WO2025083942A1 - Absorption water cooling/heating machine and method for controlling operation of absorption water cooling/heating machine - Google Patents

Abstract

This absorption water cooling/heating machine that performs heat transfer in a cycle of a refrigerant and an absorption liquid comprises: a regenerator that has a burner; a medium cooling mechanism that cools a temperature-adjustment target medium; a cooling water flow passage that allows cooling water to flow therethrough; a fuel supply mechanism; an air supply mechanism; a storage unit that stores a relationship for defining the flow rate of air relative to the flow rate of fuel being supplied to the burner; a control unit that controls a fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism in the fuel supply mechanism and an air flow rate adjustment mechanism in the air supply mechanism; and a temperature-related physical quantity detector for the temperature-adjustment target medium. The control unit compares an actual measurement temperature detected by the temperature-related physical quantity detector with the theoretical temperature of the temperature-adjustment target medium, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism so as to reduce the flow rate of the air when the actual measurement temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature and to increase the flow rate of the air when the actual measurement temperature is lower.

Description

Absorption chiller/heater and operation control method for absorption chiller/heater

This disclosure relates to an absorption chiller/heater and an operation control method for an absorption chiller/heater, and in particular to an absorption chiller/heater that supplies fuel with variable heat value to a burner and an operation control method for an absorption chiller/heater.

Absorption chillers are devices that cool a medium to be cooled (chilled water) by removing the latent heat of evaporation required for refrigerant liquid to evaporate in an evaporator and become refrigerant vapor from the medium to be cooled. The refrigerant vapor generated in the evaporator is absorbed by the absorbing liquid in the absorber. The absorbing liquid in the absorber, whose concentration has decreased by absorbing the refrigerant vapor, is sent to the regenerator and heated, where its concentration increases. The absorbing liquid whose concentration has increased in the regenerator is returned to the absorber, and becomes capable of absorbing the refrigerant vapor generated in the evaporator again. One method of heating the absorbing liquid in the regenerator is to provide a combustion device that burns fuel in the regenerator. An example of such a combustion device is one that maintains an appropriate air-fuel ratio by individually controlling the supply flow rates of fuel and air to the burner based on the relationship between the flow rate of fuel, the flow rate of air, and the amount of oxygen in the air that is stored in advance and is suitable for combustion in the burner (see, for example, JP 2017-223428 A).

Fuels burned in burners have generally been fossil fuels such as commercial gas and oil. However, as the effects of global warming become more pronounced, there is a growing trend to reduce the use of fossil fuels. If fossil fuels can be replaced with carbon-free or carbon-neutral fuels, this will contribute to reducing the emission of carbon dioxide, which causes global warming. By-product hydrogen and biomass fuels have the potential to be used as carbon-free or carbon-neutral fuels for burners. However, when considering by-product hydrogen, for example, the hydrogen concentration may fluctuate depending on the operating status of the process in which the hydrogen is generated, which may result in fluctuations in the calorific value. If the calorific value of the fuel fluctuates, it is difficult to adjust the air to be supplied when burning the fuel to an appropriate flow rate.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure relates to providing an absorption chiller/heater that can appropriately burn fuel when fuel with a variable calorific value is supplied to a burner, and an operation control method for the absorption chiller/heater.

The absorption chiller/heater according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is an absorption chiller/heater that transfers heat through a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant, and includes a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heat value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid, a medium cooling mechanism that cools the temperature-adjustable medium by removing the latent heat of evaporation when the refrigerant liquid changes phase to vapor from the temperature-adjustable medium, a cooling water flow path that flows cooling water that removes at least one of the condensation heat when the refrigerant vapor changes phase to liquid and the absorption heat when the refrigerant vapor is absorbed by the absorption liquid, a fuel supply mechanism having a fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, an air supply mechanism having an air flow rate adjustment mechanism that operates independently of the fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism to adjust the flow rate of air supplied to the burner, a memory unit that stores a relationship that defines the air flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, and The device includes a control unit that controls the fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism so that the temperature becomes a target value, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the relationship stored in the memory unit, and a temperature-related physical quantity detector that detects a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium. The control unit compares a theoretical temperature, which is the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium calculated based on at least the physical quantity related to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner and the physical quantity related to the temperature of the cooling water, with an actual measured temperature calculated from the physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium detected by the temperature-related physical quantity detector, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to reduce the flow rate of air supplied to the burner if the actual measured temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to increase the flow rate of air supplied to the burner if the actual measured temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature.

With this configuration, if the heat value of the fuel supplied to the burner fluctuates, air can be supplied to the burner at a flow rate that corresponds to the fluctuation in heat value.

The absorption chiller/heater according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is an absorption chiller/heater that transfers heat through a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant, and includes a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heating value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid, a medium heating mechanism that heats a temperature-adjustable medium with at least one of the heat of combustion in the burner, the heat of condensation when the refrigerant vapor changes phase to a liquid, and the heat of absorption when the refrigerant vapor is absorbed by the absorption liquid, a fuel supply mechanism having a fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, an air supply mechanism having an air flow rate adjustment mechanism that operates independently of the fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism to adjust the flow rate of air supplied to the burner, a memory unit that stores a relationship that defines the air flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, and a temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the temperature-adjustable medium to a target value. The apparatus includes a control unit that controls the fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism as described above, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the relationship stored in the memory unit, and a temperature-related physical quantity detector that detects a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium. The control unit compares a theoretical temperature, which is the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium calculated based on at least the physical quantity related to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, with an actual measured temperature calculated from the physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium detected by the temperature-related physical quantity detector, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to reduce the flow rate of air supplied to the burner if the actual measured temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to increase the flow rate of air supplied to the burner if the actual measured temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature.

With this configuration, if the heat value of the fuel supplied to the burner fluctuates, air can be supplied to the burner at a flow rate that corresponds to the fluctuation in heat value.

Furthermore, as an absorption chiller/heater according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the absorption chiller/heater according to the first or second aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may compare the amount of combustion in the burner for bringing the temperature-adjusted medium to the target value with the upper limit amount of combustion in the burner for maintaining proper operation of the absorption chiller/heater, and operate the burner with the smaller amount of combustion.

　With this configuration, even if the heat generation amount of the fuel fluctuates, excessive heat input to the absorption chiller/heater can be prevented, and proper operation can be maintained.

Furthermore, as an absorption chiller/heater according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in an absorption chiller/heater according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, an acquisition unit that acquires the operating state of the absorption chiller/heater may be provided, and the control unit may correct the theoretical temperature based on the past operating state acquired by the acquisition unit.

This configuration allows the burner to be supplied with an appropriate flow rate of air according to the equipment's specific characteristics.

Also, as an absorption chiller/heater according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the absorption chiller/heater according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present disclosure, an oxygen concentration-related physical quantity detector may be provided that detects a physical quantity related to the oxygen concentration contained in the exhaust gas generated by burning the fuel, and the control unit may control the air flow rate adjustment mechanism so that the physical quantity detected by the oxygen concentration-related physical quantity detector becomes a predetermined value.

This configuration allows the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas to be adjusted to the desired concentration, preventing incomplete combustion and misfires.

Furthermore, as an absorption chiller-heater according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in an absorption chiller-heater according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present disclosure, the regenerator is configured to introduce at least one of a first fuel and a second fuel having a heating value different from that of the first fuel as the fuel to be burned in the burner, the memory unit stores a first relationship that specifies the air flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner, and a second relationship that specifies the air flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner, and the control unit controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply to the burner a flow rate of air corresponding to the flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the first relationship stored in the memory unit when the first fuel is supplied to the burner, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply to the burner a flow rate of air corresponding to the flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the second relationship stored in the memory unit when the second fuel is supplied to the burner.

　With this configuration, an appropriate flow rate of air can be supplied to the burner even when fuels with different heating values are introduced.

In addition, an absorption chiller/heater according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is an absorption chiller/heater that cools or heats a temperature-adjustable medium by transferring heat through a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant, and includes a regenerator having a burner that introduces and combusts at least one of a first fuel and a second fuel that has a heating value different from that of the first fuel to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid, a fuel supply mechanism having a first fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts the flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner and a second fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts the flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner, an air supply mechanism having an air flow rate adjustment mechanism that operates independently of the first fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism and the second fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism to adjust the flow rate of air supplied to the burner, and A memory unit stores a first relationship that specifies the air flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel, and a second relationship that specifies the air flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner; and a control unit that controls the first fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism or the second fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism so that the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium becomes a target value, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply the burner with air at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the first relationship stored in the memory unit when the first fuel is supplied to the burner, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply the burner with air at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the second relationship stored in the memory unit when the second fuel is supplied to the burner.

　With this configuration, an appropriate flow rate of air can be supplied to the burner even when fuels with different heating values are introduced.

Also, as an absorption chiller/heater according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in the absorption chiller/heater according to the sixth or seventh aspect of the present disclosure, the fuel supply mechanism may have a heat value measurement mechanism that measures the heat value of the fuel supplied to the burner, and the control unit may control the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the first relationship stored in the memory unit when the heat value measured by the heat value measurement mechanism is less than a predetermined value, and control the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the second relationship stored in the memory unit when the heat value measured by the heat value measurement mechanism is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

　With this configuration, it is possible to automatically determine whether the first fuel or the second fuel is to be supplied to the burner, and an appropriate flow rate of air can be automatically supplied to the burner.

Furthermore, a method for controlling the operation of an absorption chiller-heater according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for controlling the operation of an absorption chiller-heater that transfers heat by a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant, the absorption chiller-heater including a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heating value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid, a medium cooling mechanism that cools the temperature control target medium by removing the latent heat of evaporation when the refrigerant liquid changes phase to vapor from the temperature control target medium, and a cooling water flow path that flows cooling water that removes at least one of the condensation heat when the refrigerant vapor changes phase to liquid and the absorption heat when the refrigerant vapor is absorbed by the absorption liquid, and a step of supplying the fuel to the burner at a flow rate such that the temperature of the temperature control target medium becomes a target value, and The method includes the steps of: supplying air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner from the determined relationship; determining a theoretical temperature, which is the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium, based on at least a physical quantity related to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner and a physical quantity related to the temperature of the cooling water; detecting a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium; and adjusting the flow rate of the air supplied to the burner by comparing the theoretical temperature with an actual temperature determined from the detected physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium, and decreasing the flow rate of the air supplied to the burner if the actual temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature, and increasing the flow rate of the air supplied to the burner if the actual temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature.

