JP5405145B2 - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner including a refrigerant circuit configured by connecting an outdoor unit and an indoor unit with a gas refrigerant pipe and a liquid refrigerant pipe.

In general, an air having a refrigerant circuit configured by connecting an outdoor unit having a compressor, an accumulator, a four-way valve and an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger by a gas refrigerant pipe and a liquid refrigerant pipe. Harmonic devices are known. In this type of air conditioner, when renewal (replacement) of an air conditioner in a building such as an existing building is performed, a gas refrigerant pipe and a liquid refrigerant pipe (hereinafter referred to as an existing refrigerant) are used to shorten the construction period and reduce the cost. Diverted).
Here, in the existing refrigerant pipe, a large amount of wear powder generated due to wear of the sliding portion of the compressor mounted on the outdoor unit before the update, and solid oxide such as oxide scale derived from the refrigerant and oil before the update Foreign matter often remains. If no measures are taken against such solid foreign matters and the existing refrigerant pipe is reused, the solid foreign matters enter the compressor installed in the updated outdoor unit and promote wear of the sliding parts of the compressor. However, the reliability of the air conditioner may be significantly impaired.
In order to solve this problem, a strainer having a screen having a twilled woven screen in the body and provided with a strainer in the refrigerant circuit to capture solid foreign matters by this screen has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-224513 A

  By the way, when the existing refrigerant pipe is diverted, the solid foreign matter remaining in the existing refrigerant pipe can be captured by the screen of the strainer, so that the compressor can be protected, while the screen is clogged. Can be considered. However, in the conventional configuration, the strainer is formed by fixing the end plate on both sides of the body by arc welding or the like with the screen accommodated in the body, so it is not possible to replace only the screen. It was. For this reason, even when the screen is clogged, it is necessary to replace the strainer itself. Furthermore, since the strainer is brazed to the refrigerant pipe, the work of attaching and detaching the strainer becomes complicated, and it is difficult to eliminate the solid foreign matter captured by the strainer.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can solve the above-described problems of the prior art and can easily eliminate solid foreign substances captured by the strainer.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention relates to an outdoor unit having an engine driven compressor, an accumulator, a four-way valve and an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger. In an air conditioner that includes a refrigerant circuit configured to be connected by a refrigerant pipe and performs cooling operation or heating operation of the indoor unit by switching the four-way valve, the engine is driven on the suction side of the compressor A flexible pipe for suppressing the vibration of the compressor from being transmitted to an outdoor refrigerant pipe is provided, and the accumulator is provided between the compressor and the accumulator even in the cooling operation or the heating operation. the strainer for capturing foreign substances circulating the refrigerant circuit together with the refrigerant flowing into the compressor from providing this strainer, A strainer body housing clean, and a cover member which is flange connected to the strainer body, connecting the cover body with connecting the strainer body through the outdoor refrigerant pipe to the accumulator side on the flexible pipe It is characterized by that.

According to this configuration, since the strainer body and the cover body are flange-connected, by removing this cover body, the screen accommodated in the strainer body can be easily replaced or cleaned and captured by the strainer. It is possible to easily remove the solid foreign matters.
Further, since the strainer is disposed between the compressor and the accumulator, the flow of the refrigerant does not change even in the cooling operation or the heating operation. For this reason, a solid foreign material can be reliably captured with a single strainer.

In this configuration, the strainer may be connected to the suction port of the compressor via a flexible pipe. According to this configuration, since the strainer body or the cover body is connected to the suction port of the compressor via the flexible pipe, the connection port of the strainer body is opened simply by removing the flange connection between the strainer body and the cover body. It is possible to easily attach and detach the screen accommodated in the strainer body.
In this case, if the cover body formed smaller than the strainer body is connected to the flexible pipe, the cover body can be easily operated through the flexible pipe. Therefore, even in a narrow space such as in an outdoor unit, the strainer The attaching / detaching operation of the screen accommodated in the main body can be performed more easily.

