JP2004028365A - Dehumidifying air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dehumidifying air conditioner permitting arranging a middle evaporator and a middle condenser without a strain. <P>SOLUTION: This dehumidifying air conditioner comprises an evaporator 210 evaporating coolant C and cooling process air A, a booster 26 of the coolant, a condenser 220 of the coolant C, the middle evaporator 310 evaporating the coolant by middle pressure between the condenser and the evaporator and cooling the process air, the middle condenser 320 condensing the coolant by the middle pressure and heating the process air, process air passages 107-111 connecting the middle evaporator, the evaporator and the middle condenser in this order, a first throttle mechanism 292 provided to the downstream side of the middle condenser, and a second throttle mechanism 291 provided to the upstream side of the middle evaporator. The middle evaporator and the middle condenser are constituted including heat transfer tubes 251, 252 respectively meandering and passing through for more than one reciprocation in the process air, and the heat transfer tubes 251, 252 are connected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a dehumidifying air conditioner including an intermediate evaporator and an intermediate condenser, and more particularly to a dehumidifying air conditioner in which an intermediate evaporator and an intermediate condenser can be easily arranged.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, there has been a dehumidifying air conditioner as shown in FIG. This device reduces the pressure of a condensed refrigerant C by a compressor 1 for compressing a refrigerant C, a condenser 2 for condensing the compressed refrigerant C with outside air B, and an expansion valve 3 with a bypass having a solenoid valve. And the refrigerant C condensed here is decompressed by the expansion valve with bypass 4 having a solenoid valve, and the refrigerant is evaporated and the processing air A from the air-conditioned space 101 is dew-pointed. Evaporator 5 for cooling to a temperature.
[0003]
In this device, in the dehumidifying operation mode, the pressure of evaporation and condensation of the heat exchanger 300 ″ becomes an intermediate pressure between the condensation pressure of the condenser 2 and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator 5. At this time, the intermediate evaporation of the heat exchanger 300 ″ In the vessel 310 ", the refrigerant evaporates to some extent during the reciprocation of the meandering heat transfer tube, and then in the intermediate condenser 320", the evaporated refrigerant condenses during the reciprocation of the heat transfer tube. In this way, the refrigerant repeats evaporation and condensation while reciprocating between the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser. On the other hand, in the evaporator 5, the processing air A is cooled to the dew point temperature and moisture is removed.
[0004]
In this way, the heat exchanger 300 ″ is a process air before and after being cooled to the dew point temperature in the evaporator 5 while the refrigerant is alternately and repeatedly flowing between the intermediate evaporator 310 ″ and the intermediate condenser 320 ″. Heat exchange is performed between the two using the refrigerant as a medium, and as a result, the process air A cooled to the dew point in the evaporator 5 is reheated in the heat exchanger 300 ″.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional dehumidifying air conditioner as described above, in the intermediate evaporator 310 ″ and the intermediate condenser 320 ″, the meandering heat transfer tube that penetrates each requires a connecting tube that connects the two each time the shuttle goes back and forth. Therefore, the arrangement of the intermediate evaporator 310 ″ and the intermediate condenser 320 ″ was restricted. In particular, there is little problem when the intermediate evaporator 310 ″ and the intermediate condenser 320 ″ are arranged immediately adjacent to each other, but another device such as the evaporator 5 is to be inserted between the two. There was no reason.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dehumidifying air conditioner in which an intermediate evaporator and an intermediate condenser can be arranged without difficulty.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a dehumidifying air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention includes, as shown in FIG. 1, an evaporator 210 for evaporating a refrigerant C to cool a processing air A; A booster 260 for increasing the pressure of C; a condenser 220 for condensing the pressurized refrigerant C; and a refrigerant pressure provided between the condenser 220 and the evaporator 210 in the refrigerant path. An intermediate evaporator 310 for evaporating the refrigerant C at an intermediate pressure with respect to the evaporation pressure to cool the processing air A; provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser 220 and the evaporator 210, and condensing the condenser 220 An intermediate condenser 320 for condensing the refrigerant C at an intermediate pressure between the pressure and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator 210 to heat the processing air A; an intermediate evaporator 310, an evaporator 210, and an intermediate condenser 320 in this order. Process air path to connect 07 to 111; a first throttle mechanism 292 provided in a refrigerant path downstream of the intermediate condenser 320; and a second throttle mechanism 291 provided in a refrigerant path upstream of the intermediate evaporator 310. The intermediate evaporator 310 comprises a heat transfer tube 251 that penetrates in a meandering manner over one reciprocation in the flow of the processing air A; The heat transfer tube 252 of the intermediate evaporator 310 is connected to the heat transfer tube 252 of the intermediate condenser.
[0008]
Typically, the heat transfer tube 251 of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tube 252 of the intermediate condenser are connected to each other without going back and forth. Evaporator 210 cools process air A, typically to a dew point. The number of heat transfer tubes that penetrate the processing air over one reciprocation is typically two reciprocations or more, but may be 1.5 reciprocations. Since the refrigerant passes through more than one round trip, the refrigerant evaporates sufficiently in the intermediate evaporator 310 and condenses sufficiently in the intermediate condenser 320. When the heat transfer tube 251 of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tube 252 of the intermediate condenser are connected to each other without going back and forth, the structure becomes simple. Typically, the heat transfer tube 251 of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tube 252 of the intermediate condenser are connected by one pipe 202B.
[0009]
As described in claim 2, in the dehumidifying air conditioner according to claim 1, the intermediate evaporator 310, the evaporator 210, and the intermediate condenser 320 are arranged in this order along the flow path of the processing air A. They may be arranged on a line (for example, see FIGS. 2B and 2C).
[0010]
With this configuration, the evaporator is disposed between the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser.
[0011]
The intermediate evaporator 310 and the intermediate condenser 320 sandwich the evaporator 210 so that the heat transfer tubes do not come and go with each other, typically one pipe (may be a part of the heat transfer tubes). ) Since the connection is made at 202B, the structure is simplified.
[0012]
Note that a plurality of sets (a plurality of circuits) may be provided for the heat transfer tubes that pass through the plate fins more than one round trip. Also in this case, the structure is simple because the minimum piping is required for each set.
[0013]
Further, as described in claim 3, in the dehumidifying air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the intermediate evaporator 310 and the intermediate condenser 320 are different from each other. The heat transfer tubes 251 and 252 may have a plurality of plate fins arranged in parallel and meandering therethrough.
[0014]
In the dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 3, typically, the evaporator 210 includes a plurality of plate fins arranged in parallel and a heat transfer tube penetrating the plurality of plate fins in a meandering manner. The evaporator 310, the evaporator 210, and the intermediate condenser 320 are arranged adjacently in this order along the flow path of the processing air A, with a small gap between the plate fins constituting each. It may be.
[0015]
According to a fourth aspect, in the dehumidifying air conditioner according to any one of the first to third aspects, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the intermediate evaporator 310 ′ and the intermediate condenser The heat transfer tubes included in each of the heat transfer tubes 320 ′ constitute one or more circuits 251A, 251B and 252A, 252B in which the refrigerant C flows in parallel, respectively, and the heat transfer tubes of one circuit of the intermediate evaporator 310 ′ (for example, 251A), one circuit of the intermediate evaporator, and a corresponding heat transfer tube of one circuit (for example, 252A) of the intermediate condenser 320 ′ are connected by one path (for example, 202B-1).
