Heat medium reform apparatus, heat medium reform method, and heat medium use equipment

Abstract

To provide a heat medium reform apparatus 2 modified favorably in the case of being used in heat medium use equipment (an air conditioner) 1.SOLUTION: A heat medium reform apparatus includes a generation part 200 which generates, on the basis of a commercial power supply 6, an excitation signal for exciting a heat medium which signal has a pulse width of 5 nsec-100 nsec and a frequency of 5 kHz-50 kHz, and a supply part 120 which supplies the excitation signal generated by the generation part 200 to the heat medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat medium reforming device, a heat medium reforming method, and heat medium-using equipment, and in particular to a heat medium reforming device, a heat medium reforming method, and heat medium-using equipment that can be suitably used in heat medium-using equipment such as air conditioners, refrigerators / freezers, and water heaters. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, the world has fallen into a global energy crisis due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other factors. As a result, fuel prices have risen sharply, and electricity prices have also increased in Japan.

[0003] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses the breakdown of electricity consumption estimated by the Energy Agency. According to Non-Patent Document 1, for example, In the case of office buildings, air conditioning accounts for approximately 48% of electricity consumption. In the case of wholesale and retail stores, electricity consumption for air conditioning is about 48%, and electricity consumption for refrigeration and cooling is about 9%, In the case of supermarkets, air conditioning accounts for about 25% of electricity consumption, refrigeration and cooling accounts for about 35%. In medical institutions, air conditioning accounts for approximately 38% of electricity consumption. In hotels and inns, air conditioning accounts for approximately 26% of electricity consumption, In the case of restaurants, air conditioning accounts for about 46% of electricity consumption, while heating equipment accounts for about 22%. As can be seen, the majority of electricity consumption is due to equipment that uses heat transfer media.

[0004] For this reason, saving electricity by achieving low power consumption in equipment that uses heat transfer media can be extremely effective from the perspective of individual businesses and the national economy, as well as from the perspective of achieving the energy targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] https: / / www.mhlw.go.jp / stf / houdou / 2r9852000001o9by-att / 2r9852000001oa3e.pdf Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, the patent specification of a patent application (Patent Application No. 2022-017482: Patent Document 1), which was not published at the time of filing this application but has been allowed to be granted, describes an invention regarding a lead sulfate coating removal device that removes lead sulfate coatings that form on the electrodes of lead-acid batteries.

[0007] This lead sulfate film removal device includes a generator for generating a lead sulfate film removal signal having a peak value of 550mA to 750mA, a pulse width of 5nsec to 100nsec, and a frequency of 5kHz to 50kHz based on a signal extracted from a lead-acid battery, and a supply unit for supplying the removal signal generated by the generator to the electrodes of the lead-acid battery. This lead sulfate film removal device has the excellent effect of realizing low power consumption of itself and not damaging the electrodes of the lead-acid battery.

[0008] Although the lead sulfate film removal device and the heat transfer medium equipment are different in various respects such as technical field and use, the inventor made some improvements to the lead sulfate film removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 and installed it on the heat transfer medium equipment. Surprisingly, he found that the power consumption of the heat transfer medium equipment can be reduced.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat medium reforming device which is an improvement over the lead sulfate film removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 and is suitable for use in heat medium-using equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors have provided a heat medium reforming device according to the present invention, A generator that generates an excitation signal for exciting the heat medium, the excitation signal having a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz based on a commercial power source; A supply unit that supplies the excitation signal generated by the generation unit to the heat medium; Equipped with.

[0011] The generating unit may be realized by an application specific digital integrated circuit.

[0012] Furthermore, a conversion unit may be provided between a commercial power source and the generation unit to convert AC from the commercial power source into DC. In this case, in Japan, the generation unit may generate the excitation signal based on a voltage signal of 12V to 24V.

[0013] The excitation signal may have a peak value of 550 mA to 1000 mA.

[0014] Further, the heat medium reforming method of the present invention comprises the steps of: A step of generating an excitation signal for exciting the heat medium, the excitation signal having a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz based on a commercial power source; providing the generated excitation signal to the thermal medium; Includes.

