Chilling unit and chilling unit system

Abstract

This chilling unit comprises: an air heat exchanger provided with a pair of air heat exchange units that exchange heat between refrigerant and air; and a fan disposed above the air heat exchanger. The pair of air heat exchange units face each other in a first direction in plan view. When a direction orthogonal to the first direction in plan view is defined as a second direction, the pair of air heat exchange units are disposed with an increased spacing on the upper side so that, when viewed from the second direction, the pair of air heat exchange units forms a V-shape. Each of the pair of air heat exchange units comprises a main portion extending in the second direction in plan view, at least one inclined portion that is formed at least at one of both end portions in the second direction of the main portion and is inclined with respect to the main portion, and at least one curved portion between the main portion and the at least one inclined portion. The at least one inclined portion of each of the pair of air heat exchange units is inclined in a mutually approaching direction.

Description

Chilling units and chilling unit systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a chilling unit and a chilling unit system that constitute an air conditioner, a heat pump water heater, a refrigeration device, or the like.

[0002] Conventionally, a chilling unit has been proposed in which an air heat exchanger and a blower are disposed above a machine room that houses a compressor and a heat exchanger (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The chilling unit in Patent Document 1 is formed in an elongated shape in a plan view, and the air heat exchanger extends in the longitudinal direction of the chilling unit in a plan view and has a pair of air heat exchange sections that are rectangular in a side view. The pair of air heat exchange sections are disposed above the machine room, facing each other in the short direction of the chilling unit.

[0003] International Publication No. 2011 / 099629

[0004] A plurality of chilling units may be installed side by side in the short direction of the chilling units. When multiple chilling units are installed side by side in this manner, the chilling unit of Patent Document 1 has a problem in that air does not easily flow into the gaps between the air heat exchange sections of adjacent chilling units, reducing the amount of air passing through the air heat exchange sections.

[0005] The present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a chilling unit and chilling unit system that can increase the air flow rate through the air heat exchange section when multiple chilling units are installed side by side.

[0006] The chilling unit according to the present disclosure comprises an air heat exchanger having a pair of air heat exchange sections that exchange heat between a refrigerant and air, and a fan arranged above the air heat exchanger, wherein the pair of air heat exchange sections face each other in a first direction in a plan view, and when a direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view is defined as a second direction, the pair of air heat exchange sections are arranged with a wider spacing between them on the upper side so that they form a V shape when viewed from the second direction, and each of the pair of air heat exchange sections has a main section extending in the second direction in a plan view, at least one inclined section formed at at least one of both end sections of the main section in the second direction and inclined relative to the main section, and at least one curved section between the main section and the at least one inclined section, and the at least one inclined section of each of the pair of air heat exchange sections is inclined in a direction approaching each other.

[0007] The chilling unit system according to the present disclosure is configured by installing a plurality of the chilling units described above.

[0008] The chilling unit according to the present disclosure can increase the amount of air passing through the air heat exchanger when multiple chilling units are installed side by side.

[0009] 8 is a perspective view of a chilling unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of an air heat exchanger of the chilling unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified example of the chilling unit according to embodiment 1. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units of a comparative example are arranged side by side. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units of a comparative example are arranged side by side. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units of embodiment 1 are arranged side by side. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units of embodiment 1 are arranged side by side. FIG. 15 is a graph showing the relationship between the length and inclination angle of an inclined portion that provides an effect of increasing the amount of passing air in a chilling unit according to embodiment 2. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the length and inclination angle of the inclined portion in the graph of FIG.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. In addition, in the following drawings including FIG. 1, the relative dimensional relationships and shapes of each component may differ from the actual ones. In addition, in the following drawings, items with the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and this applies throughout the entire specification.