[0016]
In order to achieve the above object, the dehumidifying air conditioner according to the invention of claim 5 cools the processing air A by evaporating the refrigerant C as shown in, for example, FIGS. 1, 6 (b) and (c). An evaporator 210; a booster 260 for increasing the pressure of the evaporated refrigerant C; a condenser 220 for condensing the increased pressure of the refrigerant C; and a condenser provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser 220 and the evaporator 210. An intermediate evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant C at an intermediate pressure between the condensing pressure of the evaporator 210 and the evaporating pressure of the evaporator 210 to cool the processing air A; provided in the refrigerant path between the condenser 220 and the evaporator 210 And an intermediate condenser for condensing the refrigerant C at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser 220 and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator 210 to heat the processing air A; an intermediate evaporator, the evaporator 210 and the intermediate condenser Are connected in this order. 1; a first throttle mechanism 292 provided in a refrigerant path downstream of the intermediate condenser; and a second throttle mechanism 291 provided in a refrigerant path upstream of the intermediate evaporator; Comprises a heat transfer tube penetrating one or more rounds through the flow of process air A; the intermediate condenser includes a heat transfer tube penetrating one or more rounds through the flow of process air A The intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser each include a plurality of heat transfer tubes, each of which constitutes a plurality of circuits 251A, 251B, 252A, and 252B in which the refrigerant C flows in parallel, and transfers the plurality of circuits of the intermediate evaporator. The heat tube and the heat transfer tubes of the plurality of circuits of the intermediate condenser are connected together by one path 202B.
[0017]
In order to achieve the above object, a dehumidifying air conditioner 21 according to the invention according to claim 6 includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, an evaporator 210 that evaporates a refrigerant C and cools a processing air A; A booster 260 for increasing the pressure of C; a condenser 220 for condensing the pressurized refrigerant C; and a refrigerant pressure provided between the condenser 220 and the evaporator 210 in the refrigerant path. An intermediate evaporator 310 for evaporating the refrigerant C at an intermediate pressure with respect to the evaporation pressure to cool the processing air A; provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser 220 and the evaporator 210, and condensing the condenser 220 An intermediate condenser 320 for condensing the refrigerant C at an intermediate pressure between the pressure and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator 210 to heat the processing air A; an intermediate evaporator 310, an evaporator 210, and an intermediate condenser 220 in this order. Process air path to connect 07 to 111; a first throttle mechanism 292 provided in a refrigerant path downstream of the intermediate condenser 320; and a second throttle mechanism 291 provided in a refrigerant path upstream of the intermediate evaporator 310. The intermediate evaporator 310 includes a heat transfer tube 251 passing through the flow of the processing air A in a meandering manner; the intermediate condenser 320 includes a heat transfer tube 252 passing through the flow of the processing air A in a meandering manner. The heat transfer tube 251 of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tube 252 of the intermediate condenser are connected in one way (202B).
[0018]
The one-way traffic here is typically one-way traffic in which the refrigerant flows from the heat transfer tube 251 on the intermediate evaporator 310 side to the heat transfer tube 252 on the intermediate condenser 320 side. That is, the intermediate evaporator 310 (evaporation section 251), the intermediate condenser 320 (condensation section 252), and the first throttle mechanism 292 flow in one-way, and unlike the prior art, flow from the evaporation section 251 to the condensation section 252. After returning to the evaporating section 251 from the condensing section 252, evaporation and condensation are not repeatedly performed.
[0019]
However, before entering the heat transfer tube of the evaporating section meandering more than one round trip of the evaporating section 251, as shown in the Mollier diagram of FIG. A condensing section may be provided for exchanging heat to the extent that it is robbed and brought to the state of point g. Thereafter, the refrigerant entering the evaporating section 251 flows in one direction to the condensing section 252 and does not return to the evaporating section 251 again.
[0020]
With this configuration, the structure is simple because the heat transfer tube does not reciprocate between the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser many times, and the arrangement of the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser is flexible. Is high.
[0021]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a dehumidifying air conditioner 21 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The dehumidifying air conditioner 21 includes a heat pump HP1 as a component thereof. The dehumidifying air-conditioning device 21 is a dehumidifying air-conditioning device capable of performing a dehumidifying operation in which the treated air A is cooled to its dew point temperature to remove moisture, reheat and dehumidify, and a cooling operation in which mainly sensible heat is removed. Here, when "processing air A is cooled to its dew point temperature and dehumidified", processing air A may be slightly supercooled. In this case, "cooling to dew point temperature or less and dehumidification" is performed. This concept is also included. In addition, air cooled to the dew point temperature to remove moisture has a lower dew point temperature than the original air, so `` cooling below the dew point temperature and dehumidifying '' based on the initial dew point temperature, this concept Including.
[0023]
The configuration of a dehumidifying air conditioner 21 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The dehumidifying air conditioner 21 reduces the humidity of the processing air A as a low heat source fluid by the evaporator 210, and maintains the air-conditioned space 101 to which the processing air A is supplied in a comfortable environment.
[0024]
In the figure, the processing air-related equipment configuration will be described along the path of the processing air A from the air-conditioned space 101. First, the path 107 connected to the air-conditioned space 101, the first section 310 of the heat exchanger 300 as the heat exchange means, the path 108, the evaporator 210 for cooling the processing air A below its dew point temperature, the path 109, the heat The second section 320 of the exchanger 300, the path 110, the blower 102 for circulating the processing air A connected to the path 110, the path 111, are arranged in this order, and are configured to return to the air-conditioned space 101. I have. In the figure, the air supplied from the dehumidifying air conditioner 21 to the air conditioning space 101 is indicated as SA, and the air returning from the air conditioning space 101 to the dehumidifying air conditioning device is indicated as RA.
[0025]
Further, along the path of the cooling air (outside air) B as a high heat source fluid from the outdoor OA, a path 124, a condenser 220 for cooling and condensing the refrigerant C, a path 125, and a blower 140 for blowing the cooling air B , Path 126 in this order, and are configured to exhaust EX to the outdoor OA.
[0026]
Next, the device configuration of the heat pump HP1, which is a component of the dehumidifying air conditioner 21, will be described along the path of the refrigerant C from the evaporator 210. In the figure, the evaporator 210, the path 204, the compressor 260 as a booster for compressing (pressurizing) the refrigerant C evaporated and gasified by the evaporator 210, the path 201, the condenser 220, the path 202, and the path 202 The throttle 330 inserted therein, the evaporation section 251 for cooling the processing air A flowing through the first section (intermediate evaporator) 310 of the heat exchanger 300, the pipe 202B, and the second section (intermediate condenser) of the heat exchanger 300 The heat pump HP1 is arranged such that the condensing section 252 for heating (reheating) the processing air A flowing through 320, the path 203, and the throttle 250 inserted and arranged in the path 203 are arranged in this order, and return to the evaporator 210 again. Is configured.
