Sterilizing cabinet body heating and cooling circulation system and method of use thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a sterilization cabinet body heating and cooling circulation system, which comprises a sterilization cabinet, a cooling coil and a heating coil arranged in the sterilization cabinet, a cooling circulation system, a cooling circulation loop formed by the cooling circulation system and the cooling coil, a cooling medium storage tank for storing cooling medium, a cooling heat exchange system, a heat exchange circulation loop formed by the cooling medium storage tank and the cooling heat exchange system, a hot water storage tank, a steam generating device and a connecting pipeline, a steam outlet of the steam generating device being communicated with an inlet of the heating coil, an outlet of the heating coil being communicated with an inlet of the hot water storage tank, an outlet of the hot water storage tank being communicated with a water supplement end of the steam generating device, and a waste heat recovery system comprising a connecting pipe, one end of the connecting pipe being communicated with a backwater side of the cooling circulation loop and the other end of the connecting pipe being communicated with the inlet of the hot water storage tank, so that at least part of the heated cooling medium is recovered to the hot water storage tank as preheated water supplement, thereby recovering waste heat and saving water resources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sterilizer technology, and in particular to a sterilizer cabinet heating and cooling circulation system and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Moist heat sterilization is a widely used sterilization method in the medical device field. A typical moist heat sterilization cabinet has independent heating and cooling coils. During the sterilization stage, steam is introduced into the heating coils to heat and sterilize the inside of the cabinet; after sterilization, cooling water is introduced into the cooling coils to rapidly cool the inside of the cabinet, thereby shortening the production cycle.

[0003] During the heating stage described above, the high-temperature condensate formed after the steam releases heat is close to the steam saturation temperature and contains a large amount of waste heat. However, in existing conventional systems, this condensate is usually discharged directly into the sewer pipe after being drained through the steam trap without any recycling, resulting in a significant loss of heat energy. At the same time, the boiler needs to replenish softened water from ambient temperature, which consumes a lot of energy for water replenishment and heating.

[0004] During the cooling phase, the cooling water absorbs heat from inside the cabinet, causing its temperature to rise significantly and forming high-temperature cooling return water (approximately 60-80°C). Existing systems typically discharge this high-temperature cooling return water directly, but the large amount of heat it carries is wasted during the discharge or heat dissipation process and cannot be effectively recovered and utilized.

[0005] In summary, the existing sterilizer system has the following problems: 1. The high-temperature condensate generated during the heating stage and the high-temperature cooling return water generated during the cooling stage are not effectively recovered and utilized. These two high-temperature water streams are usually directly discharged, resulting in a significant waste of heat energy and unnecessary water resource depletion; 2. The heating and cooling systems operate as two completely independent thermal loops. A large amount of waste heat carried by the cooling side cannot be transferred across systems to the heating side for utilization, resulting in low overall system thermal efficiency and high operating energy consumption and costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to solve the problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a sterilization cabinet heating and cooling circulation system and its usage method.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A sterilizer cabinet heating and cooling circulation system includes a sterilizer cabinet, which has a heating coil for supplying a heating medium and a cooling coil for supplying a cooling agent inside. The system is characterized by further comprising: A cooling circulation system, connected to the cooling coil to form a cooling circulation loop, is used to drive the refrigerant to flow through the cooling coil to remove heat. The cooling circulation system includes a refrigerant storage tank for storing the refrigerant. A cooling heat exchange system is connected to the refrigerant storage tank to form a heat exchange circulation loop, which is used to cool down the refrigerant whose temperature rises after flowing through the cooling coil. The heating system includes a hot water storage tank, a steam generator, and connecting pipelines; the steam outlet of the steam generator is connected to the inlet of the heating coil for supplying steam to the heating coil; the outlet of the heating coil is connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank for recovering the condensate formed after the steam releases heat back to the hot water storage tank; the outlet of the hot water storage tank is connected to the water supply end of the steam generator for supplying the stored condensate as preheating water to the steam generator. The waste heat recovery system includes a connecting pipe, one end of which is connected to the return water side of the cooling circulation loop and the other end is connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank, so as to recover at least part of the heated refrigerant as preheated makeup water to the hot water storage tank.

[0008] Preferably, the connecting pipe is provided with a controlled valve group, which is configured to adjust the opening degree according to the parameters of the cooling return water.

[0009] Preferably, the controlled valve assembly includes a control valve, a flow meter, and a controller. The flow meter is installed on the connecting pipe to detect the cooling return water flow rate. The controller is electrically connected to the flow meter and the control valve respectively, and is used to adjust the opening degree of the control valve according to the flow rate value detected by the flow meter.

