Heat source system

Abstract

This heat source system, which uses a combustible substance as a refrigerant, is provided with: a housing (1) in which a first chamber is formed in the upper part of the interior thereof and a second chamber is formed in the lower part of the interior thereof; a blower (11) that is disposed in the housing (1), introduces outside air into the first chamber, and delivers the introduced outside air to the outside of the housing (1); a heat exchanger that is disposed in the first chamber and exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside air introduced by the blower (11); a partition portion that partitions an airflow between the first chamber and the second chamber; and a compressor (23) for compressing the refrigerant and an electrical component box (22), both of which are disposed in the second chamber. An exhaust opening portion (26) is formed at the bottom portion of the second chamber.

Description

Heat Source System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat source system.

[0002] Some refrigerants used in refrigeration cycles, heat pump cycles, and the like are flammable. If a flammable refrigerant leaks, flammable gas may accumulate within the device. For this reason, technologies have been proposed for exhausting the leaked refrigerant gas and diluting the refrigerant gas within the device. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling / heating / hot water heat source device that operates an explosion-proof fan to exhaust refrigerant gas accumulated in the lower part of the housing together with air. The outdoor unit of this cooling / heating / hot water heat source device includes a roof-shaped drain pan in the center of the housing, an air heat exchanger in the upper part of the housing, and a fan on the ceiling. When the fan operates, air containing flammable refrigerant gas in the lower part of the housing passes through the drain pan and the air heat exchanger and is exhausted to the outside.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-296058

[0004] The outdoor unit of the air-conditioning and hot water supply heat source device described in Patent Document 1 discharges refrigerant gas from the lower part of the housing to the outside via a drain pan and an air heat exchanger. This results in low discharge efficiency. In particular, because the central drain pan has a roof structure, most of the air in the lower part of the housing hits the drain pan, bounces off, and flows to the side before flowing to the air heat exchanger. This results in high pressure loss. Furthermore, the air flowing from outside the housing into the air heat exchanger is dominant over the air flowing from the drain pan into the air heat exchanger, resulting in low discharge efficiency of refrigerant gas from the lower part of the housing.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a heat source system that can exhaust gas containing a flammable refrigerant gas with high efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides a heat source system that uses a flammable material as a refrigerant, and includes a housing having a first chamber formed in an upper portion thereof and a second chamber formed in a lower portion thereof, a blower disposed in the housing for introducing outside air into the first chamber and discharging the introduced outside air to the outside of the housing, a heat exchanger disposed in the first chamber for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the outside air introduced by the blower, a partition separating the airflow between the first chamber and the second chamber, and a compressor and an electrical component box disposed in the second chamber for compressing the refrigerant. An exhaust opening is formed in the bottom of the second chamber.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, an exhaust opening is formed in the bottom of the second chamber, and leaking refrigerant gas can be quickly exhausted to the outside through this opening.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor unit according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5;

[0009] (Embodiment) An outdoor unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] The outdoor unit according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes an opening at the bottom of the outdoor unit. When the pressure at the bottom of the outdoor unit increases, gas at the bottom of the outdoor unit passes through the opening and is discharged to the outside of the outdoor unit. Therefore, for example, if refrigerant leaks at the bottom of the outdoor unit, the leaked refrigerant gasifies, causing the pressure at the bottom of the outdoor unit to increase. This allows the refrigerant gas to be quickly discharged to the outside. This is described in detail below.

[0011] The outdoor unit according to this embodiment is connected to an indoor unit via a refrigerant pipe to form a refrigeration cycle, a heat pump cycle, or the like. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to as the refrigeration cycle. In this embodiment, a flammable substance is used as the refrigerant. The refrigerant is, for example, propane.

[0012] 1 and 2 , the outdoor unit 10 includes a housing 1, a raising member 14, a blower 11, a compressor 23, an air heat exchanger 21, and an electrical component box 22. The outdoor unit 10 corresponds to the outdoor unit of an air conditioner. The outdoor unit 10 is an example of a heat source system according to the present disclosure.

[0013] For ease of understanding, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set, with the longitudinal direction of the outdoor unit 10 as the X-axis direction, the width direction as the Y-axis direction, and the vertical direction as the Z-axis direction, and will be referred to as appropriate.

