JP2002327970A - Cryogenic refrigerating system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cryogenic refrigerating system which always provides an optimum necessary gas flow rate by one compressor irrespective of the number and size of refrigerators, which can reduce a equipment cost and which can maintain a power consumption constant by eliminating conventional necessity of preparing a plurality of compressors having different capabilities to provide optimum necessary gas flow rate when more or less refrigerators than designed at first are operated. SOLUTION: The cryogenic refrigerating system comprises a storage tank provided in the way of a suction side duct of the compressor of an operating gas circulating duct for coupling the compressor to the refrigerator. The storage tank has one or a plurality of tanks. Thus, the flow rate of the operating gas to be supplied to the compressor is adjustable by a valve operation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cryogenic refrigeration system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when several cryogenic refrigerators (hereinafter referred to as refrigerators) are operated by one compressor, the refrigerating capacity of the refrigerator depends on the capacity of the compressor at the stage of designing the refrigerator. The maximum number of units that can be operated is determined in advance, and the designed refrigeration capacity is exhibited at the required gas flow rate per unit at that time.

Therefore, when operating more than the number of refrigerators at the time of design, the refrigerating capacity is reduced because each refrigerator cannot have the required gas flow rate at the time of design. Conversely, when the number is less than the number at the time of design, the differential pressure becomes unnecessarily large and the power consumption increases. In addition, when a refrigerator having a large refrigerating capacity greater than that of the compressor is operated, a required gas flow rate cannot be obtained, so that the refrigerating capacity has been reduced. Therefore, conventionally, it has been necessary to prepare a compressor for providing the optimum required gas flow rate according to the number of refrigerators or the size of the refrigerators.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an optimum compressor is always used regardless of the number of refrigerators and the size thereof by using one compressor without preparing a plurality of compressors having different capacities. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cryogenic refrigeration apparatus that can provide a gas flow rate, reduce equipment costs, and keep power consumption constant.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a storage tank is provided in the working gas circulation line connecting the compressor and the refrigerator in the suction line of the compressor.

[0006] The storage tank is formed of one or more tanks, and the flow rate of the working gas supplied to the compressor can be adjusted by operating a valve.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a cryogenic refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a first embodiment of the present invention, in which one compressor 1 is used for two small cryogenic refrigerators (for example, a GM refrigerator).
The example which drives 2a and 2b is shown. Reference numeral 3 denotes two refrigerators 2a, 2 which supply high-pressure working gas from the discharge side of the compressor 1.
The high pressure pipeline 4 for supplying the working gas from the refrigerators 2a and 2b to the suction side of the compressor 1 is a low pressure pipeline. A storage tank 5 is provided in communication with the low-pressure pipeline 4 via a branch pipe 6.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a second embodiment of the present invention, showing an example in which one compressor 1 operates a large refrigerator (for example, a GM refrigerator) 2A. As in the case of the first embodiment, a storage tank 5 is provided in communication with a low pressure line 4 of the compressor 1 via a branch pipe 6. Although only one storage tank 5 is shown in the drawing, a plurality of storage tanks having the same or different capacities are installed in parallel or in series, and the capacity of the storage tank is made variable by manually or automatically switching valves to optimize the capacity. May be supplied to the compressor 1.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. When it is necessary to increase the number of refrigerators at a work site where one refrigerator is operated by one compressor, or it is necessary to change a small refrigerator during operation to a large refrigerator. At this time, when the valve 7 is opened, the working gas filled in the storage tank 5 communicates with the low-pressure pipe 4 and the optimum required gas flow rate is supplied to the compressor 1 so that the compressor can be operated without lowering its refrigerating capacity.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, by installing a storage tank in the middle of the low-pressure side line of the compressor, a single compressor can be used to always provide the optimum required gas regardless of the number of refrigerators and the size of the refrigerator. Since the flow rate can be provided, it is not necessary to prepare a plurality of compressors having different capacities, and the equipment cost can be reduced. In addition, the power consumption can be kept constant irrespective of the number of operating refrigeration units and the size thereof. It is needless to say that the same effect as described above can be obtained when a cryopanel is attached to the refrigerator of the present invention to form a cryopump.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a first embodiment of a cryogenic refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a cryogenic refrigeration apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 compressor 4
Low pressure line 2a, 2b Small cryogenic refrigerator 5
Storage tank 2A Large cryogenic refrigerator 6
Branch pipe 3 High pressure line 7
valve

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A storage tank filled with a working gas is provided in a working gas circulation pipe connecting a compressor and a cryogenic refrigerator in a suction pipe of the compressor. Cryogenic refrigeration equipment. 2. The pole according to claim 1, wherein the storage tank is formed of one or more tanks, and the flow rate of the working gas supplied to the compressor can be adjusted by operating a valve. Cryogenic equipment.