JP7163239B2 - Refrigerant circuit manufacturing method and processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Application of Patent Law Article 30, Paragraph 2 Released on the website of Prostep Co., Ltd. (http://pro-step.co.jp/) on March 17, 2019

The present invention relates to refrigerant circuit manufacturing and processing techniques.

Patent Document 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 8-94216) describes a cleaning device capable of cleaning an A/C cycle of an air conditioner mounted on a vehicle and recovering refrigerant and oil.

JP-A-8-94216

In the cleaning device described in Patent Document 1, after the refrigerant circuit (A/C cycle) is vacuumed, each part is cleaned by circulating the refrigerant (see paragraph [0025] of the specification of Patent Document 1). ). However, simply circulating the refrigerant in one direction in the refrigerant circuit may not sufficiently remove foreign matter (sludge) such as oil and rust adhering to the inside of the piping. If the piping is clogged with oil or foreign matter, the function of the air conditioner will be deteriorated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving the efficiency of cleaning the inside of a refrigerant circuit.

One solution of the present invention is to manufacture a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator, in which refrigerant is circulated from the compressor through the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator and back to the compressor. in the method. This method of manufacturing a refrigerant circuit includes a cleaning step of cleaning the refrigerant circuit with a cleaning fluid before filling the refrigerant circuit with the refrigerant. In the cleaning step, the cleaning fluid filled in the refrigerant circuit for cleaning is removed from a first circuit midway portion between the compressor and the condenser in the refrigerant circuit and between the compressor and the evaporator in the refrigerant circuit. and a cleaning fluid recovery step for recovering from each of the second circuit intermediates between and.

According to one solution means of the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of cleaning the inside of the refrigerant circuit.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerant circuit and a refrigerant treatment device; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the refrigerant treatment device; FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a recovery and regeneration step in the method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a cleaning step in the manufacturing method of the refrigerant circuit; FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a filling step in the method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit;

A configuration of a refrigerant circuit and a refrigerant treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a refrigerant circuit 60 and a refrigerant treatment device 100. As shown in FIG. Refrigerant circuit 60 will be described as being applied to a vehicle air conditioning system (car air conditioner), and FIG. there is

A refrigerant circuit 60 includes a compressor 62 , a condenser 64 , an expansion valve 66 and an evaporator 68 . The refrigerant circuit 60 is laid (circuited) so that the refrigerant flows from the compressor 62 through a condenser 64 , an expansion valve 66 and an evaporator 68 in order and returns to the compressor 62 . Freon, for example, can be used as the refrigerant. When the refrigerant circuit 60 is treated by connecting the refrigerant treatment device 100, the compressor 62 is disconnected from the refrigerant circuit 60. Therefore, in FIG. A dashed line indicates the path on the 68 side (low voltage side). The refrigerant circuit 60 as a finished product is a state in which a compressor is provided on the circuit and the circuit is filled with refrigerant. Even if there is, it may be described as the refrigerant circuit 60 .

Here, the operation of the refrigerant circuit 60 in the vehicle air conditioning system (the operation when the refrigerant treatment device 100 is not connected) will be described. First, the refrigerant filled in the refrigerant circuit 60 is compressed by driving the compressor 62 and becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure gas, and passes through the condenser 64 . At this time, the refrigerant is cooled by a condenser fan (not shown) and liquefied. By providing a receiver (not shown) between the condenser 64 and the expansion valve 66, the unliquefied refrigerant can be separated from the liquid refrigerant and removed. The liquefied refrigerant is injected into the evaporator 68 through a minute nozzle hole (that is, the nozzle hole diameter is smaller than the pipe diameter between the condenser 64 and the expansion valve 66) of the expansion valve 66 and vaporizes. The low-temperature, low-pressure atomized refrigerant takes heat from the surroundings of the evaporator 68 and cools the evaporator 68 . Air from a blower fan (not shown) is passed through the evaporator 68 and sent into the interior of the vehicle (the interior of the vehicle) for cooling. In addition, according to the processing technology described later, clogging in the refrigerant circuit 60 can be prevented, so the cooling efficiency can be improved.

In such operation of the refrigerant circuit 60, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 60 from the compressor 62 to the expansion valve 66 on the high pressure side, and from the expansion valve 66 to the compressor 62 on the low pressure side. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the refrigerant treatment device 100 and the refrigerant circuit 60 are connected, the refrigerant treatment device 100 is provided with the high-pressure valve VH and the low-pressure valve VL that are connected to the refrigerant circuit 60 . The high-pressure valve VH is provided in communication (connection) with a first circuit intermediate portion 70 between the compressor 62 and the condenser 64 in the refrigerant circuit 60 . The low-pressure valve VL is provided in communication (connection) with a second circuit intermediate portion 72 between the compressor 62 and the evaporator 68 in the refrigerant circuit 60 .