[0010] Preferably, the upper part of the refrigerant storage tank is equipped with an automatic water replenishment device.

[0011] Preferably, a drain valve is connected to the outlet end of the heating coil.

[0012] A method for heating and cooling circulation of a sterilization cabinet, based on the aforementioned system, includes the following steps: S1: Start the heating system. The steam generator uses the preheated water provided by the hot water storage tank to generate steam. The steam enters the heating coil to heat and sterilize the sterilizer. The condensate formed is recycled to the hot water storage tank for storage. S2: After sterilization, turn off the heating system to stop supplying steam; turn on the cooling circulation system, and the low-temperature refrigerant in the refrigerant storage tank will rise in temperature after absorbing heat through the cooling coil. S3: Start the cooling and heat exchange system to cool down the heated refrigerant and return it to the refrigerant storage tank. S4: At least a portion of the heated refrigerant flowing through the return water side of the cooling circulation loop is diverted to the hot water storage tank through a connecting pipe for preheating makeup water recovery. S5: When the internal temperature of the sterilizer drops to the preset safe temperature, shut down the cooling circulation system and the cooling heat exchange system to complete the cooling process; S6: When the steam generator needs to replenish water, the high-temperature hot water collected in the hot water storage tank is supplied to the steam generator as preheating water.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. The heating coil outlet is connected to the hot water storage tank to recover high-temperature condensate; at the same time, the cooling return water side is connected to the hot water storage tank through a connecting pipe to recover high-temperature cooling return water, realizing the dual recovery of two high-temperature water flows, which not only recovers waste heat but also saves water resources.

[0014] 2. By connecting the return water side of the cooling circulation loop to the hot water storage tank of the heating system through a connecting pipe, the waste heat on the cooling side is transferred across the system to the heating side for utilization, which improves the overall thermal energy utilization efficiency of the system and reduces operating energy consumption.

[0015] 3. The diversion flow rate is adjusted as needed through the controlled valve group, taking into account both waste heat recovery efficiency and system operation stability. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure.

[0017] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent. To better illustrate this embodiment, some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual dimensions of the product. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] like Figure 1 As shown, a novel sterilization cabinet heating and cooling circulation system includes a sterilization cabinet, a cooling circulation system, a cooling water heat exchange system, a heating system, and a waste heat recovery system.

[0020] The sterilizer 1 is used to place medical devices that need to be sterilized by moist heat. The sterilizer 1 is equipped with independent heating coils and cooling coils (not shown in the figure). The cooling coil is used to introduce cooling water to quickly cool down the inside of the cabinet, and the heating coil is used to introduce steam to heat and sterilize the inside of the cabinet. A steam trap (not shown in the figure) is connected to the outlet end of the heating coil.

[0021] The cooling circulation system includes a refrigerant storage tank. In this embodiment, the refrigerant is water, and the refrigerant storage tank is a cold water storage tank 3. The outlet of the cold water storage tank 3 is connected to the inlet of the cooling water pump 31. The outlet of the cooling water pump 31 is connected to the inlet of the cooling coil inside the sterilizer 1 through a cooling water supply pipe 32. The outlet of the cooling coil is connected to the cold water storage tank 3 by a cooling return water pipe 34. An automatic water replenishment device is provided on the upper part of the cold water storage tank 3 to automatically replenish water when the system water volume decreases due to evaporation or leakage, so as to maintain a stable liquid level. In this embodiment, the automatic water replenishment device is a float water replenishment valve component in the prior art.

[0022] The cooling water heat exchange system is used to circulate and cool the cooling water in the cold water storage tank 3. In this embodiment, the cooling water heat exchange system includes a heat exchanger 4, a heat exchange inlet pipe 41, a heat exchange outlet pipe 42, and a heat exchange circulation pump 43. One end of the heat exchange inlet pipe 41 is connected to the cold water storage tank 3, and the other end is connected to the hot side inlet of the heat exchanger 4. One end of the heat exchange outlet pipe 42 is connected to the hot side outlet of the heat exchanger 4, and the other end is connected to the upper part or return water area of ​​the cold water storage tank 3. The heat exchange circulation pump 43 is installed on the heat exchange inlet pipe 41 and is used to drive the water in the cold water storage tank 3 to circulate through the heat exchanger 4 for cooling.

