Outdoor unit and air-conditioning apparatus including the same

Abstract

An outdoor unit includes a housing with an air outlet provided at a top center; three outdoor heat exchangers; and an outdoor fan. The three outdoor heat exchangers each include a flat-tube group including a plurality of flat tubes extending in a top-bottom direction and arranged side by side at flat faces of the flat tubes. The housing has four lateral faces, three of the four lateral faces serving as permeable faces. The three outdoor heat exchangers extend along the respective permeable faces. In a cooling operation, the first outdoor heat exchanger and the third outdoor heat exchanger are located on an upstream side in a flow of the refrigerant, and the second outdoor heat exchanger is located on a downstream side in the flow of the refrigerant.

1 . An outdoor unit comprising:
 a housing having a rectangular plan-view shape with an air outlet provided at a top center;   three outdoor heat exchangers provided inside the housing; and   an outdoor fan provided above the three outdoor heat exchangers and configured to blow air upward through the air outlet,   wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers each include   a flat-tube group including a plurality of flat tubes through insides of which refrigerant is to flow, the flat tubes extending in a top-bottom direction and arranged side by side at flat faces of the flat tubes in such a manner as to be parallel to one another,   wherein the housing has four lateral faces, three of the four lateral faces serving as permeable faces through which air is permeable, a remaining one of the four lateral faces serving as a sealed face through which air is nonpermeable,   wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers extend along the respective permeable faces, and   wherein with reference to the sealed face, letting the three outdoor heat exchangers arranged in a direction of rotation of the outdoor fan be denoted in order as a first outdoor heat exchanger; a second outdoor heat exchanger; and a third outdoor heat exchanger, the three outdoor heat exchangers are connected to one another such that, in a cooling operation, the first outdoor heat exchanger and the third outdoor heat exchanger are located on an upstream side in a flow of the refrigerant, and the second outdoor heat exchanger is located on a downstream side in the flow of the refrigerant.   
     
     
         2 . The outdoor unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers each include   flat-tube groups each being the flat-tube group, the flat-tube groups forming two respective rows that are side by side in an airflow direction;   two distribution headers that are located at a same position in a heightwise direction and extending in a same direction, each receive one end of a corresponding one of the flat-tube groups; and   a row-connecting header that receive other ends of the two flat-tube groups, and   wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat-tube groups has a refrigerant inlet provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow.   
     
     
         3 . The outdoor unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the three outdoor heat exchangers each include   flat-tube groups each being the flat-tube group, the flat-tube groups forming two respective rows that are side by side in an airflow direction; and   four distribution headers that receive both ends of the flat-tube groups,   wherein one of the distribution headers that receives one end of a leeward one of the flat-tube groups has a refrigerant inlet provided such that a gas refrigerant in the cooling operation acts as a counterflow to an airflow, and   wherein another one of the distribution headers that receives an other end of the leeward flat-tube group and yet another one of the distribution headers that is located at a same position in a heightwise direction and extending in a same direction as the another distribution header and that receives one end of a windward one of the flat-tube groups are connected to each other by an inter-row connection pipe.   
     
     
         4 . The outdoor unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein an airflow resistance of the third outdoor heat exchanger is smaller than an airflow resistance of the first outdoor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         5 . The outdoor unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a flow resistance between the second outdoor heat exchanger and the third outdoor heat exchanger is greater than a flow resistance between the second outdoor heat exchanger and the first outdoor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         6 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 the outdoor unit of  claim 1 , and   an indoor unit.