[0015] Furthermore, a heat medium using equipment of the present invention is equipped with the heat medium reformer described above. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a conceptual example of use of a heat medium reformer according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram functionally illustrating a part of a circuit configuration of a generation section 23 in the heat medium reformer 2 shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram showing a circuit topology of the generating unit 23 shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing measurement results of current values ​​of heat medium-using equipment before and after the heat medium reformer 2 shown in FIG. 1 is installed. FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0017] 1 Equipment using heat medium 2 Heat medium reformer 3 Indoor unit 4 Outdoor unit 5 Refrigerant pipe 6 Commercial power supply 11 Reference power supply circuit 12 Constant current circuit 13A Control Circuit 13B Terminal switch circuit 14 Oscillator Circuit 15 1st frequency divider circuit 16 2nd frequency divider circuit 17 Level shift circuit 18A drive circuit 18B Pulse driver circuit 19 Drive switch circuit 100 Plug 110 AC-DC adapter 120 Signal Line 120A positive terminal 120B negative terminal 130 Drive Resistance 140,150 Voltage divider resistor 160 Power Supply Unit 170 Signal Generator 180 Switching Circuits 190 Pulse driver circuit 200 Generator Invention Embodiments

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A heat medium reforming device, a heat medium reforming method, and heat medium-using equipment according to embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of an air conditioner, which is a heat medium-using equipment 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The heat medium-using equipment 1 includes, for example, a known indoor unit 3, an outdoor unit 4, and a refrigerant pipe 5, as well as a characteristic heat medium reformer 2. Fig. 1 also shows a commercial power source 6 to which the heat medium reformer 2, the indoor unit 3, and the outdoor unit 4 are connected.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the indoor unit 3 and the outdoor unit 4 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 5. There is no need to prepare these specially; the heat medium reformer 2 may be attached to those already installed in the building. Of course, this does not exclude an embodiment in which the heat medium-using equipment 1 is sold with the heat medium reformer 2 attached to the refrigerant pipe 5 that runs through the outdoor unit 4, for example.

[0021] The indoor unit 3 includes a heat exchanger (not shown) for exchanging heat energy transferred by the refrigerant. This heat exchanger is connected to a refrigerant pipe 5 inside the indoor unit 3 as is well known.

[0022] The outdoor unit 4 includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a heat exchanger that exchanges the heat energy transferred by the refrigerant, and a pressure reducer that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant, all of which are not shown. As is well known, the compressor, heat exchanger, and pressure reducer are all connected to a refrigerant pipe 5 inside the outdoor unit 4. The positional relationship of these components from upstream to downstream of the refrigerant during cooling is the compressor, heat exchanger, and pressure reducer in that order.

[0023] The refrigerant pipe 5 is often made of copper or aluminum, but is not limited thereto. The refrigerant pipe 5 is configured to circulate a refrigerant. Currently, the mainstream refrigerants are those that contain alternative fluorocarbons, such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs), as their main components, and contain a small amount of lubricant. Of course, the type of the refrigerant pipe 5 is not limited to these.

[0024] It is believed that the refrigerant's alternative fluorocarbon molecules cluster as the heat medium-using equipment 1 is used. When the alternative fluorocarbon molecules cluster, the surface area of ​​the alternative fluorocarbon molecules decreases, which leads to a decrease in the refrigerant function, i.e., a decrease in heat exchange efficiency.

[0025] To get straight to the point, the heat medium using equipment 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a heat medium reformer 2, which reforms the refrigerant by supplying an excitation signal to the refrigerant. This improves or prevents a decrease in heat exchange efficiency. Note that reforming here also includes breaking down the alternative fluorocarbon molecules into smaller clusters if they are clustered.

[0026] The heat medium reformer 2 is attached to a refrigerant pipe 5 in, for example, the outdoor unit 4. As an example, but not limited to, the heat medium reformer 2 can be attached between a heat exchanger and a pressure reducer in the refrigerant pipe 5. The heat medium reformer 2 can also be attached to a refrigerant pipe 5 in, for example, the indoor unit 3. As an example, but not limited to, the heat medium reformer 2 can be attached between a heat exchanger in the indoor unit 3 and a pressure reducer of the outdoor unit 4.

