อุปกรณ์การเพิ่มการทำให้เป็นของเหลวที่ใช้การกวนของไหล สำหรับการติดตั้งในแนวท่อระบบปั๊มความร้อน

Abstract

DEPCT6908 / 09 / 2568 [ปัญหา]จุดประสงค์คือเพื่อลดการบริโภคกำลังไฟของระบบปั๊มความร้อนโดยการเพิ่มการผสมที่ เป็นเนื้อเดียวกันของสารทำความเย็นและน้ำมันทำความเย็น [การแก้ไข]อุปกรณ์การเพิ่มการทำให้เป็นของเหลวแบบคงที่รวมถึงแทงค์ด้านในทรงกระบอก; หน่วยนำการไหลที่ถูกติดตั้งด้านในแทงค์ด้านในและถูกทำขึ้นด้วยดิสก์ใหญ่และเล็กเรียงซ้อนแบบร่วม ศูนย์กลางในลักษณะที่ดิสก์ที่มีเส้นผ่าศูนย์กลางเหมือนกันอยู่ติดกัน;และแทงค์ด้านนอกซึ่งล้อมรอบแทงค์ ด้านในอุปกรณ์ถูกติดตั้งในแนวของท่อของระบบปั๊มความร้อนเพื่อกวนของไหลที่รวมถึงสารทำความเย็น และน้ำมันทำความเย็นในวัฏจักรปั๊มความร้อนของระบบปั๊มความร้อนดิสก์เส้นผ่าศูนย์กลางใหญ่และดิสก์ เส้นผ่าศูนย์กลางเล็กถูกสับหว่างเพื่อให้เซลล์ที่เกี่ยวข้องของสิ่งเหล่านั้นที่ถูกวางตำแหน่งตรงข้ามกันเชื่อมต่อ กันของไหลที่รวมถึงสารทำความเย็นและน้ำมันทำความเย็นถูกผ่านอุปกรณ์การเพิ่มการทำให้เป็นของเหลว แบบอยู่กับที่ที่ความดันในช่วงตั้งแต่0.2ถึง10เมกะพาสคาลระหว่างการดำเนินการของระบบปั๊มความร้อน และถูกหมุนเวียนซ้ำๆผ่านวัฏจักรของระบบปั๊มความร้อนดังนั้นถูกกวนและถูกผสมอย่างเป็นเนื้อเดียวกัน;

Description

A liquefaction promotion device that uses fluid agitation to be installed on the piping route of a heat pump system

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquefaction promotion device that uses fluid agitation to be installed on a piping route in a heat pump system to promote liquefaction of a fluid, and more particularly to a flow mixer that compresses the fluid through a slit, orifice, or the like, or a liquefaction promotion device that has a rotating disk around a vertical axis.

[0002] Heat pump systems using heat pump cycles, such as commercial refrigeration cycle systems and air conditioning systems, often have long piping lengths. Installation conditions also vary widely. Heat pump systems comprise a compressor, condenser, expander, and evaporator as their primary components. Refrigerant circulates through the piping connecting these components. Refrigerant is mixed with refrigerant oil as a lubricant for the compressor, and the compressor is equipped with a refrigerant oil reservoir. Refrigerant oil is discharged from the compressor either mixed with the refrigerant or dissolved in the refrigerant, circulates through the heat pump cycle with the refrigerant, and returns to the compressor. Previous chlorine-containing refrigerants based on specific fluorocarbons (CFCs) were highly compatible with refrigerant oil. However, alternative refrigerants based on CFCs, which have been replaced due to concerns about ozone depletion, have poorer compatibility with refrigerant oil than specific CFCs. As a result, refrigerant oil discharged from the compressor along with the refrigerant separates from the refrigerant and accumulates in the piping and other components of the heat pump cycle, easily causing a lack of lubricant in the compressor. A lack of lubricant oil can lead to compressor seizure.

[0003] Furthermore, refrigerants that are incompatible with refrigerant oil have reduced fluidity. Furthermore, refrigerant oil remaining in equipment such as condensers and piping impedes the smooth flow of refrigerant and the heat exchange in the condenser and evaporator. This reduces the heat exchange efficiency of the heat pump system. To ensure compatibility between the refrigerant and refrigerant oil, additives such as various synthetic oils are sometimes used. However, additives alone do not provide a sufficient solution. Therefore, various stirring means have been proposed for dissolving or uniformly mixing refrigerant oil in the refrigerant. Patent Document 1 discloses a stirring device installed in the compressor to stir the refrigerant and refrigerant oil to prevent separation of the discharged refrigerant and refrigerant oil.

[0004] Another problem with refrigerants in heat pump cycles is that when the refrigerant is liquefied in the condenser, some gaseous refrigerant remains. This gaseous refrigerant remains even after passing through the expander, resulting in a two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant at the inlet side of the evaporator. The remaining gaseous refrigerant does not contribute to heat exchange in the evaporator, causing a decrease in the heat exchange rate. Patent Documents 2 and 3, for example, propose a gas-liquid separator installed after the expander. This gas-liquid separator separates the two-phase refrigerant into gas and liquid, sending only the liquid refrigerant to the evaporator and returning the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor.

