ADSORPTION REFRIGERATOR WITH THERMOSTATIC CONTROL
An adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control includes a first vacuum chamber, a second vacuum chamber, a third vacuum chamber, and a passage structure. The first vacuum chamber accommodates a first adsorption bed, a first condenser, and a first evaporator, and the second vacuum chamber accommodates a second adsorption bed, a second condenser, and a second evaporator. The third vacuum chamber contains a third evaporator. The passage structure guides hot water into the first adsorption bed and guides cold water into the second adsorption bed simultaneously, or guides the cold water into the first adsorption bed and guides the hot water into the second adsorption bed simultaneously. According to the ambient temperature or the temperature of ice water produced by the adsorption refrigerator, the cold water is stopped being guided into the first or the second adsorption bed timely, thereby ceasing the refrigeration temporarily and achieving the thermostatic control.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to adsorption type refrigerators, and more specifically, to an adsorption type refrigerator thermostatic control.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development and progress of economy, demands for energy increase. However, with a view to protect environmental ecology, it is the world's common expectation to develop green energy that brings no pollution to the environment.
Among others, adsorption type is one of the most effective refrigeration technologies that support nature energy preservation and environmental protection. A so-called adsorption type refrigerator is mainly composed of adsorption beds and evaporative condensers. Particularly, for continuous air conditioning operation, an adsorption type refrigerator requires at least two adsorption beds to perform the adsorption and the desorption processes alternately.
However, during its continuous refrigeration, the adsorption type refrigerator produces ice water with increasingly lowered temperature, even cooler than the desired. Hence, without a feasible approach to controlling the refrigeration of the adsorption type refrigerator, the adsorption type refrigerator could be underused or even wasted.
Thus, it is desired to have a way to effectively control an adsorption type refrigerator by endowing it with temperature controlling means and allowing thermostatic control of the adsorption type refrigerator to meet user demands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides an adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control, wherein the ambient temperature or the temperature of ice water produced by the adsorption type refrigerator is detected, and the refrigeration temporarily is ceased timely when the ambient temperature or the temperature of the ice water is lower than a predetermined temperature, thereby stably controlling the temperature of the ice water produced by the adsorption type refrigerator and in turn achieving the desired thermostatic control.
The present invention provides an adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control, wherein the ambient temperature or the temperature of ice water produced by the adsorption type refrigerator is detected, and used as a basis for whether to continue the refrigeration or not, so that the adsorption type refrigerator is enabled to meet a temperature requirement set by a user, thereby catering for application needs better.
For achieving the above effects, the present invention provides an adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control, comprising: a first vacuum chamber accommodating a first adsorption bed, a first condenser and a first evaporator, wherein the first adsorption bed has a first intake and a first outlet; a second vacuum chamber deposited abreast with the first vacuum chamber and accommodating a second adsorption bed, a second condenser and a second evaporator, wherein the second adsorption bed has a second intake and a second outlet; a third vacuum chamber having a top connected with bottoms of the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, and accommodating a third evaporator, wherein the third evaporator has an ice-water intake and an ice-water outlet; and a passage structure including a plurality of pipings and a plurality of valves, wherein the pipings are intercommunicated through the valves, and the passage structure is configured to guide hot water into the first adsorption bed and guide cold water into the second adsorption bed simultaneously, or to guide the cold water into the first adsorption bed and guide the hot water into the second adsorption bed simultaneously, wherein, when the ambient temperature or the temperature of the ice water at the ice-water outlet is lower than a predetermined temperature, the cold water is stopped being guided into the second adsorption bed or the first adsorption bed.
By implementing the present invention, at least the following progressive effects can be achieved:
1. The present invention timely ceases the refrigeration temporarily according to the ambient temperature or the temperature of the ice water, so as to achieve the desired thermostatic control.
2. In virtue of the thermostatic control, the adsorption type refrigerator is enabled to produce the ice water consistently having a stable temperature, thereby catering for application needs better.
The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to
The first vacuum chamber 10 accommodates therein a first adsorption bed 11, a first condenser 12 and a first evaporator 13. The first adsorption bed 11 has a first intake 111 and a first outlet 112 so that hot water or cold water is allowed to flow into the first adsorption bed 11 through the first intake 111, and then flow out through the first outlet 112. The first adsorption bed 11 works with the first condenser 12 and the first evaporator 13 to perform the desorption process or the adsorption process.
