Refrigerant circulation device, method for circulating refrigerant and method for suppressing isomerization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016200955-A1
Application number	US-201414914519-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat pump device and an organic Rankine cycle device that are capable of maintaining a stable thermal cycle even when an HFO or HCFO is used as the refrigerant. The refrigerant circulation device uses a refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within the molecular structure, and a reaction suppression unit which suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant is provided within the refrigerant circulation circuit.

First claim

1 . A refrigerant circulation device that uses a refrigerant, wherein
the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure, and a reaction suppression unit which suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant is provided within a refrigerant circulation circuit.

2 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

3 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the refrigerant comprises a cis isomer of a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

4 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the reaction suppression unit suppresses an isomerization reaction of a cis isomer of the refrigerant to a trans isomer.

5 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the reaction suppression unit contains a reaction-suppressing material containing mainly at least one material selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, aluminum, nickel, titanium, metallic silicon, silicon steel, tin, magnesium, zinc and zeolite.

6 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 5 , wherein
the reaction-suppressing material comprises mainly either a structure containing a mixture of copper, iron and aluminum, or aluminum.

7 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the reaction-suppressing material is a porous structure, a mesh structure or a corrugated structure.

8 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the refrigerant circulation device has a region in the refrigerant circulation circuit where a temperature of the refrigerant reaches 175° C. or higher, and the reaction suppression unit is provided in a region where a temperature of the refrigerant is able to reach 175° C. or higher.

9 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , comprising
a compressor which compresses the refrigerant, a condenser which condenses the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve which expands the condensed refrigerant, and an evaporator which evaporates the expanded refrigerant, wherein the reaction suppression unit is provided in a region from the compressor to the condenser.

10 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , comprising
a compressor which compresses the refrigerant, a condenser which condenses the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve which expands the condensed refrigerant, and an evaporator which evaporates the expanded refrigerant, wherein the reaction suppression unit is provided in a region from the condenser to the expansion valve.

11 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 10 , wherein the reaction suppression unit is integrated within the condenser.

12 . The refrigerant circulation device according to claim 1 , comprising
a pump which force feeds the refrigerant, an evaporator which heats and evaporates the force fed refrigerant using a heat source, an expansion device which expands the evaporated refrigerant, and a condenser which condenses the expanded refrigerant, wherein the reaction suppression unit is provided in the region from the evaporator to the expansion device.

13 . A method for suppressing isomerization in a refrigerant circulation device that uses a refrigerant, wherein
the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure, and a reaction suppression unit containing a reaction-suppressing material that suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant is provided within a refrigerant circulation circuit, the method comprising bringing the refrigerant into contact with the reaction-suppressing material.

14 . The method for suppressing isomerization according to claim 13 , wherein
the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

15 . The method for suppressing isomerization according to claim 13 , wherein
the reaction suppression unit contains a reaction-suppressing material that suppresses an isomerization reaction of a cis isomer of the refrigerant to a trans isomer.

16 . A method for circulating a refrigerant in a refrigerant circulation device that uses the refrigerant, wherein
the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within the molecular structure, and a reaction suppression unit containing a reaction-suppressing material that suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant is provided within a refrigerant circulation circuit, the method comprising bringing the refrigerant into contact with the reaction-suppressing material.

17 . The method for circulating a refrigerant according to claim 16 , wherein
the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

18 . The method for circulating a refrigerant according to claim 16 , wherein
the reaction suppression unit contains a reaction-suppressing material that suppresses an isomerization reaction of a cis isomer of the refrigerant to a trans isomer.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd
• Central Glass Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ueda Kenji
• Kobayashi Naoki
• Akamatsu Yoshinori
• Sakyu Fuyuhiko
• Nishiguchi Yoshio

Classifications

• F25B2400/121

  using R1234 · CPC title

• F25B49/005 Primary

  of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• C09K2205/126

  Unsaturated fluorinated hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C09K5/045 Primary

  containing only fluorine as halogen · CPC title

• C09K5/044

  comprising halogenated compounds · CPC title