JP2005164104A - Heat pump equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a heat pump device that effectively uses the function of a vortex tube to increase the efficiency of a heat pump and to increase the temperature of a fluid to be heated.
A heat pump device connects a compressor (1) to an inlet side of a first radiator (2), connects a refrigerant supply port (3c) of the vortex tube (3) to an outlet side of the first radiator (2), and heats the vortex tube (3) at a high temperature. The side outlet 3 a is connected from the second radiator 4 to the inlet side of the evaporator 6 via the second throttle device 7, and the low temperature side outlet 3 b of the vortex tube 3 is connected to the inlet of the evaporator 6 via the first throttle device 5. The throttle device is controlled so that the refrigerant in the vortex tube 3 operates in a supercritical state, and flows in the water circuit 9 by the second radiator 4 in addition to the first radiator 2. A heated fluid (for example, water) is heated to obtain hotter hot water.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat pump apparatus using a vortex tube.

Conventionally, as this type of heat pump apparatus, there is a refrigeration apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. FIG. 4 is a circuit configuration diagram of a conventional heat pump apparatus.
In FIG. 4, a compressor 41, a condenser 42, a vortex tube 43 and an evaporator 44 are sequentially connected to constitute the refrigerant circulation circuit A, and the refrigerant supply port 43a of the vortex tube 43 is connected to the outlet side refrigerant pipe of the condenser 42. 45, the high temperature side outlet 43b of the vortex tube 43 is connected to the intermediate pressure part 41a of the compressor 41, and the low temperature side outlet 43c of the vortex tube 43 is connected to the inlet side refrigerant piping 47 of the evaporator 44. A check valve 48 is provided in the middle of the refrigerant pipe 49 at the high temperature side outlet 43 b of the vortex tube 43.
In the conventional heat pump apparatus shown in FIG. 4, the gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 41 is heat-exchanged in the condenser 42 to be a high-temperature liquid refrigerant, and is supplied to the refrigerant supply port 43 a of the vortex tube 43. The high-temperature liquid refrigerant supplied to the vortex tube 43 is separated into a high-temperature refrigerant and a low-temperature refrigerant in the vortex tube 43. The high-temperature refrigerant is supplied again to the intermediate pressure part 41 a of the compressor 41, while the low-temperature refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 44.
Further, in the vortex tube 43, refrigerant expansion close to isentropic expansion is obtained. Therefore, the evaporation capacity in the evaporator 44 increases and the heat radiation amount in the condenser 42 increases, thereby increasing the work of the compressor. There has been disclosed a heat pump device capable of significantly improving the refrigerating capacity without causing it.
JP-A-8-313072

However, in the heat pump apparatus having the above-described configuration, the high-temperature liquid refrigerant condensed by the condenser is supplied to the vortex tube.
Originally, a vortex tube introduces a compressible gas from the refrigerant supply port, and when pressurized refrigerant is injected in the tangential direction of the inner wall of the vortex tube, the refrigerant forms a vortex and is adiabatically compressed by swirling in the tube. , High energy hot refrigerant molecules gather around the pipe, adiabatic expansion of low energy cold refrigerant molecules gathers in the center of the pipe, divides into two layers and flows in opposite directions, separating the refrigerant into two components When the liquid refrigerant is introduced from the refrigerant supply port as in the above-described conventional example, the liquid refrigerant is incompressible, so that adiabatic compression and expansion are not performed in the vortex tube. There was a defect that it did not play its original role.
And when the said conventional heat pump apparatus was applied to the heat pump water heater, there also existed a subject that the temperature of the water of the to-be-heated fluid did not become high.

  Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a heat pump device that can effectively use the function of a vortex tube and contribute to higher efficiency of a heat pump and higher temperature of a fluid to be heated. To do.

