EP2511630B1 - Air conditioner and refrigerant amount detection method for air conditioner - Google Patents

Air conditioner and refrigerant amount detection method for air conditioner Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2511630B1
EP2511630B1 EP10835875.5A EP10835875A EP2511630B1 EP 2511630 B1 EP2511630 B1 EP 2511630B1 EP 10835875 A EP10835875 A EP 10835875A EP 2511630 B1 EP2511630 B1 EP 2511630B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
refrigerant
circuit
liquid level
temperature
level detecting
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Not-in-force
Application number
EP10835875.5A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2511630A4 (en
EP2511630A1 (en
Inventor
Takahiro Kato
Atsushi Enya
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems Ltd
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Publication of EP2511630A1 publication Critical patent/EP2511630A1/en
Publication of EP2511630A4 publication Critical patent/EP2511630A4/en
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Publication of EP2511630B1 publication Critical patent/EP2511630B1/en
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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B49/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F25B49/005—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices of safety devices
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B40/00—Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters
    • F25B40/02—Subcoolers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B40/00—Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters
    • F25B40/06—Superheaters
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B45/00—Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B49/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F25B49/02—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for compression type machines, plants or systems
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2345/00—Details for charging or discharging refrigerants; Service stations therefor
    • F25B2345/003—Control issues for charging or collecting refrigerant to or from a cycle
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2345/00—Details for charging or discharging refrigerants; Service stations therefor
    • F25B2345/007—Details for charging or discharging refrigerants; Service stations therefor characterised by the weighing of refrigerant or oil
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2400/00—General features or devices for refrigeration machines, plants or systems, combined heating and refrigeration systems or heat-pump systems, i.e. not limited to a particular subgroup of F25B
    • F25B2400/13—Economisers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2400/00—General features or devices for refrigeration machines, plants or systems, combined heating and refrigeration systems or heat-pump systems, i.e. not limited to a particular subgroup of F25B
    • F25B2400/16—Receivers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2600/00—Control issues
    • F25B2600/05—Refrigerant levels
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2700/00—Sensing or detecting of parameters; Sensors therefor
    • F25B2700/04—Refrigerant level

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an air conditioner in which an optimal amount of refrigerant can always be filled at a time of installation, and a refrigerant amount detection method for an air conditioner.
  • a multi-type air conditioner that is used for air-conditioning a building or the like has a configuration in which an outdoor unit that includes a compressor, a four-way switching valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a heating expansion valve, a receiver, and an outdoor fan and the like, and a plurality of indoor units that include an indoor heat exchanger, a cooling expansion valve, and an indoor fan and the like, are connected at the installation site by gas refrigerant piping and liquid refrigerant piping.
  • a predetermined amount of refrigerant is filled in advance into the outdoor unit, and when performing a test operation after installing the air conditioner at the installation site, refrigerant of an amount that corresponds to an insufficient amount of refrigerant in accordance with the length of piping that connects the outdoor unit and indoor units, the number of indoor units that are connected and the like, is additionally filled into the outdoor unit.
  • Patent Literature 1 hereunder abbreviated as "PTL 1”
  • Patent Literature 2 hereunder abbreviated as "PTL 2” disclose technology configured to determine that a required amount of refrigerant is filled in a refrigerant circuit so that a filling amount of refrigerant that is additionally added to an outdoor unit need not depend on operations at the construction work level at the installation site.
  • a liquid level detecting circuit is provided that, when performing refrigerant filling operation, detects that a liquid refrigerant that is being accumulated inside a receiver in a refrigerant circuit has reached a predetermined liquid level.
  • PTL 1 discloses technology in which a bypass circuit that includes an on/off valve, a decompression mechanism, and a temperature detecting unit is connected to a compressor intake side from a predetermined height position of a receiver.
  • PTL 2 discloses technology in which an on/off valve, a decompression mechanism, heating means and a temperature detecting unit are provided in a bypass circuit.
