Steam cooker, steam power generation system using steam cooker, and steam power generation method using steam power generation system

Abstract

It prevents the temperature inside the cooking chamber from dropping during the cooking process, increases the temperature and heating efficiency, allows direct and indirect heating of the heated object, and creates superheated steam. [Solution] The steam cooker of the present disclosure has a liquid storage section (11), a heating section (12), an inner wall section (24) that divides a cooking chamber (14) into an inner space, an outer wall section (25) that is arranged outside the inner wall section (24), an intra-wall space (26) that is divided between the inner wall section (24) and the outer wall section (25), and a heat transfer member (27) that is provided in the intra-wall space (26), and is equipped with a cooking section (13) that is arranged above the liquid storage section (11), and the heat transfer member (27) divides the intra-wall space (26) into a steam inflow space (37) that is connected to the liquid storage section (11) at the bottom, and a high-temperature gas inflow space (38) that is connected to the space within the heating section (12) at the bottom, and causes heat exchange between the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space (38) and the steam in the steam inflow space (37), and some of the steam generated in the liquid storage section (11) flows into the steam inflow space (37), and the gas heated to a high temperature in the heating section (12) moves to the high-temperature gas inflow space (38).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a steam cooker, a steam power generation system using the steam cooker, and a method of generating steam power using the steam power generation system. [Background technology]

[0002] As a conventional steamer that heats food to a predetermined temperature with steam, the applicant has proposed in Patent Document 1 below a steamer that can prevent a drop in temperature and pressure during the cooking process. It is widely known that the larger the heat transfer area, the higher the heat exchange rate, and the higher the heat transfer rate and heating effect. The applicant has also proposed in Patent Document 1 below a steamer that has a wavy structure on the underside of the bottom of the steamer's cooking container drawer, increasing the heating area and improving the heating effect of cooking. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7240551 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional steamers with multiple steaming stages, the steam rising within the cooking chamber may be consumed midway to cook the food items (ingredients) placed on the lower steaming stages, potentially reducing the amount of steam reaching the upper steaming stages. Insufficient heat in the upper steaming stages is undesirable for cooking.

[0005] Furthermore, during the cooking process, for example, when adding ingredients and seasonings in the correct order, turning ingredients over, mixing ingredients, or switching between dishes, every time the door is opened and closed, steam and heat escape to the outside, reducing the amount of steam, heat, and pressure, lengthening cooking times and increasing heating costs. Maintaining a sufficient temperature inside the cooking chamber is important.

[0006] Furthermore, conventional steamers have a structure in which a boiler filled with water at the bottom and a steaming chamber at the top are integrated, and this is direct heating, in which the steam comes into direct contact with the heated object, whereas indirect heating, in which the steam does not come into direct contact with the heated object, is not possible.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a steam cooker that prevents a drop in temperature inside a cooking chamber during the cooking process, increases temperature and heating efficiency, and is capable of directly and indirectly heating an object to be heated, a steam power generation system that uses a steam cooker to generate superheated steam and generate electricity, and a steam power generation method using a steam power generation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a steam cooker of a first aspect of the present invention comprises a liquid storage section for storing liquid, a heating section for heating the liquid stored in the liquid storage section to generate steam, an inner wall section for partitioning a cooking chamber inside which is filled with steam from the liquid storage section, an outer wall section arranged outside the inner wall section, an intra-wall space partitioned between the inner wall section and the outer wall section, and a cooking section arranged above the liquid storage section, the cooking section having a heat transfer member provided in the intra-wall space, wherein the heat transfer member partitions the intra-wall space into a steam inflow space communicating with the liquid storage section at its lower end, and a high-temperature gas inflow space communicating with the space within the heating section at its lower end, and heat exchanges between the gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space and the steam in the steam inflow space, and a portion of the steam generated in the liquid storage section flows into the steam inflow space, and the gas heated to a high temperature in the heating section moves to the high-temperature gas inflow space.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention is the steam cooker of the first aspect, wherein the heat transfer member is in contact with the inner wall of the cooking section.

[0010] A third aspect of the present invention is a steam cooker according to the first or second aspect, wherein the steam inflow space is arranged on the inner wall side of the intra-wall space, the high-temperature gas inflow space is arranged on the outer wall side of the intra-wall space, and the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space exchanges heat with the steam in the steam inflow space via the heat transfer member.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a steam cooker according to the first or second aspect, comprising a bottom plate separating the cooking chamber and the liquid storage section, the bottom plate having a plurality of steam holes for circulating steam from the liquid storage section to the cooking chamber.

[0012] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a steam cooker according to the first or second aspect, comprising a steam discharge section capable of discharging steam that has flowed into the steam inflow space, and a gas discharge section capable of discharging gas from the high-temperature gas inflow space.

[0013] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a steam cooker according to the second aspect, wherein the heat transfer member is formed in a corrugated shape having alternating peaks and valleys, and is arranged in the intra-wall space with the peaks in contact with the inner wall.

[0014] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a steam cooker according to the second aspect, wherein the heat transfer member is a heat transfer pipe member whose lower end is connected to the liquid storage section and which defines the steam inflow space therein, and the high-temperature gas inflow space is the area of the intra-wall space outside the heat transfer pipe member.

[0015] An eighth aspect of the present invention is a steam power generation system equipped with the steam cooker of the first aspect, comprising: a steam discharge section capable of discharging steam that has flowed into the steam inflow space; a steam turbine connected to the steam discharge section and receiving a supply of steam from the steam discharge section; a generator driven by the steam turbine; an auxiliary heating section that receives a supply of electricity generated by the generator and heats the liquid stored in the liquid storage section to generate steam; an opening / closing valve arranged in a flow path between the steam discharge section and the steam turbine; detection means for detecting the state of steam supplied to the opening / closing valve; and a controller for controlling the opening / closing valve based on the state of steam detected by the detection means.

[0016] A ninth aspect of the present invention is a steam power generation method using the steam power generation system of the eighth aspect, comprising the steps of heating the liquid stored in the liquid storage section by the heating section to generate steam; converting the saturated steam in the steam inlet space into superheated steam by exchanging heat between the heat of the wall surface of the inner wall section, the gas in the high-temperature gas inlet space, and the steam in the steam inlet space; rotating the steam turbine with the steam discharged from the steam discharge section to generate electricity by the generator; and supplying the electricity generated by the generator to the auxiliary heating section, and heating the liquid stored in the liquid storage section by the auxiliary heating section to generate steam. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a steam cooker that prevents a drop in temperature inside a cooking chamber during the cooking process, increases temperature and heating efficiency, and is capable of directly and indirectly heating an object to be heated, a steam power generation system that uses a steam cooker to generate superheated steam and generate electricity, and a steam power generation method that uses a steam power generation system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a steam cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the heating unit and the liquid storage unit combined together. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inner wall portion that divides the cooking chamber. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heat transfer member from the rear. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the heat transfer member as viewed from above. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are schematic cross-sectional views of the cooking section, where (a) shows a horizontal cross section viewed from above, (b) is an enlarged partial view of (a), and (c) shows a cross section perpendicular to the front-to-back direction viewed from the front. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a heat transfer tube member from the front, illustrating a modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the heat transfer tube member of FIG. 10 as seen from above. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing modified examples of the liquid storage portion and the heat transfer member. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a steam power generation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a steam power generation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, UP indicates the upper side, FR indicates the front side (front direction) of the steam cooker, and IN indicates the inside in the width direction. In the following description, the front-to-rear direction means the direction in which the door side of the steam cooker is positioned forward, and the width direction means the direction intersecting (orthogonal to) both the up-down direction and the front-to-rear direction.

[0020] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a steam cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heating unit. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a liquid storage unit. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heating unit and the liquid storage unit combined. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an inner wall section that divides a cooking chamber. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an outer wall section. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a heat transfer member from the rear. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the heat transfer member as viewed from above. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cooking unit, where (a) shows a horizontal cross section as viewed from above, (b) is a partially enlarged view of (a), and (c) shows a cross section perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction as viewed from the front. Note that the shape of the steam cooker is an example and is not limited to this.

[0021] (Steam cooker) The steam cooker 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a cooker that uses steam to cook heated objects such as ingredients (hereinafter referred to as "ingredients"), and is a multifunctional steam cooker 10 that can perform both direct heating functions as a steamer or steam oven and indirect heating functions.

[0022] 1, steam cooker 10 includes liquid storage section 11 that stores water (liquid), heating section 12 that heats the water stored in liquid storage section 11 to generate steam, and cooking section 13 that has cooking chamber 14 (see FIG. 5) for containing food ingredients (not shown) and an intra-wall space (see FIG. 9) in which a heat transfer member is disposed. As shown in FIG. 1, steam cooker 10 of this embodiment has liquid storage section 11 provided above heating section 12, and cooking section 13 provided above liquid storage section 11.