The second vacuum chamber 20 is set abreast with the first vacuum chamber 10. In the second vacuum chamber 20, there are a second adsorption bed 21, a second condenser 22 and a second evaporator 23. Similarly, the second adsorption bed 21 has a second intake 211 and a second outlet 212 so that hot water or cold water is allowed to flow into the second adsorption bed 21 through the second intake 211, and then flow out through the second outlet 212. The second adsorption bed 21 works with the second condenser 22 and the second evaporator 23 to perform the desorption process or the adsorption process.
The third vacuum chamber 30 has a top connected with bottoms of the first vacuum chamber 10 and the second vacuum chamber 20. The third vacuum chamber 30 accommodates therein a third evaporator 31.
Therein, the third evaporator 31 comprises: at least one evaporation heat-transfer tray 311 and a heat-exchanging piping 312. While the third evaporator 31 has plural evaporation heat-transfer trays 311, the evaporation heat-transfer trays 311 may be vertically aligned inside the third vacuum chamber 30, and each evaporation heat-transfer tray 311 carries a heat-transfer medium for heat transfer.
The heat-exchanging piping 312 passes through each evaporation heat-transfer tray 311 and connected to an ice-water source, for allowing the ice water to enter the heat-exchanging piping 312. The heat-exchanging piping 312 within the evaporation heat-transfer trays 311 is in a zigzag configuration and covered by the heat-transfer medium in the evaporation heat-transfer tray 311, so as to facilitate heat transfer between the ice water in the heat-exchanging piping 312 and the heat-transfer medium.
One end of the heat-exchanging piping 312 pierces through the third evaporator 31 and acts as an ice-water intake IWI that is connected to the ice-water source, and the other end of the heat-exchanging piping 312 pierces through the third evaporator 31 and acts as an ice-water outlet IWO. The ice-water outlet IWO can be further connected to a user device, such as an air conditioner, so that the ice water produced by the adsorption type refrigerator can be used by the air conditioner. However, applications of the present embodiment are not limited thereto.
The foregoing first evaporator 13 and second evaporator 23 each comprise: at least an evaporator tray 131, 231; and a heat-transfer piping 132, 232. Similar to the third evaporator 31, the first evaporator 13 and the second evaporator 23 may also comprise plural evaporator trays 131, 231 that are vertically aligned inside the first vacuum chamber 10 or the second vacuum chamber 20. Also, each of the evaporator trays 131, 231 carries a heat-transfer medium.
The heat-transfer pipings 132, 232 are deposited on the evaporator trays 131, 231, and each has two ends thereof connected to the third vacuum chamber 30 (not shown). In other words, the heat-transfer piping 132, 232 are internally intercommunicated with the third vacuum chamber 30, and there is no substantial exchange between the heat-transfer media in the heat-transfer piping 132, 232 and the heat-transfer media in the evaporator trays 131, 231, but only thermal transmission therebetween.
The forgoing first condenser 12 and second condenser 22 share a common condensing tube 121, which contains flowing cold water and is connected between the first vacuum chamber 10 and the second vacuum chamber 20. Thereby, when the first adsorption bed 11 or the second adsorption bed 21 is supplied with hot water for desorption, the first condenser 12 and the second condenser 22 serve to condense the gaseous heat-transfer media desorbed by the first adsorption bed 11 and the second adsorption bed 21, respectively. The condensed heat-transfer media can then be guided to the corresponding evaporator trays 131, 231.
The passage structure comprises a plurality of pipings and a plurality of valves. Therein the pipings are intercommunicated through the valves. The passage structure is configured to, simultaneously, guide hot water into the first adsorption bed 11, so as to make the first adsorption bed 11 perform the desorption process, and guide cold water into the second adsorption bed 21, so as to make the second adsorption bed 21 perform the adsorption process for refrigeration. Alternatively, the passage structure may guide the cold water into the first adsorption bed 11 and guide the hot water into the second adsorption bed 21 simultaneously, so as to make the first adsorption bed 11 perform the adsorption process and make the second adsorption bed 21 perform the desorption process. By making the first adsorption bed 11 and the second adsorption bed 21 alternately perform the adsorption and desorption processes, continuous refrigeration can be achieved.
