EP3071901A1

EP3071901A1 - Device for use with a refrigerant fluid for increasing thermodynamic performance

Info

Publication number: EP3071901A1
Application number: EP14824055.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frédéric BARBAN; Bruno DEBOUX; Pascal KALINOWSKI; Joëlle RIZK; Jimmy MORO-PEREZ; Gilles Castelain
Original assignee: Dynaes SAS
Current assignee: Dynaes SAS
Priority date: 2013-11-22
Filing date: 2014-11-21
Publication date: 2016-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 2034-11-21
Also published as: JP6364089B2; FR3013811B1; FR3013811A1; RU2016124582A; WO2015075390A1; AU2014351645B2; EP3071901B1; BR112016011696B1; PL3071901T3; AU2014351645A1; ES2799441T3; JP2016539312A; SI3071901T1; CN106104175B; BR112016011696A2; KR102246122B1; RU2677316C1; KR20160088402A; CN106104175A; US20160290686A1

Abstract

A heat pump comprising a closed circuit intended to contain a refrigerant fluid and a lubricant miscible with the refrigerant fluid, the closed circuit comprising a fluid compressor (1) and a fluid return circuit for returning fluid to the compressor, the compressor extending in the closed circuit between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the return circuit extending in the closed circuit, in addition to the compressor, between the fluid outlet and the fluid inlet, the return circuit comprising a condenser (2), an expander (3) and an evaporator (4), said return circuit comprising a first pipe extending between the fluid outlet and the condenser, a second pipe extending between the condenser and the expander, a third pipe extending between the expander and the evaporator, and a fourth pipe extending between the evaporator and the fluid inlet, said closed circuit comprising a first bulge (5) in a pipe of the return circuit, in series in the circuit, containing tubes (50) in parallel in the circuit, and a second bulge (6) in a pipe of the return circuit, in series in the circuit.

Description

Device usable with a refrigerant for increasing the thermodynamic efficiency

The invention relates to a heat pump, and in particular to improving the thermodynamic efficiency of a heat pump.

The prior art knows from international application WO20009004124, a prior device for producing heat, in a thermodynamic system, by circulating a fluid under pressure through a plurality of pipes in a bulge of a pipe of a pump. heat in which the fluid is in gaseous form, between an exchanger and a compressor.

Since this prior device produces heat, it remains difficult for the prior art to adapt it to the production of a heat pump that can be used in a winter boiler in a house or a reversible heat pump that can be used in a boiler. winter and in air conditioner summer. Such a pump performing heat transfer rather than heat production.

The documents WO2013164439, US6189322 and FR2860001 describe other devices of the prior art.

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art.

The present invention therefore relates to a heat pump comprising a closed circuit for containing a refrigerant and a lubricant miscible with the refrigerant, the closed circuit comprising a fluid compressor and a fluid return circuit to the compressor, the compressor extending in the closed circuit between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the return circuit extending in the closed circuit, complementarily to the compressor, between the fluid outlet and the fluid inlet, the return circuit comprising a condenser, an expander and an evaporator, said return circuit comprising a first conduit extending between the fluid outlet and the condenser, a second conduit extending between the condenser and the expander, a third conduit extending between the regulator and the evaporator, and a fourth pipe extending between the evaporator and the fluid inlet, said closed circuit having a first bulge of a return circuit line, in series in the circuit, containing tubings in parallel in the circuit, and a second bulge of a return circuit line, in series in the circuit.

In variants:

the return circuit comprises a first set of ducts, consisting of the first duct and the fourth duct, comprising said first bulge, and a second set of ducts, consisting of the second duct and the third duct, comprising said second bulge; ;

the first bulge is disposed on the first pipe;

the second bulge is disposed on the second pipe;

the refrigerant is a fluid of the family of freons;

the fluid of the family of freons is a mixture comprising a freon R32, a freon R125 and a freon R134a;

the mixture is a Freon R407C;

the mixture is a R407A freon;

the lubricant is a synthetic oil;

the synthetic oil is a polyolester oil;

the polyolester oil is an oil of class ISO VG 32;

the polyolester oil of class ISO VG 32 is of trade name Emkarate ^® RL32-3 MAF;

the first bulge is arranged vertically;

- The first bulge is arranged vertically and rising fluid. The invention also relates to a use of a heat pump above, comprising the following steps:

- introduce the lubricant into the closed circuit;

- fill the closed circuit with the refrigerant;

- circulating the refrigerant in the closed circuit, by means of the compressor, for heating or cooling an enclosure with energy saving.

