Thermal media circulation device

Abstract

To provide a heat medium circulation device in which a pressure relief valve can be installed together with a gas-liquid separation part while saving a space.SOLUTION: The heat medium circulation device includes: a refrigerant circuit 10 to which a compressor 11, a utilization side heat exchanger 12, an expansion device 13, and a heat source side heat exchanger 14 are connected, and where refrigerant is circulated; a heat medium circuit 20 which circulates a heat medium cooled or heated in the utilization side heat exchanger 12 by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11, to a utilization side terminal 1; a gas-liquid separation part 30 which separates gas in the heat medium circuit 20 from the heat medium; and a pressure relief valve 40 which opens the heat medium circuit 20 to the atmosphere when the heat medium circuit 20 has a predetermined pressure or higher, wherein the pressure relief valve 40 is connected to the gas-liquid separation part 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat medium circulating device that circulates a heat medium to a user terminal through a heat medium circuit having a gas-liquid separator. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an air conditioner that has a separation unit that separates a refrigerant from a heat medium flowing through a heat medium pipe, and that discharges the refrigerant separated in the separation unit to the outside of an air-conditioned space. According to the device of Patent Document 1, even if the refrigerant flows into the heat medium circuit, the refrigerant is discharged to the outside of the air-conditioned space, so that the refrigerant can be prevented from flowing into the heat medium piping installed inside the room. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 154628 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not assume that the gas-liquid separator will be disposed in a limited space such as an outdoor unit.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a heat medium circulating device in which a gas-liquid separator and a pressure relief valve can be installed in a space-saving manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The heat medium circulating device of the present invention according to claim 1 comprises a refrigerant circuit 10, which is connected to a compressor 11, a user-side heat exchanger 12, an expansion device 13, and a heat-source-side heat exchanger 14, and through which a refrigerant circulates; a heat medium circuit 20, which circulates the heat medium cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger 12 by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11, to a user-side terminal 1; a gas-liquid separation unit 30, which separates gas in the heat medium circuit 20 from the heat medium; a pressure relief valve 40, which opens the heat medium circuit 20 to the atmosphere when the pressure in the heat medium circuit 20 reaches or exceeds a predetermined pressure; and a release device 50, which releases the gas separated in the gas-liquid separation unit 30; A gas-liquid separation section 30 is disposed in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the use-side heat exchanger 12, and the gas-liquid separation section 30 has a gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​through which the heat medium flows into a cylindrical internal space 31, a gas-liquid separation outlet 33 through which the heat medium flows out from the cylindrical internal space 31, and a pressure relief valve connection port 34 to which the pressure relief valve 40 is connected, the pressure relief valve 40 and the pressure relief valve connection port 34 are connected by a pressure relief valve connection pipe 42, the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​is provided on the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation section 30, the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 and the pressure relief valve connection port 34 are provided on the side surface of the gas-liquid separation section 30, and the pressure relief valve connection port 34 is disposed at a position higher than the gas-liquid separation outlet 33. The gas-liquid separation unit 30 is disposed at a position higher than the utilization side heat exchanger 12, and the pressure relief valve 40 is disposed to the side of the gas-liquid separation unit 30, so that the gas-liquid separation unit 30 and the pressure relief valve 40 are disposed above the utilization side heat exchanger 12. It is characterized by the fact that Claim 2 The heat medium circulating device of the present invention is characterized in that, in the heat medium circulating device of claim 1, the use side heat exchanger 12 has a first heat medium connection port 22x at a lower part of a side surface and a second heat medium connection port 22y at an upper part of the side surface, the heat medium is introduced into the use side heat exchanger 12 from the first heat medium connection port 22x and the heat medium introduced into the use side heat exchanger 12 is discharged from the second heat medium connection port 22y, the second heat medium connection port 22y and the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​are connected by a gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 35, and the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​is positioned higher than the second heat medium connection port 22y. Claim 3 The heat medium circulating device of the present invention described above is Claim 2the gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 35 has a gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section 35a connected to the heat medium second connection port 22y and a gas-liquid separation vertical inlet pipe section 35b connected to the gas-liquid separation inlet 32, the pressure relief valve connection pipe 42 has a horizontal connection pipe section 42a connected to the pressure relief valve connection port 34 and a vertical connection pipe section 42b connected to the pressure relief valve 40, and the horizontal connection pipe section 42a is arranged above the gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section 35a. Claim 4 The heat medium circulating device of the present invention described above is Claim 3 In the heat medium circulating device described in 1. above, the horizontal connecting pipe section 42a is arranged in parallel with the gas-liquid separation horizontal inflow pipe section 35a. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, by connecting a pressure relief valve to the gas-liquid separator, it is possible to reduce the space required for the heat medium circuit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a heat medium circulating device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of an outdoor unit of the heat medium circulator. [Figure 3] A side view showing the main parts of the outdoor unit [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a gas-liquid separation unit used in this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a gas-liquid separator and a pressure relief valve used in this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a heat medium chamber of the outdoor unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In a heat medium circulating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, a pressure relief valve is connected to a gas-liquid separation unit, and the gas-liquid separation unit is arranged in a heat medium circuit downstream of a user-side heat exchanger. The gas-liquid separation unit has a gas-liquid separation inlet through which the heat medium flows into a cylindrical internal space, a gas-liquid separation outlet through which the heat medium flows out of the cylindrical internal space, and a pressure relief valve connection port to which the pressure relief valve is connected. The pressure relief valve and the pressure relief valve connection port are connected by a pressure relief valve connection pipe. The gas-liquid separation inlet is provided on the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation unit, and the gas-liquid separation outlet and the pressure relief valve connection port are provided on the side surface of the gas-liquid separation unit. The pressure relief valve connection port is arranged at a position higher than the gas-liquid separation outlet. The gas-liquid separation unit is disposed at a position higher than the user-side heat exchanger, and the pressure relief valve is disposed to the side of the gas-liquid separation unit, so that the gas-liquid separation unit and the pressure relief valve are disposed above the user-side heat exchanger. According to this embodiment, by connecting a pressure relief valve to the gas-liquid separation section, it is possible to save space in the heat medium circuit. Furthermore, by connecting the pressure relief valve to the pressure relief valve connection port with a pressure relief valve connection pipe, the pressure relief valve can be connected to the gas-liquid separation section. Furthermore, even if a malfunction occurs in the operation of the gas-liquid separation section, the pressure relief valve can allow gas to flow out, thereby improving safety.

