Patent Application
20240201603
The present invention relates to an air cooling apparatus, an environmental control apparatus, a lithography apparatus, and an article manufacturing method.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-283500 describes a cooling apparatus including a freezer including a compressor and a condenser, and a heat exchanger that cools air-conditioning air by a refrigerant cooled by the freezer. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-283500 also describes an additional heat exchanger that cools a secondary refrigerant by a primary refrigerant that is the refrigerant of the freezer, and a secondary refrigerant circulation circuit that supplies the secondary refrigerant to the heat exchanger that cools the air-conditioning air. A configuration using a freezer, like Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-283500, is disadvantageous in size reduction of a cooling apparatus.
The present invention provides an air cooling apparatus having a configuration advantageous in size reduction.
One of aspects of the present invention is related to an air cooling apparatus for cooling air, and the apparatus comprises: a container; a boiling section arranged in the container; and a condensing section arranged in the container and above the boiling section, wherein the boiling section includes a separator configured to separate a first path through which air of a cooling target moves and a second path through which a refrigerant moves, the separator including a first heat exchanger configured to cause the air and the refrigerant to exchange heat, and the refrigerant boiled in the second path by cooling the air is condensed in the condensing section.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, and limitation is not made to an invention that requires a combination of all features described in the embodiments. Two or more of the multiple features described in the embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.
In this specification and attached drawings, directions will be explained in accordance with an XYZ coordinate system.
The environmental control apparatus 1 can include a temperature sensor 4 that detects the temperature of the air AA coming out of the air cooling apparatus 3, and a controller 5 that controls the air cooling apparatus 3 based on the output of the temperature sensor 4 such that the temperature of the air AA coming out of the air cooling apparatus 3 matches a target cooling temperature. The temperature sensor 4 can be arranged between the air cooling apparatus 3 and the air heater 6. The environmental control apparatus 1 can include a temperature sensor 7 that detects the temperature of the air AA coming out of the air heater 6, and a controller 8 that controls the air heater 6 based on the output of the temperature sensor 7 such that the temperature of the air AA coming out of the air heater 6 matches a target temperature. The controller 5 and the controller 8 can be formed by, for example, a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a general-purpose or dedicated computer in which a program is installed, or a combination of some or all of these. The controller 5 and the controller 8 may be formed as one controller. A chemical filter may be arranged between the air cooling apparatus 3 and the air heater 6.
The container 30 can be configured to support the boiling section 10 and the condensing section 11. The condensing section 11 can be arranged to face the boiling section 10 via a space SP in the container 30. The air cooling apparatus 3 can be configured such that the refrigerant 9 boiled in the second path F2 of the boiling section 10 reaches the condensing section 11 via the space SP. When the refrigerant 9 is boiled in the second path F2, the air AA moving in the first path F1 is cooled via the first heat exchanger HE1. In other words, heat of the air AA moving in the first path F1 is transmitted to the refrigerant 9 moving in the second path F2 via the first heat exchanger HE1, and the refrigerant 9 is thus boiled.
The first heat exchanger HE1 can include a plurality of first heat exchange plates 14 arranged apart from each other in the vertical direction, and a plurality of tubes 12 extending through the plurality of first heat exchange plates 14. At least a part of the first path F1 can be defined by the outer surfaces of the plurality of tubes 12, and the plurality of first heat exchange plates 14. At least a part of the second path F2 can be defined by the inner surfaces of the plurality of tubes 12.
As exemplified in
The refrigerant 9 boiled in the boiling section 10, that is, the vaporized refrigerant 9 can be condensed, that is, liquified in the condensing section 11 arranged above the boiling section 10 and guided to the guide 17. The condensing section 11 can include a plurality of second heat exchange plates 16 that condense the boiled refrigerant 9. The boiled or vaporized refrigerant 9 can be condensed when its heat is taken by the plurality of second heat exchange plates 16.
