JP2024051511A - Heat pump cycle device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a heat pump cycle device that discharges a leaking combustible refrigerant to the outside of an outdoor unit including a machine room and a valve chamber instead of the inside of the outdoor unit and can diffuse the refrigerant immediately during energization.SOLUTION: A heat pump cycle device includes: a gas-liquid separation device 30 disposed in a heat medium circuit 20 downstream from a utilization-side heat exchanger 12; a flow channel pipe 80 for discharging a gas that is separated by the gas-liquid separation device 30; and a flow channel pipe outlet 81 of the flow channel pipe 80 which is disposed in an air suction surface 14i of a heat source-side heat exchanger 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a heat pump cycle device that circulates a heat medium to a user terminal through a heat medium circuit having a gas-liquid separator.

Patent Document 1 describes a hot water heater that is equipped with a pressure relief valve and an air vent valve in the piping of the water circuit of a heat pump cycle device that has an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, and discloses a configuration in which the valves can be installed outside the outdoor unit housing, in a valve chamber separate from the machine chamber, in a valve chamber inside the machine chamber, or in the blower chamber.

International Publication No. 2018/047265

However, if the pressure relief valve and air vent valve are installed outside the outdoor unit housing, in a valve chamber separate from the machinery chamber, or in a valve chamber inside the machinery chamber, the machinery chamber and the valve chamber must be separated, resulting in a complex structure and requiring a lot of maintenance work, and the refrigerant diffuses naturally both when power is applied and when it is not, meaning that sufficient diffusion cannot be achieved.
Furthermore, when the pressure relief valve and air vent valve are installed in the blower room, a conduit must be passed through the partition between the blower room and the machinery room and sealed. This makes the structure complicated and, if there is a leak when the power is not being applied, there is a risk that the refrigerant will stagnate inside the outdoor unit.

The present invention aims to provide a heat pump cycle device that can discharge leaked flammable refrigerant outside the outdoor unit, rather than into the outdoor unit including the machine chamber and valve chamber, and can quickly diffuse the refrigerant, especially when power is applied.

The heat pump cycle apparatus of the present invention described in claim 1 includes a refrigerant circuit 10 in which a compressor 11, a user-side heat exchanger 12, an expansion means 13, and a heat source-side heat exchanger 14 are connected in a ring shape, and a refrigerant circulates; a heat medium circuit 20 for circulating the heat medium cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger 12 by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to a user-side terminal 1; a blower 16 for circulating air through the heat source-side heat exchanger 14; an electrical equipment box 90 for accommodating a control board; and a gas-liquid separation device 30 for separating a gas in the heat medium circuit 20 from the heat medium, and is a heat pump cycle apparatus using a flammable refrigerant as the refrigerant, characterized in that the gas-liquid separation device 30 is disposed in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the user-side heat exchanger 12, a flow path pipe 80 is provided for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separation device 30, and a flow path pipe outlet 81 of the flow path pipe 80 is disposed on an air suction surface 14i of the heat source-side heat exchanger 14.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump cycle apparatus of the first aspect, the duct outlet 81 is located lower than the duct inlet 82 of the duct 80 .
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump cycle apparatus of the first aspect, the flow passage pipe outlet 81 is located lower than the electrical component box 90 .
The present invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the heat pump cycle apparatus described in claim 1, a gas vent valve 50 for discharging the gas separated in the gas-liquid separation device 30 is provided on the upper part of the gas-liquid separation device 30.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump cycle apparatus of the first aspect, a pressure relief valve 40 is provided in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger 12 .
The present invention as described in claim 6 is characterized in that, in the heat pump cycle apparatus as described in claim 1, a machine chamber 3b in which the compressor 11 is arranged and a heat medium chamber 3a in which the utilization side heat exchanger 12 is arranged are partitioned by a first partition plate 71, an opening 70 is provided in the first partition plate 71, and the flow path pipe 80 is arranged in the opening 70.

According to the present invention, the outlet of the flow pipe, which discharges the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator, is located on the air suction surface of the heat source side heat exchanger, so that the leaked refrigerant can be discharged outside the outdoor unit instead of into the outdoor unit. Furthermore, when power is applied, the refrigerant can be quickly diffused by the suction action of the blower.