[0010] The present invention No. 2 In this embodiment, in the heat medium circulating device according to the first embodiment, the use-side heat exchanger has a first heat medium connection port at a lower part of a side surface and a second heat medium connection port at an upper part of the side surface, the heat medium is introduced into the use-side heat exchanger through the first heat medium connection port and discharged from the use-side heat exchanger through the second heat medium connection port, the second heat medium connection port and a gas-liquid separation inlet are connected by a gas-liquid separation inlet in a position higher than the second heat medium connection port. According to this embodiment, a gas-liquid separation unit can be arranged above the use-side heat exchanger, thereby saving space in the heat medium circuit.

[0011] The present invention Third The embodiment of the present invention is No. 2In the heat medium circulating apparatus according to the embodiment, the gas-liquid separation inlet pipe has a gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section connected to the heat medium second connection port and a gas-liquid separation vertical inlet pipe section connected to the gas-liquid separation inlet, the pressure relief valve connection pipe has a horizontal connection pipe section connected to the pressure relief valve connection port and a vertical connection pipe section connected to the pressure relief valve, and the horizontal connection pipe section is arranged above the gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section. According to this embodiment, the gas-liquid separation section and the pressure relief valve can be arranged above the user-side heat exchanger, thereby saving space in the heat medium circuit.

