JP5082371B2 - Combined cooling device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a composite cooling apparatus and a composite cooling method that enable vacuum cooling and cold air cooling.

  Conventionally, a cold air cooling device called a blast chiller for cooling food with cold air and a vacuum cooling device for cooling food with vacuum are known as devices for cooling food.

  The cooling by the cold air cooling device is mainly due to cooling by convection heat transfer between the cold air and the food surface, so there is a problem that the cooling time takes 90 minutes, for example, and the food surface and the central part are uniform. It is difficult to cool down.

  On the other hand, the vacuum cooling device is capable of rapid cooling up to about 20 ° C. However, since the cooling rate decreases rapidly thereafter, the devices with low cooling capacity on the market reach the chilled range. Cooling has been difficult. If it is attempted to cool down to the chilled region, it is necessary to significantly increase the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means, that is, the ultimate vacuum. In general, many vacuum cooling devices do not need to be cooled to the chilled region, and ordinary vacuum cooling does not require an increased cooling capacity from the viewpoint of the cooling rate. Therefore, it is not economical to increase the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means only for cooling to the chilled region.

  By the way, the thing of patent document 1 is known as a compound cooling device which enabled vacuum cooling and cold air cooling. In this composite cooling device, an object to be cooled is first cooled by cold air cooling and then cooled to a predetermined temperature by vacuum cooling. In this conventional technology, cooling is not performed for a short time, and cooling is performed in the order of cold air cooling → vacuum cooling. Therefore, when cooling to a low temperature in the chilled region, the cooling time becomes longer and the cooling of the vacuum cooling means is reduced. There is a problem that the capacity must be increased and the apparatus for the vacuum cooling means becomes large.

JP 2002-318051 A

  The inventors of this application, as a result of repeated research and development to solve the above-mentioned problems, by utilizing the cooling characteristics of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means, by performing the cold air cooling process after the vacuum cooling process, Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-10880 proposes a composite cooling device capable of realizing cooling to a chilled region in a short time.

  The inventors of this application have found the following problems as a result of further research and development. In other words, when the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means for performing the vacuum cooling process is low, even if the vacuum cooling process is executed if the initial temperature (initial product temperature) of the object to be cooled is low, the cooling time is not very effective. It was found that a vacuum cooling process was performed, which was not efficient and contrary to energy saving.

In the proposed combined cooling apparatus, the vacuum cooling means includes a first vacuum cooling means configured to execute the first vacuum cooling step by the operation of a decompressor connected to the cooling chamber, and the cooling chamber has a low pressure. together constitute and a second vacuum cooling unit configured to perform a second vacuum cooling step by condensing steam from the cooling object by cooling heat exchanger as a closed state under the previous SL The vacuum cooling process includes a first vacuum cooling process and a second vacuum cooling process. In the composite cooling device having such a configuration, when the initial product temperature is low, the air evacuation process before the second vacuum cooling process is not performed well, and as a result, the second vacuum cooling process cannot be effectively performed.

  The main problem to be solved by the present invention is to enable low temperature cooling efficiently and in a short time. Moreover, an incidental problem is enabling cooling in a short time by performing a 2nd vacuum cooling process effectively.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention according to claim 1 includes a vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber and air cooled by a cooling heat exchanger. A combined cooling device comprising a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled, and a controller for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means,
A detecting means for detecting an initial temperature of the object to be cooled;
When the detected value by the detecting means exceeds a set value set according to the vacuum cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means, the controller performs a cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means after the vacuum cooling process by the vacuum cooling means. a first cooling pattern carried out, when the detected value is below the set value, the have row and a second cooling pattern for performing the cold air cooling step without vacuum cooling process, from the vacuum cooling step to cool the cooling step The switching timing is characterized in that the latter vacuum cooling rate of the vacuum cooling means is lower than the cold air cooling rate of the cold air cooling means .

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the initial product temperature is high, cooling is performed by the first cooling pattern, and when the initial product temperature is low, cooling is performed by the second cooling pattern. By not performing the low-efficiency vacuum cooling operation, energy saving and short-time cooling can be realized. Moreover, in the operation of the first cooling pattern, a cooling operation can be performed in consideration of the vacuum capacity of the vacuum cooling means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the switching timing is any one of a cooling time by the vacuum cooling means, a pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, a temperature of an object to be cooled, or a temperature in the cooling chamber. A change amount of any one of the pressure, the temperature in the cooling chamber, and the temperature of the object to be cooled is detected, and one or a plurality of the detected values become the respective set values.

A third aspect of the present invention is the first vacuum cooling means according to the first aspect, wherein the vacuum cooling means is configured to perform a first vacuum cooling step by an operation of a decompressor connected to the cooling chamber. And the second vacuum cooling step is performed by condensing the vapor from the object to be cooled by the heat exchanger for cooling in a sealed state after performing the air exclusion step by the first vacuum cooling means. The second vacuum cooling means is included, and the vacuum cooling step includes the first vacuum cooling step and the second vacuum step.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the second vacuum cooling step in the state where the moisture contained in the object to be cooled is small, that is, the air is not effectively eliminated. There is an effect that execution can be prevented.

  Furthermore, the invention according to claim 5 is a composite cooling method comprising a vacuum cooling step for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled in a cooling chamber and a cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air, When the initial temperature of the product is high, the cold air cooling step is performed after the vacuum cooling step, and when the initial product temperature is low, the cold air cooling step is performed without performing the vacuum cooling step.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the initial product temperature is high, cooling is performed by the first cooling pattern, and when the initial product temperature is low, cooling is performed by the second cooling pattern. By not performing the low-efficiency vacuum cooling operation, energy saving and short-time cooling can be realized.

  According to the present invention, the object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time without performing an inefficient vacuum cooling step.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The embodiment of the present invention is applied to a composite cooling device capable of cooling an object to be cooled by cold air cooling and vacuum cooling.