Refrigeration circuit diagram of a heat pump cycle device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device as viewed from the rear. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a heat medium circuit of the outdoor unit. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device;

The heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a gas-liquid separator disposed in the heat medium circuit downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger, a flow tube for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator, and a flow tube outlet of the flow tube disposed on the air suction surface of the heat source side heat exchanger. According to this embodiment, by disposing the flow tube outlet of the flow tube for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator on the air suction surface of the heat source side heat exchanger, the leaked refrigerant can be discharged outside the outdoor unit instead of inside the outdoor unit, and furthermore, can be quickly diffused by the suction action of the blower while the current is being applied.

The second embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment, in which the flow passage pipe outlet is positioned lower than the flow passage pipe inlet of the flow passage pipe. According to this embodiment, the flammable refrigerant is easily discharged from the flow passage pipe outlet, and rainwater and condensation water can be prevented from accumulating in the flow passage pipe.

The third embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment, in which the outlet of the flow passage pipe is positioned lower than the electrical equipment box. According to this embodiment, the heat medium and water discharged from the flow passage pipe do not splash on the electrical equipment box that houses the control board, which is a potential ignition source.

The fourth embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment, in which a gas vent valve for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator is provided on the upper part of the gas-liquid separator. According to this embodiment, the separated gas can be efficiently collected and discharged without backflow.

The fifth embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment, in which a pressure relief valve is provided in the heat medium circuit downstream of the user-side heat exchanger. According to this embodiment, the heat medium can be discharged when the pressure of the heat medium rises, and the gas in the heat medium circuit can be discharged together with the heat medium from the pressure relief valve when the capacity of the gas-liquid separator is insufficient.

The sixth embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment, in which a machine chamber in which a compressor is disposed and a heat medium chamber in which a user-side heat exchanger is disposed are separated by a first partition plate, an opening is provided in the first partition plate, and a flow path pipe is disposed in the opening. According to this embodiment, ventilation is ensured by the opening in which the flow path pipe is disposed, so that leaked refrigerant does not fill the heat medium chamber.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a refrigeration circuit diagram of a heat pump cycle device according to this embodiment.
The heat pump cycle device according to this embodiment includes a refrigerant circuit 10 and a heat medium circuit 20 .
In the refrigerant circuit 10, a compressor 11, a utilization side heat exchanger 12, an expansion means 13, and a heat source side heat exchanger 14 are connected in a ring shape by refrigerant piping, and the refrigerant circulates.
The heat medium circuit 20 circulates the heat medium heated in the user-side heat exchanger 12 by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to the user-side terminal 1 .
The heat medium circuit 20 is provided with a gas-liquid separator 30 that separates the gas in the heat medium circuit 20 from the heat medium, and a conveying pump 21 that circulates the heat medium.
The heat medium circuit 20 is further provided with a pressure relief valve 40. In this embodiment, the pressure relief valve 40 is connected to the gas-liquid separation device 30. A gas vent valve 50 that releases the gas separated in the gas-liquid separation device 30 is connected to the gas-liquid separation device 30.

The conveying pump 21 is disposed in the indoor unit 2 .
The refrigerant circuit 10 preferably includes a four-way valve 15 for switching the flow of the refrigerant.
An air blower 16 is provided at a position facing the heat source side heat exchanger 14. The air blower 16 circulates air through the heat source side heat exchanger 14.
The refrigerant used is propane, which is a flammable refrigerant, although any of R1234yf, R1234ze, and R32, which are slightly flammable refrigerants, may be used instead of the flammable refrigerant.
The heat transfer medium is water or antifreeze.
The gas-liquid separator 30 and the pressure relief valve 40 are disposed in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger 12 .

The outdoor unit 3 is divided into a heat medium chamber 3a (see FIG. 2), a machine chamber 3b, and an air blower chamber 3c.
The heat medium chamber 3a is provided with at least a part of the utilization side heat exchanger 12, a gas-liquid separator 30, a pressure relief valve 40, and a gas vent valve 50. The machine chamber 3b is provided with the compressor 11, the expansion means 13, and a four-way valve 15. The blower chamber 3c is provided with the heat source side heat exchanger 14 and a blower 16.

The heat medium can be heated or cooled by switching the four-way valve 15 .
When the heat medium is heated, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows in order through the utilization side heat exchanger 12, the expansion means 13, and the heat source side heat exchanger 14, and the refrigerant that has been decompressed by the expansion means 13 and absorbs heat in the heat source side heat exchanger 14 is sucked into the compressor 11. In this way, the heat medium can be heated by flowing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 through the utilization side heat exchanger 12.
When cooling the heat medium, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows through the heat source side heat exchanger 14, the expansion means 13, and the utilization side heat exchanger 12 in this order, and the refrigerant that has been decompressed by the expansion means 13 and absorbs heat in the utilization side heat exchanger 12 is sucked into the compressor 11. In this way, the heat medium can be cooled by flowing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 through the heat source side heat exchanger 14.