The heat pump device of the present invention according to claim 1 is a heat pump device in which at least a compressor, a first radiator, a vortex tube, and an evaporator are connected to form a refrigerant circulation circuit, and a second radiator is provided. The compressor is connected to the first radiator, the first radiator is connected to the refrigerant supply port of the vortex tube, and the high temperature side outlet of the vortex tube is connected to the second radiator. The refrigerant circulation circuit is configured by connecting the second radiator to the evaporator, connecting a low temperature side outlet of the vortex tube to the evaporator, and connecting the evaporator to the compressor. Features.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump device according to the first aspect, a first expansion device is provided between the low temperature side outlet and the evaporator.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump device according to the first or second aspect, a second throttle device is provided between the second radiator and the evaporator. To do.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump device according to any one of the first to third aspects, a third radiator is provided between the low temperature side outlet and the evaporator. And
The heat pump device of the present invention according to claim 5 is a heat pump device in which a refrigerant circulation circuit is configured by connecting at least a compressor, a vortex tube, a first radiator, a second radiator and an evaporator, Connect the compressor to the refrigerant supply port of the vortex tube, connect the high temperature side outlet of the vortex tube to the first radiator, connect the first radiator to the second radiator, The refrigerant circulation circuit is configured by connecting the low temperature side outlet of the vortex tube to the second radiator, connecting the second radiator to the evaporator, and connecting the evaporator to the compressor. It is characterized by.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump device according to the fifth aspect, a throttling device is provided between the second radiator and the evaporator.
A seventh aspect of the present invention is the heat pump apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant supply port is in a supercritical state.
The present invention according to claim 8 is the heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant supply port, the high temperature side outlet, and the low temperature side outlet is in a supercritical state. It is characterized by that.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump device according to any one of the second to fourth or sixth aspects, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant supply port, the high temperature side outlet, and the low temperature side outlet is excessive. A throttling device control means for controlling the throttling device to operate in a critical state is provided.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the heat pump device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, water is used as a medium for exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the radiator.
The present invention according to claim 11 is the heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein carbon dioxide is used as a refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circulation circuit.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the refrigerant having a low enthalpy in the vortex tube flows into the evaporator, heat exchange with the outside air in the evaporator is facilitated, and the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased. There is an effect to.
In addition, the heat exchange efficiency in the second radiator is improved by allowing the refrigerant, which has been heated again by the vortex tube, to flow into the second radiator, and in addition to the first radiator, It can heat and can raise the hot water supply temperature of a heat pump water heater further.
In addition, since the appropriate refrigerant flow rate in the vortex tube can be controlled by the expansion device, high-efficiency operation is always possible even under various operating conditions.
In addition, since the vortex tube is always operated in a supercritical state, the vortex tube can be effectively operated by a compressible supercritical refrigerant.
In addition, by using carbon dioxide as the refrigerant, it is possible to increase the temperature of the fluid to be heated with high efficiency, to easily change the refrigerant state in the vortex tube to a supercritical state, and the refrigerant to the outside. Even if leaked, the effect on global warming is reduced.

