Air Conditioning Equipment

Abstract

An air conditioning device (1) includes a housing (4) and a cover (3). A gap (3a) is formed between the cover (3) and the housing (4). The housing (4) includes an indoor unit bay (17) in which are disposed an indoor-unit heat exchanger (24a, 24b) that performs heat exchange between air flowing in from a compartment of a railroad car and a refrigerant, and an indoor-unit fan (23a, 23b) that sends out air following heat exchange to the compartment, and a housing-side air introduction port (11a, 11b) for introducing air in the gap (3a) into the indoor unit bay (17). The cover (3) includes a side-face air introduction port (8a, 8b) for introducing air outside of the car into the gap (3a). The side-face air introduction port (8a, 8b) and the housing-side air introduction port (11a, 11b) are situated separated from each other to the front and rear in a direction of travel of the railroad car.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known an air conditioner mounted on a railroad car that can adjust the temperature of the air inside the car cabin and ventilate the car cabin at the same time. For example, the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 is provided with an outside air intake grille on the side of a car air conditioning duct mounted on the roof of the railroad car, through which air from outside the car flows in, and mixes the outside air flowing in from the outside air intake grille with air flowing in from the car cabin of the railroad car and guides it to a cooler. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 54-77910 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, because the air outside the vehicle flows directly into the air conditioner through the outside air intake grille, there is a problem that when it rains, rainwater enters the inside of the air conditioner together with the air outside the vehicle and then spreads inside the passenger compartment of the railcar. In particular, there is a problem that the amount of rainwater that spreads inside the passenger compartment increases when the amount of air taken in from outside the vehicle is increased.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an air conditioning unit to be installed in a railway vehicle, which suppresses the intrusion of rainwater during rainfall, even when the amount of outside air taken in is increased to ventilate the passenger compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioner according to the present disclosure is an air conditioner mounted on a railway vehicle, and includes a housing in which devices constituting the air conditioner are mounted, and a cover that is located above the housing and covers the top and side surfaces of the housing, with a gap being formed between the side surface of the cover and the side surface of the housing. The housing includes an indoor unit room in which a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air flowing in from the passenger compartment of the railway vehicle and a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration circuit and a blower that sends the air that has completed heat exchange in the heat exchanger toward the passenger compartment are disposed, and a housing-side air inlet that introduces air in the gap between the side surface of the cover and the side surface of the housing into the indoor unit room. The cover includes a cover-side air inlet that introduces air from outside the vehicle into the gap between the side surface of the cover and the side surface of the housing. The cover-side air inlet and the housing-side air inlet are disposed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the housing-side air inlet and the cover-side air inlet are disposed at a distance from each other in the front-rear direction in the running direction of the railcar, so that the intrusion of rainwater into the inside of the air conditioning device is suppressed. Therefore, even during rainfall, the amount of outside air taken in can be increased to sufficiently ventilate the vehicle compartment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, disassembled into its basic components; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of a cover provided in the air conditioning apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of a housing provided in the air conditioning apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the air conditioner shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of the air conditioning device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the air conditioning apparatus shown in FIG. 4 with the cover removed. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an indoor unit room of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 6, cut along a plane shown by line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a housing-side air inlet provided in the air conditioning apparatus shown in FIG. 7, showing a state in which the damper is fully closed. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a housing-side air inlet provided in the air conditioning apparatus shown in FIG. 7, showing a state in which the damper is fully open. [Figure 10] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an electrical equipment room of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 6, cut along the plane shown by line XX in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 6 taken along the plane indicated by line XI-XI in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of an air conditioning device according to a modified example, following the configuration of FIG. 6. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an electrical equipment room of the air conditioner shown in FIG. 12, cut along a plane shown by line XIII-XIII in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of an impeller provided in the indoor fan shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 12. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the blades of the impeller shown in FIG. 14 cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the impeller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of an air-conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or equivalent parts.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, disassembled into basic components. As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 1 is mounted on the roof of a railroad car 2. The air conditioner 1 also includes a cover 3, a housing 4, and a duct 5. The cover 3 is a structural member that covers the upper and side surfaces of the housing 4 to protect the housing 4 from wind, rain, and sunlight. The housing 4 is a box-shaped member with an open top, and is a structural member on which components of the air conditioner 1, described later, are mounted. The duct 5 is a structural member that is located between the housing 4 and the railroad car 2 and forms a flow path for transporting air between the air conditioner 1 and the railroad car 2. Air in a cabin (not shown) of the railroad car 2 is transported through the duct 5 into the housing 4, cooled there, and transported through the duct 5 to a cabin (not shown) of the railroad car 2.