In a variant, said refrigerant is mounted in the first bulge.

These and other features of the present invention will appear more clearly in the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawing, given in a non-limiting manner, and in which FIG. 1 schematically represents a heat pump according to an advantageous embodiment of FIG. the present invention.

For purposes of the present invention, the following denominations are used:

'Heat pump' means a thermodynamic device for transferring heat from a source cooled by the heat pump by extracting heat from that source (or cold source), in contact with an evaporator of the pump, to a source heated by the pump by evacuation of heat towards this source (or hot source) in contact with a condenser of the pump. A pump also comprises a compressor powered by an external energy source making it possible to transfer heat from the cold source to the hot source, in accordance with the second principle of thermodynamics and comprises an expansion valve for reducing the pressure imposed on the fluid, by the compressor. The condenser and the evaporator, which are the heat exchangers of the pump, are connected by two refrigerant transport branches or pipes, forming a closed circuit comprising, in series in the circuit, in one of the branches the compressor and, in series in the circuit, in the other branch, the regulator. The closed fluidic circuit contains, in a sealed manner, refrigerant fluid, flowing in the circuit by the compressor and circulating in particular from the evaporator to the condenser, through the compressor, and flowing from the condenser to the evaporator, through the regulator. The pump is adapted to take heat from the cold source, by evaporation of this fluid in the evaporator, to transport the heat to the hot source of the evaporator at condenser through the compressor, and yield this heat to the hot source, by condensing the fluid in the condenser.

"Reversible heat pump": a heat pump operating between a cold source and a hot source in which an additional known system of fluidic valves makes it possible to switch from a heating mode of the hot source, in contact with a first exchanger, by a cold source, in contact with a second exchanger, a cooling mode of the hot source, by inversion of the direction of circulation of the fluid in the circuit, or by reversal of the order of the exchangers in the circuit for the same direction fluid circulation. A reversible heat pump requires heat transport and not a creation

"COP": a coefficient of performance Q / W characterizing the thermodynamic efficiency of a pump by an energy ratio between the energy Q, in thermal form transferred by the pump from the cold source to the hot source and the energy W, in the form of work, usually electrical, necessary for the operation of the pump. A high figure characterizes an efficient pump. This figure may be greater than one without contradicting the second principle of thermodynamics.

"Freon": usual trade name for chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs classified by various organizations such as "ASHRAE" (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc.) according to a numbered list in which Freon is listed by a number "abc", where a = (number of C) - 1, b = (number of H) + 1 and c = number of F. If a is equal to 0, it is omitted from the formula. The freons will be referenced in the request either by their chemical formula or by the name "Freon" followed by an abc number of the classification, by F followed by an abc number, or by R followed by abc.

This will particularly be considered in the application:

Freon 32 or R32 or F32 which is difluoromethane;

Freon 125 or R125 or F125 which is pentafluoroethane;

Freon 134a or F134a or R134a which is 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane; Freon R407C which is a mixture of typically 23% R32, 25% R125 and 52% R134a (percentages by weight), R407A (20%, 40%, 40%) and R407F (30%, 30%). , 40%). All the mixtures of R32, R125 and R134 are designated by "family of R407 freons", subfamily of the family consisting of all the freon among all the refrigerants or refrigerants. R407A is notably less rich in R134a than R407C.

'Synthetic oils' or 'POE oils' means synthetic polyolester oils used for the lubrication of the compressor of a heat pump, in particular for heating or cooling homes, using R32, R125 and R134a in the composition of the refrigerant used by this pump. These oils are perfectly miscible, at the evaporator and condensing temperatures of the pump with R32, R125 and R134a, to allow a return of oil mixed with these freon in liquid phase, from the condenser to the evaporator of the pump. Freons R32, R125 and R134a in the gas phase, are also soluble in these oils, so as to ensure a return in vapor phase of the freon of the evaporator to the compressor of the pump and to favor at best the transport of the oil , in particular in the form of an oil mist loaded with freon between the compressor and the heat exchangers of the pump, that is to say the assembly consisting of two elements that are the evaporator and the pump condenser.