[0012] The present invention Fourth The embodiment of the present invention is Third In the heat medium circulating device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal connecting pipe section is arranged parallel to the gas-liquid separation horizontal inflow pipe section. According to this embodiment, the user side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separation section, and the pressure relief valve can be arranged in a limited space. [Example]

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a heat medium circulating device according to this embodiment. The heat medium circulating device according to this embodiment includes a refrigerant circuit 10 and a heat medium circuit 20. In the refrigerant circuit 10, a compressor 11, a user-side heat exchanger 12, an expansion device 13, and a heat-source-side heat exchanger 14 are connected by refrigerant piping, and the refrigerant circulates. The heat medium circuit 20 circulates the heat medium heated in the use-side heat exchanger 12 by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to the use-side terminal 1. The heat medium circuit 20 is provided with a gas-liquid separator 30 that separates the gas in the heat medium circuit 20 from the heat medium, and a transfer pump 21 that circulates the heat medium. The heat medium circuit 20 is further provided with a pressure relief valve 40. In this embodiment, the pressure relief valve 40 is connected to the gas-liquid separation unit 30. A discharge device 50 that discharges the gas separated in the gas-liquid separation unit 30 is connected to the gas-liquid separation unit 30.

[0014] The transfer pump 21 is disposed in the indoor unit 2. The refrigerant circuit 10 preferably includes a four-way valve 15 for switching the flow of the refrigerant. A blower 16 is provided at a position opposite the heat source side heat exchanger 14 . The refrigerant used is propane, which is a flammable refrigerant, although any of the mildly flammable refrigerants R1234yf, R1234ze, and R32 may be used instead of the flammable refrigerant. The heat transfer medium is water or antifreeze. The gas-liquid separator 30 and the pressure relief valve 40 are disposed in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the utilization-side heat exchanger 12 .

[0015] The outdoor unit 3 is divided into a heat medium chamber 3a (see FIG. 2), a machine chamber 3b, and an air blower chamber 3c. The heat medium chamber 3a is arranged with at least a part of the user-side heat exchanger 12, a gas-liquid separator 30, a pressure relief valve 40, and a discharge device 50. The machine chamber 3b is arranged with the compressor 11, an expansion device 13, and a four-way valve 15. The blower chamber 3c is arranged with the heat source-side heat exchanger 14 and a blower 16.

[0016] The heat medium can be heated or cooled by switching the four-way valve 15 . When heating a heat medium, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows sequentially through the user-side heat exchanger 12, the expansion device 13, and the heat-source-side heat exchanger 14, and the refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion device 13 and absorbs heat in the heat-source-side heat exchanger 14 before being drawn into the compressor 11. In this way, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 is caused to flow through the user-side heat exchanger 12, thereby heating the heat medium. When cooling a heat medium, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 flows sequentially through the heat source side heat exchanger 14, the expansion device 13, and the user side heat exchanger 12, and the refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion device 13 and absorbs heat in the user side heat exchanger 12 before being drawn into the compressor 11. In this way, the heat medium can be cooled by flowing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 through the heat source side heat exchanger 14.

[0017] The heat medium cooled or heated in the use-side heat exchanger 12 is transported to the use-side terminal 1 by the transport pump 21, and the heat medium that absorbs or releases heat at the use-side terminal 1 is returned to the use-side heat exchanger 12.

