Heat medium reforming device, heat medium reforming method, and heat-medium-employing equipment

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a heat medium reforming device 2 which is modified so as to be suitable for use in heat-medium-employing equipment (air conditioner) 1. [Solution] The heat medium reforming device comprises: a generating unit 200 that generates, on the basis of a commercial power supply 6, an excitation signal for exciting a heat medium, the excitation signal having a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz; and a supply unit 120 that supplies the excitation signal generated by the generating unit 200 to the heat medium.

Description

Heat medium reforming device, heat medium reforming method, and heat medium-using equipment

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

[0002] Recently, the world has been in the midst of an energy crisis due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other factors. As a result, fuel prices have skyrocketed, and electricity prices have also risen in Japan.

[0003] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a breakdown of electricity consumption estimated by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. According to Non-Patent Document 1, for example, in the case of office buildings, air conditioning accounts for approximately 48% of electricity consumption, in the case of wholesale and retail stores, air conditioning accounts for approximately 48% and refrigeration and cooling accounts for approximately 9%, in the case of supermarkets, air conditioning accounts for approximately 25% and refrigeration and cooling accounts for approximately 35%, in the case of medical institutions, air conditioning accounts for approximately 38%, in the case of hotels and inns, air conditioning accounts for approximately 26%, and in the case of restaurants, air conditioning accounts for approximately 46% and heating equipment accounts for approximately 22%. This shows that the majority of electricity consumption is due to equipment using a heat medium.

[0004] For this reason, it can be said that saving electricity by reducing the power consumption of heat transfer medium equipment is extremely effective from the perspective of individual businesses and the national economy, as well as from the perspective of achieving the energy targets set out in the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

[0005] https: / / www.mhlw.go.jp / stf / houdou / 2r9852000001o9by-att / 2r9852000001oa3e.pdf

[0006] Incidentally, the specification of a patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-017482: Patent Document 1), which was not yet published at the time of filing the present application but has been allowed to be patented, describes an invention relating to a lead sulfate film removal device for removing lead sulfate films that form on the electrodes of lead-acid batteries.

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

[0008] Although the lead sulfate film removal device and the heat transfer medium-using equipment are different in various respects such as technical field and application, the inventors made some improvements to the lead sulfate film removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 and attached it to the heat transfer medium-using equipment. As a result, they surprisingly found that the power consumption of the heat transfer medium-using equipment could be reduced.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat medium reforming device obtained by improving the lead sulfate film removal device disclosed in Patent Document 1 so as to be suitable for use in heat medium-using equipment.

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

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

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

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

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

[0015] Furthermore, the heat medium-using equipment of the present invention is equipped with the heat medium reformer.

[0016] It is an explanatory diagram showing a conceptual example of use of a heat medium reformer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram showing a part of the circuit configuration of a generation unit 23 in the heat medium reformer 2 shown in Fig. 1 functionally. It is a diagram showing the circuit topology of the generation unit 23 shown in Fig. 2. It is a diagram showing the measurement results of the current value of a heat medium-using device before and after installing the heat medium reformer 2 shown in Fig. 1.

[0017] 1 Heat medium using equipment 2 Heat medium reformer 3 Indoor unit 4 Outdoor unit 5 Refrigerant pipe 6 Commercial power supply 11 Reference power supply circuit 12 Constant current circuit 13A Control circuit 13B Terminal switch circuit 14 Oscillator circuit 15 First frequency divider circuit 16 Second frequency divider circuit 17 Level shift circuit 18A Drive circuit 18B Pulse driver circuit 19 Drive switch circuit 100 Plug 110 AC-DC adapter 120 Signal line 120A Positive terminal 120B Negative terminal 130 Drive resistor 140, 150 Voltage dividing resistor 160 Power supply unit 170 Signal generating unit 180 Switching circuit 190 Pulse driver circuit 200 Generating unit MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, a heat medium reforming device, a heat medium reforming method, and heat medium-using equipment according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the indoor unit 3 and the outdoor unit 4 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 5. These do not need to be specially prepared; the heat medium reformer 2 can be attached to a unit already installed in the building. Of course, this does not exclude an embodiment in which the heat medium-using equipment 1 is sold with the heat medium reformer 2 attached to the refrigerant pipe 5 running through the outdoor unit 4, for example.

[0021] The indoor unit 3 includes a heat exchanger (not shown) that exchanges the heat energy transferred by the refrigerant. As is well known, this heat exchanger is connected to the refrigerant pipe 5 inside the indoor unit 3.

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

[0023] The refrigerant pipes 5 are often made of, but not limited to, copper or aluminum. The refrigerant pipes 5 are configured to circulate a refrigerant. Currently, the majority of refrigerants are primarily made of alternative chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and other refrigerants, with small amounts of lubricants included. Of course, the type of refrigerant pipes 5 is not limited to these.