"Vertically disposed": in a heat pump in normal operation, designates for a bulge of a pipe or tubing of a pipe, an orientation defining a flow direction parallel or antiparallel to the gravitational field. This notion also designates a pipe or a pipe, in which the laws of the two-phase flows in vertical tubes, apply preferentially to the laws of the two-phase horizontal flows, because of its orientation. In a more general way, this notion also designates a pipe or pipe having a slope for a flow and which is therefore not horizontal. The concept is therefore not limited, in the sense of the invention, a strict parallelism to the gravity field of a pipe or a bulge of a pipe.

The closed circuit comprises the fluid compressor 1 and a fluid return circuit to the compressor. The compressor extends in the closed circuit between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the return circuit extending in the closed circuit, complementarily to the compressor, between the fluid outlet and the fluid inlet. The return circuit comprises condenser 2, expander 3 and evaporator 4. Said return circuit thus comprises a first duct extending between the fluid outlet and the condenser, a second duct extending between the condenser and the condenser. pressure reducer, a third conduit extending between the expander and the evaporator, and a fourth conduit extending between the evaporator and the fluid inlet.

According to the invention, said closed circuit comprises a first bulge 5 of a return circuit line, in series in the circuit, containing pipes 50 in parallel in the circuit, and a second bulge 6 of a pipe of the circuit of back, in series in the circuit.

The invention is described below by way of example with reference to Figure 1, which shows a heat pump provided with two pipe bulges: a first pipe bulge 5, with pipes 50, disposed between a fluid outlet compressor 1 of the pump and a condenser 2 of the pump and a second bulge 6 without tubing disposed between the condenser 2 and the expander 3 of the pump. The pump also has an evaporator 4.

For example, you can use a heat pump for AIRWELL ^® brand heating with a nominal power of 12kW.

The invention can also be carried out with a reference AIRMEC ^® model ANF 50 heat pump of power 15kW or AN F 100 of power equal to 35kW. The invention is therefore not limited to a particular manufacturer or model. The pump can utilize a fourteen millimeter (14mm) ID copper pipe assembly forming a gas and liquid tight closed circuit with the closed circuit bathed in the atmosphere.

In this circuit is inserted a reference compressor ZB38KCE 1 having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. By traversing the closed circuit outside the compressor, from the fluid outlet or discharge of the compressor to the fluid inlet of the compressor or suction, there is encountered in series in the closed circuit a first bulge 5 with pipes 50, a condenser 2, a second bulge 6 without tubings, an expander 3 and an evaporator 4.

The first tubular bulge is constituted, on a first pipe of 14mm, by a local increase in the internal diameter of the pipe or first bulge. This first bulge 5 contains internal tubes 50, for example seven tubes of internal diameter 5 mm for an outside diameter of 8.5 mm, surrounded by the first bulge of the pipe. The inner diameter of the bulge is adapted to grip the tubes and the thickness of the bulge is adapted to withstand the maximum pressure specified for the fluid in that portion of the pump.

The inner diameter of the bulge is for 7 tubes arranged compactly, equal to 3 times the outer diameter of a tube is about 25.5mm.

For a larger number of tubes, this inner diameter of the bulge can be deduced as being the outer diameter of the tubes, tightly compacted.

We will choose a sum of the internal sections of the tubes of 5mm equal to the inner section of the pipe of 14mm for a pump of

15kW and equal to twice the inner section for a 35kW pump.

In the case where a pipe of greater internal section would be provided with a bulge, one will choose the same ratio between the diameter of the pipes and the diameter of the pipe as that of this first embodiment, here a ratio equal to 14mm / 5mm or 2.8. The length of the tubes of the first bulge will be taken equal to approximately 22 cm for a pump of origin AERMEC ^® and 13 cm for a pump of origin AIRWELL ^®

The condenser, known element, is encountered in the circuit following the first bulge.

The second bulge is designed to operate in the liquid phase for the refrigerant and the oil, it is for example identical to the first bulge but may or may not include tubing, they have not been recognized as essential to obtain the effect of the invention with the second bulge present in the circuit in addition to the first bulge. The second bulge is followed downstream of the expander. The expander is a known element, operating in the mainly liquid phase, at its inlet, and designed to produce a two-phase mixture of gas and liquid in the normal operation of the heat pump of the invention.

The expander is followed downstream of the evaporator, known element.

In use in heating mode, the pump is brought into contact at the evaporator with the atmosphere surrounding an enclosure to be heated and at the condenser with a heating circuit of the enclosure.

