JP6394178B2 - Heat storage device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat storage device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a heat storage device that stores heat using latent heat accompanying a phase transition of a liquid, which is a heat storage medium, or sensible heat accompanying a temperature change of the liquid. For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-141265), water is used as a heat storage medium, cold heat is stored using latent heat associated with the phase transition from water to ice, and the temperature from cold water to hot water is stored. A heat storage device that stores sensible heat using sensible heat associated with changes is disclosed.

  However, as in Patent Document 1, in the method of storing heat using the latent heat accompanying the phase transition from liquid to solid, it is necessary to consider the volume change of the heat storage medium at the time of phase transition, so the heat storage tank is made compact And a container such as a buffer tank is required. As a result, the heat storage device increases in size and costs. In Patent Document 1, warm heat is stored using sensible heat. However, using warm heat as well, latent heat is used to improve the amount of stored heat and provide better energy savings.

  Then, the subject of this invention is providing the thermal storage apparatus which promotes compactization, cost saving, and energy saving.

  A heat storage device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a heat storage tank, a heat transfer tube, and a heat storage member. The heat transfer tube is disposed in the heat storage tank. In the heat transfer tube, the refrigerant flows inside. The heat storage member is disposed in the heat storage tank. The heat storage member stores heat by exchanging heat with the refrigerant. The heat storage member includes an electronic phase transition material. An electronic phase transition material is a material that undergoes an electronic phase transition. The electronic phase transition is a phase transition related to the degree of freedom of electrons.

  In the heat storage device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the heat storage member includes an electronic phase transition material that is a material that performs an electronic phase transition that is a phase transition related to the degree of freedom of electrons. Thereby, the heat storage using the latent heat accompanying the electronic phase transition of the electronic phase transition material is performed. Here, the electronic phase transition material is so small that the volume change does not occur or can be ignored because the atomic arrangement of the material itself hardly changes during the electronic phase transition. For this reason, in the design of the heat storage tank, it is not necessary to consider the volume change during the phase transition of the heat storage member, and it is not necessary to install a container such as a buffer tank. Moreover, since both the cold heat and the warm heat can be stored using the latent heat accompanying the electronic phase transition, the heat storage amount is excellent. Therefore, downsizing, cost saving and energy saving are promoted.

  The heat storage device according to the second aspect of the present invention is the heat storage device according to the first aspect, and a heat transfer medium is accommodated in the heat storage tank. The heat transfer medium exchanges heat with the heat storage member. A pipe through which the heat transfer medium flows is connected to the heat storage tank. Thereby, it becomes possible to improve energy-saving property by applying to an existing heat storage device.

  The heat storage device according to the third aspect of the present invention is the heat storage device according to the first aspect or the second aspect, and the heat storage member is formed into a plate shape or a block shape. Thereby, in a heat storage tank, it becomes easy to arrange | position a heat storage member close to a heat exchanger tube, and assembly manufacture improves.

  A heat storage device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the heat storage device according to any one of the first to third aspects, and the electronic phase transition material has a phase transition temperature of 1 ° C. or higher and lower than 100 ° C. Thereby, it becomes easy to apply to refrigeration apparatuses, such as an air conditioner, a water heater, or a water cooler.

  A heat storage device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the heat storage device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, and the electronic phase transition material has a phase transition temperature of 10 ° C. or higher and 15 ° C. or lower. This further facilitates application to an air conditioner that performs cooling operation.

  A heat storage device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the heat storage device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, and the electronic phase transition material has a phase transition temperature of 40 ° C. or higher and 45 ° C. or lower. Thereby, it becomes easier to apply to the air conditioner which performs heating operation.

  In the heat storage device according to the first aspect of the present invention, downsizing, cost saving, and energy saving are promoted.

  The heat storage device according to the second aspect of the present invention can be applied to an existing heat storage device to improve energy saving performance.

  In the heat storage device according to the third aspect of the present invention, in the heat storage tank, the heat storage member can be easily placed close to the heat transfer tube, and assembly is improved.

  The heat storage device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention can be easily applied to a refrigeration apparatus such as an air conditioner, a water heater, or a water cooler.

  The heat storage device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is more easily applied to an air conditioner that performs a cooling operation.

  The heat storage device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is more easily applied to an air conditioner that performs heating operation.

The schematic structure figure of the air-conditioning system to which the heat storage unit concerning one embodiment of the present invention was applied. The perspective view which shows the thermal storage tank of a thermal storage unit. III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. Sectional drawing of the thermal storage tank which concerns on the modification I. FIG. Sectional drawing of the thermal storage tank which concerns on the modification I. FIG.

  Hereinafter, an air conditioning system 100 to which a heat storage unit 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are specific examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention. In the following embodiments, directions such as up, down, left, right, front (front), and back (rear) mean the directions shown in FIGS.

(1) Air conditioning system 100
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an air conditioning system 100. The air conditioning system 100 performs a cooling operation or a heating operation according to the selected operation mode. In addition, the air conditioning system 100 stores cold or warm heat during operation or at night when the electricity rate is low, and performs energy-saving operation using the stored heat.

