WO2018192813A1 - Method for filling a pipe circuit of a heat pump with a refrigerant, container therefor, and heat pump - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosed method for filling a pipe circuit (2) of a heat pump (1) with a refrigerant involves the steps of installing the heat pump (1) in an operating location while the pipe circuit (2) contains substantially no refrigerant; and filling the pipe circuit (2) with refrigerant from at least one container (3) filled with refrigerant.

Description

 Description title

Method for filling a piping circuit of a heat pump with a refrigerant, container therefor and heat pump

State of the art

DE 10 2015 009 290 AI discloses a method for automated mass filling of a refrigerant circuit with refrigerant by means of a

Filling plant, with pressure controls and time controls for controlling filling and Evakuierventilen are stored in a controller.

Disclosure of the invention

The inventive method for filling a piping circuit of a heat pump with a refrigerant comprises the steps of setting up the heat pump at a point of use, wherein the piping circuit in

Is substantially free of refrigerant; and filling the piping circuit with refrigerant from at least one container filled with refrigerant.

In the following, general terms are referred to as "heat pumps", which are to be understood as meaning all devices with refrigerant applications, such as, for example, compression heat pumps, space heaters, domestic hot water appliances, air conditioners, refrigerators, refrigerators.

Heat pump processes suitable working gas as recordable

Chlorofluorocarbon, fluorocarbon, propane, propylene, ammonia, carbon dioxide understood. A "piping circuit" is understood to mean a subsystem of the heat pump that carries the refrigerants Components of the heat pump and the components connecting these refrigerant conductively connecting pipes, said means of the

Pipe circuit a heat pump process or a

Chiller process is executable. Components of the piping circuit can be compressor, heat exchanger (evaporator, condenser),

 Expansion element, receiver, separator, medium pressure bottle, filter drier, oil separator and the pipes connecting them. In the operation of the fully assembled piping circuit, the refrigerant can by means of a

Be circulated compressor, thereby changing depending on an operation of the heat pump and along the piping circuit pressure,

Temperature, physical state and circulating volume of the refrigerant. One

Pipe circuit may be a fully assembled pipe circuit or partially assembled pipe circuit. Fully assembled means that the piping circuit has all the necessary components, the refrigerant is conductively connected to each other. Partially mounted means that one or a few components are missing for completeness in the piping circuit. "Refrigerant leading" or "Refrigerant conductive" means that the

Components and / or the piping and / or the piping circuit can absorb, hold and / or pass through refrigerants substantially free of leakage (refrigerant-tight) in relation to an external environment

 Substantially "may mean, completely, exclusively, to a large extent, to a high percentage such as at least 90%, in particular at least 98% or more controlling, the main effect, all but one or a few components Installation site and / or location understood on which the heat pump is positioned to be used and used as a heat pump, such as a boiler room, a building services room to be heated or cooled sanitary room, living room, work space, storage or sales room. Further, a place of use may also be a place in an outside environment when the heat pump is set up there for use. Under "manufacturer" here is the

Factory or factory understood where the heat pump and / or the

Piping cycle produced and / or at least preassembled and / or final assembled. "Refrigerant-free" means that the piping circuit contains essentially no refrigerant, unless the slightest residue from an eventual upstream production process Piping circulation is essentially refrigerant-free "means that most or all of its components are free of refrigerant Refrigerant-conductive connection of two components means a refrigerant-tight connection with respect to an external environment

Connecting device on the container and a complementary

 Connecting device on the pipe circuit. A "container" means a pressure vessel, a vessel, a bottle, in particular of metal or

Plastic, which is, for example, closable and / or obvious and record a refrigerant under changing temperature and pressure conditions permanently, safely and tightly, can stockpile and release. The container comprises at least one connection for connecting to at least one associated connection of the pipeline circuit. "Filling" can fill, fill a set amount of a fluid, set a set pressure of a filled fluid.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that the heat pump and / or the pipe circuit can be produced and mounted free of refrigerant at a place of manufacture, transported to the place of use and set up at the place of use. This simplifies production and assembly at the place of manufacture as well as transport to the place of use. The storage and

 Handling of refrigerants at the place of manufacture of the heat pump and / or the piping circuit eliminated. The storage and handling of bulky, refrigerant-filled heat pumps is eliminated. to be maintained

Security measures are simplified considerably. During production and assembly, a fully assembled, essentially refrigerant-free

