration equipment through a second three-way regulating valve, and the outlet is connected to the refrigerant pipeline. The middle section of the refrigerant distribution pipeline is connected to the first water tank for heat exchange. The second three-way regulating valve is used to divert a portion of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the refrigerant distribution pipeline.

[0005] With the above-described structure, the middle section of the return water main line is connected to a water diversion line via a first three-way regulating valve. When the return water temperature is too high, causing the input heat power to exceed the maximum heat dissipation power of the refrigeration equipment's compressor at rated power, a portion of the return water can be diverted through the water diversion line to the first water tank for temporary storage. This prevents excessive heat load from being input into the refrigeration equipment, allowing the compressor to operate at its rated power and preventing it from increasing its power to cope with the excessive heat load from the return water. The portion of the return water diverted to the first water tank mixes with the lower-temperature water already present in the tank, further reducing its temperature during continuous cooling. The lower-temperature water in the first water tank can be replenished to the supply water main line through the first water replenishment line to supplement the supply flow, ensuring the circulating cooling water maintains a certain flow rate and guaranteeing a continuous and stable cooling capacity for the industrial equipment.

[0006] The refrigerant piping of the refrigeration equipment is connected to the refrigerant distribution line via a second three-way regulating valve. When the return water temperature is too low, causing the minimum heat dissipation power of the refrigeration equipment's compressor to exceed the heat power input to the return water at rated power, a portion of the refrigerant can be diverted through the refrigerant distribution line to the first water tank to cool the water in the first water tank. This temporarily stores the excess cooling capacity in the water in the first water tank, allowing the compressor to maintain operation at rated power and preventing the compressor from reducing its power to cope with the excessively low return water heat load. The water in the first water tank cooled by the diverted refrigerant can mix with the portion of return water diverted to the first water tank for further cooling, thus fully utilizing the stored cooling capacity.

[0007] Therefore, this type of industrial chiller can adjust the return water within a certain temperature range outside the refrigeration equipment, so that the heat load of the return water finally input into the refrigeration equipment matches the heat dissipation power of the refrigeration equipment, allowing the compressor of the refrigeration equipment to maintain high-efficiency rated power operation for a long time, thereby improving the compressor's lifespan and reducing the overall energy consumption level.

[0008] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following structure is specifically adopted: the industrial chiller further includes a second water tank and a second water supply pipeline; the first water supply pipeline is provided with a water supply branch pipe, the inlet of the water supply branch pipe is connected to the middle section of the first water supply pipeline through a three-way valve, the outlet of the water supply branch pipe is connected to the second water tank, and the three-way valve is used to divert at least a portion of the water in the first water supply pipeline to the second water tank; the inlet of the second water supply pipeline is connected to the second water tank, and the outlet is connected to the main water supply pipeline for supplying water to the main water supply pipeline.

[0009] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following configuration is adopted: the industrial chiller further includes a mixing valve, the two inlets of which are respectively connected to the outlet of the first water supply pipeline and the outlet of the second water supply pipeline, and the outlet of the mixing valve is connected to the middle section of the main water supply pipeline.

[0010] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following configuration structure is specifically adopted: a first temperature sensor for detecting the water supply temperature is installed upstream of the main water supply line where it is connected to the mixing valve; a second temperature sensor for detecting the replenishment water temperature is installed at the outlet of the mixing valve; the first and second temperature sensors are respectively connected to a controller; the controller is connected to the mixing valve to adjust the mixing ratio of the mixing valve according to the water supply temperature, so that the outlet water temperature of the mixing valve approaches the water supply temperature.

[0011] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following structure is specifically adopted: the refrigerant distribution pipeline is provided with a refrigerant distribution branch pipe, the refrigerant distribution branch pipe is connected to the second water tank for heat exchange, the inlet of the refrigerant distribution branch pipe is connected to the middle section of the refrigerant distribution pipeline through a third three-way regulating valve, the outlet of the refrigerant distribution branch pipe is connected to the middle section of the refrigerant distribution pipeline, and the third three-way regulating valve is used to divert at least a portion of the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution pipeline to the refrigerant distribution branch pipe.

[0012] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following configuration structure is adopted: the first water tank and the second water tank are respectively equipped with a fourth temperature sensor and a fifth temperature sensor for detecting the water temperature inside the tank. The water temperature of the first water tank is set to be higher than that of the second water tank. The fourth temperature sensor and the fifth temperature sensor are respectively connected to a controller. The controller is connected to the third three-way regulating valve to adjust the flow rate of the third three-way regulating valve according to the water temperature of the first water tank and the water temperature of the second water tank.

[0013] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following structure is specifically adopted: the volume of the first water tank is greater than the volume of the second water tank.

[0014] To further improve the implementation of the present invention, the following configuration structure is adopted: the refrigeration equipment includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator connected sequentially along the refrigerant pipeline, and the second three-way regulating valve is disposed between the expansion valve and the evaporator.

[0015] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following configuration structure is adopted: the main water supply line is equipped with a circulation pump.

