Outdoor unit and air conditioning device equipped with same

Abstract

This outdoor unit comprises a housing in which an air suction port is formed in a side surface and an air blowout port is formed in an upper surface, a blower which is provided in an upper portion of the housing and which blows air upward, and a heat exchanger which is provided below the blower inside the housing, is provided along the side surface in an air suction space serving as a duct for air sucked into the blower from the suction port, and which causes heat to be exchanged between a refrigerant and air, wherein: the heat exchanger includes one or more rows of heat exchange portions arranged along the side surface, and one or more lower headers which are provided on the lower side of the one or more rows of heat exchange portions and which are each connected to any one row of the one or more rows of heat exchange portions; the one or more rows of heat exchange portions are each formed by arranging a plurality of straight tube portions, extending in the vertical direction, along the side surface with gaps therebetween; each of the one or more lower headers extends in the arrangement direction of the plurality of straight tube portions and is connected to lower end portions of the plurality of straight tube portions of the connected heat exchange portion, among the one or more rows of heat exchange portions; and an inlet and an outlet for the refrigerant in the heat exchanger are provided in the one or more lower headers.

Description

Outdoor unit and air conditioner equipped with same

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a top-flow type outdoor unit and an air conditioner equipped with the outdoor unit.

[0002] A top-flow outdoor unit that blows air upward is known, which includes a heat exchanger having a plurality of flat tubes arranged with gaps between them and an inlet header and an outlet header arranged on either side of the extension direction of the flat tubes and connected to each end of the plurality of flat tubes (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such an outdoor unit is provided with refrigerant piping connected to the inlet header, which is provided with a refrigerant inlet for the heat exchanger, and the outlet header, which is provided with a refrigerant outlet for the heat exchanger. In the outdoor unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, the heat exchanger is disposed within the housing of the outdoor unit so that the extension direction of the flat tubes is horizontal and the extension direction of the inlet header is vertical. Furthermore, in the heat exchanger of Patent Document 1, the internal space of the inlet header is vertically divided into a plurality of chambers by a plurality of partition plates, and refrigerant piping from a distributor is connected to each chamber in the inlet header.

[0003] International Publication No. 2022 / 209919

[0004] However, in the outdoor unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, a refrigerant inlet is also provided in the upper half of the heat exchanger, and therefore refrigerant piping connected to the inlet is also arranged in the upper half of the air intake space (i.e., the space where the heat exchanger is provided) inside the outdoor unit's housing, through which air drawn into the upper fan passes. Generally, in top-flow outdoor units, the air speed is faster in the upper space of the air intake space than in the lower space. In the outdoor unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, refrigerant piping connected to the heat exchanger inlet is arranged above the vertical center of the air intake space, i.e., in the area where the air speed is high. This increases ventilation resistance and reduces the airflow, resulting in reduced heat exchanger performance.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an outdoor unit and an air conditioning apparatus equipped with the outdoor unit that can more effectively suppress the deterioration of heat exchanger performance due to the influence of airflow generated by refrigerant piping connected to the heat exchanger than conventional methods.

[0006] The outdoor unit according to the present disclosure comprises a housing having an air intake formed on a side surface and an air outlet formed on an upper surface thereof, a blower provided on an upper portion of the housing and blowing the air upward, and a heat exchanger provided inside the housing below the blower and along the side surface in an air intake space that serves as an air passage for the air drawn into the blower from the intake, the heat exchanger exchanging heat between a refrigerant and the air, the heat exchanger being provided with one or more heat exchange units along the side surface and one or more heat exchange units provided below the one or more heat exchange units, each of which is in front and one or more lower headers connected to any one of the one or more rows of heat exchange units, each of which is composed of a plurality of straight pipe sections extending in the vertical direction and arranged with gaps along the side surface, each of which extends in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections and is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections of the heat exchange unit to which it is connected among the one or more rows of heat exchange units, and each of which has an inlet and an outlet for the refrigerant in the heat exchanger.

[0007] An air conditioner according to the present disclosure includes the outdoor unit described above and an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit by a connection pipe.

[0008] According to the outdoor unit and the air conditioner including the outdoor unit of the present disclosure, the deterioration of heat exchanger performance caused by the influence of airflow generated by refrigerant piping connected to the heat exchanger can be suppressed more than ever before.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioning apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the internal configuration of an outdoor unit according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the outdoor heat exchanger shown in FIG. 2 as seen from one side in the air flow direction. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating wind speed distribution in the outdoor unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the arrangement of each device and piping in the outdoor unit of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the internal configuration of an outdoor unit according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the internal configuration of an outdoor unit according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the internal configuration of an outdoor unit according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example of the outdoor heat exchanger in the outdoor unit according to Embodiment 4.

[0010] Hereinafter, an outdoor unit and an air conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same or equivalent parts, and these are common throughout the following embodiments. In addition, the size relationships between the components in the drawings may differ from those in reality.

[0011] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioning apparatus 300 according to Embodiment 1. In FIG. 1, solid arrows indicate the direction of refrigerant flow during cooling operation, and dashed arrows indicate the direction of refrigerant flow during heating operation. As shown in FIG. 1, an outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1 constitutes the air conditioning apparatus 300 together with an indoor unit 200 that performs indoor air conditioning. The air conditioning apparatus 300 has a refrigerant circuit 9 that circulates refrigerant by connecting a compressor 91, a flow switching device 92, an indoor heat exchanger 94, an expansion mechanism 93, an outdoor heat exchanger 1 (hereinafter also referred to as a heat exchanger), and an accumulator 95 via refrigerant piping P. The outdoor unit 100 includes the compressor 91, the flow switching device 92, the expansion mechanism 93, the outdoor heat exchanger 1, and the accumulator 95. The indoor unit 200 includes the indoor heat exchanger 94. The outdoor unit 100 is equipped with an outdoor blower 7 (hereinafter also referred to as a blower), and the indoor unit 200 is equipped with an indoor blower (not shown).

[0012] The air conditioning apparatus 300 is not limited to the components shown in the figure, and may include other components, may omit some components, or may have components in different locations. For example, the flow path switching device 92 and the accumulator 95 may be omitted from the refrigerant circuit 9. A container for temporarily storing refrigerant may be provided in the refrigerant circuit 9 at a position other than the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 91. The expansion mechanism 93 may be provided in the indoor unit 200 instead of the outdoor unit 100.

[0013] The compressor 91 compresses the refrigerant it draws in, and discharges it in a high-temperature, high-pressure state. The compressor 91 is, for example, a positive displacement compressor that has a configuration in which the operating capacity (frequency) can be changed and is driven by a motor controlled by an inverter.

[0014] The flow path switching device 92 is, for example, a four-way valve that switches the refrigerant flow path. During cooling operation, the flow path switching device 92 connects the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 91 to one of the inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 (inlets 11 and outlets 12 shown in FIG. 3 , which will be described later) and switches the refrigerant flow path to connect the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 91 to the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 94. During heating operation, the flow path switching device 92 connects the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 91 to the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 94 and switches the refrigerant flow path to connect the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 91 to the other of the inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 (inlets 11 and outlets 12 shown in FIG. 3 , which will be described later). The flow path switching device 92 may be configured by combining two-way valves or three-way valves.

