Heat pump device

Abstract

To provide a heat pump device that easily suppresses mismeasurement of a heat medium flow rate.SOLUTION: A heat pump device includes, within a housing, a refrigerant circuit having a utilization-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a heat medium, and a heat medium pipe through which the heat medium discharged from the utilization-side heat exchanger flows. Inside the housing, a flow meter connected to an outlet of the heat medium pipe is provided to measure a heat medium flow rate, and an outlet-side straight part extending linearly to the flow meter is formed at the heat medium pipe.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 pump device that prevents ignition of a flammable refrigerant. This heat pump device includes a refrigerant circuit that uses a flammable refrigerant, a heat medium circuit, and a refrigerant release valve that serves as an air vent valve or pressure relief valve for the heat medium circuit. The refrigerant release valve is provided outside the housing of the outdoor unit and releases the refrigerant mixed in the heat medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 047265 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a heat pump device that can easily prevent erroneous measurement of the flow rate of a heat medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The heat pump device according to the present disclosure is a heat pump device provided with a refrigerant circuit having a user-side heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a refrigerant and a heat medium inside a housing, and a heat medium pipe through which the heat medium flowing out of the user-side heat exchanger flows, wherein a flow meter is provided inside the housing and connected to an outlet of the heat medium pipe for measuring the flow rate of the heat medium, and the heat medium pipe has an outlet-side straight section that extends linearly to the flow meter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The heat pump device according to the present disclosure can easily suppress turbulence in the flow of the heat medium that reaches the flow meter, thereby making it possible to easily suppress erroneous measurement of the flow rate of the heat medium. [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] Front view showing the inside of the outdoor unit [Figure 4] 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 conceived the present disclosure, there was a technology for heat pump devices that included a refrigerant circuit having a user-side heat exchanger within a housing, and that allowed the heat medium that had exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the user-side heat exchanger to flow outside the housing. Therefore, the industry's standard product design housed the entire refrigeration circuit and the heat medium piping for circulating the heat medium within the housing of the heat pump device. Under these circumstances, the inventors discovered a problem: when a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the heat medium is installed within the housing of the heat pump device, the shape of the heat medium piping can result in erroneous measurement by the flow meter. The subject matter of the present disclosure was conceived to solve this problem. The present disclosure provides a heat pump device that can easily prevent erroneous measurement of the flow rate of a heat medium.

[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] Fig. 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 heater is a device that heats a space to be conditioned by flowing water heated by the outdoor unit 10 through an indoor heat exchanger 71 of an indoor unit 70. The hot water heater 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 heater. 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 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. 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] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the outdoor unit 10. Fig. 3 is a front 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 drawings, the symbol X indicates the left side of the outdoor unit 10, the symbol Y indicates the front of the outdoor unit 10, and the symbol Z indicates the upper side.

[0021] 2 and 3, 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 side panels (not shown) that cover the machine chamber 18 from the front, right, and rear sides.

[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 blower 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 one outdoor blower 15 is provided in the blower chamber 17 will be described as an example, but there is no particular limit to the number of outdoor blowers 15 in the outdoor unit 10.

[0025] [1-1-3. Machine room configuration] The machine room 18 is a space in which the above-mentioned compressor 12, flow path switching mechanism 13, expansion valve 16, and plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 are provided.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the interior of the outdoor unit 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in Fig. 4, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is provided in a position offset toward the front inside the machine room 18. In other words, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is disposed in a position offset toward the front inside the housing 11. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the entire plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 is located forward of the center C of the housing 11 in the front-rear direction.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, 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 of 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 first refrigerant-side connection port 31 is connected to the expansion valve 16 via a refrigerant piping. 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. The second refrigerant-side connection port 32 is connected to the flow path switching mechanism 13 via a refrigerant piping.

[0028] 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.

[0029] The first water-side connection port 34 is connected to the discharge side of the circulation pump 21, which circulates water. In other words, the first water-side connection port 34 is the water-side inlet of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. 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.

