JP2007155259A - Refrigerant heating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerant heating apparatus with which post installation is easy and which is capable of improving heat recovering efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: An option heater unit 10 for heating a refrigerant is equipped with a liquid pipe 12, a gas pipe 13, a heater 19, and a casing 11. The liquid pipe 12 is structured so that a liquid refrigerant flows therein. The gas pipe 13 is structured so that a gas refrigerant flows therein. The heater 19 heats the refrigerant flowing in the liquid pipe 12. The casing 11 accommodates the liquid pipe 12, the gas pipe 13, and the heater 19 so that both ends of each of the liquid pipe 12 and the gas pipe 13 communicates with the outside. Further, at least one part of the heater 19 is arranged in proximity to the gas pipe 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerant heating device, and more particularly to a refrigerant heating device that heats a refrigerant flowing in a refrigerant pipe.

  In general, a refrigerant heating device that heats a refrigerant circulating between an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of an air conditioner is known.

  Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 shown below discloses this type of refrigerant heating apparatus. This refrigerant heating device is provided in the discharge side piping of the compressor in the refrigerant circuit, and is used as an auxiliary heater or the like during heating operation.

  As a heater of this refrigerant heating device, for example, a coil is wound around a pipe including a heating element such as a magnetic body, and a high-frequency current is supplied to the coil to heat the magnetic body by electromagnetic induction. Used. In this electromagnetic induction heating method, the magnetic material can be heated in a non-contact manner by magnetic lines generated by supplying a high-frequency current to the coil. Attention has been paid.

The applicant of the present application has proposed a refrigerant heating device that can be retrofitted (unitized) separately from the indoor units and outdoor units that constitute the air conditioning apparatus, as described in Patent Document 2 shown below. ing. This refrigerant heating device is provided with a gas pipe and a liquid pipe provided with a heater, and is configured to be connectable to both the outdoor unit side and the indoor unit side at both ends of each pipe. Has been. According to this unitized refrigerant heating device, even when it is desired to retrofit the refrigerant heating function, the refrigerant heating device can be easily retrofitted without replacing the entire air conditioner, and according to the user's wishes. The quick heating effect of the refrigerant can be obtained.
JP-A-5-223194 JP 2002-5537 A

  In the refrigerant heating device that can be retrofitted as described in Patent Document 2, when the air conditioning device is retrofitted for the purpose of quickly heating the refrigerant, the energy required for operation increases. However, a part of the heat from the heater attached to the liquid pipe leaks to the surroundings without being transmitted to the refrigerant, resulting in heat loss.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the point mentioned above, The subject of this invention is providing the refrigerant | coolant heating apparatus which can be retrofitted easily and can improve heat recovery efficiency.

A refrigerant heating device according to a first aspect is a refrigerant heating device for heating a refrigerant, and includes a liquid pipe, a gas pipe, a heating unit, and a casing. The liquid pipe is configured so that a liquid refrigerant flows therethrough. The gas pipe is configured so that a gas refrigerant flows. The heating unit includes a coil wound around the liquid pipe and a magnetic part, and heats the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe. Here, the magnetic part may constitute a part of the liquid tube or the entire liquid tube. That is, the liquid pipe itself may constitute the magnetic part. The casing accommodates the liquid pipe, the gas pipe, and the heating unit such that both end portions of the liquid pipe and the gas pipe communicate with the outside. And at least one part of a heating part is arrange | positioned adjacent to the gas pipe. In addition, the case where the heating unit and the gas pipe are in contact with each other is included in the arrangement in which the heating unit and the gas pipe are close to each other. In addition, the casing for storing the liquid pipe, the gas pipe, and the heating unit here may be configured by, for example, winding a fibrous thing around the liquid pipe, the gas pipe, and the heating unit, The casing may be formed of resin or the like, and the material constituting the casing may be a hard material or a flexible material, and is not particularly limited. .

  When a refrigerant heating device is retrofitted to an air conditioner for the purpose of providing a refrigerant heating function, the energy required for operation increases, but in a conventional refrigerant heating device, heat from a heater attached to a liquid pipe is increased. A part of the refrigerant leaks to the surroundings without being transmitted to the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe, and heat loss may occur, resulting in poor thermal efficiency.

  On the other hand, the refrigerant heating device of the first invention is configured as a unit by a casing and is attached after the air conditioning device is installed. Specifically, in this refrigerant heating apparatus, since both end portions of the liquid pipe and the gas pipe communicate with the outside of the casing, one end is connected to the indoor unit and the other end is connected to the outdoor unit. be able to. For this reason, even when it is desired to retrofit the refrigerant heating function, the refrigerant heating apparatus can be easily retrofitted without replacing the entire air conditioner. Moreover, a heating part heats with respect to the refrigerant | coolant which distribute | circulates the liquid pipe | tube with high heat transfer efficiency. And the gas pipe arrange | positioned adjacent to at least one part of this heating part collect | recovers some leaked heat, without being used for the heating of the liquid refrigerant from this heating part. Thus, the refrigerant | coolant which flows through a gas pipe | tube can be heated using the collect | recovered heat.

