WO2024162120A1 - Device for freezing cold storage material and method for using cold storage material - Google Patents

Device for freezing cold storage material and method for using cold storage material Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024162120A1
WO2024162120A1 PCT/JP2024/001964 JP2024001964W WO2024162120A1 WO 2024162120 A1 WO2024162120 A1 WO 2024162120A1 JP 2024001964 W JP2024001964 W JP 2024001964W WO 2024162120 A1 WO2024162120 A1 WO 2024162120A1
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cold storage
storage material
slurry
liquid refrigerant
cooling
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PCT/JP2024/001964
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French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
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正樹 大野
伊朗 井筒
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株式会社MARS Company
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25C—PRODUCING, WORKING OR HANDLING ICE
    • F25C1/00—Producing ice
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D9/00—Devices not associated with refrigerating machinery and not covered by groups F25D1/00 - F25D7/00; Combinations of devices covered by two or more of the groups F25D1/00 - F25D7/00
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
    • F28D20/00—Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a cold storage material freezing device and a method for using cold storage material.
  • Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioner that produces ice slurry and uses the cold energy of the produced ice slurry to cool a room.
  • Patent Document 1 the ice slurry itself is used to cool the room, so the brine that is generated when the ice slurry melts must be disposed of. This results in an air conditioning system that places a large burden on the environment.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a cold storage material freezing device and a method for using a cold storage material that have a low environmental impact by freezing a reusable cold storage material using a slurry liquid refrigerant and then using the frozen cold storage material to cool an object.
  • a primary cooling device that cools a liquid refrigerant circulating in a circuit to form a slurry; a secondary cooling device for freezing a cold storage material that can be used for repeated cooling by using the slurry liquid refrigerant.
  • the primary cooling device has a storage tank that stores the slurry-like liquid refrigerant, The cold storage material freezing device according to (1) above, wherein the slurry liquid refrigerant is supplied from the storage tank to the secondary cooling device.
  • the cold storage material freezing device described in (1) above has a storage device that uses the slurry liquid refrigerant to store the cold storage material cooled in the secondary cooling device in a frozen state.
  • the primary cooling device has a storage tank that stores the slurry-like liquid refrigerant, The cold storage material freezing device according to (3) above, wherein the slurry liquid refrigerant is supplied from the storage tank to the storage device.
  • a reusable cold storage material is frozen using a slurry liquid refrigerant produced by cooling the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit, and the frozen cold storage material is used for cooling.
  • the frozen cold storage material is used for cooling.
  • only cold heat is extracted from the slurry liquid refrigerant, and the liquid refrigerant itself circulates in the circuit, so there is essentially no decrease in liquid refrigerant from the primary cooling device.
  • the cold storage material frozen by the slurry liquid refrigerant is melted after being used for cooling, it can be reused by freezing it again. Therefore, there is essentially no hardware to be discarded, resulting in a cold storage material freezing device and cold storage material utilization method with an extremely small environmental impact.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a cold storage material freezing device according to a preferred embodiment.
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cooling device.
  • FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cooling device.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a storage device.
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a method of using the cold storage material.
  • FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a method of using the cold storage material.
  • the cold storage material freezing device 100 has a primary cooling device 200 that cools an aqueous ethanol solution (shown as "EtOH" in the figure) as a liquid refrigerant to produce ice slurry I (liquid refrigerant in a slurry state), a secondary cooling device 300 that freezes the cold storage material 800 by heat exchange with the ice slurry I, and a storage device 400 that uses the ice slurry I to store the cold storage material 800 in a frozen state.
  • the cold storage material 800 stored in the storage device 400 is transported to a required location when needed, and is used for cooling at the transport destination.
  • the cold storage material 800 that has been used for cooling and melted is then collected and frozen again in the secondary cooling device 300 and storage device 400, and stored. This creates a usage cycle for the cold storage material 800.
  • the method of using the cold storage material 800 using the cold storage material freezing device 100 includes a primary cooling step in which the primary cooling device 200 produces ice slurry I from an ethanol aqueous solution, a secondary cooling step in which the secondary cooling device 300 freezes the cold storage material 800 using the ice slurry I, and a recovery step in which the cold storage material 800 used for cooling is recovered.
  • the ice slurry I refers to sherbet-like ice in which fine ice particles are mixed in an ethanol aqueous solution, and is also called slurry ice, ice slurry, or slurry ice.
  • the ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is not particularly limited, but is preferably 45% or more, and more preferably 50% or more, for the purpose of this embodiment, that is, for use in freezing and storing the cold storage material 800. This makes the freezing point of the ethanol aqueous solution -35°C or lower. Therefore, the ice slurry I has a lower temperature, which allows the cold storage material 800 to be frozen more quickly in the secondary cooling device 300, and allows the cold storage material 800 to be stored more reliably in the storage device 400 in a frozen state.
  • the liquid refrigerant is not particularly limited as long as it can be cooled to form a slurry and can maintain a temperature below the melting point of the cold storage material 800 in the slurry state.
  • various alcohols such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol or their aqueous solutions, sugar water, sodium chloride aqueous solution (brine), calcium chloride aqueous solution, etc. may be used.
  • the liquid refrigerant can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of refrigerant N and cold storage material 800 used in the cold energy utilization device 200.
  • the primary cooling device 200 includes a refrigerant circuit 200A that includes a compressor 210, a condenser 220, an expansion valve 230, and a cooler 240 (heat exchanger) and circulates a refrigerant N.
  • the refrigerant circuit 200A has a liquid refrigerant circuit 200B (circuit) that circulates an aqueous solution.
  • the refrigerant N is compressed by the compressor 210 into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state.
  • the refrigerant N flows into the condenser 220, where it is condensed and liquefied into a high-pressure liquid state.
  • the refrigerant N that has become a high-pressure liquid state in the condenser 220 is decompressed by the expansion valve 230 and flows into the cooler 240.
  • the low-pressure liquid refrigerant N that has flowed into the cooler 240 evaporates and vaporizes while removing heat from the ethanol aqueous solution in the cooler 240, becoming a low-pressure gas.
  • the refrigerant N that has become a low-pressure gas in the cooler 240 is returned to the compressor 210, compressed by the compressor 210, and discharged again as a high-temperature, high-pressure gas.
  • the ethanol aqueous solution is continuously cooled in the cooler 240 by circulating the refrigerant N in a cycle.
  • the cooler 240 also has an outer tube 241 and an inner tube 242 that is coaxially arranged inside the outer tube 241.
  • the outer tube 241 and the inner tube 242 are installed upright, with their axes facing vertically.
  • the cooler 240 is a vertical double-tube evaporator.
  • the outer tube 241 and the inner tube 242 each have an inlet provided at the lower end and an outlet provided at the upper end.
  • Low-pressure liquid refrigerant N decompressed by the expansion valve 230 is introduced into the outer tube 241, and an ethanol aqueous solution is introduced into the inner tube 412, whereby heat exchange takes place and the ethanol aqueous solution is cooled.
  • the liquid refrigerant circuit 200B has a storage tank 250 for storing the ethanol aqueous solution and the ice slurry I, a pipeline 261 for sending the ethanol aqueous solution from the storage tank 250 to the cooler 240, a pipeline 262 for sending the ethanol aqueous solution from the cooler 240 to the storage tank 250, and a liquid pump 270 provided in the middle of the pipeline 261.
  • a sufficient amount of ethanol aqueous solution is stored in the storage tank 250 before operation.
