JP2011033250A - Water heater - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to prevent clogging of piping due to adhesion of scale components and to maintain a smooth circulation of water between a hot water storage tank and a gas cooler.
In a hot water supply apparatus 100 including a hot water storage tank 11 and a heat pump unit 30 having a compressor 31, a gas cooler 34, a decompression device 33, and an evaporator 32, the space between the gas cooler 34 and the hot water storage tank 11 is provided. The water circulating circuit 20A is provided with a water heater 26 that activates water by applying magnetic treatment or electrical treatment to water flowing into the gas cooler 34, and water in the hot water storage tank 11 is taken out to the water circulation circuit 20A. Drain means 27 and 80 are provided for draining the water activated by the water heater 26 through the gas cooler 34.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a hot water supply apparatus including a hot water storage tank and a heat pump unit having a compressor, a gas cooler, a decompression device, and an evaporator.

Conventionally, a hot water supply apparatus including a hot water storage tank and a heat pump unit including a compressor, a gas cooler, a decompression device, and an evaporator is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this type of hot water supply device, the low temperature water in the hot water storage tank is circulated to the gas cooler via the circulation pump, and the hot water heated by the heat exchange in the gas cooler is returned to the hot water storage tank. Hot water storage operation is carried out to boil and store hot water in a hot water storage tank.
JP 2002-22389 A

By the way, in the water circulation circuit, scale components such as silica, magnesium, and calcium contained in the water may be deposited in the gas cooler. When the deposited scale component adheres to the inner wall of the pipe of the water circulation circuit, the pipe may be blocked depending on the amount of the scale component attached, and the water circulation between the hot water storage tank and the gas cooler may be hindered. In particular, since the temperature of water rises in the gas cooler, precipitation of scale components tends to occur in the water flow path inside the gas cooler. When the circulation of water between the hot water storage tank and the gas cooler is hindered, there arises a problem that the hot water storage operation that is an essential function of the hot water supply device cannot be performed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a hot water supply device that can prevent the clogging of piping due to the adhesion of scale components and can maintain a smooth circulation of water between a hot water storage tank and a gas cooler.

In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention includes a hot water storage tank, and a heat pump unit having a compressor, a gas cooler, a decompression device, and an evaporator, and supplies low-temperature water in the hot water storage tank. In a hot water supply apparatus that performs a hot water storage operation in which hot water is circulated to the gas cooler via a circulation pump and heat-exchanged by the gas cooler and heated to be stored in the hot water storage tank, the gas cooler and the hot water storage tank Provided in the water circulation circuit between, a water heater that activates water by applying magnetic treatment or electrical treatment to the water flowing into the gas cooler, and taking out the water in the hot water storage tank to the water circulation circuit, There is provided a hot water supply apparatus comprising: a drainage means for draining water activated by a water heater through the gas cooler.
According to the above-described configuration, even when a scale component such as silica, magnesium, or calcium contained in the water is precipitated by activating the water by applying magnetic treatment or electrical treatment to the water by the water heater, the deposited scale It is possible to make it difficult for components to adhere to the inner wall of the pipe constituting the water circulation circuit. The water in the hot water storage tank is taken out to the water circulation circuit by the drainage means, the water activated by the water heater is circulated through the gas cooler, the pipe part through which the water inside the gas cooler circulates is washed, and the part The scale component retained in the water can be discharged together with water to replace the activated water. As described above, in the above configuration, it is difficult for the scale component to adhere by the water heater, and the drainage means discharges the scale component together with water, preventing clogging of the piping due to the adhesion of the scale component, and the hot water storage tank. The smooth circulation of water between the gas cooler can be maintained, and the hot water storage operation which is an essential function of the hot water supply apparatus can be performed smoothly.
However, the location where the water heater is installed is not particularly limited as long as the water flowing into the gas cooler becomes the water activated by the water cooler, and the water circulation pipe connecting the hot water storage tank and the inflow side of the gas cooler. Of course, when a water supply pipe is connected to the hot water storage tank and city water or the like is supplied through the water supply pipe, a water heater may be provided in the water supply pipe portion.

