Heat pump device

Abstract

To provide a heat pump device capable of easily securing assembly workability while limiting a movement range of a heat medium when the heat medium leaks.SOLUTION: A heat pump device disclosed herein comprises a compressor that compresses a refrigerant inside a housing, and a utilization side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a heat medium, the heat pump device having a heat medium partition plate that partitions the inside of the housing and forms a heat medium chamber. The compressor is provided outside the heat medium chamber. The utilization side heat exchanger is provided inside the heat medium chamber and attached to the heat medium partition plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat pump device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a heat medium circulating device equipped with a user-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a heat medium such as water or antifreeze. This heat medium circulating device is formed with a heat medium chamber in which at least a part of the user-side heat exchanger is disposed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-027210 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a heat pump device that limits the range of movement of a heat medium in the event of leakage of the heat medium, while ensuring ease of assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The heat pump device according to the present disclosure is a heat pump device including a compressor for compressing a refrigerant inside a housing, and a user-side heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and a heat medium, the heat pump device further including a heat medium partition plate that divides the inside of the housing and forms a heat medium chamber, the compressor being provided outside the heat medium chamber, and the user-side heat exchanger being provided inside the heat medium chamber and attached to the heat medium partition plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the heat pump device disclosed herein, the heat medium partition plate can prevent the heat medium from reaching the compressor. Furthermore, by attaching and detaching the heat medium partition plate to which the user-side heat exchanger is attached, parts replacement during assembly and maintenance of the heat pump device can be easily performed. This makes it possible to limit the range of movement of the heat medium in the event of a heat medium leak, while also ensuring ease of assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerant circuit and a water circuit of a hot water heater according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the inside of the outdoor unit [Figure 3] Enlarged view of Figure 2 [Figure 4] Perspective view of a heat exchanger module [Figure 5] Right side view showing the interior of the outdoor unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (Findings that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time the inventors arrived at the idea of ​​the present disclosure, there was a technology for arranging a user-side heat exchanger, which exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a heat medium, inside the housing of a heat pump device. Therefore, in the industry, it was common practice to isolate devices through which the heat medium flows, such as the user-side heat exchanger, in a heat medium chamber to prevent the heat medium from leaking and reaching the compressor. Under these circumstances, the inventors discovered a problem: if the user-side heat exchanger and a heat medium partition plate, which divides the inside of the housing to form a heat medium chamber, were provided separately, the number of parts would increase, which would likely worsen assembly workability. To solve this problem, the inventors came up with the subject matter of the present disclosure. The present disclosure provides a heat pump device that limits the range of movement of a heat medium in the event of leakage of the heat medium, while ensuring ease of assembly.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary detailed description may be omitted. For example, detailed description of well-known matters or redundant description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. [1-1.Configuration] [1-1-1. Refrigeration circuit configuration] 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerant circuit R and a water circuit W of a hot water heater 1 according to Embodiment 1. The hot water heater 1 has an outdoor unit 10 that is mainly installed outdoors, and an indoor unit 70 that is mainly installed in a space to be conditioned, such as indoors. The outdoor unit 10 is an example of a "heat pump device" in this disclosure.

[0011] The hot water hot water heater 1 is a device that heats a space to be conditioned by flowing water heated by an outdoor unit 10 through an indoor heat exchanger 71 of an indoor unit 70. The hot water hot water heater 1 of this embodiment can also perform cooling operation by flowing water cooled by the outdoor unit 10 through the indoor heat exchanger 71. In FIG. 1, arrows indicate the flow of refrigerant and water during cooling operation of the hot water hot water heater 1. Water is an example of a "heat medium" in this disclosure.

[0012] The outdoor unit 10 is provided with a refrigerant circuit R. The refrigerant circuit R has a compressor 12, an air heat exchanger 14, an expansion valve 16, and a plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30.

[0013] The compressor 12 is a device that draws in, compresses, and discharges a refrigerant. In the outdoor unit 10, a flow path switching mechanism 13 is connected to the discharge side and suction side of the compressor 12. The flow path switching mechanism 13 switches the destination of the refrigerant discharged to the compressor 12 between the air heat exchanger 14 and the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, causing the destination heat exchangers 14, 30 to function as condensers. The flow path switching mechanism 13 also draws the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator of the heat exchangers 14, 30 into the compressor 12. The flow path switching mechanism 13 is, for example, a four-way valve.