  The air conditioning system 100 includes an outdoor unit (heat source side unit) 10, a heat storage unit 20, and a plurality of indoor units (use side units) 30. In addition, the air conditioning system 100 includes a primary side circuit 110 through which the refrigerant circulates and a secondary side circuit 120 through which water (indicated as W in each drawing) adopted as a heat transfer medium circulates. The primary circuit 110 is configured by connecting the outdoor unit 10 and the heat storage unit 20 by a liquid refrigerant pipe LP and a gas refrigerant pipe GP. The secondary circuit 120 is configured by connecting the heat storage unit 20 and each of the plurality of indoor units 30 via the first connection pipe CP1 and the second connection pipe CP2.

(1-1) Outdoor unit 10
The outdoor unit 10 is installed outdoors. The outdoor unit 10 includes a refrigerant pipe RP, a compressor 11, a four-way switching valve 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 13, an outdoor fan 14, and an expansion valve 15.

  Refrigerant piping RP is copper piping, for example, and a refrigerant passes through the inside. The refrigerant pipe RP includes a first refrigerant pipe RP1, a second refrigerant pipe RP2, a third refrigerant pipe RP3, a fourth refrigerant pipe RP4, a fifth refrigerant pipe RP5, and a sixth refrigerant pipe RP6.

  The first refrigerant pipe RP1 has one end connected to the gas refrigerant pipe GP and the other end connected to the four-way switching valve 12. The second refrigerant pipe RP <b> 2 has one end connected to the suction port of the compressor 11 and the other end connected to the four-way switching valve 12. The third refrigerant pipe RP3 has one end connected to the discharge port of the compressor 11 and the other end connected to the four-way switching valve 12. The fourth refrigerant pipe RP4 has one end connected to the four-way switching valve 12 and the other end connected to the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The fifth refrigerant pipe RP5 has one end connected to the liquid side of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 and the other end connected to the expansion valve 15. The sixth refrigerant pipe RP6 has one end connected to the expansion valve 15 and the other end connected to the liquid refrigerant pipe LP.

  The compressor 11 is a device that sucks low-pressure gas refrigerant, compresses it, and discharges it. The compressor 11 has a sealed structure with a built-in motor. The compressor 11 is a positive displacement compressor such as a rotary type or a scroll type. The compressor 11 is controlled to have a variable capacity by a drive control unit (not shown).

  The four-way switching valve 12 is a switching valve for switching the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the primary circuit 110. The four-way switching valve 12 switches the flow path so that the first refrigerant pipe RP1 and the second refrigerant pipe RP2 communicate with each other and the third refrigerant pipe RP3 and the fourth refrigerant pipe RP4 communicate with each other during the cooling operation. (Refer to the solid line in the four-way switching valve 12 in FIG. 1). The four-way switching valve 12 switches the flow path so that the first refrigerant pipe RP1 and the third refrigerant pipe RP3 communicate with each other and the second refrigerant pipe RP2 and the fourth refrigerant pipe RP4 communicate with each other during the heating operation. (Refer to the broken line in the four-way selector valve 12 in FIG. 1).

  The outdoor heat exchanger 13 is, for example, a cross fin tube type or microchannel type heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 functions as a refrigerant condenser (or heat dissipation heat exchanger) during the cooling operation, and functions as a refrigerant evaporator during the heating operation.

  The outdoor fan 14 is a centrifugal fan, for example. The outdoor fan 14 is connected to an output shaft of an outdoor fan motor (not shown) and is driven in conjunction with the outdoor fan motor. When driven, the outdoor fan 14 generates an air flow that flows into the inside of the outdoor unit 10 from the outside, passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 13, and then flows out of the outdoor unit 10.

  The expansion valve 15 depressurizes high-pressure refrigerant. The expansion valve 15 is an electric valve whose opening degree is adjusted according to, for example, an operating situation.

(1-2) Heat storage unit 20
The heat storage unit 20 is installed outdoors. The heat storage unit 20 includes a first pipe MP1, a second pipe MP2, a plurality of branch pipes (first branch pipe P1 to eighth branch pipe P8), a plurality of heat transfer pipes TP, and a plurality of water pipes through which water flows. WP (first water pipe WP1 to fifth water pipe WP5). The heat storage unit 20 includes a heat storage tank 21, a heat storage member 22, a pump 23, a flow path switching valve 24, and a plurality of temperature sensors (not shown).

  The first pipe MP1 is connected to the liquid refrigerant pipe LP. A first branch pipe P1, a second branch pipe P2, a third branch pipe P3, and a fourth branch pipe P4 extend from the first pipe MP1.

  The second pipe MP2 is connected to the gas refrigerant pipe GP. A fifth branch pipe P5, a sixth branch pipe P6, a seventh branch pipe P7, and an eighth branch pipe P8 extend from the second pipe MP2. The fifth branch pipe P5 is the first branch pipe P1, the sixth branch pipe P6 is the second branch pipe P2, the seventh branch pipe P7 is the third branch pipe P3, and the eighth branch pipe P8 is the fourth branch pipe P4. Are connected and communicated with each other via a plurality of heat transfer tubes TP (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

  The first water pipe WP <b> 1 has one end connected to the heat storage tank 21 and the other end connected to the flow path switching valve 24. The second water pipe WP2 has one end connected to the flow path switching valve 24 and the other end connected to the suction port of the pump 23. The third water pipe WP3 has one end connected to the discharge port of the pump 23 and the other end connected to the flow path switching valve 24. The fourth water pipe WP4 has one end connected to the flow path switching valve 24 and the other end connected to the first communication pipe CP1. The fifth water pipe WP5 has one end connected to the second communication pipe CP2 and the other end connected to the heat storage tank 21.

