air conditioning unit

Abstract

To sufficiently evaporate drain water and to improve system efficiency of a refrigerant circuit by surely guiding the drain water generated in an evaporator to a condenser, and elongating an adhesion time of the drain water in the condenser.SOLUTION: An air conditioner 1 in which a cooler 30 and a heater 40 constituting a part of a refrigerant circuit are vertically successively disposed from an upper side and housed in a housing 10 has: drain water receiving portions 101, 102 disposed between the cooler and the heater and receiving the drain water dropping from the cooler; and a guide member 103 for guiding the drain water dropping to the drain water receiving portions to the heater. The heater has a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending in a vertical direction, and header portions disposed at both ends in the vertical direction of the plurality of heat exchange tubes. A guide portion is disposed so that the drain water flows from one end at a drain water receiving portion side toward the other end, and the other end is kept into contact with the header portion at the vertical upper side of the heater or the neighborhood of the header portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an air conditioner is known in which a set of devices necessary for air conditioning, such as devices (compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve, etc.) constituting a refrigerant circuit and a blower, are housed in a casing. In such an air conditioner, there is one configured such that the evaporator and the condenser are arranged in this order from the upper side in the vertical direction, and the drain water generated in the evaporator is dropped onto the condenser and evaporated.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, a radiator (condenser) has a heat radiating member with a heat radiating planar region facing upward, and the dew water (drain water) generated in the evaporator is dropped onto the planar region of the radiator to make the dew water stay on the heat radiating member for a long time, thereby increasing the evaporation amount of the dew water. An air conditioner configured as such is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, when an air conditioner as described above is installed at a non-horizontal location, or due to the accuracy of the components constituting the air conditioner or the assembly accuracy, the drain water may not be properly guided to the condenser, and there is a risk that the drain water cannot be sufficiently evaporated in the condenser. In such a case, problems such as an increase in the drain water to be processed or a decrease in the operating efficiency of the air conditioner may occur.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to provide an air conditioning system that can reliably guide the drain water generated in the evaporator to the condenser, extend the adhesion time of the drain water in the condenser to allow the drain water to evaporate sufficiently, and improve the system efficiency of the refrigerant circuit by effectively utilizing the cold energy of the drain water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioning system in which a cooler and a heater constituting a part of a refrigerant circuit are arranged in order from the vertically upper side and housed in a housing, comprising: a drain water receiving section provided between the cooler and the heater for receiving drain water dripping from the cooler; and a guide section for guiding the drain water dripping from the drain water receiving section to the heater, wherein the heater has a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending in the vertical direction and header sections provided at both vertical ends of the plurality of heat exchange tubes, and the guide section is provided such that drain water flows from one end on the drain water receiving section side to the other end, and the other end is in contact with the header section on the vertically upper side of the heater or in the vicinity of the header section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the drain water generated in the evaporator is reliably guided to the condenser, and the adhesion time of the drain water in the condenser is extended, allowing the drain water to evaporate sufficiently. Furthermore, by effectively utilizing the cold energy of the drain water, the system efficiency of the refrigerant circuit can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing a schematic internal configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a side view showing the schematic internal configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and in particular illustrating the drainage mechanism. [Figure 4]A perspective view showing an example of a condenser applied to an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing an example in which a guide member is provided in a condenser applied to an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a guide member applied to an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a side view illustrating the drainage mechanism of an air conditioning system related to a comparative example. [Figure 8] This is a side view illustrating the drainage mechanism of an air conditioning system related to a comparative example. [Figure 9] This is a side view illustrating the drainage mechanism of an air conditioning system related to a comparative example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] Figures 1 and 2 show a schematic configuration of the air conditioning system 1 according to this embodiment. The air conditioning system 1 comprises a housing 10, a compressor 20 housed within the housing 10, an evaporator (cooler) 30, a condenser (heater) 40, a first blower 50, a second blower 60, an expansion mechanism 70, and a control device 80.

[0012] In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 1 houses the evaporator 30 and condenser 40 in a casing 10, arranged in order from the top vertically. In the air conditioning unit 1, air flows through the evaporator 30 and condenser 40 in the front-to-back direction. In other words, in the air conditioning unit 1, air flows from the back to the front through the evaporator 30, and from the front to the back through the condenser 40, thereby facilitating heat exchange between the air passing through the evaporator 30 and condenser 40 and the refrigerant. The direction of air flow to the evaporator 30 and condenser 40 is perpendicular to the vertical direction, which is the direction in which the evaporator 30 and condenser 40 extend.