  As a result, the air conditioner can be easily retrofitted, and the heat recovery efficiency can be improved.

  The refrigerant heating device according to the second invention is the refrigerant heating device of the first invention, and the casing functions as a heat insulating material that integrates the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the gas pipe.

  Here, the casing that functions as a heat insulating material integrates the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the gas pipe. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the heat generated from the heating part from leaking to the outside, and to effectively use the heat, and to eliminate the need to newly provide a heat insulating material separately from the casing.

  As a result, the casing serves both as a function of integrating the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the gas pipe and a heat insulating function, thereby improving the heat recovery efficiency while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

  A refrigerant heating apparatus according to a third invention is the refrigerant heating apparatus according to the first invention or the second invention, and further includes a bypass pipe and an opening / closing mechanism. The bypass pipe bypasses the liquid pipe and the gas pipe. The opening / closing mechanism is provided in the bypass pipe. The casing functions as a heat insulating material that integrates the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the bypass pipe.

  Here, the casing which functions as a heat insulating material integrates the heating unit, the liquid pipe and the bypass pipe. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the heat generated from the heating part from leaking to the outside, and to effectively use the heat, and to eliminate the need to newly provide a heat insulating material separately from the casing. Further, the bypass pipe bypasses the liquid pipe and the gas pipe and can divide the refrigerant, and it is possible to adjust whether or not the diversion is performed by the opening / closing mechanism and the amount of the diverted refrigerant.

  For this reason, the casing combines the function of integrating the heating unit, the liquid pipe and the bypass pipe with the heat insulation function, thereby suppressing the increase in the number of parts and also the heat recovery efficiency for the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe for flow rate adjustment. It becomes possible to improve.

  For example, in the invention obtained by combining the third invention and the second invention, not only the gas pipe but also the bypass pipe is integrally insulated, so that the heat recovery efficiency can be further improved. .

  A refrigerant heating apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the refrigerant heating apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, further comprising a heat insulating material that integrates the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the gas pipe.

  Here, the heat part, the liquid pipe, and the gas pipe are integrated by the heat insulating material, so that the heat from the heating part can be prevented from leaking to the outside. Furthermore, since the heat insulating material is covered with the casing, the heat insulating effect can be improved.

  Thereby, not only the casing but also the heat insulating material is provided, so that the heat recovery efficiency can be improved.

  A refrigerant heating device according to a fifth invention is the refrigerant heating device according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, further comprising a bypass pipe, an opening / closing mechanism, and a heat insulating material. The bypass pipe bypasses the liquid pipe and the gas pipe. The opening / closing mechanism is provided in the bypass pipe. The heat insulating material integrates the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the bypass pipe.

  Here, the heat insulating material integrates the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the bypass pipe. Thereby, it can suppress that the heat which arose from the heating part leaked outside, and can use heat effectively. Further, the bypass pipe bypasses the liquid pipe and the gas pipe and can divide the refrigerant, and it is possible to adjust whether or not the diversion is performed by the opening / closing mechanism and the amount of the diverted refrigerant.

  For this reason, by providing not only the casing but also the heat insulating material, it is possible to improve the heat recovery efficiency for the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe for flow rate adjustment.

  For example, in the invention obtained by making the fifth and fourth inventions compatible, the heat recovery efficiency can be further improved because not only the gas pipe but also the bypass pipe is integrally insulated. .

  A refrigerant heating apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the refrigerant heating apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the liquid pipe and the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the gas pipe are substantially opposite to each other. The direction.

  Here, the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe and the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe are opposite to each other. For this reason, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe increases at first by heat recovery from the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe before being heated by the heating unit, and the liquid pipe that has been sufficiently heated by the heating unit at the end. The temperature can be further increased by heat recovery from the flowing refrigerant.

  Thereby, it becomes possible to further improve the heat recovery efficiency.

  The refrigerant heating apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the refrigerant heating apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, wherein the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the liquid pipe and the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the gas pipe are substantially the same direction. It is.

  Here, since the flow directions of the refrigerant are substantially the same for each of the gas pipe and the liquid pipe, for example, when installed on the air conditioner, the refrigerant pipe from the indoor unit side and the outdoor unit side It is possible to prevent the installation space from being expanded by bending the refrigerant pipe.

  Thereby, it is possible to reduce the size of the refrigerant heating device and reduce the installation space.

A refrigerant heating device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the refrigerant heating device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects , wherein the outer periphery of the coil is disposed in the vicinity of the gas pipe. In addition, the magnetic body part which the heating part here has may be provided in the inner wall of the liquid pipe, and may be provided in the inside of the liquid pipe.

  Here, a high-frequency current is passed through the coil wound around the magnetic part, and the refrigerant can be rapidly heated using heat generated by electromagnetic induction.

  In the refrigerant heating device according to the first aspect of the present invention, it can be easily retrofitted to the air conditioner, and the heat recovery efficiency can be improved.

  In the refrigerant heating apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, the casing serves as a heat insulating function and a function for integrating the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the gas pipe, so that the heat recovery efficiency can be improved while suppressing an increase in the number of parts. become.