[0014] The housing 1 forms the outer shell of the outdoor unit 10. The housing 1 includes an upper housing portion 16, a lower housing portion 17 connected to the upper housing portion 16, a housing top portion 15 that closes the top surface, and a partition plate 24 arranged between the upper housing portion 16 and the lower housing portion 17.

[0015] The upper housing 16 has a tapered outer shape that expands in the Y direction as it extends vertically upward. Multiple ventilation holes (not shown) are formed on both Y-direction side surfaces of the upper housing 16. Air heat exchangers 21 are arranged along both Y-direction side surfaces of the upper housing 16. Partitions 19 are also provided on both X-direction side surfaces of the upper housing 16. The partitions 19 are arranged parallel to the Y direction and connect the air heat exchangers 21 to each other in the Y direction. Multiple heat transfer tubes through which a refrigerant flows are arranged inside each air heat exchanger 21, exchanging heat with the passing air. The air heat exchanger 21 functions as a condenser during cooling and as an evaporator during heating. The air heat exchanger 21 is an example of a heat exchanger according to the present disclosure.

[0016] The housing top 15 covers the top surface of the housing upper part 16. Openings are formed in the housing top 15, and the fans 11 are disposed therein. A fan 11 is disposed in each opening. In this embodiment, four fans 11 are disposed. During operation, as shown in FIG. 2 , the fans 11 introduce outside air into the heat exchange chamber 12 through the openings formed in the side surface of the housing upper part 16 and the air heat exchanger 21, and also exhaust the air in the heat exchange chamber 12 to the outside.

[0017] The partition plate 24 is disposed between the upper housing portion 16 and the lower housing portion 17. The partition plate 24 serves as a tray for drain water and prevents water droplets from entering the lower housing portion 17. The partition plate 24 also prevents air in the lower housing portion 17 from entering the heat exchange chamber 12 without passing through the outside of the housing 1. The partition plate 24 is an example of a partition according to the present disclosure.

[0018] The heat exchange chamber 12 is formed by the pair of air heat exchangers 21, the pair of partitions 19, the housing top 15, and the partition plate 24. The partitions 19 may be made of sheet metal, or may be heat exchangers formed by bending the air heat exchangers 21 in the Y direction.

[0019] The lower housing portion 17 defines a machine chamber 13 in which a compressor 23, an electrical component box 22, etc. are disposed. An enclosure member 18 is provided on a side of the machine chamber 13 as a partition between the machine chamber 13 and the outside of the housing 1. The heat exchange chamber 12 is an example of a first chamber according to the present disclosure, and the machine chamber 13 is an example of a second chamber according to the present disclosure. The lower housing portion 17 includes a housing bottom portion 25 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing bottom portion 25 has an opening 26 formed therein for ventilation.

[0020] The compressor 23 is connected to the air heat exchanger 21 in the outdoor unit 10, a four-way valve (not shown), an indoor unit, etc. via refrigerant piping to form a refrigeration cycle. The compressor 23 compresses the refrigerant and circulates it through the refrigerant piping. Specifically, the compressor 23 compresses a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant and discharges the high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant to the four-way valve installed on the discharge side of the compressor 23.

[0021] The electrical component box 22 is provided in the machine room 13. The electrical component box 22 houses electrical components necessary for operation of the outdoor unit 10, in other words, electrical components used in operation of the outdoor unit 10.

[0022] 3, the housing bottom 25 is provided with a pair of frame members 27 that can withstand the weight of the entire outdoor unit 10, the vibrations of the compressor 23, the vibrations of the blower 11, etc. Two bottom members 31 are suspended between the pair of frame members 27. The compressor 23, the electrical component box 22, etc. are placed on the bottom members 31.

[0023] The two bottom members 31 are arranged with a predetermined gap between them, forming an opening 26. The opening 26 has a size that allows air inside the machine chamber 13 to circulate with outside air. Therefore, for example, if refrigerant leaks from the compressor 23, the refrigerant evaporates, increasing the pressure inside the machine chamber 13 and causing refrigerant gas to flow out through the opening 26. Furthermore, the opening 26 allows ventilation between the machine chamber 13 and the outside, allowing refrigerant gas inside the machine chamber 13 to flow out.