[0015] The indoor heat exchanger 94 functions as an evaporator during cooling operation, exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion mechanism 93 and the air. The indoor heat exchanger 94 also functions as a condenser during heating operation, exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 91 and the air. The indoor heat exchanger 94 draws indoor air using an indoor blower (not shown), and supplies the air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant into the room.

[0016] The expansion mechanism 93 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 9 to expand it, and is configured, for example, by an electronic expansion valve whose opening is variably controlled.

[0017] The outdoor heat exchanger 1 functions as a condenser during cooling operation, exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 91 and the air. The outdoor heat exchanger 1 also functions as an evaporator during heating operation, exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion mechanism 93 and the air. The outdoor heat exchanger 1 draws in outdoor air using the outdoor blower 7, and discharges the air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant to the outside.

[0018] The accumulator 95 is provided on the intake side of the compressor 5 and is intended to store excess refrigerant that occurs due to differences in operating conditions between cooling and heating, or excess refrigerant that occurs due to transient changes in operation.

[0019] The outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 are connected by connecting pipes (refrigerant pipes Pc1 and Pc2). A part of the refrigerant pipes P (refrigerant pipes Po) that connect the devices in the refrigerant circuit 9 is provided in the outdoor unit 100, another part of the refrigerant pipes P (refrigerant pipes Pi) is provided in the indoor unit 200, and the remaining parts of the refrigerant pipes P are connecting pipes (refrigerant pipes Pc1 and Pc2).

[0020] 1 , the refrigerant piping P connecting the devices in the refrigerant circuit 9 includes refrigerant piping Po provided in the outdoor unit 100, and includes piping sections Po1, Po2, Po3, Po4, Po5, and Po6. The piping section Po1 connects the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 91 to the flow path switching device 92. The piping section Po2 connects the flow path switching device 92 to the outdoor heat exchanger 1. The piping section Po3 connects the outdoor heat exchanger 1 to the refrigerant piping Pc2 of the connecting piping. The piping section Po3 is provided with the expansion mechanism 93. The piping section Po4 connects the refrigerant piping Pc1 of the connecting piping to the flow path switching device 92. The piping section Po5 connects the flow path switching device 92 to the accumulator 95. The piping section Po6 connects the accumulator 95 to the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 91.

[0021] The air conditioning apparatus 300 also includes a control device (not shown) that controls the refrigeration cycle. Specifically, the control device controls actuators such as the compressor 91, the flow path switching device 92, and the expansion mechanism 93. The control device is configured, for example, by a microcomputer having a control arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control device also has a storage device (not shown) that stores program data for processing procedures related to control, etc. The control arithmetic processing device then executes processing based on the program data to achieve control. Note that the configuration of the control device is not limited to the above configuration.

[0022] Next, the operation of the air conditioner 300 during cooling operation will be described. High-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 91 passes through the flow switching device 92 and flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 1, where it exchanges heat with air and condenses and liquefies. The condensed and liquefied refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion mechanism 93 to become a low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, which flows to the indoor heat exchanger 94, where it exchanges heat with air and gasifies. The gasified refrigerant passes through the flow switching device 92 and the accumulator 95 and is drawn into the compressor 91. During cooling operation, the above cycle is repeated. Meanwhile, in the indoor heat exchanger 94, the air is cooled by exchanging heat with the refrigerant, and is supplied to the room to cool the room.

[0023] Next, the operation of the air conditioner 300 during heating operation will be described. High-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 91 passes through the flow switching device 92 and flows to the indoor heat exchanger 94, where it exchanges heat with air and condenses and liquefies. The condensed and liquefied refrigerant is decompressed by the expansion mechanism 93 to become a low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, which flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 1, where it exchanges heat with air and gasifies. The gasified refrigerant passes through the flow switching device 92 and the accumulator 95 and is drawn into the compressor 91. During heating operation, the above cycle is repeated. Meanwhile, in the indoor heat exchanger 94, air is heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant and is supplied to the room to heat the room.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1. Of the devices provided inside the outdoor unit 100, Fig. 2 only shows the outdoor heat exchanger 1 and the outdoor blower 7, and omits the compressor 91 and other devices. The outline arrows shown in Fig. 2 indicate the flow directions of air drawn into the outdoor unit 100 and air blown out from the outdoor unit 100. Below, the structure of the housing 8 of the outdoor unit 100 and the arrangement of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 and the outdoor blower 7 within the housing 8 will be described with reference to Fig. 2.

[0025] In the following description, terms indicating directions (such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "rear") are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding, but these terms are for the purpose of explanation and do not limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, these directional terms refer to directions when the outdoor unit 100 is viewed from the front as shown in Figure 2, and each figure indicates the front-to-rear direction (direction of arrow Y), the up-down direction (direction of arrow Z), and the left-to-right direction (direction of arrow X).

[0026] 2, the outdoor unit 100 has a housing 8 that forms an outer shell. The outdoor unit 100 is a top-flow type outdoor unit in which an air outlet Ao is provided on the top surface of the housing 8 and an outdoor blower 7 is provided above the housing 8 to blow air upward.

[0027] The housing 8 has a bottom plate 83 that forms the bottom surface, side surfaces 81 extending upward from each edge of the bottom plate 83, and a bell mouth 82 that forms the top. In the first embodiment, the housing 8 is defined as having a rectangular shape in a plan view and four side surfaces 81: a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side. That is, in the first embodiment, the housing 8 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the first embodiment, the left side surface 81 and the right side surface 81 that face each other among the four side surfaces 81 are defined as each having an air intake port Ai consisting of a plurality of holes. The outdoor heat exchanger 1 is disposed on the left side of the housing 8 along the intake port Ai of the left side surface 81, and the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is disposed on the right side of the housing 8 along the intake port Ai of the right side surface 81.

[0028] The shape of the housing 8 is not limited to a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the number and arrangement of the side surfaces 81 of the housing 8 along which the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is arranged, i.e., the number and arrangement of the outdoor heat exchangers 1 provided in the housing 8, are not limited to the above number and arrangement. For example, an air intake port Ai may be formed in each of the front side surface 81 and the rear side surface 81 of the multiple side surfaces 81 of the housing 8, and the outdoor heat exchanger 1 may be arranged for each of these two side surfaces 81. Furthermore, for example, an air intake port Ai may be formed in only one side surface 81 of the multiple side surfaces 81 of the housing 8, and the outdoor heat exchanger 1 may be arranged for only this side surface 81.

[0029] The outdoor blower 7 is disposed directly below the air outlet Ao on the top surface of the housing 8. A bell mouth 82 is provided at the air outlet Ao so as to surround the periphery of the outdoor blower 7. A fan guard (not shown) is also attached to the air outlet Ao. The outdoor blower 7 is constituted, for example, by a propeller fan and is driven by a blower motor. When the outdoor blower 7 is driven, air is drawn into the housing 8 through an inlet Ai on the side surface 81, passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 1 disposed along the side surface 81, exchanges heat with the refrigerant, and is then exhausted via the outdoor blower 7 through the air outlet Ao.