[0016] To further improve the implementation of this invention, the following configuration structure is specifically adopted: the main return water line is equipped with a third temperature sensor for detecting the return water temperature, the third temperature sensor is connected to a controller, and the controller is connected to a second three-way regulating valve to adjust the diversion flow rate of the second three-way regulating valve according to the return water temperature; the controller is also connected to a first three-way regulating valve to adjust the diversion flow rate of the first three-way regulating valve according to the return water temperature.

[0017] On the other hand, the present invention provides an industrial chiller control method. This method is applied to the aforementioned industrial chiller, wherein the outlet of the industrial chiller's main water supply line is connected to the inlet port of the industrial equipment, and the inlet of the industrial chiller's main return water line is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment. The method involves real-time monitoring of the return water temperature to obtain the return water temperature. When the return water temperature is lower than a set standard temperature but greater than or equal to a set lower limit temperature, the method controls the first three-way regulating valve to shut off the water distribution line, and controls the second three-way regulating valve to connect the refrigerant distribution line to divert a portion of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the industrial equipment. The refrigerant distribution pipeline cools the water in the first water tank to ensure the refrigeration equipment operates at its rated power. When the return water temperature is greater than or equal to the set standard temperature and less than or equal to the set upper limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve is controlled to connect the water distribution pipeline to divert a portion of the water in the return water main to the water distribution pipeline for discharge to the first water tank. Simultaneously, the second three-way regulating valve is controlled to shut off the refrigerant distribution pipeline to ensure the refrigeration equipment operates at its rated power. Furthermore, the first water supply pipeline is controlled to replenish the water in the first water tank to the main water supply pipeline to maintain the circulating water flow rate.

[0018] On the other hand, the present invention also provides an industrial chiller control method. This method is applied to the aforementioned industrial chiller equipped with a second water tank. The outlet of the industrial chiller's main water supply line is connected to the inlet port of the industrial equipment, and the inlet of the industrial chiller's main return water line is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment. The water temperature of the main return water line is monitored in real time to obtain the return water temperature. When the return water temperature is less than a set standard temperature but greater than or equal to a set lower limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve is controlled to shut off the water distribution line, the second three-way regulating valve is controlled to connect the refrigerant distribution line to divert a portion of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the refrigerant distribution line, and the third three-way regulating valve is controlled to connect the refrigerant distribution branch pipe to... The water in the first and second water tanks is cooled to ensure that the refrigeration equipment operates at its rated power. When the return water temperature is greater than or equal to the set standard temperature and less than or equal to the set upper limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve is controlled to connect the water diversion pipeline to divert a portion of the water in the main return water pipeline to the water diversion pipeline for discharge to the first water tank. The second three-way regulating valve is also controlled to shut off the refrigerant diversion pipeline to ensure that the refrigeration equipment operates at its rated power. The first and second water supply pipelines are controlled to draw water from the first and second water tanks to the mixing valve to mix it into outlet water with a temperature close to the supply water temperature, which is then supplied to the main supply water pipeline to maintain the circulating water flow rate.

[0019] Furthermore, in this industrial chiller control method, when the return water temperature is greater than the set upper limit temperature, the chiller is controlled to increase its power; when the return water temperature is less than the set lower limit temperature, the chiller is controlled to decrease its power.

[0020] The present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: In this invention, the middle section of the return water main line is connected to a water diversion line via a first three-way regulating valve. When the return water temperature is too high, causing the heat input of the return water to exceed the maximum heat dissipation power of the compressor of the refrigeration equipment at its rated power, a portion of the return water can be diverted through the water diversion line to a first water tank for temporary storage. This prevents excessive heat load from being input into the refrigeration equipment, allowing the compressor to maintain operation at its rated power and preventing the compressor from increasing its power to cope with the excessive heat load from the return water. The portion of the return water diverted to the first water tank can mix with the lower-temperature water already present in the first water tank and further reduce its temperature during continuous cooling. The lower-temperature water in the first water tank can be replenished to the supply water main line through a first water replenishment line to supplement the supply water flow, ensuring that the circulating cooling water maintains a certain flow rate and guarantees a continuous and stable cooling capacity for the industrial equipment. The refrigerant piping of the refrigeration equipment is connected to the refrigerant distribution line via a second three-way regulating valve. When the return water temperature is too low, causing the minimum heat dissipation power of the compressor operating at rated power to exceed the heat dissipation power of the return water, a portion of the refrigerant can be diverted through the refrigerant distribution line to the first water tank to cool the water in the first water tank. This temporarily stores the excess cooling capacity in the water in the first water tank, allowing the compressor to maintain operation at rated power and preventing it from reducing power to cope with the low return water heat load. The water in the first water tank, cooled by the diverted refrigerant, can mix with the portion of return water diverted to the first water tank for further cooling, thus fully utilizing the stored cooling capacity. Therefore, this type of industrial chiller allows return water within a certain temperature range to be distributed outside the refrigeration equipment, ensuring that the heat load of the return water ultimately input to the refrigeration equipment matches the heat dissipation power of the refrigeration equipment. This allows the compressor to maintain high-efficiency operation at its rated power for extended periods, thereby extending compressor life and reducing overall energy consumption. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1These are structural schematic diagrams of industrial chillers in some embodiments. In the diagram, the main water supply line is highlighted with a thick green solid line, the return water line is highlighted with a thick magenta solid line, the water distribution lines, the first water supply line, the second water supply line and the outlet pipe of the mixing valve are highlighted with thick blue solid lines, the water supply branch pipe is highlighted with a thick red solid line, and the refrigerant distribution line and the refrigerant distribution branch pipe are highlighted with thick black solid lines. Figure 2 The water flow paths of the circulating water pipeline, the water flow paths within the diversion pipeline, and the water flow paths of the make-up branch pipe are highlighted with bold dashed lines with arrows. Figure 3 The water flow paths within the first water supply line, the second water supply line, and the outlet pipe of the mixer are highlighted with bold dashed lines bearing arrows. Figure 4 The refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant piping, refrigerant branch piping, and refrigerant branch pipe is highlighted with bold solid lines with arrows. Figure 5 The controller connections are highlighted with bold dashed lines.

