JPH0510578B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] "Industrial Application Field" The present invention relates to a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze and collects heat from the air.

``Conventional technology'' A heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze to collect heat from the air relies on the air as a heat source for heating during the winter. Comparing this with a general-purpose air-source heat pump that also uses air as its heat source, (1) In the air-heat exchanger of a general-purpose air-source heat pump, frost and ice build up on the heat exchange surface, resulting in a decrease in capacity and
Although there are inconveniences such as an increase in the required power, a heat pump with a heating tower does not have these inconveniences.

(2) General-purpose air source heat pumps generally have no choice but to use high-pressure gas refrigerant due to the amount of refrigerant circulating gas, but heat pump refrigerators with heating towers use low-pressure refrigerant FCFC.
It is also possible to use R11, which has the advantages of equipment safety, ease of handling, and energy savings.

(3) Air source heat pumps have drawbacks such as loss of refrigerant due to leakage and unsafe conditions due to leakage when refrigerant piping is routed inside the building, but heat pumps with heating towers do not have these concerns.

There are advantages such as

In a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze to collect heat, it is necessary to maintain the concentration of the antifreeze within a certain range.If the antifreeze is diluted, the freezing point will rise and the antifreeze will no longer be effective, causing the heating tower to freeze. do. Therefore, when diluting antifreeze, add thicker antifreeze. Alternatively, in the invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-162772, a diluted antifreeze solution is concentrated by heating. When concentrating antifreeze, it is sufficient to add water, so considerations regarding the dilution method are limited to quantitative aspects.

``Problem to be Solved by the Invention'' When antifreeze is diluted and a concentrated antifreeze is added, the amount of freezing point depressants such as ethylene glycol in the antifreeze ends up increasing, approaching the concentration limit and making overconcentration more likely. Put it away. The concentration method of heating antifreeze requires additional heat energy, which may reduce the overall thermal efficiency.

The present invention provides a method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze.
The purpose of this invention is to solve the above problems by concentrating antifreeze using a heat pump with a heating tower without providing extra concentration equipment.

[Structure of the invention]

"Means for Solving Problems" The first invention of the present application is a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze and collects heat from the air, even when the concentration of antifreeze is low or when the heat pump does not need to be operated. A method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump equipped with a heating tower, characterized in that the antifreeze is circulated through the heating tower in the same manner as the circulation for operating the heat pump, and the fan for the heating tower is operated to concentrate the antifreeze. be.

The second invention of the present application is a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze and collects heat from the air, and detects outside air humidity, and when the antifreeze concentration is low and the detected outside air humidity is low, the heat pump is required to operate. An antifreeze solution for a heat pump equipped with a heating tower, which is characterized in that even if the antifreeze solution is not used, the antifreeze solution is circulated through the heating tower in the same way as the circulation for the operation of the heat pump, and the fan for the heating tower is operated, thereby concentrating the antifreeze solution. This is a concentration method.

The third invention of the present application provides an antifreeze tank outside the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle in addition to the antifreeze tank provided in the heating tower, and connects both antifreeze tanks with a pipe to exchange antifreeze, thereby controlling the concentration and liquid level of the antifreeze. In the control device, when the antifreeze concentration is low, even if the heat pump does not need to be operated, the antifreeze is circulated through the heating tower to operate the heating tower fan, and the antifreeze tank installed in the heating tower is controlled. This is a method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump with a heating tower, characterized in that the antifreeze is concentrated including the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank installed outside the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump with a heating tower.

``Operation'' When antifreeze is circulated through the heating tower when the concentration of antifreeze is low, the vapor pressure on the antifreeze side is generally higher than the vapor pressure of the atmosphere under no load conditions, and moisture is taken away by the air in the heating tower and concentrated. This is the effect of the first invention of the present application.

The second invention of the present application performs the same operation as the first steam invention when the humidity of the detected outside air is low.

In the third invention of the present application, even when the heat pump cycle has an antifreeze tank outside the antifreeze circulation circuit, the antifreeze outside the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle is also returned to the heating tower, and the same operation as in the first invention is performed. This is what we do.

"Embodiments" Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are flow sheets of a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze and collects heat from the air via the antifreeze.