[0030] In the first embodiment, as shown by the outline arrows in Fig. 2 , air drawn into the housing 8 from the air inlet Ai on the left side surface 81 toward the right passes through the left outdoor heat exchanger 1 to exchange heat with the refrigerant. Also, air drawn into the housing 8 from the air inlet Ai on the right side surface 81 toward the left passes through the right outdoor heat exchanger 1 to exchange heat with the refrigerant. The air that has passed through the left outdoor heat exchanger 1 and the right outdoor heat exchanger 1 then turns upward and is drawn into the outdoor blower 7, passes through the outdoor blower 7, and is exhausted to the outside of the housing 8 from the upper air outlet Ao.

[0031] In Figure 2, the multiple holes that form the air outlets Ao on the side surface 81 are only shown at the lower and upper parts of the side surface 81, but the air outlets Ao are provided on the side surface 81 from the lower end to the upper end of the opposing outdoor heat exchanger 1. Inside the housing 8, below the outdoor blower 7, an air intake space SP is provided, which serves as an air passage for air drawn from the air inlet Ai to the outdoor blower 7. In the example of Figure 2, within the internal space of the housing 8, the space below the bell mouth 82 that houses the outdoor blower 7 serves as the air intake space SP. The air intake space SP is also the space in which the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is disposed.

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 shown in Figure 2 as viewed from one side in the air flow direction. Specifically, Figure 3 shows the outdoor heat exchanger 1, which is provided along the right side surface 81 of the outdoor unit 100 in Figure 2, as viewed from the right side. The dashed arrows and dashed outline arrows shown in Figure 3 indicate the direction of refrigerant flow in the outdoor heat exchanger 1. Below, the structure of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 and the orientation of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 when installed in the housing 8 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the outdoor heat exchanger 1 has a row of heat exchange sections 2 arranged along a side surface 81 and consisting of a plurality of straight pipe sections 21, each extending in the vertical direction (arrow Z direction), a lower header 3 provided below the heat exchange section 2, and an upper header 4 provided above the heat exchange section 2. In the first embodiment, each straight pipe section 21 is a heat transfer tube 20 having a refrigerant flow path formed therein through which a refrigerant flows in the vertical direction (arrow Z direction). The straight pipe section 21 is made of, for example, aluminum and is, for example, a flat tube. The outdoor heat exchanger 1 is a vertical heat transfer tube heat exchanger (e.g., a VFT heat exchanger) having a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 through which a refrigerant flows in the vertical direction (arrow Z direction).

[0034] In the heat exchange unit 2, the straight pipe sections 21 are arranged horizontally with a gap G between them. Specifically, in the outdoor heat exchanger 1 provided along the right or left side surface 81 of the housing 8 shown in Fig. 2, the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange unit 2 is the front-to-rear direction (the direction of the arrow Y) as shown in Fig. 3.

[0035] The heat exchange section 2 may include a member for promoting heat exchange, such as a corrugated fin, between adjacent straight pipe sections 21. The corrugated fin is made of aluminum, for example.

[0036] 2 and 3 , the lower header 3 extends in the front-to-rear direction (the direction of the arrow Y), i.e., in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21, and is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 that constitute the heat exchange section 2. The lower header 3 is made of, for example, aluminum. The upper header 4 extends in the front-to-rear direction (the direction of the arrow Y), i.e., in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21, and is connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 that constitute the heat exchange section 2. The upper header 4 is made of, for example, aluminum.

[0037] The lower header 3 and the upper header 4 distribute the refrigerant to the plurality of straight pipe sections 21 or merge the refrigerant from the plurality of straight pipe sections 21. As shown in Fig. 3 , in the outdoor heat exchanger 1, of the upper header 4 and the lower header 3, the lower header 3 is provided with a refrigerant inlet 11 and an outlet 12 for the outdoor heat exchanger 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3 , the refrigerant inlet 11 for the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is connected to a flow path switching device 92 by a piping section Po2. Furthermore, the refrigerant outlet 12 for the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is connected to an expansion mechanism 93 by a piping section Po3.

[0038] Here, the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 are defined based on the refrigerant flow when the outdoor heat exchanger 1 functions as a condenser. Therefore, when the outdoor heat exchanger 1 functions as an evaporator, the direction of the refrigerant flow changes, so the inlet 11 shown in Fig. 3 functions as a refrigerant outlet, and the outlet 12 shown in Fig. 3 functions as a refrigerant inlet.

[0039] The lower header 3 also has a partition plate 35 that separates the internal space through which the refrigerant flows (hereinafter also referred to as the header flow path) in the extension direction (direction of arrow Y) of the lower header 3. The refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 are provided on one side and the other side of the extension direction of the lower header 3.

[0040] 3, one partition plate 35 is provided only in the lower header 3 out of the upper header 4 and the lower header 3, but any configuration is possible as long as the refrigerant that flows from the lower header 3 into the outdoor heat exchanger 1 flows out from the lower header 3 to the outside of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 (refrigerant piping P). That is, the partition plate 35 may also be provided in the upper header 4. In this case, the number of partition plates 35 provided in the lower header 3 and the number of partition plates 35 provided in the upper header 4 may be adjusted as appropriate.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 2, in the outdoor unit 100, the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is disposed along the side surface 81 of the housing 8 so that the extension direction of the straight pipe section 21 is the vertical direction (direction of arrow Z). In a configuration in which multiple outdoor heat exchangers 1 are provided inside the housing 8 as shown in Fig. 2, the sides of the piping sections Po2 and Po3 shown in Fig. 1 that are connected to the outdoor heat exchangers 1 are branched into the number of outdoor heat exchangers 1 by providing a distributor (not shown) or the like.

[0042] Next, the refrigerant flow in the outdoor heat exchanger 1 during cooling operation and heating operation of the air conditioning apparatus 300 will be described using Figures 1 and 3. As shown in Figure 1, during cooling operation of the air conditioning apparatus 300, gas refrigerant flows from the flow path switching device 92 through the refrigerant piping P into the lower header 3 (see Figure 3) of the outdoor heat exchanger 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 1 functions as a condenser. As shown in Figure 3, the gas refrigerant that flows into the lower header 3 flows rearward through the header flow paths forward of the partition plate 35 of the lower header 3 and is distributed to the front straight pipe sections 21 connected to the front header flow paths. The gas refrigerant distributed to the front straight pipe sections 21 flows upward in each straight pipe section 21, joins in the upper header 4, is distributed to the rear straight pipe sections 21, and flows downward in each straight pipe section 21. As the gas refrigerant flows through the straight pipe sections 21, i.e., the heat exchange section 2, it condenses and liquefies by exchanging heat with the air flowing through the gaps G between the straight pipe sections 21. The condensed and liquefied refrigerant joins together in the header flow paths rearward of the partition plate 35 of the lower header 3, flows rearward, and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 1.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1 , during heating operation of the air conditioning apparatus 300, two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant flows from the expansion mechanism 93 through the refrigerant piping P into the lower header 3 (see FIG. 3 ) of the outdoor heat exchanger 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 1 functions as a condenser. The refrigerant flow direction at this time is opposite to the direction shown in FIG. 3 . That is, the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant that flows into the lower header 3 flows forward through the header flow path rearward of the partition plate 35 of the lower header 3 and is distributed to the rear straight pipe sections 21 connected to the rear header flow path. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant distributed to the rear straight pipe sections 21 flows upward through each straight pipe section 21, merges in the upper header 4, is distributed to the front straight pipe sections 21, and flows downward through each straight pipe section 21. As the two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant flows through the straight pipe sections 21, i.e., the heat exchange section 2, it exchanges heat with air flowing through the gaps G between the straight pipe sections 21 and is gasified. The gasified refrigerant joins together in the flow paths in the headers on the front side of the partition plate 35 of the lower header 3 , flows forward, and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 .