The heat pump device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a second radiator, connects the compressor to the first radiator, connects the first radiator to the refrigerant supply port of the vortex tube, Connect the high temperature outlet of the vortex tube to the second radiator, connect the second radiator to the evaporator, connect the low temperature outlet of the vortex tube to the evaporator, and connect the evaporator to the compressor. A refrigerant circulation circuit is configured. According to the present embodiment, since the refrigerant that has become low temperature in the vortex tube and adiabatically expanded and has low enthalpy flows from the low temperature side outlet to the evaporator, it can be easily absorbed by a heat source such as outside air in the evaporator. The efficiency of the heat pump can be increased. In addition, the medium temperature refrigerant that has exited the first radiator can be raised to a high temperature by a vortex tube and flowed into the second radiator, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency in the second radiator. In addition to the first radiator, a heated fluid such as water can be heated by the second radiator, and the hot water supply temperature can be further increased.
The second embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump device according to the first embodiment in which a first expansion device is provided between the low temperature side outlet and the evaporator. According to the present embodiment, the flow rate of refrigerant flowing out from the low temperature side outlet of the vortex tube can be adjusted, so that an appropriate flow rate ratio can be adjusted according to various operating conditions, and the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased over a wide operating range. Become.
In the heat pump device according to the first or second embodiment, the third embodiment of the present invention is provided with a second expansion device between the second radiator and the evaporator. According to the present embodiment, the flow rate of refrigerant flowing out from the high temperature side outlet of the vortex tube and the flow rate of refrigerant flowing out from the low temperature side outlet can be adjusted. The efficiency of the heat pump can be improved in the operating range.
In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, in the heat pump apparatus according to the first to third embodiments, a third radiator is provided between the low temperature side outlet and the evaporator. According to the present embodiment, by providing the third radiator, when the temperature of the fluid to be heated such as water is low, the refrigerant flowing out from the low temperature side outlet of the vortex tube can be used as the heating source. , Heating ability can be improved.
In the heat pump device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the compressor is connected to the refrigerant supply port of the vortex tube, the high temperature side outlet of the vortex tube is connected to the first radiator, and the first radiator is connected to the first radiator. Connect to the second radiator, connect the low-temperature outlet of the vortex tube to the second radiator, connect the second radiator to the evaporator, connect the evaporator to the compressor, and configure the refrigerant circulation circuit It is a thing. According to the present embodiment, the high-temperature refrigerant gas discharged from the compressor can be further increased by the vortex tube, and the temperature of the fluid to be heated such as water can be further increased.
In the sixth embodiment of the present invention, in the heat pump apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, an expansion device is provided between the second radiator and the evaporator. According to the present embodiment, by adjusting the expansion device, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circulation circuit can be adjusted, and an appropriate flow rate adjustment corresponding to various operating conditions can be made, and the heat pump can be operated in a wide operating range. High efficiency can be achieved.
In the heat pump device according to the first to sixth embodiments, the seventh embodiment of the present invention is configured so that the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant supply port is in a supercritical state. According to this embodiment, the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant supply port of the vortex tube operates in a supercritical state, and the refrigerant is easily compressed and expanded in the vortex tube. The enthalpy difference on the side can be increased, and the performance of the vortex tube can be improved.
The eighth embodiment of the present invention is a heat pump device according to the first to seventh embodiments, in which the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant supply port, the high temperature side outlet, and the low temperature side outlet is in a supercritical state. is there. According to this embodiment, the refrigerant state in the vortex tube is always a single-phase supercritical state, and the refrigerant is easily compressed and expanded in the vortex tube. Therefore, the enthalpy difference between the high temperature side and the low temperature side of the vortex tube is reduced. It is possible to increase the performance of the vortex tube.
In the ninth embodiment of the present invention, in the heat pump device according to the second to fourth embodiments or the sixth embodiment, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant supply port, the high temperature side outlet, and the low temperature side outlet is supercritical. A diaphragm control unit for controlling the diaphragm to operate in a state is provided. According to the present embodiment, since the compression and expansion of the refrigerant can be easily controlled in the vortex tube, it is possible to improve the performance of the heat pump device.
In the heat pump apparatus according to the first to ninth embodiments, the tenth embodiment of the present invention uses water as a medium for exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the radiator. According to the present embodiment, since the medium that exchanges heat with the refrigerant is water, the specific heat is relatively large, so that the heat exchange efficiency is high and high-temperature hot water supply is possible. Further, the radiator can be reduced in size.
In the eleventh embodiment of the present invention, in the heat pump apparatus according to the first to tenth embodiments, carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit. According to the present embodiment, the temperature of the refrigerant entering the radiator becomes higher, the temperature of the heated fluid is increased with high efficiency, and the state of the refrigerant flowing into the vortex tube can be easily changed to the supercritical state. The vortex tube can act effectively. Also, if the refrigerant leaks to the outside, the impact on global warming is reduced.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, although a present Example demonstrates by the example of a heat pump water heater, this invention is not limited by this Example.
FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a heat pump device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
In the heat pump apparatus shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured by being connected by refrigerant piping as follows. That is, the compressor 1 and the first radiator 2 are connected by a compressor discharge side pipe 31, and the first radiator 2 and the refrigerant supply port 3 c of the vortex tube 3 are connected by an outlet side pipe 32 of the first radiator 2. The high temperature side outlet 3 a of the vortex tube 3 and the second radiator 4 are connected by an inlet side pipe 33 of the second radiator 4. The second radiator 4 and the evaporator 6 are connected by an evaporator inlet side pipe 34 and are connected via a second expansion device 7 provided in the middle of the evaporator inlet side pipe 34. Further, the low temperature side outlet 3b of the vortex tube 3 and the evaporator 6 are connected by an evaporator inlet side pipe 34, and are connected via a first expansion device 5 provided in the middle of the evaporator inlet side pipe 34. ing.
And the refrigerant | coolant which came out of the 1st expansion device 5 and the 2nd expansion device 7 comprises the heat pump cycle which returns to the compressor 1 through the compressor suction side piping 35 from the evaporator 6. FIG. In addition, carbon dioxide gas is sealed as a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. Further, the evaporator 6 introduces outside air by a fan 8 to exchange heat with outside air.
On the other hand, in the heat pump device of the present embodiment, a hot water supply water circuit 9 is provided to exchange heat with the first radiator 2 and the second radiator 4. And the water as the to-be-heated fluid which flows through the water circuit 9 is comprised so that it may flow and heat-exchange with the refrigerant | coolant which flows through a refrigerant circuit in order from the 2nd radiator 4 to the 1st radiator 2. .

