JP2011163565A - Air conditioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioning device capable of reducing flammability and greenhouse effect of a refrigerant, and preventing decrease in efficiency and increase in a size of a compressor. <P>SOLUTION: In this air conditioning device constituted by connecting the compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducer and an evaporator to circulate a refrigerant therein, and filled with a mixed refrigerant prepared by mixing a first refrigerant having greenhouse effect smaller than R410A, and a second refrigerant having the greenhouse effect smaller than R410A and having a boiling point lower than the first refrigerant, the first refrigerant is preferably tetrafluoro-propylene, and the second refrigerant is preferably difluoromethane or fluoromethane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner that circulates a refrigerant to cool or heat a heat transfer fluid such as air.

In a conventional air conditioner that uses a mixed refrigerant of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as R410A) in a refrigeration cycle, the problem is that the discharge pressure in the compressor increases or the discharge temperature increases. In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to mix 65% by weight or more of propane with respect to the entire mixed refrigerant (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Moreover, in the conventional air conditioning apparatus and refrigeration apparatus, tetrafluoropropylene is used as a refrigerant in order to reduce the greenhouse effect (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2005-15634 A Special table 2007-510039 gazette

However, the conventional mixed refrigerant in which the proportion of propane in the whole refrigerant is 65% by weight or more has an explosion lower limit of 2.1 to 6% by volume and a calorific value of 30 to 46 MJ / kg, which is an international standard. It corresponds to a highly flammable gas defined in ISO standards and IEC standards. Therefore, this mixed refrigerant is a refrigerant that needs to be handled with great care, and there is a concern of explosion due to refrigerant leakage during operation or installation work. In the standard ISO5149-1993, the lower explosion limit volume concentration of less than 3.5% is defined as a strong flammable gas, and the others are defined as weakly flammable. In the standard IEC61D / 125 / CDV, the lower explosion limit mass concentration is 0.1 kg / m. ³ or less or combustion heat of 19 MJ / kg or more is defined as strong flammability, and others are defined as weak flammability. Furthermore, R410A has a problem that it has a greenhouse effect 2000 times or more that of carbon dioxide.

  Tetrafluoropropylene has a smaller greenhouse effect than R410A, but has a higher boiling point than R410A. Therefore, when this refrigerant is used in an air conditioner, the gas density on the low-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle is reduced. There are problems such as a decrease in efficiency due to pressure loss accompanying the flow of the compressor and an increase in the size of the compressor.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an air conditioner that can reduce the combustibility of the refrigerant and the greenhouse effect, and can suppress the decrease in efficiency and the increase in size of the compressor. It is intended to provide.

Therefore, as a result of earnest research and development to solve the conventional problems as described above, the present inventors have obtained a first greenhouse effect smaller than that of R410A in order to solve such problems. The inventors have conceived that it is effective to use a mixed refrigerant obtained by mixing a refrigerant and a second refrigerant having a greenhouse effect smaller than that of R410A and having a boiling point lower than that of the first refrigerant, thereby completing the present invention. .
That is, an air conditioner according to the present invention is a first refrigerant having a greenhouse effect smaller than that of R410A in an air conditioner configured to connect a compressor, a condenser, a decompressor, and an evaporator so that the refrigerant circulates. And a mixed refrigerant mixed with a second refrigerant having a smaller greenhouse effect than R410A and a lower boiling point than the first refrigerant.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while reducing the combustibility of a refrigerant | coolant and a greenhouse effect, the air conditioning apparatus which can suppress the fall of efficiency and the enlargement of a compressor can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an air conditioner 1 according to Embodiment 1 includes a compressor 2, a condenser 3, a decompressor 4, and an evaporator 5 that are main components. These main components are sequentially connected by refrigerant piping, and the mixed refrigerant sealed in the air conditioner 1 is configured to circulate in the direction of the black arrow in FIG.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the condenser 3 and the evaporator 5 pass through a plurality of heat transfer fins 6 and a direction orthogonal to the heat transfer fins 6, and the mixed refrigerant flows without branching (see FIG. 2). 2 black arrow) It can be a fin-tube type heat exchanger composed of a continuous heat transfer tube 7. In this heat exchanger, as shown in FIG. 2, the heat transfer tubes 7 are arranged in one row with respect to the flow direction of the heat transfer fluid such as air (the white arrow in FIG. 2) (one row and one path). Heat exchanger). In this heat exchanger, the mixed refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tube 7 is heat-exchanged with a heat transfer fluid such as air flowing outside the heat transfer tube 7 and evaporated or condensed.

