COOLING APPARATUS

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/JP2023/046221 with an international filing date of Dec. 22, 2023, which claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-000628 filed on Jan. 5, 2023, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a cooling apparatus, and more particularly to a cooling apparatus using a Peltier element.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, cooling apparatuses using a Peltier module have been attracting attention as one type of cooling apparatuses that use no freon gas. The Peltier module is generally a thermoelectric component that is configured by arranging one or more Peltier elements in a plane and that has two heat transfer surfaces and functions to cool one heat transfer surface (hereinafter, cooling-side heat transfer surface or first heat transfer surface) and heat the other heat transfer surface by passing an electric current. As used herein, the cooled side and the cooled heat transfer surface of the Peltier module are referred to as “cooling side” and “first heat transfer surface”, respectively, and the heated side and the heated heat transfer surface are referred to as “heat dissipation side” and “second heat transfer surface”, respectively.

An example of the cooling apparatuses using the Peltier module is a Peltier cooling system proposed in JP 2001-82855 A. The cooling system of JP 2001-82855 A employs a method of circulating a refrigerant on the cooling side of a Peltier element, for cooling. During “cooling period”, the cooling system cools the inside of a cold storage chamber by energizing the Peltier element and circulating the refrigerant inside the cold storage chamber while cooling the refrigerant. During “temperature keeping period”, the cooling system stops energizing the Peltier element and returns the refrigerant near the Peltier element to a reserve tank, to prevent the refrigerant from being present in the pipe near the Peltier element.

However, in the cooling system of JP 2001-82855 A, since the Peltier element keeps in active mode during the “cooling period”, an increased load on the Peltier element is induced, which may lead to a large power consumption.

SUMMARY

Thus, in view of such problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a cooling apparatus that can reduce the load on a Peltier element.

A cooling apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a Peltier module including one or more Peltier elements, the Peltier module having a first heat transfer surface and a second heat transfer surface that are cooled and heated, respectively, by passing an electric current therethrough; a first heat transferor thermally connected to the first heat transfer surface; a second heat transferor thermally connected to the second heat transfer surface; a heat receiver thermally connected to an object to be cooled disposed apart from the Peltier module; a refrigerant circulation flow path in which a refrigerant flows; a first heat dissipator including a first end and a second end, the first heat dissipator being configured such that the refrigerant flowing along the refrigerant circulation flow path flows from the first end to the second end exchanges heat with surrounding outside air while passing through the first heat dissipator, and flows from the second end to the first heat transferor or the second heat transferor; a temperature measurer acquiring a temperature value of at least outside air; and a controller. The refrigerant circulates through the heat receiver, the first heat dissipator, and the first heat transferor or the second heat transferor. The controller controls heat exchange of the refrigerant at the Peltier module and heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator based on the temperature value acquired by the temperature measurer.

According to the cooling apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the load on the Peltier element can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become readily understood from the following description of non-limiting and exemplary embodiments thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like reference numeral and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a cooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a controller of the cooling apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing an operating state control process for an Example of the cooling apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing an operating state control process for another Example of the cooling apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a cooling apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating a first operating state;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of the cooling apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating a second operating state;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of the cooling apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating a third operating state;

FIG. 7A is a flowchart showing an operating state control process for an Example of the cooling apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing an operating state control process for another Example of the cooling apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A cooling apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a Peltier module including one or more Peltier elements, the Peltier module having a first heat transfer surface and a second heat transfer surface that are cooled and heated, respectively, by passing an electric current therethrough; a first heat transferor thermally connected to the first heat transfer surface; a second heat transferor thermally connected to the second heat transfer surface; a heat receiver thermally connected to an object to be cooled disposed apart from the Peltier module; a refrigerant circulation flow path in which a refrigerant flows; a first heat dissipator including a first end and a second end, the first heat dissipator being configured such that the refrigerant flowing along the refrigerant circulation flow path flows from the first end to the second end exchanges heat with surrounding outside air while passing through the first heat dissipator, and flows from the second end to the first heat transferor or the second heat transferor; a temperature measurer acquiring a temperature value of at least outside air; and a controller. The refrigerant circulates through the heat receiver, the first heat dissipator, and the first heat transferor or the second heat transferor. The controller controls heat exchange of the refrigerant at the Peltier module and heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator based on the temperature value acquired by the temperature measurer.

