Air Conditioning Equipment

Abstract

To provide a gas heat pump capable of increasing an amount of air passing through an outdoor heat exchanger and exchanging required amount of heat by reducing the size of a radiator.SOLUTION: An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit in which a compressor compressing refrigerant vapor is driven by a gas engine. The outdoor unit includes a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger and a radiator through which cooling water of the gas engine passes. In cooling operation, the compressed refrigerant is introduced to the second outdoor heat exchanger after passing through the first outdoor heat exchanger. The radiator is disposed on an introduced outside air downstream side of the second outdoor heat exchanger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner that enables a radiator for an associated heat pump to be reduced in size. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been disclosed a technology for a gas heat pump type air conditioner in which a compressor for compressing a refrigerant is driven by a gas engine. The air conditioner is capable of highly efficient operation, and is an effective technology for saving energy.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that prevents air heated by a radiator during cooling operation from passing through an outdoor heat exchanger. This air conditioner is configured as an outdoor heat exchanger unit in which a radiator provided in a coolant circuit of a gas engine and an outdoor heat exchanger in which a refrigerant circulates are arranged side by side in the flow direction of introduced outdoor air, with a gap provided between the radiator and the outdoor heat exchanger, and the radiator is arranged downstream in the flow direction of introduced outdoor air during cooling operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-130743 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides an air conditioner that increases the volume of air passing through an outdoor heat exchanger by reducing the size of the radiator, thereby enabling the required amount of heat to be exchanged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The air conditioner according to the present disclosure is an air conditioner including an outdoor unit in which a compressor for compressing refrigerant vapor is driven by a gas engine, and the outdoor unit includes a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger, and a radiator through which coolant for the gas engine flows, and in the case of cooling operation, the compressed refrigerant passes through the first outdoor heat exchanger and is then introduced into the second outdoor heat exchanger, and the radiator is A heat exchanger is provided corresponding only to the second outdoor heat exchanger, The second outdoor heat exchanger is disposed downstream of the introduced outdoor air of the second outdoor heat exchanger. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In the air conditioning apparatus of the present disclosure, the air that has passed through the second outdoor heat exchanger, which is responsible for supercooling the refrigerant, has a lower temperature than the introduced outdoor air that has passed through the first outdoor heat exchanger, so the temperature difference between the air and the coolant flowing through the radiator arranged downstream of the second outdoor heat exchanger in the flow direction of the introduced outdoor air increases, and the heat exchange amount increases, thereby reducing the required heat transfer area of ​​the radiator. Since the radiator can be removed from the downstream of the first outdoor heat exchanger in the flow direction of the introduced outdoor air, which is responsible for the phase change of the refrigerant, the volume of air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger increases, and the heat exchange amount of the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger increases. Therefore, the required amount of heat can be exchanged between the outdoor heat exchanger and the introduced outdoor air. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a refrigerant flow path and a coolant flow path of an air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 3A is a side view of an outdoor unit provided in an air conditioning apparatus; FIG. 3B is a front view of the outdoor unit; and FIG. 3C is a top view of the outdoor unit and an explanatory diagram showing a refrigerant flow path. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a refrigerant flow path and a coolant flow path of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a top view of an outdoor unit according to a first modified example, and an explanatory diagram showing a refrigerant flow path; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a development view of an outdoor heat exchanger according to a first modified example, and an explanatory diagram showing a refrigerant flow path; [Figure 6]FIG. 11 is a top view of an outdoor unit according to a second modification, and an explanatory diagram showing a refrigerant flow path; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (The knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time when the inventors came up with the present disclosure, an air conditioner had been proposed in which a radiator provided in a coolant circuit of a gas engine and an outdoor heat exchanger through which a refrigerant circulates were arranged side by side in the flow direction of the introduced outdoor air, and a gap was provided between the radiator and the outdoor heat exchanger to separate them, and the radiator was arranged downstream in the flow direction of the introduced outdoor air during cooling operation. According to this, since the radiator is arranged downstream in the flow direction of the introduced outdoor air during cooling operation, the introduced outdoor air heated by the radiator does not pass through the outdoor heat exchanger during cooling operation. Therefore, the heat exchange temperature difference between the introduced outdoor air and the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger is increased, making it possible to improve the coefficient of performance (COP).

