JP2010266132A - Inverter cooling device, inverter cooling method, and refrigerating machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out miniaturization of a refrigerating machine unit coupled with an inverter, and to prevent dew condensation to a semiconductor element of the inverter. <P>SOLUTION: The refrigerating machine is equipped with a bypass pipe 71 bypassing in the middle of refrigerant piping 6b communicating a condenser 2 and an evaporator 3 and disposed in a casing 51 of the inverter 5, and a regulating valve 72 varying a flow rate of a liquid phase refrigerant circulating through the bypass pipe 71. Namely, since a semiconductor element 52 of the inverter 5 is cooled by the refrigerant circulating through the bypass pipe 71, a fan for cooling and a heat radiation member can be miniaturized, and the inverter can be miniaturized. Thereby, the refrigerating machine including the inverter can be miniaturized by integrally providing the inverter 5 with a compressor 1, the condenser 2, the evaporator 3, or an intermediate cooler 4. Moreover, since a cooling amount of the semiconductor element 52 can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant circulating through the bypass pipe 71, the semiconductor element 52 can be cooled to a desired temperature, and dew condensation to the semiconductor element 52 can be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inverter cooling device and an inverter cooling method for cooling an inverter that drives and controls a compressor, and a refrigerator to which the inverter cooling device is applied.

  A refrigerator such as a turbo refrigerator is used in an air conditioning facility, ice making device, or refrigeration device in a building, and includes an inverter that drives and controls the compressor. The inverter requires a relatively large fan and a heat radiating member in order to discharge the exhaust heat to the air in order to prevent a temperature rise of a semiconductor element such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). For this reason, the size of the inverter is increased, and there is a concern about an increase in size of the refrigerator including the inverter.

  Conventionally, for example, in the refrigerator (vehicle air conditioner) disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to cool an inverter with a small and simple configuration, a refrigerant discharged from a capacitor is circulated in a casing of the inverter.

JP 2003-276426 A

  However, if the refrigerant is circulated in the casing of the inverter as in the refrigerator disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, there is a possibility that condensation occurs in the semiconductor element due to a temperature difference with the outside of the casing of the inverter. It can be a cause of damaging the function.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and provides an inverter cooling device, an inverter cooling method, and a refrigerator that can reduce the size of the refrigerator and prevent the occurrence of condensation on the semiconductor elements of the inverter. With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the inverter cooling apparatus of the present invention, a compressor that compresses refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, and the refrigerant condensed by the condenser are evaporated. In an inverter cooling device that cools the inverter, bypassing the refrigerant in the middle of a refrigerant pipe that communicates the condenser and the evaporator And a bypass pipe disposed in the casing of the inverter, and an adjustment valve provided in the bypass pipe and capable of varying a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe.

  According to this inverter cooling device, since the semiconductor element of the inverter is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe, it is possible to reduce the size of the fan for cooling the semiconductor element and the heat dissipating member, and the size of the inverter can be reduced. For this reason, an inverter can be integrally provided in the compressor, the condenser, the evaporator, or the intercooler constituting the refrigerator, and the refrigerator including the inverter can be downsized. In addition, since the cooling amount of the semiconductor element can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe, the semiconductor element can be cooled to a desired temperature, and the occurrence of condensation on the semiconductor element can be prevented.

  Further, in the inverter cooling device of the present invention, the temperature inside the casing of the inverter or the temperature of the semiconductor element disposed in the casing of the inverter and the temperature detecting means inside the casing detect the temperature. And a control means for controlling the regulating valve based on the measured temperature.

  According to this inverter cooling device, the regulating valve is controlled based on the temperature in the inverter casing or the temperature of the semiconductor element arranged in the inverter casing, and the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe is controlled. By adjusting, the semiconductor element can be cooled to a desired temperature that does not cause condensation.