According to this aspect, the load on the Peltier element can be reduced, and thus it is possible to decrease the power consumption.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first end of the first heat dissipator is thermally connected to the heat receiver via the refrigerant circulation flow path. The cooling apparatus further includes a first pump disposed on the refrigerant circulation flow path between the heat receiver and the first end, the first pump driving circulation of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the Peltier module has a first mode in which it is active and a second mode in which it is inactive. The first heat dissipator includes a first fan that promotes heat exchange between the refrigerant and surrounding outside air when the refrigerant passes through the first heat dissipator. The first heat dissipator has a first state in which the first fan runs and a second state in which the first fan stops. The heat exchange of the refrigerant at the Peltier module is controlled by switching the Peltier module between the first mode and the second mode, and the heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator is controlled by switching the first heat dissipator between the first state and the second state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the second heat transferor includes a second fan that promotes heat exchange between the second heat transferor and surrounding outside air. The controller activates the second fan when triggering the Peltier module to the first mode, and the controller stops the second fan when triggering the Peltier module to the second mode.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the temperature measurer acquires a first temperature value of outside air around the first heat dissipator. When the first temperature value is lower than a predetermined first reference temperature value, the controller triggers the Peltier module to the second mode and puts the first heat dissipator in the first state, and when the first temperature value is equal to or greater than the predetermined first reference temperature value, the controller triggers the Peltier module to the first mode and puts the first heat dissipator in the first state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, in an operating state in which the Peltier module is in the first mode and the first heat dissipator is in the first state, when the first temperature value is equal to or lower than a predetermined second reference temperature value, the controller maintains the operating state of the Peltier module and the first heat dissipator, and when the first temperature value is higher than the second reference temperature value, the controller maintains the Peltier module in the first mode and switches the first heat dissipator to the second first state. The second reference temperature value is a temperature value higher than the first reference temperature value.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, in an operating state in which the Peltier module is in the first mode and the first heat dissipator is in the first state, the temperature measurer further acquires a second temperature value of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end of the first heat dissipator. When the second temperature value is equal to or higher than the first temperature value, the controller maintains the operating state of the Peltier module and the first heat dissipator, and when the second temperature value is lower than the first temperature value, the controller maintains the Peltier module in the first mode and switches the first heat dissipator to the second state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, in an operating state in which the Peltier module is in the first mode and the first heat dissipator is in the first state, the temperature measurer further acquires a second temperature value of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end of the first heat dissipator and a third temperature value of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the second end of the first heat dissipator. When the second temperature value is equal to or higher than the third temperature value, the controller maintains the operating state of the Peltier module and the first heat dissipator, and when the second temperature value is lower than the third temperature value, the controller maintains the Peltier module in the first mode and switches the first heat dissipator to the second state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, further including a second heat dissipator thermally connected in series to the second heat transferor via the refrigerant circulation flow path, the second heat dissipator being configured to exchange heat with surrounding outside air when the refrigerant flowing along the refrigerant circulation flow path passes through the second heat dissipator. The refrigerant circulation flow path includes: a first circulation flow path in which the refrigerant circulates by passing through the first heat transferor and the heat receiver in series; and a second circulation flow path in which the refrigerant circulates by passing through the second heat transferor and the second heat dissipator in series. The Peltier module has: a third mode in which the Peltier module is active, and the refrigerant circulates through the first circulation flow path and the second circulation flow path; and a fourth mode in which the Peltier module is inactive, and the refrigerant circulates only through the first circulation flow path. The first heat dissipator has: a third state in which the first heat dissipator is connected in series to the first heat transferor and the heat receiver to constitute the first circulation flow path; and a fourth state in which the first heat dissipator is connected in series to the second heat transferor and the second heat dissipator to constitute the second circulation flow path. The heat exchange of the refrigerant at the Peltier module is controlled by switching the Peltier module between the third mode and the fourth mode, and the heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator is controlled by switching the first heat dissipator between the third state and the fourth state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first heat dissipator includes a first fan that promotes heat exchange between the refrigerant and surrounding outside air when the refrigerant passes through the first heat dissipator. The controller activates the first fan when the first heat dissipator is in the third state or the fourth state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the second heat dissipator includes a second fan that promotes heat exchange between the refrigerant and surrounding outside air when the refrigerant passes through the second heat dissipator. The controller activates the second fan when triggering the Peltier module to the third mode, and the controller stops the second fan when triggering the Peltier module to the fourth mode.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the temperature measurer acquires a first temperature value of outside air around the first heat dissipator. When the first temperature value is lower than a predetermined first reference temperature value, the controller triggers the Peltier module to the fourth mode and puts the first heat dissipator in the third state, and when the first temperature value is equal to or higher than the first reference temperature value, the controller triggers the Peltier module to the third mode and puts the first heat dissipator in the third state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, in an operating state in which the Peltier module is in the third mode and the first heat dissipator is in the third state, when the first temperature value is equal to or lower than a predetermined second reference temperature value, the controller maintains the operating state of the Peltier module and the first heat dissipator, and when the first temperature value is higher than the second reference temperature value, the controller maintains the Peltier module in the third mode and switches the first heat dissipator to the fourth state. The second reference temperature value is a temperature value higher than the first reference temperature value.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, in an operating state in which the Peltier module is in the third mode and the first heat dissipator is in the third state, the temperature measurer further acquires a second temperature value of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end of the first heat dissipator. When the second temperature value is equal to or higher than the first temperature value, the controller maintains the operating state of the Peltier module and the first heat dissipator, and when the second temperature value is lower than the first temperature value, the controller maintains the Peltier module in the third mode and switches the first heat dissipator to the fourth state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, in an operating state in which the Peltier module is in the third mode and the first heat dissipator is in the third state, the temperature measurer further acquires a second temperature value of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end of the first heat dissipator and a third temperature value of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the second end of the first heat dissipator. When the second temperature value is equal to or higher than the third temperature value, the controller maintains the operating state of the Peltier module and the first heat dissipator, and when the second temperature value is lower than the third temperature value, the controller maintains the Peltier module in the third mode and switches the first heat dissipator to the fourth state.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the refrigerant circulation flow path includes a plurality of valves. The controller switches the Peltier module between the third mode and the fourth mode and switches the first heat dissipator between the third state and the fourth state by operating the plurality of valves.

In addition, in a cooling apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure, further including a second pump disposed on the second circulation flow path and configured to drive the circulation of the refrigerant. The controller activates the second pump when triggering the Peltier module to the third mode, and the controller stops the second pump when triggering the Peltier module to the fourth mode.

Any of the above various embodiments may be appropriately combined to achieve the effects of each of the embodiments.

Embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanations than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and duplicate explanations for substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding of those skilled in the art.

Cooling apparatuses according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7B. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims. In each figure, each element is exaggerated for ease of explanation. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are imparted to substantially the same members.

FIRST EMBODIMENT

Configuration of Cooling Apparatus

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a cooling apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The cooling apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is configured including a Peltier module 10, a cooling-side configuration 20, a heat-dissipation-side configuration 30, temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c, a controller 50, and a refrigerant circulation flow path 60. The cooling apparatus 100 can cool an object to be cooled 70 by circulating a refrigerant through the refrigerant circulation flow path 60.

The Peltier module 10 may include one or more Peltier elements and generally has a flat plate shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the Peltier module 10 has a first heat transfer surface 10a and a second heat transfer surface 10b that face each other. By passing an electric current therethrough, the first heat transfer surface 10a on the cooling side is cooled and the second heat transfer surface 10b on the heat dissipation side is heated. The Peltier elements that constitute the Peltier module 10 may have the configuration of a conventionally known Peltier element, and further detailed description thereof will be omitted in this specification.

The refrigerant circulation flow path 60 of the cooling apparatus 100 is disposed on the cooling side of the Peltier module 10. The refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 is cooled by heat exchange in a first heat transferor 21 and/or a first heat dissipator 25, and absorbs heat from the object to be cooled 70 in a heat receiver 22, thereby cooling the object to be cooled 70.

(Cooling-Side Configuration)

The cooling-side configuration 20 is composed of the first heat transferor 21, the heat receiver 22, a first pump 23, a first reserve tank 24, and the first heat dissipator 25, which are thermally connected by a refrigerant circulation flow path 60. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant circulation flow path 60, passing through the first heat transferor 21, the heat receiver 22, the first pump 23, the first reserve tank 24, and the first heat dissipator 25 in this order.

The first heat transferor 21 is thermally connected to and can exchange heat with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10. The refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 passes through the first heat transferor 21 from an inflow end 21a to an outflow end 21b of the first heat transferor 21 (refrigerant circulation flow path A1 indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1), and gets cooled by exchanging heat with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10 while passing through.

The heat receiver 22 is thermally connected to and capable of exchanging heat with an object to be cooled 70 disposed away from the Peltier module 10. The refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 passes through the heat receiver 22 from an inflow end 22a to an outflow end 22b of the heat receiver 22 (refrigerant circulation flow path A4 indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1), and while passing through, it absorbs heat from the object to be cooled 70 and is heated, and at the same time, the object to be cooled 70 is cooled.

The first heat dissipator 25 has a first end 25a and a second end 25b. The refrigerant flowing along the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 flows from the first end 25a to the second end 25b, passes through the first heat dissipator 25, and exchanges heat with the surrounding outside air. The refrigerant that has passed through the first heat dissipator 25 flows from the second end 25b to the first heat transferor 21 of the Peltier module 10. It is also possible to configure the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat dissipator to flow from the second end 25b to the second heat transferor of the Peltier module 10. Such a configuration will be described in detail in the second embodiment described later.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the first heat dissipator 25 is thermally connected at the first end 25a to the outflow end 22b of the heat receiver 22 and at the second end 25b to the inflow end 21a of the first heat transferor 21 via the refrigerant circulation flow path 60. In addition, although not limited thereto, for example, the first heat dissipator 25 may include a heat sink (not shown), a heat dissipation fin (not shown), or the like, and when the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 passes through the first heat dissipator 25 from the first end 25a to the second end 25b (refrigerant circulation flow path A6 shown by the arrow in FIG. 1), heat may be exchanged with the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25 via the heat sink or the heat dissipation fins.