When the first adsorption bed 11 or the second adsorption bed 21 being supplied with cold water performs the adsorption process, the heat-transfer medium in the evaporator trays 131, 231 evaporate again. Since the evaporation requires considerable latent heat, the heat-transfer pipings 132, 232 and the heat-transfer medium therein can be cooled, so that the heat-transfer medium in the heat-transfer piping 132, 232 can be condensed into liquid. Afterward, the liquid heat-transfer medium can flow into the evaporation heat-transfer tray 311 along the heat-transfer pipings 132, 232.
Moreover, since the heat-transfer piping 132, 232 is internally communicated with the third vacuum chamber 30, the depressurizing process in the heat-transfer piping 132, 232 causes the heat-transfer medium in the evaporation heat-transfer tray 311 to significantly evaporate, thereby taking away heat from the ice water in the heat-exchanging piping 312 and in turn accomplishing refrigeration to make the ice water drained from the ice-water outlet IWO of the heat-exchanging piping 312 further cooler.
For effectively controlling the refrigeration effect of the adsorption type refrigerator, a temperature sensor 40 may be provided at the ice-water outlet IWO for detecting the temperature of the ice water at the ice-water outlet IWO, or a temperature sensor (not shown) may be set externally for detecting an ambient temperature.
For instance, a predetermined temperature may be set as a threshold. When the temperature of the ice water is lower than the predetermined temperature, the cold water is temporarily stopped from entering the second adsorption bed 21 or the first adsorption bed 11, the second adsorption bed 21 or the first adsorption bed 11 is stopped from performing the adsorption process temporarily, so as to cease refrigeration until the temperature of the ice water once again becomes higher than the predetermined temperature, at which time the cold water is guided into the second adsorption bed 21 or the first adsorption bed 11 again to continue the refrigeration.
Alternatively, when the adsorption type refrigerator is applied to an air conditioner, a user may, according to user demands, set a desired value of the ambient temperature as the predetermined temperature, and when the detected ambient temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature, the refrigeration is ceased temporarily by stopping guiding cold water into the second adsorption bed 21 or the first adsorption bed 11 until the ambient temperature becomes higher than the predetermined temperature, at which time the cold water is guided into the second adsorption bed 21 or the first adsorption bed 11 again to continue the refrigeration and to continuously lower the temperature of the ice water.
Thereby, the adsorption type refrigerator is enabled to meet user demands and fulfill the desired thermostatic control, thereby catering for application needs. Two embodiments are given hereunder for illustrating the implement of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein thick broken lines in
Referring to
Therein, the first valve 51 is connected to a hot-water intake HWI, and is also connected to the first intake 111 of the first adsorption bed 11 and the second intake 211 of the second adsorption bed 21, so as to allow the hot water coming from the hot-water intake HWI to reach the first intake 111 or the second intake 211.
The second valve 52 is connected to a hot-water outlet HWO, the first outlet 112 of the first adsorption bed 11 and the second outlet 212 of the second adsorption bed 21. Meantime, the second valve 52 is configured to make the first outlet 112 or the second outlet 212 communicated with the hot-water outlet HWO, so as to allow the hot water coming from the first adsorption bed 11 or the second adsorption bed 21 to be drained through the hot-water outlet HWO.
The third valve 53 is connected to a cold-water intake CWI and a cold-water outlet CWO.
The fourth valve 54 is connected to the third valve 53, and is also connected to the first intake 111 and the second intake 211 so that the fourth valve 54 guides the cold water coming from the third valve 53 into the first intake 111 or the second intake 211.
The fifth valve 55 is connected to the cold-water outlet CWO, the first outlet 112 and the second outlet 212, so that the fifth valve 55 makes the first outlet 112 or the second outlet 212 communicated with the cold-water outlet CWO, thereby allowing the cold water coming from the first adsorption bed 11 or the second adsorption bed 21 to be drained through the cold-water outlet CWO.
