KR20060077396A - Hybrid cooling structure of refrigerator and freezer - Google Patents

Abstract

Since the refrigerator and the hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention are configured by combining the cooling method by the refrigerant circulation method and the cooling method by the thermoelectric effect, only the thermoelectric module can be individually driven as necessary, and the cryogenic chamber can be locally operated. It has the effect of cooling down.

Description

Refrigerator and Hybrid cooling system of refrigerator             

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cooling cycle of a refrigerator according to the prior art

Figure 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator in the present invention

3 is a cross-sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the present invention

4 is a configuration diagram showing a general thermoelectric module

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

10 compressor 20 condenser

30: expander 40: evaporator

50: thermoelectric module 51, 52: ceramic substrate

53: P type thermoelectric element 54: N type thermoelectric element

The present invention relates to a hybrid cooling structure of a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a hybrid cooling structure of a refrigerator that performs cooling more efficiently by cooling the evaporator again using a thermoelectric module.

In general, the cooling cycle of the refrigerator is composed of a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an evaporator, and through the above configuration, the refrigerant is compressed, condensed, expanded, and evaporated to achieve a cooling cycle.

In this case, it is difficult to lower the temperature of the solid cooled through the evaporator to be -30 ° C. or lower through one compressor. Thus, the two or more compressors may be driven to obtain a desired high temperature.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cooling cycle of a refrigerator according to the prior art.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling cycle of the refrigerator according to the prior art is one cooling consisting of a first compressor 1, a first condenser 2, a first expander 3 and an intermediate heat exchanger 4. Cycle and another cooling cycle consisting of a second compressor 5, an intermediate heat exchanger 6, a second expander 7 and an evaporator 8.

Here, the refrigerant driven in the first cycle is compressed through the first compressor (1), and then condensed by the first condenser (2) to expand the first expander (3) to a low temperature low pressure liquid, the intermediate The low temperature low pressure liquid is evaporated through the heat exchanger 4 to generate a cooling effect.

In addition, the refrigerant driven in the second cycle is compressed through the second compressor 5, and then condensed in the intermediate heat exchanger 6, but by the cooling effect of the intermediate heat exchanger 4 of the first cycle. The refrigerant is cooled to a lower temperature than in the first condenser (2), and after being expanded through the second expander (7), the evaporation of the refrigerant in the evaporator (8) is carried out to -30 ℃ to- Cooling effect of 80 ° C can be obtained.

That is, the first cooling cycle is driven to form the condensation temperature of the intermediate heat exchanger 6 of the second cooling cycle.

Here, the refrigerant of the second cycle should be a material having a lower condensation temperature than the refrigerant of the first cycle.

However, when two cooling cycles are operated as described above to obtain the cooling temperature of the evaporator 8 at −30 ° C. to −80 ° C. at room temperature (20 ° C. to 40 ° C.), twice as compared to using one cycle. In addition to the need for components, the thermal efficiency to form a cooling temperature also has a problem that is extremely poor.

In addition, when using the two cooling cycles as described above, it is not only necessary to use different refrigerants, but also has a problem in that the driving of the compressors 1 and 5 according to the first and second cycles is separately adjusted.

Thus, when two cooling cycles are used in this way, the cost, process, and technology openness are very high.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, by lowering the temperature of the heat exchanged air in the evaporator again using a thermoelectric module, as well as forming a cooling temperature of -30 ℃ ~ -80 ℃ at room temperature one Its purpose is to provide a hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator driven by the cooling cycle of.

The hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator according to the first aspect of the present invention for solving the technical problem is a compressor for compressing the gas refrigerant; A condenser condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor into a liquid; An expander for expanding the refrigerant condensed in the condenser into a liquid in a fine spray form; An evaporator for exchanging the expanded refrigerant with ambient air to evaporate it into a gas; It characterized in that it comprises a thermoelectric module for cooling the air cooled by heat exchange in the evaporator again by the thermoelectric effect generated by the electrical action.

