Heat supply apparatus

Abstract

A heat supply apparatus comprises: a compressor compressing refrigerant; a first heat exchanger being connected to the compressor through a refrigerant pipe and exchanging heat between refrigerant and water; and a second heat exchanger being connected to the compressor through a refrigerant pipe and having a plurality of pipes exchanging heat between refrigerant and air, wherein the plurality of pipes include: a first pipe disposed in the lowermost part; and the second pipes disposed above the first pipe, wherein the first pipe directs refrigerant flow in the opposite direction to the refrigerant flow in the remaining pipes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a compressor that compresses refrigerant;   a first heat exchanger that is connected to the compressor through a refrigerant pipe and exchanges heat between refrigerant and water; and   a second heat exchanger that is connected to the compressor through the refrigerant pipe and includes a plurality of pipes exchanging heat between refrigerant and air,   wherein the plurality of pipes include:
 a first pipe that is disposed lowest among the plurality of pipes; and 
 a plurality of second pipes disposed above the first pipe, and 
   wherein a direction of refrigerant flow in the first pipe is opposite to a direction of refrigerant flow in the second pipes.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 a first distributor disposed in a first direction based on the plurality of pipes; 
 a plurality of connection pipes connecting the first distributor and first ends of the plurality of pipes; 
 a second distributor disposed in a second direction based on the plurality of pipes, the first direction differing from the second direction, and the first distributor being positioned closer to the compressor than the second distributor; and 
 a plurality of distribution pipes connecting the second distributor and second ends the plurality of pipes, 
   wherein the plurality of connection pipes includes a first connection pipe connected to the first pipe,   wherein the plurality of distribution pipes includes a first distribution pipe connected to the first pipe, and   wherein the first pipe includes:
 a first connection end tube connected to the first connection pipe; and 
 a first distribution end tube connected to the first distribution pipe. 
   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first connection end tube is spaced apart from the first distribution end tube in the first direction are positioned at respective different distances from the first side. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first distribution end tube is spaced apart from the first connection end tube in the second direction. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the plurality of connection pipes includes a plurality of second connection pipes connected to the plurality of second pipes,   wherein the plurality of distribution pipes includes a plurality of second distribution pipes connected to the plurality of second pipes,   wherein the plurality of second pipes include second connection end tubes connected to the plurality of second connection pipes; and second distribution end tubes connected to the second distribution pipes, and   wherein the second connection end tubes are is spaced apart from the second distribution end tubes in the second direction.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 a fan that forms an airflow through the plurality of pipes, 
   wherein the airflow flows from the first direction to the second direction.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 a case that accommodates the plurality of pipes and has an inlet through which air flows into the case, and 
   wherein the first pipe is spaced upward from a bottom of a periphery of the inlet.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first connection end tube is located below the first distribution end tube. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the plurality of connection pipes includes a plurality of second connection pipes connected to the plurality of second pipes,   wherein the plurality of distribution pipes includes a plurality of second distribution pipes connected to the plurality of second pipes,   wherein the plurality of second pipes include:
 second connection end tubes connected to the plurality of second connection pipes; and 
 second distribution end tubes connected to the second distribution pipes, 
   wherein the second distribution end tubes and the first connection end tube are located on a first row, and the second connection end tubes and the first distribution end tube are located on the second row, the second row being spaced apart from the first row in the second direction.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 a valve that opens the first pipe during a defrosting operation to allow refrigerant to flow through the first pipe during the defrosting operation, and closes the first pipe during a heating operation to block a flow of refrigerant through the first pipe during the heating operation.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 a first distributor disposed at a first direction based on the plurality of pipes; 
 a plurality of connection pipes connecting the first distributor and the plurality of pipes; 
 a second distributor disposed at a second direction based on the plurality of pipes, the first and second directions being different, and the first distributor being positioned closer to the compressor than the second distributor; and 
 a plurality of distribution pipes connecting the second distributor and the plurality of pipes, and 