  The heat storage tank 21 functions as a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through the primary circuit 110 and the water flowing through the secondary circuit 120. The heat storage tank 21 also functions as a heat accumulator that extracts heat from the refrigerant flowing through the primary circuit 110 and stores the heat. The heat storage tank 21 contains a predetermined amount of water (W) as a heat transfer medium in a casing 210 (see FIGS. 2 to 4). The heat storage tank 21 includes a first branch pipe P1, a second branch pipe P2, a third branch pipe P3, a fourth branch pipe P4, a fifth branch pipe P5, a sixth branch pipe P6, and a seventh branch. While accommodating a part of pipe | tube P7 and the 8th branch pipe P8, the some heat storage member 22 is accommodated. The details of the heat storage tank 21 will be described later in “(3) Details of the heat storage tank 21”.

  The heat storage member 22 is a member that extracts heat from the refrigerant flowing through the primary circuit 110 and stores the heat. The heat storage member 22 includes a first heat storage member 22a that stores cold and a second heat storage member 22b that stores warm heat. The heat storage unit 20 includes a plurality (here, two) of first heat storage members 22 a and a plurality (here, two) of second heat storage members 22 b in the heat storage tank 21. The cold energy stored in the first heat storage member 22a is used during operation in the energy saving cooling mode (described later). The heat stored by the second heat storage member 22b is used during operation in the energy saving heating mode (described later).

  The heat storage member 22 is mainly composed of an electronic phase transition material. Here, the electronic phase transition material is a material that performs electronic phase transition, which is a phase transition related to the degree of freedom of electrons. An electronic phase transition is a phase transition of multiple degrees of freedom including at least two or more of the three degrees of freedom among the degrees of freedom of charge, spin and orbit, which are internal degrees of freedom of electrons. is there. It should be noted that the electronic phase transition material is so small that the volume change does not occur or is negligible because the atomic arrangement of the material itself hardly changes during the electronic phase transition.

In the present embodiment, the first heat storage member 22a is mainly composed of V _0.977 W _0.023 O ₂ . V _0.977 W _0.023 O ₂ performs an electronic phase transition related to spin and orbit as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-163510 (hereinafter referred to as “Publication 1”), and the phase transition temperature is 11 ° C. And an electronic phase transition material having a transition enthalpy of 151 J / cc. The first heat storage member 22a exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the primary circuit 110 and the water flowing through the secondary circuit 120, and _stores the cold using the latent heat associated with the electronic phase transition of V _0.977 W _0.023 O _2. . Incidentally, cold retention capability of the V _0.977 W _0.023 O _2, as disclosed in JP-1 is equivalent to the water. In addition, when storing cold energy used for cooling operation, a material having a phase transition temperature of 10 ° C. or more and 15 ° C. or less is suitable as a heat storage material, and V _0.977 W _0.023 O ₂ corresponds to this.

The second heat storage member 22b is mainly composed of LiVS ₂ . LiVS ₂ is an electronic phase transition material having an electronic phase transition related to spin and orbit, a phase transition temperature of 40 ° C., and a transition enthalpy of 58.3 J / cc, as disclosed in publication 1. . The second heat storage member 22b exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing through the primary circuit 110 and the water flowing through the secondary circuit 120, and stores warm heat using latent heat associated with the electronic phase transition of LiVS ₂ . In addition, the 2nd heat storage member 22b is more excellent in the amount of heat storage than the case where water stores warm heat using sensible heat. Moreover, when storing the heat used for heating operation, a material having a phase transition temperature of 40 ° C. or more and 45 ° C. or less is suitable as the heat storage material, and LiVS ₂ corresponds to this.

  Here, when water or the like is used as a heat storage medium, the heat storage is performed using sensible heat, so the amount of heat storage is small. On the other hand, since the 2nd heat storage member 22b comprised as mentioned above accumulate | stores warm heat using the latent heat accompanying the electronic phase transition of an electronic phase change substance, it is excellent in the thermal storage amount of warm heat.

  The pump 23 circulates water in the secondary circuit 120. The pump 23 is driven by supplying a drive voltage to a built-in motor (not shown). During driving, the pump 23 sucks water from the second water pipe WP2 through the suction port and discharges it to the third water pipe WP3 through the discharge port.

  The flow path switching valve 24 is a switching valve for switching the direction of water flow in the secondary circuit 120, and is a four-way switching valve in the present embodiment. The flow path switching valve 24 switches the flow path so that the first water pipe WP1 and the second water pipe WP2 communicate with each other and the third water pipe WP3 and the fourth water pipe WP4 communicate with each other during the cooling operation. (Refer to the solid line in the flow path switching valve 24 in FIG. 1). The flow path switching valve 24 switches the flow path so that the first water pipe WP1 and the third water pipe WP3 communicate with each other and the second water pipe WP2 and the fourth water pipe WP4 communicate with each other during the heating operation. (Refer to the broken line in the flow path switching valve 24 in FIG. 1).