 Pipe circuit, for example with at least one integrated

Refrigerant-filled, sealed containers are created. Or a partially assembled, substantially refrigerant-free piping circuit can be created without the container. A separate container is under easy-to-follow conditions easily, safely and tightly filled centrally and easily, safely and tightly, in particular separately from the heat pump and / or the piping circuit, transported to the place of use. Such a container is compact and constructed as a pressure vessel safely. Its constructive design and handling is from a variety of

comparable applications known and well-controlled. Advantageous is the above-described solution especially in health-endangering and / or environmentally hazardous and / or flammable refrigerants. Only at the place of use, in particular if the heat pump and / or the pipe circuit finally set up and optionally with necessary connections (for example, to connect to a heat source such as an air duct or a

 Erdsondenbohrung and / or with a heat sink as a heating circuit) are provided, the piping circuit is filled with refrigerant from the container. The container contains the amount of refrigerant required by the heat pump and / or the piping circuit. For this purpose, the capacity of the container to the respective coming to use heat pump and / or the

 Piping circuit can be adjusted.

An advantageous embodiment of the method comprises the step

mechanically connecting the at least one container to the

Pipe cycle, wherein the connecting a connecting with at least one

This step is prior to filling the piping circuit with refrigerant. "Mechanical connection" means assembly, connection, assembly, into one

Bring engagement, fix. For this purpose, the container comprises at least one container inlet and / or at least one container outlet. One each

Connection there is a corresponding connection device on the container and a complementary connection device on the piping circuit. The mechanical connection of the filled with refrigerant, sealed container with the piping circuit is a non-positive or cohesive connection, in particular a screwing, for example by means of

 Screw connections, union fittings and / or Schraubfittingen, or a pressing, for example by means of Pressfittin gene, or a soldering, for example by means of soldering, comprises. Alternatively, the joining can also be a positive or combined from the aforementioned method

Be connect, for example, a crimping or crushing. This durable durable and refrigerant-dense connections can be achieved. The mechanical connection can take place before or after the installation of the

Heat pump at the place of use. For example, the heat pump with partially mounted pipe circuit, so filled without the refrigerant, sealed container, transported to the place of use and there be placed; The refrigerant-filled, sealed container is then transported separately from the heat pump to the place of use and mounted there. On the other hand, the heat pump can be transported to the place of use even with a completely assembled pipe circuit, that is, with a mounted, refrigerant-filled, sealed container, and set up there.

A further advantageous embodiment of the method comprises the step of evacuating the pipeline circuit, wherein this step takes place before filling the pipeline circuit with refrigerant and does not extend to the refrigerant-filled, closed container. "Evacuate" means to aspirate, pump off, empty, the pressure of a fluid in a pipeline circuit to be evacuated, for example down to a few pascals or fractions of a pascal absolute pressure or up to the vacuum

When evacuating, the piping circuit is freed of potentially interfering gases by a heat pump operation and prepared for filling.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method, the filling of the piping circuit with refrigerant from the at least one container comprises a refrigerant-conducting connection of the at least one container to the piping circuit. This is done by opening the container, in particular opening at least one closure of the container. Then, the refrigerant present in the container can at least partially escape from the container into the pipeline circuit. The closure is advantageously arranged indirectly or directly in or on the at least one connection device. The opening of the closure takes place only after a refrigerant tight connection of the sealed container with the piping circuit.

According to a further embodiment of the method, connecting the container filled with refrigerant to the closed-loop circuit comprises producing at least one refrigerant input connection and / or at least one refrigerant output connection. The container may have one or two ports for connection to the piping circuit. If the container has a single connection, it can serve, for example, a pure refrigerant outlet connection via which the refrigerant from the Container flows into the piping circuit, or may serve a combined refrigerant input connection and refrigerant outlet connection through which refrigerant flows both from the piping circuit into the container and from the container into the piping circuit. If the container has two connections, one connection can serve for the refrigerant outlet connection, via which refrigerant flows from the container into the pipeline circuit, and the other connection can serve for the refrigerant input connection, via which refrigerant flows from the pipeline circuit into the container. Alternatively, both ports can each be combined

Refrigerant input connection and refrigerant outlet connection serve. Refrigerant input connection and refrigerant outlet connection are compared to an external environment refrigerant-dense, refrigerant conductive

Links.