The condensing section 11 can further include a temperature regulator 15 that adjusts the temperature of the plurality of second heat exchange plates 16. The temperature regulator 15 or the condensing section 11 can be controlled by the controller 5 based on the output of the temperature sensor 4 such that the temperature of the air AA coming out of the air cooling apparatus 3 matches the target cooling temperature. The plurality of second heat exchange plates 16 can be arranged apart from each other in the horizontal direction. The plurality of second heat exchange plates 16 can be supported by, for example, a support plate (support member) 24. The plurality of second heat exchange plates 16 can be connected to the temperature regulator 15 via, for example, the support plate (support member) 24. The guide 17 can have liquid repellency to the refrigerant 9. The guide 17 can be provided on at least one of the plurality of second heat exchange plates 16.
The temperature regulator 15 can include, for example, a Peltier element. The heat dissipation section of the Peltier element can be cooled by a gas such as air or a liquid such as water. Since the temperature of the heat dissipation section of the Peltier element is high, the heat can be dissipated using facility cooling water. Hence, the air cooling apparatus 3 or the temperature regulator 15 does not need a freezer. This can contribute to size reduction and simplification of the air cooling apparatus 3 or the environmental control apparatus 1.
The controller 5 can maintain boiling and condensation of the refrigerant 9 in the internal space of the container 30 in equilibrium based on the output of the temperature sensor 4 that detects the temperature of the air AA coming out of the air cooling apparatus 3 via the first path F1. Maintaining the refrigerant 9 in equilibrium makes it possible to suppress rise of the temperature of the refrigerant 9 beyond its boiling point. This is advantageous in evenly maintaining the temperature of air provided from the air cooling apparatus 3 or the environmental control apparatus 1.
The surfaces of the plurality of second heat exchange plates 16 and the plurality of guides 17 preferably have liquid repellency to the refrigerant 9. The liquid repellency improves the speed of the refrigerant 9 moving along the plurality of second heat exchange plates 16 and the plurality of guides 17 and is therefore advantageous in increasing the condensation efficiency.
In the plurality of tubes 12, the refrigerant 9 preferably causes nucleate boiling. This is because in film boiling, boiling occurs via a vapor film covering a heat transfer surface, and therefore, the thermal resistance becomes high, and efficiency lowers. To cause nucleate boiling, it is preferable that, to cause boiling using a cavity in the heat transfer surface as a nucleus, the inner surface of the tube 12 is made rough or a porous body is arranged in the tube 12. These have an effect of promoting generation of bubbles. To improve the heat exchange efficiency, the tubes 12, the first heat exchange plates 14, the second heat exchange plates 16, and the guides 17 are preferably made of copper or aluminum with excellent thermal conductivity.
As schematically shown in
The controller 5 can monitor the state of the internal space of the container 30 of the air cooling apparatus 3 based on the output of the pressure sensor 19. If a leakage occurs in the container 30, air may enter the internal space of the container 30. If air enters the internal space of the container 30, the partial pressure changes, and the pressure at which the refrigerant 9 is boiled (the pressure in the equilibrium state) changes. Based on the change of the pressure at which the refrigerant 9 is boiled, a controller 8 can detect occurrence of an abnormality in the air cooling apparatus 3. If the leakage amount is permissible, the controller 5 can continue the operation of the air cooling apparatus 3 by controlling one or both of the valve 23 and the valve 21 based on the output of the pressure sensor 19.
The above-described lithography apparatus LA can be used in an article manufacturing method. The article manufacturing method can include a pattern formation step of forming a pattern on a substrate using the lithography apparatus LA, and a processing step of processing the substrate with the pattern formed thereon, thereby obtaining an article. For example, if the lithography apparatus LA is an exposure apparatus, the processing step can include at least one of a development step, an etching step, and an ion implantation step. For example, if the lithography apparatus LA is an imprint apparatus, the processing step can include at least one of an etching step and an ion implantation step.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-199551, filed Dec. 14, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-199551 | Dec 2022 | JP | national |
