TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat pump and, more particularly, to a relative
arrangement between an intermediate heat exchanger and a gas-liquid separator of the
heat pump.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A heat pump typically includes a refrigerant circuit, in which a refrigerant is circulated,
and a heat medium circuit, in which a heat medium is circulated. The refrigerant circuit
is configured so that the refrigerant takes up heat from the outdoors external environment
by means of a heat source heat exchanger. Heat is then transferred to the heat medium
in the heat medium circuit via an intermediate heat exchanger. Finally, heat is transferred
to a usage-side heat exchanger, such as a radiator or floor heater. As such, heat
is transported from outdoors to indoors, such as to an inside of a building.
[0003] Development of heat pumps is facing a variety of challenges due to environmental
and technical requirements. On the one hand, heat pumps should work as efficient as
possible. On the other hand, the refrigerant used in the heat pumps should avoid any
environmental risks, such as ozone depletion or the potential to contribute to global
warming.
[0004] To address these requirements, it has been proposed to use refrigerants such as propane
(R290) or carbon dioxide (CO
2, R744) in heat pumps. These refrigerants have a good efficiency, while being environmentally
friendly. However, they are also not completely risk-free. Propane is flammable and
carbon dioxide can, when leaking, collect at the bottom of a room, for example, when
part of the refrigerant piping of the heat pump is installed indoors, and displace
the air, thereby leading to the risk of suffocation for persons.
[0005] In order to minimize these risks, several legal regulations have been made and international
standards have been set up, for example, regarding the maximum amount of refrigerant
used in a heat pump system or the required dispersion height of potentially leaking
refrigerant inside heat pump systems. Examples of such standards are the series of
standards EN 378 or the standards IEC 60335-1 and IEC 60335-2-40.
[0006] Besides these regulations, certain safety measures in terms of safety devices are
used in heat pumps in order to avoid harm to persons in case of refrigerant leakage.
One such safety device is a double-walled plate heat exchanger, as described, for
example, in
EP 3 598 039 A1. In case there is a leak in one of the walls of the plate heat exchanger, the second
wall prevents the refrigerant from entering through the leak into the heat medium
circuit. However, such double-walled plate heat exchangers are expensive. Therefore,
other heat pumps employ a gas-liquid separator as a safety device. The gas-liquid
separator is part of the heat medium circuit. When refrigerant is leaked into the
heat medium circuit, which usually occurs at the intermediate heat exchanger, the
refrigerant, which is in the gaseous state, is separated from the liquid heat medium,
usually water, by the gas-liquid separator and released or discharged to the outside
of the heat pump in a controlled manner. Such gas-liquid separator is disclosed, for
example, in
EP 4 075 078 A1.
[0007] However, the provision of a gas-liquid separator as a safety device in a heat pump
requires additional space as the gas-liquid separator constitutes an additional component,
for example, in an indoor unit of the heat pump. It is, however, generally desirable
that units of a heat pump, such as the outdoor unit or the indoor unit, are kept as
small as possible, which especially applies to indoor units of heat pumps.
SUMMARY
[0008] Taking the aforesaid into account, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide
a heat pump comprising a heat medium circuit having a gas-liquid separator, wherein
the heat pump has a space-efficient configuration.
[0009] This object is solved by a heat pump as defined in claim 1. Optional features and
preferred embodiments of the heat pump are defined in the dependent claims.
[0010] According to a first aspect, a heat pump comprises a refrigerant circuit having a
compressor, a heat source heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an intermediate
heat exchanger, and a heat medium circuit having the intermediate heat exchanger and
a gas-liquid separator. The intermediate heat exchanger has a first side wall, a second
side wall opposing the first side wall, a front wall extending between the first side
wall and the second side wall, a top wall being connected to upper ends of the first
side wall, the second side wall, and the front wall, a rear wall opposing the front
wall in a front-rear direction, and a bottom wall opposing the top wall in an up-down
direction. The intermediate heat exchanger has a first inlet opening and a first outlet
opening for a heat medium, the first inlet opening and the first outlet opening being
provided in the front wall. The gas-liquid separator has a second inlet opening and
a second outlet opening for the heat medium. A heat medium connection pipe is provided
between the first outlet opening and the second inlet opening for allowing the heat
medium to flow from the intermediate heat exchanger to the gas-liquid separator. A
majority of the gas-liquid separator is located in an arrangement region next to the
intermediate heat exchanger, the arrangement region extending in the up-down direction
from the top wall to the bottom wall of the intermediate heat exchanger and in the
front-rear direction from the rear wall of the intermediate heat exchanger to a frontmost
point of the heat medium connection pipe.
[0011] Since the majority of the gas-liquid separator is located in the arrangement region
next to the intermediate heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator and the intermediate
heat exchanger are arranged relative to each other in a compact manner. This leads
to a space-efficient configuration of the heat pump. For example, in case the majority
of the gas-liquid separator were to be located above or below the intermediate heat
exchanger, the arrangement of these two components would be less compact and less
space-efficient. This is because the intermediate heat exchanger usually is one of
the largest components in a unit of a heat pump, such as an indoor unit of a heat
pump, so that a casing of a unit of a heat pump, such as an indoor unit casing, may
have a height slightly higher than a height of the intermediate heat exchanger. If
the gas-liquid separator were to be located on top or below the intermediate heat
exchanger, the casing of the unit of the heat pump would need to be made higher accordingly,
for the sole purpose of housing the gas-liquid separator in the casing of the unit
of the heat pump. Such a configuration would therefore not be compact and be less
space-efficient.