[0011] (cover) Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of the cover 3 provided in the air conditioning apparatus 1 (not shown in Fig. 2). As shown in Fig. 2, the cover 3 has an intake grill 6 and exhaust grills 7a, 7b on its upper surface. The cover 3 also has side air inlets 8a, 8b on its left and right side surfaces. The side air inlets 8a, 8b are specific examples of cover-side air inlets according to the present disclosure.

[0012] (Housing) Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the external shape of the housing 4 equipped in the air conditioning device 1 (not shown in Fig. 3). As described above, the housing 4 is a box-shaped member with an open top, and as shown in Fig. 3, the bottom plate thereof is provided with return air inlets 9a, 9b and an air outlet 10. Air inside the railway car 2 (not shown in Fig. 3) flows into the housing 4 through the return air inlets 9a, 9b, and the air that has been processed in the air conditioning device 1 is sent out toward the railway car 2 through the air outlet 10.

[0013] The housing 4 has housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b on its left and right side surfaces. As will be described later, air that has flowed between the cover 3 and the housing 4 through the side air inlets 8a, 8b (not shown in FIG. 3) flows into the inside of the housing 4 through the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b. The housing 4 also has cooling air inlets 12a, 12b on its bottom surface and vents 13a, 13b on its side surfaces. The functions of the cooling air inlets 12a, 12b and the vents 13a, 13b will be described later. The housing 4 also has a partition wall 14, which divides the housing 4 into a plurality of compartments.

[0014] (Air conditioning equipment) FIG. 4 is a plan view of the air conditioning device 1. FIG. 5 is a side view of the air conditioning device 1. In FIG. 4, the left-right direction of the figure corresponds to the running direction of the railcar 2 (not shown in FIG. 4). In other words, the railcar 2 runs in the left-right direction of FIG. 4. The up-down direction of FIG. 4 corresponds to the width direction of the railcar 2. Also, the side of the air conditioning device that appears in FIG. 5 corresponds to the end face in the running direction of the railcar 2. As mentioned above, the top surface of the air conditioning device 1 is covered with the cover 3, which is provided with an intake grill 6 and exhaust grills 7a, 7b on its top surface, and with side air inlets 8a, 8b on the left and right side surfaces.

[0015] As described above, the air conditioner 1 is provided with a duct 5 that forms a flow path for transporting air between the air conditioner 1 and the railcar 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the duct 5 is divided into first regions 5a, 5b that transport air from the cabin of the railcar 2 to the air conditioner 1, and a second region 5c that transports air from the air conditioner 1 to the cabin of the railcar 2. In this specification, the air that flows from the cabin of the railcar 2 through the first regions 5a, 5b into the housing 4 is called return air (RA), and the air that flows out from the housing 4 through the second region 5c into the cabin of the railcar 2 is called cooling air (CR). In addition, in each of the drawings from FIG. 5 onwards, the direction in which the air flows is shown by a dashed line with an arrow.

[0016] Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the air conditioner 1 shown in Fig. 4 with the cover 3 removed. As shown in Fig. 6, the housing 4 of the air conditioner 1 is divided into four compartments by partitions 14, namely, an outdoor unit room 15, an electric device room 16, an indoor unit room 17, and a compressor room 18. A gap 3a is formed between the side of the cover 3 and the side of the housing 4. Air from outside the railway vehicle 2 (not shown in Fig. 6) flows into the gap 3a through the side air inlets 8a, 8b. In this specification, the air that flows into the air conditioner 1 from outside the railway vehicle 2 through the side air inlets 8a, 8b is referred to as fresh air (FA).

