Refrigerant cycle device

Abstract

A refrigerant cycle device includes a compressor, a using-side heat exchanger which heats a heat-exchange fluid by performing heat exchange between the heat-exchange fluid and high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the compressor, an intermediate pressure passage through which intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant obtained by decompression of the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the using-side heat exchanger is introduced into a intermediate pressure port of the compressor, an exterior heat exchanger which evaporates low-pressure refrigerant obtained by decompression of the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the using-side heat exchanger and causes the evaporated refrigerant to flow toward a suction port of the compressor, and an auxiliary heater which heats the heat-exchange fluid before or at the same time as that the using-side heat exchanger heats the heat-exchange fluid.

1 . A refrigerant cycle device comprising:
 a compressor having a suction port through which low-pressure refrigerant is drawn, a discharge port through which high-pressure refrigerant compressed in a compression portion is discharged, and an intermediate pressure port through which intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant is drawn to be combined with refrigerant being compressed in the compression portion;   a using-side heat exchanger which heats a heat-exchange fluid by performing heat exchange between the heat-exchange fluid and the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor;   an intermediate pressure passage through which intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant obtained by decompression of the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the using-side heat exchanger is introduced into the intermediate pressure port;   an exterior heat exchanger in which low-pressure refrigerant obtained by decompression of the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the using-side heat exchanger evaporates, the exterior heat exchanger causing the evaporated low-pressure refrigerant to flow to the suction port; and   an auxiliary heater which heats the heat-exchange fluid before or at the same time as that the using-side heat exchanger heats the heat-exchange fluid.   
     
     
         2 . A refrigerant cycle device comprising:
 a compressor having a suction port through which low-pressure refrigerant is drawn, a discharge port through which high-pressure refrigerant compressed in a compression portion is discharged, and an intermediate pressure port through which intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant is drawn to be combined with refrigerant being compressed in the compression portion;   a using-side heat exchanger which heats a heat-exchange fluid by performing heat exchange between the heat-exchange fluid and the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor;   a higher-pressure side expansion device configured to decompress the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the using-side heat exchanger into intermediate-pressure refrigerant;   a gas-liquid separation portion configured to separate the intermediate-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the higher-pressure side expansion device into intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant and intermediate-pressure liquid refrigerant, the gas-liquid separation portion causing the separated intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant to flow to the intermediate pressure port;   a lower-pressure side expansion device configured to decompress the separated intermediate-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the gas-liquid separation portion into low-pressure refrigerant;   an exterior heat exchanger in which the low-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the lower-pressure side expansion device evaporates, the exterior heat exchanger causing the evaporated low-pressure refrigerant to flow to the suction port; and   an auxiliary heater which heats the heat-exchange fluid before or at the same time as that the using-side heat exchanger heats the heat-exchange fluid.   
     