The second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, after the hot water storage operation is completed, the water is drained by the drainage means.
According to the above configuration, after the hot water storage operation is completed, the water containing the scale component is drained by the drainage means before the water heated by the gas cooler and heated up is cooled in the water circulation circuit and the scale component is precipitated. Therefore, in the hot water supply apparatus, the blockage of the piping due to the adhesion of scale components can be prevented in advance, and the smooth circulation of water between the hot water storage tank and the gas cooler can be maintained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect or the second aspect, a water supply pipe is connected to the hot water storage tank, and when the water is drained by the drainage means, the circulation pump is stopped and the water supply is stopped. Water flowing out from the hot water storage tank is circulated to the gas cooler by a water supply pressure from a pipe.
According to the above configuration, when draining by the drainage means, the circulation pump is stopped, and the water flowing out from the hot water storage tank is circulated to the gas cooler by the water supply pressure from the water supply pipe. The power consumption for distributing the water can be reduced. In addition, the flow rate of water circulated in the gas cooler by the feed water pressure can be made much faster than the flow rate of water circulated in the gas cooler by the circulation pump during the hot water storage operation. For this reason, even when the scale component adheres to the inner wall of the pipe through which the water inside the gas cooler flows, the scale component can be peeled off from the inner wall of the pipe by the water having a high flow velocity due to the feed water pressure and discharged. Further, unlike the case where such a high flow rate is realized by a circulation pump, it is not necessary to prepare a high-performance circulation pump, and an increase in cost can be suppressed by using the supply water pressure.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the water heater is provided in a water circulation pipe that connects the hot water storage tank and the inflow side of the gas cooler. It is characterized by.
According to the above configuration, by providing the water heater in the water circulation pipe that connects the hot water storage tank and the inflow side of the gas cooler, the water activated by the water heater can be allowed to flow into the gas cooler without time. it can.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the drainage means is connected to a water circulation pipe that connects the hot water storage tank and an outlet side of a water circulation path of the gas cooler. It has a drainage three-way valve provided, and drains water flowing out from the water flow path of the gas cooler through a drain pipe connected to the drainage three-way valve by switching the drainage three-way valve. And
According to the above configuration, the water circulation pipe that connects the hot water storage tank and the outlet side of the water circulation path of the gas cooler is provided with a three-way drain valve, and the water that has been heated to a high temperature in the gas cooler by switching the drain three-way valve. Can be easily switched between returning to the hot water storage tank or draining through a drain pipe connected to the drain three-way valve.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the drainage means drains water at a predetermined time interval.
According to the above configuration, the scale of the water storage tank can be scaled over time by taking out the water in the hot water storage tank at predetermined time intervals by the drainage means, circulating the water activated by the water heater to the gas cooler, and then draining it. Even when components are deposited, the scale components deposited at predetermined time intervals are discharged together with water, preventing the accumulation of scale components and the adhesion of scale components, and preventing the clogging of piping due to the adhesion of the scale components. Smooth circulation of water between the hot water storage tank and the gas cooler can be maintained.

  According to the present invention, even when the scale component is deposited, it is difficult for the scale component to adhere to the active water device, and the drainage means discharges the scale component together with water, thereby preventing the clogging of the piping due to the adhesion of the scale component. Thus, smooth circulation of water between the hot water storage tank and the gas cooler can be maintained.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, the structure of the hot water supply apparatus 100 of embodiment of this invention is shown. The hot water supply apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is configured as a domestic hot water storage type hot water supply apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, a hot water supply device 100 is connected to a tank unit 10 that stores a hot water storage tank 11 that stores hot water, and a hot water storage tank 11 and a water circulation pipe 20 to raise the temperature of low-temperature water in the hot water storage tank 11. The heat pump unit 30 is provided. Low-temperature water stored in the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 flows into the heat pump unit 30 through the water circulation pipe 20. In the heat pump unit 30, hot water heated to a high temperature by exchanging heat with a refrigerant in a gas cooler 34 described later is returned from the upper portion 13 of the hot water storage tank 11 into the hot water storage tank 11 through the water circulation pipe 20. . In the hot water supply device 100, in the water circulation circuit 20 </ b> A between the hot water storage tank 11 and the heat pump unit 30 connected by the water circulation pipe 20 in this way, the temperature of the water is raised while circulating water, and the hot water in the hot water storage tank 11 is heated. Perform hot water storage operation to store hot water. The hot water in the hot water storage tank 11 is supplied to the bath 101, a shower and a faucet (not shown) via the hot water supply pipe 40 connected to the upper part 13 of the hot water storage tank 11. The configuration of the water circulation circuit 20A will be described later.

Here, the configuration of the heat pump unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the heat pump unit 30 includes a compressor 31, an evaporator 32, an expansion valve 33 as a decompression device, and a gas cooler 34, which are connected by a refrigerant pipe 35 to constitute a heat pump circuit 36. Yes. The heat pump circuit 36 of the present embodiment is a supercritical heat pump circuit using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. The heat pump unit 30 is provided with a control unit 37 for controlling the operation of the heat pump unit 30 by controlling the operations of the compressor 31 and the expansion valve 33 provided in the heat pump unit 30.

The gas cooler 34 is connected to the refrigerant pipe 35, and includes a refrigerant circulation pipe 38 through which the refrigerant flows, and a water circulation pipe 39 to which the water circulation pipe 20 is connected and through which water flows.
A refrigerant discharge pipe 35 </ b> A (35) of the compressor 31 is connected to the inlet 38 </ b> A of the refrigerant circulation pipe 38, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed in the compressor 31 flows into the gas cooler 34. ing. An expansion valve 33 is connected to the outlet 38B of the refrigerant circulation pipe 38 via a refrigerant pipe 35B (35), and the refrigerant circulated in the gas cooler 34 via the refrigerant circulation pipe 38 is supplied to the expansion valve 33. It is configured to flow in.
On the other hand, the inlet 39 </ b> A of the water circulation pipe 39 is connected to the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 via the first water circulation pipe 21 (water circulation pipe 20), and the outlet 39 </ b> B of the water circulation pipe 39 is connected to the upper part 13 of the hot water storage tank 11. It connects via the 2nd water circulation piping 22 (water circulation piping 20). When the hot water storage operation is performed, in the gas cooler 34, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circulation pipe 38 and the water flowing through the water circulation pipe 39. At this time, the refrigerant and the water are counterflowed. It is like. That is, the direction in which water flows in the water distribution pipe 39 is opposed to the direction in which the refrigerant flows in the refrigerant distribution pipe 38.
Therefore, the refrigerant that has dissipated heat by exchanging heat with water in the gas cooler 34 is decompressed in the process of passing through the expansion valve 33 and then flows into the evaporator 32. The refrigerant draws heat from the surrounding air in the evaporator 32, that is, takes away the surrounding heat and evaporates. Thereafter, the refrigerant goes out of the evaporator 32 and is repeatedly sucked into the compressor 31.