[0005] As another technique, Patent Document 4 discloses a bubble removal device that removes bubbles remaining in a radical state when the refrigerant is liquefied in a condenser, thereby completely liquefying the refrigerant. This device includes a cylindrical container and is installed on the outlet side of the condenser (outdoor unit) during cooling. A spiral swirling flow is formed in the cylindrical container to agitate the refrigerant and remove bubbles.

[0006] Other examples of mixing devices not directly related to heat pumps include those described in Patent Documents 5, 6, and 7. These devices consist of a stack of disks with a large number of polygonal chambers arranged in an array, covered with a cylindrical casing, and agitate (mix) by passing a high-pressure fluid through them. These devices do not have any rotating parts such as a motor.

[0007] JP 2008-163782 JP 6-109345 JP 2008-75894 WO 2013 / 099972 JP 59-39173 JP 11-9980 JP 11-114396

[0008] Regarding the first problem, i.e., the problem of poor compatibility between the refrigerant and the refrigerating machine oil, the agitation means provided in the compressor as in Patent Document 1 alone cannot eliminate the stagnation of the refrigerating machine oil in the long piping and each component of the heat pump cycle. In particular, when the temperature drops in the condenser, the oil droplets of the refrigerating machine oil tend to fuse together, increasing the size of the oil phase, and the liquid refrigerant tends to become trapped in the refrigerating machine oil. The liquid refrigerant trapped in this refrigerating machine oil also cannot contribute to heat exchange. This tendency becomes stronger when the outside temperature drops.

[0009] Regarding the second problem mentioned above, i.e., the problem of gaseous refrigerant remaining in the liquefied refrigerant in the condenser, gas-liquid separators such as those described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are somewhat effective during cooling, but are almost ineffective during heating. Furthermore, known gas-liquid separators are built into the system and lack the versatility to be retrofitted to existing systems. To improve the heat exchange efficiency of existing heat pump systems and achieve energy savings, a mixing device that can be easily attached to existing heat pump systems is required. There are a wide variety of models of refrigerators, air conditioners, and other specific forms of heat pump systems. The emergence of a versatile fluid mixing device that can be attached to any of these existing heat pump systems is desirable.

[0010] Furthermore, a stirring device using a spiral swirling flow, such as that described in Patent Document 4, has insufficient stirring capabilities. The bubbles targeted for removal in Patent Document 4 are special bubbles that remain in a radical state. Meanwhile, most of the bubbles remaining in the refrigerant liquefied in the condenser are due to a portion of the refrigerant passing through the condenser and remaining in a gaseous state without dropping below the condensation temperature. Experiments conducted by the inventors of the present invention have shown that stirring using the swirling flow in a nearly horizontal plane generated in the device described in Patent Document 4 cannot lower the temperature of a gaseous refrigerant above the condensation temperature to a liquid refrigerant.

[0011] In view of the above-mentioned current situation, the present invention aims to provide a liquefaction promotion device using fluid agitation that can efficiently agitate fluid in a heat pump system, thereby promoting dissolution or uniform mixing of refrigerating machine oil into the refrigerant and liquefying gaseous refrigerant, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the heat pump system and reducing power consumption.

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following configuration.

[0013] The inventors have tried various stirring (mixing) devices and found that the stirring devices shown in Patent Documents 5, 6, and 7 are suitable as liquefaction-promoting devices that use stirring (mixing) and are installed in the middle of any of the piping of a heat pump system.

[0014] That is, the liquefaction promoting device by fluid agitation in a heat pump system according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical inner tank having an inner tank outlet and an inner tank inlet at each end and a plurality of openings in the side wall, a flow guide unit in the inner tank, in which two discs, one large and one small, are concentrically stacked so that the discs of the same diameter are adjacent to each other, the large-diameter disc and the small-diameter disc having a large number of front-open polygonal chambers arranged in a honeycomb pattern on opposing surfaces, an outer tank surrounding the cylindrical inner tank, an outer tank inlet for the outer tank, and an outer tank outlet for the outer tank, and is installed on a piping route constituting a heat pump system and connected to the piping using the outer tank inlet and outer tank outlet, and agitates a fluid containing a refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil of the heat pump cycle, the large-diameter disc having a diameter that matches the inner diameter of the inner tank and having a circulation hole drilled in its center, The chambers of the large-diameter discs and the small-diameter discs are arranged at staggered positions so that each chamber communicates with the other chambers facing each other, and the large-diameter discs of the flow-directing units are positioned at both ends of the cylindrical inner tank, with their flow holes communicating with the inner tank outlet and inner tank inlet at both ends of the inner tank, respectively, and when the heat pump system is operating, the fluid containing the refrigerant and the refrigerating machine oil passes through both the inner and outer tanks of the static liquefaction promotion device at a pressure of 0.2 to 10 MPa and repeatedly circulates through the heat pump system, thereby agitating the fluid to uniformly mix the refrigerant and the refrigerating machine oil. This allows the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil to be appropriately mixed uniformly in the heat pump system, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0015] The liquefaction promoting device according to the present invention comprises an agitation tank having an agitation tank outlet and an agitation tank inlet, and also having a plurality of openings formed in the side wall, a rotating shaft provided inside the agitation tank, a rotary drive source for rotating the rotating shaft, a mixing rotor attached to the rotating shaft and stirring the inside of the agitation tank, an outer tank surrounding the agitation tank, an outer tank inlet of the outer tank, and an outer tank outlet of the outer tank, and is installed on a piping path constituting a heat pump system and connected to the piping using the outer tank inlet and the outer tank outlet, and promotes liquefaction by stirring a fluid containing a refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil of the heat pump cycle, and the mixing rotor is a rotary liquefaction promoting device comprising two upper and lower discs stacked as a set, and the lower disc The device has a central inlet and multiple cylindrical chambers, each opening forward, arranged on opposing front surfaces, with the upper and lower chambers communicating with each other and arranged at different positions so that the cross-connected portion of the side walls of one chamber is located at the center of the other chamber. During operation of the heat pump system, a fluid containing the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil passes through both the stirring tank and outer tank of the rotary liquefaction promotion device at a pressure of 0.2 to 10 MPa, repeatedly circulating through the heat pump system and stirring the fluid to uniformly mix the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil. This allows for uniform mixing of the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil in the heat pump system, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0016] A spring with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tank is provided inside the outer tank in a state that allows it to vibrate freely. This suppresses pulsation and further enhances the shearing effect.