  • the temperature of a refrigerant after decompression is measured in a case where gas refrigerant in a saturated state is taken out from the receiver to the bypass circuit and a case where liquid refrigerant in a saturated state is taken out from the receiver to the bypass circuit, respectively, and a refrigerant amount is determined by detecting that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level is accumulated in the receiver based on a temperature difference between the two measured temperatures.
  • JP2007139244 discloses a refrigeration device.
  • a configuration is adopted that attempts to improve detection accuracy by providing heating means that heats refrigerant that has been decompressed by a decompression mechanism in a liquid level detecting circuit.
  • a temperature difference can be adequately ensured by utilizing a fact that when refrigerant taken out from a receiver is in a gaseous state, an increase in the temperature thereof produced by heating is large, while when refrigerant taken out from a receiver is in a liquid state, thermal energy produced by heating is consumed as latent heat of vaporization and an increase in the temperature thereof is small.
  • it is essential to provide heating means in the liquid level detecting circuit there is the problem that the configuration is complicated.
  • the present invention has been made in view of the above described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner and a refrigerant amount detection method for an air conditioner which can always detect a refrigerant filling amount with high accuracy even under a condition of a low outside air temperature, without specially providing heating means in a liquid level detecting circuit.
  • the air conditioner including: a first liquid level detecting circuit in which an on/off valve and a decompression mechanism are interposed in a bypass circuit that connects a predetermined height position of the receiver and an intake side of the compressor via
  • the air conditioner according to the first aspect includes: a first liquid level detecting circuit in which an on/off valve and a decompression mechanism are interposed in a bypass circuit that connects a predetermined height position of a receiver and an intake side of a compressor via a supercooling circuit; a second liquid level detecting circuit that is branched from the bypass circuit and in which an on/off valve is interposed that acts as a bypass for leading a refrigerant that is taken out from the receiver to an inlet side of a decompression mechanism of the supercooling circuit; a temperature detecting unit that detects a temperature of decompressed refrigerant that passes through the supercooling circuit including the first liquid level detecting circuit or the second liquid level detecting circuit; and a refrigerant amount detecting unit that detects, by means of the temperature detecting unit, a temperature after decompression of a refrigerant that is taken out from the receiver via the first liquid level detecting circuit or the second liquid level detecting circuit, and determines a refrigerant fill
  • the above described temperature difference can be sufficiently ensured under a wide range of temperature conditions without being influenced by fluctuations in a high pressure caused by an outside air temperature or the like, and a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy. It is therefore possible to fill an optimum amount of refrigerant that is neither excessive nor insufficient to enable stable operation of the air conditioner. Further, since refrigerant can be heated utilizing the supercooling circuit, it is not necessary to specially provide heating means on the first liquid level detecting circuit side, and thus the configuration can be simplified.
  • An air conditioner according to a second aspect of the present invention is in accordance with the above described air conditioner, wherein an electromagnetic on/off valve that is closed at a time of refrigerant filling operation and is opened at a time of normal cooling or heating operation is provided in a vicinity of a branch portion from the refrigerant circuit of the supercooling circuit.
  • the air conditioner according to the second aspect is provided with an electromagnetic on/off valve that is closed at a time of refrigerant filling operation and is opened at a time of normal cooling or heating operation in a vicinity of a branch portion from the refrigerant circuit of the supercooling circuit, switching between refrigerant filling operation and normal cooling or heating operation can be simply carried out by only performing an operation to open or close the electromagnetic on/off valve. Therefore, in addition to enhancing the capacity at a time of normal operation, the supercooling circuit is also used as a liquid level detecting circuit at a time of refrigerant filling operation, and can contribute to improving the accuracy of detecting a refrigerant filling amount.