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0030] The heat medium reformer 2 will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 2 and 3, but generally includes a generation unit that generates an excitation signal for exciting the refrigerant, and a supply unit that supplies the excitation signal generated by the generation unit to the refrigerant via a refrigerant pipe 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0045] That is, the output voltage V of the front-stage power supply circuit of the power supply unit 160 Ｈto about 9.0V to 11.0V (for example, 10.0V), and the output voltage V Ｌ is about 5.0V to 6.0V (for example, 5.5V), the oscillation frequency of the oscillator of the signal generating unit 170 is about 1.0MHz to about 5.0MHz (for example, about 2.5MHz), and the frequency divider circuit is configured by, for example, a divide-by-2 circuit and, for example, a synchronous divide-by-62 circuit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0063] The constant current circuit 12 is connected to a low power supply voltage V ＤＤＬ is supplied, and P is output from the reference power supply circuit 11. ＴＡＴ A signal is input, and the P ＴＡＴ Based on the signal ＴＡＴ A signal is generated, and the C ＴＡＴ It outputs signals to the control circuit 13A, the oscillation circuit 14 and the drive circuit 18A.

[0064] The control circuit 13A is connected to a low power supply voltage V ＤＤＬ is supplied, and P is output from the reference power supply circuit 11. ＴＡＴ signal and C output from the constant current circuit 12 ＴＡＴ A signal is input, and the P ＴＡＴ Signal and the C ＴＡＴ It generates a signal to be merged with the signal and controls the on / off switching of the output of the merged signal.

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

[0066] The inter-terminal switch circuit 13B can be configured, for example, by an NMOS transistor, and has a gate to which the confluence signal from the control circuit 13A is input, a source connected to the positive terminal 120A, and a drain connected to the negative terminal 120B via an element such as a resistor or diode for adjusting voltage and current, and switches the electrical connection between the positive terminal 120A and the negative terminal 120B depending on whether or not the confluence signal is output.

[0067] The oscillator circuit 14 operates at a low power supply voltage V ＤＤＬ is supplied, and P is output from the reference power supply circuit 11. ＴＡＴ signal and C output from the constant current circuit 12 ＴＡＴ The oscillator circuit 14 receives the first and second signals, generates a pulse signal based on these signals, and outputs the pulse signal to the first frequency divider circuit 15. The oscillator circuit 14 generates a pulse signal with an oscillation frequency of, for example, 2.5 MHz.

[0068] The first frequency divider circuit 15 divides the low power supply voltage V ＤＤＬ is supplied, and a pulse signal having an oscillation frequency of, for example, 2.5 MHz output from the oscillation circuit 14 is input, and the oscillation frequency of the pulse signal is divided by 2, i.e., to 1.25 MHz, for example, and output to the second frequency divider circuit 16.

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

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

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

[0072] The drive circuit 18A can be configured with, for example, a PMOS transistor, and is connected to a high power supply voltage V ＤＤＨ is supplied, and the voltage signal output from the level shift circuit 17 and the C output from the constant current circuit 12 are ＴＡＴ signal and the switch signal output from the drive switch circuit 19 are input, and the voltage signal and the C ＴＡＴ The drive signal is generated based on the signal and output to the pulse driver circuit 18B in accordance with the switch signal.

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

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

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

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

[0077] The measurement conditions are as follows.

[0078] (1) The heat medium-using equipment 1 to be measured was the same before and after the installation of the heat medium reformer 2. The heat medium-using equipment 1 to be measured were Daikin's "RXYP140B," "RXYP560F," and "RZRP112BC," installed on the first floor of a certain company's office in Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture. Their outdoor units 4 were also installed on the same floor. The heat medium-using equipment 1 to be measured had been in use for approximately 12 years, and had not undergone any repairs or part replacements during that time.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0089] In reality, when comparing the peak current values ​​indicated by the thick solid line a and the thin solid line b and the current amounts related to the above areas, the temperature relationship suggests that the behavior shown in Figure 4 would not be as expected. This observation can also be derived when the effect measurement results from the second to fourth days of the effect measurement are used as the basis.

[0090] However, since the actual behavior is as shown in Figure 4, it means that the refrigerant is reformed and the heat exchange efficiency is improved by installing the heat medium reformer 2 in the heat medium using equipment 1. If the refrigerant was previously clustered, it is reasonable to think that the reforming is caused by the refrigerant being subdivided.

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

[0092] Although it is difficult to accurately predict the area of ​​the " / " portion that will be converted in this case, it is likely that the converted area will be about one-third of the actual area of ​​the " / " portion shown directly in Figure 4.

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

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

Claims

1. A heat medium reforming device comprising: a generating unit that generates an excitation signal for exciting a heat medium, the excitation signal having a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz based on a commercial power source; and a supplying unit that supplies the excitation signal generated by the generating unit to the heat medium.

2. The heat medium reformer according to claim 1, wherein said generating unit is realized by an application specific digital integrated circuit.

3. The heat medium reformer according to claim 1, further comprising a conversion unit connected between a commercial power source and said generation unit, for converting an AC voltage of said commercial power source into a DC voltage.

4. The thermal medium reformer of claim 1, wherein the excitation signal has a peak value of 550 mA to 1000 mA.

5. A method for reforming a heat medium, comprising: generating an excitation signal for exciting a heat medium, the excitation signal having a pulse width of 5 nsec to 100 nsec and a frequency of 5 kHz to 50 kHz, based on a commercial power source; and supplying the generated excitation signal to the heat medium.

6. A heat medium using device equipped with the heat medium reforming device according to claim 1.

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