  In the refrigerant heating apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention, the casing serves as a heat insulating function and a function for integrating the heating unit, the liquid pipe, and the bypass pipe, thereby suppressing the increase in the number of parts and controlling the bypass pipe for adjusting the flow rate. It is possible to improve the heat recovery efficiency for the flowing refrigerant.

  In the refrigerant heating device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to improve the heat recovery efficiency by providing not only the casing but also the heat insulating material.

  In the refrigerant heating device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, not only the casing but also the heat insulating material is provided, so that it is possible to improve the heat recovery efficiency for the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe for flow rate adjustment.

  In the refrigerant heating device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the heat recovery efficiency can be further improved.

  In the refrigerant heating device according to the seventh aspect of the invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the refrigerant heating device and reduce the installation space.

  In the refrigerant heating device according to the eighth aspect of the invention, the refrigerant can be rapidly heated by electromagnetic induction heating.

<Outline of the invention>
The present invention provides a unitized refrigerant heating apparatus that heats a refrigerant flowing in a refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant heating apparatus of the present invention employs a structure in which heat recovery is performed by arranging a gas pipe in the vicinity of a heating section that heats the refrigerant in the liquid pipe in the unit. Even when the refrigerant heating function is retrofitted separately from the indoor unit or the outdoor unit to the air conditioner, the present invention is easy to install and reduces heat loss due to refrigerant heating. It is characterized by improving efficiency.

  Hereinafter, a refrigerant heating apparatus in which an embodiment of the present invention is adopted will be described in detail by taking the following embodiment as an example. Further, other embodiments relating to the refrigerant heating device will be described later.

<Schematic configuration of the air conditioner 40>
As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 40 includes an outdoor unit 41 and an indoor unit 42 connected by a liquid pipe 43 and a gas pipe 44. The optional heater unit 10 is retrofitted in the middle of the existing refrigerant circuit 50 composed of the liquid pipe 43, the gas pipe 44, and the like, and is used as an auxiliary heater that partially heats the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 50.

<Configuration of optional heater unit 10>
As shown in FIG. 2, the optional heater unit 10 is unitized by a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing 11, and a liquid pipe 12, a gas pipe 13, a heater 19, a defrost controller 30, and a heat insulating material 11 a are provided in the casing 11. It is stored.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid pipe 12 is disposed substantially horizontally in the vicinity of the central portion of the casing 11, and penetrates the vicinity of the central portions of the first side surface 15 and the second side surface 16 facing the casing 11. That is, the one end portion 12a of the liquid pipe 12 protrudes from the first side surface 15 of the casing 11 to the outside of the casing 11 toward the left in the drawing. The other end portion 12 b of the liquid pipe 12 protrudes from the second side surface 16 of the casing 11 to the outside of the casing 11 toward the right in the drawing. As shown in FIG. 2, one-side union pipe joints 17 are brazed to both ends 12 a and 12 b of the liquid pipe 12. The liquid pipe 43 and the liquid pipe 12 of the refrigerant circuit 50 are connected by screwing a flare nut 53 (see FIG. 1) fitted in the liquid pipe into the single union fitting 17 of the liquid pipe 12.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heater 19 has a coil 19a, a magnetic part 19b containing a magnetic material, and a high-frequency power source 19c (not shown in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the heater 19 heats the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12 in order from the first side face 15 side. Specifically, the magnetic part 19 b of the heater 19 is provided on the surface of the liquid pipe 12. The coil 19 a of the heater 19 is wound further outside the magnetic body portion 19 b that covers the surface of the liquid pipe 12. The high frequency power supply 19c is connected to both ends of the coil 19a, and receives a command from the defrost controller 30 described later to supply a high frequency current to the coil 19a. As shown in FIG. 3, the heating by the heater 19 is performed by supplying a high-frequency current from the high-frequency power source 19c to the coil 19a and causing a high-frequency current to flow through the coil 19a, thereby generating magnetic field lines around the coil 19a. Occurs. This magnetic flux induces an induced current in the magnetic body according to electromagnetic induction. For this reason, innumerable eddy currents are induced in the magnetic part 19b containing the magnetic material. Thereby, Joule heat is generated by the electric resistance and innumerable eddy current of the magnetic part 19b itself, and the magnetic part 19b generates heat instantaneously (electromagnetic induction heating method). Heat of the heated magnetic part 19b flows through the liquid pipe 12 and the liquid pipe. Thereby, not only the magnetic part 19b is heated, but also the liquid pipe 12 is heated, and the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12 is heated. Here, a part of the heat generated from the magnetic body portion 19 b by the electromagnetic induction heating is diffused around the heater 19 without being transmitted to the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12.