The heat medium cooled or heated in the use-side heat exchanger 12 is transported to the use-side terminal 1 by the transport pump 21 , and the heat medium that has absorbed or released heat in the use-side terminal 1 is returned to the use-side heat exchanger 12 .
In particular, when a plate type heat exchanger is used as the utilization side heat exchanger 12 , there is a possibility that the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 10 may be mixed into the heat medium circuit 20 due to damage to the utilization side heat exchanger 12 .
In this way, the refrigerant leaked into the heat medium circuit 20 can be separated from the liquid phase heat medium by the gas-liquid separator 30 and released from the gas vent valve 50 .

The gas vent valve 50 is provided with a flow passage pipe 80 for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator 30. A flow passage pipe outlet 81 of the flow passage pipe 80 is disposed on the air suction surface 14i of the heat source side heat exchanger 14.
The gas-liquid separation device 30 is disposed in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the user side heat exchanger 12 within the outdoor unit 3, thereby preventing refrigerant leaking into the heat medium circuit 20 from being discharged to the user side terminal 1.
The gas-liquid separation device 30 can separate the leaked refrigerant from the heat medium, and also separate the air present in the heat medium circuit 20. In particular, the gas-liquid separation device 30 is used to bleed air from the heat medium circuit 20 when filling the heat medium circuit 20 with a heat medium, for example, when installing a heat pump cycle device.
In this embodiment, the conveying pump 21 is disposed in the indoor unit 2, but the conveying pump 21 may be disposed in the outdoor unit 3. When the conveying pump 21 is disposed in the outdoor unit 3, it is preferable to dispose it in the heat medium chamber 3a.

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the main parts of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device, with Figure 2 being a perspective view from the front and Figure 3 being a perspective view from the back.

The outdoor unit 3 has a wall material 60 disposed between a bottom surface material outer periphery 3d and a top surface material outer periphery 3e. The wall material 60 has a first wall material 61 and a second wall material 62 adjacent to the first wall material 61.
The heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b are separated by a first partition plate 71. The first partition plate 71 is provided with an opening 70 (see FIG. 5), and a flow path pipe 80 is arranged in the opening 70. The opening 70 ensures ventilation between the heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b. The machine chamber 3b and the blower chamber 3c are separated by a second partition plate 72, and the outdoor unit 3 is divided into the heat medium chamber 3a, the machine chamber 3b, and the blower chamber 3c. The first partition plate 71 prevents the heat medium leaking from the user side heat exchanger 12 of the heat medium circuit 20, the pressure relief valve 40, etc. from scattering to the compressor 11, etc. arranged in the machine chamber 3b.
The opening 70 is formed between one side edge 71 x of the first partition plate 71 and the second wall material 62 , and the other side edge 71 y (see FIG. 5 ) of the first partition plate 71 abuts against the first wall material 62 .
The heat medium chamber 3 a is formed by a space surrounded by a first partition plate 71 , a first wall material 61 , and a second wall material 62 .

In this way, by forming the heat medium chamber 3a in the corner of the outdoor unit 3 using the adjacent first wall material 61 and second wall material 62, the heat medium chamber 3a in which the user side heat exchanger 12, the gas-liquid separator 30, and the pressure relief valve 40 are arranged is separated from the machine chamber 3b and the blower chamber 3c, so that even if the heat medium leaks, it will not affect the compressor 11, the expansion means 13, and the heat source side heat exchanger 14.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the passage pipe outlet 81 of the passage pipe 80 is disposed on the air suction surface 14 i of the heat source side heat exchanger 14 .
In this way, by arranging the flow passage pipe outlet 81 of the flow passage pipe 80 on the air suction surface 14i of the heat source side heat exchanger 14, the leaked refrigerant can be discharged from the outdoor unit 3, and further, when power is applied, it can be quickly diffused by the suction action of the blower device 16.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a heat medium circuit of the outdoor unit.
The utilization side heat exchanger 12 has a first heat medium connection port 22x at a lower part of a side surface, and a second heat medium connection port 22y at an upper part of the side surface.
The utilization side heat exchanger 12 also has a first refrigerant connection port 17x at the lower part of the side surface, and a second refrigerant connection port 17y at the upper part of the side surface.
The heat medium is introduced into the use side heat exchanger 12 from the first heat medium connection port 22x, and the heat medium introduced into the use side heat exchanger 12 is discharged from the second heat medium connection port 22y.
When heating the heat medium, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 is introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 from the second refrigerant connection port 17y, and the refrigerant introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 is discharged from the first refrigerant connection port 17x.
The second heat medium connection port 22 y and the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 are connected by a gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 35 .
The gas-liquid separation inlet 32 is located higher than the second heat medium connection port 22y.