[0023] The diagram is marked as follows: 10. Refrigeration equipment; 11. Compressor; 12. Condenser; 13. Expansion valve; 14. Second and three-way regulating valve; 15. Evaporator; 16. Refrigerant piping; 20. Main water supply line; 21. Circulation pump; 22. Mixing valve; 23. First temperature sensor; 24. Second temperature sensor; 30. Main return water line; 31. First three-way regulating valve; 32. Third temperature sensor; 40. Water diversion pipelines; 50. First water tank; 51. Fourth temperature sensor; 60. First water supply pipeline; 61. Water supply branch pipe; 62. Fourth three-way regulating valve; 63. First water supply pump; 70. Refrigerant distribution line; 71. Refrigerant distribution branch line; 72. Third three-way regulating valve; 80. Second water tank; 81. Fifth temperature sensor; 90. Second water supply pipeline; 91. Second water supply pump; 200. Industrial equipment; 201. Cooling channels; 300. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "head," "tail," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0026] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0028] On the one hand, this invention discloses an industrial chiller that has the advantage of improving the compressor regulation frequency of refrigeration equipment, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, it is specifically configured with the following structure: In this embodiment, reference Figure 1 This type of industrial chiller is used to provide circulating water for cooling industrial equipment 200 that has periodic temperature changes.

[0029] like Figure 1As shown, the industrial chiller includes a refrigeration unit 10, a main water supply line 20, a main return water line 30, a water distribution line 40, a first water tank 50, a first water replenishment line 60, and a refrigerant distribution line 70.

[0030] Refrigeration equipment 10 is used to cool the circulating water. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the refrigeration equipment 10 has a refrigerant pipeline 16 and a compressor 11, a condenser 12, an expansion valve 13, a second three-way regulating valve 14, and an evaporator 15, which are sequentially arranged and connected in series along the refrigerant pipeline 16. The second three-way regulating valve 14 is located between the expansion valve 13 and the evaporator 15. Two of its ports are connected to the refrigerant inlet of the expansion valve 13 and the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator 15, respectively. The remaining port is connected to the inlet of the refrigerant distribution line 70 so that the refrigerant distribution line 70 is connected to the refrigerant pipeline 16. The outlet of the refrigerant distribution line 70 is connected to the refrigerant pipeline 16 downstream of the evaporator 15 (refrigerant outlet side) via a three-way valve, so that the refrigerant diverted into the refrigerant distribution line 70 can eventually flow back to the refrigerant pipeline 16 to be re-drawn into the compressor 11 for compression. The second three-way regulating valve 14 can adjust the opening of the port connected to the refrigerant distribution line 70 by adjusting its valve core, thereby regulating the distribution of refrigerant flow.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the inlet of the main water supply line 20 is connected to the outlet of the refrigeration equipment 10 to receive cooling water discharged from the outlet of the refrigeration equipment 10 after heat exchange with the refrigerant. The outlet of the main water supply line 20 is connected to the inlet of the industrial equipment 200 to supply the industrial equipment 200 with the circulating water (supply water) cooled by the refrigeration equipment 10 for cooling. The inlet of the return water line 30 is connected to the outlet of the industrial equipment 200 to receive the circulating water (return water) discharged through the internal heat dissipation channels of the industrial equipment 200. The outlet of the return water line 30 is connected to the inlet of the refrigeration equipment 10 to supply the refrigeration equipment 10 with circulating water to be cooled. After the main water supply line 20 and the main return water line 30 are connected to the industrial equipment 200, they together with the heat dissipation water channel 201 of the industrial equipment 200 and the hot water exchange channel inside the evaporator 15 of the refrigeration equipment 10 form a circulating water pipeline.

[0032] Figure 2 The diagram shows the flow direction of the circulating water in the circulating water pipeline. After the circulating water comes out of the evaporator 15 of the refrigeration equipment 10, it flows along the main water supply line 20 to the heat dissipation channel 201 in the industrial equipment 200, then flows to the return water main line 30 and finally flows back to the evaporator 15.

[0033] A circulating pump 21 is installed in the circulating water pipeline. For example, such as... Figure 1As shown, the circulation pump 21 is installed at the pipeline of the main water supply line 20. For example, the circulation pump 21 is installed at the pipeline of the main return water line 30.

