JPH07167536A - Refrigerant recovering apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid retention of liquid refrigerant in a refrigerant tube and to shorten a recovering time by disposing a refrigerant recovering apparatus at a secondary side of a condenser above a recovery tank. CONSTITUTION:A system of a condenser 10 of a secondary side of a condenser 10, a receiver tank 44, a filter dryer 45, a sight glass 46, a pressure detector 47, a check valve 48 and a switching valve 49 is disposed at a position higher than an inlet of a recovery tank 11. The refrigerant liquefied at the secondary side of the condenser 11 is introduced to the tank 11 by this disposition through the tank 44, the dryer 45 and the glass 46 and the valve 48 and further a flexible tube 50 by means of gravity. Thus, retention of the liquid refrigerant is extremely reduced, and the refrigerant can be efficiently recovere at the time of restarting an operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerant recovery device for recovering a refrigerant (for example, R-12 or R-22) in a refrigeration cycle device such as a car air conditioner, a room air conditioner or a refrigerator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional example of this type of refrigerant recovery device, for example, there is one described in JP-A-3-105180. The refrigerant recovery device described in this publication sucks a refrigerant gas. Then, a compressor for compressing, a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant gas, and a recovery tank containing the condensed refrigerant are connected in series by a refrigerant pipe to form a refrigerant recovery device. .

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned refrigerant recovery device, since the refrigerant pipe has a portion bent up and down in a U shape, the liquid refrigerant is present in the U-shaped portion. In some cases, so-called traps were formed, and refrigerant collection could not be started smoothly at the start of operation.

That is, when the refrigerant recovery device is about to end, the flow of the liquid refrigerant almost disappears.
The liquid refrigerant stays in the letter-shaped refrigerant pipe. And
When the operation is started in this state, there is a problem in that efficiency is very poor because it takes time until the normal recovery operation is started because the accumulated liquid refrigerant is on the way.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a highly efficient refrigerant recovery device by avoiding the retention of a liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant tube and shortening the recovery time.

[0006]

According to the present invention, an accumulator connected to a recovery target device for separating a sucked gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant, and a compression for compressing the separated gaseous refrigerant. And a condenser for condensing the compressed refrigerant, and a recovery tank for accommodating the condensed refrigerant are connected in series by a refrigerant pipe in a refrigerant recovery device for recovering the refrigerant in the recovery target device to the recovery tank. The condenser and the secondary side of the condenser are arranged above the recovery tank.

[0007]

With the above structure, the liquid-state refrigerant on the secondary side of the condenser is always smoothly flowed into the recovery tank by gravity.
Therefore, the liquid refrigerant hardly stays on the secondary side of the condenser immediately before the stop of the operation, and the recovery start time for recovering the retained liquid refrigerant as in the conventional case at the time of restarting the operation of the refrigerant recovery device. It is possible to avoid a significant extension.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerant recovery device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a component layout diagram of FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates a refrigerant (for example, R-12 or R-22) from an outdoor unit of a separation type air conditioner.
Etc.) to be collected and collected externally. The collection target device is provided with connection ports 3 and 4. In addition, an accumulator (not shown), a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a capillary tube for decompression are built in the recovery target device.

On the other hand, 5 is a refrigerant recovery device, which mainly comprises a capillary tube 6 for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, an evaporator 7 for evaporating the refrigerant, an accumulator 8 for passing only the gaseous refrigerant, and a gaseous refrigerant. A compressor 9 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 10 for condensing the compressed gaseous refrigerant, and a recovery tank 11 for accommodating the condensed refrigerant are in series refrigerant tubes 12, 13, 14 , 15, 16,
The secondary side A of the condenser 10 (the portion surrounded by the chain line in the figure) is arranged above the recovery tank 11 as described below.

A gas pipe 18 connects the gas side valve 11C of the uppermost two-port valve 11A containing the gaseous refrigerant in the recovery tank 11 and the suction side refrigerant pipe 14 of the compressor 9 with each other. This gas pipe 18 has a manual expansion valve 1
9 is provided.

The capillary tube 6 is provided so as to be able to reduce the pressure even if the recovery target device 1 is not provided with a pressure reducing device.

Reference numerals 20 and 21 denote connection ports 3 and 4 of the recovery target device 1.
Flexible hoses for connecting the connection ports 22 and 23 to the connection ports 22 and 23 are connected to the flexible hoses 20 and 21, and are opened by the controller (not shown) when the refrigerant recovery device 5 is in operation and closed when the operation is stopped. This is a valve that uses a solenoid.