[0044] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the air velocity distribution in the outdoor unit 100 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a graph of the relationship between the height H in the vertical direction (direction of arrow Z) in the air intake space SP and the air velocity V in the air intake space SP. The arrow Fa shown in Fig. 4 represents the flow of air flowing into the housing 8 from a height H that is above the vertical center position Hm of the air intake space SP on the side surface 81 where the air intake port Ai is provided. Furthermore, the arrow Fb shown in Fig. 4 represents the flow of air flowing into the housing 8 from a height H that is below the vertical center position Hm of the air intake space SP on the side surface 81 where the air intake port Ai is provided.

[0045] 4, the air velocity V increases upward in the air suction space SP, i.e., as it approaches the outdoor blower 7. Therefore, the volume of air sucked into the housing 8 from the portion of the side surface 81 that corresponds to the upper half of the air suction space SP (the flow of which is indicated by arrow Fa) is greater than the volume of air sucked into the housing 8 from the portion of the side surface 81 that corresponds to the lower half of the air suction space SP (the flow of which is indicated by arrow Fb).

[0046] As described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 , in the outdoor heat exchanger 1 of the first embodiment, a lower header 3 constituting the lower portion of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is provided with a refrigerant inlet 11 and an outlet 12. Refrigerant piping P (particularly, piping sections Po2 and Po3) is connected to the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 of the lower header 3. As shown in FIG. 4 , the lower header 3 provided with the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 is disposed in the lower half of the air suction space SP. Therefore, the connection positions between the outdoor heat exchanger 1 and the piping sections Po2 and Po3 can be located in the lower half of the air suction space SP. As described with reference to the graph in FIG. 4 , the air velocity V in the lower half of the air suction space SP is smaller than the air velocity V in the upper half. Therefore, compared to a conventional configuration in which the refrigerant inlet 11 of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is also provided in the upper half of the air suction space SP, the influence of the airflow generated by the refrigerant piping R connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 1 can be reduced. As a result, deterioration of the air velocity distribution due to the refrigerant pipe R connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 1 can be reduced, and the performance of the heat exchanger can be improved.

[0047] In addition, when the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger as described above, the arrangement direction of the multiple straight pipe sections 21 is horizontal, so if the connection position with the refrigerant pipe R is located in the upper half of the air suction space SP, where the air velocity V is higher than in the lower half, the variation in the airflow rate for each straight pipe section 21 through the refrigerant pipe R will be greater than when the connection position is located in the lower half of the air suction space SP. In other words, when the connection position between the outdoor heat exchanger 1 and the refrigerant pipe R is in the upper half of the air suction space SP, the influence of the airflow due to the structure (refrigerant pipe R) will be greater than when the connection position is in the lower half of the air suction space SP, leading to a deterioration in the air velocity distribution and a decrease in heat exchanger performance. If the orientation of a conventional outdoor heat exchanger 1, which has an inlet 11 in one of two headers and an outlet 12 in the other, is simply changed so that the extension direction of the straight pipe section 21 is vertical, the connection position with the refrigerant piping R in the outdoor heat exchanger 1 will also be located in the upper half of the air suction space SP, which could actually increase the variation in the air flow rate for each straight pipe section 21.

[0048] On the other hand, the outdoor heat exchanger 1 of the present disclosure is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger, and the connection positions (inlet 11 and outlet 12) with the refrigerant piping R in the outdoor heat exchanger 1 are concentrated at the bottom, which, as described above, leads to a reduction in deterioration of the wind speed distribution and an improvement in the heat exchanger performance.

[0049] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of each device and piping 90 in the outdoor unit 100 of Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 5, devices such as a compressor 91, a flow path switching device 92, an expansion mechanism 93 (see Fig. 1), the outdoor heat exchanger 1, an accumulator 95, the outdoor blower 7, and a control device (not shown) that controls the refrigeration cycle are housed inside the housing 8. Note that the expansion mechanism 93 is not shown in Fig. 5.

[0050] In the outdoor unit 100, a machine room in which devices such as the compressor 91 (see FIG. 1) are disposed may be provided below the air suction space SP in the lower part of the housing 8.

[0051] The compressor 91 has a suction pipe 91s and a discharge pipe 91d provided in a sealed container that is an outer shell, and the suction pipe 91s and the discharge pipe 91d protrude from the sealed container and are connected to the piping sections Po6 and Po1. The accumulator 95 has a suction pipe 95s and a discharge pipe 95d provided in a container 95a that stores refrigerant, and the suction pipe 95s and the discharge pipe 95d protrude from the container 95a and are connected to the piping sections Po5 and Po6. Hereinafter, the protruding piping sections of the compressor 91 and the accumulator 95 will be referred to as the piping section Px of the equipment.

[0052] The outdoor unit 100 is arranged inside the housing 8 and has a plurality of pipes 90 through which a refrigerant flows. Here, the plurality of pipes 90 is a concept that includes pipe sections Po1, Po2, Po3, Po4, Po5, and Po6 arranged inside the outdoor unit 100 among the refrigerant pipes P that connect the devices in the refrigerant circuit 9, and pipe sections Px of each device provided in the outdoor unit 100.

[0053] The multiple pipes 90 arranged inside the housing 8 are preferably arranged so that 80% or more of the volume of the multiple pipes 90 is contained below the center position Hm of the air suction space SP inside the housing 8. Meanwhile, the pipe section Px of equipment such as the accumulator 95 or the compressor 91 is arranged to protrude upward from the container 95a or the sealed container. The above restriction allows the pipe section Px of such equipment to protrude into the upper half of the air suction space SP. In other words, it is sufficient if the portion of the pipe section Px of the equipment that protrudes into the upper half of the air suction space SP is less than 20% of the volume of the multiple pipes 90.

[0054] This makes it possible to restrict the volume of the multiple pipes 90, which are structures arranged in the upper half of the air suction space SP where the air velocity V is higher than in the lower half, to a certain level, thereby further reducing the deterioration of the air velocity distribution. Furthermore, it is preferable that the devices arranged inside the housing 8 are arranged below the center position Hm of the air suction space SP inside the housing 8.

[0055] As described above, the outdoor unit 100 according to the first embodiment includes a housing 8 having an air inlet Ai formed on its side surface 81 and an air outlet Ao formed on its top surface, and a blower (outdoor blower 7) provided on the top of the housing 8 and blowing air upward. The outdoor unit 100 also includes a heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 1) for exchanging heat between a refrigerant and air. The heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 1) is provided below the blower inside the housing 8 and is provided along the side surface 81 in an air intake space SP that serves as an air passage for air drawn into the blower from the inlet Ai. The heat exchanger includes one or more rows of heat exchange units 2 along the side surface 81, and one or more lower headers 3 provided below the one or more rows of heat exchange units 2, each connected to one of the one or more rows of heat exchange units 2. Each of the one or more rows of heat exchange units 2 is formed by arranging a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 extending in the vertical direction (direction of arrow Z) with gaps G so as to be along the side surface 81. Each of the one or more lower headers 3 extends in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21 (for example, the front-to-rear direction) and is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange units 2 to which it is connected among the one or more rows of heat exchange units 2. The one or more lower headers 3 are provided with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12 for the refrigerant of the heat exchanger.