  • An air conditioner is defined in claim 3, and constitutes a closed-cycle refrigerant circuit in which an outdoor unit that includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a heating expansion valve, and a receiver that stores a liquid refrigerant and the like, and an indoor unit that includes an indoor heat exchanger and a cooling expansion valve and the like are connected by gas refrigerant piping and liquid refrigerant piping;
  • the air conditioner including: a liquid level detecting circuit in which an on/off valve and a decompression mechanism are interposed in a bypass circuit that connects a predetermined height position of the receiver and an intake side of the compressor; a hot gas bypass circuit including an on/off valve and a decompression mechanism that is capable of introducing a portion of a hot gas from a discharge side of the compressor to the intake side thereof; a temperature detecting unit that is capable of detecting a temperature of a refrigerant that passes through the liquid level detecting circuit or a refrigerant in which the refriger
  • the air conditioner according to the third aspect includes: a liquid level detecting circuit in which an on/off valve and a decompression mechanism are interposed in a bypass circuit that connects a predetermined height position of a receiver and an intake side of a compressor; a hot gas bypass circuit that includes an on/off valve and a decompression mechanism that is capable of introducing a portion of a hot gas from a discharge side of the compressor to the intake side thereof; a temperature detecting unit that is capable of detecting a temperature of a refrigerant that passes through the liquid level detecting circuit or a refrigerant in which the refrigerant that passes through the liquid level detecting circuit and a hot gas that is introduced via the hot gas bypass circuit are mixed; and a refrigerant amount detecting unit that detects, by means of the temperature detecting unit, a temperature after decompression of a refrigerant that is taken out from the receiver to the liquid level detecting circuit or of a mixed refrigerant composed of the refrigerant that is taken out from the
  • a refrigerant temperature after decompression can be detected in a case where a gas refrigerant in a saturated state is taken out from the receiver to the liquid level detecting circuit and a case where a saturated liquid refrigerant is taken out from the receiver to the liquid level detecting circuit, respectively, and it is possible to detect that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level is accumulated in the receiver based on a temperature difference between the two detected refrigerant temperatures.
  • the degree of superheat can be sufficiently ensured by heating the saturated gas refrigerant that is taken out from the receiver by mixing the gas refrigerant with a hot gas that is introduced via the hot gas bypass circuit, it is possible to detect that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level is accumulated in the receiver based on a temperature difference between such a case and a case where a saturated liquid refrigerant is taken out. Accordingly, the above described temperature difference can be sufficiently ensured under a wide range of temperature conditions without being influenced by fluctuations in a high pressure caused by an outside air temperature or the like, and a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy. It is therefore possible to fill an optimum amount of refrigerant that is neither excessive nor insufficient to enable stable operation of the air conditioner.
  • a refrigerant amount detection method for an air conditioner is a refrigerant amount detection method for the above described air conditioner that, at a time of refrigerant filling operation, under a temperature condition of a cooling rating extent, performs liquid-level detection by closing the second liquid level detecting circuit by means of the on/off valve and using the first liquid level detecting circuit, and under a condition of a low outside air temperature, performs liquid-level detection by closing the first liquid level detecting circuit by means of the on/off valve and using the second liquid level detecting circuit.
  • detection of a liquid level is performed by closing the second liquid level detecting circuit by means of the on/off valve and using the first liquid level detecting circuit, and under a condition of a low outside air temperature, detection of a liquid level is performed by closing the first liquid level detecting circuit by means of the on/off valve and using the second liquid level detecting circuit.
  • liquid-level detection may be performed under a temperature condition of a cooling rating extent by using only the liquid level detecting circuit, and liquid-level detection may be performed under a condition of a low outside air temperature by using both the liquid level detecting circuit and the hot gas bypass circuit.
  • detection of a liquid level is performed using only the liquid level detecting circuit under a temperature condition of a cooling rating extent, and is performed using both the liquid level detecting circuit and the hot gas bypass circuit under a condition of a low outside air temperature.
  • liquid level detecting circuit or the liquid level detecting circuit and the hot gas bypass circuit it is possible to detect under a wide range of temperature conditions that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level is accumulated in the receiver based on a temperature difference between a case where a saturated gas refrigerant is taken out from the receiver and a case where a saturated liquid refrigerant is taken out from the receiver, and thus a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy. Accordingly, it is possible to fill an optimum amount of refrigerant that is neither excessive nor insufficient into the air conditioner.