  The mixed refrigerant is a mixture of a first refrigerant having a smaller greenhouse effect than R410A and a second refrigerant having a smaller greenhouse effect than R410A and a lower boiling point than the first refrigerant, preferably the first refrigerant A mixture of tetrafluoropropylene as the refrigerant and difluoromethane or fluoromethane as the second refrigerant can be used. When tetrafluoropropylene is used as the first refrigerant and difluoromethane is used as the second refrigerant, the mass ratio of difluoromethane is preferably 20% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less with respect to the entire mixed refrigerant. When tetrafluoropropylene is used as the first refrigerant and fluoromethane is used as the second refrigerant, the mass ratio of the fluoromethane is preferably 50% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less with respect to the entire mixed refrigerant. If the mixing ratio of the mixed refrigerant is within the above numerical range, the lower explosion limit concentration is high and it can be handled as a weakly flammable gas, and the temperature difference and the suction gas specific volume are also small, improving the efficiency. The compressor can also be reduced in size.

  The tetrafluoropropylene in the present invention includes all tetrafluoropropylenes including various isomers. In the present invention, strong flammability means that the lower explosion limit volume concentration is less than 3.5% by volume, and weak flammability means that the lower explosion limit volume concentration is 3.5% by volume or more. Means.

In the air conditioner 1, 0.1 mass% or more, preferably 1 mass% or more and 5 mass% or less is dissolved in the mixed refrigerant liquid at the outlet of the condenser 3 under the operating condition of the compressor 2. A lubricating oil for a compressor having a viscosity of 2 mm ² / s or more, preferably 10 mm ² / s or more, more preferably 20 mm ² / s or more and 100 mm ² / s or less may be enclosed at ° C. By enclosing such a specific compressor lubricating oil, most of the compressor lubricating oil discharged from the compressor 2 is generally in the refrigerant pipe at the outlet of the condenser 3 where the flow velocity is the slowest. Since it is dissolved in the mixed refrigerant liquid and returned to the compressor 2 without staying in the condenser 3, the evaporator 5 or the refrigerant pipe, the operation of the air conditioner with high reliability can be performed. Specific examples of compressor lubricating oils include alkylbenzenes, polyol esters, polyalkylene glycols, polyvinyl ethers, carbonates, mineral oils, and mixtures thereof.