[0010] However, in the above configuration, during cooling operation, the air passing through the radiator removes heat from the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger and its temperature rises, so the difference between the temperature of the cooling water in the radiator and the temperature of the air passing through the radiator becomes small, and in order to ensure the required amount of heat dissipation, the heat transfer area needs to be increased, that is, the radiator needs to be made larger. When the outdoor heat exchanger and the radiator are arranged side by side in the flow direction of the introduced outdoor air, if the radiator is made larger, the amount of air passing through the outdoor heat exchanger decreases due to an increase in ventilation resistance, and the amount of heat exchange between the outdoor heat exchanger and the introduced outdoor air becomes insufficient. Under such circumstances, the inventors came up with the idea of ​​increasing the air flow rate of the outdoor heat exchanger by making the radiator smaller, and exchanging the required amount of heat. Then, the inventors discovered that in order to realize this idea, there is a problem that the temperature of the air flowing into the radiator is high, and in order to solve this problem, they came to configure the subject of the present disclosure.

[0011] The problems in the conventional technology and the effects of the present disclosure will be described using specific numerical values, taking an example during cooling operation.

[0012] In the configuration of the conventional technology, the introduced outdoor air passes through the outdoor heat exchanger and then the radiator. When the outdoor air temperature is 35 degrees Celsius and the average refrigerant temperature in the outdoor heat exchanger is 50 degrees Celsius, the temperature of the air that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger rises to, for example, 47 degrees Celsius by exchanging heat with the refrigerant. Therefore, when the average coolant temperature in the radiator is 64 degrees Celsius, the temperature difference between the coolant and the air passing through the radiator is 17 degrees. The larger this temperature difference is, the smaller the heat transfer area required for the radiator to ensure the required amount of heat dissipation is.

[0013] Therefore, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner that divides the outdoor heat exchanger into at least two, configures the refrigerant that has passed through the first outdoor heat exchanger to flow into the second outdoor heat exchanger during cooling operation, and further arranges a radiator downstream of the introduced outdoor air of the second outdoor heat exchanger that supercools the refrigerant, thereby increasing the temperature difference between the cooling water and the air passing through the radiator, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the radiator. Also, it provides an air conditioner that enables the exchange of the required amount of heat by increasing the volume of outdoor air introduced into the outdoor unit.

[0014] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation from becoming more redundant than necessary and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0015] It should be noted that 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.

[0016] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0017] [1-1. Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a refrigerant flow path 137 and a coolant flow path 135 of an air conditioner 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The air conditioning apparatus 1 is equipped with an outdoor unit 100 in which a compressor 101 that compresses refrigerant vapor is driven by a gas engine 102. The outdoor unit 100 is equipped with a first outdoor heat exchanger, a second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, and a radiator 116 through which cooling water of the gas engine 102 circulates. In the case of cooling operation, the compressed refrigerant passes through the first outdoor heat exchanger and is then introduced into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, and the radiator 116 is positioned downstream of the introduced outdoor air of the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c.

[0019] The first outdoor heat exchanger is divided into a first area 105a and a second area 105b, the first area 105a and the second area 105b are respectively arranged on opposing sides of the outdoor unit housing, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c is erected on a side of the outdoor unit housing that is perpendicular to the first outdoor heat exchanger.

[0020] The configuration of the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0021] [1-1-1. Coolant flow path] In FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 is composed of an outdoor unit 100 and an indoor unit 200, and the indoor unit 200 is connected to a unit pipe 2 extending from the outdoor unit 100.

[0022] In the outdoor unit 100, the compressor 101 is connected to the gas engine 102 by a power transmission means such as a belt. The oil separator 103 is installed in the discharge piping of the compressor 101, and separates refrigeration oil (hereinafter, oil) contained in the refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor 101. The oil separated by the oil separator 103 is returned to the suction piping of the compressor 101 through an oil return pipe (not shown). The four-way valve 104 is used to switch the refrigeration cycle between cooling and heating, and FIG. 1 shows the flow during cooling.