The heat pump cycle is the same as that of a heat pump with a heating tower that collects heat through normal antifreeze. During the summer, the heating tower acts as a cooling tower. That is, during summer cooling, the water supply pipe 3 is connected to the lower water tank 6 of the cooling tower.
7 through a valve 29, and cooling water is stored therein. During summer cooling, valve 2 is closed as shown in Figure 1.
1, 22, 25, 26, 31, 32 are closed,
The valves 23, 24, 27, and 28 are open (symbol C indicates the closed state, symbol O indicates the open state), and the refrigerant is compressed by the main compressor 1 and sent to the cooling water condenser 2, where the refrigerant is pumped into the cooling water condenser 2. It is cooled and condensed by the heat exchanger through which the cooling water flows, and the pressure is reduced by the expansion valve 3.
Cooling water is fed into the cooler 4 and flows through a heat exchanger inside the cooler 4, where it is cooled and evaporated, and then sucked into the main compressor 1.

The cooling water is pumped out from the lower water tank 6 by the pump 5 and sent to the cooling water condenser 2 through the valve 27, where it removes the heat from the refrigerant and is passed through the valve 28 into the air flow by the fan 10 above the lower water tank 6. It is sprayed by a sprayer 7, cooled by air, and falls into the lower water tank 6.

Water for cooling is pumped up from the hot/cold water tank 8 by a pump 9, enters the cooler 4 via a valve 23, is cooled by a refrigerant, and returns to the hot/cold water tank 8 via a valve 24.

Here, we will talk about replacing the cooling water and antifreeze in the lower water tank 6. A valve 3 that allows water to be discharged from the lower water tank 6 first when the heat pump is used from the summer cooling state to the winter season.
3 to drain the cooling water, and at the same time, drain the drain (not shown) in the middle of the piping to drain the cooling water.

Next, in order to manage the concentration and amount of antifreeze and to charge antifreeze from the antifreeze tank 11 provided for summer storage of antifreeze into the lower water tank 6, valves 32 and 33 are closed, valve 31 with a check valve is opened, and the pump is pumped. 12 to pump up the antifreeze from the antifreeze tank 11, and the valve 31
Antifreeze is introduced into the lower water tank 6 from the sprayer 7 through the . When the liquid level detector 41 provided in the lower water tank 6 detects the upper limit liquid level, the liquid level controller 42 receives the signal.
The pump 12 is operated for a limited time and then stopped.

In addition, when switching from the winter state (Fig. 2) to the summer cooling state, when removing the antifreeze from the lower water tank 6, close the valve 31 in the winter state valves 21 to 28, 31, and 32, open the power control valve 34, and turn on the pump. 5, the antifreeze in the lower water tank 6 can be transferred to the antifreeze tank 11.

During winter heating, add antifreeze to the lower water tank 6 as described above.
, close valves 23, 24, 27, and 28, and close valve 2.
Leave numbers 1, 22, 25, 26, 31, and 32 open. During winter heating, as shown in Figure 2, the refrigerant is compressed by the main compressor 1 and sent to the inactive cooling water condenser 2.
and is sucked into the booster compressor 13. The refrigerant compressed by the booster compressor 13 is sent to the hot water condenser 14, heats the water flowing through the heat exchanger in the hot water condenser 14, is depressurized by the expansion valve 15, and returns to the cooling water condenser 2.

The refrigerant liquid in the cooling water condenser 2 is further depressurized by the expansion valve 3 and flows back to the cooler 4, cools the antifreeze flowing through the cooler 4, evaporates itself, and is sucked into the main compressor 1 again.

Water sent from the cold/hot water tank 8 by the pump 9 enters the hot water condenser 14 via the valve 22, is heated, and returns to the cold/hot water tank 8 via the valve 21.

During heating, the antifreeze in the lower water tank 6 is sucked into the pump 5 and sent out, enters the cooler 4 via the valve 25, is cooled by removing heat from the refrigerant by the heat exchanger in the cooler 4, and then passes through the valve 26. The water is sprayed from the sprayer 7, heated by air, and stored in the lower water tank 6. In this way, the antifreeze circulation circuit that performs the heat pump cycle is configured.

The above-mentioned heat pump is a heat pump equipped with a heating tower that collects heat using antifreeze.

As described above, the heat pump with a heating tower includes the lower water tank 6, the pump 5, the valve 25, the cooler 4 as an outside air side heat exchanger using antifreeze as a medium, the valve 26, the diffuser 7, and the piping connecting these.