In this way, by arranging the gas-liquid separator 30 above the user-side heat exchanger 12, it becomes easier for the gas-liquid separator 30 to collect the gas that is mixed into the heat medium, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation efficiency.

An outlet joint 36 is connected to the gas-liquid separation outlet of the gas-liquid separation device 30, and a first heat medium connection pipe 23 is connected to the first heat medium connection port 22x. An inlet joint 37 is connected to the first heat medium connection pipe 23.
The outlet joint 36 and the inlet joint 37 protrude outward from the second wall material 62 located in the heat medium chamber 3a, and are connected to the user side terminal 1 provided on the indoor side by a thermally insulated tube or the like.

A gas vent valve 50 is provided at the top of the gas-liquid separation device 30. In addition, a flow path pipe inlet 82 to which a flow path pipe 80 is connected is provided at the upper end of the gas vent valve 50.
The gas vent valve 50 has a float therein, and when no gas is present in the gas vent valve 50, the float is located at the lower end of the gas vent valve 50. On the other hand, when gas is present that has been separated by the gas-liquid separator 30, the float moves to the upper position, and the gas is discharged.
This allows the separated gas to be discharged without backflow.

A pressure relief valve 40 is connected to a pipe branching off from the side of the gas-liquid separation device 30 , and the pressure relief valve 40 is disposed above the utilization side heat exchanger 12 .
This makes it easier to collect the gas remaining in the heat medium that could not be separated by the gas-liquid separator 30 .

The first partition plate 71 has an opening 70. The flow path pipe 80 is arranged in the opening 70, and the opening 70 ensures ventilation. In this way, the opening 70 in which the flow path pipe 80 is arranged ensures ventilation, so that the leaked refrigerant does not fill the heat medium chamber 3a. The opening 70 may be provided in a part of the first partition plate 71 as shown in FIG. 5(a), or the opening 70 may be a space between the end of the first partition plate 71 and the second wall material 62 as shown in FIG. 5(c). The first partition plate 71 is said to have an opening 70 including these. Also, a space 70' can be provided in the upper part of the first partition plate 71 to ensure ventilation.

5A, 5B and 5C are conceptual diagrams showing the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device, in which FIG. 5A is a plan view, FIG. 5B is a rear view, and FIG. 5C is a plan view different from FIG. 5A.
5, an electrical equipment box 90 is disposed above the machine chamber 3b and the ventilation chamber 3c. The electrical equipment box 90 houses a control board and the like.
The flow path pipe 80 is inclined such that the flow path pipe outlet 81 is located lower than the flow path pipe inlet 82 of the flow path pipe 80. In this manner, by inclining the flow path pipe 80 so that the flow path pipe outlet 81 is located lower than the flow path pipe inlet 82 and preventing the flow path pipe 80 from facing upward, the flammable refrigerant is easily discharged from the flow path pipe outlet 81 and rainwater and condensation water can be prevented from accumulating in the flow path pipe 80.
In addition, the flow passage pipe outlet 81 is located lower than the electrical equipment box 90. Therefore, the heat medium and water discharged from the flow passage pipe 80 do not splash on the electrical equipment box 90 housing the control board, which may become an ignition source.

[Configuration supported by the above embodiment]
The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

(Configuration 1)
a heat pump cycle apparatus comprising: a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a user-side heat exchanger, an expansion means, and a heat source-side heat exchanger are connected in a ring, and a refrigerant circulates; a heat medium circuit for circulating the heat medium cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a user-side terminal; a blower for circulating air through the heat source-side heat exchanger; an electrical equipment box for accommodating a control board; and a gas-liquid separation device for separating gas in the heat medium circuit from the heat medium, the heat pump cycle apparatus using a flammable refrigerant as the refrigerant, wherein the gas-liquid separation device is disposed in the heat medium circuit downstream of the user-side heat exchanger; a flow path pipe for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separation device is provided; and a flow path pipe outlet of the flow path pipe is disposed on an air suction surface of the heat source-side heat exchanger.
According to this configuration, by arranging the flow path pipe outlet of the flow path pipe, which discharges the gas separated by the gas-liquid separation device, on the air suction surface of the heat source side heat exchanger, leaked refrigerant can be discharged outside the outdoor unit instead of inside the outdoor unit, and further, when power is applied, it can be quickly diffused by the suction action of the blower.

