WO2014007244A1

WO2014007244A1 - Air conditioner

Info

Publication number: WO2014007244A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/068126
Authority: WO
Inventors: 西村達男
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2012-07-02
Filing date: 2013-07-02
Publication date: 2014-01-09
Also published as: CN104136861A; JP2014009927A

Abstract

This air conditioner is configured in such a manner that the temperature around the evaporator is reduced utilizing the cold energy of drain water. A cooling section is provided around the heat exchanger of the indoor unit, the heat exchanger serving as the evaporator during cooling operation. The cooling section has a structure in which a heat exchange section is formed on a conveyance body. The conveyance body is disposed within a drain pan and is immersed in drain water. The heat exchange section is disposed on the windward side of the heat exchanger so as to face the heat exchanger. The cold energy of drain water accumulating in the drain pan is transferred to the heat exchange section through the conveyance body. Air sucked in from the indoor space passes around the heat exchange section and is cooled by the cold energy. The air, the temperature of which has been reduced, passes through the heat exchanger, and the temperature of the air is further reduced.

Description

Air conditioner

The present invention relates to an air conditioner having a drain pan that receives drain water generated in an evaporator by air conditioning operation.

In the indoor unit of a separate type air conditioner, a fan and a heat exchanger are installed in the cabinet. When the cooling operation is performed, the heat exchanger of the indoor unit operates as an evaporator. Air sucked from the room is cooled in the evaporator, and cold air is blown out into the room. When the sucked air passes through the evaporator, water vapor contained in the air is condensed and drain water is generated. The drain water is dripped and collected in a drain pan disposed below the evaporator. The accumulated drain water is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe.

Usually, drain water is discharged as it is. In order to use this drain water, in the air conditioner of Patent Document 1, outdoor air supplied indoors is cooled by exchanging heat with drain water discharged outside. In the air conditioner of Patent Document 2, drain water is supplied to the wet layer covering the outer surface of the condenser in the outdoor unit, and the condenser is cooled.

JP 2010-78246 A JP 2009-115402 A

In the above air conditioner, outdoor air and a condenser are cooled while draining water. In this case, the cold water of the drain water is used at a location away from the location where the drain water is generated. When the moving distance of the drain water is long, the drain water absorbs heat and the temperature of the drain water may rise. Therefore, it cannot be said that the cool water of drain water is utilized effectively.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can effectively use the cold heat of drain water around an evaporator in which drain water is generated.

The present invention comprises an evaporator that exchanges heat with the sucked air and a drain pan that receives drain water generated in the evaporator, and the temperature around the evaporator is adjusted around the evaporator by using the drain water. A cooling part for lowering is provided.

Drain water generated in the evaporator by cooling operation accumulates in the drain pan. The cooling unit conveys drain water accumulated in the drain pan directly around the evaporator, or conveys the cold heat of the drain water around the evaporator. The temperature around the evaporator is lowered by the cold heat of the drain water conveyed. The sucked air is cooled by the cooling unit and is also cooled by the evaporator, so that cold air can be efficiently generated.

The cooling part is arranged at a position where it touches the air passing through the evaporator. Thereby, the air around an evaporator contacts a drain water directly or indirectly through a cooling unit. By the way, the drain pan is arrange | positioned under the evaporator. Then, a cooling part conveys drain water directly to the position which touches the air which passes an evaporator. In this case, the sucked air directly touches the drain water. Or a cooling part conveys the cold heat of drain water to the said position. In this case, the sucked air indirectly comes into contact with the drain water.

¡A part of the cooling unit is immersed in the drain water in the drain pan. The drain water reaches the position where it passes through the cooling section and touches the air passing through the evaporator. Or the cold heat of drain water is conducted to the said position by a cooling part.

The cooling unit has a structure in which a heat exchange unit is formed on the transport body, the transport body is disposed in the drain pan, and the heat exchange unit is disposed to face the evaporator. That is, the heat exchanging unit is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with air passing through the evaporator. Since the transport body is immersed in the drain water, the drain water is directly transported to the heat exchange section through the transport body. Or the cold heat of drain water is conveyed to a heat exchange part through a conveyance body. When the heat exchange unit touches the air around the evaporator, the warm air exchanges heat with the cold heat of the drain water, thereby cooling the air around the evaporator.