  • the air conditioner and the refrigerant amount detection method for an air conditioner of the present invention under a temperature condition of a cooling rating extent, by allowing a refrigerant to flow from the receiver into the first liquid level detecting circuit and detecting a refrigerant temperature after decompression in a case where a saturated gas refrigerant is taken out from the receiver and a case where a saturated liquid refrigerant is taken out from the receiver, respectively, it is possible to reliably detect that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level is accumulated in the receiver based on a temperature difference between the two detected refrigerant temperatures.
  • the above described temperature difference can be sufficiently ensured under a wide range of temperature conditions without being influenced by fluctuations in a high pressure caused by an outside air temperature or the like, and a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy. It is therefore possible to fill an optimum amount of refrigerant that is neither excessive nor insufficient to enable stable operation of the air conditioner. Further, since refrigerant can be heated utilizing the supercooling circuit, it is not necessary to specially provide heating means on the first liquid level detecting circuit side, and thus the configuration can be simplified.
  • a refrigerant temperature after decompression can be detected in a case where a gas refrigerant in a saturated state is taken out from the receiver to the liquid level detecting circuit and a case where a saturated liquid refrigerant is taken out from the receiver to the liquid level detecting circuit, respectively, and it is possible to detect that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level is accumulated in the receiver based on a temperature difference between the two detected refrigerant temperatures.
  • the degree of superheat can be sufficiently increased by heating the saturated gas refrigerant that is taken out from the receiver by mixing the gas refrigerant with a hot gas that is introduced via the hot gas bypass circuit, it is possible to detect that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level is accumulated in the receiver based on a temperature difference between such a case and a case where a saturated liquid refrigerant is taken out. Accordingly, the above described temperature difference can be sufficiently ensured under a wide range of temperature conditions without being influenced by fluctuations in a high pressure caused by an outside air temperature or the like, and a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy. It is therefore possible to fill an optimum amount of refrigerant that is neither excessive nor insufficient to enable stable operation of the air conditioner.
  • FIG. 1 A first embodiment of the present invention is described hereunder using Fig. 1 to Fig. 5 .
  • Fig. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • An air conditioner 1 is a multi-type air conditioner that is used to air condition a building or the like.
  • the air conditioner 1 includes an outdoor unit 2 and a plurality of indoor units 3 that are connected to each other in parallel (only one indoor unit 3 is shown in Fig. 1 ).
  • the outdoor unit 2 includes a compressor 10 that compresses a refrigerant, a four-way switching valve 11 that switches a circulation direction of a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger 12 that causes a heat exchange to take place between outside air and a refrigerant, an outdoor fan 13 that causes outside air to flow through the outdoor heat exchanger 12, a motor-operated expansion valve for heating (heating expansion valve) 14, and a receiver 15 that accumulates condensed liquid refrigerant.
  • An outdoor-side refrigerant circuit 17 is constituted by connecting the compressor 10, the four-way switching valve 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the motor-operated expansion valve for heating 14, and the receiver 15 in sequence through refrigerant piping 16.
  • the refrigerant circuit 17 is provided with a supercooling circuit 20 configured to carry out supercooling of a liquid refrigerant in a supercooling heat exchanger 19 by diverting one portion of the liquid refrigerant, and after decompressing the liquid refrigerant using a supercooling expansion valve (decompression mechanism) 18, returning the liquid refrigerant to an intake side of the compressor 10 via the supercooling heat exchanger 19.
  • a supercooling circuit 20 configured to carry out supercooling of a liquid refrigerant in a supercooling heat exchanger 19 by diverting one portion of the liquid refrigerant, and after decompressing the liquid refrigerant using a supercooling expansion valve (decompression mechanism) 18, returning the liquid refrigerant to an intake side of the compressor 10 via the supercooling heat exchanger 19.
  • An indoor heat exchanger 30, an indoor fan 31 that causes indoor air to circulate through the indoor heat exchanger 30, a motor-operated expansion valve for cooling (cooling expansion valve) 32 and the like are arranged inside the indoor unit 3.
  • the indoor unit 3 and the outdoor unit 2 are connected through gas refrigerant piping 33 and liquid refrigerant piping 34 to thereby constitute a closed-cycle refrigerant circuit 35.