  This embodiment will be specifically described. In this embodiment, a vacuum cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled, and a controller for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means are provided. A composite cooling device comprising detection means for detecting an initial temperature of the object to be cooled, wherein the controller, after a detected value by the detection means exceeds a set value, after a vacuum cooling step by the vacuum cooling means A first cooling pattern for sequentially performing the cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means, and a second cooling pattern for performing the cold air cooling process without performing the vacuum cooling process when the detection value by the detection means is a set value or less. It is characterized by doing. Since the set value is a set value for selecting a cooling pattern, it can be referred to as a selected set value.

  In this embodiment, since the temperature of the object to be cooled (hereinafter referred to as product temperature) is determined by the vacuum cooling capability (vacuum cooling characteristics) of the vacuum cooling means, the set value can be cooled. It is set according to the temperature. At the start of cooling operation, the detection means detects the product temperature at the start of cooling (hereinafter referred to as initial product temperature), and whether the detected value is equal to or less than the set value, the controller The first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern are selected. When the vacuum cooling process and the cold air cooling process are performed regardless of the initial product temperature value, when the initial product temperature is equal to or lower than the set value, effective vacuum cooling is not performed even if the vacuum cooling means is operated. The vacuum cooling means is activated and the cooling time becomes longer. According to this embodiment, when the initial product temperature is equal to or lower than the set value, the second cooling pattern is performed, that is, the cold air cooling process is performed without performing the vacuum cooling process, so that the cooling effect is low. Since the vacuum cooling means is not operated, energy is saved and the cooling time can be shortened.

  In this embodiment, the cooling by the vacuum cooling means cools the object to be cooled by evaporating the water in the object to be cooled by setting the pressure around the object to be cooled to a pressure corresponding to the product temperature or less. To do. This cooling is uniform cooling with a small temperature difference between the surface and the center of the object to be cooled. This vacuum cooling characteristic is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling rate in the latter period is slower than that in the previous period. This vacuum cooling characteristic is a time-pressure characteristic determined by the vacuum cooling means, and the product temperature decreases exponentially while drawing a curve substantially along the vacuum cooling characteristic except for the initial step.

The cold air cooling characteristics of the cold air cooling means are such that the cold air cooling rate is slower than the vacuum cooling rate of the previous period and faster than the slowed vacuum cooling rate of the latter period. This cold air cooling is cooling by indirect heat exchange with the surrounding air on the surface of the object to be cooled. For this reason, the object to be cooled cannot be uniformly cooled in a short time. The cold air cooling characteristic is a time-product temperature characteristic by the cold air cooling means, and the slope of the decrease in the product temperature is a characteristic curve that is gentler than that of the vacuum cooling characteristic.

  The controller performs the first cooling pattern using the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means having such characteristics. In other words, the object to be cooled is cooled to the chilled region in a short time by performing the cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means after performing the vacuum cooling process by the vacuum cooling means. In the first half of the vacuum cooling step, the vacuum cooling rate is fast, and the product temperature decreases rapidly. Since the vacuum cooling rate decreases at the later stage of the vacuum cooling step, the cold air cooling step is executed instead of the vacuum cooling step. The cold air cooling rate in the cold air cooling step is slower than the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period of the vacuum cooling step, but can be cooled to a chilled region.

  The timing for switching from the vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step is preferably a timing at which the latter vacuum cooling rate is lower than the cold air cooling rate.

  The switching from the vacuum cooling process to the cold air cooling process includes a detecting means for detecting any one of a cooling time by the vacuum cooling means, a pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, and a temperature of the object to be cooled. When the detected value reaches the set value, the controller can be configured to perform the operation. The detecting means detects any amount of change in the pressure in the cooling chamber, the temperature in the cooling chamber, or the temperature of the object to be cooled, and when the detected value reaches a set value, It can comprise so that it may switch to the said cold wind cooling process. Further, the switching can be performed when a plurality of detection values become the set values (when a plurality of conditions are satisfied).

  Then, the “cold air switching timing at which the latter-stage vacuum cooling rate is lower than the cold air cooling rate” continuously monitors the vacuum cooling rate in the vacuum cooling step, and compares it with the cold air cooling rate in the cold air cooling step. The timing when the former is later than the latter can be set. This timing can be set with a slight width before and after the timing at which the latter vacuum cooling rate becomes equal to the cooling air cooling rate. The cold air switching timing may be when the pressure or temperature in the cooling chamber becomes a value obtained by adding a set value to the final pressure or temperature due to the vacuum cooling characteristics. The final ultimate pressure (temperature) means a pressure (temperature) that can be finally reached, although an infinite time is required depending on the vacuum cooling characteristics.

  In addition, the cold air switching timing is determined in advance by experiments from the start of cooling until the “late vacuum cooling rate falls below the cold air cooling rate” (cooling time), the pressure in the cooling chamber, the temperature in the cooling chamber, When the temperature of the object to be cooled or the amount of change in the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, or the temperature of the object to be cooled is obtained as a set value, and the value detected by the detection means becomes the set value It can be.

  Further, when the cold air switching timing is set with the time required for the vacuum cooling process and the cold air cooling process (set cooling time) and the cooling temperature to be reached (set cooling temperature), the set cooling time, the vacuum It can be set from the cooling characteristics and the cold air cooling characteristics. The outline of this setting is as follows. In the time (horizontal axis) -temperature (vertical axis) characteristic, the cold air cooling characteristic curve (time-temperature characteristic curve) is traced back so that the final point determined by the set cooling time and the set cooling temperature is the end point. The point that is drawn in the direction and intersects the time-product temperature characteristic curve corresponding to the vacuum cooling characteristic is defined as the cold air switching timing. By setting the timing as described above, the cooling can be reliably performed to the determined temperature in the determined time.

Next, each component of this embodiment will be described. The cooling chamber may be of any type, type, and size as long as it forms a sealed space for accommodating the object to be cooled and can take in and out the object to be cooled. This cooling chamber can be referred to as a cooling tank, a cooling compartment, a cooling container, or the like. The object to be cooled is preferably a food, but is not limited thereto.