  The plurality of temperature sensors arranged in the heat storage tank 21 include a water temperature sensor and a heat storage temperature sensor. The water temperature sensor is disposed in the vicinity of the connection port of the first water pipe WP1 and the connection port of the fifth water pipe WP5 in the heat storage tank 21, and detects the temperature of the water. The heat storage temperature sensor is disposed so as to contact each heat storage member 22 and detects the temperature of each heat storage member 22. The temperature detected by each temperature sensor is sent to a controller (not shown) of the air conditioning system 100 as an analog value or A / D converted.

(1-3) Indoor unit 30
The indoor unit 30 is, for example, a so-called ceiling-embedded type, ceiling-suspended type, or wall-mounted type indoor unit. The indoor unit 30 mainly includes an indoor heat exchanger 31, an indoor fan 32, an indoor electric valve 33, and the like.

  The indoor heat exchanger 31 is, for example, a cross fin tube type or microchannel type heat exchanger. The indoor heat exchanger 31 functions as a water heater serving as a heat transfer medium during cooling operation, and functions as a water radiator during heating operation. One end of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is connected to the second communication pipe CP2 via a connection pipe. The other end of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is connected to the indoor motor operated valve 33 via a connection pipe.

  The indoor fan 32 is a blower that generates an air flow that flows into the indoor unit 30 and passes through the indoor heat exchanger 31 and then flows out of the indoor unit 30. The indoor fan 32 is, for example, a centrifugal fan or a multiblade fan. The indoor fan 32 is connected to the output shaft of an indoor fan motor (not shown) and is driven in conjunction with the indoor fan motor.

  The indoor motor operated valve 33 is a motor operated valve whose opening degree is adjusted according to the operation status of the indoor unit 30. One end of the indoor motor-operated valve 33 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 31 via a connection pipe. The other end of the indoor motor-operated valve 33 is connected to the first communication pipe CP1 via a connection pipe.

(2) Refrigerant and Water Flow in Each Operation Mode The air conditioning system 100 has a normal cooling mode, an energy saving cooling mode, a normal heating mode, and an energy saving heating mode as operation modes.

  The normal cooling mode is selected when the cooling heat is not sufficiently stored in the first heat storage member 22a when a cooling operation start instruction is input. The energy-saving cooling mode is selected when the cooling heat is sufficiently stored in the first heat storage member 22a when a cooling operation start instruction is input. The normal heating mode is selected when warm heat is not sufficiently stored in the second heat storage member 22b when a heating operation start instruction is input. The energy saving heating mode is selected when the second heat storage member 22b has sufficient heat stored in the heating operation start instruction.

  Hereinafter, the flow of refrigerant and water during operation of the air conditioning system 100 will be described for each operation mode.

(2-1) Normal Cooling Mode When the air conditioning system 100 receives a cooling operation start instruction, the detected value of the heat storage temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the first heat storage member 22a is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Transition to normal cooling mode.

  In the normal cooling mode, in the primary circuit 110, the four-way switching valve 12 is switched to a cooling cycle state (a state indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1). When the compressor 11 is driven, the low-pressure gas refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 11 through the second refrigerant pipe RP2, and is discharged after being compressed. The high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows through the third refrigerant pipe RP3, the four-way switching valve 12, and the fourth refrigerant pipe RP4 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13.

  The high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is condensed by exchanging heat with the air flow generated by the outdoor fan 14 to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 flows through the fifth refrigerant pipe RP5. The refrigerant that has passed through the fifth refrigerant pipe RP5 flows into the expansion valve 15 and is depressurized. The decompressed refrigerant flows into the first pipe MP1 through the sixth refrigerant pipe RP6 and the liquid refrigerant pipe LP.

  The refrigerant that has flowed into the first pipe MP1 then passes through the first branch pipe P1, the second branch pipe P2, the third branch pipe P3, or the fourth branch pipe P4, and then flows through the heat transfer pipe TP. 22 and the water in the heat storage tank 21 exchange heat and evaporate. At this time, the heat storage member 22 takes out cold heat from the refrigerant and stores it.

  The evaporated refrigerant flows through the fifth branch pipe P5, the sixth branch pipe P6, the seventh branch pipe P7, or the eighth branch pipe P8 and flows into the second pipe MP2. The refrigerant flowing through the second pipe MP2 flows through the first refrigerant pipe RP1 through the gas refrigerant pipe GP, and is sucked into the compressor 11 through the four-way switching valve 12 and the second refrigerant pipe RP2.

  On the other hand, in the secondary circuit 120, the flow path switching valve 24 is switched to the cooling cycle state (the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 1). When the pump 23 is driven, the water in the heat storage tank 21 is sucked into the pump 23 through the first water pipe WP1, the flow path switching valve 24, and the second water pipe WP2. The water sucked into the pump 23 is discharged to the third water pipe WP3 and flows into the first communication pipe CP1 through the flow path switching valve 24 and the fourth water pipe WP4.

  The water that has flowed into the first communication pipe CP <b> 1 then flows into the indoor heat exchanger 31 through the indoor electric valve 33. The water flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 31 is heated by exchanging heat with the air flow generated by the indoor fan 32. The water flowing out from the indoor heat exchanger 31 passes through the second connection pipe CP2 and the fifth water pipe WP5 and flows into the heat storage tank 21. The water that has flowed into the heat storage tank 21 is cooled to cold water mainly by exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer pipe TP.

