JPH01281381A - Refrigerant recovery device for a cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a refrigerant from being discharged into surrounding atmosphere when the refrigerant is charged and enable this refrigerant to be recovered by a method wherein a blower and a refrigerant absorbing agent which can be removed are installed within a closed circuit space for receiving removed refrigerant. CONSTITUTION:Refrigerant remaining in a cooling device is removed by a pump 15, the removed refrigerant is fed into a closed circuit space 16 and then this is circulated within the closed circuit space 16 by a blower 21. Then, the coolant passes through an active charcoal 20 acting as absorbing agent removable arranged in the closed circuit space 16 during this circulation, thereby the refrigerant is absorbed in the active charcoal 20 and recovered. Due to this fact, the remaining refrigerant is not discharged into the surrounding atmosphere. The refrigerant absorbed in the active charcoal 20 is removed as required from the active charcoal 20 and thus the refrigerant can be filled during a charging of refrigerant for a coolant device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a refrigerant recovery device for a cooling device, and relates to a refrigerant recovery device that is effective for use when recovering refrigerant in, for example, a cooling device for an automobile.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, when filling refrigerant in, for example, an automobile cooling system, the residual refrigerant in the cooling system is generally first released into the atmosphere, and then the inside of the cooling system is evacuated, and the required amount is newly filled. The method used was to fill it with refrigerant.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, such a method has the problem that residual refrigerant, ie, fluorocarbon gas, is released into the atmosphere, and additional refrigerant is required in an amount equal to the amount of refrigerant released into the atmosphere.

In view of the above points, the present invention aims to avoid releasing the refrigerant into the atmosphere during refrigerant filling, and also to enable the refrigerant to be recovered.

(Means for Solving the Problems) According to the present invention, the above problem is solved by providing a closed circuit space into which residual refrigerant is introduced, circulating the residual refrigerant within this closed circuit space, and discharging this residual refrigerant into this closed circuit space. This problem is solved by adsorption and recovery within the
a pump that extracts refrigerant from the cooling device; a closed circuit space that receives the extracted refrigerant supplied from the pump; and a blower that circulates the refrigerant within the closed circuit space;
It is characterized by comprising a refrigerant adsorbent that adsorbs the refrigerant and is detachably installed in the closed circuit space.

It is preferable to use activated carbon as the refrigerant adsorbent, and it is also preferable to provide a device for cooling the activated carbon, and further to provide a device for detecting the pressure or concentration of the refrigerant in the closed circuit space.

[For production]

According to the present invention, the residual refrigerant in the cooling device is removed by the pump, and the removed refrigerant is introduced into the closed circuit space by the pump and is circulated in the closed circuit space. The refrigerant passes through a refrigerant adsorbent in this WI ring, where it is adsorbed and recovered. Therefore, the residual refrigerant is not released into the atmosphere, and the refrigerant adsorbed by the adsorbent is desorbed from the adsorbent as necessary and used when filling the cooling device with refrigerant.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the entire refrigerant recovery apparatus is designated by IO. Refrigerant recovery device lO
Piping 11 connected to a cooling device of an automobile, etc. (not shown)
is provided, and this piping 11 connects stop valves 2 and 1.
3. Piping 1 connecting these stop valves 12 and 13
4 and a pressure pump 15 disposed in this piping 14, it is connected to a closed circuit space 16. This pressure pump 15 is for extracting a refrigerant such as Freon gas from the cooling device, and the closed circuit space 16 is for receiving and storing the extracted refrigerant that is pumped by the pressure pump 15.

Stop valves 17 and 18 are arranged in the closed circuit space 16, and between these two stop valves 17 and 18 is a detachable portion I9 configured to be detachable. This desorption portion 19 constitutes a part of the closed circuit space 16, and therein is housed activated carbon 20 that adsorbs and holds a refrigerant such as Freon gas. A blower 2I is further provided in the closed circuit space I6 to circulate the refrigerant introduced into the closed circuit space 16. Further, a pressure gauge 23 is disposed in the closed circuit space 16, and an I
It is designed to detect the pressure of the refrigerant.

FIG. 2 shows an apparatus for desorbing a refrigerant such as Freon gas adsorbed and recovered by the activated carbon 20. As shown in FIG.

The detachable part 19 containing the activated carbon 20 removed from the closed circuit space 16 is housed in the heating device 100,
This detachable part 19 includes a pipe 101 and a stop valve 10.
4 to the pressure vessel 102. Further, the pressure vessel 102 is housed within a cooling device 103.

The operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

The pipe 11 is connected to the pipe of the air conditioner gW (not shown), and the stop valves 12 and 13 are opened. and pressure pump 15
When the air conditioner is operated, the residual refrigerant in the cooling device is transferred into the closed circuit space 16 through the piping 14. When the refrigerant transfer is completed, the blower 21 is operated with the stop valves 12 and 13 closed and the stop valves 17 and 18 opened.

Due to the action of the blower 21, the refrigerant introduced into the closed circuit space 16 begins to circulate. As the refrigerant circulates within the closed circuit space 16, it passes through the activated carbon 20.

As is well known, the refrigerant currently used in air-conditioning systems is a compound called chlorofluorocarbon (abbreviated as CFC), and in particular, the refrigerant used in air-conditioning systems for self-axle vehicles contains CFC. This is a fluorocarbon gas called Freon RI2. On the other hand, activated carbon is this Freon R1
It has the property of adsorbing 2. Therefore, when a refrigerant such as chlorofluorocarbon gas passes over the surface of the activated carbon 20, a part of the refrigerant is adsorbed on the surface of the activated carbon 20, as in the non-example. Since the refrigerant in the closed circuit space 16 is circulated by the blower 21, the refrigerant passes continuously over the surface of the activated carbon 20, and as a result, the amount of refrigerant adsorbed by the activated carbon 20 increases over time, causing the refrigerant to circulate inside the closed circuit space 16. The amount of refrigerant circulating will decrease. The pressure of the refrigerant circulating in the closed circuit space 16 is detected by the pressure gauge 23, and when it is determined that the amount of refrigerant adsorbed onto the activated carbon 20 has reached its limit, the stop valves 17 and 18 are closed. Thereafter, the desorption section 19 containing the activated carbon 20 is removed from the closed circuit space 16 and replaced with a desorption section 19 containing new activated carbon. Then, the refrigerant recovery operation in the closed circuit space 16 is restarted.

The detachable portion 19 removed from the closed circuit space 16 is the second
As shown in the figure, it is housed in a heating device 1ffiloo and heated. Activated carbon 2 stored in the detachable part 19
0 loses its adsorption power as the temperature rises and desorbs the refrigerant. This desorbed refrigerant passes through the pipe 101 to the pressure vessel 1.
02, and this pressure vessel 102 is connected to a cooling device 103.
The refrigerant is cooled and liquefied in the pressure vessel 102. The refrigerant, such as Freon gas, thus recovered in the pressure vessel 102 is used when filling the cooling device with refrigerant, if necessary. In addition, the activated carbon 20 from which the refrigerant has been desorbed is in the closed circuit space 1.
6, it becomes possible to use it again.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention.

The present embodiment is characterized in that a blower 22 for cooling the desorption section 19 housing the activated carbon 20 is disposed within the refrigerant recovery device ff1O. As a means for detecting the limit of the adsorption amount of the activated carbon 20, a concentration meter 24 is provided in place of the pressure gauge 23 of the first embodiment. Since other points are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same parts are indicated with the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted.

In general, activated carbon 20 has a property of generating heat when it adsorbs a refrigerant, and when the temperature of activated carbon 20 increases due to this heat generation, the adsorption capacity decreases.

In this second embodiment, since the blower 22 blows cold air to the desorption part 19 that houses the activated carbon 20 to cool it, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the activated carbon 20 from rising and to prevent the refrigerant adsorption ability of the activated carbon 20 from decreasing. It disappears. Therefore,
According to this embodiment, the time required for refrigerant adsorption can be shortened and the refrigerant recovery device can be made more efficient.

Note that, as in the first embodiment, when the concentration of the refrigerant circulating in the closed circuit space 16 is detected by the concentration meter 24 and it is determined that the amount of refrigerant adsorbed by the activated carbon 20 has reached its limit, the activated carbon 20 is replaced. The same is true.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention has the above-described configuration and operation, it is possible to collect the refrigerant into a small space without releasing it into the atmosphere when filling the air conditioner with refrigerant, and it is also possible to collect the refrigerant into a small space without releasing it into the atmosphere. Since the refrigerant can be used as needed during filling, it is possible to prevent the use of excess refrigerant.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a device for recovering adsorbed refrigerant, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. This is a similar diagram. 10... Refrigerant recovery device, 11.14,101...
Piping, 13, 14.17.18.104...Stop valve, 15...Pressure pump, 16...Closed circuit space, 19...Desorption part, 20...Activated carbon, 21.22...・Blower, 23...Pressure gauge, 2
4... Concentration meter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. a pump that extracts refrigerant from the cooling device; a closed circuit space that receives the extracted refrigerant supplied from the pump; and a blower that circulates the refrigerant within the closed circuit space;
A refrigerant recovery device for an air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerant adsorbent that adsorbs the refrigerant and is detachably installed in the closed circuit space.