KR20020019787A - High efficiency thermoelectric cooling and heating box for food and drink storage in a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A high efficiency thermo-electric refrigerating/warming cabinet is provided to achieve quick cooling/warming effects by using an air conditioner or heater of motor vehicle. CONSTITUTION: A refrigerating/warming cabinet comprises a refrigerating/warming compartment(10) constituted by an adiabatic outer wall(11) and an inner wall(14), and which has a temperature sensor(12) arranged inside the compartment; a thermo-electric module(20) a surface of which is attached to the refrigerating/warming compartment and the other surface of which is exposed to outside; a first heat exchanger(30) attached to the outer surface of the refrigerating/warming compartment, and which performs a heat exchange operation with the thermo-electric module; a second heat exchanger(60) installed in a duct of a vehicle air conditioner, and which performs a heat exchange operation with the vehicle air conditioner; a pipe(33) for interconnecting the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; and a heat exchange fluid used as a heat exchange medium through the first heat exchanger, second heat exchanger and the pipe.

Description

HIGH EFFICIENCY THERMOELECTRIC COOLING AND HEATING BOX FOR FOOD AND DRINK STORAGE IN A VEHICLE}

The present invention relates to a cold storage for a vehicle using a thermoelectric module, and more particularly to a cold storage for a vehicle having a heat exchange means that can increase the efficiency of cooling and heating using the air conditioner or heater mounted on the vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART In general, a cold refrigerator for a vehicle uses a thermoelectric module or a compressor to remove heat or cold inside the cold cabinet. However, thermoelectric modules are mainly used in recent years due to the narrowness and environment-friendly factors of the installation space inside the vehicle. Cold storage equipment for a vehicle using the thermoelectric module is supplied with power from a battery or a power generation system of the vehicle to obtain a cooling and cooling effect according to the thermoelectric conversion, and is generally used after the vehicle is started. Therefore, such a cold and hot refrigerator has a feature that it cannot be used while the passenger is on board if the internal temperature of the cold and cold refrigerator does not drop or increase effectively within a certain time. In other words, in order for the refrigerator to function properly, it must have the cooling or heating capability to reach the target temperature as soon as possible.

Thermoelectric module is a cooling and heat generation at the same time due to the Peltier effect is a heat and electricity exchange system that can easily replace the cooling and heating through the pole switching (+,-). However, when the thermoelectric module is cooled on one side thereof, heat is generated on the other side, and when used for cooling, the cooling performance depends on how effectively the heat of the opposite side to be cooled is discharged. This is also the case when used for heating.

In the case of a cold oven for a vehicle using a thermoelectric module, such an effective heat exchange is the biggest factor that determines the performance of the cold compartment. Heat or cold air discharged from the cold storage of the vehicle causes heat exchange from the air space outside the vehicle or the vehicle, and the heat exchange is heat exchanged with the outside air cooled in summer or winter, or to some extent heated or cooled inside the vehicle. Since it is heat exchange with and is in itself a limitation, due to the narrow heat exchange space inside the vehicle it is difficult to circulate air, which is a disadvantage that the heat exchange efficiency is not so high. Therefore, the problem of lowering the efficiency of the cold storage due to such heat exchange, the cold storage has a disadvantage that the temperature does not reach the target temperature.

Figure 1 shows the refrigeration efficiency of the conventional vehicle refrigerator as described above.

As can be seen in Figure 1 it takes about 100 minutes for the temperature inside the refrigerator to drop below zero, at which time the temperature of the storage of the refrigerator will be higher than this. Therefore, more time is required to use the cold storage in the cold state. This means that the car refrigerator only functions for a long time, and as shown in the figure, the effect of refrigeration also does not fall much below 0 ° C.

In order to solve this structural problem, as described in US Pat. No. 4,823,554, one side of the duct is attached to the vehicle refrigerator, and the other side is attached to the indoor air conditioner of the vehicle so that the air conditioner wind of the vehicle is directly sucked into the vehicle refrigerator to induce heat exchange. Technology has been developed. This attempt to solve the existing heat exchange problem by temporarily increasing the heat exchange effect, but there has been a problem that still has structural limitations in the cold and cold storage for vehicles that require high heat exchange efficiency.