Reference numeral 28 is a detector for detecting the gauge pressure in the connection ports 22 and 23. A signal from the detector 28 is sent to a controller (not shown).

Reference numeral 27 is a strainer for removing dirt in the refrigerant, and 29 is a pressure detector for measuring the pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe 13 (evaporator inlet pressure). A blower 30 blows air to the evaporator 7.

Reference numeral 32 is an oil separator provided in the middle of the refrigerant pipe 14, 33 is a manual valve that is opened when the oil from the oil separator 32 is discharged to the outside of the refrigerant recovery device 5, and 34 is a check valve. 35 is a sight glass, 37
Is installed on the secondary side of the compressor 9, and the pressure of the refrigerant is 15 kg.
At f / cm 2, a part of the refrigerant flows into the refrigerant pipe 14, and a pressure adjusting valve 38 for adjusting the pressure of the refrigerant not to exceed 15 kgf / cm, 38 is provided on the secondary side of the pressure adjusting valve 37. The oil separator is for returning the oil discharged from the compressor 9 together with the refrigerant to the refrigerant pipe 15 through the sight glass 38B and the return pipe 38A.

In this way, the oil separators 32, 38
The reason for providing two is to prevent different oils from mixing even if the oil in the recovery target device 1 and the oil in the compressor 9 are different. This is for preventing the compressor 9 from flowing out to the compressor 11 and remarkably shortening the life of the compressor 9.

Reference numeral 39 is a blower for supplying air to the condenser 10. The air from the blower 39 is also introduced to the compressor 9 after passing through the condenser. Therefore, the blower 39 simultaneously cools the condenser 10 and the compressor 9.

Reference numeral 41 is a pressure gauge for detecting the pressure of the refrigerant pipe on the secondary side of the condenser 10, and 42 is a manual valve provided in the refrigerant pipe 43 connected to the pressure gauge 41.
It can be closed during maintenance.

Next, in a portion A surrounded by a chain line shown in FIG. 1 which will be described below, the secondary side of the condenser 10 is arranged above the recovery tank 11 together with the condenser 10 as shown in the layout diagram of FIG. Therefore, it is arranged on the upper side A side.

First, 44 is a receiver tank, and 45 is a filter dryer. 46 is a sight glass provided on the secondary side of the filter dryer 45 for checking the state of the refrigerant, and 47 is a sight glass 46.
Is a pressure detector provided on the secondary side of the detector for detecting the inlet pressure of the recovery tank 11. 48 is a check valve. Reference numeral 49 denotes an opening / closing valve using a solenoid valve provided in the secondary side refrigerant pipe of the sight glass 46, which is controlled to be opened / closed by a controller. The above is arranged on the upper stage A side shown in FIG. Is arranged on the lower side B side.

A flexible hose 50 is provided on the secondary side of the on-off valve 49 and connects the refrigerant pipe 17 and the liquid side valve 11B of the two-port valve 11A of the recovery tank 11, and 51 measures the weight of the recovery tank 11. Is a weight scale for measuring the amount of the refrigerant recovered by, and outputs a signal for stopping the refrigerant recovery device 5 to the controller.

That is, assuming that the amount of the refrigerant recovered to the recovery tank 11 is 20 kg (when R22 is full), the empty recovery tank itself has a weight of 14 kg, and the recovered amount of the refrigerant is allowed. When the total weight of the recovery tank 11 reaches 32 kg as a whole when the weight reaches 18 kg, the weighing scale 51 outputs a stop signal.

The two-port valve 11A of the recovery tank 11
Gas side valve 11C and refrigerant pipe 14 on the suction side of the compressor 9
The gas pipe 18 that connects the
And a flexible tube 53 provided on the primary side of the valve 52 and a manual valve 55.

By the way, 57 is a maintenance refrigerant pipe provided on the secondary side of the manual expansion valve 19, and a strainer 58 is provided. Then, the vacuum pump 60 is connected as needed, and at the time of maintenance, the manual valve 59 is opened to remove the air remaining in the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerant recovery device 5 (for air purging).

Further, when collecting different refrigerants such as from R-22 to R-12, the vacuum pump 6
0 is used to extract the refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant pipe of the refrigerant recovery device 5 so that different refrigerants do not mix with each other.

Reference numeral 64 is a pressure adjusting valve, and 65 is a manual valve for air purging.

