Air conditioning unit and refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

This air conditioning unit is provided with: a housing that constitutes an outer shell; a U-shaped first heat exchanger that is provided inside the housing and has a first portion, a second portion that faces the first portion, and a third portion that connects the first portion and the second portion; and one or more blowers that are disposed between the opposing first portion and second portion. Each of the one or more blowers is provided with: a centrifugal fan provided with a rotating shaft; and a casing that accommodates the centrifugal fan. The casing is formed with one or more suction ports and one or more blowout ports. The casing is disposed in a direction such that at least a part of the suction ports face any of the first portion, the second portion, or the third portion, and the one or more blowout ports do not face any of the first portion, the second portion, or the third portion.

Description

Air conditioning unit and refrigeration cycle device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning unit and a refrigeration cycle device equipped with a heat exchanger.

[0002] Conventionally, air conditioning units such as outdoor units generally have a configuration including an L-shaped heat exchanger and a propeller fan. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes an outdoor unit of an air conditioner that includes a U-shaped heat exchanger and a sirocco fan. The outdoor unit of Patent Document 1 has an air inlet or outlet on the front surface of the main body, and an outlet or intake on the outer periphery of the main body excluding the front and rear surfaces. The U-shaped heat exchanger faces the outlet or intake on the outer periphery of the main body excluding the front and rear surfaces, and the sirocco fan is located in a region surrounded by the U-shape of the heat exchanger.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-257794

[0004] A U-shaped heat exchanger has the advantage of improving the heat exchange efficiency of the entire heat exchanger because it has a larger heat exchange surface area than an L-shaped heat exchanger. However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, in which the heat exchanger is located on the outlet side of the sirocco fan, water adhering to the heat exchanger when it functions as an evaporator splashes onto the outside of the heat exchanger, contaminating the surrounding area. Furthermore, while Patent Document 1 blows air in the entire circumferential direction of the sirocco fan, there is also a demand for the air to be blown in a specific direction.

[0005] The present disclosure is made in light of the above-mentioned problems, and provides an air conditioning unit and a refrigeration cycle device that, in a configuration equipped with a U-shaped heat exchanger, can suppress contamination of the outside of the heat exchanger due to water adhering to the heat exchanger.

[0006] The air conditioning unit of the present disclosure comprises a housing that forms an outer shell, a U-shaped first heat exchanger that is provided inside the housing and has a first part, a second part opposite the first part, and a third part that connects the first part and the second part, and one or more blowers that are arranged between the opposing first and second parts, each of the one or more blowers comprising a centrifugal fan with a rotating shaft and a casing that houses the centrifugal fan, the casing having one or more intake ports and one or more outlet ports, and the casing being arranged such that at least a portion of the intake port faces any of the first part, the second part, and the third part, and the one or more outlet ports are oriented so as not to face any of the first part, the second part, and the third part.

[0007] The refrigeration cycle device of the present disclosure comprises a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion section, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion section, and the outdoor heat exchanger are connected by refrigerant piping to form a refrigerant circuit, and the first heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit is used as at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the centrifugal fan of the blower is housed in a casing with one or more outlets, and the suction port of the casing faces the first heat exchanger, while the outlet does not face the first heat exchanger. Because the first heat exchanger is disposed on the suction side of the blower, contamination of the outside of the first heat exchanger by water adhering to the first heat exchanger can be suppressed, and by adjusting the position of the outlets of the casing, air can be blown out from the blower in a specific direction.

[0009] 1 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a blower according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the flow of air in the air conditioning unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 4. FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 5. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a machine room according to a modified example of embodiment 5. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 6. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 7. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit according to embodiment 8. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a heat transfer tube according to embodiment 8. FIG. 15 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to embodiment 9.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of an air conditioning unit and a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Also, the size relationships between components in the following drawings, including FIG. 1, may differ from the actual size relationships.

[0011] Embodiment 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of an air conditioning unit 100 according to embodiment 1. The air conditioning unit 100 is a device equipped with a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air and a heat medium such as a refrigerant or brine inside a housing 1. The air conditioning unit 100 is a device that is an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, or an outdoor unit and an indoor unit integrated together.

[0012] Hereinafter, directions when describing the air conditioning unit 100 will be described using the terms X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. The X direction and Y direction are directions along a horizontal plane, and the X direction and the Y direction are perpendicular to each other. The Z direction is a vertical direction. Furthermore, the mutually opposite directions of the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are indicated by directions X1 and X2, directions Y1 and Y2, and directions Z1 and Z2. Direction Z1 is upward, and direction Z2 is downward. Note that these terms indicating directions are used to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure.

[0013] The housing 1 of the air conditioning unit 100 has side walls extending in the Z direction and a ceiling 3. The housing 1 of this embodiment is roughly a rectangular parallelepiped and has four side walls. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 described below, the four side walls are indicated as side walls 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, respectively. The housing 1 is made of sheet metal or the like.

[0014] The housing 1 is formed with a housing air intake port 4 and a housing exhaust port 5, which are openings through which air passes. In the example of FIG. 1 , the housing air intake port 4 is formed in the side wall 2b, and the housing exhaust port 5 is formed in the side wall 2a. It is preferable that the housing air intake port 4 is formed in one of the mutually intersecting surfaces including the ceiling 3 and the side walls that make up the housing 1, and the housing exhaust port 5 is formed in the other. Furthermore, the housing air intake port 4 may be further provided in one or more of the ceiling 3, side wall 2c, and side wall 2d (see FIG. 3 ). The housing air intake port 4 and the housing exhaust port 5 may be provided with a grill to prevent foreign matter from entering.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows components housed inside the housing 1 (see Fig. 1), with the housing 1 not shown. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the air conditioning unit 100 according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 3, the side wall 2a shown in Fig. 1 is not shown. A first heat exchanger 10, a blower 20, and a machine room 6 are provided within the housing 1. Note that in Fig. 2 and the following figures, the direction of air flow is conceptually indicated by dashed arrows.