As is clear from the above explanation, the lower water tank 6 is used as an antifreeze tank during the heat pump cycle.
In addition, an antifreeze tank 11 is arranged outside the antifreeze circulation circuit that performs the heat pump cycle. Although the antifreeze tank 11 and the antifreeze circulation circuit share some piping, the piping for transmitting and receiving antifreeze between the antifreeze tank 11 and the lower water tank 6 may be independent of the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle.

A liquid level detector 4 is installed in the lower water tank 6 as a means for detecting the amount of antifreeze in the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle.
1, this liquid level detector 41 is equipped with a sensor for detecting the upper limit liquid level and a sensor for detecting the lower limit liquid level in the lower water tank 6, respectively.
It is designed to emit a signal indicating the lower limit liquid level.

A control device that controls the amount of antifreeze passing through the antifreeze sending/receiving pipe based on the signal detected by the antifreeze amount detection means to keep the amount of antifreeze in the antifreeze circulation circuit constant includes the liquid level detector 41 and the liquid level detector 41. The liquid level controller 42 controls the pumps 5, 12 and the power control valve 34 in response to the signal.

The load on the antifreeze in the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle is light, and when the outside temperature is high and the humidity is low, water evaporates and concentrates, and the amount of antifreeze decreases.
When the load is large, the outside temperature is low, and the humidity is high, antifreeze absorbs moisture from the air, lowering its concentration and increasing the amount of antifreeze. This increase/decrease in the amount of antifreeze is determined by the lower water tank 6.
This appears as a change in the liquid level.

During operation of the heat pump cycle, the pump 12 is normally stopped and the power control valve 34 is closed.
Now, when the liquid level of the antifreeze in the lower water tank 6 decreases due to concentration and reaches the lower limit liquid level, the liquid level detector 41 sends a signal detecting the lower limit liquid level to the liquid level controller 42.
The liquid level controller 42 operates the pump 12 and controls the antifreeze tank 1.
1 is pumped up and passed through the valve 31 to the sprayer 7.
Pour antifreeze into the lower water tank 6. When the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 rises, the signal indicating the lower limit liquid level is no longer output from the liquid level detector 41 at a liquid level slightly higher than the lower limit liquid level by the offset amount of the liquid level detector 41. In response to the disappearance of the signal, the liquid level controller 42 operates the pump 12 for a limited time and stops the pump 12 so that the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 becomes an intermediate level between the upper and lower limit liquid levels.

During operation of the heat pump cycle, when the liquid level of the antifreeze in the lower water tank 6 rises due to water absorption and dilution and reaches the upper limit liquid level, the liquid level detector sends a signal detecting the upper limit liquid level to the liquid level controller 42. The liquid level controller 42 opens the power control valve 34 and releases antifreeze from the piping between the discharge side of the pump 5 and the valve 25 in the antifreeze circulation circuit to the antifreeze tank 11 through the valve 32 and the power control valve 34. Thus, when the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 decreases and the signal from the liquid level detector 41 disappears at a position where the liquid level falls below the upper limit liquid level by the offset amount of the liquid level detector 41, the liquid level is controlled in response to the disappearance of the signal. The device 42 is the power control valve 34
The power control valve 34 is closed at an intermediate liquid level between the upper and lower limit liquid levels of the lower water tank 6 by opening the valve for a limited time.

The antifreeze tank 11 serves as an antifreeze storage tank in the summer, but has a capacity larger than the antifreeze capacity in the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle to control the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 in the winter.

As a result of such liquid level control in the lower water tank 6, the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 reaches the lower limit level, and in the concentrated state, it is diluted by the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank 11, which has a lower concentration, and the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 increases. The antifreeze tank 11 has a higher concentration when it reaches the upper limit liquid level and is in a diluted state.
By mixing the antifreeze, the concentration increases and the concentration is adjusted.

The antifreeze tank 11 also includes a liquid level detector 43 in the antifreeze tank 11 and a liquid level controller 44 that receives a signal from the liquid level detector.

The liquid level in the lower water tank 6 fluctuates between the upper limit liquid level and the lower limit liquid level of the lower water tank 6, and a substantially constant amount of antifreeze is flowing through the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump. If the operation continues in this manner, the load is large, the outside temperature is low, and the humidity remains high, the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 continues to rise, and the diluted antifreeze enters the antifreeze tank 11 through the power control valve 34. As a result, the liquid level in the antifreeze tank 11 rises. If this condition continues, the antifreeze in the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle will be significantly diluted. Conversely, if the load is small, the outside temperature is high, and the humidity remains low, the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 continues to fall. If such a situation is repeated, the amount of freezing point depressants such as ethylene glycol in the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank 11 will increase in the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle, and as the concentration of the antifreeze progresses, the liquid level in the antifreeze tank 11 will increase. decreases.