[0014] The air heat exchanger 14 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant inside and the outside air. The air heat exchanger 14 is, for example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger. The outdoor unit 10 is provided with an outdoor fan 15 that flows the outside air through the air heat exchanger 14. In this embodiment, the outdoor fan 15 is an axial flow fan.

[0015] The plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is a plate-type heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant flowing inside and water. The plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is an example of a "use-side heat exchanger" in this disclosure.

[0016] The air heat exchanger 14 and the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 are connected via an expansion valve 16. The expansion valve 16 is a valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing in from the condenser of each of the heat exchangers 14, 30 to make it a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and allows it to flow into the evaporator of each of the heat exchangers 14, 30. In this embodiment, the opening of the expansion valve 16 can be adjusted by electronic control, and the flow rate of the refrigerant is adjusted by changing the opening.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, a refrigerant circuit R configured by connecting a compressor 12, an expansion valve 16, heat exchangers 14, 30, etc. is housed inside a housing 11 of an outdoor unit .

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 , the hot water heater 1 has a water circuit W formed as a heat medium circuit through which a heat medium flows. The water circuit W is a circuit that circulates water as a heat medium between the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 of the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor heat exchanger 71 of the indoor unit 70. The indoor heat exchanger 71 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the water inside and the air in the space to be conditioned. The indoor unit 70 has an indoor blower 73 that flows air through the indoor heat exchanger 71. The indoor unit 70 air-conditions the space to be conditioned by driving the indoor blower 73 and passing the air in the space to be conditioned through the indoor heat exchanger 71 and then returning it to the space to be conditioned.

[0019] The water circuit W connects the indoor unit 70 and the outdoor unit 10, and has two connecting pipes 75, 77 through which water flows as a heat medium. The water circuit W also has a circulation pump 21 inside the outdoor unit 10. When driven, the circulation pump 21 sucks water from the connecting pipe 75 and directs the sucked water toward the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. This causes water to circulate inside the water circuit W.

[0020] [1-1-2. Arrangement of components in heat pump device] 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the outdoor unit 10. Note that in each drawing of the present disclosure, the housing 11 is partially omitted in order to show the inside of the outdoor unit 10. In addition, in the drawing, the symbol X indicates the left side of the outdoor unit 10, the symbol Y indicates the front side of the outdoor unit 10, and the symbol Z indicates the upper side.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 11 of the outdoor unit 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Inside the housing 11, there are formed a fan chamber 17, which is a space partitioned off on the left side by a partition plate 19, and a machine chamber 18, which is a space partitioned off on the right side of the partition plate 19. The partition plate 19 is made of sheet metal and is provided in an orientation that is substantially perpendicular to the left-right direction.

[0022] The housing 11 has a bottom plate 11a made of sheet metal that forms the underside of the housing 11. The housing 11 has a front panel 11b that forms the front surface of the blower chamber 17. An opening is formed in the front panel 11b. The housing 11 also has a top panel (not shown). The top panel forms the upper surface of the housing 11. The housing 11 also has a pair of front and rear side panels 11c, 11d. The side panels 11c, 11d are provided in pair at the front and rear of the machine chamber 18. The front side panel 11c covers the machine chamber 18 from the front and right side. The rear side panel 11d covers the machine chamber 18 from the right side and rear side. The bottom plate 11a corresponds to an example of the "bottom of the housing" in this disclosure.

[0023] The blower chamber 17 is provided with an air heat exchanger 14 and an outdoor blower 15. The air heat exchanger 14 is provided on the right side and rear surface of the blower chamber 17. More specifically, the right side and rear surface of the blower chamber 17 in the housing 11 are open, and the air heat exchanger 14 is exposed to the outside of the housing 11 through these openings.

[0024] The outdoor fan 15 blows air inside the outdoor unit 10 forward through an opening in the front panel 11b, thereby drawing in outside air through the air heat exchanger 14 and exchanging heat between the outside air and the refrigerant inside the air heat exchanger 14. Note that in this embodiment, an outdoor unit 10 in which two outdoor fans 15 are provided in the fan chamber 17 will be described as an example, but there is no particular limit to the number of outdoor fans 15 in the outdoor unit 10.

