WO2020261734A1 - Outdoor unit of refrigeration cycle device - Google Patents

Abstract

An outdoor unit 2 of a refrigeration cycle device 1 comprises: a plurality of condensers 6; and a plurality of liquid receivers 7, provided in the same number as the plurality of condensers 6, and which are respectively connected to outlets of the condensers 6. The plurality of condensers 6 are connected to each other at the refrigerant inlet side, and are individually connected to each of the corresponding liquid receivers 7 at the refrigerant outlet side. Each of the plurality of liquid receivers 7 is provided with a refrigerant outlet which is farther below the refrigerant inlet, in an installed state.

Description

Outdoor unit of refrigeration cycle equipment

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an outdoor unit of a refrigeration cycle device.

The refrigeration cycle device circulates refrigerant by connecting an outdoor unit such as a refrigerator (condensin unit) and an indoor unit such as a showcase or an air conditioner with a pipe. At this time, although the refrigerant may be in a gas-liquid mixed state on the outlet side of the condenser, in order to efficiently use the refrigeration cycle device, the supercooler arranged on the rear side of the condenser is used. On the other hand, it is desirable to transport the refrigerant in a liquid state. Therefore, in general, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a liquid receiver is provided on the outlet side of the condenser so that the refrigerant is conveyed to the subsequent stage side in a liquid state. This receiver is also called, for example, a receiver.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-67985

By the way, the outdoor unit may be equipped with multiple condensers. Then, depending on the specifications of the load device such as the indoor unit to be connected and the pipe length, a large-capacity receiver may be required to receive the refrigerant supplied from the plurality of condensers.

However, it may be difficult to simply increase the capacity of the receiver due to, for example, compliance with the High Pressure Gas Safety Act and restrictions on the size of manufacturing equipment. Further, even if the number of receivers is simply increased to secure the required capacity, it is difficult to evenly distribute gas and liquid to a plurality of receivers. That is, when the capacity of the receiver is increased, there is a risk of manufacturing difficulty and complication of the structure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is a refrigeration cycle apparatus capable of easily transporting a liquid refrigerant to the rear stage side of a condenser in a configuration including a plurality of condensers. To provide the outdoor unit of.

The outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus of the embodiment includes a plurality of condensers and a plurality of receivers provided in the same number as the plurality of condensers and connected to the outlets of the respective condensers, and a plurality of condensers. The vessels are connected to each other on the inlet side of the refrigerant and individually connected to the corresponding receivers on the outlet side of the refrigerant, with the plurality of receivers below the inlet of the refrigerant in the installed state. Refrigerant outlets are provided and are connected to each other on the refrigerant outlet side.

The figure which shows typically the structure of the refrigerating cycle apparatus in embodiment The figure which shows the structure of the receiver schematically The figure which shows an example of the installation mode of the receiver schematically.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration cycle device 1 of the present embodiment includes an outdoor unit 2 and an indoor unit 3 as a load device. The outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 are connected by an external pipe 4 through which a refrigerant circulates. In this embodiment, a refrigerating cycle device 1 for air conditioning is assumed, but the outdoor unit 2 can be used by a so-called refrigerating machine (condensining unit) for cooling equipment, cooling articles in a showcase, and the like. It can also be applied to the above applications.

Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which one indoor unit 3 is provided for simplification of the description, a configuration in which a plurality of load devices are connected may be provided, such as by providing a plurality of indoor units 3. Although not shown, the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3 are also connected by electrical wiring for control.

The outdoor unit 2 includes a plurality of condensers 6, the same number of receivers 7 as the condensers 6, and one supercooler 8 in the housing 5. The condenser 6 is composed of a so-called fin tube type heat exchanger, and is configured to have the same size in the present embodiment. That is, a plurality, for example, three (see FIG. 3) condensers 7 having the same dimensions, the same capacity, and the same heat exchange area are provided. Each condenser 6 is connected in parallel to each other via a branch pipe 20 on the inlet side of the refrigerant shown as “IN” in FIG. 1, and corresponds to a receiver on the outlet side of the refrigerant shown as “OUT” in FIG. The liquid vessel 7 and the refrigerant pipe 21 are individually and directly connected to each other.