  Next, operation | movement of the air conditioning apparatus 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1 is demonstrated using FIG. 1 and 3. FIG. FIG. 3 is a temperature-enthalpy diagram showing the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1. The mixed refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 2 in a low-temperature and low-pressure gas state ([1] in FIGS. 1 and 3), and is pressurized to a high-temperature and high-pressure gas state ([2] in FIGS. 1 and 3). Is discharged together with a part of the lubricating oil for the compressor sealed for lubricating the sliding portion (which is about 1% by mass or less of the mass flow rate of the mixed refrigerant). Subsequently, the pressurized mixed refrigerant is condensed while heating a heat transfer fluid such as air in the condenser 3 while maintaining a substantially constant pressure ([3] in FIGS. 1 and 3). The compressor lubricating oil is dissolved in the mixed refrigerant liquid generated by the condensation of the mixed refrigerant gas and flows together with the mixed refrigerant. At this time, the temperature of the mixed refrigerant liquid decreases due to the non-azeotropic property of the refrigerant constituting the mixed refrigerant, that is, the difference in boiling points. For example, a mixed refrigerant of 30% by mass of difluoromethane and 70% by mass of tetrafluoropropylene (hereinafter referred to as the mixed refrigerant 1 of the present invention) is about 5 ° C., 70% by mass of fluoromethane and 30% by mass of tetrafluoropropylene. The mixed refrigerant (hereinafter referred to as the mixed refrigerant 2 of the present invention) decreases in temperature by about 5 ° C. The mixed refrigerant liquid whose temperature has decreased is changed into a low-temperature low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase mixed refrigerant ([4] in FIGS. 1 and 3) by the decompressor 4, and the heat transfer fluid such as air is cooled by the evaporator 5. Then, it evaporates while maintaining a substantially constant pressure, changes to a low-temperature low-pressure mixed refrigerant gas ([1] in FIGS. 1 and 3), and returns to the compressor 2 together with the compressor lubricating oil eluted by evaporation of the mixed refrigerant. . In the evaporator 5 as well as the condenser 3, the temperature rises due to the non-azeotropic property of the mixed refrigerant. For example, a mixed refrigerant of 30% by mass of difluoromethane and 70% by mass of tetrafluoropropylene has a temperature of about 5 ° C., and a mixed refrigerant of 70% by mass of fluoromethane and 30% by mass of tetrafluoropropylene has a temperature of about 8 ° C. To rise.

  Next, the performance of the air conditioner will be described. In general, the temperature change of the refrigerant in the condenser 3 and the evaporator 5 increases as the non-azeotropic property increases, and fin-tube heat exchange flows so that the heat transfer fluid such as air and the refrigerant are orthogonal to each other. In the oven, the heat exchange capacity is lowered and the efficiency of the air conditioner is lowered. Such a temperature change is, for example, the difference (ΔTe) between the temperature at [1] in FIG. 3 and the temperature at [4] in FIG. 3 in the case of the evaporator 5.

For example, under the condition that the number of moving units NTU defined by the following formula (1) is 0.7 and the heat capacity flow rate ratio R defined by the following formula (2) is 1.4, the heat of one row and one pass shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the heat exchange amount Q [kW] normalized by the heat exchange amount Q ′ [kW] and the temperature change ΔTe [° C.] of the mixed refrigerant when there is no temperature change in the exchanger. Incidentally, K is the thermal transfer coefficient of the heat exchange amount heat exchanger ^{[kW / (m 2 · ℃} )], A is the heat transfer area [m ^2], G _a is the air flow rate [kg / s], Cp _a is air Specific heat [kJ / (kg · ° C.)], W is the heat capacity flow rate [kW / ° C.] of the mixed refrigerant.

  In FIG. 4, point A is R410A (hereinafter referred to as the conventional mixed refrigerant 1) composed of 50% by mass of difluoromethane and 50% by mass of pentafluoroethane, and point B is 23% by mass of difluoromethane and 25% by mass. % R407C (hereinafter referred to as the conventional mixed refrigerant 2) composed of 25% by mass of pentafluoroethane and 52% by mass of tetrafluoroethane, and the C point is a conventional mixed refrigerant composed of 65% by mass of propane and 35% by mass of R410A. 3 is shown. As shown in FIG. 4, the heat exchange amount Q decreases as the temperature change ΔTe caused by the non-azeotropic property of the refrigerant increases.

  The mixed refrigerants 1 and 2 (which produce a temperature difference of about 5 ° C.) used in the first embodiment described above can obtain a heat exchange amount equivalent to that of the conventional mixed refrigerant 2, which is higher than that of the conventional mixed refrigerant 3. The heat exchange amount is improved by 15%.

