JP3632459B2 - Heat pump bath water heater - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technical field in which heat pump cycle is applied to use atmospheric heat or solar heat for heating bath tub water, or atmospheric heat, solar heat or bath tub water temperature is used for heating hot water. is there.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been provided an apparatus that pumps heat from an external heat source using a heat pump cycle, and supplies hot water and bath tub water.
[0003]
FIG. 7 shows a configuration of an apparatus that uses hot heat of bath tub water or atmospheric heat as a heat source and heats hot water supply or bath tub water using a heat pump. 7 includes a compressor 1, expansion valves 2a and 2b, a refrigerant circuit 3, a hot water heat exchanger 4, a hot water circuit 5, a hot water tank 6, and a bath heat exchanger 7. The bathtub water circuit 8, the bathtub 9, the heat collector 10 that collects atmospheric heat or solar heat, and the on-off valves 11 a, 11 b, and 11 c that open and close the refrigerant circuit 3.
[0004]
When the hot water heating operation is performed using the temperature of the bathtub water, the following operation is performed. First, the bathtub water in the bathtub 9 is circulated through the bathtub water circuit 8 and the bath heat exchanger 7. Then, the compressor 1 is operated to pressurize the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 3 to a high temperature and high pressure, and the hot water supply heat exchanger 4, the expansion valves 2a and 2b, and the bath heat exchanger 7 are sent in this order. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the bath water in the bath heat exchanger 7 and is then sucked into the compressor 1 and pressurized to high temperature and high pressure, and condensed in the hot water supply heat exchanger 4 to heat the hot water.
[0005]
When the bath water heating operation of the bathtub 9 is performed, the following operation is performed. First, the bathtub water in the bathtub 9 is circulated through the bathtub water circulation circuit 8 and the bath heat exchanger 7. And the compressor 1 is drive | operated and the refrigerant | coolant in the refrigerant circuit 3 is pressurized to high temperature / high pressure, and it sends in order of the bath heat exchanger 7, the expansion valve 2b, and the heat collector 10. FIG. The refrigerant absorbs atmospheric heat with the heat collector 10 and is then pressurized to a high temperature and high pressure with the compressor 1, condensed in the bath heat exchanger 7, and heated in the bath water.
[0006]
In this conventional configuration, a method as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-27079 has been proposed in order to efficiently cool and heat bath water. Furthermore, as an application development of the heat pump, there is an example described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-159267 that uses bath tub water temperature heat for heating.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional configuration as described above, it has been difficult to effectively use the hot water of the bath tub water for heating hot water for the following reasons.
[0008]
That is, the direction in which the bathtub water circulates into the bathtub 9 is determined so that the bathtub is efficiently stirred in the state when the bathtub water is heated, and the hot water heating operation is performed using the temperature of the bathtub water. The direction of circulation to the bathtub 9 is not considered.
[0009]
The bathtub water that has been absorbed by the bath heat exchanger 7 from the low-temperature refrigerant and has become low temperature returns to the bathtub 9 again. However, since the temperature of the bathtub water returned to the bathtub 9 is lower than the temperature of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9, there is a density difference between both bathtub waters, and the low-temperature bathtub water having a large density is at the bottom of the bathtub 9. It flows toward. Therefore, the low-temperature bath water returned from the bath heat exchanger 7 forms a low-temperature layer at the bottom of the bath 9 without being sufficiently stirred with the bath water in the bath 9. Therefore, the bathtub water in the bathtub 9 has a temperature distribution in which the bottom temperature is low and the top temperature is high, as shown in FIG. If the operation is continued as it is, the low-temperature layer at the bottom of the bathtub 9 increases in thickness, and when the bath adapter 11 of the bathtub is reached, the temperature of the inhaled bathtub water is significantly reduced. When the temperature of the bathtub water sucked from the bathtub 9 is lowered, not only the efficiency of the heat pump cycle is lowered, but also the circulating bathtub water may be frozen after being absorbed, so the heat at the top of the bathtub is effective. The hot water heating operation must be terminated without being available for hot water supply. Therefore, in order to effectively use the heat at the upper part of the bathtub for heating hot water, the temperature distribution formed in the bathtub 9 shown in FIG. 8 must be made uniform.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, a heat pump bath water heater of the present invention includes a heat pump circuit having a compressor, a bath heat exchanger in which bathtub water in the bathtub is circulated, and heat is exchanged between the refrigerant in the heat pump circuit and the bathtub water. A bath water circuit having a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the bath water, and a hot water circuit having a hot water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant of the heat pump circuit and the hot water, and utilizing the temperature of the bath water When performing the heating operation of the hot water supply, based on whether or not the detected temperature of the temperature sensor has reached a predetermined temperature T1, if it is higher, bath water flows from the water inlet of the bath and the bath heat exchanger If the flow is low, the bathtub water flows in from the water outlet of the bathtub and flows out of the water inlet of the bathtub through the bath heat exchanger. It switched so.