An advantageous embodiment of the method comprises the step of leaving the at least one container in the pipeline circuit during a useful life of the heat pump. This step is done after filling the piping circuit with refrigerant. The term "useful life" is the period of time, usually measured in years, during which a building, a house, an apartment is heated and / or air-conditioned by the heat pump and / or during which the heat pump generates domestic hot water for the users of a building, a house, an apartment. According to this embodiment, disassembly of the container from the refrigerant filled pipe circuit after filling it is unnecessary.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method of remaining in the pipeline circuit container is as a component of

Pipe circuit, in particular as a receiver and / or as a separator and / or as a compressor and / or as a heat exchanger and / or as

Filter drier and / or used as an oil separator and / or as a pipeline. For this purpose, the container remaining in the pipeline circuit is advantageously as a component of the piping circuit, in particular as a receiver and / or as a separator and / or as a compressor and / or as a heat exchanger and / or as Filter drier and / or as an oil separator and / or as a pipeline formed. A "refrigerant receiver", or receiver short, is a sump or reservoir for refrigerant in the piping circuit of heat pumps, which, for example, arranged between the condenser and the expansion element, depending on the operation of the heat pump take fluctuating amounts of refrigerant from the circulation and back into the A "refrigerant separator", or separator for short, is a phase separator arranged, for example, between the evaporator and the compressor, to ensure that gaseous and liquid refrigerants separate and only gaseous refrigerant enters the compressor. A "compressor" is a compressor that conveys and generally increases the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant, a "heat exchanger" in the present case may be an evaporator where the liquid refrigerant is evaporated, and / or a condenser where the

Refrigerant vapor is liquefied. With the use of the container as

Component of the piping circuit is a disassembly of the container from the refrigerant filled pipe circuit after its filling

superfluous and there is a double use of this component, which, among other things, reduces the cost of the heat pump.

A further advantageous embodiment of the method comprises the step of filling the pipeline circuit with inert gas, this step being during the production of the completely or partially mounted

Pipe cycle takes place at a place of manufacture of the heat pump. By "inert gas" is meant a dry, chemically inert gas such as nitrogen or a noble gas

for example, to ensure that piping components remain in good condition during production, storage and transport. The term "place of manufacture" refers to the factory or place of production where the heat pump is to be delivered to a customer, so that the inert gas remains in the piping circuit until the heat pump is put into service Container is mounted, by at least one pipe-side closure element, in particular a valve, be closed. The container according to the invention for use in a method for filling a pipeline circuit of a heat pump with a refrigerant is adapted, during a filling and / or storage and / or transport of the container and / or in connecting the container to the pipeline circuit and / or at to keep a refrigerant at an evacuation of the piping circuit, and to establish at least one refrigerant-conducting connection with the piping circuit when the heat pump is put into operation. "Holding" means contained, kept tightly closed, kept free of leaks, held in a refrigerant seal It has means for mechanical and refrigerant-conducting connection with the piping circuit, which means that it can withstand internal and external fluid pressures and mechanical forces, in particular to the required extent inventive method suitable container created safe to fill and transport, easy to assemble and functionally integrate into a piping circuit.

An advantageous embodiment of the container is adapted to remain during a service life of the heat pump in the piping circuit. For this purpose, the container as a component of the piping circuit, in particular as a receiver and / or as a separator and / or as a compressor and / or as

Heat exchanger and / or as a filter drier and / or as an oil separator and / or as a pipe formed. The container is permanently stable and dense with respect to physical or chemical attack that may occur during its useful life. The container is constructed in such a way and has means that it fulfills the specifications which are applicable to a container as well as to those formed by it

Component are made, in particular with regard to a recording of refrigerant from and / or discharge in the piping circuit and / or a phase separation of refrigerant and / or a promotion and pressure increase and / or heat transfer and / or a refrigerant transfer and / or drying and / or an oil separation. These means include, for example, a suitable material, in particular metal or plastic; a sufficient wall thickness, in particular according to pressure vessel regulation;

suitable connections, in particular threaded connection, pipe flange,

Flare connection or crimp connection; Required components and optionally auxiliary equipment for the function as a receiver and / or separator and / or compressor and / or heat exchanger and / or filter drier and / or oil separator and / or pipeline.

