JP2001330290A - Air conditioning unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioning unit capable of executing a maintenance of an outdoor unit and reducing a number of times of the maintenance without stopping the conditioning unit. SOLUTION: The air conditioning unit comprises a plurality of outdoor units 201 and a plurality of indoor units 301 connected to the same refrigerant system. The conditioning unit also comprises a regulating means 200 for regulating operating times of the respective outdoor units so as to differentiate the operating times of the respective outdoor units 201, and to be capable of sequentially maintaining from the outdoor unit having a more operating time of the outdoor units.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner (unit group) comprising a plurality of outdoor units and indoor units and connecting them to the same refrigerant system, and an air conditioner comprising a plurality of these unit groups. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, two or three outdoor units are connected to one refrigerant system, and a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected by one refrigerant system piping. 2. Description of the Related Art There has been known a system which aims to reduce construction costs by being constructed. In this kind of thing,
For a large-scale property such as an air conditioner in a building, a plurality of double multi systems are provided. For example, a double multi system may be installed in 10 refrigerant systems.

Conventionally, in a double multi-system, an electric motor is mainly used as a driving source of a compressor.
One that uses a gas engine as the drive source for the compressor was developed,
Has been introduced to the market. In a double multi system (hereinafter, referred to as a double multi GHP) in which the gas engine is used as a drive source of a compressor, periodic maintenance such as engine oil change is required.

In the conventional double multi-system, control for adjusting the operation time so that the operation time of the outdoor unit in one refrigerant system is the same (hereinafter referred to as automatic alternating operation control) is performed. The same control is also performed in the double multi GHP, and the purpose of the double multi GHP performing the automatic alternating operation control is to perform maintenance on the outdoor unit in one refrigerant system at a time, and a service person or the like asks for maintenance. This is to reduce the number of man-hours for business trips.

[0005]

However, the conventional automatic alternating operation control is effective in reducing the number of times a service person calls for maintenance when the number of double multi GHPs installed in one refrigerant system or the like is small. However, in the case of a large-scale property, there is a problem that the number of visits to maintenance cannot be reduced because the operation time differs for each refrigerant system. Further, in the conventional configuration, when the maintenance of the outdoor unit is performed, all the outdoor units are performed at the same time, so that there is a problem that the air conditioner cannot be operated during the maintenance.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, to maintain the outdoor unit without stopping the air conditioner, and to reduce the number of maintenance operations. It is to provide a device.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In an air conditioner in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected to the same refrigerant system, the air conditioner includes adjusting means for adjusting the operation time of each outdoor unit so as to make the operation time of each outdoor unit different, It is characterized in that maintenance is possible in order from the outdoor unit with the longest time.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner comprising a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units connected to the same refrigerant system to form a unit group, and the unit group comprising a plurality of systems. The operation time of each outdoor unit is made different according to the operation order within the unit group, and the operation time of each outdoor unit is set so that the operation times of the outdoor units of all the unit groups having the same operation order within the unit group are equal. And an adjusting unit for adjusting the temperature of the outdoor unit, and the outdoor unit having a long operation time of each unit group can be simultaneously maintained.

The invention described in claim 3 is the first or second invention.
In the above description, the operation time difference of the outdoor unit is defined to be a predetermined time difference.

[0010] In the above invention, since a difference occurs in the operation time of the outdoor unit, maintenance can be performed sequentially from the operation time that has become longer.

In an air conditioner having a plurality of unit groups, there is a difference in the operation time of the outdoor unit in each unit group, and the outdoor units of all the unit groups having the same operation order in the unit group. Since the operation times are equalized, it is possible to simultaneously perform maintenance on the outdoor units having a long operation time in each unit group, and to reduce the number of times of maintenance.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the air conditioner in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected to the same refrigerant system, the compressor of each of the outdoor units is an engine-driven type. The number of times of starting and stopping of the aircraft is configured to be equal.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an air conditioner in which two outdoor units 1 and two indoor units 3 are connected to one refrigerant system.

1a and 1b denote outdoor units, and 3a and 3b denote indoor units. The outdoor unit 1a includes an accumulator 10a, a compressor 11a driven by a gas engine, an oil separator 12a, a four-way valve 13a, an outdoor heat exchanger 14a, and an outdoor electric expansion valve 15a. Reference numeral 17a denotes a fan of the outdoor heat exchanger 14a. Regarding the outdoor unit 1b, including the following configuration,
The description is omitted because it is the same as the outdoor unit 1a.