[0034] A first three-way regulating valve 31 is installed at the middle section of the return water main line 30. Two ports of the first three-way regulating valve 31 are connected to the inlet of the return water main line 30, so that it is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment 200 when connected. One port of the first three-way regulating valve 31 is connected to the inlet of the water diversion line 40, so that it is connected to the middle section of the return water main line 30. The first three-way regulating valve 31 can adjust the opening of the port connected to the water diversion line 40 by adjusting its valve core, so as to regulate the distribution of return water flow.

[0035] Figure 2 The diagram shows the flow direction of water entering the water diversion line 40. (Reference) Figure 2 The first three-way regulating valve 31 can connect with the water diversion pipeline 40 by adjusting its valve core, so that the first three-way regulating valve 31 can divert most of the water in the return water main pipeline 30 to the water diversion pipeline 40 and finally discharge it into the first water tank 50 for temporary storage.

[0036] The first water tank 50 is located at the outlet side of the water diversion pipeline 40 and is connected to the outlet of the water diversion pipeline 40, capable of receiving water discharged from the water diversion pipeline 40. A first water supply pipeline 60 is installed inside the first water tank 50, wherein, for example... Figure 1 As shown, the inlet of the first water tank 50 is connected to the inlet of the first water supply pipeline 60, and the outlet of the first water supply pipeline 60 is connected to a tee installed in the middle section of the main water supply pipeline 20, so that the outlet of the first water supply pipeline 60 is connected to the main water supply pipeline 20. (Reference) Figure 3 The first water supply pipeline 60 can replenish the water in the first water tank 50 to the main water supply pipeline 20 and merge with the water supply in the main water supply pipeline 20. The first water supply pipeline 60 includes a first water supply pump 63 installed in the pipeline. When the first water supply pump 63 is running, it is used to draw water from the first water tank 50 to the main water supply pipeline 20.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the middle section of the refrigerant distribution line 70 is connected to the first water tank 50 for heat exchange, allowing the second three-way regulating valve 14 to divert refrigerant from the refrigerant line 16 to the refrigerant distribution line 70, thereby cooling the water stored in the first water tank 50. For example, the middle section of the refrigerant distribution line 70 is coiled along the outer wall or insulation layer of the first water tank 50, or extends into the first water tank 50 and is coiled along the inner wall. For example, the middle section of the refrigerant distribution line 70 is configured as an evaporator structure and exchanges heat with the water in the first water tank 50.

[0038] In some embodiments, the second three-way regulating valve 14 is configured as an electrically controlled valve.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first three-way regulating valve 31 is configured as an electrically controlled valve.

[0040] In this embodiment, the industrial chiller is equipped with a first three-way regulating valve 31 in the middle section of its return water main line 30. The first three-way regulating valve 31 is connected to a water diversion line 40. Thus, when the return water temperature is too high—that is, when the return water temperature is high enough that the heat power of the return water input into the refrigeration equipment 10 exceeds the maximum heat dissipation power of the compressor 11 of the refrigeration equipment 10 at its rated power—a portion of the return water in the return water main line 30 can be diverted through the water diversion line 40 to the first water tank 50 for temporary storage by adjusting the first three-way regulating valve 31. This prevents excessive heat load from being input into the refrigeration equipment 10, allowing the compressor 11 of the refrigeration equipment 10 to maintain operation at its rated power and preventing the compressor 11 from increasing its power to cope with the excessive heat load of the return water. Generally, the higher the return water temperature, the larger the opening between the first three-way regulating valve 31 and the water diversion line 40, and vice versa.

[0041] Part of the return water diverted to the first water tank 50 mixes with the lower-temperature water already present in the first water tank 50, further reducing its temperature during continuous cooling. The lower-temperature water in the first water tank 50 can be replenished to the main water supply line 20 through the first makeup water line 60 to supplement the water supply flow, ensuring that the circulating cooling water maintains a certain flow rate and that the cooling capacity of the industrial equipment 200 is continuous and stable. The lower-temperature water in the first water tank 50 is obtained through natural cooling combined with refrigerant cooling via the refrigerant diversion line 70 when the return water temperature is too low. The refrigerant line 16 of the refrigeration equipment 10 is connected to the refrigerant distribution line 70 via the second three-way regulating valve 14. When the return water temperature is too low, causing the minimum heat dissipation power of the compressor 11 of the refrigeration equipment 10 at rated power to exceed the heat power input to the return water, a portion of the refrigerant can be diverted through the refrigerant distribution line 70 to the first water tank 50 to cool the water in the first water tank 50. This temporarily stores the excess cooling capacity in the water in the first water tank 50, allowing the compressor 11 to maintain operation at rated power and preventing the compressor 11 from reducing its power to cope with the excessively low return water heat load. The water in the first water tank 50 cooled by the diverted refrigerant can mix with the portion of return water diverted to the first water tank 50 to further cool it, thus fully utilizing the stored cooling capacity. Therefore, this type of industrial chiller can adjust the return water within a certain temperature range outside the refrigeration equipment 10, so that the heat load of the return water finally input into the refrigeration equipment 10 matches the heat dissipation power of the refrigeration equipment 10, allowing the compressor 11 of the refrigeration equipment 10 to maintain high-efficiency rated power operation for a long time, thereby improving the life of the compressor 11 and reducing the overall energy consumption level.