[0025] [1-1-3. Machine room configuration] The machine room 18 is a space in which the compressor 12, the flow path switching mechanism 13, the expansion valve 16, and the heat exchanger module 20 described above are provided. A receiver tank 46 is also provided in the machine room 18. The heat exchanger module 20 is a module including a plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. As shown in FIG. 2 , the heat exchanger module 20 is located at the right end inside the machine room 18. That is, the heat exchanger module 20 is disposed inside the machine room 18 to the right of the compressor 12, the flow path switching mechanism 13, the expansion valve 16, etc.

[0026] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the heat exchanger module 20. The heat exchanger module 20 has a heat medium partition plate 28. The heat medium partition plate 28 is a member attached to the housing 11. In this embodiment, the heat medium partition plate 28 is made of sheet metal.

[0027] The heat medium partition plate 28 divides the interior of the machine chamber 18, i.e., the interior of the housing 11, to form a heat medium chamber 29. The compressor 12, the flow path switching mechanism 13, the expansion valve 16, etc. are arranged in the space outside the heat medium chamber 29 in the machine chamber 18.

[0028] In detail, the heat medium partition plate 28 is formed with a side surface portion 28a and an upper surface portion 28b, and forms a heat medium chamber 29 at the lower end of the right end of the machine chamber 18. The side surface portion 28a is a plate-shaped portion that is approximately perpendicular to the left-right direction. The upper surface portion 28b is a substantially horizontal plate-shaped portion that is bent to the right from the upper end of the side surface portion 28a. The dimensions of the side surface portion 28a and the upper surface portion 28b in the front-to-rear direction are approximately the same as the dimensions of the machine chamber 18 in the front-to-rear direction. The heat medium chamber 29 is a space partitioned to the right of the side surface portion 28a and below the upper surface portion 28b. The side surface portion 28a corresponds to an example of a "first surface portion" in this disclosure.

[0029] The side surface portion 28a is located to the right of the compressor 12, the flow path switching mechanism 13, the expansion valve 16, etc. The front edge of the side surface portion 28a is fastened to the front side panel 11c. The plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is attached to the right side of the side surface portion 28a. That is, the side surface portion 28a separates the compressor 12, the flow path switching mechanism 13, the expansion valve 16, etc. from the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 into left and right parts. The plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is provided inside the heat medium chamber 29.

[0030] More specifically, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is attached to the side surface 28a by a retaining plate 28a1 and a retaining band 28a2. The retaining plate 28a1 is attached to the right side of the side surface 28a and is a generally horizontal plate-like member that protrudes to the right. The retaining band 28a2 is a band-like member that is bent into a generally U-shape and has both ends attached to the right side of the side surface 28a. The plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is supported from below by the retaining plate 28a1 and is pressed from the front-rear and right directions by the retaining band 28a2, thereby being attached to the side surface 28a. The side surface 28a also has a recess 28a3 that is recessed from the front end toward the rear.

[0031] The heat medium partition plate 28 also has a rear surface 28c. The rear surface 28c is a plate-shaped portion that is approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. That is, the rear surface 28c is approximately perpendicular to the side surface 28a. The rear surface 28c is formed by bending the rear end of the side surface 28a to the right. The rear surface 28c is located at approximately the same position as the rear surface of the housing 11 in the front-to-rear direction. A lower edge 28c3 of the rear surface 28c is fastened to the bottom plate 11a. The rear surface 28c corresponds to an example of a "second surface" in the present disclosure.

[0032] The rear surface portion 28c has an exposed portion 28c1 formed thereon, which is exposed to the outside of the housing 11. The exposed portion 28c1 is a portion of the rear surface portion 28c that bulges out toward the rear. The exposed portion 28c1 is exposed to the rear side of the housing 11 through an opening 11d1 formed in the rear surface of the rear side panel 11d. The rear surface portion 28c also has a flange portion 28c2 formed thereon, which surrounds the exposed portion 28c1. The flange portion 28c2 is fastened to the rear surface of the rear side panel 11d from the front side by fasteners such as screws, bolts, or the like in a state where it overlaps with the rear surface. In other words, the exposed portion 28c1 constitutes a part of the housing 11.

