JP2001041494A - Heat pump - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat pump to be high in COP and formed in a compact configurations. SOLUTION: This heat pump HP1 comprises a booster 260 to boost a refrigerant, a first heat-exchanger 220 to heat fluid on the high heat source side by the heat of condensation of the refrigerant boosted by the booster 260, a second heat-exchanger 320 situated in a spot situated upper stream of a flow of fluid on the high heat source side from the first heat-exchanger 220 and heating fluid on the high heat source side by the sensible heat of refrigerant liquid, a third heat-exchanger 310 situated in a route for fluid on the low heat source side and formed in a manner to cool the fluid on the low heat source side by the sensible heat of the refrigerant liquid and a fourth heat-exchanger 210 situated in a route for the fluid on the low heat source side and in a spot situated downstream of the fluid on the low heat source side from the third heat-exchanger 310 and cooling the fluid on the low heat source side by the evaporation heat of a refrigerant boosted by the booster 260. Between the second and third heat- exchangers 320 and 310, heat is pumped up from the fluid on the low heat source side formed such that refrigerant liquid is circulated to the fluid on the high heat source side. This constitution performs heat-exchange between the fluid on the low heat source side and the fluid on the high heat source side with high efficiency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat pump for pumping heat from a low heat source to a high heat source, and more particularly to a heat pump suitable for use as a heat source for a desiccant dehumidifier.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 7, there has conventionally been a heat pump HP used for an apparatus having a low heat source and a high heat source such as a so-called desiccant air conditioner. This heat pump HP
Is a compression heat pump HP using the compressor 260. The desiccant air conditioner using the heat pump HP includes a process air A through which moisture is adsorbed by the desiccant rotor 103, and a desiccant moisture that passes through the desiccant rotor 103 after being heated by the heating source and passing through the desiccant rotor 103 after the moisture adsorption. And a desiccant rotor 10 having a path of regeneration air B for desorbing and regenerating the air.
Sensible heat exchanger 104 before regeneration of the desiccant (desiccant) and regeneration air before being heated by the heating source.
And a compression heat pump HP, wherein the regeneration air B is used as a high heat source of the compression heat pump HP,
The regenerated air is heated by the heater 220 to regenerate the desiccant, and the processing air A is supplied to the compression heat pump HP.
The processing air is cooled by the cooler 210 as a low heat source.

Here, referring to the Mollier diagram of FIG. 8, FIG.
The operation of the compression heat pump HP shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a Mollier diagram of the refrigerant HFC134a.
Point a indicates the state of the refrigerant evaporated in the cooler 210, and is in the state of a saturated gas. The pressure is 4.2 kg / cm ² and the temperature is 10 ° C. The state where the gas is sucked and compressed by the compressor 260 and the state at the discharge port of the compressor 260 are indicated by a point b. In this state, the pressure is 19.3 kg / cm ² , the temperature is 78 ° C., and the state is a superheated gas. This refrigerant gas is supplied to a heater (cooler or condenser when viewed from the refrigerant side)
It is cooled in 220 and reaches point c on the Mollier diagram. This point is a state of a saturated gas, and the pressure is 19.3 kg / cm.
^{2. The} temperature is 65 ° C. Under this pressure, it is further cooled and condensed to reach point d. This point is the state of the saturated liquid,
The pressure and temperature are the same as at point c. This refrigerant liquid is throttled by an expansion valve 250 and has a saturation pressure of 4.2 k at a temperature of 10 ° C.
g / cm ^2, and reaches a cooler (evaporator as viewed from the refrigerant) 210 as a mixture of a refrigerant liquid and a gas at 10 ° C., where heat is removed from the processing air and evaporated to evaporate on the Mollier diagram. The saturated gas in the state of the point “a” is again sucked into the compressor 260, and the above cycle is repeated.

In such a conventional apparatus, the heat exchanger 10
As No. 4, a rotary heat exchanger or a cross-flow heat exchanger was used.

