Active cold storage ice box

Abstract

The utility model discloses an ice box for active cold storage, which comprises a box body and phase change cold storage material filled in the box body, and a sealed cavity for containing the phase change material is formed in the box body. The box body has a flat structure, two main heat exchange surfaces and a plurality of auxiliary heat exchange surfaces connecting the two main heat exchange surfaces. The main heat exchange surface is a continuous smooth curved surface protruding outward, and the geometric center of the main heat exchange surface is the highest point of the curved surface, and the edge of the main heat exchange surface is the lowest point of the curved surface. A plurality of long groove are arranged on the main heat exchange surface, and the long groove extends radially from the center of the curved surface to the edge. The cold storage ice box of the utility model is thick in the middle and thin at the periphery, and it can be randomly placed in the cold storage tank. During operation, the cold storage ice box dynamically self-balances in the fluid by buoyancy and gravity moment, and can maintain a horizontal posture. The technical problem that the conventional regular ice box must be fixed horizontally due to phase separation is solved, and the installation cost of the ice box is greatly reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of cold storage ice box technology, specifically to an active cold storage ice box. Background Technology

[0002] Large-scale energy storage is one of the core technologies for the development of energy and power systems. It will change the current situation where energy production, transmission, and use must be completed simultaneously, compensating for the lack of "storage and release" functions in existing power systems, and achieving the goals of optimizing power resource allocation, improving power quality, promoting the utilization of renewable energy, and energy conservation and emission reduction. According to statistics from the National Power Dispatch and Communication Center, with the improvement of people's living standards and the adjustment of the national industrial structure, the amplitude of the "peak-valley difference" in my country's power grid load will increase year by year. Introducing energy storage systems into the power grid is an urgent need to achieve peak shaving. Energy storage systems absorb energy from the grid during periods of low load and output energy to the grid during periods of peak load. Large-scale energy storage systems help solve the economic operation problem of "peak shaving and valley filling."

[0003] Phase change energy storage devices have been developed on the market. These devices utilize the peak-valley electricity price difference to store cold / heat during off-peak hours and use the stored cold / heat to provide cooling / heating for air conditioning during peak daytime hours. When air conditioning usage time is synchronized with non-air conditioning usage time and the peak and off-peak hours of the power grid, the electricity consumption for air conditioning during peak hours can be transferred to use during off-peak hours, as exemplified by the phase change energy storage device described in Reference 1.

[0004] Reference 1: Chinese patent document with publication number CN214746162U.

[0005] Reference 1 describes a phase change material cold storage device, including a refrigeration unit and a cold storage unit; the refrigeration unit and the cold storage unit can be interconnected by pipes; the refrigeration unit and the cold storage unit can be connected to a user terminal by pipes respectively; the cold storage unit includes a cold storage water tank; the cold storage water tank includes several flat cold storage boxes, and the cold storage boxes are encapsulated with phase change material; the several cold storage boxes are placed in the cold storage water tank in layers and at intervals.

[0006] This cold storage device uses phase change material as the cold storage medium, resulting in a high cold storage density. Compared with water-based cold storage devices, it has a smaller volume and saves a lot of space for the same cold storage capacity. However, its cold storage boxes need to be stacked and installed in the cold storage water tank according to design specifications, which makes the installation process difficult and requires a large amount of work. Utility Model Content

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to solve the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art and to provide an active cold storage ice box.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an active cold storage ice box, comprising a box body and a phase change cold storage material filled in the box body, wherein a sealed cavity is formed inside the box body to accommodate the phase change material.

[0009] The box body has a flat structure and has two main heat exchange surfaces and several secondary heat exchange surfaces connecting the two main heat exchange surfaces.

[0010] The main heat exchange surface is a continuous smooth curved surface that protrudes outward, and the geometric center of the main heat exchange surface is the highest point of the curved surface, while the edge of the main heat exchange surface is the lowest point of the curved surface.

[0011] The main heat exchange surface is provided with several elongated grooves, which extend radially from the center of the curved surface to the surrounding edges.

[0012] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: the surface of the main heat exchange surface is a rotationally symmetric surface.

[0013] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: the box body has a central through hole that penetrates the two main heat exchange surfaces.

[0014] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: the box body has two main heat exchange surfaces and four secondary heat exchange surfaces, and a filling port is provided on one of the secondary heat exchange surfaces.