[0016] The machine room 6 is a compartment or box formed within the housing 1, and houses electrical components such as a circuit board 7. The circuit board 7 is a board on which an electrical circuit that controls the operation of the components that make up the air conditioning unit 100 is mounted. The machine room 6 may also house a compressor that circulates the refrigerant, a power supply device that supplies power to the electrical components, etc.

[0017] The machine chamber 6 in this embodiment is located in the lower part of the housing 1, below the first heat exchanger 10 and the blower 20. The machine chamber 6 is located at a position overlapping at least a portion of the first heat exchanger 10 in a top view.

[0018] A blocking portion 8 that obstructs the passage of air is provided around the first heat exchanger 10, except for the area facing the air outlet 26 of the blower 20. The area where the blocking portion 8 is provided is, for example, an area on the Y1 side of the first heat exchanger 10 or an area on the Y2 side of the first heat exchanger 10, which is an area around the air outlet 26, in Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 illustrates the blocking portion 8 located in the former area as an example.

[0019] The first heat exchanger 10 cools or heats the air by exchanging heat between the air and a heat medium such as a refrigerant or brine. When the heat medium is a refrigerant, the first heat exchanger 10 functions as an evaporator or condenser of the refrigerant. The first heat exchanger 10 is U-shaped and is disposed with the open side of the U facing downward. Opposing portions of the first heat exchanger 10 extending in the Z direction are referred to as a first portion 11 and a second portion 12. A portion connecting the upper end of the first portion 11 and the upper end of the second portion 12 is referred to as a third portion 13. The third portion 13 connects the upper ends of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. In this embodiment, the third portion 13 also includes curved portions continuing to the upper ends of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 extending in the Z direction, i.e., corners of the first heat exchanger 10. In the present embodiment, the first portion 11 is disposed generally parallel to the side wall 2b of the housing 1, and the second portion 12 is disposed generally parallel to the side wall 2d, but the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 may be inclined with respect to the Z direction. The third portion 13 is disposed between the upper surface of the blower 20 and the ceiling 3 of the housing 1. The third portion 13 may include a portion that extends horizontally as illustrated in Fig. 3, or may be curved so that the entire third portion 13 bulges upward.

[0020] In this embodiment, the heat transfer area of ​​the first portion 11 and the heat transfer area of ​​the second portion 12 are each larger than the heat transfer area of ​​the third portion 13. That is, with regard to the portions of the first heat exchanger 10 that exhibit the heat transfer function, the lengths in the Y direction of the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13 are the same, and the lengths of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 in the Z direction are longer than the length of the third portion 13 in the X direction.

[0021] The blower 20 is disposed inside the U-shaped first heat exchanger 10 and passes air through the first heat exchanger 10. That is, the first heat exchanger 10 is disposed around the blower 20 like a roof covering the blower 20 from above. The blower 20 is a double-suction blower that draws air from two directions. As shown in FIG. 2 , the blower 20 of this embodiment is disposed inside the first heat exchanger 10 in all of the X, Y, and Z directions and does not protrude outside the first heat exchanger 10. The blower 20 includes a centrifugal fan 21 and a casing 23 that houses the centrifugal fan 21.

[0022] The centrifugal fan 21 has a rotating shaft 22 and multiple blades, and rotates around the rotating shaft 22 connected to a motor (not shown) to blow air in a centrifugal direction. The centrifugal fan 21 is a multi-blade centrifugal fan such as a sirocco fan or a turbofan. Compared to a propeller fan, the centrifugal fan 21 is less susceptible to a decrease in efficiency even when the static pressure acting on the centrifugal fan 21 increases, and therefore can suppress an increase in input power when the static pressure increases. In this embodiment, the centrifugal fan 21 is disposed so that the rotating shaft 22 extends horizontally. Furthermore, the rotating shaft 22 in this embodiment is disposed so that it extends in a direction intersecting the Y-Z plane, which is a plane parallel to the surfaces of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12.

[0023] The casing 23 includes a first suction port 24, a second suction port 25, and an outlet 26. The first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25 are formed in two opposing walls of the casing 23, sandwiching the centrifugal fan 21 between them. For ease of explanation, the positions of the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25 are indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, the first suction port 24 opens in the X1 direction, and the second suction port 25 opens in the X2 direction, and the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25 face in opposite directions. The outlet 26 opens in a direction perpendicular to the opening directions of the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25, that is, in the Y2 direction in this embodiment. The casing 23 is arranged in such a direction that the first intake port 24 faces the first part 11, the second intake port 25 faces the second part 12, and the exhaust port 26 does not face any of the first part 11, the second part 12, and the third part 13.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of blower 20 according to the first embodiment. Casing 23 of blower 20 includes an internal air passage for rectifying the air blown out from centrifugal fan 21. Casing 23 in this embodiment is a scroll casing and includes peripheral wall 231 surrounding centrifugal fan 21. Peripheral wall 231 is a spiral wall extending from a spiral start portion 233 to a spiral end portion 234. A cylindrical discharge portion 232 is provided between air outlet 26 and start portion 233 and end portion 234. Of the walls constituting discharge portion 232, a flat wall extending linearly and continuing to peripheral wall 231 at end portion 234 is referred to as flat wall 235. Observation of the series of peripheral wall 231 and flat wall 235 reveals that the curvature changes at end portion 234.