[0027] The heat medium reformers 2 and the refrigerant pipes 5 can be installed in a ratio of 1:N to N:1. That is, one or more heat medium reformers 2 can be installed to one or more refrigerant pipes 5. The number of installed units can be determined based on the peak value of an excitation signal (described later) generated by the heat medium reformer 2 and the required amount of refrigerant passing through the refrigerant pipe 5.

[0028] For example, when there are two heat medium-using equipment 1, both of which have a small refrigerant capacity, one heat medium reformer 2 can be attached to the refrigerant pipe 5 of one of the heat medium-using equipment 1, and the refrigerant pipe 5 can be simply connected to the refrigerant pipe 5 of the other heat medium-using equipment 1 with a crossover wire such as a copper wire.

[0029] On the other hand, for example, when there is one heat medium using equipment 1 with a large refrigerant capacity, it is also possible to attach multiple heat medium reformers 2 to the refrigerant pipe 5. However, doing so generally increases the amount of installation work, so it may be better to set the peak value of the excitation signal generated in the heat medium reformer 2 higher.

[0030] The heat medium reformer 2, the details of which will be described later with reference to Figures 2 and 3, generally includes a generating unit that generates an excitation signal for exciting the refrigerant, and a supplying unit that supplies the excitation signal generated by the generating unit to the refrigerant via a refrigerant pipe 5.

[0031] Fig. 2 is a block diagram functionally illustrating a portion of the circuit configuration of the heat medium reformer 2 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 also illustrates the refrigerant pipe 5 shown in Fig. 1. The heat medium reformer 2 is broadly divided into a power plug 100, an AC-DC adapter 110, and a generation unit 200, which will be described below.

[0032] The power plug 100 connects the heat medium reformer 2 body to a commercial power source 6. Since different countries and regions have different outlet and plug standards, the type of power plug 100 may be appropriately selected depending on those standards.

[0033] The AC-DC adapter 110 converts AC voltage into DC voltage when the commercial power source 6 is an AC power source, as in Japan. The value of the DC voltage after conversion may be, for example, 12 V to 24 V. Note that when the commercial power source 6 is a DC power source, there is no need to install the AC-DC adapter 110. However, there are cases where a DC-DC adapter needs to be installed instead.

[0034] The generating section 200 includes a signal line 120, a positive terminal 120A and a negative terminal 120B, a drive resistor 130, voltage dividing resistors 140 and 150, a power supply unit 160, a signal generating section 170, a switching circuit (SW) 180, and a pulse driver circuit 190, which will be described below.

[0035] Some of the active or passive elements of the generating unit 200 can be realized by an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (hereinafter referred to as "ASIC"). This will be described with reference to FIG.

[0036] The plus terminal 120A is a terminal located downstream of the AC-DC adapter 110 and upstream of the drive resistor 130, the voltage dividing resistor 140, and the power supply unit 160, which are connected in parallel with each other.

[0037] As described below, a signal line 120 that transmits an excitation signal to the refrigerant tube 5 is connected to the positive terminal 120A. However, since the excitation signal is an AC signal, the signal line 120 may be connected to the negative terminal 120B instead of the positive terminal 120A.

[0038] A part of the current passing through the positive terminal 120A flows through the drive resistor 130 toward the pulse driver circuit 190 located downstream. Another part of the current flows through the voltage dividing resistor 140 toward the voltage dividing resistor 150 and the signal generating unit 170. The remainder of the current flows toward the power supply unit 160.

[0039] The power supply unit 160 includes, for example, a relatively high-voltage front-stage power supply circuit and a relatively low-voltage rear-stage power supply circuit, which are connected in series. H is indirectly applied to the signal generating unit 170 via the switching circuit 180, and the relatively low output voltage V L is directly applied to the signal generating unit 170. Of course, physically, one power supply circuit is divided to generate the output voltage V H and the output voltage V L The above configuration may be adopted.

[0040] The drive resistor 130 defines the value of a current flowing through the pulse driver circuit 190. The resistance value of the drive resistor 130 may be determined according to the resistance values ​​of the voltage dividing resistors 140 and 150, the input resistance value of the power supply unit 160, and the like. However, if these are conditions described below, the resistance value may be set to about 10 Ω to 30 Ω (for example, about 15 Ω).

