Temperature control device
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2022103706
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-06-28
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-06-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing temperature control devices face challenges in maintaining high versatility and safety when circulating fluids reach high temperatures, particularly due to large temperature differences between the circulating fluid and cooling fluid, which can lead to equipment damage.
A temperature control device with a circulation circuit that includes a main tank, sub-tank, heat exchanger, and cooling circuit, featuring a connecting flow path to manage excess fluid and control fluid temperature through a processor that adjusts the flow rate and temperature of the circulating fluid using multiple sensors and pumps.
The device effectively suppresses temperature differences between the circulating and cooling fluids, ensuring high design freedom and safety even at high temperatures, with enhanced versatility and accurate temperature control.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature adjustment device that controls the temperature of a load to a desired temperature by supplying a temperature-adjusted circulating fluid to the load. [Background technology]
[0002] Temperature control devices that supply a temperature-adjusted circulating fluid to a load to control the temperature of the load to a desired temperature are already widely known, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. The temperature control device disclosed in this Patent Document is provided with a circulation circuit that circulates the circulating fluid between the load and the load, and a cooling circuit that cools the circulating fluid, and the circulation circuit and the cooling circuit are connected to each other via tanks and valves.
[0003] Incidentally, as described in Patent Document 1, temperature control devices are sometimes used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and the like to control the load to a temperature that is significantly higher than the boiling point of water (100°C) under atmospheric pressure. In such temperature control devices in which the circulating fluid reaches a high temperature, the temperature difference between the high-temperature circulating fluid and the cooling fluid that cools it becomes very large, particularly in the heat exchanger, and measures are required to prevent damage to the heat exchanger due to this temperature difference.
[0004] Therefore, the temperature control device of Patent Document 1 employs a heat exchanger with a special structure capable of withstanding such a temperature difference. On the other hand, even when use at high temperatures of the circulating fluid is expected, there is a need to develop a temperature control device that can employ heat exchangers of various designs according to user needs, such as low cost and excellent heat exchange efficiency, i.e., a temperature control device that is versatile and safe with respect to the temperature of the circulating fluid. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-169760 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] The technical objective of the present invention is to provide a temperature control device that has a high degree of freedom in terms of heat exchanger design, even in cases where use at high temperatures of circulating fluid is anticipated, and that has excellent versatility in terms of the temperature of the circulating fluid. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, a temperature control device according to the present invention is a temperature control device for adjusting the temperature of a circulating fluid and supplying it to an external load to control the load at a predetermined temperature, the temperature control device comprising: a main tank for storing circulating fluid and having a heater for heating the circulating fluid, a discharge flow path connecting the main tank and a circulating fluid discharge port for discharging the circulating fluid to the load, a circulation pump for discharging the circulating fluid from the main tank to the discharge flow path, and a return flow path connecting the main tank and a circulating fluid return port for receiving the circulating fluid returned from the load; a sub-tank for storing circulating fluid, a heat exchanger for cooling the circulating fluid in the sub-tank by heat exchange with facility water, a first cooling flow path connecting the sub-tank and the heat exchanger and guiding the circulating fluid in the sub-tank to the heat exchanger, a cooling pump for discharging the circulating fluid in the sub-tank to the first cooling flow path, a cooling circuit having a second cooling flow path connecting a main tank and the sub-tank and directing the circulating fluid cooled by the heat exchanger to the sub-tank; and a processor for controlling a flow rate of the circulating fluid flowing through the cooling circuit; wherein the sub-tank is connected to the main tank so that when the amount of circulating fluid in the main tank exceeds a predetermined amount, the excess circulating fluid is directed from the main tank to the sub-tank, the second cooling flow path of the cooling circuit has a connecting flow path branched off from the second cooling flow path and connected to the circulation circuit, and the circulation circuit is provided with a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the circulating fluid flowing through the circulation circuit, and the processor controls the output of the cooling pump based on the temperature of the circulating fluid measured by the temperature sensor, thereby controlling the flow rate of the circulating fluid supplied from the cooling circuit to the circulation circuit through the connecting flow path.
