JPWO2019225005A1 - Heat exchanger and refrigeration cycle equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The heat exchanger includes a main heat exchanger, at least one first sub heat exchanger, a distributor that distributes the working fluid guided to the main heat exchanger to a plurality of paths, and a first valve provided in the header. It includes a mechanism and a second valve mechanism provided between the first pipe through which the working fluid flows in and out and the main heat exchange section and the first sub heat exchange section. The first sub heat exchange section has a smaller number of heat transfer tubes than the main heat exchange section, and a smaller number of working fluid paths than the main heat exchange section are formed. The first valve mechanism is provided in the header between the main region to which the heat transfer tube of the main heat exchange section is connected and the sub region to which the heat transfer tube of the first sub heat exchange section is connected, and is provided for the working fluid. Allows flow only in the direction from the sub-region to the main region. The second valve mechanism allows the flow of the working fluid flowing in from the first pipe only in the direction from the first pipe toward the side where the distributor and the first sub heat exchange unit are arranged.

Description

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger and a refrigeration cycle device having a heat exchanger, and more particularly to a modification of the path configuration of a working fluid in the heat exchanger.

Conventionally, some refrigeration cycle devices have a heat source side unit and a load side unit. For example, the heat source side unit includes a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, and a four-way valve, and the load side unit includes a load side heat exchanger. The compressor, the heat source side heat exchanger, the four-way valve, and the load side heat exchanger are connected by pipes to form a refrigerant circuit in which the refrigerant circulates in the pipes. By controlling the four-way valve, the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is switched, and the heating operation and the cooling operation of the refrigeration cycle device are switched.

Patent Document 1 describes, as a heat source side heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger configured to change the path configuration of the refrigerant according to the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. In the outdoor heat exchanger of Patent Document 1, the refrigerant flow path is divided into the first unit flow path and the second unit flow path, and various types of flow paths are connected to the first unit flow path and the second unit flow path. A valve is provided. Then, when switching from the heating operation to the cooling operation, or when switching from the cooling operation to the heating operation, the direction of the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit can be switched by controlling the operation of these valves and the four-way valves with the control device. At the same time, the path configuration is changed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-107857

However, in the switching of air conditioning in the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, the operation of the four-way valve and the opening and closing of various valves must be linked. Therefore, there is a problem that the control in the control device becomes complicated and the substrate configuration mounted on the control device becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a heat exchanger and a refrigeration cycle device in which a refrigerant path configuration during cooling operation and heating operation is realized with a simple configuration. The purpose is.

The heat exchanger according to the present invention is a heat exchanger that has a heat transfer tube through which a working fluid flows and a header to which the heat transfer tube is connected, and exchanges heat between the working fluid and a gas. A main heat exchange section having a plurality of the heat transfer tubes and having a plurality of paths of the working fluid formed in the plurality of heat transfer tubes, and a smaller number of the heat transfer tubes than the main heat exchange section. At least one first sub heat exchange section having a smaller number of paths of the working fluid than the main heat exchange section, and the plurality of working fluids guided to the main heat exchange section. Between the distributor that distributes to the path and the main region to which the heat transfer tube of the main heat exchange section is connected and the sub region to which the heat transfer tube of the first sub heat exchange section is connected in the header. A first valve mechanism that allows the flow of the working fluid only in the direction from the sub-region to the main region, a first pipe through which the working fluid flows in and out of the heat exchanger, and the main heat exchange. The distributor and the first sub heat exchange unit are arranged from the first pipe to allow the flow of the working fluid flowing from the first pipe to be provided between the unit and the first sub heat exchange unit. It is provided with a second valve mechanism that allows only the direction toward the side. Further, the refrigeration cycle device according to the present invention includes such a heat exchanger.

According to the heat exchanger and the refrigeration cycle device according to the present invention, since the first valve mechanism and the second valve mechanism that allow the flow of the working fluid in only one direction are provided, the working fluid flowing into the heat exchanger Paths with different configurations are formed according to the direction of flow. Therefore, in constructing the path of the working fluid flowing in different directions in the cooling operation and the heating operation, the control by the control device becomes unnecessary, and the control by the control device and the complexity of the substrate of the control device can be suppressed.

It is a block diagram of the refrigeration cycle apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the outdoor heat exchanger which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the outdoor heat exchanger which concerns on the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the outdoor heat exchanger which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the outdoor heat exchanger which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the structure around the outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the heat exchanger and refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Further, in the following drawings, the size and shape of each component may differ from the actual device.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The refrigeration cycle device 1 includes an outdoor unit 10 which is a heat source side unit and an indoor unit 20 which is a load side unit. The outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit 20 are connected to each other via a gas refrigerant pipe 31 and a liquid refrigerant pipe 32. The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 11, a flow path switching unit 12, an outdoor heat exchanger 13 which is a heat source side heat exchanger, a first expansion valve 14, a second expansion valve 15, and a refrigerant container 16. Have. The indoor unit 20 has an indoor heat exchanger 21 which is a load side heat exchanger. Compressor 11, flow path switching unit 12, outdoor heat exchanger 13, first expansion valve 14, second expansion valve 15, refrigerant container 16, indoor heat exchanger 21, and the above-mentioned gas refrigerant pipe 31 and liquid refrigerant pipe 32. The refrigerant circuit 30 is formed by the refrigerant pipe including the above. Refrigerant, which is a working fluid, circulates in the refrigerant circuit.