(2-2) Energy saving cooling mode When the air conditioning system 100 receives an instruction to start the cooling operation, the detected value of the heat storage temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the first heat storage member 22a is less than a predetermined value. Transition to energy-saving cooling mode.

  In the energy saving cooling mode, the compressor 11 is not driven or driven with a low capacity in the primary circuit 110 for the purpose of power saving.

  On the other hand, the flow of water in the secondary circuit 120 in the energy-saving cooling mode is the same as in the normal cooling mode. However, the point that the water flowing into the heat storage tank 21 is cooled mainly by exchanging heat with the heat storage member 22 is different from that in the normal cooling operation mode.

  In the energy saving cooling mode, the compressor 11 is stopped or driven at a low capacity, so that power saving is realized.

(2-3) Normal heating mode When the air conditioning system 100 receives an instruction to start a heating operation, when the detected value of the heat storage temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the second heat storage member 22b is less than a predetermined value, Transition to normal heating mode.

  In the normal heating mode, the four-way selector valve 12 is switched to the heating cycle state (state indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1). When the compressor 11 is driven, the low-pressure gas refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 11 through the second refrigerant pipe RP2, and is discharged after being compressed. The high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows through the third refrigerant pipe RP3, the four-way switching valve 12, the first refrigerant pipe RP1, and the gas refrigerant pipe GP, and flows into the second pipe MP2.

  The refrigerant that has flowed into the second pipe MP2 then passes through the fifth branch pipe P5, the sixth branch pipe P6, the seventh branch pipe P7, or the eighth branch pipe P8 and then flows through the heat transfer pipe TP. 22 and heat exchange with water in the heat storage tank 21 to condense. At this time, the heat storage member 22 takes out the heat from the refrigerant and stores the heat.

  The condensed refrigerant flows through the first branch pipe P1, the second branch pipe P2, the third branch pipe P3, or the fourth branch pipe P4 and flows into the first pipe MP1. The refrigerant that has flowed through the first pipe MP1 flows through the sixth refrigerant pipe RP6 via the liquid refrigerant pipe LP. The refrigerant that has passed through the sixth refrigerant pipe RP6 flows into the expansion valve 15 and is depressurized. The decompressed refrigerant flows through the fifth refrigerant pipe RP5 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13.

  The liquid refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 evaporates by exchanging heat with the air flow generated by the outdoor fan 14 to become a gas refrigerant and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The gas refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is sucked into the compressor 11 through the fourth refrigerant pipe RP4, the four-way switching valve 12, and the second refrigerant pipe RP2.

  On the other hand, in the secondary circuit 120, the flow path switching valve 24 is switched to the heating cycle state (the state indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1). When the pump 23 is driven, the water in the heat storage tank 21 passes through the fifth water pipe WP5, passes through the second communication pipe CP2, and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 31. The water flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 31 is cooled by exchanging heat with the air flow generated by the indoor fan 32. Water that has flowed out of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is sucked into the pump 23 via the indoor motor-operated valve 33, the first communication pipe CP1, the fourth water pipe WP4, and the flow path switching valve 24. The water sucked by the pump 23 is discharged to the third water pipe WP3, flows through the flow path switching valve 24 and the first water pipe WP1, and flows into the heat storage tank 21. The water that has flowed into the heat storage tank 21 is heated mainly by exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer pipe TP to become hot water.

(2-4) Energy saving heating mode When the air conditioning system 100 receives a heating operation start instruction, the detected value of the heat storage temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the second heat storage member 22b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Transition to energy-saving heating mode.

  In the energy saving heating mode, the compressor 11 is not driven or driven with a low capacity in the primary circuit 110 for the purpose of power saving.

  On the other hand, the flow of water in the secondary circuit 120 in the energy saving heating mode is the same as in the normal heating mode. However, the point which the water which flowed in into the thermal storage tank 21 is mainly heat-exchanged with the thermal storage member 22 and heated is different from the time of normal heating operation mode.

  In the energy saving heating mode, the compressor 11 is stopped or driven at a low capacity, so that power saving is realized.

(3) Details of Heat Storage Tank 21 FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the heat storage tank 21. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

  The heat storage tank 21 has a rectangular parallelepiped casing 210. Casing 210 includes a ceiling portion 211 that constitutes the top surface, and a main body portion 212 that constitutes a portion other than the top surface portion. On the back surface of the main body 212, through holes for passing eight branch pipes (first branch pipe P1 to eighth branch pipe P8) are formed. Further, a connection port for connecting the first water pipe WP1 is formed in the lower part of the left side surface of the main body part 212, and the upper part of the right side surface of the main body part 212 is used for connecting the fifth water pipe WP5. A connection port is formed.

  A predetermined amount of water (W) is accommodated in the casing 210. In the casing 210, eight branch pipes (first branch pipe P <b> 1 to eighth branch pipe P <b> 8) are disposed in the vicinity of the ceiling portion 211 so as to extend in the forward direction from the through hole.

  In the casing 210, the first branch pipe P1 and the fifth branch pipe P5, the second branch pipe P2 and the sixth branch pipe P6, the third branch pipe P3 and the seventh branch pipe P7, the fourth branch pipe P4 and the eighth branch pipe. Each of the tubes P8 is connected by four heat transfer tubes TP.