Therefore, as shown in
Referring to
As shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
Therein, the sixth valve 61 is connected to the hot-water intake HWI, while the seventh valve 62 is connected to the sixth valve 61, and is also connected to the hot-water outlet HWO so as to guide the hot water to flow out from the hot-water outlet HWO. The eighth valve 63 is connected to the sixth valve 61, and is also connected to the first intake 111 and the second intake 211, so as to allow the hot water coming from the hot-water intake HWI to enter the first adsorption bed 11 or the second adsorption bed 21. The ninth valve 64 is connected to the seventh valve 62, and is also connected to the first outlet 112 and the second outlet 212. In addition, the ninth valve 64 is connected to the pipe between the sixth valve 61 and an eighth valve 63 through a bypass pipe 68.
The tenth valve 65 is connected to the cold-water intake CWI and the cold-water outlet CWO. The eleventh valve 66 is connected to the tenth valve 65, and is also connected to the first intake 111 and the second intake 211, so that the cold water passing the tenth valve 65 is allowed to enter the first adsorption bed 11 or the second adsorption bed 21 through the eleventh valve 66. The twentieth valve 67 is connected to the cold-water outlet CWO, and is also connected to the first outlet 112 and the second outlet 212, so that the cold water coming from the first outlet 112 or the second outlet 212 is allowed to reach the cold-water outlet CWO through the twentieth valve 67.
Thereby, as shown in
Referring to
Moreover, before the adsorption beds 11, 21 change the state of the performance from the desorption process to the adsorption process or from the adsorption process to the desorption process, mass recovery and heat recovery may be performed between the first vacuum chamber 10 and the second vacuum chamber 20. Therein, the mass recovery refers to a process of opening a mass-recovery valve (not shown) between the vacuum chambers 10, 20 to communicate the first vacuum chamber 10 and the second vacuum chamber 20, and allowing gaseous heat-transfer media in the two vacuum chambers 10, 20 to circulate, thereby promptly balancing the pressure difference between the two vacuum chambers 10, 20, so as to improve the refrigeration efficiency of the adsorption type refrigerator. The heat recovery involves cooling the adsorption beds 11, 21 for facilitating the subsequent adsorption process or desorption process.
Referring to
The cold water coming from the cold-water intake CWI first flow into the second intake 211 through the tenth valve 65 and the eleventh valve 66 to cool the second adsorption bed 21, and then flows out the second outlet 212. Afterward, the cold water flows into the first intake 111 through the ninth valve 64, the bypass pipe 68 and the eighth valve 63 to cool the first adsorption bed 11. Then the cold water flowing out the first outlet 112 reaches the cold-water outlet CWO through the twentieth valve 67.
Referring to
The cold water coming from the cold-water intake CWI first reaches the first intake 111 through the tenth valve 65 and the eleventh valve 66 to cool the first adsorption bed 11, and then flow out the first outlet 112. Afterward, the cold water is guided to the second intake 211 through the ninth valve 64, the bypass pipe 68 and the eighth valve 63 so as to cool the second adsorption bed 21. The cold water flowing out the second outlet 212 reaches the cold-water outlet CWO through the twentieth valve 67 and drained.
As shown in
Furthermore, the bottommost evaporator trays 131, 231 of the first evaporator 13 and the second evaporator 23, as well as the bottommost evaporation heat-transfer tray 311 of the third evaporator 31 are connected to drainage pipes 71a, 71b, 71c, respectively, for draining out the excessive heat-transfer medium.
Moreover, the adsorption type refrigerator further comprises at least three adjustment pipes 72a, 72b, 72c that are communicated with the first vacuum chamber 10, second vacuum chamber 20 and third vacuum chamber 30, respectively. Since the vacuum chambers 10, 20, 30 are independent of each other, the first vacuum chamber 10, the second vacuum chamber 20 and the third vacuum chamber 30 can be independently refilled with the heat-transfer media (such as water) or vacuumed through the corresponding adjustment pipes 72a, 72b, 72c. Thereby, the heat-transfer media of the evaporator 13, 23, 31 in the vacuum chambers 10, 20, 30 are secured from losing balance therebetween that causes unstable refrigeration.