  The hot water storage tank 11 and the gas cooler 34 are connected by a first water circulation pipe 21 and a second water circulation pipe 22, and the hot water storage tank 11 and the gas cooler 34 are disposed in the hot water storage tank 11 by a circulation pump 23 provided in the first water circulation pipe 21. The water flows into the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 through the first water circulation pipe 21, and the water heated by the heat exchange in the gas cooler 34 is supplied to the hot water storage tank 11 through the second water circulation pipe 22. The water circulation circuit 20A returned to the upper part 13 is configured.

Next, the configuration of the tank unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
The tank unit 10 includes, in addition to the hot water storage tank 11 described above, a hot water supply circuit 40A including the hot water supply pipe 40, a remedy water circulation circuit 70A, a freeze prevention circuit 20B, and a cleaning operation circuit 20C. A water supply pipe 14 and a drain pipe 15 are connected to the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11. Further, the tank unit 10 includes circulation pumps 23, 53, 73 provided in the water circulation circuit 20A, the hot water supply circuit 40A, and the water circulation circuit 70A, a three-way valve 24, and a drainage three-way valve 27 (drainage means, drainage valve) described later. The control part 80 which controls operation | movement of these is provided.
Hereinafter, the configuration of the tank unit 10 will be described in the order of the water supply pipe 14, the drain pipe 15, the hot water supply circuit 40 </ b> A, the remedy water circulation circuit 70 </ b> A, the freeze prevention circuit 20 </ b> B, the cleaning operation circuit 20 </ b> C, and the control unit 80. The freeze prevention circuit 20B and the cleaning operation circuit 20C are configured as a part of the water circulation circuit 20A.

The water supply pipe 14 is provided with a pressure reducing valve 14A. When hot water in the hot water storage tank 11 is used by hot water supply or the like and the water level is lowered, the city water at room temperature is supplied with a predetermined pressure, for example, 170 kPa ( The hot water storage tank 11 is supplied from the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 while being lowered to about 1.7 kgf / cm ² ). Further, a check valve 14B is provided at the connection port between the hot water storage tank 11 and the water supply pipe 14, and a check valve 14C is also provided upstream of the pressure reducing valve 14A. These check valves 14 </ b> B and 14 </ b> C are check valves whose forward direction is a direction from a water supply source (not shown) connected to the water supply pipe 14 toward the hot water storage tank 11. The hot water storage tank 11 is always configured to be able to supply water from the water supply source, and the hot water storage tank 11 is always supplied with a water supply pressure. However, in the case of the present embodiment, the feed water pressure after being reduced to a predetermined pressure by the pressure reducing valve 14A is applied. The amount of water in the hot water storage tank 11 is always full. When the water in the hot water storage tank 11 is used for hot water supply or the like, room temperature city water is supplied through the water supply pipe 14 by the water supply pressure. In addition, the capacity | capacitance of the hot water storage tank 11 is about 370 liters-about 460 liters. In this embodiment, the capacity is about 370 liters.

  The drain pipe 15 is connected to a first water circulation pipe 21 (water circulation pipe 20) connected to the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 via a drain valve 15A. By opening the drain valve 15A, the drain pipe 15 Hot water can be drained to the outside. However, during the hot water storage operation, the drain valve 15 </ b> A is opened in the direction in which the water stored in the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 flows into the inlet 30 </ b> A of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34. Thus, it is controlled manually or by the control unit 80.

The hot water supply circuit 40A mixes hot water discharged from the hot water storage tank 11 via the hot water supply pipe 40 connected to the upper portion 13 of the hot water storage tank 11 and normal temperature city water supplied by the water supply pipe 14 to a desired temperature. The hot water is supplied to the bath 101, shower, faucet and the like.
The hot water supply pipe 40 branches at a branch point 41 into a bath hot water supply side pipe 50 for supplying hot water to the bath 101 and a faucet hot water supply side pipe 60 for supplying hot water to a shower, a faucet and the like.

  The bath hot water supply side pipe 50 is connected to the hot water supply port 101 </ b> A of the bath 101. The hot water supply side pipe 50 is provided with a hot water mixing valve 51, a hot water valve 52, and a bath pump 53 between the branch point 41 and the hot water supply port 101 </ b> A of the bath 101. These are connected to the control unit 80 via a control line (not shown). A first water supply branch pipe 141 branched from a check valve 14B and a pressure reducing valve 14A in the water supply pipe 14 is connected to the bath hot water supply side pipe 50 via a pouring mixing valve 51. The hot water mixing valve 51 was discharged from the upper part 13 of the hot water storage tank 11 via the hot water supply pipe 40 so that the bath hot water temperature was set by the user via the bath remote controller 82 under the control of the control unit 80. Hot water and normal-temperature city water supplied from the first water supply branch pipe 141 are mixed. The pouring valve 52 is an air release valve and can release the hot water flowing backward from the bath 101 side to the atmosphere. The bath pump 53 is used when pumping up the bath water in the bath 101 when retreating the bath 101. The bath pump 53 will be described later.