  • the compressor 210 When the compressor 210 is driven to circulate the refrigerant N in the refrigerant circuit 200A and the liquid pump 270 is driven to circulate the ethanol aqueous solution in the liquid refrigerant circuit 200B, the ethanol aqueous solution is continuously cooled in the cooler 240, and fine ice is gradually generated in the ethanol aqueous solution to generate the ice slurry I.
  • the generated ice slurry I is stored in the storage tank 250. This step is the primary cooling step.
  • the refrigerant N is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a natural refrigerant (gas) such as HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon), HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), HFO (hydrofluoroolefin), propane, propylene, butane, isobutane, hexafluoropropane, heptafluoropropane, ammonia, or carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide gas).
  • HCFC hydroochlorofluorocarbon
  • HFC hydrofluorocarbon
  • HFO hydrofluoroolefin
  • propane propylene
  • butane isobutane
  • hexafluoropropane heptafluoropropane
  • ammonia or carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide gas).
  • carbon dioxide gas carbon dioxide gas
  • the configuration of the primary cooling device 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can cool the ethanol aqueous solution to produce ice slurry I, i.e., a slurry-like liquid refrigerant.
  • the ethanol aqueous solution may be cooled by heat exchange with LNG (liquefied natural gas) before being sent to the vaporizer to produce ice slurry I.
  • the ethanol aqueous solution may be cooled by heat exchange with LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) before being sent to the vaporizer to produce ice slurry I.
  • LPG liquefied petroleum gas
  • the secondary cooling device 300 cools and freezes the cold storage material 800 by heat exchange with the ice slurry I.
  • the cold storage material 800 is a container in which a cold insulator is accommodated, and the container is a soft type.
  • the cold storage material 800 may be a cold storage material having a hard container, or may be a hard type having a hard container.
  • the cold storage material 800 is also called a cold insulation material. The difference between a cold storage material and a cold insulation material is not clear, but It is said that a material that is mostly water and freezes at a few degrees below freezing is a cold storage material, and that a material that uses chemicals as a cold storage component and freezes at below freezing 10 degrees Celsius is a cold storage material.
  • the material 800 may have any configuration as long as it can store cold heat (latent heat) by freezing.
  • the secondary cooling device 300 has a cooling tank 310 in which ice slurry I is stored.
  • the unfrozen cold storage material 800 is immersed in the ice slurry I in the cooling tank 310, whereby the cold storage material 800 is cooled and frozen.
  • the cold storage material 800 can be efficiently cooled and quickly frozen.
  • the ice slurry I maintains the temperature of the ice slurry I near the freezing point of the ethanol aqueous solution until the ice components melt due to the action of latent heat.
  • This step is the secondary cooling step.
  • the cooling tank 310 is connected to the storage tank 250 by pipes 321 and 322, and the ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 circulates between the cooling tank 310 and the ice slurry I.
  • the ethanol aqueous solution that has melted due to heat exchange with the cold storage material 800 is returned to the storage tank 250 via pipe 321, and fresh ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 is supplied to the cooling tank 310 via pipe 322, thereby maintaining the ice slurry I in the cooling tank 310 at a predetermined amount or more. Therefore, the ice slurry I does not run out from within the cooling tank 310, and the unfrozen cold storage material 800 can be frozen continuously and efficiently.
  • the secondary cooling device 300 is also provided with shelves 330 that can be raised and lowered above the cooling tank 310.
  • shelves 330 that can be raised and lowered above the cooling tank 310.
  • the configuration of the secondary cooling device 300 is not particularly limited as long as it can freeze the cold storage material 800 using the ice slurry I.
  • the storage tank 250 and the cooling tank 310 may not be connected, and an operator may transport the ice slurry I in the storage tank 320 to the cooling tank 310.
  • the storage device 400 is a freezer that utilizes the cold energy of the ice slurry I to maintain the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 frozen in the secondary cooling device 300 .
  • the storage device 400 has a storage chamber 410 that stores the frozen cold storage material 800, and a storage chamber 420 that is adjacent to the storage chamber 410 and stores the ice slurry I.
  • a wall 430 that separates the storage chamber 410 from the storage chamber 420 is made of a material with a high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or stainless steel. Therefore, the cold energy of the ice slurry I stored in the storage chamber 420 is efficiently transferred to the storage chamber 410 via the wall 430. This cools the storage chamber 410, and the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 in the storage chamber 410 is maintained.
  • the storage chamber 420 is connected to the storage tank 250 by pipes 441 and 442, and the ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 circulates between the storage chamber 420 and the storage chamber 420.
  • the ethanol aqueous solution that has melted due to heat exchange with the storage chamber 410 is returned to the storage tank 250 via pipe 441, and fresh ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 is supplied to the storage chamber 420 via pipe 442, thereby maintaining the ice slurry I in the storage chamber 420 at a predetermined amount or more. Therefore, the ice slurry I does not run out from the storage chamber 420, and the storage chamber 410 can be cooled continuously and efficiently, and the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 is more reliably maintained.
  • the storage device 400 has been described above, but the configuration of the storage device 400 is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 using the ice slurry I.
  • the cold storage material 800 may be immersed in the ice slurry I to maintain the frozen state of the cold storage material 800.
  • the storage tank 250 and the storage chamber 420 may not be connected, and an operator may transport the ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 to the storage chamber 420.
  • the cold storage material 800 frozen in the secondary cooling device 300 may be automatically transported to the storage chamber 410 by a conveyor or the like.
  • the secondary cooling device 300 and the storage device 400 consume ice slurry I to freeze and store the cold storage material 800, but by generating ice slurry I in the primary cooling device 200 in an amount equal to or greater than this consumption, the ice slurry I in the secondary cooling device 300 and the storage device 400 does not run out. Furthermore, the ethanol aqueous solution itself only repeatedly changes state between liquid and slurry within the device, and the absolute amount does not substantially decrease. In this way, by repeatedly generating and consuming ice slurry I within the device, it becomes unnecessary to replenish the ethanol aqueous solution, making maintenance easier.
  • the frozen cold storage material 800 stored in the storage device 400 in the above manner is transported to a required location, for example, in a refrigerated vehicle, and used to cool an object at the transport destination (object cooling step).
  • the destination and use of the cold storage material 800 are not particularly limited, but examples include cooling food (suppressing temperature rise) and cooling a room.
  • the frozen cold storage material 800 may be stored together with food F in an insulation case 700. This makes it possible to suppress temperature rise of the food, and to maintain the freshness of the food for a longer period of time.
  • the frozen cold storage material 800 may be placed in a building B. Then, air cooled by the cold energy of the cold storage material 800 can be introduced into the room to cool the room.
  • the method of cooling the food and the method of cooling the room are not particularly limited.
  • the cold storage material 800 even if the cold storage material 800 is used for cooling and melts, it can be frozen again and used for cooling repeatedly. Therefore, the cold storage material 800 that has been used for cooling and melted is collected by various means in the collection step into the cold storage material freezing device 100, frozen again by the secondary cooling device 300, and stored in a frozen state by the storage device 400. In this way, by establishing a circulation cycle for the cold storage material 800, disposal of the cold storage material 800 is suppressed. Therefore, substantially no hardware (objects) are discarded, resulting in a cold storage material freezing device 100 with an extremely small environmental impact.
  • the ice slurry I produced by cooling the ethanol aqueous solution circulating in the liquid refrigerant circuit 200B is used to freeze the reusable cold storage material 800, and the frozen cold storage material 800 is used for cooling.
  • the cold storage material 800 frozen by the ice slurry I can also be reused. Therefore, substantially no hardware (objects) are discarded, resulting in a method of using the cold storage material freezing device 100 and the cold storage material 800 with an extremely small environmental impact.