  The gas pipe 13 is disposed substantially horizontally at the lower part of the casing 11 so as to contact the liquid pipe 12 or the heater 19 surrounding the liquid pipe 12 and penetrates the vicinity of the lower parts of the opposing first side surface 15 and second side surface 16 of the casing 11. is doing. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the gas pipe 13 is disposed so as to be in contact with the coil 19 a of the heater 19, so that heat diffused from the magnetic body portion 19 b is collected and flows inside. The refrigerant can be heated. Further, according to the connection form of the refrigerant circuit 50 described above, the direction of the refrigerant flowing in the gas pipe 13 and the direction of the refrigerant flowing in the liquid pipe 12 are arranged in substantially opposite directions in a certain operation cycle. Has been. For this reason, the heat recovery of the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe 13 can be performed more efficiently.

  Here, the one end 13a of the gas pipe 13 protrudes from the first side surface 15 of the casing 11 to the outside of the casing 11 toward the left in the drawing. Further, the other end 13 b of the gas pipe 13 protrudes from the second side surface 16 of the casing 11 to the outside of the casing 11 toward the right in the drawing. As shown in FIG. 2, one-side union pipe joints 18 are brazed to both ends 13 a and 13 b of the gas pipe 13. The gas pipe 44 of the refrigerant circuit 50 and the gas pipe 13 are connected by screwing a flare nut 54 (see FIG. 1) fitted in the gas pipe 44 into the single union fitting 18 of the gas pipe 13.

  The defrost controller 30 is disposed above the casing 11 and performs reverse cycle heating control, forward cycle heating control, and capacity control. The defrost controller 30 is configured to control the output of the high-frequency power source 19c of the heater 19 by receiving a control signal from the air conditioning controller 60 of the refrigerant circuit.

  Here, in the reverse cycle heating control, the heater 19 is driven when receiving a control signal output from the air conditioning controller 60 when performing the reverse cycle defrost operation. In the positive cycle heating control, the heater 19 is driven when a control signal output from the air conditioning controller 60 is received when the positive cycle defrost operation is performed. In the capacity control, the heater 19 is driven when receiving a control signal output from the air conditioning controller 60 when it is determined that the heating capacity is insufficient for the heating load during the heating operation.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heat insulating material 11 a is provided so as to surround the liquid pipe 12, the gas pipe 13, and the heater 19 described above. Thereby, the heat generated by the heater 19 can be efficiently transmitted to the liquid pipe 12 and the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12 without leaking to the outside. Further, the heat in the gas pipe 13 that is part of the heat generated by the heater 19 and has not been transferred to the liquid pipe 12 can be efficiently recovered.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and constitutes one unit by collectively covering the liquid pipe 12, the gas pipe 13, the heater 19, the heat insulating material 11 a, and the defrost controller 30 described above. is doing.

<Configuration of Refrigerant Circuit 50>
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerant circuit 50 of the air conditioner 40 that is connected to the indoor unit 42 and the outdoor unit 41 when the optional heater unit 10 is retrofitted will be described.

  The outdoor unit 41 is an outdoor as a heat source side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the compressor 45, the four-way switching valve 46, an expansion valve 48 including an electric expansion valve with adjustable flow rate, and outdoor air and refrigerant. A heat exchanger 47 and an outdoor fan 57. Here, the four-way switching valve 46 reverses the circulation direction of the refrigerant by switching the connection state, and switches between the heat pump cycle operation and the refrigeration cycle operation. The outdoor heat exchanger 47 is provided with an outdoor air temperature sensor S1 that detects the outdoor temperature T1 and outputs a control signal. The heat transfer tube of the outdoor heat exchanger 47 is provided with a heat exchange temperature sensor S2 that detects the refrigerant temperature T2 and outputs a control signal.

  The indoor unit 42 includes an indoor heat exchanger 49 and an indoor fan 58 as use side heat exchangers that exchange heat between refrigerant and room air. The indoor heat exchanger 49 is provided with an indoor temperature sensor S3 that detects the indoor temperature T3 and outputs a control signal.

  In the refrigerant circuit 50, the compressor 45, the four-way switching valve 46, the outdoor heat exchanger 47, the expansion valve 48, and the indoor heat exchanger 49 described above are connected by the liquid pipe 43 and the gas pipe 44 so that the refrigerant circulation is reversible. It is formed in this way.

  The liquid pipe 43 includes a first liquid pipe 51 connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 47 and a second liquid pipe 52 connected to the indoor heat exchanger 49. The first liquid pipe 51 and the second liquid pipe 52 are connected via the liquid pipe 12 of the optional heater unit 10.

  Specifically, one end portion 12 a of the liquid pipe 12 is connected to one end of a first liquid pipe 51 connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 47. This connection is made by fitting the flare nut 53 fitted in the first liquid pipe 51 into the single union fitting 17 brazed to the end 12 a of the liquid pipe 12. The other end 12 b of the liquid pipe 12 is connected to one end of a second liquid pipe 52 connected to the indoor heat exchanger 49. This connection is made by fitting the flare nut 53 fitted in the second liquid pipe 52 into the single union fitting 17 brazed to the end 12 b of the liquid pipe 12.

  During heating and forward cycle defrost operation, the refrigerant flows through the liquid pipe 12 from the end 12a toward the end 12b. During reverse cycle defrost operation, the refrigerant flows from the end 12b toward the end 12a. Yes.