  Further, in the inverter cooling device of the present invention, the temperature inside the casing of the inverter or the temperature inside the casing for detecting the temperature of the semiconductor element arranged in the casing of the inverter, and the temperature outside the casing of the inverter. A housing outside temperature detecting means for detecting; a housing outside humidity detecting means for detecting the humidity outside the housing of the inverter; a temperature detected by the inside temperature detecting means; a temperature detected by the outside temperature detecting means; Control means for controlling the regulating valve so as to prevent condensation on the semiconductor element to be cooled based on the humidity detected by the outside humidity detection means.

  According to this inverter cooling device, the control valve is controlled based on the temperature inside the inverter casing or the temperature of the semiconductor element arranged in the inverter casing, the temperature outside the casing, and the humidity outside the casing. By adjusting the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe, the semiconductor element can be cooled to a temperature equal to or higher than the dew point at which no condensation occurs.

  Further, the inverter cooling device of the present invention is characterized by comprising control means for controlling the regulating valve based on output power / current of the inverter for controlling the drive of the compressor.

  According to this inverter cooling device, the amount of heat generated by the inverter (semiconductor element) is calculated from the output information of the inverter that controls the drive of the compressor, and based on this amount of generated heat, the regulating valve is controlled and distributed to the bypass pipe. By adjusting the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant, the semiconductor element can be cooled to a desired temperature that does not cause condensation.

  In the inverter cooling device of the present invention, the semiconductor element is provided with a heat radiating member having heat transfer properties, and the bypass pipe is arranged on the heat radiating member.

  According to this inverter cooling device, the cooling efficiency is improved by directly cooling the heat radiating member of the semiconductor element with the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing in the bypass pipe, so that the cooling fan can be made unnecessary and the inverter can be further connected. Can be downsized.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, in the inverter cooling method of the present invention, a compressor that compresses refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, and the refrigerant condensed by the condenser are evaporated. In the inverter cooling method for cooling the inverter, a part of the refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the evaporator is bypassed in the inverter cooling method including the inverter for driving and controlling the inverter for driving the compressor. The flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe is adjusted while being introduced into the casing of the inverter through the inverter.

  According to this inverter cooling method, since the semiconductor element of the inverter is cooled, the semiconductor element cooling fan and the heat dissipation member can be reduced in size, and the inverter can be reduced in size. For this reason, an inverter can be integrally provided in the compressor, the condenser, the evaporator, or the intercooler constituting the refrigerator, and the refrigerator including the inverter can be downsized. In addition, since the cooling amount of the semiconductor element can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe, the semiconductor element can be cooled to a desired temperature, and the occurrence of condensation on the semiconductor element can be prevented.

  To achieve the above object, in the refrigerator of the present invention, a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, and a refrigerant that is condensed by the condenser is evaporated. In a refrigerator including an evaporator and an inverter that drives and controls the compressor, the inverter cooling device according to any one of the above is applied in a mode of cooling the inverter.

  According to this refrigerator, by applying the inverter cooling device described above, it is possible to reduce the size of the refrigerator including the inverter and prevent the occurrence of condensation on the semiconductor element. As a result, a situation in which the function of the inverter is impaired can be prevented, and stable refrigeration performance can be obtained.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while aiming at size reduction of a refrigerator, generation | occurrence | production of the dew condensation to the semiconductor element of an inverter can be prevented.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inverter cooling device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the arrangement of the bypass pipe of the inverter cooling device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another configuration of the bypass pipe. FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another configuration of the bypass pipe.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. In addition, constituent elements in the following embodiments include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[Embodiment 1]
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator mainly includes a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an evaporator 3, an intermediate cooler 4, and an inverter 5. The compressor 1 and the condenser 2 are connected with each other by a refrigerant pipe 6a through which the refrigerant flows. Moreover, the condenser 2 and the evaporator 3 are connected by the refrigerant | coolant piping 6b through which a refrigerant | coolant is distribute | circulated. The intermediate cooler 4 is interposed in the refrigerant pipe 6b. Moreover, the evaporator 3 and the compressor 1 are connected by the refrigerant | coolant piping 6c through which a refrigerant | coolant is distribute | circulated. That is, the compressor 1, the condenser 2, the evaporator 3, and the intercooler 4 are provided in the circulation path 6 that circulates the refrigerant through the refrigerant pipes 6a, 6b, and 6c.

