HEAT PUMP

Abstract

A heat pump includes a refrigerant circuit for a refrigerant, a refrigerant collector belonging to the refrigerant circuit and through which the refrigerant flows, an expansion device through which the refrigerant flows and connected downstream of the refrigerant collector as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, an evaporator belonging to the refrigerant circuit and through which the refrigerant flows and connected downstream of the expansion device as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, and a condensate pan that is assigned to the evaporator and is designed to catch condensate forming on the evaporator. The refrigerant collector is designed to be connected in a thermally conductive manner to the condensate pan. In order for heat present externally at the refrigerant collector to be transferred by thermal conduction to the condensate pan, a distance between the refrigerant collector and the condensate pan is at most 15 cm.

Description

The invention relates to a heat pump according to the generic term of claim 1.

A heat pump of the type mentioned above is known from patent document EP 3 358 277 A1. In the broadest possible sense, a refrigerant collector provided there is designed to be connected in a thermally conductive manner to a condensate pan provided there by means of a pipe.

Another heat pump of a similar type is known from patent document EP 2 500 676 B1. This consists of a refrigerant circuit for a refrigerant, a refrigerant collector that belongs to the refrigerant circuit and through which the refrigerant flows and an expansion device that belongs to the refrigerant circuit and through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected downstream of the refrigerant collector as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, an evaporator that belongs to the refrigerant circuit and through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected downstream of the expansion device as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, and a condensate pan that is assigned to the evaporator and is designed to catch condensate forming on the evaporator. In the case of this solution, a heat exchanger is arranged in the condensate pan to keep it ice-free. Refrigerant flows through this, which is then supplied to the evaporator itself.

The object of the invention is to improve a heat pump of the type mentioned above. In particular, the efficiency of the heat pump is to be increased.

This object is achieved with a heat pump of the type mentioned above by means of the features listed in the characterizing portion of claim 1.

According to the invention, it is therefore provided that, in order to transfer heat present externally on the refrigerant collector by thermal conduction from the outside to the condensate pan, a distance between the refrigerant collector and the condensate pan is at most 15 cm.

In other words, the solution according to the invention is thus characterized in that forming heat, in particular, on an external wall of the refrigerant collector is transferred to the condensate pan by thermal conduction. In the aforementioned prior art, on the other hand, the heat transfer takes place in the broadest sense, in particular, either to a very small foreseeable extent via said pipeline (EP 3 358 277 A1) or by convection (EP 2 500 676 B1), namely by the fact that continuously new hot refrigerant is conveyed to the condensate tank via a pipeline and the said heat exchanger, i.e., the heat is transported in an extra manner to the condensate tank by means of the refrigerant. However, in the case of the solution according to the invention, as already explained, the heat present on the outside of the refrigerant collector is transferred, in particular, by thermal conduction (and where applicable, also via heat radiation) to the condensate pan in any case, which increases the efficiency of the heat pump accordingly. The requirement that the refrigerant collector be designed to be connected to the condensate pan comprises in a thermally conductive manner, on the one hand, the option that this (i.e., the refrigerant collector) is arranged directly on the condensate pan, i.e., directly in contact therewith, but, on the other hand, it can also be provided that, between the refrigerant collector and the condensate pan, a heat conductor is arranged, which conducts the heat from the refrigerant collector to the condensate pan.

Other favourable further embodiments of the heat pump according to the invention result from the dependent patent claims.

The heat pump according to the invention including its favourable further embodiments according to the dependent claims is explained in more detail below on the basis of the graphic illustration of two exemplary embodiments.

THE FIGURES SHOW

FIG. 1 schematically, a first embodiment of the heat pump according to the invention, in which the refrigerant collector and the condensate pan are designed to be directly connected to each other; and

FIG. 2 schematically, a second embodiment of the heat pump according to the invention, in which the refrigerant collector and the condensate pan are designed to be connected to each other via a thermally conductive element.

The present invention, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, relates to a heat pump. This consists of a refrigerant circuit 1 for a refrigerant, a refrigerant collector 2 that belongs to the refrigerant circuit 1 and through which the refrigerant flows and an expansion device 3 that belongs to the refrigerant circuit 1 and through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected downstream of the refrigerant collector 2 as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, an evaporator 4 that belongs to the refrigerant circuit 1 and through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected downstream of the expansion device 3 as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, and a condensate pan 5 assigned to the evaporator to catch condensate forming on the evaporator 4.

Furthermore, it is provided that the refrigerant collector 2 is connected to the condensate pan 5 in a thermally conductive manner. In particular, it is preferably provided that refrigerant collector 2 is designed to be connected to the condensate pan 5 in a “convection-free” manner. It is further preferred that the thermal conductive element 6 is designed to be contact-free from the refrigerant. This means that, for example, in particular, a pipeline conveying the refrigerant is not used as a thermal conducting element 6, but a separate heat conduction element 6 is provided for heat conduction.

An electric heating device, which is possibly provided on the condensate pan to keep it free of ice, as can be seen, can be dispensed with thanks to the solution according to the invention, which solution ultimately increases the efficiency of the heat pump.