[0023] (heating part) 1, 2, and 4, the configuration of the heating appliance of heating unit 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is a heating appliance that heats water stored in liquid storage unit 11 (described below) to generate steam. The heating appliance may be a heat source such as a stove, a gas heating appliance, or an electric heating appliance. Note that the specific configuration of the heating appliance is not shown in FIG. 2.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the heating section 12 of this embodiment is formed in a box shape with an internal space 15 (hereinafter referred to as the "heating section internal space 15"). A heat source (not shown) is placed in the heating section internal space 15. The upper surface 12a of the heating section 12 defines the upper part of the heating section internal space 15. The upper surface 12a of the heating section 12 is formed with a heating section central opening 16 for heating the lower surface of the upper liquid storage section 11 with heat generated within the heating section 12. The upper surface 12a around the heating section central opening 16 is formed in a flange shape extending from the outside to the inside, and supports the liquid storage section 11 from below.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the heating unit 12 is provided with a vent 17 that allows high-temperature gas in the heating unit internal space 15 to flow upward into a connecting space 19 (described later) in addition to the heating unit central opening 16. In this embodiment, a plurality of vents 17 are provided on both sides in the width direction and on the outer edge of the rear side of the upper surface 12a of the heating unit 12. The plurality of vents 17 provided on both sides in the width direction of the upper surface 12a are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, the plurality of vents 17 provided on the rear side of the upper surface 12a are spaced apart from each other in the width direction. The shape of the vent 17 is not particularly limited, and any shape that allows high-temperature gas to be efficiently discharged upward can be used.

[0026] (liquid storage section) As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, liquid storage section 11 is formed in a box shape with a space therein (hereinafter referred to as "storage section space 18") and has approximately the same outer shape and size as heating section 12. When steam cooker 10 is in use, water (liquid) for steam cooking is stored in storage section space 18 inside liquid storage section 11 and used. Liquid storage section 11 is disposed above heating section 12 and is supported by heating section 12 from below. Liquid storage section 11 may be fixed to heating section 12 or may be removable. As shown in Figure 4, the bottom plate of liquid storage section 11 covers heating section central opening 16 of heating section 12. As a result, heat generated in heating section 12 heats the water in storage section space 18 via heating section central opening 16 and the bottom plate of liquid storage section 11. When the water in the reservoir space 18 is heated by the heat source of the heating unit 12 during use of the steam cooker 10, the water boils in the reservoir space 18 of the liquid reservoir 11 to generate steam.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a space (hereinafter referred to as the "connecting space 19") that is U-shaped in top view is provided around the outer peripheral edge (both sides in the width direction and the rear side) of the storage space 18 of the liquid storage unit 11. The connection space 19 is separated from the storage space 18 by a plate member 73 that is U-shaped in top view. In other words, water from the storage space 18 does not flow into the connection space 19. A lower vent 20 that communicates with the vent 17 of the heating unit 12 is provided below the connection space 19. Furthermore, an upper vent 21 that communicates with a later-described intra-wall space 26 of the cooking unit 13 (a later-described high-temperature gas inflow space 38 of the intra-wall space 26) is provided above the connection space 19. As a result, the connection space 19 connects the heating unit intra-space 15 of the heating unit 12 with a later-described intra-wall space 26 of the cooking unit 13 (a later-described high-temperature gas inflow space 38 of the intra-wall space 26). In this embodiment, the lower ventilation openings 20 and the upper ventilation openings 21 on both sides in the width direction are arranged in multiple locations spaced apart from each other in the front and rear. Also, the lower ventilation openings 20 and the upper ventilation openings 21 on the rear side are arranged in multiple locations spaced apart from each other in the width direction.

[0028] 3 and 4, a rectangular central opening 22 is formed in the center of the area of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage unit 11 that defines the area above the storage space 18. Mounting areas 29 on which the cooking unit 13 can be placed are provided on both sides of the central opening 22 in the width direction and on the rear side of the upper plate 11a. Steam generated in the storage space 18 flows into the cooking chamber 14 of the cooking unit 13 through the central opening 22.

[0029] A plurality of steam openings 23 are formed in the placement area 29 of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage section 11 above the storage space 18, allowing steam generated in the storage space 18 to flow into a later-described intra-wall space 26 of the cooking section 13 (a later-described steam inflow space 37 of the intra-wall space 26). The multiple steam openings 23 are provided on both widthwise sides of the upper plate 11a and on the rear edge (inner than the connection space 19). The shape of the multiple steam openings 23 is not particularly limited, but is preferably one that can efficiently guide steam into a later-described intra-wall space 26 of the cooking section 13 (a later-described steam inflow space 37 of the intra-wall space 26).

[0030] In this embodiment, the multiple steam openings 23 provided on both sides in the width direction of the upper plate 11a are arranged spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction. Additionally, the multiple steam openings 23 provided on the rear side of the upper plate 11a are arranged spaced apart from each other in the width direction. The multiple steam openings 23 on the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage section 11 are arranged so as to alternate with the upper vent ports 21 above the connection space 19. Note that the arrangement of the multiple steam openings 23 is not limited to the above.

[0031] A drain port may be provided in liquid storage portion 11. The inner surface of liquid storage portion 11 may be ceramic coated to make it easier to clean. An automatic water supply device may also be provided in liquid storage portion 11. For example, a water level detection portion (not shown) may be provided in liquid storage portion 11, and a valve (not shown) may be provided that is automatically opened and closed based on the value detected by the water level detection portion, and the valve may be opened and closed based on the water level in liquid storage portion 11 detected by the water level detection portion, thereby maintaining the water level in liquid storage portion 11 at an appropriate level.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the lower vent 20 of the connection space 19 provided on the outer edge of the liquid storage section 11 communicates with the vent 17 of the heating section 12 below. Therefore, when the steam cooker 10 is in use, high-temperature gas generated in the heating section 12 flows into the connection space 19 through the vent 17 and the lower vent 20 and then flows out upward through the upper vent 21.

[0033] (Cooking Department) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, cooking section 13 is a section where cooking mainly takes place and is disposed above liquid storage section 11. Cooking section 13 has an inner wall section 24 (see FIG. 5), an outer wall section 25 (see FIG. 6) disposed outside inner wall section 24, an intra-wall space 26 (see FIG. 9) defined between inner wall section 24 and outer wall section 25, and a heat transfer member 27 provided in intra-wall space 26. Inner wall section 24 is formed slightly smaller than outer wall section 25 and defines cooking chamber 14 therein. When steam cooker 10 is in use, steam generated in liquid storage section 11 flows into cooking chamber 14 through central opening 22 of liquid storage section 11, filling it. Steam generated in liquid storage section 11 also flows into intra-wall space 26 (a steam inflow space 37 of intra-wall space 26, described below), as described below. The outer peripheral edges of the cooking section 13 and the liquid storage section 11 are sealed, so that the steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 does not flow directly to anywhere other than the cooking chamber 14 and the intra-wall space 26 (the steam inflow space 37 of the intra-wall space 26, which will be described later).

[0034] (inner wall) As shown in FIG. 5 , the inner wall 24 of the cooking section 13 is formed from a metal plate-like member in a box shape with an open front, and defines the cooking chamber 14 inside. In this embodiment, the inner wall 24 includes an inner wall top plate 24a, left and right inner wall side plates 24b and 24c, an inner wall rear plate 24d, and an inner wall bottom plate 24e. The inner wall top plate 24a defines the upper portion of the cooking chamber 14. The left and right inner wall side plates 24b and 24c define both widthwise sides of the cooking chamber 14. The inner wall rear plate 24d defines the rear portion of the cooking chamber 14. The inner wall bottom plate 24e defines the lower portion of the cooking chamber 14 and separates the cooking chamber 14 from the liquid storage section 11. In this embodiment, the inner wall 24 also includes a rectangular frame-shaped inner wall front plate 24f. In this manner, the inner wall 24 of this embodiment is opened to the front by the inner wall front plate 24f having a rectangular frame shape. A heat transfer member 27, which will be described later, is fixed to the inner wall side plates 24b, 24c, the inner wall rear plate 24d, and the inner wall top plate 24a (see FIG. 9).

[0035] In this embodiment, both widthwise sides of the inner wall front plate 24f and the inner wall rear plate 24d protrude outward in the widthwise direction beyond the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c, and their lengths are aligned with the outer ends of the heat transfer members 27 (described later) that are fixed in contact with the inner wall side plates 24b, 24c. The upper end of the inner wall front plate 24f protrudes upward beyond the inner wall top plate 24a, and is aligned with the upper end of the heat transfer member 27 (described later) that is fixed in contact with the inner wall top plate 24a. It is preferable, but not limited to, that a heat insulating material (not shown) be provided inside the inner wall front plate 24f. The inner wall 24 may have an exhaust port (not shown) that can exhaust steam from the cooking chamber 14. The shapes of the inner wall front plate 24f and the inner wall rear plate 24d are not limited to these.