  The compressor 1 is configured as a turbo compressor that compresses refrigerant by the rotational movement of an impeller. That is, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is a so-called turbo refrigerator. A compressor 1 as a turbo compressor has a compression unit 12 driven by an electric motor 11. The compression unit 12 includes a two-stage compression system that includes two impellers that are rotationally driven by the electric motor 11 and a single-stage compression system that includes one impeller that is rotationally driven by the electric motor 11. When the compression unit 12 is two-stage compression, the gas-phase refrigerant sent from the evaporator 3 to the compressor 1 is compressed by the first-stage compression unit and then further compressed by the second-stage compression unit. As the temperature rises, it is sent to the condenser 2 via the refrigerant pipe 6a. On the other hand, when the compression unit 12 is single-stage compression, the gas-phase refrigerant sent from the evaporator 3 to the compressor 1 is compressed by the compression unit 12 and increases in pressure and temperature via the refrigerant pipe 6a. It is sent to the condenser 2.

  The condenser 2 is connected to a cooling water pipe 21 to which a coolant cooling fluid (for example, water) is supplied. The refrigerant in the gas phase sent from the compressor 1 to the condenser 2 is condensed by exchanging heat with the refrigerant cooling fluid supplied through the cooling water pipe 21. That is, the refrigerant cooling fluid is liquefied by throwing away heat. It is sent to the evaporator 3 through 6b.

  The evaporator 3 is connected to a cooling medium pipe 31 to which a cooling medium (for example, water) is supplied. The liquid-phase refrigerant sent from the condenser 2 to the evaporator 3 evaporates by exchanging heat with the cooling medium supplied by the cooling medium pipe 31. In this process, the cooling medium throws away heat to the liquid-phase refrigerant and the temperature decreases. The liquid-phase refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the cooling medium evaporates to become a gas-phase refrigerant, and is sent to the compressor 1 via the refrigerant pipe 6c.

  The intercooler 4 separates the refrigerant liquefied in the condenser 2 into a liquid phase and a gas phase. Further, the intercooler 4 maintains a constant pressure difference between the condenser 2 and the evaporator 3 and evaporates a part of the liquid phase refrigerant to increase latent heat in the evaporator 3. It is. The intercooler 4 also introduces a gas-phase refrigerant that has not been completely condensed in the condenser 2 and a liquid-phase refrigerant as a gas-liquid two-phase fluid, and the gas-phase refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant. The separated gas-phase refrigerant is sent to the compressor 1, and the liquid-phase refrigerant is sent to the evaporator 3.

  The inverter 5 is electrically connected to the electric motor 11 of the compressor 1 and is used to drive and control the electric motor 11. In the inverter 5, a semiconductor element 52 such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) is disposed in a housing 51.

  In the refrigerator described above, in the inverter 5, the semiconductor element 52 generates heat when energized. For this reason, in this embodiment, an inverter cooling device for cooling the semiconductor element 52 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inverter cooling apparatus includes a bypass pipe 71, a regulating valve 72, a housing temperature detection means 73, and a control means 74.

  The bypass pipe 71 is provided around the refrigerant pipe 6 b that communicates the condenser 2 and the evaporator 3. The bypass pipe 71 is disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5. That is, the bypass pipe 71 circulates the liquid-phase refrigerant from the condenser 2 to the evaporator 3 in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 due to the differential pressure between the condenser 2 and the evaporator 3. As a result, in the casing 51 of the inverter 5, the temperature is lowered by discarding heat to the liquid-phase refrigerant, the semiconductor element 52 is cooled, and the liquid-phase refrigerant evaporates to become a gas-phase refrigerant. That is, the semiconductor element 52 is cooled by the latent heat of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing in the casing 51 of the inverter 5.

