JPH0429345Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Field of industrial application) The present invention relates to heat pumps for air conditioners, water heaters, etc.

(Prior Art) An example of a refrigerant circuit of a conventional air conditioner is shown in FIG. 2. During heating operation, the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 1 flows as shown by the broken line arrow.
It enters the indoor heat exchanger 3 via the discharge pipe 8 and the four-way valve 2, where it is condensed and liquefied by radiating heat to the indoor air. Next, this refrigerant liquid enters the throttle mechanism 4 and undergoes adiabatic expansion, and then enters the outdoor heat exchanger 5, where it absorbs heat from the outside air and evaporates. Thereafter, this refrigerant gas returns to the compressor 1 via the four-way valve 2 and the suction pipe 9. When a certain amount or more of frost adheres to the outdoor heat exchanger 5 due to continued heating operation at low temperature and high humidity, a defrosting operation is performed. During defrosting operation, one end is the discharge pipe 8 of the compressor 1 and the other end is the throttle mechanism 4.
At the same time as the opening/closing valve 7 installed in the bypass circuit 6 connected to the refrigerant pipe between the outdoor heat exchanger 5 and the outdoor heat exchanger 5 opens, the throttling mechanism 4 becomes fully open. Then, most of the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 1 enters the outdoor heat exchanger 5 through the discharge pipe 8, the bypass circuit 6, and the on-off valve 7, where it radiates heat and melts the frost. As a result, it condenses and liquefies itself. Further, the remainder of the refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 1 passes through the four-way valve 2, the indoor heat exchanger 3, and the throttle mechanism 4, enters the outdoor heat exchanger 5, where it is condensed and liquefied, and merges with the previously branched refrigerant. It then returns to the compressor 1 via the four-way valve 2 and suction pipe 9.

During cooling operation, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 is
As shown by the solid arrow, it returns to the compressor 1 via the discharge pipe 8, four-way valve 2, outdoor heat exchanger 5, throttling mechanism 4, indoor heat exchanger 5, four-way valve 2, and suction pipe 9.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) In the conventional air conditioner described above, when the outside air temperature drops and the load decreases during heating operation, surplus refrigerant is generated, and the liquid refrigerant returns to the compressor 1. Liquid back development occurs. This liquid back development lowers the temperature of the compressor 1, but if defrosting operation is started from this state, there is less heat for defrosting, so the time required for defrosting will be longer, and the feeling during heating operation will be reduced. There was a problem that the condition worsened.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention was proposed to solve the above problems, and its gist is to provide a compressor, a four-way valve, an indoor heat exchanger, and a defrosting operation. In a heat pump that consists of a throttle mechanism that is sometimes opened and an outdoor heat exchanger, and which performs defrosting operation while maintaining the heating cycle, a refrigerant reservoir that can exchange heat with the suction pipe of the compressor is provided, and this refrigerant reservoir is connected between the throttle mechanism and the outdoor heat exchanger via a refrigerant passage, and connected to the discharge pipe of the compressor via a refrigerant passage interposed with an on-off valve that opens during defrosting operation. The heat pump is characterized by:

(Function) Since the present invention has the above configuration, during heating operation, liquid refrigerant is stored in the refrigerant reservoir,
The amount of refrigerant circulating in the circulation circuit is reduced to prevent so-called liquid back development. During defrosting operation, the on-off valve is opened to allow the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor to flow into the refrigerant reservoir, and the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant reservoir is returned to the circulation circuit, thereby circulating the entire amount of refrigerant. Frost attached to the outdoor heat exchanger is quickly melted by increasing the amount of heat exchanged in the outdoor heat exchanger.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerant reservoir 10 that can exchange heat with the suction pipe 9 of the compressor 1 is arranged, and this refrigerant reservoir 10 exchanges outdoor heat with the throttling mechanism 4 via a refrigerant passage 11. It is connected to the refrigerant pipe between the compressor 5 and the discharge pipe 8 of the compressor 1 via the refrigerant passage 12 . This refrigerant passage 12 is provided with an on-off valve 13 that is opened during defrosting operation. The other configurations are the same as the conventional one shown in FIG.
Corresponding members are given the same reference numerals.