[0027]
The evaporating section 251 is formed of a tube meandering in the first section 310, and the condensing section 252 is formed of a tube meandering in the second section 320. In the present embodiment, the evaporating section 251 is connected to the condensing section 252 after meandering the first section 310 a plurality of times more than one round trip. Although this figure schematically shows a meandering of 2.5 reciprocations, the invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be 1.5 reciprocations, and the number of reciprocations is the diameter of the heat transfer tube and the length of the linear portion. It may be appropriately selected depending on the heat transfer amount. The condensing section 252 is connected to the path 203 after meandering the second section 320 several times. The number of reciprocations may be more than one reciprocation as in the case of the evaporating section 251.
[0028]
In the drawing, each section is shown to meander in a plane along the flow of the processing air A. However, in practice, it is preferable to meander in a plane orthogonal to the flow of the processing air A (see FIG. 2). ). However, a plurality of orthogonal surfaces may be provided to provide a plurality of meandering layers.
[0029]
In this manner, the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252 are formed by a continuous heat transfer tube, and after the evaporating section 251 has meandered a plurality of times in the first section 310 a plurality of times, that is, the refrigerant flowing therethrough is necessary. When the condensing section 252 is meandered a plurality of times in the second section after sufficient evaporation, the number of pipes connecting the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252 is one or at least (two to four). Since the number is sufficient, the first section 310 and the second section 320 are easily set apart from each other (see FIGS. 2B and 2C).
[0030]
Note that a path 202A that bypasses the throttle 330 is provided in the path 202 of the refrigerant C, and a throttle 335 and a solenoid valve 336 are provided in series in the path 202A. Further, a path 203A that bypasses the throttle 250 is provided in the path 203 of the refrigerant C, and a solenoid valve 253 is provided in the path 203A. A second throttle mechanism 291 is configured to include the aperture 330, the aperture 335, and the solenoid valve 336, and a first aperture mechanism 292 is configured to include the aperture 250 and the solenoid valve 253.
[0031]
When the solenoid valve 253 is opened, the opening area is formed to be substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the path 203. In other words, when the solenoid valve 253 is opened, the aperture of the first aperture mechanism 292 is reduced (the aperture area is increased), and the first aperture mechanism 292 has an opening that is large enough not to substantially act as an aperture. Become.
[0032]
The case where the solenoid valve 336 is opened corresponds to the case where the second diaphragm mechanism 291 is set to form a diaphragm having a large aperture area (the aperture area of the diaphragm 330 and the aperture area of the plus diaphragm 335). At this time, the degree of aperture of the second aperture mechanism decreases, that is, the aperture increases. The case where the solenoid valve 336 is closed is the case where the second diaphragm mechanism 291 is set to form a diaphragm having a small opening area (the opening area of the diaphragm 330). At this time, the aperture of the second aperture mechanism increases, that is, the aperture becomes smaller.
[0033]
In other words, when the solenoid valve 253 is opened, the opening area of the first throttle mechanism 292 is increased, and the first throttle mechanism 292 is set so as not to substantially form a throttle. The case where the solenoid valve 253 is closed is the case where the opening area of the first aperture mechanism 292 is reduced and the first aperture mechanism 292 is set to form an aperture.
[0034]
Here, the configuration of the heat exchanger 300 will be described. The heat exchanger 300 is a heat exchanger that indirectly exchanges heat between the processing air A before and after flowing into the evaporator 210 via the refrigerant C.
[0035]
In this heat exchanger 300, a first section 310 through which processing air A flows before passing through evaporator 210 and a second section 320 through which processing air A flows after passing through evaporator 210 are provided separately. It constitutes a rectangular parallelepiped space. Both compartments are provided with partitions 301 and 302 so that process air flowing through both compartments is not mixed, and a pipe 202B connecting the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252, which are heat exchange tubes, forms a partition between the two compartments. Penetrates.
[0036]
In the figure, the processing air A before being introduced into the evaporator 210 is supplied to the first section 310 through the path 107 from the right and exits through the path 108 from the left. Further, the processing air A cooled to the dew point temperature (below) through the evaporator 210 and having a reduced absolute humidity is supplied from the left side in the drawing to the second section 320 through the path 109, and exits from the right side through the path 110. .
[0037]
Next, a configuration example of the evaporator 210 and the heat exchanger 300 will be specifically described with reference to a schematic side view showing an installation state of the dehumidifying air conditioner of FIG. 2 and a perspective view of the heat exchanger. (B) As shown in (c), the evaporating section 251 composed of a heat transfer tube (small tube) is arranged so as to penetrate a large number of plate fins. The plate fin is made of sheet metal of a material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum. The outermost fins are connected to each other by U-tubes. By being connected by the U tube, the heat transfer tube penetrates the first section 310 several times while meandering.
[0038]
The first section 310 is a rectangular parallelepiped space formed by arranging a large number of rectangular plate fins in parallel. Further, it is preferable that the outer surface of the rectangular parallelepiped space accommodating the plate fin and the thin tube group is surrounded by a plate housing. However, the two opposing surfaces of the housing are open, through which processing air passes.
[0039]
Similarly, the condensing section 252, which is a heat transfer tube, penetrates the second section 320 in a meandering manner multiple times. The second section 320 is also a rectangular parallelepiped space having the same structure as the first section 310.
[0040]
The end of the evaporation section 251 and the end of the condensation section 252 are connected by a pipe 202B. In the present embodiment, the pipe 202B is configured as a part of a continuous tube forming the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252.
[0041]
In this embodiment, the heat transfer tube of the evaporating section 251 passes through the first section 310 in a meandering and reciprocating manner for 2.5 times, and then, as one path, one pipe (the transfer of the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252). (Tube of the same size as the heat tube) and is connected to the heat transfer tube of the condensing section 252 of the second section 320. Thereafter, the heat transfer tubes of the second compartment 320 are shown to meander 2.5 times back and forth through the second compartment 320.
[0042]
Thus, the heat transfer tube that has penetrated the second section 320 is connected to the evaporator 210 via the throttle 250 without returning to the first section 310. Therefore, the heat transfer tube is one-way between the first section 310 and the second section 320, and the heat transfer tube does not reciprocate many times, so that the structure is simplified.
Therefore, the flexibility of the arrangement of the first section 310 and the second section 320 is high.
[0043]
As described above, the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252, which are the refrigerant flow paths, each constitute a meandering thin tube group. In this way, while the refrigerant C flowing in one direction as a whole from the evaporating section 251 to the condensing section 252 flows in a meandering manner in the group of thin tubes, it evaporates in the evaporating section 251 and condenses in the condensing section 252. The heat from the higher temperature process air A flowing through the first section 310 is transferred to the lower temperature process air A flowing through the second section 320.
[0044]
Similarly, the evaporator 210 is configured such that heat transfer tubes pass through a number of rectangular plate fins. The configuration is a rectangular parallelepiped space similar to the first section 310 and the second section 320. And it connects by the U-tube (YouTube) outside the outermost fin. Thus, the heat transfer tube penetrates the fin a plurality of times while meandering.
