Stirling cooling device, cooling chamber, and refrigerator

Abstract

In a Stirling cooling apparatus, a refrigerant is circulated within a refrigerant circulation circuit in such a way that the refrigerant receives cold, as latent heat, from a Stirling chiller and then releases the cold, by absorbing heat of vaporization, as it vaporizes in an evaporator, thereby cooling the inside of a refrigerator chamber. As the refrigerant, carbon dioxide, a natural refrigerant, can be suitably used.

1 . A Stirling cooling apparatus comprising: 
 a Stirling chiller having a high-temperature portion whose temperature rises as the Stirling chiller is operated and a low-temperature portion whose temperature falls as the Stirling chiller is operated;    an evaporator provided integrally with or separately from the Stirling chiller; and    a refrigerant circulation circuit for transferring cold produced by the low-temperature portion to the evaporator by means of a refrigerant circulated between the low-temperature portion and the evaporator by a refrigerant circulation means,    wherein the refrigerant is a natural refrigerant that liquefies in the low-temperature portion and vaporizes in the evaporator.    
   
   
       2 . A Stirling cooling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 wherein the natural refrigerant is carbon dioxide.    
   
   
       3 . A Stirling cooling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 wherein the refrigerant is cooled to a predetermined supercooled state by the low-temperature portion.    
   
   
       4 . A Stirling cooling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 wherein, in a path within the refrigerant circulation circuit which the refrigerant takes after flowing out of the low-temperature portion before flowing into the refrigerant circulation means, a gas-liquid separator is arranged that separates the refrigerant into a gas phase and a liquid phase and that permits only the refrigerant in the liquid phase to be supplied to the refrigerant circulation means.    
   
   
       5 . A Stirling cooling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , 
 wherein the refrigerant circulation means is composed of a gas-liquid separator, which is arranged in a path within the refrigerant circulation circuit which the refrigerant takes after flowing out of the low-temperature portion before flowing into the refrigerant circulation means and in a position higher than the evaporator, and which separates the refrigerant into a gas phase and a liquid phase and permits only the refrigerant in the liquid phase to be supplied to the refrigerant circulation means, and    a difference in specific gravity between the refrigerant in the liquid phase at an outlet of the gas-liquid separator and the refrigerant inside the evaporator is exploited as a power source for circulating the refrigerant.    
   
   
       6 . A refrigerator incorporating a Stirling cooling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       7 . A refrigerator incorporating a Stirling chiller, 
 wherein a low-temperature-side evaporator for releasing cold to inside a refrigerator chamber is arranged in a position lower than a low-temperature portion of the Stirling chiller which produces the cold,    a circuit is arranged in such a way that a refrigerant is circulated between the low-temperature-side evaporator and the low-temperature portion, and    the refrigerant liquefies by absorbing the cold in the low-temperature portion, then flows to the low-temperature-side evaporator by exploiting a difference in height between the low-temperature portion and the low-temperature-side evaporator, then vaporizes by releasing the cold inside the low-temperature-side evaporator, and then flows in a vaporized state back to the low-temperature portion.    
   
   
       8 . A refrigerator as claimed in  claim 7 , 
 wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide.    
   
   
       9 . A refrigerator incorporating a Stirling chiller, 
 wherein a high-temperature-side condenser for releasing heat to outside a refrigerator chamber is arranged in a position higher than a high-temperature portion of the Stirling chiller which produces the heat,    a circuit is arranged in such a way that a refrigerant is circulated between the high-temperature-side condenser and the high-temperature portion, and    the refrigerant vaporizes by absorbing the heat in the high-temperature portion, then flows in a vaporized state to the high-temperature-side condenser, then liquefies by releasing the heat inside the high-temperature-side condenser, and then flows back to the high-temperature portion by exploiting a difference in height between the high-temperature-side condenser and the high-temperature portion.    
   
   
       10 . A refrigerator as claimed in  claim 9 , 
 wherein the refrigerant is water.    
   
   
       11 . A refrigerator incorporating a Stirling chiller, 
 wherein a low-temperature-side evaporator for releasing cold to inside a refrigerator chamber is arranged in a position lower than a low-temperature portion of the Stirling chiller which produces the cold,    a circuit is arranged in such a way that a first refrigerant is circulated between the low-temperature-side evaporator and the low-temperature portion,    the first refrigerant liquefies by absorbing the cold in the low-temperature portion, then flows to the low-temperature-side evaporator by exploiting a difference in height between the low-temperature portion and the low-temperature-side evaporator, then vaporizes by releasing the cold inside the low-temperature-side evaporator, and then flows in a vaporized state back to the low-temperature portion,    a high-temperature-side condenser for releasing heat to outside the refrigerator chamber is arranged in a position higher than a high-temperature portion of the Stirling chiller which produces the heat,    a circuit is arranged in such a way that a second refrigerant is circulated between the high-temperature-side condenser and the high-temperature portion, and    the second refrigerant vaporizes by absorbing the heat in the high-temperature portion, then flows in a vaporized state to the high-temperature-side condenser, then liquefies by releasing the heat inside the high-temperature-side condenser, and then flows back to the high-temperature portion by exploiting a difference in height between the high-temperature-side condenser and the high-temperature portion.    
   
   
       12 . A refrigerator as claimed in  claim 11 , 
 wherein the first refrigerant is carbon dioxide, and the second refrigerant is water.    
   
   
       13 . A refrigerator as claimed in  claim 7  or  11 , 
 wherein, in a path within the circuit which the refrigerant takes while flowing from the low-temperature portion to the low-temperature-side evaporator, a low-temperature-side gas-liquid separator is arranged that separates the vaporized and liquefied refrigerant.    
   
   
       14 . A refrigerator as claimed in  claim 9  or  11 , 
 wherein, in a path within the circuit which the refrigerant takes while flowing from the high-side-side condenser to the high-temperature portion, a high-temperature-side gas-liquid separator is arranged that separates the vaporized and liquefied refrigerant.    
   
   
       15 . A refrigerator as claimed in one of claims  7 ,  9 , or  11 , 
 wherein the refrigerator chamber is divided into an upper section serving as a refrigerator compartment, a middle section serving as a vegetables compartment, and a lower section serving as a freezer compartment.    
   
   
       16 . A refrigerator as claimed in one of claims  7 ,  9 , or  11 , 
 wherein the refrigerator chamber is divided into an upper section serving as a refrigerator compartment, a middle section serving as a vegetables compartment, and a lower section serving as a freezer compartment, and    within the refrigerator chamber, the cold is introduced, as cold air, first into both the freezer and refrigerator compartments and then from the refrigerator compartment to the vegetables compartment.