[0012] Moreover, since the majority of the gas-liquid separator is located in the arrangement
region next to the intermediate heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator can be located
in close proximity to the intermediate heat exchanger. Not only does this lead to
the advantage that less piping is necessary to connect the intermediate heat exchanger
to the gas-liquid separator. Since the gas-liquid separator can be located close to
the intermediate heat exchanger, in case a refrigerant leak occurs in or at the intermediate
heat exchanger, the gaseous refrigerant leaking into the heat medium circuit is ejected
earlier into the gas-liquid separator and a leakage can thereby be detected earlier,
for example, when a leak detector for detecting leaked refrigerant is provided. This
improves safety of the heat pump.
[0013] The heat pump may be a mono-block heat pump. In this configuration, the compressor,
the heat source heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the intermediate heat exchanger
form an outdoor unit of the heat pump and are arranged together in an outdoor unit
casing. Alternatively, the heat pump may be a split-configuration heat pump. In this
configuration, the heat source heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the compressor
form an outdoor unit of the heat pump and are arranged together in an outdoor unit
casing, while the intermediate heat exchanger is located indoors.
[0014] The heat source heat exchanger and may be an evaporator, in which the refrigerant
exchanges heat with outside air, for example.
[0015] The refrigerant may include propane or carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the refrigerant
may be R32 or R410A.
[0016] The heat medium circuit may include water as heat medium.
[0017] The gas-liquid separator may be a conventional gas-liquid separator, as known from
the prior art. In general, the gas-liquid separator may have a cylindrical, in particular,
an elongated cylindrical, body, or may have a cuboid shape. As such, the gas-liquid
separator may have a longitudinal axis, extending in a direction parallel to the direction
of gravity when the gas-liquid separator is in an installed state, i.e., when the
heat pump is in an installed state. The gas-liquid separator is generally configured
to allow a gas-liquid mixture to separate therein. For this purpose, the gas-liquid
separator needs to have a certain height to allow for the formation of a steady state
in which the liquid heat medium is accumulated in a lower portion of the gas-liquid
separator and the gaseous refrigerant is accumulated in an upper portion of the gas-liquid
separator.
[0018] The intermediate heat exchanger may be a condenser of the refrigerant circuit. The
term "intermediate" may indicate that the intermediate heat exchanger is a heat exchanger
between the heat source heat exchanger of the refrigerant circuit and the usage-side
heat exchanger, which may be installed indoors, in a room of a building, and which
may be a radiator or a floor heater or the like.
[0019] The intermediate heat exchanger may be a plate heat exchanger. The intermediate heat
exchanger may have a generally cuboid or box-like shape.
[0020] The first side wall, the second side wall, the front wall, the top wall, the rear
wall, and the bottom wall of the intermediate heat exchanger may be outer surfaces
of the intermediate heat exchanger, including, for example, an additional outer enclosure
of the intermediate heat exchanger, in which constituent parts of the intermediate
heat exchanger, and only of the intermediate heat exchanger, are accommodated. Such
constituent parts may include piping and plates, for example, in case the intermediate
heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.
[0021] The second side wall may oppose the first side wall so that the first and second
side walls are parallel to each other, or substantially parallel to each other. The
same holds true for the rear wall opposing the front wall in the front-rear direction
and the bottom wall opposing the top wall in the up-down direction.
[0022] As used herein, the term "substantially" may designate a direction, or an angle,
or a positional relationship, or the like not only including the precise direction,
or value of the angle, or positional relationship, but also small variations around
that direction, or value of the angle, or positional relationship, such as 5%, for
example, in case of a given value.
[0023] The up-down direction may be the direction parallel to the direction of gravity when
the heat pump is installed at a desired location, such as a building or the like.
The front-rear direction may be perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to
the up-down direction. The direction in that the second side wall opposes the first
side wall may be perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to the up-down direction
and to the front-rear direction.
[0024] The first inlet opening may be for allowing the heat medium to enter the intermediate
heat exchanger and exchange heat with the refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit.
The first outlet opening may be for allowing the heat medium, which has exchanged
heat with the refrigerant in the intermediate heat exchanger, to exit the intermediate
heat exchanger. The first inlet opening and the first outlet opening of the intermediate
heat exchanger may be separated from each other in the up-down direction.
[0025] The second inlet opening may be for allowing the heat medium to enter the gas-liquid
separator. The second outlet opening may be for allowing the heat medium to exit the
gas-liquid separator. In case of a cylindrical gas-liquid separator, the second inlet
opening may be provided at the lateral surface of the cylinder and the second outlet
opening may be provided at the bottom surface of the cylinder. Furthermore, the second
inlet opening may be provided at the lateral surface of the cylinder, and the second
outlet opening may also be provided at the lateral surface of the cylinder.
[0026] The heat medium connection pipe may be a single pipe, consisting of one integral
piece, i.e., a one-piece pipe, or may be composed of more than one pipe segments that,
when being assembled together, form the heat medium connection pipe. Such pipe segments
may be appropriately assembled using pipe joints.
[0027] The term "majority" in "majority of the gas-liquid separator" may be understood as
more than 50% of the gas-liquid separator. More than 50% may relate to the outer dimension
of the gas-liquid separator or to the volume occupied by the gas-liquid separator.
[0028] The arrangement region may generally be understood as a three-dimensional space next
to the intermediate heat exchanger, which may be confined in the up-down direction
by a plane including the top wall, or an uppermost portion of the top wall, of the
intermediate heat exchanger, and by a plane including the bottom wall, or a lowermost
portion of the bottom wall, of the intermediate heat exchanger. Moreover, this space
may be confined in the front-rear direction by a plane including the rear wall, or
a rearmost portion of the rear wall, of the intermediate heat exchanger, and by a
plane including the frontmost point of the heat medium connection pipe, which plane
may be parallel, or substantially parallel, to the plane including the rear wall of
the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0029] The arrangement region may be next to the first side wall or next to the second side
wall of the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0030] According to a second aspect, the second inlet opening and the second outlet opening
may be separated from each other in a first direction, wherein the gas-liquid separator
may have a maximum length in the first direction and a maximum width in a direction
perpendicular to the first direction, wherein at least 50%, preferably at least 70%,
more preferably at least 80%, most preferably at least 90%, of the maximum length
and the maximum width may be located in the arrangement region.