With this configuration, if the heat value of the fuel supplied to the burner fluctuates, air can be supplied to the burner at a flow rate that corresponds to the fluctuation in heat value.

Furthermore, as a method for controlling the operation of an absorption chiller-heater according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for controlling the operation of an absorption chiller-heater that transfers heat by a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant, the absorption chiller-heater including a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heating value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid, and a medium heating mechanism that heats a temperature-adjustable medium by at least one of the combustion heat in the burner, or the condensation heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant undergoes a phase change to a liquid and the absorption heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant is absorbed by the absorption liquid, the method including the steps of: supplying the fuel to the burner at a flow rate such that the temperature of the temperature-adjustable medium becomes a target value; and controlling the temperature of the medium by a predetermined relationship between the fuel and the absorption liquid. The method may include a step of supplying air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, a step of calculating a theoretical temperature, which is the temperature of the temperature-control target medium, based on at least a physical quantity related to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, a step of detecting a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-control target medium, and a step of adjusting the flow rate of the air supplied to the burner by comparing the theoretical temperature with an actual temperature calculated from the detected physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-control target medium, and reducing the flow rate of the air supplied to the burner if the actual temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature, and increasing the flow rate of the air supplied to the burner if the actual temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature.

According to the present disclosure, when the heat value of the fuel supplied to the burner fluctuates, air can be supplied to the burner at a flow rate that corresponds to the fluctuation in heat value.

1 is a schematic system diagram of an absorption chiller-heater according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the flow rate of fuel supplied to a burner and the flow rate of air required for proper combustion. 4 is a flowchart illustrating control for supplying an appropriate flow rate of air to a burner. FIG. 2 is a partial system diagram of an absorption chiller-heater having an optional configuration. 1 is a schematic system diagram showing a first hot water generation mode in an absorption chiller/heater according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic system diagram showing a second hot water generating mode in the absorption chiller/heater according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic system diagram showing a third hot water generating mode in an absorption chiller/heater according to an embodiment. 5 is a flowchart illustrating control for supplying an appropriate flow rate of air to a burner during heating operation. 2 is a block diagram of a hardware configuration of a control device provided in the absorption chiller-heater according to the embodiment. FIG.

This application is based on Patent Application No. 2023-180593 filed in Japan on October 19, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description. Further application scope of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, the detailed description and specific examples are preferred embodiments of the present invention and are described for the purpose of explanation only. From this detailed description, various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Applicants have no intention of dedicating any of the described embodiments to the public, and all disclosed modifications and alternatives, which may not literally fall within the scope of the claims, are intended to be part of the invention under the doctrine of equivalents.

Below, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, identical or similar reference symbols are used for identical or corresponding parts, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

First, referring to FIG. 1, an absorption chiller/heater 1 according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic system diagram of the absorption chiller/heater 1. The absorption chiller/heater 1 includes an absorber 10, an evaporator 20, a regenerator 30, and a condenser 40 as main components for performing an absorption cycle. The absorption chiller/heater 1 also includes a combustion device 70 and a control device 60. The absorption chiller/heater 1 is a device that transfers heat by circulating a refrigerant with respect to an absorption liquid while undergoing a phase change, and typically lowers the temperature of chilled water C as a temperature-adjusted medium during cooling operation. In this embodiment, the absorption chiller/heater 1 is typically capable of raising the temperature of hot water H (see FIGS. 5A to 5C) as a temperature-adjusted medium during heating operation, but will first be described as a device that performs an operation for lowering the temperature of the chilled water C (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "cooling operation"), and an operation for raising the temperature of the hot water H will be described later. In the following description, the absorbing liquid is referred to as "dilute solution Sw", "concentrated solution Sa", etc., depending on the property and the position in the absorption cycle in order to easily distinguish them in the absorption cycle, but when the property and the like are not important, they are collectively referred to as "absorbing liquid S". Also, the refrigerant is referred to as "evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve", "regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg", "refrigerant liquid Vf", etc., depending on the property and the position in the absorption cycle in order to easily distinguish them in the absorption cycle, but when the property and the like are not important, they are collectively referred to as "refrigerant V". In this embodiment, a lithium bromide (LiBr) aqueous solution is used as the absorbing liquid S (typically a mixture of an absorbent and a refrigerant), and water (H ₂ O) is used as the refrigerant V, but the present invention is not limited to these, and other combinations of refrigerants and absorbing liquids (or absorbents) may be used.

The absorber 10 is a device that absorbs the evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve generated in the evaporator 20 with a concentrated solution Sa. The absorber 10 has a cooling pipe 11 as a cooling water flow path for flowing cooling water D, and a concentrated solution spray nozzle 12 that sprays the concentrated solution Sa toward the outer surface of the cooling pipe 11 inside the absorber body 17. The concentrated solution spray nozzle 12 is disposed above the cooling pipe 11 so that the sprayed concentrated solution Sa falls on the cooling pipe 11. The absorber 10 stores the diluted solution Sw, whose concentration has been reduced by the sprayed concentrated solution Sa absorbing the evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve, in the lower part of the absorber body 17. In the absorber 10, the cooling water D takes away (removes) the heat of absorption generated when the evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve is absorbed by the concentrated solution Sa.

A cooling water inlet pipe 11a, through which cooling water D flows, is connected to one end (or first end) of the cooling pipe 11. A cooling water connection pipe 14 is connected to the other end (or second end) of the cooling pipe 11. A cooling water supply pipe 98 outside the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 is connected to the cooling water inlet pipe 11a. The cooling water supply pipe 98 is connected to a cooling tower (not shown) outside the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1. A cooling water pump 91 outside the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 is disposed in the cooling water supply pipe 98. The absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 is configured such that the cooling water D flows through the cooling pipe 11 by operating the cooling water pump 91. The cooling water pump 91 may be configured such that the discharge flow rate of the cooling water D can be adjusted by an inverter. A cooling water thermometer 51 for detecting the temperature of the cooling water D introduced into the cooling pipe 11 is provided in the cooling water inlet pipe 11a. The temperature of the cooling water D can be said to be one of the physical quantities related to the temperature of the cooling water D, and the cooling water thermometer 51 can be said to be one of the cooling water temperature related physical quantity detectors.

The evaporator 20 is a device that cools the cold water C by removing the latent heat of evaporation required for the refrigerant liquid Vf to change phase to evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve from the cold water C, and corresponds to a medium cooling mechanism. The evaporator 20 has an evaporation tube 21 as a cold water flow path through which the cold water C flows, and a refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22 that sprays the refrigerant liquid Vf toward the outer surface of the evaporation tube 21 inside the evaporator body 27. The refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22 is disposed above the evaporation tube 21 so that the sprayed refrigerant liquid Vf falls on the evaporation tube 21. The evaporator 20 further has a refrigerant liquid pipe 28 that guides the refrigerant liquid Vf stored in the lower part of the evaporator body 27 to the refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22, and a refrigerant pump 29 that sends the refrigerant liquid Vf in the refrigerant liquid pipe 28 to the refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22. The evaporator 20 cools the cold water C by removing the heat of vaporization required for the refrigerant liquid Vf sprayed on the outer surface of the evaporator tube 21 to evaporate and become evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve from the cold water C flowing inside the evaporator tube 21, and stores the sprayed refrigerant liquid Vf that does not evaporate in the lower part of the evaporator can body 27.

A cold water inlet pipe 21a, through which cold water C flows, is connected to one end (or first end) of the evaporation pipe 21. A cold water outlet pipe 21b, through which cold water C flowing out from the evaporation pipe 21 flows, is connected to the other end (or second end) of the evaporation pipe 21. A cold water thermometer 52 is provided on the cold water outlet pipe 21b to detect the temperature of the cold water C flowing out from the evaporation pipe 21. The temperature of the cold water C can be said to be one of the physical quantities related to the temperature of the cold water C, and the cold water thermometer 52 in this embodiment corresponds to a temperature-related physical quantity detector. A cold water return pipe 95 outside the absorption chiller/heater 1 is connected to the cold water inlet pipe 21a. A cold water supply pipe 96 outside the absorption chiller/heater 1 is connected to the cold water outlet pipe 21b. The cold water return pipe 95 and the cold water supply pipe 96 are connected to a heat utilization device (not shown) that utilizes the cold energy contained in the cold water C. A cold water pump 92 outside the absorption chiller/heater 1 is disposed in the cold water return pipe 95. The absorption chiller/heater 1 is configured so that cold water C flows through the evaporator pipe 21 when the cold water pump 92 is operated. The cold water pump 92 may be configured so that the discharge flow rate of the cold water C can be adjusted by an inverter.

In this embodiment, the absorber 10 and the evaporator 20 are disposed adjacent to each other, and the upper part of the absorber body 17 and the upper part of the evaporator body 27 are connected to each other. This configuration allows the evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve generated inside the evaporator body 27 to be guided into the inside of the absorber body 17.

The regenerator 30 is a device that introduces the dilute solution Sw and heats it to remove the refrigerant V from the dilute solution Sw and generate a concentrated solution Sa. In the regenerator 30, the refrigerant V that has been removed from the dilute solution Sw is in a vapor state, and this vapor of the refrigerant V is referred to as regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg. The regenerator 30 is provided with a combustion device 70 for heating the dilute solution Sw. The regenerator 30 has a regenerator can body 37 that stores the introduced absorption liquid S. Inside the regenerator can body 37, a burner 71, which is one of the elements that make up the combustion device 70, is disposed. The burner 71 introduces fuel F and air A and can generate combustion heat by burning the fuel F. The regenerator 30 can generate heat for heating the dilute solution Sw by burning the fuel F with the burner 71.