[0008] In this case, the main tank preferably has an opening for allowing the excess circulating fluid to flow from the main tank to the sub-tank, and is connected to the sub-tank with the opening positioned higher than the bottom surface of the sub-tank.
[0009] Also, preferably, the processor is configured to switch and drive the cooling pump to a first output range or a second output range larger than the first output range based on the temperature of the circulating fluid measured by the temperature sensor, so that when the cooling pump is driven in the first output range, the circulating fluid in the cooling circuit is circulated within the cooling circuit without being supplied to the circulation circuit through the connecting flow path, while when the cooling pump is driven in the second output range, the circulating fluid in the cooling circuit is supplied to the circulation circuit through the connecting flow path and is circulated within the cooling circuit.
[0010] In addition, preferably, the connecting passage is branched off from the second cooling passage of the cooling circuit and extends upward.
[0011] In addition, preferably, the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor provided in the discharge flow path, and the processor compares the temperature of the circulating fluid measured by the first temperature sensor with a predetermined target temperature, and drives the cooling pump in the first output range if the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor is lower than the target temperature, and drives the cooling pump in the second output range if the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor is higher than the target temperature.
[0012] Also, preferably, when the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor is lower than the target temperature, the processor further controls the heater to heat the circulating fluid in the main tank.
[0013] In addition, preferably, a second temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the circulating fluid is provided in the connecting flow path, and the processor calculates a temperature difference between the target temperature and the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor when the cooling pump is operating in the second output range, compares the temperature difference with a predetermined reference value, and reduces the output of the cooling pump within the second output range as the temperature difference becomes larger than the reference value.
[0014] In addition, preferably, the heat exchanger has a hollow case, three or more heat transfer plates arranged parallel to each other with gaps between them in the case, a series of first heat exchange passages and a series of second heat exchange passages formed alternately along the arrangement direction of the heat transfer plates by the gaps between the heat transfer plates, a circulating fluid inlet provided at one end of the first heat exchange passage and connected to the first cooling passage, and a circulating fluid outlet provided at the other end of the first heat exchange passage opposite thereto and connected to the second cooling passage, a facility water inlet provided at one end of the second heat exchange passage for introducing facility water into the second heat exchange passage, and a facility water outlet provided at the other end of the second heat exchange passage opposite thereto for discharging the facility water after heat exchange from the second heat exchange passage. Effect of the Invention
[0015] In the temperature control device according to the present invention, the circulating fluid flowing through the circulation circuit connected to the main tank and the heat load is not directly cooled by a heat exchanger, but when the amount of circulating fluid in the main tank exceeds a predetermined amount, the excess circulating fluid is cooled by lowering the temperature with low-temperature circulating fluid in the sub-tank, and then cooled by the heat exchanger, so that even if the circulating fluid in the circulation circuit is expected to be used at high temperatures, the temperature difference between the circulating fluid in the heat exchanger and the cooling fluid therein can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a temperature control device that has a high degree of freedom in terms of designing the heat exchanger and is highly versatile and safe with respect to the temperature of the circulating fluid. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a partially sectional perspective view of a temperature adjustment device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of a main tank and a sub tank. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an upper portion of a temperature adjustment device for explaining a circulation circuit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lower structure of the temperature adjustment device for explaining a cooling circuit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram of the temperature adjustment device when the temperature of the circulating fluid is lower than the target temperature. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram of the temperature adjustment device when the temperature of the circulating fluid is higher than the target temperature. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] 1 to 8 show one embodiment of a temperature adjustment device according to the present invention. This temperature adjustment device 1 adjusts a circulating fluid having a boiling point higher than 100°C to a temperature higher than 100°C and supplies the adjusted temperature to an external load (not shown), thereby making it possible to control the load to a predetermined high temperature, for example, higher than 100°C.