  • the cold storage material freezing device and cold storage material utilization method of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. In addition, any other components or any process may be added to the present invention.
  • the freezing material freezing device of the present invention has a primary cooling device that cools the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit to form a slurry, and a secondary cooling device that freezes a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly for cooling using the slurry liquid refrigerant.
  • this cold storage material freezing device the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit is cooled to form a slurry liquid refrigerant, which is used to freeze a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly, and the frozen cold storage material is used for cooling.
  • the liquid refrigerant is not substantially reduced from the primary cooling device.
  • the cold storage material freezing device of the present invention has industrial applicability.
  • the method of using a frozen material of the present invention includes a primary cooling step of cooling the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit to form a slurry, and a secondary cooling step of cooling a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly for cooling using the slurry liquid refrigerant.
  • the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit is cooled to form a slurry liquid refrigerant, which is used to freeze a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly, and the frozen cold storage material is used for cooling.
  • the liquid refrigerant is not substantially reduced from the primary cooling device.
  • the method of using a cold storage material of the present invention has industrial applicability.
  • Reference Signs List 100...cold storage material freezing device, 200...primary cooling device, 200A...refrigerant circuit, 200B...liquid refrigerant circuit, 210...compressor, 220...condenser, 230...expansion valve, 240...cooler, 241...outer pipe, 242...inner pipe, 250...storage tank, 261...pipe, 262...pipe, 270...liquid transfer pump, 300...secondary cooling device, 310...cooling tank, 320...storage tank, 321...pipe, 322...pipe, 330...shelf, 400...storage device, 410...storage room, 412...inner pipe, 420...storage room, 430...wall, 441...pipe, 442...pipe, 700...thermal insulation case, 800...cold storage material, B...building, F...food, I...ice slurry, N...refrigerant

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
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Abstract

The present invention involves using a liquid refrigerant slurry to freeze a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly and using the frozen cold storage material to cool a target object and thereby makes it possible to reduce environmental load.　A device 100 for freezing a cold storage material has: a primary cooling device 200 that cools an ethanol aqueous solution that circulates through a circuit 200B to produce an ice slurry I; and a secondary cooling device 300 that uses the ice slurry I to freeze a cold storage material 800 that can be used for cooling repeatedly. The primary cooling device 200 has a storage tank 250 that stores the ice slurry I, and the ice slurry I is supplied from the storage tank 250 to the secondary cooling device 300.

Description

蓄冷材凍結装置および蓄冷材利用方法Cold storage material freezing device and method for using cold storage material
　本発明は、蓄冷材凍結装置および蓄冷材利用方法に関する。 The present invention relates to a cold storage material freezing device and a method for using cold storage material.
　例えば、特許文献１には、氷スラリーを生成し、生成した氷スラリーの冷熱エネルギーを利用して室内を冷房する空調装置が記載されている。 For example, Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioner that produces ice slurry and uses the cold energy of the produced ice slurry to cool a room.
特開平０８－２４７５０５号公報Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-247505
　このように、特許文献１では、氷スラリー自体を用いて室内を冷房するため、氷スラリーが溶けることにより発生するブラインを廃棄する必要がある。そのため、環境負荷の大きい空調装置となる。 In this way, in Patent Document 1, the ice slurry itself is used to cool the room, so the brine that is generated when the ice slurry melts must be disposed of. This results in an air conditioning system that places a large burden on the environment.
　本発明の目的は、繰り返し使用することのできる蓄冷材をスラリー状の液冷媒を用いて凍結させ、凍結状態の蓄冷材を用いて対象物を冷却することにより、環境負荷の少ない蓄冷材凍結装置および蓄冷材利用方法を提供することにある。 The object of the present invention is to provide a cold storage material freezing device and a method for using a cold storage material that have a low environmental impact by freezing a reusable cold storage material using a slurry liquid refrigerant and then using the frozen cold storage material to cool an object.
　このような目的は、下記の本発明により達成される。 This objective is achieved by the present invention described below.
　（１）　回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却してスラリー状とする一次冷却装置と、
　前記スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、繰り返し冷却の用に供することのできる蓄冷材を凍結させる二次冷却装置と、を有することを特徴とする蓄冷材凍結装置。 (1) A primary cooling device that cools a liquid refrigerant circulating in a circuit to form a slurry;
a secondary cooling device for freezing a cold storage material that can be used for repeated cooling by using the slurry liquid refrigerant.
　（２）　前記一次冷却装置は、前記スラリー状の液冷媒を貯留する貯留タンクを有し、
　前記貯留タンクから前記二次冷却装置に前記スラリー状の液冷媒が供給される上記（１）に記載の蓄冷材凍結装置。 (2) The primary cooling device has a storage tank that stores the slurry-like liquid refrigerant,
The cold storage material freezing device according to (1) above, wherein the slurry liquid refrigerant is supplied from the storage tank to the secondary cooling device.
　（３）　前記スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、前記二次冷却装置で冷却された前記蓄冷材を凍結状態のまま保管する保管装置を有する上記（１）に記載の蓄冷材凍結装置。 (3) The cold storage material freezing device described in (1) above has a storage device that uses the slurry liquid refrigerant to store the cold storage material cooled in the secondary cooling device in a frozen state.
　（４）　前記一次冷却装置は、前記スラリー状の液冷媒を貯留する貯留タンクを有し、
　前記貯留タンクから前記保管装置に前記スラリー状の液冷媒が供給される上記（３）に記載の蓄冷材凍結装置。 (4) The primary cooling device has a storage tank that stores the slurry-like liquid refrigerant,
The cold storage material freezing device according to (3) above, wherein the slurry liquid refrigerant is supplied from the storage tank to the storage device.
　（５）　回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却してスラリー状とする一次冷却ステップと、
　前記スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、繰り返し冷却の用に供することのできる蓄冷材を凍結させる二次冷却ステップと、を有することを特徴とする蓄冷材利用方法。 (5) a primary cooling step of cooling the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit to form a slurry;
and a secondary cooling step of freezing a regenerator material that can be used for repeated cooling by using the slurry liquid refrigerant.
　（６）　冷却の用に供された前記蓄冷材を回収する回収ステップをさらに有する上記（５）に記載の蓄冷材利用方法。 (6) The method for using a cold storage material described in (5) above, further comprising a recovery step for recovering the cold storage material used for cooling.
　本発明の蓄冷材凍結装置および蓄冷材利用方法によれば、回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却して生成されたスラリー状の液冷媒を用いて繰り返し使用可能な蓄冷材を凍結させ、凍結状態の蓄冷材を冷却の用に供する。つまり、スラリー状の液冷媒から冷熱だけを取り出し、液冷媒自体は回路内を循環するため、実質的に一次冷却装置から液冷媒が減らない。また、スラリー状の液冷媒により凍結される蓄冷材は、冷却の用に供され溶解しても、再度凍結することにより再利用が可能である。したがって、廃棄されるハード（物）が実質的になくなり、環境負荷が極めて小さい蓄冷材凍結装置および蓄冷材利用方法となる。 　According to the cold storage material freezing device and cold storage material utilization method of the present invention, a reusable cold storage material is frozen using a slurry liquid refrigerant produced by cooling the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit, and the frozen cold storage material is used for cooling. In other words, only cold heat is extracted from the slurry liquid refrigerant, and the liquid refrigerant itself circulates in the circuit, so there is essentially no decrease in liquid refrigerant from the primary cooling device. Furthermore, even if the cold storage material frozen by the slurry liquid refrigerant is melted after being used for cooling, it can be reused by freezing it again. Therefore, there is essentially no hardware to be discarded, resulting in a cold storage material freezing device and cold storage material utilization method with an extremely small environmental impact.