  Each heat transfer tube TP includes a first vertical portion 41 extending in the vertical direction, a second vertical portion 42 extending in the vertical direction, and a folded portion that connects a lower end portion of the first vertical portion 41 and a lower end portion of the second vertical portion 42. 43. The folded portion 43 is curved in a U shape when viewed from the front, and is located near the bottom surface of the main body portion 212.

  Inside the casing 210, four heat storage members 22 formed in a block shape (cuboid shape) are arranged so as to be arranged in the left-right direction at a predetermined interval. Specifically, two first heat storage members 22a are arranged on the left side in the casing 210, and two second heat storage members 22b are arranged on the right side. Each heat storage member 22 has a longitudinal dimension extending in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of each branch pipe and a thickness dimension extending in the left-right direction in the casing 210. A fixing tool 221 is attached to the heat storage member 22, and is fixed to the casing 210 via the fixing tool 221.

  Each heat storage member 22 is arranged below the branch pipes so as to be surrounded by four heat transfer pipes TP connecting the two branch pipes. Specifically, the first heat storage member 22a includes four heat transfer pipes TP that connect the third branch pipe P3 and the seventh branch pipe P7, or four lines that connect the fourth branch pipe P4 and the eighth branch pipe P8. Surrounded by heat transfer tube TP. The second heat storage member 22b includes four heat transfer pipes TP connecting the first branch pipe P1 and the fifth branch pipe P5, or four heat transfer pipes connecting the second branch pipe P2 and the sixth branch pipe P6. Surrounded by TP.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each heat storage member 22 is located above the folded portion 43 of the heat transfer tube TP and is sandwiched between the first vertical portion 41 and the second vertical portion 42 in a front view. Moreover, each heat storage member 22 is arrange | positioned so that it may cross | intersect the four heat exchanger tubes TP in side view, as shown in FIG.

  The heat storage member 22 is close to the branch pipe and the heat transfer pipe TP so that heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the branch pipe and the heat transfer pipe TP is promoted. In addition, since the heat storage member 22 is formed in a block shape, it is easy to dispose the heat storage member 21 close to the branch pipe or the heat transfer pipe TP in the heat storage tank 21.

  In the heat storage tank 21, in the casing 210, each uppermost part of each branch pipe (P1-P8), each heat transfer pipe TP, and each heat storage member 22 is located below the water surface. That is, each branch pipe (P1 to P8), each heat transfer pipe TP, and each heat storage member 22 are located in water so that heat exchange with water is promoted.

  Here, when the heat storage tank 21 is assembled and the heat storage unit 20 is installed, for example, the following procedure is performed. Note that the following procedure is an example, and can be changed as appropriate.

First, the first branch pipe P1 and the second branch pipe P2, the third branch pipe P3 and the fourth branch pipe P4, the fifth branch pipe P5 and the sixth branch pipe P6, and the seventh branch connected by the heat transfer pipe TP. The pipe P7 and the eighth branch pipe P8 are arranged in the main body 212, and each branch pipe extends from the back surface portion of the main body 212 of the casing 210 through the through hole. Next, the heat storage tank 21 is arrange | positioned in the main body casing (illustration omitted) of the heat storage unit 20, and each branch pipe is connected with 1st piping MP1 and 2nd piping MP2.
Further, the first water pipe WP1 and the fifth water pipe WP5 are connected to the main body 212 through the connection port. Thereafter, the heat storage member 22 is disposed in the main body 212 and fixed to the main body 212 via the fixture 221 or the like. And after accommodating a predetermined amount of water in the main-body part 212, the ceiling part 211 is attached.

  By assembling the heat storage tank 21 and installing the heat storage unit 20 in such a procedure, assembly and installation are easy even when the mass of the heat storage member 22 is large. It is also easy to newly install the heat storage member 22 in an existing heat storage unit that does not have the heat storage member 22.

(4) Features (4-1)
In the said embodiment, the thermal storage member 22 contains the electronic phase transition substance which is a substance which performs the electronic phase transition which is a phase transition regarding the freedom degree which an electron has. Thereby, in the thermal storage unit 20, the thermal storage using the latent heat accompanying the electronic phase transition of the electronic phase transition material is performed. For this reason, in the design of the heat storage tank 21, it is not necessary to consider the volume change at the time of phase transition of the heat storage member 22, and it is not necessary to install a container such as a buffer tank. Further, in the heat storage unit 20, both cold and hot heat are stored using latent heat accompanying the electronic phase transition. For this reason, it is excellent in the amount of heat storage.

(4-2)
In the said embodiment, the heat storage tank 21 accommodates water which is a heat transfer medium that exchanges heat with the heat storage member 22, and the first water pipe WP1 and the fifth water pipe WP5 through which water flows are connected. . Thereby, it is applicable also to the existing heat storage apparatus. As a result, it is possible to improve the amount of cold and / or warm heat stored in an existing heat storage device.

(4-3)
In the said embodiment, the thermal storage member 22 is shape | molded by the block shape. Thereby, in the heat storage tank 21, it becomes easy to arrange | position the heat storage member 22 close to the branch pipe and the heat exchanger tube TP through which a refrigerant | coolant flows.

(4-4)
In the said embodiment, the phase transition temperature of the electronic phase transition material contained in the 1st heat storage member 22a is 10 degreeC or more and 15 degrees C or less. Thereby, it becomes easy to apply to the air conditioner which performs the cooling operation using the stored cold energy.