[0017] A spring having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the agitation tank is provided inside the agitation tank in a state that allows it to vibrate freely. This suppresses pulsation and further enhances the shearing effect.

[0018] A spring with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tank is provided inside the outer tank in a state that allows it to vibrate freely. This suppresses pulsation and further enhances the shearing effect.

[0019] The liquefaction promoting device by fluid agitation of the present invention has the advantage that it can appropriately and uniformly mix the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil in a heat pump system, improve heat exchange efficiency, and reduce energy consumption.

[0020] This figure shows an example of using a stationary liquefaction promotion device in a heat pump system. Figure 1(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. Figure 1(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. This figure explains the configuration of the small chamber in detail. Figure 2(a) is a view from the direction of fluid entry. Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A. This figure shows variations in the shape of the small chamber. Figure 3(a) shows a shape with repeated regular octagons. Figure 3(b) shows a shape with repeated regular hexagons. Figure 3(c) shows a shape with repeated equilateral triangles. Figure 3(d) shows a shape with repeated squares. This figure shows a partially enlarged view of one of the flow-directing units, detailing the configuration of the large-diameter disk, small-diameter disk, and small chamber. This is a perspective view showing an example of a small-diameter disk. This figure shows an example of using a stationary liquefaction promotion device equipped with an outer tank in a heat pump system. Figure 6(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. Figure 6(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a heat pump system in which a rotary liquefaction promotion device is installed on a piping route. FIG. 7(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. FIG. 7(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. FIG. 7(b) shows the shapes and assembly method of the two disks and small chambers that make up the mixing rotor. FIG. 7(c) shows the detailed configuration of the mixing rotor and the fluid flow. FIG. 7(d) shows variations in the shape of the small chambers. FIG. 10(a) shows a shape with repeated equilateral triangles. FIG. 10(b) shows a shape with repeated squares. FIG. 10(c) shows a shape with repeated regular octagons. FIG. 3(d) shows a shape with repeated regular hexagons. FIG. 11(a) shows an example of a rotary liquefaction promotion device equipped with an outer tank used in a heat pump system. FIG. 11(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. FIG. 11(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. FIG. 7(c) shows an example of three stacked mixing rotors. FIG. 7(d) shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a liquefaction promotion device using a spring. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a spring is applied to a static liquefaction promotion device. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a spring is applied to a static liquefaction promotion device and an outer tank is provided. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a spring is applied to the outer tank part of a static liquefaction promotion device that is provided with an outer tank.FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of applying a spring to a rotary liquefaction promotion device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of applying a spring to a rotary liquefaction promotion device and providing an outer tank. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of applying a spring to a rotary liquefaction promotion device provided with an outer tank and providing an outer tank. FIG. 4 is a table showing the power reduction performance of a liquefaction promotion device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a liquefaction promotion device where a valve is provided in the piping section, allowing the device to be shipped from the factory pre-loaded with the amount of refrigerant required for each heat pump system.

[0021] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a detailed description will be given of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention. Similar components will be described with the same reference numerals. <Embodiment of a Static Liquefaction Accelerator Comprising Only an Inner Tank, Without an Outer Tank> <Configuration> FIGS. 1 to 5 are diagrams illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention. Here, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example in which the static liquefaction acceleration device 1 is used in a heat pump system. Heat pump systems include a variety of types, such as air conditioners, freezers, refrigerators, hot water heaters, refrigerated warehouses, and chillers. They are not limited to systems that consume electricity, but can also be applied to systems that use other energy sources, such as gas heat pumps. Furthermore, the present invention can be used not only when designing a new heat pump system, but also as an add-on to an existing heat pump system.