In this embodiment, the first heat dissipator 25 includes a first fan 26, which can promote heat exchange with the surrounding outside air when the refrigerant passes through the first heat dissipator 25. When the heat receiver 22 removes heat from the object to be cooled 70 and the heated refrigerant passes through the first heat dissipator 25, the heat is transferred to the surrounding outside air, and the generated hot air is removed by the blowing of the first fan 26, thereby promoting heat dissipation from the first heat dissipator 25.

The first pump 23 is disposed to drive the circulation of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60, and the first reserve tank 24 can store the refrigerant used for circulation in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60. In this embodiment, the first pump 23 is disposed on the refrigerant circulation flow path between the outflow end 22b of the heat receiver 22 and the first end 25a of the first heat dissipator 25. The pump 23 generates heat when it operates, and the heat may be also transferred to the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60. Therefore, by disposing the first pump 23 downstream of the heat receiver 22 in the flow of the refrigerant, the influence of the heat generated by the first pump 23 on the cooling of the object to be cooled 70 can be reduced. The first reserve tank 24 may be disposed at any position in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60. In this embodiment, the first reserve tank 24 is disposed adjacent to the first pump 23 between the outflow end 22b of the heat receiver 22 and the first end 25a of the first heat dissipator 25. The refrigerant stored in the reserve tank 24 can be used to replace or replenish the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 circulates along a closed flow path formed on the cooling side in the order of the refrigerant circulation flow path A1-A2-A3-A4-A5-A6-A7-A1, and repeatedly exchanges heat with the first heat transfer surface 10a on the cooling side of the Peltier module 10, the object to be cooled 70, and the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25, thereby cooling the object to be cooled 70. The refrigerant used for circulation may be doped with an antifreeze such as propylene glycol to prevent freezing that may occur depending on the usage environment of the cooling apparatus. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited by the concentration or type of antifreeze added. The type and added concentration of antifreeze can be selected according to the application.

(Heat-Dissipation-Side Configuration)

The heat-dissipation-side configuration 30 is configured by a second heat transferor 31. The second heat transferor 31 is thermally connected to the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 and can exchange heat. In this embodiment, the second heat transferor 31 includes a second fan 36 and a dissipator 37. The dissipator 37 can include, for example, a heat sink 37a and heat dissipation fins 37b, but is not limited thereto. The heat sink 37a is in thermal contact with the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 at the contact surface, and can exchange heat with the heated second heat transfer surface 10b when the Peltier module 10 is activated. The heat dissipation fins 37b are disposed on the opposite side of the contact surface of the heat sink 37a, and can increase the contact area with the air to promote efficient heat dissipation of the heat sink 37a. The second fan 36 can promote heat dissipation from the heat sink 37a by blowing air to the heat dissipation fins 37b, and thus promote heat exchange between the second heat transferor 31 and the surrounding outside air.

In this embodiment, the heat-dissipation-side configuration 30 is configured to dissipate the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 by exchanging heat with the outside air, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The heat-dissipation-side configuration 30 can also be provided with a refrigerant circulation flow path, as in the cooling-side configuration 20, to dissipate the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 via the circulation of the refrigerant. An example of such a configuration will be described later with reference to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Note that a heat insulating material or a cold storage chamber may be partially disposed in the cooling-side configuration 20, the heat-dissipation-side configuration 30, and the refrigerant circulation flow path 60. The location where the heat insulating material or the cold storage chamber is disposed can be selected depending on the application, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

(Temperature Measurer)

The temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c are configured to acquire at least the temperature value of the outside air. In this embodiment, the temperature measurer 40a is disposed on the cooling side of the Peltier module 10 and is disposed to acquire the temperature of the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25. Although FIG. 1 shows the temperature measurer 40a disposed in close proximity to the first heat dissipator 25, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The temperature measurer 40a only needs to acquire the temperature of the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25, and can also be disposed in a location physically separated from the first heat dissipator 25. In this embodiment, the temperature measurer 40b can acquire the temperature of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a of the first heat dissipator 25, and the temperature measurer 40c can acquire the temperature of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the second end 25b of the first heat dissipator 25. The configuration of the temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c can adopt the configuration of a conventionally known temperature sensor, and further detailed description will be omitted in this specification.

(Controller)

The controller 50 receives temperature data acquired by the temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c, and can control the heat exchange of the refrigerant at the Peltier module 10 and the heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator 25 based on the temperature measurement value. The configuration of the controller 50 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the controller 50 of the cooling apparatus 100 of FIG. 1. The controller 50 according to this embodiment may be, for example, a computer, which may be configured as a general-purpose computer device. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the computer device includes a temperature value receiver 51, a processor 52, a storage 53, and an output device 54, and is electrically connected to the temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c.

From the temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c, the temperature value receiver 51 receives data of a first temperature value T1 of the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25, data of a second temperature value T2 of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a of the first heat dissipator 25, and data of a third temperature value T3 of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the second end 25b of the first heat dissipator 25. The temperature values may be received by a wired connection or wirelessly.

The processor 52 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microcomputer, or a processor capable of executing computer-executable instructions. The processor 52 executes a data processing program based on the temperature measurement data T1, T2, and T3 received by the temperature value receiver 51 and the reference temperature value data stored in the storage 53, and the like, to determine the operating states of the Peltier module 10 and the first heat dissipator 25.

The storage 53 may be, for example, an auxiliary storage such as a hard disk drive, and stores the data processing program executed by the processor 52, various data, etc. The data stored in the storage 53 may also include, for example, correlation data used to determine the operating states of the Peltier module 10 and the first heat dissipator 25.

The output device 54 may be an output interface circuit that outputs a control signal from the controller 50 to an external device. The control signal output from the controller 50 may include, for example, a control signal S1 to the Peltier module 10, a control signal S2 to the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25, a control signal S3 to the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31, a control signal S4 to the first pump 23, etc. The control signals may be output by a wired connection or may be transmitted wirelessly.

The controller 50 may obtain the data processing program, etc., to be executed by the processor 52, from a portable storage medium. The storage medium is a medium that stores information such as programs, by electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, or chemical action so that a computer or other device, machine, etc. can read the recorded information. When the controller 50 is connected to a network, the data processing program, etc., may be downloaded from the network as necessary.

In this embodiment, the Peltier module 10 has a first mode in which it is active and a second mode in which it is inactive, and the first heat dissipator 25 has a first state in which the first fan 26 runs and a second state in which the first fan 26 stops. The controller 50 can control the operating state of the cooling apparatus 100 by switching the Peltier module 10 between the first mode and the second mode and by switching the first heat dissipator 25 between the first state and the second state. The active mode and the inactive mode of the Peltier module 10 can be controlled by “power supply” and “power stop” to the Peltier module 10.