[0013] On the front of the housing 10, a control panel 11 is provided at a position corresponding to the accommodation position of the control device 80, an air outlet 12 is provided at a position corresponding to the accommodation position of the evaporator 30, and an air suction port 13 is provided at a position corresponding to the accommodation position of the second blower 60. On the back of the housing 10, an air suction port (not shown) is provided at a position corresponding to the accommodation position of the first blower 50, and an exhaust port (not shown) is provided at a position corresponding to the accommodation position of the condenser 40.

[0014] The compressor 20, evaporator 30, condenser 40, and expansion mechanism 70 accommodated in the housing 10 are connected by refrigerant pipes to form a refrigerant circuit in which the refrigerant circulates. In the refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 20 and discharged as high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows into the condenser 40 and dissipates heat by exchanging heat with the air blown from the second blower 60 and passing through the condenser 40.

[0015] The high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 40 is decompressed and expanded by the expansion mechanism 70 to become low-pressure refrigerant and flows into the evaporator 30. The low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 30 absorbs heat by exchanging heat with the air blown by the first blower 50 and passing through the evaporator 30, and returns to the compressor 20 after flowing out of the evaporator 30. The refrigerant flowing into the compressor 20 is compressed again, repeating the above cycle.

[0016] The first blower 50 is arranged on the upstream side in the air flow direction of the evaporator 30 and blows the air taken in from the suction port provided on the back of the housing 10 to the evaporator 30. The air blown from the first blower 50 to the evaporator 30 is cooled by absorbing heat from the refrigerant in the process of passing through the evaporator 30. The cooled air is blown out as cold air from the air outlet 12 of the housing 10.

[0017] The second blower is arranged on the upstream side of the condenser 40 in the air flow direction, and blows the air taken in from the suction port 13 provided on the front surface of the housing 10 to the condenser 40. The air blown from the second blower 60 to the condenser 40 exchanges heat with the refrigerant while passing through the condenser 40, and flows out from an exhaust port (not shown) provided on the back surface of the housing 10.

[0018] The control device 80 has a substrate (not shown) to which various electronic components including an inverter (not shown) are attached, and controls the rotational speed of the motor that operates the compressor 20 by, for example, converting and outputting the voltage and frequency of the power supplied from the power source. Further, the control device 80 receives the signal input to the control panel 11, and controls the air conditioner 1 according to the received signal.

[0019] In addition to the above-described components, the air conditioner 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a drainage mechanism 100 for draining the drain water shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a simplified side view of the inside of the air conditioner 1, and air flows along the direction of the white arrow. The drainage mechanism 100 includes a first drain water receiving portion 101 and a second drain water receiving portion 102 that are arranged on the lower side in the vertical direction of the evaporator 30 and receive the drain water dripping from the evaporator 30, and a guide member 103 that guides the drain water received by the first drain water receiving portion 101 and the second drain water receiving portion 102 to the condenser 40.

[0020] The first drain water receiving portion 101 is provided on the lower side in the vertical direction of the evaporator 30 and on the downstream side in the air flow direction of the evaporator 30 (on the upper side in the vertical direction of the condenser 40 and on the upstream side in the air flow direction of the condenser 40). The first drain water receiving portion 101 is provided to be inclined (downward to the right in FIG. 3) toward the condenser 40 so that the drain water W (shown in gray in FIG. 3) dripping from the evaporator 30 flows toward the condenser 40.

[0021] The second drain water receiving section 102 is located vertically below the evaporator 30 and upstream of the evaporator 30 in the air flow direction (vertically above the condenser 40 and downstream of the condenser 40 in the air flow direction). The second drain water receiving section 102 is inclined toward the first drain water receiving section 101 (down to the left in Figure 3) so that the drain water W dripping from the evaporator 30 flows down into the first drain water receiving section 101.

[0022] The guide member 103 is provided such that one end is connected to the condenser 40 side end of the first drain water receiving section 101 and the other end is in contact with the vertically upper side of the condenser 40. By the guide member 103 being in contact with the vertically upper side of the condenser 40, the drain water W that flows from the first drain water receiving section 101 and the second drain water receiving section 102 to the guide member 103 is guided to the vertically upper side of the condenser 40 and drips vertically downward along the condenser 40. Therefore, the drain water W adheres to the heat exchange tube for the time it flows along the height of the condenser 40 and evaporates as it flows through the condenser 40.

[0023] Furthermore, it is more preferable to provide the guide member 103 so as to be in contact with the vertically upper side of the condenser 40 and the upstream side in the air flow direction. Since air is pumped into the condenser 40 by the second blower 60, the drain water W guided by the guide member 103 to the upstream side in the air flow direction and the vertically upper side of the condenser 40 flows down vertically from the condenser 40 while simultaneously flowing along the air flow direction. Therefore, the drain water W guided into the condenser 40 adheres to a wide area of ​​the condenser 40 over a long period of time, both vertically and in the air flow direction, allowing the drain water to be efficiently evaporated in the condenser 40.