[0024] The raising member 14 is formed, for example, from concrete that can adequately withstand the weight of the outdoor unit 10 and is installed on the installation surface 42 of the outdoor unit 10. A frame member 27 is placed on the raising member 14. As shown in FIG. 4 , a housing bottom surface 41, which is the bottom surface of the frame member 27, is in contact with the upper surface of the raising member 14. The raising member 14 maintains the bottom member 31 at a certain distance higher than the installation surface 42. This ensures a space between the bottom member 31 and the installation surface 42. The installation surface 42 is, for example, the ground. When looking down at the opening 26, the installation surface 42 is visible. In other words, no structure is installed below the opening 26. This prevents refrigerant gas from flowing out through the opening 26 and prevents refrigerant gas from accumulating on the installation.

[0025] The shape of the bottom member 31 of the housing 1 when viewed from the direction of arrow C shown in Figure 3 may be flat, have repeated concave and convex shapes, a corrugated shape, a hat shape, or any other shape. However, it is preferable that the top surface be flat so that the refrigerant gas does not accumulate locally. In addition, it is preferable that the opening 26 be formed at the lowest point when the outdoor unit 10 is installed.

[0026] The dimension in the X-axis direction of the bottom members 31 of the housing 1 may differ among the multiple bottom members 31. Similarly, the number of openings 26 may be one or more. The bottom members 31 are fixed to the side surface, top surface, etc. of the frame member 27 using connecting members such as screws.

[0027] An example of a refrigerant gas leak is damage to the refrigerant piping in the machine room 13. The frame member 27, bottom member 31, and other components that form the opening 26 are made of, for example, steel plate. However, the frame member 27, bottom member 31, and other components may be made of other materials as long as they are formed to ensure the required strength. The size of the opening 26 is determined in advance through experiments to be large enough to quickly dilute the refrigerant gas without stagnation.

[0028] Next, the airflow in the outdoor unit 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, solid arrows represent the airflow from the machine compartment 13, and dashed arrows represent the airflow of outside air. When the blower 11 is operating, outside air passes through the air heat exchanger 21 and enters the heat exchange chamber 12. The air in the heat exchange chamber 12 is exhausted to the outside of the housing 1 by the blower 11.

[0029] Furthermore, heat generated by the electrical component box 22 heats the air inside the machine compartment 13, and the air tends to rise. However, the partition plate 24 and the enclosure member 18 prevent the heated air inside the machine compartment 13 from entering the air heat exchanger 21. This prevents the temperature difference between the refrigerant passing through the pipes of the air heat exchanger 21 and the air passing outside the pipes of the air heat exchanger 21 from becoming small, and prevents a decrease in the performance of the air heat exchanger 21 during cooling operation, for example, and suppresses a decrease in operating efficiency.

[0030] If refrigerant leaks from the machine chamber 13, the leaked refrigerant first vaporizes, causing the air pressure in the machine chamber 13 to rise. This causes refrigerant gas to flow from the machine chamber 13 to the outside of the housing 1. Specifically, the refrigerant gas flows downward through the opening 26 from the machine chamber 13 to the outside of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the refrigerant gas is propane gas, which is heavier than air. Therefore, the leaked refrigerant gas accumulates at the bottom of the machine chamber 13, flows downward through the opening 26 in the housing bottom 25, and is discharged to the outside of the housing 1. Furthermore, because the housing 1 is located at a high position above the installation surface 42 by the raising member 14, natural ventilation and other factors allow the air in the machine chamber 13 to circulate with the outside air, making it easier for the refrigerant gas to flow out. The refrigerant gas discharged to the outside of the housing 1 passes through the air heat exchanger 21 from the outside of the housing 1 toward the heat exchange chamber 12 by operation of the blower 11, and then passes from the heat exchange chamber 12 through the housing top part 15 and is discharged to the outside of the housing 1. In addition, some of the gas is diffused by natural ventilation. This discharges and dilutes the refrigerant gas in the machine chamber 13, realizing explosion-proofing of the outdoor unit 10.