図１は、好適な実施形態に係る蓄冷材凍結装置を示す全体構成図である。FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a cold storage material freezing device according to a preferred embodiment. 図２は、冷却装置の一例を示す図である。FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cooling device. 図３は、冷却装置の一例を示す図である。FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cooling device. 図４は、保管装置の一例を示す図である。FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a storage device. 図５は、蓄冷材の使用方法の一例を示す図である。FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a method of using the cold storage material. 図６は、蓄冷材の使用方法の一例を示す図である。FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a method of using the cold storage material.
　以下、本発明の蓄冷材凍結装置および蓄冷材利用方法を添付図面に示す各実施形態に基づいて詳細に説明する。 The cold storage material freezing device and cold storage material utilization method of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the attached drawings.
　図１に示すように、蓄冷材凍結装置１００は、液冷媒としてのエタノール水溶液（図では「ＥｔＯＨ」と記載。）を冷却して氷スラリーＩ（スラリー状の液冷媒）を生成する一次冷却装置２００と、氷スラリーＩとの熱交換によって蓄冷材８００を凍結させる二次冷却装置３００と、氷スラリーＩを用いて蓄冷材８００を凍結状態のまま保管する保管装置４００と、を有する。保管装置４００で保管された蓄冷材８００は、必要時に必要箇所に搬送され、搬送先において冷却の用に供される。そして、冷却の用に供されて溶解した蓄冷材８００は、回収されて再び二次冷却装置３００および保管装置４００において凍結、保管される。これにより、蓄冷材８００の利用サイクルが構築される。 As shown in FIG. 1, the cold storage material freezing device 100 has a primary cooling device 200 that cools an aqueous ethanol solution (shown as "EtOH" in the figure) as a liquid refrigerant to produce ice slurry I (liquid refrigerant in a slurry state), a secondary cooling device 300 that freezes the cold storage material 800 by heat exchange with the ice slurry I, and a storage device 400 that uses the ice slurry I to store the cold storage material 800 in a frozen state. The cold storage material 800 stored in the storage device 400 is transported to a required location when needed, and is used for cooling at the transport destination. The cold storage material 800 that has been used for cooling and melted is then collected and frozen again in the secondary cooling device 300 and storage device 400, and stored. This creates a usage cycle for the cold storage material 800.
　このことから、蓄冷材凍結装置１００を用いた蓄冷材８００の利用方法は、一次冷却装置２００によってエタノール水溶液から氷スラリーＩを生成する一次冷却ステップと、二次冷却装置３００によって氷スラリーＩを用いて蓄冷材８００を凍結させる二次冷却ステップと、冷却の用に供された蓄冷材８００を回収する回収ステップと、を有すると言える。 From this, it can be said that the method of using the cold storage material 800 using the cold storage material freezing device 100 includes a primary cooling step in which the primary cooling device 200 produces ice slurry I from an ethanol aqueous solution, a secondary cooling step in which the secondary cooling device 300 freezes the cold storage material 800 using the ice slurry I, and a recovery step in which the cold storage material 800 used for cooling is recovered.
　なお、氷スラリーＩとは、エタノール水溶液中に微細な氷が混濁したシャーベット状の氷をいい、スラリー氷、アイススラリー、スラリーアイスなどとも呼ばれる。また、エタノール水溶液のエタノール濃度は、特に限定されないが、本実施形態の用途、つまり、蓄冷材８００の凍結および保管に用いる場合には、４５％以上であることが好ましく、５０％以上であることがより好ましい。これにより、エタノール水溶液の凍結点が－３５℃以下となる。そのため、氷スラリーＩがより低温となり、二次冷却装置３００において蓄冷材８００をより迅速に凍結させることができると共に、保管装置４００においてより確実に蓄冷材８００を凍結状態のまま保管することができる。 The ice slurry I refers to sherbet-like ice in which fine ice particles are mixed in an ethanol aqueous solution, and is also called slurry ice, ice slurry, or slurry ice. The ethanol concentration of the ethanol aqueous solution is not particularly limited, but is preferably 45% or more, and more preferably 50% or more, for the purpose of this embodiment, that is, for use in freezing and storing the cold storage material 800. This makes the freezing point of the ethanol aqueous solution -35°C or lower. Therefore, the ice slurry I has a lower temperature, which allows the cold storage material 800 to be frozen more quickly in the secondary cooling device 300, and allows the cold storage material 800 to be stored more reliably in the storage device 400 in a frozen state.
　なお、液冷媒としては、冷却によりスラリー状にすることができ、かつ、スラリー状の状態で蓄冷材８００の融点以下の温度を維持することができれば、特に限定されない。例えば、エチレングリコール、プロピレングリコールなどの各種アルコールまたはこれらの水溶液、砂糖水、塩化ナトリウム水溶液（塩水）、塩化カルシウム水溶液などを用いてもよい。例えば、液冷媒は、冷熱エネルギー利用装置２００で利用される冷媒Ｎおよび蓄冷材８００の種類によって適宜変更することができる。 The liquid refrigerant is not particularly limited as long as it can be cooled to form a slurry and can maintain a temperature below the melting point of the cold storage material 800 in the slurry state. For example, various alcohols such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol or their aqueous solutions, sugar water, sodium chloride aqueous solution (brine), calcium chloride aqueous solution, etc. may be used. For example, the liquid refrigerant can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of refrigerant N and cold storage material 800 used in the cold energy utilization device 200.
　［一次冷却装置２００］
　図１に示すように、一次冷却装置２００は、圧縮機２１０、凝縮器２２０、膨張弁２３０および冷却器２４０（熱交換器）を備え冷媒Ｎを循環させる冷媒回路２００Ａと、冷却器２４０にエタノール水溶液を循環させる液冷媒回路２００Ｂ（回路）と、を有する。冷媒回路２００Ａでは、圧縮機２１０で冷媒Ｎが圧縮されて高温高圧ガス状となる。圧縮機２１０で高温高圧ガス状となった冷媒Ｎは、凝縮器２２０に流入し、凝縮・液化して高圧液状となる。凝縮器２２０で高圧液状となった冷媒Ｎは、膨張弁２３０で減圧されて冷却器２４０に流入する。冷却器２４０に流入した低圧液状の冷媒Ｎは、冷却器２４０においてエタノール水溶液から熱を奪いつつ蒸発・気化して低圧ガス状となる。冷却器２４０で低圧ガス状となった冷媒Ｎは、圧縮機２１０に戻され、圧縮機２１０により圧縮されて再び高温高圧ガス状となって吐出される。冷媒回路２００Ａは、このような熱交換サイクルで冷媒Ｎを循環させることにより、冷却器２４０においてエタノール水溶液を連続的に冷却する。 [Primary cooling device 200]
As shown in FIG. 1, the primary cooling device 200 includes a refrigerant circuit 200A that includes a compressor 210, a condenser 220, an expansion valve 230, and a cooler 240 (heat exchanger) and circulates a refrigerant N. The refrigerant circuit 200A has a liquid refrigerant circuit 200B (circuit) that circulates an aqueous solution. In the refrigerant circuit 200A, the refrigerant N is compressed by the compressor 210 into a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state. The refrigerant N flows into the condenser 220, where it is condensed and liquefied into a high-pressure liquid state. The refrigerant N that has become a high-pressure liquid state in the condenser 220 is decompressed by the expansion valve 230 and flows into the cooler 240. The low-pressure liquid refrigerant N that has flowed into the cooler 240 evaporates and vaporizes while removing heat from the ethanol aqueous solution in the cooler 240, becoming a low-pressure gas. The refrigerant N that has become a low-pressure gas in the cooler 240 is returned to the compressor 210, compressed by the compressor 210, and discharged again as a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. The ethanol aqueous solution is continuously cooled in the cooler 240 by circulating the refrigerant N in a cycle.