The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments and it is understood that the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Moreover, as the contents disclosed herein should be readily understood and can be implemented by a person skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the concept of the present invention should be encompassed by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control, comprising:
- a first vacuum chamber accommodating a first adsorption bed, a first condenser and a first evaporator, wherein the first adsorption bed has a first intake and a first outlet;
- a second vacuum chamber deposited abreast with the first vacuum chamber and accommodating a second adsorption bed, a second condenser and a second evaporator, wherein the second adsorption bed has a second intake and a second outlet;
- a third vacuum chamber having a top connected with bottoms of the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber, and accommodating a third evaporator, wherein the third evaporator has an ice-water intake and an ice-water outlet; and
- a passage structure including a plurality of pipings and a plurality of valves, wherein the pipings are intercommunicated through the plurality of valves, and the passage structure is configured to guide hot water into the first adsorption bed and guide cold water into the second adsorption bed simultaneously, or to guide the cold water into the first adsorption bed and guide the hot water into the second adsorption bed simultaneously,
- wherein, when the ambient temperature or the temperature of the ice water at the ice-water outlet is lower than a predetermined temperature, the cold water is stopped being guided into the second adsorption bed or the first adsorption bed.
2. The adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the ice water.
3. The adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control of claim 1, wherein the plurality of valves includes:
- a first valve allowing the hot water coming from a hot-water intake to reach the first intake or the second intake;
- a second valve allowing the first outlet or the second outlet to communicate with a hot-water outlet;
- a third valve connected to a cold-water intake and a cold-water outlet;
- a fourth valve connected to the third valve and allowing the cold water passing through the third valve to reach the first intake or the second intake; and
- a fifth valve allowing the first outlet or the second outlet to communicate with the cold-water outlet,
- wherein, when the ambient temperature or the temperature of the ice water is lower than the predetermined temperature, the third valve makes the cold water coming from the cold-water intake get drained through the cold-water outlet directly.
4. The adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control of claim 1, wherein the plurality of valves includes:
- a sixth valve connected to a hot-water intake;
- a seventh valve connected to the sixth valve and to a hot-water outlet;
- an eighth valve connected to the sixth valve to the first intake, and the second intake;
- a ninth valve connected to the seventh valve, and connected to the first outlet and the second outlet, while being connected to the pipe between the sixth valve and the eighth valve through a bypass pipe;
- a tenth valve connected to a cold-water intake and a cold-water outlet;
- an eleventh valve connected to the tenth valve, to the first intake, and to the second intake; and
- a twentieth valve connected to the cold-water outlet, to the first outlet, and to the second outlet,
- wherein the eighth valve is configured to guide the hot water coming from the hot-water intake into the first adsorption bed or the second adsorption bed, and the eleventh valve is configured to guide the cold water coming from the cold-water intake into the first adsorption bed or the second adsorption bed, while the tenth valve is configured to make the cold water coming from the cold-water intake directly drained out through the cold-water outlet when the ambient temperature or the temperature of the ice water is lower than the predetermined temperature.
5. The adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control of claim 1, wherein the first condenser and the second condenser share a common condensing tube, which is connected between the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber.
6. The adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control of claim 1, wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator each comprises:
- at least one evaporator tray for carrying a heat-transfer medium; and
- a heat-transfer piping passing through each said evaporator tray, and having two ends connected to the third vacuum chamber respectively.
7. The adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control of claim 1, wherein the third evaporator comprises:
- at least one evaporation heat-transfer tray for carrying a heat-transfer medium; and
- a heat-exchanging piping having two ends acting as the ice-water intake and the ice-water outlet, respectively, and passing through each said evaporation heat-transfer tray.
8. The adsorption type refrigerator with thermostatic control of claim 1, further comprising three adjustment pipes, wherein each of the adjustment pipes is correspondingly communicated with the first vacuum chamber, the second vacuum chamber and the third vacuum chamber, for independently refilling or vacuuming the corresponding first vacuum chamber, the second vacuum chamber, and the third vacuum chamber.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 19, 2010
Publication Date: Apr 12, 2012
Applicant: Chung-Hsin Electric and Machinery Manufacturing Corp. (Jhonghe City)
Inventors: Chao-Yu Chen (Kwei Shan Township), Yu-Ming Sun (Kwei Shan Township), Chi-Bin Wu (Kwei Shan Township)
Application Number: 12/949,840
International Classification: F25B 15/00 (20060101);