  The vacuum cooling means includes a decompression line connected to the cooling chamber, and a decompression means (a decompressor) provided in the decompression line. The decompressor is preferably a vacuum pump or a water ejector, and more preferably does not include a heat exchanger for vapor condensation upstream. This lowers the vacuum cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means (this vacuum cooling capacity is determined by the temperature of the sealed water when the pressure reducer is a water-sealed vacuum pump). It can be simplified. The decompressor may be a combination of a steam ejector, a heat exchanger for steam condensation, and a vacuum pump or water ejector. The vacuum pump is preferably a water ring vacuum pump.

  The cold air cooling means cools an object to be cooled with cold air. Preferably, the cold air cooling means includes a cooling heat exchanger that cools the air in the cooling chamber, a fan that circulates the air in the cooling chamber, and the object to be cooled and the cooling heat exchanger. It is comprised from the circulation path formation member which forms a circulation path so that the circulation flow of air may be formed with a fan. The circulation path is preferably formed in the cooling chamber by disposing the heat exchanger and the fan in the cooling chamber, but the heat exchanger and / or the fan is disposed outside the cooling chamber, A circulation path can be formed by connecting these and the cooling chamber with a ventilation duct.

  The cooling heat exchanger may be any heat exchanger that can be cooled to a low temperature (for example, −10 ° C. or lower) that can cool the object to be cooled to the chilled region by cooling with cold air. And an evaporator that evaporates the liquefied refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit and cools the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange. However, the heat exchanger for cooling can be a heat exchanger that uses cold water supplied from a cold water production apparatus (chiller) or brine supplied from a branler as a refrigerant.

  The controller controls operations of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means according to the cooling program stored in advance. The cooling program includes at least a program for selecting the first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern according to the initial product temperature. In addition to the first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern selection program, the cooling program includes a program that performs only vacuum cooling, a program that performs cooling air cooling, vacuum cooling and cooling air cooling in sequence, and only cooling air cooling. A program to be executed, a program for sequentially performing cold air cooling and vacuum cooling can be included, and these programs can be configured to be selectively executed according to the type of the object to be cooled and the set cooling temperature.

  As a modification of the embodiment of the present invention described above, the vacuum cooling means includes a first vacuum cooling means having a first vacuum cooling characteristic and a second vacuum cooling means having a second vacuum cooling characteristic. can do. In this case, the vacuum cooling process of the first cooling pattern includes a first vacuum cooling process by the first vacuum cooling means and a second vacuum cooling process by the second vacuum cooling means, and the second cooling pattern is The first vacuum cooling step and the second vacuum cooling step are not performed.

In this modified example, as described above, either the cooling time, the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, and the temperature of the object to be cooled are detected, or the pressure, the same temperature, and the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber are detected. Detecting means for detecting any amount of change in the temperature of the controller when the detected value of the detecting means reaches a first set value (vacuum switching timing) from the first vacuum cooling step Switching to the second vacuum cooling process, and when the detected value becomes the second set value (cold air switching timing), the second vacuum cooling process can be switched to the cold air cooling process. This modification can also be configured to perform the switching when a plurality of detected values become set values (when a plurality of conditions are satisfied).

  In this modification, preferably, the first vacuum cooling means has a first vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling rate in the latter period is slowed down, and the second vacuum cooling means is in the previous period. The vacuum cooling rate of the first vacuum cooling means has the second vacuum cooling characteristic that the vacuum cooling rate of the latter is slow, and the vacuum cooling rate decreases later, and the cold air cooling means has the cold air cooling characteristics of the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum. It is assumed that the cooling means is slower than the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period and faster than the slowed vacuum cooling rate in the latter period.

  And preferably, it is configured to switch from the second vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step at a timing when the latter vacuum cooling rate by the second vacuum cooling unit is lower than the cold air cooling rate by the cold air cooling unit, It is not limited to this.

  The cold air switching timing from the second vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step is the same as the cold air switching timing, and the description thereof is omitted. The cooling time by the vacuum cooling means can be the time from the start of cooling by the first vacuum cooling means or the time from the start of cooling by the second vacuum cooling means.

  The vacuum switching timing from the first vacuum cooling step to the second vacuum cooling step is preferably a timing at which a late vacuum cooling rate by the first vacuum cooling means is lower than a cold air cooling rate by the cold air cooling means. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  In this modification, first, rapid cooling is performed by the first vacuum cooling step, and when the vacuum cooling rate is reduced, rapid cooling is performed by the second vacuum cooling step, and when the vacuum cooling rate is reduced, the process proceeds to the cold air cooling step. To do.

  According to this modified example, after the vacuum cooling process capable of rapid and uniform cooling is performed, the cooling air cooling process capable of cooling to a low temperature is performed, so that the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means is enhanced. The object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time. In addition, since the vacuum cooling process is performed in two stages by the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means, the vacuum cooling process is performed in a vacuum compared with the case of vacuum cooling with an excessive cooling capacity from the beginning of the vacuum cooling. In addition to reducing the energy required for the operation of the cooling means, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of quality in foods in which the quality of the object to be cooled is a problem due to rapid cooling.

  The first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means can be configured as follows as a first aspect suitable for a composite cooling device having a relatively small cooling capacity. That is, the cold air cooling means is configured to cool the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange with the cooling heat exchanger. And said 1st vacuum cooling means is comprised so that 1st vacuum cooling may be performed by the action | operation of the decompressor connected with the said cooling chamber. The second vacuum cooling means is configured to perform the second vacuum cooling step by condensing steam from the object to be cooled by the cooling heat exchanger with the cooling chamber sealed under a low pressure. The The cooling heat exchanger is not particularly limited as long as it can cool the object to be cooled to the chilled region, but preferably performs a cooling action by evaporation of the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerator.

  The decompressor of the first vacuum cooling means may be a vacuum pump or a water ejector, and preferably does not include a heat exchanger for vapor condensation. The vacuum pump is preferably a water ring vacuum pump.