     
         3 . A refrigerant cycle device comprising:
 a compressor having a suction port through which low-pressure refrigerant is drawn, a discharge port through which high-pressure refrigerant compressed in a compression portion is discharged, and an intermediate pressure port through which intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant is drawn to be combined with refrigerant being compressed in the compression portion;   a using-side heat exchanger which heats a heat-exchange fluid by performing heat exchange between the heat-exchange fluid and the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor;   a refrigerant branch portion at which a refrigerant passage of the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the using-side heat exchanger branches into a first refrigerant passage and a second refrigerant passage,   a first expansion device provided in the first refrigerant passage to decompress the high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the using-side heat exchanger into intermediate-pressure refrigerant;   an inner heat exchanger in which the high-pressure refrigerant flowing from the using-side heat exchanger through the second refrigerant passage exchanges heat with the intermediate-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the first expansion device, the inner heat exchanger causing the heat-exchanged intermediate-pressure refrigerant to flow to the intermediate pressure port;   a second expansion device configured to decompress the heat-exchanged high-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the inner heat exchanger into low-pressure refrigerant;   an exterior heat exchanger in which the low-pressure refrigerant flowing out of the second expansion device evaporates, the exterior heat exchanger causing the evaporated low-pressure refrigerant to flow to the suction port;   an auxiliary heater which heats the heat-exchange fluid before or at the same time as that the using-side heat exchanger heats the heat-exchange fluid.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is arranged upstream of the using-side heat exchanger in a flow direction of the heat-exchange fluid to heat the heat-exchange fluid before the heat-exchange fluid being heated by the using-side heat exchanger.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater and the using-side heat exchanger are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the heat-exchange fluid, and are integrated with each other to heat the heat-exchange fluid at the same time.   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater has a heating capacity lower than a standard heating capacity, which is defined as a necessary heating capacity of the auxiliary heater for heating the heat-exchange fluid to a target temperature in a case where (i) the auxiliary heater is arranged to heat the heat-exchange fluid which has been heated in the using-side heat exchanger, and (ii) the heating capacity of the auxiliary heater and a heating capacity of the using-side heat exchanger are used for heating the heat-exchange fluid.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a heating capacity adjusting portion configured to adjust a capacity of the auxiliary heater for heating the heat-exchange fluid so that a pressure of refrigerant in the using-side heat exchanger becomes a target pressure.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is an electric heater which generates heat by receiving supply of electric power.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is an auxiliary heat exchanger configured to heat the heat-exchange fluid by utilizing heat of heat medium that cools an external heat source.   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is an electric heater which generates heat by receiving supply of electric power, and   the heating capacity adjusting portion adjusts the heating capacity of the electric heater by adjusting a supply of the electric power to the electric heater.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is an auxiliary heat exchanger configured to heat the heat-exchange fluid by using heat medium, which cools an external heat source, as a heat source, and   the heating capacity adjusting portion adjusts the heating capacity of the auxiliary heat exchanger by adjusting a flow amount of the heat medium flowing into the auxiliary heat exchanger.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is a plurality of electric heaters configured to generate heat by energization thereof, and   the heating capacity adjusting portion adjusts the heating capacity of the plurality of electric heaters by changing number of electric heaters energized.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 7  wherein
 the heating capacity adjusting portion activates the auxiliary heater when the capacity of the using-side heat exchanger for heating the heat-exchange fluid is incapable of being increased by a heating capacity control of the using-side heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         14 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the heating capacity adjusting portion decreases the capacity of the auxiliary heater for heating the heat-exchange fluid when the pressure of refrigerant in the using-side heat exchanger is higher than the target pressure, and   the heating capacity adjusting portion increases the capacity of the auxiliary heater for heating the heat-exchange fluid when the pressure of refrigerant in the using-side heat exchanger is equal to or lower than the target pressure.   
     
     
         15 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is arranged upstream of the using-side heat exchanger in a flow direction of the heat-exchange fluid to heat the heat-exchange fluid before the using-side heat exchanger heats the heat-exchange fluid.   
     
     
         16 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater and the using-side heat exchanger are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction of the heat-exchange fluid, and are integrated with each other to heat the heat-exchange fluid at the same time.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater has a heating capacity lower than a standard heating capacity, which is defined as a necessary heating capacity of the auxiliary heater for heating the heat-exchange fluid to a target temperature in a case where (i) the auxiliary heater is arranged to heat the heat-exchange fluid which has been heated in the using-side heat exchanger, and (ii) the heating capacity of the auxiliary heater and a heating capacity of the using-side heat exchanger are used for heating the heat-exchange fluid.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a heating capacity adjusting portion configured to adjust a capacity of the auxiliary heater for heating the heat-exchange fluid so that a pressure of refrigerant in the using-side heat exchanger becomes a target pressure.   
     
     
         19 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is an electric heater which generates heat by receiving supply of electric power.   
     
     
         20 . The refrigerant cycle device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the auxiliary heater is an auxiliary heat exchanger configured to heat the heat-exchange fluid by utilizing heat of heat medium that cools an external heat source.