[0031] The first direction may be parallel, or substantially parallel, to the up-down direction,
the up-down direction as defined above with respect to the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0032] The maximum length of the gas-liquid separator may be understood as a maximum length
of the gas-liquid separator when considering its outer dimension in the first direction.
The maximum width of the gas-liquid separator may be understood as a maximum width
of the gas-liquid separator when considering its outer dimension in the direction
perpendicular to the first direction.
[0033] The maximum length of the gas-liquid separator in the first direction may include
the length of a gas purge valve in the first direction, which may be provided at the
gas-liquid separator, for example, at an upper side of the gas-liquid separator. The
gas purge valve may be provided for releasing gas, which accumulates in the gas-liquid
separator, to the outside of the gas-liquid separator.
[0034] With this configuration, the gas-liquid separator and the intermediate heat exchanger
are arranged relative to each other in an even more compact manner. The greater the
percentage of the maximum length and the maximum width that are located in the arrangement
region, the more compact the arrangement of the gas-liquid separator and the intermediate
heat exchanger.
[0035] According to a third aspect, the second side wall may oppose the first side wall
in a left-right direction, wherein the arrangement region may further extend in the
left-right direction from one of the first side wall and the second side wall to a
point no more than 35 cm away from the one of the first side wall and the second side
wall.
[0036] The left-right direction may be perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to
the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.
[0037] In this configuration, the three-dimensional space of the arrangement region next
to the intermediate heat exchanger may further be confined in the left-right direction
by a plane being parallel, or substantially parallel, to the first side wall or the
second side wall of the intermediate heat exchanger, the plane being not more than
35 cm away from the first side wall or the second side wall, respectively.
[0038] With this configuration, the gas-liquid separator is located even closer to the intermediate
heat exchanger, thereby leading to a more compact arrangement of the gas-liquid separator
relative to the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0039] Moreover, as explained above, with this configuration, less piping is necessary to
connect the intermediate heat exchanger to the gas-liquid separator. Since the gas-liquid
separator can be located close to the intermediate heat exchanger, in case a refrigerant
leak occurs in or at the intermediate heat exchanger, the gaseous refrigerant leaking
into the heat medium circuit is ejected earlier into the gas-liquid separator and
a leakage can thereby be detected earlier, which improves safety of the heat pump.
[0040] According to a fourth aspect, a space between the gas-liquid separator and the intermediate
heat exchanger may be free from other constituent parts of the heat pump.
[0041] Examples of other constituent parts of the heat pump may include piping, electronic
components, a heat medium pump, valves, etc.
[0042] With this configuration, the gas-liquid separator can be located even closer to the
intermediate heat exchanger, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effects relating
to the compact design, less piping, and earlier ejection of gaseous refrigerant into
the gas-liquid separator.
[0043] According to a fifth aspect, the second inlet opening and the second outlet opening
may be provided at the gas-liquid separator so as to be open in a direction crossing
the first direction, preferably, crossing the first direction at an angle of 90°,
or substantially 90°.
[0044] For example, in case of a gas-liquid separator having an elongated cylindrical shape,
the gas-liquid separator may have a longitudinal axis and the first direction may
be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gas-liquid separator. In this configuration,
when the second inlet opening and the second outlet opening are provided at the gas-liquid
separator so as to be open in a direction crossing the first direction, the second
inlet opening and the second outlet opening are open to the side of the gas-liquid
separator.
[0045] With this configuration, a compact design of the gas-liquid separator is achieved,
compared to a configuration in which, for example, the second inlet opening is open
to the side of the gas-liquid separator and the second outlet opening is open to the
bottom of the gas-liquid separator, in which case the piping connected to the second
inlet opening and the second outlet opening extends from the side and from the bottom
of the gas-liquid separator. This requires more space for the piping. Hence, with
this configuration, the overall configuration of the intermediate heat exchanger and
the gas-liquid separator is more compact.
[0046] According to a sixth aspect, the heat pump may further comprise a heat medium inflow
pipe connected to the first inlet opening of the intermediate heat exchanger for allowing
the heat medium to flow into the intermediate heat exchanger, and a heat medium outflow
pipe connected to the second outlet opening of the gas-liquid separator for allowing
the heat medium to flow out from the gas-liquid separator, wherein the heat medium
inflow pipe and the heat medium outflow pipe may be arranged on the same side of the
intermediate heat exchanger, preferably, in parallel, or substantially in parallel,
with each other.
[0047] The heat medium inflow pipe and the heat medium outflow pipe may be understood as
piping segments of the heat medium circuit that are directly connected to the first
inlet opening of the intermediate heat exchanger and the second outlet opening of
the gas-liquid separator, respectively.
[0048] The feature that the heat medium inflow pipe and the heat medium outflow pipe may
be arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat exchanger, preferably, in parallel,
or substantially in parallel, with each other, may mean that a portion of the heat
medium inflow pipe and a portion of the heat medium outflow pipe may be arranged on
the same side of the intermediate heat exchanger, preferably, in parallel, or substantially
in parallel, with each other. Such portion may be a portion of the respective pipe
that is further away from the first inlet opening or the second outlet opening than
a portion of the respective pipe that is connected to the first inlet opening and
the second outlet opening, respectively.