[0022] A heat pump system is a device that removes heat from a low-temperature object and provides it to a high-temperature object. It is used to further cool a low-temperature object or further warm a high-temperature object. A device that can perform both cooling and heating by switching is also a heat pump. The fluid referred to in this specification is the fluid that circulates in the heat pump cycle. This includes refrigerant and refrigeration oil. The fluid is in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or a gas-liquid mixture state, depending on which step in the heat pump cycle it is in.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a heat pump cycle using a typical air conditioner as an example, and a cross-sectional view of the device according to the present invention is shown to allow the interior of the device to be clearly seen. FIG. 1(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. FIG. 1(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. A heat pump cycle, in cooling mode, includes four components: a compression section 83, a condensation section (outdoor unit 84), an expansion section 81, and an evaporation section (indoor unit 82). Fluid circulates through sealed piping connecting these components. Arrows in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) indicate the direction of fluid flow. Open arrows indicate heat transfer in the heat exchangers, the condensation section (outdoor unit 84 during cooling, indoor unit 82 during heating) and the evaporation section (indoor unit 82 during cooling, outdoor unit 84 during heating). Dashed arrows indicate heat transfer between indoor and outdoor temperatures. LT indicates low temperature, and HT indicates high temperature.

[0024] In the indoor cooling cycle shown in FIG. 1( a), the compression unit 83 includes a compressor in a sealed container for compressing a low-pressure gas refrigerant. The sealed container housing the compressor typically includes an oil reservoir (located at the bottom in the figure) for storing refrigeration oil. The gas refrigerant is compressed to a high-pressure, high-temperature gas. This gas refrigerant is mixed with refrigeration oil and then discharged from the compression unit 83 to the condensation unit (outdoor unit 84). The condensation unit includes a condenser. During cooling, the outdoor unit 84 functions as the condensation unit and performs heat exchange. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas fluid that flows into the condensation unit condenses by releasing heat to the outside, becoming a low-temperature liquid fluid. Ideally, this liquid fluid is a liquid refrigerant with refrigeration oil dissolved (or uniformly mixed) therein.

[0025] However, when the refrigerant changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state in the condenser (outdoor unit 84), some of the refrigerating machine oil may separate without dissolving (being uniformly mixed) in the refrigerant. The oil phase of the fused refrigerating machine oil may trap the liquid refrigerant. Furthermore, the refrigerant that passes through the condenser (outdoor unit 84) almost without modification may remain in the form of a high-temperature gas. Due to such phenomena, the liquid fluid flowing out of the condenser (outdoor unit 84) may contain the separated refrigerating machine oil, the liquid refrigerant trapped in the oil phase of the refrigerating machine oil, and / or the gaseous refrigerant.

[0026] During indoor cooling as shown in FIG. 1( a), the liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention is inserted between the condenser section (outdoor unit 84) and the expansion section 81. The inlet 60 of the liquefaction promotion device 1 is connected to the outlet side of the condenser section, which is the outdoor unit 84, and the outlet 70 of the liquefaction promotion device 1 is connected to the inlet side of the expansion section 81. The fluid flowing out of the condenser section 84 is subjected to sufficient shear effect within the liquefaction promotion device 1 and mixed. As a result, the separated refrigerating machine oil becomes uniformly mixed with the liquid refrigerant, the liquid solvent captured in the oil phase of the refrigerating machine oil is released, and the temperature of the remaining gaseous refrigerant drops to become a liquid refrigerant. The fluid flowing out of the liquefaction promotion device 1 is then sent to the expansion section 81.

[0027] The expansion section 81 is equipped with an expansion valve, a capillary tube, or the like. The low-temperature, high-pressure liquid fluid is passed through narrow holes or pipes to become a low-pressure, even lower-temperature liquid. This fluid is then sent to the evaporation section (indoor unit 82). The evaporation section is equipped with an evaporator. During indoor cooling as shown in FIG. 1(a), the indoor unit 82 performs heat exchange as the evaporation section. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid fluid that flows into the evaporation section evaporates by absorbing heat from the outside, becoming a high-temperature gaseous fluid. This cools the air in the room. The gaseous fluid is then returned to the compression section 83.

[0028] In the indoor heating cycle shown in Figure 1(b), the fluid circulates in the opposite direction to the cooling cycle shown in Figure 1(a). A well-known valve (not shown or described) is used to switch the fluid circulation direction in the heat pump system. During heating, the high-temperature, high-pressure gas fluid discharged from the compression section 83 is sent to the indoor unit 82, which functions as a condenser and performs heat exchange. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas fluid that flows into the condenser (indoor unit 82) condenses and becomes a low-temperature liquid fluid by releasing heat to the outside. This warms the air in the room.

[0029] Here, when the refrigerant changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state in the condenser section (indoor unit 82), the liquid fluid flowing out of the condenser section may contain separated refrigerating machine oil, liquid refrigerant and / or gaseous refrigerant trapped in the oil phase of the refrigerating machine oil, as in the cooling cycle of Fig. 1(a). During heating, the liquid fluid flowing out of the condenser section (indoor unit 82) is further sent to the expansion section 81, where it becomes a low-pressure and even lower-temperature liquid. Even after passing through the expansion section 81, separated refrigerating machine oil and trapped liquid refrigerant and / or gaseous refrigerant may remain.

[0030] During indoor heating as shown in FIG. 1(b), the liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention is installed between the expansion section 81 and the evaporation section (outdoor unit 84). The inlet 70 of the liquefaction promotion device 1 is connected to the outlet side of the expansion section 81, and the outlet 60 of the liquefaction promotion device 1 is connected to the inlet side of the evaporation section, which is the outdoor unit 84. The fluid flowing out from the expansion section 81 is thoroughly and uniformly mixed within the liquefaction promotion device 1. The separated refrigerating machine oil becomes uniformly mixed with the liquid refrigerant, the liquid solvent captured in the oil phase of the refrigerating machine oil is released, and the remaining gaseous refrigerant drops in temperature and becomes a liquid refrigerant. The fluid flowing out from the liquefaction promotion device 1 is then sent to the evaporation section (outdoor unit 84).