[0036] The inner wall top plate 24a and the top shelf of the cooking section may be made of stone or ceramic, or may be ceramic coated, which will add radiant heat from the inner wall top plate 24a and improve the functionality of the steam oven.

[0037] Furthermore, a rectangular insertion tube portion 28 extending downward from the bottom surface (lower surface) of the inner wall bottom plate 24e is integrally formed on the inner wall bottom plate 24e of the inner wall 24. The insertion tube portion 28 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape that is smaller than the inner wall bottom plate 24e. When the cooking unit 13 is placed on the liquid storage unit 11, the insertion tube portion 28 is inserted from above into the central opening 22 of the liquid storage unit 11. At this time, the area of the inner wall bottom plate 24e located outside the insertion tube portion 28 is placed on the placement area 29 of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage unit 11.

[0038] The area of the inner wall bottom plate 24e inside the insertion tube portion 28 functions as a bottom plate portion that connects the cooking chamber 14 and the liquid storage portion 11. The area of the inner wall bottom plate 24e inside the insertion tube portion 28 is formed with a plurality of steam holes 30 that allow steam to circulate from the liquid storage portion 11 to the cooking chamber 14. The plurality of steam holes 30 connect the storage space 18 of the liquid storage portion 11 with the cooking chamber 14 of the cooking portion 13. The connection configuration between the cooking portion 13 and the liquid storage portion 11 is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the area of the inner wall bottom plate 24e inside the insertion tube portion 28 (bottom plate portion) may be detachable. This makes it easier to clean the inside of the liquid storage portion 11.

[0039] (Cooking room) As shown in FIG. 5, the cooking chamber 14 of this embodiment has storage sections 32 that store multiple cooking storage units 31. Preferably, each storage section 32 divides the cooking chamber 14 vertically or horizontally. As an example, FIG. 5 shows a total of eight storage sections 32, arranged in four vertical rows and two horizontal columns. Note that FIG. 5 shows the cooking storage unit 31 stored in the topmost storage section 32 on the left side when viewed from the front, and does not show the cooking storage units 31 stored in the other storage sections 32. Preferably, a support section 33 is provided to support each cooking storage unit 31, and the support section 33 preferably has an opening 34 that allows steam to pass through. This allows steam to rise smoothly and efficiently generate condensation heat.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the partition structure that divides the cooking chamber 14 into each storage section 32 and the configuration of the cooking storage unit 31 can be various configurations disclosed in prior art steamers. Various sensors that detect the cooking chamber temperature, pressure, etc. within the cooking chamber 14 may also be provided.

[0041] (Gallery door opening and closing) As shown in Fig. 1, cooking section 13 has an opening / closing door 35 on the open front surface of inner wall section 24, which can open and close cooking chamber 14. This allows the front surface of inner wall section 24 to be opened and closed, and when opening / closing door 35 is closed, cooking chamber 14 can be kept airtight. It is preferable that a heat insulating material (not shown) is provided inside opening / closing door 35. The configuration of opening / closing door 35 is not particularly limited.

[0042] (Outer wall) 1 and 6, the outer wall 25 of the cooking section 13 is formed of a plate-like member so as to be spaced apart from the inner wall 24 and face the inner wall 24 from the outside. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6, the outer wall 25 defines an internal space 36 that houses the inner wall 24 and a heat transfer member 27 (described later). As shown in Fig. 6, the outer wall 25 of this embodiment is formed so that its lower side is open toward the liquid storage section 11 and its front side is open.

[0043] The outer wall 25 of this embodiment has an outer wall top plate 25a that defines the upper part of the internal space 36, left and right outer wall side plates 25b, 25c that define both sides in the width direction of the internal space 36, and an outer wall rear plate 25d that defines the rear of the internal space 36. In this way, the outer wall 25 of this embodiment is open downwardly as it does not have a bottom plate, and is open forwardly as it does not have a front plate.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9(c), the outer wall top plate 25a of the outer wall 25 is positioned above and spaced apart from the inner wall top plate 24a of the inner wall 24 and faces the inner wall top plate 24a. As shown in FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c), the left and right outer wall side plates 25b, 25c of the outer wall 25 are positioned widthwise outward from the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c of the inner wall 24 and face the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c. As shown in FIG. 9(a), the outer wall rear plate 25d of the outer wall 25 is positioned rearward from the inner wall rear plate 24d of the inner wall 24 and faces the inner wall rear plate 24d. This defines an intra-wall space 26 between the inner wall 24 and the outer wall 25. The front edges of the outer wall top plate 25a and the left and right outer wall side plates 25b, 25c shown in FIG. 6 are joined to the upper edge and both widthwise side edges of the inner wall front plate 24f shown in FIG.

[0045] It is preferable that the plate-like member constituting the outer wall portion 25 has a heat insulating material (not shown) provided inside. This can prevent the temperature of the outer surface of the outer wall portion 25 from rising too high, and can reduce the heat felt when touching the outer surface of the outer wall portion 25. Note that the configuration of the outer wall portion 25 is not limited to the above.

[0046] (Intra-wall space) As shown in Figure 9, the in-wall space 26 includes an upper in-wall space 26a located above the cooking chamber 14, left and right side in-wall spaces 26b, 26c located on both sides of the width of the cooking chamber 14, and a rear in-wall space 26d located behind the cooking chamber 14.

[0047] The upper intra-wall space 26a is defined between the outer wall top plate 25a and the inner wall top plate 24a. The left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c are defined between the left and right outer wall side plates 25b, 25c and the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c. The rear intra-wall space 26d is defined between the outer wall rear plate 25d and the inner wall rear plate 24d. Both widthwise sides and the rear of the upper intra-wall space 26a are connected to the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c and the upper part of the rear intra-wall space 26d. As shown in FIG. 9(a) , in this embodiment, the rear of the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c is defined by both widthwise ends of the inner wall rear plate 24d, but this is not limited thereto and may be connected to both widthwise sides of the rear intra-wall space 26d.

[0048] The lower ends of the left and right outer wall side plates 25b, 25c and the outer wall rear plate 25d are connected to the outer peripheral edge of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage portion 11. Furthermore, as shown by the two-dot chain line 24x in Fig. 4, the lower ends of the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c and the inner wall rear plate 24d are placed and fixed at positions inside the steam opening 23 in the placement area 29 of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage portion 11 (positions shown by the two-dot chain line 24x).

[0049] As shown in Fig. 4, the steam opening 23 of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage portion 11 and the upper vent 21 above the connection space 19 are arranged between the lower ends of the left and right outer wall side plates 25b, 25c (outer edge portions on both widthwise sides of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage portion 11) and the lower ends of the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c (position of the two-dot chain line 24x). Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the steam opening 23 of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage portion 11 and the upper vent 21 above the connection space 19 are arranged between the lower end (rear end edge portion of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage portion 11) and the lower end (position of the two-dot chain line 24x) of the outer wall rear plate 25d. That is, the lower parts of the intra-wall spaces 26 (left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c and rear intra-wall space 26d) are connected to the storage space 18 and the connecting space 19 of the liquid storage section 11. As a result, when the steam cooker 10 is in use, steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 flows not only into the cooking chamber 14, but also into the intra-wall spaces 26 (a steam inflow space 37 of the intra-wall space 26, which will be described later). In addition, when the steam cooker 10 is in use, high-temperature gas generated in the heating section 12 rises and moves through the connecting space 19 to the intra-wall space 26 (a high-temperature gas inflow space 38 of the intra-wall space 26, which will be described later).

[0050] (heat transfer material) 9(b), the heat transfer member 27 is arranged in the intra-wall space 26 and is composed of a heat transfer member preferably formed from a metal with high thermal conductivity (for example, aluminum), and divides the intra-wall space 26 into a vapor inflow space 37 that communicates with the liquid storage section 11 at its lower end and a high-temperature gas inflow space 38 that communicates with the heating section internal space 15 at its lower end (in this embodiment, via the connection space 19), and allows heat exchange between the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 and the vapor in the vapor inflow space 37. The heat transfer member 27 in this embodiment is in contact with at least the inner wall section 24.

[0051] (heat transfer corrugated plate material) As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the heat-transfer member 27 of this embodiment is a heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A formed by bending a thin metal plate member and having a corrugated plate shape with multiple alternating peaks 39 and multiple valleys 40. As shown in FIG. 9 , the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27A are disposed in the upper in-wall space 26a, the left and right side in-wall spaces 26b and 26c, and the rear in-wall space 26d. The multiple peaks 39 of the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A are fixed in contact with the inner wall 24. The multiple valleys 40 of the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A of this embodiment are fixed in contact with the outer wall 25. The peaks 39 of the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A refer to portions that protrude toward the inner wall 24, and the valleys 40 refer to portions that protrude toward the outer wall 25. In this embodiment, the multiple valley portions 40 of the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A are fixed to the outer wall portion 25, but this is not limited to this, and the multiple valley portions 40 of the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A may also be positioned at a distance from the outer wall portion 25.

