CN113218008A - Outdoor unit of air conditioner and air conditioner - Google Patents
Outdoor unit of air conditioner and air conditioner Download PDFInfo
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- CN113218008A CN113218008A CN202011411572.0A CN202011411572A CN113218008A CN 113218008 A CN113218008 A CN 113218008A CN 202011411572 A CN202011411572 A CN 202011411572A CN 113218008 A CN113218008 A CN 113218008A
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- heat exchanger
- outdoor unit
- air conditioner
- compressor
- expansion valve
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- 239000003507 refrigerant Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 93
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 33
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 36
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 23
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 21
- 238000005406 washing Methods 0.000 description 9
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 8
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000010926 purge Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000009833 condensation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000005494 condensation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000001704 evaporation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008020 evaporation Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000005764 inhibitory process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005057 refrigeration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000005871 repellent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/06—Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/06—Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger
- F24F1/08—Compressors specially adapted for separate outdoor units
- F24F1/10—Arrangement or mounting thereof
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/06—Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger
- F24F1/14—Heat exchangers specially adapted for separate outdoor units
- F24F1/16—Arrangement or mounting thereof
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/70—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
- F24F11/80—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air
- F24F11/83—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
- F24F11/84—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the temperature of the supplied air by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers using valves
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/89—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F5/00—Air-conditioning systems or apparatus not covered by F24F1/00 or F24F3/00, e.g. using solar heat or combined with household units such as an oven or water heater
- F24F5/0007—Air-conditioning systems or apparatus not covered by F24F1/00 or F24F3/00, e.g. using solar heat or combined with household units such as an oven or water heater cooling apparatus specially adapted for use in air-conditioning
- F24F5/001—Compression cycle type
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Air Conditioning Control Device (AREA)
- Other Air-Conditioning Systems (AREA)
Abstract
The invention provides an outdoor unit of an air conditioner capable of performing cleaning action of a heat exchanger and energy-saving operation, and an air conditioner provided with the outdoor unit. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment includes: a compressor; a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger connected to the compressor; and an expansion valve disposed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger on a side opposite to the compressor side. The outdoor unit is characterized in that a cleaning operation can be performed in which the second heat exchanger receiving the refrigerant sent from the compressor is operated as a condenser, the first heat exchanger receiving the refrigerant sent from the second heat exchanger via the expansion valve is operated as an evaporator, and the refrigerant sent from the first heat exchanger is returned to the compressor.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner and an air conditioner.
Background
An air conditioner (also referred to as a cooler or an air conditioner) is configured by an indoor unit and an outdoor unit as is well known. The outdoor unit has a structure including a heat exchanger, a fan, and the like, and is covered with a cover. In such an outdoor unit, if the heat exchanger is contaminated, power consumption and the life of the air conditioner may be affected. That is, if the fins of the heat exchanger are contaminated, the flow of air may be obstructed due to clogging or the like, or the heat exchange efficiency may be lowered.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2006-38362
Disclosure of Invention
Patent document 1, paragraph [0059], discloses a structure in which the heat exchange portions of the outdoor unit are an upstream-side heat exchange unit and a downstream-side heat exchange unit, and water is condensed in the upstream-side heat exchange unit and cleaned in the cooling operation. However, in the outdoor unit of patent document 1, after heat exchange in the downstream heat exchange portion, the refrigerant in a low-temperature liquid state by the expansion valve is heat-exchanged in the upstream heat exchange portion to increase the temperature, and in some cases, the vaporized refrigerant may return to the indoor heat exchanger. Further, since the heat exchanger is cleaned while the cooling operation is performed, there is a possibility that the indoor-side heat exchanger may condense water. Further, nothing has been investigated with respect to the content of performing the cooling operation in an energy saving manner (hereinafter, referred to as energy saving or energy saving operation).
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor unit of an air conditioner capable of performing a cleaning operation of a heat exchanger and an energy saving operation, and an air conditioner provided with the outdoor unit.