  Further, the screen may be formed by laminating a plurality of meshes having different meshes, and the mesh located on the primary side of the screen may be formed coarser than the mesh located on the secondary side of the screen. good. According to this structure, the net | network captured by the magnitude | size of the solid foreign material which flows into a strainer can be varied, and the capture | acquisition area of a screen can be ensured large. For this reason, the screen is less likely to be clogged as compared with a uniform mesh, and the period until the replacement or cleaning of the screen can be lengthened.

  Moreover, the gas refrigerant pipe and the liquid refrigerant pipe are existing pipes arranged in a building, and at least the outdoor unit may be updated and arranged with respect to the existing pipes. According to this configuration, the solid foreign matter remaining in the existing gas refrigerant pipe or liquid refrigerant pipe arranged in the building can be captured by the strainer, and the captured solid foreign matter can be easily removed. The refrigerant pipe and the liquid refrigerant pipe can be effectively reused.

  According to the present invention, since the strainer main body and the cover body are flange-connected, by removing this cover body, the screen accommodated in the strainer main body can be easily replaced or cleaned and captured by the strainer. It is possible to easily remove the solid foreign matters.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigerant circuit in a gas heat pump (GHP) type air conditioner according to the present invention.
The air conditioner 10 includes an outdoor unit 11 and a plurality of (for example, five) indoor units 12A to 12E. The outdoor unit 11 and the indoor units 12A to 12E are connected by a gas refrigerant pipe 13 and a liquid refrigerant pipe 14. The refrigerant circuit 100 is configured by being connected. The gas refrigerant pipe 13 and the liquid refrigerant pipe 14 are existing refrigerant pipes arranged in a building such as a building, and have been updated (replaced) with respect to the existing gas refrigerant pipe 13 and liquid refrigerant pipe 14. The new outdoor unit 11 and the indoor units 12A to 12E are connected to form the air conditioner 10.

The outdoor unit 11 is installed outside and is connected to a gas engine 15 that generates a driving force by burning fuel gas or the like, and an output shaft of the gas engine 15 via a V-belt 15A, and is driven by the gas engine 15. The compressor 16 is provided. A strainer 17, an accumulator 18 and a four-way valve 19 are sequentially connected to the suction side of the compressor 16 via an outdoor refrigerant pipe 20, and an oil separator 21 and a four-way valve 19 are connected to the discharge side of the compressor 16. ing. An outdoor heat exchanger 22, an outdoor expansion valve 23, a dry core 24 and a liquid side service valve 25 are sequentially connected to the four-way valve 19, and the liquid refrigerant pipe 14 is connected to the liquid side service valve 25. Further, a gas side service valve 26 is connected to the four-way valve 19, and the gas refrigerant pipe 13 is connected to the gas side service valve 26. An outdoor fan 35 that blows air toward the outdoor heat exchanger 22 is disposed adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger 22.
In the present embodiment, since the compressor 16 is driven by the gas engine 15, the air conditioner 10 is transmitted to the outdoor refrigerant pipe 20 compared to an air conditioner of the type in which the compressor is driven by an electric motor. Tends to increase. For this reason, flexible pipes 27 are connected to the suction side and the discharge side of the compressor 16, respectively, and the flexible pipe 27 absorbs vibrations of the compressor 16, so that the compressor 16 is connected to the outdoor refrigerant pipe 20. Transmission of vibration is suppressed.

  On the other hand, each of the indoor units 12A to 12E is installed indoors and connected in parallel to the gas refrigerant pipe 13 and the liquid refrigerant pipe 14, respectively. Each of the indoor units 12A to 12E includes indoor refrigerant pipes 28A to 28E that connect the gas refrigerant pipe 13 and the liquid refrigerant pipe 14, and these indoor refrigerant pipes 28A to 28E include indoor heat exchangers 29A to 29 and indoor expansion valves. 30A-30E are provided. Indoor fans 36A to 36E for sending air to the indoor heat exchangers 29A to 29E are disposed adjacent to the indoor heat exchangers 29A to 29E.