[0045]
In the present embodiment, while the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252 are each configured as a single-layered thin tube group arranged in a meandering manner in one plane orthogonal to the flow of the processing air A, The evaporator 210 is configured as a two-layer thin tube group arranged in a meandering manner in two planes orthogonal to the flow of the processing air A. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of layers may be determined according to the amount of heat transfer. Further, the distribution of the heat transfer area of the thin tube group in the heat exchanger 300 and the evaporator 210 may be determined according to the ratio between the latent heat load and the sensible heat load, as described later.
[0046]
Further, the evaporator 210 is disposed between a first section 310 which is an intermediate evaporator and a second section 320 which is an intermediate condenser. With this arrangement, one rectangular parallelepiped space can be divided into three sections, each of which can be configured as the first section 310, the evaporator 210, and the second section 320, thereby simplifying the structure. Between each section 310, 320 and the evaporator 210, the fins are preferably cut so as to be discontinuous as shown. This is because the temperature of each adjacent part is different. In this drawing, although a considerable gap is shown between each of the sections 310 and 320 and the evaporator 210, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if there is a gap around a break.
[0047]
Further, the fins may be configured to be continuous without making any cuts. In that case, a heat transfer tube is passed through an integrated parallel fin group, and a heat transfer tube forming the first section 310, a heat transfer tube forming the evaporator 210, and a heat transfer tube forming the second section 320. Tubes are divided into groups and connected with U tubes.
If the heat transfer tubes of each heat exchanger are connected to each other via a communication tube via a throttle or the like as necessary, an integrated heat exchanger combining three types of separate heat exchangers is formed. it can.
[0048]
In this configuration, regardless of whether the fins are cut or not, the thin tube group penetrates the fins at equal intervals and is expanded and fixed to the fins, and each thin tube is connected with a simple U tube. The connection between the sections 310 and 320 and the evaporator 210 may be made by one or a small number of pipes (or a part of the small pipes), so that the configuration is simple and the production is easy.
[0049]
Further, as shown in (b) and (c), the intermediate evaporator 310, the evaporator 210 and the intermediate condenser 320 are arranged in a straight line along the flow path of the processing air A in this order. In particular, the evaporator 210 is disposed between the intermediate evaporator 310 and the intermediate condenser 320. With such an arrangement, the entire heat exchanger is compact.
[0050]
Next, an example in which the above-described dehumidifying air conditioner is applied as an air conditioner of the air-conditioned space 101 will be described with reference to a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. In the air-conditioning space 101, that is, in the indoor unit installed indoors, a heat exchanger assembly in which a first section 310, an evaporator 210, and a second section 320 are integrally formed, return air RA, supply air SA Is circulated. If a cross-flow fan is used as the blower 102, the indoor units can be compacted. A dust filter is provided upstream of the flow of the return air RA in the first section 310.
A drain pan 450 is provided below the heat exchanger 300 and the evaporator 210, and a drain pipe leads from the drain pan 450 to the outside.
[0051]
Return air RA is filtered through a filter, pre-cooled in first section 310, further cooled in evaporator 210 and dehumidified to saturated air. This saturated air is reheated in the second section 320 and is supplied to the air-conditioned space 101 by the blower 102 as supply air SA having an appropriate absolute humidity and an appropriate temperature, that is, an appropriate relative humidity. In other words, the treated air is pre-cooled while passing in one direction through a group of plate fins and a group of thin tubes that seem at first glance to a normal cooling fin tube heat exchanger (although there is a break between each section and the evaporator). , Moisture removal, and reheating are performed at once, and supply air SA with appropriate humidity and temperature is obtained.
[0052]
A condenser 220, a compressor 260, and a blower 140 are housed in an outdoor unit installed outside the air-conditioned space 101. The condenser 220 and the evaporating section 251 of the first section 310 are connected by a pipe 202, and the evaporator 210 and the compressor 260 are connected by a pipe 203. That is, the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected only by the two pipes 202 and 203. In this drawing, the aperture mechanisms 291 and 292 are not shown.
[0053]
Next, the flow of the refrigerant C between the devices will be described first with reference to FIG. 1, and then with reference to the refrigerant Mollier diagram in the dehumidifying operation mode as the first operation mode of the heat pump HP1 shown in FIG. Next, the operation of the heat pump HP1 will be described.
[0054]
In FIG. 1, the case of the dehumidification operation mode as the first operation mode will be described first. At this time, the solenoid valve 336 is closed, and the solenoid valve 253 is also closed. The refrigerant gas C compressed by the compressor 260 is guided to the condenser 220 via the refrigerant gas pipe 201 connected to the outlet of the compressor 260. The refrigerant gas C compressed by the compressor 260 is cooled and condensed by outside air B as cooling air.
[0055]
The refrigerant outlet of the condenser 220 is connected to the inlet of the evaporating section 251 of the heat exchanger 300 by the refrigerant path 202. In the middle of the refrigerant path 202, near the entrance of the evaporating section 251, a throttle 330 is provided in the refrigerant path 202, and a bypass 335 and a solenoid valve 336 are provided in series in a bypass path 202A bypassing the throttle 330 in the refrigerant path. 336 is closed. The reason why the solenoid valve 336 is closed is that the required refrigerant flow rate is usually smaller in the dehumidifying operation mode than in the cooling operation mode.
[0056]
The liquid refrigerant C that has exited the condenser 220 is decompressed by the throttle 330, expanded, and a part of the refrigerant C evaporates (flashes). The refrigerant C in which the liquid and the gas are mixed reaches the evaporating section 251, where the liquid refrigerant C flows through the plate fins so as to wet and wet the inner wall of the tube of the evaporating section 251, and evaporates. The processing air A that flows through the section 310 before flowing into the evaporator 210 is cooled (precooled).
[0057]
The refrigerant that has evaporated to some extent in the evaporating section 251 and has become a mixture of gas and liquid is guided to the pipe 202B and flows into the condensing section 252. The processing air A flowing through the second section 320, that is, the processing air A that has been pre-cooled in the first section 310, cooled and dehumidified in the evaporator 210, and has become lower in temperature than before flowing into the evaporator 210, is heated (reheated). Heat), and the refrigerant itself is deprived of heat and condenses. In the present embodiment, the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252 are formed by a series of tubes (including U tubes). That is, since the refrigerant gas C (and the non-evaporated refrigerant liquid C) that has evaporated in the evaporating section 251 flows into the condensing section 252 and is condensed, the heat is generated at the same time as the mass transfer. Make the move.
[0058]
The outlet side of the last condensing section 252 of the heat exchanger 300 is connected to the evaporator 210 by a refrigerant liquid pipe 203, and an expansion valve 250 and a solenoid valve 253 that bypasses the expansion valve 250 are installed in the refrigerant pipe 203. ing.
[0059]
The refrigerant liquid C condensed in the condensing section 252 is decompressed and expanded by the throttle 250 to lower the temperature, enters the evaporator 210 and evaporates, and cools the processing air A by the heat of evaporation. As the throttles 330 and 250, for example, orifices, capillary tubes, expansion valves, float valves, and the like are used. Since the solenoid valve 253 is closed, the refrigerant liquid C does not pass through the solenoid valve 253.