  The second vacuum cooling means is provided with an open / close valve between the cooling chamber and the pressure reducer in a pressure reducing line including the pressure reducer to seal the cooling chamber, and the second vacuum cooling means is operated when the second vacuum cooling means is operated. By closing the on-off valve, the cooling chamber can be sealed.

  The operation of the first vacuum cooling means is to open the on-off valve and operate the pressure reducer, and the operation of the second cooling means is the operation after the cooling chamber is in a low pressure state. The on-off valve is closed and the cooling heat exchanger is operated, that is, the refrigerant is supplied to perform the cooling action.

  In the second vacuum cooling step, steam is generated from the object to be cooled in a sealed space under reduced pressure, and the generated steam is condensed on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger to evaporate from the object to be cooled. Facilitate. In order to ensure the action of the second vacuum cooling step, it is important that there is no air in the cooling chamber that prevents vapor condensation. For this reason, it is desirable to provide an air exclusion process before the first vacuum cooling process or before the second vacuum cooling process. This air exclusion step is preferably configured to exclude air by supplying steam or hot water to the cooling chamber and filling the cooling chamber with steam while operating the decompressor and exhausting. Moreover, this air exclusion process can be configured to be performed in the order of the exhaust gas → the steam supply → the exhaust gas, and this may be performed once or a plurality of times.

  The second vacuum cooling step is performed using the cooling heat exchanger not only for cooling cold air but also as a cold trap for condensing steam from the object to be cooled. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a steam ejector as the decompressor, and in some cases, a steam condensation heat exchanger (condensation heat exchanger) provided on the upstream side of the decompressor can be omitted. The configuration of the cooling means can be simplified.

  Further, the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means can be configured as follows as a second aspect suitable for a composite cooling apparatus having a relatively large cooling capacity. That is, the decompression line, the steam ejector provided in the decompression line, the heat exchanger for condensation, and the decompressor are provided. And said 1st vacuum cooling means is comprised so that a 1st vacuum cooling process may be performed by the action | operation of the said pressure reduction device. Further, the second vacuum cooling means is configured to execute the second vacuum cooling step by operating the steam ejector and the condensing heat exchanger in addition to the operation of the decompressor. The cold air cooling means is configured to cool the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange with the cooling heat exchanger.

  The first vacuum cooling step is performed by the operation of the first vacuum cooling means of the second aspect, that is, the operation of the decompressor. The second vacuum cooling step is performed by the operation of the second vacuum cooling means, that is, the operation of the decompressor.

  According to the modification described above, the second cooling pattern is performed when the initial product temperature is equal to or lower than the set value. In this cooling pattern, since the cooling air cooling process is performed without performing the vacuum cooling process, the vacuum cooling means is not operated unnecessarily, energy saving and cooling time can be shortened. In addition, when the second cooling pattern is executed, the air exclusion process for supplying hot water or steam is not performed, so that the capacity of the hot water or steam supply means for eliminating air can be reduced.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the embodiment, the first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern are automatically switched by the control means. However, the operator measures the initial product temperature, Based on this, the first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern can be manually switched.

  Hereinafter, a specific embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a composite cooling device 1 as a cooling device of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a main part of a control procedure according to the first embodiment.

  The composite cooling device 1 is a cooling device that can perform vacuum cooling and cold air cooling, can selectively execute various cooling patterns, and has an object temperature to be cooled (hereinafter referred to as a product temperature) in a chilled region. The cooling target 3 can be cooled in a short time so that the temperature becomes low.

  The composite cooling device 1 includes a cooling chamber 2, a vacuum cooling means 4 for cooling the object to be cooled 3 in the cooling chamber 2, a cold air cooling means 5 for cooling the object 3 to be cooled, and the vacuum cooling. A controller 6 as a control means for controlling the means 4 and the cold air cooling means 5 is provided as a main part.

  The controller 6 is provided with a timer 7 by software. The controller 6 controls the vacuum cooling means 4 and the cold air cooling means 5 and the like, a first cooling pattern for sequentially performing the cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means 5 after the vacuum cooling process by the vacuum cooling means 4; A cooling program for selecting a second cooling pattern for performing the cold air cooling step without performing the vacuum cooling step according to an initial product temperature is executed.

  Next, each component of the composite cooling device 1 will be described. The cooling chamber 2 forms a sealed space in which the object to be cooled 3 is accommodated, and includes an opening for taking in and out the object to be cooled 3 and a door for opening and closing the object (both not shown). The cooling chamber 2 is divided into an upper first region 81 and a lower second region 82 by a partition wall 8. In the first area 81, the object to be cooled 3 is accommodated, and in the second area 82, the cooling heat exchanger 9 constituting a part of the cold air cooling means 5 is arranged. The to-be-cooled object 3 is the foodstuff accommodated in the container.

  The cooling heat exchanger 9 is a well-known evaporator that performs a cooling action by evaporating the liquefied refrigerant supplied from a condensing unit 11 having a condenser (not shown) that liquefies the refrigerant of the refrigerator 10. Has been.

  The refrigerator 10 includes defrosting means for defrosting the cooling heat exchanger 9. This defrosting means has a well-known configuration called hot gas defrost for defrosting by flowing hot gas from the condensing unit 11 to the cooling heat exchanger 9 by reversing the flow of the refrigerant.

  The partition wall 8 is configured to be detachable with respect to the cooling chamber 2. When the door is opened and the partition wall 8 is removed, the cooling heat exchanger 9 takes in and out the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber 2. It is comprised so that it may expose from the opening for use. In order to clean the cooling heat exchanger 9, the partition wall 8 is removed and exposed so that a cleaning machine (not shown) provided with the cooling heat exchanger 9 in the composite cooling device 1 is used. Can be used to wash.

  The cold air cooling means 5 cools the object 3 to be cooled with cold air. The cold air cooling means 5 includes a cooling heat exchanger 9 for cooling the air in the cooling chamber 2, and a fan 13 as an air circulation means driven by a motor 12 disposed outside the cooling chamber 2. including.