[0041] The voltage dividing resistors 140 and 150 define the value of a current flowing toward the signal generating unit 170. The resistance values ​​of the voltage dividing resistors 140 and 150 may be determined according to the resistance value of the drive resistor 130 and the input resistance value of the power supply unit 160, and the resistance value of the voltage dividing resistor 140 may be set to about 0Ω to 20 kΩ (for example, about 0Ω), and the resistance value of the voltage dividing resistor 150 may be set to about 100Ω to 300 kΩ (about 200 kΩ).

[0042] In this example, the switching circuit 180 is realized by a transistor such as an FET, and performs a switching operation according to an on / off signal, which will be described later, output from the signal generating unit 170. When the switching circuit 180 is in an on state, the output voltage V H is applied to the signal generating unit 170, and when the switching circuit 180 is in the off state, the output voltage V H The application of is stopped.

[0043] The signal generating unit 170 generates an output voltage V H ,V L The on / off signal is supplied to the switching circuit 180 based on the on / off signal. The on / off signal is supplied to the switching circuit 180. The signal generating unit 170 includes a constant current source output circuit, an oscillator, a frequency divider circuit, and the like, and outputs an output voltage V H ,V L This control signal has a sawtooth waveform, and serves as a gate current that is output to the gate of the pulse driver circuit 190.

[0044] Here, the signal generating unit 170 operates under, for example, the following conditions so that the excitation signal that ultimately excites the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant tube 5 becomes a sawtooth pulse signal with a peak value (peak value of the output current of the heat medium reformer 2) of 550 mA to 1000 mA, a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec, and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz.

[0045] That is, the output voltage V H 9.0V to 11.0V (for example, 10.0V), and the output voltage V L is about 5.0V to 6.0V (for example, 5.5V), the oscillation frequency of the oscillator of the signal generating unit 170 is about 1.0MHz to about 5.0MHz (for example, about 2.5MHz), and the frequency divider circuit is composed of, for example, a divide-by-2 circuit and, for example, a synchronous divide-by-62 circuit.

[0046] In this way, the former can set the frequency to approximately 0.6 MHz to approximately 2.5 MHz (e.g., approximately 1.25 MHz), and the latter can set the frequency to approximately 9.67 kHz to approximately 40.32 kHz (e.g., approximately 20.16 kHz), and a pulse signal can be generated with a pulse width of approximately 5 nsec to approximately 100 nsec depending on the frequency after frequency division.

[0047] This pulse signal is then converted into an output voltage V H ,V L By supplying this signal to a constant current source output circuit configured with PMOS transistors and a switch configured with NMOS, a sawtooth waveform control signal can be generated with a peak value of approximately 550 mA to approximately 1000 mA, a pulse width of approximately 5 nsec to approximately 100 nsec, and a frequency of approximately 5 kHz to approximately 50 kHz.

[0048] The pulse driver circuit 190 generates an excitation signal in accordance with a control signal output from the signal generating unit 170. The pulse driver circuit 190 can be realized by a transistor such as an FET. In this configuration, theoretically, the excitation signal has the same pulse width and frequency as the control signal.

[0049] The signal line 120 connects the positive terminal 120A and the refrigerant tube 5. The signal line 120 supplies an excitation signal generated by the pulse driver circuit 190 to the refrigerant tube 5. The signal line 120 may have, for example, a core wire and a sheath covering the core wire.

[0050] Possible connection modes between the positive terminal 120A and the refrigerant tube 5 include connecting one end of the core wire to the positive terminal 120A, and then (1) contacting the other end of the core wire with the refrigerant tube 5 on the condition that the refrigerant tube 5 is not earthed, (2) running the sheath around the refrigerant tube 5, or (3) wrapping the sheath around the refrigerant tube 5. Note that in the above cases (2) and (3), the core wire does not directly contact the refrigerant tube 5.

[0051] In the above case (1), both the AC component and the DC component of the excitation signal are supplied to the refrigerant tube 5 and the refrigerant passing therethrough. In the above case (2), only the AC component of the excitation signal is supplied to the refrigerant tube 5 and the refrigerant passing therethrough by AC coupling. In the above case (3), only the AC component of the excitation signal is supplied to the refrigerant tube 5 and the refrigerant passing therethrough by AC coupling.