In addition to the burner 71, the combustion device 70 has a mechanism for supplying fuel F to the burner 71, a mechanism for supplying air A to the burner 71, and a mechanism for discharging exhaust gas E after the fuel F is burned by the burner 71. In this embodiment, the combustion device 70 employs by-product hydrogen as the fuel F to be burned by the burner 71. By-product hydrogen has the characteristic that the ratio of hydrogen in the fuel changes depending on the operating conditions of the process-type production site (hereinafter simply referred to as the "process") where the hydrogen is generated, and the calorific value may vary. For example, if the standard hydrogen content (volume of hydrogen/total volume of gas containing hydrogen) in the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) is 70%, the hydrogen content may vary by about 70% ± 5% depending on the operating conditions of the process. Note that the standard hydrogen content in the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) is not limited to 70%, and may be other values depending on the characteristics of the process, etc.

The mechanism for supplying fuel F to the burner 71 (corresponding to a fuel supply mechanism) has a fuel supply pipe 72, a fuel fan 73, and a fuel damper 74. The fuel supply pipe 72 is a pipe that serves as a flow path for guiding fuel F, which is by-product hydrogen generated in the process, to the burner 71. The fuel fan 73 is disposed in the fuel supply pipe 72, and pressure-feeds the by-product hydrogen generated in the process as fuel F toward the burner 71. The fuel damper 74 is disposed in the fuel supply pipe 72. The fuel damper 74 can adjust the flow rate of fuel F supplied to the burner 71, and corresponds to a fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism. The fuel damper 74 is typically configured to adjust the volumetric flow rate of fuel F. From the viewpoint of flow rate control of fuel F, it is preferable to use an opposed-wing type volume damper as the fuel damper 74.

The mechanism for supplying air A to the burner 71 (corresponding to the air supply mechanism) has an air supply pipe 75, an air fan 76, and an air damper 77. The air supply pipe 75 is a pipe that serves as a flow path for guiding air A to the burner 71. The air fan 76 is disposed in the air supply pipe 75 and pressurizes the air A toward the burner 71. The air damper 77 is disposed in the air supply pipe 75. The air damper 77 can adjust the flow rate of air A supplied to the burner 71, and corresponds to an air flow rate adjustment mechanism. The air damper 77 is configured to adjust the volumetric flow rate of air A. The air damper 77 can be of the same type as the fuel damper 74 (for example, an opposed-wing type volume damper). The air damper 77 is configured to be able to operate independently of the fuel damper 74. In other words, the fuel damper 74 and the air damper 77 are not connected by a commonly used link mechanism, so their opening adjustments are not linked, and they are configured so that their openings can be adjusted freely.

The mechanism for discharging exhaust gas E from the burner 71 has an exhaust gas pipe 78. The exhaust gas pipe 78 is a pipe that serves as a flow path for directing the exhaust gas E generated by burning the fuel F in the burner 71 outside the system (outside the absorption chiller-heater 1).

The condenser 40 is a device that introduces the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg evaporated from the dilute solution Sw in the regenerator 30, cools and condenses it, and generates the refrigerant liquid Vf to be sent to the evaporator 20. The condenser 40 has a condenser tube 41, which is a member that forms a flow path (cooling water flow path) of the cooling water D, inside the condenser can body 47. In this embodiment, the other end (or second end) of the cooling water connection pipe 14 is connected to one end (or first end) of the condenser tube 41. Note that one end (or first end) of the cooling water connection pipe 14 is connected to the cooling pipe 11 as described above. The other end (or second end) of the condenser tube 41 is connected to the cooling water outlet pipe 41b through which the cooling water D flowing out from the condenser tube 41 flows. The cooling water outlet pipe 41b is connected to the cooling water return pipe 99 outside the absorption chiller/heater 1. The cooling water return pipe 99 is connected to a cooling tower (not shown) outside the absorption chiller/heater 1. With this configuration, the cooling water D flowing through the cooling water return pipe 99 is cooled in a cooling tower (not shown) and supplied to the cooling water supply pipe 98.

The condenser body 47 is disposed adjacent to the regenerator body 37. In this embodiment, the upper part of the regenerator body 37 and the upper part of the condenser body 47 are connected via the regenerator refrigerant vapor flow path 35 (for example, composed of piping). The condenser 40 introduces the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg from the regenerator 30 via the regenerator refrigerant vapor flow path 35, and the cooling water D flowing through the condensing tube 41 removes the heat from the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg, condensing the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg into refrigerant liquid Vf. In other words, the cooling water D flowing through the condensing tube 41 removes the condensation heat generated when the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg changes phase to refrigerant liquid Vf. In this embodiment, the condenser body 47 and the regenerator body 37 are disposed above the evaporator body 27 and the absorber body 17. The bottom or lower part of the condenser body 47 and the evaporator body 27 are connected by a condensed refrigerant liquid pipe 48, and this configuration allows the refrigerant liquid Vf in the condenser body 47 to be guided into the evaporator body 27 by the position head and the internal pressure difference between the two.

The bottom or lower part of the absorber body 17 is connected to the regenerator body 37 by a dilute solution pipe 18. A solution pump 19 is provided in the dilute solution pipe 18. The absorption chiller/heater 1 is configured to transport the dilute solution Sw from the absorber body 17 into the regenerator body 37 by the solution pump 19. In the regenerator body 37, as the introduced dilute solution Sw moves from the inlet to the outlet, the refrigerant V is released from the dilute solution Sw, increasing the concentration. The part of the regenerator body 37 from which the concentrated solution Sa flows out is connected to the concentrated solution spray nozzle 12 of the absorber 10 by a concentrated solution pipe 38. The absorption chiller/heater 1 is configured to transport the dilute solution Sw to the regenerator body 37 by the solution pump 19, and the concentrated solution Sa generated by the release of the refrigerant V in the regenerator body 37 is introduced into the concentrated solution spray nozzle 12 via the concentrated solution pipe 38. A solution heat exchanger 81 is inserted into the dilute solution pipe 18 and the concentrated solution pipe 38 to exchange heat between the dilute solution Sw flowing through the dilute solution pipe 18 and the concentrated solution Sa flowing through the concentrated solution pipe 38.

The control device 60 is a device that controls the operation of the absorption chiller-heater 1. The control device 60 has a control unit 61, a receiving unit 62, a storage unit 63, and a calculation unit 64. In this embodiment, these units are shown distinguished by their functions for the sake of convenience, but they are typically configured as an integrated unit within the control device 60, or one or more of these units may be configured as physically separate units.

The control unit 61 is a part that controls the operation of each device and equipment that constitutes the absorption chiller-heater 1. The control unit 61 is connected to the solution pump 19, the refrigerant pump 29, the cooling water pump 91, and the chilled water pump 92 by communication lines (wired or wireless; the same applies below), and can control the start/stop and discharge flow rate of these. The control unit 61 is also connected to the fuel fan 73 and the air fan 76 by communication lines, and can control the start/stop of these. The control unit 61 is also connected to the fuel damper 74 and the air damper 77 by communication lines, and can control the opening degree of these. The control unit 61 also has a program for properly operating each of the above-mentioned devices and equipment. The control unit 61 may include a physical configuration of a processor and/or memory (RAM).

The receiving unit 62 is a part that receives the measurement values of each measuring device of the absorption chiller-heater 1 as a signal. The receiving unit 62 is connected to each of the cooling water thermometer 51 and the cold water thermometer 52 by a communication line, and can receive the temperature of the cooling water D from the cooling water thermometer 51 and the temperature of the cold water C from the cold water thermometer 52. The receiving unit 62 may be configured as a communication interface.

The memory unit 63 is a portion in which data necessary for the operation of the absorption chiller-heater 1 is stored in advance. The memory unit 63 stores the flow rate of air A suitable for performing appropriate combustion in the burner 71 relative to the flow rate of fuel F supplied to the burner 71. Here, appropriate combustion in the burner 71 is typically combustion that does not cause problems such as incomplete combustion, generation of carbon monoxide (CO), misfire, etc., and may be combustion in which the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E becomes a predetermined concentration. The predetermined concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas E that can be considered as appropriate combustion (volume of oxygen/total volume of gas containing oxygen) is preferably about 1% to 10%, and more preferably about 1.5% to 4%. The memory unit 63 may include a physical configuration of storage and/or memory (RAM and/or ROM).

2 shows an example of the relationship between the flow rate of fuel F supplied to the burner 71 and the flow rate of air A for appropriate combustion. In the relationship shown by the solid line LF in FIG. 2, the relationship between the flow rates of fuel F and air A is shown as the relationship between the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 and the opening degree of the air damper 77, assuming that the hydrogen content in the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) treated as the standard of the illustrated process is 70%. In the relationship shown in FIG. 2, as the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 (flow rate of fuel F) increases, the opening degree of the air damper 77 (flow rate of air A) increases while decreasing the rate of increase, but the manner of increase typically depends on the type of fuel F. This relationship between the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 (flow rate of fuel F) and the opening degree of the air damper 77 (flow rate of air A) is typically found from at least one of theory, experiment, simulation, and other methods, and is stored in the memory unit 63 as a function or table.

