JP2012207816A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To heat and cool a secondary refrigerant without deteriorating COP.SOLUTION: A compressor 101 compresses a primary refrigerant for heating. A condenser 102 heats the secondary refrigerant by the heat exchange between the first refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant. An evaporator 106 cools the secondary refrigerant by the heat exchange between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant. Temperature rising units 109, 110 supply heating to the external by the heat exchange between the secondary refrigerant heated by the condenser 102 and air. Cooling units 112, 113 supply cooling to the external by the heat exchange between the secondary refrigerant cooled by the evaporator 106 and the air.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner that is provided, for example, in a vehicle and has a heating function and a cooling function.

  A conventional air conditioner (a vehicle heat control device) generates hot or cold heat by a primary cycle (outdoor cycle) using a primary refrigerant, and uses the generated hot or cold heat to generate a secondary refrigerant in a heat exchanger. The temperature is raised or cooled (for example, Patent Document 1). Further, the conventional vehicle heat control apparatus heats or cools the passenger compartment by heating or cooling the air with a secondary refrigerant that has been heated or cooled.

  Further, in the conventional vehicle heat control device, when dehumidifying, the air is first cooled by cooling, and then switched to heating, the cooled air is heated and blown into the vehicle interior. Further, in the conventional vehicle heat control apparatus, in order to maintain the interior of the vehicle interior at a set temperature, the cool air and the warm air are switched and the air is blown into the vehicle interior. That is, when the temperature in the vehicle compartment rises excessively during the heating operation, the cooling air is switched to cooling and the cooled air is blown into the vehicle compartment. On the other hand, when the temperature in the passenger compartment is excessively lowered during the cooling operation, the heated air is switched to heating to blow into the passenger compartment.

  In the conventional vehicle heat control apparatus, switching between heating and cooling as described above is performed by changing the flow path of the primary refrigerant using a four-way valve. Specifically, the four-way valve switches between a flow path from the compressor during heating operation to the intermediate heat exchanger and a flow path from the compressor during cooling operation to the intermediate heat exchanger via the outdoor heat exchanger. By switching the four-way valve in this way, the heating operation and the cooling operation can be performed alternately.

JP 2006-209075 A

  However, in the conventional air conditioner, when both heating and cooling are used, it is necessary to switch the flow path in the primary cycle using a four-way valve. In the conventional air conditioner, it is necessary to adjust the flow rate of the primary refrigerant in order to adjust the temperature. Such switching or adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant has a problem of causing a decrease in COP (Coefficient of Performance).

  An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of heating a secondary refrigerant and cooling the secondary refrigerant without deteriorating COP.

  The air conditioner of the present invention is configured such that the heating is performed by heat exchange between a compressor that compresses a primary refrigerant and heats the primary refrigerant, and the primary refrigerant heated by the compressor and a secondary refrigerant for heating. A condenser for heating the secondary refrigerant for heating, a temperature raising unit for raising the temperature of the air by the secondary refrigerant for heating heated by the condenser, and an expansion valve for cooling the primary refrigerant heat-exchanged by the condenser; An evaporator that cools the cooling secondary refrigerant by heat exchange between the primary refrigerant cooled by the expansion valve and the cooling secondary refrigerant, and the cooling secondary refrigerant cooled by the evaporator A cooling unit that cools the air and the primary refrigerant that has flowed out of the compressor circulate in the order of the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, and the compressor. A first circulation path, a second circulation path through which the heating secondary refrigerant flowing out from the condenser circulates in the order of the temperature raising unit and the condenser, and the secondary cooling refrigerant flowing out from the evaporator, A configuration including a cooling unit and a third circulation path that circulates in the order of the evaporator is adopted.

  According to the present invention, the secondary refrigerant can be heated and the secondary refrigerant can be cooled without deteriorating the COP.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the air conditioner which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The compressor 101 is driven by regenerative energy generated by a generator (not shown) when the vehicle is decelerated. The compressor 101 compresses the primary refrigerant to heat the primary refrigerant, and supplies the heated primary refrigerant to the capacitor 102.

  The condenser 102 exchanges heat between the primary refrigerant supplied from the compressor 101 and the secondary refrigerant supplied from the circulation pump 115 to change the primary refrigerant into a liquid phase and heat the secondary refrigerant. The condenser 102 supplies the liquid-phase primary refrigerant to the gas-liquid separation unit 103 and supplies the heated secondary refrigerant to the heat storage unit 108.

  The gas-liquid separation unit 103 separates the liquid-phase primary refrigerant and the gas-phase primary refrigerant from the primary refrigerant supplied from the capacitor 102 and takes out only the liquid-phase primary refrigerant. The gas-liquid separation unit 103 supplies the extracted liquid-phase primary refrigerant to the control valve 104.