[0049] The feature that the heat medium inflow pipe and the heat medium outflow pipe may
be arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat exchanger may mean that the
respective pipes, or portions thereof, are located on the same side of a plane that
includes one of the surfaces of the intermediate heat exchanger and that is parallel
to the respective one of the surfaces of the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0050] With this configuration, the overall configuration of the intermediate heat exchanger
and the gas-liquid separator is more compact because the heat medium inflow pipe and
the heat medium outflow pipe require less space as they are arranged on the same side
of the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0051] According to a seventh aspect, the heat medium inflow pipe and the heat medium outflow
pipe may be arranged so that a center line of the heat medium inflow pipe and a center
line of the heat medium outflow pipe lie in a plane that is substantially perpendicular
or parallel to the up-down direction.
[0052] The center line of a pipe may be understood as a line extending in the same direction
as the pipe and passing through the centers of the cross-sections at each position
along the pipe. In case of a cylindrical pipe with a circular cross-section, a distance
from a pipe wall to the center line is the same along the circumference of the pipe.
[0053] For example, a portion of the heat medium inflow pipe and a portion of the heat medium
outflow pipe may be arranged so that a center line of the portion of the heat medium
inflow pipe and a center line of the portion of the heat medium outflow pipe lie in
a plane that is substantially perpendicular or parallel to the up-down direction.
Such portion may be a portion of the respective pipe that is further away from the
first inlet opening or the second outlet opening than a portion of the respective
pipe that is connected to the first inlet opening and the second outlet opening, respectively.
[0054] The feature that a center line of the heat medium inflow pipe and a center line of
the heat medium outflow pipe lie in a plane that is substantially perpendicular or
parallel to the up-down direction includes, for example, a configuration in that the
center line of the heat medium inflow pipe and the center line of the heat medium
outflow pipe are parallel to the up-down direction or perpendicular to the up-down
direction. In case the center line of the heat medium inflow pipe and the center line
of the heat medium outflow pipe are perpendicular to the up-down direction, the heat
medium inflow pipe and the heat medium outflow pipe may be arranged next to each other
in the front-rear direction or may be arranged next to each other in the up-down direction.
[0055] With this configuration, the overall configuration of the intermediate heat exchanger
and the gas-liquid separator is more compact because the heat medium inflow pipe and
the heat medium outflow pipe require less space as they are arranged on the same side
of the intermediate heat exchanger and their center lines lie in the same plane.
[0056] According to an eighth aspect, the gas-liquid separator is arranged next to the first
side wall or the second side wall of the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0057] For example, the complete gas-liquid separator or a majority of the gas-liquid separator
may be located in region next to the first side wall or the second side wall of the
intermediate heat exchanger, the region extending in the up-down direction from the
top wall to the bottom wall of the intermediate heat exchanger and in the front-rear
direction from the rear wall to the front wall of the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0058] With this configuration, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
are even more compactly arranged with respect to each other so that the overall configuration
of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator can be kept small.
Such an arrangement may be preferable in case the intermediate heat exchanger and
the gas-liquid separator are installed in an indoor unit casing of the heat pump in
that only little space is available for housing the intermediate heat exchanger together
with the gas-liquid separator.
[0059] According to a ninth aspect, the first outlet opening of the intermediate heat exchanger
and the second inlet opening of the gas-liquid separator may be open in the same direction.
[0060] For example, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator may be
arranged so that the first outlet opening and the second inlet opening are arranged
at the same height, as seen in the up-down direction.
[0061] With this configuration, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
are even more compactly arranged with respect to each other so that the overall configuration
of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator can be kept small.
In addition, since the respective openings are open in the same direction, piping
length of the heat medium connection pipe can be kept small.
[0062] According to a tenth aspect, the heat medium connection pipe may have a U-shape.
[0063] A U-shape may include round shapes and angular shapes, for example, in which the
U-shape includes two 90° angles.
[0064] With this configuration, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
can be connected in a simple and compact manner.
[0065] According to an eleventh aspect, the gas-liquid separator may be arranged next to
an edge of the intermediate heat exchanger formed by the front wall and the first
side wall or the second side wall of the intermediate heat exchanger.
[0066] For example, the complete gas-liquid separator or a majority of the gas-liquid separator
may be located in region next to the edge of the intermediate heat exchanger formed
by the front wall and the first side wall or the second side wall of the intermediate
heat exchanger, the region extending in the up-down direction from the top wall to
the bottom wall of the intermediate heat exchanger and in the front-rear direction
from the front wall of the intermediate heat exchanger to the frontmost point of the
heat medium connection pipe.
[0067] With this configuration, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
are compactly arranged with respect to each other so that the overall configuration
of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator is space-efficient.
Such an arrangement may be preferable in case the intermediate heat exchanger and
the gas-liquid separator are installed in an indoor unit casing of the heat pump in
that more space is available for housing the intermediate heat exchanger together
with the gas-liquid separator.
[0068] According to a twelfth aspect, the first outlet opening of the intermediate heat
exchanger and the second outlet opening of the gas-liquid separator may be open in
directions that cross each other, preferably, that cross each other at an angle of
90°, or substantially 90°.
[0069] For example, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator may be
arranged so that the first outlet opening and the second inlet opening are arranged
at the same height, as seen in the up-down direction.
[0070] With this configuration, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
are compactly arranged with respect to each other so that the overall configuration
of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator is space-efficient.
In addition, since the respective openings are open in directions that cross each
other, piping length of the heat medium connection pipe can be kept small.
[0071] According to a thirteenth aspect, the heat medium connection pipe may have an L-shape.