[0042] According to some optional embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, a third temperature sensor 32 for detecting the return water temperature is installed on the main return water line 30. The third temperature sensor 32 is connected to a controller 300, which in turn controls a second three-way regulating valve 14. The controller 300 can adjust the flow rate of the second three-way regulating valve 14 according to the return water temperature. For example, when the return water temperature continues to decrease, the controller 300 can control the second three-way regulating valve 14 to continuously increase the connection area with the refrigerant distribution line 70, thereby gradually increasing the refrigerant flow rate distributed to the refrigerant distribution line 70. The controller 300 also controls a first three-way regulating valve 31, which can adjust the flow rate of the first three-way regulating valve 31 according to the return water temperature. For example, when the return water temperature continues to increase, the controller 300 can control the first three-way regulating valve 31 to continuously increase the connection area with the water distribution line 40, thereby gradually increasing the water flow rate distributed to the water distribution line 40.

[0043] According to some optional embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the industrial chiller in this embodiment is equipped with a second water tank 80 in addition to the first water tank 50. A fourth three-way regulating valve 62 is installed in the middle section of the first water supply pipeline 60. The remaining port of the three-way valve is connected to and communicates with the inlet of the water supply branch pipe 61, so that the inlet of the water supply branch pipe 61 is connected to the middle section of the first water supply pipeline 60 through the fourth three-way regulating valve 62.

[0044] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the water flow direction from the first water tank 50 to the second water tank 80. The outlet of the water supply branch pipe 61 extends into and connects to the second water tank 80. A fourth three-way regulating valve 62 is used to divert at least a portion of the water in the first water supply line 60 to the second water tank 80 to replenish its water volume. The fourth three-way regulating valve 62 can adjust the opening of its port connected to the water supply branch pipe 61 by adjusting its valve core, thereby regulating the water flow rate diverted to the water supply branch pipe 61.

[0045] The second water tank 80 is equipped with a second water supply pipeline 90. The inlet of the second water supply pipeline 90 is connected to the second water tank 80, and the outlet of the second water supply pipeline 90 is connected to the main water supply pipeline 20 for supplying water to the main water supply pipeline 20. The second water supply pipeline 90 includes a second water supply pump 91 installed in the pipeline. When the second water supply pump 91 is running, it is used to draw water from the second water tank 80 to the main water supply pipeline 20.

[0046] For example, refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the flow direction of water within the first water supply line 60 and the second water supply line 90. The outlets of the first water supply line 60 and the second water supply line 90 are connected to and communicate with the main water supply line 20 via tees. For example, the outlets of the first water supply line 60 and the second water supply line 90 merge before entering the main water supply line 20.

[0047] According to some optional embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the industrial chiller is equipped with a mixing valve 22, which has one outlet and two inlets. The outlet of the mixing valve 22 is connected to the middle section of the main water supply line 20 via a tee. The two inlets of the mixing valve 22 are connected to the outlets of the first water supply line 60 and the second water supply line 90, respectively, to mix the water flow from the first water supply line 60 and the water flow from the second water supply line 90 evenly before outputting it to the main water supply line 20.

[0048] According to some optional embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, a first temperature sensor 23 for detecting the internal water temperature is installed on the main water supply line 20. The first temperature sensor 23 is located upstream of the location on the main water supply line 20 where it connects to the mixing valve 22. A second temperature sensor 24 for detecting the replenishment water temperature is installed at the outlet of the mixing valve 22. Figure 5 As shown, the first temperature sensor 23 and the second temperature sensor 24 are respectively connected to the controller 300 to send detection signals to the controller 300. Simultaneously, the controller 300 is also connected to the mixing valve 22. The controller 300 can adjust the mixing ratio of the mixing valve 22 based on the difference between the supply water temperature sent by the first temperature sensor 23 and the mixed water temperature sent by the second temperature sensor 24, so that the outlet water temperature of the mixing valve 22 is closer to the supply water temperature. For example, when the mixed water temperature sent by the second temperature sensor 24 is lower than the supply water temperature sent by the first temperature sensor 23, the controller 300 compares these two temperature signals to control the mixing valve 22 to increase the flow rate of the first supply water line 60 (which has a higher temperature) and decrease the flow rate of the second supply water line 90 (which has a lower temperature), thereby obtaining supply water with an outlet water temperature closer to the supply water temperature.

[0049] According to some optional embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the middle section of the refrigerant distribution line 70 is connected to the refrigerant distribution branch pipe 71. Specifically, a third three-way regulating valve 72 is installed in the middle section of the refrigerant distribution line 70. One port of the third three-way regulating valve 72 is connected to and communicates with the inlet of the refrigerant distribution branch pipe 71, so that the inlet of the refrigerant distribution branch pipe 71 is connected to the middle section of the refrigerant distribution line 70 through the third three-way regulating valve 72. The outlet of the refrigerant distribution branch pipe 71 is then connected to and communicates with the middle section of the refrigerant distribution line 70 to form two refrigerant branches that pass through the first water tank 50 and the second water tank 80 respectively. The third three-way regulating valve 72 is used to divert at least a portion of the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution line 70 to the refrigerant distribution branch pipe 71.

[0050] In some embodiments, the third three-way regulating valve 72 is configured as an electrically controlled valve.