(Configuration 2)
2. The heat pump cycle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outlet of the duct is located lower than the inlet of the duct.
According to this configuration, the flammable refrigerant is easily discharged from the flow pipe outlet, and rainwater or condensation water can be prevented from accumulating in the flow pipe.

(Configuration 3)
The heat pump cycle apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the outlet of the flow passage pipe is located lower than the electrical component box.
According to this configuration, the heat medium and water discharged from the flow passage pipe do not get onto the electrical component box housing the control board, which could be an ignition source.

(Configuration 4)
The heat pump cycle apparatus according to any one of the configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that a gas vent valve for discharging the gas separated in the gas-liquid separation device is provided on an upper portion of the gas-liquid separation device.
According to this configuration, the separated gas can be efficiently collected and discharged without backflow.

(Configuration 5)
The heat pump cycle apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, further comprising a pressure relief valve provided in the heat medium circuit downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger.
According to this configuration, the heat medium can be discharged when the pressure of the heat medium increases, and when the capacity of the gas-liquid separation device is insufficient, the gas in the heat medium circuit can be discharged together with the heat medium from the pressure relief valve.

(Configuration 6)
The heat pump cycle device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that a machine chamber in which the compressor is arranged and a heat medium chamber in which the user-side heat exchanger is arranged are separated by a first partition plate, an opening is provided in the first partition plate, and the flow path pipe is arranged in the opening.
According to this configuration, ventilation is ensured by the opening in which the flow passage pipe is disposed, so that the leaked refrigerant does not fill the heat medium chamber.

The present invention is suitable for heat pump cycle devices that use flammable refrigerants.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 User side terminal 2 Indoor unit 3 Outdoor unit 3a Heat medium chamber 3b Machine chamber 3c Blower chamber 3d Outer periphery of bottom material 3e Outer periphery of top material 10 Refrigerant circuit 11 Compressor 12 User side heat exchanger 13 Expansion means 14 Heat source side heat exchanger 14i Air suction surface 15 Four-way valve 16 Blower device 17x First refrigerant connection port 17y Second refrigerant connection port 20 Heat medium circuit 21 Conveyor pump 22x First heat medium connection port 22y Second heat medium connection port 23 First heat medium connection pipe 30 Gas-liquid separation device 32 Gas-liquid separation inlet 35 Gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 36 Outlet joint 37 Inlet joint 40 Pressure relief valve 50 Gas vent valve 60 Wall material 61 First wall material 62 Second wall member 70 Opening 70' Space 71 First partition plate 71x One side edge 71y Other side edge 72 Second partition plate 80 Flow pipe 81 Flow pipe outlet 82 Flow pipe inlet 90 Electrical equipment box

Claims (6)

a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a utilization side heat exchanger, an expansion means, and a heat source side heat exchanger are connected in a ring shape and in which a refrigerant circulates;
a heat medium circuit that circulates the heat medium cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a user-side terminal;
A blower that circulates air through the heat source side heat exchanger;
An electrical equipment box that houses a control board;
a gas-liquid separator that separates gas in the heat medium circuit from the heat medium;
Equipped with
A heat pump cycle device using a flammable refrigerant as the refrigerant,
The gas-liquid separation device is disposed in the heat medium circuit downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger,
a flow path pipe for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator;
a flow passage pipe outlet of the flow passage pipe being disposed on an air suction surface of the heat source side heat exchanger. 2. The heat pump cycle device according to claim 1, wherein the outlet of the duct is located lower than the inlet of the duct. 2. The heat pump cycle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outlet of the flow passage pipe is located lower than the electrical equipment box. 2. The heat pump cycle apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gas vent valve disposed on an upper portion of the gas-liquid separator for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator. 2. The heat pump cycle device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure relief valve provided in the heat medium circuit downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger. A machine chamber in which the compressor is disposed and a heat medium chamber in which the user side heat exchanger is disposed are separated by a first partition plate,
The first partition plate has an opening,
The heat pump cycle device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow passage pipe is disposed in the opening.