[0060]
The refrigerant C evaporated and gasified by the evaporator 210 is guided to the suction side of the compressor 260 through the path 204, and the above cycle is repeated.
[0061]
In the figure, the behavior of the refrigerant C in the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252 of the heat exchanger 300 will be described. First, the liquid-phase and gas-phase refrigerant C flows into the evaporating section 251. It may be a refrigerant liquid C which is partially vaporized and slightly contains a gas phase. The refrigerant C pre-cools the processing air A while flowing through the evaporating section 251 and itself flows into the condensing section 252 while being heated and increasing the gas phase. The condensing section 252 heats the processing air A having a lower temperature than the processing air A in the evaporating section 251 by cooling and dehumidification, and deprives itself of heat to condense the gas-phase refrigerant C. As described above, the refrigerant C flows through the refrigerant flow path while undergoing a phase change between a gas phase and a liquid phase, and the treated air A before being cooled by the evaporator 210 and the cooled air by the evaporator 210 reduce the absolute humidity. Heat is exchanged with the processing air A.
[0062]
In the case of the cooling operation as the second operation mode, the solenoid valve 336 is closed to open to allow the refrigerant C to flow through the throttle 335, and the solenoid valve 253 is closed to open to reduce the pressure drop of the refrigerant C before and after the throttle 250. The operation mode is switched from the dehumidification operation as the first operation mode to the cooling operation as the second operation mode so as not to wake up. In response to opening the solenoid valve 243, the operating speed of the compressor 260 may be increased to increase the amount of refrigerant dispensed per unit time. The evaporation pressure of the evaporator 210 becomes appropriate, and the refrigerant mass flow rate as the refrigerant flow rate passing through the evaporator also increases.
[0063]
By doing so, the pressure drop of the refrigerant C before and after the throttle 250 can be made substantially zero, and the pressure drop of the refrigerant C excluding the pipe pressure loss can be generated in the throttles 330 and 335. The pressure of the refrigerant C in the evaporating section 251 is substantially equal to the pressure of the refrigerant C in the evaporator 210, and the refrigerant C is evaporated in the condensing section 252 and the evaporating section 251 in addition to the evaporator 210. Therefore, the heat transfer area of evaporation increases, so that the cooling capacity, that is, the sensible heat treatment capacity can be increased.
[0064]
Then, in the dehumidifying operation mode, the amount of water condensed due to cooling is increased from that in the cooling operation mode by using the heat exchanger 300 as a reheat heat exchanger for the processing air A before and after passing through the evaporator 210, and in the cooling operation mode. The dehumidifying ability, that is, the latent heat treatment ability can be increased. Thereby, in the dehumidifying operation mode, the humidity can be reduced more quickly than in the cooling operation mode, and it is possible to cope with a so-called low sensible heat ratio and high humidity indoor air conditioning load.
Further, in the dehumidifying operation mode, the amount of dew condensation may be increased from that in the cooling operation mode by reducing the amount of air blown by the blower 102 from that in the cooling operation mode. For this purpose, it is preferable that the blower 102 is also driven by a variable speed motor (not shown) so that the increase / decrease control of the rotation speed can be performed.
[0065]
When the dehumidifying air conditioner of the first embodiment is applied to a home air conditioner, a dehumidifying operation is performed so that the room does not become too cold during the rainy season or when sleeping at night in the summer, and a low humidity and comfortable environment is provided. Can be made.
[0066]
As described above, the dehumidifying air conditioner of the present embodiment has a variable sensible heat ratio of the air conditioning load, and can perform energy-saving operation in both the dehumidifying operation and the cooling operation.
[0067]
Next, the operation of the heat pump HP1 in the dehumidifying operation mode will be described with reference to the Mollier diagram of FIG. Note that FIG. 1 is appropriately referred to for devices and the like. FIG. 3 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 addition, examples of the refrigerant C suitable for the heat pump and the dehumidifying air conditioner of the present invention include HFC407C and HFC410A. In these refrigerants C, the operating pressure range shifts to a higher pressure side than the HFC 134a.
[0068]
In the figure, point a is the state of the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator 210, and the refrigerant C is in the state of a saturated gas. The pressure is 0.34 MPa, the temperature is 5 ° C., and the enthalpy is 400.9 kJ / kg. 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 0.94 MPa, and the state is a superheated gas.
[0069]
This refrigerant gas C is cooled in the condenser 220 and reaches a point c on the Mollier diagram.
This point is a saturated gas state, the pressure is 0.94 MPa, and the temperature is 38 ° 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 250.5 kJ / kg.
[0070]
The refrigerant liquid C is decompressed by the throttle 330 and flows into the evaporating section 251 of the heat exchanger 300. On the Mollier diagram, it is indicated by a point e. The pressure is an intermediate pressure of the present invention, and has a value intermediate between 0.34 MPa and 0.94 MPa in the present embodiment. Here, a state in which a part of the liquid is evaporated and the liquid and the gas are mixed.
[0071]
In the evaporating section 251, the refrigerant liquid C evaporates under the intermediate pressure and reaches a point f between the saturated liquid line and the saturated gas line at the same pressure. Here, a part of the liquid has evaporated, but the refrigerant liquid C remains to some extent.
[0072]
The refrigerant C in the state indicated by the point f flows into the condensation section 252. In the condensing section 252, the refrigerant C is deprived of heat by the low temperature process air A flowing through the second section 320, and reaches the point g.
[0073]
Point g is on the saturated liquid line in the Mollier diagram. The temperature is 18 ° C. and the enthalpy is 223.3 kJ / kg.
[0074]
The refrigerant liquid C at point g is reduced in pressure by the throttle 250 to 0.34 MPa, which is a saturation pressure at a temperature of 5 ° C., and reaches point j. The refrigerant C at this point j reaches the evaporator 210 as a mixture of the refrigerant liquid C and the refrigerant gas C at 5 ° C., where it deprives the processing air A of heat, evaporates and evaporates to the state at the point a on the Mollier diagram. , And is sucked into the compressor 260 again, and the above cycle is repeated.
[0075]
As described above, in the heat exchanger 300, the refrigerant C changes the state of evaporation from the point e to the point f in the evaporating section 251, and changes the state of condensation from the point f to the point g1 in the condensing section 252. The heat transfer is very high and the heat exchange efficiency is high because of the evaporation heat transfer and the condensation heat transfer.
[0076]
As in the prior art, when the refrigerant is moved back and forth between the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252 and the evaporation and the condensation are repeatedly performed, the refrigerant can be repeatedly used as a heat transfer medium. However, there is a problem that the flexibility of the arrangement of the evaporating section 251 and the condensing section 252 is low.
[0077]
Here, the refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporating section 251 to pre-cool the processing air A, and the amount of cold required for the pre-cooling is smaller than the amount of cold required for removing moisture in the evaporator 210 (described later). (See FIG. 4). The amount of pre-cooling cold is, at a high level, about the same as the amount of water removed by the evaporator 210. In this embodiment, the flow of the refrigerant is one-way from the evaporating section 251 to the condensing section 252 in consideration of such a balance between the amount of pre-cooling and the amount of water for removing moisture. Can be enjoyed the advantage of high flexibility.