[0017] (Outdoor unit room) In the outdoor unit room 15, an outdoor unit blower 19 and two outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a, 20b are arranged. The outdoor unit blower 19 is a device that draws air from outside the railcar 2 into the outdoor unit room 15 via the intake grille 6 shown in FIG. 4 and sends the air to the outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a, 20b. The outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a, 20b are one of the components of a refrigeration circuit described later. In the outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a, 20b, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit and the air passing through the outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a, 20b. As a result, the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit is cooled by the air passing through the outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a, 20b. The air that has passed through the outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a, 20b is exhausted to the outside of the railcar 2 through the exhaust grilles 7a, 7b shown in FIG. 4.

[0018] (Electrical Equipment Room) The electrical equipment room 16 is a section in which various electrical devices related to the operation and control of the air conditioner 1 are arranged. The inverter unit 21 is one of the electrical devices arranged in the electrical equipment room 16. The inverter unit 21 is an electrical device that supplies AC power for operation to the air conditioner 1, and adjusts the speed or output of the air conditioner 1 by changing the frequency of the AC power as necessary.

[0019] The cooling air inlets 12a and 12b are disposed on the bottom surface of the electrical equipment room 16, and the air in the first regions 5a and 5b of the duct 5 is introduced into the electrical equipment room 16 through the cooling air inlets 12a and 12b. Also, guide plates 22a and 22b are disposed in the electrical equipment room 16 to guide the air flowing into the electrical equipment room 16 through the cooling air inlets 12a and 12b in a direction toward the inverter device 21. The guide plates 22a and 22b are examples of the guide members according to the present disclosure. Also, the above-mentioned ventilation holes 13a and 13b are disposed on the side walls of the electrical equipment room 16, and air flows in and out between the electrical equipment room 16 and the gap 3a. The ventilation holes 13a and 13b are disposed on the side walls of the electrical equipment room 16 near the outdoor unit room 15. Further, the distance between the ventilation openings 13a, 13b and the outdoor unit room 15 is set to be smaller than the distance between the cooling air inlets 12a, 12b and the outdoor unit room 15.

[0020] (Indoor machine room) Two indoor unit fans 23a, 23b and two indoor unit heat exchangers 24a, 24b are arranged in the indoor unit room 17. The indoor unit heat exchangers 24a, 24b are also components of the refrigeration circuit described below. In the indoor unit heat exchangers 24a, 24b, heat is exchanged between the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit and the air passing through the indoor unit heat exchangers 24a, 24b. The return air inlets 9a, 9b and the air outlet 10 described above are arranged on the bottom surface of the indoor unit room 17.

[0021] The above-mentioned housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b are arranged on the side walls of the indoor unit room 17. The housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b and the side air inlets 8a, 8b are arranged spaced apart from each other in the travel direction of the railcar 2. Therefore, when facing the side air inlets 8a, 8b from the outside of the cover 3, the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b cannot be seen through the side air inlets 8a, 8b. As a result, even if rainwater is blown into the gap 3a from the side air inlets 8a, 8b during rainfall, the rainwater is not blown directly into the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b. Therefore, the intrusion of rainwater into the interior of the indoor unit room 17 is suppressed. As a result, the intrusion of rainwater into the interior of the railcar 2 is suppressed.

[0022] Two expansion valves 25a, 25b are arranged inside the indoor unit room 17. The expansion valves 25a, 25b are also components of a refrigeration circuit, which will be described later, and are devices that adiabatically expand the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration circuit.

[0023] (Compressor room) Two compressors 26a, 26b are disposed in the compressor chamber 18. The compressors 26a, 26b are elements that constitute a refrigeration circuit, which will be described later, and are devices that adiabatically compress the refrigerant circulating within the refrigeration circuit.