The indoor unit 3a includes an indoor heat exchanger 34a.
And an indoor electric expansion valve 35a (hereinafter referred to as “indoor mechanical valve 35”).
a ". ). The indoor unit 3b
Is the same as that of the indoor unit 3a, including the following configuration, and a description thereof will be omitted. From the indoor units 3a and 3b, inter-unit pipes including the gas pipe 5 and the liquid pipe 7 extend, and the outdoor units 1a and 1b are connected in parallel to the inter-unit pipes. Reference numerals 105a and 105b denote maintenance on-off valves configured to allow the outdoor units 1a and 1b to be separated from the refrigerant system.

The oil separator 12a includes a compressor 11a
To separate the lubricating oil in the refrigerant discharged from the
The lubricating oil separated here is always returned to the compressor 11a through the oil return pipe 21a and the forced oil return pipe 22a. A capillary tube 24a is always provided in the oil return pipe 21a, and a flow path resistance is applied to oil returned to the compressor 11a by the capillary tube 24a. This constant oil return pipe 21a is connected in the middle of the oil separator 12a, and as long as the oil level of the oil in the oil separator 12a is higher than the position where the oil return pipe 21a is connected, the oil is constantly supplied to the compressor 11a through the constant oil return pipe 21a. It is returned to the suction pipe. On-off valves 23a and 25a are provided in the forced oil return pipe 22a.

The forced oil return pipe 22a is connected to the bottom of the oil separator 12a, and is provided with on-off valves 23a and 25a.
By opening a, the oil in the oil separator 12a is forcibly returned to the suction pipe of the compressor 11a.

The forced oil return pipe 22 of the outdoor units 1a and 1b
a and 22b are connected by a balance tube 51. The balance pipe 51 is connected between the oil separator 12a and the check valve 18a through a third auxiliary pipe 53a. The third auxiliary pipe 53a has a third opening / closing valve 55a.
a is provided.

The third on-off valve 55a is opened, and the four-way valve 13a is opened.
Is switched to the illustrated position, the balance pipe 51 communicates with the outdoor heat exchanger 14a.

In this embodiment, the compressors 11a and 11b are driven by gas engines 100a and 100b, respectively. From the main body of the compressors 11a and 11b, a shaft 101
a and 101b are led out, and a pulley (not shown) is connected to the shafts 101a and 101b.
Gas engines 100a, 100b via 2a, 102b
b is connected to the output shaft.

During the cooling operation, the refrigerant from the compressors 11a and 11b receives the oil separators 12a and 12b, the four-way valves 13a and 13b, the outdoor heat exchangers 14a and 14b, and the outdoor electric type as indicated by solid arrows in FIG. Expansion valves 15a, 15
b to the liquid pipe 7 and the indoor units 3a, 3b
, Flows in the order of the indoor electric expansion valves 35a and 35b, the indoor heat exchangers 34a and 34b, flows out to the gas pipe 5, and is returned to the compressors 11a and 11b through the four-way valves 13a and 13b and the accumulators 10a and 10b. .

During the heating operation, the refrigerant from the compressors 11a and 11b flows into the gas pipe 5 through the oil separators 12a and 12b and the four-way valves 13a and 13b as shown by dotted arrows in FIG. , 3b, flows in the order of the indoor heat exchangers 34a, 34b, and the indoor electric expansion valves 35a, 35b, flows out to the liquid pipe 7, and flows out of the outdoor electric expansion valves 15a, 15b.
15b, outdoor heat exchangers 14a, 14b, four-way valve 13a,
13b and returned to the compressors 11a and 11b via the accumulators 10a and 10b.

FIG. 2 shows an air conditioning system according to the present embodiment.

In this air conditioning system, an air conditioner having three outdoor units 1 and four indoor units 3 is formed as one unit group, and these are arranged, for example, in the same building.
This is an air conditioning system with zero systems.

In this embodiment, the controller (adjustment means) 200 controls the outdoor units 201 to 209 and the indoor units 301 to 309 in each unit group collectively.

First Control Example In the unit group, the operation orders of the outdoor units 201 to 209 are set in advance. For example, the first unit (outdoor units 201a to 209a) and the second unit (outdoor units 201b to
209b) and Unit 3 (outdoor units 201c to 209c). Then, the operation time of each outdoor unit is made different according to the driving order.

Next, the operation times of the outdoor units of all the unit groups having the same operation order in the unit group are made equal.

For example, if the target is the outdoor unit 201a of the first unit group, the outdoor unit 20a of another second unit group
If the operation time of the outdoor unit 2a is shorter than the operation time of the outdoor unit 201a, the outdoor unit 20
2a, the outdoor unit 202a and the outdoor unit 2a
01a is made equal to the operation time.

Further, the outdoor unit 20 of another third unit group
When the operation time of the outdoor unit 3a is longer than the operation time of the outdoor unit 201a, the operation rate of the outdoor unit 203a is reduced in another third unit group, and
a and the target operation time of the outdoor unit 201a is made equal.