That is, the refrigerant flowing out from each condenser 6 flows into one corresponding receiver 7. At this time, the refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 6 may be in a gas-liquid mixed state. The liquid receiver 7 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and is provided with an inlet for the refrigerant shown as “IN” in FIG. 1 on the upper side in the installed state, and “OUT” in FIG. 1 below the inlet. There is an outlet for the refrigerant shown as.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the refrigerant in the gas-liquid mixed state flows into the liquid receiver 7 from the condenser 6 side as shown by the arrow F1, the liquid refrigerant (R) is transferred to the liquid receiver 7 by gravity. It will accumulate on the lower side of. That is, the refrigerant is gas-liquid separated inside the receiver 7. Then, the liquid refrigerant accumulated on the outlet side flows out from the liquid receiver 7 through the outlet as shown by the arrow F2. As a result, the liquid refrigerant is conveyed to the rear side of the receiver 7.

At this time, each receiver 7 has a body length of 600 mm to 700 mm and an outer shape (D) of which does not exceed 160 mm. Further, since the plurality of receivers 7 are provided, the volume required for each receiver 7 is also reduced. Therefore, each receiver 7 is classified into a pipe and a simple container under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act. That is, the pressure resistance can be improved by making the volume relatively small. The receivers 7 are connected to each other on the outlet side of the refrigerant.

A supercooler 8 connected via a merging pipe 22 is provided on the outlet side of the liquid receiver 7. The supercooler 8 is composed of a so-called fin tube type heat exchanger, and the refrigerant flowing out from each receiver 7, that is, the liquid among the refrigerants separated into gas and liquid inside each receiver 7. The refrigerant in the state flows in. That is, the refrigerant is conveyed in a liquid state to the supercooler 8 provided on the rear side of the condenser 6.

The refrigerant that has passed through the supercooler 8 is conveyed to the indoor unit 3 through the external pipe 4. The indoor unit 3 includes an expansion device 13, an indoor heat exchanger 3a, a blower fan 3b, an indoor control unit 3c, and the like. In the case of the present embodiment, the indoor heat exchanger 3a functions as an air-conditioning evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion device 13. However, the configuration of the indoor unit 3 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

The refrigerant that has passed through the indoor unit 3 is returned to the outdoor unit 2 through the external pipe 4. The outdoor unit 2 is provided with an accumulator 9, two compressors 10 connected in parallel, an oil separator 11, a control unit 12, and the like. The refrigerant returned to the outdoor unit 2 through the external pipe 4 is compressed by the two compressors 10 in a gas-liquid separated state by the accumulator 9, and after the oil is removed by the oil separator 11, the branch pipe 20 is connected. It flows into each condenser 6 through.

At this time, each condenser 6 has the same heat exchange performance, that is, the shape and the like are almost the same. Therefore, the refrigerant that has passed through the oil separator 11 flows evenly into each condenser 6. In addition, almost the same includes a state in which they match and a state in which they are within a predetermined allowable range. Then, each device is controlled by the control unit 12 provided in the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor control unit 3c provided in the indoor unit 3, and the refrigerant circulates between the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor unit 3. By doing so, the refrigeration cycle device 1 is operating.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.
As described above, the refrigerant may be in a gas-liquid mixed state on the outlet side of the condenser 6, while it is arranged on the rear side of the condenser 6 in order to efficiently use the refrigeration cycle device 1. It is desirable to transport the refrigerant in a liquid state to the supercooler 8.

However, it may be difficult to simply increase the capacity of the receiver 7 due to, for example, safety measures related to pressure resistance and restrictions on the size of manufacturing equipment. Further, even if the number of the receivers 7 is simply increased, the refrigerant in the gas-liquid mixed state is transferred from one condenser 6 to the plurality of receivers 7, or from the plurality of condensers 6 to a plurality of liquid receivers. It is difficult to evenly distribute gas and liquid to the vessel 7.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described below, in the configuration including the plurality of condensers 6, the liquid refrigerant is conveyed to the rear stage side of the condenser 6 without increasing the capacity of the receiver 7. I am trying to be able to do it.