The cooling unit has a heat exchange unit facing the evaporator, and is provided with a transport unit that guides drain water from the drain pan to the heat exchange unit. A heat exchange part is arrange | positioned in the position which touches the air which passes an evaporator. The transport unit guides drain water collected in the drain pan directly to the heat exchange unit. Drain water is conveyed to the heat exchange unit, and the sucked air directly touches the drain water.

The transport unit pumps drain water from the drain pan and guides it to the heat exchange unit. As the transport unit, capillary action and siphon are used for pumping water. Alternatively, a pump may be used.

The heat exchanging part of the cooling part is provided on the windward side of the evaporator. The air before passing through the evaporator can be cooled, and the cooled air passes through the evaporator and is heat exchanged. Therefore, the evaporator can lower the temperature of the air cooled in advance, and can reach the set temperature in a short time by blowing cooler air.

When the air conditioner is a separate type, the evaporator is a heat exchanger built in the indoor unit. A plurality of evaporators are provided so as to surround a fan for sucking air from the front side to the rear side, and a cooling unit is provided for the front side evaporator and the rear side evaporator. Thereby, drain water generated in the front and rear evaporators can be used effectively.

According to the present invention, the temperature around the evaporator can be lowered by the cold heat of the drain water generated in the evaporator, and the temperature of the air passing through the evaporator can be lowered. Thus, the room temperature can be set to the set temperature in a short time, and the cooling operation can be performed efficiently.

The perspective view of the indoor unit of the air conditioner of this invention Cross section of indoor unit Perspective view of indoor unit with front panel removed The figure which shows the cooling unit arrange | positioned in the windward side of a heat exchanger Diagram showing the cooling section when the heat exchanger and fan are removed Perspective view of the cooling unit on the front side Perspective view of rear cooling unit Diagram showing a cooling section using capillary action Figure showing a pumping-type cooling unit The figure which shows the pumping-type cooling part which has a pipe-shaped heat exchange part The figure which shows the pumping-type cooling part which has a pipe-shaped heat exchange part

1 and 2 show an indoor unit of a separate type air conditioner of the present embodiment. The indoor unit includes a heat exchanger 1 and a fan 2 and a cabinet 3 in which these are installed. A suction port 4 is formed on the upper surface of the cabinet 3 formed long in the left-right direction. The blower outlet 5 is formed in the curved surface from the lower front part of the cabinet 3 to the bottom face. When the cabinet 3 is viewed from the front, the width direction is the left-right direction, the depth direction is the front-rear direction, and the height direction is the up-down direction.

The outdoor unit (not shown) is equipped with a compressor, heat exchanger, four-way valve, throttle device, and fan. The indoor unit and the outdoor unit are connected by a refrigerant pipe to form a refrigeration cycle. In an air conditioner, air conditioning operations such as cooling, heating, and dehumidification are performed.

Inside the cabinet 3, an air passage 6 extending from the suction port 4 to the air outlet 5 is formed, and the heat exchanger 1 and the fan 2 are arranged in the air passage 6. A filter is detachably provided in the cabinet 3 so as to face the suction port 4. The pair of left and right filters are disposed above the heat exchanger 1. A filter cleaning unit 7 is provided in the upper front part of the heat exchanger 1. The filter cleaning unit 7 moves the filter to clean the filter.

The cabinet 3 includes a back plate 10 and a front panel 11. The heat exchanger 1 and the fan 2 are attached to the back plate 10. The front panel 11 is detachably attached to the back plate 10. The upper surface of the front panel 11 is open, and this opening is the suction port 4. A front cover 12 is provided on the front surface of the front panel 11 so as to be openable and closable. When the front cover 12 is opened, the filter cleaning unit 7 is exposed and the filter can be attached and detached.