[0072] An L-shape may include round shapes and angular shapes, for example, in which the
L-shape includes one 90° angle.
[0073] With this configuration, the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
can be connected in a simple and compact manner.
[0074] According to a fourteenth aspect, an inlet opening connection pipe may be provided
between the heat medium connection pipe and the second inlet opening of the gas-liquid
separator, wherein the inlet opening connection pipe may have a length of at least
5 cm.
[0075] The inlet opening connection pipe may be an integral part of the heat medium connection
part or a separate pipe segment.
[0076] The inlet opening connection pipe may be a straight pipe.
[0077] The inlet opening connection pipe may be made of copper.
[0078] With this configuration, i.e., providing the inlet opening connection pipe between
the heat medium connection pipe and the second inlet opening of the gas-liquid separator,
the inlet opening connection pipe having a length of at least 5 cm, proper functioning
of the gas-liquid separator is promoted.
[0079] According to a fifteenth aspect, the heat pump may further comprise a container,
in which the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator may be housed,
wherein the container may be separate from a casing of a heat source unit.
[0080] The heat source unit may be an outdoor unit of the heat pump. Alternatively, or additionally,
the container may be separate from a casing of an indoor unit of the heat pump.
[0081] The container may be housed within an indoor unit casing of the heat pump or within
an outdoor unit casing of the heat pump. The container may be located outside of the
indoor unit casing and the outdoor unit casing and may be spaced apart from the indoor
unit casing and the outdoor unit casing. The container may be attached to the inside
or the outside of the indoor unit casing or the outdoor unit casing.
[0082] The container may be located outdoors or indoors, for example, outside of a building
or inside a building.
[0083] The container may have a substantially cuboid shape or may have an L-shape configuration,
depending on the relative positioning between the intermediate heat exchanger and
the gas-liquid separator. The container may have a shape that conforms to the outer
shape of the configuration of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator.
[0084] The container may be made of a plastic material, such as acrylonitrile styrene acrylate
or similar.
[0085] With this configuration, safety of the heat pump is further improved. This is because
in case of a refrigerant leak at or in the intermediate heat exchanger, and in case
the refrigerant is discharged from the gas-liquid separator to the outside of the
heat medium circuit, the refrigerant accumulates in the container and is kept away
from ignition sources, such as electronic components, of the heat pump. Furthermore,
by providing the container, a higher amount of refrigerant can be used in the refrigerant
circuit, while still complying with regulations and standards, because the container
is an additional safety measure against leakage of refrigerant.
[0086] According to a sixteenth aspect, an inner space of the container may be hermetically
sealed from the outside of the container.
[0087] In this context, hermetically sealed may mean that neither air nor refrigerant can
enter or escape through the container, including any sealings used between different
parts of the container, for example, in case the container includes a lid.
[0088] For example, in case a hermetically sealed container that has a cuboid shape with
several side walls is used for a heat pump in that the heat medium inflow pipe and
the heat medium outflow pipe are arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat
exchanger, the heat medium inflow pipe and the heat medium outflow pipe may penetrate
the container at the same side wall, through the same opening. With this configuration,
only one opening at the side wall of the container is required that needs to be hermetically
sealed, as opposed to a configuration in that the heat medium inflow pipe and the
heat medium outflow pipe are not arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat
exchanger and penetrate the container at different side walls of the container and,
thus, through more than one opening.
[0089] With this configuration, safety of the heat pump against refrigerant leakage is further
improved.
[0090] Further aspects of the present disclosure may be found in the following description
of particular embodiments referring to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0091]
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat pump according to the present disclosure.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an intermediate heat exchanger and a gas-liquid separator
according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a top view of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the intermediate heat exchanger and the gas-liquid separator
of Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an intermediate heat exchanger and a gas-liquid separator
contained in a container according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an intermediate heat exchanger and a gas-liquid separator
contained in a container according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
Fig. 8 is a top view of the intermediate heat exchanger, the gas-liquid separator,
and the container of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the intermediate heat exchanger and
the gas-liquid separator of Fig. 2 contained in a container.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS
[0092] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the disclosure will be described in detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings in order to describe the disclosure using
illustrative examples. Further modifications of certain individual features described
in this context can be combined with other features of the described embodiments to
form further embodiments of the disclosure.
[0093] Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar
elements.
[0094] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat pump 1 according to the present disclosure.
The heat pump 1 comprises a refrigerant circuit 10 and a heat medium circuit 30. The
refrigerant circuit 10 has a compressor 11, a heat source heat exchanger 12, which
is an evaporator in the present embodiment, an expansion valve 13, and an intermediate
heat exchanger 20, which is a condenser in the present embodiment. The heat medium
circuit 30 has the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and a gas-liquid separator 31. The
heat medium in the heat medium circuit 30 is circulated by means of a pump 36. A usage-side
heat exchanger of the heat pump, which may be a radiator or a floor heater or the
like, is not shown.
[0095] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the compressor 11, the heat source heat exchanger
12, and the expansion valve 13 form part of a heat source unit 100 having a heat source
unit casing 101 accommodating the compressor 11, the heat source heat exchanger 12,
and the expansion valve 13. The heat source unit 100 is located outdoors, as an outdoor
unit of the heat pump 1. The intermediate heat exchanger 20, the gas-liquid separator
31, and the pump 36 are located indoors and form part of an indoor unit of the heat
pump 1. The outdoor unit and the indoor unit are separated by a wall of a building.