A refrigerator according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a machine room in which a compressor or the like is installed; A refrigerator comprising a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment, which is partitioned from the machine room and forms and circulates cold air by a refrigerant circulation method, wherein a separate cryogenic chamber is formed inside the freezing chamber and the cryogenic chamber is formed by the thermoelectric phenomenon. It is characterized in that the thermoelectric module for cooling the cold air is installed again.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a hybrid cooling structure of a refrigerator in the present invention, Figure 3 is a sectional view showing a refrigerator according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a configuration diagram showing a general thermoelectric module.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator according to the present invention includes a refrigerant circulation cooling method for generating a cooling effect by circulating a refrigerant, and a thermoelectric module cooling method for generating a cooling effect by an thermoelectric effect, which is an electrical action.

The refrigerant circulation cooling method includes a compressor 10 for compressing a gas refrigerant, a condenser 20 for condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 10 with a liquid, and a fine spray form of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 20. And an evaporator (40) which expands the liquid into a liquid and an evaporator (40) for exchanging the expanded refrigerant with ambient air to evaporate the gas. The thermoelectric module cooling method is heat exchanged in the evaporator (40) and cooled. It is configured to include a thermoelectric module 50 to cool the air again by the thermoelectric effect.

As shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the refrigerator according to the present invention includes a machine room M in which the compressor 10 is mounted, and a freezer compartment F or a refrigerating compartment R in a space separated from the machine room M. ) Is provided.

Here, the compressor 10 and the expander 30 are installed in the machine room M, and a condenser 20 is installed at the rear of the refrigerator, and the evaporator is between the freezer compartment F and the refrigerating chamber R. 40 is installed.

And inside the refrigerator is provided with a blower 60 for circulating the heat exchanged in the evaporator 40 to the freezer compartment (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R), the inside of the refrigerator as shown in the blower ( 60), a flow path is formed so that air can be circulated.

Meanwhile, a separate cryogenic chamber U is installed in the freezing chamber F, and the thermoelectric module 50 is installed in the cryogenic chamber U.

As shown in FIG. 4, the thermoelectric module 50 is a cooling system that is electrically configured without a mechanical configuration unlike the refrigerant circulation method.

Here, the thermoelectric module 50 includes two or more P-type 53 and N-type 54 thermoelectric semiconductor elements (Bi-Te series) between two ceramic substrates 51 and 52 by a solder. It has a fixed structure.

In addition, when a direct current flows through the P type 53 and the N type 54 thermoelectric elements, heat absorption or heat dissipation occurs at both ends of the thermoelectric element due to the Peltier effect. 53) Movement of electrons is generated from the element side to the N-type 54 element side, and cooling is radiated from the lower side in the upper side shown.

Here, the Peltier effect was discovered by Jean Peltier in 1834 as one end of the heat generated when the DC power is applied to both ends of the dissimilar material and the other end endothermic, and the thermoelectric module using the same effect was developed and commercialized.

Thus, the thermoelectric module 50 is installed in the cryogenic chamber (U), the cooling side is located on the cryogenic chamber (U) side, the heat dissipation side is installed on the freezing chamber (F) side.

In addition, the thermoelectric module 50 is preferably disposed on the flow path of the air circulating the refrigerator so as to directly receive the air flowing from the blower (60).

On the other hand, when the direction of the current applied to the thermoelectric module 50 is changed, the position of the surface where the endothermic phenomenon occurs and the surface where the heat dissipation phenomenon occurs.

In addition, blowers 70 and 75 may be installed on both surfaces of the thermoelectric module 50 to circulate the air cooled by the thermoelectric module 50.

Hereinafter, the operation of the embodiment according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3.

First, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 10 is condensed in the liquid state by the condenser 20, and the condensed refrigerant is converted into the liquid refrigerant in the sprayed state by the expander 30, The liquid refrigerant is evaporated to gaseous refrigerant by the evaporator 40.

Here, the air cooled in the refrigerant evaporation process of the evaporator 40 flows to the freezer compartment F and the refrigerating compartment R by the blower 60.

And some of the air flowing into the freezing chamber (F) flows to the thermoelectric module 50 side installed through the cryogenic chamber (U).

