JP2024051514A - Heat pump cycle equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a heat pump cycle device that can prevent the heat medium leaking from the user side heat exchanger, gas-liquid separator, pressure relief valve, and gas vent valve from scattering into the machine room. [Solution] The heat pump cycle device of the present invention is characterized in that a water splash prevention plate 70 is provided between the heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b to prevent the heat medium leaking from the user side heat exchanger 12, gas-liquid separator 30, pressure relief valve 40, and gas vent valve 50 from scattering into the machine chamber 3b. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a heat pump cycle device that circulates a heat medium to a user terminal through a heat medium circuit having a gas-liquid separator.

Patent Document 1 discloses a heat pump cycle device that includes an air blower chamber that houses a blower, a first machine chamber that houses a first component of the heat source side components, a second machine chamber that houses a second component of the heat source side components, and a third machine chamber that houses a connecting member that connects the first component and the second component.

International Publication No. 2020/170327

The present invention aims to provide a heat pump cycle device that can prevent a heat medium leaking from at least one of the user-side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve from scattering into the machine room.

The heat pump cycle apparatus of the present invention according to claim 1 includes a refrigerant circuit 10 in which a compressor 11, a user-side heat exchanger 12, an expansion means 13, and a heat source-side heat exchanger 14 are connected in a ring shape, and in which a refrigerant circulates; a heat medium circuit 20 for circulating a heat medium cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger 12 by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to a user-side terminal 1; a gas-liquid separation device 30 for separating gas in the heat medium circuit 20 from the heat medium; a pressure relief valve 40 for discharging the gas from the heat medium circuit 20; and a gas vent valve 50 for releasing the gas separated by the gas-liquid separation device 30. The heat pump cycle device has a heat medium chamber 3a and a machine chamber 3b within which the utilization side heat exchanger 12, the gas-liquid separation device 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50 are disposed, and the machine chamber 3b is disposed with the compressor 11 and the expansion means 13. The heat pump cycle device is characterized in that a water splash prevention plate 70 is provided between the heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b to prevent the heat medium leaking from at least one of the utilization side heat exchanger 12, the gas-liquid separation device 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50 from splashing into the machine chamber 3b.
The present invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, in the heat pump cycle apparatus described in claim 1, the water splash prevention plate 70 is provided with an upper cover 71, and the gas-liquid separation device 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50 are arranged above the utilization side heat exchanger 12, and the upper cover 71 is arranged above the gas-liquid separation device 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50.
The present invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the heat pump cycle apparatus described in claim 2, a blower device 16 is provided at a position opposite the heat source side heat exchanger 14, and a plurality of the blower devices 16 are arranged in the vertical direction, and the top cover 71 is connected to the upper part of the water splash prevention plate 70.

According to the present invention, the water splash prevention plate can prevent the heat medium leaking from at least one of the user-side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve from splashing into the machine room.

Refrigeration circuit diagram of a heat pump cycle device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device as viewed from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device as viewed from the rear. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a heat medium circuit of the outdoor unit. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device;

The heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a water splash prevention plate between the heat medium chamber and the machine chamber to prevent the heat medium leaking from the user side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve from splashing into the machine chamber. According to this embodiment, the water splash prevention plate can prevent the heat medium leaking from at least one of the user side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve from splashing into the machine chamber.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, in the heat pump cycle device according to the first embodiment, the water splash prevention plate is provided with an upper cover, a gas-liquid separator, a pressure relief valve, and a gas vent valve are arranged above the utilization side heat exchanger, and the upper cover is arranged above the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve. According to this embodiment, by arranging the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve above the utilization side heat exchanger, the space above the utilization side heat exchanger can be effectively utilized and gas mixed into the heat medium circuit can be easily collected, and by arranging the upper cover above the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve, the heat medium leaking from the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve can be prevented from scattering into the machine room.

The third embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump cycle device according to the second embodiment, in which a blower is provided at a position facing the heat source side heat exchanger, and multiple blowers are arranged vertically, with the top cover connected to the top of the water splash prevention plate. When multiple blowers are arranged vertically, the heightwise space of the heat medium chamber and the machine chamber becomes large, and the water splash prevention plate also becomes taller, so that the vibration of the water splash prevention plate becomes large due to the vibration of the compressor. According to this embodiment, the vibration of the water splash prevention plate can be reduced by connecting the top cover to the top of the water splash prevention plate.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a refrigeration circuit diagram of a heat pump cycle device according to this embodiment.
The heat pump cycle device according to this embodiment includes a refrigerant circuit 10 and a heat medium circuit 20 .