[0024] (Refrigeration circuit) The outdoor unit heat exchanger 20a, the indoor unit heat exchanger 24a, the expansion valve 25a, and the compressor 26a are connected via refrigerant piping (not shown) to form a first refrigeration circuit. The outdoor unit heat exchanger 20b, the indoor unit heat exchanger 24b, the expansion valve 25b, and the compressor 26b are also connected via refrigerant piping (not shown) to form a second refrigeration circuit. That is, the air conditioner 1 is equipped with two sets of refrigeration circuits. The indoor unit heat exchangers 24a and 24b function as heat absorbers that make the refrigerant absorb the heat carried by the air in the passenger compartment of the railcar 2, thereby cooling the air in the passenger compartment of the railcar 2. The outdoor unit heat exchangers 20a and 20b function as radiators that release the heat carried by the refrigerant to the outside of the railcar 2. In this way, in this embodiment, the air conditioner 1 functions as a cooler that cools the air in the passenger compartment of the railcar 2. Furthermore, the first and second refrigeration circuits may be provided with a four-way valve for changing the direction in which the refrigerant flows, so that the air conditioner 1 functions as a combined heating and cooling machine.

[0025] (Air flow in the indoor unit room) Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the indoor unit room 17 of the air conditioner 1, cut along the plane shown by line VII-VII in Fig. 6. Return air RA that flows from the passenger compartment of the railway car 2 through a ventilation opening (not shown) into the first regions 5a, 5b of the duct 5 flows into the indoor unit room 17 through the return air inlets 9a, 9b, as shown in Fig. 7.

[0026] As described above, the fresh air FA flows into the gap 3a between the housing 4 and the cover 3 via the side air inlets 8a, 8b (not shown in FIG. 7). The fresh air FA that flows into the gap 3a flows into the indoor unit room 17 via the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b.

[0027] The return air RA and fresh air FA that flow into the indoor unit room 17 are mixed there. The mixed air is sucked by the indoor unit fans 23a, 23b and sent to the indoor unit heat exchangers 24a, 24b, where it is cooled to generate cooled air CA. The cooled air CA is sent to the second area 5c of the duct 5 via the air outlet 10. The cooled air CA sent to the second area 5c flows into the passenger compartment of the railway car 2 through a vent (not shown).

[0028] In this manner, in the indoor unit room 17, the return air RA flowing in via the return air inlets 9a, 9b and the fresh air FA flowing in via the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b are mixed and cooled to generate cooled air CA. The cooled air CA is sent out to the passenger compartment of the railway car 2 via the air outlet 10 and the second region 5c of the duct 5. As a result, the passenger compartment of the railway car 2 is cooled and ventilated.

[0029] The return air inlets 9a, 9b may be covered with a filter, a grill, a wire mesh, a punched metal, or other elements that cause pressure loss. By providing the return air inlets 9a, 9b with elements that cause pressure loss, the pressure loss that occurs at the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b becomes relatively small, so that the amount of fresh air FA that flows into the indoor unit room 17 via the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b increases. As a result, the ventilation volume increases.

[0030] 8 and 9 are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration of the housing-side air inlets 11a and 11b. As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the housing-side air inlets 11a and 11b are provided with a filter 11c and a damper 11d. The filter 11c is a dustproof filter that filters out dust contained in the fresh air FA. Providing the filter 11c in the housing-side air inlets 11a and 11b suppresses the intrusion of dust into the passenger compartment of the railway vehicle 2. Note that it is sufficient for the filter 11c to have a dustproof function, and there are no limitations on the material and mechanical configuration thereof.

[0031] Damper 11d is a device that is driven by an electric motor (not shown) and arbitrarily adjusts the opening degree of housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b. In Fig. 8, damper 11d is in a fully closed state, and in Fig. 9, damper 11d is in a fully open state. The opening degree of damper 11d can be arbitrarily selected between the fully closed state and the fully open state. In this way, since the air conditioning device 1 is provided with damper 11d at the housing-side air inlets 11a, 11b, the flow rate of fresh air FA flowing into the indoor unit room 17 can be adjusted as necessary.

[0032] Furthermore, in the case-side air inlets 11a and 11b, the filter 11c is disposed outside the damper 11d, so that it is easy to insert a hand from the outside of the case 4 and replace the filter 11c.