On the other hand, the faucet hot water supply side pipe 60 is connected to a shower, faucet or the like (not shown). The tap water supply side pipe 60 is provided with a hot water supply mixing valve 61 between the aforementioned branch point 41 and a shower, a tap or the like. The faucet hot water supply side pipe 60 is connected to a second water supply branch pipe 142 further branched from the first water supply branch pipe 141 via a hot water supply mixing valve 61. The hot water supply mixing valve 61 is connected to the hot water discharged via the hot water supply pipe 40 and the second water supply branch pipe so that the tap hot water supply temperature set by the user via the kitchen remote controller 81 is controlled under the control of the control unit 80. Mix with room temperature city water supplied from 142.
In the hot water supply circuit 40A described above, a relief valve 42 is connected to the hot water supply pipe 40 on the upstream side of the branch point 41. When the pressure in the hot water storage tank 11 exceeds a certain level, this relief valve A pressure equal to or higher than a certain pressure can be released via 42.

Next, the configuration of the memorial water circulation circuit 70A will be described. In the remedy water circulation circuit 70A, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 11 and the bath water pumped up from the bath 101 exchange heat, so that the bath water is heated, and the bath 101 is chased. Is called.
The remedy water circulation circuit 70A includes a remedy water circulation pipe 71 that connects the upper portion 13 and the central portion 16 of the hot water storage tank 11, a remedy heat exchanger 72 provided in the remedy water circulation pipe 71, and a remedy. A heating pump 73. The hot water discharged from the upper portion 13 of the hot water storage tank 11 through the hot water circulation pipe 71 is returned from the central portion 16 of the hot water storage tank 11 into the hot water storage tank 11 by the additional heat pump 73. In addition, the remedy water circulation pipe 71 is connected to the central portion 16 of the hot water storage tank 11 through a check valve 71A.

  In addition, a bath water circulation circuit 74 is connected to the heat exchanger 72 for remembrance. The bath water circulation circuit 74 is connected to a bath water forward pipe 75 connected to the bath hot water supply side pipe 50 and a bath water return pipe 76 connected to another hot water supply port 101B provided in the bath 101. When bathing of the bath 101 is started under the control of the control unit 80, the bath pump 53 starts to operate, and bath water in the bath 101 flows through the bath water outlet pipe 75 to the remedy heat exchanger 72. Is flowed into. On the other hand, under the control of the control unit 80, the remedy heating pump 73 also starts to operate, and the hot water in the hot water storage tank 11 flows into the remedy heat exchanger 72 through the remedy water circulation pipe 71. In the remedy heat exchanger 72, the hot water flowing from the upper part 13 of the hot water storage tank 11 and the bath water pumped out of the bath 101 are subjected to heat exchange. Then, the bath water heated by heat exchange is returned to the bath 101 through the bath water return pipe 76 and the hot water supply port 101B. On the other hand, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 11, which has been subjected to heat exchange with bath water in the remedy heat exchanger 72 and brought to an intermediate temperature, is returned to the hot water storage tank 11 from the central portion 16 of the hot water storage tank 11 through the remedy water circulation pipe 71. .

  In addition, the hot water supply apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is designed to prevent freezing of the water circulation circuit 20A on the heat pump unit 30 side in order to prevent the water circulation pipe 20 from freezing when the operation of the heat pump unit 30 is stopped in winter or the like. A circuit 20B is provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the freeze prevention circuit 20B includes a three-way valve 24 provided between the drain valve 15A and the circulation pump 23 in the first water circulation pipe 21, the three-way valve 24, and the second water circulation. The anti-freezing pipe 25 is connected to the pipe 22. During the hot water storage operation, the valve opening direction of the three-way valve 24 is controlled by the control unit 80 so that the water stored in the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 flows into the inlet 39A of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34. . During the freeze prevention operation, the control unit 80 switches the valve opening direction so that the freeze prevention pipe 25 and the inlet 39A of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 of the first water circulation pipe 21 communicate with each other. Under the control of the control unit 80, during the freeze prevention operation, the heat pump unit 30 is operated, and the circulation pump 23 causes the three-way valve 24, the circulation pump 23, the gas cooler 34, the second water circulation pipe 22, the freeze prevention pipe 25, Hot water is circulated in the order of the three-way valve 24. Thereby, freezing of water circulation piping 20 is prevented.