[0018] In particular, when a plate-type heat exchanger is used as the user-side heat exchanger 12, there is a possibility that the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 10 may be mixed into the heat medium circuit 20 due to damage to the user-side heat exchanger 12. In this way, the refrigerant leaked into the heat medium circuit 20 can be separated from the liquid-phase heat medium in the gas-liquid separator 30 and then discharged from the discharge device 50 . The gas-liquid separation section 30 is arranged in the heat medium circuit 20 downstream of the user-side heat exchanger 12 within the outdoor unit 3, thereby preventing refrigerant leaking into the heat medium circuit 20 from being discharged to the user-side terminal 1. The gas-liquid separation section 30 may be placed downstream of the user side heat exchanger 12 and upstream of the user side terminal 1, or upstream of the indoor unit 2 if an indoor unit 2 is provided, but it is preferable to place it within the outdoor unit 3, as in this embodiment. The gas-liquid separation unit 30 can separate the leaked refrigerant as well as the air present in the heat medium circuit 20. In particular, it is used to bleed air from the heat medium circuit 20 when filling the heat medium circuit 20 with a heat medium, for example, when installing a heat medium circulating device. In this embodiment, the conveying pump 21 is disposed in the indoor unit 2, but the conveying pump 21 may be disposed in the outdoor unit 3. When the conveying pump 21 is disposed in the outdoor unit 3, it is preferable to dispose it in the heat medium chamber 3a.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the outdoor unit of the heat medium circulator. The outdoor unit 3 has a wall material 60 disposed between a bottom surface material outer periphery 3d and a top surface material outer periphery 3e. The wall material 60 has a first wall material 61 and a second wall material 62 adjacent to the first wall material 61. The heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b are separated by a first partition plate 71. An opening is provided in the first partition plate 71 to ensure ventilation between the heat medium chamber 3a and the machine chamber 3b. The machine chamber 3b and the blower chamber 3c are separated by a second partition plate 72, dividing the outdoor unit 3 into the heat medium chamber 3a, the machine chamber 3b, and the blower chamber 3c. The first partition plate 71 prevents the heat medium leaking from the pressure relief valve 40 from splashing onto the compressor 11 arranged in the machine chamber 3b. One side edge 71x (see FIG. 3) of the first partition plate 71 abuts against the first wall surface member 61, and the other side edge 71y of the first partition plate 71 abuts against the second wall surface member 62. The heat medium chamber 3 a is formed by a space surrounded by the first partition plate 71 , the first wall surface member 61 , and the second wall surface member 62 . In this way, by forming the heat medium chamber 3a at the corner of the outdoor unit 3 using the adjacent first wall material 61 and second wall material 62, it is possible to form the heat medium chamber 3a at a position where the heat medium will not affect the compressor 11, the expansion device 13, and the heat source side heat exchanger 14 even if the heat medium leaks. Therefore, since the heat medium chamber 3a in which the user-side heat exchanger 12, the gas-liquid separator 30, and the pressure relief valve 40 are arranged is separated from the machine chamber 3b and the blower chamber 3c, even if the heat medium leaks, the compressor 11, the expansion device 13, and the heat source-side heat exchanger 14 are not affected by the heat medium. The first wall member 61 has an opening 80 formed therein.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the main part of the outdoor unit. An opening 80 is provided in the first wall member 61 at a position corresponding to the operating lever 41 of the pressure relief valve 40. The opening 80 is provided in a position corresponding to the heat medium chamber 3a, which is separated from the machine chamber 3b by the first partition plate 71. The opening 80 formed in the first wall member 61 is located in the heat medium chamber 3a and does not open to the machine chamber 3b. By not opening to the machine chamber 3b, it is possible to prevent the heat medium from leaking from the heat medium chamber 3a into the machine chamber 3b, even if the heat medium leaks. A pressure relief valve 40 is disposed opposite the opening 80. The pressure relief valve 40 releases the heat medium to the atmosphere when the pressure in the heat medium circuit 20 reaches or exceeds a predetermined pressure, thereby preventing the heat medium circuit 20 from reaching an abnormal pressure exceeding the predetermined pressure. The pressure relief valve 40 has an operating lever 41. By manually operating the operating lever 41, the heat medium can be released from the heat medium circuit 20 to the atmosphere. The operating lever 41 of the pressure relief valve 40 can be operated through the opening 80, and the pressure relief valve 40 can be used when sealing the heat medium in the heat medium circuit 20 or when discharging the heat medium from the heat medium circuit 20. Although not shown in the drawings, when there is no need to operate the operating lever 41, the opening 80 is closed by a lid. Fastening holes are provided above and below the opening 80, and the lid is attached to the first wall member 61 by attaching fasteners 81 to these fastening holes.