A further advantageous embodiment of the container comprises at least one (container-side) closure element, wherein the closure element is adapted during a filling and / or storage and / or transport of the container and / or in a connection of the container with the piping circuit and / or at an evacuation of the piping circuit to close the container refrigerant tight, as well as at commissioning of the heat pump at least one refrigerant conductive connection between

Release container and piping circuit. For each intended connection of container with piping circuit, there is a closure element on

Container, in particular in or at a container inlet and / or

Container outlet, as well as each container and piping circuit

Connection means. With the closure element is achieved that the container in front

Commissioning the heat pump, the refrigerant stores tightly and safely, and after startup, the refrigerant at least partially in the

Pipeline circulation of the heat pump initiates. This allows the

Components of the piping circuit and the heat pump with

Commissioning work.

According to one embodiment of the container, the closure element is for

Releasing the refrigerant conductive connection between container and

Piping circuit during commissioning is apparently designed. The

Closure element can be repeatedly formed and resealable, such as a butterfly valve, a gate valve, a ball valve. For example, a valve is multiple times apparent and closable and can repeatedly open and close a refrigerant conducting passage between the container and the piping circuit. Optionally, the closure element may also be unique, such as a lid, stopper, stopper, membrane, without the possibility of resealing it after opening. The closure element may be formed so that the sealing

Closure function is irreparably irreversible canceled, or even that

Closure part is formed irreparable destructible, which is removed, pressed, torn, pried or pierced. For this purpose, an opening means serve, which is arranged on the container or on the pipe circuit and acts upon opening corresponding to the closure element. In any case, the opening takes place after the tight connection of container and piping circuit.

The heat pump according to the invention comprises a pipeline circuit comprising refrigerant conductively connected components evaporator,

Compressor, condenser, expansion element, piping, on. The piping circuit is adapted to be filled with refrigerant from a container as described above and / or by a method as described above.

The piping circuit may have connection means for a frictional or refrigerant-conductive connection with a container as described above, and / or connection means for connection to an evacuation device for evacuating the piping circuit, and is adapted to be filled with refrigerant from the container , The connection means for a non-positive or cohesive, alternatively or additionally: form-fitting, as well as refrigerant-conducting connection are adapted to enter into a connection with a container according to the invention. The connection means for a connection with a

Evacuation device are adapted to connect to an evacuation device for evacuating the piping circuit

enter into. These connection means can be connected by means of

Screwing, pressing, soldering, welding serve.

The drawings show in a figure an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1: heat pump with piping circuit

Figure 1 shows schematically a heat pump 1 with a pipe circuit 2, wherein the pipe circuit 2 has at least one container 3, from which the pipe circuit 2 can be filled with refrigerant. The piping circuit 2 comprises an evaporator 4, a separator 5, a compressor 6, a connection 7 for evacuating the piping circuit 2, a condenser 8, a receiver 9, an expansion element (here an expansion valve) 10, and pipelines 11 to the refrigerant-conducting

Connecting the aforementioned components. The heat pump 1 and / or the pipe circuit 2 are substantially free of refrigerant to a

Transport location and there - except for the missing refrigerant

ready for use - set up. This is especially safe and easy to do. The at least one sealed container 3 contains exactly that

Refrigerant amount that the heat pump 1 and / or the piping circuit 2 need to operate. The sealed container 3 may already be mounted in the supplied heat pump 1. Alternatively, the sealed

Containers 3 delivered separately and assembled at the place of use. Only at startup and only at the place of use of the pipe circuit 2 from the at least one refrigerant filled, hitherto sealed container 3 is filled with refrigerant. In principle, each of the following components of the pipeline circuit 2 can be used as a container 3: receiver 9, separator 5,

Compressor 6, evaporator 4, condenser 8, pipes 11, as well as an optional filter dryer or an oil separator. Preferably, exactly one of said components is designed as a container 3. In addition, this has

Component, for example, a necessary internal volume for receiving the required amount of refrigerant, as well as the necessary closure elements 33, 34, so that the refrigerant is held securely until commissioning in the component. In the present case, the receiver 9 is shown as a container 3 providing refrigerant. For the mechanical connection of the pipe circuit 2 and the container 3, the container 3 comprises a first at the container inlet

Connecting device 31 and at the container outlet a second

Connection device 32, and the pipe circuit comprises a third connection device 21 (complementary to the first connection device 31 of the container 3) and a fourth connection device 22 (complementary to the second connection device 32 of the container 3). Furthermore, the container 3 comprises a first closure element 33 at the container inlet and a second closure element 34 at the container outlet, and the pipeline circuit 2 comprises a third closure element 23 and a fourth closure element 24. Thus, in the closed state of the closure elements 33, 34 on the container side, a leak against the outlet given by refrigerant, further is in the closed state of the closure elements 23, 24 on the pipe side a seal against leakage of inert gas and against the entry of ambient air given. In the open state of the closure elements 23, 24, 33, 34 is a refrigerant conductive connection between the container 3 and

Pipe circuit 2 given, the pipe circuit 2 can be filled with refrigerant from the container 3. After commissioning works the

Heat pump 1 like a conventional heat pump. The container 3 can remain in the pipeline circuit 2 and fulfill the function of the component, in the present case receiver 9, as which it is formed in addition to its container function.

