Refrigeration cycle device

Abstract

A refrigeration cycle device according to the present invention comprises: a housing which constitutes an outer shape and has an air-supply chamber and a machinery chamber formed on the interior thereof; a machinery chamber-side pipe plate which partitions the interior of the housing into the air-supply chamber and the machinery chamber; a heat exchanger which is provided in the air-supply chamber and performs heat exchange between a refrigerant and air; a blower which is provided in the air-supply chamber and supplies the air to the heat exchanger; a refrigerant pipe which is provided in the machinery chamber and through which the refrigerant flows; and a leakage detection unit which is attached to the air-supply-chamber side of the machinery chamber-side pipe plate and detects the leakage of the refrigerant.

Description

Refrigeration cycle equipment

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigeration cycle device through which a refrigerant flows.

[0002] Currently, refrigerants used in operating refrigeration cycle devices are mainly HFC refrigerants such as R410A and R404A, which are alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons. However, due to growing environmental awareness, there is a demand for a shift to refrigerants with lower global warming potential (GWP). Although alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons do not deplete the ozone layer, they have high GWPs and cause a strong greenhouse effect. Instead, alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons are relatively stable and non-flammable. In contrast, refrigerants with low GWPs have safety concerns due to their high operating pressures, flammability, and toxicity, although this varies depending on the refrigerant. Flammable refrigerants may ignite due to sparks, static electricity, or other factors if they leak and accumulate in a space outside the refrigerant circuit, causing the refrigerant concentration to exceed the lower flammability limit (LFL). Therefore, it is necessary to install a leak detection sensor to detect the leak.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an indoor unit of a refrigeration system in which a gas sensor is located near a control board at a location where piping and the like are provided on a partition plate inside a casing. Patent Document 1 specifies a relationship between the height position of the gas sensor and the time from when the refrigerant starts to leak until the leaking refrigerant reaches the height position of the gas sensor. Patent Document 1 aims to detect refrigerant leakage early by setting the height position of the gas sensor based on this relationship.

[0004] Patent No. 6614389

[0005] However, in the indoor unit of the refrigeration system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the gas sensor is located in the vicinity of the control board, in a location where piping and the like are provided on a partition plate inside the casing, so it may take some time to detect a refrigerant leak.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a refrigeration cycle device that quickly detects refrigerant leakage.

[0007] The refrigeration cycle device of the present disclosure includes a housing that forms an outer shell and has an air blower chamber and a machine chamber formed therein, a machine chamber side tube plate that divides the inside of the housing into the air blower chamber and the machine chamber, a heat exchanger that is provided in the air blower chamber and exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air, a blower that is provided in the air blower chamber and sends air to the heat exchanger, refrigerant piping that is provided in the machine chamber and through which a refrigerant flows, and a leak detection unit that is attached to the air blower chamber side of the machine chamber side tube plate and detects refrigerant leakage.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, refrigerant leaks can be detected quickly.

[0009] 1 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigeration cycle apparatus according to embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a top view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a machine room according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a counter-machine room according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a machine room-side tube sheet and a leakage detection unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a refrigerant leakage flow in a machine room according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a front view showing a refrigerant leakage flow in a counter-machine room according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a counter-machine room-side tube sheet and a counter-machine room-side leakage detection unit according to embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 3. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an indoor unit according to embodiment 3. FIG. 12 is a front view showing a refrigerant leakage flow in a counter-machine room according to embodiment 3. FIG. 13 is an analysis result in the case of a refrigerant leakage according to embodiment 3. FIG. 14 is a detection result of a refrigerant leakage according to embodiments 1 to 3.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of a refrigeration cycle device 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. Furthermore, in the following drawings, including FIG. 1, the dimensional relationships between components may differ from the actual relationships. Furthermore, in the following description, terms indicating directions are used as appropriate to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, but these terms are used only to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. Examples of terms indicating directions include "up," "down," "right," "left," "front," and "rear."