  In addition, the refrigerant that has flowed through the bypass pipe 71 and used for cooling the semiconductor element 52 is returned to the refrigerant pipe 6 b and sent to the evaporator 3. For this reason, the liquid-phase refrigerant that cannot be evaporated even if it is used for cooling the semiconductor element 52 can be used for cooling in the evaporator 3, and the liquid-phase refrigerant that cannot be evaporated in the evaporator 3. Can be evaporated.

  Here, a specific arrangement of the bypass pipe 71 in the housing 51 of the inverter 5 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor element 52 disposed in the housing 51 is mounted on a substrate 52a and has a heat dissipation structure provided with a heat dissipation member 52b having thermal conductivity. The heat dissipation member 52b has a large number of fins (not shown) in order to improve the heat dissipation performance. Further, a fan 8 is provided in the housing 51. The fan 8 discharges air from the exhaust port 51d to the outside of the housing 51 while sucking air into the housing 51 from a suction port 51c provided in the housing 51. In such a configuration, the bypass pipe 71 is disposed in the vicinity of the suction port 51 c in the housing 51. Thus, the air sucked into the casing 51 is cooled by the latent heat of the liquid refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 before passing through the heat radiating member 52b, while surrounding the semiconductor element 52 and the heat radiating member 52b. The semiconductor element 52 is cooled by passing. In order to further cool the air in the casing 51, the bypass pipe 71 is preferably arranged in a meandering manner in the casing 51 and has a long path through which the refrigerant flows in the casing 51. .

  FIG. 3 shows another specific arrangement of the bypass pipe 71 in the casing 51 of the inverter 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the semiconductor element 52 arranged in the housing 51 is mounted on a substrate 52a and has a heat dissipation structure provided with a heat dissipation member 52b having thermal conductivity. The heat dissipation member 52b has a large number of fins (not shown) in order to improve the heat dissipation performance. In such a configuration, the bypass pipe 71 is disposed through the heat dissipation member 52b. Thereby, the semiconductor element 52 is cooled by the heat radiation member 52b being cooled by the latent heat of the liquid refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71. In order to further cool the heat radiating member 52b, the bypass pipe 71 is preferably arranged in a meandering manner in the heat radiating member 52b, and has a long path through which the refrigerant flows in the heat radiating member 52b.

  The adjustment valve 72 is provided in the bypass pipe 71. The adjusting valve 72 changes the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 by changing the opening degree of the valve 72b by the actuator 72a.

  Further, when the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 is adjusted by the adjustment valve 72, the refrigerant is decompressed and the saturation temperature is lowered. For this reason, since cooling efficiency improves, it is possible to cool the semiconductor element 52 with a small amount of refrigerant.

  The in-casing temperature detection means 73 is disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 and detects the temperature in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 or the temperature of the semiconductor element 52 disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5. It is. When the inverter 5 has the fan 8 as shown in FIG. 2, the in-casing temperature detection means 73 is preferably arranged on the suction port 51c side and the exhaust port 51d side.

  The control means 74 is constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and operates the actuator 72a of the adjustment valve 72 to control the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71. The control means 74 is connected to the in-casing temperature detecting means 73 and receives temperature information detected by the in-casing temperature detecting means 73. The control means 74 stores in advance information on the temperature suitable for cooling the semiconductor element 52 and the operation amount of the actuator 72a corresponding to the temperature (the opening degree of the valve 72b of the adjustment valve 72). Based on the temperature information input from the in-casing temperature detection unit 73, the control unit 74 determines whether the temperature in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 or the temperature of the semiconductor element 52 disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 is The flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 is controlled so that the temperature is suitable for cooling the semiconductor element 52. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the inverter 5 has the fan 8 and the in-chassis temperature detecting means 73 is arranged on the suction port 51c side and the exhaust port 51d side, the control means 74 is connected to the suction port 51c side. The flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 is controlled based on the temperature difference between the exhaust pipe 51d and the exhaust port 51d.