[0096] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an intermediate heat exchanger 20 and a gas-liquid
separator 31 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The intermediate
heat exchanger 20 has a first side wall 21, a second side wall 22 (not visible in
Fig. 2) opposing the first side wall 21 in a left-right direction, a front wall 23
extending between the first side wall 21 and the second side wall 22, a top wall 24
being connected to upper ends of the first side wall 21, the second side wall 22,
and the front wall 23, a rear wall 25 (not visible in Fig. 2) opposing the front wall
23 in a front-rear direction, and a bottom wall 26 (not visible in Fig. 2) opposing
the top wall 24 in an up-down direction.
[0097] The intermediate heat exchanger 20 has a first inlet opening 27 for allowing the
heat medium to flow into the intermediate heat exchanger 20, and a first outlet opening
28 for allowing the heat medium to flow out from the intermediate heat exchanger 20,
after having exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the intermediate heat exchanger
20. The first inlet opening 27 and the first outlet opening 28 are provided in the
front wall 23 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20. In addition, in the front wall
23, further inlet and outlet openings are provided for allowing the refrigerant to
flow into and out from the intermediate heat exchanger 20.
[0098] The gas-liquid separator 31 has a second inlet opening 311 for allowing the heat
medium to flow into the gas-liquid separator 31, after having flown out from the intermediate
heat exchanger 20, and a second outlet opening 312 for allowing the heat medium to
flow out from the gas-liquid separator 31. In the embodiment shown, the second inlet
opening 311 and the second outlet opening 312 are separated from each other in a first
direction FD (indicated in Fig. 3), wherein the first direction FD is parallel to
the up-down direction in the present embodiment. Furthermore, the second inlet opening
311 and the second outlet opening 312 are provided at the gas-liquid separator 31
so as to be open in a direction crossing the first direction FD, the direction being
parallel to the front-rear direction in the present embodiment.
[0099] Moreover, the first outlet opening 28 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and the
second inlet opening 311 of the gas-liquid separator 31 are open in the same direction,
namely, in the front-rear direction in the present embodiment.
[0100] A heat medium connection pipe 32 is provided between the first outlet opening 28
and the second inlet opening 311 for allowing the heat medium to flow from the intermediate
heat exchanger 20 to the gas-liquid separator 31. In the first embodiment, the heat
medium connection pipe 32 is an integral one-piece pipe. Moreover, the heat medium
connection pipe 32 has a U-shape.
[0101] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, a heat medium inflow pipe 33 is connected to the
first inlet opening 27 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 for allowing the heat
medium to flow into the intermediate heat exchanger 20, and a heat medium outflow
pipe 34 connected to the second outlet opening 312 of the gas-liquid separator 31
for allowing the heat medium to flow out from the gas-liquid separator 31.
[0102] Fig. 3 is a front view of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and the gas-liquid separator
31 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a top view of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and the
gas-liquid separator 31 of Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a majority of the gas-liquid
separator 31 is located in an arrangement region AR next to the intermediate heat
exchanger 20. The arrangement region AR extends in the up-down direction from the
top wall 24 to the bottom wall 26 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20, and in the
front-rear direction from the rear wall 25 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 to
a frontmost point of the heat medium connection pipe 32.
[0103] As mentioned above, since the majority of the gas-liquid separator 31 is located
in the arrangement region AR next to the intermediate heat exchanger 20, the gas-liquid
separator 31 and the intermediate heat exchanger 20 are arranged relative to each
other in a compact manner. This leads to a space-efficient configuration of the heat
pump 1.
[0104] Moreover, since the majority of the gas-liquid separator 31 is located in the arrangement
region AR next to the intermediate heat exchanger 20, the gas-liquid separator 31
can be located in close proximity to the intermediate heat exchanger 20. Not only
does this lead to the advantage that less piping is necessary to connect the intermediate
heat exchanger 20 to the gas-liquid separator 31. Since the gas-liquid separator 31
can be located close to the intermediate heat exchanger 20, in case a refrigerant
leak occurs in or at the intermediate heat exchanger 20, the gaseous refrigerant leaking
into the heat medium circuit 30 is ejected earlier into the gas-liquid separator 31
and a leakage can thereby be detected earlier, for example, when a leak detector for
detecting leaked refrigerant is provided. This improves safety of the heat pump 1.
[0105] More specifically, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the gas-liquid separator
31 has a maximum length Lmax in the first direction FD and a maximum width Wmax in
a direction perpendicular to the first direction FD, and more than 50% of the maximum
length Lmax and the maximum width Wmax are located in the arrangement region AR. Moreover,
as can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the gas-liquid separator 31 is arranged next to the
first side wall 21 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20, and a space between the
gas-liquid separator 31 and the intermediate heat exchanger 20 is free from other
constituent parts of the heat pump 1, thereby achieving an even more compact arrangement
of the as-liquid separator 31 and the intermediate heat exchanger 20.
[0106] The arrangement region AR may extend in the left-right direction from the first side
wall 21 to a point no more than 35 cm away from the first side wall 21. Alternatively,
the gas-liquid separator 31 may be arranged on the other side of the intermediate
heat exchanger 20, and the arrangement region AR may extend in the left-right direction
from the second side wall 22 to a point no more than 35 cm away from the second side
wall 22.
[0107] As shown in Fig. 4, an inlet opening connection pipe 35 is provided between the heat
medium connection pipe 32 and the second inlet opening 311 of the gas-liquid separator
31. The inlet opening connection pipe 35 has a length of at least 5 cm, so as to promote
proper functioning of the gas-liquid separator 31. In this embodiment, the inlet opening
connection pipe 35 and the heat medium connection pipe 32 are integrally formed as
a one-piece pipe.