[0031] As described above, in the outdoor unit according to the embodiment, the opening 26 communicating with the outside air is formed in the housing bottom 25 of the machine chamber 13. The position of the opening 26 is higher than the installation surface 42, and the size of the opening 26 is predetermined so that, when the air pressure in the machine chamber 13 is high, an airflow in the machine chamber 13 is formed from the opening 26 toward the installation surface 42 and out of the housing 1. This allows the gas in the machine chamber 13 to be quickly released to the outside when the air pressure in the machine chamber 13 is high. In particular, in the event of a refrigerant leak in the machine chamber 13, the air in the machine chamber 13 mixed with the leaked refrigerant gas can be quickly released to the outside, thereby diluting the concentration of the leaked refrigerant gas. This provides explosion protection in the event of a refrigerant leak in the machine chamber 13.

[0032] (Modification) The housing bottom 25 of the housing lower portion 17 may have one or two through-holes through which refrigerant piping connected to the compressor 23 passes. These through-holes are essentially blocked when refrigerant piping is installed. Furthermore, the refrigerant piping is relatively thin. Therefore, it contributes little to the release of refrigerant gas. In this embodiment, the opening 26 preferably has a size of approximately 10% or more, and more preferably 30% or more, of the total area of ​​the housing bottom 25 so that leaked refrigerant gas can be quickly discharged.

[0033] Furthermore, the height of the raising member 14 is preferably 10 cm or more, more preferably 15 cm or more, to facilitate natural ventilation.

[0034] In the embodiment, four fans 11 are installed, but the number is not limited to four, and may be five or more, or may be one to three. In addition, the installation position of fans 11 is not limited to the top part 15 of the housing.

[0035] In the embodiment, the upper housing portion 16 has a tapered outer shape, but it may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The outer shape is arbitrary. Also, while the example shown has two air heat exchangers 21, the number of air heat exchangers 21 may be one, or three or more.

[0036] In the embodiment, the outdoor unit 10 is an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, but is not limited to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner as long as it generates and supplies cold heat, hot heat, etc. For example, the outdoor unit 10 may be an outdoor unit of a water heater.

[0037] In the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, multiple raising members 14 are provided in the longitudinal direction of the housing and one raising member is provided in the lateral direction of the housing, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Multiple or single raising members 14 may be provided in the longitudinal direction of the housing, or multiple or single raising members 14 may be provided in the lateral direction of the housing.

[0038] In the embodiment, the raising member 14 is made of, for example, concrete that can sufficiently withstand the mass of the outdoor unit 10, but the raising member 14 may also be made of steel.

[0039] The shape of the opening 26 may be circular, elliptical, or any other shape, and the shape of the opening 26 may be an area surrounded by multiple members, or the opening 26 may be provided in the member itself. The material of the member forming the opening 26 may be a steel plate or any other material that can ensure the required strength.

[0040] Although the outdoor unit 10 according to the embodiment includes two bottom members 31 and one opening 26 in the housing 1, a structure in which multiple openings 26 are formed may also be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , the outdoor unit 10 may include three bottom members 31 in the housing 1. The outdoor unit 10 may also include a bottom member 51 for the compressor 23 on the bottom member 31 of the housing 1, the compressor 23 on the bottom member 51 for the compressor 23, a connection between the frame member 27 of the housing 1 and the bottom member 31 of the housing 1, and an electrical component box 22 on the frame member 27 of the housing 1. The outdoor unit 10 may also include multiple openings 26 between the electrical component box 22 and the compressor 23, each surrounded by the electrical component box 22, the bottom member 31 of the housing 1, and the bottom member 51 of the compressor 23. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , at least a portion of an installation surface 42 located lower than the housing bottom surface 41 shown in the embodiment can be viewed through the openings 26. A bottom member 71 of the electrical component box 22 is provided on the bottom surface of the electrical component box 22 on the inner side of the housing 1. The outdoor unit 10 has an opening 26 between the electrical component box 22 and the compressor 23, and further has multiple openings 26. This allows the leaked refrigerant gas to be quickly discharged to the outside of the housing 1 in the event of a refrigerant leak near the compressor 23, making it difficult for the refrigerant gas to fill the housing 1. The shape of the bottom member 31 of the housing 1, the dimensions of the bottom member 31 of the housing 1, the connection portion of the bottom member 31 of the housing 1, the shape of the opening 26, the method of forming the opening 26, and the material of the member forming the opening 26 are the same as those in the embodiment. Note that in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the electrical component box 22 is installed on the frame member 27 of the housing 1 and the bottom member 71 of the electrical component box 22, but it may also be installed on the bottom member 31 of the housing 1. The compressor 23 may also be installed on the bottom member 31 of the housing 1 without using the bottom member 51. It should be noted that a plurality of openings 26 may be provided between the electrical component box 22 and the compressor 23 .