  As described above, in the inverter cooling device of the first embodiment, the bypass pipe 71 that bypasses the refrigerant pipe 6b that communicates the condenser 2 and the evaporator 3 and is disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5; And an adjustment valve 72 that is provided in the bypass pipe 71 and changes the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant that flows through the bypass pipe 71. In the inverter cooling method as the operation of the inverter cooling device according to the first embodiment, a part of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing from the condenser 2 to the evaporator 3 is transferred to the casing 51 of the inverter 5 via the bypass pipe 71. The flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 is adjusted while being introduced inside.

  According to the inverter cooling device and the inverter cooling method, the semiconductor element 52 of the inverter 5 is cooled by the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71, so that the fan and the heat radiating member can be downsized. Can be miniaturized. For this reason, the inverter 5 can be integrally provided in the compressor 1, the condenser 2, the evaporator 3, or the intercooler 4 constituting the refrigerator, and the refrigerator including the inverter 5 can be downsized. Become. Moreover, since the cooling amount of the semiconductor element 52 can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71, the semiconductor element 52 can be cooled to a desired temperature, and dew condensation on the semiconductor element 52 occurs. Can be prevented.

  Further, in the inverter cooling device of the first embodiment, the temperature in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 or the temperature in the casing 73 for detecting the temperature of the semiconductor element 52 arranged in the casing 51 of the inverter 5; And a control means 74 for controlling the regulating valve 72 based on the temperature detected by the in-casing temperature detection means 73.

  According to this inverter cooling device, the regulating valve 72 is controlled based on the temperature in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 or the temperature of the semiconductor element 52 arranged in the casing 51 of the inverter 5, and the bypass pipe 71 The semiconductor element 52 can be cooled to a desired temperature that does not cause dew condensation by adjusting the flow rate of the flowing liquid phase refrigerant.

  In the inverter cooling apparatus of the first embodiment, the semiconductor element 52 is provided with a heat radiating member 52b having heat transfer properties, and a bypass pipe 71 is disposed on the heat radiating member 52b (see FIG. 3).

  According to this inverter cooling device, the cooling efficiency is improved by directly cooling the heat dissipating member 52b of the semiconductor element 52 by the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing in the bypass pipe 71, so that the fan 8 (see FIG. 2) is unnecessary. Thus, the inverter 5 can be further downsized.

  Further, in the refrigerator of the first embodiment, by applying the above-described inverter cooling device, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of condensation on the semiconductor element 52 while reducing the size of the refrigerator including the inverter 5. As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the function of the inverter 5 is impaired and obtain stable refrigeration performance.

[Embodiment 2]
In the second embodiment, the configuration of the refrigerator is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the configuration of the inverter cooling device is different. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, an inverter cooling device will be described, and other equivalent parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the inverter cooling device includes a bypass pipe 71 ′, a regulating valve 72 ′, a casing internal temperature detection unit 73 ′, a control unit 74 ′, a casing external temperature detection unit 75 ′, The humidity detecting means 76 'is configured.

  The bypass pipe 71 ′, the adjustment valve 72 ′, and the casing internal temperature detection means 73 ′ are the same as the bypass pipe 71, the adjustment valve 72, and the casing internal temperature detection means 73 of the first embodiment described above. Further, the specific arrangement of the bypass pipe 71 ′ in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 is the same as that in the first embodiment (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

  The outside-case temperature detecting means 75 ′ is arranged outside the housing 51 of the inverter 5 and detects the ambient temperature outside the housing 51 of the inverter 5.

  The outside-humidity detecting means 76 ′ is disposed outside the housing 51 of the inverter 5 and detects the ambient humidity outside the housing 51 of the inverter 5.