[0051] The middle section of the refrigerant branch pipe 71 is connected to the second water tank 80 for heat exchange. For example, the middle section of the refrigerant branch pipe 71 is coiled along the outer wall or insulation layer of the second water tank 80, or extends into the second water tank 80 and is coiled along the inner wall. For example, the middle section of the refrigerant branch pipe 71 is configured as an evaporator structure and exchanges heat with the water in the second water tank 80.

[0052] According to some optional embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the first water tank 50 and the second water tank 80 are respectively equipped with a fourth temperature sensor 51 and a fifth temperature sensor 81 for detecting the water temperature in their respective tanks.

[0053] In some embodiments, the water temperature of the first water tank 50 is set to be higher than the water temperature of the second water tank 80. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the fourth temperature sensor 51 and the fifth temperature sensor 81 are respectively connected to the controller 300 to send their detected water storage temperature signals to the controller 300. Simultaneously, the controller 300 is connected to the third three-way regulating valve 72. The controller 300 can adjust the flow rate of the third three-way regulating valve 72 based on the difference between the water storage temperature of the first water tank 50 and the water storage temperature of the second water tank 80. For example, when the difference between the water storage temperature signal sent by the fourth temperature sensor 51 and the water storage temperature signal sent by the fifth temperature sensor 81 is less than a set difference, the controller 300 controls the third three-way regulating valve 72 to increase the opening of the refrigerant branch pipe 71, thereby increasing the refrigerant flow rate into the refrigerant branch pipe 71. This allows the outlet water temperature in the second water tank 80 to be further reduced compared to the outlet water temperature in the first water tank 50. This allows the mixing valve 22 to better mix water at the required temperature.

[0054] In some embodiments, reference is made to Figure 1 The volume of the first water tank 50 is greater than the volume of the second water tank 80.

[0055] On the other hand, the present invention provides an industrial chiller control method, which is applied to the industrial chillers described above in some embodiments that only have a first water tank 50. In this embodiment, reference is made to... Figure 1 An industrial chiller is connected to industrial equipment 200, wherein the outlet of the main water supply line 20 of the industrial chiller is connected to the inlet port of the industrial equipment 200, and the inlet of the return water line 30 of the industrial chiller is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment 200.

[0056] During the continuous operation of the industrial chiller to periodically cool the industrial equipment 200, the water temperature of the return water main 30 is simultaneously monitored in real time to obtain the return water temperature.

[0057] In some embodiments, the return water temperature is obtained through a third temperature sensor 32 and sent to the controller 300. After receiving the return water temperature signal, the controller 300 determines the location of the return water temperature within the set temperature range.

[0058] In other embodiments, the control of each three-way regulating valve can be performed by a staff member. The staff member can determine the current return water temperature within the set temperature range based on the return water temperature, and then complete the relevant adjustments through remote control or on-site manual adjustment.

[0059] For example, when the return water temperature is lower than the set standard temperature but greater than or equal to the set lower limit temperature, it indicates that the return water temperature is low, and the compressor 11 of the refrigeration equipment 10 can be maintained at its rated power through relevant control and adjustment. The first three-way regulating valve 31 is controlled to close the water distribution line 40, and the second three-way regulating valve 14 is controlled to connect the refrigerant distribution line 70 to divert some of the refrigerant in the refrigerant line 16 to the refrigerant distribution line 70. This allows the diverted refrigerant to cool the water in the first water tank 50, thereby enabling the refrigeration equipment 10 to maintain its rated power operation.

[0060] When the return water temperature is greater than or equal to the set standard temperature and less than or equal to the set upper limit temperature, it indicates that the return water temperature is high, and the compressor 11 of the refrigeration equipment 10 can be maintained at its rated power through relevant control and adjustment. The first three-way regulating valve 31 is controlled to connect the water diversion pipeline 40 to divert part of the water in the return water main pipeline 30 to the water diversion pipeline 40 for discharge to the first water tank 50, and the second three-way regulating valve 14 is controlled to shut off the refrigerant diversion pipeline 70 so that the refrigeration equipment 10 can maintain its rated power operation; and the first water supply pipeline 60 is controlled to replenish the water in the first water tank 50 to the water supply main pipeline 20 to maintain the circulating water flow.

[0061] On the other hand, the present invention also provides an industrial chiller control method, which is applied to the industrial chillers in some embodiments described above that are equipped with a first water tank 50 and a second water tank 80. In this embodiment, the industrial equipment 200 is connected to the industrial equipment 200, the outlet of the industrial chiller's main water supply line 20 is connected to the inlet port of the industrial equipment 200, and the inlet of the industrial chiller's return water main line 30 is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment 200.

[0062] During the continuous operation of the industrial chiller to periodically cool the industrial equipment 200, the water temperature of the return water main 30 is simultaneously monitored in real time to obtain the return water temperature.

[0063] In some embodiments, the return water temperature is obtained through a third temperature sensor 32 and sent to the controller 300. After receiving the return water temperature signal, the controller 300 determines the location of the return water temperature within the set temperature range.

[0064] In other embodiments, the control of each three-way regulating valve can be performed by a staff member. The staff member can determine the current return water temperature within the set temperature range based on the return water temperature, and then complete the relevant adjustments through remote control or on-site manual adjustment.