[0005]

According to the conventional heat pump as described above, as can be seen from the Mollier diagram, the difference between the enthalpy of the saturated vapor on the low heat source side and the enthalpy of the saturated liquid on the high heat source side is expressed as a difference. The refrigeration effect performed is not necessarily large, and the COP of the heat pump was not high. According to the air conditioning system using this heat pump,
The sensible heat exchanger 104, which preliminarily cools the process air before being cooled by the cooler 210, plays an important role, but the sensible heat exchanger 104 generally occupies a large volume in the system. . Rotary heat exchangers are expensive, and cross-flow heat exchangers have not always been excellent in heat exchanger performance. For this reason, the system configuration becomes difficult, and as a result, the size and cost of the system have to be increased.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a compact heat pump having a high COP.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above object, a heat pump HP1 according to the invention according to claim 1 is provided.
As shown in FIG. 1, for example, a booster 260 that boosts the refrigerant; a first heat exchanger 220 that heats the high heat source side fluid with the heat of condensation of the refrigerant boosted by the booster 260;
A second heat exchanger 320, which is located upstream of the heat exchanger 220 and upstream of the flow of the high heat source side fluid and heats the high heat source side fluid with sensible heat of the refrigerant liquid; and 320; a path of the low heat source side fluid And a third heat exchanger 310 configured to cool the low heat source side fluid with the sensible heat of the refrigerant liquid; and a lower heat source side fluid path than the third heat exchanger 310 The low heat source side fluid is installed downstream of the flow of the heat source side fluid,
A fourth heat exchanger 210 for cooling with the heat of evaporation of the refrigerant pressurized at 60; and circulating the refrigerant liquid between the second heat exchanger 320 and the third heat exchanger 310. Pumps heat from the lower heat source fluid to the higher heat source fluid.

[0008] As the refrigerant liquid to be circulated, typically, a refrigerant condensed in the first heat exchanger is used. The circulating refrigerant flows into the fourth heat exchanger and is also used as a refrigerant that evaporates there. Further, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger may be integrated. Similarly, the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger may be configured integrally. In particular, it is preferable that the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger are configured so that the flow of the refrigerant is opposite to the flow of the regeneration air or the flow of the processing air. Since the heat exchange uses the sensible heat of the refrigerant liquid, the heat exchange efficiency can be increased by using the counter flow.

With this configuration, the second heat exchanger 3
Since the refrigerant liquid is configured to circulate between the heat exchanger 20 and the third heat exchanger 310, heat exchange between the low heat source fluid and the high heat source fluid can be performed with high efficiency. it can.
In addition, it is also easy to configure the second and third heat exchangers into a generally efficient and compact plate fin type. In addition, the refrigerant used in the heat pump cycle can be used as a heat medium for heat exchange. In such a case, no extra equipment such as an expansion tank for the heat medium is required, and the scale due to the heat medium of the heat exchanger is eliminated. Can also be suppressed.

[0010] Further, as described in claim 2, claim 1
In the heat pump HP1 described in the above, the second heat exchanger 32
0 of the circulating refrigerant liquid and the third heat exchanger 310
Or between the outlet of the circulating refrigerant liquid of the third heat exchanger 310 and the inlet of the circulating refrigerant liquid of the second heat exchanger 320 It is preferable to provide a refrigerant circulating pump 330 at the bottom. At this time, the refrigerant can be circulated between the heat exchangers by the pump 330.

[0011] Further, as described in claim 3, claim 1
Alternatively, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the heat pump according to claim 2 is configured to transfer the high heat source side fluid from the heat utilization device 103 using the heat of the high heat source side fluid heated by the first heat exchanger 220. A fifth heat exchanger 230 installed on the path 128, 129 downstream of the flow of the heat-source-side fluid from the heat utilization device 103; and a fifth heat exchanger 230 installed on the outlet side of the refrigerant from the second heat exchanger 320. The fifth heat exchanger 230 is configured to exchange heat between the high heat source side fluid and the refrigerant; two refrigerant ports of the fourth heat exchanger 210 are provided. And the fifth heat exchanger 2
One of the two refrigerant ports of the fourth heat exchanger 210 is connected to one of the two refrigerant ports of the fourth heat exchanger 210 as the throttle 250 and the inlet of the booster 260. And the other of the two refrigerant ports of the fifth heat exchanger 230 is
The fourth heat exchanger 2 among the throttle 250 and the inlet of the booster 260
The two refrigerant ports of 30 may be configured to be selectively connected to a side not connected to the other refrigerant port.