Reference numeral 61 is a pressure gauge for detecting the pressure of the refrigerant pipe 15, and 62 is a manual valve provided in the refrigerant pipe 63 connected to the pressure gauge 61, which is closed during maintenance of the pressure gauge.

Although not shown, the controller inputs signals from various detectors and controls the operation of valves, blowers, compressors and the like.

In this embodiment, the blower 30 of the evaporator 7 is used.
Is also used for cooling the compressor 9, a dedicated cooling device for the compressor 9 is not required, and the blower 39 of the condenser 10 is also used for heat dissipation at a high temperature part.

When the operation of the refrigerant recovery device 5 is started, the refrigerant is recovered as follows.

First, at the start of operation, the solenoid valve 2
5, 26 are opened, and the on-off valve 66 is opened. in this case,
The on-off valve 49 is closed until the pressure on the primary side exceeds 10 kg / cm 2, and when the on-off valve 49 is opened, the on-off valve 66 is closed. This prevents a pressure difference in the compressor 9 from occurring. Also, at the start of operation, the blower 30
The blower 39 and the compressor 9 start operating.

Next, the refrigerant sucked from the flexible hoses 20 and 21 is decontaminated by the strainer 27 and then depressurized by the capillary tube 6. The depressurized refrigerant is evaporated by the evaporator 7, sucked into the compressor 9 via the accumulator 8, and compressed by the compressor 9. The compressed refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 10 to become a liquid refrigerant. Then, this refrigerant is used as a receiver tank 44, a filter dryer 45, a sight glass 46, and a check valve 4.
8. Further, it is introduced into the recovery tank 11 via the flexible tube 50. In this way, the recovery target device 1
The refrigerant is recovered from the recovery tank 11. In this case, the secondary side of the condenser 10, that is, the system of the condenser 10, the receiver tank 44, the filter dryer 45, the sight glass 46, the pressure detector 47, the check valve 48, and the opening / closing valve 49 is shown in FIG. As shown, it is arranged at a position higher than the inlet of the recovery tank (A side in the figure). Therefore, the condenser 1
Liquefied refrigerant on the secondary side of 0 is recovered by gravity due to recovery tank 1
Inflow to 1.

When the liquid refrigerant is gasified due to the temperature rise in the recovery tank 11 during operation, the recovery tank 11
The pressure inside rises. For example, if the pressure exceeds a certain level,
The valve 52 is opened only for 5 seconds, the gasified refrigerant in the recovery tank 11 is returned to the refrigerant pipe 15 side, and the pressure in the recovery tank 11 is lowered from the secondary side of the condenser 10.

When the weight of the liquid refrigerant recovered in the recovery tank 11 reaches a predetermined value, the weighing scale 51 outputs a stop signal to the controller to stop the operation. by this,
The solenoid valves 25, 26, the on-off valves 49, 66, etc. are closed back and forth, and the blowers 30, 39, the compressor 9 are also deactivated. However, at this time, in order to cool the compressor 9, the operation stop of the blower 39 may be delayed.

In the conventional refrigerant recovery device, since the refrigerant pipe is bent and connected, the liquid refrigerant is likely to accumulate in the U-shaped bent portion, so that a so-called trap is easily formed. Since the part where the liquid refrigerant is generated is arranged above the recovery tank, the liquid refrigerant does not flow into the recovery tank due to gravity, and the liquid refrigerant does not stay. Therefore, at the start of operation of the refrigerant recovery device,
The trap can be prevented from significantly increasing the collection time.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the secondary side of the condenser is arranged above the recovery tank and the liquid refrigerant is smoothly recovered by gravity, the liquid refrigerant remains. This is extremely rare, and the refrigerant can be efficiently recovered at the start of re-operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerant recovery device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the arrangement of each part of the refrigerant recovery device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Recovery Target Device 5 Refrigerant Recovery Device 6 Capillary Tube 7 Evaporator 8 Accumulator 9 Compressor 10 Condenser 11 Recovery Tank 25, 26 Solenoid Valve 30, 39 Blower 49 Open / Close Valve

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An accumulator which is connected to a recovery target device and separates a sucked gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant from each other,
The recovery target device by connecting a compressor that compresses the separated gaseous refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant, and a recovery tank that stores the condensed refrigerant in series by a refrigerant pipe. A refrigerant recovery device for recovering the internal refrigerant to the recovery tank, wherein the condenser and the secondary side of the condenser are arranged above the recovery tank.