[0078]
Further, when the heat exchanger 300 is not provided as the compression heat pump HP1 including the compressor 260, the condenser 220, the throttles 330 and 250, and the evaporator 210, the refrigerant C in the state of the point d in the condenser 220 is throttled. In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 300 is provided, whereas the enthalpy difference available in the evaporator 210 is only 400.9-250.5 = 150.4 kJ / kg. In the case of the heat pump HP1 used in the above, 400.9-223.3 = 177.6 kJ / kg, and the amount of gas circulating to the compressor 260 for the same cooling load and, consequently, the required power must be reduced by 15%. Can be. That is, the same operation as in the subcool cycle can be provided.
[0079]
Next, the operation of the heat pump HP1 in the cooling operation mode will be described. The operation up to point d in the figure is the same as in the dehumidifying operation mode, and the description up to point d is omitted. After exiting the condenser 220, the refrigerant C passes through a throttle 330. After passing through the throttle, the pressure decreases from 0.94 MPa to 0.34 MPa, and shifts from point d to point j ′ in the drawing. The enthalpy at this point j ′ is 250.5 kJ / kg, and the temperature is 5 ° C. Then, the refrigerant evaporates in the heat exchanger 300 and the evaporator 210 and reaches the point a.
[0080]
Here, the dehumidification load and the cooling load will be described. Especially in climates such as Japan in temperate and subtropical regions, the maximum value of the dehumidification load (latent heat load) of the air conditioning load is not so different between the midsummer and the rainy season. On the other hand, the sensible heat load increases remarkably in the middle of summer, for example, in August. Therefore, as a design maximum load of an air conditioner that combines cooling and dehumidification, a load at the time of high summer must be adopted.
[0081]
On the other hand, the maximum load in the dehumidifying operation mode is equal to or less than half of the maximum load in the cooling operation mode. As an example, assuming that the total load at midsummer is 100, the latent heat load is 30 and the total load in the rainy season such as the rainy season is 40, and the latent heat load is 25.
Therefore, the amount of heat to be taken by the evaporator is much larger in the cooling operation mode than in the dehumidification operation mode. This is because the increase in the sensible heat load increases. However, the latent heat load does not change much between the rainy season and midsummer.
[0082]
According to the embodiment of the present invention, in the cooling operation mode, a heat transfer area usable as the evaporator is added to the heat exchanger 300 in addition to the evaporator 210, so that sufficient heat transfer can be secured. In the dehumidifying operation mode, the heat transfer area that can be used as the evaporator corresponds to the evaporator 210, and can be a heat transfer area suitable for the dehumidification load. The heat exchanger 300 can be used for reheating the so-called excessively cooled process air after dehumidification, and can be used for pre-cooling the process air at the same time.
[0083]
When viewed from another direction, the heat transfer area of the evaporator having a heat transfer area necessary and sufficient for the air conditioner dedicated to cooling may be divided into three parts to form the evaporator 210, the evaporating section 251, and the condensing section 252. That is, a compact and efficient air conditioner for both cooling and dehumidification can be configured by adjusting the refrigerant pipes with the same size as the evaporator of the air conditioner dedicated to cooling.
[0084]
For a climate having the above load ratio, about 40 to 60% of the heat transfer area of the entire heat exchanger is distributed to the evaporator 210, and the remaining 60 to 40% of the heat transfer area is condensed with the evaporator section 251. What is necessary is just to distribute to the section 252 according to the heat transfer amount.
[0085]
The operation of the dehumidifying air conditioner 21 in the dehumidifying operation mode will be described with reference to the psychrometric chart in the dehumidifying operation mode of the dehumidifying air conditioner 21 shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the state of air in each part is indicated by alphabetic symbols K, X, L, and M. This symbol corresponds to the circled alphabet in the flow diagram of FIG. In addition, this diagram can be applied to a dehumidifying air conditioner according to another embodiment, which will be described later, with respect to the psychrometric chart.
[0086]
In the figure, the processing air A (state K) from the air-conditioned space 101 is sent through the processing air path 107 to the first section 310 of the heat exchanger 300, where the refrigerant C evaporates in the evaporating section 251 to some extent. Cooled. This is pre-cooling before being cooled to the dew point temperature (below) by the evaporator 210, so it can be called pre-cooling. During this time, while being pre-cooled in the first section 310 where the evaporating section 251 is located, the water reaches a point X while removing a certain amount of water and slightly reducing the absolute humidity. Point X is on the saturation line. Alternatively, in the pre-cooling stage, cooling to an intermediate point between the points K and X may be performed. Alternatively, the cooling may be performed to a point beyond the point X to a point slightly shifted on the saturation line to the low humidity side.
[0087]
The pre-cooled process air A is introduced into the evaporator 210 through the path 108.
Here, the processing air A is cooled to its dew point temperature (below) by the refrigerant C, which is decompressed by the expansion valve 250 and evaporates at a low temperature. To point L. The bold line indicating the change from the point X to the point L is drawn shifted from the saturation line for convenience, but actually overlaps the saturation line.
[0088]
The processing air A in the state of the point L flows into the second section 320 of the heat exchanger 300 through the path 109. Here, the refrigerant C is heated by the refrigerant C condensing in the condensing section 252 while keeping the absolute humidity constant, and reaches the point M. At the point M, the absolute humidity is sufficiently lower than the point K, and the dry-bulb temperature is not too low.
[0089]
In the heat exchanger 300, the processing air A is precooled by evaporating the refrigerant C in the evaporating section 251, and the processing air A is reheated by condensing the refrigerant C in the condensing section 252. The refrigerant C evaporated in the evaporation section 251 is condensed in the condensation section 252. As described above, the heat exchange between the process airs A before and after being cooled by the evaporator 210 is indirectly performed by the same evaporation and condensation of the refrigerant C.
[0090]
Outside air B is introduced into the condenser 220 through a path 124. The outside air B removes heat from the condensing refrigerant C, and the heated outside air B is sucked into the blower 140 via the path 125 and discharged outside via the path 126 (EX).
[0091]
Here, in the air-side cycle shown on the psychrometric chart of FIG. 4, the heat quantity of pre-cooling the processing air A in the first section 310, that is, the heat quantity ΔH of reheating the processing air A in the second section 320 is ΔQ is the amount of heat recovered from the processing air A by the evaporator 210. The cooling effect of cooling the air-conditioned space 101 is Δi.
[0092]
As shown in the drawing, since ΔH ≦ ΔQ, the evaporating section 251 as the heat transfer tube of the intermediate evaporator and the condensing section 252 as the heat transfer tube of the intermediate condenser are connected in one way. The refrigerant does not dry out in the heat exchanger, and the amount of heat transfer does not run short.
[0093]
The dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus 21 of the first embodiment increases the heat transfer area of the evaporator by using the heat exchanger 300 as the air-air heat exchanger in the cooling operation mode to increase the evaporator temperature. To increase the cooling capacity, that is, the sensible heat treatment capacity. As a result, the room temperature can be quickly lowered, and it is possible to cope with a so-called high sensible heat ratio, a dry and high-temperature indoor air conditioning load.