In this case, in order to selectively connect the other of the two refrigerant ports of the fourth heat exchanger to the throttle and the booster inlet, a first switching means is provided. The other one of the two refrigerant ports of the heat exchanger of No. 5 is connected to the other one of the two refrigerant ports of the fourth heat exchanger of the throttle and the booster inlet. A second switching means may be provided in order to selectively connect to those who do not. Further, the first switching means and the second switching means are respectively 2
It may be a combination of two two-way valves, or may be a three-way valve, or the first and second switching means may be integrated, for example,
As shown in FIG. 4, it may be configured as a four-way valve 270.
By performing the switching, the dehumidifying air conditioner including the heat pump HP2 can be operated in one of the cooling operation and the dehumidifying operation.

[0013] The fifth heat exchanger recovers heat from the high heat source side fluid after the heat is used in the heat utilization device. The outlet of the refrigerant of the second heat exchanger 320 is also the outlet of the refrigerant subjected to heat exchange in the second heat exchanger.

The above heat pump HP1 or HP2
Then, as the refrigerant liquid circulated between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, a refrigerant typically condensed in the first heat exchanger may be used. The circulating refrigerant flows into the fourth heat exchanger and is also used as a refrigerant that evaporates there.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate description is omitted.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example in which the heat pump HP1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in a desiccant dehumidifying air conditioner. FIG. 2 is a refrigerant Mollier diagram of the heat pump HP1 in FIG. FIG. 3 is a psychrometric chart showing the operation of the dehumidifying air conditioner of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, the structure of a heat pump HP1 according to a first embodiment and a dehumidifying air conditioner incorporating the same will be described. In this dehumidifying air conditioner, the humidity of the processing air A is reduced by a desiccant (drying agent), and the air-conditioned space 101 to which the processing air A is supplied is maintained in a comfortable environment. Here, the components along the path of the processing air A will be described first. In the figure, the route 10 from the air-conditioned space 101
7. Blower 102 for circulating process air, path 10
8. Desiccant rotor 103 as heat utilization device of the present invention filled with desiccant, path 109, third embodiment of the present invention
Heat exchanger 310, path 110, refrigerant evaporator (cooler as viewed from processing air) 2 as fourth heat exchanger of the present invention
10, the path 111 is arranged in this order, and is configured to return to the air-conditioned space 101.

Next, the components along the path from the outdoor OA to the regeneration air B will be described. In the figure, route 12 from outdoor OA
4. Blower 140 for circulating regeneration air, path 12
5. Second heat exchanger 320 of the present invention, path 126, refrigerant condenser (heater as viewed from regenerated air) 220 as the first heat exchanger of the present invention, path 127, desiccant rotor 103, path 128 And arranged in this order, and are configured to exhaust exhaust EX.

Next, components of the heat pump HP1 along the refrigerant path will be described. In the figure, a refrigerant path 207 from a refrigerant evaporator 210 as a fourth heat exchanger, a compressor 260 as a booster for compressing the refrigerant evaporated and gasified in the refrigerant evaporator 210, a path 201, a first path A refrigerant condenser 220 as a heat exchanger and a path 202 are arranged in this order. The route 202 has two routes 203A and 2
Branch to 03B. The path 203A is the second heat exchanger 3
20 and the diaphragm 2 via the path 204B.
50, the path 206 and the refrigerant evaporator 2
It is configured to return to 10. One-way route 203B
Are connected to the third heat exchanger 310. Route 20
The route 204A branches from the route 4B and the route 204A.
Is connected to the suction port of the refrigerant circulating pump 330, and the discharge port of the refrigerant circulating pump 330 is connected to the third heat exchanger 310 via the path 205, and communicates therewith with the path 203A via the path 203B.