An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment includes: a compressor; a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger connected to the compressor; and an expansion valve disposed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger on a side opposite to the compressor side. The outdoor unit is characterized in that a cleaning operation can be performed in which the second heat exchanger receiving the refrigerant sent from the compressor is operated as a condenser, the first heat exchanger receiving the refrigerant sent from the second heat exchanger via the expansion valve is operated as an evaporator, and the refrigerant sent from the first heat exchanger is returned to the compressor.
Effects of the invention
According to the present invention, the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit can be cleaned.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a diagram of the flow of the refrigerant during a normal cooling operation in the outdoor unit of the embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of the refrigerant during the cleaning operation in the outdoor unit according to the embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of the refrigerant during the energy saving operation in the air conditioner according to the embodiment.
Description of the reference numerals
10 … air conditioner, 100 … indoor unit, 110 … compressor (compressor),
120 … four-way valve, 130 … first heat exchanger, 140 … second heat exchanger,
150 … first expansion valve, 160 … second expansion valve, 170 … three-way valve,
180 … outdoor fan, 190a, 190b … temperature sensor,
200 … indoor unit, 210 … rd heat exchanger, 220 … indoor fan.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a flow of refrigerant in an air conditioner according to an embodiment. The air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 100 installed outdoors and an indoor unit 200 installed indoors. The outdoor unit 100 includes a compressor (compressor) 110, a four-way valve 120, a first heat exchanger 130, a second heat exchanger 140, a first expansion valve 150 (corresponding to an expansion valve in the present invention), a second expansion valve 160, a three-way valve 170, an outdoor fan 180, and the like as devices related to the flow of the refrigerant. The side of compressor 110 connected to the side of port a (described below) of four-way valve 120 is the output side of the compressor, and the side of compressor 110 connected to the side of port d (described below) of four-way valve 120 is the input side of the compressor. The outdoor unit 100, the indoor units 200, or both the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor units 200 further include a control device (not shown) such as a microprocessor for controlling the flow of the refrigerant in the entire air conditioner. The control device performs opening degree control of the first expansion valve 150 and the second expansion valve 160 in addition to normal operation control, temperature control, and setting control of each device. On the other hand, the indoor unit 200 is provided with a third heat exchanger 210, an indoor fan 220, and the like as devices related to the flow of the refrigerant, and the third heat exchanger 210 is a heat exchanger of the indoor unit 200. The structure of the indoor unit 200 itself is not directly related to the present invention, and thus is omitted.
In the air conditioner 10 of the embodiment, the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 200 is physically divided into the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 in the vertical direction, and the heat exchange fins of the first heat exchanger 130 themselves and the heat exchange fins of the second heat exchanger 140 on the lower side can be cleaned by using the function of the first heat exchanger 130 on the upper side. The cleaning of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 200 will be described later. The refrigerant flow rates of the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor units 200 are controlled by the first expansion valve 150 and the second expansion valve 160. The refrigerant flow path is controlled to be switched between when the first heat exchanger 130 is operated as a condenser and when it is operated as an evaporator by the three-way valve 170. In order to save energy, a temperature sensor described later is provided in the first heat exchanger 130. The three-way valve 170 may be configured by using a four-way valve and leaving one port unused. Other devices can be constituted by existing devices.
The first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 of the outdoor unit 100 and the third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200 each include a heat exchange surface formed of a heat exchange fin or the like. The heat exchanger is a heat exchanger in which heat exchange is performed between an air flow flowing over a heat exchange surface thereof and a refrigerant flowing inside. The heat exchange surfaces of the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 installed outdoors are coated with a coating film having water-sliding properties and water-repellent properties. The first and second heat exchangers 130 and 140 and the third heat exchanger 210 are constituted by one of a cross fin tube type heat exchanger, a parallel flow type heat exchanger, a microchannel heat exchanger, and the like.
Next, an operation of the air conditioner 10 shown in fig. 1 will be described.