[0023] The heating system generates steam and supplies it to the heating coil inside the sterilizer 1 for sterilization, while simultaneously recovering heat from the condensate generated during the heating process. In this embodiment, the heating system includes a hot water storage tank 5, a boiler 55, a condensate recovery pipe 51, a hot water supply pipe 53, and a steam supply pipe 56. One end of the condensate recovery pipe 51 is connected to the condensate outlet of the heating coil inside the sterilizer 1, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank 5. A condensate recovery pump 52 is installed on the condensate recovery pipe 51 to transport the high-temperature condensate generated in the heating coil to the hot water storage tank 5 for storage. The outlet of the hot water storage tank 5 is connected to the water supply end of the boiler 55 via the hot water supply pipe 53. A hot water circulation pump 54 is installed on the hot water supply pipe 53 to transport the high-temperature hot water stored in the hot water storage tank 5 as preheating water to the boiler 55. The steam outlet of the boiler 55 is connected to the steam inlet of the heating coil inside the sterilizer 1 via the steam supply pipe 56 to introduce steam into the sterilizer for sterilization.

[0024] The waste heat recovery system 33 is used to recover at least a portion of the high-temperature cooling return water generated during the cooling stage and send it to the hot water storage tank 5 as one of the sources of preheating water for the boiler 55, thereby realizing the recovery and utilization of waste heat during the cooling process. In this embodiment, the waste heat recovery system 33 includes a connecting pipe 333, one end of which is connected to the cooling return water pipe 34, and the other end is connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank 5, thereby guiding a portion of the high-temperature cooling return water flowing through the cooling return water pipe 34 to the hot water storage tank 5 for storage.

[0025] A controlled valve assembly is provided on the connecting pipe 333 to adjust the opening degree according to the parameters of the cooling return water. In this embodiment, the controlled valve assembly includes a control valve 332, a flow meter 331, and a controller (not shown in the figure) on the connecting pipe 333. The signal input terminal of the controller is electrically connected to the flow meter 331, and the signal output terminal of the controller is electrically connected to the control valve 332. The controller is used to adjust the opening degree of the control valve according to the flow value detected by the flow meter 331. The control valve 332 is used to adjust the flow rate of the cooling return water flowing to the hot water storage tank 5 through the connecting pipe 333. The flow meter 331 is used to detect the flow value in real time so that the sensing and control unit can dynamically adjust the opening degree of the control valve 332 according to the system operating status, so as to realize the on-demand recovery of the waste heat of the cooling return water.

[0026] During the cooling stage, after the high-temperature cooling return water flows out through the cooling return water pipe 34, the diversion ratio can be actively controlled by adjusting the opening of the control valve 332: a portion of the high-temperature cooling return water enters the hot water storage tank 5 through the connecting pipe 333, while the remaining portion continues to enter the cold water storage tank 3 along the main pipeline of the cooling return water pipe 34, and enters the heat exchange cycle for cooling.

[0027] The control logic and connection relationship of the control valve 332, flow meter 331 and controller are existing technologies and are not related to the inventive point of this invention, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0028] This embodiment also discloses a method for using the sterilizer cabinet heating and cooling circulation system, which includes the following steps based on the above-mentioned sterilizer cabinet heating and cooling circulation system: Step 1: Place the medical devices to be sterilized inside sterilizer 1, close and seal the cabinet door. Start the hot water circulation pump 54 and condensate recovery pump 52, and start the boiler 55. Boiler 55 uses preheated water supplied by hot water storage tank 5 via hot water supply pipe 53 to generate steam (120-150°C). The steam enters the heating coil inside sterilizer 1 through steam supply pipe 56 to heat and sterilize the devices inside. After the steam releases heat, the resulting condensate and a small amount of steam are separated by a steam trap. The high-temperature condensate flows out from the condensate outlet of the heating coil and is transported by condensate recovery pump 52 through condensate recovery pipe 51 to the hot water storage tank 5 for storage.

[0029] Step 2: After the sterilization process is completed, close the valves on boiler 55 and steam supply pipe 56 to stop the steam supply. Turn off condensate recovery pump 52 and hot water circulation pump 54. Turn on cooling water pump 31. Low-temperature cooling water in cold water storage tank 3 is pumped into the cooling coil inside sterilizer 1 through cooling water supply pipe 32. After absorbing heat from inside the sterilizer, the temperature rises, forming high-temperature cooling return water (60-80°C), which flows out through cooling return water pipe 34.

[0030] Step 3: Turn on the heat exchange circulation pump 43 to drive the water in the cold water storage tank 3 to enter the hot side of the heat exchanger 4 through the heat exchange inlet pipe 41 for heat exchange and cooling. The cooled water returns to the cold water storage tank 3 through the heat exchange outlet pipe 42 to ensure that the cooling water in the cold water storage tank 3 is maintained at a low temperature (25-30°C).