  • a plurality of the indoor units 3 are connected in parallel through gas refrigerant piping 33 and liquid refrigerant piping 34 that branches from the gas refrigerant piping 33 and the liquid refrigerant piping 34.
  • the air conditioner 1 is configured to be capable of performing cooling operation by causing the outdoor heat exchanger 12 to function as a condenser and causing the indoor heat exchanger 30 to function as an evaporator.
  • the air conditioner 1 causes a refrigerant that has been discharged from the compressor 10 to circulate to the outdoor heat exchanger 12 side through the four-way switching valve 11, and causes the refrigerant to circulate in a clockwise direction in the order of the receiver 15, the supercooling heat exchanger 19, the motor-operated expansion valve for cooling 32, the indoor heat exchanger 30, the four-way switching valve 11, and the compressor 10.
  • the cooling capacity can be improved by diverting liquid refrigerant to the supercooling circuit 20 at the supercooling heat exchanger 19, and causing the liquid refrigerant to exchange heat with decompressed refrigerant at the supercooling expansion valve (decompression mechanism) 18 to thereby supercool the liquid refrigerant.
  • the air conditioner 1 is configured to be also capable of performing heating operation by causing the indoor heat exchanger 30 to function as a condenser and causing the outdoor heat exchanger 12 to function as an evaporator.
  • the air conditioner 1 causes a refrigerant that has been discharged from the compressor 10 to circulate to the indoor heat exchanger 30 side through the four-way switching valve 11, and causes the refrigerant to circulate in a counterclockwise direction in the order of the supercooling heat exchanger 19, the receiver 15, motor-operated expansion valve for heating 14, the outdoor heat exchanger 12, the four-way switching valve 11, and the compressor 10.
  • the length of the gas refrigerant piping 33 and the liquid refrigerant piping 34 that connects the outdoor unit 2 and each indoor unit 3 changes variously according to the environment in which the air conditioner 1 is installed. Consequently, a predetermined amount of refrigerant is filled in advance in the outdoor unit 2, and when performing a test operation after installing the air conditioner 1 at the installation site, it is necessary to additionally fill an amount that corresponds to an insufficient amount of refrigerant in accordance with the length of piping that connects the outdoor unit 2 and the indoor units 3 as well as the number of indoor units 3 that are connected and the like.
  • a first liquid level detecting circuit 40, a second liquid level detecting circuit 45, and a refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 are incorporated into the air conditioner 1.
  • the first liquid level detecting circuit 40 includes: a bypass circuit 41 that can take a refrigerant out from a predetermined height position in the receiver 15 to an intake side of the compressor 10; and a decompression mechanism 42 that is composed of a capillary tube or an expansion valve or the like and an electromagnetic on/off valve 43 that are provided in the bypass circuit 41.
  • the bypass circuit 41 is connected to and merged with the supercooling circuit 20 in a vicinity of a connecting portion at which the supercooling circuit 20 is connected to intake piping of the compressor 10.
  • a temperature sensor (temperature detecting unit) 44 such as a thermistor is arranged at a position that is further on the intake piping side of the compressor 10 than the connecting and merging portion of the bypass circuit 41.
  • the temperature sensor 44 detects a temperature of a refrigerant that has been decompressed at the decompression mechanism 42 or the decompression mechanism 18 and that flows inside the bypass circuit 41 and the supercooling circuit 20.
  • the second liquid level detecting circuit 45 branches from a position that is located before the decompression mechanism 42 in the bypass circuit 41 constituting the first liquid level detecting circuit 40, and includes an electromagnetic on/off valve 46 that is provided in a circuit that is connected to an inlet side of the supercooling expansion valve (decompression mechanism) 18 of the supercooling circuit 20.
  • the second liquid level detecting circuit 45 constitutes a circuit that, when carrying out refrigerant filling operation, returns refrigerant that has been taken out from the receiver 15 to the intake side of the compressor 10 via the supercooling expansion valve (decompression mechanism) 18 and the supercooling heat exchanger 19 in the supercooling circuit 20.