[0033] 3, the heat medium partition plate 28 is attached to the outdoor unit 10 with the lower edge 28a4 of the side surface portion 28a and the lower edge 28c3 of the rear surface portion 28c in contact with the bottom plate 11a from above. Specifically, the lower edge 28a4 of the side surface portion 28a has irregularities that match the shape of the bottom plate 11a, and is in close contact with the bottom plate 11a from above. Therefore, for example, when water or the like flows over the bottom plate 11a, it is difficult for it to pass through the side surface portion 28a to the left or right.

[0034] In addition, a plurality of protrusions are formed on a lower edge 28c3 of the rear surface portion 28c, the positions of which are alternately shifted in the front-to-rear direction by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the metal plate. Because the edge of the bottom plate 11a is raised upward, the lower edge 28c3 of the rear surface portion 28c sandwiches the rear edge of the bottom plate 11a between these protrusions.

[0035] In this way, the side surface portion 28a and the rear surface portion 28c are substantially perpendicular to each other, and the lower edges 28a4 and 28c3 of the side surface portion 28a and the rear surface portion 28c are in contact with the bottom plate 11a from above. Therefore, the heat medium partition plate 28 can stand on its own on the bottom plate 11a even when it is not fixed to the housing 11 by fastening or the like. Furthermore, the entire heat exchanger module 20 can also stand on its own on the bottom plate 11a.

[0036] Fig. 5 is a right side view showing the interior of the outdoor unit 10. As shown in Fig. 5, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is provided with a first refrigerant-side connection port 31 and a second refrigerant-side connection port 32. Each refrigerant-side connection port 31, 32 is an opening that communicates with a flow path in the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 through which the refrigerant flows. The first refrigerant-side connection port 31 is formed at the lower end of the front side of the right side of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. The second refrigerant-side connection port 32 is formed above the first refrigerant-side connection port 31 on the right side of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30.

[0037] The heat exchanger module 20 has a first refrigerant pipe 37. The first refrigerant pipe 37 is connected to the first refrigerant side connection port 31 and is a pipe through which a refrigerant flows. The first refrigerant pipe 37 connects the first refrigerant side connection port 31 and a third refrigerant pipe 57 connected to the expansion valve 16. The heat exchanger module 20 has a second refrigerant pipe 38. The second refrigerant pipe 38 is connected to the second refrigerant side connection port 32 and is a pipe through which a refrigerant flows. The second refrigerant pipe 38 connects the second refrigerant side connection port 32 and a fourth refrigerant pipe 58 connected to the flow path switching mechanism 13.

[0038] The first refrigerant pipe 37 and the second refrigerant pipe 38 are entirely disposed inside the heat medium chamber 29. The third refrigerant pipe 57 and the fourth refrigerant pipe 58 pass through the side surface portion 28a via the recess 28a3 and are disposed across the inside and outside of the heat medium chamber 29. The first refrigerant pipe 37 and the third refrigerant pipe 57, and the second refrigerant pipe 38 and the fourth refrigerant pipe 58 are connected by brazing, respectively.

[0039] The plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is provided with a first water-side connection port 34 and a second water-side connection port 35. Each water-side connection port 34, 35 is an opening that communicates with a flow path through which water flows in the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. The first water-side connection port 34 is provided at the lower end of the rear side of the right side of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. The second water-side connection port 35 is provided above the first water-side connection port 34 on the right side of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30.

[0040] The first water-side connection port 34 is connected to the discharge side of the circulation pump 21 that circulates water through the water circuit W. That is, the first water-side connection port 34 is the water-side inlet of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. The circulation pump 21 is a component of the heat exchanger module 20. The circulation pump 21 is attached to the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30.

[0041] An inlet-side connection valve 22 is provided on the suction side of the circulation pump 21, protruding rearward to the outside of the outdoor unit 10 and connectable to a connection pipe 75 outside the outdoor unit 10. In detail, the inlet-side connection valve 22 is attached to the exposed portion 28c1 of the housing 11 and protrudes rearward from the exposed portion 28c1. In other words, the inlet-side connection valve 22 is a component of the heat exchanger module 20. The inlet-side connection valve 22 corresponds to an example of a "connection valve" in the present disclosure.