Calculation unit 64 shown in FIG. 1 is a part that calculates values used to control the operation of absorption chiller/heater 1. Calculation unit 64 is configured to calculate the theoretical temperature of chilled water C. Here, in this embodiment, the theoretical temperature of chilled water C is a theoretical temperature calculated using at least the flow rate of fuel F supplied to burner 71 and the temperature of cooling water D introduced into absorption chiller/heater 1 as parameters. Note that the flow rate of cooling water D, the flow rate of chilled water C and/or the inlet temperature may be included as parameters when calculating the theoretical temperature. The background to this is that the temperature of chilled water C supplied from absorption chiller/heater 1 is mainly affected by the amount of combustion of fuel F in regenerator 30, the temperature and flow rate of cooling water D flowing into absorption chiller/heater 1, and the temperature and flow rate of chilled water C. The amount of combustion of fuel F and the temperature and flow rate of cooling water D affect the concentration of absorption liquid S, i.e., the refrigeration capacity. The flow rate and inlet temperature of the chilled water C relate to the amount of heat to be processed by the absorption chiller/heater 1 in order to bring the chilled water C to the target temperature. The flow rate and inlet temperature of the chilled water C change according to the amount of heat to be processed by the heat load in the heat utilization equipment (not shown). When variable flow rate control is performed on the flow rate of the cooling water D and/or the chilled water C, a signal from a flow rate sensor (not shown) may be used as an input value, or a variable flow rate signal output from the absorption chiller/heater 1 may be used as a flow rate related value. In this way, the parameters for calculating the theoretical temperature should be minimized to include at least the flow rate of the fuel F supplied to the burner 71 and the temperature of the cooling water D introduced into the absorption chiller/heater 1, thereby reducing the calculation load. The calculation unit 64 may include a physical configuration of a processor and/or a memory (RAM).

Continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the operation of the absorption chiller/heater 1 will be described. When the absorption chiller/heater 1 is started and the cooling water pump 91 operates, in this embodiment, the cooling water D circulates through the cooling water supply pipe 98, the cooling water inlet pipe 11a, the cooling pipe 11, the cooling water connection pipe 14, the condenser pipe 41, the cooling water outlet pipe 41b, the cooling water return pipe 99, and the cooling tower (not shown). When the cold water pump 92 operates, the cold water C circulates through the cold water return pipe 95, the cold water inlet pipe 21a, the evaporation pipe 21, the cold water outlet pipe 21b, the cold water supply pipe 96, and the heat utilization equipment (not shown).

Regarding the absorption cycle, looking at the cycle on the refrigerant V side, the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg introduced from the regenerator 30 to the condenser 40 via the regenerator refrigerant vapor flow path 35 is cooled and condensed by the cooling water D flowing through the condensing tube 41, becoming refrigerant liquid Vf, which is stored in the lower part of the condenser body 47. The cooling water D that has cooled the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg increases in temperature and flows out of the cooling water return tube 99 and is supplied to a cooling tower (not shown). The refrigerant liquid Vf in the condenser body 47 is introduced into the evaporator body 27 via the condensed refrigerant liquid tube 48.

The refrigerant liquid Vf introduced from the condenser body 47 into the evaporator body 27 mixes with the refrigerant liquid Vf that was sprayed from the refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22 and did not evaporate, and is stored in the lower part of the evaporator body 27. The refrigerant liquid Vf in the evaporator body 27 flows through the refrigerant liquid pipe 28 by the refrigerant pump 29 to the refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22. The refrigerant liquid Vf that reaches the refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22 is sprayed toward the evaporator tube 21, and a portion of it evaporates by obtaining heat from the cold water C flowing through the evaporator tube 21, becoming evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve, which is introduced into the absorber body 17. The cold water C, whose heat has been absorbed by the sprayed refrigerant liquid Vf, is cooled and flows out of the evaporator tube 21, and is supplied to a heat utilization device (not shown), such as an air conditioner. The refrigerant liquid Vf that is sprayed from the refrigerant liquid spray nozzle 22 and does not evaporate is mixed with the refrigerant liquid Vf introduced from the condenser can body 47 and stored in the lower part of the evaporator can body 27.

Next, looking at the solution S cycle of the absorption chiller/heater 1, the dilute solution Sw in the absorber body 17 flows through the dilute solution pipe 18 by the solution pump 19, and after the temperature is increased in the solution heat exchanger 81, it is introduced into the regenerator body 37. The dilute solution Sw introduced into the regenerator body 37 is heated by the heat of combustion when the fuel F is burned in the burner 71, and the refrigerant V is released to become a concentrated solution Sa. The refrigerant V heated by the heat of combustion and released from the dilute solution Sw is sent as regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg to the condenser body 47 via the regenerator refrigerant vapor flow path 35. The concentrated solution Sa generated in the regenerator body 37 flows through the concentrated solution pipe 38, and after heat exchange with the dilute solution Sw in the solution heat exchanger 81, the temperature is reduced, and it reaches the concentrated solution spray nozzle 12.

The concentrated solution Sa that reaches the concentrated solution spray nozzle 12 is sprayed toward the cooling pipe 11, where it absorbs the evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve introduced from the evaporator 20, reducing its concentration and becoming a dilute solution Sw. When the concentrated solution Sa absorbs the evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve in the absorber can body 17, heat of absorption is generated. This generated heat of absorption is removed by the cooling water D flowing through the cooling pipe 11. In this embodiment, the cooling water D flowing through the cooling pipe 11 absorbs the heat of absorption, increases in temperature, and flows out into the cooling water connection pipe 14 and is supplied to the condenser pipe 41 of the condenser 40. The dilute solution Sw generated in the absorber can body 17 is stored in the absorber can body 17.

When the absorption cycle of the absorption liquid S and the refrigerant V is performed as described above, the control device 60 adjusts the supply flow rate of the fuel F to the burner 71 so that the temperature of the cold water C becomes the target value, and adjusts the supply flow rate of the air A to the burner 71 according to the supply flow rate of the fuel F to the burner 71. Typically, the control unit 61 adjusts the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 so that the detection value of the cold water thermometer 52 received by the receiving unit 62 becomes the target temperature of the cold water C (e.g., 7°C), and also refers to the relationship between the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 and the opening degree of the air damper 77 stored in the memory unit 63 as shown by the solid line LF in Figure 2, and adjusts the opening degree of the air damper 77 so that the opening degree of the air damper 77 corresponds to the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 at that time. The temperature of the cold water C flowing out from the absorption chiller-heater 1 (i.e., the outlet temperature) can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of combustion of the fuel F in the regenerator 30 (i.e., the flow rate of the fuel F supplied to the burner 71). In addition, the flow rate of air A supplied to burner 71 is adjusted according to the flow rate of fuel F supplied to burner 71 in order to maintain the oxygen concentration in exhaust gas E at a predetermined concentration and prevent problems such as incomplete combustion from occurring.

In the above control, the relationship between the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 and the opening degree of the air damper 77 referred to by the control unit 61 (see solid line LF in FIG. 2) is based on the assumption that the hydrogen content of the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) is 70% in this embodiment. As described above, the ratio of hydrogen in the fuel F can change depending on the operating conditions of the process (not shown) that generates the hydrogen. When the ratio of hydrogen in the fuel F changes, the appropriate flow rate of air A changes with respect to the relationship stored in the memory unit 63 (see solid line LF in FIG. 2). Therefore, in this embodiment, the following control is performed during operation of the absorption chiller-heater 1 so that an appropriate flow rate of air A can be supplied to the burner 71 even if the ratio (heat generation amount) of hydrogen in the fuel F changes.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart explaining the control for supplying an appropriate flow rate of air A to the burner 71. In the following explanation of control, when the configuration of the absorption chiller-heater 1 is mentioned, FIG. 1 will be referred to as appropriate. During operation of the absorption chiller-heater 1, the control unit 61 refers to the measurement value of the chilled water thermometer 52 received by the receiving unit 62 and adjusts the opening of the fuel damper 74 as described above, thereby supplying fuel F to the burner 71 at a flow rate that brings the temperature of the chilled water C to a target value (St1). Then, the control unit 61 refers to the relationship stored in the memory unit 63 (see solid line LF in FIG. 2), and supplies air A to the burner 71 at a flow rate appropriate for the supply flow rate of fuel F to the burner 71 (St2).

When performing the above-mentioned control, the calculation unit 64 calculates the theoretical temperature from the measurement value of the cooling water thermometer 51 received by the receiving unit 62 and the flow rate of the fuel F obtained from the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 controlled by the control unit 61 (St3). The receiving unit 62 also receives the measurement value of the cold water thermometer 52 and obtains the actual temperature (St4). Note that in the example shown in FIG. 3, for convenience, the theoretical temperature is calculated (St3) and then the actual temperature is obtained (St4), but these are typically performed simultaneously, or the order may be reversed.

After calculating the theoretical temperature (St3) and acquiring the actual temperature (St4), the control unit 61 judges whether the actual temperature and the theoretical temperature are equal (St5). Here, the fact that the actual temperature and the theoretical temperature are equal does not mean that they are strictly equal, but is intended to include the case where there is a difference and the difference is within an allowable range. The allowable range here may be determined, for example, based on the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E being within an allowable range. In addition, when comparing the actual temperature with the theoretical temperature, in order to stabilize the results (suppress the variation), an average value for a desired time (e.g., 5 minutes) or a value when a capacity fluctuation of a predetermined width (e.g., ±5%) has elapsed for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes or more) may be adopted. In step (St5), if the actual temperature and the theoretical temperature are equal (YES in St5), it is estimated that the flow rate of air A corresponding to the supply flow rate of fuel F is being supplied, and the process returns to step (St1), and the above-mentioned procedure is repeated thereafter. On the other hand, in step (St5), if the actual measured temperature and the theoretical temperature are not equal (NO in St5), the control unit 61 determines whether the actual measured temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature (St6).

In step (St6), if the measured temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature (YES in St6), the control unit 61 adjusts the opening of the air damper 77 to reduce the flow rate of air A according to the difference between the measured temperature and the theoretical temperature (St7). Here, the reason for reducing the flow rate of air A is as follows. If the measured temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature, it can be assumed that the amount of fuel F burned is less than expected (compared to the value used to calculate the theoretical temperature), resulting in a smaller refrigeration capacity. The cause of this is thought to be that the hydrogen content in the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) is less than the standard value. In this case, if air A with the relationship stored in the memory unit 63 (see solid line LF in Figure 2) is supplied to the burner 71, it is thought that more oxygen (air A) than necessary is supplied to the burner 71. Therefore, in order to supply air A at a flow rate balanced with the amount of fuel F burned to the burner 71, the flow rate of air A is adjusted to match the small amount of fuel F burned. In this way, by matching the flow rate of air A to the amount of fuel F being burned, the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E can be set to a predetermined concentration (preferably about 1% to 10%), preventing problems such as incomplete combustion from occurring.