[0031] During indoor heating as shown in Fig. 1(b), the outdoor unit 84 performs heat exchange as an evaporator. The low-temperature, low-pressure liquid fluid that flows into the evaporator absorbs heat from the outside and evaporates to become a high-temperature gaseous fluid. The gaseous fluid is then returned to the compressor 83.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), the liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention is inserted into the piping path that constitutes a heat pump system. Since the actual piping is formed by connecting multiple pipe members, the liquefaction promotion device 1 can be easily installed, for example, by removing one pipe member and replacing it with the liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention. As shown in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), it can be installed, for example, on outdoor piping near an outdoor unit. In this case, the piping is arranged to form a smooth curve of an appropriate size so that the fluid in the piping can move smoothly.

[0033] 1(a) and 1(b) above show an example in which the liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention is applied to a basic form of a heat pump system. There are many application forms of actual heat pump systems. The liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention can also be applied to heat pump systems in which various components are added to the basic form. For example, the liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention can be used in conjunction with a system equipped with a gas-liquid separator that separates a refrigerant in a two-phase gas-liquid state. Furthermore, for example, the liquefaction promotion device 1 of the present invention can be used in conjunction with a system equipped with an ejector and a gas-liquid separator instead of an expansion section.

[0034] The term "stationary" in the context of the stationary liquefaction promotion device 1 shown in FIG. 1 means that the disks are fixed and do not rotate. The cylindrical casing 10 is fixed. Here, the cylindrical casing 10 is configured as a pressure vessel and is highly airtight, since a gas-liquid mixture at a pressure of approximately 10 MPa passes through its interior. In this respect, it differs from the side wall of the inner tank in the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 6 and subsequent figures. Furthermore, large-diameter disks 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 are provided inside the cylindrical casing 10, but these are fixed and do not move. An elastic body or the like is disposed between the cylindrical casing 10 and the large-diameter disks, preventing the passage of fluid. The large-diameter disks 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 have flow holes drilled in their centers to allow fluid to pass through. The small diameter disks 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 have gaps between them and the cylindrical casing 10, allowing fluid to pass through the gaps between the small diameter disks and the cylindrical casing 10. There are no flow holes in the centers of the small diameter disks 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46.

[0035] Flow-directing units 21, 22, and 23 are concentrically stacked inside the cylindrical casing 10. Flow-directing unit 21 is arranged in the following order: large-diameter disk 31, small chamber, small chamber, small-diameter disk 42, small chamber, small chamber, large-diameter disk 32, and the other flow-directing units have a similar configuration. As a result, during cooling, fluid entering through inlet 60 passes through the circulation hole of the large-diameter disk, the small chamber, the gap between the edge of the small-diameter disk and the casing, the small chamber, and the circulation hole of the large-diameter disk three times before exiting through outlet 70 during cooling. During this process, the fluid is uniformly mixed due to the shear effect.

[0036] Figure 2 is a diagram explaining the configuration of the small chamber in detail. Figure 2(a) is a view from the direction of fluid entry. Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A. Here, the large-diameter and small-diameter disks are omitted, and only the small chamber is depicted. As shown in Figure 2, the small chamber has two layers of polygons (here, regular hexagons) arranged seamlessly in a honeycomb pattern, which are stacked in a shifted state. This complicates the fluid path, enabling a shearing effect to be achieved.

[0037] Figure 3 shows variations in the shape of the chambers. Figure 3(a) shows a shape with repeated regular octagons. Figure 3(b) shows a shape with repeated regular hexagons. Figure 3(c) shows a shape with repeated equilateral triangles. Figure 3(d) shows a shape with repeated squares. The term "honeycomb shape" mentioned above refers to a broader definition of honeycomb shape, i.e., a repeating figure that is not limited to regular hexagons but also includes regular polygons, etc., arranged to create a seamless, planar expansion. Therefore, it includes regular octagons, regular hexagons, equilateral triangles, squares, etc., as shown in Figure 3. In both cases, the expansion is a two-layered chamber, with the two layers staggered. That is, the chambers on the larger-diameter disc side and the chambers on the smaller-diameter disc side are arranged to communicate with each other, and the repeating honeycomb shapes are staggered as shown in Figure 3, making the fluid passageway complex.

[0038] 4 is a partially enlarged view of one of the flow guide units, illustrating in detail the configuration of the large-diameter discs 35, 36, the small-diameter discs 45, 46, and the small chambers near the cylindrical casing 10. As shown in FIG. 4, holes are provided on the outside of the small-diameter discs 45, 46 near the inner wall of the cylindrical casing 10 to allow fluid to pass through.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the small diameter disk 41. As shown in Fig. 5, small chambers spreading in a honeycomb pattern are attached to the small diameter disk 41, and the small diameter disk 41 is disposed opposite the large diameter disk.

[0040] <Operation> By passing a fluid containing a refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil through the liquefaction accelerating device 1 at a pressure of 0.2 to 10 MPa, the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil are uniformly mixed due to the shear effect of the liquefaction accelerating device 1. This improves the heat exchange efficiency of the alternative fluorocarbon. In Figure 1, the cylindrical casing of the liquefaction accelerating device 1 is used in a horizontally lying position, but the same operation is possible even if it is used in an upright position.