In the cooling operation, the four-way valve 120 of the outdoor unit 100 is connected to the solid line side shown in fig. 1. The three-way valve 170 is also connected to the solid line side. That is, the four-way valve 120 is set to a state in which the port a is connected to the port b and the port c is connected to the port d, and the three-way valve 170 is set to a state in which the port a is connected to the port b. The first expansion valve 150 is set to be fully open. In this state, the refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 passes through the ports a and b of the four-way valve 120 and is output to the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 of the outdoor unit 100. The first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 each operate as a condenser (condenser), and perform heat exchange between the refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 and outdoor air to condense the refrigerant gas, thereby generating a refrigerant liquid and radiating the refrigerant liquid to the outside. The refrigerant liquid generated in the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 passes through the first expansion valve 150 and the second expansion valve 160, is pressure-adjusted by the second expansion valve 160, and is sent to the indoor unit 200.
In the indoor unit 200, the refrigerant liquid from the outdoor unit 100 is sent to the third heat exchanger 210. Then, the third heat exchanger 210 operates as an evaporator (evaporator). The third heat exchanger 210 exchanges heat between the refrigerant liquid and the indoor air, evaporates, and generates a refrigerant gas. Thereby, the indoor air to which the indoor unit 200 is attached is cooled by the refrigerant absorbing heat. The refrigerant gas sent from the third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200 is sucked into the compressor 110 after passing through the ports c and d of the four-way valve 120. By continuing this circulation operation, the cooling operation is executed.
In the heating operation (one of the normal operation operations in the present invention), the four-way valve 120 of the outdoor unit 100 is connected to the dotted line side shown in fig. 1. The three-way valve 170 remains unchanged on the solid line side. That is, the four-way valve 120 is set to a state in which the port a is connected to the port c and the port b is connected to the port d, and the three-way valve 170 is set to a state in which the port b is connected to the port a. The first expansion valve 150 is set to be fully open. In this state, the refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 passes through the ports a and c of the four-way valve 120 and is sent to the third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200. The third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200 operates as a condenser, and generates a refrigerant liquid by performing heat exchange between the refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 and the indoor air and condensing the refrigerant gas. Thus, the indoor air to which the indoor unit 200 is attached is heated by heat radiation from the refrigerant liquid.
The refrigerant liquid sent from the third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200 is pressure-adjusted by the second expansion valve 160 of the outdoor unit 100, and then is output to the second heat exchanger 140, and is output to the first heat exchanger 130 after passing through the first expansion valve 150. The first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 each operate as an evaporator, and exchange heat between the refrigerant liquid and the outdoor air to evaporate the refrigerant gas, thereby absorbing heat from the outdoor air. In the first heat exchanger 130, the generated refrigerant gas is output to the four-way valve 120 through the ports b and a of the three-way valve 170. Therefore, the refrigerant gas generated in the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 is sucked into the compressor 110 after the ports b and d of the four-way valve 120. By continuing this circulation operation, the heating operation is executed.
Further, an outdoor fan 180 is disposed near the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 of the outdoor unit 100, and when the outdoor fan 180 is driven, outdoor air is taken into the outdoor unit 100 and supplied to the heat exchangers, and the heat-exchanged air is discharged from the outdoor unit 100. Further, an indoor fan 220 is disposed in the vicinity of the third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200, and by driving the indoor fan 220, indoor air is taken into the indoor unit 200 and supplied to the heat exchanger, and the heat-exchanged air is returned to the indoor. The outdoor fan 180 may be configured as follows: the fan for the first heat exchanger 130 and the fan for the second heat exchanger 140 are provided separately and can be controlled independently.
Next, a cleaning mechanism of the outdoor unit 100 of the embodiment will be described.