[0031] Step 4: Open the control valve 332 on the connecting pipe 333. By adjusting the opening of the control valve 332, a portion of the high-temperature cooling return water flowing through the cooling return water pipe 34 is directly introduced into the inlet of the hot water storage tank 5 via the connecting pipe 333, and then stored in the hot water storage tank 5. The remaining high-temperature cooling return water continues to flow back to the cold water storage tank 3 for cooling and circulation. The flow meter 331 detects the recovery flow rate in real time, and the controller adjusts the opening of the control valve 332 according to the flow rate value detected by the flow meter 331, adjusting the amount of recovered water entering the hot water storage tank 5 as needed, thereby achieving efficient recovery of waste heat from the cooling return water and stable control of system operation.

[0032] Step 5: When the internal temperature of the sterilizer 1 drops to the preset safe temperature, turn off the cooling water pump 31, the heat exchange circulation pump 43 and the control valve 332 to complete the cooling process.

[0033] Step 6: When boiler 55 needs water replenishment, turn on hot water circulation pump 54 to transport the high-temperature hot water collected in hot water storage tank 5 to the water replenishment end of boiler 55 through hot water supply pipe 53 as preheating water replenishment for boiler.

[0034] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate and not limit the technical solutions of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Any modifications or partial substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

[0035] If the terms "first" or "second" are used in this document to define components, those skilled in the art should know that the use of "first" or "second" is merely for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning.

[0036] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linkage" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

Claims

1. A sterilizer cabinet heating and cooling circulation system, comprising a sterilizer cabinet, wherein a heating coil for supplying a heating medium and a cooling coil for supplying a cooling agent are provided inside, characterized in that, Also includes: A cooling circulation system, connected to the cooling coil to form a cooling circulation loop, is used to drive the refrigerant to flow through the cooling coil to remove heat. The cooling circulation system includes a refrigerant storage tank for storing the refrigerant. A cooling heat exchange system is connected to the refrigerant storage tank to form a heat exchange circulation loop, which is used to cool down the refrigerant whose temperature rises after flowing through the cooling coil. The heating system includes a hot water storage tank, a steam generator, and connecting pipelines; the steam outlet of the steam generator is connected to the inlet of the heating coil for supplying steam to the heating coil; the outlet of the heating coil is connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank for recovering the condensate formed after the steam releases heat back to the hot water storage tank; the outlet of the hot water storage tank is connected to the water supply end of the steam generator for supplying the stored condensate as preheating water to the steam generator. The waste heat recovery system includes a connecting pipe, one end of which is connected to the return water side of the cooling circulation loop and the other end is connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank, so as to recover at least part of the heated refrigerant as preheated makeup water to the hot water storage tank.

2. The sterilization cabinet heating and cooling circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting pipe is equipped with a controlled valve group, which is configured to adjust the opening degree according to the parameters of the cooling return water.

3. The sterilization cabinet heating and cooling circulation system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controlled valve assembly includes a control valve, a flow meter, and a controller. The flow meter is installed on the connecting pipe to detect the cooling return water flow rate. The controller is electrically connected to the flow meter and the control valve respectively, and is used to adjust the opening degree of the control valve according to the flow rate value detected by the flow meter.

4. The sterilization cabinet heating and cooling circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper part of the refrigerant storage tank is equipped with an automatic water replenishment device.

5. The sterilization cabinet heating and cooling circulation system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A drain valve is connected to the outlet end of the heating coil.

6. A method for heating and cooling circulation of a sterilization cabinet body, based on the system described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Start the heating system. The steam generator uses the preheated water provided by the hot water storage tank to generate steam. The steam enters the heating coil to heat and sterilize the sterilizer. The condensate formed is recycled to the hot water storage tank for storage. S2: After sterilization, turn off the heating system to stop supplying steam; turn on the cooling circulation system, and the low-temperature refrigerant in the refrigerant storage tank will rise in temperature after absorbing heat through the cooling coil. S3: Start the cooling and heat exchange system to cool down the heated refrigerant and return it to the refrigerant storage tank. S4: At least a portion of the refrigerant that has been heated and flows through the return water side of the cooling circulation loop is diverted to the hot water storage tank through the connecting pipe as preheating makeup water for recycling, while the remaining portion continues to flow back to the refrigerant storage tank for cooling circulation. S5: When the internal temperature of the sterilizer drops to the preset safe temperature, shut down the cooling circulation system and the cooling heat exchange system to complete the cooling process; S6: When the steam generator needs to replenish water, the high-temperature hot water collected in the hot water storage tank is supplied to the steam generator as preheating water.

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