[0056] In this way, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 1) is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger having multiple straight pipe sections 21, and the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 of the heat exchanger are concentrated at the bottom of the heat exchanger. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of heat exchanger performance due to the influence of airflow generated by the refrigerant piping R connected to the refrigerant inlet 11 or outlet 12 of the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 1) more than in the past.

[0057] In the outdoor unit 100 of Embodiment 1, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 1) has one row of heat exchange sections 2 consisting of a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 arranged along the side surface 81, one lower header 3 provided below the row of heat exchange sections 2 and connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the row of heat exchange sections 2, and one upper header 4 provided above the row of heat exchange sections 2 and connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the row of heat exchange sections 2. The one lower header 3 is provided with a refrigerant inlet 11 and an outlet 12 for the heat exchanger.

[0058] In this case, one lower header 3 of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 is provided with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12 for the refrigerant in this outdoor heat exchanger 1, thereby achieving the effect of suppressing the deterioration of the heat exchanger performance as described above, so that an outdoor heat exchanger 1 with a simple structure can be adopted and the outdoor unit 100 can have a simple structure.

[0059] Each lower header 3 has a partition plate 35 that separates the internal space through which the refrigerant flows (i.e., the header flow path) in the extension direction (the front-to-rear direction indicated by the arrow Y in FIG. 3 ) of the lower header 3. The refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 of the heat exchanger are provided on one side and the other side of the extension direction of the lower header 3.

[0060] In this way, by providing the partition plate 35 in the lower header 3, the refrigerant flow direction can be made different between one part and another part of the same heat exchange section 2. This makes it possible to provide the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 in the same lower header 3.

[0061] The outdoor unit 100 is also provided with a plurality of pipes 90 arranged inside the housing 8 and through which the refrigerant flows. The plurality of pipes 90 are arranged inside the housing 8 so that 80% or more of the volume of the plurality of pipes 90 is contained below the center position Hm in the vertical direction (direction of arrow Z) of the air suction space SP.

[0062] This allows the multiple pipes 90, which are structures arranged in the upper half of the air intake space SP where the wind speed V is higher than in the lower half, to be restricted to a certain volume or less, thereby reducing the deterioration of the wind speed distribution.

[0063] The outdoor unit 100 is also provided with a storage section (e.g., an accumulator 95) disposed inside the housing 8 for storing the refrigerant. The storage section has a container 95a and one or more piping sections (portions of an intake pipe 95s and a discharge pipe 95d that protrude from the container 95a) that discharge the refrigerant from the container 95a to the outside. The plurality of piping sections 90 described above include one or more piping sections of the storage section.

[0064] According to the regulations aimed at mitigating the deterioration of the wind speed distribution, a portion (less than 20%) of the volume of the multiple pipes 90 is permitted to be located in the upper half of the air suction space SP. Therefore, even in the case of a storage unit such as the accumulator 95, which is configured to protrude upward among the structures arranged within the housing 8, the piping (portions of the suction pipe 95s and discharge pipe 95d protruding from the container 95a) is permitted to protrude into the space in the upper half of the air suction space SP by a certain volume. Therefore, even when the above regulations aim to mitigate the deterioration of the wind speed distribution, there is no need to particularly modify the structure of such a storage unit.

[0065] The air conditioning apparatus 300 according to the first embodiment includes the outdoor unit 100 described above and an indoor unit 200 connected to the outdoor unit 100 by connecting pipes (refrigerant pipes Pc1 and Pc2). This makes it possible to provide an air conditioning apparatus 300 with higher performance than conventional ones.

[0066] Embodiment 2 Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of an outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 2. In the outdoor unit 100 of Embodiment 2, the configuration of the outdoor heat exchanger 101 differs from that of Embodiment 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 101 of Embodiment 2 is configured such that a plurality of the outdoor heat exchangers 1 of Embodiment 1 are provided in parallel.

[0067] In the outdoor unit 100 of the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the outdoor heat exchangers 101 are provided along the side surfaces 81 of the housing 8. As shown in Fig. 6 , the outdoor heat exchangers 101 are arranged on both the left side surface 81 and the right side surface 81 of the housing 8.

[0068] The shape of the housing 8 is not limited to an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the number and arrangement of the side surfaces 81 of the housing 8 along which the outdoor heat exchanger 101 is arranged, i.e., the number and arrangement of the outdoor heat exchangers 101 provided in the housing 8, are not limited to the above number and arrangement.

[0069] As shown in Figure 6, the outdoor heat exchanger 101 has two rows of heat exchange sections 2 along the side surface 81, two lower headers 3 provided below the two rows of heat exchange sections 2, each connected to one of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2, and two upper headers 4, each connected to one of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2.

[0070] The two rows of heat exchange units 2 are arranged in a direction (arrow X direction) perpendicular to the side surface 81. Each of the two rows of heat exchange units 2 is composed of a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 extending in the up-down direction (arrow Z direction), and these plurality of straight pipe sections 21 are arranged along the side surface 81 with gaps G (see FIG. 3 ) in the front-to-back direction (arrow Y direction).

[0071] Each of the two lower headers 3 extends in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21 (the front-to-rear direction indicated by the arrow Y) and is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange section 2 in the corresponding row of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2. Specifically, the lower header 3 closer to the side surface 81 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 closer to the side surface 81. Furthermore, the lower header 3 farther from the side surface 81 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 farther from the side surface 81.

[0072] Each of the two upper headers 4 extends in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21 (direction of arrow Y) and is connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange section 2 in the corresponding row of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2. Specifically, the upper header 4 closer to the side surface 81 is connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 closer to the side surface 81. Furthermore, the upper header 4 farther from the side surface 81 is connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 farther from the side surface 81.

[0073] In other words, the two rows of heat exchange units 2 in the outdoor heat exchanger 101 are configured such that the refrigerant paths between the rows are independent of each other.

[0074] Each of the two lower headers 3 is provided with an inlet 11 and an outlet 12 for the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 101. In Fig. 6, each lower header 3 has the inlet 11 on the front side and the outlet 12 (see Fig. 3) on the rear side. Each lower header 3 is also provided with a partition plate 35 (see Fig. 3). When the outdoor heat exchanger 101 of the second embodiment is used in the air conditioning apparatus 300 shown in Fig. 1, the sides of each of the piping sections Po2 and Po3 that are connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 101 are branched into the number of lower headers 3 in the housing 8 by using a distributor (not shown) or the like.

[0075] Also, in the outdoor unit 100 of the second embodiment, as explained using FIG. 5 , the plurality of pipes 90 arranged inside the housing 8 are preferably arranged below the central position Hm of the air suction space SP inside the housing 8 so that 80% or more of the volume of the plurality of pipes 90 is contained therein.