The compressor 11 sucks in the refrigerant and compresses the sucked refrigerant into a high temperature and high pressure state. For example, by arbitrarily changing the operating frequency with an inverter circuit or the like, the capacity of the compressor 11, that is, the amount of refrigerant delivered per unit time is changed.

The flow path switching unit 12 switches the flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 30, and is, for example, a four-way valve. The flow path switching unit 12 is controlled by a control device (not shown).

The outdoor heat exchanger 13 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air, that is, gas, and functions as a condenser during the cooling operation and as an evaporator during the heating operation. Outdoor air is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 by a fan (not shown).

The first expansion valve 14 and the second expansion valve 15 are valves for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit 30, and are electronic expansion valves whose opening degree can be adjusted. The refrigerant container 16 is a surplus refrigerant storage container provided between the first expansion valve 14 and the second expansion valve 15 to store the surplus refrigerant.

The indoor heat exchanger 21 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the indoor air, that is, a gas, and functions as an evaporator during the cooling operation and as a condenser during the heating operation. Indoor air is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 21 by a fan (not shown).

In FIG. 1, the solid arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and the dotted arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation. During the cooling operation, the flow path switching unit 12 is switched to the state indicated by the solid arrow by a control device (not shown). When the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is discharged from the compressor 11 during the cooling operation, the gas refrigerant is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via the flow path switching unit 12. In the outdoor heat exchanger 13, the gas refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air and is condensed to become a liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is guided to the first expansion valve 14. The liquid refrigerant is depressurized by the first expansion valve 14 to enter a gas-liquid two-phase state. The refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state passes through the refrigerant container 16, passes through the second expansion valve 15, and is guided to the indoor heat exchanger 21 via the liquid-refrigerant pipe 32. In the indoor heat exchanger 21, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air and evaporates to become a low-pressure gas refrigerant. The low-pressure gas refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 21 is guided to the flow path switching unit 12 via the gas refrigerant pipe 31. The low-pressure gas refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 11 via the flow path switching unit 12.

During the heating operation, the flow path switching unit 12 is switched to the state indicated by the dotted arrow by a control device (not shown). When the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is discharged from the compressor 11 during the heating operation, the gas refrigerant is guided to the indoor heat exchanger 21 via the gas refrigerant pipe 31 via the flow path switching unit 12. In the indoor heat exchanger 21, the gas refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air and is condensed to become a liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant flowing out of the indoor heat exchanger 21 is guided to the second expansion valve 15 via the liquid refrigerant pipe 32. The liquid refrigerant is depressurized by the second expansion valve 15 to enter a gas-liquid two-phase state. The refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state passes through the refrigerant container 16, passes through the first expansion valve 14, and is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. In the outdoor heat exchanger 13, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air and evaporates to become a gas refrigerant. The gas refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is sucked into the compressor 11 via the flow path switching unit 12.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the outdoor heat exchanger according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the solid arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and the dotted arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation.

The first pipe 41 and the second pipe 42 are connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The first pipe 41 is connected to the first expansion valve 14 shown in FIG. The second pipe 42 is connected to the flow path switching unit 12 shown in FIG. During the cooling operation, the refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 that operates as a condenser from the second pipe 42, and the refrigerant flows out from the first pipe 41. During the heating operation, the refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 that operates as an evaporator from the first pipe 41, and the refrigerant flows out from the second pipe 42. During the cooling operation and the heating operation, the directions of the refrigerant inflow and outflow in the first pipe 41 and the directions of the refrigerant inflow and outflow in the second pipe 42 are opposite to each other.

The outdoor heat exchanger 13 has a main heat exchange unit 50, a first sub heat exchange unit 51, a header 53, and a distributor 54. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 is, for example, a fin-and-tube type heat exchanger, the main heat exchange unit 50 has a plurality of heat transfer tubes 150, and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 is a heat exchanger of the main heat exchange unit 50. It has a smaller number of heat transfer tubes 151 than the number of heat tubes 150. Further, the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 have fins (not shown). In the main heat exchange section 50 and the first sub heat exchange section 51, a plurality of heat transfer tubes are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and the plurality of fins are inserted perpendicularly to the plurality of juxtaposed heat transfer tubes. .. The first sub heat exchange unit 51 is arranged below the main heat exchange unit 50, and the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are arranged along the vertical direction.