[0094]
That is, in the cooling operation mode, in the psychrometric chart of FIG. 4, the processing air A that has left the air-conditioned space 101 (FIG. 1) (state K) is the first section 310 (FIG. 1) of the heat exchanger. The evaporator 210 (FIG. 1), cooled in the second section 320 of the heat exchanger (FIG. 1), and the process air A exiting the second section 320 of the heat exchanger is treated at a point near point X in the figure. In the state represented by. In the cooling operation mode, it is preferable that the air flow rate of the blower 102 is set to be larger than that in the dehumidification operation mode. This is because a large amount of sensible heat can be easily obtained in this manner.
[0095]
The dehumidifying air conditioner 21 of the present embodiment uses the heat exchanger 300 as a reheat heat exchanger for the processing air A before and after passing through the evaporator 210 in the dehumidifying operation mode, thereby reducing the amount of water condensed by cooling in the cooling operation mode. It is possible to increase the dehumidifying ability, that is, the latent heat treatment ability. Thereby, in the dehumidifying operation mode, the humidity can be quickly reduced, and it is possible to cope with a so-called low sensible heat ratio and a high humidity indoor air conditioning load.
[0096]
The dehumidifying air conditioner 21 has a variable sensible heat ratio of the air conditioning load, and can perform energy-saving operation in both the dehumidifying operation and the cooling operation.
[0097]
Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the dehumidifying air conditioner 22 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The dehumidifying air conditioner 22 includes a heat pump HP2 as a component.
[0098]
The equipment configuration related to the processing air along the path of the processing air A from the air-conditioned space 101 and the equipment configuration along the path of the cooling air (outside air) B as the high heat source fluid from the outdoor OA are all the first embodiment. Since it is the same as in the case of the embodiment, repeated description will be omitted.
[0099]
The device configuration of the heat pump HP2 along the path of the refrigerant C from the evaporator 210'-1 is basically the same except for the structure of the evaporator 210'-1. Hereinafter, the description of the same configuration will be omitted, and the description will be focused on the different parts.
[0100]
Here, the circuit concept of the evaporator 210'-1 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The number of circuits of the heat exchanger that causes the refrigerant to flow through the heat transfer tube and exchange heat between the refrigerant and the fluid flowing outside the heat transfer tube is the number of flow paths through which the refrigerant flows in parallel. In the figure, the refrigerant path 203 is connected to a distributor 601 provided immediately after entering the heat transfer tubes 210A and 210B of the evaporator 210'-1 after exiting the throttle 250. The refrigerant path 621 and the refrigerant path 622 branch from the distributor 601 and are configured to introduce the refrigerant into the heat transfer tubes 210A and 210B, respectively.
[0101]
The heat transfer tubes 210A and 210B are arranged so that the refrigerant flows in parallel in the evaporator 210'-1. The flow direction of the refrigerant is opposite to the flow direction of the processing air A. This is preferably a countercurrent flow in temperature.
[0102]
In this embodiment, the number of circuits in the evaporator 210'-1 is two. On the other hand, in the heat exchanger 300, one heat transfer tube meanders, and the number of circuits is one. That is, since the number of circuits in the first section 310, which is the intermediate evaporator portion of the heat exchanger 300, is 1, it is smaller than the number of circuits in the evaporator 210'-1.
[0103]
Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to a partial view of FIG. This partial diagram shows the heat exchanger 300'-1 and the evaporator 210'-2 and their surroundings extracted. The other parts are the same as in FIG. 5 and are not shown. In the figure, a refrigerant path 202 is connected to a distributor 603 after a throttle mechanism 291, and two refrigerant pipes 625 and 626 branch from the distributor 603. The refrigerant pipe 625 is connected to the heat transfer tube 251A, and the refrigerant pipe 626 is connected to the heat transfer tube 251B. The heat transfer tubes 251A and 251B are arranged so that the refrigerant flows in parallel in the first section (intermediate evaporator portion) 310 '. That is, the number of circuits in the first section 310 'is two. The flow direction of the refrigerant is opposite to the flow direction of the processing air A.
[0104]
The heat transfer tube 251A is connected to a heat transfer tube 252A meandering in a second section (intermediate evaporator portion) 320 'via a pipe 202B-1 when the heat transfer tube 251A exits the first section 310'. The heat transfer tube 251B is connected to a heat transfer tube 252B arranged in a meandering manner in the second section 320 'via a pipe 202B-2. Further, the heat transfer tubes 252A and 252B are arranged so that the refrigerant flows in parallel in the second section 320 ′. That is, the number of circuits in the second section 320 'is two. Also in this case, the flow direction of the refrigerant is opposite to the flow direction of the processing air A.
[0105]
In the present embodiment, the refrigerant pipe connecting the first section 310 'and the second section 320' is one pipe for each circuit, that is, the refrigerant pipes 202B-1 and 202B-2, respectively. Since there are two circuits, there are two connection pipes.
[0106]
When the heat transfer tubes 252A and 252B exit the second section 320 ', they are connected to the merge header 604 and merge.
[0107]
The refrigerant path from the expansion mechanism 292 is connected to the distributor 601, from which it branches into four refrigerant pipes 621, 622, 623, and 624. These four refrigerant pipes are respectively connected to four parallel meandering heat transfer tubes in the evaporator 210 '. That is, the number of circuits of the evaporator 210 'is four. After exiting the evaporator 210 ′, the four heat transfer tubes are connected to the merge header 602 and merge. The coolant path 204 is connected to the junction header 602. The rest is the same as the second embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
In this embodiment, the number of circuits of the intermediate heat exchanger 300'-1 is two, which is less than the number of circuits of the evaporator 210 '. The number of circuits of the evaporator 210 'may be three.
[0108]
The circuit of the heat exchanger 300 ′-1 is configured to be joined to the merge header 604, squeezed by the squeezing mechanism 292, and re-divided to the circuit of the evaporator 210 ′. Even if the evaporation and condensation of the gas are uneven in each circuit, the unevenness is not introduced into the evaporator 210. Further, the aperture mechanism can be integrated, and the structure can be simplified.
[0109]
In (a), the intermediate heat exchanger 300'-1 has been described as being connected by one pipe for each circuit, that is, the refrigerant pipes 202B-1 and 202B-2, respectively. As shown in the intermediate heat exchanger 300'-2 of the fourth embodiment, the heat transfer tubes of a plurality of circuits may be combined into one pipe at the outlet of the first section and guided to the second section. Good.
[0110]
In the present embodiment, the heat transfer tubes in the evaporating section of the first section are combined into a merge header 603-1 and guided to the branch header 604-1 by one pipe 202B. From the branch header 604-1, it branches to a plurality of tubes of the condensation section 252. The flow passage area of the pipe 202B may be substantially equal to the flow passage area of the heat transfer tube × the number of circuits. The rest is the same as the third embodiment of FIG.