[0033] (Air flow in electrical equipment rooms) 10 is a cross-sectional view of the electric device room 16 of the air conditioner 1, cut along the plane indicated by the line XX in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 10, the inverter device 21 is mounted on the heat sink 27 and is in thermal contact with the heat sink 27. A part of the heat sink 27 protrudes into the second region 5c of the duct 5. Therefore, heat generated by the inverter device 21 is transferred to the heat sink 27 and dissipated from the heat sink 27 toward the cooling air CA (not shown in FIG. 10) in the second region 5c of the duct 5. In other words, the inverter device 21 is cooled by the cooling air CA flowing in the second region 5c of the duct 5.

[0034] As described above, the cooling air inlets 12a, 12b are arranged on the bottom plate of the electric equipment room 16. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, the return air RA in the first regions 5a, 5b of the duct 5 flows into the electric equipment room 16 through the cooling air inlets 12a, 12b. The return air RA that flows into the electric equipment room 16 is guided by the guide plates 22a, 22b and flows toward the inverter device 21 to cool the inverter device 21. The return air RA that has cooled the inverter device 21 is discharged to the outside of the railway vehicle 2 through the vents 13a, 13b and the gap 3a.

[0035] In addition, in order to cool the inverter device 21, a high wind speed is required rather than a large air volume. Therefore, in this embodiment, the guide plates 22a and 22b are provided to increase the flow speed of the return air RA that hits the inverter device 21. Also, since the inverter device 21 generates heat locally, it is required to concentrate the cooling air at the portion where the heat is generated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the guide plates 22a and 22b are provided to guide the return air RA to the portion of the inverter device 21 where heat is generated.

[0036] (Flow dividing member) FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the air conditioner 1 cut along the plane indicated by the line XI-XI in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 11, the second region 5c of the duct 5 is provided with a flow dividing member 28. The flow dividing member 28 is provided with an inclined surface that descends toward the right in FIG. 11 and an inclined surface that descends toward the left. Therefore, when the flow of the cooling air CA discharged from the indoor unit blowers 23a, 23b and heading vertically downward collides with one of the inclined surfaces, the cooling air CA flows toward the right in the figure in the second region 5c of the duct 5. When the flow of the cooling air CA collides with the other inclined surface, the cooling air CA flows toward the left in the figure in the second region 5c of the duct 5. In this way, the flow dividing member 28 can divide the flow of the cooling air CA flowing into the second region 5c of the duct 5 into a flow toward the right and a flow toward the left in the figure. In other words, the flow of the cooling air CA can be divided into a flow toward the front end and a flow toward the rear end of the railcar 2 (not shown in FIG. 11). This makes it easier for the cooling air CA to reach the front and rear ends of the railway vehicle 2.

[0037] (Modification) Fig. 12 is a plan view showing the configuration of an air conditioner 1 according to a modified example, following Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 12, the air conditioner 1 according to the modified example is characterized in that it is provided with end face air inlets 29 at the front and rear ends of the cover 3, and is provided with a communication port 30 in the partition wall 14 that separates the electric equipment chamber 16 and the indoor unit chamber 17.

[0038] The end surface air inlet 29 is another example of the cover-side air inlet according to the present disclosure. That is, the air conditioning device 1 according to the modified example is characterized in that, in addition to the side surface air inlets 8a and 8b, the end surface air inlet 29 is provided as a cover-side air inlet. By providing the end surface air inlet 29 as a cover-side air inlet in addition to the side surface air inlets 8a and 8b, the flow rate of fresh air FA flowing into the gap 3a increases. Therefore, the ventilation capacity of the air conditioning device 1 is improved. Note that the side surface air inlets 8a and 8b may be eliminated, and only the end surface air inlet 29 may be provided as the cover-side air inlet.

[0039] In the above, an example has been shown in which the air conditioning apparatus 1 is provided with the side air inlets 8a, 8b, the end surface air inlet 29, and the communication port 30, but the air conditioning apparatus 1 may alternatively have the side air inlets 8a, 8b and the end surface air inlet 29 but not the communication port 30. Also, the air conditioning apparatus 1 may alternatively have the side air inlets 8a, 8b and the communication port 30 but not the end surface air inlet 29.