  The control valve 104 adjusts the flow rate of the primary refrigerant supplied from the gas-liquid separation unit 103 to the expansion valve 105 according to the control of the air conditioner control unit 107.

  The expansion valve 105 reduces the pressure of the primary refrigerant flowing from the control valve 104 to cool the primary refrigerant, and supplies the cooled primary refrigerant to the evaporator 106.

  The evaporator 106 evaporates the primary refrigerant supplied from the expansion valve 105, and exchanges heat between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant supplied from the circulation pump 116 by the heat of vaporization to cool the secondary refrigerant. To do. The evaporator 106 supplies the heat-exchanged primary refrigerant to the compressor 101 and supplies the cooled secondary refrigerant to the cold storage unit 111.

  The air conditioner control unit 107 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied from the heat storage unit 108 to the temperature raising unit 109 and the secondary refrigerant supplied from the cold storage unit 111 to the cooling unit 112 in order to maintain the set humidity or temperature. Control the amount of supply.

  That is, the air conditioner control unit 107 controls the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant supplied from the heat storage unit 108 to the temperature raising unit 109, thereby controlling the amount of heat supplied from the temperature raising unit 109 and the temperature raising unit 110 to the outside. Control. The air conditioner control unit 107 controls the amount of cold supplied from the cooling unit 112 and the cooling unit 113 to the outside by controlling the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant supplied from the cold storage unit 111 to the cooling unit 112 and the cooling unit 113. To do.

  The air conditioner control unit 107 controls the amount of primary refrigerant supplied from the control valve 104 to the expansion valve 105 in order to maintain the set humidity or temperature. The air conditioner control unit 107 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied from the circulation pump 115 to the condenser 102 and the secondary refrigerant supplied from the circulation pump 116 to the evaporator 106 in order to maintain the set humidity or temperature. To control. In order to maintain the set humidity or temperature, the air conditioner control unit 107 heats the mixing unit 114 between the secondary refrigerant supplied from the temperature raising unit 110 and the secondary refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit 113. Control the exchange.

  The heat storage unit 108 temporarily stores the secondary refrigerant supplied from the capacitor 102. The heat storage unit 108 supplies the secondary refrigerant having a flow rate controlled by the air conditioner control unit 107 to the temperature raising unit 109.

  The temperature raising unit 109 supplies heat to the outside by heat exchange between the secondary refrigerant supplied from the heat storage unit 108 and the air, and raises the temperature of the air. At this time, the temperature raising unit 109 supplies a necessary amount of heat to the air cooled by the cooling unit 112 in order to keep the target portion at the humidity set in the air conditioner control unit 107. The temperature raising unit 109 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied with warm heat to the temperature raising unit 110. Here, the target part is, for example, a battery or the like mounted in the vehicle interior or the vehicle.

  The temperature raising unit 110 supplies heat to the outside by heat exchange between the secondary refrigerant supplied from the temperature raising unit 109 and the air, and raises the temperature of the air. At this time, the temperature raising unit 110 supplies a necessary amount of heat in order to keep the target portion at the temperature set in the air conditioner control unit 107. The air supplied with warm heat from the secondary refrigerant in the temperature raising unit 110 is blown into the passenger compartment as warm air. Further, the temperature raising unit 110 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied with warm heat to the mixing unit 114.

  The cold storage unit 111 temporarily stores the secondary refrigerant supplied from the evaporator 106. The cold storage unit 111 supplies the secondary refrigerant having a flow rate controlled by the air conditioner control unit 107 to the cooling unit 112.

  The cooling unit 112 cools the air by supplying cold to the outside through heat exchange between the secondary refrigerant supplied from the cold storage unit 111 and the air. At this time, the cooling unit 112 supplies a necessary amount of cooling in order to keep the target portion at the humidity set in the air conditioner control unit 107. The cooling unit 112 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied with cold heat to the cooling unit 113. Here, the target part is, for example, a battery or the like mounted in the vehicle interior or the vehicle.

  The cooling unit 113 supplies cold to the outside by heat exchange between the secondary refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit 112 and air, and cools the air. At this time, the cooling unit 113 supplies a necessary amount of cooling in order to keep the target portion at the temperature set in the air conditioner control unit 107. The air supplied with cold heat from the secondary refrigerant in the cooling unit 113 is blown into the passenger compartment as cold air. The cooling unit 113 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied with cold heat to the mixing unit 114.

  The mixing unit 114 is supplied from the temperature raising unit 110 and controlled by the air conditioner control unit 107. The predetermined amount of secondary refrigerant is supplied from the cooling unit 113 and controlled by the air conditioner control unit 107. Exchange heat with The mixing unit 114 supplies each of the secondary refrigerants subjected to heat exchange to the circulation pump 115 and the circulation pump 116, respectively.