  • An electromagnetic on/off valve 47 is provided close to a branch portion of the supercooling circuit 20 in order to stop the flow of liquid refrigerant diverging to the supercooling circuit 20 at such time.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 is provided to determine whether or not an appropriate amount of a refrigerant has been filled based on a detection temperature of the temperature sensor 44.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 is configured to be able to determine, during refrigerant filling operation, whether or not an appropriate amount of refrigerant has been filled based on a temperature difference between a detection temperature from the temperature sensor 44 in a case where liquid refrigerant accumulates in the receiver 15 and the liquid level thereof reaches a height position at which the bypass circuit 31 opens and liquid refrigerant in a saturated state is taken out to the first liquid level detecting circuit 40 or the second liquid level detecting circuit 45, and a detection temperature from the temperature sensor 44 in a case where a gas refrigerant in a saturated state is taken out to the first liquid level detecting circuit 40 or the second liquid level detecting circuit 45 during a period until the liquid refrigerant reaches a predetermined height position.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 has a function that closes the electromagnetic on/off valve 47 provided in the supercooling circuit 20 when performing refrigerant filling operation, and also performs opening/closing control of the electromagnetic on/off valves 43 and 46 when determining whether to perform liquid-level detection using either the first liquid level detecting circuit 40 or the second liquid level detecting circuit 45 in accordance with an outside air temperature or a high-pressure side pressure or the like.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 opens the electromagnetic on/off valve 43 and closes the electromagnetic on/off valve 46, and when using the second liquid level detecting circuit 45, the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 closes the electromagnetic on/off valve 43 and opens the electromagnetic on/off valve 46.
  • Refrigerant filling operation is performed by operating the refrigerant circuit 35 as a cooling cycle.
  • the outdoor fan 13 is controlled so that a condensing pressure at the outdoor heat exchanger 12 becomes a predetermined value, and a degree of opening of the motor-operated expansion valve for cooling 32 is controlled so that a predetermined degree of superheat is applied to refrigerant at an outlet of the indoor heat exchanger 30.
  • a refrigerant can be filled into the refrigerant circuit 35 as a state in which a liquid refrigerant of a predetermined density is filled inside the liquid refrigerant piping 34.
  • the electromagnetic on/off valve 47 in the supercooling circuit 20 is closed and, for example, when the outside air temperature is a high temperature of a cooling rating extent, the electromagnetic on/off valve 43 is opened and the electromagnetic on/off valve 46 is closed, while, in contrast, when the outside air temperature is low, the electromagnetic on/off valve 43 is closed and the electromagnetic on/off valve 46 is opened.
  • the circulating amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 35 is gradually increased, and the liquid level of refrigerant in the receiver 15 gradually rises.
  • the saturated gas refrigerant and the saturated liquid refrigerant are respectively decompressed into a decompressed state by the decompression mechanism 43.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 can detect that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level has been accumulated in the receiver 15 by observing a temperature difference between a case where the temperature has dropped from a state of a saturated gas refrigerant and a case where the temperature has dropped from a state of a saturated liquid refrigerant.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 determines that refrigerant of a required amount has been filled, and at that time the refrigerant filling operation is ended.
  • a configuration is adopted such that, when a slope of a saturated gas line ascends diagonally from the lower left to the upper right on a pressure-enthalpy diagram at a time of a low outside air temperature at which the high pressure falls, the refrigerant taken out from the receiver 15 is caused to flow to the supercooling circuit 20 via the second liquid level detecting circuit 45 by switching the liquid level detecting circuit to the second liquid level detecting circuit 45 by closing the electromagnetic on/off valve 43 and opening the electromagnetic on/off valve 46.
  • the refrigerant that is taken out to the supercooling circuit 20 via the second liquid level detecting circuit 45 is decompressed by the supercooling expansion valve (decompression mechanism) 18, and thereafter is heated by exchanging heat with liquid refrigerant at the supercooling heat exchanger 19 and evaporates, and is returned to the intake side of the compressor 10.