[0108] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the heat medium outflow
pipe 34 are arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat exchanger 20. That
is, in the first embodiment, the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the heat medium outflow
pipe 34 are both arranged on a side of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 that is
below the bottom wall 26 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20, as seen in the up-down
direction. Specifically, a portion of the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and a portion
of the heat medium outflow pipe 34 are both arranged on the side of the intermediate
heat exchanger 20 that is below the bottom wall 26 of the intermediate heat exchanger
20, as seen in the up-down direction, wherein said portion is a portion of the respective
pipe that is further away from the first inlet opening 27 or the second outlet opening
312 than a portion of the respective pipe that is connected to the first inlet opening
27 and the second outlet opening 312, respectively. More specifically, the portion
of the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the portion of the heat medium outflow pipe
34 that are arranged on the side of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 that is below
the bottom wall 26 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20, as seen in the up-down direction,
are arranged in parallel with each other.
[0109] Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and the gas-liquid
separator 31 of Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the
heat medium outflow pipe 34 are arranged so that a center line CLin of the heat medium
inflow pipe 33 and a center line CLout of the heat medium outflow pipe 34 lie in a
plane that is substantially parallel to the up-down direction. Specifically, a portion
of the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and a portion of the heat medium outflow pipe 34,
said portion being a portion of the respective pipe that is further away from the
first inlet opening 27 or the second outlet opening 312 than a portion of the respective
pipe that is connected to the first inlet opening 27 and the second outlet opening
312, respectively, are both arranged so that a center line CLin of that portion of
the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and a center line CLout of that portion of the heat
medium outflow pipe 34 lie in a plane that is parallel to the up-down direction. This
plane is indicated in Fig. 5 by the dashed line passing through the center lines CLin
and CLout.
[0110] Fig. 9 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the intermediate heat exchanger 20
and the gas-liquid separator 31 of Fig. 2 contained in a container 201, according
to the first embodiment.
[0111] The container 201 houses or accommodates the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and the
gas-liquid separator 31. The container 201 has a substantially cuboid shape with several
side walls that conforms to the outer shape of the configuration of the intermediate
heat exchanger 20 and the gas-liquid separator 31. The container 201 may be separate
from the casing 101 of the heat source unit 100.
[0112] As can be seen in Fig. 9, since the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the heat medium
outflow pipe 34 are arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat exchanger 20,
the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the heat medium outflow pipe 34 penetrate the container
201 at the same side wall, through the same opening. With this configuration, only
one opening at the side wall of the container 201 is required that needs to be hermetically
sealed in case a hermetically sealed container is required.
[0113] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an intermediate heat exchanger 20 and a gas-liquid
separator 31 contained in a container 201, according to a second embodiment of the
present disclosure. In the second embodiment, the gas-liquid separator 31 is arranged
next to the second side wall 22 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20.
[0114] The heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the heat medium outflow pipe 34 are arranged in
the second embodiment on a side of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 that is next
to the second side wall 22 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20, as seen in the left-right
direction. Specifically, a portion of the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and a portion
of the heat medium outflow pipe 34 are both arranged in parallel with each other on
the side of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 that is next to the second side wall
22 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20, wherein said portion is a portion of the
respective pipe that is further away from the first inlet opening 27 or the second
outlet opening 312 than a portion of the respective pipe that is connected to the
first inlet opening 27 and the second outlet opening 312, respectively. More specifically,
a center line CLin of that portion of the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and a center
line CLout of that portion of the heat medium outflow pipe 34 lie in a plane that
is perpendicular to the up-down direction.
[0115] In the second embodiment, the heat medium connection pipe has an angular U-shape
and consists of several pipe segments, which together form the U-shape. The inlet
opening connection pipe 35 is a separate pipe segment provided between the heat medium
connection pipe 32 and the second inlet opening 311.
[0116] The container 201 houses or accommodates the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and the
gas-liquid separator 31. The container 201 has a substantially cuboid shape with several
side walls that conforms to the outer shape of the configuration of the intermediate
heat exchanger 20 and the gas-liquid separator 31. The container 201 may be separate
from the casing 101 of the heat source unit 100.
[0117] As can be seen in Fig. 6, since the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the heat medium
outflow pipe 34 are arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat exchanger 20,
the heat medium inflow pipe 33 and the heat medium outflow pipe 34 penetrate the container
201 at the same side wall, through the same opening. With this configuration, only
one opening at the side wall of the container 201 is required that needs to be hermetically
sealed in case a hermetically sealed container is required.