In the embodiment, in order to efficiently clean the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 100, the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 100 is divided into two, i.e., the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140. Further, a cleaning function is provided to clean the heat exchange surfaces of the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 at a predetermined timing. As described later, in the cleaning operation mode, the first heat exchanger 130 is operated as an evaporator, and the second heat exchanger 140 is operated as a condenser. This allows condensed water to be generated in the upper first heat exchanger 130. In particular, by performing the washing operation mode in summer, a large amount of condensed water can be generated. The generated condensed water flows downward and flows along the heat exchange fins of the first heat exchanger 130 and the heat exchange fins of the second heat exchanger 140, thereby performing cleaning. The heat exchange fins of the first heat exchanger 130 and the heat exchange fins of the second heat exchanger 140 may be configured as common fins connected vertically, or may be configured as separate fins.
It is particularly preferable that the heat exchange fins of the outdoor unit 100 are periodically cleaned in summer. Therefore, in summer, the air conditioner 10 may be set to perform the washing operation so that the washing is performed at a timing of, for example, 1 time per 20 days (every lapse of a certain period). Alternatively, the user (user) may be prompted to perform the washing operation. In the cooling operation, while the outdoor fan 180 is operating, since the air flow passes through the heat exchange surface of the heat exchanger on the outdoor unit side, dirt, dust, and the like are likely to adhere thereto. Therefore, the driving time of the outdoor fan 180 may be counted, and the cleaning operation may be performed when the driving time reaches a certain time (for example, 500 hours).
Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the refrigerant during a normal cooling operation (one of the normal operation operations in the present invention) of the outdoor unit 100. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the refrigerant during the cleaning operation of the outdoor unit 100. The indoor unit 200 is not involved in the cleaning operation, and therefore is omitted in fig. 2 and 3. As described above, the first heat exchanger 130 of the outdoor unit 100 is disposed to be physically located at the upper side of the second heat exchanger 140. Thus, during the washing operation, the condensed water (water droplets) generated on the heat exchange surface of the first heat exchanger 130 drops on the fin surface thereof to be washed, and drops on the fin surface of the heat exchange surface of the lower second heat exchanger 140 to be washed.
Further, a temperature sensor 190a is provided at an inlet and an outlet of the first heat exchanger 130 on the three-way valve 170 side. Further, a temperature sensor 190b is provided near the center of the first heat exchanger 130. In the washing operation mode and the energy saving operation mode, which will be described later, the controller receives temperature values T1 and T2 output from the two temperature sensors 190a and 190b, and monitors the temperature of the first heat exchanger 130. The controller receives temperature values T1 and T2 measured by the 2 temperature sensors 190a and 190b, and outputs a control signal (CONT) for controlling the opening degree (pressure) of the first expansion valve 150. That is, the outdoor unit of the embodiment can control the refrigerant temperature of the first heat exchanger 130 to a low temperature by adjusting the opening degree of the first expansion valve 150 while observing the temperature values T1 and T2 of the temperature sensors 190a and 190 b.
< refrigeration operation mode >
Next, a cooling operation mode, which is one of the normal operation operations, will be described. The operation in the cooling operation mode of the outdoor unit 100 shown in fig. 2 is as described in fig. 1. That is, the four-way valve 120 is set to a state in which the port a is connected to the port b and the port c is connected to the port d, and the three-way valve 170 is set to a state in which the port a is connected to the port b. The first expansion valve 150 and the second expansion valve 160 are set to be fully open. The refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 is sent (input) to the second heat exchanger 140 after passing through the ports a and b of the four-way valve 120. The refrigerant gas passes through the ports a and b of the four-way valve 120 and the ports a and b of the three-way valve 170 and is sent (input) to the first heat exchanger 130. The first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 each operate as a condenser.
The first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 exchange heat between the refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 and the outdoor air, condense the refrigerant gas, generate a refrigerant liquid, and radiate heat to the outside. The refrigerant liquid generated in the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 passes through the first expansion valve 150 and the second expansion valve 160, is pressure-adjusted by the second expansion valve 160, and is then sent to the indoor unit 200. The operation from the outdoor unit 200 to the compressor 110 is the same as that in fig. 1, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted. Therefore, in the normal cooling operation mode, the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 may be considered to have the same structure as one heat exchanger.