[0015] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: the depth of the groove gradually increases from the center to the edge.

[0016] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: eight elongated grooves are provided on the main heat exchange surface.

[0017] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: a support member is provided in the elongated groove extending toward the four corners of the main heat exchange surface, and the support member is located in the middle of the groove.

[0018] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: several spherical protrusions are also provided on the main heat exchange surface.

[0019] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: the plurality of spherical protrusions are distributed in a ring shape, consisting of an outer ring protrusion and an inner ring protrusion.

[0020] As a further optimization of the active cold storage ice box of this utility model: the height of the inner ring protrusion is lower than the height of the outer ring protrusion.

[0021] The present invention has the following advantages: The cold storage ice box of the present invention is thick in the middle and thin around the edges. It can be randomly placed in the cold storage box. During operation, the cold storage ice box relies on buoyancy and gravitational torque to dynamically self-balance in the fluid and can maintain a horizontal posture. This solves the technical problem that traditional regular ice boxes must be fixed horizontally due to phase separation. The installation cost of the ice box is greatly reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cold storage ice box (three-dimensional) of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cold storage ice box of this utility model (top view);

[0024] Figure 3 This is a side view of the structure of the cold storage ice box of this utility model;

[0025] Marked in the image:

[0026] 1. Box body;

[0027] 101. Main heat exchange surface;

[0028] 102. Secondary heat exchange surface;

[0029] 2. Long, narrow groove;

[0030] 3. Central through hole;

[0031] 4. Filling port;

[0032] 5. Support components;

[0033] 6. Spherical convexity;

[0034] 601. Outer ring protrusion;

[0035] 602. Inner ring protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To better understand this utility model, the following embodiments further illustrate the content of this utility model, but the content of this utility model is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0037] like Figure 1-3 As shown: An active cold storage ice box includes a box body 1 and a phase change cold storage material filled in the box body 1. The inside of the box body 1 forms a sealed cavity for accommodating the phase change material.

[0038] The box 1 has a flat structure with two large, opposite and symmetrical main heat exchange surfaces 101 and four smaller secondary heat exchange surfaces 102 connecting the two main heat exchange surfaces 101, which together form a flat, sealed cavity for accommodating phase change cold storage materials (such as water-based solutions or eutectic salts with specific freezing points).

[0039] One of the secondary heat exchange surfaces 102 is provided with a filling port 4 for filling phase change cold storage material. After filling, it needs to be sealed (e.g., by welding or tightening the sealing cap).

[0040] The main heat exchange surface 101 is a continuous, smooth, rotationally symmetric surface that protrudes outward, and the geometric center of the main heat exchange surface 101 is the highest point of the surface, while the edge of the main heat exchange surface 101 is the lowest point of the surface.

[0041] When an ice box is randomly placed in the fluid (usually air or refrigerant) of a cold storage box (such as a refrigerator or cold storage), its "thick in the middle and thin around the edges" structure places its center of gravity near and low to the geometric center (due to the larger central material), while the center of buoyancy is determined by the shape of the fluid it displaces. This rotationally symmetrical curved surface design typically ensures that the center of buoyancy is above or near the center of gravity. Under the combined action of gravity, buoyancy, and fluid disturbance torque, the ice box can automatically adjust its posture, causing its thick central region (i.e., the highest point of the curved surface) to tend towards the upward / downward direction, eventually achieving dynamic self-balancing and stabilizing at a near-horizontal posture (the main heat exchange surface is approximately horizontal). This effectively solves the problem of traditional structured ice boxes requiring strictly horizontal placement due to phase separation (separation of water and additives) during the solidification of phase change materials, greatly simplifying installation requirements and reducing system installation costs.

[0042] On the curved surface of each main heat exchange surface 101, there are eight elongated grooves 2. The eight grooves 2 start from near the geometric center (i.e. the highest point) of the curved surface and extend radially and uniformly to the four edges (the lowest point) along the radial path of the curved surface.

[0043] The depth of groove 2 gradually increases from the center to the edge. On the one hand, it provides a certain structural reinforcement in the central area; on the other hand, it significantly increases the heat exchange surface area and generates a turbulence effect in the edge area (where the material is thinner), thereby enhancing the heat exchange efficiency at the edge and making the heat transfer more uniform and efficient.