The heat exchanger 1 surrounds the front side, upper side and rear side of the fan 2. The heat exchanger 1 is divided into a front heat exchanger 1a and a back heat exchanger 1b. The front heat exchanger 1a is disposed on the front panel 11 side, and is formed in two stages, an upper stage and a lower stage. The back heat exchanger 1b is disposed on the back plate 10 side.

Here, during the cooling operation, the heat exchanger 1 of the indoor unit functions as an evaporator, and the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit functions as a condenser. By the cooling operation, drain water is generated in the evaporator, that is, the heat exchanger 1 of the indoor unit. Drain pans 13 and 14 for receiving drain water are provided on the front and rear sides of the heat exchanger 1, respectively. A front drain pan 13 is provided below the front heat exchanger 1a, and a back drain pan 14 is provided below the back heat exchanger 1b. Each

drain pan

13 and 14 is formed long in the left-right direction according to the heat exchanger 1.

The front drain pan 13 is integrally formed with a drain pan unit 15 that forms the air outlet 5. The drain pan unit 15 is detachably attached to the back plate 10. The drain pan unit 15 is provided with a horizontal louver 16 that opens and closes the air outlet 5 so as to be openable and closable, and a vertical louver 17 that is swingable.

The front wall 18 of the front drain pan 13 is formed to be inclined obliquely upward, and the upper end of the front wall 18 is located slightly lower than the upper stage of the front heat exchanger 1a. Between the front wall 18 of the front drain pan 13 and the front heat exchanger 1a, the air sucked from the upper suction port 4 flows to the rear side through the lower stage of the front heat exchanger 1a. A space 19 is formed. The rear wall 20 of the front drain pan 13 is located between the lower stage of the front heat exchanger 1 a and the fan 2. The bottom wall 21 of the front drain pan 13 connecting the front wall 18 and the rear wall 20 faces the lower stage of the front heat exchanger 1a.

The back drain pan 14 is formed integrally with the back plate 10. The front wall 22 of the back surface drain pan 14 is located between the fan 2 and the back surface heat exchanger 1 b and is a part of a wall member that forms the air passage 6. The rear wall 23 of the back drain pan 14 utilizes the rear wall of the back plate 10 and stands upright toward the suction port 4. The bottom wall 24 of the back surface drain pan 14 that connects the front wall 22 and the back wall 23 faces the lower stage of the back surface heat exchanger 1b.

The rear drain pan 14 is higher than the front drain pan 13. A water conduit that connects the back drain pan 14 and the front drain pan 13 is provided. The water conduit is formed on one side of the drain pans 13 and 14 in the left-right direction, and guides drain water from the back drain pan 14 to the front drain pan 13. A drain outlet is formed in the front drain pan 13, a drain pipe is connected to the drain outlet, and the drain water is discharged to the outside of the indoor unit.

During the cooling operation, in the heat exchanger 1 of the indoor unit, that is, the evaporator, water generated by condensation of the water vapor of the sucked air is dripped, and the drain water is accumulated in the drain pans 13 and 14. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, cooling

units

30 and 31 are provided in the indoor unit in order to lower the temperature around the heat exchanger 1 that functions as an evaporator by using the cold heat of the drain water. The cooling

units

30 and 31 are respectively arranged for the front and rear heat exchangers 1.

The cooling unit 30 on the front side is provided on the windward side of the front heat exchanger 1a and is arranged to face the lower stage of the front heat exchanger 1a. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cooling unit 30 has a structure in which a heat exchanging unit 33 is formed on a conveyance body 32. The transport body 32 has a function of transporting the cold heat of the drain water to a place to be cooled. The heat exchange unit 33 has a function of performing heat exchange between the air around the heat exchanger 1 and the cold heat of the drain water.

The conveyance body 32 and the heat exchange part 33 are formed from a metal plate such as copper or silver having a high thermal conductivity or a resin plate having a high thermal conductivity. The transport body 32 is bent in accordance with the shape from the front wall 18 to the bottom wall 21 of the front drain pan 13. The transport body 32 is in close contact with the front wall 18 of the front drain pan 13, and a bottom portion 34 formed by bending the lower portion of the transport body 32 is in close contact with the bottom wall 21 of the front drain pan 13. That is, the bottom 34 that is a part of the cooling unit 30 is immersed in the drain water in the front drain pan 13.

