JPH0224046Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention aims to reduce heat radiation loss and save energy by making the amount of boiling hot water variable in a water heater that utilizes the condensation heat of the refrigeration cycle.

An example of a conventional water heater that utilizes condensation heat from a refrigeration cycle is shown in FIG. In the figure, the refrigeration cycle is constructed by connecting a compressor 1, a hot water supply water heat exchanger 2, an expansion valve 3, and a heat source side air heat exchanger 4 in a ring shape through refrigerant piping. A blower 5 is installed close to the air heat exchanger 4, and a water heat exchanger 2 is installed nearby to heat the water in the heat storage tank 6. A water supply pipe 16 is connected to the lower left opening of the heat storage tank 6, and a hot water outlet at the top is connected to a water heater 17. A water supply pump 7 is inserted between the lower right opening of the tank 6 and the bottom opening of the heat exchanger 2, and a water flow rate adjustment valve 8 is inserted between the top opening of the heat exchanger 2 and the top opening of the tank 6. be placed. A temperature sensor 9 is bonded to the outer surface of the tank near the lower right opening of the tank 6. Valve 8
A temperature-sensing tube 10 is attached to the water channel between the water channel and the heat exchanger 2 to sense the temperature of the water in the water channel, and this temperature-sensing tube is connected to a valve 8 to determine the degree of opening and closing depending on the temperature of the water. change in a direction that remains constant. That is, if the temperature is higher than the set value, the opening degree of the valve 8 is increased, and if the temperature is lower than the set value, the opening degree is decreased. The control unit 11 receives the signal from the temperature sensor 9, and sends a control signal to the pump 7, compressor 1, and blower 5 to activate or stop them.

While the temperature sensor 9 is below the set temperature, the refrigeration cycle operates and the heat source side air heat exchanger 4 collects heat, and the hot water supply water heat exchanger 2 radiates the heat, and this heat is stored by the water supply pump 7. The low temperature water sent from the lower opening of the tank 6 is heated. The degree of this heating is adjusted by a water flow rate regulating valve 8, and as a result, the hot water that has reached a constant set temperature is returned to the upper part of the heat storage tank 6. This hot water has a lower specific gravity than low temperature water, so tank 6
It accumulates in the upper part of the water, hardly mixing with the low-temperature water in the lower part, and then accumulates from the upper part to the lower part.
Finally, when the temperature sensor 9 reaches the position, the temperature exceeds the set temperature, so the control unit 1
1 is activated and sends a signal to the compressor 1 and others, thereby stopping the operation of the refrigeration cycle.

In this way, almost all of the low-temperature water in the heat storage tank 6 is boiled to hot water at the set temperature, but since this hot water has a higher temperature than the outside air, heat radiation occurs. In order to reduce this heat dissipation, the number of heat dissipation surfaces can be reduced, so the amount of hot water boiling in the heat storage tank should be the same as the amount of hot water used to reduce the amount of remaining hot water as much as possible. However, the amount of hot water used changes depending on factors such as how each household uses it differently, the amount of hot water needed changes depending on the season, and there are days when people take a bath and days when they don't. On the other hand, since the heat storage tanks provided by manufacturers are of limited types and capacities, it is necessary to select a heat storage tank with a larger capacity based on the maximum amount of hot water used, which varies in various ways. At present, the capacity of the heat storage tank is considerably larger than the amount of hot water used on a daily basis. Since the conventional device boils almost the entire capacity of the heat storage tank to hot water at the set temperature, the amount of hot water boiled is considerably larger than the amount of hot water used on a daily basis.
According to some actual measurements, only about 70% of the hot water that is boiled is used, but only 50% on extreme days, and the excess hot water is only used to repeatedly dissipate heat and is not actually useful.

In order to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention aims to make the amount of hot water to be boiled variable so that it is as close as possible to the amount of hot water used, thereby reducing wasteful heat radiation and saving energy.

In one basic embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. They are designed to be able to switch between each other. A hot water amount indicator 12 is attached to the control unit 11 . The other configurations are the same as in FIG. 1. One temperature sensor 9 in the control unit 11
When selected and used, when the hot water in the tank 6 gradually descends and reaches that level, the refrigeration cycle will stop operating due to the activation of the sensor 9. The amount of hot water is determined. In a certain household, the lowest temperature sensor 9 in the control unit 11
When using the heat storage tank with the maximum hot water flow selected, if you check the hot water flow indicator 12 and find that there is excess hot water every day, change to the medium sensor 9 and the hot water flow will be set to the medium level. Since the amount of hot water is reduced, the amount of excess hot water can be reduced and wasteful heat radiation can be reduced.
Also, if you decide on a day when you don't take a bath and set the water volume to medium or low on those days, you can shorten the operating time of the refrigeration cycle and save energy. In this case, the hot water amount indicator 12 may not be provided.

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, in addition to what is shown in the second figure, an auxiliary heater 13 is provided in the heat storage tank 6, and a temperature sensor 14 is attached to the outer surface of the tank 6 directly above the auxiliary heater 13. The heater 13 is used when the water in the tank cannot be sufficiently heated by the winter refrigeration cycle alone. In this case as well, by selecting one of the three upper and lower temperature sensors 9, the amount of boiling water can be set to any appropriate amount. That is, when the selected temperature sensor 9 reaches the set temperature, the refrigeration cycle and auxiliary heater 13
is deactivated. Furthermore, the temperature sensor 14
is provided to send a signal to only the heater 13 to stop its operation when the water in the tank near it reaches a predetermined high temperature.

In still another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary heater 13 is moved from the inside of the tank to the outside of the tank in FIG. It is inserted between the heat exchanger 2 and the heat exchanger 2. This auxiliary heater is also used during the winter to supplement the insufficient heating of the refrigeration cycle. According to the arrangement of this embodiment, while the temperature of the hot water leaving the valve 8 and entering the tank 6 is a desired high temperature,
Since the temperature of the hot water leaving the heat exchanger 2 is lower than this high temperature by the amount of temperature rise heated by the heater 13, the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger 2 is lowered accordingly, and therefore the performance of the refrigeration cycle is improved even in winter. can be held high.

According to the present invention, the amount of boiling hot water is set to correspond to the amount of hot water used, and wasteful heat radiation is avoided, thereby achieving energy savings.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional device, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are schematic configuration diagrams of three different types of devices according to the present invention. 1: Compressor, 2: Water heat exchanger for hot water supply, 3: Expansion valve, 4: Heat source side air heat exchanger, 6: Heat storage tank, 8:
Water flow rate adjustment valve, 9: Temperature sensor, 10: Temperature sensing cylinder,
11: Control unit, 13: Auxiliary heater.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a water heater that uses the condensation heat of the refrigeration cycle, the temperature of the water that enters the water heat exchanger for hot water supply of the refrigeration cycle and the upper opening of the heat storage tank is automatically measured in the waterway that connects the upper and lower openings of the heat storage tank. A water flow rate adjustment valve is installed to maintain a constant water flow rate, and multiple temperature sensors are installed at different levels above and below the outer wall of the heat storage tank, and a selected one of them is used to control the start and stop of the refrigeration cycle. water heater.