[0011]
According to the above means, when the hot water heating operation is performed using the temperature of the bath tub water, the temperature distribution such that the temperature at the bottom of the tub is low and the surface layer is high is changed in the direction in which the tub water circulates. Can be made uniform.
[0012]
Therefore, the hot water of the bath tub water can be effectively and efficiently used for heating the hot water supply.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention can realize the heat pump bath water heater of the embodiment that achieves the object of the present invention by adopting the configuration described in each claim.
[0014]
That is, as described in claim 1, the present invention provides a heat pump circuit having a compressor, a bath heat exchanger in which bath water in the bathtub is circulated, and heat exchange between the refrigerant in the heat pump circuit and the bath water and the bath water. A bath water circuit having a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the hot water, and a hot water supply circuit having a hot water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant of the heat pump circuit and the hot water, and using hot water of the bath water When performing the heating operation, based on whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor has reached a predetermined temperature T1, if it is higher, bath water flows from the water inlet of the bath and passes through the bath heat exchanger. Switch to a reverse flow that flows out from the water outlet of the bathtub and flows backward from the water outlet of the bathtub via the bath heat exchanger. Also It is.
[0015]
Moreover, the heat pump circuit which has a compressor, the bathtub water of a bathtub is circulated like Claim 2, The bath heat exchanger which the refrigerant | coolant of the said heat pump circuit and the said bathtub water exchange heat, and the temperature of the said bathtub water A bathtub water circuit having a temperature sensor to detect, a hot water supply circuit having a hot water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant of the heat pump circuit and the hot water, and means for measuring the time during which the bathtub water and the hot water are heated. When performing the heating operation of the hot water using the temperature of the bath water, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined temperature T1, if the temperature is higher than that, the bath water is the inlet of the bath From the outlet of the bathtub through the bath heat exchanger, and if low, the bathtub water flows in from the outlet of the bathtub and enters the bathtub through the bath heat exchanger. Outflow from water mouth Switching so as to reverse the flow that is to form the forward flow or the reverse flow for a predetermined operating time M2.
[0016]
Thereby, the temperature of the bath tub water can be effectively used for heating the hot water supply with high efficiency. Moreover, since it stirs efficiently at the time of heating of bathtub water, it can heat efficiently.
[0017]
【Example】
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0018]
(Example 1)
FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. The heat pump hot water supply apparatus of the present embodiment is configured by means 12 for changing the circulation direction of bath water in addition to the conventional configuration.
[0019]
The operation and action of this configuration will be described. FIG. 2 shows an example of a detailed configuration of the means 12 for changing the circulation direction of the bath water. Arrows indicate the flow of water. The means 12 is constituted by bath water bypass circuits 13a and 13b and circuit switching valves 14a and 14b in the bath water circuit 8 of the bath heat exchanger 7. For the forward flow in which the bathtub water flows in from the inlet 8a of the bathtub 9 and flows out of the outlet 8b of the bathtub 9 through the bath heat exchanger 7, the circuit switching valves 14a and 14b are operated to If the bathtub water bypass circuits 13a and 13b are opened, the bathtub water flows in from the outlet 8b of the bathtub 9, and forms a reverse flow that flows out of the inlet 8a of the bathtub 9 through the bath heat exchanger 7. become. The bathtub water flow in FIG. 2 is a forward flow, and FIG. 3 shows a reverse flow state of the bathtub water. Therefore, in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, since the direction in which the bathtub water circulates is different, the convection of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9 is different.
[0020]
When the hot water is heated using the temperature of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9, even if the temperature distribution having a large temperature difference as shown in FIG. If switching from the forward flow to the reverse flow or from the reverse flow to the forward flow, the convection state in the bathtub 9 changes and the bath water in the bathtub 9 is stirred, so that the temperature distribution can be made uniform. I can do it.
