Heat exchange device

Abstract

To prevent a refrigerant from flowing into a control chamber and igniting when the refrigerant having combustibility leaks into a machine chamber for storing a compressor.SOLUTION: A machine room 21 that forms a first space S1 that houses the compressors 5, a control device 30 that controls the compressors 5, a control room 22 that houses the control device 30 and forms a second space S1 that is isolated from the first space S2, a communication portion 2324 that causes the first space S1 and the second space S2 to communicate with each other, and an air discharge fan 26 that generates a flow of air guided from the second space S2 to the first space S1 via the communication portion 2324; The air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 includes a refrigerant concentration detection part 27 for detecting the concentration of the refrigerant leaked to a machine chamber 21, and a control device 30 controls an exhaust fan 26 so as to increase the air blowing amount of the exhaust fan 26 according to the increase of the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection part 27.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a heat pump equipped with an outdoor unit having a refrigerant circulation path, a refrigerant equipment chamber that houses a compressor, a working chamber that houses working equipment that operates the refrigerant equipment, and a heat exchanger chamber that houses a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The heat pump disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured so that ventilation air flows inside the outdoor unit from the working chamber to the refrigerant equipment chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-38107 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the outdoor unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured so that ventilation air flows from the working chamber to the refrigerant equipment chamber, if the amount of flammable refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant equipment, such as a compressor, installed in the refrigerant equipment chamber becomes excessive, it may flow into the adjacent working chamber and cause ignition.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a heat exchange device that can prevent flammable refrigerant from flowing into a control chamber and igniting when the refrigerant leaks into a machine chamber that houses a compressor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the heat exchange device of the present disclosure employs the following measures. A heat exchange device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a refrigerant system having a compressor that compresses a flammable refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant, a machine room that forms a first space to house the compressor, a control device that controls the compressor, a control room that houses the control device and forms a second space isolated from the first space, a communication section that connects the first space to the second space, a blower section that generates an air flow that is guided from the second space to the first space via the communication section, and a refrigerant concentration detection section that detects the concentration of the refrigerant that has leaked into the machine room, and the control device controls the blower section to increase the airflow rate of the blower section as the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection section increases. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a heat exchange device can be provided that can prevent flammable refrigerant from flowing into a control chamber and igniting when the refrigerant leaks into a machine chamber that houses a compressor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a system diagram showing a schematic configuration of an air-cooled heat pump chiller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the air-cooled heat pump chiller shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of the air-cooled heat pump chiller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the air-cooled heat pump chiller. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air-cooled heat pump chiller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An air-cooled heat pump chiller (heat exchange device) 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a system diagram showing a schematic configuration of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment includes a refrigerant system R1 and a water system W.

[0010] The refrigerant system R1 is a refrigerant circuit that circulates a refrigerant and includes a compressor 5, an oil separator 6, a check valve 7, a four-way valve 8, a water heat exchanger 9, a receiver 10, an electronic expansion valve 11, an air-cooled heat exchanger 12, and a gas-liquid separator 13. The air-cooled heat exchanger 12 is provided with a cooling fan 12a.

[0011] The refrigerant circulated by the refrigerant system R1 is, for example, propane (R290), a flammable (highly flammable) hydrocarbon. Alternatively, difluoromethane (R32), which is flammable (slightly flammable), may be used as the refrigerant.

[0012] Compressor 5 sucks in gas refrigerant, compresses it, and discharges it. Oil separator 6 separates the oil in the refrigerant discharged from compressor 5 and returns it to compressor 5. Check valve 7 prevents backflow of compressed refrigerant. Four-way valve 8 is a valve that selects between two operation modes: a heating operation mode in which the refrigerant discharged from compressor 5 is sent to water heat exchanger 9, and a cooling operation mode in which it is sent to air-cooled heat exchanger 12. In Figure 1, four-way valve 8 is set to the heating operation mode.

[0013] The water heat exchanger 9 is a heat exchanger that condenses the compressed refrigerant in the heating operation mode and vaporizes the condensed liquid refrigerant in the cooling operation mode, thereby exchanging heat between the refrigerant and water. The water heat exchanger 9 uses the heat of condensation or the heat of vaporization to heat or cool the water flowing through the water system W to generate hot water for heating or cold water for cooling.