By executing this operation over all the unit groups, the operation time management across the systems is executed.

According to this, all the first units (outdoor units 201a to 209a) across the systems and the second unit (outdoor units 20a to 209a)
1b to 209b), Unit 3 (outdoor units 201c to 209)
In order to reach the predetermined maintenance time in the order of c), it is only necessary to perform these maintenances in three parts, so that the number of maintenance visits to the building where the present system is installed can be reduced.

At the time of maintenance, the present air-conditioning system is not stopped and is operated without stopping, as described with reference to FIG.
105b is closed, and the outdoor unit is cut off.

Second Control Example In the unit group, the operation order is assigned to each of the outdoor units 201 to 209. For example, the first unit (outdoor units 201a to 209a) and the second unit (outdoor units 201b to
209b) and Unit 3 (outdoor units 201c to 209c). Then, the difference in the operation time of each outdoor unit is defined in advance within the unit group.

For example, in the first unit group, the outdoor unit 2
01a and the operation time difference between the outdoor unit 201b
Set to 00 hours.

In this case, the outdoor unit 201a is preferentially operated until the time reaches 2000 hours,
The operation of another outdoor unit 201b and the outdoor unit 201c is alternately controlled. Specifically, since the operation order of the outdoor unit 201b is higher than the operation order of the outdoor unit 201c,
The operation time of the outdoor unit 201b is controlled to be longer than the operation time of the outdoor unit 201c.
The control is performed such that a difference between the operation time of the outdoor unit 201a and the outdoor unit 201b becomes 2000 hours.

According to this, when the maintenance of the outdoor unit 201a is completed, after the lapse of 2,000 hours, the outdoor unit 201a
1b is performed.

Third Control Example In the second control example, the operation times of the outdoor units of all the unit groups having the same operation order in the unit group are made equal.

For example, if the target is the outdoor unit 201a of the first unit group, the outdoor unit 20a of another second unit group
If the operation time of the outdoor unit 2a is shorter than the operation time of the outdoor unit 201a, the outdoor unit 20
2a, the outdoor unit 202a and the outdoor unit 2a
01a is made equal to the operation time.

Further, the outdoor unit 20 of another third unit group
When the operation time of the outdoor unit 3a is longer than the operation time of the outdoor unit 201a, the operation rate of the outdoor unit 203a is reduced in another third unit group, and
a and the target operation time of the outdoor unit 201a is made equal.

By performing this operation over all unit groups, the operation time management across the systems is executed.

According to this, when 2000 hours have passed after the maintenance of all the first units (outdoor units 201a to 209a) across systems, the second unit (outdoor unit 2)
01b to 209b) are performed.

The above maintenance time and the like are merely examples, and it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the compressor 11a is driven by the gas engine 100a. Accordingly, a starter motor used for starting the engine is provided as a consumable machine part. If the starter motor fails, the operation of the present air conditioner becomes impossible.

Fourth Control Example In the case of an engine drive system, the number of times of starting and stopping the engine may be large even if the operation time is short. For example, when the indoor load is small, start and stop are frequently repeated.

In this embodiment, for example, the number of start / stop of the outdoor units 201a to 201c is integrated in the one refrigerant system, and the number of start / stops is added to all of the outdoor units 201a to 201c.
Control is performed so as to be equal at c. This control is controlled by the controller 200.

By doing so, the life of the starter motor used for starting the engine is equalized and its wear is prevented.

Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0049]

According to the present invention, the maintenance of the outdoor unit can be performed at a different time without completely stopping the air conditioning system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of an air conditioner having 10 systems.

[Description of Signs] 1 outdoor unit 3 indoor unit 200 controller (adjustment means)

Claims (4)

[Claims] In an air conditioner in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected to the same refrigerant system, adjustment for adjusting the operation time of each outdoor unit so that the operation time of each outdoor unit is different. An air conditioner comprising: means for maintaining the outdoor unit having a long operation time in order from the outdoor unit. 2. An air conditioner comprising a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units connected to the same refrigerant system to form a unit group, and operating in the unit group in an air conditioner having a plurality of these unit groups. Adjusting means for adjusting the operation time of each outdoor unit so as to make the operation time of each outdoor unit different according to the order and to equalize the operation time of the outdoor units of all the unit groups having the same operation order within the unit group. An air conditioner, wherein an outdoor unit having a long operation time in each unit group can be simultaneously maintained. 3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein an operation time difference between the outdoor units is defined to be a preset time difference. 4. An air conditioner in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected to the same refrigerant system, wherein the compressor of each of the outdoor units is an engine driven type, and the number of start / stop times of each of the outdoor units is An air conditioner characterized by being configured to be equal.