The present invention is to solve the disadvantages of the above-described cold storage for the car, the purpose of maximizing the heat exchange effect of the thermoelectric module attached to the cold storage, to provide a cold storage for the vehicle to increase the cooling effect.

1 is a view showing the refrigeration efficiency of a conventional vehicle refrigerator.

2 is a block diagram of a cold storage room for a vehicle using the inner wall of the present invention as a material having excellent thermal conductivity

3 is a block diagram of a cold compartment for a vehicle using a heat sink and a fan of the present invention

4 is a view showing the refrigeration efficiency of the vehicle refrigerator of the present invention in the state that the air opening is open.

5 is a view showing the refrigeration efficiency of the vehicle refrigerator of the present invention in a state in which the tuyere is sealed.

* Explanation of the reference numerals for the main parts of the drawings

10: cold room 11: outer wall

12: temperature sensor 13: fan

14: inner wall 15: heat sink

16: fin 20: thermoelectric module

30: first heat exchanger 31: inlet

32: outlet 33: tube

40: storage tank 50: pump

60: second heat exchanger 70: blowing fan

71: vehicle heat exchanger

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a cold and hot room 10 and one side of the heat insulating outer wall 11 and the heat conductive inner wall 14 or the heat sink 15 is attached to the cold and hot room 10, The other side is attached to an outer surface to which the thermoelectric module 20 exposed to the outside and the thermoelectric module 20 of the cold / cold chamber 10 is attached to exchange heat with the thermoelectric module 30, and And a second heat exchanger 60 installed in the duct of the air conditioner of the vehicle and connecting the first heat exchanger 60 and the second heat exchanger 60 to exchange heat with the vehicle air conditioner. And a heat exchange fluid used as a heat exchange medium through the first heat exchanger (30) and the second heat exchanger (60) and the pipe.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail for the cold and cold vehicle for the present invention. In the specification of the present application, components having substantially the same configuration and function will be referred to by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

The technical idea of the present invention is equally applicable to a vehicle refrigerator as well as a vehicle refrigerator. Hereinafter, the description of the vehicle refrigerator is omitted because the vehicle refrigerator which is an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle refrigerator. As can be seen in the drawing, the vehicle refrigerator of the present invention is attached to the refrigerating chamber 10 and the refrigerating chamber outer surface where the refrigeration is made, using the thermoelectric module 20 for absorbing and dissipating the heat of the refrigerating chamber and the air conditioner inside the vehicle. ) And a first heat exchanger (30) and a second heat exchanger (60) that exchange heat, and the refrigerating chamber (10) is constituted by an outer wall (11) and an inner wall (14).

The refrigerating chamber 10 is surrounded by an outer wall 11 formed of a heat insulating material having a low thermal conductivity to block heat transfer to the outside, and the inner wall 14 of the refrigerating chamber is made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity such as aluminum to absorb heat from the inside. can do. The thermoelectric module 20 is mounted on one side wall of the refrigerating chamber 10 to function to dissipate heat of the refrigerating chamber 10 to the outside.

In another embodiment, instead of using a material such as aluminum having excellent thermal conductivity as the inner wall 14, as shown in FIG. 3, a heat sink such as aluminum having a plurality of fins 16 on the cooling surface of the thermoelectric module 20 ( 15) can be attached to improve the cooling efficiency, and may have a fan 13 inside the refrigerating chamber 10.

When the thermoelectric module 20 is supplied with power, one surface is cooled and the other surface is heated. The thermoelectric module 20 is installed to be in contact with the refrigerating chamber 10 when the power is supplied, and the heated surface is in contact with the first heat exchanger 30. Install it. Therefore, when the thermoelectric module 20 is operated, heat inside the refrigerating chamber 10 is absorbed by the first heat exchanger 30 through the thermoelectric module 20. In order to facilitate heat absorption and heat exchange in the refrigerating compartment (10), the inside of the refrigerating compartment (10) includes a heat sink having an inner wall 14 or a plurality of fins 16 formed of a material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum; 15) is provided. The thermally conductive inner wall 14 or the heat sink 15 serves as a heat absorbing plate when refrigerated, and serves as a heat sink when warmed. In addition, the fan 13 may be attached to the inside of the refrigerating compartment 10 in order to allow the air including the heat inside the refrigerating compartment 10 to easily approach the thermoelectric module 20 to radiate heat. In addition, the temperature sensor 12 is attached to the inside of the refrigerating chamber 10 to grasp the current temperature of the refrigerating chamber. Temperature control of the refrigerating chamber 10 through the temperature sensor 12 will be more easily possible.