[0014] The receiver 10 is a tank that stores a predetermined amount of condensed liquid refrigerant. The electronic expansion valve 11 reduces the pressure of the condensed refrigerant to promote evaporation. The air-cooled heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger that vaporizes the condensed refrigerant using outside air blown by a cooling fan 12a in the heating operation mode and condenses the compressed refrigerant in the cooling operation mode. The gas-liquid separator 13 separates the refrigerant before it is drawn into the compressor 5 and draws only the gas refrigerant into the compressor 5.

[0015] The water system W has a water inlet 15, a water pump 16, a water outlet 17, and water piping 18. The water system W is a system in which water that flows in through the water inlet 15 is discharged from the water outlet 17. The water pump 16 is connected to the water piping 18 that extends from the water inlet 15. The water piping 18 guides the water that is discharged from the water pump 16 and passes through the inside of the water heat exchanger 9 to the water outlet 17. The water pump 16 is disposed below the control room 22, which will be described later, in the vertical direction VD.

[0016] During heating operation, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 5 of the refrigerant system R1 flows to the water heat exchanger 9 and exchanges heat with the water flowing through the water pipe 18. The water that has exchanged heat with the high-temperature compressed refrigerant in the water heat exchanger 9 becomes warm water or hot water, and is supplied from the water outlet 17 to a designated heating location or hot water supply location.

[0017] During cooling operation, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 5 flows through the four-way valve 8 to the air-cooled heat exchanger 12, where it exchanges heat with the air as outside air is blown by the cooling fan 12a, condenses, and liquefies, then flows through the receiver 10 to the water heat exchanger 9, where it exchanges heat with water flowing in the water piping 18 of the water system W, and evaporates. The water that has exchanged heat with the low-temperature refrigerant in the water heat exchanger 9 becomes cold water, and is supplied from the water outlet 17 to the specified cooling location.

[0018] Next, the structure of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a front view of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 shown in Fig. 1.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 includes a machine room 21, a control room 22, an air-cooled heat exchanger 12, a control device 30, a communication section 23, a communication section 24, an intake fan (first blower section) 25, an exhaust fan (second blower section) 26, and a refrigerant concentration detection section 27.

[0020] The machine chamber 21 is a box-shaped housing that forms a first space S1 that houses refrigerant equipment including the compressor 5. In the machine chamber 21, a part of the refrigerant system R1 is arranged.

[0021] The control room 22 is a box-shaped housing that forms a second space S2 that houses a control device 30 that controls each part of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1, including the compressor 5 and the water pump 16. The second space S2 formed by the control room 22 is a space isolated from the first space S1. The control room 22 is disposed in a position that protrudes in the horizontal direction HD from the air-cooled heat exchanger 12. The control room 22 is disposed in an area above the machine room 21 in the vertical direction VD and that overlaps with the air-cooled heat exchanger 12.

[0022] The air-cooled heat exchanger 12 is a device that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air and is disposed above the machine room 21 in the vertical direction VD.

[0023] The communication part 23 is a tubular member that connects the first space S1 and the second space S2. The communication part 23 accommodates therein a cable 31 having a control signal line for transmitting a control signal from the control device 30 to the compressor 5.

[0024] The communication part 24 is a tubular member that connects the first space S1 and the second space S2 and accommodates therein a cable 32 having a control signal line for transmitting a control signal from the control device 30 to the refrigerant equipment.

[0025] Intake fan 25 is a device that generates a flow of air that is guided from second space S2 to first space S1 through communication portions 23 and 24. Control room 22 is provided with air intake port 22a that draws air into second space S2 from external space S0, which is isolated from first space S1 and second space S2. Intake fan 25 draws air from the external space into second space S2 and guides the drawn air to communication portions 23 and 24. The flow of air drawn by intake fan 25 and guided to communication portions 23 and 24 is also used to cool control device 30.

[0026] The exhaust fan 26 is a device that generates a flow of air that is guided from the second space S2 to the first space S1 through the communication portions 23 and 24. The machine room 21 is provided with an exhaust port 21a that exhausts air from the first space S1 to the external space S0. The exhaust fan 26 exhausts air from the first space S1 to the external space S0.

[0027] The refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 is a device housed in the machine room 21 and detects the concentration of the refrigerant that has leaked into the first space S1. The refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 transmits, for example, a concentration detection signal that changes depending on the concentration of the refrigerant to the control device 30.

[0028] Next, the operation of the intake fan 25 and the exhaust fan 26 of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1.

[0029] 4, in the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1, the control device 30 is configured to be able to transmit control signals that control the refrigerant equipment including the compressor 5, the suction fan 25, and the exhaust fan 26. The control device 30 is also configured to be able to receive a concentration detection signal indicating the refrigerant concentration from the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27.