[0011] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing a refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 according to embodiment 1. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is, for example, an air conditioning apparatus that adjusts the air in a space to be air-conditioned, and as shown in Figure 1, includes an outdoor unit 2, an indoor unit 3, and a control unit 6. The outdoor unit 2 includes, for example, a compressor 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 11, an outdoor blower 12, a liquid receiver 13, and an accumulator 18. The indoor unit 3 includes, for example, an expansion unit 15, a heat exchanger 16, a blower 17, and a liquid solenoid valve 14.

[0012] A refrigerant circuit 5 is formed by connecting a compressor 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 11, a liquid receiver 13, a liquid solenoid valve 14, an expansion section 15, a heat exchanger 16, and an accumulator 18 via refrigerant piping 4. The compressor 10 draws in low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, compresses it, and discharges it into high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The compressor 10 is, for example, a capacity-controllable inverter compressor. The outdoor heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat between, for example, outdoor air and the refrigerant. The outdoor heat exchanger 11 functions as a condenser. The liquid receiver 13 is located downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 11, which functions as a condenser, and absorbs fluctuations in the amount of refrigerant inside the heat exchanger 16, which functions as an evaporator, due to load fluctuations.

[0013] The liquid solenoid valve 14 is provided between the receiver 13 and the expansion section 15 and opens and closes the refrigerant pipe 4 through which the liquid refrigerant flows, thereby permitting or blocking the flow of the refrigerant. The expansion section 15 is a pressure reducing valve or expansion valve that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant to expand it. The expansion section 15 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve whose opening is adjustable. The heat exchanger 16 exchanges heat between, for example, indoor air and the refrigerant. The heat exchanger 16 functions as an evaporator. The blower 17 is a device that sends indoor air to the heat exchanger 16. The accumulator 18 stores the liquid refrigerant to prevent liquid backflow into the compressor 10.

[0014] (Refrigerant) The refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle device 1 is flammable or slightly flammable. Note that the refrigerant may be non-flammable.

[0015] (Controller 6) The controller 6 controls the operation of the compressor 10, the expansion unit 15, the liquid solenoid valve 14, the blower 17, etc. The controller 6 is configured as dedicated hardware or a CPU (also referred to as a central processing unit, processing unit, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or processor) that executes a program stored in a storage device. When the controller 6 is dedicated hardware, the controller 6 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. Each functional unit realized by the controller 6 may be realized by separate hardware, or each functional unit may be realized by a single piece of hardware.

[0016] When the control unit 6 is a CPU, each function executed by the control unit 6 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and firmware are written as programs and stored in a storage device. The CPU realizes each function by reading and executing the programs stored in the storage device. Note that some of the functions of the control unit 6 may be realized by dedicated hardware, and some may be realized by software or firmware. The storage device may be configured as a hard disk, or as a volatile storage device such as random access memory (RAM) that can temporarily store data. The storage device may also be configured as a non-volatile storage device such as flash memory that can store data long-term.

[0017] (Operation Mode, Cooling Operation) Next, the operation modes of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 will be described. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is a dedicated cooling device capable of only cooling operation. In cooling operation, refrigerant is drawn into the compressor 10, compressed by the compressor 10, and discharged in a high-temperature, high-pressure gas state. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 11, which functions as a condenser. In the outdoor heat exchanger 11, the refrigerant exchanges heat with outdoor air sent by the outdoor blower 12, condensing and liquefying. The condensed liquid refrigerant passes through the receiver 13 and flows into the expansion section 15, where it expands and is decompressed to become a low-temperature, low-pressure, two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant then flows into the heat exchanger 16, which functions as an evaporator. In the heat exchanger 16, the refrigerant exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the blower 17, evaporating and gasifying. At this time, the indoor air is cooled, and the room is cooled. The evaporated refrigerant in a gaseous state at a low temperature and pressure passes through the accumulator 18 and is drawn into the compressor 10 .

