Heat pump device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852007-B2
Application number	US-201616310617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2016
Priority date	Aug 25, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A heat pump device can discharge air in a heat medium circuit regardless of the height positions of two bodies of the heat pump device and prevents refrigerant outflow when the refrigerant enters the heat medium circuit in the liquid heat exchanger. A pump causes the liquid heat medium to flow in a predetermined circulatory direction in a heat medium pipe, and a liquid heat exchanger, a first air vent valve and a second air vent valve are arranged in this order along a circulatory direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump device comprising:
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant;
a decompressor configured to decompress the refrigerant;
an air heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air;
a liquid heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and liquid heat medium;
a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor, the decompressor, the air heat exchanger and the liquid heat exchanger circularly, wherein the refrigerant pipe is filled with the refrigerant;
a pump configured to cause the liquid heat medium to flow in the liquid heat exchanger;
a heat medium pipe connecting the liquid heat exchanger and the pump circularly, wherein the heat medium pipe is filled with the liquid heat medium;
a first air vent valve and a second air vent valve which are able to discharge gas in the heat medium pipe outside, wherein the first air vent valve and the second air vent valve are self-control valves;
a first body housing the compressor, the decompressor, the air heat exchanger, the liquid heat exchanger, the refrigerant pipe and the first air vent valve, and
a second body arranged outside of the first body, wherein the second body houses the second air vent valve, and wherein
the pump is configured to cause the liquid heat medium to flow in a predetermined circulatory direction in the heat medium pipe,
the liquid heat exchanger, the first air vent valve and the second air vent valve arranged in this order along the circulatory direction,
an air passage is formed in the first body, and the air passage is configured to discharge air, taken from the outside of the first body, to the outside of the first body after exchanging heat of the air in the air heat exchanger; and
the first air vent valve is arranged on a windward side of the air heat exchanger in the air passage.

2. The heat pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the pump is housed in the first body.

3. The heat pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the first air vent valve and the second air vent valve are pressure regulating valves capable of keeping an internal pressure of the heat medium pipe constant by opening the heat medium pipe when the internal pressure of the heat medium pipe becomes equal to or more than a preset value.

4. The heat pump device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first shut-off valve capable of closing the heat medium pipe, wherein the first shut-off valve, the liquid heat exchanger, the first air vent valve, and the second air vent valve are arranged in this order along the circulatory direction.

5. The heat pump device according to claim 4 , wherein the first shut-off valve closes the heat medium pipe when the pump is stopped.

6. The heat pump device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a refrigerant pressure sensor configured to detect an internal pressure of the refrigerant pipe; and
a heat medium pressure sensor configured to detect an internal pressure of the heat medium pipe,
wherein the first shut-off valve closes the heat medium pipe when the internal pressure of the refrigerant pipe is equal to or less than a preset refrigerant pressure reference value and the internal pressure of the heat medium pipe is equal to or more than a preset heat medium pressure reference value.

7. The heat pump device according to claim 4 , further comprising a second shut-off valve capable of closing the heat medium pipe, wherein the first shut-off valve, the liquid heat exchanger, the first air vent valve, the second shut-off valve, and the second air vent valve are arranged in this order along the circulatory direction.

8. The heat pump device according to claim 7 , wherein the second shut-off valve closes the heat medium pipe when the pump is stopped.

9. The heat pump device according to claim 7 , wherein the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are housed in the first body.

10. The heat pump device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the heat medium pipe further includes a branch pipe housed in the second body, connected to the heat medium pipe, and extending vertically upward;
the second air vent valve is arranged on an uppermost end portion of the branch pipe; and
the first shut-off valve is arranged in the middle of the branch pipe.

11. The heat pump device according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is flammable.

12. A heat pump device comprising:
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant;
a decompressor configured to decompress the refrigerant;
an air heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air;
a liquid heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and liquid heat medium;
a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor, the decompressor, the air heat exchanger and the liquid heat exchanger circularly, wherein the refrigerant pipe is filled with the refrigerant;
a pump configured to cause the liquid heat medium to flow in the liquid heat exchanger;
a heat medium pipe connecting the liquid heat exchanger and the pump circularly, wherein the heat medium pipe is filled with the liquid heat medium;
a first air vent valve and a second air vent valve which are able to discharge gas in the heat medium pipe outside, wherein the first air vent valve and the second air vent valve are self-control valves;
a first body housing the compressor, the decompressor, the air heat exchanger, the liquid heat exchanger, the refrigerant pipe and the first air vent valve;
a second body arranged outside of the first body, wherein the second body houses the second air vent valve;
a first shut-off valve capable of closing the heat medium pipe;
a refrigerant pressure sensor configured to detect an internal pressure of the refrigerant pipe, and
a heat medium pressure sensor configured to detect an internal pressure of the heat medium pipe, wherein
the pump is configured to cause the liquid heat medium to flow in a predetermined circulatory direction in the heat medium pipe,
the first shut-off valve, the liquid heat exchanger, the first air vent valve, and the second air vent valve arranged in this order along the circulatory direction, and
the first shut-off valve closes the heat medium pipe when the internal pressure of the refrigerant pipe is equal to or less than a preset refrigerant pressure reference value and the internal pressure of the heat medium pipe is equal to or more than a preset heat medium pressure reference value.

13. A heat pump device comprising:
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant;
a decompressor configured to decompress the refrigerant;
an air heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air;
a liquid heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and liquid heat medium;
a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor, the decompressor, the air heat exchanger and the liquid heat exchanger circularly, wherein the refrigerant pipe is filled with the refrigerant;
a pump configured to cause the liquid heat medium to flow in the liquid heat exchanger;
a heat medium pipe connecting the liquid heat exchanger and the pump circularly, wherein the heat medium pipe is filled with the liquid heat medium;
a first air vent valve and a second air vent valve which are able to discharge gas in the heat medium pipe outside, wherein the first air vent valve and the second air vent valve are self-control valves;
a first body housing the compressor, the decompressor, the air heat exchanger, the liquid heat exchanger, the refrigerant pipe and the first air vent valve;
a second body arranged outside of the first body, wherein the second bo

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kawashima Mitsuru

Classifications

• F25B13/00 Primary

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F25B41/35

  by rotary motors, e.g. by stepping motors · CPC title

• F25B1/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle (F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• F25B2313/02791

  using shut-off valves · CPC title