In use in cooling mode, the pump is brought into contact with the evaporator with an enclosure to be cooled and at the condenser with the atmosphere surrounding the enclosure.

Known fluidic valves can be used to switch on a user action from a heating mode to a cooling mode, if the pump according to the invention is to be reversible.

Freon chosen for all pumps is R407C or R407A Freon and the oil is EM KARATE ^® RL32-3 MAF oil, miscible with Freon selected at all operating temperatures.

In general, for the implementation of the invention, use a refrigerant or refrigerant and an oil that are miscible with each other. The refrigerant family constituted by R407 denomination freons and oils miscible with the freons of this family constitute in particular a set of fluids that can be used with the invention.

Independently of the explanation of the physical phenomenon at the origin of the invention applied to a commercial pump modified by the first tubular bulge and the second bulge and operating with a mixture of oil EMKARATE ^® RL32-3 MAF and a mixture of R32, R125 and R134a, certain indications below observed by the applicant in many experiments can be used by those skilled in the art to reproduce, adapt or extend the invention to other mixtures of refrigerants and oil and design through its teaching a heat pump with improved thermodynamic efficiency.

The general principle of the invention is estimated at the date of the patent to be the capacity to transport the oil of a heat pump, in the form of an emulsion of oil drops, conducive to increasing the heat exchange in the condenser and in the evaporator of the pump. The means of the invention which are the first and the second bulge thus tend to regenerate or maintain this emulsion in its form conducive to improve the operation of heat exchangers (condenser and evaporator) of the pump.

The presence of drops, taken as a synonym for bubbles (containing gas) in a gaseous transport medium or drops taken as synonymous with "anti-bubbles" (oil bubbles containing gas) in a liquid transport medium, is considered as providing nucleation sites for the condensation of the transport medium or the evaporation of this medium, favoring heat exchange, during its phase changes in the pump exchangers.

This emulsion is estimated, in the gaseous phase, to be a mist of droplets forming a "monodispersed" oil emulsion, in a gaseous phase, (that is to say of droplets whose diameter values are strongly centered on a value common) of sufficient life to reach the condenser and improve heat exchange. The invention therefore uses a first means of forming an oil mist between the compressor and the condenser. A particular means is thus a means of imposing a depression on oil drops having absorbed a transport refrigerant gas because of the solubility of the gas in the oil and causing the appearance of gas bubbles in the drops capable of bursting. in finer droplets.

This emulsion is estimated, in the liquid phase, to be a mixture of oil droplets forming a "monodispersed" oil emulsion, in a liquid phase, of sufficient lifetime to reach the expander, pass through it, reach the evaporator and to improve the heat exchange, to return finally to the compressor regularly over time and in the form of an oil mist of regular oil drop diameter and improve the isentropic efficiency by improved lubrication, compared to a commercial pump.

The invention thus uses to improve the COP of a heat pump, a first means of forming an oil mist between the compressor and the condenser and a second means of forming a dispersion of oil drops in the liquid phase between the condenser and the compressor, these drops may burst into droplets or bubbles passing through the regulator and reach the evaporator.

The elements of the invention that are the first tubular bulge and the second bulge can thus be adapted by those skilled in the art to achieve this goal.

Only the tubular bulge was previously known in the gas phase with any freon and as a secondary source of heat.

The improvement of the thermodynamic efficiency or COP of the entire heat pump using one or two bulges, a particular refrigerant and a fluid miscible oil, was not expected in the prior art. The effect obtained makes it possible to envisage heating or cooling uses with a pump provided with at least one bulge. This improvement is obtained without increasing the temperature at the terminals of the first bulge used alone, which therefore does not operate as a secondary heat source.

It has been possible with the invention to observe with R407C and with a single tubular bulge, a COP increase of 27% at + 7 ° C, on an Al RWELL ^® pump.

With R407A, a 21% COP increase was achieved at the same temperature.

Comparable results in percentages of gain in COP have been obtained for an AERMEC ^® ANF 50 or ANF 100 pump.

However, with a single bulge, this COP improvement result degrades below + 7 ° C when a single bulge is used. It becomes particularly unusable in practice at 0 ° C, the percentage gain in COP becoming less than 10%

To obtain a gain in COP over a wide range of -7 ° C to + 7 ° C, one therefore adds to the first bulge, the second bulge.