A first opening (or gap) 141 and a second opening (or gap) 142 are provided between the constituent wall of the cooling chamber 2 and the partition wall 8, and an air circulation path (in the cooling chamber 2 ( In this case, the cooling air cooling function is achieved. In the first embodiment, the partition wall 8 constitutes the circulation path constituting member with the constituent wall of the cooling chamber 2. A shielding member (not shown) is provided between the fan 13 and the partition wall 8 and the constituent walls of the cooling chamber 2 so that the air emitted from the fan 13 does not return through a short path. A shielding member (not shown) is also provided between the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the partition walls 8 and the constituent walls of the cooling chamber 2.

  The vacuum cooling means 4 has a first vacuum cooling means 41 having a first vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is fast (can be referred to as fast or high), and the vacuum cooling rate decreases in the later stage, The second vacuum cooling means 42 has a second vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate is high and the vacuum cooling rate decreases later.

  Specifically, the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42 are configured as follows. That is, the first vacuum cooling means 41 includes a decompression line 15 connected to the cooling chamber 2, a water-sealed vacuum pump 16 as a decompression means provided in the decompression line 15, the cooling chamber 2 and An opening / closing valve 17 is provided between the vacuum pumps 16 and keeps the cooling chamber 2 hermetically closed when closed.

  The decompression line 15 is connected to the central portion of the bottom wall of the cooling chamber 2 as shown in FIG. Since the bottom wall is inclined downward from the peripheral end portion toward the center portion, the decompression line 15 is connected to the lowest portion of the bottom wall. With this configuration, drain can be quickly discharged in the drain discharge operation described later.

  The first vacuum cooling means 41 is configured to perform the first vacuum cooling step by operating (operating) the vacuum pump 16 with the on-off valve 17 open. The on-off valve 17 is a valve that only opens and closes, but can be a valve whose opening degree can be adjusted. The decompression line 15 may be provided with a check valve (not shown) for preventing the flow in the direction of the cooling chamber 2 as necessary. The first vacuum cooling characteristic of the first vacuum cooling means 41 having such a configuration is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is fast and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the latter period.

  The second vacuum cooling means 42 has a function of condensing steam from the object to be cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 9 with the inside of the cooling chamber 2 sealed under a low pressure, and a second vacuum cooling step Configured to perform. The elements constituting the second vacuum cooling means 42 are the cooling chamber 2, the cooling heat exchanger 9, the on-off valve 17, and the first vacuum cooling means 41. Closing the inside of the cooling chamber 2 under a low pressure is realized by closing the on-off valve 17 after the first vacuum cooling step. As with the first vacuum cooling characteristic, the second vacuum cooling characteristic of the second vacuum cooling means 42 having such a configuration is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the first half is fast and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the second half.

  Then, the cold air cooling characteristic of the cold air cooling means 5 will be described. The characteristic of the temperature range above the first temperature set value (first cold air cooling characteristic) is the object to be cooled in the temperature range above the first temperature set value. Since the natural evaporation from 3 is dominant, the characteristic of the temperature range (second cold air cooling characteristic) that is faster than the vacuum cooling rate and lower than the second temperature set value is the same as that of the first vacuum cooling means 41 and The second vacuum cooling means 42 is slower than the previous vacuum cooling rate and faster than the later slowed vacuum cooling rate.

In the first embodiment, in order to enable the operation of the second vacuum cooling step even when the initial product temperature is low, the air exclusion step is executed in the middle or later stage of the first vacuum cooling step. doing. More specifically, before the internal pressure of the cooling chamber 2 reaches a pressure (limit pressure) corresponding to the pressure reduction capacity limit of the vacuum pump 16, it is 40 ° C. above the temperature corresponding to the limit pressure.
The hot water is injected into the cooling chamber 2. The injected hot water starts to evaporate from the time when the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 is reduced to a temperature equal to or lower than the saturated steam pressure of the hot water, and the generated steam can discharge the air in the cooling chamber 2 to the outside. it can.

  The timing of the hot water injection in the air exclusion process is the time when the elapsed time from the start of the first vacuum cooling process is measured by the timer 7 and the measured value becomes a set value (injection timing). The warm water injection timing can be set when the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 is lowered to a set value.

  A hot water supply means 18 as a means for injecting hot water into the cooling chamber 2 includes a first water supply line 19 for supplying hot water into the cooling chamber 2, a hot water supply source (a hot water heater or a hot water generator) 20, The first water supply valve 21 for controlling the hot water supply is provided.

  The cooling chamber 2 is provided with a return pressure means 22 for returning the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 from negative pressure to atmospheric pressure after the vacuum cooling step. The return pressure means 22 includes a return pressure line 23 connected to the cooling chamber 2, and a return pressure valve 24 and a sterilization filter 25 provided in the middle of the return pressure line 23. The return pressure valve 24 is a valve whose opening degree can be adjusted in order to adjust the return pressure speed, but can be a valve only for opening and closing. Further, the return pressure line 23 can be provided with a check valve (not shown) that prevents the outward flow from the inside of the cooling chamber 2.

  The first vacuum cooling means 41, in addition to the exhaust function for discharging the gas in the cooling chamber 2, condensate water (drain) generated in the cooling heat exchanger 9 during the cold air cooling process. It is configured to have a drain discharge function for discharging to the outside. That is, the on-off valve 17 is opened during the cold air cooling step, and the operation of operating the vacuum pump 16 is performed intermittently.

  The controller 6 is configured to control the operation of the first vacuum cooling means 41, the second vacuum cooling means 42, the hot water supply means 18 and the cold air cooling means 5 according to the cooling program stored in advance. ing.

  In order to control the cooling program and the like, a product temperature sensor 26 for detecting the product temperature of the object 3 to be cooled, an indoor pressure sensor 27 for detecting the pressure (temperature) in the cooling chamber 2, and the refrigerant of the refrigerator 10 A refrigerant pressure sensor 28 and a refrigerant temperature sensor 29 are provided for detecting the pressure and temperature of the circuit, respectively. These sensors are connected to the controller 6 to control the condensing unit 11, the motor 12, the vacuum pump 16, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21, the return pressure valve 24, and the like.