Thus, during cooling operation, the on-off valve 13 is closed. Then, the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 1 passes through the discharge pipe 8 and the four-way valve 2 and enters the outdoor heat exchanger 5, as shown by the solid arrow, where it is condensed by dissipating heat to the outside air. Liquefied and low temperature
It becomes a high-pressure refrigerant liquid. This refrigerant liquid enters the throttle mechanism 4, where it is throttled and expands adiabatically to become a gas-liquid two-phase at low temperature and low pressure. Next, this gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant enters the indoor heat exchanger 3, where it cools the indoor air and evaporates into a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas. Then, this refrigerant gas returns to the compressor 1 via the four-way valve 2 and the suction pipe 9, and thereafter repeats the above process. At this time, the refrigerant reservoir 10 is connected to the suction pipe 9
The refrigerant flows into the refrigerant reservoir 10 through the refrigerant passage 11 and is stored here in a liquid state.

During heating operation, the on-off valve 13 is closed, and the four-way valve 2 is switched as indicated by the dashed arrow. Therefore,
The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 passes through a discharge pipe 8, a four-way valve 2, an indoor heat exchanger 3, as shown by the broken line arrow.
It returns to the compressor 1 through the throttle mechanism 4, outdoor heat exchanger 5, four-way valve 2, and suction pipe 9 in this order, and then repeats the above steps.

At this time, since the refrigerant reservoir 10 is cooled by the suction pipe 9, a part of the refrigerant flowing out from the throttle mechanism 4 enters the refrigerant reservoir 9 through the refrigerant passage 11 and is accumulated there. As a result, the amount of refrigerant circulating in the circulation circuit is reduced.

During heating operation, when frost begins to adhere to the outdoor heat exchanger 5 due to a drop in outside air temperature, defrosting operation is performed. During the defrosting operation, the four-way valve 2 occupies the switching position shown by the broken line as in the heating operation, but the on-off valve 13 is opened and at the same time the throttling mechanism 4 is fully opened. As a result, most of the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 1 is transferred from the discharge pipe 8 to the refrigerant passage 1.
2. The refrigerant enters the refrigerant reservoir 10 through the on-off valve 13, and the liquid refrigerant stored therein flows out and enters the outdoor heat exchanger 5 together with the refrigerant through the refrigerant passage 11 to remove frost attached to it. Condenses into liquid by melting. On the other hand, the remainder of the refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 1 passes through the four-way valve 2, the indoor heat exchanger 3, and the fully opened throttling mechanism 4, and enters the outdoor heat exchanger 5, where it is condensed and liquefied. Then, it joins with the previously branched refrigerant, returns to the compressor 1 via the four-way valve 2 and the suction pipe 9, and repeats the above process.

(Effects of the invention) In the present invention, a refrigerant reservoir is provided in the suction pipe of the compressor and can be used for heat exchange with the suction pipe, and this refrigerant reservoir is connected between the throttle mechanism and the outdoor heat exchanger via a refrigerant passage. At the same time, it is connected to the discharge pipe of the compressor through a refrigerant passage equipped with an on-off valve that opens during defrosting operation, so during heating operation, liquid refrigerant is stored in the refrigerant reservoir and circulated. By reducing the amount of refrigerant circulating in the circuit, so-called liquid backflow can be prevented. During defrosting operation, the on-off valve is opened and the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor is supplied into the refrigerant reservoir, and the liquid refrigerant stored there is returned to the circulation circuit and refrigerated. Increases circulation. In this way, the time required for defrosting can be greatly shortened and the heating feeling can be significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a refrigerant system diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a refrigerant system diagram of a conventional air conditioner. Compressor...1, Four-way valve...2, Indoor heat exchanger...
...3, Throttle mechanism...4, Outdoor heat exchanger...5, Discharge pipe...8, Suction pipe...9, Refrigerant reservoir...10,
Refrigerant passage...11, 12, on-off valve...13.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a heat pump that is composed of a compressor, a four-way valve, an indoor heat exchanger, a throttling mechanism that is opened during defrosting operation, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and which performs defrosting operation while maintaining the heating cycle, this is connected to the suction pipe of the compressor. A refrigerant reservoir capable of heat exchange is provided, and this refrigerant reservoir is connected between the throttle mechanism and the outdoor heat exchanger via a refrigerant passage, and an on-off valve is provided in the discharge pipe of the compressor for defrosting operation time. A heat pump characterized in that the heat pump is connected through a refrigerant passage having an intervening refrigerant passage.