< cleaning operation mode >
A washing operation mode, which is one of the washing operation operations, will be described. In the operation of the outdoor unit 100 in the cleaning operation mode shown in fig. 3, the first expansion valve 150 is in an open state, and the opening degree thereof is adjusted. On the other hand, the second expansion valve 160 is set to a fully closed state. That is, the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor units 200 are disconnected. Therefore, the indoor unit 200 is in a state where the indoor fan 220 is stopped and the refrigerant does not flow, and only the outdoor unit 100 is subjected to the cleaning operation. The four-way valve 120 is set to a state in which the port a is connected to the port b and the port c is connected to the port d, and the three-way valve 170 is set to a state in which the port b is connected to the port c. Temperature values T1 and T2 measured by temperature sensors 190a and 190b are output to the control device. The control device receives the measured temperature values T1 and T2 and outputs a control signal (CONT) for controlling the opening degree (pressure) of the first expansion valve 150.
In fig. 3, the refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 is sent only to the second heat exchanger 140 after passing through the ports a and b of the four-way valve 120. Then, the second heat exchanger 140 operates as a condenser. The second heat exchanger 140 performs heat exchange between the input refrigerant gas and outdoor air, condenses, and generates a refrigerant liquid. The second heat exchanger 140 outputs the refrigerant liquid to the first heat exchanger 130 via the first expansion valve 150. Then, the first heat exchanger 130 exchanges heat between the input refrigerant liquid and outdoor air to evaporate the refrigerant liquid, thereby generating a refrigerant gas. At this time, temperature values T1, T2 measured by temperature sensors 190a, 190b provided in first heat exchanger 130 are input to the control device. The controller outputs a signal (CONT) for adjusting the opening degree of the first expansion valve 150 based on the temperature values T1 and T2, thereby controlling the temperature of the refrigerant subjected to the evaporation process in the first heat exchanger 130 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., about 10 ℃). As a result, the first heat exchanger 130 generates condensed water at a predetermined temperature (for example, about 12 ℃). As a result, water droplets of condensed water can be generated on the heat exchange surface of the first heat exchanger 130.
The water droplets of the condensed water thus generated fall on the fin surface of the heat exchange surface of the first heat exchanger 130 itself to be washed, and also fall on the fin surface of the heat exchange surface of the lower second heat exchanger 140 to be washed. Therefore, the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 can operate at a low temperature with a small load in the cleaning operation mode. The low-temperature refrigerant gas sent from the first heat exchanger 130 of the outdoor unit 100 is sucked into the compressor 110 after passing through the ports b and c of the three-way valve 170. By continuing this circulation operation, the cleaning operation is executed.
As described above, according to the purge operation mode of the embodiment, since the refrigerant gas having a low temperature is sucked into the compressor 110, the compressor 110 can be efficiently operated at a low pressure. Further, since the refrigerant is not caused to flow into the indoor unit 200, the room temperature used by the user (user) is not lowered. In addition, in a state where the water droplets of the condensed water adhere to each other, heat exchange in the lower second heat exchanger 140 can be performed via the water droplets, and therefore, the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger 140 can be improved. Further, dew condensation does not occur in the indoor unit 200, and mold inhibition is also concerned.
Since the fin surfaces of the heat exchange surfaces of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 100 can be cleaned at predetermined timings in summer, it is possible to wash away attached matter such as dirt and dust attached to the fin surfaces of the heat exchange surfaces of the outdoor unit. This can suppress a decrease in heat exchange efficiency in the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 100. In addition, by performing the cleaning in summer, the surface of the fin on the outdoor unit heat exchange surface in winter can be reduced in the amount of the attached matter, and thus the heat exchange efficiency can be suppressed from being lowered even during the heating operation. Even if condensed water is generated on the fin surfaces of the heat exchange surface during the heating operation, the condensed water is blocked by the adhering matter when the condensed water falls on the fin surfaces of the heat exchange surface, and frost generation due to freezing can be suppressed. Therefore, the amount of frost formation during heating operation in winter can be reduced.