[0040] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrical equipment room 16 of the air conditioner 1 shown in FIG. 12, cut along the plane indicated by the line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12. As described above, the air conditioner 1 according to the modified example is provided with a communication port 30 in the partition wall 14 that separates the electrical equipment room 16 from the indoor unit room 17, so that the air in the electrical equipment room 16 flows through the communication port 30 (not shown in FIG. 13) to the indoor unit room 17 (not shown in FIG. 13) and is sucked in by the indoor unit fans 23a, 23b (not shown in FIG. 13). As a result, the electrical equipment room 16 becomes negative pressure relative to the outside air, so that the return air RA flows from the first regions 5a, 5b of the duct 5 through the cooling air inlets 12a, 12b into the electrical equipment room 16. In addition, fresh air FA flows into the electrical equipment room 16 from outside the railcar 2 through the gap 3a and the vents 13a, 13b. In this way, since the fresh air FA flows into the electric device room 16 in addition to the return air RA, the inverter device 21 is cooled more effectively.

[0041] (Blower) Finally, the configuration of the indoor unit blowers 23a and 23b provided in the air conditioner 1 shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 12 will be described. The indoor unit blowers 23a and 23b are centrifugal type blowers. The impellers provided in the centrifugal type blowers are roughly classified into a sirocco fan provided with blades having an airfoil shape inclined in the direction of rotation, i.e., inclined forward, in a cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, and a turbo fan provided with blades having an airfoil shape inclined in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation, i.e., inclined backward, in a cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. Generally, a sirocco fan is considered to be advantageous when a large volume of air is required. A turbo fan is considered to be advantageous when high pressure is required.

[0042] FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of the impeller 31 provided in the indoor unit blowers 23a and 23b. As shown in FIG. 14, the impeller 31 includes a disk-shaped main plate 31a, an annular shroud 31b, and a number of blades 31c. The blades 31c are arranged radially with respect to the rotation center 31d of the impeller 31, and are sandwiched between the main plate 31a and the shroud 31b. When the impeller 31 rotates, air is sucked in from the center of the shroud 31b and flows into the inside of the impeller 31. The air that has flowed into the inside of the impeller 31 passes through the gaps between the blades 31c and 31c and is discharged in a direction away from the rotation center 31d of the impeller 31, that is, in the centrifugal direction.

[0043] Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the blade 31c included in the impeller 31 shown in Fig. 14, cut along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the impeller 31 (not shown in Fig. 15). As shown in Fig. 15, the cross-sectional shape of the blade 31c is inclined backward with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller 31 at the inner side, i.e., at a portion close to the rotation center 31d of the impeller 31. In other words, at this portion, the blade 31c is inclined in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the impeller 31 as it moves away from the rotation center 31d. In this way, the impeller 31 has the characteristics of a turbofan at a portion close to the rotation center 31d. The blade 31c has a turbofan shape at a portion close to the rotation center 31d.

[0044] On the other hand, on the outside of the impeller 31, that is, in the portion far from the rotation center 31d of the impeller 31, the cross-sectional shape of the blade 31c is inclined forward with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller 31. That is, in this portion, the blade 31c is inclined toward the rotation direction of the impeller 31 the further it is from the rotation center 31d. In this way, the impeller 31 has the characteristics of a sirocco fan in the portion far from the rotation center 31d. The blade 31c has a sirocco fan shape in the portion far from the rotation center 31d.

[0045] In this way, the impeller 31 has the characteristics of a turbofan on the inner circumference side and the characteristics of a sirocco fan on the outer circumference side. Therefore, the same high efficiency as a turbofan is obtained on the inner circumference side of the impeller 31. A large air volume similar to that of a sirocco fan is obtained on the outer circumference side of the impeller 31. Therefore, by providing the impeller 31, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the indoor unit blowers 23a, 23b. In turn, it is possible to reduce the size and weight of the air conditioning device 1.