  Next, the temperature difference, the flammability of the refrigerant, the greenhouse effect, and the operating pressure on the high pressure side will be described. Table 1 shows values relating to combustibility, greenhouse effect and performance (temperature difference and inhaled gas specific volume) for the mixed refrigerants 1 and 2 of the present invention, the conventional mixed refrigerants 1 to 3 and tetrafluoropropylene. As for flammability, the lower explosion limit and the gas type (weak flammability, strong flammability) in accordance with ISO standards and IEC standards, which are international standards, are shown. The greenhouse effect is represented by the global warming potential, which is an index based on the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide. Regarding performance, the intake gas specific volume that affects the temperature drop in the heat exchanger caused by non-azeotropic properties and the performance degradation due to pressure loss and the size of the compressor is shown. The refrigerant temperature difference is a temperature difference that occurs when the refrigerant evaporates when the average refrigerant temperature is 15 ° C., and the suction gas specific volume is a value in the heating operation.

As can be seen from Table 1, the mixed refrigerants 1 and 2 used in the first embodiment are weakly flammable gases similar to the conventional mixed refrigerants 1 and 2, and are 1/10 of the conventional mixed refrigerants 1 and 2. The greenhouse effect is about 1/20. In addition, the mixed refrigerants 1 and 2 used in the first embodiment are similar to the conventional mixed refrigerants 1 and 2 in terms of the temperature difference and the suction gas specific volume related to performance.
Further, the mixed refrigerants 1 and 2 used in the first embodiment have a suction gas specific volume of 40% to 70%, compared to tetrafluoropropylene having a smaller greenhouse effect than the conventional mixed refrigerants 1 and 2. The pressure loss accompanying the flow of the refrigerant can be reduced, the efficiency can be improved, and the compressor 2 can be downsized. Also, the mixed refrigerants 1 and 2 used in the first embodiment have a lower explosion limit concentration than the conventional mixed refrigerant 3 and can be handled as a weakly flammable gas. The suction gas specific volume is small, the efficiency can be improved, and the compressor 2 can be downsized.
As mentioned above, according to the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment 1, the greenhouse effect can be reduced to 1/10-1/20, obtaining the safety | security and performance equivalent to Freon-type refrigerant | coolants, such as R410A and R407C. Is obtained.

  According to the first embodiment, it can be handled as a weakly flammable gas, the risk of explosion and the like can be minimized, the greenhouse effect is smaller than R410A, the safety of the air conditioner can be improved, and the refrigerant leakage The greenhouse effect by etc. can be suppressed. Furthermore, the temperature change of the refrigerant in the condenser 3 and the evaporator 5 can be reduced, the gas density on the low pressure side is large, the efficiency of the air conditioner is improved, and the compressor 2 can be miniaturized.

The compressor 2 may be a low-pressure compressor in which the pressure in the compressor is substantially the same as the low-pressure side pressure (evaporation pressure). In the air conditioner configured as described above, the amount of refrigerant composed of hydrocarbons can be reduced with strong flammability existing in the compressor.
In addition, you may add leak detection agents, such as an odorant and a coloring agent, to a mixed refrigerant. By adding the leakage detection agent, when the mixed refrigerant leaks out of the refrigerant pipe, the leakage detection agent such as an odorant leaks together with the mixed refrigerant, and the leakage of the mixed refrigerant can be confirmed. Therefore, it is possible to take measures such as repairing the leaked portion, stopping the installation work, or ventilating the room at the initial stage of the leak. Specific examples of such leak detection agents include odorants mainly composed of methyl mercaptan, tetrahydrothiophene, ammonia, etc., colorants mainly composed of fluorescent agents, azo pigments and the like.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Table 2 shows values relating to flammability, greenhouse effect, and performance of the mixed refrigerant in which the mixing ratio of tetrafluoropropylene and difluoromethane was changed. As can be seen from Table 2, a mixed refrigerant in which the mixing ratio of difluoromethane is 20% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less is particularly excellent in combustibility, greenhouse effect and performance.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
Table 3 shows values relating to flammability, greenhouse effect, and performance of the mixed refrigerant in which the mixing ratio of tetrafluoropropylene and fluoromethane was changed. As can be seen from Table 3, a mixed refrigerant in which the mixing ratio of difluoromethane is 50% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less is excellent in combustibility, greenhouse effect and performance.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In Embodiment 1, the mixed refrigerant using tetrafluoropropylene as the first refrigerant has been described. Instead of tetrafluoropropylene, a refrigerant having flammability, global warming potential, and boiling point equivalent to or lower than tetrafluoropropylene. For example, the same effect can be obtained with an isomer of tetrafluoropropylene and a mixture of isomers. In particular, a refrigerant having a small global warming potential has an effect of further reducing the greenhouse effect.