[0024] In this case, the condensate water W produced in the evaporator 30 is at a lower temperature than the air supplied to the condenser 40. Therefore, by extending the time that the condensate water W adheres to the condenser 40 and allowing it to evaporate, the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 40 can be cooled more effectively than when heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 40 and the air supplied to the condenser 40. In this way, the amount of heat dissipated by the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 40 can be increased compared to when condensate water W is not used, and consequently, the amount of heat absorbed by the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator 30 can also be increased, thereby improving the system efficiency of the refrigerant circuit. Furthermore, since the air blown out from the evaporator 30 can be cooled more effectively, the cooling capacity can be improved.

[0025] Furthermore, by applying an elastic material such as rubber to the guide member 103, the ability of the guide member 103 to follow the condenser 40 is improved, and the drain water W can be guided to the condenser 40 more reliably.

[0026] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes the case in which the first drain water receiving portion 101 and the guide member 103 are independent components, the first drain water receiving portion and the guide member may be integrally molded so that the first drain water receiving portion has a guide portion. In either case, the guide member or guide portion is provided so that one end is continuous with the condenser 40 side end of the first drain water receiving portion, and the other end of the guide member or guide portion is in contact with the vertically upper side of the condenser 40. By doing so, the drain water W is guided to the vertically upper side of the condenser 40 and dripped vertically downward along the condenser 40, allowing the drain water W to evaporate efficiently.

[0027] (Regarding the example of condenser 40) Here, an example of a condenser 40 in the air conditioning system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 4, the condenser 40 is equipped with a plurality of heat exchange tubes 42 arranged at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the direction of air flow (white arrow in Figure 4). Heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant flowing through the heat exchange tubes 42 and the air as air flows between the plurality of heat exchange tubes 42.

[0028] Furthermore, the condenser 40 includes a plurality of heat transfer fins 43 provided between each heat exchange tube 42 and on both outer sides in the direction of arrangement of the heat exchange tubes 42 (left-right direction in Figure 4), and a pair of covers 44 that cover the heat transfer fins 43 from the outside in the direction of arrangement of the heat exchange tubes 42. Header sections 41 through which refrigerant flows are provided at both vertical ends of the plurality of heat exchange tubes 42.

[0029] The header section 41 has multiple refrigerant flow sections 41a through which the refrigerant flows. The header section 41 is configured by arranging multiple rows of refrigerant flow sections 41a in the direction of air flow, along the direction of arrangement of the heat exchange tubes 42. In other words, the multiple refrigerant flow sections 41a are arranged in a matrix in the direction of air flow and in directions perpendicular to the direction of air flow. In the example shown in Figure 4, the header section 41 has six rows of four refrigerant flow sections 41a arranged in the direction of air flow, along the direction of arrangement of the heat exchange tubes 42, forming a total of 24 refrigerant flow sections 41a.

[0030] With respect to such a condenser 40, the other end of the guide member 103 is provided so as to be in contact with the vertically upward side, and more preferably so as to be in contact with the header portion 41 or the vicinity of the header portion 41 on the upstream side in the air flow direction and the vertically upward side.

[0031] Figure 5 shows an example in which the other end of the guide member 103 is in contact with the header portion 41 of the condenser 40 shown in Figure 4. Note that the first drain water receiving portion 101 and the second drain water receiving portion 102 are not shown in Figure 5. In Figure 5, the guide member 103 is in contact with the upstream side of the header portion 41 in the direction of air flow. The contact point of the guide member 103 with the condenser 40 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 5, and can also be the end of the heat exchange tube 42 on the vertically upper side of the condenser 40 and on the upstream side in the direction of air flow, as in the example shown in Figure 3.

[0032] The guide member 103 is provided such that one end is connected to the condenser 40 side end of the first drain water receiving section 101 and the other end is in contact with the vertically upper side of the condenser 40. When the guide member 103 is in contact with the header section 41, the drain water W that flows from the first drain water receiving section 101 and the second drain water receiving section 102 to the guide member 103 is guided to the header section 41, in particular, between the refrigerant flow section 41a.

[0033] The drain water W introduced between the refrigerant flow sections 41a flows from the header section 41 to the heat exchange tube 42, and then flows vertically downward along the heat exchange tube 42. Therefore, the drain water W adheres to the heat exchange tube for a time corresponding to the length of the heat exchange tube 42 in its extending direction, and evaporates as it flows along the surface of the heat exchange tube 42.