Specifically, when the cooling apparatus 100 is in the first operating state a1, the controller 50 triggers the Peltier module 10 to the inactive mode (second mode of the Peltier module 10) and activates the first fan 26 (first state of the first heat dissipator 25). At this time, the controller 50 can stop the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31. When the cooling apparatus 100 is in the second operating state a2, the controller 50 triggers the Peltier module 10 to the active mode (first mode of the Peltier module 10) and also activates the first fan 26 (first state of the first heat dissipator 25). At this time, the controller 50 can activate the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31. When the cooling apparatus 100 is in the third operating state a3, the controller 50 triggers the Peltier module 10 to the active mode (first mode of the Peltier module 10) and stops the first fan 26 (second state of the first heat dissipator 25). At this time, the controller 50 can activate the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31.

In this manner, the load on the Peltier element can be reduced by controlling the heat exchange of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 at the Peltier module 10 and the heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator 25 by the controller 50. In addition to controlling the operating state of the cooling apparatus 100, the controller 50 can also perform operation control of, for example, but not limited to, the drive current value or drive voltage value of the Peltier module 10, the rotation speed of the first fan 26, the rotation speed of the second fan 36, etc. The mechanisms of these operation control can employ the configuration of a conventionally known controller, and further detailed description will be omitted in this specification.

The control process for the operating state of the cooling apparatus 100 executed by the controller 50 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3A is a flowchart showing an operating state control process according to one example of the cooling apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3B is a flowchart showing an operating state control process according to another example of the cooling apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Control Process of Cooling Apparatus 100

(Operating State Control Process According to An Example)

• • (1) In the control process of the cooling apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 3A, first, at S501, the controller 50 can set the cooling apparatus 100 to an initial state. In this embodiment, in the initial state of the cooling apparatus 100, the controller 50 transmits a control signal S5 to the first pump 23 to activate the first pump 23 to drive the circulation of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60. At this time, the Peltier module 10 is stopped, and the first fan 26 and the second fan 36 are also stopped.
  • (2) Next, at S502, the temperature measurer 40a acquires a first temperature value T1 of the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25, and transmits the data of T1 to the temperature value receiver 51 of the controller 50. The processor 52 uses the data T1 received by the temperature value receiver 51 to compare the first temperature value T1, which is the outside air temperature around the first heat dissipator 25, with a first reference temperature value T10 stored in the storage 53, to determine an operating state of the cooling apparatus 100.

Here, the outside air temperature around the first heat dissipator 25 and the cooling effect of circulating the cooling-side refrigerant that got cooled by using only heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25 without activating the Peltier module 10 at such an outside air temperature can be verified in advance, and the first reference temperature value T10 can be set based on the verification results. For example, the first reference temperature value T10 can be set as a temperature value at or below a certain outside air temperature at which a sufficient cooling effect can be obtained for the object to be cooled by circulating the cooling-side refrigerant with heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25 without activating the Peltier module 10.

• • (3) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is lower than the set first reference temperature value T10, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1 and S2 to the Peltier module 10 and the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 100 in the first operating state al. At this time, the controller 50 further transmits the control signal S3 to the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31 to maintain stopping of the second fan 36 (S503).

In the first operating state a1, the controller 50 triggers the Peltier module 10 to the inactive mode and activates the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25. At this time, the outside air temperature is low, and heat exchange with the Peltier module 10 is not utilized, and the refrigerant passes through the Peltier module 10 without heat exchange, and the object to be cooled 70 can be cooled only by heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25. In this way, by triggering the Peltier module 10 to the second mode and putting the first heat dissipator 25 in the first state, the load on the Peltier module 10 can be reduced, and power consumption can be reduced.

• • (4) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is equal to or greater than the set first reference temperature value T10, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1 and S2 to the Peltier module 10 and the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 100 in the second operating state a2. At this time, the controller 50 further transmits the control signal S3 to the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31 to activate the second fan 36 (S504).

In the second operating state a2, the controller 50 activates both the Peltier module 10 and the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25. At this time, the outside air temperature is high, and the circulating refrigerant can cool the object to be cooled 70 by utilizing both the heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25 and the heat exchange at the Peltier module 10. By operating the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25 and activating the Peltier module 10, the refrigerant can effectively exchange heat with the surrounding outside air and dissipate when passing through the first heat dissipator 25. Subsequently, when the refrigerant passes through the first heat transferor 21, the refrigerant further dissipates by exchanging heat with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10 via the first heat transferor 21, and gets cooled. In this way, in the second operating state a2, the circulating refrigerant exchanges heat with the first heat dissipator 25 before exchanging heat with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10, thereby reducing the load on the Peltier module 10 and reducing power consumption.

Since a higher cooling effect can be derived by using the Peltier module 10 than that by using the outside air, the temperature of the refrigerant that passed through the first heat transferor 21 may suddenly decrease. After the extremely low-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the object to be cooled 70 in the heat receiver 22, it may reach the first heat dissipator 25 with a temperature that is still lower than the surrounding outside air temperature. In this case, if heat exchange is performed at the first heat dissipator 25, heat may be absorbed instead, which may reduce the cooling efficiency.

At S505a shown in FIG. 3A, the processor 52 compares the first temperature value Tl with the second reference temperature value T20 stored in the storage 53 to further determine an operating state of the cooling apparatus 100. Here, the outside air temperature around the first heat dissipator 25, and the effect of heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25 for the refrigerant that got cooled by heat exchange with the Peltier module 10 at such an outside air temperature can be verified in advance, and the second reference temperature value T20 can be set based on the verification result. For example, the second reference temperature value T20 can be set to a certain outside temperature value so that a heat dissipation effect is expected to be obtained by heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25 for the refrigerant that got cooled by heat exchange with the Peltier module 10 at or below such an outside air temperature. Moreover, the second reference temperature value T20 is a temperature value higher than the first reference temperature value T10.

(6) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is equal to or lower than the set second reference temperature value T20, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1 and S2 to the Peltier module 10 and the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 100 maintaining the second operating state a2. At this time, the controller 50 further transmits the control signal S3 to the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31 to maintain running of the second fan 36 (S506).

• • (7) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is higher than the set second reference temperature value T20, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1 and S2 to the Peltier module 10 and the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25, respectively, to switch the cooling apparatus 100 to the third operating state a3. At this time, the controller 50 further transmits the control signal S3 to the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31 to maintain running of the second fan 36 (S507).

In the third operating state a3, the controller 50 maintains the Peltier module 10 in the active mode and stops the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25. At this time, the outside air temperature is even higher, by switching to a second state in which the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25 is stopped, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant cooled by heat exchange with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10 from absorbing heat through heat exchange with the outside air at the first heat dissipator 25. Thus, the load on the Peltier module 10 is reduced and power consumption is decreased.

In this manner, with the operating state control process shown in FIG. 3A, the controller 50 selectively operates the cooling apparatus 100 in the operating states a1, a2, and a3 based on the preset first and second reference temperature values and the first temperature value acquired by the temperature measurer, thereby reducing the load on the Peltier module 10 and improving the cooling efficiency.