[0052] As already mentioned, the refrigerant tube 5 is usually made of, for example, copper. Therefore, in the above case (1), when an excitation signal is supplied through the core wire of the signal line 120, a current will flow.

[0053] In the above cases (2) to (3), even if an excitation signal is supplied through the sheath of the signal line 120, an electric field is applied to the refrigerant tube 5, and a weak current flows through the refrigerant tube 5 due to AC coupling. In addition, it is considered that the refrigerant may be excited by AC coupling, and a current may flow directly through the refrigerant tube 5.

[0054] Incidentally, it is believed that the refrigerant's alternative fluorocarbon molecules cluster as the heat medium-using equipment 1 is used. If this is the case, the surface area of ​​the alternative fluorocarbon molecules decreases, which causes a decrease in the refrigerant function, i.e., the heat exchange efficiency.

[0055] To get straight to the point, the heat medium-using equipment 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a heat medium reformer 2, and reforms the refrigerant by supplying an excitation signal to the refrigerant. The reforming referred to here includes breaking down the alternative fluorocarbon molecules into smaller clusters if they are clustered.

[0056] Since the refrigerant is considered to be ionized, it should be affected by an electrochemical action if a current flows through the refrigerant pipe 5. In addition, if the refrigerant is excited or a current flows through the refrigerant, it should have a mechanical action of moving clusters.

[0057] Regardless of whether this is right or wrong, as will be described later, it is an indisputable fact that by installing the heat medium reformer 2, the drive current of the compressor of the outdoor unit 4 actually decreases, and the power saving effect of the heat medium using equipment 1 has been confirmed, and this fact is evidence supporting the fact that the refrigerant has been reformed.

[0058] It has also been confirmed that when the excitation signal has a peak value of 550 mA to 1000 mA, a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec, and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz, one heat medium reformer 2 can be suitably used for one or more heat medium-using devices 1 with a total refrigerant capacity of 20 L to 100 L (approximately 40 L when the value in parentheses in the explanation using FIG. 2 is used).

[0059] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a circuit topology of the generator 200 in the heat medium reformer 2 shown in Fig. 2. The generator 200 can be realized by an ASIC as described above. In this case, the generator 200 includes a reference power supply circuit 11, a constant current circuit 12, a control circuit 13A, an inter-terminal switch circuit 13B, an oscillation circuit 14, a first frequency divider circuit 15, a second frequency divider circuit 16, a level shift circuit 17, a drive circuit 18A, a pulse driver circuit 18B, and a drive switch circuit 19, which will be described below.

[0060] Here, the relationship between the parts shown in Figure 2 and the parts shown in Figure 3 does not show all of the corresponding parts in each figure, and does not necessarily correspond 1:1, so it is conceptually organized as follows, but it is roughly as follows.

[0061] That is, Although not shown directly in FIG. 3, the power supply unit 160 shown in FIG. 2 supplies a high power supply voltage V DDH (The output voltage V H ") and low power supply voltage V DDL (The output voltage V L ".) is generated in the part The drive resistor 130 shown in FIG. 2 is a portion (not shown) connected to the drive circuit 18A shown in FIG. The voltage dividing resistors 140 and 150 shown in FIG. 2 are connected to the drive circuit 18A shown in FIG. The switching circuit 180 shown in FIG. 2 is connected to the drive switch circuit 19 shown in FIG. The signal generating unit 170 shown in FIG. 2 is connected to the reference power supply circuit 11, the constant current circuit 12, the control circuit 13A, the inter-terminal switch circuit 13B, the oscillation circuit 14, the first frequency divider circuit 15, and the second frequency divider circuit 16 shown in FIG. The pulse driver circuit 190 shown in FIG. 2 is a pulse driver circuit 18B shown in FIG. Each corresponds to.

[0062] The reference power supply circuit 11 can be configured by a so-called BGR (Bandgap Reference) circuit, and is connected to a low power supply voltage V DDL is supplied, and the reference signal (reference current) P TAT A signal is generated and the P TAT The signal is output to the constant current circuit 12, the control circuit 13A, and the oscillation circuit 14. (Note that the signal used as the reference signal is indicated as "I ref " The same applies below.)