[0076] As described above, in the outdoor unit 100 according to the second embodiment, as in the case of the outdoor unit 100 according to the first embodiment, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 101) is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger having a plurality of straight pipe portions 21, and the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 in the heat exchanger are concentrated in the lower part of the heat exchanger. Therefore, as in the case of the first embodiment, the outdoor unit 100 according to the second embodiment also has the effect of being able to suppress more than before the deterioration of heat exchanger performance due to the influence of airflow generated by the refrigerant piping R connected to the refrigerant inlet 11 or outlet 12 in the heat exchanger.

[0077] In the outdoor unit 100 of the second embodiment, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 101) includes a plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2, each row of which is configured with a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 arranged along a side surface 81 and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the side surface 81, a plurality of lower headers 3 provided below the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2, and a plurality of lower headers 3 provided above the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2. Each of the plurality of lower headers 3 is connected to the lower ends of the plurality of straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange section 2 in a corresponding row of the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2. Each of the plurality of upper headers 4 is connected to the upper ends of the plurality of straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange section 2 in a corresponding row of the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2. Each of the plurality of lower headers 3 is provided with a refrigerant inlet 11 and an outlet 12 for the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 101).

[0078] In this way, by configuring each of the plurality of lower headers 3 to have the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 for the outdoor heat exchanger 101, it is possible to configure the outdoor heat exchanger 101 by combining the outdoor heat exchangers 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, by changing the number of combinations, it is possible to easily adjust the heat exchanger performance in the outdoor unit 100.

[0079] Embodiment 3. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of an outdoor unit 100 according to embodiment 3. In the outdoor unit 100 of embodiment 3, the configuration of the outdoor heat exchanger 201 differs from that of embodiment 1. In the outdoor unit 100 of embodiment 3, the outdoor heat exchanger 201 is configured to have a plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2, two lower headers 3, and one or more row-to-row headers 204 that connect the heat exchange sections 2 together.

[0080] In the outdoor unit 100 of embodiment 3, as in embodiment 1, the outdoor heat exchangers 201 are provided along the side surfaces 81 of the housing 8. As shown in Fig. 7 , the outdoor heat exchangers 201 are arranged on both the left side surface 81 and the right side surface 81 of the housing 8.

[0081] The shape of the housing 8 is not limited to an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the number and arrangement of the side surfaces 81 of the housing 8 along which the outdoor heat exchanger 201 is arranged, i.e., the number and arrangement of the outdoor heat exchangers 201 provided in the housing 8, are not limited to the above number and arrangement.

[0082] As shown in Figure 7, the outdoor heat exchanger 201 is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger having two rows of heat exchange sections 2 along the side surface 81, two lower headers 3 provided below these two rows of heat exchange sections 2 and each connected to one of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2, and a row-to-row header 204 connecting the heat exchange sections 2 to each other.

[0083] The two rows of heat exchange units 2 are arranged in a direction (arrow X direction) perpendicular to the side surface 81. Each of the two rows of heat exchange units 2 is composed of a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 extending in the up-down direction (arrow Z direction), and these plurality of straight pipe sections 21 are arranged along the side surface 81 with gaps G (see FIG. 3 ) in the front-to-back direction (arrow Y direction).

[0084] Each of the two lower headers 3 extends in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21 (the front-to-rear direction indicated by the arrow Y) and is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange section 2 in the corresponding row of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2. Specifically, the lower header 3 closer to the side surface 81 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 closer to the side surface 81. Furthermore, the lower header 3 farther from the side surface 81 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 farther from the side surface 81.

[0085] The row transfer header 204 extends in the arrangement direction (direction of arrow Y) of the straight pipe sections 21, and is connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2. Specifically, the row transfer header 204 is connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 closer to the side surface 81, and the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 farther from the side surface 81.

[0086] In other words, the two rows of heat exchange units 2 in the outdoor heat exchanger 201 are configured to communicate with each other within the row-to-row header 204 .

[0087] A refrigerant inlet 11 of the outdoor heat exchanger 201 is provided in one of the two lower headers 3. A refrigerant outlet 12 of the outdoor heat exchanger 201 is provided in one of the two lower headers 3. When the outdoor heat exchanger 201 of the third embodiment is used in the air conditioning apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 1 , the sides of the piping sections Po2 and Po3 that are connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 201 are branched into the number of branches corresponding to the outdoor heat exchanger 201 by providing a distributor (not shown) or the like.

[0088] 7, no partition plate 35 (see FIG. 3) is provided within the lower header 3, and an inlet 11 is provided at the front side of the lower header 3 closer to the side surface 81, and an outlet 12 (see FIG. 3) is provided at the front side of the lower header 3 farther from the side surface 81. The refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 201 from the inlet 11, flows through the lower header 3 closer to the side surface 81, the heat exchange section 2 closer to the side surface 81, the row-to-row header 204, the heat exchange section 2 farther from the side surface 81, and the lower header 3 farther from the side surface 81, in that order, and then flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 201.

[0089] The positions of the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 in the outdoor heat exchanger 201 in the two lower headers 3 may be adjusted as appropriate. Depending on the positions of the inlet 11 and outlet 12, a partition plate 35 (see FIG. 3 ) may be provided in one or both of the two lower headers 3.

[0090] Furthermore, in a configuration in which the outdoor heat exchanger 201 has three or more rows of heat exchange units 2, the outdoor heat exchanger 201 has two lower headers 3 and two or more row-to-row headers 204 arranged above or below the three or more rows of heat exchange units 2. One of the two lower headers 3 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 that constitute the heat exchange unit 2 closest to the side surface 81. The other of the two lower headers 3 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 that constitute the heat exchange unit 2 farthest from the side surface 81. The row-to-row header 204 arranged on the upper side is connected to the upper ends of the straight pipe sections 21 in each row of two adjacent rows of heat exchange units 2. The row-to-row header 204 arranged on the lower side is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 in each row of two adjacent rows of heat exchange units 2.

[0091] Also, in the outdoor unit 100 of the third embodiment, as explained using FIG. 5 , the plurality of pipes 90 arranged inside the housing 8 are preferably arranged below the central position Hm of the air suction space SP inside the housing 8 so that 80% or more of the volume of the plurality of pipes 90 is contained therein.

[0092] As described above, in the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 3, similar to the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 1, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 201) is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger having a plurality of straight pipe portions 21, and the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 in the heat exchanger are concentrated in the lower part of the heat exchanger. Therefore, similar to the case of Embodiment 1, the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 3 also has the effect of being able to suppress more than before the deterioration of heat exchanger performance due to the influence of airflow generated by the refrigerant piping R connected to the refrigerant inlet 11 or outlet 12 in the heat exchanger.

[0093] In the outdoor unit 100 of the third embodiment, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 201) includes a plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2, each row being arranged in a direction perpendicular to the side surface 81, with the heat exchange sections 2 being made up of a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 arranged along the side surface 81; two lower headers 3 provided below two of the rows of heat exchange sections 2; and one or more row-bridge headers 204 connecting any two of the rows of heat exchange sections 2. Each of the two lower headers 3 is connected to the lower ends of the plurality of straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange section 2 in a corresponding row of the heat exchange sections 2. The refrigerant inlet 11 of the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 201) is provided in one of the two lower headers 3, and the refrigerant outlet 12 of the heat exchanger is provided in one of the two lower headers 3.