In the refrigerant circuit 10, a compressor 11, a utilization side heat exchanger 12, an expansion means 13, and a heat source side heat exchanger 14 are connected in a ring shape by refrigerant piping, and the refrigerant circulates.
The heat medium circuit 20 circulates the heat medium heated in the user-side heat exchanger 12 by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to the user-side terminal 1 .
The heat medium circuit 20 is provided with a gas-liquid separator 30 that separates the gas in the heat medium circuit 20 from the heat medium, and a conveying pump 21 that circulates the heat medium.
The heat medium circuit 20 is further provided with a pressure relief valve 40. The pressure relief valve 40 releases gas from the heat medium circuit 20 when the pressure in the heat medium circuit 20 is high, so that the pressure in the heat medium circuit 20 does not exceed a predetermined value.
In this embodiment, the pressure relief valve 40 is connected to the gas-liquid separation device 30. A gas vent valve 50 for releasing the gas separated by the gas-liquid separation device 30 is connected to the gas-liquid separation device 30.

The conveying pump 21 is disposed in the indoor unit 2 .
The refrigerant circuit 10 preferably includes a four-way valve 15 for switching the flow of the refrigerant.
An air blower 16 is provided at a position facing the heat source side heat exchanger 14. The air blower 16 circulates air through the heat source side heat exchanger 14.
The refrigerant used is propane, which is a flammable refrigerant, although any of R1234yf, R1234ze, and R32, which are slightly flammable refrigerants, may be used instead of the flammable refrigerant.
The heat transfer medium is water or antifreeze.
The gas-liquid separator 30 and the pressure relief valve 40 are disposed in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger 12 .

The outdoor unit 3 is divided into a heat medium chamber 3a (see FIG. 2), a machine chamber 3b, and an air blower chamber 3c.
The heat medium chamber 3a is provided with at least a part of the utilization side heat exchanger 12, a gas-liquid separator 30, a pressure relief valve 40, and a gas vent valve 50. The machine chamber 3b is provided with the compressor 11, the expansion means 13, and a four-way valve 15. The blower chamber 3c is provided with the heat source side heat exchanger 14 and a blower 16.

The heat medium can be heated or cooled by switching the four-way valve 15 .
When the heat medium is heated, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows in order through the utilization side heat exchanger 12, the expansion means 13, and the heat source side heat exchanger 14, and the refrigerant that has been decompressed by the expansion means 13 and absorbs heat in the heat source side heat exchanger 14 is sucked into the compressor 11. In this way, the heat medium can be heated by flowing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 through the utilization side heat exchanger 12.
When cooling the heat medium, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows through the heat source side heat exchanger 14, the expansion means 13, and the utilization side heat exchanger 12 in this order, and the refrigerant that has been decompressed by the expansion means 13 and absorbs heat in the utilization side heat exchanger 12 is sucked into the compressor 11. In this way, the heat medium can be cooled by flowing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 through the heat source side heat exchanger 14.

The heat medium cooled or heated in the use-side heat exchanger 12 is transported to the use-side terminal 1 by the transport pump 21 , and the heat medium that has absorbed or released heat in the use-side terminal 1 is returned to the use-side heat exchanger 12 .
In particular, when a plate type heat exchanger is used as the utilization side heat exchanger 12 , there is a possibility that the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 10 may be mixed into the heat medium circuit 20 due to damage to the utilization side heat exchanger 12 .
In this way, the refrigerant leaked into the heat medium circuit 20 can be separated from the liquid phase heat medium by the gas-liquid separator 30 and released from the gas vent valve 50 .