[0025] In the present embodiment, the casing 23 is disposed in a position where the end of the spiral 234 faces the first heat exchanger 10. Specifically, the end of the spiral 234 faces the third portion 13 of the first heat exchanger 10 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Note that as long as the end of the spiral 234 faces the first heat exchanger 10, a part of the peripheral wall 231 excluding the end of the spiral 234 may be disposed outside the first heat exchanger 10.

[0026] 5 is a diagram illustrating the flow of air in the air conditioning unit 100 according to Embodiment 1. When the centrifugal fan 21 of the blower 20 operates, suction force is generated at the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25, and air outside the casing 23 is drawn into the casing 23. This causes the air to pass through the first heat exchanger 10 arranged around the blower 20, where heat is exchanged between the air and the heat medium. The air drawn into the casing 23 is blown out from the air outlet 26.

[0027] In this embodiment, a U-shaped first heat exchanger 10 having a first portion 11, a second portion 12, and a third portion 13, and a blower 20 having a casing 23 accommodating a centrifugal fan 21 are provided. The first heat exchanger 10 and the blower 20 are arranged such that a first suction port 24 provided in the casing 23 faces the first portion 11, a second suction port 25 faces the second portion 12, and an outlet 26 does not face the first heat exchanger 10. Therefore, when the centrifugal fan 21 operates, air passes through the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 facing the first suction port 24 or the second suction port 25, as shown in FIG. 5 . The air also passes through the third portion 13 connecting the first portion 11 and the second portion 12, and heat exchange occurs on three surfaces of the first heat exchanger 10. In this way, the first heat exchanger 10 of this embodiment can exchange heat on three surfaces, and therefore can improve the heat exchange efficiency compared to an L-shaped heat exchanger that exchanges heat on two surfaces.

[0028] Furthermore, the centrifugal fan 21 is housed in a casing 23, and while the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25 face the first heat exchanger 10, the outlet 26 of the casing 23 does not face the first heat exchanger 10. Therefore, even if water adheres to the surface of the first heat exchanger 10, the water is sucked into the inside of the U-shape of the first heat exchanger 10, i.e., toward the casing 23, and does not splash outside the first heat exchanger 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the outside of the first heat exchanger 10 from being soiled by water adhering to the first heat exchanger 10.

[0029] Furthermore, by adjusting the position of the air outlet 26 of the casing 23, it is possible to blow air from the blower 20 in a specific direction. Therefore, compared to an embodiment without a casing as exemplified in Patent Document 1, for example, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement of other components within the casing 1 and the casing exhaust port 5. For example, by adjusting the position of the air outlet 26, it is possible to blow air away from a location where it is not desired that the air after heat exchange sent from the centrifugal fan 21 should hit. Furthermore, the direction in which the air is blown out can be controlled by adjusting the shape of the peripheral wall 231 of the casing 23 and the shape of the discharge portion 232, etc.

[0030] In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 22 of the centrifugal fan 21 extends horizontally. Therefore, the suction surface of the centrifugal fan 21, which intersects with the rotation shaft 22, extends vertically. The first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25, which draw air into the centrifugal fan 21, also extend vertically and face the first portion 11 or the second portion 12. Furthermore, the heat transfer areas of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 are larger than the heat transfer area of ​​the third portion 13. Therefore, the amount of air passing through the portion of the first heat exchanger 10 with a large heat transfer area and high heat exchange efficiency can be increased, thereby increasing the amount of heat exchanged in the first heat exchanger 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, blocking sections 8 that obstruct the passage of air are provided around the first heat exchanger 10, except for the area facing the air outlet 26 of the blower 20. By providing such blocking sections 8, it is possible to prevent air from flowing into areas that do not contribute to heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 10, and to allow more air to circulate through the first heat exchanger 10.

[0032] In the present embodiment, the first heat exchanger 10 is disposed at a position facing the end of spiral portion 234 of the casing 23. In the casing 23, which is a scroll casing, the air volume is large at a position corresponding to the end of spiral portion 234 in the circumferential direction of the circular first suction port 24 and second suction port 25. Therefore, by arranging the end of spiral portion 234, which has a large air volume, facing the first heat exchanger 10, the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger 10 can be improved. In the example of FIG. 2 , the end of spiral portion 234 faces the third portion 13, and the area corresponding to the end of spiral portion 234 in the circumferential direction of the first suction port 24 faces the first portion 11, while the area corresponding to the end of spiral portion 234 in the circumferential direction of the second suction port 25 faces the second portion 12. Therefore, a large volume of air flowing toward the area corresponding to the end portion 234 of the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25 passes through the first part 11, the second part 12 and the third part 13, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger 10.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the machine chamber 6 is positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the first heat exchanger 10 in a top view. This reduces the horizontal area occupied by the first heat exchanger 10 and the machine chamber 6. More preferably, the first heat exchanger 10 and the machine chamber 6 are positioned so that the other overlaps the larger area of ​​the other in a top view. This allows the housing 1 accommodating the first heat exchanger 10 and the machine chamber 6 to be miniaturized. In a configuration in which the machine chamber 6 is positioned below the first heat exchanger 10, a water-stopping structure such as a gasket that prevents water from entering the machine chamber 6 is preferably provided. This prevents water from entering the machine chamber 6 even if water adhered to the surface of the first heat exchanger 10 falls, thereby preventing water-related malfunctions of electrical components in the machine chamber 6.