[0094] In this way, since the outdoor heat exchanger 201 has one or more row-transfer headers 204, even when multiple rows of heat exchange sections 2 are provided, there is no need to provide a distributor, for example, upstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 201, and the refrigerant piping R connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 201 does not become complicated.

[0095] Fourth Embodiment Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of an outdoor unit 100 according to the fourth embodiment. In the outdoor unit 100 according to the fourth embodiment, the configuration of the outdoor heat exchanger 301 differs from that of the first embodiment. In the outdoor unit 100 according to the fourth embodiment, the outdoor heat exchanger 301 is configured to include a plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2, two lower headers 3, and a plurality of U-shaped pipe sections 304 that connect the straight pipe sections 21 in any two rows of the heat exchange sections 2 of the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2. That is, in the outdoor heat exchanger 301 according to the fourth embodiment, a plurality of U-shaped pipe sections 304 are provided instead of the row-to-row headers 204 in the outdoor heat exchanger 201 according to the third embodiment.

[0096] In the outdoor unit 100 of embodiment 4, as in embodiment 1, the outdoor heat exchangers 301 are provided along the side surfaces 81 of the housing 8. As shown in Fig. 7 , the outdoor heat exchangers 301 are arranged on both the left side surface 81 and the right side surface 81 of the housing 8.

[0097] The shape of the housing 8 is not limited to an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the number and arrangement of the side surfaces 81 of the housing 8 along which the outdoor heat exchanger 301 is arranged, i.e., the number and arrangement of the outdoor heat exchangers 301 provided in the housing 8, are not limited to the above number and arrangement.

[0098] As shown in Figure 8, the outdoor heat exchanger 301 is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger having two rows of heat exchange sections 2 along the side surface 81, two lower headers 3 provided below these two rows of heat exchange sections 2 and each connected to one of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2, and a plurality of U-shaped pipe sections 304 connecting the straight pipe sections 21 of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2 together.

[0099] The two rows of heat exchange units 2 are arranged in a direction (arrow X direction) perpendicular to the side surface 81. Each of the two rows of heat exchange units 2 is composed of a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 extending in the up-down direction (arrow Z direction), and these plurality of straight pipe sections 21 are arranged along the side surface 81 with gaps G (see FIG. 3 ) in the front-to-back direction (arrow Y direction).

[0100] Each of the two lower headers 3 extends in the arrangement direction of the straight pipe sections 21 (the front-to-rear direction indicated by the arrow Y) and is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 of the heat exchange section 2 in the corresponding row of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2. Specifically, the lower header 3 closer to the side surface 81 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 closer to the side surface 81. Furthermore, the lower header 3 farther from the side surface 81 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 constituting the heat exchange section 2 farther from the side surface 81.

[0101] The U-shaped pipe sections 304 are arranged in the arrangement direction (arrow Y direction) of the straight pipe sections 21, and each of the U-shaped pipe sections 304 is connected to the upper ends of two straight pipe sections 21 that are adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction (arrow X direction) of the two rows of heat exchange sections 2. Specifically, the U-shaped pipe section 304 is connected to the upper end of the straight pipe section 21 that belongs to the heat exchange section 2 that is closer to the side surface 81, and the upper end of the straight pipe section 21 that belongs to the heat exchange section 2 that is farther from the side surface 81.

[0102] 8 , the outdoor heat exchanger 301 has a plurality of U-shaped or serpentine heat transfer tubes 320, and each of the heat transfer tubes 320 includes the above-mentioned U-shaped tube section 304 and two straight tube sections 21 connected by this U-shaped tube section 304. The plurality of U-shaped or serpentine heat transfer tubes 320 are arranged so that both open ends of the heat transfer tubes 320 are below the outdoor heat exchanger 301, and are connected to two lower headers 3.

[0103] A refrigerant inlet 11 of the outdoor heat exchanger 301 is provided in one of the two lower headers 3. A refrigerant outlet 12 of the outdoor heat exchanger 301 is provided in one of the two lower headers 3. When the outdoor heat exchanger 301 of the third embodiment is used in the air conditioning apparatus 300 shown in FIG. 1 , the sides of the piping sections Po2 and Po3 that are connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 301 are branched into the number of branches corresponding to the outdoor heat exchanger 301 by providing a distributor (not shown) or the like.

[0104] 8, no partition plate 35 (see FIG. 3) is provided within the lower header 3, and an inlet 11 is provided at the front side of the lower header 3 closer to the side surface 81, and an outlet 12 (see FIG. 3) is provided at the front side of the lower header 3 farther from the side surface 81. The refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 301 from the inlet 11, flows through the lower header 3 closer to the side surface 81, the heat transfer tubes 320, and the lower header 3 farther from the side surface 81, in that order, and then flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 301.

[0105] The positions of the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 in the outdoor heat exchanger 301 in the two lower headers 3 may be adjusted as appropriate. Depending on the positions of the inlet 11 and outlet 12, a partition plate 35 (see FIG. 3 ) may be provided in one or both of the two lower headers 3.

[0106] Fig. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a modified example of the outdoor heat exchanger 1 in the outdoor unit 100 according to Embodiment 4. As shown in Fig. 9 , in the modified outdoor heat exchanger 301, the U-shaped pipe section 304 of the outdoor heat exchanger 301 shown in Fig. 8 is a joint 304a configured as a separate member from the two straight pipe sections 21 connected by this U-shaped pipe section 304. In Fig. 9 , the joint 304a is shown with diagonal lines to show that the straight pipe sections 21 and the joint 304a are configured as separate members.

[0107] Also, in the outdoor unit 100 of embodiment 4, as explained using FIG. 5 , the plurality of pipes 90 arranged inside the housing 8 are preferably arranged below the central position Hm of the air suction space SP inside the housing 8 so that 80% or more of the volume of the plurality of pipes 90 is contained therein.

[0108] As described above, in the outdoor unit 100 according to embodiment 4, similar to the outdoor unit 100 according to embodiment 1, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 301) is a vertical heat transfer pipe heat exchanger having a plurality of straight pipe portions 21, and the refrigerant inlet 11 and outlet 12 in the heat exchanger are concentrated in the lower part of the heat exchanger. Therefore, similar to embodiment 1, the outdoor unit 100 according to embodiment 4 also has the effect of being able to suppress, more than ever before, the deterioration in heat exchanger performance due to the influence of airflow generated by the refrigerant piping R connected to the refrigerant inlet 11 or outlet 12 in the heat exchanger.

[0109] Furthermore, in the outdoor unit 100 of embodiment 4, the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 301) includes a plurality of rows of heat exchange sections 2, each row being made up of a plurality of straight pipe sections 21 arranged along the side surface 81 and arranged in a direction perpendicular to the side surface 81; two lower headers 3 provided below two of the rows of heat exchange sections 2; and a U-shaped pipe section 304 connecting the straight pipe sections 21 in any two of the rows of heat exchange sections 2. Each of the two lower headers 3 is connected to the lower ends of the straight pipe sections 21 in the corresponding row of the heat exchange sections 2. The refrigerant inlet 11 of the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 301) is provided in one of the two lower headers 3. The refrigerant outlet 12 of the heat exchanger is provided in one of the two lower headers 3.