The gas vent valve 50 is provided with a flow passage pipe 80 for discharging the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator 30. A flow passage pipe outlet 81 of the flow passage pipe 80 is disposed on the air suction surface 14i of the heat source side heat exchanger 14.
The gas-liquid separation device 30 is disposed in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the user side heat exchanger 12 within the outdoor unit 3, thereby preventing refrigerant leaking into the heat medium circuit 20 from being discharged to the user side terminal 1.
The gas-liquid separation device 30 can separate the leaked refrigerant from the heat medium, and also separate the air present in the heat medium circuit 20. In particular, the gas-liquid separation device 30 is used to bleed air from the heat medium circuit 20 when filling the heat medium circuit 20 with a heat medium, for example, when installing a heat pump cycle device.
In this embodiment, the conveying pump 21 is disposed in the indoor unit 2, but the conveying pump 21 may be disposed in the outdoor unit 3. When the conveying pump 21 is disposed in the outdoor unit 3, it is preferable to dispose it in the heat medium chamber 3a.

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the main parts of the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device, where Figure 2(a) is a perspective view from the front, Figure 2(b) is a perspective view of the main parts from the back, and Figure 3 is a perspective view from the back.

The outdoor unit 3 has a wall material 60 disposed between a bottom surface material outer periphery 3d and a top surface material outer periphery 3e. The wall material 60 has a first wall material 61 and a second wall material 62 adjacent to the first wall material 61.
The heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b are separated by a water splash prevention plate 70.
The water splash prevention plate 70 is provided with an upper cover 71.
The water-splash prevention plate 70 is provided with an opening 75 (see FIG. 5), and a flow passage pipe 80 is disposed in the opening 75. The opening 75 ensures ventilation between the heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b. The machine chamber 3b and the blower chamber 3c are separated by a partition plate 100. The water-splash prevention plate 70 prevents the heat medium leaking from the user-side heat exchanger 12, the pressure relief valve 40, etc. of the heat medium circuit 20 from scattering to the compressor 11, etc., disposed in the machine chamber 3b.
The opening 75 is formed between one side edge 72 of the water-splash prevention plate 70 and the second wall material 62 , and the other side edge 73 (see FIG. 5 ) of the water-splash prevention plate 70 abuts against the first wall material 61 .
The heat medium chamber 3 a is formed by a space surrounded by a water-splash prevention plate 70 , a first wall material 61 , and a second wall material 62 .

In this way, the heat medium chamber 3a is formed in the corner of the outdoor unit 3 by using the adjacent first wall material 61 and second wall material 62, and the heat medium chamber 3a in which the user side heat exchanger 12, the gas-liquid separator 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50 are arranged is separated from the machine room 3b and the blower chamber 3c by the water splash prevention plate 70, so that even if the heat medium leaks, the heat medium will not affect the compressor 11, the expansion means 13, and the heat source side heat exchanger 14. In particular, since the upper surface cover 71 covers the upper side of the gas-liquid separator 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50, the heat medium can be prevented from scattering into the machine room 3b even if the heat medium leaks from the gas-liquid separator 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50, and safety can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the passage pipe outlet 81 of the passage pipe 80 is disposed on the air suction surface 14 i of the heat source side heat exchanger 14 .
In this way, by arranging the flow passage pipe outlet 81 of the flow passage pipe 80 on the air suction surface 14i of the heat source side heat exchanger 14, the leaked refrigerant can be discharged from the outdoor unit 3, and further, when power is applied, it can be quickly diffused by the suction action of the blower device 16.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a heat medium circuit of the outdoor unit.
The utilization side heat exchanger 12 has a first heat medium connection port 22x at a lower part of a side surface, and a second heat medium connection port 22y at an upper part of the side surface.
The utilization side heat exchanger 12 also has a first refrigerant connection port 17x at the lower part of the side surface, and a second refrigerant connection port 17y at the upper part of the side surface.
The heat medium is introduced into the use side heat exchanger 12 from the first heat medium connection port 22x, and the heat medium introduced into the use side heat exchanger 12 is discharged from the second heat medium connection port 22y.
When heating the heat medium, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 is introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 from the second refrigerant connection port 17y, and the refrigerant introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 is discharged from the first refrigerant connection port 17x.
The second heat medium connection port 22 y and the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 are connected by a gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 35 .
The gas-liquid separation inlet 32 is located higher than the second heat medium connection port 22y.

In this way, by arranging the gas-liquid separator 30 above the user-side heat exchanger 12, it becomes easier for the gas-liquid separator 30 to collect the gas that is mixed into the heat medium, thereby improving the gas-liquid separation efficiency.

