KR-20260067753-A - HEAT PUMP SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING FIRE IN OUTDOOR UNIT ROOM USING THE SAME

Abstract

The present invention discloses an outdoor unit system comprising: a condenser that discharges waste heat recovered by a cooling device; a thermal storage tank that utilizes the waste heat discharged from the condenser; and a spray unit that sprays water inside the thermal storage tank around the condenser. According to the present invention, by recovering and utilizing waste heat generated in the condenser, energy consumption can be reduced, power consumption can be lowered, the heat pump performance coefficient can be improved, and fire accidents in the outdoor unit room can be prevented.

Inventors

• 박상윤
• 조종영
• 이형원
• 신동환

Assignees

• 한국전력공사

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20241106

Claims (17)

1. A condenser that discharges waste heat recovered by a cooling device; A thermal storage tank utilizing waste heat discharged from the above condenser; and An outdoor unit system comprising: a spray unit that sprays water inside the thermal storage tank around the condenser.
2. In paragraph 1, An outdoor unit system comprising: a water pipe for heat exchange that recovers waste heat to heat water, wherein the above condenser is included.
3. In paragraph 2, The above thermal storage tank is an outdoor unit system that supplies water heated in the above heat exchange water pipe to a hot water supply device or a heating device.
4. In paragraph 1, The above sprinkler unit is, A temperature sensor that detects the temperature around the condenser; A signal line that transmits a temperature signal indicating the temperature detected by the above temperature sensor; A valve that receives or blocks water from the thermal storage tank according to the temperature signal transmitted from the signal line; and An outdoor unit system comprising: a nozzle that sprays water supplied from the above valve around the condenser.
5. In paragraph 4, An outdoor unit system in which the water in the above-mentioned sprinkler unit is supplied by the pressure difference caused by atmospheric pressure of the water inside the above-mentioned thermal storage tank.
6. In paragraph 4, An outdoor unit system in which the above-mentioned spray unit lowers the temperature around the condenser by utilizing the latent heat of evaporation of the sprayed water.
7. An evaporator that vaporizes low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant into low-temperature, low-pressure gas; A compressor that compresses the low-temperature, low-pressure gas vaporized in the above-mentioned evaporator and changes it into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas; A condenser that liquefies the high-temperature, high-pressure gas compressed in the above compressor into a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid; An expansion valve that changes the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid liquefied in the condenser into a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid and delivers it to the evaporator; A thermal storage tank utilizing waste heat discharged from the above condenser; and A heat pump system comprising: a spray unit that sprays water inside the thermal storage tank around the condenser.
8. In Paragraph 7, The heat pump system further comprises a circulation pump that circulates water for heat exchange between the thermal storage tank and the condenser.
9. In Paragraph 7, The above heat pump system comprises: a heat exchange refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant flows and releases heat within the condenser; and A heat pump system comprising: a water pipe for heat exchange that recovers the released heat to heat water.
10. In Paragraph 9, A heat pump system in which the above thermal storage tank recovers waste heat from the condenser to lower the temperature around the condenser and supplies water heated in the heat exchange water pipe to a hot water supply device or a heating device.
11. In Paragraph 7, The above sprinkler unit is, A temperature sensor that detects the temperature around the condenser; A signal line that transmits a temperature signal indicating the temperature detected by the above temperature sensor; A valve that receives or blocks water from the thermal storage tank according to the temperature signal transmitted from the signal line; and A heat pump system comprising: a nozzle that sprays water supplied from the above valve around the condenser.
12. In Paragraph 11, A heat pump system in which the water in the sprinkler section is supplied by the pressure difference caused by atmospheric pressure of the water inside the thermal storage tank.
13. In Paragraph 11, A heat pump system in which the above-mentioned spray unit lowers the temperature around the condenser by utilizing the latent heat of evaporation of the sprayed water.
14. A heat pump system according to any one of paragraphs 7 through 13; and A combined power generation system including solar power generation panels.
15. In Paragraph 14, The above combined power generation system is a combined power generation system that operates a condenser using electricity produced from the above photovoltaic power generation panel.
16. A method for preventing fire in an outdoor unit room using a heat pump system according to any one of paragraphs 7 to 13, wherein the method comprises: A step of opening a valve to supply water from the thermal storage tank to the sprinkler unit when the temperature inside the outdoor unit room exceeds the set temperature; A step of lowering the internal temperature of the outdoor unit room by spraying water from the above-mentioned sprinkler unit; and A method for preventing fire in an outdoor unit room, comprising the step of shutting off a valve when the internal temperature of the outdoor unit room is below a set temperature.
17. In Paragraph 16, The above method is a method for preventing fire in an outdoor unit room, further comprising the step of the thermal storage tank recovering waste heat from the condenser to lower the internal temperature of the outdoor unit room.