In this case, for an Al RWELL ^® brand machine, the observed thermal power increase characteristics were the following with the two bulges, also called "kits" of the invention:

A) Al RWELL ^® 12kW rated machine - R407C and POE oil

A.1) Temperature 7 ° C: manufacturer power 12.72 kW; power with kit 16.1; Gain in COP 27%

A.2) Temperature 0 ° C: manufacturer power 10.65 kW; power with kit 14,24; Gain in COP 34%

A.3) Temperature -7 ° C: manufacturer power 8.5 kW; power with kit 1 1, 67; Gain in COP 37%

B) Al RWELL ^® 12kW rated machine - R407A and POE oil

B.1) Temperature 7 ° C: manufacturer power 12.67 kW; power with kit 15,28; Gain in COP 21%

B.2) Temperature 0 ° C: manufacturer power 1 1, 09 kW; power with kit 13.65; Gain in COP 23% B.3) Temperature -7 ° C: manufacturer power 9.03 kW; power with kit 10,32; Gain in COP 14%

Comparable results in percentages of gain in COP were obtained for an AERMEC ^® ANF 50 pump or ANF 100 pump.

It can therefore be seen that the two bulges make it possible to ensure a gain of COP over a whole temperature range and in particular the coldest ones. It is also found that in a preferred embodiment of the invention R407C will be used and an oil miscible with it as a polyolester oil or POE.

These results therefore demonstrate the utility of the invention in terms of energy saving in the use of a heat pump.

The elements of this first mode are described below in more detail.

The first bulge is composed along its length, by traversing the closed circuit from the compressor fluid outlet on the first pipe joining the compressor fluid outlet to the condenser, a first zone of increase in inner diameter of the driving, a second zone of constant inner diameter of the pipe and a third zone of decrease in inner diameter of the pipe.

In known manner, the change in diameter of the first zone may be effected by a first cone whose apex angle allows, for the normal fluidic operating conditions of the pump, to cause a detachment of the flow lines of the fluid passing through the pump.

In known manner, the diameter change of the third zone may be effected by a second cone whose apex angle allows, for the normal fluidic operating conditions of the pump not to cause a detachment of the flow lines of the fluid flowing the pump.

In any case, the second zone of the first bulge will advantageously be arranged vertically, when the refrigerant is a mixture of freons and oil. This area will thus have a fireplace layout or a chimney or vertical duct function for the first bulge, which normally operates with a gaseous refrigerant and drops of oil.

This arrangement will allow a heat transfer to the condenser and not a production of heat that does not reach the condenser by increasing the life of the Freon emulsion and oil drops after passing through the fluid of the first bulge and allowing them to reach the condenser despite coalescence.

Such a vertical structure allows, for a soluble freon or a mixture of oil-soluble freon present in drops transported with the gas, numerous simultaneous effects resulting in creating or regenerating a stable emulsion in time of gas and oil, such as that conventionally produced by the compressor, at its discharge outlet, and in which the drops are usually "polydispersed" (ie largely variable around a central value) in diameter.

These effects include:

a Joule-Thomson expansion in the first cone allowing for the part of the gases soluble in the drops of oil to form bubbles bursting into droplets smaller than the drops and well calibrated;

a detachment of the fluid flow lines causing a dead volume in the first cone at the level of which turbulences are created which divide the drops which are carried therein;

a selection of the drops by the vertical tubes prohibiting or disadvantaging the circulation of the oil in the form of a film towards the condenser, causing waves along the tubes and producing scum of droplets along these tubes from a film of oil on the walls of the tubes;

a selection of the drops by the vertical tubes acting as a collimator of the direction of the drops and their mass, by promoting the transport of the droplets rather than the drops, the mass of the drops favoring their trapping along the tubes and their transformation into droplet foam in known manner in two-phase fluid mechanics in vertical tubes; - A tranquilization of the flow by the tubes and the second cone, allowing a transport of the droplets created by the first vertical bulge without coalescence and with low pressure losses to the condenser following the first bulge in the circuit.

For a mixture of refrigerant gas and oil, those skilled in the art will be able to modify the length of the tubes and their diameter to obtain an oil splitting effect favorable to the increase of the thermodynamic efficiency of the pump, yield or COP measured by means known from the prior art.