　また、冷却器２４０は、外管２４１と、外管２４１の内側に同軸的に配置された内管２４２と、を有する。外管２４１および内管２４２は、立てて設置され、互いの軸が鉛直方向を向く。つまり、冷却器２４０は、竪置き型二重管式蒸発器である。また、外管２４１および内管２４２は、それぞれ、下端側に設けられた導入口と、上端側に設けられた導出口と、を有する。そして、外管２４１に膨張弁２３０によって減圧された低圧液状の冷媒Ｎが導入され、内管４１２にエタノール水溶液が導入されることにより、これらの熱交換が行われ、エタノール水溶液が冷却される。 The cooler 240 also has an outer tube 241 and an inner tube 242 that is coaxially arranged inside the outer tube 241. The outer tube 241 and the inner tube 242 are installed upright, with their axes facing vertically. In other words, the cooler 240 is a vertical double-tube evaporator. The outer tube 241 and the inner tube 242 each have an inlet provided at the lower end and an outlet provided at the upper end. Low-pressure liquid refrigerant N decompressed by the expansion valve 230 is introduced into the outer tube 241, and an ethanol aqueous solution is introduced into the inner tube 412, whereby heat exchange takes place and the ethanol aqueous solution is cooled.
　一方、液冷媒回路２００Ｂは、エタノール水溶液および氷スラリーＩを貯留するための貯留タンク２５０と、貯留タンク２５０から冷却器２４０にエタノール水溶液を送出する管路２６１と、冷却器２４０から貯留タンク２５０にエタノール水溶液を送出する管路２６２と、管路２６１の途中に設けられた送液ポンプ２７０と、を有する。貯留タンク２５０には稼働前に十分な量のエタノール水溶液が貯留される。圧縮機２１０を駆動して冷媒回路２００Ａ内に冷媒Ｎを循環させると共に、送液ポンプ２７０を駆動して液冷媒回路２００Ｂ内にエタノール水溶液を循環させると、冷却器２４０においてエタノール水溶液が連続的に冷却され、次第にエタノール水溶液中に微細な氷が発生して氷スラリーＩが生成される。生成された氷スラリーＩは、貯留タンク２５０に貯留される。このステップが一次冷却ステップである。 On the other hand, the liquid refrigerant circuit 200B has a storage tank 250 for storing the ethanol aqueous solution and the ice slurry I, a pipeline 261 for sending the ethanol aqueous solution from the storage tank 250 to the cooler 240, a pipeline 262 for sending the ethanol aqueous solution from the cooler 240 to the storage tank 250, and a liquid pump 270 provided in the middle of the pipeline 261. A sufficient amount of ethanol aqueous solution is stored in the storage tank 250 before operation. When the compressor 210 is driven to circulate the refrigerant N in the refrigerant circuit 200A and the liquid pump 270 is driven to circulate the ethanol aqueous solution in the liquid refrigerant circuit 200B, the ethanol aqueous solution is continuously cooled in the cooler 240, and fine ice is gradually generated in the ethanol aqueous solution to generate the ice slurry I. The generated ice slurry I is stored in the storage tank 250. This step is the primary cooling step.
　なお、冷媒Ｎとしては、特に限定されず、例えば、ＨＣＦＣ（ハイドロクロロフルオロカーボン）、ＨＦＣ（ハイドロフルオロカーボン）、ＨＦＯ（ハイドロフルオロオレフィン）、プロパン、プロピレン、ブタン、イソブタン、ヘキサフルオロプロパン、ヘプタフルオロプロパン、アンモニア、二酸化炭素（炭酸ガス）等の自然冷媒（ガス）などを用いてもよい。例えば、冷媒Ｎは、液冷媒や蓄冷材８００の凍結点によって適宜変更することができる。 The refrigerant N is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a natural refrigerant (gas) such as HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon), HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), HFO (hydrofluoroolefin), propane, propylene, butane, isobutane, hexafluoropropane, heptafluoropropane, ammonia, or carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide gas). For example, the refrigerant N may be changed as appropriate depending on the liquid refrigerant or the freezing point of the cold storage material 800.
　以上、一次冷却装置２００について説明したが、一次冷却装置２００の構成は、エタノール水溶液を冷却して氷スラリーＩつまりスラリー状の液冷媒を生成することができれば、特に限定されない。例えば、天然ガスのプラントにおいて、気化器に送られる前のＬＮＧ（液化天然ガス）との熱交換によりエタノール水溶液を冷却して氷スラリーＩを生成してもよい。また、例えば、石油ガスのプラントにおいて、気化器に送られる前のＬＰＧ（液化石油ガス）との熱交換によりエタノール水溶液を冷却して氷スラリーＩを生成してもよい。 The above describes the primary cooling device 200, but the configuration of the primary cooling device 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can cool the ethanol aqueous solution to produce ice slurry I, i.e., a slurry-like liquid refrigerant. For example, in a natural gas plant, the ethanol aqueous solution may be cooled by heat exchange with LNG (liquefied natural gas) before being sent to the vaporizer to produce ice slurry I. Also, for example, in a petroleum gas plant, the ethanol aqueous solution may be cooled by heat exchange with LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) before being sent to the vaporizer to produce ice slurry I.
　［二次冷却装置３００］
　二次冷却装置３００は、氷スラリーＩとの熱交換によって蓄冷材８００を冷却して凍結する。なお、蓄冷材８００は、容器に保冷剤が収容されたものであり、容器が柔軟なソフトタイプのものであってもよいし、容器が硬質なハードタイプのものであってもよい。蓄冷材８００は、保冷材とも呼ばれる。蓄冷材と保冷材との違いは、明確ではないが、蓄冷成分の殆どが水分であり氷点下数℃で凍結するものが保冷材であり、蓄冷成分に化学薬品を使って氷点下１０℃以下で凍結するものが蓄冷材であるとも言われている。このような蓄冷材８００としては、凍結により冷熱（潜熱）を蓄えることができれば、如何なる構成のものであってもよい。 [Secondary cooling device 300]
The secondary cooling device 300 cools and freezes the cold storage material 800 by heat exchange with the ice slurry I. The cold storage material 800 is a container in which a cold insulator is accommodated, and the container is a soft type. The cold storage material 800 may be a cold storage material having a hard container, or may be a hard type having a hard container. The cold storage material 800 is also called a cold insulation material. The difference between a cold storage material and a cold insulation material is not clear, but It is said that a material that is mostly water and freezes at a few degrees below freezing is a cold storage material, and that a material that uses chemicals as a cold storage component and freezes at below freezing 10 degrees Celsius is a cold storage material. The material 800 may have any configuration as long as it can store cold heat (latent heat) by freezing.