[0063] The constant current circuit 12 is connected to a low power supply voltage V DDL is supplied, and P TATInput the signal and TAT Based on the signal TAT Generate a signal and TAT It outputs signals to a control circuit 13A, an oscillation circuit 14, and a drive circuit 18A.

[0064] The control circuit 13A operates at a low power supply voltage V DDL is supplied, and P TAT Signal and C output from constant current circuit 12 TAT Input the signal and the P TAT Signal and C TAT It generates a signal to be merged with the signal and controls the on / off switching of the output of the merged signal.

[0065] Specifically, the control circuit 13A is connected to a low power supply voltage V DDL The threshold S to be compared with L and threshold S H is set, and the threshold S L ≦Low power supply voltage V DDL ≦Threshold S H If so, a join signal is output to the inter-terminal switch circuit 13B, and in other cases, a join signal is not output to the inter-terminal switch circuit 13B.

[0066] The inter-terminal switch circuit 13B can be formed, for example, by an NMOS transistor, and includes a gate to which the confluence signal from the control circuit 13A is input, a source connected to the positive terminal 120A, and a drain connected to the negative terminal 120B via an element such as a resistor or diode for adjusting voltage and current, and switches the electrical connection between the positive terminal 120A and the negative terminal 120B according to the presence or absence of the output of the confluence signal.

[0067] The oscillator circuit 14 operates at a low power supply voltage V DDL is supplied, and P TAT Signal and C output from constant current circuit 12 TATThe oscillator circuit 14 receives the above signals, generates a pulse signal based on these signals, and outputs the pulse signal to the first frequency divider circuit 15. The oscillator circuit 14 generates a pulse signal having an oscillation frequency of, for example, 2.5 MHz.

[0068] The first frequency divider circuit 15 is connected to a low power supply voltage V DDL is supplied, a pulse signal having an oscillation frequency of, for example, 2.5 MHz output from the oscillator circuit 14 is input, the oscillation frequency of the pulse signal is divided in half, that is, to, for example, 1.25 MHz, and output to the second frequency divider circuit 16.

[0069] The second frequency divider circuit 16 is a synchronous type which inputs a pulse signal having an oscillation frequency of, for example, 1.25 MHz output from the first frequency divider circuit 15, divides the oscillation frequency of the pulse signal to, for example, 1 / 62, i.e., 20.16 kHz, and outputs the result to the level shift circuit 17 and the drive switch circuit 19.

[0070] In this example, the division conditions of the first frequency divider circuit 15 and the second frequency divider circuit 16 are such that the pulse width of the pulse signal output from the second frequency divider circuit 16 is 800 nsec. Therefore, it should be noted that the division conditions are not limited to "1 / 2" or "1 / 62" division, and the number of frequency divider circuits is not limited to "2".

[0071] The level shift circuit 17 is connected to a low power supply voltage V DDL and high power supply voltage V DDH and a pulse signal having a pulse width of, for example, 800 nsec output from the second frequency divider circuit 16 is input, and a low power supply voltage V DDL and high power supply voltage V DDH and outputs the level-shifted voltage signal to the drive circuit 18A.

[0072] The driving circuit 18A can be configured, for example, by a PMOS transistor, and is connected to a high power supply voltage V DDH is supplied, and the voltage signal output from the level shift circuit 17 and the CTAT The signal and the switch signal output from the drive switch circuit 19 are input, and the voltage signal and the C TAT A drive signal is generated based on the signal, and the drive signal is output to the pulse driver circuit 18B in accordance with the switch signal.

[0073] The drive switch circuit 19 can be configured, for example, by an NMOS transistor, and is connected to a low power supply voltage V DDL is supplied to the second frequency divider circuit 16, and the gate receives a pulse signal having a pulse width of, for example, 800 nsec output from the second frequency divider circuit 16, and a source and a drain output the switch signal to the drive circuit 18A based on the pulse signal.

[0074] The pulse driver circuit 18B can be configured, for example, by an NMOS transistor, and has a gate that inputs the drive signal output from the drive circuit 18A, a drain that is connected to the input terminal 100 via a drive resistor 130, and a source that is connected to the output terminal 120B.