[0018] 1 and 5, a temperature adjustment device 1 (hereinafter, referred to as "device 1") has a housing 3 that covers the outside of the device 1, a circulation circuit 12 that sends out the circulating fluid from a main tank 5 that stores the circulating fluid and is equipped with a heater 10 that heats the circulating fluid to an external load (not shown) and returns the circulating fluid received from the load to the main tank 5, a cooling circuit 25 that cools the circulating fluid sent from a sub-tank 20 that stores the circulating fluid in a heat exchanger 33 and returns the circulating fluid to the sub-tank 20, and a control unit 40 that controls the flow rate of the circulating fluid flowing through the cooling circuit 25. The cooling circuit 25 has a connecting flow path 28 that branches off from the cooling circuit 25 and is connected to the main tank 5.
[0019] The main tank 5, the sub-tank 20, the circulation circuit 12, the heat exchanger 33, the cooling circuit 25, and the control unit 40 are housed in a single housing 3. As will be described in detail later, a circulating fluid discharge port 3a and a circulating fluid return port 3b of the circulation circuit 12, and a cooling fluid supply port 3c and a cooling fluid discharge port 3d for the cooling fluid supplied to the heat exchanger 33 are provided on the outer circumferential side of the housing 3. This allows the piping of a device (load) to be temperature controlled on the user's side to be connected to these openings (ports) 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d.
[0020] A drain pan 50 for receiving leaked circulating fluid is disposed at the bottom of the housing 3. This drain pan 50 is provided with a float-type water leakage sensor 51 electrically connected to the control unit 40, and a drain port 52 for discharging the fluid accumulated in the drain pan 50 to the outside. This allows the control unit 40 to issue an alert or turn off the power to the device 1 when, for example, a large amount of circulating fluid leaks inside the device 1 and the water leakage sensor 51 detects this.
[0021] The circulating liquid is, for example, a fluorinated liquid having a boiling point of about 200° C. or higher under atmospheric pressure. The cooling liquid is, for example, industrial water having a boiling point of 100° C. under atmospheric pressure. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, for example, the circulating liquid at 160° C. in the main tank 5 is sent to an external load through the discharge flow path 13 of the circulation circuit 12, and the circulating liquid at 170° C. after temperature control (cooling) of the load is returned to the main tank 5 through the return flow path 14 of the circulation circuit 12. In addition, the cooling liquid at 30° C. in the sub-tank 20 is sent to the cooling circuit 25 as shown in FIG. 4, cooled to 25° C. in the heat exchanger 33, and then returned to the sub-tank 20. In this embodiment, the circulating liquid cooled to 25° C. in the heat exchanger 33 is also supplied to the main tank 5 through the connecting flow path 28. On the other hand, the coolant supplied to the heat exchanger 33 through the coolant supply port 3c is heated to 27° C. by heat exchange with the circulating liquid and is discharged from the heat exchanger 33 through the coolant discharge port 3d.
[0022] 5, in this device 1, the main tank 5 is connected to the circulation circuit 12, the sub-tank 20 is connected to the cooling circuit 25, and the cooling circuit 25 is connected to the main tank 5 through a connecting flow path 28. That is, the circulation circuit 12, which sends out circulating fluid to a load as a temperature control target, receives circulating fluid heated by heat exchange with the load and returns it to the main tank 5, and the cooling circuit 25, which cools the cooled circulating fluid in the sub-tank 20 in a heat exchanger 33, returns it to the sub-tank 20, and sends it to the main tank 5 in order to adjust the temperature of the circulating fluid sent out from the circulation circuit 12 to the load to the set temperature when the temperature is higher than the set temperature, are connected to each other through the connecting flow path 28.
[0023] 1 and 2, the main tank 5 is partitioned by a bottom, a side and an upper surface, and stores a predetermined depth of circulating fluid inside. On the other hand, the sub-tank 20 is partitioned by a bottom, a side and an upper surface like the main tank 5, has a larger volume than the main tank 5, and contains the entire main tank 5 inside as well as stores spare circulating fluid.
[0024] A partition wall 5b, whose height is lower than the water level of the circulating fluid stored to a predetermined depth, is erected from the bottom surface of the main tank 5. This divides the inside of the main tank 5 into two chambers: a first chamber 6 separated by one side surface and the partition wall 5b, and a second chamber 7 separated by the partition wall 5b and the other side wall.