[0034] Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the rotation shaft 22 of the centrifugal fan 21 was arranged horizontally. In this embodiment, an aspect will be described in which the orientation of the rotation shaft 22 of the centrifugal fan 21 is different from that in the first embodiment. Note that the description of this embodiment will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit 100A according to a second embodiment. The air conditioning unit 100A of this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment in that the blower 20A is surrounded by a U-shaped first heat exchanger 10, but the orientation of the blower 20A is different. Specifically, the blower 20A has a centrifugal fan 21 with its rotation shaft 22 aligned vertically, i.e., along the Z direction. Furthermore, one of the first air inlet 24 and the second air inlet 25 faces downward, while the other faces upward. In the example of FIG. 6, the first air inlet 24 opens downward. The second air inlet 25 opens upward, facing the third section 13. As in the first embodiment, the air outlet 26 does not face the first heat exchanger 10A.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the heat transfer area of ​​the third portion 13 is larger than the heat transfer area of ​​the first portion 11 and is also larger than the heat transfer area of ​​the second portion 12. In this embodiment, the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13 have the same length in the Y direction, and the length of the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 in the Z direction is shorter than the length of the third portion 13 in the X direction.

[0037] In this configuration, when centrifugal fan 21 of blower 20A operates, suction force is generated at first suction port 24 and second suction port 25, and air outside casing 23 is drawn into casing 23. This causes the air to pass through first heat exchanger 10 arranged around blower 20A, where heat is exchanged between the air and the heat medium. The air drawn into casing 23 is blown out from outlet 26.

[0038] In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 22 of the centrifugal fan 21 extends vertically. Therefore, the suction surface of the centrifugal fan 21, which intersects with the rotation shaft 22, extends horizontally. The first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25, which draw air into the centrifugal fan 21, also extend horizontally, and one of the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25 (the second suction port 25 in this embodiment) faces the third portion 13. Furthermore, the heat transfer area of ​​the third portion 13 is larger than the heat transfer area of ​​the first portion 11 and is also larger than the heat transfer area of ​​the second portion 12. Therefore, the amount of air passing through the portion of the first heat exchanger 10 with a large heat transfer area and high heat exchange efficiency can be increased, thereby increasing the heat exchange amount in the first heat exchanger 10.

[0039] Also in this embodiment, it is preferable that the first heat exchanger 10 is disposed at a position facing the end of spiral portion 234 of the casing 23. In the example of Fig. 6, the end of spiral portion 234 faces the first portion 11, and the area of ​​the second air inlet 25 in the circumferential direction corresponding to the end of spiral portion 234 faces the third portion 13. Therefore, a large amount of air flowing toward the area of ​​the first air inlet 24 and the second air inlet 25 corresponding to the end of spiral portion 234 passes through the first portion 11 and the third portion 13, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger 10.

[0040] Embodiment 3. In the first embodiment, an embodiment provided with one fan 20 was described, but in this embodiment, an embodiment provided with a plurality of fans 20 will be described. Note that the description of this embodiment will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0041] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit 100B according to embodiment 3. The air conditioning unit 100B of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of fans 20. Although two fans 20 are illustrated in Fig. 6, the number of fans 20 may be three or more. In this embodiment, all of the plurality of fans 20 have the same structure.

[0042] The multiple fans 20 are each arranged with their rotation shafts 22 facing horizontally, as in embodiment 1. The first air inlet 24 of one of the adjacent fans 20 faces the second air inlet 25 of the other. A gap is provided between the adjacent fans 20, and this gap serves as a flow path for air to be drawn into the opposing first air inlet 24 and second air inlet 25.

[0043] In this configuration, when the centrifugal fans 21 of the multiple blowers 20 are operating, suction force is generated at the first suction port 24 and the second suction port 25 of each blower 20, and air outside the casing 23 is drawn into the casing 23. This causes the air to pass through the first heat exchanger 10 arranged around the blower 20, where heat is exchanged between the air and the heat medium. The air drawn into the casing 23 is blown out from the outlet 26.

[0044] In this embodiment, multiple fans 20 are arranged at intervals in the X direction. When the fans 20 are arranged so that their rotation axes 22 are oriented horizontally, as in the example of FIG. 6 , the volume of air passing through the third section 13, which faces the peripheral wall 231 of the casing 23 (see FIG. 4 ), is smaller than the volume of air passing through the first section 11 and the second section 12. This is because the peripheral wall 231 of the casing 23 (see FIG. 4 ) cannot suck air. However, in this embodiment, the gaps between the multiple fans 20 serve as air flow paths, and air is sucked through the third section 13 into the first air inlet 24 or the second air inlet 25, as shown in FIG. 6 . This increases the heat exchange volume in the third section 13, and also increases the heat exchange volume of the entire first heat exchanger 10.

[0045] Although the present embodiment has shown an example in which the rotation shafts 22 of the plurality of fans 20 are arranged horizontally, it is also possible to provide a plurality of fans 20 whose rotation shafts 22 are arranged vertically as shown in the second embodiment. In this case, the plurality of fans 20 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. Even in this case, it is possible to increase the volume of air passing through the first portion 11 or the second portion 12 that faces the peripheral wall 231 of the casing 23.