[0018] The refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 may have a flow path switching device. In this case, the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is capable of both cooling operation and heating operation. The refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 may also be a dedicated heating apparatus. In the first embodiment, the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is a unit cooler, but the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 can be applied to air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, etc.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the indoor unit 3 pertaining to Embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a top view showing the indoor unit 3 pertaining to Embodiment 1, and Fig. 4 is a front view showing the indoor unit 3 pertaining to Embodiment 1. Next, the indoor unit 3 will be described in detail. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the indoor unit 3 includes a housing 20, a machine room-side tube sheet 31, an anti-machine room-side tube sheet 32, a heat exchanger 16, a blower 17, a drain pan 30, refrigerant piping 4, and a leak detection unit 33.

[0020] (Housing 20) The housing 20 constitutes the outer shell of the indoor unit 3 and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in one direction. Hereinafter, this one direction will be referred to as the width direction. Inside the housing 20, an airflow chamber 23, a machine chamber 24, and an opposite machine chamber 25 are formed. The airflow chamber 23 is formed in the center of the housing 20 in the width direction, and the machine chamber 24 and the opposite machine chamber 25 are formed at both ends of the housing 20 in the width direction. The airflow chamber 23 is provided with a heat exchanger 16 and a blower 17. The machine chamber 24 is provided with refrigerant piping 4 and the like. Air is drawn in through an intake port 21 on the back of the housing 20 and blown out through an outlet port 22 on the front of the housing 20. In other words, a main air passage 26 is formed from the back to the front of the housing 20.

[0021] (Machine chamber-side tube sheet 31) Fig. 5 is a side view showing the machine chamber 24 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 5, the machine chamber 24 is separated from the blower chamber 23 by the machine chamber-side tube sheet 31 inside the housing 20. The machine chamber 24 houses the liquid solenoid valve 14 and the expansion section 15.

[0022] (Non-machine chamber side tube sheet 32) Fig. 6 is a side view showing the non-machine chamber 25 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the non-machine chamber 25 is separated from the blower chamber 23 by the non-machine chamber side tube sheet 32 ​​inside the housing 20. The non-machine chamber side tube sheet 32 ​​separates the non-machine chamber 25 and the blower chamber 23 at the other end of the housing 20 opposite to the end where the machine chamber side tube sheet 31 is provided in the width direction.

[0023] (Heat exchanger 16, blower 17) As shown in Fig. 3, the heat exchanger 16 is provided on the rear side of the housing 20 so as to extend in the width direction of the housing 20. As shown in Fig. 3, four blowers 17 are arranged on the front side of the housing 20 along the width direction of the housing 20. The number of blowers 17 may be three or less, or five or more.

[0024] (Drain Pan 30) The drain pan 30 receives drain water generated in the heat exchanger 16, and is provided on the bottom side of the housing 20 so as to extend in the width direction of the housing 20, as shown in FIG.

[0025] (Refrigerant Pipe 4 ) As shown in FIG. 5 , a portion of the refrigerant pipe 4 connected to the liquid electromagnetic valve 14 and the expansion section 15 is housed in the machine room 24 .

[0026] (Leak Detection Unit 33) FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the machine room-side tube sheet 31 and the leak detection unit 33 according to the first embodiment. The leak detection unit 33 detects refrigerant leakage. As shown in FIG. 7, the leak detection unit 33 is attached to the machine room-side tube sheet 31 and protrudes toward the blower chamber 23. Specifically, the leak detection unit 33 is attached to the lower part of the machine room-side tube sheet 31. The leak detection unit 33 (sensor) continues to measure and detects the leaking refrigerant when it reaches the leak detection unit 33. At that time, a separate device issues an alarm at a given concentration, such as ¼ or less of the LFL. The leak detection unit 33 is preferably located below the line Y in FIG. 7 in the height direction. Here, the line Y is a line passing through the main shaft of the blower 17. The leak detection unit 33 is preferably located behind the line X in FIG. 3 in the depth direction, i.e., on the heat exchanger 16 side. Here, the straight line X is a line that passes through the end face of the blower body from which the main shaft of the blower 17 projects. These allow the leakage detection unit 33 to reliably detect refrigerant leakage.