[0065] When the return water temperature is lower than the set standard temperature but greater than or equal to the set lower limit temperature, it indicates that the return water temperature is low, and the compressor 11 of the refrigeration equipment 10 can be maintained at its rated power through relevant control and adjustment. The first three-way regulating valve 31 is controlled to shut off the water distribution line 40, the second three-way regulating valve 14 is controlled to connect the refrigerant distribution line 70 to divert some of the refrigerant in the refrigerant line 16 to the refrigerant distribution line 70, and the third three-way regulating valve 72 is controlled to connect the refrigerant distribution branch pipe 71 to cool the water in the first water tank 50 and the second water tank 80, so that the refrigeration equipment 10 can maintain operation at its rated power. When the return water temperature is greater than or equal to the set standard temperature but less than or equal to the set upper limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve is controlled... Valve 31 connects to the water diversion pipeline 40 to divert some of the water in the main water supply pipeline 30 to the water diversion pipeline 40 for discharge to the first water tank 50, and controls the second three-way regulating valve 14 to shut off the refrigerant diversion pipeline 70 so that the refrigeration equipment 10 can maintain operation at rated power; and controls the first water supply pipeline 60 and the second water supply pipeline 90 to draw water from the first water tank 50 and the second water tank 80 to the mixing valve 22 to mix into water with a temperature close to the supply water temperature to replenish the main water supply pipeline 20, so as to maintain the circulating water flow.

[0066] According to some optional embodiments, in this industrial chiller control method, when the return water temperature is higher than the set upper limit temperature, the refrigeration equipment 10 is controlled to increase its power. When the return water temperature is lower than the set lower limit temperature, the refrigeration equipment 10 is controlled to decrease its power. In both cases, if the refrigeration equipment 10 operates at its rated power, it will not be able to meet the cooling demand or the energy consumption will become higher. In this case, the refrigeration equipment 10 will no longer be maintained at its rated power. The refrigeration equipment 10 will adjust the power of the compressor 11 according to the input heat load.

[0067] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0068] Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatus in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. In addition, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0069] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An industrial chiller for providing circulating cooling water to industrial equipment (200), characterized in that: include: Refrigeration equipment (10) is used to cool circulating water; The main water supply line (20) has its inlet connected to the outlet of the refrigeration equipment (10), and the outlet is used to connect to the inlet of the industrial equipment (200) to receive the circulating water cooled by the refrigeration equipment (10) and supply it to the industrial equipment (200). The main return water line (30) has an inlet for connecting to the outlet of the industrial equipment (200) and an outlet for connecting to the inlet of the refrigeration equipment (10) to supply circulating water to be cooled to the refrigeration equipment (10). The water diversion pipeline (40) has its inlet connected to the middle section of the return water main pipeline (30) via a first three-way regulating valve (31). The first three-way regulating valve (31) is used to divert a portion of the water in the return water main pipeline (30) to the water diversion pipeline (40). The first water tank (50) is connected to the outlet of the water diversion pipeline (40) and is used to receive the water discharged from the water diversion pipeline (40); The first water supply pipeline (60) has its inlet connected to the first water tank (50) and its outlet connected to the main water supply pipeline (20), and is used to replenish the water in the first water tank (50) to the main water supply pipeline (20). The refrigerant distribution line (70) has its inlet connected to the refrigerant line (16) of the refrigeration equipment (10) via a second three-way regulating valve (14), and its outlet connected to the refrigerant line (16). The middle section of the refrigerant distribution line (70) is connected to the first water tank (50) for heat exchange. The second three-way regulating valve (14) is used to divert up to a portion of the refrigerant in the refrigerant line (16) to the refrigerant distribution line (70).

2. An industrial chiller according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a second water tank (80) and a second water supply line (90); The first water supply pipeline (60) is provided with a water supply branch pipe (61). The inlet of the water supply branch pipe (61) is connected to the middle section of the first water supply pipeline (60) through a fourth three-way regulating valve (62). The outlet of the water supply branch pipe (61) is connected to the second water tank (80). The fourth three-way regulating valve (62) is used to divert at least a portion of the water in the first water supply pipeline (60) to the second water tank (80). The inlet of the second water supply pipeline (90) is connected to the second water tank (80), and the outlet is connected to the main water supply pipeline (20), for supplying water to the main water supply pipeline (20).

3. An industrial chiller according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a mixing valve (22), the two inlets of which are respectively connected to the outlet of the first water supply line (60) and the outlet of the second water supply line (90), and the outlet of the mixing valve (22) is connected to the middle section of the main water supply line (20).

4. An industrial chiller according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main water supply line (20) is equipped with a first temperature sensor (23) for detecting the water supply temperature at an upstream position connected to the mixing valve (22). The outlet of the mixing valve (22) is equipped with a second temperature sensor (24) for detecting the replenishment water temperature. The first temperature sensor (23) and the second temperature sensor (24) are respectively connected to a controller (300). The controller (300) is connected to the mixing valve (22) to adjust the mixing ratio of the mixing valve (22) according to the water supply temperature so that the outlet water temperature of the mixing valve (22) approaches the water supply temperature.