< energy saving operation mode >
Next, an energy saving operation mode, which is another operation of the washing operation, will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an energy-saving operation mechanism for the flow of the refrigerant during the energy-saving operation in the air conditioner according to the embodiment. The outdoor unit 100 in the energy saving operation mode is also in a mode in which the cooling operation and the cleaning operation are performed simultaneously. Therefore, as shown in fig. 4, both the first expansion valve 150 and the second expansion valve 160 are set to an open state, and the opening degrees thereof are adjusted independently. The four-way valve 120 is set to a state in which the port a is connected to the port b and the port c is connected to the port d, and the three-way valve 170 is set to a state in which the port b is connected to the port c. Temperature values T1 and T2 measured by temperature sensors 190a and 190b provided in first heat exchanger 130 are input to the control device. The controller adjusts the opening degree of the first expansion valve 150 based on the temperature values T1 and T2.
In fig. 4, the refrigerant gas sent from the compressor 110 passes through the ports a and b of the four-way valve 120 and is sent to the second heat exchanger 140. Then, the second heat exchanger 140 operates as a condenser in the same manner as in the cooling operation mode. That is, the second heat exchanger 140 performs heat exchange between the input refrigerant gas and the outdoor air, and condenses the refrigerant gas to generate a refrigerant liquid. The second heat exchanger 140 outputs the generated refrigerant liquid to the third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200 via the second expansion valve 160. The second heat exchanger 140 outputs the generated refrigerant liquid to the first heat exchanger 130 via the first expansion valve 150. The refrigerant gas vaporized in the third heat exchanger 210 of the indoor unit 200 is sucked into the compressor 110 after passing through the ports c and d of the four-way valve 120.
On the other hand, the first heat exchanger 130 operates as an evaporator in the same manner as in the above-described purge operation mode. The first heat exchanger 130 exchanges heat between the input refrigerant liquid and outdoor air to evaporate the refrigerant liquid, thereby generating a refrigerant gas. At this time, temperature values T1, T2 measured by temperature sensors 190a, 190b provided in first heat exchanger 130 are input to the control device. The controller outputs a signal (CONT) for adjusting the opening degree of the first expansion valve 150 based on the temperature values T1 and T2, thereby controlling the temperature of the refrigerant subjected to the evaporation process in the first heat exchanger 130 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., about 10 ℃). Thereby, condensed water having a predetermined temperature (for example, about 12 ℃) is generated in the first heat exchanger 130. As a result, water droplets of condensed water can be generated on the heat exchange surface of the first heat exchanger 130.
The water droplets of the condensed water thus generated fall on the fin surface of the heat exchange surface of the first heat exchanger 130 itself to be washed, and also fall on the fin surface of the heat exchange surface of the lower second heat exchanger 140 to be washed. The refrigerant gas sent from the first heat exchanger 130 of the outdoor unit 100 is sucked into the compressor 110 after passing through the ports b and c of the three-way valve 170.
As described above, according to the energy-saving operation mode of the embodiment, since the refrigerant gas having a low temperature is sucked into the compressor 110 during the cooling operation, the compressor 110 can be operated at a pressure lower than that in the normal cooling operation, and the energy-saving and efficient operation can be performed. In addition, the cooling operation and the cleaning of the outdoor unit 100 can be performed simultaneously. In addition, since the lower second heat exchanger 140 can be cooled by the water droplets of the condensed water, the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger 140 can be improved.
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner 10 includes: a compressor 110; a first heat exchanger 130 and a second heat exchanger 140 connected to the compressor 110; and a first expansion valve 150 disposed between the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 on the opposite side to the compressor 110, wherein the outdoor unit 100 is capable of performing a cleaning operation in which the second heat exchanger 140 receiving the refrigerant sent from the compressor 110 is operated as a condenser, the first heat exchanger 150 receiving the refrigerant sent from the second heat exchanger 140 via the first expansion valve 150 is operated as an evaporator, and the refrigerant sent from the first heat exchanger 130 is returned to the compressor 110, so that condensed water can be generated in the first heat exchanger 130, and the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 can be cleaned by the condensed water.