  The gas pipe 44 includes a first gas pipe 55 connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 47 and a second gas pipe 56 connected to the indoor heat exchanger 49. The first gas pipe 55 is provided with a four-way switching valve 46 and a compressor 45, and one end thereof is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 47. The first gas pipe 55 and the second gas pipe 56 are connected via the gas pipe 13 of the optional heater unit 10.

  Specifically, one end 13 a of the gas pipe 13 is connected to one end of a first gas pipe 55 that is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 47. This connection is made by fitting the flare nut 54 fitted in the first gas pipe 55 into the single union fitting 18 brazed to the end 13 a of the gas pipe 13. The other end 13 b of the gas pipe 13 is connected to one end of a second gas pipe 56 connected to the indoor heat exchanger 49. This connection is made by fitting the flare nut 54 fitted in the second gas pipe 56 into the single union fitting 18 brazed to the end 13 b of the gas pipe 13.

<Control by the air conditioning controller 60>
The air conditioning controller 60 receives control signals for the temperatures T1, T2, and T3 output from the sensors such as the outside air temperature sensor S1, the heat exchange temperature sensor S2, and the indoor temperature sensor S3 described above. The air conditioning controller 60 receives the control signals T1, T2, and T3 for each temperature, switches between heating operation and defrost operation, and sends a control signal to the defrost controller 30 provided in the optional heater unit 10.

  The air conditioning controller 60 performs reverse cycle defrost control, forward cycle defrost control, and heating control.

  In the reverse cycle defrost control, when the outdoor temperature T1 detected by the outside air temperature sensor S1 is in the heating operation when the outdoor temperature T1 is less than 0 ° C., the heating is performed when it is determined that frost is formed from the refrigerant temperature T2 detected by the heat exchange temperature sensor S2. The operation is switched to the reverse cycle defrost operation, and a reverse cycle defrost signal as a control signal is output to the defrost controller 30.

  In the normal cycle defrost control, when the outdoor temperature T1 detected by the outside air temperature sensor S1 is in the heating operation when the outdoor temperature T1 is 0 ° C. or higher, the heating is performed when it is determined that the frost is formed from the refrigerant temperature T2 detected by the heat exchange temperature sensor S2. The operation is switched to the normal cycle defrost operation, and a positive cycle defrost signal as a control signal is output to the defrost controller 30.

  When the heating control unit 63 determines that the capacity of the indoor heat exchanger 49 is insufficient due to the outdoor temperature T1 detected by the outdoor temperature sensor S1 and the indoor temperature T3 detected by the indoor temperature sensor S3 during the heating operation. In addition, a high power request signal that is a control signal is output to the defrost controller 30.

-Driving action-
The operation of the air conditioner 40 to which the optional heater unit 10 is connected will be described.

(Heating operation)
During the heating operation, the connection state by the four-way switching valve 46 is switched to the solid line side shown in FIG. The gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 45 passes through the four-way switching valve 46, then flows through the gas pipe 13 of the optional heater unit 10, and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 49. The gas refrigerant that has flowed into the indoor heat exchanger 49 exchanges heat with room air, heats the room, and condenses. The liquid refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 49 passes through the liquid pipe 12 of the optional heater unit 10 and then is decompressed by the expansion valve 48 and becomes a low-temperature liquid refrigerant. This low-temperature liquid refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 47 and exchanges heat with outdoor air. In the outdoor heat exchanger 47, the liquid refrigerant evaporates, and the gas refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 47 passes through the four-way switching valve 46, returns to the compressor 45, and this circulation is repeated.

(Reverse cycle defrost operation)
Further, when the outdoor temperature T1 detected by the outside air temperature sensor S1 is less than 0 ° C., the air conditioning controller 60 performs reverse cycle defrost control when it is determined that frost formation is caused by the refrigerant temperature T2 detected by the heat exchange temperature sensor S2. I do. In the reverse cycle defrost control, the refrigerant circuit 50 is switched to the reverse cycle defrost operation, and a reverse cycle defrost signal is output to the defrost controller 30.

  In this reverse cycle defrost operation, the output of the compressor 45 is increased, the connection state by the four-way switching valve 46 is switched to the wavy line side in the figure, the expansion valve 48 is fully opened, and the outdoor fan 57 and the indoor fan 58 are stopped. When the defrost controller 30 receives the reverse cycle defrost signal, the heater 19 is driven by the reverse cycle heating control.

  Therefore, since the refrigerant circulation direction is reversed, the gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 45 is transferred to the four-way switching valve 46, the outdoor heat exchanger 47, the expansion valve 48, the liquid pipe 12, the gas pipe 13 and the optional heater unit 10. The four-way switching valve 46 passes in this order and returns to the compressor 45.

  That is, the high-temperature gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 45 flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 47. And the frost adhering to the outdoor heat exchanger 47 melt | dissolves with a high-temperature gas refrigerant.