[0023] The outdoor heat exchanger 105 releases heat of the refrigerant to the outside by the outdoor fan 106 during cooling operation, and absorbs heat of the outside air during heating operation. The detailed configuration of the outdoor unit 105 will be described later. The pressure reducing device 107 adjusts the pressure and flow rate of the refrigerant. The refrigerant liquid pipe 108 connects the outdoor heat exchanger 105 and the indoor heat exchanger 201. The accumulator 109 is connected to the intake pipe of the compressor 101 and supplies gas refrigerant to the compressor 101. The first bypass pipe 110 has one end connected to the upstream side of the accumulator 109 of the low pressure gas pipe 111 and the other end connected to the refrigerant liquid pipe 108, and is provided with an exhaust heat recovery pressure reducing device 112 and an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 in this order from the upstream side in the refrigerant flow direction, and is configured so that the refrigerant can also absorb heat from the cooling water described later during heating operation.

[0024] In the indoor unit 200, an indoor heat exchanger 201 absorbs indoor heat by an indoor fan 202 during cooling operation, and releases heat of the refrigerant into the room during heating operation. An indoor pressure reducing device 203 adjusts the pressure and flow rate of the refrigerant. Although only one indoor unit 200 is installed in Fig. 1, multiple indoor units may be installed in parallel with the outdoor unit 100.

[0025] [1-1-2. Cooling water flow path] The cooling water flow path 135 is a flow path for cooling the gas engine 102 by the cooling water circulating through a circuit formed by the cooling water pump 114, the reservoir tank 115, the radiator 116, the three-way valve 117, and the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113. The cooling water pump 114 circulates the cooling water of the gas engine 102 through the circuit. The reservoir tank 115 temporarily stores surplus cooling water to make up for a shortage of cooling water.

[0026] The radiator 116 dissipates heat from the coolant by the outdoor fan 106. The arrangement of the radiator 116 will be described later. The three-way valve 117 can switch the coolant flow path 135 to the radiator 116 side, the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 side, or both the radiator 116 and the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113, and controls the temperature of the coolant returning to the gas engine 102 to be approximately constant by flowing the refrigerant and the coolant to the radiator 116 side during cooling operation and flowing the remaining coolant to the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 during heating operation. As described above, the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 allows the refrigerant and the coolant to flow, so that the refrigerant absorbs heat from the coolant.

[0027] [1-1-3. Outdoor unit configuration] 2(a) and 2(b), the outdoor unit 100 is configured such that a machine room 118 in which a compressor 101, a gas engine 102, an accumulator 109, and an oil separator, a four-way valve, a pressure reducing device, an exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger, etc. (not shown) are arranged is provided below the outdoor unit 100, and a heat exchanger room 119 in which an outdoor heat exchanger 105, an outdoor fan 106, a reservoir tank 115, a radiator 116, etc. are arranged is provided above the outdoor unit 100. The functions of each element are as described above.

[0028] [1-1-4. Outdoor heat exchanger configuration and radiator placement] FIG. 2(c) is a top view of the outdoor unit 100 and an explanatory diagram showing the refrigerant flow path 137.

[0029] The first outdoor heat exchanger 105 has two divided regions, specifically, a first region 105a and a second region 105b. A branching section 120 provided in the refrigerant flow passage 137 branches the refrigerant compressed by the compressor in the refrigerant flow direction during cooling operation, and causes the refrigerant to flow into the first region 105a and the second region 105b of the first outdoor heat exchanger 105. The first region 105a, the second region 105b, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c are each provided as a single heat exchanger. The connecting pipe 121 causes the refrigerant that has passed through the first region 105a and the second region 105b to flow into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c. 2(c), the first area 105a is provided on the rear surface of the indoor unit 200, the second area 105b on the front surface of the indoor unit 200, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c on the left side surface of the indoor unit 200, and are disposed in a heat exchanger chamber 119. The radiator 116 is disposed next to the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c on the downstream side in the flow direction of the introduced outdoor air.

[0030] In this embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 105 is divided into three regions, specifically, a first region 105a of the first outdoor heat exchanger, a second region 105b, and a second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, but the first region 105a and the second region 105b may be integrated.