The heat exchange unit 33 is a fin and is attached to the transport body 32 by brazing, welding, or the like. The heat exchange part 33 is located in the front space 19 between the front wall 18 of the front drain pan 13 and the lower stage of the front heat exchanger 1a. The plurality of heat exchange sections 33 are arranged so as to be directed downward from the front portion of the suction port 4 and in parallel with the air flow passing through the front space 19 and passing through the front heat exchanger 1a. Are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction.

The rear cooling unit 31 is provided on the windward side of the rear heat exchanger 1b. The cooling unit 31 has the same structure as the cooling unit 30 on the front side, and includes a transport body 32 and a heat exchange unit 33. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the transport body 32 of the cooling unit 31 on the back side is bent according to the shape of the back drain pan 14 from the rear wall 23 to the bottom wall 24. The transport body 32 is in close contact with the rear wall 23 of the back surface drain pan 14, and the bottom 34 of the transport body 32 is in close contact with the bottom wall 24 of the back surface drain pan 14. The fin-like heat exchanging portion 33 attached to the transport body 32 is located in a rear space 35 formed between the rear wall 23 of the rear drain pan 14 and the rear heat exchanger 1b. Similar to the front heat exchanging portion 33, the plurality of rear heat exchanging portions 33 are parallel to the flow of air passing through the rear space 35 from the rear portion of the suction port 4 through the rear heat exchanger 1b. Are arranged as follows.

Thus, the heat exchanging section 33 is installed on the windward side of the heat exchanger 1 where the air around the heat exchanger 1 that is the object of cooling is present. And the conveyance body 32 is provided in order to convey the cold heat of drain water toward the heat exchange part 33. FIG.

In the indoor unit, during the cooling operation, the air sucked from the room is heat-exchanged through the front and rear heat exchangers 1, and the cooled air is blown out into the room from the outlet. When water vapor in the air condenses and drain water is generated, the drain water drops from the front and rear heat exchangers 1 and accumulates in the front and rear drain pans 13 and 14. The transport body 32 is provided in close contact with the

bottom walls

21 and 24 of the drain pans 13 and 14. That is, part of the cooling

units

30 and 31 is immersed in the drain water in the drain pans 13 and 14. The cold water of the drain water is transmitted to the heat exchange unit 33 through the transport body 32.

In addition, the drain water collected in the front drain pan 13 flows toward the drain port. Since drain water flows in contact with the bottom 34 of the transport body 32, cold heat is conducted to the transport body 32 during this time. Here, the height position of the drain port may be set higher than the bottom 34 of the transport body 32. Drain water can be stored in the drain pan 13 until the bottom 34 of the transport body 32 is completely immersed, and the cool heat of the drain water can be used effectively.

The warm air sucked from the room passes through the heat exchanger 1 through the front space 19 or the rear space 35. The air passing through the front and

rear spaces

19 and 35 flows along the heat exchanging portion 33 cooled by the cold heat of the drain water. When the sucked air passes between the heat exchanging units 33, the temperature decreases by touching the heat exchanging unit 33 or mixing with the ambient air cooled by the heat exchanging unit 33. In this case, the sucked air is indirectly in contact with the drain water, and is exchanged with the cold water of the drain water before passing through the heat exchanger 1, and the temperature of the air passing through the heat exchanger 1 is changed. Go down.

Thus, since the air from the room cooled in advance passes through the heat exchanger 1, the air after passing through the heat exchanger 1 has a lower temperature. Therefore, since cold air having a lower temperature than that without the cooling

units

30 and 31 is blown out, the room temperature can be set to the set temperature in a short time. Thereby, an operation time can be shortened and power consumption can be reduced.