[0052] (Heat transfer corrugated plate members in the space inside the left and right side walls) 7 and 8, the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac disposed in the left and right side-wall spaces 26b, 26c are arranged with a plurality of peaks 39 and a plurality of valleys 40 extending in the up-down direction. The up-down and front-rear lengths of the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac are set to be approximately the same as the up-down and front-rear lengths of the left and right inner-wall side plates 24b, 24c.

[0053] 9(a) and 9(b), the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac define multiple steam inflow spaces 37 extending in the vertical direction between themselves and the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c. Furthermore, the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac define multiple high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 extending in the vertical direction between themselves and the left and right outer wall side plates 25b, 25c. That is, the steam inflow spaces 37 are disposed on the inner wall 24 side of the in-wall space 26, and the high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 are disposed on the outer wall 25 side of the in-wall space 26.

[0054] (Heat transfer corrugated plate member in the rear wall space) 7 and 8, the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27Ad disposed in the rear-wall interior space 26d is disposed with a plurality of peaks 39 and a plurality of valleys 40 extending in the vertical direction. The vertical length of the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27Ad is set to be substantially the same as the vertical length of the inner wall rear plate 24d, and the width direction length of the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27Ad is set to align with the outer ends of the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac on the side opposite to the sides that come into contact with the inner wall side plates 24b, 24c.

[0055] 9(a) and 9(b), the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27Ad defines a plurality of vertically extending steam inflow spaces 37 between itself and the inner wall rear plate 24d. The heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27Ad also defines a plurality of vertically extending high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 between itself and the outer wall rear plate 25d. That is, the steam inflow spaces 37 are located on the inner wall 24 side of the in-wall space 26, and the high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 are located on the outer wall 25 side of the in-wall space 26.

[0056] The lower ends of heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac, and 27Ad are in close contact with upper plate 11a of liquid storage unit 11 at the position indicated by dashed-dotted line 27x in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, steam openings 23 of liquid storage unit 11 are located below steam inflow spaces 37 located on both left and right sides and at the rear of cooking chamber 14. Upper vent openings 21 of connecting space 19 are located below high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 located on both left and right sides and at the rear of cooking chamber 14. This allows steam generated in liquid storage unit 11 to flow into cooking chamber 14 and steam inflow spaces 37. High-temperature gas generated in heating unit 12 rises in high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 via connecting space 19. This allows the high-temperature gas in high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 to further heat the steam in steam inflow spaces 37 via heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A.

[0057] (End member) As shown in Figures 7 and 8, an end member 41 with an inverted T-shaped cross section is arranged closely above the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac, and 27Ad. The end member 41 has a horizontal plate portion 41a and a vertical plate portion 41b standing up from the horizontal plate portion 41a. The horizontal plate portion 41a of the end member 41 is formed as a metal plate that intersects the vertical direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction on both sides in the width direction along the upper surfaces of the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Ab, 27Ac, and 27Ad, and extends in the width direction at the rear, contacting the outer wall portion 25. The vertical plate portion 41b of the end member 41 extends upward from the center in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the horizontal plate portion 41a and contacts the outer wall top plate 25a.

[0058] A plurality of openings 42 are formed on both sides of the vertical plate portion 41b of the horizontal plate portion 41a of the end member 41. The openings 42 (not shown) provided on the horizontal plate portion 41a inward of the vertical plate portion 41b are formed at positions communicating with the respective steam inflow spaces 37 located below them. That is, the upper portions of the respective steam inflow spaces 37 of the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c and the rear intra-wall space 26d are communicated with spaces above the regions of the horizontal plate portion 41a of the end member 41 that are more inward than the vertical plate portion 41b. Furthermore, the openings 42 provided on the horizontal plate portion 41a outward of the vertical plate portion 41b are formed at positions communicating with the respective high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 located below them. That is, the upper portions of the respective high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 of the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c and the rear intra-wall space 26d are communicated with spaces above the regions of the horizontal plate portion 41a of the end member 41 that are more outward than the vertical plate portion 41b.

[0059] The space above the region of the horizontal plate portion 41a of the end member 41 that is outside the vertical plate portion 41b becomes the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 of the upper in-wall space 26a. In other words, the horizontal plate portion 41a and vertical plate portion 41b of the end member 41, the outer wall portion top plate 25a, and the outer wall portion 25 define the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 of the upper in-wall space 26a. The high-temperature gas that moves upward through the openings 42 that communicate with the high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 of the side in-wall spaces 26b, 26c and the rear in-wall space 26d moves into the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 of the upper in-wall space 26a.

[0060] (Upper wall space) As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in this embodiment, a collecting pipe (heat transfer member) 43 and a heat transfer corrugated plate member 27Aa are arranged in the upper intra-wall space 26a.

[0061] (collecting pipe) 7 and 8, the collecting pipe 43 is formed, for example, in the shape of a pipe with a rectangular cross section and extends in the front-to-rear direction at the center of the width direction of the upper intra-wall space 26a. The collecting pipe 43 is a metal member and contacts at least the inner wall portion 24. In this embodiment, the front and rear ends of the collecting pipe 43 are closed.

[0062] (Steam exhaust section) The collecting pipe 43 is provided with a steam exhaust section 44 that can exhaust steam that has flowed into the steam inflow space 37 to the outside. The steam exhaust section 44 is connected to the outside of the outer wall top plate 25a of the outer wall section 25. The steam exhaust section 44 may be provided with, for example, a safety valve that opens in response to the pressure of the internal steam (hereinafter referred to as "steam pressure"). The safety valve automatically opens when the steam pressure in the collecting pipe 43 exceeds a predetermined value, and releases the steam pressure to the outside.

[0063] (Heat transfer corrugated plate member in the upper wall space) As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Aa are arranged in the upper intra-wall space 26a on both sides of the collecting pipe 43 in the width direction. The heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Aa are arranged with multiple peaks 39 and multiple valleys 40 extending in the width direction. The length of the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Aa in the front-rear direction is set to the length from the front end of the inner wall top plate 24a to the position where it abuts against the front surface of the vertical plate portion 41b of the rear end member 41. The outer width ends of the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Aa on both the left and right sides are in close contact with the inner surfaces of the vertical plate portions 41b of the end members 41 on both the left and right sides. The inner width ends of the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27Aa on both the left and right sides are connected to the collecting pipe 43.

[0064] A steam inflow space 37 is defined between the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27Aa and the inner wall portion top plate 24a. An opening 42 (not shown) is disposed below the outer widthwise end of the steam inflow space 37 in the upper in-wall space 26a, the opening 42 being located more inward than the vertical plate portion 41b of the horizontal plate portion 41a of the end member 41. Of the multiple steam inflow spaces 37 provided in the upper in-wall space 26a, the rearmost steam inflow space 37 faces the upper surface of a region more inward (forward) than the vertical plate portion 41b of the horizontal plate portion 41a of the rear end member 41, and multiple openings 42 are disposed below it (not shown). The inner widthwise end of the steam inflow space 37 in the upper in-wall space 26a communicates with the internal space of the collecting pipe 43. As a result, all of the steam moving upward from the steam inflow spaces 37 in the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c and the rear intra-wall space 26d flows into the steam inflow space 37 in the upper intra-wall space 26a and is collected in the collecting pipe 43.

[0065] The vertical plate portion 41b of the end member 41 is in contact with the outer wall top plate 25a. The high-temperature gas that rises from each of the high-temperature gas inflow spaces 38 in the left and right side wall spaces 26b, 26c and the rear wall space 26d through openings 42 on the horizontal plate portion 41a of the end member 41 that are located outside the vertical plate portion 41b is discharged from a gas discharge portion 46, which will be described later.

[0066] (Gas exhaust section) The outer wall portion 25 is provided with a gas discharge portion 46 capable of discharging gas from the high-temperature gas inflow space 38. The gas discharge portion 46 may be provided with, for example, a safety valve that opens in response to the internal pressure. As shown in FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, the gas discharge portion 46 is provided on the outer wall top plate 25a of the outer wall portion 25 and connects the space outside (rear side) of the vertical plate portion 41b of the rear end member 41 in the upper intra-wall space 26a (the space into which high-temperature gas flows from below) with the outside. The safety valve automatically opens when the pressure in the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 exceeds a predetermined value, releasing the gas pressure to the outside.

[0067] (Cooking chamber steam exhaust section) As shown in FIG. 1 , cooking section 13 may have cooking chamber steam exhaust section 47 that can exhaust steam that has flowed from liquid storage section 11 into cooking chamber 14 to the outside. Cooking chamber steam exhaust section 47 connects cooking chamber 14 to the space outside outer wall section 25. Cooking chamber steam exhaust section 47 may be provided with, for example, a safety valve that opens in response to the internal pressure. The safety valve automatically opens when the steam pressure in cooking chamber 14 exceeds a predetermined value, releasing the steam pressure to the outside.