[0046] Embodiment 4 In this embodiment, an aspect will be described in which the orientation of the casing 23 of the blower 20 is different from that in Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

[0047] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit 100C according to embodiment 4. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the first heat exchanger 10 and the blower 20 in the air conditioning unit 100C according to embodiment 4. Fig. 9 shows the positional relationship of the first heat exchanger 10 and the blower 20 when viewed in the X direction, with the first heat exchanger 10 indicated by a dashed line.

[0048] In this embodiment, casing 23 of blower 20 is arranged so that winding end portion 234 and flat wall 235 are located below winding start portion 233. Winding end portion 234 is located at the bottom of casing 23 and faces machine chamber 6 as shown in Fig. 8. Peripheral wall 231 extending from winding start portion 233 to winding end portion 234 bulges upward at the top of casing 23, and the top surface of casing 23 is curved as shown in Fig. 9.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the spiral end portion 234 of the spiral-shaped peripheral wall 231 of the casing 23 and the flat wall 235 connected thereto are located below the spiral start portion 233 and face downward. Therefore, dust or water falling from above is less likely to accumulate on the surface of the flat wall 235, and deterioration of the flat wall 235 due to contamination can be suppressed. By arranging the spiral end portion 234 and the flat wall 235 on the bottom and the spiral start portion 233 on the top, the top surface of the casing 23 is curved. Therefore, even if dust or water falls onto the casing 23, the dust or water slides down from the curved peripheral wall 231 due to gravity and is less likely to accumulate on the peripheral wall 231. This suppresses the accumulation of dust or water on the casing 23.

[0050] The upper surface of the discharge portion 232 from the winding start portion 233 to the air outlet 26 is preferably inclined relative to the horizontal direction. This makes it difficult for dust, water, etc. that falls on the upper surface of the discharge portion 232 to accumulate in the discharge portion 232.

[0051] Embodiment 5 In this embodiment, a mode will be described in which a machine chamber is arranged in a position different from the machine chamber 6 in embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the differences from embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

[0052] Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit 100D according to embodiment 5. A machine room 6D is provided in the housing 1 of the air conditioning unit 100D. The air conditioning unit 100D of this embodiment differs from embodiment 1 in the arrangement of the machine room 6D. In Fig. 10, a machine room 6Da, which is one variation of the arrangement of the machine room 6D, is indicated by a dashed line.

[0053] In this embodiment, the machine room 6D is located in a position that does not overlap with the area T of the first heat exchanger 10 projected downward. Although the machine room 6D is located below the first heat exchanger 10, it does not overlap with the first heat exchanger 10 in the X and Y directions and is not directly below the first heat exchanger 10. In the example of FIG. 10 , the machine room 6D is located on the Y2 side of the first heat exchanger 10. However, the machine room 6D may be located on the Y1 side, the X1 side, or the X2 side of the first heat exchanger 10. By locating the machine room 6D in a position that avoids the area T, even if water adhering to the first heat exchanger 10 falls downward, the fallen water is less likely to adhere to the machine room 6D or to penetrate into the machine room 6D. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions of electrical components housed in the machine room 6D, such as a circuit board, a compressor, or a power supply, caused by water adhering to the electrical components.

[0054] In this modified example, the machine chamber 6Da overlaps with the first heat exchanger 10 in the height direction, but does not overlap with the first heat exchanger 10 in the X and Y directions, and is not directly below the first heat exchanger 10. Even in this configuration, adhesion of water to the machine chamber 6Da can be suppressed. Furthermore, the machine chamber 6Da is located in an area in the direction of travel of air flowing out of the air outlet 26 of the blower 20, but is positioned so as not to overlap with the air outlet 26 when viewed from the front. In the example of FIG. 10 , the machine chamber 6Da is positioned below the lower end of the air outlet 26. Therefore, the machine chamber 6Da does not obstruct the flow of air blown out of the air outlet 26.

[0055] The machine chamber 6Da may be located on the X1 side, the X2 side, or the Y1 side of the first heat exchanger 10. When the machine chamber 6Da is located on the X1 side or the X2 side of the first heat exchanger 10, the machine chamber 6Da is located with a gap between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 so that the machine chamber 6Da does not obstruct the inflow of air into the first portion 11 or the second portion 12.

[0056] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a machine chamber 6Db according to a modification of the fifth embodiment. The machine chamber 6Db is an area on the opposite side of the direction of travel of air flowing out of the air outlet 26, i.e., on the Y1 side (see FIG. 10 ), and is disposed in an area surrounded by the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13 when the air outlet 26 is viewed from the front. In other words, in FIG. 11 , the machine chamber 6Db is disposed in an area further back than the blower 20 on the page, and at a position inside the U-shaped first heat exchanger 10 when the air outlet 26 is viewed from the front. A portion of the machine chamber 6Db may be disposed directly below the first heat exchanger 10, or the entire machine chamber 6Db may be disposed on the Y1 side of the first heat exchanger 10.

[0057] With this configuration, the machine room 6Db can prevent the flow of air that does not pass through the first heat exchanger 10 when the blower 20 is operating. In other words, the presence of the machine room 6Db prevents air from flowing through this area, so the air flows preferentially through the first heat exchanger 10. This improves the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger 10. Note that while the example in FIG. 11 shows an example in which the machine room 6Db is disposed in the entire area surrounded by the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13, the machine room 6Db may be provided in only a part of this area.