Instead of the preset second reference temperature value, the controller 50 can control the operating state of the cooling apparatus 100 based on a second temperature value further acquired by the temperature measurer, or based on second and third temperature values further acquired by the temperature measurer. This will be described with reference to FIG. 3B.

(Operating state Control Process According to Another Example)

In the control process of the cooling apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 3B, the control operations from S501 to S504 are similar to those in the control process shown in FIG. 3A, and hence detailed description thereof will be omitted.

At step S505b shown in FIG. 3B, the temperature measurer 40b acquires a second temperature value T2 of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a, which is the inflow end of the first heat dissipator 25, and transmits the data of T2 to the temperature value receiver 51. The processor 52 uses the data T1 and T2 received by the temperature value receiver 51 to compare the first temperature value T1 of the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25 with the second temperature value T2 of the refrigerant passing through the first end 25a of the first heat dissipator 25, thereby determining an operating state of the cooling apparatus 100.

Alternatively, at step S505b shown in FIG. 3B, the temperature measurer 40b can obtain a second temperature value T2 of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a, which is the inflow end of the first heat dissipator 25, and a third temperature value T3 of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the second end 25b, which is the outflow end of the first heat dissipator 25. The data of T2 and T3 are transmitted to the temperature value receiver 51. Using the data of T2 and T3 received by the temperature value receiver 51, the processor 52 can determine an operating state of the cooling apparatus 100 by comparing the second temperature value T2, which is the temperature of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a with the third temperature value T3, which is the temperature of the refrigerant when the refrigerant passes through the second end 25b of the first heat dissipator 25.

Subsequently, when the processor 52 determines that the second temperature value T2 is equal to or greater than the first temperature value T1, or that the second temperature value T2 is equal to or greater than the third temperature value T3, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1, S2 to the Peltier module 10 and the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 100 maintaining the second operating state a2. At this time, the controller 50 further transmits the control signal S3 to the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31 to maintain running of the second fan 36 (S506).

On the other hand, when the processor 52 determines that the second temperature value T2 is lower than the first temperature value T1 or that the second temperature value T2 is lower than the third temperature value T3, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1 and S2 to the Peltier module 10 and the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25, respectively, to switch the cooling apparatus 100 to the third operating state a3. At this time, the controller 50 further transmits the control signal S3 to the second fan 36 of the second heat transferor 31 to maintain running of the second fan 36 (S507).

In this embodiment, by actually measuring the temperature of the refrigerant when it passes through the inflow end of the first heat dissipator 25, or the temperature of the refrigerant when it passes through each of the inflow end and the outflow end of the first heat dissipator 25, it is possible to more accurately grasp the state of heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator 25. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the refrigerant cooled by heat exchange with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10 from absorbing heat due to heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25. This reduces the load on the Peltier module 10 and decreases power consumption.

In this manner, with the operating state control process shown in FIG. 3B, the controller 50 selectively operates the cooling apparatus 100 in the operating states a1, a2, a3 based on the first and second temperature values acquired by the temperature measurer, or the first, second, and third temperature values acquired by the temperature measurer, thereby reducing the load on the Peltier module 10 and improving the cooling efficiency.

In the operation of the cooling apparatus 100, the operating state control process shown in FIG. 3A or 3B can be repeatedly executed.

SECOND EMBODIMENT

A cooling apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment will then be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the cooling apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, in a first operating state b1. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the cooling apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, in a second operating state b2. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the cooling apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, in a third operating state b3. In FIGS. 4 to 6, the same elements as those of the cooling apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are denoted with the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

Configuration of Cooling Apparatus

The cooling apparatus 200 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is configured including the Peltier module 10, a cooling-side configuration 20A, a heat-dissipation-side configuration 30A, the temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c, a controller 50A, and a refrigerant circulation flow path 60A, similar to the cooling apparatus 100 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 4, the configuration of the cooling apparatus 200 differs from the cooling apparatus 100 mainly in the heat-dissipation-side configuration 30A and the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A. The refrigerant circulation flow path 60A of the cooling apparatus 200 includes a first circulation flow path 60a1 of the refrigerant on the cooling side of the Peltier module 10 and a second circulation flow path 60b1 of the refrigerant on the heat dissipation side of the Peltier module 10. In this manner, in this embodiment, on the cooling side of the Peltier module 10, the object to be cooled 70 is cooled via the refrigerant circulating in a first circulation flow path 60a1, and on the heat dissipation side of the Peltier module 10, the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 dissipate via the refrigerant circulating in a second circulation flow path 60b1.

The cooling-side configuration 20A of the cooling apparatus 200, like the cooling-side configuration 20 of the cooling apparatus 100, is composed of the first heat transferor 21, the heat receiver 22, the first pump 23, the first reserve tank 24, and a first heat dissipator 25A.

The first heat dissipator 25A has a similar configuration to the first heat dissipator 25 of the cooling apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 and may include, for example, a heat sink (not shown), heat dissipation fins (not shown), etc. When the refrigerant flowing along the refrigerant circulation flow path passes through the first heat dissipator 25A from the first end 25a to the second end 25b, it can exchange heat with the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25A via the heat sink and the heat dissipation fins. In addition, the first fan 26 is disposed to promote heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25A.

The first heat dissipator 25A differs from the first heat dissipator 25 of FIG. 1 in that the flow path of the refrigerant passing through the first heat dissipator 25A can be changed depending on the operating state of the cooling apparatus 200. This will be described in detail later.

The heat-dissipation-side configuration 30A of the cooling apparatus 200 is composed of a second heat transferor 31A, a second pump 33, a second reserve tank 34, and a second heat dissipator 35. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the heat-dissipation-side configuration 30A is disposed with a refrigerant circulation flow path, and is configured to dissipate the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 via the circulation of the refrigerant. As described above, such a configuration can be applied to the cooling apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure in place of the heat-dissipation-side configuration 30 shown in FIG. 1.

The second heat transferor 31A is thermally connected to the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 to exchange heat. As shown in FIG. 5 or 6, the refrigerant on the heat dissipation side in a second circulation flow path 60b2 (FIG. 5) or a second circulation flow path 60b3 (FIG. 6) passes through the second heat transferor 31 from an inflow end 31a to an outflow end 31b of the second heat transferor 31A and is heated by heat exchange with the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10. This causes the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 to dissipate.

As shown in FIG. 5 or 6, the second heat dissipator 35 is thermally connected in series to the second heat transferor 31A via the second circulation flow path 60b2 or 60b3 of the refrigerant, and is configured to be able to exchange heat with the surrounding outside air when the refrigerant flowing along the refrigerant circulation flow path passes through the inside of the second heat dissipator 35. The second heat dissipator 35 can be configured in the same manner as the first heat dissipator 25A, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the second heat dissipator 35 can include a second fan 36A, which can promote heat exchange with the surrounding outside air when the refrigerant passes through the second heat dissipator 35.

The second pump 33 and the second reserve tank 34 are connected in series to the second heat transferor 31A and the second heat dissipator 35 via the second circulation flow path of the refrigerant. The second pump 33 is disposed to drive the circulation of the refrigerant in the second circulation flow path 60b2, 60b3, and the reserve tank 34 can store the refrigerant used for circulation in the second circulation flow path 60b2, 60b3.