About the heat pump apparatus comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.
The refrigerant (carbon dioxide gas) compressed into the supercritical state of high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 1 exchanges heat with the water flowing through the water circuit 9 by the first radiator 2, and becomes a medium temperature and high pressure refrigerant, and enters the vortex tube 3. Inflow.
In the vortex tube 3, supercritical refrigerant is injected from the refrigerant supply port 3c in the tangential direction of the inner wall of the pipe, and this refrigerant turns into a vortex and swirls in the pipe. The cooler, cooler molecules with lower energy gather at the center of the tube, separate from each other and flow in opposite directions in the tube, separating the refrigerant into two components, high and low. Since this vortex tube 3 has no rotating part, it has less wear and leakage, has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and is inexpensive. In addition, there is an advantage that the performance does not change even after many years of use.

And the refrigerant | coolant which became high temperature by the vortex tube 3 flows out from the high temperature side exit 3a, flows in into the 2nd heat radiator 4, and heat-exchanges with the water which flows through the water circuit 9, and becomes itself a medium temperature / high pressure refrigerant | coolant, The two-squeezing device 7 becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant.
The refrigerant having a low temperature in the vortex tube 3 flows out from the low-temperature side outlet 3b, becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant in the first expansion device 5, merges with the refrigerant that has exited the second expansion device 7, and flows into the evaporator 6. . Here, heat is indirectly exchanged with the outside air blown by the rotation of the fan 8 to evaporate itself, and the gas is sucked into the compressor 1 again as a gas.
The refrigerant that becomes low temperature in the vortex tube 3 and flows out from the low temperature side outlet 3b has an advantage of adiabatic expansion and reduced enthalpy, which facilitates heat exchange with the outside air and leads to higher efficiency of the heat pump. . Further, there is an advantage that the size of the evaporator 6 can be reduced.
On the other hand, the water in the water circuit 9 first exchanges heat with the second radiator 4 to become medium-temperature hot water, and further becomes hot water with the first radiator 2 to contribute to hot water supply. That is, since the medium temperature refrigerant that has exited the first radiator 2 is heated to a high temperature by the vortex tube 3 and flows into the second radiator 4, the temperature difference from the water in the water circuit 9 increases and the amount of heat exchange increases. . Thereby, since the heat exchange efficiency in the 2nd radiator 4 improves, in addition to the 1st radiator 2, it can heat-exchange with the 2nd radiator 4 and can raise the temperature of water, and hotter hot water can be raised. Can be easily obtained. There is also an advantage that the size of the heat exchanger for obtaining the same amount of heat can be reduced.

