Underwater structure

Abstract

To provide an underwater structure capable of cooling its interior efficiently.SOLUTION: An underwater structure includes a first compartment cooling room temperature to be within a first temperature range and a second compartment with an air-conditioner installed cooling room temperature to be within a second temperature range which is lower than the first temperature range, where an outer surface of a first outline forming the outline of the first compartment is exposed to outdoor water, and the first compartment is cooled by the outdoor water through the first outline.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to underwater structures. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a cooling system for an underwater vehicle that cools a heat-generating element of the underwater vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-164054 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The interior of underwater structures such as underwater vehicles and underwater buildings is difficult to ventilate, and heat tends to accumulate when large-heat-generating facilities or equipment are installed. On the other hand, the interior of the underwater structure needs to be cooled to a relatively low temperature because heat-sensitive equipment such as electronic devices may be installed therein or users may stay there for long periods of time. Therefore, a large amount of energy is required to maintain the interior of the underwater structure at an appropriate temperature. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an underwater structure capable of efficiently cooling the interior. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An underwater structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first compartment that is cooled so that the room temperature is within a first temperature range, and a second compartment in which an air conditioner is installed and that is cooled so that the room temperature is within a second temperature range that is lower than the first temperature range, wherein the outer surface of a first outer shell that forms the outer periphery of the first compartment is exposed to outdoor water, and the first compartment is cooled by the outdoor water via the first outer shell. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the underwater structure, the inside can be cooled efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an underwater structure according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an underwater structure according to a first modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an underwater structure according to a second modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an underwater structure according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments will be described. First, an underwater structure 100 according to a first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the underwater structure 100 according to the first embodiment. The underwater structure 100 is a structure that is entirely or partially located underwater. In other words, the surroundings of all or part of the underwater structure 100 are filled with water 101, and all or part of the outer surface of the underwater structure 100 is exposed to the water 101.

[0009] The underwater structure 100 is, for example, an underwater building constructed underwater or an underwater vehicle that navigates underwater. The water 101 surrounding the underwater structure 100 may be seawater or freshwater. In this disclosure, the water 101 surrounding the underwater structure 100 is referred to as "outdoor water."

[0010] 1, the underwater structure 100 according to this embodiment includes a first compartment 10 and a second compartment 20. The first compartment 10 and the second compartment 20 will be described below in order.

[0011] <First compartment> The first compartment 10 is one of the compartments formed by dividing the interior of the underwater structure 100. In this embodiment, the first compartment 10 is equipped with heat-generating equipment 11, such as an engine or a boiler, that generates a large amount of heat. Therefore, the room temperature of the first compartment 10 is likely to become high. On the other hand, the first compartment 10 does not equip with heat-sensitive equipment (hereinafter referred to as "weakly heat-resistant equipment"), such as electronic devices. Therefore, although the first compartment 10 needs to be cooled, it is not a problem if the room temperature becomes somewhat high. Therefore, the target temperature range of the first compartment 10 is set to a relatively high first temperature range, and the first compartment 10 is cooled so that the room temperature falls within this first temperature range.

[0012] The outer shell of the first compartment 10 is formed by a first outer shell 12. The first outer shell 12 includes walls, a ceiling, a floor, and the like that define the first compartment 10. As shown in FIG. 1 , the outer surface of the first outer shell 12 is exposed to outdoor water 101. Therefore, the first compartment 10 is cooled by the outdoor water 101 via the first outer shell 12. The entire outer surface of the first outer shell 12 may be exposed to the outdoor water 101, or only a portion of the outer surface may be exposed to the outdoor water 101. The first compartment 10 may be cooled by the outdoor water 101 via the first outer shell 12 and may also be cooled by an air conditioner.

[0013] <Second compartment> The second compartment 20 is one of the compartments formed by dividing the interior of the underwater structure 100. In this embodiment, the second compartment 20 does not have a heat-generating device 11 installed therein, but does have a weakly heat-resistant device 21 installed therein. Therefore, the second compartment 20 needs to be cooled to a relatively low temperature so as not to adversely affect the weakly heat-resistant device 21. Therefore, the target temperature range of the second compartment 20 is set to a relatively low second temperature range, and the second compartment 20 is cooled so that the room temperature falls within this second temperature range.

[0014] The second temperature range is lower than the first temperature range described above. In other words, the target temperature range for the second compartment 20 is lower than the target temperature range for the first compartment 10. Here, "the second temperature range is lower than the first temperature range" means that the upper limit of the second temperature range is lower than the lower limit of the first temperature range. An air conditioner 22 is installed in the second compartment 20, and the second compartment 20 is cooled by the air conditioner 22. The configuration of the air conditioner 22 is not limited as long as it can cool the second compartment 20.