[0068] In the steam cooker 10 configured as described above, water stored in the liquid storage section 11 is heated by the heating section 12 to generate steam, and the saturated steam fills the upper cooking chamber 14. In other words, the steam generated from the liquid storage section 11 can directly heat the food ingredients in the cooking chamber 14.

[0069] Furthermore, heat transfer member 27 divides in-wall space 26 of cooking section 13 into a steam inflow space 37 and a high-temperature gas inflow space 38, and the lower part of steam inflow space 37 is connected to liquid storage section 11. Therefore, saturated steam generated in liquid storage section 11 flows into steam inflow space 37 divided by heat transfer member 27 (heat transfer corrugated plate member 27A in this embodiment) and rises. This allows the saturated steam filling in-wall space 26 around cooking section 13 to indirectly heat ingredients in cooking chamber 14, thereby preventing a drop in temperature inside cooking chamber 14. In this way, steam cooker 10 can heat ingredients in cooking chamber 14 both directly and indirectly.

[0070] The high-temperature gas generated in the heating section 12 moves to the high-temperature gas inlet space 38. The heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A is constructed by bending a thin metal plate member to form a corrugated plate shape with alternating peaks 39 and valleys 40. The thin heat-transfer wall plate significantly increases the heat transfer area, expanding the heat transfer region and improving heat transfer efficiency, allowing for efficient heat exchange between the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inlet space 38 and the steam in the steam inlet space 37. The steam in the steam inlet space 37 can also receive heat from the wall surface of the inner wall section 24. Therefore, the steam in the steam inlet space 37 is further heated and becomes superheated steam. This allows the superheated steam filling the in-wall space 26 around the cooking section 13 to increase the temperature and heating efficiency within the cooking chamber 14.

[0071] As described above, according to this embodiment, heat exchange occurs between the heat of the wall surface of the inner wall portion 24, the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space 38, and the steam in the steam inflow space 37, thereby converting the saturated steam in the steam inflow space 37 into superheated steam. This makes it possible to provide a steam cooker 10 that prevents a decrease in temperature in the cooking chamber 14 during the cooking process, increases the temperature and heating efficiency, and is capable of directly and indirectly heating the food to be heated with steam.

[0072] Furthermore, by bringing heat transfer member 27 into contact with inner wall 24 of cooking section 13, the efficiency of heat transfer from the steam and high-temperature gas in intra-wall space 26 (steam inflow space 37 and high-temperature gas inflow space 38) to the wall surface of inner wall 24 can be improved. As a result, when steam in cooking chamber 14 is consumed in the lower stages and the amount of heat in the upper stages within cooking chamber 14 decreases, this can be compensated for by heat from the wall surface of inner wall 24, so that a decrease in temperature within cooking chamber 14 during the cooking process can be prevented and the temperature and heating efficiency within cooking chamber 14 can be increased.

[0073] Furthermore, by arranging the steam inflow space 37 on the inner wall 24 side of the in-wall space 26 and the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 on the outer wall 25 side of the in-wall space 26, the steam in the steam inflow space 37 can be heated by both the heat of the inner wall surface of the inner wall 24 on the inside and the high-temperature gas in the outer high-temperature gas inflow space 38 on the outside, and the saturated steam in the steam inflow space 37 can be made into superheated steam. This provides the conditions for steam power generation, which will be described later.

[0074] Furthermore, by providing an inner wall bottom plate 24e on inner wall 24 that separates cooking chamber 14 from liquid storage section 11, it is possible to reduce the flow of steam toward cooking chamber 14 and increase the flow of steam toward intra-wall space 26. This is advantageous for steam power generation, which will be described later.

[0075] Furthermore, by allowing the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 and the steam in the steam inflow space 37 to flow into separate sealed spaces, heat exchange can be performed without mixing the high-temperature gas and steam. This is advantageous for efficiently rotating the steam turbine, which will be described later.

[0076] A device may also be provided that can open and close the multiple steam holes 30 provided in the inner wall bottom plate 24e of the inner wall 24. This makes it possible to control the amount of steam supplied to the cooking chamber 14 and the in-wall space 26, allowing the oven to function as a steam oven. It is also possible to not supply steam to the cooking chamber 14, and to cook or process food using only "indirect heating" by heating only from the in-wall space 26 side, where the steam does not directly come into contact with the heated food.

[0077] Furthermore, the vertical length of the insertion tube portion 28 provided on the inner wall bottom plate 24e of the inner wall portion 24 may be adjustable so that the insertion tube portion 28 can reach the bottom surface of the liquid storage portion 11 below. This allows the water stored in the liquid storage portion 11 to be separated into water toward the cooking chamber 14 and water toward the in-wall space 26, allowing for the reuse of steam and high-temperature gas after steam power generation, as described below, depending on demand.

[0078] (Modification of heat transfer member) In this embodiment, the heat transfer member 27 is a heat transfer corrugated plate member 27A formed by bending a thin metal plate member into a corrugated plate shape having multiple peaks 39 and multiple valleys 40 alternating with each other, but this is not limited to this.

[0079] (Variation 1) For example, the heat transfer member 27 may be a heat transfer pipe member shown in FIGS.

[0080] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a heat transfer pipe member from the front, illustrating a modified example. Fig. 11 is an explanatory view of the heat transfer pipe member from above in Fig. 10. Note that Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrams for schematically illustrating the piping configuration of the heat transfer pipe member 27B, and although the numbers of heat transfer pipe members 27B are different from each other, they are actually the same number.

[0081] 10 and 11, the heat transfer member 27 is constituted by a heat transfer pipe member 27B whose lower end communicates with the liquid storage portion 11 and which defines a vapor inflow space therein. The heat transfer pipe member 27B is a cylindrical metal tubular member which defines a vapor inflow space 37 therein and is in contact with at least the inner wall portion 24. Note that in FIG. 11, for ease of understanding, the heat transfer pipe member 27B is shown separated from the inner wall portion 24.

[0082] The heat transfer pipe member 27B has a collecting pipe 71 and a plurality of branch pipes 72 branching off from the collecting pipe 71. The steam inflow space 37 defined inside the plurality of branch pipes 72 communicates with the steam inflow space 37 defined inside the collecting pipe 71. The inner diameters of the collecting pipe 71 and the branch pipes 72 are set according to the target steam temperature, steam pressure, and steam flow rate. The arrangement of the heat transfer pipe member 27B is not limited to the above, and can be set appropriately according to the target steam amount, target steam pressure, target power, etc.

[0083] 10 and 11, the collecting pipe 71 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular pipe in cross section, and is disposed in the center of the width direction of the upper intra-wall space 26a, extending in the front-to-rear direction. The lower part of the collecting pipe 71 is fixed in contact with the inner wall top plate 24a of the inner wall 24. The collecting pipe 71 is provided with a steam exhaust portion 44 that can exhaust steam inside to the outside. Note that the cross-sectional shape, arrangement position, and extension direction of the collecting pipe 71 are not limited to those described above.

[0084] 10 and 11, the branch pipes 72 of this embodiment each include a horizontal pipe section 72a disposed in the upper intra-wall space 26a. The horizontal pipe sections 72a of the branch pipes 72 extend from the collecting pipe 71 to both sides in the width direction. The horizontal pipe sections 72a of the branch pipes 72 are arranged side by side in close proximity to or in contact with each other in the front-to-rear direction. The lower ends of the horizontal pipe sections 72a are fixed in contact with the inner wall top plate 24a of the inner wall 24.

[0085] 10 and 11, the branch pipes 72 of this embodiment each include a vertical pipe section 72b extending vertically in the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c and the rear intra-wall space 26d. The inner sides in the width direction of the vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c are fixed in contact with the inner wall side plates 24b, 24c of the inner wall 24.

[0086] The steam inflow space 37 of the vertical pipe section 72b is continuous with the steam inflow space 37 of the horizontal pipe section 72a. The vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c bend and extend downward from the outer ends of the horizontal pipe sections 72a in the width direction. The vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c are arranged side by side, close to or in contact with each other in the front and rear directions. In other words, the vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c are arranged as a whole like walls located on both sides of the inner wall section 24 in the width direction. The steam inflow spaces 37 of the vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the left and right side intra-wall spaces 26b, 26c are continuous with the steam discharge section 44 via the horizontal pipe section 72a and the collecting pipe 71.

[0087] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the steam inflow space 37 of the vertical pipe section 72b arranged in the rear intra-wall space 26d is connected to the steam inflow space 37 of the horizontal pipe section 72a located furthest rearward among the multiple horizontal pipe sections 72a. The front sides of the vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the rear intra-wall space 26d are fixed in contact with the inner wall rear plate 24d of the inner wall section 24. The vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the rear intra-wall space 26d are arranged side by side in close proximity to or in contact with each other in the width direction. In other words, the vertical pipe sections 72b arranged in the rear intra-wall space 26d are arranged as a whole like a wall located rearward of the inner wall section 24. The steam inflow space 37 of the vertical pipe section 72b arranged in the rear intra-wall space 26d is connected to the steam discharge section 44 via the horizontal pipe section 72a and the collecting pipe 71.