Thus, the refrigerant circulation pump 330
Is the path 205, the third heat exchanger 310, the path 203
B, path 203A, second heat exchanger 320, path 204
B, the refrigerant liquid is circulated between the second heat exchanger 320 and the third heat exchanger 310 with the refrigerant circulation path of the path 204A.

As described above, the compressor 260,
The heat pump HP1 includes the first heat exchanger 220, the second heat exchanger 320, the third heat exchanger 310, the throttle 250, and the fourth heat exchanger 210.

The desiccant rotor 103 is formed as a thick disk-shaped rotor that rotates around the rotation axis AX, and the rotor is filled with a desiccant with a gap through which gas can pass. For example, a large number of tubular drying elements are bundled so that the central axis thereof is parallel to the rotation axis AX. The rotor 103 rotates in one direction around the rotation axis AX, and the processing air A and the regeneration air B flow in and out of the rotation axis AX in parallel. Each drying element is arranged so as to alternately contact the processing air A and the regeneration air B as the rotor 103 rotates. Generally, the processing air A and the regeneration air B are configured so as to flow in a substantially half area of the circular desiccant rotor 103 in a counterflow manner in parallel with the rotation axis AX.

First heat exchanger 220, second heat exchanger 3
20, the third heat exchanger 310, the fourth heat exchanger 210
Preferably has a plate fin coil structure. That is, a series of tubes are meandered and arranged in the flow of the regeneration air or the processing air, and plate fins are attached outside the tubes, that is, on the air flow side, to increase the heat transfer area on the air side. The tubes are arranged so as to cross the air flow at right angles to the air flow, but are preferably arranged so as to meander but oppose the air flow as a whole.

The operation of the desiccant air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 will now be described with reference to the psychrometric chart of FIG. FIG.
Medium, alphabets K to N and Q to U indicate the state of air. This symbol corresponds to the alphabet circled in the flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 3, the processing air (state K) from the air-conditioned space 101 is desiccant adsorbed by the desiccant rotor 103 to lower the absolute humidity.
The dry bulb temperature is raised by the heat of adsorption of the desiccant to reach the state L, and further cooled by the sensible heat exchanger 104 with the absolute humidity kept constant to become air in the state M, and enters the cooler 210. Here, the air is further cooled at a constant absolute humidity to become air in state N, and returned to the air-conditioned space 101. On the other hand, the outside air in the state Q is sent to the sensible heat heat exchanger 104, where it is heated to the state R by cooling the processing air, and then heated to the state T by the heater 220, and the desiccant rotor By regenerating the desiccant in 103, the absolute humidity is high, the dry-bulb temperature is lowered, and the air is exhausted EX as air in state U.

Here, assuming that the amount of heat added to the regeneration air for regeneration of the desiccant of the apparatus is ΔH, the amount of heat pumped from the regeneration air to be exhausted is Δq, and the driving energy of the compressor 260 is Δh, ΔH = Δq + Δh. is there. In the figure,
A point S between the point R and the point T is a virtual point obtained by dividing the heating of the regeneration air performed in the first heat exchanger 220 into Δq and Δh for convenience. In this operation mode, heat is recovered from the high-temperature regeneration air, so that a high-COP dehumidification operation can be performed.

Here, the flow of the processing air A will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, processing air (state K) from an air-conditioned space 101 is sucked into a blower 102 through a path 107 and sent to a desiccant rotor 103 through a path 108. The treated air (state L), which has absorbed moisture and dried by the desiccant rotor 103,
The heat exchanger 310 here exchanges heat with the refrigerant liquid circulated by the pump 330, is cooled to some extent (state M), and reaches the refrigerant evaporator 210 through the path 110. Here, the processing air further cooled (state N) is returned to the air-conditioned space 101 through the path 111.

Next, the flow of the regeneration air B will be described. In FIG. 1, the regeneration air (state Q) from the outdoor OA is sucked into the blower 140 through the regeneration air path 124 and sent to the second heat exchanger 320 through the path 125. Here, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant condensed in the refrigerant condenser 220 and the refrigerant liquid circulated by the pump 330 to increase the dry bulb temperature (state R).