[0075] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the measurement of the effect before and after the installation of the heat medium reformer 2 shown in Fig. 1. The right vertical axis of Fig. 4 shows the temperature [°C] announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency at the time of measurement near the effect measurement location (0°C to 30°C, scale in 5°C increments), the left vertical axis of Fig. 4 shows the total drive current value per hour [A / h] of the compressor provided in the outdoor unit 4 (0A to 1600A, scale in 200A increments), and the horizontal axis of Fig. 4 shows the measurement time (0:00 to 23:00, scale in 1-hour increments).

[0076] In the graph shown in FIG. 4, values ​​within ±2 standard deviations from the average value, approximately 5%, are excluded in order to avoid including measurement values ​​when the heat medium-using equipment 1 is idling or unusual measurement values ​​that may be evaluated as measurement errors.

[0077] The measurement conditions are as follows.

[0078] (1) The heat medium-using equipment 1 to be measured was the same before and after the installation of the heat medium reformer 2. The heat medium-using equipment 1 to be measured were Daikin's "RXYP140B", "RXYP560F", and "RZRP112BC" installed on the first floor of a certain company's office in Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture. Their outdoor units 4 were also installed on the same floor. The heat medium-using equipment 1 to be measured had all been in use for approximately 12 years, with no repairs or part replacements during that time.

[0079] (2) The specifications of each element of the installed heat medium reformer 2 were as shown in parentheses in the explanation given with reference to Fig. 2. That is, for example, a value of about 15 Ω was adopted for the drive resistor 130. The heat medium reformer 2 was installed in the refrigerant pipe 5 in the outdoor unit 4 of the "RXYP140B", and the refrigerant pipe 5 was connected to the refrigerant pipes 5 of the "RXYP560F" and "RZRP112BC" by crossover wires.

[0080] (3) The measurement period before the installation of the heat medium reformer 2 was from Tuesday, May 9, 2023 to Friday, May 12, 2023. The measurement period after the installation of the heat medium reformer 2 was from Tuesday, June 13, 2023 to Friday, June 16, 2023. The reason for setting a one-month interval between these measurement periods is that, assuming that clustering has occurred in the refrigerant, it would take about one month after the installation of the heat medium reformer 2 to break it down (subsequent experiments showed that sufficient reforming was achieved with the heat medium reformer 2 installed for about two weeks), and that both measurement periods could be aligned from Tuesday to Friday.

[0081] (4) An ammeter was attached to the power line of the compressor provided in the outdoor unit 4, and the drive current value of the compressor was measured every two minutes using the ammeter. The sum of the current values ​​from "00 minutes" to "58 minutes" of each hour is shown in Figure 4 as the total drive current value per hour of the compressor.

[0082] The measurement results and their discussion are as follows.

[0083] First, please refer to the thick dashed line A and thin dashed line B in Figure 4. The thick dashed line A shows the temperature during the effect measurement period before the heat medium reformer 2 was installed. The thin dashed line B shows the temperature during the effect measurement period after the heat medium reformer 2 was installed.

[0084] From the graph shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that the measurement period corresponding to the thick dashed line A was during May, when the temperature was relatively low, and the measurement period corresponding to the thin dashed line B was during June, when the temperature was relatively high.

[0085] Next, please refer to the thick solid line a and the thin solid line b in Fig. 4. The thick solid line a shows the current value during the effect measurement period before the heat medium reformer 2 is installed. The thin solid line b shows the current value during the effect measurement period after the heat medium reformer 2 is installed.

[0086] It can be seen that the current value shown by the thick solid line a rises late and falls early because the temperature associated with the thick dashed line A is relatively low, and the current value shown by the thin solid line b rises early and falls late because the temperature associated with the thin dashed line B is relatively high.

[0087] It can be seen that the current value shown by the thick solid line a is a measurement value when the temperature associated with the thick dashed line A was relatively low, but its peak is relatively large, and the current value shown by the thin solid line b is a measurement value when the temperature associated with the thin dashed line B was relatively high, but its peak is relatively small.