The water circulation circuit 20A is provided with a cleaning operation circuit 20C. When the hot water supply operation is performed in the hot water supply device 100, the water heated to a high temperature flows through the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 and the second water circulation pipe 22 that connects the upper portion 13 of the hot water storage tank 11. The temperature of the water heated to this high temperature gradually decreases inside the water circulation pipe 39 and the second water circulation pipe 22 after the hot water storage operation is completed. In particular, precipitation of scale components such as Ca and Mg is likely to occur when the temperature of water is raised to a temperature range of 80 ° C. to 60 ° C., and silica is likely to precipitate in the process of lowering the water temperature. This is because general crystalline substances such as silica (SiO ₂ ) decrease in solubility with decreasing water temperature, whereas scale components such as Ca and Mg tend to decrease in solubility with increasing water temperature. . During the hot water storage operation, the copper pipe wall surface of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 is heated to 85 ° C. or higher, so that scale components such as Ca and Mg are likely to precipitate inside the water circulation pipe 39. When the inner wall or the like of the water circulation pipe 39 is blocked by these deposited scale components, the circulation of water between the hot water storage tank 11 and the gas cooler 34 is hindered, and the hot water storage device 100 cannot perform the hot water storage operation. The problem that occurs. Therefore, the hot water supply apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a cleaning operation circuit 20C, and performs a cleaning operation after the hot water storage operation is completed, so that the water circulation pipe 20 constituting the water circulation circuit 20A including the water circulation pipe 39 is provided. The deposited scale component is discharged together with water from the water circulation circuit 20A to prevent the water circulation pipe 39 and the water circulation pipe 20 from being blocked due to the adhesion of the scale component.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning operation circuit 20 </ b> C includes, in the first water circulation pipe 21, a water heater 26 provided between the circulation pump 23 and the inlet 39 </ b> A of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34, The second water circulation pipe 22 includes an outlet 39 </ b> B of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 and a drainage three-way valve 27 provided between the hot water storage tank 11.

The water heater 26 activates water by subjecting the water flowing into the gas cooler 34 to magnetic treatment or electrical treatment. Here, the magnetic treatment or the electrical treatment is performed on the water flowing into the gas cooler 34 to activate the water. For example, the magnetic molecules or electric fields are applied to the water flowing into the gas cooler 34 to form water molecules as conductors. It changes the charge state and hydrogen ion index of water, and finely divides huge clusters of water molecules to activate water energy movement. Thus, by activating water, even when a scale component is deposited, the deposited scale component can be made difficult to adhere to the inner wall of the pipe constituting the water circulation circuit 20A.
A drain pipe 28 is connected to the drain three-way valve 27. As shown in FIG. 1, the drainage three-way valve 27 and the drainage pipe 28 are accommodated in the tank unit 10. During the hot water storage operation, the drainage three-way valve 27 controls the valve opening direction by the control unit 80 so that high-temperature water flowing out from the outlet 39B of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 flows toward the upper part 13 of the hot water storage tank 11. Has been. When the cleaning operation is performed, the valve opening direction of the drainage three-way valve 27 is switched by the control unit 80, and the water flowing out from the outlet 39 </ b> B of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 is connected to the drainage three-way valve 27. It is controlled to drain from the water circulation circuit 20 </ b> A through the drainage pipe 28.

Next, the control unit 80 will be described.
The control unit 80 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like (not shown). Based on a control program and control data such as a hot water storage operation program and a cleaning operation program stored in advance in the ROM, the control unit 80 uses a part of RAM as a work area and performs hot water storage operation and cleaning operation by the CPU. Switching of the various valves provided in 100, the circulation pump 23, and the like are controlled by computer control. The control unit 80 transmits a control signal to the control means of the heat pump unit 30 to control the operation of the heat pump unit 30. The controller 80 is connected to the kitchen remote controller 81 and the bath remote controller 82 described above. The user can perform various operations such as setting the hot water supply temperature in the kitchen via the kitchen remote controller 81. In addition, the user can perform various operations such as automatic hot water supply of the bath 101, setting of the hot water supply temperature, and an instruction for reheating through the bath remote controller 82. Further, the user can set on / off of a cleaning operation function described below through the kitchen remote controller 81 or the bath remote controller 82.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation | movement including the washing | cleaning operation | movement of the hot water supply apparatus 100 performed by the control part 80 according to a washing | cleaning operation program etc. is demonstrated.
First, the controller 80 determines whether or not it is the start timing of the hot water storage operation (step S1).
Here, the hot water supply apparatus 100 is set to perform a hot water supply operation in a midnight time zone or the like where the power rate is low, for example, by a user signing a lighting contract according to a predetermined time zone with an electric power company. Further, even in a time zone other than the midnight time zone, the hot water storage operation is started when the remaining hot water amount in the hot water storage tank 11 falls below the first predetermined amount set in advance, and when the remaining hot water amount exceeds the second predetermined amount, Controlled to stop operation. In the present embodiment, the tank capacity of the hot water storage tank 11 is about 370 liters, and the remaining hot water amount of the hot water storage tank 11 is 100 liters as the first predetermined amount and 150 liters as the second predetermined amount. . That is, when the amount of hot water (hot water) stored in the upper part 13 of the hot water storage tank 11 is reduced by the hot water supply and becomes equal to or less than the first predetermined amount, The hot water storage operation is performed until hot water of a predetermined amount or more is stored.