[0046] As described above, in this embodiment, the housing-side air inlets 11a and 11b are disposed away from the end face air inlet 29 and the side face air inlets 8a and 8b. Therefore, even if rainwater flows in from the end face air inlet 29 and the side face air inlets 8a and 8b, it is difficult for the rainwater to reach the housing-side air inlets 11a and 11b. As a result, the intrusion of rainwater from the housing-side air inlets 11a and 11b is suppressed, so that even during precipitation, a necessary amount of outside air can be introduced through the housing-side air inlets 11a and 11b, and the cabin of the railway car 2 can be sufficiently ventilated. As a result, the sanitary environment of the cabin of the railway car 2 is improved.

[0047] In addition, since the heat sink 27 thermally connected to the inverter device 21 is disposed in the second region 5c of the duct 5 through which the air that has passed through the indoor unit room 17 flows, the cooling performance of the inverter device 21 is improved. Furthermore, since the cooling air inlets 12a, 12b are provided in the electric device room 16 to introduce the air within the passenger compartment of the railway car 2 into the electric device room 16, the cooling performance of the inverter device 21 is further improved.

[0048] Since the inverter device 21 is an electrical device, damage due to condensation is an issue, but in this embodiment, the relatively high-temperature return air RA is introduced into the electrical device room 16, thereby suppressing the occurrence of condensation in the inverter device 21. Also, since the low-temperature cooling air CA comes into contact with the heat sink 27, condensation is likely to occur, but since the heat sink 27 is not an electrical device, no major problems will occur even if condensation occurs.

[0049] In addition, the impeller 31 equipped to the indoor unit blowers 23a, 23b has the characteristics of a turbo fan on the inner peripheral side and the characteristics of a sirocco fan on the outer peripheral side, so that it is easy to make the impeller 31 and the indoor unit blowers 23a, 23b small and lightweight.

[0050] In addition, because the impeller 31 has the above-mentioned characteristics, it can be made smaller in size than a conventional sirocco fan. Also, it is possible to increase the static pressure while maintaining the same air volume as a sirocco fan. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to increase the amount of ventilation and maintain a high level of hygiene in the vehicle interior.

[0051] Furthermore, the impeller 31 can increase the static pressure of the cooling air CA flowing through the second region 5c, so that a decrease in flow rate caused by pressure loss occurring when the cooling air CA hits the heat sink 27 can be reduced.

[0052] The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The present disclosure can be freely modified, changed, or improved within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims.

[0053] In the above, an example was shown in which the air conditioner 1 is equipped with two sets of refrigeration circuits, but the air conditioner according to the present disclosure is not limited to being equipped with two sets of refrigeration circuits. The air conditioner according to the present disclosure may be equipped with only one set of refrigeration circuits.

[0054] Although the guide plates 22a and 22b are shown as specific examples of the guide members disposed between the inverter device 21 and the cooling air inlets 12a and 12b, the guide members are not limited to plate-shaped members. Any guide member that physically guides the air introduced from the cooling air inlets 12a and 12b to the inverter device 21 is sufficient, and the shape or configuration of the guide member is not limited. The guide member may be a pipe material or a box-shaped member.

[0055] The flow diverting member 28 arranged in the second region 5c of the duct 5 is sufficient as long as it has a function of diverting the flow of the cooling air CA flowing into the second region 5c of the duct 5 into a flow toward the front end of the railcar 2 and a flow toward the rear end of the railcar 2, and the shape and mechanical configuration of the flow diverting member 28 are not limited. In particular, the gradient of the slope of the flow diverting member 28 is not limited to that shown in the figure. The gradient of the slope of the flow diverting member 28 can be selected arbitrarily. The slope of the flow diverting member 28 is not limited to one having a uniform gradient. In other words, the slope of the flow diverting member 28 is not limited to one that can be represented by a straight line in the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 11. The slope of the flow diverting member 28 may have a gradient that changes continuously. In other words, the slope of the flow diverting member 28 may be one that can be represented by a curve in the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 11.

[0056] In addition, the side air inlets 8a, 8b and the end air inlet 29 may be provided with grilles to prevent the intrusion of rainwater into the side air inlets 8a, 8b and the end air inlet 29.