An outlet joint 36 is connected to the gas-liquid separation outlet of the gas-liquid separation device 30, and a first heat medium connection pipe 23 is connected to the first heat medium connection port 22x. An inlet joint 37 is connected to the first heat medium connection pipe 23.
The outlet joint 36 and the inlet joint 37 protrude outward from the second wall material 62 located in the heat medium chamber 3a, and are connected to the user side terminal 1 provided on the indoor side by a thermally insulated tube or the like.

A gas vent valve 50 is provided at the top of the gas-liquid separation device 30. In addition, a flow path pipe inlet 82 to which a flow path pipe 80 is connected is provided at the upper end of the gas vent valve 50.
The gas vent valve 50 has a float therein, and when no gas is present in the gas vent valve 50, the float is located at the lower end of the gas vent valve 50. On the other hand, when gas is present that has been separated by the gas-liquid separator 30, the float moves to the upper position, and the gas is discharged.
This allows the separated gas to be discharged without backflow.

A pressure relief valve 40 is connected to a pipe branching off from the side of the gas-liquid separation device 30 , and the pressure relief valve 40 is disposed above the utilization side heat exchanger 12 .
This makes it easier to collect the gas remaining in the heat medium that could not be separated by the gas-liquid separator 30 .
In this way, by arranging the gas-liquid separation device 30, the pressure relief valve 40, and the gas vent valve 50 above the utilization side heat exchanger 12, the space above the utilization side heat exchanger 12 can be effectively utilized and gas that enters the heat medium circuit 20 can be easily collected.

The water-splash prevention plate 70 has an opening 75. The flow passage pipe 80 is arranged in the opening 75, and the opening 75 ensures breathability. In this way, the opening 75 in which the flow passage pipe 80 is arranged ensures breathability, so that the leaked refrigerant does not fill the heat medium chamber 3a. The opening 75 may be provided in a part of the water-splash prevention plate 70 as shown in FIG. 5(a), or the opening 75 may be the space between the end of the first partition plate 71 and the second wall material 62 as shown in FIG. 5(c). All of these are referred to as the water-splash prevention plate 70 having the opening 75.

5A, 5B and 5C are conceptual diagrams showing the outdoor unit of the heat pump cycle device, in which FIG. 5A is a plan view, FIG. 5B is a rear view, and FIG. 5C is a plan view different from FIG. 5A.
5, an electrical equipment box 90 is disposed above the machine chamber 3b and the ventilation chamber 3c. The electrical equipment box 90 houses a control board and the like.
The flow path pipe 80 is inclined such that the flow path pipe outlet 81 is located lower than the flow path pipe inlet 82 of the flow path pipe 80. In this manner, by inclining the flow path pipe 80 so that the flow path pipe outlet 81 is located lower than the flow path pipe inlet 82 and preventing the flow path pipe 80 from facing upward, the flammable refrigerant is easily discharged from the flow path pipe outlet 81 and rainwater and condensation water can be prevented from accumulating in the flow path pipe 80.
In addition, the flow passage pipe outlet 81 is located lower than the electrical equipment box 90. Therefore, the heat medium and water discharged from the flow passage pipe 80 do not splash on the electrical equipment box 90 housing the control board, which may become an ignition source.

In this embodiment, one blower device 16 is arranged opposite the heat source side heat exchanger 14, but if multiple blowers 16 are arranged in the vertical direction in the outdoor unit 3, it is effective to connect the top cover 71 to the top of the water splash prevention plate 70.
That is, when multiple blowers 16 are arranged in the vertical direction, the height-wise space of the heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b becomes large, and it is necessary to make the water-splash prevention plate 70 taller. If the water-splash prevention plate 70 becomes taller, the vibration of the water-splash prevention plate 70 increases due to the vibration of the compressor 11. However, by connecting the top cover 71 to the top of the water-splash prevention plate 70, the vibration of the water-splash prevention plate 70 can be reduced.

[Configuration supported by the above embodiment]
The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

(Configuration 1)
The outdoor unit is provided with a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a user-side heat exchanger, an expansion means, and a heat source-side heat exchanger are connected in a ring, and a refrigerant circulates; a heat medium circuit for circulating a heat medium cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a user-side terminal; a gas-liquid separation device for separating gas in the heat medium circuit from the heat medium; a pressure relief valve for discharging the gas from the heat medium circuit; and a gas vent valve for releasing the gas separated by the gas-liquid separation device. The outdoor unit is provided with a heat medium chamber and a machine chamber. the heat medium chamber is provided with the utilization side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separation device, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve, and the machine chamber is provided with the compressor and the expansion means, wherein a water splash prevention plate is provided between the heat medium chamber and the machine chamber to prevent the heat medium leaking from at least one of the utilization side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separation device, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve from splashing into the machine chamber.
According to this configuration, the water splash prevention plate can prevent the heat medium leaking from the utilization side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve from splashing into the machine room.