[0088] It can be seen that the area hatched with " / " in Figure 4 represents the amount of current corresponding to the thick solid line a from 14:00 to 19:00 on the first day of effectiveness measurement (Tuesday, May 9, 2023) "before" the installation of the heat medium reformer 2, which is large despite the fact that this current amount is a measurement value when the temperature corresponding to the thick dashed line A was relatively low, and that the area hatched with "\" in Figure 4 represents the amount of current corresponding to the thin solid line b from 14:00 to 19:00 on the first day of effectiveness measurement (Tuesday, June 13, 2023) "after" the installation of the heat medium reformer 2, which is small despite the fact that this current amount is a measurement value when the temperature corresponding to the thin dashed line B was relatively high.

[0089] Normally, when comparing the peaks of the current values ​​shown by the thick solid line a and the thin solid line b and the current amounts related to the above areas, the behavior shown in Figure 4 should not be as shown in terms of the relationship between high and low temperatures. This consideration can also be derived when the effect measurement results from the second to fourth days are used as the basis.

[0090] However, since the behavior shown in Fig. 4 is in fact the case, it means that the refrigerant has been reformed and the heat exchange efficiency has improved by installing the heat medium reformer 2 in the heat medium using equipment 1. And, if the refrigerant was clustered, it is reasonable to think that the reforming means that the refrigerant has been subdivided.

[0091] Although this is merely speculation, if the heat medium reformer 2 had been installed in the heat medium-using equipment 1 one month prior to Tuesday, May 9, 2023, and the refrigerant had been sufficiently reformed, then, taking into account the difference in temperature between Tuesday, May 9, 2023 and Tuesday, June 13, 2023, the converted value of the current corresponding to the thick solid line a in Figure 4 is expected to be significantly lower than the current corresponding to the thin solid line b.

[0092] It is difficult to accurately predict the area of ​​the " / " portion that will be converted in this case, but it is likely that the converted area will be about 1 / 3 of the actual area of ​​the " / " portion as shown in Figure 4.

[0093] If this is the case, electricity charges in Japan can be calculated using the formula: [basic charge according to contracted power] + [electricity charge based on the amount of electricity used] + [renewable energy power generation promotion levy]. According to the heat medium reformer 2 of this embodiment, the amount of current, which is the basis for calculating the amount of electricity used, can be significantly reduced, so it is easy to imagine that the power saving effect is enormous.

[0094] Regardless of the validity of such an idea, the heat medium reformer 2 of this embodiment and the heat medium-using equipment 1 equipped with the same can reform the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe 5, as can be seen from the effect measurement shown in FIG. 4, and therefore it is possible to obtain a power saving effect in the heat medium-using equipment 1.

Claims

1. A power supply unit that generates a first output voltage of 9.0V to 11.0V and a second output voltage of 5.0V to 6.0V based on commercial power supply, A signal generation unit that generates control signals with frequencies of 0.6 MHz to 2.5 MHz and 9.67 kHz to 40.32 kHz based on the first and second output voltages generated by the power supply unit, A pulse driver that generates an excitation signal to be supplied to a heat transfer medium based on a control signal generated by the signal generation unit, A heat transfer medium reforming apparatus equipped with [a specific feature].

2. A switching circuit provided between the power supply unit and the signal generation unit, The signal generation unit receives the first output voltage via the switching circuit and generates an on / off signal to control the switching operation of the switching circuit based on the first output voltage and the second output voltage. When the switching circuit is ON, the first output voltage is applied to the signal generation unit, and when the switching circuit is OFF, the application of the first output voltage to the signal generation unit is stopped. The heat transfer medium reforming apparatus according to claim 1.

3. comprising a voltage divider resistor that defines the value of the current flowing toward the signal generation unit based on the commercial power supply, The heat transfer medium reforming apparatus according to claim 1.

4. A drive resistor that defines the current value flowing through the pulse driver, The resistance value of the drive resistor is determined at least according to the voltage value of the lead-acid battery and the input resistance value of the power supply unit. The heat transfer medium reforming apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The steps include generating a first output voltage of 9.0V to 11.0V and a second output voltage of 5.0V to 6.0V based on the commercial power supply, The steps include generating control signals with frequencies of 0.6 MHz to 2.5 MHz and 9.67 kHz to 40.32 kHz based on the first and second output voltages, The steps include generating an excitation signal to be supplied to a heat transfer medium based on the control signal, A method for modifying a heat transfer medium, including [a specific component].

6. A heat transfer medium-using device equipped with the heat transfer medium reforming device described in claim 1.

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