On the other hand, in step (St6), if the measured temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature (NO in St6), the control unit 61 increases the flow rate of air A according to the difference between the measured temperature and the theoretical temperature by adjusting the opening of the air damper 77 (St8). If the measured temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature, it can be estimated that the amount of fuel F burned is greater than expected due to factors such as the hydrogen content in the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) being higher than the standard value, resulting in a larger refrigeration capacity. Therefore, in this embodiment, the flow rate of air A supplied to the burner 71 is increased from the relationship stored in the memory unit 63 (see solid line LF in FIG. 2) according to the increase in the amount of fuel F burned. In this way, by matching the flow rate of air A to the amount of fuel F burned, the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E is set to a predetermined concentration, and the occurrence of problems such as incomplete combustion is suppressed, as in step (St7).

After decreasing (St7) or increasing (St8) the flow rate of air A according to the judgment in step (St6), the control unit 61 judges whether or not a command to stop the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 has been received (St9). A command to stop the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 is typically received by an operator of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 pressing a stop button, or by a stop signal transmitted due to the start of a timer, etc. If there is no command to stop the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 (NO in St9), the process returns to step (St1) and thereafter repeats the above-mentioned procedure. On the other hand, if there is a command to stop the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 (YES in St9), typically, a residual operation is performed to reduce the concentration of the absorbing liquid S, and then the operation of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 is stopped.

As described above, with the absorption chiller-heater 1 according to this embodiment, the flow rate of air A supplied to the burner 71 is increased or decreased depending on the deviation between the actual measured temperature and the theoretical temperature, so that an appropriate flow rate of air A can be supplied even if the heat value of the fuel F supplied to the burner 71 fluctuates.

The absorption chiller-heater 1 described above may be equipped with additional elements (options) as described below.

As a first option, an upper limit may be set on the amount of fuel F burned in the burner 71 of the regenerator 30. In the regenerator 30, as described above, the heat of combustion in the burner 71 heats the dilute solution Sw to generate the concentrated solution Sa. The greater the amount of combustion (heating), the greater the amount of evaporation of the refrigerant V in the dilute solution Sw, and the higher the concentration of the concentrated solution Sa generated. However, if the concentration of the concentrated solution Sa becomes too high, the absorption solution S may crystallize, causing poor flow of the absorption solution S, making it difficult to maintain proper operation of the absorption chiller/heater 1 (operation within a range that prevents excessive heat input (overload)). In particular, in this embodiment in which the heat value of the fuel F can change, if the hydrogen content of the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) increases, the amount of combustion may increase unintentionally, resulting in a state in which the concentration of the concentrated solution Sa becomes too high. Therefore, the control unit 61 may compare the combustion amount in the burner 71 when the supply flow rate of the fuel F to the burner 71 is adjusted so that the temperature of the cold water C becomes the target value with the set upper limit combustion amount, and control the fuel damper 74 so that the burner 71 is operated with the smaller combustion amount. The upper limit combustion amount may be set to the combustion amount for the temperature or pressure of the regenerator 30 (typically in the regenerator can body 37) or the concentration of the concentrated solution Sa to become the target value, and this target value may be set to a value that provides a combustion amount that provides a concentration that is a margin lower than the concentration at which the concentrated solution Sa crystallizes. By setting the upper limit combustion amount in this way, even if the hydrogen content of the by-product hydrogen (fuel F) increases and the combustion amount increases, and the combustion amount increases temporarily until this increased heat is fed back and reflected in the target temperature of the cold water C, it is possible to avoid the concentration increasing to the level at which the concentrated solution Sa crystallizes. This makes it possible to maintain proper operation of the absorption chiller-heater 1 even if the heat generation amount of the fuel F fluctuates.

As a second option, as shown in FIG. 4, an acquisition unit 65 may be provided to acquire (record) the operating state of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1, and the operating state previously acquired by the acquisition unit 65 may be reflected in the theoretical temperature. FIG. 4 is a partial system diagram of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 equipped with various optional configurations. The operating state of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 is typically a set of at least one or more actual measured values of the temperature of the chilled water C, the temperature of the cooling water D, the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 (or the flow rate of fuel F), the opening degree of the air damper 77 (or the flow rate of air A), and other physical quantities at a target time (a certain time). The temperature of the chilled water C may be calculated from at least one of the inlet temperature of the chilled water C, the outlet temperature of the chilled water C, and the evaporation temperature of the evaporator refrigerant vapor Ve. The temperature of the cooling water D may be calculated from at least one of the inlet temperature of the cooling water D, the outlet temperature of the cooling water D, the temperature of the dilute solution Sw (typically the temperature at the outlet of the absorber 10), and the temperature at which the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg condenses into the refrigerant liquid V. The opening degree of the fuel damper 74 (or the flow rate of the fuel F) may be calculated from at least one of the temperature of the exhaust gas E, the temperature of the regenerator 30 (typically in the regenerator can body 37), the pressure of the regenerator 30 (typically in the regenerator can body 37), and the concentration of the strong solution Sa. The acquisition unit 65 may typically acquire the operating state of the absorption chiller/heater 1 continuously or intermittently (for example, at a predetermined time interval). The acquisition unit 65 may include a physical configuration of storage and/or memory (RAM and/or ROM). The acquisition unit 65 may be included in the control device 60, or may be included in a computer installed at a location away from the absorption chiller/heater 1 and connected to the control device 60 via a communication line (for example, the Internet).

When the acquisition unit 65 is provided, the calculation unit 64 may acquire the past operating state of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 from the acquisition unit 65 and may correct the parameters based on the past operating state when calculating the theoretical temperature. For example, if there is a value that is estimated or calculated from an actual measurement value among the values substituted into the calculation formula used to calculate the theoretical temperature, and if the value differs from the value of the past operating state, the value of the past operating state may be adopted instead of the value, or the correction may be made using the value of the past operating state. In this way, if the theoretical temperature calculated by the calculation unit 64 is corrected based on the past operating state of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1, it is possible to supply air A to the burner 71 at an appropriate flow rate according to the characteristics unique to the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1. In other words, although the characteristics of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1, such as whether it is easy or difficult to produce capacity, may differ slightly depending on the machine, the past conditions of each machine are stored and the theoretical temperature is corrected based on that data, thereby offsetting the machine difference.

As a third option, a configuration may be added to supply a fuel (hereinafter referred to as "second fuel F2") having a different calorific value from fuel F (by-product hydrogen) to the mechanism for supplying fuel F to the burner 71. A fuel with a hydrogen content of 100% (hereinafter referred to as "100% hydrogen") may be applied as the second fuel F2. 100% hydrogen (second fuel F2) may be used as an alternative fuel when the supply of by-product hydrogen (fuel F) from the process is stopped or insufficient. 100% hydrogen (second fuel F2) may be filled and supplied in a cylinder 85, for example, and the cylinder 85 may be connected to the fuel supply pipe 72 by a second fuel pipe 86. In addition, an on-off valve 87 may be arranged in the second fuel pipe 86, and an on-off valve 88 may be arranged in the fuel supply pipe 72 upstream of the connection with the second fuel pipe 86, and the fuel F and the second fuel F2 may be selectively supplied to the burner 71 by switching the opening and closing of the two on-off valves 87 and 88. At this time, the fuel F corresponds to the first fuel, and the second fuel F2 corresponds to the second fuel. The two on-off valves 87, 88 are typically two-way valves, and may be connected to the control unit 61 by a communication line and configured to be controlled to open and close by commands from the control unit 61. Note that instead of the two on-off valves 87, 88, a three-way valve may be disposed at the connection between the fuel supply pipe 72 and the second fuel pipe 86.

If a configuration capable of supplying the second fuel F2 is added to the mechanism that supplies fuel F to the burner 71, the memory unit 63 should also store the relationship between the flow rate of air A to ensure appropriate combustion relative to the flow rate of the second fuel F2 supplied to the burner 71. That is, as shown in Figure 2, the memory unit 63 should also store the relationship between the flow rates of the second fuel F2 and air A illustrated by the dashed line LF2 in addition to the relationship between the flow rates of fuel F and air A illustrated by the solid line LF. In this case, the relationship between the flow rates of fuel F and air A illustrated by the solid line LF in Figure 2 corresponds to the first relationship, and the relationship between the flow rates of the second fuel F2 and air A illustrated by the dashed line LF2 corresponds to the second relationship. In the case where the fuel F and the second fuel F2 can be selectively supplied to the burner 71, the control unit 61 may determine the flow rate of the air A to be supplied to the burner 71 by referring to the relationship shown by the solid line LF in FIG. 2 when the fuel F is supplied, and by referring to the relationship shown by the dashed line LF2 when the second fuel F2 is supplied. Regardless of whether the fuel F or the second fuel F2 is supplied, the method of calculating the theoretical temperature and detecting the actual temperature is as described above. Which of the fuel F and the second fuel F2 is supplied to the burner 71, in other words which of the two on-off valves 87, 88 is to be opened, may be determined based on the reception by the receiving unit 62 of a signal (external signal) indicating that the process has stopped (including an emergency stop). For example, while the process is running, it is assumed that by-product hydrogen (fuel F) is being produced, and on-off valve 87 is opened and on-off valve 88 is closed; when the process is stopped, it is assumed that the production of by-product hydrogen (fuel F) has stopped, and on-off valve 87 is closed and on-off valve 88 is opened.