[0041] <Embodiment in which an outer tank is provided in a stationary liquefaction promotion device> Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example in which a stationary liquefaction promotion device 1 equipped with an outer tank is used in a heat pump system. Figure 6(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. Figure 6(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. The outer tank 90 is formed as a sealed, airtight container that covers the cylindrical casing 10 and is formed as a pressure vessel that can withstand a pressure of 10 MPa. During cooling, fluid flowing in from the outdoor unit 84 is temporarily accumulated in the outer tank 90 and comes into contact with the outer sidewall of the cylindrical casing 10. Then, a portion of the fluid enters the stationary liquefaction promotion device 1 through the inlet 60, and another portion of the fluid enters the stationary liquefaction promotion device 1 through multiple openings 11 provided in the sidewall of the cylindrical casing 10. The fluid then exits through the outlet 70 and heads toward the expansion section 81. Here, the multiple openings provided in the sidewall of the cylindrical casing 10 are intended to adjust the fluid pressure within an appropriate range. The size, number, and spacing of the openings can be determined by keeping in mind the trade-off between the pressure regulation effect and the liquefaction promotion effect. Without openings, excessive pressure would be applied to the piping transporting the fluid from the outer tank to the stationary liquefaction promotion device 1, potentially causing a malfunction. Furthermore, providing openings in the side wall of the casing 10 means that the casing 10 does not need to be configured as a pressure vessel, allowing the casing 10 to be formed without requiring airtightness, leading to cost savings. During heating, as shown in FIG. 6( b), the fluid follows the reverse path, so that some of the fluid exits the outlet 60, some accumulates in the outer tank 90, and then heads toward the outdoor unit 84. The remaining portion passes through the openings in the side wall of the casing 10, passes through the outer tank 90, and heads toward the outdoor unit 84. The presence of the outer tank 90 guides the fluid flow while appropriately releasing any fluid pressure that may build up in the casing 10.

[0042] <Embodiment Using a Rotary Liquefaction Promotion Device Comprising Only an Inner Tank, Without an Outer Tank> Figure 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a heat pump system in which a rotary liquefaction promotion device 101 is installed on a piping route. Figure 7(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. Figure 7(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. The rotary liquefaction promotion device 101 in this embodiment has an agitation tank 110, and uniformly mixes the fluid in the agitation tank 110 by rotating a mixing rotor 130 attached to a rotation shaft 125 connected to a rotation drive source (motor) 120. The structure of the mixing rotor 130 will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10, and it has a number of honeycomb-shaped small chambers.

[0043] Figure 8 shows the two disks 131, 132 that make up the rotating mixer 130, the shape of the chambers, and how they are assembled. The upper disk 131 and the lower disk 132 each have a number of honeycomb-shaped chambers, and the two disks are assembled with their open sides facing each other. The honeycomb-shaped chambers are offset and overlapping. The disks can be attached to the rotating shaft 125, and a communication hole is formed in the center of each of the two disks 131, 132 to allow fluid to pass through.

[0044] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the detailed configuration of the rotor mixer 130 and the flow of fluid. As shown in Figure 9, fluid is sucked in from below the center of the rotor mixer and passes through multiple small chambers toward the periphery. During this process, the fluid is uniformly mixed by the shear effect. The fluid inside the mixing vessel 110 leaves the outlet in a moderately uniformly mixed state.

[0045] 10 shows variations in the shape of the small chamber. FIG. 10(a) shows a shape in which equilateral triangles are repeated. FIG. 10(b) shows a shape in which squares are repeated. FIG. 10(c) shows a shape in which regular octagons are repeated. FIG. 10(d) shows a shape in which regular hexagons are repeated. It is also possible to use three sets of mixing rotors stacked together, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

[0046] <Embodiment in which an outer tank is provided in a rotary liquefaction promotion device> Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example in which a rotary liquefaction promotion device 101 equipped with an outer tank 190 is used in a heat pump system. Figure 11(a) shows the direction of fluid flow during cooling. Figure 11(b) shows the direction of fluid flow during heating. This embodiment uses a rotary liquefaction promotion device 101 instead of the stationary liquefaction promotion device of Figure 6. The operation, effects, etc. are similar. Here, similar to the multiple openings 11 provided in the side wall of the cylindrical casing in Figure 6, Figure 11 shows multiple openings 111 provided in the side wall of the stirring tank 110, which is the container for the rotary liquefaction promotion device 101. This makes it possible to adjust the fluid pressure within an appropriate range. Furthermore, the stirring tank 110 does not need to withstand very high pressures and does not need to be airtight.

[0047] Figure 12 shows an example in which three sets of mixing rotors are stacked. In this example, the fluid is sucked not only from below but also from above. The fluid passes through a number of small chambers and is transported to the periphery of the disks 131 and 132. At this time, the shear effect causes uniform mixing.