The refrigerant liquid to be subjected to heat exchange is not only supercooled by this heat exchange, but also acts as a medium for heat exchange between the regeneration air and the processing air by circulation of the pump 330. This heat exchange is a sensible heat exchange utilizing a change in sensible heat of the refrigerant liquid. However, since the heat exchange is forcibly circulated by the pump 330, a high heat transfer coefficient can be achieved. In addition, since both the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger are configured so that the flow of the refrigerant liquid and the air are countercurrent as a whole, the heat exchange efficiency is high.
In this way, the heat exchange between the processing air and the regeneration air can be performed with high efficiency by the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger.

The regeneration air heated to a certain extent in the second heat exchanger is sent to a refrigerant condenser (heater as viewed from the regeneration air) 220 through a path 126, where it is heated to increase the dry bulb temperature. (State T). This air is sent to the desiccant rotor 103 through the path 127, where it deprives the desiccant in the drying element of water and regenerates it, thereby increasing the absolute humidity,
The dry bulb temperature is lowered by the heat of desiccant moisture desorption (state U). This air is exhausted EX through the path 128.

Next, the flow of the refrigerant between the devices will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 1, and subsequently, with reference to FIG.
The operation of the heat pump HP1 will be described.

In FIG. 1, a refrigerant gas compressed by a refrigerant compressor 260 is guided to a regenerative air heater (refrigerant condenser) 220 via a refrigerant gas pipe 201 connected to a discharge port of the compressor. The temperature of the refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor 260 is increased by the heat of compression, and this heat heats the regeneration air. The refrigerant gas itself is deprived of heat and condenses.

The refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant condenser 220 is connected to the passage 20
2 and routes 203A and 203B branching from it
Are connected to the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, respectively. First, the refrigerant (mostly condensed into a liquid phase or may be already supercooled to some extent) flowing through the passage 203A exchanges heat with the regeneration air in the second heat exchanger, and then a part thereof. Pump 330 is pumped through path 204A and the rest is
Through the throttle 250, where it is depressurized and flushed to the refrigerant evaporator 210. The refrigerant evaporates here and exchanges heat with the processing air to cool it. The evaporated gas-phase refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 260 and the above cycle is repeated.

On the other hand, the refrigerant liquid sucked into the pump 330 from the path 204A flows into the third heat exchanger through the path 205, where it exchanges heat with the processing air to cool the processing air. Typically, the refrigerant liquid only exchanges sensible heat in the third heat exchanger 310 and does not evaporate. However, a part may evaporate (flash).

The refrigerant that has exited the third heat exchanger 310 passes through the path 203B and the path 203A and passes through the second heat exchanger 320.
Go back. Here, it is mixed with the refrigerant flowing from the condenser 220. In this way, a part of the refrigerant liquid is supplied by the pump 330 to the second heat exchanger 320 and the third heat exchanger 3.
The heat exchange between the processing air and the regeneration air is performed by circulating between the processing air and the processing air.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, heat pump HP1
The operation of will be described. FIG. 2 is a Mollier diagram when the refrigerant HFC134a is used. In this diagram, the horizontal axis is enthalpy and the vertical axis is pressure.

In the figure, the point a is the state of the refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant evaporator 210 of FIG. 1 and is in the state of saturated gas. The pressure is 4.2 kg / cm ² , the temperature is 10 ° C., the enthalpy is 14
It is 8.83 kcal / kg. This gas is supplied to the compressor 26
A state where the suction compression is performed at 0 and a state at the discharge port of the compressor 260 are indicated by a point b. In this state, the pressure is 19.3k
g / cm ² , the temperature is 78 ° C., and it is in a superheated gas state.

This refrigerant gas is cooled in the refrigerant condenser 220 and reaches a point c on the Mollier diagram. This point is a state of a saturated gas, the pressure is 19.3 kg / cm ² , and the temperature is 6
5 ° C. Under this pressure, it is further cooled and condensed to reach point d. This point is a saturated liquid state, the pressure and temperature are the same as point c, and the enthalpy is 122.97 kcal.
/ Kg.