By switching the four-way valve 19, the air conditioner 10 is set to the cooling operation or the heating operation. That is, when the four-way valve 19 is switched to the cooling side, the refrigerant flows as indicated by solid arrows, the outdoor heat exchanger 22 becomes the condenser, and the indoor heat exchangers 29A to 29E become the evaporator, and the cooling operation state is established. Each indoor heat exchanger 29A-29E cools the room. Further, when the four-way valve 19 is switched to the heating side, the refrigerant flows as indicated by broken line arrows, the indoor heat exchangers 29A to 29E become condensers, and the outdoor heat exchanger 22 becomes an evaporator to enter a heating operation state. Each indoor heat exchanger 29A-29E heats the room.
Moreover, at the time of air_conditionaing | cooling operation, each valve opening degree of indoor expansion valve 30A-30E is controlled according to an air-conditioning load. During the heating operation, the valve openings of the outdoor expansion valve 23 and the indoor expansion valves 30A to 30E are controlled according to the air conditioning load.

Next, the strainer 17 will be described. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the strainer 17, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the strainer 17.
As described above, the strainer 17 is provided between the compressor 16 and the accumulator 18 and captures solid foreign matters flowing into the compressor 16 via the outdoor refrigerant pipe 20. Thereby, for example, even when the solid foreign matter remaining in the existing gas refrigerant pipe 13 and liquid refrigerant pipe 14 flows into the outdoor unit 11 together with the refrigerant, the solid foreign substance enters the compressor 16. It is prevented.
2 and 3, the strainer 17 includes a strainer body 31, a cover body 40 that is flange-connected to the strainer body 31, and a screen that is accommodated in the strainer body 31 and captures solid foreign substances. 50.

The strainer body 31 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A connection port 32 connected to the outdoor refrigerant pipe 20 is formed at one end, and a first flange portion 33 is formed at the other end. A concave portion 34 that is recessed in a return shape from the flange surface 33 </ b> A is formed substantially at the center of the first flange portion 33.
In the cover body 40, a hole 41 communicating with the strainer body 31 is opened substantially at the center of the cover body 40, and a first flange portion 33 of the strainer body 31 is formed around the hole 41 as a companion flange. Two flange portions 42 are provided. Further, a connection port 43 connected to the flexible pipe 27 is provided around the hole 41 on the outer surface of the cover body 40, and protrudes in a circular shape on the inner surface of the cover body 40. When the body 40 is assembled to the strainer body 31, a protruding piece 44 that fits into the recess 34 of the strainer body 31 is formed.
As shown in FIG. 2, the strainer body 31 and the cover body 40 are formed on the first flange portion 33 and the second flange portion 42, respectively, by aligning the first flange portion 33 and the second flange portion 42. The plurality of bolt holes are connected by fastening with bolts 55 and nuts 56.

  The screen 50 includes a cylindrical portion 51 formed in a cylindrical shape, an end surface portion 52 that covers one end of the cylindrical portion 51 to form an end surface, and a flange-like holding from the outer peripheral surface of the other end of the cylindrical portion 51. Part 53. When the screen 50 is accommodated in the strainer main body 31, the holding portion 53 is disposed in the concave portion 34 of the strainer main body 31 and is held by the concave portion 34 and the protruding piece 44 of the cover body 40. For this reason, the screen 50 is positioned in the strainer body 31 and is connected to the primary space 57 of the screen 50 communicating with the accumulator 18 through the connection port 32 by the cylindrical portion 51 and the end surface portion 52 of the screen 50. The secondary space 58 of the screen 50 communicating with the compressor 16 through the port 43 can be reliably separated. As a result, the solid foreign matter that has flowed into the strainer 17 is reliably captured by the screen 50, and the solid foreign matter is prevented from entering the secondary space 58 (that is, inside the compressor 16). Here, the primary space 57 refers to the space before passing through the screen 50, and the secondary space 58 refers to the space after passing through the screen 50.