By adjusting the opening degree of the first expansion device 5 and the second expansion device 7, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing out from the high temperature side outlet 3a and the low temperature side outlet 3b of the vortex tube 3 can be adjusted. Appropriate flow rate adjustment is possible, and the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased over a wide operating range. For example, a throttle device control means (not shown) for controlling the first throttle device 5 and the second throttle device 7 is provided, and the refrigerant flows to the refrigerant supply port 3c, the high temperature side outlet 3a, and the low temperature side outlet 3b of the vortex tube 3. Is controlled to be in a supercritical state. By this control, the refrigerant in the vortex tube 3 can always be in a compressible supercritical state, and the vortex tube 3 can be effectively operated.
Moreover, since carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the first radiator 2 can be increased, and the water temperature of the water circuit 9 that exchanges heat with the first radiator 2 can also be increased. In addition, the refrigerant that exits the first radiator 2 is a supercritical single-phase fluid, and the refrigerant inside the vortex tube 3 also becomes a single-phase flow, and can easily be cooled at low temperatures without disturbing the swirling flow in the tube. It can be separated from the molecules to create a reverse flow in the tube, and the refrigerant can be easily separated into two components, high and low. In other words, by using carbon dioxide gas, the inside of the vortex tube can be easily put into a supercritical state, and the vortex tube can be effectively operated to achieve high-temperature hot water supply with high efficiency.

Therefore, the heat pump apparatus of the present embodiment can provide a heat pump apparatus that can contribute to higher efficiency of the heat pump and higher temperature of the fluid to be heated by effectively using the function of the vortex tube.
The heat pump device according to the first embodiment has a configuration in which the first expansion device 5 and the second expansion device 7 are arranged in parallel in the middle of the evaporator inlet side pipe 34. A heat pump device (not shown) configured by a refrigerant circuit in which both of the second expansion devices 7 are omitted may be used, and effects such as higher efficiency of the heat pump and higher temperature of the fluid to be heated by the second radiator 4 can be obtained. .
Moreover, the heat pump apparatus (not shown) comprised with the refrigerant | coolant circulation circuit which provided at least one expansion apparatus of the 1st expansion apparatus 5 or the 2nd expansion apparatus 7 may be sufficient, and the temperature of the to-be-heated fluid is achieved. In addition, since the refrigerant flow rate flowing out from the low temperature side outlet 3b and the refrigerant flow rate flowing out from the high temperature side outlet 3a can be adjusted, the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased in a wide operation range.

FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of the heat pump apparatus in the second embodiment of the present invention.
In the heat pump apparatus shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured by being connected by refrigerant piping as follows. That is, the compressor 11 and the first radiator 12 are connected by a compressor discharge side pipe 31, and the first radiator 12 and the refrigerant supply port 13 c of the vortex tube 13 are connected by an outlet side pipe 32 of the first radiator 12. The high temperature side outlet 13 a of the vortex tube 13 and the second radiator 14 are connected by an inlet side pipe 33 of the second radiator 14. The second radiator 14 and the evaporator 16 are connected by an evaporator inlet side pipe 34, and are connected via an expansion device 15 provided in the middle of the evaporator inlet side pipe 34. Further, the low temperature side outlet 13b of the vortex tube 13 and the third radiator 17 are connected by an inlet side pipe 36 of the third radiator 17, and the third radiator 17 and the evaporator 16 are connected to the evaporator inlet side pipe 34. And is connected via an expansion device 15 provided in the middle of the evaporator inlet side pipe 34.
And the refrigerant | coolant which came out of the 2nd heat radiator 14 and the 3rd heat radiator 17 comprises the heat pump cycle which returns to the compressor 11 through the evaporator 16 and the compressor suction side piping 35 from the expansion device 15. ing. In addition, carbon dioxide gas is sealed as a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. Further, the evaporator 16 introduces outside air by a fan 18 to exchange heat with outside air.
On the other hand, in this embodiment, the water in the hot water supply water circuit 19 is discharged from the third radiator 17 in order to exchange heat with the refrigerant in the first radiator 12, the second radiator 14, and the third radiator 17. After that, the second radiator 14 and the first radiator 12 are flown in parallel, and are configured to exchange heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit in a counterflow.

About the heat pump apparatus comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.
The refrigerant (carbon dioxide gas) compressed into the supercritical state of high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 11 exchanges heat with the water flowing through the water circuit 19 by the first radiator 12 and becomes a medium temperature and high pressure refrigerant. Inflow.
In the vortex tube 13, supercritical refrigerant is injected from the refrigerant supply port 13 c in the tangential direction of the inner wall of the pipe, and this refrigerant turns into a vortex and swirls in the pipe so that high-temperature, high-temperature refrigerant molecules are moved toward the inner wall of the pipe. The cooler, cooler molecules with lower energy gather at the center of the tube, separate from each other and flow in opposite directions in the tube, separating the refrigerant into two components, high and low. Since the vortex tube 13 has no rotating portion, it has less wear and leakage, has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and is inexpensive. In addition, there is an advantage that the performance does not change even after many years of use.