In the above example, the second fuel pipe 86 is connected to the fuel supply pipe 72, and the fuel (fuel F or the second fuel F2) supplied to the burner 71 passes through the fuel supply pipe 72 downstream of the connection with the second fuel pipe 86, regardless of the type of fuel. However, the second fuel pipe 86 may be directly connected to the burner 71 without being connected to the fuel supply pipe 72. In this way, it is possible to burn the fuel F and the second fuel F2 simultaneously in the burner 71. However, even if the second fuel pipe 86 is directly connected to the burner 71 separately from the fuel supply pipe 72, the fuel F may be burned during normal times (when by-product hydrogen (fuel F) can be supplied) and the second fuel F2 may be burned during an emergency response (when by-product hydrogen (fuel F) cannot be supplied). When the second fuel pipe 86 is directly connected to the burner 71, it is preferable to provide the second fuel pipe 86 with a second fuel damper 84 capable of adjusting the supply flow rate of the second fuel F2. In this case, the fuel damper 74 provided in the fuel supply pipe 72 corresponds to the first fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism, and the second fuel damper 84 provided in the second fuel pipe 86 corresponds to the second fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism. A calorific value meter 89 may be provided in the fuel supply pipe 72 or the second fuel pipe 86 as a calorific value measurement mechanism for measuring the calorific value of the fuel (fuel F or second fuel F2) (provided in the second fuel pipe 86 in this modification), and the flow rate of the air A supplied to the burner 71 may be adjusted based on the measurement value of the calorific value meter 89. For example, the flow rate of the air A supplied to the burner 71 may be determined by referring to the relationship shown by the solid line LF in FIG. 2 when the measurement value of the calorific value meter 89 is less than a predetermined value, and may be determined by referring to the relationship shown by the dashed line LF2 when the measurement value of the calorific value meter 89 is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. The predetermined value here is a value that allows the fuel F and the second fuel F2 supplied to the burner 71 to be distinguished from each other by the measurement value of the calorific value meter 89, and may be, for example, a value between the calorific value of the fuel F and the calorific value of the second fuel F2 (for example, the calorific value when the fuel contains 90% hydrogen). The calorific value meter 89 may also be applied to a configuration in which the second fuel pipe 86 is connected to the fuel supply pipe 72 to selectively supply the fuel F or the second fuel F2 to the burner 71. For example, the calorific value meter 89 may be installed downstream of the connection part of the fuel supply pipe 72 with the second fuel pipe 86, and the flow rate of the air A supplied to the burner 71 may be adjusted based on the measurement value of the calorific value meter 89.

In the case where the fuel F and the second fuel F2 can be supplied selectively or simultaneously to the burner 71, and fuels whose heat generation amount does not substantially vary are used as the fuel F and the second fuel F2, it is not necessary to adjust the flow rate of the air A based on the difference between the theoretical temperature and the measured temperature. In this case, it is not necessary to calculate the theoretical temperature in the calculation unit 64, and the calculation load can be reduced. A fuel whose heat generation amount does not substantially vary is typically a fuel for which problems such as incomplete combustion do not occur even if the flow rate of the air A is not adjusted with respect to the flow rate of the air A calculated from the relationship between the supply flow rates of the fuels F and F2 and the supply flow rate of the air A stored in the memory unit 63.

As a fourth option, as shown in FIG. 4, an oxygen concentration meter 79 may be provided in the mechanism for discharging exhaust gas E from the burner 71. The oxygen concentration meter 79 is typically provided in the exhaust gas pipe 78 and is an instrument for measuring the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E. The oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E is a physical quantity related to the oxygen concentration contained in the exhaust gas E, and the oxygen concentration meter 79 corresponds to an oxygen concentration-related physical quantity detector. The oxygen concentration meter 79 may be connected to the receiving unit 62 by a communication line, and the receiving unit 62 may be capable of receiving the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E measured by the oxygen concentration meter 79 as a signal. The control unit 61 may then control the opening degree of the air damper 77, and thus the flow rate of air A supplied to the burner 71, so that the detection value of the oxygen concentration meter 79 received by the receiving unit 62 becomes a predetermined value. The predetermined value here is a predetermined concentration of oxygen in the exhaust gas E that can be regarded as the above-mentioned appropriate combustion (preferably about 1% to 10%, more preferably about 1.5% to 4%), and the numerical range may be wide. In this way, the oxygen concentration contained in the exhaust gas E can be made to a desired concentration, and the occurrence of problems such as incomplete combustion can be suppressed. When the flow rate of the air A is controlled based on the value of the oxygen concentration meter 79, it is possible to supply an appropriate flow rate of the air A to the burner 71, especially when the fuel F and the second fuel F2 are supplied to the burner 71 simultaneously. Furthermore, when the fuel F and the second fuel F2 are hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are not generated, so that the supply flow rate of the air A can be accurately adjusted based on the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas E. The control of the flow rate of the air A based on the measurement value of the oxygen concentration meter 79 can be applied in place of or in addition to the control of the flow rate of the air A based on the relationship (see FIG. 2) stored in the memory unit 63. When the flow rate control of air A based on the measurement value of the oxygen concentration meter 79 is applied in a superimposed manner to the flow rate control of air A based on the relationship stored in the memory unit 63, it is possible to suppress the deviation of the flow rate of air A supplied to the burner 71 from the appropriate flow rate during the period until the measurement value of the oxygen concentration meter 79 is fed back to the opening degree of the air damper 77. In addition to the oxygen concentration meter 79, a nitrogen oxide meter or the like can be applied as an oxygen concentration-related physical quantity detector.

Each of the above-mentioned options can be applied to the absorption hot and cold water machine 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiment, either alone or in combination. Furthermore, the options listed below can also be applied to the absorption hot and cold water machine 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiment or to an absorption hot and cold water machine 1 to which one or more of the above-mentioned options have been applied.

In the above explanation, by-product hydrogen is used as the fuel F burned in the burner 71, but it is also possible to use a fuel other than by-product hydrogen whose heating value can vary, such as a biomass fuel. In this case, a fuel other than 100% hydrogen may be used as the second fuel F2, and a fuel other than 100% hydrogen that can be used in combination with the fuel F may be used.

In the above explanation, the air flow rate adjustment mechanism is the air damper 77, but instead of the air damper 77, the supply flow rate may be adjusted by varying the rotation speed of the air fan 76 using an inverter or the like. In this case, it is preferable to set an "air fan inverter frequency" instead of the "air damper opening" in the relationship shown in FIG. 2. Also, although the fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism is the fuel damper 74, it is preferable to set an "fuel fan inverter frequency" instead of the fuel damper 74, but instead of the fuel damper 74, the supply flow rate may be adjusted by varying the rotation speed of the fuel fan 73 using an inverter or the like. In this case, it is preferable to set a "fuel fan inverter frequency" instead of the "fuel damper opening" in the relationship shown in FIG. 2.

In the above explanation, the temperature of the cold water C is directly measured using the cold water thermometer 52 to check whether the cold water C is at the target temperature. However, instead of directly measuring the temperature of the cold water C, the temperature of the cold water C may be estimated from the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant liquid Vf in the evaporator 20 (typically in the evaporator body 27), the evaporation pressure of the refrigerant liquid Vf in the evaporator 20 (typically in the evaporator body 27), which is correlated with the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant liquid Vf, or the pressure in the absorber 10 (typically in the absorber body 17), which is connected to the evaporator 20 and has a value approximately equal to the evaporation pressure.

In the above explanation, the theoretical temperature is calculated using at least the flow rate of the fuel F supplied to the burner 71 and the temperature of the cooling water D introduced into the absorption chiller/heater 1 as parameters. However, instead of the flow rate of the fuel F, at least one of the opening degree of the fuel damper 74, the temperature of the exhaust gas E, the temperature of the regenerator 30 (typically in the regenerator can body 37), the pressure of the regenerator 30 (typically in the regenerator can body 37), and the concentration of the strong solution Sa may be used as a physical quantity related to the flow rate of the fuel. Also, instead of the inlet temperature of the cooling water D, the outlet temperature of the cooling water D, the temperature of the dilute solution Sw at the outlet of the absorber 10, and the condensation temperature of the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg in the condenser 40 may be used as a physical quantity related to the temperature of the cooling water.

In the above explanation, the absorption cycle is a single-effect system, but it may be a double-effect system or a triple-effect system by providing a high-temperature regenerator.

The above description has referred to the function of lowering the temperature of the cold water C as a medium to be temperature-adjusted in the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1, but by switching modes (for example, switching between cooling mode and heating mode), it is possible to raise the temperature of the hot water H (see Figs. 5A to 5C) as a medium to be temperature-adjusted. There are multiple modes of operation (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "heating operation") for raising the temperature of the hot water H in the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1, for example as shown in Figs. 5A to 5C. Note that, regardless of the mode of operation for raising the temperature of the hot water H, although additional piping and other configurations may be required, the basic configuration of the device can use the configuration of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, for configurations that are omitted and not shown in Figs. 5A to 5C, refer to Fig. 1.

In the first hot water generation form shown in FIG. 5A, heat source water U is supplied to the evaporation tube 21 of the evaporator 20, and hot water H as a temperature-adjusted medium is flowed through the cooling tube 11 of the absorber 10 and the condensation tube 41 of the condenser 40. At this time, the absorption liquid S and the refrigerant V flow in a cycle similar to that in the case of cooling cold water C. In addition, the heat source water U flowing through the evaporation tube 21 is supplied to provide latent heat of evaporation to the refrigerant liquid Vf that has flowed into the evaporator 20. The hot water H flowing as described above is first heated by the absorption heat in the absorber 10, and then heated by the condensation heat in the condenser 40 and supplied to the heat utilization equipment (not shown). In this form, the absorber 10 and the condenser 40 correspond to the medium heating mechanism. In this embodiment, which produces hot water H, the flow path of the temperature-adjusted medium in the absorption chiller/heater 1 changes from the evaporation pipe 21 in the case of cold water C to a cooling water flow path including the cooling pipe 11 and the condenser pipe 41, so piping and a switching valve (not shown) for switching the flow path of the temperature-adjusted medium are installed. Also, since heat source water U flows in place of cold water C (i.e., the temperature-adjusted medium) when cold water C is produced in the evaporation pipe 21, piping and a switching valve (not shown) for switching these flow paths are installed.