The humidity sensor 45 detects the outside air humidity and outputs a signal when the outside air humidity is low. On the other hand, the operation control device 46 of the main compressor 1 outputs a signal when the main compressor 1 is stopped, and the pump 5 is operated by a driver (not shown) via an AND gate 47.

Ethylene glycol and the like in the antifreeze solution are not easily consumed, so the liquid level indicated by the liquid level detector 43 corresponds to the concentration of the antifreeze solution. In addition to the liquid level detector 43, a concentration meter for detecting the concentration of antifreeze may be provided.

During winter heating, main compressor 1, booster compressor 13
When the pump 5 stops, the AND gate 47 receives a stop signal from the operation control device 46 and a signal from the humidity sensor 45 that the outside air humidity is low, and outputs an operation signal for the pump 5.
The pump 5 continues to operate without stopping via a driver (not shown). As described above, the antifreeze is circulated in the order of lower water tank 6 → pump 5 → valve 25 → cooler 4 → valve 28 → sprayer 7 → lower water tank 6. Since there is no load on the cooler 4, the vapor pressure of the antifreeze liquid is higher than the vapor pressure of the atmosphere, and when it is sprayed by the sprayer 7, it adds moisture to the air and concentrates it. When concentrated, the capacity of the antifreeze in the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle decreases, so the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 decreases. When the liquid level in the lower water tank 6 falls, as already mentioned, the liquid level controller 42 receives a signal indicating the lower limit liquid level from the liquid level detector 41 and the pump 12
is driven to supply antifreeze from the antifreeze tank 11 to the lower water tank 6. When this is repeated, the antifreeze becomes concentrated, the liquid level in the antifreeze tank 11 falls, and when the lower limit liquid level is reached, the liquid level controller 44 turns on the pump 12 based on a signal indicating the lower limit liquid level sent from the liquid level detector 43. Stop.

Thus, the antifreeze becomes concentrated and the tower fan 10 and pump 5 are stopped. It is preferable to keep the antifreeze solution in a concentrated state, as it prevents frost formation and freezing and maintains the original function of the heating device if the antifreeze solution is kept as concentrated as possible. For overconcentration, water may be supplied from the water supply pipe 37 to the lower water tank 6 via the valve 29, for example. In this case, the antifreeze solution is not sent from the antifreeze tank 11 to the lower water tank 6, but instead of the antifreeze solution in the heat pump cycle. The antifreeze concentration may be controlled to be kept constant using only the circulation circuit.

Considering that antifreeze actually tends to dilute in the winter, it is useful to circulate antifreeze through the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle and concentrate it even when the main compressor 1 and booster compressor 13 are stopped, as described above. That's true.

The previous embodiment is mainly a method for concentrating antifreeze in the circulation circuit of a heat pump cycle. In another embodiment, the power control valve 34 is opened appropriately, the pumps 5 and 12 are operated simultaneously, and the antifreeze in the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle is circulated, and the antifreeze tank 11→pump 12→valve 31→dispersion. Vessel 7→
Lower water tank 6 → pump 5 → valve 32 → power control valve 34
→It is also possible to circulate it with the antifreeze tank 11. At this time, the liquid level of the lower water tank 6 is controlled by the liquid level detector 41 which detects the liquid level of the lower water tank 6, and upon receiving the signal, the liquid level controller 42 sets the liquid level of the lower water tank 6 to the upper limit liquid level. In this case, gradually increase the valve opening degree of the power control valve 34, and when the upper limit liquid level signal disappears, the power control valve 34
The valve opening degree of the valve 34 is fixed, and when the lower limit liquid level is reached, the valve opening degree of the valve 34 is gradually reduced in the same way,
The valve is fixed by the disappearance of the signal indicating the lower limit liquid level.

In this way, all the antifreeze is concentrated at the same time, so that the antifreeze concentrated in the lower water tank 6 as in the previous embodiment and the unconcentrated antifreeze remaining in the antifreeze tank 11 can be further mixed by the method of this embodiment or another method. ,
For example, by fully opening the power control valve 34 and operating the pump 5, the antifreeze in the lower water tank 6 is transferred to the antifreeze tank 11 and the lower water tank 6 is emptied, and then the power control valve 34 is closed and the pump 12 is operated. Lower water tank 6
By feeding the antifreeze into the tank, there is no need to mix the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank 11 with the concentrated antifreeze in the lower water tank 6.