[0031] [1-2. Operation] The operation of the air conditioner 1 configured as above will be explained below with reference to Figs. [1-2-1. Refrigerant operation] [1-2-1-1. Operation during cooling operation] The compressor 101 that compresses the refrigerant is driven by the gas engine 102. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 flows into the oil separator 103. The high-purity gas refrigerant from which the oil has been separated in the oil separator 103 passes through the four-way valve 104 and flows into the branching section 120 (see the solid arrow in FIG. 1). The gas refrigerant branched in the branching section 120 flows into the first area 105a and the second area 105b of the first outdoor heat exchanger 105, and condenses after exchanging heat with the outside air in the first area 105a and the second area 105b. The condensed refrigerant passes through the connecting pipe 121 and flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, where it exchanges heat with the outside air and further releases heat. The refrigerant then becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant, passes through the pressure reducing device 107, and is supplied to the indoor unit 200.

[0032] The high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the indoor unit 200 is depressurized by the indoor pressure reducing device 203, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 201. In the indoor heat exchanger 201, the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state exchanges heat with the air in the space to be air-conditioned, absorbs heat, and then evaporates, becoming a low-pressure gas refrigerant that flows out of the indoor unit 200.

[0033] The low-pressure gas refrigerant that flows out of the indoor unit 200 flows again into the outdoor unit 100. The gas refrigerant that flows into the outdoor unit 100 passes through the four-way valve 104 and the accumulator 109, and returns to the compressor 101, and the above process is repeated.

[0034] Moreover, the oil separated in the oil separator 103 flows through an oil return pipe (not shown) into the suction pipe of the compressor 101, returns to the compressor 101, and repeats the above process.

[0035] [1-2-1-2. Operation during heating operation] The exhaust heat recovery and pressure reduction device 112 is opened. The compressor 101, which compresses the refrigerant, is driven by the gas engine 102. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 flows into the oil separator 103. In the oil separator 103, the high-purity gas refrigerant from which the oil has been separated passes through the four-way valve 104 and is supplied to the indoor unit 200 (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 1). The high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the indoor unit 200 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 201, where it exchanges heat with the air in the space to be air-conditioned, dissipates heat, and then condenses. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant then passes through the indoor pressure reduction device 203 and flows out of the indoor unit 200.

[0036] The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out from the indoor unit 200 flows again into the outdoor unit 100. A part of the liquid refrigerant flowing into the outdoor unit 100 flows into the first bypass pipe 110, and the remaining liquid refrigerant is depressurized by the pressure reducing device 107, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase state, and flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c of the outdoor heat exchanger 105. The liquid refrigerant flowing into the first bypass pipe 110 is depressurized by the exhaust heat recovery pressure reducing device 112, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase state, and flows into the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing into the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 absorbs heat from the engine coolant described later, and then evaporates, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c exchanges heat with the outside air, absorbs heat, and flows out of the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c. The refrigerant flowing out of the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c flows into the first region 105a and the second region 105b of the first outdoor heat exchanger 105 through the connection pipe 121. The refrigerant in a gas-liquid two-phase state that flows into the first region 105a and the second region 105b of the outdoor heat exchanger 105 exchanges heat with the outside air, absorbs heat, and then evaporates to become a low-pressure gas refrigerant (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 1). The low-pressure gas refrigerant merges with the low-temperature low-pressure gas refrigerant that has evaporated in the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 in the process of passing through the branching section 120 and the four-way valve 104 and then passing through the low-pressure gas pipe 111, passes through the accumulator 109, and returns to the compressor 101, and repeats the above process. In addition, the oil separated in the oil separator 103 flows into the suction pipe of the compressor through an oil return pipe (not shown), returns to the compressor 101, and repeats the above process.