[0030] The second water-side connection port 35 is a water-side outlet in 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 the water flowing out of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. The second water-side connection port 35 corresponds to the "heat medium outlet in the user-side heat exchanger" in this disclosure.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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. In this embodiment, water that has passed through the gas-liquid separator 23 flows into the water pipe 40. For this reason, gas is less likely to be mixed into the water that flows into the water pipe 40. Furthermore, in this embodiment, almost 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] An outlet-side connection valve 27 is connected to the outlet side of the measuring pipe 26, i.e., to 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. In this embodiment, the flow path inside the outlet-side connection valve 27 extends in the front-to-rear direction. The outlet-side connection valve 27 is connected to the measuring pipe 26 so that the central axis of the flow path inside the outlet-side connection valve 27 approximately coincides with the central axis of the measuring pipe 26.

[0043] That is, the outlet-side straight section 47 of the water pipe 40, the measuring pipe 26 of the flow meter 25, and the flow path of the outlet-side connecting valve 27 can form a substantially straight flow path extending in the front-rear direction.

[0044] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the hot water heater 1 configured as above will be described below.

[0045] When the hot water heater 1 performs heating or cooling operation, the compressor 12 is driven, causing the refrigerant to circulate in the refrigerant circuit R, and the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 functions as a refrigerant evaporator or refrigerant condenser, thereby cooling or heating the water in the water circuit W.

[0046] The water in the water circuit W is circulated by driving the circulation pump 21. The water discharged by the circulation pump 21 flows into the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 through the first water-side connection port 34 and is heated or cooled. The water heated or cooled in the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 flows into the gas-liquid separator 23 through the second water-side connection port 35. The water that flows into the gas-liquid separator 23 has any mixed gas removed, and then flows into the water piping 40 through the liquid-side outlet 24.

[0047] The water that has flowed into the water pipe 40 flows through the inlet section 41 , the inlet-side straight section 43 , the curved section 45 , and the outlet-side straight section 47 of the water pipe 40 .

[0048] Here, outlet-side straight section 47 is located below second water-side connection port 35, which is an outlet for water that has flowed through plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. Furthermore, in this embodiment, outlet-side straight section 47 is located even lower than liquid-side outlet 24, which is located below second water-side connection port 35. This makes it easy to suppress pressure loss due to the difference in elevation from second water-side connection port 35 and liquid-side outlet 24 to outlet-side straight section 47. In this embodiment, almost the entire water piping 40 is located below liquid-side outlet 24 of gas-liquid separator 23, and therefore pressure loss due to the difference in elevation can be reduced compared to, for example, a case where only a portion of water piping 40 is located above liquid-side outlet 24.

[0049] The water that has flowed through the outlet-side straight section 47 flows into the flowmeter 25 via the outlet 49 of the water pipe 40. Here, because the outlet-side straight section 47 extends linearly to the flowmeter 25, turbulence in the water flowing through the outlet-side straight section 47 can be easily suppressed. This makes it easier to suppress turbulence in the water flowing into the flowmeter 25. In particular, in this embodiment, the water flowing through the water pipe 40 flows downward toward the front through the inlet-side straight section 43, and then flows through the outlet-side straight section 47, which extends in the front-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-rear direction of the housing 11. This makes it easier for the water to flow through the outlet-side straight section 47 over a long distance, making it easier to suppress turbulence in the water flowing into the flowmeter 25.

[0050] The water that flows into the measuring pipe 26 of the flowmeter 25 flows backward inside the measuring pipe 26. As described above, the water flowing into the measuring pipe 26 is less likely to be turbulent, so the flowmeter 25 is less likely to erroneously measure the flow rate of the water. In addition, the water that flows into the flowmeter 25 has had gas removed by the gas-liquid separator 23, so the flowmeter 25 is less likely to erroneously measure the flow rate of the water.