[0041] Furthermore, the area of ​​the opening 26 may be larger near the electrical component box 22. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the housing 1 is defined as the central axis G. With the central axis G as the reference, the area of ​​the opening 26 on the electrical component box 22 side is larger than the area of ​​the opening 26 on the compressor 23 side. By providing the opening 26 near the electrical component box 22, which is an ignition source, the concentration of the refrigerant gas reaching the interior of the electrical component box 22 can be diluted, preventing the electrical component box 22 from catching fire. The central axis G is a longitudinal axis connecting the centers of the outdoor unit 10 in the short direction.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8 , the outdoor unit 10 may include a structure 91 on the upper surface of a portion of the bottom member 31 of the housing 1. The structure 91 may be another component of the outdoor unit 10, such as a box-shaped metal plate or a water heat exchanger. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the height of the structure 91, and corresponds to a view of region I shown in FIG. 8 from direction H. As shown in FIG. 9 , the height from the upper surface of the bottom member 31 of the housing 1 to the bottommost surface of the partition plate 24 separating the heat exchange chamber 12 and the machine chamber 13 is defined as height J, and the height from the upper surface of the bottom member 31 of the housing 1 to the topmost surface of the structure 91 is defined as height K. It is desirable that height K be 90% or more of height J. As shown in FIG. 8 , the opening 26 is formed by the bottom member 51 of the compressor 23, the plurality of bottom members 31 of the housing 1, and the frame member 27 of the housing 1. By providing the opening 26 between the structure 91 and the compressor 23, refrigerant gas leaking near the compressor 23 hits the structure 91, turns back, and is more likely to be discharged to the outside of the housing 1 through the opening 26. This makes it possible to efficiently dilute the refrigerant gas inside the machine chamber 13. Note that multiple openings 26 may be provided between the structure 91 and the compressor 23. Furthermore, the outdoor unit 10 may have an opening 26 between the electrical component box 22 and the compressor 23, in addition to the opening 26 between the structure 91 and the compressor 23. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , the area of ​​the opening 26 on the electrical component box 22 side may be larger than the area of ​​the opening 26 on the compressor 23 side, with respect to the central axis G in the longitudinal direction of the housing 1.

[0043] 10 , the electrical component box 22 may have an outer shape that is a rectangular parallelepiped having an upper surface 221, a lower surface 222, a left side surface 223, a right side surface 224, a rear surface 225, and a front surface 226, and may have an airtight structure without any ventilation holes. The upper surface 221, the lower surface 222, the left side surface 223, the right side surface 224, the rear surface 225, and the front surface 226 do not have any ventilation holes in their outer shapes, which can prevent refrigerant gas from entering the electrical component box 22 from the outside into the interior in the event of a refrigerant leak. This also has the effect of preventing small animals from entering the electrical component box 22, which could cause a short circuit.

[0044] The raising member 14 may have any configuration as long as it can stably support the entire outdoor unit 10 and ensure the distance between the opening 26 and the installation surface. For example, the outdoor unit 10 may be provided with a raising member 121 illustrated in FIG. 11 instead of the raising member 14 in the embodiment. The raising member 121 includes a plurality of housing longitudinal members 121a, a plurality of housing transverse members 121b, and a plurality of support columns 121c. The support columns 121c may be formed, for example, by extending the support columns forming the machine room 13 vertically downward. In the raising member 121 illustrated in FIG. 11, the lower surfaces of the housing longitudinal members 121a and the lower surfaces of the housing transverse members 121b of the raising member 121 are in contact with the installation surface 42, for example, the ground, but a structure in which only the housing longitudinal members 121a are in contact with the ground is also possible. Furthermore, the raising member 121 does not have to include the housing short side direction member 121b.

[0045] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the air in the machine room 13 is naturally exhausted, but it is also possible to use forced exhaust. Below, with reference to Figures 12 to 15, an outdoor unit 10 will be described which is provided with an exhaust duct on the outside of the housing 1 and which exhausts the air in the machine room 13 by the force of the blower 11.