(4-5)
In the said embodiment, the phase transition temperature of the electronic phase transition material contained in the 2nd heat storage member 22b is 40 degreeC or more and 45 degrees C or less. Thereby, it becomes easy to apply to the air conditioner which performs heating operation using the stored warm heat.

(5) Modification (5-1) Modification A
In the embodiment described above, the air conditioning system 100 has one outdoor unit 10, one heat storage unit 20, and a plurality of indoor units 30. However, the number of outdoor units 10, heat storage units 20, or indoor units 30 is not limited to a specific number. For example, there may be two or more outdoor units 10 and / or heat storage units 20. Moreover, the indoor unit 30 may be only one.

(5-2) Modification B
In the said embodiment, the thermal storage unit 20 was applied to the air conditioning system 100 which has two circuits (the primary side circuit 110 and the secondary side circuit 120). However, the present invention may be applied to a device having three or more circuits. Further, the present invention may be applied to an apparatus having only one circuit.

(5-3) Modification C
In the above embodiment, water is used as the heat transfer medium flowing through the secondary circuit 120 of the air conditioning system 100. However, the heat transfer medium flowing through the secondary side circuit 120 is not limited to water, and may be another refrigerant or fluid.

(5-4) Modification D
In the above embodiment, in the heat storage unit 20, eight branch pipes (P1 to P8) are arranged. However, the number of branch pipes is not particularly limited to this, and may be more or less than eight.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, in the thermal storage unit 20, two branch pipes were connected by the four heat exchanger tubes TP. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of heat transfer tubes TP connecting two branch tubes may be more or less than four.

(5-5) Modification E
In the embodiment, the heat storage unit 20 has the four heat storage members 22. However, the heat storage unit 20 may include five or more heat storage members 22 or less than four heat storage members 22 in the heat storage tank 21 without being limited thereto.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, 2 was the 1st heat storage member 22a among the four heat storage members 22 which the heat storage unit 20 has, and the other two were the 2nd heat storage members 22b. However, the number of the first heat storage members 22a and the second heat storage members 22b is not limited to a specific number, and may be three or more, or one. Moreover, the number of the 1st heat storage member 22a and the 2nd heat storage member 22b does not necessarily need to be the same number. For example, when it is necessary to store more cold energy than warm heat, the first heat storage member 22a may be disposed more than the second heat storage member 22b. On the other hand, when it is necessary to store more heat than cold, the second heat storage member 22b may be disposed more than the first heat storage member 22a.

  Further, the heat storage unit 20 does not necessarily have both the first heat storage member 22a and the second heat storage member 22b, and may have only one of the first heat storage member 22a and the second heat storage member 22b.

(5-6) Modification F
In the above embodiment, the first heat accumulating material 22a was primarily consists of the V _0.977 W _0.023 O _2. However, it is not limited to this, The 1st heat storage member 22a may be comprised with another electronic phase change substance. For example, the first heat storage member 22a may be composed of TbBaFe ₂ O ₅ . As disclosed in Publication 1, TbBaFe ₂ O ₅ undergoes an electronic phase transition related to electric charges and orbitals, and has an electronic phase transition whose phase transition temperature is 12.1 ° C. and whose transition enthalpy is 34.7 J / cc. It is a substance. Even when the first heat storage member 22a is formed of such TbBaFe ₂ O ₅ , it is possible to store cold and to cool using the stored cold.

(5-7) Modification G
In the above embodiment, the second heat storage member 22b has been primarily consists Livs _2. However, it is not limited to this, The 2nd heat storage member 22b may be comprised with another electronic phase change substance. For example, the second heat storage member 22b may be made of DyBaCo ₂ O _5.54 . As disclosed in Publication 1, DyBaCo ₂ O _5.54 performs an electronic phase transition related to electric charges and orbits, and has an electronic phase transition whose phase transition temperature is 44.9 ° C. and whose transition enthalpy is 52.4 J / cc. It is a substance. Even in the case where the second heat storage member 22b is configured with such DyBaCo ₂ O _5.54 , it is possible to store warm heat and perform heating using the stored heat.

(5-8) Modification H
In the above embodiment, the heat storage unit 20 is applied to the air conditioning system 100. However, the heat storage unit 20 can also be applied to other systems and devices. In particular, by constituting the heat storage member 22 with an electronic phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 1 ° C. or more and less than 100 ° C., it can be applied to other refrigeration apparatuses such as a warmer, a water heater, and a water heater. .

For example, the heat storage unit 20 includes the first heat storage member 22a with an electronic phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 0 ° C. or higher and lower than 10 ° C. or 16 ° C. or higher and lower than 30 ° C., and uses the stored cold energy. The present invention can be applied to a warmer or a water cooler that performs warming or cooling of an object or a target space. In this case, LiMn ₂ O ₄ (phase transition temperature 21 ° C., transition enthalpy 37.2 J / cc), DyBaFe ₂ O ₅ (phase transition temperature 20.5 ° C., transition enthalpy 34.7 J / cc), HoBaFe ₂ O ₅ Electronic phase transition materials such as (phase transition temperature 22.87 ° C, transition enthalpy 35.6J / cc) and YBaCo ₂ O _5.49 (phase transition temperature 24.1 ° C, transition enthalpy 41.6J / cc) What is necessary is just to comprise the 1 thermal storage member 22a.