In addition, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated structure for supplying the cleaning liquid, and the fin surfaces of the heat exchange surfaces of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 100 can be cleaned without performing the cooling operation or the heating operation on the indoor side. Therefore, the fin surfaces of the heat exchange surfaces of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 100 can be cleaned with a simple structure at low cost. In addition, since the structure of the conventional air conditioner 10 can be easily realized, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
Further, since the refrigerant gas having a low temperature is sucked into the compressor 110, the compressor 110 can be efficiently operated at a low pressure. As a result, the power consumption of the air conditioner 10 can be suppressed. Further, since the cleaning operation can be performed without flowing the refrigerant to the indoor unit 200, the room temperature used by the user (user) is not lowered. In addition, the cooling operation and the cleaning of the outdoor unit 100 can be performed simultaneously. Further, the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 can be cooled by the water droplets of the condensed water.
In the present embodiment, the first heat exchanger 130 is physically located above the second heat exchanger 140, and therefore, the water droplets of the condensed water can be more reliably caused to flow down toward the second heat exchanger 140 located below. This enables the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 to be cleaned more reliably. In addition, since the lower second heat exchanger 140 is cooled by the condensed water, the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger 140 can be improved.
Further, since the three-way valve 170 is connected between the first heat exchanger 130, the input side of the compressor 110, and the output side of the compressor 110, and the connection of the first heat exchanger 130 to the input side of the compressor 110 or the connection to the output side of the compressor 110 can be switched by the three-way valve 170, the first heat exchanger 130 can be operated as a condenser or an evaporator in the normal operation by the connection using the three-way valve 170. On the other hand, during the purge operation or the energy saving operation, the first heat exchanger 130 can be operated as an evaporator. That is, by controlling the three-way valve 170 and the first expansion valve 150, it is possible to control whether the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 function as one heat exchanger or the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 function as different heat exchangers.
In addition, the outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner 10 can perform a normal operation in which the first expansion valve 150 is opened, the first heat exchanger 130 is connected to the compressor 110 by the three-way valve 170, and both the first heat exchanger 130 and the second heat exchanger 140 are operated as a condenser or an evaporator, so that the cooling capacity can be improved as compared with an energy saving operation. Therefore, the cleaning operation, the energy saving operation, and the normal operation can be switched in accordance with a request from a user (user).
The outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner 10 includes one or more temperature sensors (2 temperature sensors 190a and 190b in the present embodiment) in the first heat exchanger 130, and the opening degree of the first expansion valve 150 is controlled based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensors, so that the temperature of the refrigerant gas heading for the compressor 110 after the first expansion valve 150 passes can be controlled. Therefore, the low-temperature refrigerant gas can be sucked from the first heat exchanger 130 into the compressor 110, and the compressor 110 can be efficiently operated at a low pressure. In addition, by controlling the refrigerant temperature in the first heat exchanger 130, it is possible to control the amount of condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 130.
Further, since the outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner 10 is branched into the refrigerant path from the second heat exchanger 140 to the first heat exchanger 130 side via the first expansion valve 150 and the refrigerant path from the second heat exchanger 140 to the indoor unit 200 side of the air conditioner 10, and the second expansion valve 160 is provided in the refrigerant path from the second heat exchanger 140 to the indoor unit 200 side of the air conditioner 10, switching between the cleaning operation mode and the energy saving operation mode can be easily performed by controlling opening and closing of the second expansion valve 160. That is, when the outdoor unit 100 is cleaned by generating condensed water in the first heat exchanger 130, it is possible to switch between a mode in which the indoor unit 200 is not operated and a mode in which the indoor unit 200 is operated.