[0030] 5, after the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 starts operating, the control device 30 controls the suction fan 25 to start operating in step S101. The suction fan 25 draws air from the air intake port 22a to cool the control device 30, and guides the air that has cooled the control device 30 to the communication parts 23 and 24.

[0031] In step S102, the control device 30 determines whether or not it has received a concentration detection signal from the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 indicating that refrigerant has leaked, and if the answer is YES, it proceeds to step S103, and if the answer is NO, it proceeds to step S105.

[0032] In step S103 , the control device 30 sets the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 26 according to the refrigerant concentration indicated by the concentration detection signal received from the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 .

[0033] For example, the control device 30 sets the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 26 so that the rotation speed increases stepwise as the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 increases. For example, the control device 30 sets the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 26 to the maximum rotation speed when the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 is equal to or higher than 50% of the lower flammable limit of the refrigerant.

[0034] In step S104, the control device 30 controls the exhaust fan 26 to start operating in order to forcibly discharge the refrigerant that has leaked into the first space S1 to the external space S0, because the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 has detected that the refrigerant has leaked into the first space S1 of the machine room 21. The control device 30 controls the exhaust fan 26 to rotate at the rotation speed set in step S103.

[0035] In step S105, the control device 30 determines whether a stop instruction to stop the operation of the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 has been issued, and if YES, proceeds to step S106, and if NO, proceeds to step S102.

[0036] In step S106, the control device 30 controls the exhaust fan 26 to stop operating. In step S107, the control device 30 controls the suction fan 25 to stop operating, and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0037] The air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of the present embodiment described above provides the following functions and effects.

[0038] In the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, if refrigerant leaks in the machine room 21 that forms the first space S1 housing the compressor 5 that compresses a flammable refrigerant, the refrigerant may fill the machine room 21 and enter the tubular communicating parts 23, 24 that extend from the first space S1, and may be guided from the communicating parts 23, 24 to the control room 22 that forms the second space S2 housing the control device 30 that controls the compressor 5. If an ignition phenomenon such as a spark occurs in the control device 30 housed in the control room 22, the flammable refrigerant may ignite.

[0039] According to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust fan 26 is provided to generate a flow of air that is guided from the second space S2 to the first space S1 through the communicating parts 23, 24. Therefore, even if a flammable refrigerant leaks in the first space S1, the air flow prevents the refrigerant from entering the communicating parts 23, 24 from the first space S1. The refrigerant is also prevented from entering the second space S2 from the communicating parts 23, 24.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust fan 26 is controlled to increase the airflow rate of the exhaust fan 26 in response to an increase in the concentration of refrigerant leaked into the machine room 21 detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27. Therefore, even if the amount of refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant equipment such as the compressor 5 into the machine room 21 gradually increases, the airflow rate gradually increases and the refrigerant concentration in the machine room 21 gradually decreases, thereby preventing the refrigerant from entering the control room 22 via the communication parts 23, 24.

[0041] According to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust fan 26 exhausts air from the first space S1 to the external space S0, and the intake fan 25 draws air from the external space S0 into the second space S2, thereby generating an air flow that is guided from the second space S2 to the first space S1 through the communicating parts 23, 24, and preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber 22 and igniting.

[0042] According to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, the cable 31 having the control signal line can be protected by being housed inside the communication part 23. The first space S1 and the second space S2 are connected by the communication part 23 for housing the cable 31, which allows the refrigerant to flow from the first space S1 into the second space S2, but the exhaust fan 26 generates an air flow from the second space S2 toward the first space S1, preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber 22 and igniting.

[0043] According to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, the control room 22 is located in an area above the machine room 21 in the vertical direction VD, which more reliably prevents flammable refrigerant, which has a higher specific gravity than air, from entering the control room 22 from the machine room 21.

[0044] According to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, the control room 22 is disposed in an area overlapping with the air-cooled heat exchanger 12 in the vertical direction VD, allowing an operator to easily perform maintenance on the control device 30 housed in the control room 22. Furthermore, the control room 22, which may be an ignition source for a flammable refrigerant, is disposed at a position away from the machine room 21 so as to protrude further in the horizontal direction HD than the air-cooled heat exchanger 12, which is disposed above the machine room 21 in the vertical direction VD. This prevents the refrigerant from entering the control room 22 through the communication part 23.