[0027] (Operation when refrigerant leaks) Next, the operation when refrigerant leaks will be described, separately for when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped and when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is operating.

[0028] (Operation when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped) First, the operation when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped will be described. Generally, flammable refrigerants are heavier than air, so leaked refrigerant accumulates inside the housing 20. The leak detection unit 33 is attached to the lower part of the machine room-side tube sheet 31, so it can detect refrigerant leakage early. Thereafter, the control unit 6 closes the liquid solenoid valve 14 to shut off the refrigerant circuit 5 and operates the blower 17 to diffuse the leaked refrigerant.

[0029] (Operation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 during operation) Figure 8 is a front view showing the flow of refrigerant leakage in the machine chamber 24 according to embodiment 1. Next, the operation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 during operation will be described. As shown in Figure 8, if a refrigerant leak occurs in the machine chamber 24, the leakage detection unit 33 is located near the path along which the leaked refrigerant is discharged from the front surface of the housing 20 to the outside, and therefore the refrigerant leak can be detected early.

[0030] FIG. 9 is a front view showing the flow of refrigerant leakage in the opposite machine compartment 25 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9 , if a refrigerant leak occurs in a compartment other than the machine compartment 24, such as the opposite machine compartment 25, the leaked refrigerant is discharged from the front of the housing 20 to the outside. The refrigerant then diffuses into the cabinet in which the indoor unit 3 is installed, increasing the refrigerant concentration in the air drawn into the indoor unit 3. The leak detection unit 33 detects the leakage of refrigerant drawn from the back of the housing 20. The control unit 6 then closes the liquid solenoid valve 14 to shut off the refrigerant circuit 5 and continues operating the blower 17 to diffuse the leaked refrigerant.

[0031] According to the first embodiment, the leakage detection unit 33 is attached to the blower chamber 23 side of the machine room-side tube sheet 31. That is, the leakage detection unit 33 is located on the path along which the leaked refrigerant is discharged to the outside of the machine. Therefore, the leakage detection unit 33 can quickly detect the refrigerant leakage.

[0032] In the first embodiment, a uniform space is formed between the machine room side tube sheet 31 and the anti-machine room side tube sheet 32 ​​and the drain pan 30. The machine room side tube sheet 31 and the anti-machine room side tube sheet 32 ​​may be formed in a slit shape by extending a portion thereof toward the drain pan 30 and not extending another portion thereof. In this case, if the leak detection unit 33 is disposed near the location where the leaked refrigerant flows around below the machine room side tube sheet 31 and the anti-machine room side tube sheet 32 ​​and out, the reliability of leak detection can be increased.

[0033] Embodiment 2. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the opposite-machine-room-side tube sheet 32 ​​and the opposite-machine-room-side leakage detection unit 34 according to embodiment 2. This embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in that it includes the opposite-machine-room-side leakage detection unit 34. In this embodiment 2, the same parts as in embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and the description will focus on the differences from embodiment 1.

[0034] 10 , the anti-machine room side leak detection unit 34 that detects refrigerant leaks is attached to the anti-machine room side tube sheet 32 ​​and protrudes toward the blower chamber 23. Generally, refrigerant leaks in the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 mainly occur at pipe connections, pipe end processing portions, pipe bends, and pipe bends in the anti-machine room 25 within the machine room 24. By attaching the leak detection unit 33 and the anti-machine room side leak detection unit 34 near the main refrigerant leak locations, refrigerant leaks can be detected without increasing the refrigerant concentration in the installation compartment even when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is operating, i.e., when the blower 17 is operating.

[0035] (Operation when refrigerant leaks) Next, the operation when refrigerant leaks will be described, separately for when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped and when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is operating.