[0025] In the main tank 5, the first chamber 6 and the second chamber 7 communicate with each other through a gap 8 formed in the main tank 5 above the upper end of the partition wall 5b. An opening 5c that opens to the sub-tank 20 is formed at the upper end of the side of the main tank 5, so that the excess circulating liquid that exceeds the maximum capacity of the main tank 5 can be discharged into the sub-tank 20. A communication port 5d is formed at the lower end of the partition wall 5b as shown in FIG. 3, so that the circulating liquid in the main tank 5 can be discharged to the outside from a drain cock 15 through a return flow path 14 connected to the bottom surface of the main tank 5, as described later. The drain cock 15 is attached to the tip of a discharge flow path 16 that branches off from the return flow path 14 and extends to the other side surface of the housing 3.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, in the second chamber 7 of the main tank 5, a heater 10 is provided in the range from the vicinity of the upper end of the partition wall 5b to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the main tank 5, which is controlled by the control unit 40 to heat the circulating fluid. In addition, in the second chamber 7, a thermostat 9 electrically connected to the control unit 40 is provided in the range from a position with a slight gap above the upper end of the partition wall 5b to the liquid level of the circulating fluid when the maximum volume of the circulating fluid is contained in the main tank 5 (i.e., the highest liquid level of the circulating fluid). This makes it possible to, for example, turn off the heater 10 when the temperature of the circulating fluid exceeds a predetermined temperature. Furthermore, in the second chamber 7, a temperature fuse 11 electrically connected to the control unit 40 is provided between the highest liquid level of the circulating fluid and the upper surface of the main tank 5. This makes it possible to, for example, turn off the power of the device 1 by determining that the circulating fluid is in an overheated state when the temperature of the air (air temperature) in the main tank 5 becomes higher than a predetermined temperature. Furthermore, two level switches 17a, 17b are provided above the upper end of the partition wall 5b of the second chamber 7, and these level switches 17a, 17b are also electrically connected to the control unit 40. The liquid level (liquid surface) of the circulating liquid in the main tank 20 can be detected by these level switches 17a, 17b.
[0027] The first chamber 6 of the main tank 5 is provided with an immersion type circulation pump 18 that sends the circulating fluid to the circulation circuit 12. The circulation pump 18 is also controlled by the control unit 40. In this embodiment, inverter controlled pumps are used as the circulation pump 18 and a cooling pump 55, which will be described later.
[0028] Inside the subtank 20, a total of four level switches 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d are provided, one above the center of the depth direction of the subtank 20 and three above and below the bottom. These level switches 21a-21d are also electrically connected to the control unit 40. On the outer periphery of the subtank 20, a level gauge 22 that allows the amount of circulating fluid in the subtank 20 to be visually confirmed from outside the housing 3 and a circulating fluid inlet 23 for refilling the subtank 20 with circulating fluid from outside the housing 3 are provided. On the side of the subtank 20, an inlet pipe 24 is provided, the upper end of which is connected to the side and extends downward, and a drain cock 24a is attached to the end of the inlet pipe 24. By opening the drain cock 24a, the drain cock 24a functions as an inlet for the circulating fluid, and the circulating fluid can be pumped into the subtank 20. The liquid level (liquid surface) of the circulating fluid in the subtank 20 is detected by the four level switches 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d, and the device is adapted to prompt the user to refill the subtank 20 with circulating fluid through the circulating fluid inlet 23, or to open the drain cock 24a to refill the subtank 20 with circulating fluid, etc.
[0029] 3 and 5, the circulation circuit 12 includes a main tank 5, a discharge flow path 13 connecting the first chamber 6 of the main tank 5 and a circulating fluid discharge port 3a that discharges the circulating fluid to a load, a circulation pump 18 that discharges the circulating fluid from the main tank 5 to the discharge flow path 13, and a return flow path 14 that connects a circulating fluid return port 3b that receives the circulating fluid returned from the load and the second chamber 7 of the main tank 5. The circulation pump 18 discharges the circulating fluid in the first chamber 6 of the main tank 5 through the discharge flow path 13 and the circulating fluid discharge port 3a to the load, and the circulating fluid that has controlled the temperature of the load is returned to the main tank 5 again through the circulating fluid return port 3b and the return flow path 14.