For the heat pump according to the invention, it is essential that a distance between the refrigerant collector 2 and the condensate pan 5 is at most 15 cm, preferably less than 10 cm, more preferably less than 5 cm, or even (only) 0 cm. The latter case is shown in FIG. 1, i.e., in this solution. it is provided that the refrigerant collector 2 and the condensate pan 5 are designed to be in contact with one another. As an alternative, it is preferred that, a preferably metallic thermally conductive element 6 (because it conducts heat well) is arranged between the refrigerant collector 2 and the condensate pan 5, see FIG. 2. The requirement according to the invention regarding “15 cm at most” is based on the pragmatic consideration that, at a significantly larger distance (such as both EP 3 358 277 A1) mentioned at the beginning, no relevant heat transfer can be achieved for the intended purpose anymore.

Furthermore, the refrigerant collector 2 is preferably arranged below the condensate pan 5 when the heat pump is operated as intended. It is also preferred that the condensate pan 5 comprises a drainage channel and/or that the refrigerant collector 2 is at least connected to the drainage channel in a thermally conductive manner.

In addition, it is preferred that the refrigerant collector 2 is designed as a high-pressure collector. In this case, the refrigerant circuit 1 preferably comprises a high-pressure side 1.1 with the condenser 8 and a low-pressure side 1.2 with the evaporator 4. Furthermore, it is preferred that the refrigerant collector 2 is arranged on the high-pressure side 1.1 of the refrigerant circuit 1. This causes the refrigerant in the refrigerant collector 2 and thus the refrigerant collector 2 itself to have a relatively high temperature. Thus, a lot of heat energy can be transferred to the condensate pan 5 to thaw it.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the refrigerant circuit 1 comprises a compressor 7 through which the refrigerant flows and which is downstream of the evaporator 4 as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant. Ultimately, it is preferred that the refrigerant circuit 1 comprises a condenser 8 through which the refrigerant flows and which is downstream of the compressor 7 as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant.

The heat pump according to the invention according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1 works as follows (FIG. 2 is analogous accordingly):

During regular operation of the heat pump, a condensate forms on the relatively cool evaporator 4, which drips down from it and is collected by the condensate pan 5. Since the condensate itself is cold, it may occur that the condensate pan 5 ices and the condensate can no longer escape properly from the condensate pan 5 via a drain. In the heat pump according to the invention in accordance with the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 1, the refrigerant collector 2 is now arranged directly under the condensate pan 5. In this refrigerant collector 2, there is warm refrigerant, which heats the refrigerant collector 2. Since the refrigerant collector 2 is in direct contact with the condensate pan 5 (or in accordance with FIG. 2, is connected to this via the thermally conductive element 6), it transfers part of its heat energy to this, whereby the ice located in it is defrosted or thawed, or can not form at all during ongoing operation of the heat pump. Thereby, the heat pump according to the invention prevents the condensate pan 5 from freezing in a simple and efficient manner, which in turn, improves the efficiency of the heat pump itself.

REFERENCE LIST

• • 1 refrigerant circuit
  • 1.1 high-pressure side
  • 1.2 low-pressure side
  • 2 refrigerant collectors
  • 3 expansion device
  • 4 evaporator
  • 5 condensate pan
  • 6 thermally conductive element
  • 7 compressor
  • 8 condenser

Claims

1: A heat pump comprising a refrigerant circuit (1) for a refrigerant, a refrigerant collector (2) that belongs to the refrigerant circuit (1) and through which the refrigerant flows, an expansion device (3) that belongs to the refrigerant circuit (1) and through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected downstream of the refrigerant collector (2) as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, an evaporator (4) that belongs to the refrigerant circuit (1) and through which the refrigerant flows and which is connected downstream of the expansion device (3) as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant, and a condensate pan (5) assigned to the evaporator (4) to catch condensate forming on the evaporator (4), wherein the refrigerant collector (2) is designed to be connected in a thermally conductive manner to the condensate pan (5), wherein,in order to transfer heat present externally on the refrigerant collector (2) to the condensate pan by thermal conduction, a distance between the refrigerant collector (2) and the condensate pan (5) is at most 15 cm.

2: The heat pump according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the refrigerant collector (2) and the condensate pan (5) is less than 10 cm, more preferably less than 5 cm, or 0 cm.

3: The heat pump according to claim 1, wherein a thermal conductive element (6) is arranged between the refrigerant collector (2) and the condensate pan (5).

4: The heat pump according to claim 3, wherein the thermal conductive element (6) is designed to be contact-free from the refrigerant.

5: The heat pump according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant collector (2) is located below the condensate pan (5) when the heat pump is operated as intended.

6: The heat pump according to claim 1, wherein the condensate pan (5) comprises a drainage channel, wherein the refrigerant collector (2) is at least designed to be connected to the drainage channel in a thermally conductive manner.

7: The heat pump according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant collector (2) is designed as a high-pressure collector.

8: The heat pump according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant circuit (1) comprises a high-pressure side (1.1) and a low-pressure side (1.2), wherein the refrigerant collector (2) is located on the high-pressure side (1.1) of the refrigerant circuit (1).

9: The heat pump according to claim 1, whereinthe refrigerant circuit (1) comprises a compressor (7) through which the refrigerant flows and which is downstream of the evaporator (4) as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant.

10: The heat pump according to claim 9, whereinthe refrigerant circuit (1) comprises a condenser (8) through which the refrigerant flows and which is downstream of the compressor (7) as seen in the flow direction of the refrigerant.