In the operation for generating hot water H, the amount of fuel F burned in the burner 71 is adjusted so that the supply temperature (i.e., the outlet temperature) of the hot water H becomes the target temperature. The relationship between the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 (or the flow rate of fuel F) and the opening degree of the air damper 77 (or the flow rate of air A) is the same during heating operation as during cooling operation, and the relationship shown in FIG. 2 can be used. The calculation unit 64 is then capable of calculating the theoretical temperature of the hot water H. Since no cooling water D is introduced during heating operation, the parameters used in calculating the theoretical temperature of the hot water H include at least the flow rate of the fuel F supplied to the burner 71, and may also include at least one of the temperature of the heat source water U, the flow rate of the heat source water U, the flow rate of the hot water H, and the inlet temperature of the hot water H. In this embodiment, the absorption chiller-heater 1 is controlled in the same way as during cooling operation. A flowchart explaining the control during heating operation is shown in FIG. 6. The flow chart of control during heating operation shown in FIG. 6 has many points in common with the flow chart of control during cooling operation shown in FIG. 3, and the same reference numerals are used for the steps common to both. The difference between the control during heating operation (see FIG. 6) and the control during cooling operation (see FIG. 3) is that the "cold water temperature" in step (St1) in FIG. 3 is changed to "hot water temperature" in step (St1A) in FIG. 6. This is because the target of temperature adjustment is cold water C during cooling operation, whereas it is hot water H during heating operation. In addition, the "air flow rate reduction" in step (St7) in FIG. 3 is changed to "air flow rate increase" in step (St7A) in FIG. 6, and the "air flow rate increase" in step (St8) in FIG. 3 is changed to "air flow rate reduction" in step (St8A) in FIG. 6. This change is due to the fact that, in heating operation, the actual measured temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature, which is the opposite of the cooling operation, and it can be estimated that the amount of fuel F burned is less than expected (compared to the value used to calculate the theoretical temperature), resulting in a smaller heating capacity. Other controls during heating operation (see FIG. 6) are the same as those during cooling operation (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, the flow rate of air A supplied to the burner 71 is increased or decreased depending on the difference between the actual measured temperature and the theoretical temperature, so that an appropriate flow rate of air A can be supplied even if the heat generation amount of the fuel F supplied to the burner 71 varies. In addition, when the acquisition unit 65 is provided, the temperature of the hot water H is included as the operating state to be acquired. The temperature of the hot water H may be calculated from the inlet temperature of the hot water H, the outlet temperature of the hot water H, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant liquid Vf, and the temperature of the diluted solution Sw. In the description here, the hot water H is heated by the heat of absorption in the absorber 10 and the heat of condensation in the condenser 40, but it may be heated by either the heat of absorption or the heat of condensation.

The second hot water generation form shown in FIG. 5B is configured to flow hot water H through the evaporation tube 21 of the evaporator 20, and the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg generated in the regenerator 30 is guided to the evaporator 20 and condensed, and the hot water H flowing through the evaporation tube 21 is heated by the condensation heat of the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg in the evaporator 20. In this form, the evaporator 20 functions as a condenser (condensation section) and corresponds to the medium heating mechanism. In this form, the cold water C in the cooling operation and the hot water H in the heating operation flow through the same evaporation tube 21, so there is an advantage that there is no need to switch the system of the temperature-adjusted medium (cold water C, hot water H). However, in the case of this modified example, a regenerator refrigerant vapor flow path 135 (for example, composed of piping) is additionally provided to guide the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg from the regenerator 30 to the evaporator 20. The refrigerant liquid Vf generated by condensing the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg in the evaporator 20 may be sent to the absorber 10, mixed with the absorbing liquid S, and returned to the regenerator 30 via the dilute solution pipe 18 as a dilute solution Sw. In this case, the system for the absorbing liquid S can be operated in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, but a refrigerant liquid pipe 118 is additionally provided to guide the refrigerant liquid Vf of the evaporator 20 to the absorber 10. Alternatively, although not shown, the refrigerant liquid Vf generated by condensing the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg in the evaporator 20 may be returned directly to the regenerator 30. In this case, it is preferable to stop the operation of the system for the absorbing liquid S. In this embodiment, the opening degree of the fuel damper 74 is adjusted so that the temperature of the hot water H becomes the target temperature, the opening degree of the air damper 77 is adjusted according to the opening degree of the fuel damper 74, and the flow rate of the air A is adjusted based on the difference between the theoretical temperature and the measured temperature, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A.

The third hot water generation form shown in FIG. 5C is configured such that hot water H flows through the evaporation tube 21 of the evaporator 20, and the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg and concentrated solution Sa generated in the regenerator 30 are separately guided to the evaporator 20, and the hot water H flowing through the evaporation tube 21 is heated by the heat of absorption when the concentrated solution Sa absorbs the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg in the evaporator 20. In this form, the evaporator 20 functions as an absorber (absorption section) and corresponds to a medium heating mechanism. In this form, too, the cold water C in the case of cooling operation and the hot water H in the case of heating operation flow through the same evaporation tube 21, so there is an advantage that it is not necessary to switch the system of the temperature-adjusted medium (cold water C, hot water H). However, in the case of this modified example, a regenerator refrigerant vapor flow path 135 similar to the form shown in FIG. 5B and a concentrated solution pipe 138 that guides the concentrated solution Sa from the regenerator 30 to the evaporator 20 are additionally provided. The dilute solution Sw generated when the concentrated solution Sa absorbs the regenerator refrigerant vapor Vg in the evaporator 20 may be sent to the absorber 10 and then returned to the regenerator 30 via the dilute solution pipe 18. In this case, a dilute solution pipe 128 is additionally provided to guide the dilute solution Sw from the evaporator 20 to the absorber 10. In this embodiment, the opening of the fuel damper 74 is adjusted so that the temperature of the hot water H becomes the target temperature, the opening of the air damper 77 is adjusted according to the opening of the fuel damper 74, and the flow rate of the air A is adjusted based on the difference between the theoretical temperature and the measured temperature, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A.

As another form of hot water generation, although not shown in the figures, the absorption cycle between the absorption liquid S and the refrigerant V may be stopped and the hot water H may be heated by the combustion heat of the burner 71. In this case, the pipes for flowing the hot water H are arranged in a position where the hot water H can be heated by the combustion heat of the burner 71. In this case, the temperature of the hot water H can also be adjusted by the combustion heat of the burner 71, so the amount of combustion (or the opening degree of the fuel damper 74) can be adjusted so that the temperature of the hot water H becomes the target temperature, and the corresponding air A can be supplied to the burner 71 by referring to the relationship stored in the memory unit 63.

The absorption hot and cold water machine in this disclosure has been described as being capable of producing cold water C and hot water H by switching between modes. However, it is clear that the features of this disclosure can be applied to equipment dedicated to producing cold water (absorption chillers) and equipment dedicated to producing hot water (absorption heat pumps). Therefore, the concept of an absorption hot and cold water machine in this disclosure also includes absorption chillers and absorption heat pumps.

The hardware configuration of the control device 60 provided in the absorption chiller-heater 1 described above can be as follows:

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the physical configuration of the control device 60. The control device 60 has a processor 102, a memory 104, a storage 106, and a communication interface 108. The control device 60 may be a computer.

The processor 102 processes various types of information in the control device 60. The various types of information processed by the processor 102 include the contents and transmission timing of control signals to be transmitted to each device and equipment constituting the absorption chiller-heater 1. The processor 102 may be a single processor or two or more processors. The processor 102 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a circuit board, or other electrical circuitry. The processor 102 can execute programs and manipulate data to perform operations of the control device 60, including operations using any of the algorithms, methods, functions, processes, and procedures described in this disclosure.

The memory 104 (which can also be seen as the first memory) temporarily or permanently records the programs and/or data used for information processing in the control device 60. The memory 104 may store a program for the control device 60 to perform various judgments and decisions. In other words, the memory 104 may store a program for the procedure shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 executed in the control unit 61, or a program for the calculation (including calculation of theoretical temperature) performed in the calculation unit 64. This program can be added or changed after the fact (i.e., after the control device 60 is manufactured). In addition, in the case where the control device 60 is provided with an acquisition unit 65, the memory 104 can record data related to the operating state of the absorption chiller-heater 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 65. The memory 104 may be a single memory or may be two or more memories. The memory 104 may include a volatile memory such as a RAM or a cache, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM.

The storage 106 (which can also be seen as a second memory) temporarily or permanently records programs and/or data used for information processing in the control device 60. The storage 106 may store, as necessary, the relationship between the flow rate of the air A for performing appropriate combustion relative to the flow rate of the fuel F supplied to the burner 71 as exemplified in FIG. 2, a program for executing the procedure as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6, and the like. From another perspective, the storage 106 may store programs for the procedure as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 executed in the control device 61, data stored in the memory unit 63, and a program for the calculation (including calculation of theoretical temperature) performed in the calculation unit 64, and the like. In addition, in the case where the acquisition unit 65 is provided in the control device 60, the storage 106 may store data on the operating state of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 65. In addition, the storage 106 may store the relationship between values used in various calculations and their substitute values. In addition, the storage 106 may record the acquired data on the operating state of the absorption chiller/heater water machine 1 as necessary. Storage 106 may hold other programs, including an operating system, that can be executed by the control device 60 or other devices. Storage 106 may include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and/or flash memory, etc.

The communication interface 108 communicates with the solution pump 19, the refrigerant pump 29, the cooling water pump 91, and the cold water pump 92. The communication interface 108 can transmit control signals related to start/stop and discharge flow rate to the solution pump 19, the refrigerant pump 29, the cooling water pump 91, and the cold water pump 92. The communication interface 108 also communicates with the fuel fan 73 and the air fan 76. The communication interface 108 can transmit control signals related to start/stop to the fuel fan 73 and the air fan 76. The communication interface 108 also communicates with the fuel damper 74 and the air damper 77. The communication interface 108 can transmit control signals related to opening to the fuel damper 74 and the air damper 77. The communication interface 108 also communicates with the cooling water thermometer 51 and the cold water thermometer 52. The communication interface 108 can receive control signals related to temperature from the cooling water thermometer 51 and the cold water thermometer 52. The communication interface 108 also communicates with the oxygen concentration meter 79. The communication interface 108 can receive a control signal related to the oxygen concentration from the oxygen concentration meter 79. The communication interface 108 can also receive a control signal related to the operating state of the absorption chiller-heater 1 as necessary. The communication interface 108 may have a function of receiving a signal sent by the receiving unit 62.