[0088] The lower ends of the plurality (all) of vertical pipe sections 72b are connected to the plurality of steam openings 23 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) of the liquid storage section 11. That is, the lower ends of all of the vertical pipe sections 72b open to the storage space 18 of the liquid storage section 11. As a result, when the steam cooker 10 is in use, a portion of the steam generated in the storage space 18 of the liquid storage section 11 flows from the openings at the lower ends of the vertical pipe sections 72b into the internal flow path (steam inflow space 37). The steam that flows in from the lower ends of the plurality of vertical pipe sections 72b then travels through the horizontal pipe section 72a and the collecting pipe 71 toward the steam discharge section 44, and when the steam pressure inside the heat transfer pipe member 27B exceeds a predetermined value, the steam is discharged from the steam discharge section 44 by a safety valve.

[0089] The lower part of the region outside the heat transfer pipe member 27B in the in-wall space 26 of the cooking section 13 is in communication with the upper vent port 21 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) above the connection space 19 around the storage space 18 of the liquid storage section 11. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the region outside the heat transfer pipe member 27B in the in-wall space 26 of the cooking section 13 becomes a high-temperature gas inflow space 38.

[0090] (Variation 2) Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the liquid storage portion and heat transfer member 27. Fig. 12(a) is a perspective view of the heating portion 12 combined with the liquid storage portion 11 according to the modified example. Fig. 12(b) is a top view of the liquid storage portion 11 according to the modified example. In Fig. 12(b), the two-dot chain line 24x indicates the positions of the lower ends of the left and right inner wall side plates 24b, 24c and the inner wall rear plate 24d, the one-dot chain line 27x indicates the position of the lower end of the heat transfer partition plate described below, and the solid lines 80, 81 indicate the position of the lower end of the heat transfer corrugated plate member 27A.

[0091] The heat transfer member 27 is composed of two layers of heat transfer corrugated plate members 27A and a heat transfer partition plate (not shown). The heat transfer partition plate is formed from a flat metal plate and is joined (e.g., brazed) between the layers of the heat transfer corrugated plate members 27A to divide the intra-wall space 26 into an inner wall portion 24 side and an outer wall portion 25 side, and into a steam inflow space 37 and a high-temperature gas inflow space 38. The lower part of the heat transfer corrugated plate member 27A arranged on the inner wall portion 24 side is the steam inflow space 37 that communicates with the liquid storage portion 11, and the lower part of the heat transfer corrugated plate member 27A arranged on the outer wall portion 25 side is the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 that communicates with the heated-unit space 15 (in this embodiment, communicates via the connection space 19). As shown in Figure 12, the lower end of the heat transfer partition plate is positioned at an intermediate position (position of dotted line 27x in the figure) between the lower end of the inner wall portion 24 (position of the dotted line 24x in the figure) and the outer edge of the liquid storage portion 11 (position of the lower end of the outer wall portion 25).

[0092] In this case, the steam opening 23 of the upper plate 11a of the liquid storage portion 11 may be formed in the shape of an elongated hole between the position of the lower end of the inner wall portion 24 (the position of the two-dot chain line 24x) and the position of the lower end of the heat transfer partition plate (the position of the one-dot chain line 27x), as shown in Fig. 12. Furthermore, the upper vent 21 above the connection space 19 may be formed in the shape of an elongated hole between the position of the lower end of the heat transfer partition plate (the position of the one-dot chain line 27x) and the outer edge of the liquid storage portion 11, as shown in Fig. 12.

[0093] In this case, as shown in the enlarged portion of Fig. 12(b), the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A arranged on the inner wall portion 24 side is arranged at a position indicated by a solid line 80 in the steam inflow space 37. As shown in the enlarged portion of Fig. 12(b), the heat-transfer corrugated plate member 27A arranged on the outer wall portion 25 side is arranged at a position indicated by a solid line 81 in the high-temperature gas inflow space 38. The solid lines 80 and 81 indicate the positions of the lower ends of the heat-transfer corrugated plate members 27A.

[0094] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The steam power generation system 100 of this embodiment is a steam power generation system 100 capable of generating electricity using the steam cooker 10 of the first embodiment. Note that the same components as those of the steam cooker 10 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] (Steam power generation system) 13 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a steam power generation system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which open arrows A and B indicate the flow of steam, and open arrow C indicates the flow of high-temperature gas.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 13, the steam power generation system 100 according to this embodiment includes a steam cooker 10 and a power generation mechanism 50.

[0097] (Power Generation Mechanism) The power generation mechanism 50 is a mechanism for generating electricity by utilizing steam generated in the liquid storage portion 11 of the steam cooker 10, and for utilizing the generated electricity to generate steam in the liquid storage portion 11.

[0098] 13, the power generation mechanism 50 includes a steam turbine 51 that receives a supply of steam from the steam discharge portion 44, a generator 52 driven by the steam turbine 51, an auxiliary heating portion 53 that heats the liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 11 to generate steam, an opening / closing valve 54, a steam sensor (detection means) 55, and a controller 56. In addition to these, the power generation mechanism 50 of the present embodiment also includes a transformer 57 and a switch 58.

[0099] In the power generation mechanism 50, steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 is supplied from the steam discharge section 44 to the steam turbine 51 via the steam inflow space 37, and the rotation of the steam turbine 51 drives the generator 52 to generate electricity. The generated electricity is then supplied to the auxiliary heating section 53, and the auxiliary heating section 53 heats the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 11 to generate steam. Note that Figure 13 shows a schematic diagram of each component of the power generation mechanism 50.

[0100] 13, the components of the power generation mechanism 50 other than the auxiliary heating unit 53 (the steam turbine 51, the generator 52, the on-off valve 54, the steam sensor 55, the controller 56, the transformer 57, and the switch 58) are disposed outside the steam cooker 10. Note that the positions of the components of the power generation mechanism 50 other than the auxiliary heating unit 53 are not particularly limited, and they can be disposed in any desired position that allows them to function appropriately.

[0101] (Steam turbine) The steam turbine 51 is connected to the steam discharge section 44 and receives a supply of steam from the steam discharge section 44. The steam turbine 51 of this embodiment is connected to the steam discharge section 44 via a connecting pipe 59. The steam discharge section 44 of this embodiment does not need to be provided with the above-mentioned safety valve, and the safety valve may be provided in the connecting pipe 59 between the steam discharge section 44 and the opening / closing valve 54. As will be described later, when the steam cooker 10 is used only for power generation and not for cooking, the steam turbine 51 may be connected to the cooking chamber steam discharge section 47 in addition to the steam discharge section 44.

[0102] (Generator) The generator 52 is directly connected to the steam turbine 51 by the main shaft 60 and is driven by the steam turbine 51 to generate electricity. The generator 52 is electrically connected so as to be able to supply electric power to the auxiliary heating unit 53. That is, the electric power generated by the generator 52 in this embodiment can be supplied to the auxiliary heating unit 53.

[0103] (Auxiliary heating section) Auxiliary heating unit 53 uses the power generated by generator 52 to heat the liquid stored in liquid storage unit 11 to generate steam. As shown in FIG. 13 , auxiliary heating unit 53 is an electric heater disposed within storage space 18 of liquid storage unit 11. Note that FIG. 13 does not illustrate the specific configuration of auxiliary heating unit 53 and the heating appliance used therewith. Furthermore, the location of auxiliary heating unit 53 is not limited to within storage space 18, and it may be, for example, on the inner surface of the wall of liquid storage unit 11 that partitions storage space 18. Furthermore, although it is called auxiliary heating unit 53, if the amount of power supplied from generator 52 is sufficient, the liquid stored in liquid storage unit 11 may be heated to generate steam by auxiliary heating unit 53 alone, with the heating appliance of heating unit 12 stopped.

[0104] (Transformer) The transformer 57 is a device that converts the voltage generated by the generator 52 into an appropriate voltage according to the load of the auxiliary heating unit 53, and is electrically connected between the generator 52 and the auxiliary heating unit 53.

[0105] (switch) The switch 58 is a device capable of turning on and off the power circuit from the transformer 57 to the auxiliary heating unit 53 , and is electrically connected between the transformer 57 and the auxiliary heating unit 53 .

[0106] (steam sensor) As shown in Fig. 13, the steam sensor 55 is a sensor that detects the state of steam supplied to the on-off valve 54, and is provided in a flow path (connecting pipe 59 in this embodiment) between the steam discharge section 44 and the steam turbine 51. For example, the steam sensor 55 may be a temperature sensor 55a that detects the temperature (steam state) supplied to the on-off valve 54. Alternatively, the steam sensor 55 may be a pressure sensor 55b that detects the steam pressure (steam state) supplied to the on-off valve 54. Both the temperature sensor 55a and the pressure sensor 55b may be provided, or either one may be provided.