A plurality of paths of the refrigerant are formed inside the heat transfer tube 150 of the main heat exchange section 50 and the heat transfer tube 151 of the first sub heat exchange section 51. The number of passes of the first sub heat exchange unit 51 is smaller than the number of passes of the main heat exchange unit 50. In FIG. 2, four heat transfer tubes 150 are shown in the main heat exchange section 50, and one heat transfer tube 151 is shown in the first sub heat exchange section 51, but the path configuration is conceptually shown. Yes, it does not specify the number of heat transfer tubes and the number of passes. The total number of heat transfer tubes is determined based on the design of the outdoor heat exchanger 13, and the total number of paths is determined according to the total number of heat transfer tubes. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 is configured so that the number of heat transfer tubes 151 of the first sub heat exchange section 51 is smaller than the number of heat transfer tubes 150 of the main heat exchange section 50 within the total number of heat transfer tubes. Then, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is configured so that the number of passes of the first sub heat exchange section 51 is smaller than the number of passes of the main heat exchange section 50 within the total number of passes determined according to the total number of heat transfer tubes. There is.

The first pipe 41 and the second pipe 42 are connected to the header 53. Further, the header 53 has a main region 53A to which the heat transfer tube 150 of the main heat exchange unit 50 is connected, and a sub region 53B to which the heat transfer tube 151 of the first sub heat exchange unit 51 is connected.

One end of the distributor 54 is connected to the main heat exchange section 50, and the other end is connected to the first sub heat exchange section 51. During the heating operation, the refrigerant is distributed to a plurality of paths by the distributor 54 and guided to the main heat exchange unit 50. During the cooling operation, the refrigerants that flow out from the main heat exchange unit 50 in a plurality of paths are merged by the distributor 54.

At the first branch point P1, the third pipe 43 extending to the side where the distributor 54 is located branches from the first pipe 41. Further, at the second branch point P2, the fourth pipe 44 connected to the first sub heat exchange section 51 and the fifth pipe 45 connected to the distributor 54 are branched from the third pipe 43.

In the header 53, a first valve mechanism 61 is provided between the main region 53A and the sub region 53B. The first valve mechanism 61 is, for example, a check valve, which allows the flow of the refrigerant only in the direction from the sub region 53B to the main region 53A.

In the fourth pipe 44, a second valve mechanism 62 is provided between the first branch point P1 and the second branch point P2. The second valve mechanism 62 is, for example, a check valve, which allows the flow of the refrigerant only in the direction from the first branch point P1 to the second branch point P2. That is, the second valve mechanism 62 allows the flow of the refrigerant flowing in from the first pipe 41 only in the direction from the first pipe 41 toward the side where the distributor 54 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are arranged. To do.

The third pipe 43 is provided with a third valve mechanism 63. The third valve mechanism 63 is, for example, a check valve, which allows the flow of the refrigerant only in the direction from the header 53 to the first branch point P1. That is, the third valve mechanism 63 prevents the refrigerant flowing in from the first pipe 41 from flowing to the header 53, and only allows the refrigerant flowing out from the header 53 to flow out from the first pipe 41.

When the refrigeration cycle device 1 of FIG. 1 is in the cooling operation, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed and discharged by the compressor 11 flows into the main region 53A of the header 53 via the second pipe 42. Since the header 53 is provided with the first valve mechanism 61, the gas refrigerant flowing into the header 53 does not flow from the main region 53A to the sub region 53B, but is guided only to the main heat exchange section 50. The gas refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air at the main heat exchange unit 50 and is condensed to be in a gas-liquid two-phase state. The refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state is divided into a plurality of paths, guided to the distributor 54, and merged at the distributor 54. A second valve mechanism 62 is provided on the downstream side of the distributor 54. Therefore, the gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant does not flow from the second branch point P2 to the first branch point P1 and is guided only to the first sub heat exchange section 51. The gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant is further heat-exchanged with the outdoor air at the first sub heat exchange unit 51. The refrigerant flowing out of the first sub heat exchange section 51 flows into the sub region 53B of the header 53. At this time, due to the pressure loss in the main heat exchange section 50 and the first sub heat exchange section 51, the pressure difference is generated upstream and downstream of the first valve mechanism 61 during the cooling operation, that is, in the main region 53A and the sub region 53B. It is happening. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing out from the first sub heat exchange section 51 and flowing into the sub region 53B of the header 53 does not pass through the first valve mechanism 61 and is guided to the main region 53A, but flows out from the header 53. It is guided to the first pipe 41. Since the third valve mechanism 63 of the first pipe 41 allows the flow of the refrigerant in the direction from the header 53 to the first branch point P1, the refrigerant guided to the first pipe 41 passes through the first pipe 41. It flows out from the outdoor heat exchanger 13 through.