[0048] <Embodiment Using a Spring> FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a liquefaction promotion device 201 using a spring that can be used in place of the static liquefaction promotion device 1. The liquefaction promotion device 201 depicted in FIG. 13 does not have the aforementioned flow-directing unit composed of honeycomb-shaped chambers. Instead, a spring 250 is provided in a cylindrical casing 210. The spring 250 is a helical spring, and the outer diameter of the spring 250 is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical casing 210. The size of the spring 250 is adjusted so that a gap (e.g., 0.1 mm to 5 mm) is created between the spring 250 and the inner wall of the cylindrical casing 210. This gap allows the spring 250 to vibrate freely. An upper casing 220 is provided above the cylindrical casing 210, and a lower casing 230 is provided below the cylindrical casing 210, forming an enclosed space. This sealed space has the strength to allow fluid to flow at a high pressure of 10 MPa. An inlet 60 is provided in the upper casing 220. An outlet 70 is provided in the lower casing 230. The inlet 60 and the outlet 70 are positioned offset from each other so that the inflowing fluid does not directly flow out.

[0049] <Operation> By passing a fluid containing refrigerant and refrigeration oil through the liquefaction promotion device 201 at a pressure of 0.2 to 10 MPa, the spring 250 of the liquefaction promotion device 201 vibrates freely up and down and left and right, suppressing pulsation (pulsating pressure fluctuations) of the fluid flowing at high pressure and working to equalize the pressure. Furthermore, the freely vibrating spring 250 collides with the fluid in various directions, resulting in a shear effect that uniformly mixes the refrigerant and refrigeration oil. This improves the heat exchange efficiency of the alternative fluorocarbon. This effect can be increased by repeatedly circulating the fluid through the piping of the heat pump system.

[0050] <Embodiment Applying a Spring to a Stationary Liquefaction Acceleration Device> Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a stationary liquefaction acceleration device 1, i.e., a liquefaction acceleration device 301, which has fixed flow-directing units each consisting of a honeycomb-shaped chamber and further employs a spring. The liquefaction acceleration device 301 depicted in Figure 14 includes flow-directing units 21, 22, and 23 each consisting of a honeycomb-shaped chamber, and a spring 350. Similar to the liquefaction acceleration device 201, the size of the spring 350 is adjusted to create a gap between the spring 350 and the inner wall of the casing 310, allowing the spring 350 to vibrate freely. Also similar to the liquefaction acceleration device 201, the upper casing 320 and the lower casing 330 form an enclosed space, which has sufficient strength to allow the flow of a high-pressure fluid of 10 MPa. The inlet 60 and the outlet 70 are provided, each positioned offset from each other to prevent the inflowing fluid from directly flowing out. In this embodiment as well, by providing a plurality of openings 211 in the side wall of the cylindrical casing that encases the flow guide units 21, 22, and 23, it is possible to appropriately adjust the pressure of the fluid.

[0051] <Operation> The spring 350 of the liquefaction promotion device 301 has the effect of suppressing pulsation and a shearing effect, just like the liquefaction promotion device 201. Furthermore, the flow guide units 21, 22, and 23 have a shearing effect. Therefore, the synergistic effect of the spring 350 and the flow guide units 21, 22, and 23 allows the refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil to mix uniformly. This improves the heat exchange efficiency of the alternative to chlorofluorocarbons. This effect can be increased by repeatedly circulating the fluid through the piping of the heat pump system.

[0052] <Embodiment in which an outer tank is further provided in a static liquefaction promotion device using a spring> Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a liquefaction promotion device 401 that further includes an outer tank in a static liquefaction promotion device using a spring. That is, an outer tank 490 is added to the liquefaction promotion device 301. The outer tank 490 is similar to the outer tank 90 (Figure 6). This configuration suppresses heat generation in the liquefaction promotion device, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency and ultimately leading to energy savings. Even in this embodiment, the fluid pressure can be appropriately adjusted by providing multiple openings 412 in the side wall of the cylindrical casing that encases the flow-directing unit. Furthermore, the fluid pressure can be appropriately adjusted by providing multiple openings 411 in the side wall of the casing in the portion where the spring is used.

[0053] <Embodiment in which a spring is applied to the outer tank of a static liquefaction promotion device equipped with an outer tank> Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a liquefaction promotion device 501 equipped with an outer tank, but in which a spring 550 is applied to the outer tank 590 of a static liquefaction promotion device. That is, this is an example in which a spring 550 is applied to the outer tank of the embodiment shown in Figure 6. The spring 550 depicted in Figure 16 has a tapered shape, with the diameter decreasing toward the bottom. Tapered springs can also be used in other embodiments such as Figures 13, 14, and 15. It is believed that the tapered spring further changes the fluid flow and enhances the shear effect. The spring 550 suppresses pulsation and provides a shear effect, and further shear effect is achieved by passing through the flow guide unit. These effects improve the heat exchange rate and lead to energy savings. Even in this embodiment, the fluid pressure can be appropriately adjusted by providing multiple openings 511 in the side wall of the cylindrical casing enclosing the flow guide unit.

[0054] <Embodiment in which a spring is applied to a rotary liquefaction promotion device> Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquefaction promotion device 601 in which a spring is used inside the stirring tank of the rotary liquefaction promotion device shown in Figure 7. A spring 650 is installed inside the stirring tank 610 so that it can vibrate freely. The shear effect caused by the high-speed rotation of the mixing rotor 140 by the rotary drive source 120, and the pulsation suppression effect and shear effect of the spring 650 work synergistically to improve the heat exchange rate, leading to energy savings.