  • a temperature difference of a fixed value or more between a case where a saturated gas refrigerant is taken out and a case where a saturated liquid refrigerant is taken out can be ensured. That is, as shown in Fig. 5 , after the saturated liquid refrigerant is decompressed at the decompression mechanism 18 and the temperature thereof falls, the refrigerant is heated at the supercooling heat exchanger 19 and evaporated, and becomes a refrigerant that has a degree of superheat as 0 °C at a point D on the saturated gas line.
  • the degree of superheat SH is increased as far as a point E by heating the refrigerant at the supercooling heat exchanger 19. Consequently, a temperature difference can be adequately ensured, and the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 can reliably detect that refrigerant of an appropriate amount has been filled.
  • a temperature difference between a saturated gas refrigerant and a saturated liquid refrigerant can be adequately ensured under a wide range of temperature conditions without being influenced by fluctuations in a high pressure caused by an outside air temperature or the like and a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy.
  • a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy.
  • refrigerant can be heated utilizing the supercooling circuit 20, it is not necessary to specially provide heating means on the first liquid level detecting circuit 40 side, and hence the configuration can be simplified.
  • the electromagnetic on/off valve 47 that is closed when performing refrigerant filling operation and opened when performing normal cooling or heating operation is provided in the vicinity of a branch portion from the refrigerant circuit 35 of the supercooling circuit 20. It is therefore possible to easily perform switching between refrigerant filling operation and normal cooling or heating operation by performing only an operation to open or close the electromagnetic on/off valve 47. Accordingly, in addition to enhancing the capacity at a time of normal cooling or heating operation, the supercooling circuit 20 is also used as a liquid level detecting circuit at a time of refrigerant filling operation, and can contribute to improving the accuracy of detecting a refrigerant filling amount. Further, since an existing temperature sensor provided in the supercooling circuit 20 can be used in a shared manner as the temperature sensor 44, a saving can be made with respect to the provision of a temperature sensor.
  • the configuration of the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a hot gas bypass circuit 50 is provided instead of the second liquid level detecting circuit 45. Since the remaining configuration is the same as the first embodiment, a description thereof is omitted below.
  • a configuration is adopted that includes: a liquid level detecting circuit 40 in which, similarly to the above described first liquid level detecting circuit 40, the decompression mechanism 42 constituted by a capillary tube or an expansion valve or the like and the electromagnetic on/off valve 43 are interposed in the bypass circuit 41 that connects a predetermined height position inside the receiver 15 and the intake side of the compressor 10; the hot gas bypass circuit 50 that includes an electromagnetic on/off valve 51 and a decompression mechanism 52 constituted by a capillary tube or an expansion valve or the like and that can introduce a portion of hot gas from a discharge side of the compressor 10 to an intake side thereof; and a temperature sensor 53 that detects a temperature of a refrigerant that has passed through the liquid level detecting circuit 40 or of a mixed refrigerant of a refrigerant that has passed through the liquid level detecting circuit 40 and a hot gas that is introduced by the hot gas bypass circuit 50.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 is configured to be able to determine a refrigerant filling amount by detecting that liquid refrigerant of a predetermined liquid level has accumulated in the receiver 15 based on a detection value from the temperature sensor 53. Further, the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 has a function that, at a time of refrigerant filling operation, controls opening and closing of the electromagnetic on/off valves 43 and 51 when determining whether to use only the liquid level detecting circuit 40 or to also use the hot gas bypass circuit 50 to perform liquid-level detection in accordance with an outside air temperature or a high-pressure side pressure or the like.
  • the electromagnetic on/off valve 43 is opened and the electromagnetic on/off valve 51 is closed, while when using both the liquid level detecting circuit 40 and the hot gas bypass circuit 50, the electromagnetic on/off valves 43 and 51 are both opened.
  • the hot gas bypass circuit 50 in which the electromagnetic on/off valve 51 and the decompression mechanism 52 are interposed is provided between the discharge side and the intake side of the compressor 10, and a configuration is adopted such that a portion of hot gas discharged from the compressor 10 can be introduced to the intake side thereof via the hot gas bypass circuit 50.