The cylindrical portion 51 and the end surface portion 52 are formed by laminating metal meshes having different meshes (numerical apertures per unit length) obtained by plain weaving or twilling of metal warp and weft yarns. The metal mesh layer located on the outer side (primary space 57 side) is formed with a coarser mesh than the metal mesh layer located on the inner side (secondary space 58 side).
As described above, since the screen 50 is formed by laminating wire meshes having different meshes, the wire mesh to be captured can be varied depending on the size of the solid foreign matter that flows in, and various types of screens can be provided in the thickness direction of the screen 50. Since a solid foreign substance having a large size can be captured, a large capture area of the screen 50 can be secured. For this reason, the screen 50 is less likely to be clogged as compared with a uniform mesh, and the period until replacement or cleaning of the screen 50 can be lengthened.

In the present embodiment, the strainer 17 includes a strainer body 31 and a cover body 40, and a flexible pipe 27 is connected to a connection port 43 of the cover body 40. Here, since the cover body 40 is formed smaller than the strainer body 31, if this small cover body 40 is connected to the flexible pipe 27, the degree of freedom for operating the cover body 40 can be increased. For this reason, it is possible to open the flange connection port of the strainer body 31 simply by removing the flange connection between the strainer body 31 and the cover body 40, which is a narrow space in which each device is arranged as in the outdoor unit 11. However, the attaching / detaching operation of the screen 50 accommodated in the strainer body 31 can be easily performed.
In this configuration, the strainer 17 accommodates the screen 50 in the strainer main body 31, so that even if solid foreign matter is accumulated on the screen 50, it is determined whether it is time to replace or clean in terms of appearance. I can't. For this reason, it is desirable that the differential pressure before and after the strainer 17 is measured and notified when the differential pressure rises to a predetermined pressure.