The components of the control device 60 (including the processor 102, memory 104, storage 106, and communication interface 108) are connected to one another by a bus such as a system bus or a control bus, and can communicate with one another. The control device 60 also has a power supply 110. The power supply 110 typically includes a power plug that draws in power from a commercial power source or other power source. The power supply 110 may include a replaceable or non-replaceable battery, and the battery may be capable of being charged by receiving power from the commercial power source or other power source.

In the above description of the hardware configuration of the control device 60, the programs and/or data stored in the memory 104 and/or storage 106 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-readable instructions for executing a computer-implemented method and/or data to be used. The computer-readable medium may include magneto-optical disks and optical memory devices, as well as digital video disks (DVDs), CD-ROMs, DVD+/-R, DVD-RAMs, DVD-ROMs, HD-DVDs, and Bluray (registered trademarks). The computer-readable medium may also include magnetic devices such as tapes, cartridges, cassettes, and removable disks. Each program (including a program product) may include one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium for execution by an information processing device, including a computer (the control device 60 in this embodiment), or for controlling the operation of an information processing device. Additionally, the program and/or data may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

All references cited in this specification, including publications, patent applications, and patents, are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference was individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and as if each reference was set forth in its entirety herein.

The use of nouns and similar referents in connection with the description of the present invention (particularly in connection with the claims that follow) shall be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprises," "has," "includes," and "comprises" shall be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to"), unless otherwise indicated. The recitation of numerical ranges herein is intended merely to serve as a shorthand method for individually referring to each value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Any examples or exemplary language used herein (e.g., "etc.") are intended merely to better illustrate the invention and do not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention, unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification shall be construed as indicating any element not recited in the claims as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of these preferred embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the above description. The inventors anticipate that such variations will be applied by skilled artisans as appropriate, and they intend to practice the invention in ways other than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, this invention includes any combination of the above-described elements in all variations thereof unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims (10)

An absorption chiller/heater that transfers heat through a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant,
a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heating value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid;
a medium cooling mechanism that cools the temperature control target medium by removing latent heat of evaporation generated when the liquid refrigerant changes phase to vapor from the temperature control target medium;
a cooling water flow path for flowing cooling water that removes at least one of condensation heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant changes phase to liquid and absorption heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant is absorbed by the absorbing liquid;
a fuel supply mechanism having a fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism for adjusting a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner;
an air supply mechanism having an air flow rate adjusting mechanism that operates independently of the fuel flow rate adjusting mechanism to adjust the flow rate of air supplied to the burner;
a memory unit storing a relationship that defines an air flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner;
a control unit that controls the fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism so that the temperature of the temperature adjustment target medium becomes a target value, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism so as to supply air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the relationship stored in the storage unit;
a temperature-related physical quantity detector for detecting a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-control target medium;
the control unit compares a theoretical temperature, which is the temperature of the temperature-adjustable medium calculated based on at least a physical quantity related to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner and a physical quantity related to the temperature of the cooling water, with an actual measured temperature calculated from a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjustable medium detected by the temperature-related physical quantity detector, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to reduce the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual measured temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to increase the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual measured temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature.
Absorption chiller/heater. An absorption chiller/heater that transfers heat through a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant,
a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heating value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid;
a medium heating mechanism that heats a temperature-controllable medium by at least one of the combustion heat in the burner, the condensation heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant changes phase to liquid, and the absorption heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant is absorbed by the absorption liquid;
a fuel supply mechanism having a fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism for adjusting a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner;
an air supply mechanism having an air flow rate adjusting mechanism that operates independently of the fuel flow rate adjusting mechanism to adjust the flow rate of air supplied to the burner;
a memory unit storing a relationship that defines an air flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner;
a control unit that controls the fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism so that the temperature of the temperature adjustment target medium becomes a target value, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism so as to supply air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the relationship stored in the storage unit;
a temperature-related physical quantity detector for detecting a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-control target medium;
the control unit compares a theoretical temperature, which is the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium calculated based on a physical quantity related to at least the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner, with an actual measured temperature calculated from a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium detected by the temperature-related physical quantity detector, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to reduce the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual measured temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to increase the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual measured temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature.
Absorption chiller/heater. The control unit compares a combustion amount in the burner for bringing the temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium to the target value with an upper limit combustion amount in the burner for maintaining proper operation of the absorption chiller-heater, and operates the burner with the smaller combustion amount.
The absorption hot and cold water machine according to claim 1 or 2. An acquisition unit for acquiring an operating state of the absorption chiller-heater,
The control unit corrects the theoretical temperature based on the past operating state acquired by the acquisition unit.
The absorption hot and cold water machine according to claim 1 or 2. an oxygen concentration related physical quantity detector for detecting a physical quantity related to the oxygen concentration contained in exhaust gas generated by burning the fuel;
The control unit controls the air flow rate regulating mechanism so that the physical quantity detected by the oxygen concentration-related physical quantity detector becomes a predetermined value.
The absorption hot and cold water machine according to claim 1 or 2. The regenerator is configured to introduce at least one of a first fuel and a second fuel having a heating value different from that of the first fuel as the fuel to be combusted by the burner;
the memory unit stores a first relationship that defines an air flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner, and a second relationship that defines an air flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner,
the control unit controls the air flow rate regulating mechanism to supply, to the burner, air at a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner, by referring to the first relationship stored in the memory unit, when the first fuel is supplied to the burner, and controls the air flow rate regulating mechanism to supply, to the burner, air at a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner, by referring to the second relationship stored in the memory unit, when the second fuel is supplied to the burner.
The absorption hot and cold water machine according to claim 1 or 2. An absorption chiller/heater that cools or heats a temperature-adjustable medium by transferring heat through a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid in which the refrigerant is mixed,
a regenerator having a burner for introducing and combusting at least one of a first fuel and a second fuel having a heating value different from that of the first fuel in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid;
a fuel supply mechanism having a first fuel flow rate adjusting mechanism that adjusts a flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner and a second fuel flow rate adjusting mechanism that adjusts a flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner;
an air supply mechanism having an air flow rate adjusting mechanism that operates independently of the first fuel flow rate adjusting mechanism and the second fuel flow rate adjusting mechanism to adjust a flow rate of air supplied to the burner;
a storage unit storing a first relationship that defines an air flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner, and a second relationship that defines an air flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner;
a control unit that controls the first fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism or the second fuel flow rate adjustment mechanism so that the temperature of the temperature adjustment target medium becomes a target value, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply to the burner air at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the first relationship stored in the storage unit when the first fuel is supplied to the burner, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply to the burner air at a flow rate corresponding to the flow rate of the second fuel supplied to the burner by referring to the second relationship stored in the storage unit when the second fuel is supplied to the burner.
Absorption chiller/heater. the fuel supply mechanism has a calorific value measuring mechanism for measuring a calorific value of the fuel supplied to the burner,
the control unit controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply, to the burner, air at a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner, by referring to the first relationship stored in the memory unit, when the calorific value measured by the calorific value measurement mechanism is less than a predetermined value, and controls the air flow rate adjustment mechanism to supply, to the burner, air at a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the first fuel supplied to the burner, by referring to the second relationship stored in the memory unit, when the calorific value measured by the calorific value measurement mechanism is equal to or greater than the predetermined value.
The absorption chiller-heater according to claim 6. A method for controlling an operation of an absorption chiller/heater that transfers heat by a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant, comprising:
The absorption chiller-heater includes a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heating value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid, a medium cooling mechanism that cools a temperature control target medium by removing latent heat of evaporation generated when the refrigerant liquid changes phase to vapor from the temperature control target medium, and a cooling water flow path that flows cooling water that removes at least one of condensation heat generated when the refrigerant vapor changes phase to liquid and absorption heat generated when the refrigerant vapor is absorbed by the absorption liquid,
supplying the fuel to the burner at a flow rate such that the temperature of the temperature-controlled medium becomes a target value;
supplying air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner according to a predetermined relationship;
A step of calculating a theoretical temperature, which is the temperature of the temperature-control target medium, based on at least a physical quantity related to a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner and a physical quantity related to a temperature of the cooling water;
detecting a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-controlling target medium;
and a step of adjusting the flow rate of air supplied to the burner by comparing the theoretical temperature with an actual temperature calculated from a physical quantity related to the detected temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium, so as to reduce the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature, and to increase the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature.
An operation control method for an absorption chiller-heater. A method for controlling an operation of an absorption chiller/heater that transfers heat by a cycle of a refrigerant that undergoes a phase change and an absorption liquid mixed with the refrigerant, comprising:
The absorption chiller/heater includes a regenerator having a burner that burns a fuel whose heating value can vary in order to generate heat for heating the absorption liquid, and a medium heating mechanism that heats a temperature-adjustable medium with at least one of the combustion heat in the burner, or the condensation heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant changes phase to a liquid and the absorption heat generated when the vapor of the refrigerant is absorbed by the absorption liquid;
supplying the fuel to the burner at a flow rate such that the temperature of the temperature-controlled medium becomes a target value;
supplying air to the burner at a flow rate corresponding to a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner according to a predetermined relationship;
A step of calculating a theoretical temperature, which is a temperature of the temperature control target medium, based on a physical quantity related to at least a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner;
detecting a physical quantity related to the temperature of the temperature-controlling target medium;
and a step of adjusting the flow rate of air supplied to the burner by comparing the theoretical temperature with an actual temperature calculated from a physical quantity related to the detected temperature of the temperature-adjusted medium, so as to reduce the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual temperature is lower than the theoretical temperature, and to increase the flow rate of air supplied to the burner when the actual temperature is higher than the theoretical temperature.
An operation control method for an absorption chiller-heater.