[0021]
(Example 2)
FIG. 4 schematically shows a configuration according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The heat pump hot water supply apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to include a temperature sensor 15 that detects the temperature of the bath water in the bath water circuit 8 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment.
[0022]
Next, the operation and action will be described. When the hot water is heated using the temperature of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9, the heat pump circuit performs the same operation as before. In this state, the bathtub 9 has a temperature distribution with a large temperature difference as shown in FIG. When such a temperature distribution is formed, the temperature of the bath water flowing into the bath water circuit 8 is rapidly lowered. When the temperature drop is detected by the temperature sensor 15 and becomes lower than the predetermined temperature T1, the means 12 changes the flow of the bath water from the forward flow to the reverse flow. Therefore, since the circulation direction of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9 changes, the convection state in the bathtub 9 changes, and the formed temperature distribution can be made more uniform.
[0023]
In this embodiment, when the hot water is heated using the temperature of the bath water, the flow is a forward flow and is switched to the reverse flow by the means 12. There is also a method of switching to a flow, and an efficient switching method is selected according to the shape and size of the bathtub.
[0024]
Further, the temperature sensor can be installed anywhere as long as the temperature of the circulating bath water can be detected.
[0025]
(Example 3)
FIG. 5 schematically shows a configuration according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The heat pump hot water supply apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to include means 16 for measuring the heating operation time of hot water or the heating operation time of bath water in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment.
[0026]
Next, the operation and action will be described. When the hot water is heated using the temperature of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9, the heat pump circuit performs the same operation as before. If the operation is continued in this state, a temperature distribution with a large temperature difference as shown in FIG. 8 is formed in the bathtub 9 when a predetermined time has elapsed. After the predetermined time M1 has elapsed, the flow of the bath water is changed from the forward flow to the reverse flow by the means 12 via the operation time measuring means 16. Therefore, since the circulation direction of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9 changes, the state of the bathtub water flow changes, and the formed temperature distribution is made uniform.
[0027]
In this embodiment, when the hot water is heated using the temperature of the bath water, the flow is a forward flow and is switched to the reverse flow by the means 12. There is also a method of switching to a flow, and an efficient switching method is selected according to the shape and size of the bathtub.
[0028]
Further, the same effect can be obtained by changing the circulation direction intermittently such that the flow is changed for a certain time after the predetermined time M1 has elapsed.
[0029]
(Example 4)
FIG. 6 schematically shows the configuration of the present invention in Example 4 of the present invention. In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the heat pump hot water supply apparatus of the present embodiment includes a temperature sensor 15 that detects the temperature of the bathtub water in the bathtub water circuit 8, and the heating operation time of the hot water supply or the heating operation time of the bathtub water. It is the structure provided with the means 16 to measure.
[0030]
Next, the operation and action will be described. When the hot water is heated using the temperature of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9, the heat pump circuit performs the same operation as before. When a temperature distribution with a large temperature difference as shown in FIG. 8 is formed in the bathtub 9, the temperature of the bathtub water flowing into the bathtub water circuit 8 rapidly decreases. When this temperature drop is detected by the temperature sensor 15 and becomes lower than the predetermined temperature T2, the direction of the bath water blowing is changed by the means 12 for a predetermined operation time M2. Therefore, since the circulation direction of the bathtub water in the bathtub 9 changes, the flow state of the bathtub 9 changes, and the formed temperature distribution is made uniform. Since the circulation direction of the bathtub water is controlled by the temperature and the operation time, the bathtub 9 can be stirred most efficiently.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the heat pump bath water heater configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
[0032]
According to the present invention, the bathtub water flows from the water inlet of the bathtub with respect to the forward flow that flows in from the water inlet of the bathtub and flows out of the water outlet of the bathtub via the bath heat exchanger. When the hot water heating operation is performed using the hot water of the bath tub water by forming a reverse flow that flows out and flows out from the water inlet of the bathtub via the bath heat exchanger, Can be effectively used for heating of hot water supply, and high efficiency of the heat pump bath water heater can be realized.