In this embodiment, the second pump 33 is disposed on the refrigerant circulation flow path between the outflow end 31b of the second heat transferor 31A and an inflow end 35a of the second heat dissipator 35. As shown in FIG. 5 or 6, the refrigerant circulating in the second circulation flow path 60b2 or 60b3 dissipate by exchanging heat with the surrounding outside air in the second heat dissipator 35, and the dissipated refrigerant is introduced into the second heat transferor 31A and cools the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 by heat exchange. Thus, by passing through the second pump 33 after passing through the second heat transferor 31A, it is possible to suppress the influence of heat generation of the second pump 33 on the cooling in the second heat transferor 31A.

As shown in FIGS. 4, the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A of the cooling apparatus 200 is composed of a first circulation flow path 60a1 for the cooling-side refrigerant and a second circulation flow path 60b1 for the heat dissipation side refrigerant. In the first circulation flow path 60a1, the cooling-side refrigerant circulates by passing through the first heat transferor 21 and the heat receiver 22 in series, and in the second circulation flow path 60b1, the heat dissipation side refrigerant circulates by passing through the second heat transferor 31A and the second heat dissipator 35 in series.

In this embodiment, the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A includes valves 61, 62, and 63, and the configuration of the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A can be changed by operating the valves 61, 62, and 63, and the cooling apparatus 200 can be selectively operated in the operating states b1, b2, and b3 shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, respectively. This will be described in detail later. The present disclosure is not limited to the type of valves arranged in the refrigerant circulation flow path.

In this embodiment, the Peltier module 10 has a third mode and a fourth mode. In the third mode, the Peltier module 10 is active and the refrigerant circulates through the first and second circulation channels. In the fourth mode, the Peltier module 10 is inactive and the refrigerant circulates only through the first circulation flow path. The first heat dissipator 25A has a third state and a fourth state. In the third state, the first heat dissipator 25A is connected in series to the first heat transferor 21 and the heat receiver 22 to form the first circulation flow path. In the fourth state, the first heat dissipator 25A is connected in series to the second heat transferor 31A and the second heat dissipator 35 to form the second circulation flow path. The controller 50A can control the operating state of the cooling apparatus 200 by switching the Peltier module 10 between the third mode and the fourth mode and switching the first heat dissipator 25A between the third state and the fourth state. In addition, in each operating state of the cooling apparatus 200, the controller 50A can also control the first fan 26, the second fan 36A, the first pump 23, and the second pump 33.

Specifically, in the first operating state b1 of the cooling apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A has a circulation flow path configuration 60A1, which includes a first circulation flow path 60a1 on the cooling side and a second circulation flow path 60b1 on the heat dissipation side. At this time, the controller 50A triggers the Peltier module 10 to the inactive mode and circulates the refrigerant only through the first circulation flow path 60a1 (fourth mode of the Peltier module 10). At the same time, the first heat dissipator 25A is connected in series to the first heat transferor 21 and the heat receiver 22 to form the first circulation flow path 60a1 (third state of the first heat dissipator 25A). In the first operating state b1, the refrigerant circulates through a closed flow path B1-B2-B3-B4-B5-B6-B7-B1 formed on the cooling side. At this time, the controller 50A can activate the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A and stop the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, as well as activate the first pump 23 that drives the circulation of the refrigerant in the first circulation flow path 60a1 and stop the second pump 33 that drives the circulation of the refrigerant in the second circulation flow path 60b1.

In this embodiment, the circulation flow path configuration 60A1 can be implemented by operating the valves 62 and 63. As shown in FIG. 4, a valve 62 can be operated to cause the refrigerant to flow along the refrigerant circulation flow path B7 indicated by the arrow, and a valve 63 can be operated to cause the refrigerant to flow along the refrigerant circulation flow path B5 indicated by the arrow. Note that in this embodiment, a valve 61 may be in any state in the circulation flow path configuration 60A1.

Next, in the second operating state b2 of the cooling apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 5, the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A has a circulation flow path configuration 60A2, which includes a first circulation flow path 60a1 on the cooling side and a second circulation flow path 60b2 on the heat dissipation side. At this time, the controller 50A triggers the Peltier module 10 to the active mode. At the same time, the refrigerant is circulated through the first circulation flow path 60a1 and the second circulation flow path 60b2 (third mode of the Peltier module 10). Furthermore, the first heat dissipator 25A is connected in series to the first heat transferor 21 and the heat receiver 22 to configure the first circulation flow path 60a1 (third state of the first heat dissipator 25A). In the second operating state b2, the refrigerant circulates through the closed flow path B1-B2-B3-B4-B5-B6-B7-B1 on the cooling side, and through a closed flow path G1-G2-G3-G4-G1 on the heat dissipation side. At this time, the controller 50A can activate the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A and the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, and can activate the first pump 23 that drives the circulation of the refrigerant in the first circulation flow path 60a1, and the second pump 33 that drives the circulation of the refrigerant in the second circulation flow path 60b2.

In this embodiment, in the circulation flow path configuration 60A2, the first circulation flow path 60a1 can be configured in the same manner as in the first operating state b1 shown in FIG. 4, by operating the valve 62 so that the refrigerant flows along the refrigerant circulation flow path B7 indicated by the arrow, and by operating the valve 63 so that the refrigerant flows along the refrigerant circulation flow path B5 indicated by the arrow. The second circulation flow path 60b2 can be configured by operating the valve 61. As shown in FIG. 5, the valve 61 can be operated so that the refrigerant flows along the refrigerant circulation flow path G4 indicated by the arrow.

Subsequently, in the third operating state b3 of the cooling apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A has a circulation flow path configuration 60A3, which includes a first circulation flow path 60a2 on the cooling side and a second circulation flow path 60b3 on the heat dissipation side. At this time, the controller 50A triggers the Peltier module 10 to the active mode. At the same time, the refrigerant is circulated through the first circulation flow path 60a2 and the second circulation flow path 60b3 (third mode of the Peltier module 10). Furthermore, the first heat dissipator 25A is connected in series to the second heat transferor 31A and the second heat dissipator 35 to configure the second circulation flow path 60b3 (fourth state of the first heat dissipator 25A). In the third operating state b3, the refrigerant circulates through a closed flow path C1-C2-C3-C4-C5-C6-C1 on the cooling side, and circulates through a closed flow path H1-H2-H3-H4-H5-H6-H7-H8-H1 on the heat dissipation side. At this time, the controller 50A can activate the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A and the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, and can also activate the first pump 23 that drives the circulation of the refrigerant in the first circulation flow path 60a2 and the second pump 33 that drives the circulation of the refrigerant in the second circulation flow path 60b3.

In this embodiment, in the circulation flow path configuration 60A3, the first circulation flow path 60a2 can be configured by operating the valve 63. As shown in FIG. 6, the valve 63 can be operated to cause the refrigerant to flow along the refrigerant circulation flow path C5 indicated by the arrow. The second circulation flow path 60b3 can be configured by operating the valves 61 and 62. As shown in FIG. 6, the valve 61 can be operated to cause the refrigerant to flow along a refrigerant circulation flow path H4-H5 indicated by the arrow, and the valve 62 can be operated to cause the refrigerant to flow along the refrigerant circulation flow path H8 indicated by the arrow.