[0044] Four elongated grooves 2 extending towards the four corners of the main heat exchange surface 101 have support members 5 (high-strength engineering plastic strips) embedded and fixed in their central positions. The remaining four grooves extending towards the edge of the central area of ​​the main heat exchange surface do not have support members. The support members 5, embedded in the center of the grooves, effectively resist bending and warping, preventing irreversible deformation of the ice box after multiple freeze-thaw cycles, ensuring its structural integrity, sealing, and long-term reliability. The spaced arrangement (not all grooves have support members) also takes into account weight and cost control.

[0045] The housing 1 has a central through-hole 3 penetrating both main heat exchange surfaces 101. Several spherical protrusions 6 are also provided on the main heat exchange surfaces 101. These protrusions 6 are arranged in a ring, consisting of an outer ring protrusion 601 and an inner ring protrusion 602. The height of the inner ring protrusion 602 is lower than the height of the outer ring protrusion 601. The spherical protrusions on the main heat exchange surfaces 101 significantly increase the microscopic surface area (specific surface area) of the main heat exchange surfaces and, as efficient turbulence elements, continuously disrupt the fluid boundary layer, enhance turbulence, and significantly improve the convective heat transfer coefficient. Combined with the "thick in the middle, thin around the edges" housing structure, the stress level in the inner ring region is relatively low, hence the use of lower-height protrusions for moderate reinforcement; while the stress in the outer ring region is relatively high, hence the use of higher-height protrusions to provide stronger local support and resistance to deformation, forming a gradient stiffness distribution, better matching the stress field, and improving structural reliability. Simultaneously, the protrusions themselves also enhance the bending stiffness of the panels.

[0046] The term "active cold storage" in this invention refers to the use of the ice box in an active cold storage device. Active cold storage devices require active, forced heat exchange of the cold storage medium (e.g., using pumps and compressors); passive cold storage, on the other hand, relies on the inherent properties of the cold storage medium (e.g., phase change) and natural convection to release cold energy, without any external forced power.

[0047] The present invention features a cold storage ice box that is thick in the middle and thin around the edges. It can be randomly placed in a cold storage box. During operation, the cold storage ice box dynamically self-balances itself in the fluid by relying on buoyancy and gravitational torque, and can maintain a horizontal posture. This solves the technical problem that traditional regular ice boxes must be fixed horizontally due to phase separation, and greatly reduces the installation cost of the ice box.

[0048] The specific embodiments of this utility model have been described above. It should be understood that this utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications or variations within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the substantive content of this utility model.

Claims

1. An active cold storage ice box, comprising a box body (1) and a phase change cold storage material filled in the box body (1), wherein the box body (1) forms a sealed cavity for accommodating the phase change material, characterized in that: The box body (1) has a flat structure and has two main heat exchange surfaces (101) and several secondary heat exchange surfaces (102) connecting the two main heat exchange surfaces (101). The main heat exchange surface (101) is a continuous smooth curved surface that protrudes outward, and the geometric center of the main heat exchange surface (101) is the highest point of the surface, and the edge of the main heat exchange surface (101) is the lowest point of the surface. The main heat exchange surface (101) is provided with several elongated grooves (2), which extend radially from the center of the curved surface to the surrounding edges.

2. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the main heat exchange surface (101) is a rotationally symmetric surface.

3. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) has a central through hole (3) that runs through the two main heat exchange surfaces (101).

4. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The box body (1) has two main heat exchange surfaces (101) and four secondary heat exchange surfaces (102), one of which is provided with a filling port (4).

5. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The depth of the elongated groove (2) gradually increases from the center to the edge.

6. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The main heat exchange surface (101) is provided with eight elongated grooves (2).

7. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 6, characterized in that: A support member (5) is provided in the elongated groove (2) extending toward the four corners of the main heat exchange surface (101), and the support member (5) is located in the middle of the elongated groove (2).

8. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The main heat exchange surface (101) is also provided with several spherical protrusions (6).

9. The active cold storage ice box as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The plurality of spherical protrusions (6) are distributed in a ring shape and are composed of an outer ring protrusion (601) and an inner ring protrusion (602).

10. An active cold storage ice box as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The height of the inner ring protrusion (602) is lower than the height of the outer ring protrusion (601).

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