Next, the operation of replacing the screen 50 of the strainer 17 will be described.
The liquid side service valve 25 is closed, the gas side service valve 26 is opened, and the outdoor unit 11 is heated. In this case, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 16 is condensed in the indoor heat exchangers 29A to 29E of the indoor units 12A to 12E and stored on the liquid refrigerant pipe 14 side (so-called pump-out operation).
Next, the heating operation of the outdoor unit 11 is stopped and the gas-side service valve 26 is closed to disconnect the outdoor unit 11 from the refrigerant circuit 100. Then, a vacuum pump (not shown) is attached to the gas-side service valve 26, and the refrigerant remaining in the outdoor refrigerant pipe 20 and each device of the outdoor unit 11 is collected by evacuation.
Next, the bolts 55 and nuts 56 of the first and second flange portions 33 and 42 that connect the cover body 40 and the strainer body 31 are removed, and the cover body 40 is removed. Since this cover body 40 is connected to the flexible pipe 27, it is possible to maintain a high degree of freedom in operating the cover body 40, and the cover body 40 can be easily detached from the axis of the strainer body 31. it can.
Next, since the flange connection port of the strainer main body 31 is opened, the screen 50 accommodated in the strainer main body 31 is removed, and the screen 50 is cleaned or replaced, so that the solid foreign matter accumulated in the screen 50 is removed. Remove. Then, the clean screen 50 is accommodated again in the strainer body 31, and the strainer body 31 and the cover body 40 are flange-connected by bolts 55 and nuts 56.
Next, after the inside of the outdoor unit 11 is evacuated again, the liquid side service valve 25 and the gas side service valve 26 are gradually opened to start the operation of the air conditioner 10.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the outdoor unit 11 having the compressor 16, the accumulator 18, the four-way valve 19, and the outdoor heat exchanger 22, and the indoor unit 12A having the indoor heat exchangers 29A to 29E. To 12E are connected by a gas refrigerant pipe 13 and a liquid refrigerant pipe 14, and a solid foreign matter circulating in the refrigerant circuit 100 together with the refrigerant is captured between the compressor 16 and the accumulator 18. A strainer 17 is provided. The strainer 17 includes a strainer main body 31 that accommodates the screen 50 and a cover body 40 that is flange-connected to the strainer main body 31, so that the inside of the strainer main body 31 is removed by removing the cover body 40. The screen 50 accommodated in the screen can be easily replaced or cleaned. It is possible to easily eliminate solid contaminants trapped in 50.
Further, since the strainer 17 is disposed between the compressor 16 and the accumulator 18, the direction in which the refrigerant flows from the accumulator 18 to the compressor 16 does not change even in the cooling operation or the heating operation. For this reason, a solid foreign material can be reliably captured only by providing a single strainer 17.
Further, since the strainer 17 is provided in the casing of the outdoor unit 11, even if dew condensation occurs on the strainer 17 and drops into the outdoor unit 11, there is no problem. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a heat insulating material etc. around the strainer 17, and the cost of a member and manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, the strainer 17 includes the strainer body 31 and the cover body 40, and the connection port 43 of the cover body 40 and the suction port of the compressor 16 are connected by the flexible pipe 27. By simply removing the flange connection between the strainer body 31 and the cover body 40, the flange connection port of the strainer body 31 can be opened, and the screen 50 accommodated in the strainer body 31 can be easily attached and detached. Can do.
In particular, in this embodiment, since the cover body 40 is formed smaller than the strainer main body 31, if the small cover body 40 is connected to the flexible pipe 27, the degree of freedom in operating the cover body 40 can be increased. it can. For this reason, it is possible to open the flange connection port of the strainer body 31 simply by removing the flange connection between the strainer body 31 and the cover body 40, which is a narrow space in which each device is arranged as in the outdoor unit 11. However, the attaching / detaching operation of the screen 50 accommodated in the strainer body 31 can be easily performed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the screen 50 is formed by laminating a plurality of meshes having different meshes, and the wire mesh layer located on the outer side (primary space 57 side) of the screen 50 is on the inner side (secondary space 58). The mesh is formed coarser than the wire mesh layer located on the side). For this reason, the wire mesh to be captured can be made different depending on the size of the solid foreign matter that flows in, and solid foreign matters having various sizes can be captured in the thickness direction of the screen 50. A large area can be secured. For this reason, the screen 50 is less likely to be clogged as compared with a uniform mesh, and the period until replacement or cleaning of the screen 50 can be lengthened.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the gas refrigerant pipe 13 and the liquid refrigerant pipe 14 are existing pipes arranged in the building, and the air conditioner 10 includes the existing gas refrigerant pipe 13 and liquid refrigerant pipe 14. Since the outdoor unit 11 has been updated, the solid foreign matter remaining in the existing gas refrigerant pipe 13 or liquid refrigerant pipe 14 is captured by the strainer 17, and the captured solid foreign matter can be easily removed. The gas refrigerant pipe 13 and the liquid refrigerant pipe 14 can be effectively reused.

Another embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a strainer 60 according to another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the strainer 60.
The strainer 60 is different from the above-described strainer 17 in that the cover body 40 is flange-connected to both ends of the strainer body 61, respectively. Since the structures of the cover body 40 and the screen 50 are the same as those described above, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted. When the strainer 60 is disposed in the outdoor unit 11, as shown in FIG. 4, the outdoor refrigerant pipe 20 is connected to the connection port 43 of one (inlet side) cover body 40 and the other (outlet side). A flexible pipe 27 is connected to the connection port 43 of the cover body 40.
The strainer body 61 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and first flange portions 33 are formed at both ends. The first flange portion 33 is a companion flange with the second flange portion 42 of the cover body 40.
In this other embodiment, since the strainer 60 is connected by the two sets of first and second flange portions 33 and 42, the strainer body 61 is removed from the refrigerant circuit 100 by disconnecting the two sets of flanges. The screen housed in the strainer body 61 can be replaced or cleaned. For this reason, for example, even in an outdoor unit in which a flexible pipe is not connected to the suction port of the compressor, such as an outdoor unit including a motor-driven compressor, the strainer 60 can be easily incorporated into the refrigerant circuit 100. it can.

