Heat storage air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat storage air conditioner. The heat storage air conditioner includes an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange, and at least one compressor for compressing refrigerant, an indoor unit having at least one indoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange, a thermal storage unit for storing energy, the thermal storage unit having a thermal storage heat exchanger for making heat exchange, and at least one functional unit for selective control of a refrigerant flow among the outdoor unit, the indoor unit and the thermal storage unit according to an operation condition.

1 . A heat storage air conditioner comprising:
 an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange, and at least one compressor for compressing refrigerant;   an indoor unit having at least one indoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange;   a thermal storage unit for storing energy, the thermal storage unit having a thermal storage heat exchanger for making heat exchange; and   at least one functional unit for selective control of a refrigerant flow among the outdoor unit, the indoor unit and the thermal storage unit according to an operation condition.   
   
   
       2 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the functional unit is mounted to the outdoor unit. 
   
   
       3 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the functional unit is mounted to the thermal storage unit. 
   
   
       4 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit, the thermal storage unit, and the functional unit are mounted individually separate from one another. 
   
   
       5 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the functional unit includes a plurality of valves for controlling the refrigerant flow according to an operation condition. 
   
   
       6 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the functional unit includes valve control means for controlling the plurality of valves. 
   
   
       7 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the functional unit includes a supplementary heat exchanger for making heat exchange of the refrigerant introduced thereto from the indoor unit. 
   
   
       8 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the functional unit includes a first supplementary pump for pumping up the refrigerant from the thermal storage unit to the indoor unit forcibly. 
   
   
       9 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first supplementary pump includes at least one constant speed pump. 
   
   
       10 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first supplementary pump includes at least one inverter pump which has a variable speed. 
   
   
       11 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first supplementary pump includes a combination of at least one constant speed pump and at least one inverter pump with a variable speed. 
   
   
       12 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the constant speed pump is driven separate from the inverter pump. 
   
   
       13 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the constant speed pump is driven along with the inverter pump. 
   
   
       14 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first supplementary pump is positioned higher than the outdoor unit, or the thermal storage unit. 
   
   
       15 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the functional unit further includes a receiver for separating the refrigerant flown by the first supplementary pump into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant. 
   
   
       16 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the functional unit further includes a dryer for removing moisture from the refrigerant flown by the first supplementary pump. 
   
   
       17 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the thermal storage unit includes a plurality of thermal storage heat exchangers. 
   
   
       18 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the thermal storage unit further includes a thermal storage expansion device at one side of each of the plurality of thermal storage heat exchangers. 
   
   
       19 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the thermal storage unit includes at least one thermal storage tank having thermal storage substance held therein for heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the thermal storage heat exchanger and storing energy. 
   
   
       20 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the indoor unit includes a plurality of the indoor heat exchangers having vaporization temperatures different from one another. 
   
   
       21 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the indoor unit includes at least one indoor expansion device on an inlet side of each of the indoor heat exchangers for expanding the refrigerant. 
   
   
       22 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the indoor expansion devices respectively connected to the indoor heat exchangers are connected to outlets of the indoor expansion devices connected to other indoor expansion devices, for re-expanding the refrigerant from other indoor expansion devices, and supplying to the indoor heat exchangers, respectively. 
   
   
       23 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the indoor heat exchanger includes a room cooling indoor heat exchanger, and refrigerating or freezing indoor heat exchanger. 
   
   
       24 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the indoor expansion devices are arranged such that the refrigerant introduced to the refrigerating or freezing indoor heat exchanger passes through two or more than two indoor expansion devices. 
   
   
       25 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a room heating indoor unit having a room heating heat exchanger connected to the outdoor unit from an outside of the outdoor unit for heating a room by heat exchange with high temperature and high pressure refrigerant from the outdoor unit. 
   
   
       26 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the room heating indoor unit is operative with other indoor units which perform room cooling. 
   
   
       27 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the room heating heat exchanger has an inlet and an outlet connected to the outdoor heat exchanger at an inlet and an outlet thereof, respectively. 
   
   
       28 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising a room heating valve mounted on a connection of the outdoor heat exchanger and the room heating heat exchanger for controlling refrigerant supply from the outdoor unit to the room heating indoor unit. 
   
   
       29 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the thermal storage unit further includes a circulating unit for circulating the thermal storage substance from the thermal storage tank through the indoor unit. 
   
   
       30 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the circulating unit includes;
 a water discharge flow line for discharging the thermal storage substance from the thermal storage tank to the indoor unit,   a water supply flow line for guiding the thermal storage substance passed through the indoor unit to an inside of the thermal storage tank, and   a circulating pump for forced circulation of the thermal storage substance through the water discharge flow line, the indoor unit, and the water supply flow line.   
   
   
       31 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the thermal storage tank includes a stratification plate for suppressing up/down direction flow of the thermal storage substance in the thermal storage tank to induce stratification of the thermal storage substance. 
   
   
       32 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the stratification plate has fine pass through holes formed therein for pass through of the thermal storage substance. 
   
   
       33 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the circulating pump is mounted on the water discharge flow line. 
   
   
       34 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 30 , further comprising a spray nozzle at one end of the water supply flow line for spraying the thermal storage substance supplied to the thermal storage tank. 
   