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the gas-liquid separation unit used in this embodiment, where FIG. 4(a) is a perspective view with a part cut away from the gas-liquid separation unit, and FIG. 4(b) is a diagram showing the gas-liquid separation inlet and the gas-liquid separation outlet of the gas-liquid separation unit. The gas-liquid separation section 30 has a gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​through which the heat transfer medium flows into the cylindrical internal space 31, a gas-liquid separation outlet 33 through which the heat transfer medium flows out of the cylindrical internal space 31, and a pressure relief valve connection port 34 to which a pressure relief valve 40 is connected. The gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​is provided on the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation section 30 , and the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 and the pressure relief valve connection port 34 are provided on the side surface of the gas-liquid separation section 30 . In this way, by making the heat medium flow in from the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation section 30 and flow out from the side surface of the gas-liquid separation section 30, a high gas-liquid separation rate can be expected. The gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​is eccentric from the imaginary axis 31x of the cylindrical internal space 31 at a position away from the gas-liquid separation outlet 33. Therefore, the time that the heat transfer medium flowing in from the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​remains in the cylindrical internal space 31 until it flows out from the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 can be extended, and a high gas-liquid separation rate can be expected. The bottle diameter 31R of the cylindrical internal space 31 is set to be at least twice the inlet diameter 32R of the gas-liquid separation inlet 32. Therefore, the flow rate of the heat transfer medium flowing in from the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​can be reduced, and a high gas-liquid separation rate can be expected. The outlet diameter 33R of the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 is equal to or larger than the inlet diameter 32R. Therefore, the flow velocity of the heat transfer medium flowing out from the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 can be made lower than the flow velocity of the heat transfer medium flowing in from the gas-liquid separation inlet 32, and a high gas-liquid separation rate can be expected. The discharge device 50 has a float 51 therein, and the gas separated in the gas-liquid separator 30 moves to the top of the float 51. When no gas is present in the discharge device 50, the float 51 is located at the top of the discharge device 50.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a side view showing the gas-liquid separator and pressure relief valve used in this embodiment. The gas-liquid separation outlet 33 is disposed at a height 33h that is less than half the bottle height 31h of the cylindrical internal space 31. It is more preferable that the height 33h of the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 is less than one-third of the bottle height 31h of the cylindrical internal space 31. Therefore, a space in which the gas resides can be formed at a position 34h that is higher than the height 33h of the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 in the cylindrical internal space 31, and a high gas-liquid separation rate can be expected. Here, the height 33h of the gas-liquid separation outlet 33 is the height from the bottom surface of the cylindrical internal space 31 to the center of the outlet diameter 33R of the gas-liquid separation outlet 33. The pressure relief valve connection port 34 is disposed at a position 34h that is higher than the height 33h of the gas-liquid separation outlet 33. Therefore, even if a malfunction occurs in the operation of the gas-liquid separation unit 30, the gas can be discharged by the pressure relief valve 40, thereby improving safety. The pressure relief valve 40 and the pressure relief valve connection port 34 are connected by a pressure relief valve connection pipe 42 . The pressure relief valve connecting pipe 42 has a horizontal connecting pipe section 42a connected to the pressure relief valve connecting port 34 and a vertical connecting pipe section 42b connected to the pressure relief valve 40. The pressure relief valve 40 may be connected directly to the gas-liquid separation section 30 without passing through the pressure relief valve piping 42. The gas introduced into the discharge device 50 is discharged from the discharge port 52, and when the gas is discharged from the discharge port 52, the float 51 (see FIG. 4) is positioned at the upper end of the discharge device 50 to close the discharge port 52.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a heat medium chamber of the outdoor unit. The utilization side heat exchanger 12 has a shape in which a height 12h is larger than a width 12w and a depth 12b. The utilization side heat exchanger 12 has a first heat medium connection port 22x at the lower part of the side surface and a second heat medium connection port 22y at the upper part of the side surface. The utilization side heat exchanger 12 also has a first refrigerant connection port 17x at the bottom of the side surface and a second refrigerant connection port 17y at the top of the side surface. The heat medium is introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 from the first heat medium connection port 22x, and the heat medium introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 is discharged from the second heat medium connection port 22y. When heating a heat medium, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 11 is introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 from the second refrigerant connection port 17y, and the refrigerant introduced into the use-side heat exchanger 12 is discharged from the first refrigerant connection port 17x.