[0015] The outer periphery of the second compartment 20 is formed by a second outer periphery 23. The second outer periphery 23 includes walls, a ceiling, a floor, etc. that partition the second compartment 20. In this embodiment, the second compartment 20 is located inside the first compartment 10 and is surrounded by the first compartment 10. Furthermore, the outer surface of the second outer periphery 23 is not exposed to outdoor water 101. In other words, the area of ​​the portion of the outer surface of the first outer periphery 12 that comes into contact with the outdoor water 101 is larger than the area of ​​the portion of the outer surface of the second outer periphery 23 that comes into contact with the outdoor water 101.

[0016] As described above, in the underwater structure 100 according to this embodiment, the interior is partitioned into the first compartment 10 and the second compartment 20, each having a different target temperature range. Therefore, it is not necessary to cool the entire interior of the underwater structure 100 to the same temperature, and the interior of the underwater structure 100 can be cooled efficiently. Moreover, in the underwater structure 100 according to this embodiment, of the first compartment 10 and the second compartment 20, the first compartment 10, which has a higher target temperature range, is cooled by outdoor water 101. As a result, the outdoor water 101 exchanges thermal energy with the air in the first compartment 10, which has a higher room temperature than the second compartment 20, i.e., the temperature difference between the two fluids that perform heat exchange is larger, and therefore the interior of the underwater structure 100 can be cooled even more efficiently.

[0017] In this embodiment, the portion of the second outer wall 23 located at the boundary between the first compartment 10 and the second compartment 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "boundary portion") is formed to be insulated. The hatched portion in FIG. 1 corresponds to the boundary portion of the second outer wall 23 (the same applies to FIGS. 2 to 4). Note that "insulation" here does not mean that no heat is transferred in the strict sense, but rather that heat is not transferred substantially. The boundary portion of the second outer wall 23 has a thermal conductivity at least lower than that of the first outer wall 12. For example, the boundary portion of the second outer wall 23 may be formed of an insulating material with low thermal conductivity, or may have a double structure including a vacuum layer.

[0018] As described above, in this embodiment, the boundary portion of the second outer wall 23 is formed to be heat-insulating, so that heat from the first compartment 10 is less likely to be transferred to the second compartment 20, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the room temperature of the second compartment 20. As a result, it is possible to cool the inside of the underwater structure 100 more efficiently.

[0019] <Modification> Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an underwater structure 100 according to a first modified example of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an underwater structure 100 according to a second modified example of this embodiment. In the underwater structure 100 shown in Fig. 1 described above, the outer surface of the second outer wall 23 is not exposed to the outdoor water 101, but as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a part of the outer surface of the second outer wall 23 may be exposed to the outdoor water 101. However, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, even in the underwater structure 100 according to the modified example, the area of ​​the part of the outer surface of the first outer wall 12 that comes into contact with the outdoor water 101 is larger than the area of ​​the part of the outer surface of the second outer wall 23 that comes into contact with the outdoor water 101.

[0020] Furthermore, in the underwater structure 100 according to the modified example, the second compartment 20 is also surrounded by the first compartment 10, and the boundary portion of the second outer shell 23 (the portion located at the boundary between the first compartment 10 and the second compartment 20) is formed to be heat-insulating. As a result, in the underwater structure 100 shown in Figures 2 and 3, the interior of the underwater structure 100 can be cooled efficiently, similar to the underwater structure 100 shown in Figure 1. Note that "the second compartment 20 is surrounded by the first compartment 10" can be rephrased as "the first compartment 10 has a cutout portion, and the second compartment 20 is located in the cutout portion."

[0021] Furthermore, in the underwater structure 100 according to the modified example, a part of the outer surface of the second outer shell 23 is exposed to the outdoor water 101. However, if the second compartment 20 is not cooled by the outdoor water 101, the part of the outer surface of the second outer shell 23 that is exposed to the outdoor water 101 may be formed to be heat insulating. With this configuration, for example, when the temperature of the outdoor water 101 is higher than the second temperature range, it is possible to suppress the transfer of heat from the outdoor water 101 to the second compartment 20.

[0022] (Second embodiment) Next, an underwater structure 200 according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the underwater structure 200 according to the second embodiment. The underwater structure 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the underwater structure 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a third compartment 30. In other respects, it has basically the same configuration as the underwater structure 100 according to the first embodiment. Below, the underwater structure 200 according to the second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the underwater structure 100 according to the first embodiment, and a description of the same or corresponding configuration as the underwater structure 100 according to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0023] As described above, the underwater structure 200 according to this embodiment includes the third compartment 30. The third compartment 30 is one of the rooms formed by dividing the interior of the underwater structure 100. The third compartment 30 according to this embodiment is, for example, a living area where a user of the underwater structure 200 stays. Therefore, the third compartment 30 needs to be cooled to a temperature at which the user can be comfortable. Therefore, the target temperature range of the third compartment 30 is set to a relatively low third temperature range, and the third compartment 30 is cooled so that the room temperature falls within this third temperature range.