As described above, by arranging the first valve mechanism 61, the second valve mechanism 62, and the third valve mechanism 63, the main heat exchange unit 50 is arranged according to the flow direction of the refrigerant when the refrigeration cycle device 1 is in the cooling operation. And the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are connected in series. That is, the path of the main heat exchange unit 50 and the path of the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are configured to be connected in series during the cooling operation. The number of passes of the first sub heat exchange unit 51 is smaller than the number of passes of the main heat exchange unit 50. Therefore, when the refrigerant flowing out from the main heat exchange section 50 passes through the first sub heat exchange section 51 via the distributor 54, the flow velocity of the refrigerant increases. As a result, high heat transfer efficiency can be obtained as a condenser.

When the refrigeration cycle device 1 of FIG. 1 is heated, the indoor heat exchanger 21 exchanges heat with the indoor air, and the condensed liquid refrigerant is the first expansion valve 14, the refrigerant container 16, and the second expansion valve 15. Then, it flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via the first pipe 41. A second valve mechanism 62 is provided in the third pipe 43 that branches at the first branch point P1 and extends toward the distributor 54, and the first pipe 41 connected to the header 53 has a third valve mechanism 63. Is provided. As described above, the second valve mechanism 62 of the third pipe 43 allows the flow of the refrigerant only in the direction from the first branch point P1 to the second branch point P2, and allows the flow of the refrigerant only in the direction from the first branch point P1 to the second branch point P2. The valve mechanism 63 prevents the refrigerant flowing from the first pipe 41 from flowing to the header 53. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing in from the first pipe 41 is not guided to the header 53, but is guided to the side where the first sub heat exchange section 51 and the distributor 54 are located. Then, the refrigerant branches at the second branch point P2 and is guided to the distributor 54 and the first sub heat exchange section 51.

The refrigerant guided to the first sub heat exchange unit 51 exchanges heat with the outdoor air and is guided to the sub region 53B of the header 53. On the other hand, the refrigerant flowing into the distributor 54 is distributed to a plurality of paths by the distributor 54 and guided to the main heat exchange unit 50. The refrigerant guided to the main heat exchange unit 50 exchanges heat with the outdoor air at the main heat exchange unit 50, and is guided to the main region 53A of the header 53. At this time, there is no pressure difference between the main region 53A and the sub region 53B. The first valve mechanism 61 provided between the main region 53A and the sub region 53B allows the flow of the refrigerant only in the direction from the sub region 53B to the main region 53A. Therefore, the refrigerant guided to the sub region 53B flows into the main region 53A, and merges with the refrigerant flowing from the main heat exchange unit 50 in the main region 53A. The refrigerant merged in the main region 53A flows out from the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via the first pipe 41.

As described above, by arranging the first valve mechanism 61, the second valve mechanism 62, and the third valve mechanism 63, the main heat exchange unit 50 is arranged according to the flow direction of the refrigerant when the refrigeration cycle device 1 is in heating operation. And the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are connected in parallel. That is, the path of the main heat exchange unit 50 and the path of the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are configured to be connected in parallel during the heating operation. Therefore, the low-pressure liquid refrigerant is distributed to both the main heat exchange section 50 and the first sub heat exchange section 51 as a whole. As a result, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the flow velocity of the refrigerant in the path of the main heat exchange section 50 and the pass of the first sub heat exchange section 51, suppress the occurrence of pressure loss, and the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is an evaporator. It is possible to suppress a decrease in efficiency when functioning as.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the first valve mechanism 61, the second valve mechanism 62, and the third valve mechanism 61 allow the flow of the refrigerant in only one direction on the refrigerant path of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. A valve mechanism 63 is provided. Therefore, a path configuration corresponding to each of the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation and the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation is formed. Further, when switching between heating and cooling, the path configuration of the refrigerant is switched without the control device controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve and the like. As described above, according to the first embodiment, there is an effect that the refrigerant can flow in the path configuration suitable for each of the cooling operation and the heating operation without complicating the control of the control device and the substrate of the control device. Is obtained.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of an outdoor heat exchanger according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the same members as those shown in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals. Further, in FIG. 3, the solid arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and the dotted arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation. In this modification, two first sub heat exchange portions 51 are laminated below the main heat exchange portion 50, and the heat transfer tubes 151 of the two first sub heat exchange portions 51 are provided in the sub region 53B of the header 53. It is connected. Further, at the third branch point P3, the fifth pipe 45 branches into a sixth pipe 46 connected to one of the first sub heat exchange portions 51 and a seventh pipe 47 connected to the distributor 54. There is. Other configurations are the same as those described with reference to FIG.