This refrigerant liquid flows into the second heat exchanger 320, is supercooled, and enters a state shown by a point e on the Mollier diagram. The temperature is about 30 ° C. The pressure remains at 19.3 kg / cm ² ignoring flow losses. A part of the refrigerant liquid in this state is supplied to the pump 33 as described above.
By means of 0, the refrigerant is sent to the third heat exchanger 310 and exchanges heat with the processing air to be heated and becomes the refrigerant liquid in the state of the point f on the Mollier diagram. Normally, point f is still in the liquid phase. The refrigerant liquid at the point f is mixed with the refrigerant liquid at the point d,
Is supercooled by the heat exchanger 320. Thus, a part of the circulating refrigerant liquid reciprocates between the point f and the point e (or the point g).

As described above, in the actual cycle, the refrigerant at the point d and the refrigerant at the point f are mixed to reach the point e (or the point g). To do so, the refrigerant at point d is first cooled in a second heat exchanger to point e, which is sent to a third heat exchanger and heated to point f (without mixing with the refrigerant at point d). , Followed by cooling to point g in a second heat exchanger.

The refrigerant in the state of the point e (or the point g) is decompressed by the throttle 250 and partially evaporates (flashes) to reach the refrigerant evaporator 210 (point j). The enthalpy of the points e, g and j is 109.99 kcal / kg. The refrigerant that has reached the refrigerant evaporator 210 as a mixture of liquid and gas deprives the processing air of heat here, evaporates and becomes a saturated gas at the point a on the Mollier diagram, and is sucked into the compressor 260 again. Repeat the above cycle.

As described above, in the heat pump HP1 according to the present embodiment, in the dehumidifying air conditioner, the heat exchange between the processing air and the regenerated air is performed in a compact, low-cost, low-pressure plate fin heat exchanger. High efficiency is achieved by the exchanger. Further, since a refrigerant circulating through the heat pump HP1 is used as a medium for heat exchange,
For example, a storage (or expansion) tank is not required as compared with a case in which water of a different system is used from the refrigerant, and a decrease in heat transfer coefficient due to scale, which is likely to occur in water circulating in an open circuit, does not occur.

Further, since the refrigerant liquid itself is supercooled by the regenerating air at the same time as the heat exchange between the process air and the regenerating air, the second heat exchanger 320 is used as a compression heat pump.
When the third heat exchanger 310 and the third heat exchanger 310 are not provided, the refrigerant in the state at the point d in the refrigerant condenser 220 is returned to the refrigerant evaporator 210 through the throttle, and the enthalpy difference available in the refrigerant evaporator 210 is 148. .83-122.97 = 25.
While there is only 86 kcal / kg, in the case of the heat pump HP1 used in the present embodiment provided with the heat exchanger, 148.83−109.99 = 38.84 kca.
1 / kg, and the amount of gas circulating through the compressor for the same cooling load, and thus the required power, can be reduced by as much as 33%. That is, the same operation as that of a so-called subcool cycle can be provided.

When the heat exchanger 210 and the heat exchanger 310 and the heat exchanger 220 and the heat exchanger 320 are integrally formed, the whole apparatus can be compactly assembled without providing an extra space. it can.

Next, an example of a heat pump of the second embodiment and a dehumidifying air conditioner incorporating the heat pump will be described with reference to FIG. This dehumidifying device is a device configured to be capable of switching between a cooling operation and a dehumidifying operation. The first described in FIG.
The first embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the path 20 from the fourth heat exchanger 210 to the compressor 260 which is a booster is different from the first embodiment.
7 in that a fifth heat exchanger 230 is provided.
However, the fifth heat exchanger 230 may be connected to the fourth heat exchanger 21 depending on the switching direction of the four-way valve, which is switching means described later.
It will be located between 0 and the aperture 250.