[0055] <Embodiment in which an outer tank is provided in a rotary liquefaction promotion device using a spring as the stirring tank> Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a liquefaction promotion device 701 further equipped with an outer tank 790 around the liquefaction promotion device 601 shown in Figure 17. The shear effect caused by the high-speed rotation of the mixing rotor 140 by the rotary drive source 120, and the pulsation suppression effect and shear effect of the spring 750 work synergistically to improve the heat exchange rate. In this embodiment, by providing multiple openings 711 in the side wall of the stirring tank, it is possible to appropriately adjust the pressure of the fluid.

[0056] 19 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment in which a spring is provided in the outer tank of a rotary liquefaction promotion device. The shear effect caused by the high-speed rotation of the mixing rotor 140 by the rotary drive source 120, combined with the pulsation suppression effect and shear effect of the spring 850 provided in the outer tank 890, improves the heat exchange rate. In this embodiment, by providing multiple openings in the side wall of the stirring tank 810, it is possible to appropriately adjust the pressure of the fluid.

[0057] <Power Reduction Results> FIG. 20 is a table showing the power reduction results of the liquefaction promotion device shown in the sixth embodiment. In the table, the device model number refers to the model number of the heat pump system. The refrigerant type refers to the type of refrigerant, such as R410 or R22. The pre-installation measurement date and post-installation measurement date refer to measurements taken before and after the liquefaction promotion device 301 (embodiment 6) according to the present invention was installed in an existing heat pump system. The suction temperature and discharge temperature refer to the air temperatures on the suction side and discharge side of the air conditioner. Δt refers to the temperature difference between the suction temperature and the discharge temperature. The outdoor air temperature refers to the outdoor air temperature. Max. Δt refers to the maximum instantaneous temperature difference. Three types of current values ​​were measured: R phase, T phase, and average value. The amount of power is in watts per hour. The reduction rate was calculated as a percentage (%) of power consumption before and after installation. As can be seen from FIG. 20, the power reduction rate was 11% at the lowest and 51.9% at the highest.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 21 , the embodiment with the external tank described above can be further modified. Inlet valves 958 and 959 can be provided at the piping point where the external tank connects to the heat pump system, allowing the required amount of refrigerant to be transported to the heat pump system site while already contained in the external tank of the liquefaction promotion device. The external tank is relatively large and can be configured as a pressure vessel, a sealed vessel, or an airtight vessel. Therefore, the amount of refrigerant gas required for each heat pump system can be calculated in advance. This allows the external tank of the liquefaction promotion device of the present invention to be transported to the factory pre-stored with the required amount of refrigerant gas, eliminating the need to measure and charge the required amount of refrigerant gas on-site. In this way, the liquefaction promotion device can be used to pre-charge the required amount of refrigerant gas for each heat pump system, thereby also functioning as a refrigerant gas container. In this case, a bypass 940 is provided on the heat pump system side, and three-way valves 942 and 943 are provided at both ends of the bypass 940. By connecting the inlet valves 958 and 959 to the three-way valves 942 and 943, respectively, the liquefaction promotion device of the present invention can be installed in an existing heat pump system. The "liquefaction promotion device" in this embodiment can be any of the stationary and rotary liquefaction promotion devices described in this specification, particularly those having an outer tank. The device of the present invention can be widely used in heat pumps that perform heat exchange, such as heat pumps that use electricity as energy or heat pumps that use gas as energy, and that circulate a refrigerant and refrigerating machine oil.

[0059] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquefaction promotion device (static liquefaction promotion device) 10 Casing 11 Opening 21, 22, 23 Flow guide unit body 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 Large diameter disc 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 Small diameter disc 50 Small chamber 60 Inlet (inlet for cooling, outlet for heating) 70 Outlet (outlet for cooling, inlet for heating) 81 Expansion section 82 Evaporation section (indoor unit) 83 Compression section 84 Condensation section (outdoor unit) 90 Outer tank 101 Rotary type liquefaction promotion device 110 Stirring tank 111 Opening 120 Rotation drive source 125 Rotating shaft 130, 140 Mixing rotor 131 Upper disc 132 Lower disc 190 Outer tank 201 Liquefaction promotion device (using a spring) 210 Cylindrical casing 211 Opening 220 Upper casing 230 Lower casing 250 Spring 301 Static liquefaction promotion device (using a spring) 310 Cylindrical casing 220 Upper casing 230 Lower casing 350 Spring 401 Static liquefaction promotion device (having a spring and equipped with an outer tank) 411, 412 Opening 480 Outer tank piping 490 Outer tank 501 Static liquefaction promotion device (having an outer tank with a spring) 511 Opening 550 Spring 580 Outer tank piping 590 Outer tank 601 Rotary liquefaction promotion device (having an agitation tank with a spring) 610 Agitation tank 650 Spring 701 Rotary liquefaction promotion device (having an agitation tank with a spring and an outer tank) 710 Agitation tank 711 Opening 750 Spring 780 Outer tank piping 790 Outer tank 801 Rotary type liquefaction promotion device (equipped with an outer tank having a spring) 810 Stirring tank 811 Opening 850 Spring 880 Outer tank piping 890 Outer tank 940 Bypass 942, 943 Three-way valves 958, 959 Introduction valve

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