　図２に示すように、二次冷却装置３００は、氷スラリーＩが貯留された冷却槽３１０を有する。そして、未凍結の蓄冷材８００を冷却槽３１０内の氷スラリーＩに浸漬することにより、蓄冷材８００を冷却し、凍結させる。このように、蓄冷材８００を氷スラリーＩに直接、接触させることにとり、蓄冷材８００を効率的に冷却し、迅速に凍結させることができる。なお、氷スラリーＩによれば、潜熱の作用によって、氷成分が融解するまで氷スラリーＩの温度がエタノール水溶液の凍結点付近に維持される。固体を液体とするための融解熱は、液体の比熱と比べて高いため、このような構成によれば、より長時間、冷却槽３１０内を低温に維持することができ、蓄冷材８００を効率的に凍結させることができる。このステップが、二次冷却ステップである。 As shown in FIG. 2, the secondary cooling device 300 has a cooling tank 310 in which ice slurry I is stored. The unfrozen cold storage material 800 is immersed in the ice slurry I in the cooling tank 310, whereby the cold storage material 800 is cooled and frozen. In this way, by directly contacting the cold storage material 800 with the ice slurry I, the cold storage material 800 can be efficiently cooled and quickly frozen. In addition, the ice slurry I maintains the temperature of the ice slurry I near the freezing point of the ethanol aqueous solution until the ice components melt due to the action of latent heat. Since the heat of fusion required to turn a solid into a liquid is higher than the specific heat of the liquid, this configuration allows the inside of the cooling tank 310 to be maintained at a low temperature for a longer period of time, and the cold storage material 800 can be efficiently frozen. This step is the secondary cooling step.
　冷却槽３１０は、管路３２１，３２２によって貯留タンク２５０に繋がっており、貯留タンク２５０内の氷スラリーＩが冷却槽３１０との間を循環する。具体的には、蓄冷材８００との熱交換により溶けたエタノール水溶液が管路３２１を介して貯留タンク２５０に戻され、貯留タンク２５０内のフレッシュな氷スラリーＩが管路３２２を介して冷却槽３１０に供給されることにより、冷却槽３１０内の氷スラリーＩが所定量以上に保たれる。そのため、冷却槽３１０内から氷スラリーＩが枯渇することがなく、未凍結の蓄冷材８００を連続して効率的に凍結させることができる。 The cooling tank 310 is connected to the storage tank 250 by pipes 321 and 322, and the ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 circulates between the cooling tank 310 and the ice slurry I. Specifically, the ethanol aqueous solution that has melted due to heat exchange with the cold storage material 800 is returned to the storage tank 250 via pipe 321, and fresh ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 is supplied to the cooling tank 310 via pipe 322, thereby maintaining the ice slurry I in the cooling tank 310 at a predetermined amount or more. Therefore, the ice slurry I does not run out from within the cooling tank 310, and the unfrozen cold storage material 800 can be frozen continuously and efficiently.
　また、二次冷却装置３００は、冷却槽３１０上に昇降自在な棚３３０が設けられている。棚３３０に未凍結の蓄冷材８００を並べて、図３に示すように、棚３３０毎、氷スラリーＩ内に浸漬させることにより、棚３３０内の複数の蓄冷材８００を一括して凍結することができる。これにより、凍結作業が容易となる。なお、未凍結の蓄冷材８００を棚３３０に並べる作業、棚３３０を氷スラリーＩ内に浸漬させる作業、棚３３０から凍結済の蓄冷材８００を回収する作業などは、作業者が行ってもよいし、機械が自動で行ってもよい。 The secondary cooling device 300 is also provided with shelves 330 that can be raised and lowered above the cooling tank 310. By arranging the unfrozen cold storage materials 800 on the shelves 330 and immersing each shelf 330 in ice slurry I as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to freeze multiple cold storage materials 800 in the shelves 330 all at once. This makes the freezing process easier. Note that the tasks of arranging the unfrozen cold storage materials 800 on the shelves 330, immersing the shelves 330 in ice slurry I, and recovering the frozen cold storage materials 800 from the shelves 330 may be performed by an operator or automatically by a machine.
　以上、二次冷却装置３００について説明したが、二次冷却装置３００の構成としては、氷スラリーＩを用いて蓄冷材８００を凍結させることができれば、特に限定されない。例えば、貯留タンク２５０と冷却槽３１０とが繋がっておらず、作業者が貯留タンク３２０内の氷スラリーＩを冷却槽３１０まで搬送してもよい。 The above describes the secondary cooling device 300, but the configuration of the secondary cooling device 300 is not particularly limited as long as it can freeze the cold storage material 800 using the ice slurry I. For example, the storage tank 250 and the cooling tank 310 may not be connected, and an operator may transport the ice slurry I in the storage tank 320 to the cooling tank 310.
　［保管装置４００］
　保管装置４００は、氷スラリーＩの冷熱エネルギーを利用して、二次冷却装置３００で凍結させた蓄冷材８００の凍結状態を維持するための冷凍庫である。 [Storage device 400]
The storage device 400 is a freezer that utilizes the cold energy of the ice slurry I to maintain the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 frozen in the secondary cooling device 300 .
　図４に示すように、保管装置４００は、凍結状態の蓄冷材８００を保管する保管室４１０と、保管室４１０と隣り合って設けられ氷スラリーＩが貯留される貯留室４２０と、を有する。また、保管室４１０と貯留室４２０とを仕切る壁４３０は、アルミニウム、ステンレス鋼などの熱伝達率の高い材料で構成されている。そのため、貯留室４２０に貯留された氷スラリーＩの冷熱が壁４３０を介して保管室４１０に効率的に伝わる。これにより、保管室４１０が冷却され、保管室４１０内の蓄冷材８００の凍結状態が維持される。 As shown in FIG. 4, the storage device 400 has a storage chamber 410 that stores the frozen cold storage material 800, and a storage chamber 420 that is adjacent to the storage chamber 410 and stores the ice slurry I. In addition, a wall 430 that separates the storage chamber 410 from the storage chamber 420 is made of a material with a high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or stainless steel. Therefore, the cold energy of the ice slurry I stored in the storage chamber 420 is efficiently transferred to the storage chamber 410 via the wall 430. This cools the storage chamber 410, and the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 in the storage chamber 410 is maintained.
　貯留室４２０は、管路４４１，４４２によって貯留タンク２５０に繋がっており、貯留タンク２５０内の氷スラリーＩが貯留室４２０との間を循環する。具体的には、保管室４１０との熱交換により溶けたエタノール水溶液が管路４４１を介して貯留タンク２５０に戻され、貯留タンク２５０内のフレッシュな氷スラリーＩが管路４４２を介して貯留室４２０に供給されることにより、貯留室４２０内の氷スラリーＩが所定量以上に保たれる。そのため、貯留室４２０内から氷スラリーＩが枯渇することがなく、保管室４１０を連続して効率的に冷却することができ、蓄冷材８００の凍結状態がより確実に維持される。 The storage chamber 420 is connected to the storage tank 250 by pipes 441 and 442, and the ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 circulates between the storage chamber 420 and the storage chamber 420. Specifically, the ethanol aqueous solution that has melted due to heat exchange with the storage chamber 410 is returned to the storage tank 250 via pipe 441, and fresh ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 is supplied to the storage chamber 420 via pipe 442, thereby maintaining the ice slurry I in the storage chamber 420 at a predetermined amount or more. Therefore, the ice slurry I does not run out from the storage chamber 420, and the storage chamber 410 can be cooled continuously and efficiently, and the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 is more reliably maintained.
　以上、保管装置４００について説明したが、保管装置４００の構成としては、氷スラリーＩを用いて蓄冷材８００の凍結状態を維持することができれば、特に限定されない。例えば、二次冷却装置３００と同様に、氷スラリーＩに蓄冷材８００を浸漬させて、蓄冷材８００の凍結状態を維持してもよい。また、貯留タンク２５０と貯留室４２０とが繋がっておらず、作業者が貯留タンク２５０内の氷スラリーＩを貯留室４２０まで搬送してもよい。また、二次冷却装置３００で凍結された蓄冷材８００がコンベアなどによって自動的に保管室４１０に搬送される構成でもよい。 The storage device 400 has been described above, but the configuration of the storage device 400 is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain the frozen state of the cold storage material 800 using the ice slurry I. For example, similar to the secondary cooling device 300, the cold storage material 800 may be immersed in the ice slurry I to maintain the frozen state of the cold storage material 800. Also, the storage tank 250 and the storage chamber 420 may not be connected, and an operator may transport the ice slurry I in the storage tank 250 to the storage chamber 420. Also, the cold storage material 800 frozen in the secondary cooling device 300 may be automatically transported to the storage chamber 410 by a conveyor or the like.