[0024] The third temperature range is lower than the first temperature range described above. In other words, the target temperature range for the third compartment 30 is lower than the target temperature range for the first compartment 10. In this embodiment, the third temperature range is lower than the second temperature range described above. However, the third temperature range may overlap with the second temperature range or may be higher than the second temperature range. An air conditioner 31 is installed in the third compartment 30, and the third compartment 30 is cooled by the air conditioner 31. The configuration of the air conditioner 31 is not limited as long as it is capable of cooling the third compartment 30.

[0025] Furthermore, the third compartment 30 is surrounded by the second compartment 20. Therefore, heat from the first compartment 10 is less likely to be transferred to the third compartment 30, and an increase in the room temperature of the third compartment 30 can be suppressed. As a result, the interior of the underwater structure 100 can be efficiently cooled. Furthermore, when there is a temperature difference between the second temperature range and the third temperature range, the third outer shell 32 that forms the outer shell of the third compartment 30 may be formed to be heat-insulating. The third outer shell 32 includes the walls, ceiling, floor, etc. that define the third compartment 30.

[0026] (summary) The first item disclosed in this specification is an underwater structure comprising a first compartment that is cooled so that the room temperature is within a first temperature range, and a second compartment that is equipped with an air conditioner and is cooled so that the room temperature is within a second temperature range that is lower than the first temperature range, wherein the outer surface of a first outer shell that forms the outer periphery of the first compartment is exposed to outdoor water, and the first compartment is cooled by the outdoor water via the first outer shell.

[0027] According to this configuration, the interior of the underwater structure is divided into at least a first compartment and a second compartment. Therefore, it is not necessary to cool the entire interior of the underwater structure to the same temperature, and the interior of the underwater structure can be cooled efficiently. Moreover, because the first compartment, which has a higher target temperature range, is cooled with outdoor water, the interior of the underwater structure can be cooled even more efficiently.

[0028] The second item disclosed in this specification is an underwater structure described in the first item, in which the portion of the second outer shell that forms the outer shell of the second compartment, located at the boundary between the first compartment and the second compartment, is formed to be insulated.

[0029] With this configuration, heat from the first compartment is less likely to be transferred to the second compartment, so the inside of the underwater structure can be cooled more efficiently.

[0030] The third item disclosed in this specification is an underwater structure described in the first or second item, wherein the area of ​​the portion of the outer surface of the first outer shell that comes into contact with the outdoor water is larger than the area of ​​the portion of the outer surface of the second outer shell that forms the outer shell of the second compartment that comes into contact with the outdoor water.

[0031] With this configuration, the amount of heat energy exchanged between the outdoor water and the first compartment is greater than the amount of heat energy exchanged between the outdoor water and the second compartment, thereby enabling the inside of the underwater structure to be cooled efficiently.

[0032] A fourth item disclosed in this specification is the underwater structure according to any one of the first to third items, wherein the second compartment is surrounded by the first compartment.

[0033] With this configuration, the area of ​​the portion of the outer surface of the first outer wall that comes into contact with water outdoors can be increased.

[0034] The fifth item disclosed in this specification is an underwater structure described in any one of the first to fourth items, which includes a third compartment in which an air conditioner is installed and which is cooled so that the room temperature is in a third temperature range lower than the first temperature range, and the third compartment is surrounded by the second compartment.

[0035] With this configuration, heat from the first compartment is less likely to be transferred to the third compartment, and an increase in the room temperature of the third compartment can be suppressed, thereby efficiently cooling the inside of the underwater structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10. First Compartment 11 Heat-generating equipment 12 First Outer Wall 20 Second Compartment 21 Weak heat resistant equipment 22 Air conditioner 23 Second Outer Wall 30 Third Compartment 31 Air conditioner 32 Third Outer Wall 100 underwater structures 101 Outdoor Water 200 Underwater structures

Claims

1. a first compartment that is cooled so that the room temperature is within a first temperature range; a second compartment in which an air conditioner is installed and which is cooled so that the room temperature falls within a second temperature range that is lower than the first temperature range; An underwater structure, wherein the outer surface of a first outer shell that forms the outer periphery of the first compartment is exposed to outdoor water, and the first compartment is cooled by the outdoor water via the first outer shell.

2. The underwater structure according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of a second outer shell that forms an outer shell of the second compartment, the portion being positioned at a boundary between the first compartment and the second compartment, is formed to be heat-insulating.

3. 2. The underwater structure according to claim 1, wherein the area of ​​the portion of the outer surface of the first outer shell that comes into contact with the outdoor water is larger than the area of ​​the portion of the outer surface of the second outer shell that forms the outer shell of the second compartment that comes into contact with the outdoor water.

4. 2. The underwater structure of claim 1, wherein the second compartment is surrounded by the first compartment.

5. a third compartment in which an air conditioner is installed and which is cooled so that the room temperature falls within a third temperature range that is lower than the first temperature range; 2. The underwater structure of claim 1, wherein the third compartment is surrounded by the second compartment.

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