In this manner, the load on the Peltier element can be reduced by controlling the heat exchange of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation flow path 60 at the Peltier module 10 and the heat exchange of the refrigerant at the first heat dissipator 25 using the controller 50A. In addition to controlling the operating state of the cooling apparatus 200, the controller 50A can also control, for example, the driving current value or driving voltage value of the Peltier module 10, the rotation speed of the first fan 26, the rotation speed of the second fan 36A, etc., although this is not limited thereto. The configuration of the controller 50A is similar to that of the controller 50 of the cooling apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The operating state control process of the cooling apparatus 200 executed by the controller 50A will be described below with reference to FIG. 7A and 7B. FIG. 7A is a flowchart showing an operating state control process according to one example of the cooling apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing an operating state control process according to another example of the cooling apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Control Process of Cooling Apparatus 200

(Operating State Control Process According to An Example)

• • (1) In the control process of the cooling apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 7A, first, at S601, the controller 50A can set the cooling apparatus 200 to its initial state. In this embodiment, in the initial state of the cooling apparatus 200, the controller 50A transmits the control signals S4 and S5 to the first pump 23 and the second pump 33, respectively, to activate the first pump 23 to drive the circulation of the refrigerant in the first circulation flow path a1, while the second pump 33 remains stopped. The Peltier module 10 is stopped, and the first fan 26 and the second fan 36A are also stopped.
  • (2) Next, at S602, the temperature measurer 40a acquires a first temperature value T1 of the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25A, and transmits the data of T1 to the temperature value receiver 51 of the controller 50A. The processor 52 uses the data of T1 received by the temperature value receiver 51 to compare the first temperature value T1, which is the outside air temperature around the first heat dissipator 25A, with a first reference temperature value T10 stored in the storage 53, thereby determining an operating state of the cooling apparatus 200.

Here, the outside air temperature around the first heat dissipator 25A and the cooling effect of circulating the cooling-side refrigerant that got cooled by only using heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25A without operating the Peltier module 10 at such an outside air temperature can be verified in advance, and the first reference temperature value T10 can be set based on the verification results. For example, the first reference temperature value T10 can be set as a temperature value at or below a certain outside air temperature at which a sufficient cooling effect can be obtained for the object to be cooled by circulating the cooling-side refrigerant only using heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25A without activating the Peltier module 10.

• • (3) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is lower than the set first reference temperature value T10, the output device 54 transmits the corresponding control signals S1, S7, and S8 to the Peltier module 10 and the valves 62 and 63, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 200 in the first operating state b1 shown in FIG. 4. At this time, the controller 50A further transmits the control signals S2, S3, S4, and S5 to the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A and the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, and the first pump 23 and the second pump 33, respectively, to activate the first fan 26, maintain running of the first pump 23, and maintain stopping of the second fan 36A and the second pump 33 (S603).

In the first operating state b1, the outside air temperature is low, and by configuring the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A to have a circulation flow path configuration 60A1 as shown in FIG. 4, heat exchange with the Peltier module 10 is not utilized, and the refrigerant on the cooling side passes through the Peltier module 10 without heat exchange. The object to be cooled 70 can be cooled only by heat exchange with the outside air at the first heat dissipator 25A located in the first circulation flow path 60a1 on the cooling side. At this time, by triggering the Peltier module 10 to the fourth mode and putting the first heat dissipator 25A in the third state, the load on the Peltier module 10 can be reduced, and power consumption can be decreased.

• • (4) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is equal to or greater than the first reference temperature value T10, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1, S6, S7, and S8 to the Peltier module 10 and the valves 61, 62, and 63, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 200 in the second operating state b2 shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the controller 50A further transmits the control signals S2, S3, S4, and S5 to the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A and the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, and the first pump 23 and the second pump 33, respectively, to activate both the first fan 26 and the second fan 36A, maintain running of the first pump 23, and activate the second pump 33 (S604).

In the second operating state b2, the outside air temperature is high, and as shown in FIG. 5, by configuring the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A to have a circulation flow path configuration 60A2, the refrigerant on the cooling side can cool the object to be cooled 70 by utilizing both the heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25A and the heat exchange at the Peltier module 10. The refrigerant circulating in the second circulation flow path 60b2 on the heat dissipation side exchanges heat at the second heat dissipator 35, and allows the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 to dissipate via the second heat transferor 31A. At this time, in the first circulation flow path 60a1 on the cooling side, when the refrigerant passes through the first heat dissipator 25A, it can exchange heat with the surrounding outside air and dissipate. Subsequently, when the refrigerant passes through the first heat transferor 21, it further dissipates by exchanging heat with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10 via the first heat transferor 21, and gets cooled. In this way, in the second operating state b2, the refrigerant circulating in the first circulation flow path 60a1 on the cooling side exchanges heat with the first heat dissipator 25A before exchanging heat with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10, thereby reducing the load on the Peltier module 10 and decreasing power consumption.

Since a higher cooling effect can be derived by using the Peltier module 10 than that by using the outside air, the temperature of the refrigerant that passed through the first heat transferor 21 may suddenly decrease. After the extremely low-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the object to be cooled 70 in the heat receiver 22, it may reach the first heat dissipator 25A with a temperature that is still lower than the surrounding outside air temperature. In this case, if heat exchange is performed at the first heat dissipator 25A, heat may be absorbed instead, which may reduce the cooling efficiency.

At S605a shown in FIG. 7A, the processor 52 compares the first temperature value T1 with the second reference temperature value T20 stored in the storage 53 to further determine the operating state of the cooling apparatus 200. Here, the outside air temperature around the first heat dissipator 25A, and the effect of heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25A for the refrigerant circulating on the cooling side that got cooled by heat exchange with the Peltier module 10 under the outside air temperature can be verified in advance, and the second reference temperature value T20 can be set based on the verification result. For example, the second reference temperature value T20 can be set to a certain outside temperature value so that a heat dissipation effect is expected to be obtained by heat exchange at the first heat dissipator 25A for the refrigerant circulating on the cooling side that got cooled by heat exchange with the Peltier module 10 at or below such an outside air temperature. Also, the second reference temperature value T20 is a temperature value higher than the first reference temperature value T10.

• • (6) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is equal to or lower than the set second reference temperature value T20, the output device 54 transmits corresponding control signals S1, S6, S7, and S8 to the Peltier module 10 and the valves 61, 62, and 63, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 200 maintaining the second operating state b2 shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the controller 50A further transmits the control signals S2, S3, S4, and S5 to the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A and the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, and the first pump 23 and the second pump 33, respectively, to maintain running of the first fan 26, the second fan 36A, and the first pump 23 and the second pump 33 (S606).
  • (7) When the processor 52 determines that the first temperature value T1 is higher than the set second reference temperature value T20, the output device 54 transmits the corresponding control signals S1, S6, S7, and S8 to the Peltier module 10 and the valves 61, 62, and 63, respectively, to switch the cooling apparatus 200 to the third operating state b3 shown in FIG. 6. At this time, the controller 50A further transmits the control signals S2, S3, S4, and S5 to the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A, the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, the first pump 23, and the second pump 33, respectively, to maintain running of the first fan 26, the second fan 36A, and the first pump 23 and the second pump 33 (S607).