Here, the thermoelectric module 50 may be driven as needed. When the user wants to form the cryogenic chamber U lower than the temperature of the freezing chamber F, the user may control the refrigerator (not shown). By operating the thermoelectric module 50 is operated.

Thus, when the thermoelectric module 50 is operated, an endothermic phenomenon occurs in the cryogenic chamber U of the thermoelectric module 50 by the applied current, and a heat radiation phenomenon occurs on the outer surface of the cryogenic chamber U.

As such, when the thermoelectric module 50 is operated, the temperature of the freezing chamber F is about -18 ° C, and the temperature inside the cryogenic room U is about -30 ° C to -40 ° C. .

In addition, it is possible to increase the cooling effect inside the cryogenic chamber (U) by convection the cooled air through the blowers (70) and (75) respectively installed on both sides of the thermoelectric module (50).

When the temperature of the cryogenic chamber U is lower than the temperature desired by the user by the thermoelectric module 50, the temperature of the cryogenic chamber U is changed by changing the polarity of the current applied to the thermoelectric module 50. It is possible to raise the temperature, thereby more actively controlling the temperature of the cryogenic chamber (U).

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the evaporator 40 and the thermoelectric module 50 have been described in a separate form, but the thermoelectric module 50 may be installed by being directly attached to the evaporator 40 according to the shape of the refrigerator. Do.

Since the hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention is configured by combining the cooling method by the refrigerant circulation method and the cooling method by the thermoelectric effect, only the thermoelectric module can be individually driven as necessary, and the cryogenic chamber can be locally driven. It has the advantage of cooling.

In addition, the hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention has the advantage that the structure is simple compared to using the conventional two cycles because the air cooled by the thermoelectric module that is operated independently is again cooled.

In addition, the hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention has the advantage that noise and vibration are not generated as compared to using two conventional cycles because the thermoelectric module that cools the cooled air again generates a cooling effect by an electrical action. Have

In addition, the hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator according to the present invention has the advantage that the thermoelectric module can be installed in a desired position of the refrigerator because the thermoelectric module operates independently in the refrigerant circulation method, and is easy to control.

Claims (8)

A compressor for compressing the gas refrigerant; A condenser condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor into a liquid; An expander for expanding the refrigerant condensed in the condenser into a liquid in a fine spray form; An evaporator for exchanging the expanded refrigerant with ambient air to evaporate it into a gas; And a thermoelectric module for cooling the air cooled by heat exchange in the evaporator again by a thermoelectric effect generated by an electrical action. The method of claim 1, The thermoelectric module is a hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator, characterized in that attached to the evaporator is installed. The method of claim 2, Hybrid cooling structure of the refrigerator, characterized in that the blower is installed on at least one side of each surface endothermic action and heat dissipation action in the thermoelectric module. A machine room in which a compressor or the like is installed; A refrigerator, which is partitioned from the machine room and comprises a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment for forming and circulating cold air by a refrigerant circulation method, A separate cryogenic chamber is formed inside the freezing chamber, and the cryogenic chamber is provided with a thermoelectric module for cooling the cold air again by a thermoelectric phenomenon. The method of claim 4, wherein The cryogenic chamber is at least one surface is opened and in communication with the freezing chamber, the thermoelectric module is characterized in that the refrigerator is installed through the surface partitioning the cryogenic chamber and the freezing chamber. The method of claim 4, wherein An evaporator is installed in the refrigerator to generate a cooling effect by evaporating the refrigerant by a refrigerant circulation method, and a blower for circulating the refrigerant cooled by the evaporator to the freezing compartment or the refrigerating compartment is installed. And a cold air circulated by the blower is disposed on a circulation passage of the cold air. The method of claim 4, wherein An evaporator is installed in the refrigerator to generate a cooling effect by evaporating the refrigerant by a refrigerant circulation method, and the thermoelectric module is attached to the evaporator. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, Refrigerator, characterized in that the blower is installed on at least one surface of each surface endothermic action and heat dissipation action in the thermoelectric module.

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