[0107] (Open / close valve) 13, the on-off valve 54 is provided in a flow path (connecting pipe 59 in this embodiment) between the steam sensor 55 and the steam turbine 51. The on-off valve 54 can open and close the flow path of steam from the steam exhaust section 44 side to the steam turbine 51, and can adjust the flow rate of steam to the steam turbine 51 side. The on-off valve 54 may be, for example, an electromagnetic valve.

[0108] (controller) 13, the controller 56 controls the opening degree of the on-off valve 54 based on the value detected by the steam sensor 55. That is, the controller 56 controls the on-off valve 54 based on the value (temperature or steam pressure) detected by at least one of the temperature sensor 55a and the pressure sensor 55b.

[0109] For example, the controller 56 may keep the on-off valve 54 closed while the temperature of the steam upstream of the on-off valve 54 is lower than a predetermined value, and open the on-off valve 54 when the temperature exceeds the predetermined value. The controller 56 may also keep the on-off valve 54 closed while the steam pressure upstream of the on-off valve 54 is lower than a predetermined value, and open the on-off valve 54 when the steam pressure exceeds the predetermined value. The predetermined values of the temperature and steam pressure are set, for example, to values that can rotate the steam turbine 51 and generate electricity using the generator 52.

[0110] (safety valve) A safety valve (not shown), which opens when the pressure exceeds a predetermined value, may be provided in the flow path (connecting pipe 59 in this embodiment) between the steam exhaust part 44 and the on-off valve 54. The safety valve may be a mechanical valve that automatically opens when the steam pressure in the connecting pipe 59 upstream of the on-off valve 54 exceeds a predetermined value. By providing a safety valve, even if the on-off valve 54 is unable to be opened due to, for example, a malfunction of the controller 56 or the on-off valve 54, it is possible to suppress a pressure increase, thereby ensuring safety.

[0111] (Steam power generation method) Next, a steam power generation method using the steam power generation system 100 will be described.

[0112] In the steam power generation method using the steam power generation system 100, first, the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 11 is heated by the heating section 12 to generate steam (first step).

[0113] Next, heat is exchanged between the heat of the wall surface of the inner wall portion 24, the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space 38, and the steam in the steam inflow space 37, thereby converting the saturated steam in the steam inflow space 37 into superheated steam (second step).

[0114] Next, the superheated steam discharged from the steam discharge section 44 rotates the steam turbine 51, causing the generator 52 to generate electricity (third step). The superheated steam discharged from the steam discharge section 44 is supplied from the steam discharge section 44 to the steam turbine 51, thereby driving the generator 52, which then generates electricity.

[0115] Next, the power generated by generator 52 is supplied to auxiliary heating section 53, and the liquid stored in liquid storage section 11 is heated by auxiliary heating section 53 to generate steam (fourth step). The power generated by generator 52 is converted by transformer 57 to an appropriate voltage according to the load of auxiliary heating section 53, and is supplied to auxiliary heating section 53 by switching on switch 58, and can be used to generate steam in liquid storage section 11.

[0116] In this way, the steam power generation method using the steam power generation system 100 is a method in which an intra-wall space 26 is provided in the steam cooker 10, a heat transfer member 27 is placed in the intra-wall space 26, and the intra-wall space 26 is divided into a steam inflow space 37 and a high-temperature gas inflow space 38, saturated steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 is caused to flow into the steam inflow space 37 on the inner wall section 24 side, and high-temperature gas generated in the heating section 12 is caused to flow into the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 on the outer wall section 25 side, and the saturated steam in the steam inflow space 37 is converted into superheated steam in the intra-wall space 26 by heat exchange with the heat of the wall surface of the inner wall section 24 and the high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space 38, and the superheated steam is used to generate electricity.

[0117] In the steam power generation system 100 configured as described above and the steam power generation method using the same, high-temperature gas is generated in the heating unit 12 whether the heating appliance used in the heating unit 12 is an electric heat source or a gas combustion system. This high-temperature gas can be used to convert saturated steam from the liquid storage unit 11 into superheated steam, and this superheated steam can be used to generate electricity, which can then be used to generate steam in the liquid storage unit 11. This can greatly contribute to energy conservation, environmental protection, and the like.

[0118] In addition, by providing a safety valve, controller, opening / closing valve 54, and steam sensor 55 in the flow path between the steam exhaust section 44 and the steam turbine 51, the supply of steam to the steam turbine 51 can be stopped until the steam state reaches a predetermined state that allows the steam turbine 51 to rotate, and the supply of steam to the steam turbine 51 can be started when the predetermined state is reached.

[0119] In this embodiment, the power generated by the generator 52 is used in the auxiliary heating unit 53, but this is not limited to this. For example, the power generated by the generator 52 may be stored in a storage battery or the like, and the power may be supplied from the storage battery to the auxiliary heating unit 53.

[0120] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The steam power generation system 200 of this embodiment is capable of generating electricity using a plurality of steam cookers 10. Note that the same components as those of the steam cookers 10 of the first embodiment and the steam power generation system 100 of the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0121] FIG. 14 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a steam power generation system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0122] As shown in FIG. 14, the steam power generation system 200 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of steam cookers 10 and a power generation mechanism 50.

[0123] In this embodiment, the plurality of steam cookers 10 are four steam cookers 10: a first steam cooker 10A, a second steam cooker 10B, a third steam cooker 10C, and a fourth steam cooker 10D. Note that the number of steam cookers 10 provided is not limited to the above.

[0124] (1st to 3rd steam cookers) The first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C may be arranged in a row and integrated. In this case, no heat insulating material is provided on the outer wall 25 of the portion where each steam cooker 10 is adjacent to another (between the first steam cooker 10A and the second steam cooker 10B, and between the second steam cooker 10B and the third steam cooker 10C). This allows mutual heat conduction between each steam cooker 10, preventing a drop in temperature inside the cooking chamber 14 and also increasing the temperature and heating efficiency. Note that the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C may be arranged separately.

[0125] Each of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C is provided with a cooking chamber steam exhaust section 47 that can exhaust steam from the cooking chamber 14. The cooking chamber steam exhaust sections 47 of the first steam cooker 10A and the third steam cooker 10C are provided with safety valves (not shown). A connecting pipe 59 to a steam turbine 51 is connected to the cooking chamber steam exhaust section 47 of the second steam cooker 10B. In this embodiment, the cooking chamber steam exhaust section 47 of the second steam cooker 10B is connected to the steam turbine 51, but this is not limited thereto. As with the first steam cooker 10A and the third steam cooker 10C, the cooking chamber steam exhaust section 47 of the second steam cooker 10B may be provided with a safety valve without being connected to the steam turbine 51.

[0126] 14, the connecting pipes 59 extending from the steam discharge portions 44 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C and the cooking chamber steam discharge portion 47 of the second steam cooker 10B each include a single collecting pipe 59a. The collecting pipe 59a of the connecting pipes 59 is connected to the steam turbine 51 of the power generation mechanism 50.

[0127] (Power Generation Mechanism) The steam turbine 51 of the power generation mechanism 50 of this embodiment is one steam turbine 51 that receives steam from the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, and 10C. This steam turbine 51 drives one generator 52. An auxiliary heating unit 53 (not shown) is provided in each of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, and 10C. The auxiliary heating units 53 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, and 10C are connected in parallel to a transformer 57. A switch 58 is provided for each of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, and 10C. Note that the arrows extending from each switch 58 in FIG. 14 indicate that the switch 58 is electrically connected to the auxiliary heating unit 53 of each of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, and 10C. In this way, by connecting in parallel, even if one steam cooker 10 breaks down for some reason, the other steam cookers 10 can continue to operate.

[0128] A connecting pipe 61 is connected to the steam turbine 51, which can guide the steam used in the steam turbine 51 to the liquid storage section 11 or the steam inflow space 37 (liquid storage section 11 in the figure) of a fourth steam cooker 10D, which will be described later. The steam used in the steam turbine 51 is sent via the connecting pipe 61 to the liquid storage section 11 or the steam inflow space 37 (liquid storage section 11 in this embodiment) of the fourth steam cooker 10D.

[0129] A connecting pipe 62 is connected to the gas discharge parts 46 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C, which is connected to the heating part 12 or high-temperature gas inflow space 38 (heating part 12 in the figure) of a fourth steam cooker 10D, which will be described later. The gas discharged from the gas discharge parts 46 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C is collected in the connecting pipe 62 and sent to the heating part 12 or high-temperature gas inflow space 38 (heating part 12 in this embodiment) of the fourth steam cooker 10D.

[0130] (4th steam cooker) A connecting pipe 61 extending from the steam turbine 51 is connected to the liquid storage section 11 or the steam inflow space 37 (liquid storage section 11 in the figure) of the fourth steam cooker 10D. Steam used in the steam turbine 51 flows into the liquid storage section 11 or the steam inflow space 37 of the fourth steam cooker 10D via the connecting pipe 61. A connecting pipe 62 extending from the gas discharge sections 46 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C is connected to the heating section 12 or the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 (heating section 12 in the figure) of the fourth steam cooker 10D. Gas discharged from the gas discharge sections 46 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C flows into the heating section 12 or the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 of the fourth steam cooker 10D via the connecting pipe 62.