[0110] As described above, the outdoor heat exchanger 301 of the fourth embodiment has U-shaped pipe sections 304 that connect different rows of straight pipe sections 21. Therefore, even when multiple rows of heat exchange sections 2 are provided, there is no need to provide a distributor, for example, upstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 301, and the refrigerant piping R connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 301 does not become complicated.

[0111] The heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 301) has a plurality of U-shaped or serpentine heat transfer tubes 320, each of which includes a U-shaped tube portion 304 and two straight tube portions 21 connected by the U-shaped tube portion 304 (see FIG. 8 ). This allows the number of parts of the outdoor heat exchanger 301 to be reduced when the straight tube portions 21 are configured independently between the heat exchange units 2.

[0112] In the heat exchanger (outdoor heat exchanger 301), the U-shaped pipe section 304 is a joint 304a (see FIG. 9 ) that is formed from a separate member from the two connected straight pipe sections 21. As a result, each straight pipe section 21 is formed from a straight heat transfer pipe 20, which reduces the cost of manufacturing equipment compared to the configuration in which two or more straight pipe sections 21 are formed by bending one heat transfer pipe 320 as in the example of FIG. 8 .

[0113] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 outdoor heat exchanger, 2 heat exchange section, 3 lower header, 4 upper header, 5 compressor, 7 outdoor blower, 8 housing, 9 refrigerant circuit, 11 inlet, 12 outlet, 20 heat transfer tube, 21 straight pipe section, 35 partition plate, 81 side, 82 bell mouth, 83 bottom plate, 90 piping, 91 compressor, 91d discharge pipe, 91s suction pipe, 92 flow path switching device, 93 expansion mechanism, 94 indoor heat exchanger, 95 accumulator, 95a container, 95d discharge pipe, 95s suction pipe, 100 outdoor unit, 101 outdoor heat exchanger, 200 indoor unit, 201 outdoor heat exchanger, 204 row header, 300 air conditioning device, 301 outdoor heat exchanger, 304 U-shaped pipe section, 304a Joint, 320 heat transfer tube, Ai suction port, Ao outlet, Fa arrow, Fb arrow, G gap, H height, Hm central position, P refrigerant piping, Pc1 refrigerant piping, Pc2 refrigerant piping, Pi refrigerant piping, Po refrigerant piping, Po1 piping section, Po2 piping section, Po3 piping section, Po4 piping section, Po5 piping section, Po6 piping section, Px piping section, R refrigerant piping, SP air suction space, V wind speed, X arrow, Y arrow, Z arrow.

Claims

1. A housing having an air intake on the side and an air outlet on the top, A blower is provided at the top of the housing and blows the air upward, The housing is provided below the blower, and in the air intake space which serves as an air passage for the air drawn in from the intake port to the blower, a heat exchanger is provided along the side surface to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air. The heat exchanger comprises a row of heat exchange sections consisting of a plurality of straight tube sections arranged along the side surface, a lower header provided below the row of heat exchange sections and connected to the lower ends of the plurality of straight tube sections of the row of heat exchange sections, and an upper header provided above the row of heat exchange sections and connected to the upper ends of the plurality of straight tube sections of the row of heat exchange sections. The aforementioned single row of heat exchange sections is made up of multiple straight pipe sections extending in the vertical direction, arranged with gaps between them along the side surface. The one lower header extends in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of straight pipe sections and is connected to the lower ends of the plurality of straight pipe sections in the row of heat exchange sections. The lower header is provided with the inlet and outlet for the refrigerant in the heat exchanger. outdoor unit.

2. The lower header has a partition plate that divides the internal space through which the refrigerant flows in the direction of extension of the lower header. The inlet and outlet of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger are provided on one side and the other side in the extending direction of the one lower header. The outdoor unit according to claim 1.

3. A housing having an air intake on the side and an air outlet on the top surface, A blower is provided at the top of the housing and blows the air upward, The housing is provided below the blower, and in the air intake space which serves as an air passage for the air drawn in from the intake port to the blower, a heat exchanger is provided along the side surface to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air. The heat exchanger comprises: a plurality of rows of heat exchange sections arranged in a direction perpendicular to the side surface and each row along the side surface; a plurality of lower headers provided below the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections, each connected to any one of the rows of heat exchange sections; and a plurality of upper headers provided above the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections, each connected to any one of the rows of heat exchange sections. Each of the aforementioned multiple rows of heat exchange sections is comprised of multiple straight pipe sections extending in the vertical direction, arranged with gaps between them along the side surface. Each of the aforementioned lower headers extends in the direction of the arrangement of the aforementioned straight pipe sections and is connected to the lower end of the aforementioned straight pipe section of the heat exchange section to which the heat exchange section is connected among the aforementioned rows of heat exchange sections. Each of the above-mentioned upper headers extends in the direction of the arrangement of the above-mentioned straight pipe sections and is connected to the upper end of the above-mentioned straight pipe section of the heat exchange section to which the heat exchange section is connected among the above-mentioned rows of heat exchange sections. Each of the aforementioned lower headers is provided with an inlet and an outlet for the refrigerant in the heat exchanger. outdoor unit.

4. A housing having an air intake on the side and an air outlet on the top surface, A blower is provided at the top of the housing and blows the air upward, The housing is provided below the blower, and in the air intake space which serves as an air passage for the air drawn in from the intake port to the blower, a heat exchanger is provided along the side surface to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air. The heat exchanger comprises: a plurality of rows of heat exchange sections arranged perpendicular to the side surface and from upstream to downstream in the direction of air flow on the side surface, each along the side surface; two lower headers provided below two of the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections, each connected to one of the two rows of heat exchange sections; and U-shaped pipe sections connecting the straight pipe sections of any two of the plurality of rows of heat exchange sections. Each of the aforementioned multiple rows of heat exchange sections is comprised of multiple straight pipe sections extending in the vertical direction, arranged with gaps between them along the side surface. Each of the two lower headers extends in the direction of the arrangement of the plurality of straight pipe sections and is connected to the lower end of the plurality of straight pipe sections of the heat exchange section to which the two rows of heat exchange sections are connected. One of the two lower headers is provided with the inlet for the refrigerant in the heat exchanger. One of the two lower headers is provided with the outlet for the refrigerant in the heat exchanger. outdoor unit.

5. The heat exchanger has a plurality of U-shaped or meandering heat transfer tubes, each including a U-shaped tube section and two straight tube sections connected by the U-shaped tube sections. The outdoor unit according to claim 4.

6. The U-shaped section is a joint made of a separate component from the two straight sections to which it is connected. The outdoor unit according to claim 4.

7. The enclosure is located inside the housing and is equipped with multiple pipes through which the refrigerant flows, The plurality of pipes are arranged inside the housing such that at least 80% of their volume is located below the vertical center of the air intake space. An outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. It is located inside the housing and has a container and one or more piping sections discharged from the container to the outside, and includes a storage section for storing the refrigerant, The plurality of pipes include the one or more piping sections of the storage section. An outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. An outdoor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The system comprises an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit by connecting piping. Air conditioning system.