  The refrigerant that has flowed through the outdoor heat exchanger 47 flows through the liquid pipe 43 of the refrigerant circuit 50, but flows through the liquid pipe 12 of the optional heater unit 10 in the middle of flowing through the liquid pipe 43. When flowing through the liquid pipe 12, the refrigerant is heated by the heater 19. The heated refrigerant flows through the indoor heat exchanger 49 and then flows through the gas pipe 13 of the optional heater unit 10. When the gas pipe 13 flows, the heat from the heater 19 is recovered, whereby the refrigerant is heated and returns to the compressor 45. By repeating this circulation operation, the reverse cycle defrost of the outdoor heat exchanger 47 is performed. Thus, since the heater 19 of the optional heater unit 10 heats the refrigerant during the reverse cycle defrosting operation, the defrosting capability can be improved. Further, when the gas pipe 13 flows, the refrigerant can be sufficiently superheated, so that the operation of the compressor 45 can be stabilized.

(Direct cycle defrost operation)
In addition, when the outdoor temperature T1 detected by the outside air temperature sensor S1 is 0 ° C. or higher, the air conditioning controller 60 determines that frost formation is caused by the refrigerant temperature T2 detected by the heat exchange temperature sensor S2, and performs positive cycle defrost control. I do. In this forward cycle defrost operation, the air conditioning controller 60 outputs a forward cycle defrost signal to the defrost controller 30 installed in the optional heater unit 10.

  In the normal cycle defrost operation, the capacity of the compressor 45 is reduced, the expansion valve 48 is fully opened, and the indoor fan 58 is controlled to a low rotation. The outdoor fan 57 is operated similarly to the heating operation. When the defrost controller 30 receives the positive cycle defrost signal, the positive cycle heating control is performed to drive the heater 19.

  In this case, the refrigerant circulates without reversing the refrigerant circulation direction. The gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 45 at a lower pressure than in the heating operation is heated by recovering heat from the heater 19 when passing through the gas pipe 13 of the optional heater unit 10. For this reason, the enthalpy of the refrigerant | coolant which flows in into the indoor heat exchanger 49 can be raised. Then, in the indoor heat exchanger 49, the gas refrigerant whose enthalpy has increased in this way is used to exchange heat with room air, thereby heating the room and condensing the refrigerant. For this reason, the capability of heating can be improved without raising the output of the compressor 45 in particular. After the liquid refrigerant is heated by the heater 19 of the optional heater unit 10, it flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 47. The refrigerant defrosts frost adhering to the heat transfer tube of the outdoor heat exchanger 47 and returns to the compressor 45. That is, defrosting is performed while continuing the heating operation.

  When the room temperature T3 detected by the room temperature sensor S3 continues for a predetermined time or more when used at a low outside air temperature or at the start of operation, the capacity of the indoor heat exchanger 49 is high. It is determined that there is a shortage, and the heating control unit 63 outputs a high power request signal to the defrost controller 30. When the defrost controller 30 receives the high power request signal, it performs capacity control, performs control to increase the output of the high-frequency power source 19c of the heater 19, and heats the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor heat exchanger 49.

  For this reason, the heat exchange amount of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 47 can be reduced. Therefore, in the outdoor heat exchanger 47, even if the temperature difference between the refrigerant temperature T2 and the outside air temperature T1 becomes small, the amount of heat exchange necessary for the evaporation of the refrigerant can be ensured, so the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger 47 The temperature can be raised. As a result, the temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 45 increases, the discharge temperature increases, and the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 49 increases. Further, since the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 45 is further heated by recovering heat from the heater 19 when passing through the gas pipe 13 of the optional heater unit 10, the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 49 is recovered. Enthalpy is raised further.

  On the other hand, since the liquid refrigerant is heated before flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 47, the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 47 is not lowered, and the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 49 is increased. can do. Therefore, the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing out from the indoor heat exchanger 49 can be reduced.

  Therefore, the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger 49 is increased and the enthalpy of the refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 49 is decreased, so that the amount of refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchanger 49 is increased and the indoor heat exchange is performed. The capacity of the vessel 49 is increased. Thus, the capacity of the indoor heat exchanger 49 can be improved without adopting the outdoor heat exchanger 47 having a large capacity as the configuration of the air conditioner 40, and the shortage of the heating capacity can be solved.

(Cooling operation)
During the cooling operation, the four-way switching valve 46 is switched to the wavy line side in the figure. The gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 45 passes through the four-way switching valve 46, flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 47, and condenses by exchanging heat with outdoor air. The condensed liquid refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion valve 48, passes through the liquid pipe 12, and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 49. In the indoor heat exchanger 49, the liquid refrigerant exchanges heat with room air, cools the room air, and evaporates. The evaporated gas refrigerant passes through the gas pipe 13, passes through the four-way switching valve 46, returns to the compressor 45, and this circulation is repeated.

<Features of optional heater unit 10 of this embodiment>
(1)
When an existing air conditioner is provided with a refrigerant heating function, the energy required for heating increases. However, in the conventional refrigerant heating apparatus, there is no particular consideration regarding the increase in energy, so that the thermal efficiency is increased. Improvements are not made.