  The control means 74 'is constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and operates the actuator 72a' of the adjustment valve 72 'to control the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71'. The control means 74 'is connected to the in-casing temperature detection means 73' and receives temperature information detected by the in-casing temperature detection means 73 '. Further, the control means 74 'is connected to the outside-case temperature detecting means 75', and temperature information detected by the outside-case temperature detecting means 75 'is inputted. Further, the control means 74 'is connected to the outside-humidity detection means 76', and receives humidity information detected by the outside-humidity detection means 76 '. In this control means 74 ', information on the temperature suitable for cooling the semiconductor element 52 based on the dew point temperature and the operation amount of the actuator 72a' (the opening degree of the valve 72b 'of the regulating valve 72') according to this temperature are stored. Stored in advance. Then, the control means 74 ′ determines the dew point temperature from the temperature information input from the in-casing temperature detection means 73 ′, the temperature information input from the outside temperature detection means 75 ′, and the humidity information input from the outside humidity detection means 76 ′. The temperature in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 or the temperature of the semiconductor element 52 arranged in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 is a temperature suitable for cooling the semiconductor element 52 according to the dew point temperature (dew point temperature or higher). The flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 is controlled so that

  As described above, in the inverter cooling device of the second embodiment, the bypass pipe 71 ′ that bypasses the refrigerant pipe 6 b that communicates the condenser 2 and the evaporator 3 and that is disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5. And an adjustment valve 72 ′ that is provided in the bypass pipe 71 ′ and that changes the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ′. And in the inverter cooling method as an effect | action of the inverter cooling device of Embodiment 2, a part of the liquid-phase refrigerant | coolant which distribute | circulates from the condenser 2 to the evaporator 3 is made into the housing | casing of the inverter 5 via bypass pipe 71 '. 51, the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ′ is adjusted.

  According to the inverter cooling device and the inverter cooling method, the semiconductor element 52 of the inverter 5 is cooled by the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ′, so that the fan and the heat radiating member can be downsized. 5 can be reduced in size. For this reason, the inverter 5 can be integrally provided in the compressor 1, the condenser 2, the evaporator 3, or the intercooler 4 constituting the refrigerator, and the refrigerator including the inverter 5 can be downsized. Become. In addition, the amount of cooling of the semiconductor element 52 can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ′, so that the semiconductor element 52 can be cooled to a desired temperature, and dew condensation on the semiconductor element 52 can be prevented. Occurrence can be prevented.

  Further, in the inverter cooling device of the second embodiment, the temperature in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 or the temperature detection means 73 ′ in the casing that detects the temperature of the semiconductor element 52 disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 is provided. The outside temperature detection means 75 ′ for detecting the temperature outside the casing 51 of the inverter 5, the outside humidity detection means 76 ′ for detecting the humidity outside the casing 51 of the inverter 5, and the inside temperature detection means 73 ′. Based on the temperature detected by the sensor, the temperature detected by the outside-case temperature detecting means 75 ′, and the humidity detected by the outside-humidity detecting means 76 ′, the regulating valve 72 ′ is used to prevent condensation on the semiconductor element 52 to be cooled. And control means 74 ′ for controlling the above.

  According to this inverter cooling device, the temperature in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 or the temperature of the semiconductor element 52 disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5, the temperature outside the casing 51, The semiconductor element 52 can be cooled to a temperature equal to or higher than the dew point at which no condensation occurs by controlling the regulating valve 72 ′ based on the humidity and adjusting the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ′. It becomes possible.

  In the inverter cooling apparatus of the second embodiment, the semiconductor element 52 is provided with a heat radiating member 52b having heat transfer properties, and a bypass pipe 71 'is disposed on the heat radiating member 52b (see FIG. 3).

  According to this inverter cooling device, the cooling efficiency is improved by directly cooling the heat dissipating member 52b of the semiconductor element 52 by the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ′, so that the fan 8 (see FIG. 2) is installed. The inverter 5 can be further reduced in size.

  In the refrigerator according to the second embodiment, by applying the above-described inverter cooling device, it is possible to reduce the size of the refrigerator including the inverter 5 and prevent the condensation on the semiconductor element 52 from occurring. As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the function of the inverter 5 is impaired and obtain stable refrigeration performance.