[0036] (Operation when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped) First, the operation when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped will be described. Generally, flammable refrigerants are heavier than air, so leaked refrigerant accumulates inside the housing 20. The leak detection unit 33 is attached to the lower part of the machine room-side tube sheet 31, so it can detect refrigerant leakage early. Thereafter, the control unit 6 closes the liquid solenoid valve 14 to shut off the refrigerant circuit 5, and operates the blower 17 to diffuse the leaked refrigerant. This is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0037] (Operation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 during operation) Next, the operation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 during operation will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. As shown in Figure 8, if a refrigerant leak occurs in the machine chamber 24, the leakage detection unit 33 is located near the path along which the leaked refrigerant is discharged from the front surface of the housing 20 to the outside, so that the refrigerant leak can be detected early. This is also the same as in the first embodiment.

[0038] As shown in Figure 9, if a refrigerant leak occurs in the opposite machine chamber 25, the opposite machine chamber leak detection unit 34 is located near the path along which the leaked refrigerant is discharged from the front of the housing 20 to the outside, so the refrigerant leak can be detected early.

[0039] Embodiment 3. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing an indoor unit 3 according to embodiment 3, and Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an indoor unit 3 according to embodiment 3. Embodiment 3 differs from embodiments 1 and 2 in that it is provided with a partition plate 40. In embodiment 3, parts that are common to embodiments 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the differences from embodiments 1 and 2.

[0040] The partition plate 40 forms an air passage 41 through which air flows between the counter-machine chamber 25 and the machine chamber 24. As shown in Fig. 11 , the partition plate 40 is a plate member extending in the width direction of the housing 20 and provided above the drain pan 30. The partition plate 40 is provided parallel to the drain pan 30. As shown in Fig. 12 , the partition plate 40 is disposed so as to sandwich the drain pan heater 30a provided in the drain pan 30. The partition plate 40 also extends to the vicinity of the machine chamber-side tube sheet 31 on the machine chamber 24 side of the main shaft of the blower 17 so as to form a certain gap.

[0041] (Operation when refrigerant leaks) Next, the operation when refrigerant leaks will be described, separately for when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped and when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is operating.

[0042] (Operation when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped) First, the operation when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped will be described. Generally, flammable refrigerants are heavier than air, so leaked refrigerant accumulates inside the housing 20. The leak detection unit 33 is attached to the lower part of the machine room-side tube sheet 31, so it can detect refrigerant leakage early. Thereafter, the control unit 6 closes the liquid solenoid valve 14 to shut off the refrigerant circuit 5, and operates the blower 17 to diffuse the leaked refrigerant. This is the same as in the first and second embodiments.

[0043] (Operation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 during operation) Next, a description will be given of the operation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1. If a refrigerant leak occurs in the machine chamber 24, the leakage detection unit 33 is located near the path along which the leaked refrigerant is discharged from the front surface of the housing 20 to the outside, so that the refrigerant leak can be detected early. This is also the same as in the first and second embodiments.

[0044] Fig. 13 is a front view showing the flow of refrigerant leakage in the opposite-machine-chamber-side chamber 25 according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, if a refrigerant leak occurs in a chamber other than the machine chamber 24, such as the opposite-machine-chamber-side chamber 25, the leaked refrigerant flows through an air passage 41 between the drain pan 30 and the partition plate 40 toward the machine chamber 24. The leak detection unit 33 detects the refrigerant leak from the air that has flowed toward the machine chamber 24. Thus, in the third embodiment, by including the partition plate 40, the opposite-machine-chamber-side leak detection unit 34 can be omitted.

[0045] (Analysis Results) Fig. 14 shows the analysis results in the case of a refrigerant leak according to the third embodiment. Next, the analysis results for the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment are shown. The analysis conditions are that the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is in operation, i.e., the blower 17 is in operation, and that refrigerant leaks in the opposite machine compartment 25. As shown in Fig. 14, regardless of the refrigerant leakage time, when there is no partition plate 40, the refrigerant does not flow to the machine compartment 24 side, and is discharged to the outside of the housing 20 through the air outlet 22 on the front surface of the housing 20. In contrast, when there is a partition plate 40, the refrigerant flows to the machine compartment 24 side, and reaches the machine compartment 24 side approximately 40 seconds after the leakage occurs.