In particular, a change in the circulating composition of the mixture initially introduced into the fluidic circuit may be an indication of the operation of the invention. For an initial mixture of R407C introduced, it will be possible to observe variations in the compositions of the mixture measured at the outlet of the compressor, over time as a function of the operating conditions: external temperature, temperature of the hydraulic circuit, adjustment of the expander. Since the differential solubility of the components of R407C in the oil is variable, entrapment of the oil in the tubes of the first bulge may also explain this variation in circulating composition. However, such a variation which also changes the density of the circulating mixture can not by itself explain an increase in the COP, an increase in the electrical power necessary for the setting in motion of this heavier mixture to be provided in parallel. The influence of the mutual solubility of the oil and the freons is thus estimated as a useful indicator for the development of the first vertical bulge for the multiple practical pump cases according to the invention operating with the R407C, the R407A, variants standardized R407 family or a mixture of R32, R125 and R134a in non-standard proportions.

It is not excluded that a particular freon other than a mixture of R32, R125 and R134a may also be used according to the invention insofar as it would be found an increase in the thermal power of the condenser to the introduction of a first bulge in the fluid circuit of a pump operating with this particular freon.

In a more general manner, as indicated above, a particular mixture of any refrigerant (freon or not) and an oil soluble with any refrigerant gas and miscible with any liquid refrigerant at operating temperatures of the closed circuit of a heat pump, a particular mixture which would make it possible to observe an increase in the thermal power of the condenser to the introduction of a first bulge with vertical pipes between the compressor and the condenser of the heat pump operating with this particular mixture would be in accordance with the teaching of the invention.

The skilled person in the presence of such an increase, can adjust the length and diameter of the tubes or adjust the distance separating the first bulge of the condenser, in the fluid circuit, to optimize the increase in power observed in the condenser, for example by measuring the temperature of a hot water outlet of a heating circuit in thermal contact with the condenser. It may also vary the verticality of the tubes by admitting an angle maintaining a slope to the tubes allowing the flow of oil down, maintaining an effect on the thermal power of the condenser relative to a strict verticality.

For the pairs of refrigerant and oil according to the invention and using a mixture of R32, R125 and R134a the percentages of improvement of COP are for R407C, R407A and R407F are as follows:

407C 407A 407F

Air Gain gain in ambient COP COP COP

7 ° C 27% 21% -3%

0 ° C 34% 23% 12%

-7 ° C 37% 14% 3%

For a general refrigerant, a mixture of oil in the form of drops of oil and gas, such as gas phase freons, passing through the first bulge, this structure is designed to be a means of regularly dividing the drops of oil with the result of forming a sufficiently stable emulsion of drops and gas, in terms of lifetime of the drops, to enable them to reach the condenser and form nucleation sites improving the heat exchange in the condenser and the thermodynamic efficiency of the pump. For a foaming mixture of oil and gas, the same general inventive idea of a means of forming an emulsion will be applied to the design of the first tubular bulge but instead of an emulsion of drops in one or more gases, design the first bulge to form an emulsion of bubbles in the gas or gases.

A mixed mode for which an emulsion of drops but also oil bubbles is formed by the first bulge between the oil and the freons present in the first pipe is not excluded depending on the properties of relative surface tension of the oil and freons at the temperature and operating pressure of the fluid in the first pipe.

The invention has been tested with mixtures of the R32, R125 and R134a freons induced by an introduction of R407C and a particular EM KARATE ^® RL32-3 MAF oil in the circuit of a pump modified by the first bulge arranged vertically and having the second bulge.

Any refrigerant and a soluble oil miscible with this fluid, producing an increase in the thermal power of the condenser in the same circuit would be in accordance with the teaching of the invention, this increase being a criterion of the invention. The result of the invention is, however, obtained when this increase in power is obtained simultaneously with an increase in COP. The person skilled in the art may therefore, among the pairs of refrigerant and oil causing an increase in the thermal power determine by introducing the second bulge, the couples that cause an increase in the COP.

In particular, for the freons, a synthetic polyolester or "POE" family oil comprising oils known to be miscible with the Freons in liquid phase and in which the gas phase freons are soluble, would be consistent with the teaching of the invention with the freons.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the operation of a modified commercial AERMEC ^® ANF 50 heat pump according to the invention is detailed in terms of pressure and temperature in the pump.