[0057] In the above, an example was shown in which the damper 11d is provided at the housing side air inlets 11a and 11b, but the damper 11d is not an essential component of the housing side air inlets 11a and 11b. The housing side air inlets 11a and 11b may not be provided with the damper 11d. [Industrial Applicability]

[0058] The present disclosure can be suitably used as an air conditioning device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 air conditioner, 2 railway vehicle, 3 cover, 3a gap, 4 housing, 5 duct, 5a, 5b first area, 5c second area, 6 intake grill, 7a, 7b exhaust grill, 8a, 8b side air inlet, 9a, 9b return air inlet, 10 air outlet, 11a, 11b housing side air inlet, 11c filter, 11d damper, 12a, 12b cooling air inlet, 13a, 13b vent, 14 partition, 15 outdoor unit room, 16 electrical equipment room, 17 indoor unit room, 18 compressor room, 19 outdoor unit blower, 20a, 20b outdoor unit heat exchanger, 21 inverter device, 22a, 22b guide plate, 23a, 23b indoor unit blower, 24a, 24b Indoor unit heat exchanger, 25a, 25b expansion valve, 26a, 26b compressor, 27 heat sink, 28 flow dividing member, 29 end face air inlet, 30 communication port, 31 impeller, 31a main plate, 31b shroud, 31c blade, 31d rotation center, RA return air, FA fresh air, CA cooling air

Claims

1. An air conditioning device mounted on a railway vehicle, A housing for mounting devices constituting the air conditioning apparatus; a cover disposed above the housing and covering an upper surface and a side surface of the housing, the side surface of the cover being spaced from the side surface of the housing; The housing includes: an indoor unit room in which a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between air flowing in from a passenger compartment of the railway vehicle and a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration circuit and a blower that sends out the air that has completed heat exchange in the heat exchanger toward the passenger compartment are disposed; a housing-side air inlet port that introduces air in a gap between a side surface of the cover and a side surface of the housing into the indoor unit room; the cover includes a cover-side air inlet that introduces air from outside the vehicle into a gap between a side surface of the cover and a side surface of the housing, The cover-side air inlet and the housing-side air inlet are disposed at a distance from each other in the front-rear direction in the traveling direction of the railcar. Air conditioning equipment.

2. The cover side air inlet is provided on a side surface of the cover. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The cover-side air inlet is provided on front and rear end surfaces of the cover in the running direction of the railway vehicle. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

4. A damper is provided for adjusting the opening degree of the housing side air inlet. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

5. a duct disposed between the housing and a roof of the railroad vehicle, the duct transporting air between a passenger compartment of the railroad vehicle and the indoor machine room; The duct includes a first region through which air is transported from a vehicle cabin of the railcar to the indoor unit room, and a second region through which air is transported from the indoor unit room to the vehicle cabin of the railcar, The housing includes: an electric device room in which an inverter device for supplying power to devices constituting the air conditioning apparatus is disposed; a heat sink thermally connected to the inverter device and disposed within the second region; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The electrical equipment room is disposed adjacent to the indoor unit room, The housing includes: A partition wall separating the electric device chamber and the indoor unit chamber is provided with a communication port for circulating air, a cooling air inlet for introducing a portion of the air flowing through the first region into the electrical equipment compartment; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 5.

7. an induction member provided between the cooling air inlet and the inverter device, the induction member guiding the air introduced through the cooling air inlet to the inverter device; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The housing includes: a vent hole for allowing air to circulate between a gap between a side surface of the cover and a side surface of the housing and the electrical device chamber; The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 6.

9. a duct disposed between the housing and a roof of the railroad vehicle, the duct transporting air between a passenger compartment of the railroad vehicle and the indoor machine room; The duct includes a first region through which air is transported from a vehicle cabin of the railcar to the indoor unit room, and a second region through which air is transported from the indoor unit room to the vehicle cabin of the railcar, a dividing member is provided in the second area of ​​the duct to divide the flow of air flowing from the indoor unit room into a flow toward the front end of the railcar and a flow toward the rear end of the railcar, The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1.

10. A portion of a cross section of a blade constituting an impeller of the blower, obtained by cutting the blade along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis of the impeller, near the center of rotation of the impeller is inclined backward with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller, A portion of the cross-sectional shape far from the rotation center of the impeller is inclined forward with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller. The air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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