[0051] The water that has passed through the measuring pipe 26 flows into the connecting pipe 77 via the outlet-side connecting valve 27. As described above, the outlet-side straight section 47, the measuring pipe 26 of the flowmeter 25, and the outlet-side connecting valve 27 are arranged in a straight line along the front-to-rear direction, so the momentum of the water flowing into the connecting pipe 77 is not easily attenuated.

[0052] The water that flows through the connecting pipe 77 flows into the indoor unit 70 and exchanges heat with the air in the space to be conditioned in the indoor heat exchanger 71. As a result, the air in the space to be conditioned is heated or cooled, and the space to be conditioned is heated or cooled.

[0053] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the outdoor unit 10 is provided with, inside the housing 11, a refrigerant circuit R having a plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 that exchanges heat between refrigerant and water, and a water pipe 40 through which water flowing out from the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 flows. Inside the housing 11, a flow meter 25 is provided that is connected to the outlet 49 of the water pipe 40 and that measures the flow rate of the water, and the water pipe has an outlet-side straight section 47 that extends linearly to the flow meter 25. This makes it easier to suppress turbulence in the flow of water that reaches the flow meter 25. This makes it easier to suppress erroneous measurements of the water flow rate.

[0054] As in this embodiment, the outdoor unit 10 may be provided with a gas-liquid separator 23 that removes gas from the water flowing out of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, and the water piping may be connected to the liquid-side outlet 24 of the gas-liquid separator 23. This makes it possible to easily remove gas from the water before it reaches the flow meter, even if the water contains gas, thereby making it easier to prevent erroneous measurements of the water flow rate.

[0055] As in this embodiment, the outlet side straight section 47 may extend horizontally, and an outlet side connection valve 27 that protrudes to the outside of the housing 11 may be provided on the outlet side of the flow meter 25, so that the outlet side straight section 47, the flow meter 25, and the outlet side connection valve 27 are aligned in a straight line. This allows the heat transfer medium flowing through the outlet-side straight section 47 of the water pipe 40 to reach the outlet-side connection valve 27 outside the housing without bending the flow path, making it easier to suppress resistance to the water flow.

[0056] As in this embodiment, the outlet-side straight section 47 may be configured to be located below the second water-side connection port 35, which is the water outlet of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30. This makes it possible to easily reduce water pressure loss due to the difference in elevation between the second water-side connection port 35, which is the water outlet of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, and the outlet-side straight section 47. This makes it possible to easily reduce the energy required to flow water. In particular, in this embodiment, the entire water pipe 40 is located below the second water-side connection port 35. This makes it easy to suppress an increase in the energy required to make the water flow.

[0057] As in the present embodiment, in the outdoor unit 10, the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 may be provided forward of the center C in the front-to-rear direction inside the housing 11, the liquid-side outlet 24 of the gas-liquid separator 23 may be located rearward of the plate-type water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30, the outlet-side straight section 47 may extend in the front-to-rear direction 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 inside the housing 11, and the flow meter 25 may be located rearward of the outlet-side straight section 47. This allows the outlet-side straight section 47 to be as long as possible in the front-to-rear direction, making it easier to suppress turbulence in the flow of water reaching the flow meter 25. This makes it easier to suppress erroneous measurements of the water flow rate.

[0058] (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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] (Addendum) The above description of the embodiments discloses the following techniques.

[0063] (Technology 1) A heat pump device equipped with a refrigerant circuit having a user-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a heat medium inside a housing, and heat medium piping through which the heat medium flowing out of the user-side heat exchanger flows, wherein a flow meter that is connected to an outlet of the heat medium piping and measures the flow rate of the heat medium is provided inside the housing, and the heat medium piping has an outlet-side straight section that extends linearly to the flow meter. This makes it possible to easily suppress turbulence in the flow of the heat medium that reaches the flow meter, thereby making it possible to easily suppress erroneous measurements of the flow rate of the heat medium.