[0011] First Embodiment [Chilling Unit 100] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chilling unit 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the air heat exchanger 2 of the chilling unit 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified example of the chilling unit 100 according to the first embodiment. In the following drawings, including Figs. 1 to 3, the first direction is the widthwise direction of the chilling unit 100. The second direction is the lengthwise direction of the chilling unit 100, which is a direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view. The third direction is the up-down direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. In the following, a front view means a view from the widthwise side of the chilling unit 100 as indicated by the white arrow in Fig. 1, a side view means a view from the lengthwise side of the chilling unit 100, and a plan view means a view from above the chilling unit 100. In principle, the positional relationships (for example, vertical relationships) between the components in this specification are those when the chilling unit 100 is installed in a usable state as shown in FIG.

[0012] The chilling unit 100 is used as a heat source device for a chiller system. A heat transfer fluid such as water or antifreeze is supplied to the chilling unit 100 from a load unit (not shown), and the heat transfer fluid is cooled or heated in the chilling unit 100 and supplied to the load unit. By circulating the heat transfer fluid in this manner, the chilling unit 100 supplies cold or hot heat to the load unit.

[0013] The chilling unit 100 is formed in an elongated shape in a plan view and includes a machine room 1, an air heat exchanger 2, and a fan 3. The machine room 1 is a housing that houses the devices that make up the refrigerant circuit. The machine room 1 is located at the bottom of the chilling unit 100 and serves as a base that supports the chilling unit 100, and is a housing with a rectangular bottom.

[0014] The air heat exchanger 2 includes a pair of air heat exchange sections 20 that exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing therethrough and the air. Each of the pair of air heat exchange sections 20 is a fin-and-tube heat exchanger. Each of the pair of air heat exchange sections 20 is rectangular in side view and faces each other in a first direction in plan view. The pair of air heat exchange sections 20 are arranged with a wider gap between them at the top so that they form a V-shape in a front view from the second direction.

[0015] The air heat exchanger 20 has a shape in which both ends in the second direction of a rectangular heat exchanger substrate are bent in a side view. Specifically, the air heat exchanger 20 has a main portion 21 at the center in the second direction, inclined portions 22 provided on both ends of the main portion 21 in the second direction and inclined relative to the main portion 21, and a curved portion 23 between the main portion 21 and the inclined portion 22. The inclined portions 22 of the pair of air heat exchangers 20 are inclined in directions approaching each other. As shown in Figure 2, in a plan view, the main portion 21 is linear, the inclined portions 22 are linear, and the curved portion 23 between the main portion 21 and the inclined portion 22 is curved.

[0016] The fan 3 is a propeller fan that passes outdoor air through the air heat exchanger 2. The fan 3 is disposed above the air heat exchanger 2, between the V-shaped pair of air heat exchange sections 20. The fan 3 includes four fans 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D. The number of fans 3 is not limited to four, and may be one or two, or five or more. When the fan 3 is driven, air is drawn into the space formed between the pair of air heat exchange sections 20, and the drawn air flows upward and is discharged to the outside of the fan 3.

[0017] The chilling unit 100 in Fig. 1 has a configuration in which each air heat exchange section 20 is divided into two in the second direction, resulting in a total of four split heat exchangers 201, and the two split heat exchangers 201 are connected to each other by a flat connecting section 24, but the chilling unit 100 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1. The chilling unit 100 may also have a configuration in which the air heat exchange section 20 is not divided in the second direction, as shown in Fig. 3. The chilling unit 100 in Fig. 3 is an example having a pair of air heat exchange sections 20 that are not divided in the second direction, and two fans 3A and 3B.

[0018] 1 and 3 have inclined portions 22 at both ends of the main portion 21 in the second direction, but the air heat exchange portion 20 is not limited to this configuration. The air heat exchange portion 20 may also have a configuration in which one inclined portion 22 is formed at at least one end of the main portion 21 in the second direction. That is, the air heat exchange portion 20 may have a configuration including a main portion 21, at least one inclined portion 22 inclined relative to the main portion 21, and at least one curved portion 23 between the main portion 21 and the at least one inclined portion 22. In this configuration, the shape of the other end of the main portion 21 in the second direction is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an extended configuration in which the main portion 21 extends linearly in a plan view.