[0042] The second water-side connection port 35 is a water-side outlet of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. The second water-side connection port 35 is connected to the gas-liquid separator 23 that removes gas from water passing through the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. The gas-liquid separator 23 is attached to the heat medium partition plate 28. In other words, the heat medium partition plate 28 supports the gas-liquid separator 23. The gas-liquid separator 23 is a component of the heat exchanger module 20.

[0043] The gas-liquid separator 23 is formed with a liquid-side outlet 24, which is an outlet for water after gas has been removed. The liquid-side outlet 24 opens downward. The liquid-side outlet 24 is located below the second water-side connection port 35. The liquid-side outlet 24 is located rearward of the rear end 30a of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. Specifically, in this embodiment, the liquid-side outlet 24 is located rearward of the center C of the housing 11 in the front-rear direction.

[0044] A water pipe 40 is connected to the liquid side outlet 24. The water pipe 40 is a pipe through which water that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 flows. The water pipe 40 is a pipe that connects the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 and the gas-liquid separator 23 with the flow meter 25 and the outlet-side connecting valve 27. In other words, the water pipe 40 is provided in the water circuit W between the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 and the outlet-side connecting valve 27. In this embodiment, water that has passed through the gas-liquid separator 23 flows into the water pipe 40. For this reason, gas is unlikely to be mixed into the water that flows into the water pipe 40. In addition, in this embodiment, substantially the entire water pipe 40 is located below the liquid side outlet 24. The water pipe 40 corresponds to the "heat medium pipe" in this disclosure.

[0045] The water pipe 40 is formed with an inlet section 41. The inlet section 41 is connected to the liquid-side outlet 24 of the gas-liquid separator 23 from below. The inlet section 41 extends downward from the liquid-side outlet 24 of the gas-liquid separator 23 and curves forward. In this embodiment, the entire inlet section 41 is located rearward of the rear end 30a of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30.

[0046] The water pipe 40 has an inlet-side straight section 43. The inlet-side straight section 43 is formed in a straight line that slopes downward toward the front. The upper end of the inlet-side straight section 43 is connected to the lower end of the inlet section 41. The front end of the inlet-side straight section 43 is located forward of the rear end 30a of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30.

[0047] A curved portion 45 is formed in the water pipe 40. The curved portion 45 is curved rearward from the lower end of the inlet-side straight portion 43. In this embodiment, the entire curved portion 45 is located forward of the rear end 30a of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30.

[0048] An outlet-side straight section 47 is formed in the water pipe 40. The outlet-side straight section 47 is the most downstream portion of the water pipe 40. The outlet-side straight section 47 extends forward from the lower end of the curved section 45.

[0049] The outlet-side straight section 47 is formed in a straight line. Specifically, the outlet-side straight section 47 extends horizontally and linearly. More specifically, the outlet-side straight section 47 extends linearly along the front-rear direction.

[0050] In this embodiment, the outlet-side straight section 47 is configured to extend long in the front-to-rear direction over a range from a position forward of the rear end 30a of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 to a position rearward of the center C in the front-to-rear direction of the housing 11.

[0051] A flow meter 25 is connected to the outlet 49 of the water pipe 40, i.e., the rear end of the outlet-side straight section 47. The flow meter 25 measures the flow rate of water circulating through the water circuit W. The flow meter 25 is located inside the housing 11. In this embodiment, the flow meter 25 is an electromagnetic flow meter. However, the flow meter 25 does not have to be an electromagnetic flow meter. For example, any flow meter such as an ultrasonic flow meter or a thermal flow meter may be used as the flow meter 25.

[0052] In detail, flow meter 25 has measuring pipe 26. Measuring pipe 26 is a portion in flow meter 25 through which water flows. In this embodiment, flow meter 25 measures the flow rate of water inside measuring pipe 26.

[0053] The measuring pipe 26 is formed linearly. In this embodiment, the measuring pipe 26 is disposed in a position extending along the front-to-rear direction. The measuring pipe 26 is connected to the outlet 49 of the water pipe 40. In detail, the measuring pipe 26 is connected to the outlet 49 so that the central axis of the measuring pipe 26 substantially coincides with the central axis of the outlet-side straight section 47.