[0058] Sixth Embodiment In this embodiment, an aspect will be described in which another heat exchanger is provided in addition to the first heat exchanger 10. In this embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0059] 12 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit 100E according to Embodiment 6. In addition to the first heat exchanger 10, a second heat exchanger 30 is provided within the housing 1 of the air conditioning unit 100E of this embodiment. The second heat exchanger 30 is connected in series or parallel to the first heat exchanger 10, and a heat medium such as a refrigerant or brine flows in series or parallel through the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 30. The first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 30 both function as an air heater or cooler.

[0060] The second heat exchanger 30 is disposed in an area on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the air flowing out of the air outlet 26, i.e., on the Y1 side (see FIG. 2 , etc.), and is disposed in an area surrounded by the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13 when the air outlet 26 is viewed from the front. In other words, in FIG. 12 , the second heat exchanger 30 is disposed in an area further back in the plane of the drawing than the blower 20, and at a position inside the U-shaped first heat exchanger 10 when the air outlet 26 is viewed from the front. A portion of the second heat exchanger 30 may be disposed directly below the first heat exchanger 10, or the entire second heat exchanger 30 may be disposed on the Y1 side of the first heat exchanger 10, i.e., on the back side of the plane of the drawing.

[0061] As in this embodiment, by providing the second heat exchanger 30 in addition to the first heat exchanger 10, the heat exchange area can be increased, thereby increasing the heat exchange amount of the air conditioning unit 100E.

[0062] Furthermore, because the second heat exchanger 30 is disposed on the Y1 side, which is the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the air blown out from the outlet 26, the air blown out from the outlet 26 is less likely to flow into the second heat exchanger 30. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a short cycle in which the air that has exchanged heat in the first heat exchanger 10 and is blown out from the outlet 26 flows into the second heat exchanger 30.

[0063] The location of the second heat exchanger 30 is not limited to the example in Fig. 12. The second heat exchanger 30 may be located in an area excluding the direction of travel of the air blown out from the air outlet 26. For example, the second heat exchanger 30 may be located on the X1 side, X2 side, Y2 side, Y1 side, Z1 side, or Z2 side of the first heat exchanger 10, and specifically, may be located in the position illustrated as the machine room 6D or the machine room 6Da in Fig. 10.

[0064] Seventh Embodiment In this embodiment, a blower having a plurality of air outlets will be described. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0065] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit 100F according to the seventh embodiment. The blower 20F of the air conditioning unit 100F includes a first air outlet 26F1 and a second air outlet 26F2. The first air outlet 26F1 and the second air outlet 26F2 are arranged so as not to face any of the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13 of the first heat exchanger 10. The first air outlet 26F1 shown in FIG. 13 has the same structure as the air outlet 26 shown in the first embodiment. The second air outlet 26F2 opens in a different direction from the first air outlet 26F1. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the first air outlet 26F1 opens in the Y2 direction, while the second air outlet 26F2 opens in the Y1 direction.

[0066] The centrifugal blower 20F has a characteristic that the blowing efficiency improves when it has multiple air outlets. Therefore, by providing multiple air outlets in the blower 20F as in the present embodiment, the blowing efficiency of the blower 20F can be improved.

[0067] Furthermore, the first air outlet 26F1 and the second air outlet 26F2 are arranged so as not to face the first portion 11, the second portion 12, and the third portion 13. This makes it possible to suppress a short cycle in which the air that has exchanged heat in the first heat exchanger 10 and is blown out from the fan 20F flows back into the first heat exchanger 10.

[0068] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the first air outlet 26F1 and the second air outlet 26F2 open in opposite directions to each other, but it is sufficient if the first air outlet 26F1 and the second air outlet 26F2 open in different directions to each other.

[0069] Eighth Embodiment In this embodiment, a specific example of the members constituting the first heat exchanger 10 will be described. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0070] 14 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of an air conditioning unit 100G according to embodiment 8. The first heat exchanger 10 provided in the air conditioning unit 100G includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes 14, a first header 15, and a second header 16.

[0071] The heat transfer tube 14 is a tube having a flow path therein through which a heat medium flows. The heat medium flowing inside the heat transfer tube 14 exchanges heat with the air surrounding the heat transfer tube 14 via the heat transfer tube 14. The heat transfer tube 14 may be a flat tube, a multi-hole flat tube, or a circular tube. Furthermore, the surface of the heat transfer tube 14 may be provided with fins to promote heat exchange.

[0072] The first header 15 and the second header 16 are components that distribute the heat medium to the multiple heat transfer tubes 14 or merge the heat medium that has flowed in from the multiple heat transfer tubes 14. The multiple heat transfer tubes 14 are inserted into the first header 15 and the second header 16 from above. The first header 15 and the second header 16 have a flow path therein through which the heat medium flows and are connected to a heat medium pipe (not shown). The first header 15 and the second header 16 may be circular pipes or square pipes. Furthermore, the first header 15 or the second header, which functions as a heat medium distributor, may have a partition inside to partially separate the flow path.

[0073] The first header 15 and the second header 16 are arranged so that the tube axis directions are parallel and horizontal to each other. In the example of Fig. 14, the first header 15 and the second header 16 are arranged along the Y direction.

[0074] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a heat transfer tube 14 according to an eighth embodiment. The heat transfer tube 14 is formed in a U-shape along the tube axis and includes a first portion 141, a second portion 142, and a third portion 143. The first portion 141 has a lower end connected to the first header 15 and extends vertically. The second portion 142 has a lower end connected to the second header 16 and extends vertically. The third portion 143 connects the upper end of the first portion 141 to the upper end of the second portion 142. Although the third portion 143 in FIG. 15 has a portion extending horizontally, the third portion 143 may be curved so as to bulge upward as a whole, or may be linearly inclined. The first portion 141, the second portion 142, and the third portion 143 are connected together to form the U-shaped heat transfer tube 14.