5. An industrial chiller according to claim 3, characterized in that: The refrigerant distribution pipeline (70) is provided with a refrigerant distribution branch pipe (71), which is connected to the second water tank (80) for heat exchange. The inlet of the refrigerant distribution branch pipe (71) is connected to the middle section of the refrigerant distribution pipeline (70) through a third three-way regulating valve (72), and the outlet of the refrigerant distribution branch pipe (71) is connected to the middle section of the refrigerant distribution pipeline (70). The third three-way regulating valve (72) is used to divert at least a portion of the refrigerant in the refrigerant distribution pipeline (70) to the refrigerant distribution branch pipe (71).

6. An industrial chiller according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first water tank (50) and the second water tank (80) are respectively equipped with a fourth temperature sensor (51) and a fifth temperature sensor (81) for detecting the water temperature inside the tank. The water storage temperature of the first water tank (50) is set to be greater than that of the second water tank (80). The fourth temperature sensor (51) and the fifth temperature sensor (81) are respectively connected to a controller (300). The controller (300) is connected to the third three-way regulating valve (72) for adjusting the flow rate of the third three-way regulating valve (72) according to the water storage temperature of the first water tank (50) and the water storage temperature of the second water tank (80). And / or, the volume of the first water tank (50) is greater than the volume of the second water tank (80).

7. An industrial chiller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration equipment (10) includes a compressor (11), a condenser (12), an expansion valve (13) and an evaporator (15) connected in sequence along the refrigerant pipeline (16), and the second three-way regulating valve (14) is disposed between the expansion valve (13) and the evaporator (15); And / or, the main water supply line (20) is equipped with a circulation pump (21); And / or, the main return water line (30) is provided with a third temperature sensor (32) for detecting the return water temperature, the third temperature sensor (32) is connected to a controller (300), the controller (300) is connected to a second three-way regulating valve (14) for adjusting the diversion flow of the second three-way regulating valve (14) according to the return water temperature; the controller (300) is also connected to a first three-way regulating valve (31) for adjusting the diversion flow of the first three-way regulating valve (31) according to the return water temperature.

8. A control method for an industrial chiller, characterized in that: Applied to the industrial chiller according to any one of claims 1-7, the outlet of the main water supply line (20) of the industrial chiller is connected to the inlet port of the industrial equipment (200), and the inlet of the return water main line (30) of the industrial chiller is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment (200). The water temperature of the main return water line (30) is monitored in real time to obtain the return water temperature; When the return water temperature is less than the set standard temperature and greater than or equal to the set lower limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve (31) is controlled to shut off the water diversion pipeline (40), and the second three-way regulating valve (14) is controlled to connect the refrigerant diversion pipeline (70) to divert part of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline (16) to the refrigerant diversion pipeline (70) to cool the water in the first water tank (50) so that the refrigeration equipment (10) can maintain operation at rated power. When the return water temperature is greater than or equal to the set standard temperature and less than or equal to the set upper limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve (31) is controlled to connect the water diversion pipeline (40) to divert part of the water in the return water main pipeline (30) to the water diversion pipeline (40) for discharge to the first water tank (50), and the second three-way regulating valve (14) is controlled to shut off the refrigerant diversion pipeline (70) so that the refrigeration equipment (10) can maintain operation at the rated power state; and the first water replenishment pipeline (60) is controlled to replenish the water in the first water tank (50) to the water supply main pipeline (20) to maintain the circulating water flow.

9. A control method for an industrial chiller, characterized in that: Applied to the industrial chiller of claim 5 or 6, the outlet of the main water supply line (20) of the industrial chiller is connected to the inlet port of the industrial equipment (200), and the inlet of the return water main line (30) of the industrial chiller is connected to the outlet port of the industrial equipment (200). The water temperature of the main return water line (30) is monitored in real time to obtain the return water temperature; When the return water temperature is less than the set standard temperature and greater than or equal to the set lower limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve (31) is controlled to shut off the water distribution pipeline (40), the second three-way regulating valve (14) is controlled to connect the refrigerant distribution pipeline (70) to divert part of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline (16) to the refrigerant distribution pipeline (70), and the third three-way regulating valve (72) is controlled to connect the refrigerant distribution branch pipe (71) to cool the water in the first water tank (50) and the second water tank (80) so that the refrigeration equipment (10) can maintain operation at rated power. When the return water temperature is greater than or equal to the set standard temperature and less than or equal to the set upper limit temperature, the first three-way regulating valve (31) is controlled to connect the water diversion pipeline (40) to divert part of the water in the return water main pipeline (30) to the water diversion pipeline (40) for discharge to the first water tank (50), and the second three-way regulating valve (14) is controlled to shut off the refrigerant diversion pipeline (70) so that the refrigeration equipment (10) can maintain operation at the rated power state; and the first water supply pipeline (60) and the second water supply pipeline (90) are controlled to draw water from the first water tank (50) and the second water tank (80) to the mixing valve (22) to mix into water with a temperature close to the supply water temperature to replenish the supply water main pipeline (20) to maintain the circulating water flow.

10. A method for controlling an industrial chiller according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: When the return water temperature is higher than the set upper limit temperature, the refrigeration equipment (10) is controlled to increase its power. When the return water temperature is lower than the set lower limit temperature, the refrigeration equipment (10) is controlled to reduce its power operation.

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