And the refrigerant | coolant which became high temperature by the vortex tube 13 flows out from the high temperature side exit 13a, flows in into the 2nd heat radiator 14, and heat-exchanges with the water which flows through the water circuit 19, and becomes itself a medium temperature / high pressure refrigerant | coolant. The apparatus 15 becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant.
The refrigerant having a low temperature in the vortex tube 13 flows out from the low temperature side outlet 13b and flows into the third radiator 17, but still has a higher temperature than the water to be heat exchanged. Heat exchanges with the water flowing through 19, and it becomes a cooler refrigerant.
Further, the refrigerant having the low enthalpy exiting the third radiator 17 merges with the refrigerant exiting the second radiator 14, flows into the expansion device 15, and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant into the evaporator 16. Inflow. Here, heat is indirectly exchanged with the outside air blown by the rotation of the fan 18 to evaporate itself, and the gas is sucked into the compressor 11 again as a gas.
The refrigerant that becomes low temperature in the vortex tube 13 and flows out from the low temperature side outlet 13b adiabatically expands to reduce enthalpy and further reduces enthalpy in the third radiator, so heat exchange with the outside air becomes easy, and the heat pump There is an advantage that leads to higher efficiency. Further, there is an advantage that the size of the evaporator 16 can be reduced.
On the other hand, the water in the water circuit 19 is first heat-exchanged by the third radiator 17 to become medium-temperature hot water, and further branched and heat-exchanged in parallel by the second radiator 14 and the first radiator 12 to obtain hot water. And contribute to hot water supply. That is, since the medium temperature refrigerant that has exited the first radiator 12 is heated to a high temperature by the vortex tube 13 and flows into the second radiator 14, the temperature difference from the water in the water circuit 19 increases and the amount of heat exchange increases. . Thereby, since the heat exchange efficiency in the second radiator 14 is improved, heat can be exchanged by the second radiator 14 in addition to the first radiator 12, and the temperature of the water can be increased. Can be easily obtained. There is also an advantage that the size of the heat exchanger for obtaining the same amount of heat can be reduced.
In addition, the refrigerant that has become a little lower temperature in the vortex tube 13 flows out from the low-temperature side outlet 13b and flows into the third radiator 17 where heat is exchanged with the water in the water circuit 19, so that the temperature of the water rises slightly. To do. Thereby, the 3rd heat radiator 17 can contribute to the improvement of hot water supply capability.

By adjusting the opening degree of the expansion device 15, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circulation circuit can be adjusted. By this adjustment, an appropriate flow rate adjustment corresponding to various operating conditions is possible, and the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased over a wide operating range.
In addition, since carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant, the refrigerant exiting the first radiator 12 is a supercritical single-phase fluid, and the refrigerant inside the vortex tube 13 is also a single-phase flow, and the swirling flow in the pipe Without disturbing, it can be easily separated from the low-temperature refrigerant molecules to cause a reverse flow in the pipe, and the refrigerant can be easily separated into two components, high temperature and low temperature. That is, using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant leads to an advantage that high-temperature hot water supply can be achieved with high efficiency.

Therefore, the heat pump apparatus of the present embodiment can provide a heat pump apparatus that can contribute to higher efficiency of the heat pump and higher temperature of the fluid to be heated by effectively using the function of the vortex tube.
Although the heat pump device of the second embodiment has a configuration in which the expansion device 15 is provided, it may be a heat pump device (not shown) configured by a refrigerant circulation circuit in which the expansion device 15 is omitted, and the high efficiency of the heat pump. The effect of increasing the temperature of the fluid to be heated by the third radiator 17 can be obtained.
Further, in the second embodiment, similarly to the configuration of the first embodiment, instead of the expansion device 15, the first expansion device 5 and the second expansion device 6 are arranged in parallel on the evaporator inlet side pipe 34, respectively. A heat pump device configured as described above may be used.

FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram of the heat pump apparatus in the third embodiment of the present invention.
In the heat pump apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured by being connected by refrigerant piping as follows. That is, the compressor 21 and the refrigerant supply port 22 c of the vortex tube 22 are connected by a compressor discharge side pipe 31, and the high temperature side outlet 22 a of the vortex tube 22 and the first radiator 23 are the inlet of the first radiator 23. The first radiator 23 and the second radiator 24 are connected by the inlet side piping 33 of the second radiator 24, and the low temperature side outlet 22 b of the vortex tube 22 and the second radiator 24 are connected by the side piping 37. Are similarly connected by an inlet side pipe 33. That is, the refrigerant that has exited the first radiator 23 and the low temperature side outlet 22 b joins and flows into the second radiator 24. Further, the second radiator 24 and the evaporator 26 are connected by an evaporator inlet side pipe 34, and are connected via an expansion device 25 provided in the middle of the evaporator inlet side pipe 34.
The refrigerant that has exited the second radiator 24 constitutes a heat pump cycle that returns from the expansion device 25 to the compressor 21 via the evaporator 26 and the compressor suction side pipe 35. In addition, carbon dioxide gas is sealed as a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit. Further, the evaporator 26 introduces outside air by a fan 27 in order to exchange heat with outside air.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the water in the hot water supply water circuit 28 exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the first radiator 23 and the second radiator 24, and thus the second radiator 24 and the first radiator 23 in this order. It is configured to exchange heat in a counter flow with the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit.

About the heat pump apparatus comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.
The refrigerant (carbon dioxide gas) compressed into the supercritical state of high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 21 flows into the vortex tube 22, where supercritical refrigerant is jetted from the refrigerant supply port 22c in the tangential direction of the inner wall of the pipe. As the refrigerant swirls in the tube, the high-temperature and high-temperature refrigerant molecules gather on the inner wall of the tube, and the lower-energy and lower-temperature refrigerant molecules gather on the center of the tube and separate from each other in the opposite direction in the tube. Flowing and separating the refrigerant into two components, hot and cold. Since the vortex tube 22 has no rotating portion, it has less wear and leakage, has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and is inexpensive. In addition, there is an advantage that the performance does not change even after many years of use.

And the high temperature refrigerant | coolant which flowed out from the high temperature side exit 22a of the vortex tube 22 heat-exchanged with the water which flows through the water circuit 28 with the 1st radiator 23, and became a medium temperature / high pressure refrigerant | coolant itself, and flowed out from the low temperature side exit 22b. It merges with the low-temperature refrigerant and flows into the second radiator 24.
Further, the refrigerant having the low enthalpy exiting the second radiator 24 flows into the expansion device 25 and flows into the evaporator 26 as a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant. Here, heat is indirectly exchanged with the outside air blown by the rotation of the fan 27, and itself is evaporated to become a gas and is sucked into the compressor 21 again.
Since the refrigerant flowing out from the second radiator 24 has a reduced enthalpy, there is an advantage that heat exchange with the outside air is facilitated, leading to higher efficiency of the heat pump. Further, there is an advantage that the size of the evaporator 26 can be reduced.
On the other hand, the water in the water circuit 28 first exchanges heat with the second radiator 24 to become medium-temperature hot water, and further exchanges heat with the first radiator 23 to become hot water and contributes to hot water supply. That is, in the second radiator 24, since all the refrigerant that has exited the compressor 22 flows, the refrigerant-side heat transfer coefficient is improved and the heat exchange efficiency is improved. Therefore, in addition to the 1st heat radiator 23, heat exchange is carried out with the 2nd heat radiator 24, the temperature of water can be raised, and there exists an advantage which can obtain a hotter hot water easily. Moreover, there exists an advantage which can make the magnitude | size of the heat exchanger for obtaining the same calorie | heat amount small.