[0019] In this manner, when the air heat exchange unit 20 is configured to have one inclined portion 22, the inclined portions 22 of each of the pair of air heat exchange units 20 are configured to be inclined in directions approaching each other on the same side in the second direction. Note that, when the air heat exchange unit 20 is configured to have one inclined portion 22, the inclined portions 22 of each of the pair of air heat exchange units 20 may be configured to be inclined in directions approaching each other on opposite sides in the second direction.

[0020] The operation of the above-described configuration will now be described.

[0021] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units 100X of a comparative example are arranged side by side. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units 100X of a comparative example are arranged side by side. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units 100 of embodiment 1 are arranged side by side. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which a plurality of chilling units 100 of embodiment 1 are arranged side by side.

[0022] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the chilling unit 100X of the comparative example has a configuration in which the main portion 21X of the air heat exchanger 20X extends to both ends of the chilling unit 100X in the second direction and does not have an inclined portion 22. Because the main portion 21X of the air heat exchanger 20X extends to both ends of the chilling unit 100X in the second direction, when multiple chilling units 100X are arranged side by side in the first direction as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the gap W between adjacent chilling units 100X is uniform across the second direction. The gap W refers to the gap between the inner air heat exchangers 20Xa that face each other in adjacent chilling units 100X, and although its size varies depending on the position in the third direction, it is uniform across the second direction at any position in the third direction.

[0023] In this way, when multiple chilling units 100X of the comparative example are installed side by side, the gaps W between the air heat exchange sections 20Xa are uniform across the second direction, making it difficult for air to flow in at the upper end in the third direction where the gaps W are particularly narrow. In the chilling unit 100X, the difficulty in air flowing into the gaps W between the air heat exchange sections 20Xa reduces the amount of air passing through the air heat exchange sections 20X and leads to a decrease in the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2X.

[0024] In contrast, in the chilling unit 100 of embodiment 1, the air heat exchange section 20 has inclined portions 22 at both ends in the second direction. Because the air heat exchange section 20 of the chilling unit 100 of embodiment 1 has inclined portions 22, when multiple chilling units 100 are arranged side by side in the first direction as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the gaps W between the air heat exchange sections 20a inside adjacent chilling units 100 widen at both ends in the second direction. Therefore, air flows more easily into the gaps W in the chilling unit 100 of embodiment 1 than in the chilling unit 100X of the comparative example. Because air flows more easily into the gaps W in the chilling unit 100 of embodiment 1, the airflow rate through the air heat exchange section 20 can be increased compared to the comparative example, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2.

[0025] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a plurality of chilling units 100 are arranged in parallel to form a chilling unit system 110. While Figures 6 and 7 show an example in which two chilling units 100 are arranged in parallel, three or more units may be arranged in parallel. By including chilling units 100 of the above configuration, the chilling unit system 110 can achieve the same effects as the chilling unit 100, namely, an increase in the air flow rate through the air heat exchange section 20 and an improvement in the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2.

[0026] As described above, the chilling unit 100 may be configured such that the air heat exchange section 20 has one inclined section 22 at at least one of the two ends in the second direction of the main section 21. Even with this configuration, the chilling unit 100 and chilling unit system 110 can achieve substantially the same effect of increasing the passing air volume and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2 as with a configuration in which two inclined sections 22 are provided at both ends in the second direction of the main section 21.

[0027] Effects of the Chilling Unit 100 and Chilling Unit System 110 of the First Embodiment The chilling unit 100 of the first embodiment includes an air heat exchanger 2 having a pair of air heat exchange sections 20 that exchange heat between a refrigerant and air, and a fan 3 disposed above the air heat exchanger 2. Each of the pair of air heat exchange sections 20 is rectangular and faces each other in a first direction in a plan view. When a direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view is defined as a second direction, the pair of air heat exchange sections 20 are disposed with a wider gap between their upper sides so as to form a V-shape when viewed from the second direction. Each of the pair of air heat exchange sections 20 has a main section 21 extending in the second direction in a plan view, at least one inclined section 22 formed on at least one end of the main section 21 in the second direction and inclined relative to the main section 21, and at least one curved section 23 between the main section 21 and the at least one inclined section 22. The at least one inclined section 22 of each of the pair of air heat exchange sections 20 is inclined toward each other.