[0030] At this time, the return flow path 14 is connected to the second chamber 7 in which the heater 10 is disposed and located upstream in the main tank 5. By doing so, even if the temperature of the circulating fluid returned to the main tank 5 from the return flow path 14 changes, the circulating fluid returned to the second chamber 7 is temperature-adjusted by the circulating fluid from the heater 10 and the cooling circuit 25 before being sent to the discharge flow path 13, so that the circulating fluid adjusted to a more accurate temperature can be supplied to the load.
[0031] A pressure sensor 60, a first temperature sensor (temperature sensor) 61, and a flow rate sensor 62 are provided in the discharge flow path 13 from the upstream side to the downstream side, and a third temperature sensor 63 is provided in the return flow path 14. The pressure sensor 60, the first and third temperature sensors 61, 63, and the flow rate sensor 62 are all electrically connected to the control unit 40. This makes it possible to appropriately control, for example, the heater 10, the cooling pump 55, and the circulation pump 18 based on the measured values from these sensors 60-63.
[0032] 4 and 5, the cooling circuit 25 includes a subtank 20 storing circulating fluid, a heat exchanger 33 that cools the circulating fluid in the subtank 20 by heat exchange with a heat dissipation fluid, a first cooling flow path 26 that connects the subtank 20 and the heat exchanger 33 and guides the circulating fluid in the subtank 20 to the heat exchanger 33, a cooling pump 55 that sends the circulating fluid in the subtank 20 to the first cooling flow path 26, and a second cooling flow path 27 that connects the heat exchanger 33 and the subtank 20 and guides the circulating fluid cooled by the heat exchanger 33 to the subtank 20. The cooling pump 55 provided in the first cooling flow path 26 causes the circulating fluid in the subtank 20 to flow into the heat exchanger 33 through the first cooling flow path 26, and the circulating fluid cooled by the heat exchanger 33 and flowing out of the heat exchanger 33 is returned to the main tank 5 through the second cooling flow path 27.
[0033] 2, 4 and 6, the second cooling flow path 27 is provided with a connecting flow path 28 that branches off from the second cooling flow path 27 and communicates with the main tank 5 of the circulation circuit 12. In this embodiment, the connecting flow path 28 communicates with the second chamber 7 of the main tank 5. As a result, when the temperature of the circulating fluid returned to the main tank 5 from the return flow path 14 of the circulation circuit 12 is higher than a set value, the circulating fluid in the main tank 5 is cooled and temperature-adjusted by the circulating fluid supplied from the connecting flow path 28, and then the circulating fluid is sent from the first chamber 6 located on the most downstream side to the discharge flow path 13, so that the circulating fluid whose temperature has been adjusted more accurately can be supplied to the load.
[0034] 4 and 6, a drain pipe 29 branching from the first cooling flow passage 26 is connected to the first cooling flow passage 26, and its tip is led out to the outside of the housing 3. A drain cock 29a is provided at the tip of the drain pipe 29, and the circulating liquid in the cooling circuit 25 can be discharged to the outside by opening the drain cock 29a. A second temperature sensor 30 (see FIG. 6) is provided in the connecting flow passage 28, and the second temperature sensor 30 is also electrically connected to the control unit 40. As a result, the control unit 40 can control the rotation speed of the cooling pump 55 in accordance with the temperature of the circulating liquid measured by the second temperature sensor 30, as will be described in detail later.