As described above, the total number of passes is determined according to the total number of heat transfer tubes determined based on the design of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. The outdoor heat exchanger 13 is configured so that the number of heat transfer tubes 151 of each of the two first sub heat exchange sections 51 is smaller than the number of heat transfer tubes 150 of the main heat exchange section 50 within the total number of heat transfer tubes. ing. That is, the outdoor heat exchanger 13 is configured so that the number of passes of the two first sub heat exchange units 51 is smaller than the number of passes of the main heat exchange unit 50 within the total number of passes determined according to the total number of heat transfer tubes. Has been done.

Also in this modification, the first valve mechanism 61, the second valve mechanism 62, and the third valve mechanism 63 that allow the flow of the refrigerant in only one direction are provided on the refrigerant path of the outdoor heat exchanger 13. There is. Therefore, the same effect as the above-mentioned effect can be obtained.

In this modification, the two first sub heat exchange units 51 are arranged one above the other, but the number of the first sub heat exchange units 51 is not limited to this. The number of the first sub heat exchangers 51 may be determined to be three or more within an allowable range in the design of the outdoor heat exchanger 13.

Embodiment 2.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the outdoor heat exchanger according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the same components as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals. Further, in FIG. 4, the solid arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and the dotted arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation. In the outdoor heat exchanger 100 of the second embodiment, a second sub heat exchanger 52 is provided in place of the above-mentioned third valve mechanism 63 of the first embodiment. Like the first sub heat exchange unit 51, the second sub heat exchange unit 52 also has a smaller number of heat transfer tubes 152 than the heat transfer tubes 150 of the main heat exchange unit 50, and has fins (not shown). .. The second sub heat exchange unit 52 is arranged below the first sub heat exchange unit 51. That is, the main heat exchange unit 50, the first sub heat exchange unit 51, and the second sub heat exchange unit 52 are arranged along the vertical direction. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Similar to the first embodiment, during the cooling operation, the high temperature and high pressure gas refrigerant flows from the second pipe 42 into the main region 53A of the header 53, is guided to the main heat exchange section 50, and is condensed in the main heat exchange section 50. It becomes a liquid two-phase state, passes through the distributor 54, and is guided to the first sub heat exchange section 51. That is, the gas refrigerant does not flow into the sub region 53B by the first valve mechanism 61. Further, due to the second valve mechanism 62, the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state does not flow from the second branch point P2 to the first branch point P1. The gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant that has been heat-exchanged with the outdoor air in the first sub heat exchange section 51 and has flowed out from the first sub heat exchange section 51 flows into the sub region 53B of the header 53, and then flows into the sub region 53B of the header 53, and then the second sub heat. It flows into the exchange unit 52. The gas-liquid two-phase state refrigerant is further heat-exchanged with the outdoor air at the second sub heat exchange unit 52, and flows out from the second sub heat exchange unit 52. At this time, due to the pressure loss in the first sub heat exchange section 51 and the second sub heat exchange section 52, a pressure difference is generated between the upstream and the downstream of the second valve mechanism 62 during the cooling operation. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing out from the second sub heat exchange section 52 and being guided to the first pipe 41 passes through the second valve mechanism 62, and the first sub heat exchange section 51 and the distributor 54 are arranged. It does not flow to the side and flows out from the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via the first pipe 41.

During the heating operation, the liquid refrigerant that has flowed in through the first pipe 41 flows to the second sub heat exchange unit 52, branches at the first branch point P1, and flows to the third pipe 43. The liquid refrigerant flowing into the second sub heat exchange unit 52 exchanges heat with the outdoor air and is guided to the sub region 53B of the header 53. On the other hand, the liquid refrigerant that has flowed to the third pipe 43 branches at the second branch point P2, flows to the first sub heat exchange section 51 via the fourth pipe 44, and flows to the first sub heat exchange section 51 via the fifth pipe 45, and also through the distributor 54. Flow to. The liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the first sub heat exchange section 51 exchanges heat with the outdoor air and is guided to the sub region 53B of the header 53. On the other hand, the refrigerant flowing into the distributor 54 is distributed to a plurality of paths by the distributor 54 and guided to the main heat exchange unit 50. The refrigerant guided to the main heat exchange unit 50 exchanges heat with the outdoor air at the main heat exchange unit 50, and is guided to the main region 53A of the header 53. The first valve mechanism 61 provided between the main region 53A and the sub region 53B allows the flow of the refrigerant only in the direction from the sub region 53B to the main region 53A. Therefore, the refrigerant guided to the sub region 53B flows into the main region 53A, and merges with the refrigerant flowing from the main heat exchange unit 50 in the main region 53A. The refrigerant merged in the main region 53A flows out from the outdoor heat exchanger 13 via the second pipe 42.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the first valve mechanism 61 and the second valve mechanism 62 that allow the flow of the refrigerant in only one direction are provided on the refrigerant path of the outdoor heat exchanger 100. The first pipe 41 is provided with a second sub heat exchange unit 52. Therefore, a path configuration corresponding to each of the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation and the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation is formed, and the same effect as the above-mentioned effect of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, according to the second embodiment, one of the valve mechanisms that allows the flow of the refrigerant in only one direction is replaced with a sub heat exchange unit. Therefore, the number of points of the valve mechanism of the outdoor heat exchanger 100 can be reduced.