[0037] [1-2-2. Cooling water operation] The cooling water pushed out by the cooling water pump 114 flows into the exhaust gas heat exchanger 125 and cools the exhaust gas of the gas engine 102. The exhaust gas cooled by the exhaust gas heat exchanger 125 is discharged to the outside air through the exhaust gas muffler 126. The cooling water that has passed through the exhaust gas heat exchanger 125 flows into the gas engine 102 and cools the gas engine 102. The cooling water that has cooled the gas engine 102 flows into the three-way valve 117. The three-way valve 117 is controlled in a direction that causes the cooling water from the gas engine 102 to flow to the radiator 116.

[0038] During heating operation, the three-way valve 117 serves to allow the coolant to flow to both the radiator 116 and the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113. The coolant that flows into the radiator 116 is cooled by outside air introduced into the outdoor unit 100 and returns to the coolant pump 114, repeating the above process. The outdoor unit control unit (not shown) monitors the coolant outlet temperature of the engine 102 and controls the rotation speed of the coolant pump 114 so as to maintain a substantially constant temperature.

[0039] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the air conditioning device 1 includes a compressor 101 that compresses refrigerant vapor, which is driven by a gas engine, an outdoor heat exchanger 105 in which the refrigerant flow path is divided into a first region 105a, a second region 105b, and a second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, a branching section 120 that branches the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 and causes it to flow into the first region and the second region during cooling operation, a connecting pipe 121 that introduces the refrigerant after passing through the first region 105a and the second region 105b into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, and a radiator 116 through which cooling water for the gas engine 102 flows, and the radiator 116 is arranged downstream of the introduced outdoor air of the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c. As a result, during cooling operation, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 flows into the first region 105a and the second region 105b of the outdoor heat exchanger 105 through the branching portion 120, and exchanges heat with the introduced outdoor air. The refrigerant that has exchanged heat passes through the connecting pipe 121 and flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, and further exchanges heat with the introduced outdoor air. Therefore, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c is lower than the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the first region 105a and the second region 105b, and the air passing through the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c has a smaller heat exchange temperature difference with the refrigerant than when passing through the first region 105a and the second region 105b, and the temperature after passing through is lower. Since the radiator 116 is disposed downstream of the introduced outdoor air of the second exterior heat exchanger 105c, the temperature of the air passing through is lower than when the radiator 116 is disposed downstream of the introduced outdoor air of the first area 105a and the second area 105b.

[0040] That is, the difference in the heat exchange temperature between the passing air and the coolant increases, and the amount of heat exchanged by the radiator 116 increases. This reduces the required heat transfer area of ​​the radiator 116, and reduces the ventilation resistance, thereby increasing the volume of air passing through the exterior heat exchanger 105. Therefore, in this embodiment, the volume of air passing through the exterior heat exchanger 105 increases, and the amount of heat exchanged between the exterior heat exchanger 105 and the introduced outdoor air increases, making it possible to exchange the required amount of heat. In this disclosure, the effect of reducing the heat transfer area of ​​the radiator by increasing the temperature difference between the coolant temperature and the introduced outside air has been described. In general, the amount of heat exchanged Q in a heat exchanger is given by Q=K·A·ΔT (Formula 1), where K is the overall heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchanger, A is the heat transfer area, and ΔT is the temperature difference of the fluid performing the heat exchange. This means that if the required amount of heat dissipation Q is constant, and the overall heat transfer coefficient K is constant, specifically, for a heat exchanger with the same specifications, the heat transfer area A can be reduced by increasing the temperature difference ΔT.

[0041] As described above, in the configuration of the present disclosure, when an example of cooling operation is given and the effect is shown using specific numerical values, the temperature difference between the coolant and the air passing through the radiator increases by 5 degrees compared to the configuration of the conventional technology. In other words, in the above formula 1, ΔT increases by 5 degrees, and the heat transfer area A can be reduced by that amount.

[0042] During heating operation, the air passing through the radiator 116 loses heat from the refrigerant in the second exterior heat exchanger 105c and the temperature drops, so the temperature difference between the coolant temperature in the radiator 116 and the air passing through the radiator 116 increases compared to during cooling operation, and the amount of heat exchange increases. Therefore, the radiator 116 can exchange the required amount of heat.