When it is determined in step S1 that it is the start timing of the hot water storage operation (step S1; Y), the control unit 80 sends a control signal to the control unit 37 of the heat pump unit 30 to start driving the compressor 31 ( Step S2). At the same time, the control unit 80 starts driving the circulation pump 23 to take out the water in the hot water storage tank 11 to the water circulation circuit 20A, and starts the circulation of water between the gas cooler 34 and the hot water storage tank 11. Hot water storage operation is started (step S2).
Next, the control unit 80 determines whether or not a predetermined amount of hot water set in advance has been stored in the hot water storage tank 11, thereby determining whether or not it is the end timing of the hot water storage operation (step S3). ). Here, when it is determined that it is not the end timing of the hot water storage operation (step S3; N), the hot water storage operation is continuously performed (step S2) until the end timing of the hot water storage operation is reached (step S3; Y).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that it is the end timing of the hot water storage operation (step S3; Y), the control unit 80 sends a control signal to the control unit 37 of the heat pump unit 30 to stop the driving of the compressor 31 and circulate. The drive of the pump 23 is stopped and the hot water storage operation is terminated (step S4).

  Next, the control unit 80 switches the drainage three-way valve 27 to the drainage side (step S5). Specifically, the valve opening direction of the drainage three-way valve 27 is switched so that the water flowing out from the outlet 39 </ b> B of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 is drained through the drainage pipe 28. Thereby, the low-temperature water stored in the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 is made into the first by the water supply pressure applied to the hot water storage tank 11 through the water supply pipe 14 connected to the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11. The water flows into the inlet 39 </ b> A of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 through the water circulation pipe 21. At this time, the water activated by the water heater 26 passes through the water heater 26 and flows into the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34. Then, the water flowing through the water circulation pipe 39 by the feed water pressure and flowing out from the outlet 39B is drained from the water circulation circuit 20A through the drain pipe 28 connected to the drain three-way valve 27.

Then, when a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) set in advance elapses (step S6; Y), the control unit 80 switches the drainage three-way valve 27 to the normal side. That is, the control unit 80 switches the valve opening direction of the drainage three-way valve 27 to the valve opening direction when the hot water storage operation is performed, and the water flowing out from the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 moves toward the upper portion 13 of the hot water storage tank 11. It is made to flow (step S7). However, by performing the washing operation for 10 seconds, in the hot water supply apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, about 2 liters of water in the hot water storage tank 11 is drained. In addition, water corresponding to the drained amount is supplied through the water supply pipe 14.
By the washing operation in steps S5 to S7 described above, the high-temperature water staying in the water circulation pipe 39 or the second water circulation pipe 22 after the hot water storage operation is supplied to the water circulation circuit via the drain pipe 28 connected to the drain three-way valve 27. The water in the water circulation pipe 39 that is drained from 20A and is likely to cause the precipitation of scale components is replaced with low-temperature water activated by the water heater 26.

According to the embodiment described above, the water component is magnetically or electrically treated by the water heater 26 to activate the water, and scale components such as silica, magnesium, and calcium contained in the water are deposited. Even in this case, the deposited scale component can be made difficult to adhere to the water circulation pipe 39 and the inner wall of the water circulation pipe 20 constituting the water circulation circuit 20A. The first water circulation pipe 21, the water heater 26, the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34, a part of the second water circulation pipe 22, the drainage three-way valve 27, and the drainage pipe 28 are configured. In the cleaning operation circuit 20C, the cleaning operation is performed under the control of the control unit 80, the water in the hot water storage tank 11 is taken out, the water activated by the water heater 26 is circulated through the gas cooler 34, and the gas cooler 34 The water circulation pipe 39 through which the internal water circulates is washed, and the scale components retained in the water circulation pipe 39 are discharged together with the water from the water circulation circuit 20A through the drainage three-way valve 27 and the drainage pipe 28, and the water heater 26 Can be replaced by water activated by As described above, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the scale component is made difficult to adhere by the water heater 26, and the scale component is discharged together with the water by executing the cleaning operation in the control unit 80. The water circulation pipe 39 and the water circulation pipe 20 are prevented from being blocked by the adhesion of water, and the smooth circulation of water between the hot water storage tank 11 and the gas cooler 34 is maintained, and the hot water storage operation which is an essential function of the hot water supply device 100 is performed. It can be performed smoothly.
Further, conventionally, in a hard water area where there are many scale components contained in water, it is necessary to install a water heater together with a water softener or the like to prevent blockage of the water circulation pipe 39 and the water circulation pipe 20 of the gas cooler 34. However, according to said hot water supply apparatus 100, the said hot water supply apparatus 100 can be installed also in a hard water area etc., without providing special facilities, such as a water softener, separately.

  Moreover, according to the said embodiment, since it is set as the structure which performs washing | cleaning operation after completion | finish of hot water storage operation, the water which heat-exchanged with the gas cooler 34 and heated up is cooled in the water circulation circuit 20A, and a scale component precipitates. Before, the water containing the scale component can be drained from the water circulation circuit 20A through the drain pipe 28 connected to the drain three-way valve 27. In the water heater 100, the water circulation pipe 39 and the water circulation due to the adhesion of the scale component The blockage of the pipe 20 can be prevented in advance, and the smooth circulation of water between the hot water storage tank 11 and the gas cooler 34 can be maintained.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, the control unit 80 stops the circulation pump 23 during the cleaning operation, and flows out of the hot water storage tank 11 by the water supply pressure from the water supply pipe 14 connected to the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11. Since the water is circulated through the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34, it is possible to reduce power consumption for causing the gas cooler 34 to circulate the water in the hot water storage tank 11. Further, the water in the gas cooler 34 is supplied by the water supply pressure applied to the hot water storage tank 11 as compared with the flow rate of water circulated through the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 by the circulation pump 23 provided in the water circulation circuit 20A during the hot water storage operation. The flow rate of the water flowing through the distribution pipe 39 can be remarkably increased. For this reason, even when a scale component adheres to the inner wall of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34, the scale component is peeled off from the inner wall of the water circulation pipe 39 or the water circulation pipe 20 by the water having a high flow rate due to the feed water pressure, and discharged. can do. Further, unlike the case where such a high flow rate is realized by the circulation pump 23, it is not necessary to prepare a high-performance circulation pump 23, and an increase in cost can be suppressed by using the supply water pressure.