[0024] The second heat medium connection port 22y and the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​are connected by a gas-liquid separation inlet pipe . The gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 35 has a gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section 35a connected to the second heat medium connection port 22y and a gas-liquid separation vertical inlet pipe section 35b connected to the gas-liquid separation inlet 32. The gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​is positioned higher than the second heat medium connection port 22y.

[0025] In this way, by providing the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​on the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation unit 30 and positioning the gas-liquid separation inlet 32 ​​higher than the second heat medium connection port 22y, it is easy to arrange the gas-liquid separation unit 30, which needs to be installed at a high position in the heat medium circuit 20, and the gas-liquid separation unit 30 can be arranged above the user-side heat exchanger 12, thereby saving space in the heat medium circuit 20. In particular, by arranging the gas-liquid separation section 30 at a position higher than the utilization side heat exchanger 12 and arranging the pressure relief valve 40 to the side of the gas-liquid separation section 30, the gas-liquid separation section 30 and the pressure relief valve 40 are arranged above the utilization side heat exchanger 12, thereby enabling space saving in the heat medium chamber 3a. In addition, since the gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 35 has a gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section 35a and a gas-liquid separation vertical inlet pipe section 35b, the flow direction of the heat medium discharged from the user side heat exchanger 12 is changed before flowing into the gas-liquid separation section 30, so a high gas-liquid separation rate can be expected. Furthermore, by connecting the pressure relief valve 40 to the gas-liquid separator 30, the space required for the heat medium circuit 20 can be saved. In particular, by positioning the pressure relief valve 40 higher than the utilization side heat exchanger 12 and arranging the pressure relief valve 40 in the space above the utilization side heat exchanger 12, the space above the utilization side heat exchanger 12 can be effectively utilized, thereby achieving space saving in the heat medium circuit 20. Furthermore, by arranging the horizontal connection pipe section 42a connected to the pressure relief valve connection port 34 above the gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section 35a, the gas-liquid separation section 30 and the pressure relief valve 40 can be arranged above the user-side heat exchanger 12, thereby saving space in the heat medium circuit 20. In particular, by arranging the horizontal connecting pipe section 42a in parallel with the gas-liquid separation horizontal inflow pipe section 35a, the utilization side heat exchanger 12, the gas-liquid separation section 30, and the pressure relief valve 40 can be arranged within a limited space.

[0026] An outlet joint 36 is connected to the gas-liquid separation outlet 33, and a first heat medium connecting pipe 23 is connected to the first heat medium connecting port 22x. An inlet joint 37 is connected to the first heat medium connecting pipe 23. The outlet joint 36 and the inlet joint 37 protrude outward from the second wall surface member 62 located in the heat medium chamber 3a. The heat medium chamber 3a is formed in a corner of the outdoor unit 3 by using the adjacent first wall surface material 61 and second wall surface material 62, so that the outlet joint 36 and the inlet joint 37 can be easily protruded from the outdoor unit 3.

[0027] [Configuration supported by the above embodiment] The above embodiment supports the following configurations:

[0028] (Configuration 1) a heat medium circulating device comprising: a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a user-side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a heat-source-side heat exchanger are connected, and in which a refrigerant circulates; a heat medium circuit in which the heat medium is cooled or heated in the user-side heat exchanger by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, and the cooled or heated heat medium is circulated to a user-side terminal; a gas-liquid separator that separates gas in the heat medium circuit from the heat medium; and a pressure relief valve that opens the heat medium circuit to the atmosphere when the pressure in the heat medium circuit reaches or exceeds a predetermined pressure, wherein the pressure relief valve is connected to the gas-liquid separator. According to this configuration, by connecting a pressure relief valve to the gas-liquid separator, it is possible to reduce the space required for the heat medium circuit.