In the embodiment, an antifreeze tank 11 is provided, and an antifreeze transfer pipe and an antifreeze control device passing through this pipe are provided between the antifreeze tank 11 and the lower water tank 6 of the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle. It goes without saying that the first invention of the present application can be practiced even in cases where the tank is an antifreeze storage tank and is empty during winter heating.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The first invention of the present application is a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze and collects heat from the air, and when the concentration of antifreeze is low, the antifreeze is circulated for the operation of the heat pump even when the heat pump does not need to be operated. Similarly, a method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump equipped with a heating tower is characterized in that the antifreeze is circulated through the heating tower and the fan for the heating tower is operated to concentrate the antifreeze, and the second invention of the present application uses the antifreeze. In a heat pump with a heating tower that collects heat from the air, the outside air humidity is detected, and if the antifreeze concentration is low and the detected outside air humidity is low, the antifreeze is added to the heat pump operation even if the heat pump does not need to be operated. A method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump equipped with a heating tower, characterized in that the antifreeze is concentrated by circulating it through the heating tower in the same manner as the circulation for the heating tower and operating the fan for the heating tower, and the third aspect of the present application In addition to the antifreeze tank provided in the heating tower, an antifreeze tank is provided outside the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle, and both antifreeze tanks are connected by a pipe to exchange antifreeze and control the concentration and liquid level of the antifreeze. In the device, when the antifreeze concentration is low, even if the heat pump does not need to be operated, the antifreeze is circulated through the heating tower to operate the heating tower fan, and the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank provided in the heating tower is heated. Since the method of concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump with a heating tower is characterized in that the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank installed outside the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump with a heating tower is also concentrated, each of the inventions has conventionally The tendency to overconcentrate due to the increase in freezing point depressant due to the addition of concentrated antifreeze is prevented.
Since it does not need to be heated and concentrated as in conventional methods, no additional energy is consumed. Since the heat pump device itself is used instead of an antifreeze heating device, the equipment cost is low and no additional floor space is required.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are flow sheets of an embodiment of the present invention, respectively. 1... Main compressor, 2... Cooling water condenser, 3
...Expansion valve, 4...Cooler, 5...Pump, 6...
... Lower water tank, 7 ... Spreader, 8 ... Cold and hot water tank, 9
... pump, 10 ... fan, 11 ... antifreeze tank, 12 ... pump, 13 ... booster compressor,
14... Hot water condenser, 15... Expansion valve, 21
~29, 31-33... Valve, 34... Power control valve, 37... Water supply pipe, 41... Liquid level detector, 42
...Liquid level controller, 43...Liquid level detector, 44...
Liquid level controller, 45...humidity sensor, 46...operation control device, 47...and gate.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze and collects heat from the air, if the concentration of antifreeze is low, even if the heat pump does not need to operate, the antifreeze can be used to operate the heat pump. A method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump equipped with a heating tower, characterized in that the antifreeze is concentrated by circulating it through the heating tower and driving a fan for the heating tower in the same way as circulation. 2. In a heat pump with a heating tower that uses antifreeze and collects heat from the air, the outside air humidity is detected, and if the antifreeze concentration is low and the detected outside air humidity is low, the antifreeze is removed even if the heat pump does not need to operate. A method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump equipped with a heating tower, characterized in that the antifreeze is concentrated by circulating it through the heating tower in the same way as circulation for the operation of the heat pump to operate the fan for the heating tower. 3 A device that controls the concentration and liquid level of antifreeze by providing an antifreeze tank outside the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump cycle in addition to the antifreeze tank provided in the heating tower, and connecting both antifreeze tanks with a pipe to exchange antifreeze. When the antifreeze concentration is low, even if the heat pump does not need to be operated, the antifreeze is circulated through the heating tower to operate the heating tower fan, and the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank provided in the heating tower is heated. A method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump with a heating tower, characterized in that the antifreeze in the antifreeze tank installed outside the antifreeze circulation circuit of the heat pump with a tower is also concentrated. 4. If the antifreeze concentration in the antifreeze tank installed outside the antifreeze circulation circuit is low, the fan for the heating tower is operated, and if the concentration is high, the operation of this fan is stopped. A method for concentrating antifreeze in a heat pump with a heating tower according to claim 3.