[0043] Second embodiment The air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0044] In the air conditioning apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, a connecting pipe 121 connecting the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger is arranged at the compressor side inlet / outlet of the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, a refrigerant piping having a check valve 124 is arranged at the indoor heat exchanger side inlet / outlet of the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, and a second bypass piping 145 connecting the connecting pipe 121 and the indoor heat exchanger side of the check valve 124 of the refrigerant piping is provided, and the second bypass piping 145 is provided with an opening / closing valve 146 that is controlled to a closed state during cooling operation and to an open state during heating operation.

[0045] The second bypass piping corresponds to an example of a bypass piping.

[0046] The configuration of the air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0047] [2-1. Configuration] [2-1-1. Coolant flow path] The air conditioner 1 according to the second embodiment differs from the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment in that it is provided with a check valve 124, a second bypass pipe 125, and an on-off valve 146. The check valve 124 is provided upstream of the pressure reducing device 107 in the refrigerant liquid pipe 108 in the refrigerant flow direction during cooling operation. The second bypass pipe 125 has one end connected to the connection pipe 121 and the other end connected to the refrigerant liquid pipe 108 upstream of the check valve 124, and is provided with the on-off valve 146.

[0048] The second bypass pipe 125 corresponds to an example of a bypass piping.

[0049] [2-2. Operation] The operation of the air conditioner 1 configured as above will be described below. [2-2-1. Refrigerant operation] [2-2-1-1. Operation during cooling operation] The on-off valve 146 is closed. The compressor 101 that compresses the refrigerant is driven by the gas engine 102. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 flows into the oil separator 103. The high-purity gas refrigerant from which the oil has been separated in the oil separator 103 passes through the four-way valve 104 and flows into the branching section 120 (see the solid arrow in FIG. 3). The gas refrigerant branched in the branching section 120 flows into the first area 105a and the second area 105b of the outdoor heat exchanger 105, and condenses after exchanging heat with the outdoor air and dissipating heat in the first area 105a and the second area 105b. The condensed refrigerant passes through the connection pipe 121 and flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, and further dissipates heat by exchanging heat with the outdoor air. Then, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant passes through the pressure reducing device 107 and is supplied to the indoor unit 200.

[0050] The high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the indoor unit 200 is depressurized by the indoor pressure reducing device 203, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and flows into the indoor heat exchanger 201. In the indoor heat exchanger 201, the refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase state exchanges heat with the air in the space to be air-conditioned, absorbs heat, and then evaporates, becoming a low-pressure gas refrigerant that flows out of the indoor unit 200.

[0051] The low-pressure gas refrigerant that flows out of the indoor unit 200 flows back into the outdoor unit 100. The gas refrigerant that flows into the outdoor unit 100 passes through the four-way valve 104 and the accumulator 109, and returns to the compressor 101, repeating the above process (see the solid arrows in FIG. 3). Moreover, the oil separated in the oil separator 103 flows through an oil return pipe (not shown) into the suction pipe of the compressor 101, returns to the compressor 101, and repeats the above process.

[0052] [2-2-1-2. Operation during heating operation] The exhaust heat recovery and pressure reduction device 112 and the on-off valve 146 are opened. The compressor 101 that compresses the refrigerant is driven by the gas engine 102. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 flows into the oil separator 103. In the oil separator 103, the high-purity gas refrigerant from which the oil has been separated passes through the four-way valve 104 and is supplied to the indoor unit 200 (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 3).

[0053] The high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the indoor unit 200 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 201, where it exchanges heat with the air in the space to be air-conditioned, dissipates heat, and then condenses. Then, the refrigerant becomes high-pressure liquid refrigerant, passes through the indoor pressure reducing device 203, and flows out of the indoor unit 200.

[0054] The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the indoor unit 200 flows again into the outdoor unit 100. A part of the liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor unit 100 flows into the first bypass pipe 110, and the remaining liquid refrigerant is depressurized by the decompression device 107, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase state, and flows into the second bypass pipe 125. Then, the liquid refrigerant passes through the on-off valve 146 and flows into the first region 105a and the second region 105b of the outdoor heat exchanger 105.