[0046] In this example, the outdoor unit 10 is provided with exhaust ducts 123 , 124 , and 125 outside the housing 1 in order to introduce refrigerant gas leaking in the machine room 13 into the air heat exchanger 21 .

[0047] The exhaust duct 123 is located on the XY plane below the housing bottom 25. As shown in Fig. 12, the exhaust duct 123 communicates with all of the openings 26 of the machine room 13. The exhaust duct 123 protrudes outside the housing 1 at the end of the housing 1 in the -Y direction, and is positioned so as to extend in the X-axis direction.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 13, the exhaust duct 123 has an exhaust duct 123a and an exhaust duct 123b. The exhaust duct 123a shown in Figs. 13, 14, and 15 has a box shape with an open end in the +Z direction, and is provided so as to cover the lower end of the housing 1 from the -Z direction. This allows it to communicate with the opening 26. The exhaust duct 123b shown in Figs. 12 and 13 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is provided at the end of the housing 1 in the -Y direction so as to extend in the X-axis direction.

[0049] The exhaust duct 124 extends in the Z-axis direction, and its end in the −Z direction is joined to the exhaust duct 123 at a predetermined position in the X-axis direction.

[0050] Exhaust duct 125 is provided below upper housing 16, extending in the X-axis direction. Exhaust duct 125 is connected to the +Z-direction end of exhaust duct 124. Exhaust ducts 123, 124, and 125 are structures formed from sheet metal or resin.

[0051] The enclosure 18 has a hole through which the exhaust duct 123 communicates in the Y-axis direction. A blower 131 is provided in the exhaust duct 124. The blower 131 facilitates exhausting the refrigerant gas in the exhaust ducts 123, 124, and 125 to the air heat exchanger 21. The portion of the exhaust duct 125 that contacts the air heat exchanger 21 is open. The exhaust ducts 123, 124, and 125 can form a continuous air passage.

[0052] The outdoor unit 10 may also have an exhaust duct inside the housing 1. As an example, an example in which exhaust ducts 123 and 124 are provided inside the housing 1 will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 19. By providing the exhaust duct 124 inside, it is possible to reduce the installation portion outside the housing 1, specifically, the portion exposed in the -Y direction from the housing 1.

[0053] First, the exhaust duct 123 shown in Figures 17, 18, and 19 includes, in addition to the exhaust duct 123a in the above-described modified example, an exhaust duct 123b that is located in the -Z direction of the bottom member 31 and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and extends in the X-axis direction. The position of the exhaust duct 123b in the Y-axis direction is predetermined. The exhaust duct 123b is joined to an exhaust duct 124 at a predetermined position in the X-axis direction. The exhaust duct 124 extends a predetermined distance in the +Z direction from the joint with the exhaust duct 123b, and then extends in the -Y direction above the machine room 13 until it reaches the enclosure member 18.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 17 , a blower 131 is provided in the exhaust duct 124. The portion of the enclosure 18 that contacts the exhaust duct 124 has a hole. The exhaust duct 124 and the exhaust duct 125 are joined at the hole. The structure of the exhaust duct 125 is the same as that of the above-described modified example, except that the end of the exhaust duct 125 in the +Y direction shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 that communicates with the exhaust duct 124 is open. Refrigerant gas leaking from the machine room 13 travels in the −Z direction from the opening 26 and flows into the exhaust duct 123a shown in FIGS. 17 , 18 , and 19 . The refrigerant gas then travels to the exhaust duct 123b and then flows into the exhaust duct 124. The refrigerant gas first travels in the +Z direction along the exhaust duct 124, and then flows in the −Y direction. The refrigerant gas then flows from the exhaust duct 124 to the exhaust duct 125 shown in Figures 16 and 17, and into the air heat exchanger 21. Note that the outdoor unit 10 in the modified examples shown in Figures 12 to 19 does not need to be equipped with the raising member 14.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above-described modified example, the exhaust ducts 123, 124, and 125 are configured as separate parts, but the exhaust ducts 123, 124, and 125 may be integrally configured parts.