[0045] In the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, the water pump 16 is disposed below in the vertical direction VD the control room 22 that houses the control device 30 that controls the water pump 16. Therefore, if water leaks from the water pump 16 or its surroundings, it is possible to appropriately prevent water from adhering to the control device 30.

[0046] [First Modified Example] In the above description, the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 directly detects the concentration of refrigerant leaking into the machine room 21, but this may also be a first modified example. For example, the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 may be configured to include a refrigerant detection unit (not shown) that detects whether the concentration of refrigerant in the first space S1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined concentration, and a pressure detection unit (not shown) that detects the pressure of refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant system R1 arranged in the machine room 21. In this case, when the refrigerant detection unit detects that the concentration of refrigerant in the first space S1 is equal to or greater than the predetermined concentration, the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 detects the concentration of refrigerant based on the refrigerant pressure detected by the pressure detection unit.

[0047] According to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of the above-described modified example, when the refrigerant detection unit detects that the refrigerant concentration in the first space S1 is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration, the refrigerant concentration can be detected based on the refrigerant pressure detected by the pressure detection unit. This is because the higher the pressure of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant system R1 arranged in the machine room 21, the greater the amount of refrigerant that will leak into the first space S1.

[0048] [Second Modification] In the above description, the control device 30 drives the exhaust fan 26 regardless of the concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27, but a second modification may also be employed. For example, the control device 30 may stop driving the exhaust fan 26 and operate the suction fan 25 when the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 is equal to or greater than a first concentration, and may operate both the exhaust fan 26 and the suction fan 25 when the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27 is equal to or greater than a second concentration that is higher than the first concentration.

[0049] According to the air-cooled heat pump chiller 1 of this embodiment, when the refrigerant concentration is equal to or higher than a first concentration, only the suction fan 25 is operated to generate a flow of air that is guided from the second space S2 to the first space S1, and when the refrigerant concentration is equal to or higher than a second concentration that is higher than the first concentration, both the exhaust fan 26 and the suction fan 25 are operated to increase the amount of air that is guided from the second space S2 to the first space S1, thereby preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber 22 and igniting.

[0050] [Third Modification] In the above description, the control device 30 sets the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 26 so as to increase the airflow rate of the exhaust fan 26 in response to an increase in the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27. However, a third modification may also be employed. For example, the control device 30 may increase the airflow rate of the exhaust fan 26 by lengthening the operation time per unit time of the exhaust fan 26 in response to an increase in the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit 27, while keeping the rotation speed constant when driving the exhaust fan 26.

[0051] [Fourth Modification] In the above description, the rotation speed of exhaust fan 26 is set so that the airflow rate of exhaust fan 26 increases in response to an increase in the refrigerant concentration detected by refrigerant concentration detection unit 27. However, this may also be modified as a third example. For example, control device 30 may set the rotation speed of suction fan 25 so that the airflow rate of suction fan 25 increases in response to an increase in the refrigerant concentration detected by refrigerant concentration detection unit 27.

[0052] The heat exchange device (1) according to each of the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0053] A heat exchange device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a refrigerant system (R1) having a compressor (5) that compresses a flammable refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant, a machine room (21) that forms a first space (S1) that houses the compressor, a control device (30) that controls the compressor, a control room (22) that houses the control device and forms a second space (S2) isolated from the first space, communication sections (23, 24) that communicate the first space with the second space, air blowing sections (25, 26) that generate an air flow that is guided from the second space to the first space via the communication section, and a refrigerant concentration detection section (27) that detects the concentration of the refrigerant that has leaked into the machine room, and the control device controls the air blowing section to increase the airflow rate of the air blowing section as the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection section increases.

[0054] In the heat exchange device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, if a refrigerant leaks from a machine chamber that defines a first space housing a compressor that compresses a flammable refrigerant, the refrigerant may fill the machine chamber, enter a tubular communication portion from the first space, and be guided from the communication portion to a control chamber that defines a second space housing a control device that controls the compressor. If an ignition phenomenon such as a spark occurs in the control device housed in the control chamber, the flammable refrigerant may ignite.

[0055] The heat exchange device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes an air blower that generates an air flow that is guided from the second space through the communication portion to the first space, so that even if a flammable refrigerant leaks in the first space, the air flow prevents the refrigerant from entering the communication portion from the first space and from entering the second space from the communication portion.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the heat exchanger of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the blower unit is controlled to increase the airflow rate of the blower unit in response to an increase in the concentration of refrigerant leaked into the machine compartment detected by the refrigerant concentration detector. Therefore, even if the amount of refrigerant leaking from a refrigerant device such as a compressor into the machine compartment gradually increases, the airflow rate gradually increases and the refrigerant concentration in the machine compartment gradually decreases, thereby preventing the refrigerant from entering the control compartment through the communication part.