   wherein the valve is disposed on one of the distribution pipes connected to the first pipe.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 a first distributor disposed at a first direction based on the plurality of pipes; 
 a plurality of connection pipes connecting the first distributor and the plurality of pipes; 
 a second distributor disposed at a second direction based on the plurality of pipes, the first and second directions being different, and the first distributor being positioned closer to the compressor than the second distributor; and 
 a plurality of distribution pipes connecting the second distributor and the plurality of pipes, and 
   wherein the valve is disposed on one of the connection pipes connected to the first pipe.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a compressor that compresses refrigerant;   a first heat exchanger connected to the compressor through a refrigerant pipe and that exchanges heat between refrigerant and water; and   a second heat exchanger that is connected to the compressor through the refrigerant pipe and exchanges heat between refrigerant and air,   wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 plurality of pipes through which refrigerant flows; 
 a first distributor disposed in a first direction based on the plurality of pipes; 
 a plurality of connection pipes connecting the first distributor and the plurality of pipes; 
 a second distributor disposed in a second direction based on the plurality of pipes, the second direction being different from the first direction, and the first distributor being positioned closer to the compressor than the second distributor; and 
 a plurality of distribution pipes connecting the second distributor and the plurality of pipes, 
   wherein the plurality of pipes include:
 a first pipe; and 
 a plurality second pipes disposed above the first pipe, 
   wherein the plurality of connection pipes includes a first connection pipe connected to the first pipe,   wherein the plurality of distribution pipes includes a first distribution pipe connected to the first pipe,   wherein the first pipe includes:
 a first connection end tube connected to the first connection pipe; 
 a first distribution end tube connected to the first distribution pipe, and 
 wherein the first distribution end tube is disposed below the first connection end tube. 
   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the first pipe includes:
 a plurality of first tubes arranged in a first row extending vertically and including the first connection end tube; and 
 a plurality of second tubes disposed in a second row extending vertically and including the first distribution end tube, 
   wherein the first row is spaced apart from the second row in the first direction,   wherein an uppermost one of the plurality of first tubes is connected to a lowermost one of the plurality of second tubes.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the first pipe includes:
 a plurality of first tubes arranged in a first row formed vertically and including the first connection end tube; and 
 a plurality of second tubes disposed in a second row formed vertically and including the first distribution end tube, 
   wherein the first row is spaced apart from the second row in the first direction, and   wherein refrigerant flows through the plurality of first tubes and the plurality of second tubes in an alternating pattern.   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a compressor that compresses refrigerant;   a first heat exchanger that is connected to the compressor through a refrigerant pipe and exchanges heat between refrigerant and water; and   a second heat exchanger that is connected to the compressor through the refrigerant pipe and exchanges heat between refrigerant and air,   wherein the second heat exchanger includes:
 plurality of pipes through which refrigerant flows; 
 a first distributor disposed in a first direction based on the plurality of pipes and connected to first ends of the plurality of pipes; and 
 a second distributor disposed in a second direction based on the plurality of pipes and connected to second ends of the plurality of pipes, the second direction being different from the first direction, and the first distributor being positioned closer to the compressor than the second distributor; 
   wherein the plurality of pipes include a first pipe that is positioned lowest among the plurality of pipes,   wherein the first pipe includes:
 a plurality of first tubes arranged in a first row extending vertically and including a first connection end tube connected to the first distributor; and 
 a plurality of second tubes disposed in a second row extending vertically and including a first distribution end tube connected to the second distributor, and 
   wherein the first row is spaced apart from the second row in the first direction.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the first row is positioned closer to the second distributor than the second row. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the second row is positioned closer to the first distributor than the first row. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the first connection end tube is positioned lowest among the plurality of first tubes arranged in the first row, and the first distribution end tube is positioned lowest among the plurality of second tubes arranged in the first row. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the plurality pipes includes a second pipe provided above the first pipe, and   wherein the second pipe includes:
 a second connection end tube connected to the first distributor and provided in the second row; and 
 a second distribution end tube connected to the second distributor and provided in the first row.