[Embodiment 3]
In the third embodiment, the configuration of the refrigerator is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the configuration of the inverter cooling device is different. Therefore, in Embodiment 3, an inverter cooling device will be described, and other equivalent parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the inverter cooling device includes a bypass pipe 71 ″, a regulating valve 72 ″, and a control means 74 ″.

  The bypass pipe 71 ″ and the adjustment valve 72 ″ are the same as the bypass pipe 71 and the adjustment valve 72 of the first embodiment described above. Further, the specific arrangement of the bypass pipe 71 ″ in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 is the same as that in the first embodiment described above (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

  The control means 74 ″ is constituted by a microcomputer or the like, and operates the actuator 72a ″ of the adjustment valve 72 ″ to control the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ″. The control means 74 ″ receives the output information of the inverter 5 that controls the drive of the compressor 1. The control means 74 ″ has a temperature suitable for cooling the semiconductor element 52 based on the amount of heat generated by the inverter 5, and this Information on the operation amount of the actuator 72a ″ according to the temperature (the opening degree of the valve 72b ″ of the adjustment valve 72 ″) is stored in advance. The control means 74 ″ determines the compressor 1 from the output information of the inverter 5. The heat generation amount of the inverter 5 (semiconductor element 52) at the time of control is calculated, and based on this heat generation amount, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ″ is adjusted so that the temperature is suitable for cooling the semiconductor element 52. Control.

  As described above, in the inverter cooling device of the third embodiment, the bypass pipe 71 "that bypasses in the middle of the refrigerant pipe 6b that communicates the condenser 2 and the evaporator 3 and is disposed in the casing 51 of the inverter 5". And an adjustment valve 72 ″ that is provided in the bypass pipe 71 ″ and that changes the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ″. In the inverter cooling method as the operation of the inverter cooling device of the third embodiment, a part of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing from the condenser 2 to the evaporator 3 is transferred to the casing of the inverter 5 through the bypass pipe 71 ″. 51, the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ″ is adjusted.

  According to the inverter cooling device and the inverter cooling method, the semiconductor element 52 of the inverter 5 is cooled by the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ″, so that the fan and the heat radiating member can be downsized. Therefore, the inverter 5 can be integrally provided in the compressor 1, the condenser 2, the evaporator 3, or the intercooler 4 constituting the refrigerator. It is possible to reduce the size of the refrigerator including the semiconductor element 52. Further, the amount of cooling of the semiconductor element 52 can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ". Therefore, it is possible to prevent the dew condensation on the semiconductor element 52 from occurring.

  Further, the inverter cooling apparatus of the third embodiment includes the control means 74 ″ for controlling the regulating valve 72 ″ based on the output power / current of the inverter 5 that drives and controls the compressor 1.

  According to this inverter cooling device, the heat generation amount of the inverter 5 (semiconductor element 52) is calculated from the output information of the inverter 5 that controls the drive of the compressor 1, and the adjustment valve 72 ″ is controlled based on this heat generation amount. By adjusting the flow rate of the liquid phase refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 71 ″, the semiconductor element 52 can be cooled to a desired temperature without causing condensation.

  In the inverter cooling apparatus of the third embodiment, the semiconductor element 52 is provided with a heat radiating member 52b having heat transfer properties, and a bypass pipe 71 ″ is disposed on the heat radiating member 52b (see FIG. 3).

  According to this inverter cooling device, the cooling efficiency is improved by directly cooling the heat dissipating member 52b of the semiconductor element 52 by the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing in the bypass pipe 71 ″, so that the fan 8 (see FIG. 2) is installed. The inverter 5 can be further reduced in size.