  Moreover, according to the said embodiment, it activates by the water heater 26 by providing the water heater 26 in the 1st water circulation piping 21 which connects the hot water storage tank 11 and the inlet 39A of the water distribution piping 39 of the gas cooler 34. The water that has been discharged can be allowed to flow into the gas cooler 34 without time. Further, by providing the water heater 26 in the first water circulation pipe 21 connecting the hot water storage tank 11 and the inlet 39A of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34, the gas cooler 34 is always activated by the water heater 26. Water can be circulated.

  Further, according to the above embodiment, the drainage three-way valve 27 is provided in the middle of the second water circulation pipe 22 connecting the hot water storage tank 11 and the outlet 39B of the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34, and this drainage three-way valve. By switching 27, it is possible to easily switch between returning the water heated to a high temperature in the gas cooler 34 to the hot water storage tank 11 or draining it through the drain pipe 28 connected to the drain three-way valve 27.

  In addition, according to the above embodiment, after the hot water storage operation is completed, the washing operation is always performed to prevent the accumulation of the scale component and the adhesion of the scale component, and the water circulation pipe 39 and the water circulation due to the adhesion of the scale component. The blockage of the pipe 20 can be prevented, and the smooth circulation of water between the hot water storage tank 11 and the gas cooler 34 can be maintained.

However, the above embodiment is an aspect of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the embodiment described above, the cleaning operation is always performed after the hot water storage operation is finished. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning operation may be performed at predetermined time intervals. In the hot water supply device 100 described above, the water flowing into the gas cooler 34 is always water activated by the water heater 26. For this reason, even if a scale component is deposited in the process of cooling the water heated to a high temperature after the hot water storage operation, the scale component is difficult to adhere to the inner walls of the water circulation pipe 39 and the water circulation pipe 20. Therefore, even if it is performed not at every end of the hot water storage operation as shown in FIG. 3 but at a preset time interval as shown in FIG. 4, the water circulation pipe 39 or the water circulation pipe due to adhesion of scale components or the like. 20 blockages can be sufficiently prevented. However, the predetermined time interval can be set in advance, such as 100 hours, 300 hours, 600 hours, and the like. Further, the predetermined time can be appropriately set by the user or the like via the kitchen remote controller 81 or the bath remote controller 82. Also in this case, it is preferable to perform the cleaning operation after a predetermined time has elapsed and after the hot water storage operation is completed. As described above, the scale component is precipitated in the process of cooling the water heated by the hot water storage operation. Before the deposited scale component adheres to the inner wall of the water circulation pipe 39 or the water circulation pipe 20, the scale component is removed. It is for discharging.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, the operation of the hot water supply apparatus 100 when the cleaning operation is performed at predetermined time intervals will be described.
The controller 80 waits until a predetermined time set in advance elapses (step S11). If it is determined in step S11 that the predetermined time has elapsed (step S11; Y), the control unit 80 then waits until the first hot water storage operation start timing after the predetermined time has elapsed (step S12).
If it is determined in step S12 that the hot water storage operation start timing has been reached (step S12; Y), the control unit 80 sends a control signal to the control unit 37 of the heat pump unit 30 to start driving the compressor 31 (step S13). . At the same time, the control unit 80 starts driving the circulation pump 23 to take out the water in the hot water storage tank 11 to the water circulation circuit 20A, and starts the circulation of water between the gas cooler 34 and the hot water storage tank 11. Hot water storage operation is started (step S13).
Here, the start timing of the hot water storage operation is the same as in the above-described embodiment, for example, when the power rate is low at night or when the remaining hot water amount in the hot water storage tank 11 is equal to or less than the first predetermined amount.

  Next, the control unit 80 determines whether or not a predetermined amount of hot water set in advance has been stored in the hot water storage tank 11 to determine whether or not the hot water storage operation has ended (step S14). ). Here, when it is determined that it is not the end timing of the hot water storage operation (step S14; N), the hot water storage operation is continuously performed (step S13) until the hot water storage operation ends (step S14; Y).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that it is the end timing of the hot water storage operation (step S14; Y), the control unit 80 sends a control signal to the control unit 37 of the heat pump unit 30 to stop the driving of the compressor 31 and circulate. The drive of the pump 23 is stopped and the hot water storage operation is terminated (step S15).