Embodiment 3.
FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the outdoor heat exchanger according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 5, the same components as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 are designated by the same reference numerals. Further, in FIG. 5, the solid arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and the dotted arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation. In the outdoor heat exchanger 101 of the third embodiment, a three-way valve 110 is provided in place of the above-mentioned first valve mechanism 61, the second valve mechanism 62, and the third valve mechanism 63 of the first embodiment. .. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment. The three-way valve 110 has a first port 111, a second port 112, a third port 113, and a movable mechanism unit 114. The first port 111 is connected to the header 53 via the eighth pipe 48. The second port 112 is connected to the first pipe 41. The third port 113 is connected to a third pipe 43 extending to the side where the distributor 54 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are located. One of the movable mechanism portions 114 is connected to the first pipe 41 via the pipe 121, and the other is connected to the second pipe 42 via the pipe 122. Inside the movable mechanism portion 114, a movable member (not shown) that is displaced according to the difference between the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe 41 and the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42 is provided. The three-way valve 110 is configured to switch between opening and closing of the first port 111, the second port 112, and the third port 113 according to the position of the movable member. The pipe 121 and the pipe 122 are pipes connected to the movable mechanism portion 114 of the three-way valve 110 in order to acquire the pressure difference of the refrigerant, and do not constitute the refrigerant circuit 30 of FIG. Therefore, in order to distinguish it from the other pipes constituting the refrigerant circuit 30, the pipe 121 and the pipe 122 are shown by an alternate long and short dash line in FIG.

When the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42 is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe 41, the first port 111 and the second port 112 are opened, the third port 113 is closed, and the first port 111 and the second port 111 are closed. The movable member of the movable mechanism portion 114 is displaced so that the port 112 communicates with the port 112. When the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe 41 is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42, the second port 112 and the third port 113 are opened, the first port 111 is closed, and the second port 112 and the third port 112 are closed. The movable member of the movable mechanism portion 114 is displaced so that the port 113 communicates with the port 113. That is, the three-way valve 110 is an autonomous three-way valve that switches the communication path according to the pressure difference between the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 101 and the refrigerant flowing out from the outdoor heat exchanger 101.

During the cooling operation, the refrigerant flows in from the second pipe 42, exchanges heat with the outside air in the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51, and then flows out from the first pipe 41. Since a pressure loss occurs in the heat exchange between the main heat exchange section 50 and the first sub heat exchange section 51, the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42 during the cooling operation is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe 41. Is also expensive. Therefore, the above-mentioned movable member of the movable mechanism unit 114 is displaced so that the first port 111 and the second port 112 are opened, the third port 113 is closed, and the first port 111 and the second port 112 communicate with each other. As a result, the refrigerant flowing out of the distributor 54 flows only to the first sub heat exchange section 51. Further, the refrigerant flowing out from the header 53 flows through the eighth pipe 48, passes through the three-way valve 110, and is guided to the first pipe 41. With this configuration, a path configuration is formed in which the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are connected in series during the cooling operation.

During the heating operation, the refrigerant flows in from the first pipe 41, exchanges heat with the outside air in the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51, and then flows out from the second pipe 42. Since a pressure loss occurs in the heat exchange between the main heat exchange section 50 and the first sub heat exchange section 51, the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe 41 during the heating operation is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42. Is also expensive. Therefore, in the above-mentioned movable member of the movable mechanism unit 114, the second port 112 and the third port 113 are opened, the first port 111 is closed, and the second port 112 and the third port 113 communicate with each other. Displace. As a result, when the refrigerant flowing in from the first pipe 41 passes through the three-way valve 110, it does not flow to the eighth pipe 48 connected to the header 53, but flows only to the third pipe 43. With this configuration, a path configuration is formed in which the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are connected in parallel during the heating operation.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, according to the pressure difference between the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 101 and the refrigerant flowing out from the outdoor heat exchanger 101 on the path of the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger 101. Therefore, a three-way valve 110 that autonomously changes the route is provided. Therefore, a path configuration suitable for both the cooling operation and the heating operation is configured without being controlled by the control device. As a result, the same effects as those in the first and second embodiments described above can be obtained.

In the third embodiment as well, a plurality of first sub heat exchange units 51 may be provided as in the modified example of the first embodiment.