[0055] The liquid refrigerant that flows into the first bypass pipe 110 is decompressed by the exhaust heat recovery pressure reducing device 112, becomes a gas-liquid two-phase state, and flows into the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that flows into the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 absorbs heat from the engine coolant and then evaporates to become a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant. The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that flows into the first region 105a and the second region 105b of the exterior heat exchanger 105 exchanges heat with the outside air, absorbs heat, and then evaporates to become a low-pressure gas refrigerant. The low-pressure gas refrigerant passes through the branching section 120 and the four-way valve 104, and then passes through the low-pressure gas pipe 111, where it merges with the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has evaporated in the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113, passes through the accumulator 109, returns to the compressor 101, and repeats the above process (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 3).

[0056] Moreover, the oil separated in the oil separator 103 flows through an oil return pipe (not shown) into the suction pipe of the compressor 101, returns to the compressor 101, and repeats the above process.

[0057] [2-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in this embodiment, the air conditioner 1 differs from the air conditioner 1 according to the first embodiment in that the check valve 124, the second bypass pipe 125, and the on-off valve 146 are provided. As a result, by opening the closing valve 124 during heating operation, the refrigerant does not pass through the outdoor heat exchanger 105 and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c. In other words, the flow path length of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 105 is approximately halved. By approximately halving the flow path length through which the refrigerant in a gas-liquid two-phase state passes in the outdoor heat exchanger 105, the pressure loss of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 105 and the temperature drop of the refrigerant associated with the pressure loss are reduced.

[0058] During heating operation, air exchanges heat with a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. When the air temperature falls below the dew point temperature, water vapor in the air condenses, and condensation water adheres to the surfaces of the heat transfer tubes 127 and heat transfer fins 132 of the outdoor heat exchanger 105. The condensation water exchanges heat with the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, and when the air temperature falls below 0°C, it solidifies and forms frost. In order to evaporate the refrigerant by heat exchange with the outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 105, the temperature of the refrigerant needs to be lower than the outdoor air temperature. On the other hand, to prevent frost formation, the refrigerant temperature needs to be higher than 0°C. When the pressure loss of the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 105 is large at low outdoor air temperatures, the temperature drop of the refrigerant due to the pressure loss increases, and the refrigerant temperature falls below 0°C, which may cause frost formation.

[0059] In this embodiment, the length of the flow path through which the refrigerant passes within the outdoor heat exchanger 105 is approximately halved, thereby reducing the pressure loss of the refrigerant within the outdoor heat exchanger 105 and the drop in temperature of the refrigerant associated with the pressure loss, thereby making it possible to prevent frost formation even when the outdoor temperature is low.

[0060] In addition, in this embodiment, the refrigerant does not pass through the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c during heating operation. That is, the heat transfer area of ​​the outdoor heat exchanger is reduced, and the amount of heat exchanged between the refrigerant and the outside air is reduced. However, since the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 is provided, part of the refrigerant flows into the exhaust heat recovery heat exchanger 113 and exchanges heat with the cooling water. The amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant increases accordingly, and the shortage of the heat exchange amount can be compensated for. That is, the required amount of heat can be exchanged even during heating operation.

[0061] (Other embodiments) As described above, the first and second embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first and second embodiments to create new embodiments.

[0062] Therefore, other embodiments will be exemplified below.

[0063] In the above first and second embodiments, the first area 105a, the second area 105b, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, which are the first outdoor heat exchanger, are each provided as a single heat exchanger, as an example of the outdoor heat exchanger 105. The outdoor heat exchanger 105 may have different positional relationships and structures among the first area 105a, the second area 105b, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, as long as a refrigerant flow path is formed so that, during cooling operation, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 flows into the first area 105a and the second area 105b through the branching portion 120, exchanges heat with the introduced outdoor air, passes through the connecting pipe 121, and flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c, and further exchanges heat with the introduced outdoor air. Therefore, the outdoor heat exchanger 105 is not limited to the one in which the first area 105a, the second area 105b, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c are each provided as a single heat exchanger. However, when the first area 105a, the second area 105b, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c are each provided as a single heat exchanger, it is possible to change the specifications of the heat exchanger (fin pitch, stage pitch, etc.) in each area.