  Further, in the refrigerator of the third embodiment, by applying the above-described inverter cooling device, it is possible to prevent the condensation on the semiconductor element 52 from occurring while reducing the size of the refrigerator including the inverter 5. As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the function of the inverter 5 is impaired and obtain stable refrigeration performance.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the liquid-phase refrigerant from the condenser 2 to the evaporator 3 is circulated in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 by the bypass pipes 71, 71 ′, 71 ″. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, liquid phase refrigerant from the condenser 2 to the evaporator 3 is fed into the casing 51 of the inverter 5 by the bypass pipes 71, 71 ′, 71 ″. May be sent to the intercooler 4. That is, the refrigerant circulated in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 is sent to the intermediate cooler 4 to be depressurized, and further, a constant pressure difference is maintained and partly evaporated to reach the evaporator 3. The latent heat is increased, gas-liquid separation is performed again, and the gas-phase refrigerant is sent to the compressor 1, and the liquid-phase refrigerant is sent to the evaporator 3.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, after the liquid phase refrigerant from the intermediate cooler 4 to the evaporator 3 is circulated in the casing 51 of the inverter 5 by the bypass pipes 71, 71 ′, 71 ″, You may send to the evaporator 3. That is, the refrigerant | coolant distribute | circulated in the housing | casing 51 of the inverter 5 is pressure-reduced by sending to the intermediate cooler 4 before that, and also a fixed pressure difference is hold | maintained. At the same time, it is partially evaporated and the latent heat in the evaporator 3 is increased.

  As described above, the inverter cooling device, the inverter cooling method, and the refrigerator according to the present invention are suitable for reducing the size of the refrigerator and preventing the occurrence of condensation on the semiconductor element of the inverter.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compressor 11 Electric motor 12 Compressor 2 Condenser 21 Cooling water piping 3 Evaporator 31 Cooling medium piping 4 Intermediate cooling device 5 Inverter 51 Housing 51c Suction port 51d Exhaust port 52 Semiconductor element 52a Substrate 52b Heat radiation member 6 Circulation path 6a, 6b, 6c Refrigerant piping 71, 71 ', 71 "Bypass pipe 72, 72', 72" Adjusting valve 72a, 72a ', 72a "Actuator 72b, 72b', 72b" Valve 73, 73 'In-case temperature detection means 74, 74 ', 74 "Control means 75' Case outside temperature detection means 76 'Case outside humidity detection means 8 Fan

Claims (7)

A compressor that compresses the refrigerant; a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor; an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant condensed by the condenser; and an inverter that drives and controls the compressor. In an inverter cooling apparatus that cools the inverter according to a refrigerator,
A bypass pipe that bypasses in the middle of a refrigerant pipe that communicates the condenser and the evaporator, and is disposed in the casing of the inverter;
An adjustment valve provided in the bypass pipe and configured to vary a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe;
An inverter cooling device comprising: A temperature inside the casing of the inverter, or a temperature detecting means in the casing for detecting a temperature of a semiconductor element disposed in the casing of the inverter;
Control means for controlling the regulating valve based on the temperature detected by the internal temperature detection means;
The inverter cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising: A temperature inside the casing of the inverter, or a temperature detecting means in the casing for detecting a temperature of a semiconductor element disposed in the casing of the inverter;
An outside-case temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature outside the case of the inverter;
Outside-humidity detection means for detecting humidity outside the casing of the inverter;
Control means for controlling the regulating valve based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means inside the casing, the temperature detected by the temperature detection means outside the casing, and the humidity detected by the humidity detection means outside the casing;
The inverter cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising:   The inverter cooling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the regulating valve based on an output of the inverter that drives and controls the compressor.   The inverter cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor element is provided with a heat radiating member having heat transfer properties, and the bypass pipe is disposed on the heat radiating member. A compressor that compresses the refrigerant; a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor; an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant condensed by the condenser; and an inverter that drives and controls the compressor. In an inverter cooling method according to a cooling device for cooling the inverter,
A cooling device characterized by adjusting a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe while introducing a part of the refrigerant flowing from the condenser to the evaporator into the casing of the inverter via the bypass pipe. Inverter cooling method. A compressor that compresses the refrigerant; a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor; an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant condensed by the condenser; and an inverter that drives and controls the compressor. In the refrigerator,
A refrigerating machine in which the inverter cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is applied in a mode of cooling the inverter.

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