A heat exchanger is attached to the refrigerator to increase the refrigeration efficiency. The heat exchanger of the present invention is a water-cooled heat exchanger using cooling water, which is characterized by using an in-vehicle air conditioner.

The heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger 30 in contact with the heat dissipation surface of the thermoelectric module 20 and a second heat exchanger 60 for heat exchange with the in-vehicle air conditioning apparatus, a pipe 33 connecting the same to allow the cooling water to pass through, It consists of a fluid storage tank 40 for storing the cooling water and a pump 50 for supplying and forcibly circulating the cooling water.

The cooling water enters the inlet 31 of the first heat exchanger 30, absorbs the heat discharged from the inside of the refrigerating chamber 10 through the thermoelectric module 20, and then the first heat exchanger 30 through the outlet 32. Get out. The heated coolant is temporarily stored in the fluid storage tank 40 and then supplied to the second heat exchanger 60 by the pump 50.

The second heat exchanger 60 is installed in the duct inside (not shown) of the air conditioner of the vehicle. The second heat exchanger 60 is installed in close proximity to the vehicle heat exchanger 71 and the blower fan 70 in the air conditioner to achieve rapid heat exchange. In order to increase the efficiency, the tube made of material with excellent thermal conductivity is bent in a zigzag form to maximize the heat dissipation area.

It is preferable that the pipe 33 which connects the 1st heat exchanger 30 and the 2nd heat exchanger 60, and is used as a channel | path of cooling water is formed with a heat insulating material.

The cold / hot refrigerator for a vehicle of the present invention may use its own battery as a power source for operating the thermoelectric module, but it is more preferable to use an internal battery or a vehicle body generator.

Referring to the operation of the cold and cold vehicle for an embodiment of the present invention having the configuration as described above in more detail.

When the driver starts the vehicle, starts the air conditioner and operates the refrigerator through an operation switch, electricity is supplied to the thermoelectric module, the fan, and the pump through a vehicle power supply (not shown).

When electricity is supplied, the cooling fan 13 and the thermoelectric module 20 inside the refrigerating chamber 10 operate, and the surface of the thermoelectric module 20 in contact with the refrigerating chamber 10 is rapidly cooled, so that the thermoelectric module 20 is attached. The heat conductive inner wall 14 or the heat sink 15 of the refrigerating chamber 10 is also cooled. Therefore, the surrounding heat is absorbed by the heat conductive inner wall 14 of the refrigerating chamber 10 or the fin 16 attached to the heat sink 15, and the heat is dissipated through the surface in contact with the first heat exchanger 30. do.

In addition, the fan 13 operates to circulate the air in the refrigerating compartment 10 so that the cool air cooled by the thermoelectric module 20 may be evenly transmitted to the refrigerating compartment 10.

On the other hand, the heat dissipated from the surface of the thermoelectric module 20 in contact with the first heat exchanger 30 is discharged through the cooling water flowing in the first heat exchanger 30, as described above is emitted from the thermoelectric module 20 The rapid discharge of heat is a key to the performance of the thermoelectric module and to the performance of the refrigerator. In other words, if a constant current is supplied, the temperature of the surface on which the thermoelectric module having a characteristic of maintaining a constant temperature difference between both sides is lowered, the temperature of the surface to be cooled is also lowered to accelerate the cooling of the refrigerating compartment.

The cooling water absorbing the heat of the refrigerating chamber 10 is introduced into the second heat exchanger 60 located in the duct (not shown) of the vehicle air conditioner by the pump 50 via the storage tank 40.