[0064] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a U-shaped outdoor heat exchanger 105 may have a first area 105a in an area located on the rear side of the outdoor unit 100, a second area 105b in an area located on the front side of the outdoor unit 100, and a second outdoor heat exchanger 105c in an area located on the left side of the outdoor unit 100.

[0065] The refrigerant flow path in outdoor heat exchanger 105 in such a case will be described with reference to Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, each heat exchanger is composed of heat transfer tubes 127 whose both ends are connected to a pair of header pipes facing each other horizontally, and a refrigerant inlet 129 for use in cooling operation is provided in an upper header pipe 128, and a refrigerant outlet 131 is provided in a lower header pipe 130. Heat transfer fins 132 are provided between the heat transfer tubes 127 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction.

[0066] Two partition plates 133 are provided in each of the refrigerant flow paths inside the upper header pipe 128 and the lower header pipe 130, thereby dividing the refrigerant flow path in the outdoor heat exchanger 105 into three. Of the three divided regions, a second outdoor heat exchanger 105c is provided in the central region, and a first region 105a and a second region 105b are provided in the remaining regions. The first region 105a, the second region 105b, and the second outdoor heat exchanger 105c each have a refrigerant inlet 129 and a refrigerant outlet 131.

[0067] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, a second outdoor heat exchanger 105c may be provided at an end of the U-shaped outdoor heat exchanger 105, and the remaining area may be divided into approximately two equal parts to provide a first area 105a and a second area 105b.

[0068] 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, and the like can be made within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. [Industrial Applicability]

[0069] The present disclosure is applicable to gas heat pump air conditioners that use a gas engine as a drive source for a compressor that compresses a refrigerant. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1. Air conditioning equipment 2 Unit piping 100 Outdoor unit 101 Compressor 102 Gas Engine 103 Oil separator 104 Four-way valve 105 Outdoor heat exchanger 106 Outdoor fan 107 Pressure reducing device 108 Refrigerant liquid pipe 109 Accumulator 110 First bypass pipe 111 Low pressure gas pipe 112 Exhaust heat recovery pressure reduction device 113 Waste heat recovery heat exchanger 114 Cooling water pump 115 Reservoir Tank 116 Radiator 117 Three-way valve 118 Machine room 119 Heat exchanger room 120 Branch 121 Refrigerant piping 124 Check valve 125 Exhaust gas heat exchanger 126 Exhaust gas muffler 127 Heat transfer tube 128 Upper header pipe 129 Entrance 130 Lower header pipe 131 Exit 132 Heat transfer fin 133 Partition 135 Cooling water flow path 137 Coolant flow path 145 Second bypass pipe 146 On-off valve 200 Indoor unit 201 Indoor heat exchanger 202 Indoor fan 203 Indoor pressure reducing device 20

Claims

1. An air conditioning apparatus having an outdoor unit in which a compressor for compressing refrigerant vapor is driven by a gas engine, The outdoor unit includes: A first outdoor heat exchanger; A second outdoor heat exchanger; A radiator through which the cooling water of the gas engine flows With In cooling operation, The compressed refrigerant passes through the first outdoor heat exchanger and is then introduced into the second outdoor heat exchanger, The air-conditioning apparatus, wherein the radiator is provided corresponding only to the second outdoor heat exchanger and is disposed downstream of the introduced outdoor air of the second outdoor heat exchanger.

2. The first outdoor heat exchanger is divided into a first region and a second region, the first area and the second area are disposed on opposing side surfaces of a housing of the outdoor unit, The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second outdoor heat exchanger is provided upright on a side surface of the housing other than a mounting surface of the first outdoor heat exchanger.

3. a connecting pipe that connects the first outdoor heat exchanger and the second outdoor heat exchanger is disposed at a compressor side inlet / outlet of the second outdoor heat exchanger, a refrigerant pipe having a check valve is provided at an inlet / outlet of the second outdoor heat exchanger on the indoor heat exchanger side; a bypass pipe that connects the connection pipe to the indoor heat exchanger side of the refrigerant pipe relative to the check valve, The bypass piping is provided with an on-off valve that is controlled to a closed state during cooling operation and to an open state during heating operation.

3. The air-conditioning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

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