[0035] 7, the heat exchanger 33 is a plate-type heat exchanger, in which two types of heat transfer plates 34, 35, which have different uneven patterns formed on their surfaces, are alternately stacked and integrated by brazing or bolting, etc., and housed in a hollow case 32. A first heat exchange flow path 36 and a second heat exchange flow path 37, which are narrow gaps formed between two adjacent heat transfer plates 34, 35, are alternately provided separated by the walls of the heat transfer plates 34, 35. The circulating fluid of the cooling circuit 25 flows in the first heat exchange flow path 36, and the cooling fluid for cooling the circulating fluid flows in the second heat exchange flow path 37. In this embodiment, a pair of cover plates 38, 39 are provided at both ends of the two types of heat transfer plates 34, 35 that are alternately stacked, and one of these cover plates 38, 39 is provided with a circulating fluid inlet 38a serving as an inlet of the first heat exchange passage 36, a circulating fluid outlet 38b serving as an outlet of the first heat exchange passage 36, a cooling fluid inlet 38c serving as an inlet of the second heat exchange passage 37, and a cooling fluid outlet 38d serving as an outlet of the second heat exchange passage 37. In the heat exchanger 33 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the circulating fluid outlet 38b, the cooling fluid inlet 38c, and the cooling fluid outlet 38d are provided in one cover plate 38, and the circulating fluid inlet 38a is provided in the other cover plate 39.
[0036] The circulating fluid that enters through the circulating fluid inlet 38a passes through the first heat exchange passage 36 and exits through the circulating fluid outlet 38b. On the other hand, the cooling fluid that enters through the cooling fluid inlet 38c passes through the second heat exchange passage 37 and exits through the cooling fluid outlet 38d. The plate-type heat exchanger 33 configured as described above has the advantages of high performance and extremely high thermal efficiency, being small and lightweight, and requiring a small installation area, since heat exchange between the circulating fluid and the cooling fluid occurs in a completely countercurrent manner.
[0037] As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the control unit 40 has a display / setting panel 41 for appropriately setting the temperature and other parameters of the circulating fluid sent to the load through the discharge flow path 13 of the circulation circuit 12, an input unit 42 for inputting measurement values from the temperature sensors 30, 61, 63, etc., a processor 43 for controlling the temperature, flow rate, etc. of the circulating fluid flowing through the circulation circuit 12 and the cooling circuit 25, and an output unit 44 for outputting a control signal from the processor 43 to a controlled object such as the cooling pump 18.
[0038] The setting item preset on the display / setting panel 41 is the delivery temperature, which is the target temperature of the circulating fluid to be supplied to the load. In this embodiment, the set value of the delivery temperature of the circulating fluid is, for example, 160° C., and this set value is input from the display / setting panel 41. Hereinafter, a method of controlling the cooling pump 55 and the circulating pump 18 by the control unit 40 with respect to this set temperature of the circulating fluid will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
[0039] First, in a state where the discharge temperature (measured temperature) of the circulating fluid measured by the first temperature sensor 61 of the discharge flow path 13 is lower than the set temperature, the inverter-controlled cooling pump 55 is driven in a low rotation speed range (first output range) by the processor 43 of the control unit 40 to maintain a predetermined low rotation speed (low frequency) as shown in Fig. 5. Then, the heater 10 is turned on by the processor 43 to heat the circulating fluid in the main tank 5, and the cooling pump 55 is maintained driven in the first output range until the measured temperature of the circulating fluid in the circulation circuit 12 measured by the first temperature sensor 61 reaches the target temperature. In addition, the circulating pump 18 that delivers the circulating fluid in the main tank 5 to the load through the discharge flow path 13 is controlled by the processor 43 to a rotation speed such that the measured value of the pressure sensor 60 or the flow rate sensor 62 becomes a predetermined set value.
[0040] Then, when the measured temperature of the circulating fluid measured by the first temperature sensor 61 exceeds the target temperature, as shown in FIG. 6, the processor 43 turns off the heater 10 and switches the driving of the cooling pump 55 to a high rotation speed range (second output range) to maintain a predetermined high rotation speed (high frequency). Also, the circulating pump 18 is maintained at a rotation speed at which the measured value of the pressure sensor 60 or the flow rate sensor 62 becomes a predetermined set value. As a result, the flow rate of the circulating fluid flowing through the cooling flow path 25 increases, and a part of the circulating fluid discharged from the heat exchanger 33 flows through the connecting flow path 28 and is supplied into the main tank 5, thereby cooling the circulating fluid in the main tank 5. Then, the cooled circulating fluid in the main tank 5 is supplied to the load through the discharge flow path 13. Then, until the measured temperature of the circulating fluid in the discharge flow path 13 measured by the first temperature sensor 61 reaches the target temperature, the cooling pump 55 is maintained at the second output range to supply the circulating fluid in the sub tank 20 to the main tank 5.