By adjusting the opening degree of the expansion device 25, the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circulation circuit can be adjusted. By this adjustment, an appropriate flow rate adjustment corresponding to various operating conditions is possible, and the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased over a wide operating range.
Further, since carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant, the refrigerant flowing into the vortex tube 22 is a supercritical single-phase fluid, and the refrigerant inside the vortex tube 22 also becomes a single-phase flow, disturbing the swirling flow in the tube. Therefore, it can be easily separated from the low-temperature refrigerant molecules to generate a reverse flow in the pipe, and the refrigerant can be easily separated into two components of high temperature and low temperature. Therefore, using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant leads to an advantage that high-temperature hot water can be achieved with high efficiency.
Further, since the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the high temperature side outlet 22a of the vortex tube 22 can be made higher than the discharge gas refrigerant temperature of the compressor 21 which is the highest in the normal refrigerant circulation circuit, the first heat release. The water circuit 28 of the vessel 23 also has an advantage that hot water can be easily produced.

Therefore, the heat pump apparatus of the present embodiment can provide a heat pump apparatus that can contribute to higher efficiency of the heat pump and higher temperature of the fluid to be heated by effectively using the function of the vortex tube.
In each of the above embodiments, a configuration using one vortex tube has been described. However, a configuration in which a plurality of vortex tubes are connected in series or in parallel may be used. The temperature increase of the heated fluid is further improved.

  As described above, the present invention effectively uses a vortex tube to increase the efficiency of a heat pump, and can be applied to increase the efficiency of heat pump water heaters, air conditioners, refrigerators, and the like.

The circuit block diagram of the heat pump apparatus in 1st Example of this invention The circuit block diagram of the heat pump apparatus in 2nd Example of this invention The circuit block diagram of the heat pump apparatus in 3rd Example of this invention Circuit diagram of a conventional heat pump device

Explanation of symbols

1,11,21 Compressor 2,12,23 First radiator 3,13,22 Vortex tube 3a, 13a, 22a High temperature side outlet 3b, 13b, 22b Low temperature side outlet 3c, 13c, 22c Refrigerant supply port 4,14 , 24 Second radiator 5 First throttle device 6, 16, 26 Evaporator 7 Second throttle device 8, 18, 27 Fan 9, 19, 28 Water circuit 15, 25 Throttle device 17 Third radiator 31 Compressor discharge Side piping 32 Outlet side piping 33 Second radiator inlet side piping 34 Evaporator inlet side piping 35 Compressor suction side piping 36 Third radiator inlet side piping 37 First radiator inlet side piping

Claims (11)

  A heat pump device comprising at least a compressor, a first radiator, a vortex tube and an evaporator to constitute a refrigerant circulation circuit, wherein a second radiator is provided, and the compressor is used as the first radiator. Connecting, connecting the first radiator to the refrigerant supply port of the vortex tube, connecting the high temperature side outlet of the vortex tube to the second radiator, and connecting the second radiator to the evaporator A heat pump device comprising: the refrigerant circulation circuit configured by connecting, connecting a low temperature side outlet of the vortex tube to the evaporator, and connecting the evaporator to the compressor.   The heat pump device according to claim 1, wherein a first expansion device is provided between the low temperature side outlet and the evaporator.   The heat pump device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a second expansion device is provided between the second radiator and the evaporator.   The heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a third radiator is provided between the low temperature side outlet and the evaporator. At least a compressor, a vortex tube, a first radiator, a second radiator, and an evaporator are connected to each other to constitute a refrigerant circuit,
Connecting the compressor to the refrigerant supply port of the vortex tube, connecting the high temperature side outlet of the vortex tube to the first radiator, connecting the first radiator to the second radiator, The refrigerant circulation circuit was configured by connecting the low temperature side outlet of the vortex tube to the second radiator, connecting the second radiator to the evaporator, and connecting the evaporator to the compressor. A heat pump device characterized by that.   6. The heat pump apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a throttle device is provided between the second radiator and the evaporator.   The heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant supply port is in a supercritical state.   The heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant supply port, the high temperature side outlet, and the low temperature side outlet is in a supercritical state.   The expansion device control means for controlling the expansion device so that the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant supply port, the high temperature side outlet, and the low temperature side outlet operates in a supercritical state is provided. The heat pump device according to claim 4 or 6.   The heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein water is used as a medium for heat exchange with the refrigerant in the radiator. The heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein carbon dioxide gas is used as a refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circulation circuit.

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