[0033]
Moreover, since the bathtub is efficiently stirred also when the bathtub water of a bathtub is heated, the efficiency of a heat pump bath water heater becomes high. Furthermore, since the bathtub water is efficiently stirred, the effect of removing floating substances and germs attached to the bathtub acts, and the reliability and durability of the apparatus are improved.
[0034]
Furthermore, the temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the bath water uses the temperature of the bath tub water by making the flow of the bath water flow forward if it is higher than the predetermined temperature T1, and reverse flow if it is lower. Since the bathtub water can be sufficiently stirred when performing the heating operation of the hot water supply, not only can the temperature of the bathtub water be effectively used for heating the hot water supply, but also the heat pump bath water heater can be made highly efficient.
[0035]
Moreover, since the state where the flow of bathtub water in the bathtub water circuit is reversed is formed, the adhesion prevention effect and the peeling effect of floating substances and bacteria in the bathtub water circuit act, and the reliability and durability of the device are increased. improves. Moreover, since the temperature of a bathtub water and the abnormality of a system can be detected by providing a temperature sensor, a more reliable heat pump bath water heater can be obtained.
[0036]
Moreover, by controlling the direction of blowing depending on the operation time, the wiring and the control method can be simplified as compared with the method controlled by the temperature sensor.
[0037]
Furthermore, the temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the bath water and means for measuring the time during which the bath water or hot water is heated and operated, and if the detected temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature T1, the flow of the bath water is increased. By forming the forward flow and the reverse flow if it is low for a predetermined operation time M2, the bath water can be sufficiently stirred, so that not only can the temperature of the bath water be used effectively for heating hot water, High efficiency of heat pump bath water heater is realized. Further, since the temperature sensor can detect the temperature of the bath water and the system abnormality, a more reliable heat pump bath water heater can be obtained. Furthermore, since the control can be performed in consideration of time, the most efficient operation can be performed. Therefore, energy saving of the apparatus is realized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a heat pump bath water heater in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a forward flow of bathtub water of the heat pump bath water heater. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the reverse flow. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a heat pump bath water heater in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a heat pump bath water heater in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a block diagram of a heat pump bath water heater in Example 4. Fig. 7 is a block diagram of a conventional heat pump water heater. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the water depth of the bathtub and the bath water temperature of the heat pump bath water heater. ]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compressor 2a, 2b Expansion valve 3 Refrigerant circuit 4 Hot water supply heat exchanger 5 Hot water supply circuit 6 Hot water storage tank 7 Bath heat exchanger 8 Bath water circuit 8a Bath water inlet 8b Bath water outlet 9 Bath 10 Heat collector 11a, 11b, 11c On-off valve 12 Means 13a, 13b for changing the circulation direction of bath water Bath water bypass circuits 14a, 14b Circuit switching valve 15 Temperature sensor 16 Operating time measuring means

Claims (2)

A heat pump circuit having a compressor;
The bathtub water circuit in which the bathtub water of the bathtub is circulated, and has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the bath water and the bath heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant of the heat pump circuit and the bathtub water,
A hot water supply circuit having a hot water supply heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant of the heat pump circuit and the hot water supply,
When performing the heating operation of the hot water using the temperature of the bath water, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined temperature T1, if the temperature is higher than that, the bath water is the inlet of the bath From the outlet of the bathtub through the bath heat exchanger, and if low, the bathtub water flows in from the outlet of the bathtub and enters the bathtub through the bath heat exchanger. A heat pump bath water heater that switches to a reverse flow that flows out of the water mouth. A heat pump circuit having a compressor;
The bathtub water circuit in which the bathtub water of the bathtub is circulated, and has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the bath water and the bath heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant of the heat pump circuit and the bathtub water,
A hot water supply circuit having a hot water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant of the heat pump circuit and the hot water , and
It is equipped with a means to measure the time when the bath water or hot water is heated and operated,
When performing the heating operation of the hot water using the temperature of the bath water, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the predetermined temperature T1, if the temperature is higher than that, the bath water is the inlet of the bath From the outlet of the bathtub through the bath heat exchanger, and if low, the bathtub water flows in from the outlet of the bathtub and enters the bathtub through the bath heat exchanger. The heat pump bath water heater according to claim 1, wherein the forward flow or the reverse flow is formed for a predetermined operation time M <b> 2 by switching so that the reverse flow flows out from the water port.

Images