As described above, the outdoor unit 2 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of condensers 6 and a plurality of liquid receivers 7. Each condenser 6 is connected to one receiver 7. That is, the path between the condenser 6 and the liquid receiver 7 is not provided with a mechanism, structure or member for distributing the refrigerant or adjusting the flow rate, and is directly connected by the refrigerant pipe 21. Here, it is preferable that the plurality of refrigerant pipes 21 are formed with substantially the same pipe length, and even the longest one is preferably twice or less the shortest refrigerant pipe 21.

As a result, gas-liquid mixing is different from, for example, when the refrigerant is distributed from one condenser 6 to a plurality of receivers 7 or the refrigerant is distributed from a plurality of condensers 6 to one receiver 7. It is possible to eliminate the need to arrange a valve or the like that evenly distributes the gas and liquid of the refrigerant in the state.

At this time, each receiver 7 is provided with a refrigerant outlet below the refrigerant inlet in the installed state. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant is accumulated on the outlet side of the receiver 7 due to gravity, and the liquid refrigerant flows out to the rear side of the receiver 7.

Since each condenser 6 has the same heat exchange performance and each receiver 7 is formed to have substantially the same size (capacity) and shape (dimension), each liquid receiver 7 is formed. The liquid refrigerant flows out from the vessel 7 at almost the same flow rate. Therefore, for the supercooler 8 connected to the outlet side of the plurality of receivers 7 connected to each other, even if the refrigerant is not distributed on the outlet side of the receiver 7, the refrigerant can be used. Even if the flow rate is not adjusted, the liquid refrigerant that has evenly flowed out from each receiver 7 is supplied.

As a result, even in the path between the receiver 7 and the supercooler 8, it is not necessary to arrange a mechanism, structure or member for distributing the refrigerant or adjusting the flow rate, and the liquid refrigerant can be transferred to the supercooler 8. It becomes possible to carry, and the refrigeration cycle device 1 can be used efficiently.

Further, by providing a plurality of receivers 7, the size of each receiver 7 can be relatively reduced as compared with the case where one receiver 7 is provided. As a result, the size of the manufacturing equipment is less likely to be restricted, and manufacturing can be easily performed. Further, by dispersing the receivers 7 and setting the dimensions and capacities of the receivers 7 to a predetermined value or less, the pressure resistance of the device can be increased and the safety can be enhanced. In particular, for example, it is possible to form the receiver 7 in a size classified as a pipe or a simple container under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act, and the High Pressure Gas Safety Act compared with the case of a size classified as a pressure vessel. The conditions for complying with are relaxed.

In particular, in the outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle device that compresses the refrigerant with a compressor, the body length of the receiver 7 for storing the refrigerant having a compressor discharge pressure of 0.2 MPa or more is 1000 mm or less, and the inner diameter is 200 mm or less. By setting the product to 0.04 m ^ 3 or less, it can be treated as a simple container under the High Pressure Gas Safety Act. That is, by using the receiver 7 that meets such conditions, pressure resistance can be ensured, safety tests performed at the time of manufacturing can be simplified, and the entire manufacturing process can be made efficient. , Manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, regular security inspections can be simplified or inspections do not need to be performed even after installation for use of the equipment, and the operating cost of the equipment can be reduced.
Further, by corresponding to the liquid receivers 7 dispersed in this way, the condenser 6 is dispersed and connected to each liquid receiver 7 on a one-to-one basis, so that the flow rate of the refrigerant can be improved. The operation as a refrigeration cycle system becomes smooth.

Further, by downsizing the liquid receiver 7, the degree of freedom of arrangement inside the outdoor unit 2 can be increased. Then, by increasing the degree of freedom of arrangement, it becomes possible to suppress the deterioration of the performance of the outdoor unit 2. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a condenser 6, a compressor 10, an accumulator 9, a compressor 10, an oil separator 11, a control unit 12, and the like are housed in the housing 5 of the outdoor unit 2. ing.

At this time, in the case of a configuration in which one large receiver is provided, the large receiver is arranged on the side surface of any of the condensers 6, that is, on the air passage, and the heat exchange of the condenser 6 is performed. There is a risk of performance degradation. In other words, in the case of a configuration in which one large receiver is provided, the heat exchange performance of each condenser 6 may vary.