[0028] With the above configuration, when multiple chilling units 100 are installed side by side, air can easily flow into the gaps W between adjacent chilling units 100, thereby increasing the air flow rate through the air heat exchange section 20 and improving the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2.

[0029] The at least one inclined portion 22 includes two inclined portions 22, and the at least one curved portion 23 includes two curved portions 23. Each of the pair of air heat exchange portions 20 has a main portion 21, two inclined portions 22 formed at both ends of the main portion 21 in the second direction and inclined relative to the main portion 21, and two curved portions 23 between the main portion 21 and the two inclined portions 22.

[0030] With the above configuration, air can more easily flow into the gaps W between adjacent chilling units 100 from both ends of the air heat exchanger 2 in the second direction, thereby increasing the air flow rate through the air heat exchange section 20 and further improving the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2.

[0031] The chilling unit system 110 of the first embodiment is configured by installing a plurality of the chilling units 100 described above.

[0032] With the above-described configuration, the chilling unit system 110 can increase the amount of air passing through the air heat exchange section 20 and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2 .

[0033] Second Embodiment In the second embodiment, specific dimensions are specified to realize an increase in the amount of air passing through. The following description will focus on the differences between the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a graph G showing the relationship between the length L and the inclination angle θ of the inclined portion 22, which increases the amount of air passing through the chilling unit 100 according to embodiment 2. The horizontal axis of FIG. 8 represents the length L [mm] of the inclined portion 22, and the vertical axis represents the inclination angle θ [°]. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the length L and the inclination angle θ of the inclined portion 22 in graph G of FIG. 8. FIG. 9(a) is a partial schematic plan view of the air heat exchanger 20. FIG. 9(b) is a partial schematic side view of the air heat exchanger 20. As shown in FIG. 9(a), the length L of the inclined portion 22 is the length of the inclined portion 22 in a plan view. The inclination angle θ is the angle of the inclined portion 22 with respect to the extension line 21a of the main portion 21.

[0035] Plot points A, B, and C in Figure 8 represent the inclination angle θ at which the passing air volume is increased when L is 200 mm, 300 mm, and 400 mm, respectively. Plot points A, B, and C were obtained by analyzing, by simulation, etc., the inclination angle θ at which the passing air volume of the air heat exchanger 20 increases by 15% compared to the comparative example configurations shown in Figures 4 and 5. The passing air volume in this analysis is the average passing air volume of the two inner air heat exchangers 20a that face each other in adjacent chilling units 100.

[0036] The analysis used to obtain each plot point used the chilling unit 100 shown in Figures 6 and 7. That is, the chilling unit 100 used was equipped with four fans 3, and the size of the chilling unit 100, specifically the size of the machine room 1 in a plan view was 3400 mm x 1080 mm, and the diameter of the fans 3 was 770 mm.

[0037] Graph G in FIG. 8 is an approximation line passing through plot points A, B, and C, and is expressed by the following equation (1): θ=0.0003L ２ -0.2675L+77.115...(1)

[0038] The chilling unit 100 can increase the airflow rate by 15% or more compared to the configuration of the comparative example by setting the length L and tilt angle θ within the range enclosed by the thick line in Figure 8. Specifically, the range enclosed by the thick line means that the length L and tilt angle θ satisfy the following (a) and (b): (a) 200 mm ≤ L ≤ 385 mm (b) The angle obtained by substituting L in the range (a) above into the above formula (1) ≤ θ ≤ 89.5°

[0039] Here, the lower and upper limits of L are set taking into consideration the miniaturization of fan 3 and the aerodynamic performance of fan 3. The lower limit of L is set to 200 mm, a value that allows for miniaturization of fan 3 in relation to the size of chilling unit 100 in the first direction while ensuring good aerodynamic performance. Similarly, the upper limit of L is set to 385 mm, which is the radius of fan 3, i.e., 770 mm, divided by 2, a value that allows for miniaturization of fan 3 in relation to the size of chilling unit 100 in the first direction while ensuring good aerodynamic performance.