  On the other hand, in the optional heater unit 10 according to the present embodiment, the gas pipe 13 is disposed so as to be in contact with the heater 19 that heats the liquid pipe 12. For this reason, even if there is heat leaked out of the heat obtained from the heater 19 used as an auxiliary heater for the refrigerant in the liquid pipe 12 without being used for heating the refrigerant flowing in the liquid pipe 12, it is approached. Heat recovery can be performed in the gas pipe 13. For this reason, the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe 13 can be heated by the recovered heat. Thereby, even if it is a case where the option heater unit 10 is retrofitted with respect to the air conditioning apparatus 40, heat loss can be suppressed and thermal efficiency can be improved.

  In addition, the optional heater unit 10 does not require a new replacement of the air conditioner when it is desired to improve indoor comfort or heating capacity compared to the initial installation of the air conditioner. By simply retrofitting an integrated unit while using it effectively, comfort and heating capacity can be easily improved. For this reason, according to a user's hope, heating of a refrigerant | coolant can be made quick, or it can be utilized as an auxiliary heater.

  Moreover, since the heater 19 of the above-mentioned optional heater unit 10 employs an electromagnetic induction heating method, the heater 19 can be reduced in size, and as a result, the optional heater unit 10 to be retrofitted can be designed compactly. Not much installation space is required for retrofitting.

(2)
In the optional heater unit 10 in the present embodiment, the heat insulating material 11 a covers the liquid pipe 12, the gas pipe 13 and the heater 19. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the heat generated from the heater 19 from leaking to the outside, and to effectively use the heat obtained from the heater 19 for heating the refrigerant. Further, the heat insulating material 11 a is further covered with the casing 11. As a result, the liquid pipe 12, the gas pipe 13, and the heater 19 are covered twice, and the heat insulation effect can be further improved.

(3)
In the optional heater unit 10 in the present embodiment, each pipe is arranged so that the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12 and the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe 13 are opposite to each other. For this reason, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe 13 is increased gradually by heat recovery from the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12 before being heated by the heater 19, and the liquid is heated sufficiently by the heater 19 at the end. The temperature can be further increased by heat recovery from the refrigerant flowing through the tube 12. Thereby, the heat recovery efficiency in the gas pipe 13 is further improved.

<Other embodiments>
As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to Embodiment, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of invention.

(A)
In the optional heater unit 10 in the above embodiment, the case where the liquid pipe 12 and the gas pipe 13 are arranged independently is described as an example.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 4, in the casing 11, the liquid pipe 12 provided with the first electromagnetic valve 20 and the gas pipe 13 are provided with the second electromagnetic valve. A configuration in which the bypass pipe 14 is bypassed may be adopted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, one end of the bypass pipe 14 is connected between the heater 19 and the first electromagnetic valve 20 in the liquid pipe 12. The other end of the bypass pipe 14 is connected to the gas pipe 13. And the 2nd solenoid valve 22 which is a 2nd opening-and-closing mechanism is provided between the liquid pipe 12 connection part of the bypass pipe 14, and the gas pipe 13 connection part.

  And according to the control command from the air-conditioning controller 60, the defrost controller 30 performs the opening / closing control of the 1st solenoid valve 20, and the opening / closing control of the 2nd solenoid valve 22. FIG. In this open / close control, when the control signal output from the air conditioning controller 60 is received when switching to the reverse cycle defrost operation, the first electromagnetic valve 20 installed in the liquid pipe 12 is closed and installed in the bypass pipe 14. The second electromagnetic valve 22 is opened. By providing the bypass pipe 14 in this way, a part of the gas refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12 can be divided to adjust the refrigerant flow rate.

  Here, since the refrigerant is heated during the reverse cycle defrost operation, the defrosting capability can be improved. At the same time, the refrigerant flowing in the indoor heat exchanger 49 is shut off, so that the temperature decrease of the indoor heat exchanger 49 can be suppressed, and the temperature decrease of the indoor heat exchanger 49 can be suppressed. Thereby, after heating operation start, the time shortening effect until the indoor heat exchanger 49 returns to the temperature before a stop can be show | played, and a room | chamber interior can be kept further comfortable.

  When such a configuration is adopted, as shown in FIG. 5, the heat that has not been transferred from the heater 19 to the refrigerant in the liquid pipe 12 is recovered not only in the liquid pipe 12 and the gas pipe 13 but also in the bypass pipe 14. be able to. Further, by surrounding the bypass pipe 14 as well as the liquid pipe 12, the gas pipe 13 and the heater 19 with the heat insulating material 11a, not only the heat insulating effect in the above embodiment, but also the heat insulation of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14 is achieved. Can be secured, and the thermal efficiency can be further improved.

(B)
In the optional heater unit 10 in the above embodiment, the case where the heat insulating material 11a is provided inside the casing 11 has been described as an example.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the heat insulating material 11a may be omitted as a configuration employing a material having a heat insulating function in the casing 11 itself.

  Thereby, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of newly providing the heat insulating material 11a separately from the casing 11 while ensuring the heat insulating property, and to reduce the number of parts.