In addition, the heat storage unit 20 is configured to form the second heat storage member 22b with an electronic phase transition material having a phase transition temperature of 30 ° C. or higher and lower than 40 ° C. or 46 ° C. or higher. The present invention can be applied to a warmer or a water heater that warms or heats a space. In this case, YBaFe ₂ O ₅ (phase transition temperature 36.5 ° C., transition enthalpy 37.2 J / cc), HoBaCo ₂ O _5.48 (phase transition temperature 30.8 ° C., transition enthalpy 66 J / cc), PrBaCo ₂ O The second heat storage member 22b may be made of an electronic phase transition material such as _5.5 (phase transition temperature 70.6 ° C., transition enthalpy 69.9 J / cc).

(5-9) Modification I
In the said embodiment, the thermal storage member 22 was arrange | positioned in the aspect as shown in FIGS. 2-4 in the thermal storage tank 21 as mentioned above. However, the heat storage member 22 may be installed in a manner as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

  5 and 6, the four heat storage members 22 are arranged in the casing 210 so as to be arranged in the front-rear direction at a predetermined interval. Specifically, two first heat storage members 22a are arranged on the front side in the casing 210, and two second heat storage members 22b are arranged on the rear side. Each heat storage member 22 has a longitudinal dimension extending in a direction (left-right direction) intersecting the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of each branch pipe in the casing 210, and a thickness dimension extending in the front-rear direction. Each heat storage member 22 is adjacent to the heat transfer tube TP below the branch tube.

  2 to 6, the arrangement mode of the heat storage member 22 can be appropriately changed according to the arrangement mode of the branch pipe and the heat transfer pipe TP. For example, the heat storage member 22 may be arranged by exchanging the arrangement positions of the first heat storage member 22a and the second heat storage member 22b. Moreover, the heat storage member 22 may be arrange | positioned so that the 1st heat storage member 22a and the 2nd heat storage member 22b may be located in a line. Further, some of the heat storage members 22 may be arranged so that the longitudinal dimension extends in the front-rear direction, while the other heat storage members 22 may be arranged so that the longitudinal dimension extends in the left-right direction or the up-down direction. Further, some of the heat storage members 22 may be arranged such that the thickness dimension extends in the left-right direction, while the other heat storage members 22 extend in the front-rear direction or the vertical direction. Moreover, the height at which some of the heat storage members 22 are arranged may be different from the height at which the other heat storage members 22 are arranged.

(5-10) Modification J
In the said embodiment, the thermal storage member 22 was shape | molded by the block shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the heat storage member 22 may be formed in any shape. For example, the heat storage member 22 may be formed into a plate shape to reduce the weight. Further, the heat storage member 22 may be formed in another appropriate shape so that it can be easily placed closer to the branch pipe, the heat transfer pipe TP, or the like in the heat storage tank 21.

(5-11) Modification K
In the said embodiment, the heat storage member 22 was being fixed in the main-body part 212 of the heat storage tank 21 via the fixing tool 221. FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the heat storage member 22 may be fixed to the main body 212 by another appropriate method.

(5-12) Modification L
In the above embodiment, the heat storage tank 21 employs a so-called hermetic type in which the water surface is not open to the atmosphere outside the casing 210. However, the heat storage tank 21 may be a so-called open type in which the water surface is open to the atmosphere outside the casing 210. Even in such a case, it is possible to store both cold and hot using the latent heat accompanying the electronic phase transition, so that the amount of stored heat is excellent.

  The present invention is applicable to a heat storage device.

10: Outdoor unit 20: Heat storage unit (heat storage device)
21: heat storage tank 22: heat storage member 22a: first heat storage member 22b: second heat storage member 23: pump 24: flow path switching valve 30: indoor unit 41: first vertical section 42: second vertical section 43: folding section 100 : Air conditioning system 110: Primary side circuit 120: Secondary side circuit 210: Casing 211: Ceiling part 212: Main body part 221: Fixing tool MP1: First pipe MP2: Second pipe P1 to P8: First branch pipe to eighth Branch pipe RP: Refrigerant pipe TP: Heat transfer pipe W: Water (heat transfer medium)
WP1-WP5: 1st water piping-5th water piping

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-141265

Claims (6)

A heat storage tank (21);
A heat transfer tube (TP) that is disposed in the heat storage tank and in which the refrigerant flows;
A heat storage member (22) disposed in the heat storage tank and storing heat by exchanging heat with the refrigerant;
With
The heat storage member includes an electronic phase transition material that is a material that performs an electronic phase transition, which is a phase transition related to the degree of freedom of electrons,
Thermal storage device (30). The heat storage tank contains a heat transfer medium (W) that exchanges heat with the heat storage member, and pipes (WP1, WP5) through which the heat transfer medium flows are connected.
The heat storage device (30) according to claim 1. The heat storage member is formed into a plate shape or a block shape,
The heat storage device (30) according to claim 1 or 2. The electronic phase transition material has a phase transition temperature of 1 ° C. or higher and lower than 100 ° C.,
The heat storage device (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The electronic phase transition material has a phase transition temperature of 10 ° C. or higher and 15 ° C. or lower.
The heat storage device (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The electronic phase transition material has a phase transition temperature of 40 ° C. or higher and 45 ° C. or lower.
The heat storage device (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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