[0029] (Configuration 2) The heat medium circulating device according to Configuration 1, wherein the gas-liquid separation unit is arranged in the heat medium circuit downstream of the user-side heat exchanger, and the gas-liquid separation unit has a gas-liquid separation inlet through which the heat medium flows into the cylindrical internal space, a gas-liquid separation outlet through which the heat medium flows out from the cylindrical internal space, and a pressure relief valve connection port to which the pressure relief valve is connected, and the pressure relief valve and the pressure relief valve connection port are connected by a pressure relief valve connection pipe. According to this configuration, the pressure relief valve can be connected to the gas-liquid separator by connecting the pressure relief valve and the pressure relief valve connection port with a pressure relief valve connection pipe.

[0030] (Configuration 3) 3. The heat medium circulating device according to configuration 2, wherein the gas-liquid separation inlet is provided on a bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation unit, the gas-liquid separation outlet and the pressure relief valve connection port are provided on a side surface of the gas-liquid separation unit, and the pressure relief valve connection port is disposed at a position higher than the gas-liquid separation outlet. According to this configuration, even if a malfunction occurs in the operation of the gas-liquid separator, the gas can be released by the pressure relief valve, thereby improving safety.

[0031] (Configuration 4) 4. The heat medium circulating device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the pressure relief valve is disposed in a space above the utilization-side heat exchanger. According to this configuration, the space above the utilization-side heat exchanger can be effectively utilized, and space for the heat medium circuit can be saved.

[0032] (Configuration 5) the heat medium circulating device according to Configuration 2 or 3, wherein the use-side heat exchanger has a first heat medium connection port at a lower part of a side surface and a second heat medium connection port at an upper part of the side surface, the heat medium is introduced into the use-side heat exchanger from the first heat medium connection port and the heat medium introduced into the use-side heat exchanger is discharged from the second heat medium connection port, the second heat medium connection port and the gas-liquid separation inlet are connected by a gas-liquid separation inlet pipe, and the gas-liquid separation inlet is positioned higher than the second heat medium connection port. According to this configuration, the gas-liquid separator can be disposed above the user-side heat exchanger, thereby saving space in the heat medium circuit.

[0033] (Configuration 6) the gas-liquid separation inlet pipe has a gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section connected to the second heat medium connection port and a gas-liquid separation vertical inlet pipe section connected to the gas-liquid separation inlet; the pressure relief valve connection pipe has a horizontal connection pipe section connected to the pressure relief valve connection port and a vertical connection pipe section connected to the pressure relief valve; and the horizontal connection pipe section is arranged above the gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section. According to this configuration, the gas-liquid separator and the pressure relief valve can be disposed above the user-side heat exchanger, thereby saving space in the heat medium circuit.

[0034] (Configuration 7) 5. The heat medium circulating device according to configuration 4, wherein the horizontal connecting pipe section is arranged in parallel with the gas-liquid separation horizontal inflow pipe section. According to this configuration, the heat medium discharged from the utilization side heat exchanger can be accommodated in a limited space, allowing the utilization side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator, and the pressure relief valve to be disposed within the limited space. [Industrial Applicability]