[0040] The upper limit of the inclination angle θ, 89.5 [θ], is the angle when the fan 3 and the heat exchanger 2 are arranged so as not to overlap in a plan view, with the aim of minimizing the unit size and maximizing aerodynamic performance when the heat exchanger 2 is made dependent on the fan size. Making the heat exchanger 2 dependent on the fan size means that the heat exchanger 2 is placed as close to the fan 3 as possible without overlapping with the fan 3 in a plan view.

[0041] [Effects of the Chilling Unit 100 and Chilling Unit System 110 of the Second Embodiment] The chilling unit 100 of the second embodiment, with the inclined portion 22 satisfying the above conditions (a) and (b), can increase the airflow rate by 15% or more compared to the configuration of the comparative example, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the air heat exchanger 2. As described above, the inclined portion 22 may be formed on at least one of the two end portions of the main portion 21 in the second direction. Therefore, the chilling unit 100 of the second embodiment may have a configuration in which one inclined portion 22 on at least one of the two end portions of the main portion 21 in the second direction or two inclined portions 22 on both end portions of the main portion 21 in the second direction satisfy the above conditions (a) and (b). Furthermore, a chilling unit system 110 configured by arranging a plurality of chilling units 100 of the second embodiment in parallel can achieve the same effects as the chilling unit 100 of the second embodiment.

[0042] 1 machine room, 2 air heat exchanger, 2X air heat exchanger, 3 fan, 3A fan, 3B fan, 3C fan, 3D fan, 20 air heat exchange section, 20X air heat exchange section, 20Xa air heat exchange section, 20a air heat exchange section, 21 main section, 21X main section, 21a extension line, 22 inclined section, 23 curved section, 24 connection section, 100 chilling unit, 100X chilling unit, 110 chilling unit system, 201 split heat exchanger, A plot point, B plot point, C plot point, G graph, W gap, θ inclination angle.

Claims

1. A chilling unit comprising: an air heat exchanger having a pair of air heat exchange sections that exchange heat between a refrigerant and air; and a fan arranged above the air heat exchanger, wherein the pair of air heat exchange sections face each other in a first direction in a plan view; and when a direction perpendicular to the first direction in a plan view is defined as a second direction, the pair of air heat exchange sections are arranged with a wider gap between them on their upper sides so as to form a V-shape when viewed from the second direction; and each of the pair of air heat exchange sections has: a main section extending in the second direction in a plan view; at least one inclined section formed on at least one of both end sections of the main section in the second direction and inclined relative to the main section; and at least one curved section between the main section and the at least one inclined section, and the at least one inclined section of each of the pair of air heat exchange sections is inclined in a direction approaching each other.

2. The chilling unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one inclined portion includes two inclined portions, the at least one curved portion includes two curved portions, and each of the pair of air heat exchange portions has the main portion, the two inclined portions formed at both ends of the main portion in the second direction and inclined relative to the main portion, and the two curved portions between the main portion and the two inclined portions.

3. The chilling unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length L of the at least one inclined portion in a plan view and the inclination angle θ of the at least one inclined portion relative to the extension line of the main portion satisfy the following (a) and (b): (a) 200 mm≦L≦385 mm (b) Angle obtained by substituting L in the range of (a) above into the following formula (1)≦θ≦89.5° θ=0.0003L ２ -0.2675L+77.115...(1) 4. A chilling unit system comprising a plurality of chilling units according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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