In the third operating state b3, as shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerant circulation flow path 60A is configured as the circulation flow path configuration 60A3, so that the refrigerant on the cooling side cools the object to be cooled 70 by utilizing only heat exchange at the Peltier module 10. The refrigerant on the heat dissipation side exchanges heat at both the first heat dissipator 25A and the second heat dissipator 35, and allows the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10 to dissipate via the second heat transferor 31A. In this way, the first heat dissipator 25A used for heat exchange on the cooling side in the first operating state b1 (FIG. 4) or the second operating state b2 (FIG. 5) is used for heat exchange on the heat dissipation side in the third operating state b3 (FIG. 6). This prevents the refrigerant cooled by heat exchange with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10 from absorbing heat through heat exchange with the outside air at the first heat dissipator 25A when the outside air temperature is even higher, and allows the first heat dissipator 25A to be used for heat dissipation for the second heat transfer surface 10b of the Peltier module 10. In this way, the load on the Peltier module 10 can be effectively reduced, and power consumption can be decreased.

In this manner, with the operating state control process shown in FIG. 7A, the controller 50A selectively operates the cooling apparatus 200 in operating states b1, b2, and b3 based on the preset first and second reference temperature values and the first temperature value acquired by the temperature measurer, thereby reducing the load on the Peltier module 10 and improving the cooling efficiency.

Instead of the preset second reference temperature value, the controller 50A can control the operating state of the cooling apparatus 200 based on a second temperature value further acquired by the temperature measurer, or based on second and third temperature values further acquired by the temperature measurer. This will be described with reference to FIG. 7B.

(Operating State Control Process According to Another Example)

In the control process of the cooling apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 7B, the control operations from S601 to S604 are similar to the control process shown in FIG. 7A, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

At S605b shown in FIG. 7B, the temperature measurer 40b acquires a second temperature value when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a, which is the inflow end, of the first heat dissipator 25A, and transmits the data T2 to the temperature value receiver 51. The processor 52 can determine the operating state of the cooling apparatus 200 by using the data T1 and T2 received by the temperature value receiver 51 to compare the first temperature value of the outside air around the first heat dissipator 25A with the second temperature value of the refrigerant passing through the first end 25a of the first heat dissipator 25A.

Alternatively, at S605b shown in FIG. 7B, the temperature measurer 40b can obtain a second temperature value when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a, which is the inflow end of the first heat dissipator 25A, and a third temperature value when the refrigerant passes through the second end 25b, which is the outflow end of the first heat dissipator 25A. The data T2 and T3 are transmitted to the temperature value receiver 51. The processor 52 can determine the operating state of the cooling apparatus 200 by comparing the second temperature value and the third temperature value, which are the temperatures when the refrigerant passes through the first end 25a and the second end 25b of the first heat dissipator 25A, respectively, using the data T2 and T3 received by the temperature value receiver 51.

Subsequently, when the processor 52 determines that the second temperature value is equal to or greater than the first temperature value or equal to or greater than the third temperature value, the output device 54 transmits the corresponding control signals S1, S5, S6, S7, and S8 to the Peltier module 10 and the valves 61, 62, and 63, respectively, to operate the cooling apparatus 200 maintaining the second operating state b2 shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the controller 50A further transmits the control signals S2, S3, S4, and S5 to the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A and the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, and the first pump 23 and the second pump 33, respectively, to maintain running of the first fan 26 and the second fan 36A, and the first pump 23 and the second pump 33 (S606).

On the other hand, when the processor 52 determines that the second temperature value is lower than the first temperature value or the second temperature value is lower than the third temperature value, the output device 54 transmits the corresponding control signals S1, S6, S7, S8 to the Peltier module 10 and the valves 61, 62, 63, respectively, and the cooling apparatus 200 can be switched to the third operating state b3 shown in FIG. 6 for action. At this time, the controller 50A further transmits the control signals S2, S3, S4, and S5 to the first fan 26 of the first heat dissipator 25A, the second fan 36A of the second heat dissipator 35, the first pump 23, and the second pump 33, respectively, and maintains running of the first fan 26, the second fan 36A, and the first pump 23, and the second pump 33 (S607).

In this embodiment, the temperature of the refrigerant on the cooling side when it passes through the inflow end of the first heat dissipator 25A, or the temperature of the refrigerant when it passes through each of the inflow end and the outflow end of the first heat dissipator 25A, can be measured to more accurately grasp the heat exchange state of the refrigerant on the cooling side at the first heat dissipator 25A. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the refrigerant cooled by heat exchange with the first heat transfer surface 10a of the Peltier module 10 from absorbing heat through heat exchange with the outside air at the first heat dissipator 25A. This reduces the load on the Peltier module 10 and reduces power consumption.

In this manner, with the operating state control process shown in FIG. 7B, the controller 50A selectively operates the cooling apparatus 200 in operating states b1, b2, b3 based on the first and second temperature values acquired by the temperature measurer, or the first, second, and third temperature values acquired by the temperature measurer, thereby reducing the load on the Peltier module 10 and improving the cooling efficiency.

In the operation of the cooling apparatus 200, the operating state control process shown in FIG. 7A or FIG. 7B can be repeatedly executed.

In the cooling apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a configuration example has been shown in which the temperature measurers 40a, 40b, and 40c are arranged, but the present disclosure is not limited to the number or locations of the temperature measurers. The temperature measurers may be arranged in other locations as appropriate depending on the application.

In the cooling apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller can also control the flow rate of the circulating refrigerant. For example, a flow meter can be provided in the refrigerant circulation flow path, and the controller can control the flow rate of the circulating refrigerant depending on the usage situation.

Although the second embodiment has been described above as an example of a refrigerant circulation flow path in which three valves are arranged, the present disclosure is not limited to the number of valves. For example, the refrigerant circulation flow path may be configured including more valves and more branch flow paths.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the refrigerant circulation flow path is configured so that the refrigerant passes through the first heat transferor that is thermally connected to the first heat transfer surface on the cooling side of the Peltier module in both the active mode and the inactive mode of the Peltier module, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the refrigerant circulation flow path can be configured to circulate the refrigerant without passing through the Peltier module by providing a bypass flow path when the Peltier module is inactive.

Thus, in order to describe the embodiments as exemplification of techniques in the present disclosure, the accompanying drawings and the detailed description have been provided. Accordingly, the constituent elements described in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description may encompass not only constituent elements essential for solving the problem but also constituent elements not essential for solving the problem, for the purpose of exemplifying the above techniques. Hence, those not-essential constituent elements should not be construed as essential directly from the fact that they are described in the accompanying drawings and the detailed description.

Although the present disclosure has been fully described in relation to the preferred embodiments referring to the accompanying drawings, various modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Such modifications and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments are also encompassed in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure is applicable to cooling apparatuses, and is applicable to cooling apparatuses using Peltier elements.