(Configuration 2)
The heat pump cycle apparatus described in configuration 1, characterized in that the water splash prevention plate is provided with an upper cover, the gas-liquid separation device, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve are arranged above the utilization side heat exchanger, and the upper cover is arranged above the gas-liquid separation device, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve.
According to this configuration, by arranging the gas-liquid separation device, pressure relief valve, and gas vent valve above the use-side heat exchanger, the space above the use-side heat exchanger can be effectively utilized and gas that enters the heat medium circuit can be easily collected, and by arranging the top cover above the gas-liquid separation device, pressure relief valve, and gas vent valve, the heat medium leaking from the gas-liquid separation device, pressure relief valve, and gas vent valve can be prevented from splashing into the machine room.

(Configuration 3)
The heat pump cycle apparatus described in configuration 2 is characterized in that a blower is provided at a position opposite the heat source side heat exchanger, a plurality of the blowers are arranged in a vertical direction, and the top cover is connected to the upper part of the water splash prevention plate.
When multiple blowers are arranged vertically, the height-wise space of the heat medium chamber and the machine chamber becomes large, and the water-splash prevention plate also becomes high, so the vibration of the water-splash prevention plate becomes large due to the vibration of the compressor. However, with this configuration, the vibration of the water-splash prevention plate can be reduced by connecting the top cover to the top of the water-splash prevention plate.

The present invention is suitable for heat pump cycle devices that use flammable refrigerants.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 User side terminal 2 Indoor unit 3 Outdoor unit 3a Heat medium chamber 3b Machine chamber 3c Blower chamber 3d Outer periphery of bottom material 3e Outer periphery of top material 10 Refrigerant circuit 11 Compressor 12 User side heat exchanger 13 Expansion means 14 Heat source side heat exchanger 14i Air suction surface 15 Four-way valve 16 Blower device 17x First refrigerant connection port 17y Second refrigerant connection port 20 Heat medium circuit 21 Conveyor pump 22x First heat medium connection port 22y Second heat medium connection port 23 First heat medium connection pipe 30 Gas-liquid separation device 32 Gas-liquid separation inlet 35 Gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 36 Outlet joint 37 Inlet joint 40 Pressure relief valve 50 Gas vent valve 60 Wall material 61 First wall material 62 Second wall member 70 Water-splash prevention plate 71 Top cover 72 One side edge 73 Other side edge 75 Opening 80 Flow path pipe 81 Flow path pipe outlet 82 Flow path pipe inlet 90 Electrical equipment box 100 Partition plate

Claims (3)

a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a utilization side heat exchanger, an expansion means, and a heat source side heat exchanger are connected in a ring shape and in which a refrigerant circulates;
a heat medium circuit that circulates the heat medium cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a user-side terminal;
a gas-liquid separator that separates gas in the heat medium circuit from the heat medium;
a pressure relief valve for discharging the gas from the heat medium circuit;
a gas vent valve that releases the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator;
Equipped with
The outdoor unit includes a heat medium chamber and a machine chamber.
the heat medium chamber is provided with the utilization side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separation device, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve;
The machine room is a heat pump cycle device in which the compressor and the expansion means are arranged,
a water splash prevention plate provided between the heat medium chamber and the machine chamber to prevent the heat medium leaking from at least one of the user-side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separation device, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve from splashing into the machine chamber. The water splash prevention plate is provided with an upper cover,
The gas-liquid separation device, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve are disposed above the utilization side heat exchanger;
2. The heat pump cycle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the top cover is disposed above the gas-liquid separator, the pressure relief valve, and the gas vent valve. A blower is provided at a position facing the heat source side heat exchanger,
A plurality of the blowing devices are arranged in a vertical direction,
3. The heat pump cycle device according to claim 2, wherein the top cover is connected to an upper portion of the water splash prevention plate.