[0041] On the other hand, when the amount of circulating fluid in the main tank 5 exceeds a predetermined amount while the circulating fluid in the sub tank 20 is being supplied to the main tank 5, the excess circulating fluid flows into the sub tank 20 through the opening 5c and is cooled by the low-temperature circulating fluid, and this temperature-reduced circulating fluid is cooled by the heat exchanger 33. Then, a part of the circulating fluid cooled by the heat exchanger 33 is returned to the sub tank 20, and the remaining circulating fluid is supplied to the main tank 5 through the connecting flow path 28. Therefore, in the heat exchanger 33, the temperature of the circulating fluid flowing therein is lowered, so that the temperature difference between this circulating fluid and the cooling fluid with which it exchanges heat can be suppressed.
[0042] Here, the processor 43 may calculate the temperature difference between the target temperature of the circulating fluid flowing through the discharge flow passage 13 and the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor 30 while the cooling pump 55 is operating in the second output range, compare the temperature difference with a preset reference value, and reduce the output of the cooling pump 55 within the second output range as the temperature difference becomes larger than the reference value. When the measured temperature of the circulating fluid flowing through the connecting flow passage 28 changes, the calculated temperature difference also changes, and the difference from the reference value also changes. Then, the larger the difference between the temperature difference and the reference value, the lower the temperature of the circulating fluid flowing through the connecting flow passage 28 and the more cold energy is generated, so that the flow rate of the circulating fluid for cooling the high-temperature circulating fluid accumulated in the main tank 5 can be reduced. On the other hand, the smaller the difference between the temperature difference and the reference value, the higher the temperature of the circulating fluid flowing through the connecting flow passage 28 and the more cold energy is generated, so that it becomes necessary to increase the flow rate of the circulating fluid for cooling the high-temperature circulating fluid accumulated in the main tank 5. Therefore, when the temperature difference becomes larger than the reference value, the flow rate of the circulating fluid supplied to the main tank 5 can be reduced, so that the output of the cooling pump 55 can be reduced within the second output range.
[0043] The processor 43 may be configured to turn on the heater 10 when the third temperature sensor 63 detects that the temperature of the circulating fluid returning from the load through the return flow path 14 is lower than a preset temperature. This allows the heater 10 to quickly heat the circulating fluid returning from the load.
[0044] In this manner, in this embodiment, the circulating fluid flowing through the circulation circuit 12 connected to the load is not directly cooled by the heat exchanger 33, but when the amount of circulating fluid in the main tank 5 exceeds a predetermined amount, the temperature of the excess circulating fluid is lowered by the low-temperature circulating fluid in the sub-tank 20, and the resultant is cooled by the heat exchanger 33, so that even when it is assumed that the circulating fluid in the circulation circuit 12 will be used at high temperatures, the temperature difference between the circulating fluid and the cooling fluid in the heat exchanger 33 can be suppressed. Therefore, even when it is assumed that the circulating fluid will be used at high temperatures, there is a high degree of freedom in terms of the design (selection) of the heat exchanger 33, and it is possible to provide a temperature adjustment device 1 that is highly versatile with respect to the temperature of the circulating fluid. [Explanation of symbols]
[0045] 1 Temperature control device 3a Circulating fluid outlet 3b Circulating fluid return port 5. Main Tank 5c opening 10 Heater 12 Circulation circuit 13 Discharge flow path 14 Return flow path 18 Circulation Pump 20 Subtank 25 Cooling circuit 26 First cooling channel 27 Second Cooling Channel 28 Connecting Channel 30 Second temperature sensor 32 cases 33 Heat exchanger 34,35 Heat transfer plate 36 First heat exchange passage 37 Second heat exchange channel 38a Circulating fluid inlet 38b Circulating fluid outlet 38c Coolant inlet 38d Coolant outlet 43 Processors 55 Cooling Pump 61 First temperature sensor (temperature sensor)
Claims