In addition, since the outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner 10 can perform the cleaning operation with the second expansion valve 160 closed, the outdoor unit 100 can be cleaned without flowing the refrigerant to the indoor unit 200. Therefore, the room temperature used by the user (user) is not lowered. Further, condensation does not occur in the indoor unit, and mold inhibition is also involved.
In addition, since the outdoor unit 100 of the air conditioner 10 can perform the cleaning operation with the second expansion valve 160 opened, it is possible to suck a low-temperature refrigerant gas into the compressor 110 during the cooling operation. As a result, the compressor 110 can be operated at a lower pressure than in the normal cooling operation, and can be operated with energy saving and high efficiency. For example, when the indoor temperature approaches a predetermined target temperature, the normal operation mode is switched to the energy saving operation mode, and power consumption can be suppressed. In addition, since condensed water is generated in the first heat exchanger 130, the outdoor unit 100 can be cleaned. In the energy-saving operation mode, as long as the operation for suppressing power consumption is possible, the operation is not necessarily performed so that the outdoor unit 100 can be cleaned by the condensed water.
Further, since the air conditioner 100 includes the outdoor unit 200 described above, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated structure for supplying a cleaning liquid, and the fin surface of the heat exchange surface of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 200 can be cleaned. Therefore, the fin surfaces of the heat exchange surfaces of the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 200 can be cleaned with a simple structure at low cost. In addition, since the structure of the conventional air conditioner 100 can be easily realized, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These new embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.
Claims (9)
1. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner, comprising:
a compressor;
a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger connected to the compressor; and
an expansion valve disposed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger on a side opposite to the compressor side,
the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is capable of performing a cleaning operation in which the second heat exchanger receiving the refrigerant sent from the compressor is operated as a condenser, the first heat exchanger receiving the refrigerant sent from the second heat exchanger via the expansion valve is operated as an evaporator, and the refrigerant sent from the first heat exchanger is returned to the compressor.
2. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1,
the first heat exchanger is physically located on an upper side of the second heat exchanger.
3. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2,
a three-way valve is connected between the first heat exchanger, an input side of the compressor, and an output side of the compressor,
the three-way valve can switch between connecting the first heat exchanger to the input side of the compressor and connecting the first heat exchanger to the output side of the compressor.
4. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 3,
it is possible to perform the usual running action,
in the normal operation, the expansion valve is opened, the first heat exchanger is connected to the compressor by the three-way valve, and both the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger operate as a condenser or an evaporator.
5. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
the first heat exchanger is provided with one or more temperature sensors,
the expansion valve controls the opening degree based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.
6. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
an outdoor unit of the air conditioner branches into a refrigerant path from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger side via the expansion valve and a refrigerant path from the second heat exchanger to the indoor unit side of the air conditioner,
the second expansion valve is provided in a refrigerant path from the second heat exchanger toward the indoor unit side of the air conditioner.
7. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 6,
the cleaning operation may be performed in a state where the second expansion valve is closed.
8. An outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 6,
the cleaning operation may be performed in a state where the second expansion valve is opened.
9. An air conditioner comprising the outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
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| JP2020-016632 | 2020-02-03 | ||
| JP2020016632A JP2021124227A (en) | 2020-02-03 | 2020-02-03 | Outdoor unit of air conditioner and air conditioner |
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| CN113218008A true CN113218008A (en) | 2021-08-06 |
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| CN114294739B (en) * | 2021-12-30 | 2023-01-31 | 海信（广东）空调有限公司 | Air conditioner and self-cleaning method thereof |
| CN114992800B (en) * | 2022-05-07 | 2024-02-23 | 青岛海尔空调电子有限公司 | Self-cleaning control method for shutdown stage of air conditioning system and air conditioning system |
| CN114992765B (en) * | 2022-05-07 | 2024-02-20 | 青岛海尔空调电子有限公司 | Air conditioning system and self-cleaning control method thereof |
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