[0054] An outlet-side connection valve 27 is connected to the outlet side of the measuring pipe 26, i.e., the rear end of the measuring pipe 26. The outlet-side connection valve 27 is a valve that can be connected to the connection pipe 77. The outlet-side connection valve 27 protrudes rearward beyond the rear surface of the housing 11. More specifically, the outlet-side connection valve 27 protrudes rearward from an exposed portion 28c1 on the rear surface of the housing 11. The outlet-side connection valve 27 is attached to the exposed portion 28c1 of the heat medium partition plate 28. The outlet-side connection valve 27 is a component of the heat exchanger module 20. The outlet-side connection valve 27 corresponds to an example of a "connection valve" in the present disclosure.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 4, the entire plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is provided inside the heat medium chamber 29. The entire water piping 40 is provided inside the heat medium chamber 29. The entire flow meter 25 is provided inside the heat medium chamber 29. The entire circulation pump 21 is provided inside the heat medium chamber 29. In addition, the portion of the gas-liquid separator 23 through which water passes is provided inside the heat medium chamber 29. In this way, each portion of the water circuit W through which water flows as a heat medium is located inside the heat medium chamber 29 within the housing 11.

[0056] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the hot water supply / room heater 1 configured as above will be described below.

[0057] [1-2-1. Operation when there is a leak from the water circuit] As described above, inside the housing 11 of the outdoor unit 10, the inlet connection valve 22, the circulation pump 21, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, the liquid-side outlet 24 of the gas-liquid separator 23, the water piping 40, and the flow meter 25 that constitute the water circuit W are located inside the heat medium chamber 29. In addition, the inside and outside of the heat medium chamber 29 are separated by the heat medium partition plate 28.

[0058] For this reason, even if water as a heat medium leaks from the water circuit W inside the housing 11, the leaked water is unlikely to reach the area of ​​the machine room 18 outside the heat medium chamber 29. Therefore, water is unlikely to reach the compressor 12 and the like arranged in the area of ​​the machine room 18 outside the heat medium chamber 29, making it easier to suppress malfunctions of the compressor 12 and the like.

[0059] [1-2-2. Assembly and maintenance operations] When assembling the outdoor unit 10, for example, a worker places the heat exchanger module 20 in the machine room 18 with the side panel 11c removed, and fixes the heat medium partition plate 28 and each part of the housing 11. As described above, in this embodiment, the inlet-side connection valve 22, the circulation pump 21, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, the liquid-side outlet 24 of the gas-liquid separator 23, the water piping 40, and the flow meter 25 are attached directly or indirectly to the heat medium partition plate 28 to form the heat exchanger module 20. Therefore, a worker can attach each part of the water circuit W, such as the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, to the outdoor unit 10 at one time.

[0060] In addition, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger module 20 is configured to be able to stand on its own on the bottom plate 11a, so that the worker can temporarily place the heat exchanger module 20 on the bottom plate 11a before fixing the heat exchanger module 20.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, during maintenance of the outdoor unit 10, it may be necessary to replace any of the components in the heat medium chamber 29, such as the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. In such a case, the worker removes the side panel 11c, then removes the entire heat exchanger module 20 from the housing 11, and installs a new heat exchanger module 20.

[0062] In this way, by providing the heat exchanger module 20 in which the heat medium partition plate 28 and each part constituting the water circuit W are integrated, the work of assembling and maintaining the outdoor unit 10 can be easily simplified.

[0063] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the present embodiment, the outdoor unit 10 includes, inside the housing 11, the compressor 12 that compresses the refrigerant, and the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the heat medium, and has a heat medium partition plate 28 that divides the inside of the housing 11 and forms a heat medium chamber 29, with the compressor 12 provided outside the heat medium chamber 29 and the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 provided inside the heat medium chamber 29 and attached to the heat medium partition plate 28. As a result, the heat medium partition plate 28 can prevent the heat medium from reaching the compressor. Furthermore, by attaching and detaching the heat medium partition plate 28 to which the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is attached to the outdoor unit 10, parts replacement and the like during assembly and maintenance of the outdoor unit 10 can be easily performed. This makes it possible to limit the range of water movement in the event of a leak of water as a heat medium, while also ensuring ease of assembly.

[0064] As in this embodiment, the outdoor unit 10 may have an outlet-side connection valve 27 connected to a connection pipe 77 outside the housing 11, and a water pipe 40 through which a heat medium flows and which connects the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 and the outlet-side connection valve 27, and the entire water pipe 40 may be arranged inside the heat medium chamber 29. As a result, even if water as a heat medium leaks from the water pipe 40, the leaked water can be easily contained in the heat medium chamber 29. Therefore, the movement range of water when leaking can be limited, and assembly workability can be easily ensured.