  The cooling program includes a first cooling pattern for performing a vacuum cooling process by the vacuum cooling means 41 and 42 and a cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means 5 when the initial product temperature exceeds a selected set value (for example, about 40 ° C.). And a second cooling pattern that executes the cold air cooling step without performing (passing) the vacuum cooling step when the initial product temperature is equal to or lower than the selected set value.

  Next, switching timing from the first vacuum cooling step to the second vacuum cooling step in the first cooling pattern (hereinafter referred to as vacuum switching timing) and switching from the second vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step. Timing (hereinafter referred to as cold air switching timing) will be described.

The vacuum switching timing and the cold air switching timing are obtained in advance by experiments in consideration of the first vacuum cooling characteristics and the second vacuum cooling characteristics, respectively. The vacuum cooling switching timing is a first switching of the elapsed time (cooling time) from the start of the first vacuum process until the late vacuum cooling rate of the first vacuum cooling process reaches the vicinity of the cold air cooling rate of the cold air cooling process. It is obtained as a set value, and it is assumed that the measured value by the timer 7 as the detecting means becomes the first switching set value.

  Further, the cold air switching timing is an elapsed time (cooling time) from the start of the second vacuum cooling process until the latter vacuum cooling rate of the second vacuum cooling process reaches the vicinity of the cold air cooling speed of the cold air cooling process. Two switching setting values are obtained, and the time when the measured value by the timer 7 becomes the second switching setting value. When the detected value of the indoor pressure sensor 27 is equal to or lower than the second vacuum forced end pressure value or the detected value of the product temperature sensor 26 is equal to or lower than the second vacuum forced end temperature value, the second vacuum cooling step is performed. It is configured to forcibly terminate.

  The first switching set value and the second switching set value reach the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, and the vicinity, regardless of the cooling time (measurement time by the timer 7). Or the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 or the amount of change (rate of change) of the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, or the temperature of the object to be cooled 3. Can do. Then, when the indoor pressure sensor 27 detects the indoor pressure or the indoor temperature, or the product temperature sensor 26 detects the product temperature, when the detected value becomes the first switching set value, Switching from the vacuum cooling process to the second vacuum cooling process can be configured to switch from the second vacuum cooling process to the cold air cooling process when the detected value becomes the second switching set value.

  When setting the first and second switching setting values according to the product temperature, the first switching setting value and the second switching setting value are set as the first temperature setting value and the second temperature setting value, respectively. Can do.

  Further, the first switching setting value and the second switching setting value are any one of the measurement time by the timer 7, the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, and the temperature of the object 3 to be cooled. Alternatively, a combination of a plurality of these and the amount of change in the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature of the object 3 to be cooled, or a combination thereof can be set as appropriate. .

  By the way, referring to FIG. 1, in the first embodiment, the fan 13 is disposed in the second region 82 so as to face the cooling heat exchanger 9, and is disposed outside the cooling chamber 2. 12 to drive. For this reason, the motor 12 is cooled to prevent the vacuum leakage at the rotating shaft 52 portion of the motor 12 that connects the fan 13 and the motor 12 and penetrates the cooling chamber wall 51 during the vacuum cooling process. Sealing means 50 for hermetically blocking the space in the chamber 2 is provided.

  Further, portions where the refrigerant pipes 39, 39 connecting the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the condensing unit 11 penetrate the chamber wall 51 of the cooling chamber 3 are hermetically sealed by a seal packing 53. . The seal packing 53 can be a compression fitting.

  The operation of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

<Preparation stage and start of operation>
The user of the combined cooling device 1 opens the door, accommodates the object to be cooled 3 in the cooling chamber 2, inserts the product temperature sensor 26 into the object to be cooled 3, closes the door, and closes the door. To do. In this state, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21, and the return pressure valve 24 are all closed, and the motor 12, the vacuum pump 16, and the condensing unit 11 are all in an operating (operation) stopped state. It is. The steam generation source 20 can be in an operating state in advance. In this state, the user starts operation by an operation switch (not shown).

<First cooling pattern>
Referring to FIG. 2, in processing step S1 (hereinafter, processing step SN is simply referred to as SN), it is determined whether or not the initial product temperature is equal to or lower than a selected set value. If the initial product temperature is 50 ° C., NO is determined in S1, the process proceeds to S2, and the first cooling pattern is executed.

(First vacuum cooling process)
In S2, the first vacuum cooling step is performed. This first vacuum cooling step S2 is performed as follows. The on-off valve 17 is opened, the first water supply valve 21 is closed, the return pressure valve 24 is closed, and the vacuum pump 16 is operated. Then, the gas in the cooling chamber 2 is discharged to the outside through the decompression line 15. The pressure in the cooling chamber 2 decreases along with the first vacuum cooling characteristic, and the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 decreases from 70 ° C. due to evaporation of the vapor from the object to be cooled 3 according to this pressure decrease. go. This product temperature decrease rate is rapid in the initial stage, and becomes slower in the later stage as the temperature decreases.

  In the first vacuum cooling step S2, when the measured value of the timer 7 reaches the injection timing, the controller 6 opens the first water supply valve 21 for a predetermined time, and from the hot water supply source 20 to the cooling chamber 2. A predetermined amount of warm water is supplied inside. When the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 is reduced to a temperature equal to or lower than the saturated steam pressure of the hot water, the supplied hot water starts to evaporate. The air in the cooling chamber 2 together with the steam thus generated is discharged to the outside through the decompression line 15. Thus, air in the cooling chamber 2 is removed.

  When the time measured by the timer 7 reaches the first switching set value, the process proceeds to the second vacuum cooling step of S3. The vacuum cooling rate at the time of this transition is lower than the cooling rate due to the cold air cooling characteristics of the cold air cooling means 5. The product temperature at the time of this transition is about 20 ° C.