Description

Heat Pump System and Method for Preventing Fire in Outdoor Unit Room Using the Same The present invention relates to a heat pump system and a method for preventing fires in an outdoor unit room using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a heat pump system and a method for preventing fires in an outdoor unit room using the same, which can reduce energy consumption and power consumption by recovering and utilizing waste heat generated in a condenser, improve the heat pump performance coefficient, and prevent fire accidents in an outdoor unit room. To improve urban aesthetics and prevent the risk of outdoor units falling, it is mandatory for multi-unit dwellings to install outdoor units in a separate designated space. However, due to the lack of detailed regulations regarding ventilation windows in these outdoor unit rooms, fires in these rooms continue to occur during the summer. In this case, if the outdoor unit is installed in a sealed space, inadequate ventilation leads to overheating within the unit, which reduces the cooling efficiency of the heat pump and increases the risk of failure or fire. In particular, during cooling operation, high-temperature condensation heat is generated in the outdoor unit; combined with the summer outside temperature, this further raises the temperature of the outdoor unit room, potentially causing a fire. Additionally, there is a risk that a fire originating in one unit of an apartment building could spread to other units, causing secondary damage. In addition, if the condensation heat of the outdoor unit is not released to the outside during cooling operation, the coefficient of performance of the heat pump decreases, leading to increased power consumption (increased use of electrical energy), and compressor failure may occur due to overheating, resulting in a decrease in cooling efficiency. The following equation (1) represents the coefficient of performance (COP R ), which is one of the indicators representing the efficiency of the heat pump: Equation (1): COP R = Q L /W= Q L /(Q H -Q L ) = T L /(T H -T L ) (In the above formula (1), Q L is (It is the heat absorbed from the low heat source, Q H is the heat released to the high heat source, and W is the work of the compressor). More specifically, if the outdoor unit room is a sealed space, high-temperature condensation heat is not discharged to the outside, so if the outdoor unit temperature rises, the refrigerant temperature rises during the condensation process (increase in the refrigerant temperature T H in the above equation (1)), the refrigerant temperature going to the evaporation process rises, and if the temperature of the refrigerant vaporized in the compressor is high, a lot of energy is required to liquefy the refrigerant, so the COP decreases and power consumption (W) increases. The operation methods of louver windows, which serve as ventilation openings in domestic multi-unit housing, are classified into automatic and manual types. The automatic system is effective in preventing fire accidents in outdoor unit rooms by efficiently discharging condensation heat from the outdoor unit through automatic control. On the other hand, the manual system presents the inconvenience of requiring users to manually open the louver windows in the cramped outdoor unit room. Furthermore, if cooling operation continues without opening the windows, condensation heat is not discharged, creating a high-temperature environment inside the outdoor unit room that can lead to a fire. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a heat pump system capable of improving the heat pump performance coefficient and preventing fire accidents in outdoor unit rooms, as well as a method for preventing fires in outdoor unit rooms using the same. Related prior art is Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0009526. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a heat pump system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a condenser system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a cooling operation cycle of a heat pump system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 shows a pH curve for a refrigerant in a heat pump system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 shows the pH curve for the refrigerant of an improved heat pump system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a combined power generation system including a heat pump system and a photovoltaic power generation panel according to one embodiment of the present invention. The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the following drawings are provided merely to aid in understanding the present invention, and the present invention is not limited by the drawings. Furthermore, the shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the drawings are exemplary, and