On the other hand, in the case of a configuration in which a plurality of small receivers 7 are provided, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, they are arranged evenly with respect to the two condensers 6 on the left side of the drawing. Etc. can be facilitated, and the possibility that the heat exchange performance of the condenser 6 varies can be reduced. If the heat exchange performance of the condenser 6 does not vary, the refrigerant will flow into the corresponding receivers 7 in the same manner, and the refrigerant will flow out evenly from the receivers 7. Therefore, even when the refrigerant path is temporarily branched by the plurality of condensers 6 and the plurality of liquid receivers 7, the supercooler 8 is provided without providing a structure for distributing the refrigerant or adjusting the flow rate. It is possible to properly convey the refrigerant in a liquid state.

According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
The outdoor unit 2 includes a plurality of condensers 6 and a plurality of receivers 7 provided in the same number as the plurality of condensers 6 and connected to each condenser 6 on a one-to-one basis. .. The plurality of condensers 6 are connected to each other on the inlet side of the refrigerant and are individually connected to the corresponding receivers 7 on the outlet side of the refrigerant, and the plurality of receivers 7 are connected to each other. The refrigerant outlet is provided below the inlet in the installed state.

As a result, the refrigerant flows out from one condenser 6 to one receiver 7, so there is no need to distribute the refrigerant or adjust the flow rate. Therefore, in the configuration including the plurality of condensers 6, the liquid refrigerant can be easily conveyed to the rear stage side of the condensers 6.

Further, by providing a plurality of receivers 7, it is possible to reduce the volume of one receiver 7. Therefore, the capacity of the receiver 7 is not increased. Further, since the degree of freedom of arrangement in the housing 5 is increased, it is possible to avoid a situation in which one condenser 6 blocks the air passage, and it is possible to suppress variations in heat exchange performance. it can.

The outdoor unit 2 is equipped with a supercooler 8. Then, the supercooler 8 is connected to the outlet side of a plurality of receivers 7 connected to each other. As a result, the refrigerant in a liquid state is supplied to the supercooler 8, and the refrigeration cycle device 1 can be efficiently used.

The outdoor unit 2 does not have a mechanism, structure or member for distributing the refrigerant or adjusting the flow rate in the path between the condenser 6 and the liquid receiver 7. As a result, the piping and structure are not complicated.

In the outdoor unit 2, a plurality of condensers 6 are formed to have the same capacity to have a common heat exchange performance, and a plurality of receivers 7 are formed to have the same capacity. As a result, when the refrigerant paths are temporarily branched, the refrigerant flow rates in each path can be made uniform.
In other words, the capacity ratio of the capacity of the condenser 6 and the capacity of the receiver 7 is formed to be the same in the plurality of condensers 6 and the plurality of receivers 7 connected in a one-to-one manner. Has been done. That is, when the capacity a of one condenser 6 is set and the capacity b of the receiver 7 connected to the outlet of the condenser 6 is set, the condenser 6 and the receiver 7 connected to the other pair The volume ratio is also configured to be a: b.

In the embodiment, an example in which the outdoor unit 2 is used as a so-called refrigerator (condensin unit) for equipment requiring cooling or for cooling and air conditioning is shown, but cooling (cooling) operation is performed by providing a three-way valve or the like that changes the flow of the refrigerant. It can also be used for so-called outdoor units capable of heating (heating) operation.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Claims (5)

1. With multiple condensers
   A plurality of receivers provided in the same number as the plurality of the condensers and connected to the outlets of the respective condensers are provided.
   The plurality of the condensers are connected to each other on the inlet side of the refrigerant and individually connected to the corresponding receivers on the outlet side of the refrigerant.
   The plurality of the receivers are outdoor units of a refrigeration cycle device in which a refrigerant outlet is provided below the refrigerant inlet in the installed state and is connected to each other on the refrigerant outlet side.
2. Equipped with a supercooler
   The outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supercooler is connected to the outlet side of a plurality of the receivers connected to each other.
3. The outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the path between the condenser and the liquid receiver is directly connected by a refrigerant pipe.
4. A claim in which the capacity ratio of the capacity of the condenser and the capacity of the receiver is formed to be the same capacity ratio between the plurality of condensers connected in a one-to-one manner and the plurality of receivers. The outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3.
5. The plurality of the condensers have the same capacity.
   The outdoor unit of the refrigeration cycle apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of receivers have the same capacity.

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