[0056] Furthermore, the exhaust ducts 123, 124, and 125 may have any shape as long as they are structured to communicate from the machine room 13 to the air heat exchanger 21 and can introduce refrigerant gas leaking from the machine room 13 into the air heat exchanger 21. For example, the exhaust ducts 123, 124, and 125 may be cylindrical.

[0057] Although the preferred embodiments have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0058] It should be noted that the present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0059] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-099803, filed on June 20, 2024. The entire specification, claims, and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-099803 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0060] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0061] (Supplementary Note 1) A heat source system that uses a flammable material as a refrigerant, comprising: a housing having a first chamber formed at an upper part of its interior and a second chamber formed at a lower part of the interior; a blower disposed in the housing and introducing outside air into the first chamber and discharging the introduced outside air to the outside of the housing; a heat exchanger disposed in the first chamber and exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the outside air introduced by the blower; a partition section that separates the airflow between the first chamber and the second chamber; and a compressor and an electrical component box disposed in the second chamber that compress the refrigerant, wherein an exhaust opening is formed in a bottom of the second chamber. (Supplementary Note 2) The heat source system described in Supplementary Note 1, wherein the bottom of the second chamber is positioned away from an installation surface by a raising member that raises the housing, and the opening connects the second chamber to the outside air, and the position of the opening is maintained at a position higher than the installation surface by the raising member. (Supplementary Note 3) The heat source system according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the openings is formed between the compressor and the electrical component box. (Supplementary Note 4) The heat source system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the openings is formed closer to the electrical component box with respect to a longitudinal axis connecting the centers of the lateral sides of the casing. (Supplementary Note 5) The heat source system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, further comprising a structure disposed in the second chamber, wherein at least one of the openings is formed between the structure and the compressor. (Supplementary Note 6) The heat source system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, further comprising an exhaust duct communicating with the opening and for exhausting the refrigerant from the second chamber to the heat exchanger. (Supplementary Note 7) The heat source system according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the exhaust duct is provided outside the casing. (Supplementary Note 8) The heat source system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, wherein the electrical component box has a sealed structure without an air vent.

[0062] 1 Housing, 10 Outdoor unit, 11, 131 Blower, 12 Heat exchange chamber, 13 Machine room, 14 Raising member, 15 Housing top, 16 Housing upper part, 17 Housing lower part, 18 Enclosure member, 19 Partition, 21 Air heat exchanger, 22 Electrical component box, 23 Compressor, 24 Partition plate, 25 Housing bottom, 26 Opening, 27 Frame member, 31, 51, 71 Bottom member, 41 Housing bottom surface, 42 Installation surface, 91 Structure, 121 Raising member, 121a Housing longitudinal direction member, 121b Housing lateral direction member, 121c Support, 123, 123a, 123b, 124, 125 Exhaust duct, 221 Upper surface, 222 Lower surface, 223 Left side surface, 224 Right side, 225 back, 226 front.

Claims

1. A heat source system that uses a flammable substance as a refrigerant, comprising: a housing having a first chamber formed at an upper part of its interior and a second chamber formed at a lower part of the interior; a blower disposed in the housing for introducing outside air into the first chamber and discharging the introduced outside air to the outside of the housing; a heat exchanger disposed in the first chamber for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the outside air introduced by the blower; a partition section that separates the airflow between the first chamber and the second chamber; and a compressor and an electrical component box disposed in the second chamber for compressing the refrigerant, wherein an exhaust opening is formed at the bottom of the second chamber.

2. A heat source system as described in claim 1, wherein the bottom of the second chamber is positioned away from the installation surface by a raising member that raises the housing, the opening connects the second chamber to the outside air, and the position of the opening is maintained at a position higher than the installation surface by the raising member.

3. The heat source system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the openings is formed between the compressor and the electrical component box.

4. A heat source system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the openings is formed closer to the electrical component box with respect to a longitudinal axis connecting the centers of the shorter sides of the housing.

5. The heat source system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a structure disposed in the second chamber, wherein at least one opening is formed between the structure and the compressor.

6. The heat source system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an exhaust duct communicating with the opening and for exhausting the refrigerant from the second chamber to the heat exchanger.

7. The heat source system according to claim 6, wherein the exhaust duct is provided outside the housing.

8. The heat source system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the electrical component box has a sealed structure with no ventilation holes.

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