[0075] In this way, both the first portion 141 and the second portion 142 of the U-shaped heat transfer tube 14 constituting the first heat exchanger 10 extend vertically. Therefore, water adhering to the heat transfer tube 14 flows downward through the first portion 141 and the second portion 142 due to gravity and is easily drained.

[0076] Furthermore, by curving third portion 143 or tilting it relative to the horizontal direction, water adhering to third portion 143 is also likely to flow downward along third portion 143 by gravity and be drained away. This prevents water adhering to third portion 143 from falling vertically and adhering to blower 20. If water adheres to blower 20, which is an electrical component, it can cause malfunctions, etc., but preventing water adhesion can also prevent malfunctions of blower 20.

[0077] Furthermore, when forming the first heat exchanger 10 in a U-shape, it is also possible to arrange U-shaped first and second headers at intervals in the Y direction, as in the heat transfer tube 14 of FIG. 15 , and provide multiple heat transfer tubes connecting the first and second headers horizontally. While such an embodiment may be adopted, the first and second headers, which are connected to multiple heat transfer tubes and through which more heat transfer medium flows than in a single heat transfer tube, are generally made of metal members with a larger wall thickness than the heat transfer tubes. However, it is not easy to bend the first and second headers made of thicker metal members into a U-shape. Therefore, as described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 , the first heat exchanger 10 can be easily manufactured by forming the first header 15 and the second header 16 as straight tubes and the heat transfer tube 14 into a U-shape.

[0078] Ninth Embodiment In this embodiment, an example of a refrigeration cycle apparatus to which the air conditioning units 100 to 100G described in the first to eighth embodiments are applied will be described. Fig. 16 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigeration cycle apparatus 200 according to the ninth embodiment. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 200 includes a compressor 201, an indoor heat exchanger 202, an expansion section 203, an outdoor heat exchanger 204, and a refrigerant flow switching valve 206, which are connected by refrigerant piping 205 to form a refrigerant circuit.

[0079] The compressor 201 draws in a refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state, compresses the drawn refrigerant, and discharges the refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state. The compressor 201 is, for example, a capacity-controllable inverter compressor.

[0080] The indoor heat exchanger 202 exchanges heat between a heat medium on the load side, such as indoor air, and a refrigerant. The indoor heat exchanger 202 functions as an evaporator during cooling operation and as a condenser during heating operation.

[0081] The expansion section 203 is a pressure reducing valve or an expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and expands it.

[0082] The outdoor heat exchanger 204 exchanges heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 204 functions as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation.

[0083] Refrigerant flow path switching valve 206 switches the destination of the refrigerant discharged from compressor 201 between indoor heat exchanger 202 and outdoor heat exchanger 204. During cooling operation, refrigerant flow path switching valve 206 connects the discharge side of compressor 201 to outdoor heat exchanger 204 and connects the suction side of compressor 201 to indoor heat exchanger 202. During heating operation, refrigerant flow path switching valve 206 connects the discharge side of compressor 201 to indoor heat exchanger 202 and connects the suction side of compressor 201 to outdoor heat exchanger 204.

[0084] The air conditioning units 100 to 100G described in the first to eighth embodiments are used as at least one of an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger 202 and an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger 204. When the air conditioning units 100 to 100G are indoor units, the first heat exchanger provided in the air conditioning units 100 to 100G functions as the indoor heat exchanger 202. When the air conditioning units 100 to 100G are outdoor units, the first heat exchanger provided in the air conditioning units 100 to 100G functions as the outdoor heat exchanger 204. In either case, water adhering to the first heat exchanger does not splash around the first heat exchanger, thereby preventing the outside of the first heat exchanger from being soiled by water.

[0085] The components constituting the air conditioning units 100 to 100G described in the first to eighth embodiments may be combined as appropriate to the extent that they are not inconsistent with one another. For example, any of the first heat exchanger and blower arrangements shown in the first to fourth embodiments may be combined with the machine room arrangement shown in the fifth embodiment. Furthermore, the second heat exchanger shown in the sixth embodiment may be combined with an air conditioning unit according to another embodiment. When combining the machine room arrangement shown in the fifth embodiment with the second heat exchanger shown in the sixth embodiment, it is preferable that the machine room be positioned so as not to obstruct the flow of air passing through the second heat exchanger.

[0086] Furthermore, while the above embodiments illustrate examples in which the blower is a double-inlet blower with two suction ports, the blower may also be a single-inlet blower. In this case, an inlet corresponding to the first suction port 24 or the second suction port 25 is provided in the blower casing. Even when the blower is a single-inlet blower, the blower is positioned so that the inlet faces either the first section 11, the second section 12, or the third section 13. Because a U-shaped first heat exchanger is provided around the casing, heat exchange between the heat medium and air occurs in the first heat exchanger when the blower is operated, thereby achieving the effects described in each embodiment. In this case, a blocking portion that obstructs the passage of air may be provided around the first heat exchanger, except for the area facing the blower's outlet. In this way, by reducing the amount of air passing through areas in the first heat exchanger that do not contribute to heat exchange, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the volume of air passing through the part of the first heat exchanger that does not face the blower intake port.