   
       35 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the thermal storage tank of the thermal storage unit further includes an internal circulating unit for forcing circulation of the thermal storage substance in the thermal storage tank. 
   
   
       36 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising an outdoor receiver mounted to the outdoor unit for separating the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger into liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant, and discharging only the liquid refrigerant to an outside of the outdoor unit. 
   
   
       37 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the outdoor unit further includes a bypass flow line for returning the gas refrigerant separated by the outdoor receiver to the inlet of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
   
   
       38 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein the outdoor unit further includes a super-cooling heat exchanger for further cooling the refrigerant cooled as the refrigerant passes through the outdoor heat exchanger. 
   
   
       39 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the super-cooling heat exchanger is mounted between the outdoor heat exchanger and the outdoor receiver. 
   
   
       40 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a super-cooling heat exchanger mounted to the outdoor unit for further cooling the refrigerant cooled as the refrigerant passes through the outdoor heat exchanger. 
   
   
       41 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the super-cooling heat exchanger makes the outdoor air and the refrigerant to heat exchange. 
   
   
       42 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the super-cooling heat exchanger includes;
 a reverse flow pipe for branching a portion of the refrigerant passed through the outdoor heat exchanger,   a super-cooling expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant flowing through the reverse flow pipe to cooling down the refrigerant, and   a super-cooler of a double pipe for making heat exchange between the refrigerant passed through the outdoor heat exchanger and the refrigerant supplied through the reverse flow pipe.   
   
   
       43 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the super-cooler includes;
 an inner pipe for flow of the refrigerant passed through the outdoor heat exchanger, and   an outer pipe around the inner pipe, the outer pipe connected to the reverse flow pipe for receiving refrigerant through the reverse flow pipe.   
   
   
       44 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein the outer pipe has a bypass flow line connected to one side thereof for guiding the refrigerant passed through the outer pipe to the compressor of the outdoor unit. 
   
   
       45 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 43 , wherein the inner pipe includes a plurality of heat dissipation ribs projected outwardly from an outside circumference. 
   
   
       46 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the heat dissipation rib has a disk shape. 
   
   
       47 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 45 , wherein the heat dissipation rib is mounted perpendicular to a length direction of the inner pipe. 
   
   
       48 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the thermal storage unit further includes an internal circulating unit for circulating the thermal storage substance in the thermal storage tank. 
   
   
       49 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the internal circulating unit includes;
 a circulating fan for forcing a flow of the thermal storage substance in the thermal storage tank, and   a fan motor for providing rotating power to the circulating fan.   
   
   
       50 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the circulating fan is mounted on an inside of the thermal storage tank, the fan motor is mounted on an outside of the thermal storage tank, and the rotation power is transmitted from the fan motor to the circulating fan through a motor shaft. 
   
   
       51 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 50 , wherein the motor shaft is mounted passed through one side of the thermal storage tank, with a sealing member mounted on an outside circumference of the motor shaft for preventing the thermal storage substance from leaking from the thermal storage tank. 
   
   
       52 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein the circulating fan and the fan motor are mounted in the thermal storage tank. 
   
   
       53 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the internal circulating unit includes;
 a guide pipe having opposite ends connected to an outside of the thermal storage tank so as to be in communication with an inside of the thermal storage tank for forming a circulating flow line together with the thermal storage tank, and   a circulating pump for drawing the thermal storage substance from the thermal storage tank through an end of the guide pipe forcibly and discharging the thermal storage substance to the other end of the guide pipe.   
   
   
       54 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 53 , wherein the internal circulating unit is mounted to at least two places of the thermal storage tank. 
   
   
       55 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 54 , wherein the internal circulating unit is mounted on opposite sides of the thermal storage tank. 
   
   
       56 . A heat storage air conditioner comprising:
 an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange, and at least one compressor for compressing refrigerant;   an indoor unit having at least one indoor heat exchanger for making heat exchange;   a thermal storage unit for storing energy, the thermal storage unit having a thermal storage heat exchanger for making heat exchange; and   at least one functional unit for selective control of a refrigerant flow among the outdoor unit, the indoor unit and the thermal storage unit according to an operation condition,   wherein the functional unit includes;   a first supplementary pump having one side connected to a pipe line connected to the thermal storage heat exchanger of the thermal storage unit, and the other side connected to a pipe line connected to the indoor unit, for pumping up the refrigerant heat exchanged at the thermal storage unit to the indoor unit;   a supplementary heat exchanger unit for heat exchanging the refrigerant heat exchanged at the indoor unit again, and supplying to the thermal storage unit, and   a plurality of valves for selective control of a refrigerant flow to the outdoor unit, the thermal storage unit, the indoor unit, the first supplementary pump, and the supplementary heat exchanger unit.   
   
   
       57 . The heat storage air conditioner as claimed in  claim 56 , wherein the supplementary heat exchange unit includes;
 a supplementary flow line having one end connected to a pipe line connected to the indoor unit, and the other end connected to the thermal storage heat exchanger of the thermal storage unit,   a supplementary heat exchanger for making heat exchange of the refrigerant flowing through the supplementary flow line, and   a second supplementary pump for forcing a refrigerant flow through the supplementary flow line.