[0111]
The intermediate heat exchanger 300'-3 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the partial flowchart of FIG. In the present embodiment, the evaporating section of the first section and the condensing section of the second section are each composed of three circuits. The three circuits of the evaporating section are combined into one merging header, and are led to the branch header of the condensing section by one connecting pipe 202B. From the branch header, three circuit heat transfer tubes in the condensing section branch.
[0112]
As described above, even when the circuit of the intermediate evaporator and the circuit of the intermediate condenser that meander 1.5 times or more and the circuit of the intermediate condenser are connected with one tube for each circuit, the circuit of the intermediate evaporator and the circuit that meanders 1 or more times Even when the circuits of the condenser are connected together by one pipe, the number of pipes connecting the two can be minimized, so that the structure is simplified and the flexibility of arrangement of the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser is provided. Is high.
[0113]
In the above embodiment, the description has been made on the assumption that the return air from the air-conditioned space 101 is introduced into the first section. However, the outside air may be introduced without introducing the return air from the air-conditioned space 101. It is preferable that the outside air having high humidity and temperature be pre-cooled before being cooled by the evaporator 210. With such a configuration, air conditioning in a hospital or a restaurant requiring the entire amount of outside air can be performed with a high COP.
[0114]
In the embodiment described above, the evaporator 210 that cools the processing air A to the dew point (below), the heat exchanger 300 that is a pre-cooler that pre-cools the processing air A, and the re-heater that performs re-heating are provided. Since the same refrigerant is used as the heat transfer medium of the heat exchanger 300, the refrigerant system is simply simplified, and circulation can be actively performed because the pressure difference between the evaporator 210 and the condenser 220 can be used. In addition, since the boiling phenomenon accompanying a phase change can be applied to the heat exchange of precooling and reheating, the efficiency can be increased.
[0115]
In the above embodiments, the dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus for air-conditioning the air-conditioned space has been described. The dehumidifying air conditioner of the present invention includes such a case.
[0116]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the heat transfer tube passes through the flow of the processing air in a meandering manner over one reciprocation, the refrigerant evaporates sufficiently in the intermediate evaporator and sufficiently in the intermediate condenser. To condense. When the heat transfer tube of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tube of the intermediate condenser are connected without going back and forth, it is possible to provide a dehumidifying air conditioner with a simple structure.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a dehumidifying air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an installation state of the dehumidifying air conditioner shown in FIG. 1 and a perspective view of a heat exchanger.
FIG. 3 is a Mollier diagram of a heat pump of the dehumidifying air conditioner shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a psychrometric chart for explaining the operation of the dehumidifying air conditioner of FIG. 1 in a dehumidifying operation mode.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a dehumidifying air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a partial flow chart showing an intermediate heat exchanger according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a conventional dehumidifying air conditioner.
[Explanation of symbols]
21 Dehumidifying air conditioner 101 Air conditioning space 102, 140 Blower 210 Evaporator 220 Condenser 251A, 251B Evaporation section 252A, 252B Condensing section 250 Restrictor 253 Solenoid valve 260 Compressor 291 Second restrictor mechanism 292 First restrictor mechanism 300, 300 '-1 Heat exchanger 310, 310' First section 320, 320 'Second section 330 Restriction 335 Restriction 336 Solenoid valve HP1 Heat pump

Claims (6)

An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant to cool the processing air;
A booster for boosting the evaporated refrigerant;
A condenser for condensing the pressurized refrigerant;
Intermediate evaporation that is provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser and the evaporator, and evaporates refrigerant at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator to cool the processing air. Vessel and;
Intermediate condensation that is provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser and the evaporator and condenses the refrigerant at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator to heat the processing air Vessel and;
A processing air path connecting the intermediate evaporator, the evaporator, and the intermediate condenser in this order;
A first throttle mechanism provided in a refrigerant path downstream of the intermediate condenser;
A second throttle mechanism provided in a refrigerant path on the upstream side of the intermediate evaporator; the intermediate evaporator includes a heat transfer tube penetrating in a meandering manner over one reciprocation in the flow of the processing air. Consisting of;
The intermediate condenser comprises a heat transfer tube passing through the process air stream in a meandering manner for more than one round trip;
The heat transfer tube of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tube of the intermediate condenser are connected;
Dehumidifying air conditioner. The dehumidifying air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate evaporator, the evaporator, and the intermediate condenser are arranged in a straight line in this order along a flow path of the processing air. The dehumidifying air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser have a plurality of plate fins arranged in parallel through which the heat transfer tubes meander. The heat transfer tubes included in each of the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser constitute one or more circuits through which the refrigerant flows in parallel, and the heat transfer tubes of one circuit of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tubes. 4. The dehumidifier according to claim 1, wherein one circuit of the intermediate evaporator and a corresponding heat transfer tube of one circuit of the intermediate condenser are connected by one path. 5. Air conditioner. An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant to cool the processing air;
A booster for boosting the evaporated refrigerant;
A condenser for condensing the pressurized refrigerant;
Intermediate evaporation that is provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser and the evaporator, and evaporates refrigerant at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator to cool the processing air. Vessel and;
Intermediate condensation that is provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser and the evaporator and condenses the refrigerant at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator to heat the processing air Vessel and;
A processing air path connecting the intermediate evaporator, the evaporator, and the intermediate condenser in this order;
A first throttle mechanism provided in a refrigerant path downstream of the intermediate condenser;
A second throttle mechanism provided in a refrigerant path on an upstream side of the intermediate evaporator; the intermediate evaporator includes a heat transfer tube penetrating one or more times in the flow of the processing air in a meandering manner. Done;
The intermediate condenser includes a heat transfer tube penetrating one or more times in the flow of the processing air in a meandering manner;
The intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condenser, the heat transfer tubes included therein each constitute a plurality of circuits through which the refrigerant flows in parallel, and the heat transfer tubes of the plurality of circuits of the intermediate evaporator and the intermediate condensation tubes. The heat transfer tubes with the multiple circuits of the vessel are connected together in one path;
Dehumidifying air conditioner. An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant to cool the processing air;
A booster for boosting the evaporated refrigerant;
A condenser for condensing the pressurized refrigerant;
Intermediate evaporation that is provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser and the evaporator, and evaporates refrigerant at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator to cool the processing air. Vessel and;
Intermediate condensation that is provided in a refrigerant path between the condenser and the evaporator and condenses the refrigerant at a pressure intermediate between the condensation pressure of the condenser and the evaporation pressure of the evaporator to heat the processing air Vessel and;
A processing air path connecting the intermediate evaporator, the evaporator, and the intermediate condenser in this order;
A first throttle mechanism provided in a refrigerant path downstream of the intermediate condenser;
A second throttle mechanism provided in a refrigerant path on the upstream side of the intermediate evaporator; the intermediate evaporator includes a heat transfer tube penetrating in a meandering manner in the flow of the processing air;
The intermediate condenser comprises a heat transfer tube penetrating in a meandering manner in the flow of the processing air;
The heat transfer tube of the intermediate evaporator and the heat transfer tube of the intermediate condenser are connected in one way;
Dehumidifying air conditioner.

Images