[0057] A heat exchange device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, further comprising the following configuration: a refrigerant detection unit that detects whether the concentration of the refrigerant in the first space is equal to or greater than a predetermined concentration, and a pressure detection unit that detects the pressure of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant system arranged in the machine room, and when the refrigerant detection unit detects that the concentration of the refrigerant in the first space is equal to or greater than the predetermined concentration, the refrigerant concentration detection unit detects the concentration of the refrigerant based on the pressure of the refrigerant detected by the pressure detection unit.

[0058] According to the heat exchange device of the second aspect of the present disclosure, when the refrigerant detection unit detects that the refrigerant concentration in the first space is equal to or higher than a predetermined concentration, the refrigerant concentration can be detected based on the refrigerant pressure detected by the pressure detection unit. This is because the higher the pressure of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant system located in the machine room, the greater the amount of refrigerant that will leak into the first space.

[0059] A heat exchange device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, further including the following configuration: The blower draws air into the second space from an external space isolated from the second space.

[0060] According to the heat exchange device of the third aspect of the present disclosure, the blower draws air from the external space into the second space, generating an air flow that is guided from the second space to the first space via the communication part, thereby preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber and igniting.

[0061] A heat exchange device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, further including the following configuration: the blower section discharges air from the first space to an external space isolated from the first space.

[0062] According to the heat exchange device of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the blower section discharges air from the first space to the external space, thereby generating an air flow that is guided from the second space to the first space via the communication section, thereby preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber and igniting.

[0063] A heat exchange device according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, further including the following configuration: the first blower exhausts air from the first space to an external space isolated from the first space, and the second blower draws air from an external space isolated from the second space into the second space.

[0064] According to the heat exchange device of the fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the first blowing section exhausts air from the first space to the external space, and the second blowing section draws air from the external space into the second space, thereby generating an air flow that is guided from the second space through the communicating section to the first space, and preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber and igniting.

[0065] A heat exchange device according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the fifth aspect, further comprising the following configuration: the control device stops the first blower and operates the second blower when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit is equal to or greater than a first concentration, and operates the first blower and the second blower when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit is equal to or greater than a second concentration that is higher than the first concentration.

[0066] According to the heat exchange device of the sixth aspect of the present disclosure, when the concentration of the refrigerant is equal to or higher than a first concentration, only the second blowing unit is operated to generate a flow of air that is guided from the second space to the first space, and when the concentration of the refrigerant is equal to or higher than a second concentration that is higher than the first concentration, both the first blowing unit and the second blowing unit are operated to increase the amount of air that is guided from the second space to the first space, thereby preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber and igniting.

[0067] A heat exchange device according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the heat exchange device of any one of the first to sixth aspects, further including the following configuration: the control room is provided with an air intake port (22a) for drawing air into the first space from an external space isolated from the first space and the second space, and the machine room is provided with an air exhaust port (21a) for discharging air from the second space to the external space.

[0068] According to the heat exchange device of the seventh aspect of the present disclosure, air is drawn from the external space into the second space through the intake port, and air is discharged from the first space to the external space through the exhaust port, thereby generating an air flow that is guided from the second space to the first space through the communication part, and preventing the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber and igniting.

[0069] The heat exchange device according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is the heat exchange device of any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising the following configuration: a cable having a control signal line for transmitting a control signal from the control device to the compressor, and the communication part houses the cable therein.

[0070] According to the heat exchange device of the eighth aspect of the present disclosure, the cable having the control signal line can be housed and protected inside the communication part. The communication part for accommodating the cable connects the first space and the second space, which allows the refrigerant to enter the second space from the first space. However, the blower generates an air flow from the second space toward the first space, which prevents the refrigerant from flowing into the control chamber and igniting.

[0071] The heat exchange device according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is the heat exchange device of any one of the first to sixth aspects, further including the following configuration: the control room is disposed in an area vertically above the machine room.

[0072] According to the heat exchange device of the ninth aspect of the present disclosure, the control chamber is positioned in a region vertically above the machine chamber, thereby more reliably preventing flammable refrigerant, which has a higher specific gravity than air, from entering the control chamber from the machine chamber.