As another form of the cooling

units

30, 31, as shown in FIG. 8, a heat exchanging unit 40 that opposes the front and rear heat exchangers 1 is provided, and a transport unit that guides drain water to the heat exchanging unit 33 is provided. The heat exchanging part 40 is formed in a plate shape from a material having permeability such as a raised fiber, a nonwoven fabric, a porous material, etc., and the plurality of heat exchanging parts 40 are integrally provided on the bottom plate 41, and the bottom plate 41 It is installed on the

bottom walls

21 and 24 of the drain pans 13 and 14. Each heat exchange part 40 is arranged in parallel with the flow direction of air. In addition, the heat exchange part 40 is formed in flat plate shape, corrugated plate shape, and corrugated shape. A part of this heat exchange part 40 is immersed in drain water, the heat exchange part 40 expresses a capillary phenomenon, pumps drain water from the drain pans 13 and 14, and conveys it upwards. That is, the heat exchanging unit 40 has a function of pumping drain water from the drain pans 13 and 14, and the heat exchanging unit 40 also serves as a transport unit.

In addition, as the cooling

units

30 and 31, the heat exchange unit 40 is formed from a metal plate or a resin plate having a high thermal conductivity, and is erected in the drain pans 13 and 14. A material having permeability may be integrally provided on the surface of the heat exchanging unit 40 by adhesion or the like to form a transport unit. In this case, the cool water of the drain water is transported upward by the heat exchanging unit 40, and the drain water is transported directly upward on the surface of the transport body 32 by capillary action. Thus, the conveyance part integrally provided in the heat exchange part 40 conveys drain water directly. In other words, the conveyance unit is one of the conveyance bodies because it conveys the cold heat of the drain water.

The lower part of the heat exchanging unit 40 is immersed in the drain water accumulated in the drain pans 13 and 14, and the drain water ascends the heat exchanging unit 40 by a capillary phenomenon. Therefore, the drain water is directly conveyed by the heat exchange unit 40. The ambient air including the sucked air directly touches the drain water contained in the heat exchange unit 40. As the passing air is cooled, when the drain water evaporates, heat is taken away from the surrounding air, and the temperature around the heat exchanging unit 40 is lowered.

As another form, as shown in FIG. 9, a fin-like metal heat exchanging portion 42 is disposed to face the front heat exchanger 1 a, and the conveying portion 43 is provided separately from the heat exchanging portion 42. . The transport unit 43 pumps the drain water and guides the drain water to the upper part of the heat exchange unit 42. The transport unit 43 includes a thin suction pipe 44 and a tray 45. The suction pipe 44 is passed from the drain pan 13 to the inside of the receiving tray 45 installed between the upper and lower front heat exchangers 1a. A water supply port 46 is formed in the tray 45 in correspondence with each heat exchange part 42. The heat exchange unit 42 is connected to the water supply port 46, and drain water is transferred from the water supply port 46 to the upper portion of the heat exchange unit 42, whereby the drain water is conveyed to the heat exchange unit 42. The drain water drops on the outer surface of the heat exchanging section 42, and the surrounding air including the sucked air directly touches the drain water. In addition, you may supply drain water to the saucer 45 as a pumping means of the conveyance part 43 using a pump. Further, the drain water may be pumped by a siphon in which the suction pipe 44 is filled with the drain water. In addition, you may provide the cooling part comprised from the heat exchange part 42 and the conveyance part 43 similar to the above also with respect to the back surface heat exchanger 1b.

Instead of the fin-like heat exchanging section 42, a metal heat exchanging pipe 47 such as copper or silver may be used as the heat exchanging section as shown in FIG. A plurality of heat exchange pipes 47 are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, the upper end of the heat exchange pipe 47 is connected to the water supply port 46 of the tray 45, and the lower end is arranged in the drain pan 13. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, one heat exchange pipe 48 may be arranged to meander in the left-right direction from the upper side to the lower side. The drain water pumped up by the transport unit 43 flows down in the

heat exchange pipes

47 and 48. The ambient air including the sucked air indirectly contacts the drain water through the outer surfaces of the

heat exchange pipes

47 and 48, and the temperature is lowered. In addition, the drain water may flow not only in the

heat exchange pipes

47 and 48 but also on the outer surfaces of the

heat exchange pipes

47 and 48. Moreover, you may provide the cooling part comprised from the

heat exchange pipes

47 and 48 similar to the above, and the conveyance part 43 also with respect to the back surface heat exchanger 1b.

