PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide vacuum cooling equipment capable of shortening a time necessary for vacuum cooling by increasing a pressure reduction speed in an initial period of a vacuum cooling process, and further capable of improving a quality by decreasing the pressure reduction speed during the vacuum cooling process.SOLUTION: The vacuum cooling equipment includes: a first decompression tank housing a cooled object and a vacuum generating device connected with the first decompression tank by vacuum piping and sucking a gas in the first decompression tank, and cools the cooled object disposed in the first decompression tank by evacuating the inside of the first decompression tank. The vacuum cooling equipment further includes: a second decompression tank connected with the vacuum piping, separately from the first decompression tank and a gate valve which is disposed at a first decompression tank side with respect to a connecting portion with the second decompression tank, of the vacuum piping. The inside of the second decompression tank is decompressed before performing vacuum cooling of the cooled object housed inside the first decompression tank, and a process for communicating between the first decompression tank and the second decompression tank is performed at an initial period of the vacuum cooling process in the first decompression tank.COPYRIGHT: (C)2015,JPO&INPIT【課題】真空冷却装置において、真空冷却工程の初期には減圧速度を高めることで真空冷却に要する時間を短縮し、かつ真空冷却工程中に減圧速度を低下させることで品質を向上させることを両立することのできる真空冷却装置を提供する。【解決手段】被冷却物を収容する第一減圧槽、第一減圧槽と真空配管によって接続しており第一減圧槽内の気体を吸引する真空発生装置を持ち、第一減圧槽内を真空化することで第一減圧槽内に設けた被冷却物の冷却を行う真空冷却装置において、前記第一減圧槽とは別に前記真空配管と接続した第二減圧槽を設け、真空配管の第二減圧槽との接続部より第一減圧槽側に仕切弁を設けておき、第一減圧槽において内部に収容した被冷却物の真空冷却を実施する前に、第二減圧槽内の減圧を行っておき、第一減圧槽での真空冷却工程初期に第一減圧槽と第二減圧槽の間を連通する工程を行う。【選択図】図1