[0035] The present invention is particularly suitable for a heat medium circulating system that uses a flammable refrigerant. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1. User terminal 2 indoor units 3 Outdoor unit 3a Heat medium room 3b Machine room 3c ventilation room 3d bottom material outer circumference 3e Ceiling material periphery 10 Refrigerant circuit 11 Compressor 12 User side heat exchanger 12b Depth 12h height 12w width 13 Expansion device 14 Heat source side heat exchanger 15 Four-way valve 16 Blower 17x Refrigerant No. 1 Connection 17y Refrigerant No. 2 connection port 20 Heat carrier circuit 21 Transfer pump 22x Heat Transfer Medium No. 1 Connection Port 22y Heat medium second connection port 23 Heat medium first connecting pipe 30 Gas-liquid separation section 31 Cylindrical interior space 31h Bottle Height 31R bottle diameter 31x virtual axis center line 32 Gas-liquid separation inlet 32R inlet diameter 33 Gas-liquid separation outlet 33h height 33R outlet diameter 34 Pressure relief valve connection port 34h position 35 Gas-liquid separation inlet pipe 35a Gas-liquid separation side inflow pipe section 35b Gas-liquid separation vertical inlet pipe section 36 Outlet fitting 37 Inlet fitting 40 Pressure relief valve 41 Operating lever 42 Pressure relief valve connecting pipe 42a Horizontal connecting pipe section 42b Vertical connecting pipe section 50 Release device 51 Float 52 Outlet 60 Wall materials 61 First wall material 62 Second wall material 71 First partition 71x one side 71y other side 72 Second partition 80 Opening 81 Fasteners

Claims

1. a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a user-side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a heat source-side heat exchanger are connected and in which a refrigerant circulates; a heat medium circuit that circulates the heat medium cooled or heated in the use-side heat exchanger by the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the use-side terminals; a gas-liquid separator that separates gas in the heat medium circuit from the heat medium; a pressure relief valve that opens the heat medium circuit to the atmosphere when the pressure in the heat medium circuit becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure; a discharging device that discharges the gas separated in the gas-liquid separation unit; Equipped with The pressure relief valve is connected to the gas-liquid separator; the gas-liquid separation unit is disposed in the heat medium circuit downstream of the utilization side heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separation unit has a gas-liquid separation inlet through which the heat medium flows into the cylindrical internal space, a gas-liquid separation outlet through which the heat medium flows out from the cylindrical internal space, and a pressure relief valve connection port to which the pressure relief valve is connected, The pressure relief valve and the pressure relief valve connection port are connected by a pressure relief valve connection pipe; the gas-liquid separation inlet is provided on a bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation unit, and the gas-liquid separation outlet and the pressure relief valve connection port are provided on a side surface of the gas-liquid separation unit, The pressure relief valve connection port is disposed at a position higher than the gas-liquid separation outlet, The gas-liquid separation unit is disposed at a position higher than the user-side heat exchanger, and the pressure relief valve is disposed to the side of the gas-liquid separation unit, so that the gas-liquid separation unit and the pressure relief valve are disposed above the user-side heat exchanger. A heat medium circulating device characterized by:

2. the use-side heat exchanger has a first heat medium connection port at a lower part of a side surface and a second heat medium connection port at an upper part of the side surface, the heat medium is introduced into the use-side heat exchanger from the heat medium first connection port, and the heat medium introduced into the use-side heat exchanger is discharged from the heat medium second connection port; the second heat medium connection port and the gas-liquid separation inlet are connected by a gas-liquid separation inlet pipe; The gas-liquid separation inlet is located at a higher position than the second heat medium connection port. The heat medium circulating device according to claim 1 .

3. the gas-liquid separation inlet pipe has a gas-liquid separation horizontal inlet pipe section connected to the heat medium second connection port and a gas-liquid separation vertical inlet pipe section connected to the gas-liquid separation inlet, the pressure relief valve connecting pipe has a horizontal connecting pipe portion connected to the pressure relief valve connecting port and a vertical connecting pipe portion connected to the pressure relief valve, The horizontal connection pipe section is disposed above the gas-liquid separation horizontal inflow pipe section. The heat medium circulating device according to claim 2 .

4. 4. The heat medium circulating device according to claim 3, wherein the horizontal connecting pipe section is arranged in parallel with the gas-liquid separation horizontal inflow pipe section.

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