A compressor (referenced ZB38KCE) is used. This compressor is of so-called "Scroll" technology and it delivers a mixture of an EM KARATE ^® RL32-3 MAF polyolester oil, R32 gas, R125 gaseous and R134a gas at a temperature of T = 87 ° C and a pressure of P = 18 bars.

The oil is considered in liquid form throughout the closed circuit at the mentioned temperatures and pressures.

The first bulge is vertical and rising fluid, it sees P = 18 bar and T = 84 ° C inlet and P = 18 bar and T = 84 ° C output. The mixture of R32, R125 and R134a is gaseous at the outlet. Therefore, in normal operation in this embodiment, there is no increase in temperature at the outlet of the first bulge with respect to its inlet, and this bulge therefore does not function as a source of heat.

The condenser sees P = 18 bar and T = 84 ° C inlet and outlet P = 18 bar and T = 45 ° C. The mixture of R32, R125 and R134a is liquid at the outlet.

The second bulge is downward vertical and sees P = 18 bar and T = 45 ° C inlet and P = 18 bar and T = 45 ° C output. The mixture of R32, R125 and R134a is liquid at the outlet, with two-phase liquid-gas periods, where bubbles appear. Therefore, in normal operation in this embodiment, there is no increase in temperature at the outlet of the second bulge with respect to its inlet, and this bulge therefore does not function as a source of heat.

The regulator sees P = 7 bar, T = 13 ° C output. The mixture of R32, R125 and R134a is biphasic liquid-gas output.

The evaporator sees P = 7 bar and T = 13 ° C as input. The mixture of R32, R125 and R134a is gaseous at the outlet. The compressor sucks a mixture of EMKARATE RL32-3 MAF, R32, R125 and R134 oil at P = 4 bar and T = 5 ° C.

For this configuration, the COP gains are comparable to those of an AIRWELL ^® brand machine mentioned above for the first mode, over the temperature range of -7 ° C to + 7 ° C.

The invention is susceptible of industrial application in the field of heat pumps and air conditioners.

Various modifications are within the reach of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as described in the appended claims.

Claims

claims

1. - Heat pump comprising a closed circuit for containing a refrigerant and a lubricant miscible with the refrigerant, the closed circuit comprising a compressor (1) of fluid and a fluid return circuit to the compressor, the compressor extending into the closed circuit between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the return circuit extending in the closed circuit, complementarily to the compressor, between the fluid outlet and the fluid inlet, the return circuit comprising a condenser ( 2), an expander (3) and an evaporator (4), said return circuit comprising a first conduit extending between the fluid outlet and the condenser, a second conduit extending between the condenser and the expander, a third pipe extending between the expander and the evaporator, and a fourth pipe extending between the evaporator and the fluid inlet, characterized in that said closed circuit comprises a first bulge (5) of a return circuit line, in series in the circuit, containing tubings (50) in parallel in the circuit, and a second bulge (6) of a line of the return circuit, in series in the circuit.

2. - Pump according to claim 1, wherein the return circuit comprises a first set of pipes, consisting of the first pipe and the fourth pipe, comprising said first bulge (5), and a second set of pipes, consisting of the second conduit and the third conduit, including said second bulge (6).

3. Pump according to claim 2, wherein the first bulge (5) is disposed on the first pipe.

4. - Pump according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second bulge (6) is disposed on the second pipe.

5. - Pump according to any one of the preceding claims, containing a refrigerant and a lubricant miscible with the refrigerant.

6. - Pump according to claim 5, wherein the refrigerant is a fluid of the family of freons.

7. - Pump according to claim 6, wherein the fluid of the family of freons is a mixture comprising a freon R32, a freon R125 and a freon R134a.

8. - Pump according to claim 7, wherein the mixture is a freon R407C.

9. - Pump according to claim 7, wherein the mixture is a freon R407A.

10. - Pump according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the lubricant is a synthetic oil.

1 1. - Pump according to claim 10, wherein the synthetic oil is a polyolester oil, including class ISO VG 32.

12. - Pump according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first bulge (5) is arranged vertically.

13. Pump according to claim 12, wherein said first bulge (5) is arranged vertically and rising fluid.

14. - Use of a heat pump according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the following steps:

- introduce the lubricant into the closed circuit;

5 - fill the closed circuit with the refrigerant;

- circulating the refrigerant in the closed circuit, by means of the compressor,

for heating or cooling an enclosure with energy saving.

o

15. The use according to claim 14, wherein said refrigerant is mounted in said first bulge.