Next, the control unit 80 switches the drainage three-way valve 27 to the drainage side as in step S5 of FIG. 3 (step S16). And when the predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) set beforehand passes (step S17; Y), the control part 80 will switch the drainage three-way valve 27 to the normal side similarly to step S7 of FIG. Then, the count of a timing means (not shown) provided in the control unit 80 for counting the predetermined time is returned to zero, and waits until the predetermined time elapses again.
As described above, after the hot water storage operation is completed, the cleaning operation may not be always performed, but the cleaning operation may be performed every predetermined time set in advance.
Further, it may be configured such that the user can appropriately set whether the cleaning operation is always performed after completion of the hot water storage operation or the cleaning operation is performed at predetermined time intervals by the kitchen remote controller 81, the bath remote controller 82, or the like.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the water heater 26 was demonstrated as what is provided between the circulation pump 23 and the gas cooler 34 in the 1st water circulation piping 21, the position which provides the water heater 26 flows into the gas cooler 34 There is no particular limitation as long as the water to be used is a position where the water activated by the water heater 26 becomes water. For example, the water supply pipe 14 connected to the lower part 12 of the hot water storage tank 11 may be provided. However, as in the above-described embodiment, in the first water circulation pipe 21, the water that has flowed out of the hot water storage tank 11 is activated immediately before it flows into the gas cooler 34, thereby passing the activated water over time. The gas cooler 34 can be made to flow.

Further, the position where the drainage three-way valve 27 and the drainage pipe 28 are provided is not limited to the tank unit 10. However, by providing the drainage three-way valve 27 and the drainage pipe 28 in the tank unit 10 provided with the hot water storage tank 11, in addition to the water flow pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 in the above-described cleaning operation, the tank unit 10 and the heat pump unit 30. The scale component of the water circulation pipe 20 that connects them can also be effectively discharged.
Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the drainage three-way valve 27 was provided in the 2nd water circulation piping 22, and it was set as the structure which connects the drainage pipe 28 to this drainage threeway valve 27, it is not limited to the said structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, instead of the drainage three-way valve 27, a drain pipe 28 is directly connected to the second water circulation pipe 22, and a first on-off valve (electromagnetic valve) 90 is provided on the drain pipe 28. A second opening / closing valve (solenoid valve) 91 is provided in the second water circulation pipe 22, and the two opening / closing valves 90, 91 are opened / closed to each other so as to operate in the same manner as the drainage three-way valve 27. May be. Specifically, during the hot water storage operation, the second on-off valve 91 provided on the second water circulation pipe 22 is opened, the first on-off valve 90 provided on the drain pipe 28 is closed, and the circulation pump 23 causes the gas cooler 34 to The heated hot water is led to the hot water storage tank 11. During the cleaning operation, the second on-off valve 91 provided on the second water circulation pipe 22 is closed, the first on-off valve 90 provided on the drain pipe 28 is opened, the circulation pump 23 is stopped, and the water supply pressure is increased. The water activated by the water heater 26 is circulated through the water circulation pipe 39 of the gas cooler 34 and then drained through the drain pipe 28.

It is a circuit diagram which shows the structure of the hot water supply apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the heat pump circuit of the heat pump unit of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the hot water supply apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the other operation | movement of the hot water supply apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other aspect of a drainage means.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Tank unit 11 Hot water storage tank 14 Water supply pipe 20 Water circulation piping 20A Water circulation circuit 20C Washing operation circuit 21 First water circulation piping 22 Second water circulation piping 23 Circulation pump 26 Water heater 27 Drainage three-way valve (drainage means)
28 Drain pipe 30 Heat pump unit 31 Compressor 32 Evaporator 33 Expansion valve (pressure reduction device)
34 Gas cooler 39 Water distribution piping 80 Control unit 100 Hot water supply device

Claims (6)

A hot water storage tank, and a heat pump unit having a compressor, a gas cooler, a decompression device and an evaporator, and circulates low-temperature water in the hot water storage tank to the gas cooler via a circulation pump, and heats it with the gas cooler. In a hot water supply apparatus that performs a hot water storage operation of storing hot water that has been replaced and heated in the hot water storage tank,
A water heater provided in a water circulation circuit between the gas cooler and the hot water storage tank, and activates the water by applying magnetic treatment or electrical treatment to the water flowing into the gas cooler;
Drainage means for taking out the water in the hot water storage tank to the water circulation circuit and circulating the water activated by the water heater through the gas cooler;
A hot water supply apparatus comprising: Drained by the drainage means after the hot water storage operation ends;
The hot water supply apparatus according to claim 1. A water supply pipe is connected to the hot water storage tank,
When draining by the drainage means, the circulation pump is stopped, and the water flowing out from the hot water storage tank is circulated through the gas cooler by the feed water pressure from the feed water pipe.
The hot-water supply apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by these. The water heater is provided in a water circulation pipe connecting the hot water storage tank and an inlet side of a water circulation path of the gas cooler;
The hot-water supply apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by these. The drainage means has a drain valve provided in a water circulation pipe connecting the hot water storage tank and the outlet side of the water circulation path of the gas cooler, and is connected to the drain valve by switching the drain valve. Draining water that has flowed out of the water flow path of the gas cooler through a drain pipe;
The hot-water supply apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by these. Drained at predetermined time intervals by the drainage means;
The hot-water supply apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by these.

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