1. A temperature control device for adjusting a temperature of a circulating fluid and supplying the circulating fluid to an external load, and controlling the load to a predetermined temperature, The temperature control device is a circulation circuit including: a main tank for storing circulating fluid and provided with a heater for heating the circulating fluid; a discharge flow path connecting the main tank and a circulating fluid discharge port for discharging the circulating fluid to the load; a circulation pump for discharging the circulating fluid from the main tank to the discharge flow path; and a return flow path connecting the main tank and a circulating fluid return port for receiving the circulating fluid returned from the load; a cooling circuit including: a subtank that stores circulating fluid; a heat exchanger that cools the circulating fluid in the subtank by heat exchange with facility water; a first cooling flow path that connects between the subtank and the heat exchanger and guides the circulating fluid in the subtank to the heat exchanger; a cooling pump that sends the circulating fluid in the subtank to the first cooling flow path; and a second cooling flow path that connects between the heat exchanger and the subtank and guides the circulating fluid cooled by the heat exchanger to the subtank; a processor for controlling a flow rate of the circulating fluid through the cooling circuit; the sub-tank is connected to the main tank such that, when an amount of circulating fluid in the main tank exceeds a predetermined amount, the excess amount of circulating fluid is led from the main tank to the sub-tank; The second cooling flow path of the cooling circuit is provided with a connecting flow path branched therefrom and connected to the circulation circuit, a temperature sensor is provided in the circulation circuit to measure a temperature of the circulating fluid flowing through the circulation circuit, The temperature control device is characterized in that the processor controls the output of the cooling pump based on the temperature of the circulating fluid measured by the temperature sensor, thereby controlling the flow rate of the circulating fluid supplied from the cooling circuit through the connecting flow path into the circulation circuit.
2. the main tank has an opening for leading the excess circulating fluid from the main tank to the sub-tank, and is connected to the sub-tank with the opening located at a position higher than a bottom surface of the sub-tank; The temperature control device according to claim 1 .
3. The processor is configured to switch and drive the cooling pump to a first output range or a second output range greater than the first output range based on the temperature of the circulating fluid measured by the temperature sensor, thereby When the cooling pump is driven in a first output range, the circulating liquid in the cooling circuit is circulated in the cooling circuit without being supplied to the circulation circuit through the connecting flow path, while when the cooling pump is driven in a second output range, the circulating liquid in the cooling circuit is supplied to the circulation circuit through the connecting flow path and is circulated in the cooling circuit. The temperature control device according to claim 1 .
4. The connecting flow passage is branched off from the second cooling flow passage of the cooling circuit and extended upward. The temperature control device according to claim 3 .
5. the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor provided in the discharge flow path, the processor compares a preset target temperature with the temperature of the circulating fluid measured by the first temperature sensor, and drives the cooling pump in the first output range when the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor is lower than the target temperature, and drives the cooling pump in the second output range when the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor is higher than the target temperature.
5. The temperature control device according to claim 3 or 4.
6. When the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor is lower than the target temperature, the processor further controls the heater to heat the circulating fluid in the main tank. The temperature control device according to claim 5 .
7. a second temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the circulating fluid is provided in the connecting flow path, the processor calculates a temperature difference between the target temperature and the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor when the cooling pump is driven in the second output range, compares the temperature difference with a preset reference value, and reduces the output of the cooling pump within the second output range as the temperature difference becomes larger than the reference value. The temperature control device according to claim 5 .
8. the heat exchanger has a hollow case, three or more heat transfer plates arranged in parallel to one another with gaps between them in the case, a series of first heat exchange passages and a series of second heat exchange passages formed alternately along an arrangement direction of the heat transfer plates by the gaps between the heat transfer plates, a circulating fluid inlet provided at one end of the first heat exchange passage and connected to the first cooling passage, a circulating fluid outlet provided at the other end of the first heat exchange passage opposite thereto and connected to the second cooling passage, a facility water inlet provided at one end of the second heat exchange passage for introducing facility water into the second heat exchange passage, and a facility water outlet provided at the other end of the second heat exchange passage opposite thereto for discharging the facility water after heat exchange from the second heat exchange passage. The temperature control device according to claim 1 .