Embodiment 4.
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration around an outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6, the same members as those in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 are designated by the same reference numerals. Further, in FIG. 6, the solid arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the cooling operation, and the dotted arrow indicates the flow of the refrigerant during the heating operation. In the outdoor heat exchanger 102 of the fourth embodiment, one of the movable mechanism portions 114 of the three-way valve 110 is connected to the second pipe 42 via the pipe 123, and the other is connected to the gas refrigerant pipe 31 via the pipe 124. It is connected. The second pipe 42 is connected to a port in the flow path switching unit 12 that communicates with the discharge side of the compressor 11 during the cooling operation and with the suction side of the compressor 11 during the heating operation. The gas refrigerant pipe 31 is connected to a port in the flow path switching unit 12 that communicates with the suction side of the compressor 11 during the cooling operation and with the discharge side of the compressor 11 during the heating operation. The pipe 123 and the pipe 124 are pipes connected to the movable mechanism portion 114 of the three-way valve 110 in order to acquire the pressure difference of the refrigerant, and do not constitute the refrigerant circuit 30 of FIG. Therefore, in order to distinguish it from the other pipes constituting the refrigerant circuit 30, the pipes 123 and 124 are shown by alternate long and short dash lines in FIG.

When the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42 is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the gas refrigerant pipe 31, the first port 111 and the second port 112 are opened, the third port 113 is closed, and the first port 111 and the second port 111 are closed. The movable member of the movable mechanism portion 114 is displaced so that the port 112 communicates with the port 112. When the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the gas refrigerant pipe 31 is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42, the second port 112 and the third port 113 are opened, the first port 111 is closed, and the second port 112 and the third port 112 are closed. The movable member of the movable mechanism portion 114 is displaced so that the port 113 communicates with the port 113. As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the three-way valve 110 is configured to switch the communication path according to the pressure difference between the refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 11 and the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 11. .. Other configurations are the same as those of the outdoor heat exchanger 101 of the third embodiment.

During the cooling operation, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows into the second pipe 42. On the other hand, the gas refrigerant pipe 31 flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 13, passes through the first expansion valve 14, the second expansion valve 15 and the indoor heat exchanger 21 shown in FIG. 1, and is sucked into the compressor 11. Low pressure gas refrigerant flows in. That is, during the cooling operation, the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42 is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the gas refrigerant pipe 31. Therefore, in the above-mentioned movable member of the movable mechanism unit 114, the first port 111 and the second port 112 are opened, the third port 113 is closed, and the first port 111 and the second port 112 communicate with each other. Displace. As a result, the refrigerant flowing out of the distributor 54 flows only to the first sub heat exchange section 51 at the second branch point P2. Further, the refrigerant flowing out from the header 53 flows through the eighth pipe 48, passes through the three-way valve 110, and is guided to the first pipe 41. With this configuration, a path configuration is formed in which the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are connected in series during the cooling operation.

During the heating operation, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows into the gas-refrigerant pipe 31. Then, the gas refrigerant that has flowed into the gas refrigerant pipe 31 passes through the indoor heat exchanger 21, the second expansion valve 15, and the first expansion valve 14 shown in FIG. 1 and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 102. On the other hand, the low-pressure gas refrigerant that flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 102 and is sucked into the compressor 11 flows into the second pipe 42. That is, during the heating operation, the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the gas refrigerant pipe 31 is higher than the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe 42. Therefore, in the above-mentioned movable member of the movable mechanism unit 114, the second port 112 and the third port 113 are opened, the first port 111 is closed, and the second port 112 and the third port 113 communicate with each other. Displace. As a result, when the refrigerant flowing in from the first pipe 41 passes through the three-way valve 110, it does not flow to the eighth pipe 48 connected to the header 53, but flows only to the third pipe 43. With this configuration, a path configuration is formed in which the main heat exchange unit 50 and the first sub heat exchange unit 51 are connected in parallel during the heating operation.

As described above, also in the fourth embodiment, according to the pressure difference between the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 101 and the refrigerant flowing out from the outdoor heat exchanger 101 on the path of the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger 102. A three-way valve 110 that autonomously changes the route is provided. Therefore, a path configuration suitable for both the cooling operation and the heating operation is configured without being controlled by the control device. As a result, the same effects as those of the first, second, and third embodiments described above can be obtained. Further, in the fourth embodiment, the three-way valve 110 is configured to operate according to the pressure difference between the refrigerants on the discharge side and the suction side of the compressor 11. The pressure difference between the refrigerants on the discharge side and the suction side of the compressor 11 is remarkable. Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment, the switching of the path configurations of the cooling operation and the heating operation is performed more reliably.

In the fourth embodiment as well, a plurality of first sub heat exchange units 51 may be provided as in the modified example of the first embodiment.

In the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the heat transfer tube extends laterally to the installation surface, and the main heat exchange section 50, the first sub heat exchange section 51, and the second sub heat exchange section 52 extend in the vertical direction. It has a configuration arranged in, but is not limited to this. It is also applied to the type of heat exchanger in which heat transfer tubes extend in the vertical direction and are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction.