[0073] A heat exchange device according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising the following configuration: an air-cooled heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air and is arranged vertically above the machine room, and the control room is arranged in an area that overlaps with the air-cooled heat exchanger in the vertical direction and at a position that protrudes horizontally from the air-cooled heat exchanger.

[0074] According to the heat exchanger of the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, the control room is positioned in an area that overlaps vertically with the air-cooled heat exchanger, allowing an operator to easily perform maintenance on the control device housed in the control room. Furthermore, the control room, which may be an ignition source for a flammable refrigerant, is positioned away from the machine room so as to protrude horizontally further than the air-cooled heat exchanger, which is positioned vertically above the machine room. This prevents the refrigerant from entering the control room through the communication part.

[0075] A heat exchange device according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is the tenth aspect, further comprising the following configuration: a water system (W) having a water pump (16) for pumping water and discharging the water flowing in through a water inlet (15) through a water outlet (17), and a water heat exchanger (9) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the water, wherein the control device controls the water pump, and the water pump is disposed vertically below the control room.

[0076] In the heat exchange device according to the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, the water pump is disposed vertically below the control chamber that houses the control device that controls the water pump, which makes it possible to appropriately prevent water from adhering to the control device in the event of water leakage from the water pump or its surroundings. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1. Air-cooled heat pump chiller (heat exchange device) 5. Compressor 6 Oil separator 7. Check valve 8 Four-way valve 9 Water heat exchanger 10 receivers 11 Electronic expansion valve 12 Air-cooled heat exchanger 12a cooling fan 13 Gas-liquid separator 15 Water inlet 16 Water Pump 17 Water outlet 18 Water piping 21 Machine room 21a Exhaust port 22 Control Room 22a Air intake 23,24 Communication part 25 Intake fan (second blower) 26 Exhaust fan (first blower) 27 Refrigerant concentration detection unit 30 Control device 31,32 Cable HD horizontal R1 Refrigerant system S0 External space S1 1st space S2 2nd space VD vertical direction W water system

Claims

1. a refrigerant system having a compressor for compressing a flammable refrigerant and circulating the refrigerant; a machine chamber forming a first space for accommodating the compressor; a control device for controlling the compressor; a control room that houses the control device and forms a second space that is isolated from the first space; a communication portion that communicates the first space with the second space; a blower that generates a flow of air that is guided from the second space to the first space via the communication portion; a refrigerant concentration detection unit that detects the concentration of the refrigerant leaked into the machine room, The control device controls the blower unit to increase the airflow rate of the blower unit in response to an increase in the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit.

2. a refrigerant detection unit that detects whether the concentration of the refrigerant in the first space is equal to or greater than a predetermined concentration; a pressure detection unit that detects the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant system disposed in the machine room, The heat exchange device according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant concentration detection unit detects the concentration of the refrigerant based on the pressure of the refrigerant detected by the pressure detection unit when the refrigerant detection unit detects that the concentration of the refrigerant in the first space is equal to or higher than the predetermined concentration.

3. The heat exchange device according to claim 1 , wherein the air blowing section draws air into the second space from an external space isolated from the second space.

4. The heat exchange device according to claim 1 , wherein the blower discharges air from the first space to an external space isolated from the first space.

5. the first blower section discharges air from the first space to an external space isolated from the first space; The heat exchange device according to claim 1 , wherein the second blower section draws air into the second space from the external space isolated from the second space.

6. The heat exchange device described in claim 5, wherein the control device stops the first blower and operates the second blower when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit is equal to or higher than a first concentration, and operates the first blower and the second blower when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration detection unit is equal to or higher than a second concentration that is higher than the first concentration.

7. an air intake port that draws air into the second space from an external space isolated from the first space and the second space, The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the machine chamber is provided with an exhaust port for discharging air from the first space to the external space.

8. a cable having a control signal line for transmitting a control signal from the control device to the compressor; The heat exchange device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication portion accommodates the cable therein.

9. The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control room is disposed in an area vertically above the machine room.

10. an air-cooled heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air and is disposed vertically above the machine room; The heat exchange device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control room is arranged in an area that overlaps with the air-cooled heat exchanger in the vertical direction and is arranged in a position that protrudes horizontally relative to the air-cooled heat exchanger.

11. a water system having a water pump for pumping water and discharging the water flowing in from a water inlet portion through a water outlet portion; a water heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the water, The control device controls the water pump, The heat exchange device according to claim 10, wherein the water pump is disposed vertically below the air-cooled heat exchanger.

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