(Second vacuum cooling process)
In the second vacuum cooling step S3, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21 and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, the vacuum pump 16 is stopped, and the condensing unit 11 is operated. By the operation of the condensing unit 11, the temperature in the cooling heat exchanger 9 is set to about −10 ° C. Since the temperature reduction of the cooling heat exchanger 9 by the condensing unit 11 requires a predetermined time from the start, the condensing unit 11 may be started a predetermined time before the first switching set value. desirable.

  In the second vacuum cooling step S3, the inside of the cooling chamber 2 is sealed at a low pressure, and the steam in the cooling chamber 2 moves to the cooling heat exchanger 9, where it condenses, The pressure in the chamber 2 maintains a low pressure state. As a result, steam is continuously generated from the object 3 to be cooled, and the product temperature decreases. This product temperature decrease is made in accordance with the second vacuum cooling characteristic, and is rapidly performed in the initial stage, and the rate of decrease is slowed down in the later stage as the temperature decreases. When the time measured by the timer 7 reaches the second switching set value, the process proceeds to the pressure-recovery step of S4. The vacuum cooling rate at the time of the transition is lower than the cooling rate due to the second cold air cooling characteristic of the cold air cooling means 5. Moreover, the product temperature at the time of this transition is about 10 ° C.

In the second vacuum cooling step S3, when the cooling heat exchanger 9 is frosted, the controller 6 performs a defrosting operation. The frost formation is performed by detecting the pressure or temperature on the low pressure side of the refrigerator 10 by the refrigerant pressure sensor 28 or the refrigerant temperature sensor 29, and when the detected value becomes a set value that can be determined as frost formation, The defrosting is performed by supplying the heat exchanger 9 for cooling. By this defrosting operation, the condensation action of the cooling heat exchanger 9 can be maintained satisfactorily, and the cooling by the second vacuum cooling step can be effectively performed without being affected by frost formation.

(Return pressure process)
The return pressure step S4 is performed by opening the return pressure valve 24. As a result, outside air is introduced into the cooling chamber 2 through the return pressure line 23, and the inside of the cooling chamber 2 returns to atmospheric pressure. This return pressure process is detected by the indoor pressure sensor 27. When the atmospheric pressure is detected, the return pressure process is terminated and the process proceeds to the cold air cooling process of S5. In the first embodiment, the operation of the condensing unit 11 is continued and the operation of the fan 13 is stopped during the decompression process. However, if necessary, the operation of the condensing unit 11 can be stopped and the fan 13 can be operated.

(Cooling air cooling process)
In the cold air cooling step S5, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21 and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, the vacuum pump 16 is stopped, and the condensing unit 11 and the fan 13 are operated. Thereby, in the cooling chamber 2, the fan 13 → the cooling heat exchanger 9 → the second opening 142 → the object to be cooled 3 → the first opening 141 → the cold air as indicated by the one-dot broken line arrow of the fan 13. A circulating flow is formed. Due to this circulation flow, the air in the cooling chamber 2 is cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the temperature is lowered, and the object to be cooled 3 is cooled by convection heat transfer. By such cold air cooling, the product is cooled until the product temperature becomes about 3 ° C. When the product temperature sensor 26 detects that the product temperature has decreased to 3 ° C., the cold air cooling step S5 is terminated.

  In this cold air cooling step, condensed water (drain) is generated from the surface of the object to be cooled 3 and the heat exchanger 9 for cooling, and is stored in the inner bottom of the cooling chamber 2. This drain is discharged as follows. The on-off valve 17 is opened and the vacuum pump 16 is operated. Then, the drain is discharged out of the cooling chamber 2 through the decompression line 15. When the drain is discharged, the drain pressure can be discharged smoothly by opening the return pressure valve 24. The drain generated in the first cold air cooling step S21 is also discharged out of the cooling chamber 2 in the same manner.

(End of cooling operation)
When this cold air cooling step S5 is completed, the user can operate the operation switch to stop the cooling operation and take out the object to be cooled 3 in the cooling chamber 2.

  In this first cooling pattern, when the initial product temperature is about 70 ° C. or higher, the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 is high, and natural evaporation from the object to be cooled 3 is dominant, so the vacuum cooling means 4 is operated. The vacuum cooling by is not performed effectively. Therefore, it is desirable that the cold air cooling process similar to the cold air cooling process S5 is provided before the first vacuum cooling process so that the object 3 to be cooled is subjected to rough heat removal. By carrying out like this, since the rough heat removal is performed not by vacuum cooling but by cold air cooling, the cooled object 3 can be effectively cooled, and the total cooling time can be shortened.

<Second cooling pattern>
When the initial product temperature is equal to or lower than the selected set value, YES is determined in S1, the second cooling pattern is performed, and the process proceeds to S6. In S6, a cold air cooling step S6 is performed. In the cold air cooling step S6, as in the cold air cooling step S5, the on-off valve 17, the first water supply valve 21 and the return pressure valve 24 are closed to stop the vacuum pump 16, and the condensing unit 11 And the fan 13 is operated. In other words, a cold air circulation flow as shown by the dashed line in FIG. This cold air cooling step S6 is also terminated when the value detected by the product temperature sensor 26 reaches the set cooling temperature.

  According to the first embodiment configured as described above, the following operational effects are obtained. When the initial product temperature is equal to or lower than the selected set value, the second cooling pattern is performed, that is, since the cold air cooling process is performed without performing the vacuum cooling process, the vacuum cooling means may be operated unnecessarily. Energy saving and cooling time can be shortened. In addition, when the second cooling pattern is executed, an air exclusion process for supplying hot water or steam for effectively performing the second vacuum cooling process is not performed. Capacity can be reduced.