[0065] As in this embodiment, in the outdoor unit 10, the heat medium partition plate 28 may be configured to have an exposed portion 28c1 exposed to the outer surface of the housing 11, and the outlet side connection valve 27 may be attached to the exposed portion 28c1. As a result, by attaching and detaching the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, the water pipe 40, and the heat medium partition plate 28 to which the outlet-side connecting valve 27 is attached to the outdoor unit 10, parts replacement and the like can be easily performed during assembly and maintenance of the outdoor unit 10. This makes it possible to limit the range of water movement in the event of a leak of water as a heat medium, while also ensuring ease of assembly.

[0066] As in the present embodiment, in the outdoor unit 10, the heat medium partition plate 28 may be formed with a plate-shaped side portion 28a that separates the compressor 12 and the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 and extends in the vertical direction, and a plate-shaped rear portion 28c that intersects with the side portion 28a and extends in the vertical direction, and both the side portion 28a and the rear portion 28c may be configured to contact the bottom plate 11a of the housing 11 from above. This allows the heat medium partition plate 28, to which the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is attached, to easily stand on its own on the bottom plate 11a of the housing 11, facilitating part replacement and the like during assembly and maintenance of the outdoor unit 10. This makes it possible to limit the range of movement of the heat medium in the event of a heat medium leak, while also ensuring ease of assembly.

[0067] As in the present embodiment, in the outdoor unit 10, the heat medium partition plate 28 may be configured to support the gas-liquid separator 23 that removes gas from water as a heat medium passing through the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. This allows the gas-liquid separator 23, which tends to be relatively heavy, to be disposed using the heat medium partition plate 28. Furthermore, the gas-liquid separator 23 can be attached to and detached from the outdoor unit 10 together with the heat medium partition plate 28. This makes it easier to ensure the ease of assembly of the outdoor unit 10.

[0068] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first embodiment above to create new embodiments. Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0069] In the first embodiment, water has been described as an example of the heat medium. The heat medium may be any liquid that can transport heat by flowing. Therefore, the heat medium is not limited to water.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 has been described as an example of a user-side heat exchanger, but this is merely an example. The user-side heat exchanger is not limited to a plate-type heat exchanger as long as it can exchange heat between a refrigerant and a heat medium. For example, the user-side heat exchanger may be a shell-and-tube type heat exchanger or the like.

[0071] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the technology of the present disclosure, and various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. may be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents.

[0072] (Addendum) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques. (Technology 1) A heat pump device that includes a compressor that compresses a refrigerant inside a housing and a user-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a heat medium, the heat pump device having a heat medium partition plate that divides the inside of the housing and forms a heat medium chamber, the compressor being provided outside the heat medium chamber, and the user-side heat exchanger being provided inside the heat medium chamber and attached to the heat medium partition plate. This allows the heat medium partition plate to prevent the heat medium from reaching the compressor. Furthermore, by attaching and detaching the heat medium partition plate to which the user-side heat exchanger is attached to the heat pump device, parts replacement and other tasks during assembly and maintenance of the heat pump device can be easily performed. This makes it possible to limit the range of movement of the heat medium in the event of a heat medium leak, while also ensuring ease of assembly.

[0073] (Technology 2) The heat pump device according to Technology 1, further comprising: a connection valve connected to a connection pipe outside the housing; and a heat medium pipe through which a heat medium flows, connecting the user-side heat exchanger and the connection valve, wherein the entire heat medium pipe is disposed inside the heat medium chamber. This makes it possible to easily contain the leaking heat medium in the heat medium chamber even if the heat medium leaks from the heat medium piping, thereby making it easier to ensure assembly workability while limiting the range of movement of the heat medium when the heat medium leaks.

[0074] (Technology 3) The heat pump device according to Technology 2, wherein the heat medium partition plate has an exposed portion that is exposed to an outer surface of the housing, and the connection valve is attached to the exposed portion. This allows for easy part replacement during assembly and maintenance of the heat pump device by simply attaching and detaching the user-side heat exchanger, the heat medium piping, and the heat medium partition plate to which the connection valve is attached to the heat pump device, which makes it easier to ensure assembly workability while limiting the range of movement of the heat medium in the event of a heat medium leak.