  The circulation pump 115 receives the supply of the secondary refrigerant from the mixing unit 114 and supplies the secondary refrigerant having a flow rate controlled by the air conditioner control unit 107 to the capacitor 102.

  The circulation pump 116 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied from the mixing unit 114 to the evaporator 106 under the control of the air conditioner control unit 107.

  The first circulation path 150 circulates the primary refrigerant flowing out from the compressor 101 in the order of the condenser 102, the gas-liquid separator 103, the control valve 104, the expansion valve 105, the evaporator 106, and the compressor 101.

  The second circulation path 160 circulates the secondary refrigerant that has flowed out of the condenser 102 in the order of the heat storage section 108, the temperature raising section 109, the temperature raising section 110, the mixing section 114, the circulation pump 115, and the condenser 102.

  The third circulation path 170 circulates the secondary refrigerant that has flowed out of the evaporator 106 in the order of the cold storage unit 111, the cooling unit 112, the cooling unit 113, the mixing unit 114, the circulation pump 116, and the evaporator 106.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, three independent circulation paths of the first circulation path 150, the second circulation path 160, and the third circulation path 170 are provided. In particular, the present embodiment is characterized in that a second circulation path 160 and a third circulation path 170 which are independent flow paths are provided as circulation paths through which the secondary refrigerant flows. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second circulation path 160 is used exclusively for heating, and the third circulation path 170 is used exclusively for cooling.

  The temperature raising / cooling unit 180 is an air flow path unit that communicates the temperature raising unit 109 and the cooling unit 112. The temperature raising / cooling unit 180 temporarily cools the air with the cold supplied from the cooling unit 112, and then raises the temperature of the cooled air with the hot supplied from the temperature raising unit 109 and blows it. Thereby, the temperature raising / cooling unit 180 performs dehumidification.

  In the air conditioner 100 having the above-described configuration, by having two circulation paths for the secondary refrigerant, it is possible to generate both hot and cold heat in an efficient state without deteriorating the COP. That is, it has a primary cycle and two secondary cycles, and in the primary cycle, heat (cold heat) is generated at the rotational speed with the best compressor efficiency, and the heat or cold is adjusted in the secondary cycle. Thus, it is possible to provide the user with heat or cold as efficiently as necessary when the user needs it.

  Next, the operation of the air conditioner 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the secondary refrigerant that circulates through the second circulation path 160 is given heat by the heat exchange with the primary refrigerant in the condenser 102, and then supplied to the heat storage unit 108. In addition, the secondary refrigerant circulating in the third circulation path 170 is given cold heat by the heat exchange with the primary refrigerant in the evaporator 106, and then supplied to the cold storage unit 111.

  Next, the heat storage unit 108 temporarily stores the secondary refrigerant. In addition, the cold storage unit 111 temporarily stores the secondary refrigerant.

  Next, the air conditioner control unit 107 controls the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant supplied from the heat storage unit 108 to the temperature raising unit 109 in order to maintain the set humidity or temperature. In addition, the air conditioner control unit 107 controls the flow rate of the secondary refrigerant supplied from the cold storage unit 111 to the cooling unit 112 in order to maintain the set humidity or temperature.

  Next, the cooling unit 112 cools the air with the cooled secondary refrigerant, and the temperature raising unit 109 raises the temperature of the air cooled by the cooling unit 112 with the heated secondary refrigerant. Thereby, the air conditioner 100 can blow the air heated by the temperature raising unit 109 as dehumidified air.

  Next, the cooling unit 113 cools the air with the cooled secondary refrigerant. The temperature raising unit 110 raises the temperature of the air with the heated secondary refrigerant. Thus, the air conditioner 100 can alternately blow air that has been heated by the temperature raising unit 110 and air that has been cooled by the cooling unit 113.

  Next, the mixing unit 114 performs heat exchange between the secondary refrigerant circulating in the second circulation path 160 and the secondary refrigerant circulating in the third circulation path 170.

  Next, the circulation pump 115 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied from the mixing unit 114 to the condenser 102. The circulation pump 116 supplies the secondary refrigerant supplied from the mixing unit 114 to the evaporator 106.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the second circulation path 160 and the third circulation path 170 through which the secondary refrigerant circulates are provided separately from the first circulation path 150 through which the primary refrigerant circulates. Thereby, the secondary refrigerant circulating through the second circulation path 160 is given the heat generated by the condenser 102. Further, the secondary refrigerant circulating in the third circulation path 170 is supplied with cold heat from the evaporator 106. As described above, in the air conditioner 100 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to carry hot and cold heat simultaneously by circulating the secondary refrigerant.