[0034] Furthermore, it is more preferable to provide the guide member 103 so as to be in contact with the upstream side in the airflow direction of the header section 41. Since air is pumped into the condenser 40 by the second blower 60, the drain water W guided by the guide member 103 to the upstream side in the airflow direction of the header section 41 flows vertically downward along the extending direction of the heat exchange tubes 42, while simultaneously flowing along the airflow direction. Therefore, the drain water W guided into the condenser 40 adheres to a wide area of ​​the surface of each heat exchange tube 42 for a long time, so the drain water can be efficiently evaporated in the condenser 40.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), a slit 103A or notch 103B may be provided at the contact position of the guide member 103 with respect to the condenser 40. It is preferable that the slit 103A or notch 103B be provided at the same spacing as the refrigerant flow section 41a. In this way, the guide member 103 can more easily conform to the shape of the condenser 40, and the drain water W dripping from the guide member 103 can be guided to the condenser 40 more reliably.

[0036] In this embodiment, the drainage mechanism 100 has been described in which drainage water from the evaporator 30 is received by a first drainage water receiving section 101 and a second drainage water receiving section 102. However, this does not limit the configuration of the drainage mechanism 100 in which drainage water is received or collected. For example, it can be designed as appropriate, such as a configuration in which drainage water is received by only the first drainage water receiving section.

[0037] Figures 7 to 9 show an air conditioning system relating to a comparative example. The drainage mechanism 200 in the air conditioning system shown in Figures 7 to 9 is located vertically below the evaporator 230 and includes a first drain water receiving section 201 and a second drain water receiving section 202 that receive drain water dripping from the evaporator 230.

[0038] In the drainage mechanism 200, drain water is directly dripped from the first drain water receiving section 201 to the condenser 240. In this case, if the precision of the components and assembly precision of the air conditioning system are high, and the air conditioning system is placed on a horizontal plane and used in an environment where it is not tilted, the drain water is guided to the condenser 240 (see Figure 7). The drain water W then flows vertically through the condenser 240 and also flows along the airflow direction (white arrow in Figure 7) due to the air pumped by the second blower 260.

[0039] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8, due to component precision or assembly precision, the gap between the first drain water receiving section 201 and the condenser 240 may become large, for example. In this case, the end of the first drain water receiving section 201 will not reach the condenser 240, and the drain water will not be guided to the condenser 240. Furthermore, even if the component precision or assembly precision is high and the distance between the first drain water receiving section 201 and the condenser 240 is appropriate, if the air conditioning system is tilted, the drain water will not be guided to the condenser 240 (see Figure 9).

[0040] On the other hand, as described above, according to the air conditioning system of this embodiment, by connecting one end of the guide member 103 to the condenser 40 side end of the first drain water receiving section 101 and providing the other end of the guide member 103 to the vertically upper side of the condenser 40, the guide member 103 reliably guides the drain water W generated in the evaporator 30 to the condenser 40, and extends the adhesion time of the drain water W in the condenser 40, thereby allowing the drain water W to evaporate sufficiently. Furthermore, by effectively utilizing the cold energy of the drain water W, the system efficiency of the refrigerant circuit can be improved.

[0041] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1: Air conditioning unit, 10: Enclosure, 11: Control panel, 12: Air outlet, 13: Air inlet 20: Compressor, 30: Evaporator, 40: Condenser, 41: Header section, 41a: Refrigerant flow section 42: Heat exchange tube, 43: Heat transfer fins, 44: Cover, 70: Expansion mechanism, 80: Control device, 100: Drainage mechanism, 101: First drain water receiving section, 102: Second drain water receiving section, 103: Guide member, 103A: Slit, 103B: Notch, W: Drain water

Claims

1. An air conditioning system in which a cooler and a heater, which constitute a part of the refrigerant circuit, are arranged in order from the top vertically and housed within a casing, A drain water receiving section is provided between the cooler and the heater, and receives the drain water dripping from the cooler, The system includes a guide section that directs the drain water dripping into the drain water receiving section to the heater, The heater has a plurality of heat exchange tubes extending in the vertical direction, and header portions provided at both vertical ends of the plurality of heat exchange tubes. The guide portion is provided such that drain water flows from one end on the drain water receiving side to the other end, and the other end is in contact with the header portion on the vertically upper side of the heater or in the vicinity of the header portion. The header section has a plurality of refrigerant flow sections arranged in a direction perpendicular to the air flow direction, The air conditioning device is provided with a guide portion to guide drain water between a plurality of refrigerant flow portions and has a plurality of slits or notches formed to correspond to the spacing between the arrangement of the plurality of refrigerant flow portions.

2. The other end of the guide portion is provided in the heater so as to be in contact with the header portion or the vicinity of the header portion on the upstream side in the air flow direction and on the vertically upper side, as described in claim 1.

3. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide portion is a guide member with one end connected to the drain water receiving portion.

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