[0064] (Technology 2) The heat pump apparatus according to Technology 1, further comprising a gas-liquid separator that removes gas from the heat medium flowing out of the user-side heat exchanger, and the heat medium pipe is connected to a liquid-side outlet of the gas-liquid separator. This makes it possible to easily remove gas from the heat medium before it reaches the flow meter, even if the heat medium contains gas, thereby making it easier to prevent erroneous measurement of the heat medium flow rate.

[0065] (Technology 3) A heat pump device according to Technology 1 or 2, wherein the outlet-side straight section extends horizontally, an outlet-side connection valve that protrudes to the outside of the housing is provided on the outlet side of the flow meter, and the outlet-side straight section, the flow meter, and the outlet-side connection valve are aligned in a straight line. This allows the heat medium flowing through the outlet-side straight section of the heat medium piping to reach the outlet-side connecting valve outside the housing without bending its flow path, making it easier to reduce resistance to the flow of the heat medium.

[0066] (Technical Aspect 4) The heat pump device according to any one of Technical Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the outlet-side straight section is positioned below an outlet of the heat medium in the user-side heat exchanger. This makes it possible to easily reduce pressure loss of the heat medium due to the difference in elevation between the heat medium outlet and the outlet-side straight section in the user-side heat exchanger, thereby making it possible to easily reduce the energy required to flow the heat medium.

[0067] (Technology 5) A heat pump apparatus according to any one of Technologies 1 to 4, wherein the user-side heat exchanger is provided forward of the center in the front-to-rear direction inside the housing, the liquid-side outlet of the gas-liquid separator is located rearward of the user-side heat exchanger, the outlet-side straight section extends along the front-to-rear direction from a position forward of the rear end of the user-side heat exchanger to a position rearward of the center in the front-to-rear direction inside the housing, and the flow meter is located rearward of the outlet-side straight section. This allows the outlet-side straight section to be as long as possible in the front-to-rear direction, making it easier to suppress turbulence in the flow of the heat medium reaching the flow meter, and therefore easier to suppress erroneous measurement of the heat medium flow rate. [Industrial Applicability]

[0068] 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]

[0069] 1. Hot water heater 10 Outdoor unit 11. Housing 11a Bottom plate 11b Front Panel 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 21 Circulation pump 22 Inlet side connection valve 23 Gas-liquid separator 24 Liquid side outlet 25 Flow meter 26 Measuring tube 27 Outlet side connection valve 30 Plate-type water-refrigerant 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-side connection port (heat medium outlet in the user-side heat exchanger) 40 Water piping 41 Entrance 43 Inlet straight section 45 curved section 47 Outlet side straight section 49 Exit 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 apparatus including a refrigerant circuit having a user-side heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a heat medium inside a housing, and a heat medium pipe through which the heat medium flowing out of the user-side heat exchanger flows, a flow meter connected to an outlet of the heat medium pipe and measuring a flow rate of the heat medium is provided inside the housing; The heat medium pipe has an outlet-side straight section that extends linearly to the flow meter. Heat pump equipment.

2. a gas-liquid separator for removing gas from the heat medium flowing out of the use-side heat exchanger; The heat medium piping is connected to the liquid side outlet of the gas-liquid separator. The heat pump device according to claim 1 .

3. the outlet-side straight section extends horizontally, an outlet-side connection valve protruding to the outside of the housing is provided on the outlet side of the flow meter; The outlet-side linear section, the flow meter, and the outlet-side connecting valve are aligned in a straight line. The heat pump device according to claim 1 .

4. the outlet-side straight section is located below the heat medium outlet of the use-side heat exchanger. The heat pump device according to claim 1 .

5. the utilization-side heat exchanger is provided forward of the center in the front-rear direction inside the housing, the liquid-side outlet of the gas-liquid separator is located rearward of the utilization-side heat exchanger, the outlet-side linear portion extends in the front-to-rear direction from a position forward of a rear end of the utilization-side heat exchanger to a position rearward of a center in the front-to-rear direction inside the housing, The flow meter is located on the rear side of the outlet-side straight section. The heat pump device according to claim 2 .

Images