  In the dehumidifying operation of the air conditioner 100, air inside or outside the vehicle is once cooled by the cooling unit 112 to remove moisture in the air. Thereafter, the temperature of the cooled air is raised by the temperature raising unit 109 and blown into the passenger compartment. Since the air blown into the passenger compartment is obtained by removing moisture in the air, the humidity in the passenger compartment can be lowered. Further, during the dehumidifying operation, the temperature can be raised by the temperature raising unit 109 immediately after the air is cooled by the cooling unit 112 without switching the first circulation path 150 by the four-way valve.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, since there are two secondary refrigerant circulation paths, the secondary refrigerant can be heated and the secondary refrigerant can be cooled without deteriorating the COP.

  In the present embodiment, heating of the secondary refrigerant and cooling of the secondary refrigerant can be performed simultaneously by supplying warm heat through the second circulation path and supplying cold heat through the third circulation path. Thereby, according to this Embodiment, the time which dehumidification accompanied by the switching from air_conditioning | cooling to heating can be shortened. Further, according to the present embodiment, since the heat or cold does not remain in the heat exchanger, the time required for switching between warm air and cold air can be shortened when maintaining the set temperature in the passenger compartment. .

  In the present embodiment, a device such as a battery that generates heat while heating the vehicle interior is provided by supplying heat into the vehicle through the second circulation path and supplying cold heat to a device such as a battery through the third circulation path. Can be cooled.

  In the present embodiment, two heating units and two cooling units are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one or three heating units and three cooling units are provided as necessary. Any number of the above can be provided. Moreover, the number of temperature rising parts and cooling parts may differ.

  In the present embodiment, the secondary refrigerant circulating in the second circulation path and the third circulation path need not be the same. In this case, since the secondary refrigerant circulating through the second circulation path absorbs the heat from the condenser, it is preferable to have a good heat carrying characteristic for a high temperature. Moreover, since the secondary refrigerant | coolant which circulates through a 3rd circulation path supplies warm heat with respect to an evaporator, temperature becomes low. Accordingly, it is preferable that the secondary refrigerant circulating in the third circulation path does not impair the heat transport property even at a low temperature.

  In the present invention, when a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant is used as the secondary refrigerant, the secondary refrigerant has high pressure resistance and airtightness with respect to the second circulation path and the third circulation path due to fluctuations in internal pressure and the like. Sex is required. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to use a refrigerant having a large specific heat (for example, water). Moreover, in this invention, when a refrigerant with a large specific heat is used, when a refrigerant | coolant leaks, it can be made harmless to a human body or an environment. In the present invention, the secondary refrigerant may be other than water and is not particularly limited.

  The present invention is suitable, for example, for an air conditioner provided in a vehicle and having a heating function and a cooling function.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Air conditioner 101 Compressor 102 Condenser 103 Gas-liquid separation part 104 Control valve 105 Expansion valve 106 Evaporator 107 Air-conditioner control part 108 Heat storage part 109,110 Temperature rising part 111 Cold storage part 112,113 Cooling part 114 Mixing part 115,116 Circulation pump 150 1st circulation path 160 2nd circulation path 170 3rd circulation path 180 Temperature rising / cooling part

Claims (3)

A compressor that compresses the primary refrigerant and heats the primary refrigerant;
A capacitor for heating the secondary refrigerant for heating by heat exchange between the primary refrigerant heated by the compressor and the secondary refrigerant for heating;
A temperature raising unit for raising the temperature of the air by the heating secondary refrigerant heated by the condenser;
An expansion valve that cools the primary refrigerant heat-exchanged by the condenser;
An evaporator that cools the cooling secondary refrigerant by heat exchange between the primary refrigerant cooled by the expansion valve and the cooling secondary refrigerant;
A cooling unit that cools air by the cooling secondary refrigerant cooled by the evaporator;
A first circulation path through which the primary refrigerant flowing out of the compressor circulates in the order of the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, and the compressor;
A second circulation path in which the heating secondary refrigerant flowing out of the condenser circulates in the order of the temperature raising section and the condenser;
A third circulation path in which the cooling secondary refrigerant that has flowed out of the evaporator circulates in the order of the cooling unit and the evaporator;
Air conditioner equipped with. Control means for controlling the supply amount of the secondary refrigerant for heating supplied to the temperature raising unit and the supply amount of the secondary refrigerant for cooling supplied to the cooling unit so as to reach a predetermined set temperature , Further comprising
The air conditioner according to claim 1. An air flow path portion that communicates both the temperature raising portion and the cooling portion;
The air flow path part is
The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the air cooled by the cooling unit is dehumidified by raising the temperature of the air at the temperature raising unit.

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