The above-described suction pipe 44 and

heat exchange pipes

47 and 48 may be integrated, and the drained water may be dropped as it is. In the case of a plurality of heat exchange pipes 48, the upper part of the suction pipe 44 is branched into a plurality of parts to form a plurality of heat exchange pipes 48. In the case of one heat exchange pipe 48, the entire cooling unit can be formed by one pipe.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. The heat exchanger of the outdoor unit becomes an evaporator during heating operation. Therefore, the cooling unit may be provided for the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit. Moreover, you may provide a cooling part with respect to the heat exchanger of an integrated air conditioner.

The heat exchange part of the cooling part may be provided not only on the leeward side of the front and rear heat exchangers but also on the leeward side. The air cooled by the heat exchanger touches the heat exchanging unit, the water vapor in the air is condensed, and the dehumidified air can be blown out into the room.

Also, the cooling unit may be provided only in the front heat exchanger. The drain water generated in the rear heat exchanger flows from the rear drain pan to the front drain pan through the water conduit, and is used to lower the temperature around the front heat exchanger.

It is also possible to store the drain water collected in the drain pan without discharging it. By supplying drain water to the cooling section, the drain water can be circulated. The drain water is not overflowed from the drain pan because a part of the drain water evaporates by exchanging heat with the sucked air.

You may arrange | position the heat exchange part of a cooling part in the refrigerant | coolant inlet side or refrigerant | coolant outlet side of an evaporator at the time of air_conditionaing | cooling operation. Furthermore, you may arrange | position the heat exchange part of a cooling part in a refrigerant | coolant inlet side and a refrigerant | coolant outlet side. By disposing on the refrigerant inlet side, the air cooled in advance is heat-exchanged by the evaporator, so that the amount of heat exchange in this portion can be reduced and the load on the low-temperature refrigerant can be reduced. Moreover, even if the heat exchange efficiency of a refrigerant | coolant falls by arrange | positioning at the refrigerant | coolant exit side, this fall can be supplemented and the temperature of air can be lowered | hung.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat exchanger 1a Front heat exchanger 1b Rear heat exchanger 2 Fan 3 Cabinet 4 Suction port 5 Outlet 10 Back plate 11 Front panel 13 Front drain pan 14 Back drain pan 19 Front space 30 Cooling part 31 Cooling part 32 Carrier 33 Heat Exchanger 35 Rear space 40 Heat exchange part 42 Heat exchange part 43 Conveying part 44 Suction pipe 45 Receptacle 46 Water supply port 47 Heat exchange pipe 48 Heat exchange pipe

Claims

An evaporator that exchanges heat with the sucked air and a drain pan that receives drain water generated in the evaporator, and a cooling unit that lowers the temperature around the evaporator using the drain water is provided around the evaporator. An air conditioner characterized by being provided.
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with the air passing through the evaporator, and the air passing through the evaporator directly or indirectly contacts the drain water through the cooling unit. Machine.
The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooling portion conducts the cooling heat of the drain water.
The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein a part of the cooling section is immersed in the drain water in the drain pan.
5. The cooling unit according to claim 4, wherein the cooling unit has a structure in which a heat exchange unit is formed on the transport body, the transport body is disposed in a drain pan, and the heat exchange unit is disposed to face the evaporator. Air conditioner.
The air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooling unit includes a heat exchange unit facing the evaporator, and a transport unit that guides drain water from the drain pan to the heat exchange unit.
The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the transport unit pumps drain water from the drain pan and guides the drain water to the heat exchange unit.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the heat exchange part of the cooling part is provided on the windward side of the evaporator.
The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the evaporator is a heat exchanger built in the indoor unit.
A plurality of evaporators are provided so as to surround a fan for sucking air from the front side to the rear side, and a cooling unit is provided for the front side evaporator and the rear side evaporator. Item 10. An air conditioner according to item 8 or 9.