[0046] (Detection results of refrigerant leakage according to embodiments 1 to 3) Fig. 15 shows the detection results of refrigerant leakage according to embodiments 1 to 3. As shown in Fig. 15, all of embodiments 1 to 3 are capable of detecting leakage in the machine chamber 24 and the opposite machine chamber 25 when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is stopped and in operation. Note that embodiments 2 and 3 are able to detect leakage in the opposite machine chamber 25 earlier when the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 is in operation.

[0047] In the first to third embodiments, the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 may be provided with a cover that covers the leakage detection unit 33. Since the leakage detection unit 33 is provided on the main air duct 26, there is a risk of water splashing on the leakage detection unit 33 during operation. If there is no protective cover or the like on the sensor unit of the leakage detection unit 33, providing a water and non-waterproof cover on the sensor unit will prevent water from splashing on the sensor unit.

[0048] REFRIGERATION CYCLE DEVICE, 2 OUTDOOR UNIT, 3 INDOOR UNIT, 4 REFRIGERANTE PIPE, 5 REFRIGERANTE CIRCUIT, 6 CONTROL UNIT, 10 COMPRESSOR, 11 OUTDOOR HEAT EXCHANGER, 12 OUTDOOR AIR BLOWER, 13 RECEIVER, 14 LIQUID SOLENET VALVE, 15 EXPANSION UNIT, 16 HEAT EXCHANGER, 17 AIR BLOWER, 18 ACCUMULATOR, 20 CASING, 21 SUPPLY PORT, 22 OUTLET PORT, 23 AIR BLOWER CHAMBER, 24 MACHINERY CHAMBER, 25 NEAR MACHINERY CHAMBER, 26 MAIN AIR PATH, 30 DRAIN PAN, 30a DRAIN PAN HEATER, 31 MACHINERY CHAMBER SIDE TUBE SHEET, 32 NEAR MACHINERY CHAMBER SIDE TUBE SHEET, 33 LEAK DETECTION UNIT, 34 NEAR MACHINERY CHAMBER SIDE LEAK DETECTION UNIT, 40 PARTITION PLATE, 41 AIR PATH.

Claims

1. A refrigeration cycle device comprising: a housing that forms an outer shell and has an air blowing chamber and a machine room formed therein; a machine room-side tube plate that divides the inside of the housing into the air blowing chamber and the machine room; a heat exchanger that is provided in the air blowing chamber and exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air; a blower that is provided in the air blowing chamber and sends air to the heat exchanger; refrigerant piping that is provided in the machine room and through which a refrigerant flows; and a leak detection unit that is attached to the air blowing chamber side of the machine room-side tube plate and detects refrigerant leakage.

2. The refrigeration cycle device according to claim 1, further comprising: a counter-machine chamber side tube plate at the other end of the housing opposite to the end where the machine chamber side tube plate is provided, separating the counter-machine chamber from the ventilation chamber; and a counter-machine chamber side leakage detection unit attached to the counter-machine chamber side tube plate on the ventilation chamber side, for detecting refrigerant leakage.

3. The refrigeration cycle device according to claim 1, further comprising: an anti-machine chamber side tube plate at the other end of the housing opposite to the end where the machine chamber side tube plate is provided in the width direction, which separates the anti-machine chamber from the blower chamber; and a partition plate which forms an air passage through which air flows between the anti-machine chamber and the machine chamber.

4. A refrigeration cycle device according to claim 3, further comprising a drain pan for receiving drain water generated in the heat exchanger, and wherein the partition plate is arranged to sandwich a drain pan heater provided in the drain pan.

5. The refrigeration cycle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a cover that covers the leakage detection unit.

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