A second difference from the first embodiment is that a four-way valve 270 is provided as switching means for switching the flow of the refrigerant. Here, switching of the four-way valve will be described.

The fourth heat exchanger 210 has a first refrigerant port 210a and a second refrigerant port 210b as two refrigerant ports, and the fifth heat exchanger 230 also has two refrigerant ports. A third refrigerant port 230a and a fourth refrigerant port 230b. Compressor 26
A suction port (compressor inlet) of 0 is defined as 260a. The fourth heat exchanger and the fifth heat exchanger are connected to each other by connecting the refrigerant port 210a and the refrigerant port 230b via the path 207. The direction of the flow of the refrigerant in the path 207 changes depending on the switching direction of the four-way valve 270.

The refrigerant inlet / outlet 210 of the fourth heat exchanger 210
b and the four-way valve 270 are connected by the path 206, the throttle 250 and the four-way valve 270 are on the path 251, and the refrigerant port 230 a of the fifth heat exchange 230 and the four-way valve 270 are on the path 208. Inlet 260a of compressor 260 and four-way valve 27
0 is a path 209 and is connected to each other.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a switching state suitable for the cooling operation. At this time, the four-way valve connects the refrigerant inlet / outlet 210b and the throttle 250 and the refrigerant inlet / outlet 23
0a and the compressor inlet 260a are switched so as to be connected to each other. At this time, as in the case of the first embodiment in FIG. 1, the switching state is suitable for the cooling operation. The difference from the first embodiment is that the refrigerant evaporated in the fourth heat exchanger (acting as a refrigerant evaporator in this case) 210 is cooled by the fifth heat exchanger before being sucked into the compressor 260. It is a point that passes through.

Most of the refrigerant is supplied to the fourth heat exchanger 210
However, even if the refrigerant liquid remains, it evaporates in the fifth heat exchanger, so that the refrigerant liquid is not sucked into the compressor 260. Further, the refrigerant evaporated in the fourth heat exchanger can be more positively superheated in the fifth heat exchanger, so that the refrigerant suction temperature of the compressor 260 can be increased, and thus the first heat exchange. The temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the vessel 220 can be raised, and the regeneration air can be efficiently heated.

FIG. 5 shows a Mollier diagram when the heat pump HP2 according to the second embodiment is operated by the dehumidifying air conditioner switched to the cooling mode. What is different from FIG. 2 is that the state of the refrigerant at the suction port of the compressor 260 is
This is a point that has moved to a point a ′ in the overheat region from the point a on the saturation line. Accordingly, the discharge temperature of the compressor 260 is, for example, 82 ° C. as shown by a point b ′, which is 78 in FIG.
It is higher than ° C.

Referring to FIG. 6, a case will be described in which the heat pump HP2 according to the second embodiment is operated by the dehumidifying air conditioner switched to the dehumidifying mode. In this case, 4
The way valve 270 is switched to connect the refrigerant inlet / outlet 210b of the fourth heat exchanger to the compressor inlet 260a and to connect the throttle 250 to the refrigerant inlet / outlet 230a of the fifth heat exchanger. .

At this time, the refrigerant decompressed by the throttle 250 flows into the fifth heat exchanger 230, where it evaporates. The evaporated refrigerant flows into the fourth heat exchanger 210, but most of the refrigerant has been evaporated in the fifth heat exchanger 230. Therefore, in the fourth heat exchanger 210, almost no evaporation of the refrigerant occurs. Absent. However, even if the refrigerant liquid remains, the refrigerant evaporates in the fourth heat exchanger 210, so that the refrigerant liquid is not sucked into the compressor 260.

In the above embodiment, the switching means 270
Has been described as using one four-way valve, but may be configured as switching means using two three-way valves, or may be one using four two-way valves.

Here, the amount of heat added to the regeneration air for desiccant regeneration is ΔH, the amount of heat pumped from the regeneration air to be exhausted is Δq, and the driving energy of the compressor 260 is ΔH.
Assuming that h, the relationship between ΔH, Δq, and Δh is the same as in FIG. That is, ΔH = Δq + Δh. As described above, in this device, heat can be recovered from the high-temperature regeneration air and the refrigerant at the compressor inlet can be heated, so that a dehumidifying operation with a high COP can be performed.