[0131] Steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 of the first steam cooker 10A and the third steam cooker 10C enters the cooking chamber 14 of each steam cooker 10A, 10C and is used for cooking. Furthermore, steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 of each steam cooker 10A, 10C that flows into the steam inflow space 37 flows through the steam inflow space 37, then flows from the steam discharge section 44 through the connecting pipe 59 into the steam turbine 51 and drives the steam turbine 51. The steam turbine 51 drives the generator 52 to generate electricity.

[0132] Of the steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 of the second steam cooker 10B, the steam that flows into the cooking chamber 14 flows from the cooking chamber steam discharge section 47 through a connecting pipe 59 into the steam turbine 51, thereby driving the steam turbine 51. Furthermore, of the steam generated in the liquid storage section 11 of the second steam cooker 10B, the steam that flows into the steam inflow space 37 flows through the steam inflow space 37, and then flows into the steam turbine 51 through the connecting pipe 59, thereby driving the steam turbine 51. The steam turbine 51 drives a generator 52 to generate electricity.

[0133] The electric power generated by the generator 52 is appropriately transformed by the transformer 57 and supplied to the auxiliary heating unit 53 of the steam cooker 10. At this time, if the electric power supplied from the generator 52 to the auxiliary heating unit 53 is sufficient, heating by the heating appliance of the heating unit 12 may be stopped.

[0134] The steam used to drive the steam turbine 51 is discharged from the steam turbine 51 and flows into the liquid storage section 11 of the fourth steam cooker 10D via the connecting pipe 61. In the fourth steam cooker 10D, the steam discharged from the steam turbine 51 does not flow into the cooking chamber 14 but into the steam inflow space 37, and is used for cooking in which the steam is not applied directly to the food but the food is indirectly heated from the surrounding area. Therefore, when using the fourth steam cooker 10D, some or all of the multiple steam holes 30 in the inner wall bottom plate 24e of the inner wall 24 are blocked to prevent steam from flowing from the storage space 18 into the cooking chamber 14, or the vertical length of the insertion tube portion 28 is extended to the bottom surface of the lower liquid storage portion 11, and the water stored in the liquid storage portion 11 is divided into water flowing toward the cooking chamber 14 and water flowing toward the intra-wall space 26, and the steam discharged from the steam turbine 51 is allowed to flow into the water storage portion toward the intra-wall space 26.

[0135] Furthermore, the high-temperature gas generated in the heating section 12 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C flows through the high-temperature gas inflow space 38, and is then supplied from the gas discharge section 46 to the heating section 12 of the fourth steam cooker 10D via the connecting pipe 62. The high-temperature gas that has flowed into the heating section 12 of the fourth steam cooker 10D flows into the high-temperature gas inflow space 38 and heats the steam in the steam inflow space 37.

[0136] In the cooking chamber 14 of the fourth steam cooker 10D, heat is transferred to the residual heat of both the steam flowing in from the steam turbine 51 and the high-temperature gas flowing in from the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C, allowing grilled food, warmed food, etc. Naturally, the heating section 12 of the fourth steam cooker 10D may heat the water in the liquid storage section 11 to generate steam.

[0137] The steam power generation system 200 configured as above can fully utilize and reuse the steam and high-temperature gas (air or exhaust gas / combustion gas) generated during the cooking process.

[0138] Furthermore, by combining and using the multiple steam cookers 10 (in this embodiment, the first to fourth steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C, and 10D) used in the steam power generation system 200, it is possible to perform various cooking operations while simultaneously generating electricity, and the system can be used for a variety of cooking methods, from direct heating (for example, steaming or steam oven cooking) to indirect heating.

[0139] In this embodiment, the steam discharged from the steam turbine 51 is used in the fourth steam cooker 10D, but this is not limiting. For example, the connecting pipe 61 extending from the steam turbine 51 may be connected to the liquid storage section 11 of the second steam cooker 10B, which is mainly used for power generation, and used to supply water to the liquid storage section 11 of the second steam cooker 10B via a condenser or the like, or may be used widely as a heat source for drying, heating, etc. This allows the steam discharged from the steam turbine 51 to be reused for purposes other than cooking.

[0140] In addition, in this embodiment, the high-temperature gas discharged from the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C is used in the fourth steam cooker 10D, but this is not limited to this. For example, the connecting pipes 62 extending from the gas discharge portions 46 of the first to third steam cookers 10A, 10B, 10C may be connected to a tank or the like that stores water and used to heat the water in the tank. The water (hot water) heated in the tank can be used for domestic use, workplace water, etc.

[0141] Furthermore, like the second steam cooker 10B described above, the steam cooker 10 may be used only to generate steam, not as a cooker. When used only to generate steam, an in-wall space 26 (front in-wall space) may be provided between the inner plate (inner wall portion) and outer plate (outer wall portion) of the opening / closing door 35 that can open and close the cooking chamber 14, and a heat transfer member 27 may be placed inside.

[0142] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the content of the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, operational techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are naturally included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D: Steam cooker 11: Liquid storage section 12: Heating part 13:Cooking section 14: Cooking room 15: Space inside the heating section 24: Inner wall 24e: Inner wall bottom plate (bottom plate part) 25: Exterior wall 26: Intra-wall space 27: Heat transfer material 27A: Heat transfer corrugated plate material (heat transfer material) 27B: Heat transfer tube member (heat transfer member) 30: Steam vent 37: Steam inflow space 38: High temperature gas inflow space 39: Yamabe 40: Valley 44: Steam exhaust section 46: Gas exhaust section 51: Steam turbine 52: Generator 53: Auxiliary heating section 54: Opening and closing valve 55: Steam sensor (detection means) 56: Controller 100,200:Steam power generation system

Claims

1. a liquid storage section that stores a liquid; a heating unit that heats the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to generate vapor; a cooking section disposed above the liquid storage section, the cooking section having an inner wall section defining a cooking chamber filled with steam from the liquid storage section, an outer wall section disposed outside the inner wall section, an intra-wall space defined between the inner wall section and the outer wall section, and a heat transfer member provided in the intra-wall space; the heat transfer member divides the space within the wall into a steam inflow space communicating with the liquid storage section at its lower end and a high-temperature gas inflow space communicating with the space within the heating section at its lower end, and causes heat exchange between the gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space and the steam in the steam inflow space, A portion of the steam generated in the liquid storage portion flows into the steam inflow space, The gas heated to a high temperature in the heating section moves to the high-temperature gas inflow space. A steam cooker characterized by:

2. The heat transfer member is in contact with the inner wall of the cooking section. The steam cooker according to claim 1 .

3. The steam inflow space is disposed on the inner wall portion side of the wall space, the high-temperature gas inflow space is disposed on the outer wall side of the wall interior space, The high-temperature gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space exchanges heat with the steam in the steam inflow space through the heat transfer member.

3. The steam cooker according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A bottom plate is provided to separate the cooking chamber and the liquid storage section, The bottom plate has a plurality of steam holes for circulating steam from the liquid storage portion to the cooking chamber.

3. The steam cooker according to claim 1 or 2.

5. a steam discharge section capable of discharging steam that has flowed into the steam inflow space; a gas discharge section capable of discharging gas from the high-temperature gas inflow space.

3. The steam cooker according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The heat transfer member is formed in a corrugated plate shape having a plurality of alternating peaks and valleys, and is disposed in the wall space with the peaks in contact with the inner wall.

3. The steam cooker according to claim 2.

7. the heat transfer member is a heat transfer pipe member whose lower end is in communication with the liquid storage portion and which defines the vapor inflow space therein; The high-temperature gas inflow space is a region of the wall space outside the heat transfer pipe member.

3. The steam cooker according to claim 2.

8. A steam power generation system including the steam cooker according to claim 1, a steam discharge section capable of discharging steam that has flowed into the steam inflow space; a steam turbine connected to the steam discharge section and receiving a supply of steam from the steam discharge section; a generator driven by the steam turbine; an auxiliary heating unit that receives the power generated by the generator and heats the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit to generate steam; an on-off valve disposed in a flow path between the steam discharge section and the steam turbine; a detection means for detecting a state of steam supplied to the on-off valve; a controller that controls the on-off valve based on the state of steam detected by the detection means. A steam power generation system.

9. A steam power generation method using the steam power generation system according to claim 8, a step of heating the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit by the heating unit to generate vapor; converting the saturated steam in the steam inflow space into superheated steam by performing heat exchange between heat on a wall surface of the inner wall portion, the gas in the high-temperature gas inflow space, and the steam in the steam inflow space; rotating the steam turbine with the steam discharged from the steam discharge section to generate electric power in the generator; supplying the electric power generated by the generator to the auxiliary heating unit, and heating the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit with the auxiliary heating unit to generate steam. A steam power generation method.

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