[0087] In addition, in the above-described first to seventh embodiments, the first heat exchanger is disposed with the open side of the U-shape facing downward, but the orientation of the first heat exchanger is not limited to this. For example, the first heat exchanger may be disposed with the open side of the U-shape facing upward.

[0088] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing, 2a Side wall, 2b Side wall, 2c Side wall, 2d Side wall, 3 Ceiling, 4 Housing air intake port, 5 Housing air exhaust port, 6 Machine room, 6D Machine room, 6Da Machine room, 6Db Machine room, 7 Circuit board, 8 Blocking portion, 10 First heat exchanger, 10A First heat exchanger, 11 First part, 12 Second part, 13 Third part, 14 Heat transfer tube, 15 First header, 16 Second header, 20 Blower, 20A Blower, 20F Blower, 21 Centrifugal fan, 22 Rotating shaft, 23 Casing, 24 First intake port, 25 Second intake port, 26 Outlet, 26F1 First outlet, 26F2 Second outlet, 30 Second heat exchanger, 100 Air conditioning unit, 100A Air conditioning unit, 100B Air conditioning unit, 100C Air conditioning unit, 100D Air conditioning unit, 100E Air conditioning unit, 100F Air conditioning unit, 100G Air conditioning unit, 141 First part, 142 Second part, 143 Third part, 200 Refrigeration cycle device, 201 Compressor, 202 Indoor heat exchanger, 203 Expansion section, 204 Outdoor heat exchanger, 205 Refrigerant piping, 206 Refrigerant flow path switching valve, 231 Peripheral wall, 232 Discharge section, 233 Winding start section, 234 Winding end section, 235 Flat wall.

Claims

1. An air conditioning unit comprising: a housing forming an outer shell; a U-shaped first heat exchanger provided inside the housing and having a first part, a second part opposing the first part, and a third part connecting the first part and the second part; and one or more blowers arranged between the opposing first and second parts, each of the one or more blowers comprising a centrifugal fan with a rotating shaft and a casing accommodating the centrifugal fan, the casing being formed with one or more intake ports and one or more exhaust ports, the casing being oriented such that at least a portion of the intake port faces any of the first part, the second part, or the third part, and the one or more exhaust ports are oriented such that they do not face any of the first part, the second part, or the third part.

2. The air conditioning unit described in claim 1, wherein the rotation axis extends horizontally and in a direction intersecting a plane parallel to the surfaces of the first and second parts, the suction port has a first suction port and a second suction port opening in a direction opposite to the opening direction of the first suction port, the first suction port faces the first part, the second suction port faces the second part, and the heat transfer area of ​​the first part and the heat transfer area of ​​the second part are larger than the heat transfer area of ​​the third part.

3. The air conditioning unit described in claim 1, wherein the rotation axis extends vertically and parallel to the first and second parts, the suction port has a first suction port and a second suction port that opens in a direction opposite to the opening direction of the first suction port, the first suction port faces the third part, and a heat transfer area of ​​the third part is larger than each of the heat transfer areas of the first and second parts.

4. An air conditioning unit as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more fans are a plurality of fans, the rotation axes of each of the plurality of fans extend in the same direction, and the plurality of fans are arranged at intervals from one another.

5. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the casing is a scroll casing having a spiral-shaped peripheral wall extending from a start portion to an end portion, and the first heat exchanger is disposed at a position opposite the end portion.

6. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the casing is a scroll casing having a spiral peripheral wall extending from a start portion to an end portion, the scroll casing having a flat wall extending in a straight line from the end portion to the air outlet, and the scroll casing is positioned such that the end portion and the flat wall are located lower than the start portion.

7. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a machine room for accommodating a circuit board, the machine room being positioned so as not to overlap with an area projected downwardly of the first heat exchanger.

8. The air conditioning unit according to claim 7, wherein the machine room is an area in the direction of travel of the air flowing out of the air outlet, and is positioned so as not to overlap with the air outlet when viewed from the front.

9. The air conditioning unit according to claim 7, wherein the machine room is an area on the opposite side to the direction of travel of the air flowing out of the air outlet, and is located in an area surrounded by the first portion, the second portion and the third portion when looking at the air outlet from the front.

10. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a machine chamber that houses a circuit board, the machine chamber being positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the first heat exchanger when viewed from above.

11. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a second heat exchanger in an area on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the air flowing out of the air outlet, the area being surrounded by the first part, the second part and the third part when the first heat exchanger is projected onto a plane parallel to the air outlet.

12. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a second heat exchanger in an area in the direction of travel of the air flowing out of the air outlet, at a position that does not overlap with the air outlet when viewed from the front.

13. An air conditioning unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the one or more air outlets include a plurality of air outlets that open in different directions.

14. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat transfer tubes, and a first header and a second header whose tube axis direction is arranged horizontally, and each of the plurality of heat transfer tubes comprises a first portion connected to the first header and extending in the vertical direction, a second portion connected to the second header and extending in the vertical direction, and a third portion connecting the first portion and the second portion.

15. An air conditioning unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein an obstruction that impedes the passage of air is provided in the area around the first heat exchanger, excluding the area facing the one or more air outlets of the blower.

16. A refrigeration cycle device comprising: a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion section, and an outdoor heat exchanger, the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion section, and the outdoor heat exchanger being connected by refrigerant piping to form a refrigerant circuit, and the first heat exchanger of an air conditioning unit described in any one of claims 1 to 15 being used as at least one of the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger.

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