As described in the above embodiment, the booster is typically a compressor of a compression heat pump.
Alternatively, a combination of an absorber that absorbs the refrigerant, a pump that pressurizes the absorbing liquid that has absorbed the refrigerant, and a generator that generates the refrigerant from the pressurized absorbing liquid may be used.

[0057]

According to the present invention, between the cold heat source side fluid and the high heat source side fluid,
Since it is configured to circulate the refrigerant liquid to perform heat exchange, it is possible to provide a compact heat pump, and to use the refrigerant liquid common to the refrigerant used in the heat pump cycle for heat exchange. In that case, no extra equipment such as a tank for a heat medium for heat exchange is required separately, and the generation of scale due to the heat medium of the heat exchanger can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a heat pump according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a dehumidifying air conditioner incorporating the heat pump.

FIG. 2 is a Mollier diagram of the heat pump shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a psychrometric chart for explaining the operation of the dehumidifying air conditioner shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart in a case where a heat pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a dehumidifying air conditioner incorporating the same are operated in a cooling mode.

FIG. 5 is a Mollier diagram of the heat pump shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart in a case where a dehumidifying air conditioner incorporating a heat pump according to a second embodiment of the present invention is operated in a dehumidifying mode.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a conventional heat pump and a dehumidifying air conditioner incorporating the same.

FIG. 8 is a Mollier diagram of the conventional heat pump shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 air conditioning space 102, 140 blower 103 desiccant rotor 210 fourth heat exchanger 220 first heat exchanger 230 fifth heat exchanger 250 restrictor 260 compressor 270 four-way valve 310 third heat exchanger 320 second Heat exchanger 330 refrigerant pump AX rotation axis HP1, HP2 heat pump

Claims (3)

[Claims] A pressure booster for boosting the refrigerant; and a first heat source for heating the high heat source side fluid by the heat of condensation of the refrigerant pressurized by the pressure booster.
A second heat exchanger that is installed upstream of the first heat exchanger in the flow of the high heat source side fluid and heats the high heat source side fluid with the sensible heat of the refrigerant liquid; A third heat exchanger installed in the path of the low heat source side fluid and configured to cool the low heat source side fluid with the sensible heat of the refrigerant liquid; and A fourth heat exchanger that is installed downstream of the flow of the low heat source side fluid from the heat exchanger and cools the low heat source side fluid with the evaporation heat of the refrigerant pressurized by the booster; A heat pump configured to circulate the refrigerant liquid between a second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger; pumping heat from the low heat source fluid to the high heat source fluid. 2. Between the outlet of the circulating refrigerant liquid of the second heat exchanger and the inlet of the circulating refrigerant liquid of the third heat exchanger, or between the outlet of the third heat exchanger Equipped with a refrigerant circulation pump either between the outlet of the circulating refrigerant liquid and the inlet of the circulating refrigerant liquid of the second heat exchanger,
The heat pump according to claim 1. 3. A flow of a fluid having a higher heat source side than the heat utilizing device in a path of the high heat source side fluid from a heat utilizing device utilizing heat of the high heat source side fluid heated by the first heat exchanger. A fifth heat exchanger installed downstream of the second heat exchanger; and a throttle installed at the outlet side of the refrigerant from the second heat exchanger. The fifth heat exchanger is connected to the high heat source side. One of the two refrigerant ports of the fourth heat exchanger and the two refrigerant ports of the fifth heat exchanger are configured to perform heat exchange between a fluid and the refrigerant. And one of the two refrigerant inlets and outlets of the fourth heat exchanger is selectively connected to the throttle and the booster inlet; and 5, the other of the two refrigerant inlets and outlets of the heat exchanger is connected to the throttle and the booster inlet. 3. The two refrigerant ports of the fourth heat exchanger which are not connected to the other refrigerant port of the fourth heat exchanger are selectively connected to one of the ports; 4. The heat pump as described.