[0118] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an intermediate heat exchanger 20 and a gas-liquid
separator 31 contained in a container 201, according to a third embodiment of the
present disclosure. Fig. 8 is a top view of the intermediate heat exchanger 20, the
gas-liquid separator 31, and the container 201 of Fig. 7. As can be seen, the gas-liquid
separator 31 is arranged next to an edge of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 formed
by the front wall 23 and the second side wall 22 of the intermediate heat exchanger
20. The first outlet opening 28 of the intermediate heat exchanger 20 and the second
outlet opening 312 of the gas-liquid separator 31 are open in directions that cross
each other at an angle of 90°. The heat medium connection pipe 32 has an L-shape in
the third embodiment. The inlet opening connection pipe 35 is omitted in Figs. 7 and
8.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0119]
- 1
- Heat pump
- 10
- Refrigerant circuit
- 11
- Compressor
- 12
- Heat source heat exchanger
- 13
- Expansion valve
- 20
- Intermediate heat exchanger
- 30
- Heat medium circuit
- 31
- Gas-liquid separator
- 21
- First side wall
- 22
- Second side wall
- 23
- Front wall
- 24
- Top wall
- 25
- Rear wall
- 26
- Bottom wall
- 27
- First inlet opening
- 28
- First outlet opening
- 311
- Second inlet opening
- 312
- Second outlet opening
- 32
- Heat medium connection pipe
- 33
- Heat medium inflow pipe
- 34
- Heat medium outflow pipe
- 35
- Inlet opening connection pipe
- 36
- Pump
- 201
- Container
- 100
- Heat source unit
- 101
- Casing of heat source unit
- AR
- Arrangement region
- FD
- First direction
- Lmax
- Maximum length of gas-liquid separator
- Wmax
- Maximum width of gas-liquid separator
- CLin
- Center line of heat medium inflow pipe
- CLout
- Center line of heat medium outflow pipe
1. A heat pump (1), comprising
a refrigerant circuit (10) having a compressor (11), a heat source heat exchanger
(12), an expansion valve (13), and an intermediate heat exchanger (20),
a heat medium circuit (30) having the intermediate heat exchanger (20) and a gas-liquid
separator (31),
wherein the intermediate heat exchanger (20) has a first side wall (21), a second
side wall (22) opposing the first side wall (21), a front wall (23) extending between
the first side wall (21) and the second side wall (22), a top wall (24) being connected
to upper ends of the first side wall (21), the second side wall (22), and the front
wall (23), a rear wall (25) opposing the front wall (23) in a front-rear direction,
and a bottom wall (26) opposing the top wall (24) in an up-down direction,
wherein the intermediate heat exchanger (20) has a first inlet opening (27) and a
first outlet opening (28) for a heat medium, the first inlet opening (27) and the
first outlet opening (28) being provided in the front wall (23),
wherein the gas-liquid separator (31) has a second inlet opening (311) and a second
outlet opening (312) for the heat medium,
wherein a heat medium connection pipe (32) is provided between the first outlet opening
(28) and the second inlet opening (311) for allowing the heat medium to flow from
the intermediate heat exchanger (20) to the gas-liquid separator (31),
wherein a majority of the gas-liquid separator (31) is located in an arrangement region
(AR) next to the intermediate heat exchanger (20), the arrangement region (AR) extending
in the up-down direction from the top wall (24) to the bottom wall (26) of the intermediate
heat exchanger (20) and in the front-rear direction from the rear wall (25) of the
intermediate heat exchanger (20) to a frontmost point of the heat medium connection
pipe (32).
2. The heat pump (1) according to claim 1,
wherein the second inlet opening (311) and the second outlet opening (312) are separated
from each other in a first direction (FD),
wherein the gas-liquid separator (31) has a maximum length (Lmax) in the first direction
(FD) and a maximum width (Wmax) in a direction perpendicular to the first direction
(FD),
wherein at least 50% of the maximum length (Lmax) and the maximum width (Wmax) are
located in the arrangement region (AR).
3. The heat pump (1) according to claim 1 or 2,
wherein the second side wall (22) opposes the first side wall (21) in a left-right
direction,
wherein the arrangement region (AR) further extends in the left-right direction from
one of the first side wall (21) and the second side wall (22) to a point no more than
35 cm away from the one of the first side wall (21) and the second side wall (22).
4. The heat pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein a space between the gas-liquid separator (31) and the intermediate heat exchanger
(20) is free from other constituent parts of the heat pump (1).
5. The heat pump (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
wherein the second inlet opening (311) and the second outlet opening (312) are provided
at the gas-liquid separator (31) so as to be open in a direction crossing the first
direction (FD).
6. The heat pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
further comprising
a heat medium inflow pipe (33) connected to the first inlet opening (27) of the intermediate
heat exchanger (20) for allowing the heat medium to flow into the intermediate heat
exchanger (20), and
a heat medium outflow pipe (34) connected to the second outlet opening (312) of the
gas-liquid separator (31) for allowing the heat medium to flow out from the gas-liquid
separator (31),
wherein the heat medium inflow pipe (33) and the heat medium outflow pipe (34) are
arranged on the same side of the intermediate heat exchanger (20).
7. The heat pump (1) according to claim 6,
wherein the heat medium inflow pipe (33) and the heat medium outflow pipe (34) are
arranged so that a center line (CLin) of the heat medium inflow pipe (33) and a center
line (CLout) of the heat medium outflow pipe (34) lie in a plane that is substantially
perpendicular or parallel to the up-down direction.
8. The heat pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein the gas-liquid separator (31) is arranged next to the first side wall (21)
or the second side wall (22) of the intermediate heat exchanger (20).
9. The heat pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein the first outlet opening (28) of the intermediate heat exchanger (20) and
the second inlet opening (311) of the gas-liquid separator (31) are open in the same
direction.
10. The heat pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein the heat medium connection pipe (32) has a U-shape.
11. The heat pump (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
wherein the gas-liquid separator (31) is arranged next to an edge of the intermediate
heat exchanger (20) formed by the front wall (23) and the first side wall (21) or
the second side wall (22) of the intermediate heat exchanger (20) .
12. The heat pump (1) according to claim 11,
wherein the first outlet opening (28) of the intermediate heat exchanger (20) and
the second outlet opening (312) of the gas-liquid separator (31) are open in directions
that cross each other.
13. The heat pump (1) according to claim 12,
wherein the heat medium connection pipe (32) has an L-shape.
14. The heat pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
wherein an inlet opening connection pipe (35) is provided between the heat medium
connection pipe (32) and the second inlet opening (311) of the gas-liquid separator
(31),
wherein the inlet opening connection pipe (35) has a length of at least 5 cm.
15. The heat pump (1) according to any one of the preceding claims,
further comprising
a container (201), in which the intermediate heat exchanger (20) and the gas-liquid
separator (31) are housed,
wherein the container (201) is separate from a casing (101) of a heat source unit
(100).
16. The heat pump (1) according to claim 15,
wherein an inner space of the container (201) is hermetically sealed from the outside
of the container (201).