The above-described embodiment shows one aspect to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, a strainer unit 70 that captures solid foreign substances in cooperation with the strainers 17 and 60 at a position near the outdoor unit 11 (that is, the gas-side service valve 26) of the gas refrigerant pipe 13. It is good also as a structure to provide. The strainer unit 70 captures solid foreign matters remaining in the gas refrigerant pipe 13 and the liquid refrigerant pipe 14 and circulating in the refrigerant circuit 100 together with the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and prevents the solid foreign substances from entering the outdoor unit 11. It is to prevent.
The strainer unit 70 includes a strainer 71 that is flanged or flare-connected to the gas refrigerant pipe 13, and a closing valve 72 that is disposed closer to the indoor units 12 </ b> A to 12 </ b> E than the strainer 71. By providing the strainer unit 70, the strainer unit 70 and the strainers 17, 60 disperse and capture solid foreign matters, so that the screen of each strainer is not easily clogged, and the period until the replacement or cleaning of the screen is increased. can do.
When the strainer 71 of the strainer unit 70 is removed, the closing valve 72 and the gas side service valve 26 are closed, and the refrigerant remaining between these valves may be recovered. For this reason, the shorter the distance between the closing valve 72 and the gas-side service valve 26, the smaller the amount of remaining refrigerant, and the easier the strainer 71 can be removed.
In this configuration, a configuration in which the strainer unit 70 is provided in the gas refrigerant pipe 13 is shown, but it goes without saying that the strainer unit 70 may also be provided in the liquid refrigerant pipe 14.

It is a circuit diagram which shows the refrigerant circuit in the gas heat pump (GHP) type air conditioning apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a sectional side view of a strainer. It is a disassembled perspective view of a strainer. It is a sectional side view of the strainer concerning another embodiment. It is a disassembled perspective view of the strainer concerning another embodiment. It is a refrigerant circuit diagram which shows the structure which provided the strainer unit in gas refrigerant | coolant piping.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Air conditioning apparatus 11 Outdoor unit 12A-12E Indoor unit 13 Gas refrigerant piping 14 Liquid refrigerant piping 15 Gas engine 16 Compressor 17, 60, 71 Strainer 18 Accumulator 19 Four-way valve 20 Outdoor refrigerant piping 22 Outdoor heat exchanger 25 Liquid side Service valve 26 Gas side service valve 27 Flexible piping 31, 61 Strainer body 32 Connection port 33 First flange portion 40 Cover body 41 Hole portion 42 Second flange portion 43 Connection port 50 Screen 51 Cylindrical portion 52 End surface portion 53 Holding portion 57 Primary Space 58 Secondary space 70 Strainer unit 72 Shut-off valve 100 Refrigerant circuit

Claims (3)

A refrigerant circuit configured by connecting an outdoor unit having a compressor, an accumulator, a four-way valve, and an outdoor heat exchanger driven by an engine, and an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger with a gas refrigerant pipe and a liquid refrigerant pipe. An air conditioner that performs cooling operation or heating operation of the indoor unit by switching the four-way valve ,
A flexible pipe for suppressing vibration of the compressor driven by the engine from being transmitted to an outdoor refrigerant pipe is provided on the suction side of the compressor,
A strainer is provided between the compressor and the accumulator to capture foreign matter circulating in the refrigerant circuit together with the refrigerant flowing from the accumulator to the compressor even in the cooling operation or the heating operation . The strainer includes a strainer body that accommodates the screen, and a cover body that is flange-connected to the strainer body.
An air conditioner in which the strainer body is connected to the accumulator side through an outdoor refrigerant pipe and the cover body is connected to the flexible pipe . The screen is formed by laminating a plurality of meshes having different meshes, and the mesh located on the primary side of the screen is formed coarser than the mesh located on the secondary side of the screen. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 . The gas refrigerant pipe and the liquid refrigerant pipe is a pipe of existing disposed in buildings, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least the outdoor unit is arranged to update to this existing pipe The air conditioning apparatus described in 1.

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