In the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the configuration of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 provided in the outdoor unit 10 which is the heat source side unit has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The same configuration as that of the outdoor heat exchanger 13 described above may be applied to the indoor heat exchanger 21 provided in the indoor unit 20 which is the load side unit.

1 Refrigeration cycle device, 10 outdoor unit, 11 compressor, 12 flow path switching unit, 13 outdoor heat exchanger, 14 1st expansion valve, 15 2nd expansion valve, 16 refrigerant container, 20 indoor unit, 21 indoor heat exchanger , 30 Refrigerator circuit, 31 Gas refrigerant pipe, 32 Liquid refrigerant pipe, 41 1st pipe, 42 2nd pipe, 43 3rd pipe, 44 4th pipe, 45 5th pipe, 46 6th pipe, 47 7th pipe, 48 8th pipe, 50 main heat exchange part, 51 1st sub heat exchange part, 52 2nd sub heat exchange part, 53 header, 53A main area, 53B sub area, 54 distributor, 61 1st valve mechanism, 62nd 2 valve mechanism, 63 3rd valve mechanism, 100 outdoor heat exchanger, 101 outdoor heat exchanger, 102 outdoor heat exchanger, 110 three-way valve, 111 1st port, 112 2nd port, 113 3rd port, 114 movable mechanism Part, 121 piping, 122 piping, 123 piping, 124 piping, 150 heat transfer tube, 151 heat transfer tube, 152 heat transfer tube, P1 1st branch point, P2 2nd branch point, P3 3rd branch point.

Claims (13)

A heat exchanger that has a heat transfer tube through which a working fluid flows and a header to which the heat transfer tube is connected, and exchanges heat between the working fluid and a gas.
A main heat exchange unit having a plurality of the heat transfer tubes and having a plurality of paths of the working fluid formed in the plurality of heat transfer tubes.
At least one first sub heat exchange section having a smaller number of heat transfer tubes than the main heat exchange section and forming a smaller number of paths for the working fluid than the main heat exchange section.
A distributor that distributes the working fluid guided to the main heat exchange section into the plurality of paths.
In the header, the working fluid is provided between the main region to which the heat transfer tube of the main heat exchange section is connected and the sub region to which the heat transfer tube of the first sub heat exchange section is connected. A first valve mechanism that allows flow only in the direction from the sub-region to the main region,
The flow of the working fluid, which is provided between the first pipe through which the working fluid flows in and out of the heat exchanger, the main heat exchange section, and the first sub heat exchange section, and flows in from the first pipe, is provided. A heat exchanger including a second valve mechanism that allows only the direction from the first pipe toward the side where the distributor and the first sub heat exchange unit are arranged. The first pipe is connected to the header to prevent the working fluid flowing in from the first pipe from flowing to the header, and the working fluid flowing out from the header flows out from the first pipe. The heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein a third valve mechanism that allows only the first pipe is provided in the first pipe. The header and the first sub-heat exchange section have a smaller number of heat transfer tubes than the main heat exchange section and a smaller number of paths for the working fluid than the main heat exchange section. 1 The heat exchanger according to claim 1, which is provided between the pipe and the heat exchanger. The second valve mechanism is a three-way valve configured to switch the communication path according to the pressure difference between the working fluid flowing into the heat exchanger and the working fluid flowing out of the heat exchanger. Item 1. The heat exchanger according to item 1. The three-way valve has a first port connected to the header, a second port connected to the first pipe, and a third port connected to the distributor and the first sub heat exchange section. The opening and closing of the first port, the second port, and the third port are performed according to the pressure difference between the working fluid flowing into the heat exchanger and the working fluid flowing out of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger according to claim 4, further comprising a movable mechanism unit for switching. The movable mechanism unit is connected to the header and flows through the second pipe in which the working fluid flows in and out in the direction opposite to the direction in which the working fluid flows in and out of the first pipe, and the first pipe. The heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein the opening and closing of the first port, the second port, and the third port are switched according to the pressure difference with the flowing working fluid. When the working fluid flows in from the second pipe and flows out from the first pipe, the movable mechanism unit communicates the first port with the second port, and the working fluid flows in from the first pipe. The heat exchanger according to claim 6, wherein the second port and the third port communicate with each other when the fluid flows out from the second pipe. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first valve mechanism is a check valve. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second valve mechanism is a check valve. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the third valve mechanism is a check valve. The heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which has a plurality of the first sub heat exchangers. A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising the heat exchanger according to any one of claims 1 to 10. An outdoor unit having the heat exchanger and the compressor according to claim 4 or 5.
A refrigeration cycle device having an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger.
The three-way valve is a refrigeration cycle device configured so that the communication path is switched according to the pressure difference between the working fluid on the suction side of the compressor and the working fluid on the discharge side of the compressor.

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