Embodiment 5 FIG.
The air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 5 is a multi-row (condenser 3 or evaporator 5) configured such that the heat transfer fluid is opposed to the mixed refrigerant as shown in FIG. The configuration is the same as that of the air-conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1 except that three rows of fin-tube heat exchangers are provided in FIG. In this heat exchanger, as shown in FIG. 5, the heat transfer tubes 7 are arranged in three rows with respect to the flow direction of the heat transfer fluid such as air (the white arrow in FIG. 5) (three rows of fins). -Tube heat exchanger). In this heat exchanger, the mixed refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tube 7 is heat-exchanged with a heat transfer fluid such as air flowing outside the heat transfer tube 7 and evaporated or condensed.

  FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the temperature change of the mixed refrigerant and the temperature change of the air when the one-row fin-tube heat exchanger shown in FIG. 2 is used as an evaporator. Although the temperature of the mixed refrigerant rises due to heat exchange with air, the temperature difference between the air and the refrigerant from the inlet to the outlet of the mixed refrigerant changes because the inlet temperature of the air to the heat exchanger is constant. is doing. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, when the three-row fin-tube type heat exchanger shown in FIG. 5 is used as an evaporator, the air corresponding to the temperature change from the inlet of the heat exchanger of the mixed refrigerant Therefore, the temperature difference between the mixed refrigerant and the air can be reduced. According to the air conditioner configured as described above, the performance of the heat exchanger can be improved and the efficiency of the air conditioner can be improved.

It is a block diagram which shows the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the fin-tube type heat exchanger in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a temperature-enthalpy diagram which shows operation | movement of the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the heat exchange amount of the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, and a temperature change. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the heat exchanger of the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a graph which shows the temperature change of the refrigerant | coolant and air in the 1 row fin-tube type heat exchanger of the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a graph which shows the temperature change of the refrigerant | coolant and air in the multi-row fin-tube type heat exchanger of the air conditioning apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 5 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  1 air conditioner, 2 compressor, 3 condenser, 4 decompressor, 5 evaporator, 6 heat transfer fin, 7 heat transfer tube.

Claims (8)

  In the air conditioner configured to connect the compressor, the condenser, the decompressor, and the evaporator so that the refrigerant circulates, the first refrigerant having a greenhouse effect smaller than that of R410A, the greenhouse effect being smaller than that of R410A, and the first An air-conditioning apparatus comprising: a mixed refrigerant obtained by mixing a second refrigerant having a boiling point lower than that of the first refrigerant.   The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the first refrigerant is tetrafluoropropylene and the second refrigerant is difluoromethane or fluoromethane.   The air conditioning according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second refrigerant is difluoromethane, and a mass ratio of the second refrigerant is 20 mass% or more with respect to the whole of the mixed refrigerant. apparatus.   The air according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second refrigerant is fluoromethane, and the mass ratio of the second refrigerant is 80 mass% or less with respect to the whole of the mixed refrigerant. Harmony device. The operating condition of the compressor is characterized in that 1% by mass or more is dissolved in the mixed refrigerant liquid at the outlet of the condenser and a lubricating oil for a compressor having a viscosity of ² mm ² / s or more is enclosed. The air conditioning apparatus as described in any one of 1-4.   6. The heat exchange is performed by configuring the mixed refrigerant flowing through the condenser or the evaporator so that a heat transfer fluid is opposed to the mixed refrigerant. 6. Air conditioner.   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the compressor is a low-pressure compressor.   The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an odorant or a colorant is added to the mixed refrigerant.

Images