Since the second heat exchanger 60 is located in the duct of the air conditioning apparatus, the cooling water absorbing the heat of the refrigerating chamber is cooled in a short time by the cold wind of the vehicle heat exchanger 71 and the blowing fan 70 such as an air conditioner, The coolant thus cooled is supplied to the first heat exchanger 30 again to absorb heat from the thermoelectric module 20.

Since the cooling water absorbing the heat of the thermoelectric module 20 is directly cooled by the vehicle air conditioner, the refrigerating effect inside the refrigerating chamber 10 is remarkably increased.

4 and 5 are views showing the refrigeration effect of the vehicle refrigerator as an embodiment of the present invention as described above. 4 is a view showing that the temperature in the refrigerating chamber is deteriorated over time without opening the air vent (not shown) of the vehicle into which the outside air is introduced, and not blocking the inflow of outdoor air. It is a figure which shows the temperature change in the refrigerator compartment in the state which interrupted the inflow of air.

As can be seen in the figure, it can be seen that the time when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber drops below zero is significantly reduced than that of the conventional vehicle refrigerator. In addition, unlike shown in Figure 1 it can be seen that the temperature inside the refrigerating chamber also drops very much below 0 ℃. In other words, the vehicle refrigerator can be effectively used even for a short time driving.

The cold refrigerator for a vehicle of the present invention always detects the internal temperature by a temperature sensor installed inside the refrigerating compartment, and maintains an appropriate temperature by a separate temperature control device (not shown), and overcooling or overheating the cold compartment To prevent damage to the system.

In order to use a car refrigerator as a warmer in winter, it is necessary to reverse the polarity of the power supplied to the thermoelectric element through the power supply.

Unlike when used as a refrigerator, the heat generating side and the cooling side of the thermoelectric module are changed, and the refrigerating chamber is changed into a warming chamber. In addition, the cooling water used for cooling the thermoelectric module is used for heating the thermoelectric module.

The cold storage box for a vehicle of the present invention may be installed to be detachable from the inside of the vehicle, but in contact with the heat exchanger of the present invention, it is preferable to be fixed to maintain a high efficiency refrigeration effect.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and can be variously changed and applied in various forms within the scope not departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

As described above, the cold / hot refrigerator for a vehicle of the present invention may exhibit a quick cold / hot effect by using a water-cooled heat exchanger using a vehicle air conditioner, and thus, the cold / hot refrigerator for a vehicle may be efficiently used within a short time.

Claims (6)

A cold / cold chamber (10) comprising a heat insulating outer wall (11) and an inner wall (14) and having a temperature sensor (12) therein; A thermoelectric module 20 having one side attached to the cold / cold chamber 10 and the other side exposed to the outside; A first heat exchanger (30) attached to an outer surface to which the thermoelectric module (20) of the cold / warm room (10) is attached to perform heat exchange with the thermoelectric module (30); A second heat exchanger (60) installed in the duct of the vehicle air conditioner to exchange heat with the vehicle air conditioner; A pipe (33) connecting the first heat exchanger (60) and the second heat exchanger (60); The first and second heat exchangers (30), the second heat exchanger (60) and the heat exchange fluid for the vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a heat exchange fluid used as a heat exchange medium through the tube (33). The method of claim 1, The inner wall 14 is a cold compartment for a vehicle, characterized in that made of a thermally conductive material. The method of claim 1, The cold and cold room 10 has a fan 13 therein, and a heat sink 15 having a plurality of fins 16 is attached to the surface in contact with the thermoelectric module 20 is attached to the vehicle. Cold and hot. The method of claim 1, Vehicle cold and cold storage, characterized in that the pump 50 for forcibly circulating the heat exchange fluid between the first heat exchanger (30) and the second heat exchanger (60). The method of claim 4, wherein Cold storage cabinet for a vehicle, characterized in that the fluid storage tank 40 for storing the heat exchange fluid between the first heat exchanger (30) and the pump (50). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The cold and cold room 10 and the first heat exchanger (30) is a cold compartment for a vehicle, characterized in that formed to be removable from each other.