Claims

claims 1. A method for filling a piping circuit (2) of a heat pump (1) with a refrigerant,  comprising the steps  • Installing the heat pump (1) at a place of use, with the  Piping circuit (2) is substantially free of refrigerant,  • Fill the piping circuit (2) with refrigerant from at least one refrigerant filled container (3). 2. The method according to claim 1,  comprising the step  Mechanically connecting the at least one container (3) to the pipeline circuit (2), the connection being a connection to at least one refrigerant-filled, sealed container (3), and wherein this step takes place prior to filling the pipeline circuit (2) with refrigerant , 3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,  comprising the step  • evacuating the piping circuit (2), this step occurring before filling the piping circuit (2) with refrigerant and does not extend to the refrigerant filled, sealed container (3). 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,  wherein the filling of the pipeline circuit (2) with refrigerant from the container (3) a • Refrigerant-conducting connection of the at least one container (3) to the pipeline circuit (2) by opening the container (3), in particular opening at least one closure comprises. Method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the step  • Leaving the at least one container (3) in the pipeline circuit (2) during a period of use of the heat pump (1), wherein this step takes place after filling the pipe circuit (2) with refrigerant. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the in the pipeline circuit (2) remaining container (3) as Component of the pipeline circuit (2), in particular as a receiver (9) and / or as a separator (5) and / or as a compressor (6) and / or as a heat exchanger (4, 8) and / or as a filter drier and / or as an oil separator and / or as a pipeline (11) is used. A container (3) for use in a method of filling a piping circuit (2) of a heat pump (1) with a refrigerant according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the container (3) is adapted to  • during a filling and / or storage and / or transport of the container (3) and / or when connecting the container (3) with the pipe circuit (2) and / or at an evacuation of the pipe circuit (2) to hold a refrigerant .  • when commissioning the heat pump (1) at least one  Refrigerant conductive connection with the piping circuit (2) to enter. Container (3) according to claim 7, wherein the container (3) as a component of the pipeline circuit (2), in particular as a receiver (9) and / or as a separator (5) and / or as a compressor (6) and / or as a heat exchanger (4, 8) and / or as Filter drier and / or as an oil separator and / or as a pipe (11) is formed, and is adapted to remain during a service life of the heat pump (1) in the piping circuit (2). 9. Container (3) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one closure element (33, 34), wherein the  Closure element (33, 34) is arranged to  During a filling and / or storage and / or transport of the container and / or in a mechanical connection of the  Container (3) with the piping circuit (2) and / or when evacuating the piping circuit (2) the container (3)  close refrigerant seal,  • when commissioning the heat pump (1) at least one  Refrigerant conductive connection between container (3) and  Pipe circuit (2) release. 10. Container (3) according to one of the preceding claims,  characterized in that the closure element (33, 34) for  Releasing the refrigerant-conducting connection between the container (3) and piping circuit (2) during commissioning apparently, in particular several times apparently, is formed. 11. heat pump (1) with a pipeline circuit (2) comprising refrigerant conductively connected components compressor (6), heat exchangers (4, 8), expansion element (10), pipes (11),  wherein the pipeline circuit (2) is adapted to be filled with refrigerant from a container (3) according to one of the preceding claims and / or according to a method according to one of the preceding claims. 12. Heat pump (1) according to claim 11,  wherein the pipeline circuit (2) is adapted to the container (3) as a component of the pipeline circuit (2), in particular as a receiver (9) and / or as a separator (5) and / or as a compressor (6) and / or as Heat exchanger (4, 8) and / or as a filter drier and / or as an oil separator and / or as a pipe (11) to use. 13. Heat pump (1) according to one of the preceding claims,  wherein the pipeline circuit (2) has at least one valve (23, 24) for opening and / or closing at least one refrigerant-conducting connection with the container (3). 14. Heat pump according to one of the preceding claims,  comprising at least one means for opening, in particular destruction, of the at least one closure element (33, 34) of the container (3).