  In addition, the vacuum cooling process is divided into a first vacuum cooling process using an external cold trap by the first vacuum cooling means 41 and a second vacuum cooling process using an internal cold trap by the second vacuum cooling means 42. Since it is performed in stages, the pressure reducing means of the vacuum cooling means 4 can be simplified. In addition, the energy required for the operation of the vacuum cooling means can be reduced compared to the one that starts vacuum cooling with an excessive cooling capacity from the beginning of vacuum cooling, and the quality of the object to be cooled becomes a problem due to rapid cooling. Then, deterioration of quality can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the air exclusion process is performed during the first vacuum cooling process, the steam can be efficiently condensed on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger in the second vacuum cooling process.

  Further, since the cooling heat exchanger 9 for cooling the cold air is also used as a cold trap for condensing the vapor of the second vacuum cooling means 42, the equipment of the vacuum cooling means can be simplified, and the composite cooling device initials Cost can be reduced.

  Next, a composite cooling device 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, the basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1), except that a steam supply means 55 is provided instead of the hot water supply means 18. . The configuration of the cooling program is basically the same as that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the vacuum cooling process is different. Moreover, the structure of the said circulation path | route structural member is varied. Hereinafter, different points will be mainly described.

  The configuration of the steam supply means 55 will be described. Referring to FIG. 3, the steam supply means 55 is connected to the cooling chamber 2 so as to supply steam and hot water into the cooling chamber 2. The steam supply means 55 is constituted by a hot water tank 56. Water is supplied to the hot water tank 56 through the second water supply valve 57, warmed to a predetermined temperature by the heater 58, and stored as hot water. In the second embodiment, the hot water tank 56 is connected to the lower part of the cooling chamber 2 via a second steam supply line 59, and a second steam supply valve 60 is provided in the middle thereof. The second steam supply valve 60 opens and closes the second steam supply line 59. In the second embodiment, the second steam supply valve 60 includes a motor valve.

By opening the second steam supply valve 60 in a reduced pressure state in the cooling chamber 2, the steam in the hot water tank 56 is naturally supplied into the cooling chamber 2 with hot water due to the differential pressure. Thus, by supplying warm water also into the cooling chamber 2, concentration of water in the warm water tank 56 can be prevented. By preventing this concentration, blow (discharge) of concentrated water can be eliminated or the number of times can be reduced. The hot water supplied into the cooling chamber 2 is further evaporated under reduced pressure to fill the cooling chamber 2 with steam. On the other hand, excess warm water and steam condensate are immediately discharged to the outside by the first vacuum cooling means 41. The second steam supply valve 60 is controlled to open when the predetermined injection timing is reached by the timer, and to close when the time measured by the timer 7 becomes a set value and the temperature in the hot water tank 56 becomes a set value or less. . By the way, by supplying steam and hot water into the cooling chamber 2, the cooling heat exchanger 9 described later can be defrosted.

  Next, the vacuum cooling process will be described. In the second embodiment, the fan 13 is driven during the second vacuum cooling step, and the fan 13 is driven at the initial stage of the first vacuum cooling step. The initial stage of the first vacuum cooling step means a period until the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 becomes equal to or lower than a set pressure. In the second embodiment, a sensor for detecting the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 (not shown) ) To control the period.

  Next, the configuration of the circulation path constituting member will be described. In the second embodiment, as a part of the circulation path constituting member, a cylindrical fan guide 30 and a first shield that shields the fan guide 30 from the partition wall 8 and the bottom wall of the cooling chamber 2. The shielding member 31, the second shielding member 32 that shields between the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the partition wall 8 and the cooling chamber 2 wall, and the cold air are supplied to the object 3 to be cooled substantially evenly. The 1st ventilation guide 33 which consists of a perforated board for this, and the 2nd ventilation guide 34 are provided.

  The first air blowing guide 33 has a function of returning the cold air after cooling the article 3 to be cooled almost uniformly to the first opening 141 of the partition wall 8, and the second air blowing guide 34 is formed on the partition wall 8. It is configured to have a function of guiding and supplying the cold air from the second opening 142 almost uniformly toward the object to be cooled 3. The air blowing guides 33 and 34 are detachably connected separately from the partition wall 8. The fan guide 30, the first shielding member 31, and the second shielding member 32 have a function of preventing a short path of cold air, and these are also detachable.

  The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments. For example, in the first and second embodiments, the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42 constitute the vacuum cooling means 4. However, the vacuum cooling means 4 can be constituted only by the second vacuum cooling means 41. The arrangement of the components in the cooling chamber 2 can be variously changed.

It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure explaining the cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Composite cooling device 2 Cooling chamber 3 Object to be cooled 4 Vacuum cooling means 5 Cold air cooling means 6 Controller 13 Fan 18 Hot water supply means 35 Steaming means 41 First vacuum cooling means 42 Second vacuum cooling means

Claims (3)

A vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber, a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled with air cooled by a cooling heat exchanger, and controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means. A combined cooling device comprising a controller,
A detecting means for detecting an initial temperature of the object to be cooled;
When the detected value by the detecting means exceeds a set value set according to the vacuum cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means, the controller performs a cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means after the vacuum cooling process by the vacuum cooling means. a first cooling pattern carried out, when the detected value is below the set value, the have row and a second cooling pattern for performing the cold air cooling step without vacuum cooling process, from the vacuum cooling step to cool the cooling step The composite cooling device characterized in that the switching timing is a timing at which the vacuum cooling rate in the latter stage of the vacuum cooling means is lower than the cold air cooling rate of the cold air cooling means . The switching timing may be one of the cooling time by the vacuum cooling means, the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled, or the pressure in the cooling chamber, the temperature in the cooling chamber, and the temperature of the object to be cooled. The composite cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein any change amount is detected and one or more of the detected values become set values . The vacuum cooling means performs a first vacuum cooling means configured to execute a first vacuum cooling process by operation of a decompressor connected to the cooling chamber, and performs an air exclusion process with the first vacuum cooling means. And the second vacuum cooling means configured to perform a second vacuum cooling step by condensing the vapor from the object to be cooled by a cooling heat exchanger as a sealed state, The composite cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum cooling step includes the first vacuum cooling step and the second vacuum step .

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