　このように、二次冷却装置３００および保管装置４００では、蓄冷材８００の凍結や保管を行うために氷スラリーＩを消費しているが、この消費量と同等またはそれ以上の氷スラリーＩを一次冷却装置２００で生成することにより、二次冷却装置３００および保管装置４００内の氷スラリーＩが枯渇することがない。また、エタノール水溶液自体は、装置内で液状とスラリー状との間で状態変化だけを繰り返し、絶対量は実質的に減らない。このように、氷スラリーＩの生成および消費を装置内で繰り返すことにより、エタノール水溶液の補充などが不要となり、メンテナンスが容易となる。 In this way, the secondary cooling device 300 and the storage device 400 consume ice slurry I to freeze and store the cold storage material 800, but by generating ice slurry I in the primary cooling device 200 in an amount equal to or greater than this consumption, the ice slurry I in the secondary cooling device 300 and the storage device 400 does not run out. Furthermore, the ethanol aqueous solution itself only repeatedly changes state between liquid and slurry within the device, and the absolute amount does not substantially decrease. In this way, by repeatedly generating and consuming ice slurry I within the device, it becomes unnecessary to replenish the ethanol aqueous solution, making maintenance easier.
　以上のようにして保管装置４００に保管された凍結済みの蓄冷材８００は、例えば、冷凍車などで必要箇所に搬送され、搬送先において対象物を冷却する用に供される（対象物冷却ステップ）。蓄冷材８００の搬送先やそこでの用途は、特に限定されないが、例えば、食品の冷却（昇温抑制）、室内の冷房などが挙げられる。具体的には、図５に示すように、保温ケース７００内に食品Ｆと共に凍結済の蓄冷材８００を収容してもよい。これにより、食品の温度上昇を抑制することができ、食品の鮮度をより長い時間保つことができるようになる。また、例えば、図６に示すように、建物Ｂ内に凍結済の蓄冷材８００を配置してもよい。そして、蓄冷材８００の冷熱で冷やした空気を室内に導入することにより、室内を冷房することができる。ただし、食品の冷却方法や室内の冷房方法は、特に限定されない。 The frozen cold storage material 800 stored in the storage device 400 in the above manner is transported to a required location, for example, in a refrigerated vehicle, and used to cool an object at the transport destination (object cooling step). The destination and use of the cold storage material 800 are not particularly limited, but examples include cooling food (suppressing temperature rise) and cooling a room. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the frozen cold storage material 800 may be stored together with food F in an insulation case 700. This makes it possible to suppress temperature rise of the food, and to maintain the freshness of the food for a longer period of time. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the frozen cold storage material 800 may be placed in a building B. Then, air cooled by the cold energy of the cold storage material 800 can be introduced into the room to cool the room. However, the method of cooling the food and the method of cooling the room are not particularly limited.
　なお、蓄冷材８００は、冷却の用に供されて溶解しても、再び凍結させることにより繰り返し冷却の用に供することができる。したがって、冷却の用に供されて溶解した蓄冷材８００は、回収ステップとして種々の手段で蓄冷材凍結装置１００に回収されて再び二次冷却装置３００により凍結され、保管装置４００によって凍結状態のまま保管される。このように、蓄冷材８００の循環サイクルを構築することにより、蓄冷材８００の廃棄が抑制される。したがって、廃棄されるハード（物）が実質的になくなり、環境負荷が極めて小さい蓄冷材凍結装置１００となる。 Incidentally, even if the cold storage material 800 is used for cooling and melts, it can be frozen again and used for cooling repeatedly. Therefore, the cold storage material 800 that has been used for cooling and melted is collected by various means in the collection step into the cold storage material freezing device 100, frozen again by the secondary cooling device 300, and stored in a frozen state by the storage device 400. In this way, by establishing a circulation cycle for the cold storage material 800, disposal of the cold storage material 800 is suppressed. Therefore, substantially no hardware (objects) are discarded, resulting in a cold storage material freezing device 100 with an extremely small environmental impact.
　以上のような蓄冷材凍結装置１００および蓄冷材８００の利用方法によれば、液冷媒回路２００Ｂ内を循環するエタノール水溶液を冷却して生成された氷スラリーＩを用いて繰り返し使用可能な蓄冷材８００を凍結させ、凍結状態の蓄冷材８００を冷却の用に供する。つまり、氷スラリーＩの冷熱だけを取り出すため、実質的に一次冷却装置２００からエタノール水溶液が減らない。また、氷スラリーＩにより凍結される蓄冷材８００も、再利用が可能である。したがって、廃棄されるハード（物）が実質的になくなり、環境負荷が極めて小さい蓄冷材凍結装置１００および蓄冷材８００の利用方法となる。 According to the above-described method of using the cold storage material freezing device 100 and the cold storage material 800, the ice slurry I produced by cooling the ethanol aqueous solution circulating in the liquid refrigerant circuit 200B is used to freeze the reusable cold storage material 800, and the frozen cold storage material 800 is used for cooling. In other words, since only the cold energy of the ice slurry I is extracted, the amount of ethanol aqueous solution is not substantially reduced from the primary cooling device 200. In addition, the cold storage material 800 frozen by the ice slurry I can also be reused. Therefore, substantially no hardware (objects) are discarded, resulting in a method of using the cold storage material freezing device 100 and the cold storage material 800 with an extremely small environmental impact.
　以上、本発明の蓄冷材凍結装置および蓄冷材利用方法を図示の実施形態に基づいて説明したが、本発明は、これに限定されるものではなく、各部の構成は、同様の機能を有する任意の構成のものに置換することができる。また、本発明に、他の任意の構成物または任意の工程が付加されていてもよい。 The cold storage material freezing device and cold storage material utilization method of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. In addition, any other components or any process may be added to the present invention.
　本発明の凍結材凍結装置は、回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却してスラリー状とする一次冷却装置と、スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、繰り返し冷却の用に供することのできる蓄冷材を凍結させる二次冷却装置と、を有する。このような蓄冷材凍結装置によれば、回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却して生成されたスラリー状の液冷媒を用いて繰り返し使用可能な蓄冷材を凍結させ、凍結状態の蓄冷材を冷却の用に供する。つまり、スラリー状の液冷媒から冷熱だけを取り出し、液冷媒自体は回路内を循環するため、実質的に一次冷却装置から液冷媒が減らない。また、スラリー状の液冷媒により凍結される蓄冷材は、冷却の用に供され溶解しても、再度凍結することにより再利用が可能である。したがって、廃棄されるハード（物）が実質的になくなり、環境負荷が極めて小さい蓄冷材凍結装置となる。したがって、本発明の蓄冷材凍結装置は、産業上の利用可能性を有する。 The freezing material freezing device of the present invention has a primary cooling device that cools the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit to form a slurry, and a secondary cooling device that freezes a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly for cooling using the slurry liquid refrigerant. According to this cold storage material freezing device, the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit is cooled to form a slurry liquid refrigerant, which is used to freeze a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly, and the frozen cold storage material is used for cooling. In other words, since only cold heat is extracted from the slurry liquid refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant itself circulates in the circuit, the liquid refrigerant is not substantially reduced from the primary cooling device. In addition, even if the cold storage material frozen by the slurry liquid refrigerant is used for cooling and melts, it can be reused by freezing it again. Therefore, there is substantially no hardware (objects) to be discarded, resulting in a cold storage material freezing device with an extremely small environmental impact. Therefore, the cold storage material freezing device of the present invention has industrial applicability.