  • the refrigerant amount detecting unit 48 can reliably detect that an appropriate amount of refrigerant has been filled.
  • opening the electromagnetic on/off valve 51 allows hot gas that has been decompressed at the decompression mechanism 52 to be introduced into the intake side of the compressor 10 via the hot gas bypass circuit 50, and the hot gas can be mixed with refrigerant that has been taken out to the liquid level detecting circuit 40 from the receiver 15 to thereby heat the refrigerant. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7 , after a saturated gas refrigerant that is taken out from the receiver 15 to the liquid level detecting circuit 40 is decompressed and the temperature thereof falls to a point F, the refrigerant is mixed with decompressed hot gas having a temperature at a point G, and the degree of superheat SH is increased to a point H.
  • a temperature difference between a saturated gas refrigerant and a saturated liquid refrigerant can be adequately ensured under a wide range of temperature conditions without being influenced by fluctuations in a high pressure caused by an outside air temperature or the like.
  • a refrigerant filling amount can be detected with high accuracy. It is thus possible to fill an optimum amount of refrigerant that is neither excessive nor insufficient to enable stable operation of the air conditioner 1.
  • the temperature can be detected without a time delay. Therefore, the detection accuracy with respect to a refrigerant filling amount can be further enhanced.
  • an existing intake temperature sensor that is provided in the intake piping of the compressor 10 can be used in a shared manner as the temperature sensor 53, a saving can be made with respect to the provision of a temperature sensor.
  • the present invention is not limited to the inventions described in the foregoing embodiments, and appropriate modifications are possible within a range that does not depart from the scope of the claims.
  • the supercooling circuit 20 is omitted from the configuration of the above described second embodiment, naturally the invention according to the second embodiment may be applied to the air conditioner 1 that includes the supercooling circuit 20.
  • the bypass circuit 41 of the first liquid level detecting circuit (liquid level detecting circuit) 40 is insertedly connected from the top surface of the receiver 15, the bypass circuit 41 may be connected so as to open at a predetermined height position inside the receiver 15. Accordingly the bypass circuit 41 may be inserted from a side face or the underside of the receiver 15 and connected so as to open at a predetermined height position.
EP10835875.5A 2009-12-10 2010-12-01 Air conditioner and refrigerant amount detection method for air conditioner Not-in-force EP2511630B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2009280792A JP5582773B2 (ja) 2009-12-10 2009-12-10 空気調和機および空気調和機の冷媒量検出方法
PCT/JP2010/071481 WO2011070954A1 (ja) 2009-12-10 2010-12-01 空気調和機および空気調和機の冷媒量検出方法

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EP2511630A1 EP2511630A1 (en) 2012-10-17
EP2511630A4 EP2511630A4 (en) 2017-09-20
EP2511630B1 true EP2511630B1 (en) 2019-07-24

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JP (1) JP5582773B2 (zh)
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JP5839084B2 (ja) 2013-10-07 2016-01-06 ダイキン工業株式会社 冷凍装置
KR101810809B1 (ko) 2014-03-07 2017-12-19 미쓰비시덴키 가부시키가이샤 공기 조화 장치
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JP6621616B2 (ja) * 2014-09-03 2019-12-18 三星電子株式会社Ｓａｍｓｕｎｇ Ｅｌｅｃｔｒｏｎｉｃｓ Ｃｏ．，Ｌｔｄ． 冷媒量検知装置
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JP6643630B2 (ja) * 2016-02-17 2020-02-12 パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社 空気調和装置
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WO2020110289A1 (ja) * 2018-11-30 2020-06-04 日立ジョンソンコントロールズ空調株式会社 制御装置及び空気調和装置
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JP5582773B2 (ja) 2014-09-03
WO2011070954A1 (ja) 2011-06-16
CN102472542B (zh) 2015-01-14
EP2511630A4 (en) 2017-09-20
CN102472542A (zh) 2012-05-23
EP2511630A1 (en) 2012-10-17
JP2011122767A (ja) 2011-06-23

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