(C)
In the heater 60 in the above embodiment, the case where the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe 12 and the direction of the refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe 13 are opposite to each other has been described as an example.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an arrangement configuration in which the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the liquid pipe 12 in the optional heater unit 10 and the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the gas pipe 13 are common is adopted. Good. In this case, it is not necessary to arrange the refrigerant pipes so that the refrigerant flows in opposite directions, and there may be less need to provide a bent portion of the refrigerant pipe. Thereby, the internal configuration of the optional heater unit 10 can be simplified, the overall shape can be reduced, the installation space can be easily secured, and the retrofitting work is facilitated.

(D)
In the optional heater unit 60 in the above embodiment, the case where the coil 19a is wound only around the liquid pipe 12 has been described as an example.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this. A part of the coil 19a wound around the liquid pipe 12 is also wound around the gas pipe 13, and the magnetic body portion 19b is also provided in the gas pipe 13. Also good. As a result, both the liquid pipe 12 and the gas pipe 13 can be heated together.

(E)
In the optional heater unit 60 in the embodiment, the pair type air conditioner 40 in which one indoor unit 42 is connected to one outdoor unit 41 has been described as an example.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each indoor unit 42 having a system configuration in which a plurality of indoor units 42 are connected to one outdoor unit 41 is employed. The optional heater unit 10 may be retrofitted.

  In this case, among the plurality of connected indoor units 42, only the indoor unit 42 corresponding to the user who desires to install the optional heater unit 10 may be selectively retrofitted.

(F)
In the heater 19 of the optional heater unit 10 in the above embodiment, as an example, a magnetic material portion 19b that is a target portion that is bundled by a coil 19a and heated by electromagnetic induction includes a magnetic material. explained.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and examples of the target to generate heat based on electromagnetic induction include, for example, a member including a conductor, and a product of a resistance value and a relative magnetic inductivity of a predetermined value or more. It may be a member or a member containing a ferromagnetic material whose temperature when the refrigerant is heated is equal to or lower than the Curie temperature. Even in this case, the same effects as in the embodiment can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, since it is unitized, it is easy to retrofit separately from the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and an effect of improving the heat recovery efficiency can be obtained. Application to a partially heated apparatus is particularly useful.

The block diagram of the refrigerant circuit to which the option heater unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention was connected. The schematic block diagram of an optional heater unit. Explanatory drawing about the heating by electromagnetic induction. The block diagram of the refrigerant circuit which concerns on other embodiment (A). The schematic block diagram of the option heater unit which concerns on other embodiment (A).

Explanation of symbols

10 Optional heater unit (refrigerant heating device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Casing 12 Liquid pipe 12a End part 12b End part 13 Gas pipe 13a End part 13b End part 14 Bypass pipe 19 Heater (heating part)
19a Coil 19b Magnetic body part 19c High frequency power supply 20 First electromagnetic valve 22 Second electromagnetic valve 30 Defrost controller 43 Liquid piping 44 Gas piping 45 Compressor 47 Outdoor heat exchanger 48 Expansion valve 49 Indoor heat exchanger 50 Refrigerant circuit 60 Air conditioning controller

Claims (8)

A refrigerant heating device (10) for heating a refrigerant,
A liquid pipe (12) configured to allow liquid refrigerant to circulate;
A gas pipe (13) configured to circulate a gas refrigerant;
A heating section (19) for heating the refrigerant flowing through the liquid pipe (12);
Casing for housing the liquid pipe (12), the gas pipe (13), and the heating unit (19) so that both end portions of the liquid pipe (12) and the gas pipe (13) communicate with the outside. 11) and
With
At least a part of the heating part (19) is arranged close to the gas pipe (13),
Refrigerant heating device (10). The casing (11) functions as a heat insulating material for integrating the heating section (19), the liquid pipe (12), and the gas pipe (13).
The refrigerant heating device (10) according to claim 1. A bypass pipe (14) bypassing the liquid pipe (12) and the gas pipe (13);
An opening / closing mechanism (22) provided in the bypass pipe (14);
Further comprising
The casing (11) functions as a heat insulating material for integrating the heating unit (19), the liquid pipe (12), and the bypass pipe (14).
The refrigerant heating device (10) according to claim 1 or 2. A heat insulating material (11a) for integrating the heating unit (19), the liquid pipe (12) and the gas pipe (13);
The refrigerant heating device (10) according to claim 1. A bypass pipe (14) bypassing the liquid pipe (12) and the gas pipe (13);
An opening / closing mechanism (22) provided in the bypass pipe (14);
A heat insulating material (11a) for integrating the heating unit (19), the liquid pipe (12) and the bypass pipe (14);
The refrigerant heating device (10) according to claim 1 or 4. The direction in which the refrigerant flows in the liquid pipe (12) and the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the gas pipe (13) are substantially opposite to each other.
The refrigerant heating device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The direction in which the refrigerant flows in the liquid pipe (12) and the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the gas pipe (13) are substantially the same direction.
The refrigerant heating device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The heating unit (19) includes a coil (19a) wound around the liquid pipe (12), and a magnetic part (19b).
The outer periphery of the coil (19a) is disposed close to the gas pipe (13).
The refrigerant heating device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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