　本発明の凍結材利用方法は、回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却してスラリー状とする一次冷却ステップと、スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、繰り返し冷却の用に供することのできる蓄冷材を冷却する二次冷却ステップと、を有する。このような蓄冷材利用方法によれば、回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却して生成されたスラリー状の液冷媒を用いて繰り返し使用可能な蓄冷材を凍結させ、凍結状態の蓄冷材を冷却の用に供する。つまり、スラリー状の液冷媒から冷熱だけを取り出し、液冷媒自体は回路内を循環するため、実質的に一次冷却装置から液冷媒が減らない。また、スラリー状の液冷媒により凍結される蓄冷材は、冷却の用に供され溶解しても、再度凍結することにより再利用が可能である。したがって、廃棄されるハード（物）が実質的になくなり、環境負荷が極めて小さい蓄冷材利用方法となる。したがって、本発明の蓄冷材利用方法は、産業上の利用可能性を有する。 The method of using a frozen material of the present invention includes a primary cooling step of cooling the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit to form a slurry, and a secondary cooling step of cooling a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly for cooling using the slurry liquid refrigerant. According to this method of using a cold storage material, the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit is cooled to form a slurry liquid refrigerant, which is used to freeze a cold storage material that can be used repeatedly, and the frozen cold storage material is used for cooling. In other words, since only cold energy is extracted from the slurry liquid refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant itself circulates in the circuit, the liquid refrigerant is not substantially reduced from the primary cooling device. In addition, even if the cold storage material frozen by the slurry liquid refrigerant is used for cooling and melts, it can be reused by freezing it again. Therefore, there is substantially no hardware to be discarded, and this is a method of using a cold storage material with an extremely small environmental impact. Therefore, the method of using a cold storage material of the present invention has industrial applicability.
　１００…蓄冷材凍結装置、２００…一次冷却装置、２００Ａ…冷媒回路、２００Ｂ…液冷媒回路、２１０…圧縮機、２２０…凝縮器、２３０…膨張弁、２４０…冷却器、２４１…外管、２４２…内管、２５０…貯留タンク、２６１…管路、２６２…管路、２７０…送液ポンプ、３００…二次冷却装置、３１０…冷却槽、３２０…貯留タンク、３２１…管路、３２２…管路、３３０…棚、４００…保管装置、４１０…保管室、４１２…内管、４２０…貯留室、４３０…壁、４４１…管路、４４２…管路、７００…保温ケース、８００…蓄冷材、Ｂ…建物、Ｆ…食品、Ｉ…氷スラリー、Ｎ…冷媒

  Reference Signs List 100...cold storage material freezing device, 200...primary cooling device, 200A...refrigerant circuit, 200B...liquid refrigerant circuit, 210...compressor, 220...condenser, 230...expansion valve, 240...cooler, 241...outer pipe, 242...inner pipe, 250...storage tank, 261...pipe, 262...pipe, 270...liquid transfer pump, 300...secondary cooling device, 310...cooling tank, 320...storage tank, 321...pipe, 322...pipe, 330...shelf, 400...storage device, 410...storage room, 412...inner pipe, 420...storage room, 430...wall, 441...pipe, 442...pipe, 700...thermal insulation case, 800...cold storage material, B...building, F...food, I...ice slurry, N...refrigerant

Claims (6)

  1. 　回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却してスラリー状とする一次冷却装置と、
    　前記スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、繰り返し冷却の用に供することのできる蓄冷材を凍結させる二次冷却装置と、を有することを特徴とする蓄冷材凍結装置。     a primary cooling device that cools the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit to form a slurry;
    a secondary cooling device for freezing a cold storage material that can be used for repeated cooling by using the slurry liquid refrigerant.
  2. 　前記一次冷却装置は、前記スラリー状の液冷媒を貯留する貯留タンクを有し、
    　前記貯留タンクから前記二次冷却装置に前記スラリー状の液冷媒が供給される請求項１に記載の蓄冷材凍結装置。     The primary cooling device has a storage tank that stores the slurry-like liquid refrigerant,
    2. The regenerator freezing device according to claim 1, wherein the slurry liquid refrigerant is supplied from the storage tank to the secondary cooling device.
  3. 　前記スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、前記二次冷却装置で凍結された前記蓄冷材を凍結状態のまま保管する保管装置を有する請求項１に記載の蓄冷材凍結装置。 The cold storage material freezing device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage device that uses the slurry liquid refrigerant to store the cold storage material frozen in the secondary cooling device in a frozen state.
  4. 　前記一次冷却装置は、前記スラリー状の液冷媒を貯留する貯留タンクを有し、
    　前記貯留タンクから前記保管装置に前記スラリー状の液冷媒が供給される請求項３に記載の蓄冷材凍結装置。     The primary cooling device has a storage tank that stores the slurry-like liquid refrigerant,
    4. The cold storage material freezing device according to claim 3, wherein the slurry liquid refrigerant is supplied from the storage tank to the storage device.
  5. 　回路内を循環する液冷媒を冷却してスラリー状とする一次冷却ステップと、
    　前記スラリー状の液冷媒を用いて、繰り返し冷却の用に供することのできる蓄冷材を冷却する二次冷却ステップと、を有することを特徴とする蓄冷材利用方法。     A primary cooling step of cooling the liquid refrigerant circulating in the circuit to form a slurry;
    a secondary cooling step of cooling a regenerator material that can be repeatedly used for cooling using the slurry liquid refrigerant.
  6. 　冷却の用に供された前記蓄冷材を回収する回収ステップをさらに有する請求項５に記載の蓄冷材利用方法。

          6. The method for utilizing a regenerator material according to claim 5, further comprising a recovering step of recovering the regenerator material used for cooling.
PCT/JP2024/001964 2023-02-03 2024-01-24 Device for freezing cold storage material and method for using cold storage material WO2024162120A1 (en)

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Citations (4)

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JP2002349909A (en) * 2001-05-30 2002-12-04 Nkk Corp Method for manufacturing hydrate slurry
JP2006242462A (en) * 2005-03-03 2006-09-14 Kansai Electric Power Co Inc:The Heat accumulating type cold insulation car or cold insulation storage and heat accumulating material supply system
JP2007298215A (en) * 2006-04-28 2007-11-15 Shikoku Electric Power Co Inc Cooling method and system of cold storage pack utilizing cold of lng and refrigerator truck cooling method
WO2018212335A1 (en) * 2017-05-18 2018-11-22 ブランテック株式会社 State change control device and state change control method

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2002349909A (en) * 2001-05-30 2002-12-04 Nkk Corp Method for manufacturing hydrate slurry
JP2006242462A (en) * 2005-03-03 2006-09-14 Kansai Electric Power Co Inc:The Heat accumulating type cold insulation car or cold insulation storage and heat accumulating material supply system
JP2007298215A (en) * 2006-04-28 2007-11-15 Shikoku Electric Power Co Inc Cooling method and system of cold storage pack utilizing cold of lng and refrigerator truck cooling method
WO2018212335A1 (en) * 2017-05-18 2018-11-22 ブランテック株式会社 State change control device and state change control method

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