[0075] (Technology 4) The heat pump device according to any one of Technologies 1 to 3, wherein the heat medium partition plate has a plate-shaped first surface portion that separates the compressor and the user-side heat exchanger and extends in a vertical direction, and a plate-shaped second surface portion that intersects with the first surface portion and extends in a vertical direction, and the first surface portion and the second surface portion both contact the bottom of the housing from above. This allows the heat medium partition plate with the user-side heat exchanger attached to stand independently on the bottom of the housing, facilitating the replacement of parts during assembly and maintenance of the heat pump device. This makes it possible to limit the range of movement of the heat medium in the event of a heat medium leak, while also ensuring ease of assembly.

[0076] (Technology 5) The heat pump apparatus according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4, wherein the heat medium partition plate supports a gas-liquid separator that removes gas from the heat medium passing through the user-side heat exchanger. This allows the gas-liquid separator, which tends to be relatively heavy, to be arranged using the heat medium partition plate. Furthermore, the gas-liquid separator can be attached to and detached from the heat pump device together with the heat medium partition plate. This makes it easier to assemble the heat pump device. [Industrial Applicability]

[0077] The present disclosure is applicable to a heat pump device that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a liquid heat medium and has a pipe for circulating the heat medium. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to a device that has a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a heat medium such as water and a refrigerant, such as an outdoor unit of a heat pump type hot water heater. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1. Hot water heater 10 Outdoor unit (heat pump device) 11. Housing 11a Bottom plate (bottom of the housing) 11b Front Panel 11c Side Panel 11d Side Panel 11d1 aperture 12 Compressor 13 Flow path switching mechanism 14 Air heat exchanger 15 Outdoor blower 16 Expansion valve 17 Blower room 18 Machine room 19 Partition 20 Heat Exchanger Module 21 Circulation pump 22 Inlet side connection valve (connection valve) 23 Gas-liquid separator 24 Liquid side outlet 26 Measuring tube 27 Outlet side connection valve (connection valve) 28 Heat transfer medium partition plate 28a Side part (first surface part) 28a1 Holding plate 28a2 Retention belt 28a3 recess 28a4 lower edge 28b Top part 28c Rear section (second surface section) 28c1 Exposed part 28c2 flange 28c3 lower edge 29 Heat medium room 30 Plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger (use side heat exchanger) 30a rear end 31 First refrigerant side connection port 32 Second refrigerant side connection port 34 First water connection port 35 Second water connection port 37 First refrigerant piping 38 Second refrigerant piping 40 Water piping (heat medium piping) 41 Entrance 43 Inlet straight section 45 curved section 46 Receiver Tank 47 Outlet side straight section 49 Exit 57 Third refrigerant piping 58 Fourth refrigerant piping 70 Indoor unit 71 Indoor heat exchanger 73 Indoor fan 75 Connecting piping 77 Connecting piping R Refrigerant circuit W water circuit

Claims

1. A heat pump device including a compressor for compressing a refrigerant and a user-side heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and a heat medium inside a housing, a heat medium partition plate that partitions the inside of the housing and forms a heat medium chamber; the compressor is provided outside the heat medium chamber, the use-side heat exchanger is provided inside the heat medium chamber and attached to the heat medium partition plate; Heat pump equipment.

2. a connection valve connected to a connection pipe outside the housing; a heat medium pipe through which a heat medium flows and which connects the use-side heat exchanger and the connection valve; The heat medium piping is entirely disposed inside the heat medium chamber. The heat pump device according to claim 1 .

3. The heat medium partition plate has an exposed portion that is exposed to an outer surface of the housing, The connection valve is attached to the exposed portion. The heat pump device according to claim 2 .

4. The heat medium partition plate has a plate-shaped first surface portion that separates the compressor and the user-side heat exchanger and extends along a vertical direction, and a plate-shaped second surface portion that intersects with the first surface portion and extends along a vertical direction, the first surface portion and the second surface portion both come into contact with the bottom of the housing from above; The heat pump device according to claim 1 .

5. The heat medium partition plate supports a gas-liquid separator that removes gas from the heat medium passing through the use-side heat exchanger. The heat pump device according to claim 1 .

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