A refrigerant circuit 60 in a vehicle air-conditioning system is filled with refrigerant, and the refrigerant treatment device 100 has a function of filling the refrigerant circuit 60 with refrigerant. The refrigerant treatment device 100 also has a function of washing the refrigerant circuit 60 with a washing fluid before filling the refrigerant circuit 60 with refrigerant. Freon, for example, can be used as the cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid can be recovered from the refrigerant circuit 60 in a shorter time than the cleaning liquid by using flon as the cleaning fluid. In addition, by using the same fluid (Freon) as the refrigerant and cleaning fluid in the refrigerant circuit 60, the configuration of the refrigerant treatment device 100 can be simplified. Therefore, the refrigerant treatment apparatus 100 that uses the same cleaning fluid as the refrigerant charged in the refrigerant circuit 60 will be described below.

The refrigerant treatment device 100 includes a device body 1 (casing), and a high-pressure hose 2 and a low-pressure hose 3 extending from the device body 1 and connected to a refrigerant circuit 60 . The refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes a high-pressure pipeline 6 and a low-pressure pipeline 7 provided inside the device main body 1 . The high-pressure hose 2 has a coupler 4 at one end, is connected to the high-pressure valve VH via the coupler 4 , and is connected to the high-pressure pipeline 6 inside the apparatus main body 1 at the other end. Also, the low-pressure hose 3 has a coupler 5 at one end and is connected to a low-pressure pipeline 7 inside the apparatus main body 1 at the other end.

The high-pressure line 6 includes a high-pressure pressure sensor 8 and an evaporator 9 for decompressing and vaporizing the refrigerant, an oil separator 10 for separating refrigerating machine oil from the recovered refrigerant, and a filter for removing impurities and moisture from the refrigerant. It is piped to a device compressor 12 via a dryer 11 . The low-pressure line 7 includes a low-pressure sensor 13 and a vacuum pump 14 for evacuating the refrigerant circuit 60 of the vehicle air conditioning system. It is linked and connected to the high pressure line 6 .

The refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes a supply line 16 . The supply pipe 16 is connected to the discharge side of the apparatus compressor 12 and is piped to a tank 19 capable of recovering the refrigerant via a condenser 17 that exchanges heat within the oil separator 10 and a condenser 18 outside the oil separator 10. there is The refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes a refrigerator oil receiver 20 . Refrigerating machine oil separated by the oil separator 10 is discharged to the refrigerating machine oil receiver 20 through an oil drain pipe 21 .

The tank 19 provided in the refrigerant processing device 100 stores the refrigerant, but in this embodiment also stores the cleaning fluid for cleaning the refrigerant circuit 60 . A safety valve 22 is attached to the top of the tank 19, and when the pressure in the tank 19 exceeds a predetermined level, the tank 19 is released to the atmosphere and the air in the top of the tank 19 is discharged. A load cell 23 is attached to the tank 19 to measure the weight of the refrigerant (cleaning fluid) stored in the tank 19 .

The refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes a charge line 24 and a circulation line 25 . The filling line 24 is connected to the tank 19 and the connecting line 15 and is used when filling the refrigerant in the tank 19 into the refrigerant circuit 60 of the vehicle air conditioning system. The circulation line 25 has a valve 26 and a valve 27 branched at the tip. When the refrigerant is circulated through the internal circuit of the refrigerant treatment device 100 for cleaning, the valve 26 and the coupler 4 are connected, and the valve 27 and the coupler 5 are connected.

Refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes replenishment line 28 . The replenishment line 28 is connected to the connection line 15, and is connected to an oil can 29 for replenishing the refrigerating machine oil when the regenerated refrigerant is charged, and a tank for supplying new refrigerant when the amount of regenerated refrigerant in the tank 19 is insufficient. A Freon can 30 for replenishing the inside of 19 is connected.

The refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes solenoid valves 31 to 39 for switching pipes. The solenoid valve 31 is provided between the high-pressure pressure sensor 8 in the high-pressure pipeline 6 and the connection position (first coupling portion 78 ) of the connection pipeline 15 . The solenoid valve 32 is provided between the connection position (first connection portion 78 ) of the connection pipe 15 and the evaporator 9 . The solenoid valve 33 is provided between the connection position of the low-pressure hose 3 in the low-pressure pipeline 7 and the low-pressure pressure sensor 13 . The solenoid valve 34 is provided between the connection position (second connection portion 80 ) of the connection pipe 15 and the vacuum pump 14 . The solenoid valve 35 is provided on the oil drain pipe 21 . A solenoid valve 36 is provided in the filling line 24 . A solenoid valve 37 is provided in the circulation line 25 . The solenoid valve 38 is provided on the oil can 29 side of the replenishment line 28 . The electromagnetic valve 39 is provided on the Freon can 30 side of the replenishment pipeline 28 .

The refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes check valves 40 to 43 . A check valve 40 is provided in the filling line 24 . A check valve 41 is provided in the circulation line 25 . The check valve 42 is provided on the oil can 29 side of the replenishment line 28 . The check valve 43 is provided on the Freon can 30 side of the replenishment pipeline 28 .

For cleaning the refrigerant circuit 60 with the cleaning fluid, the refrigerant treatment device 100 includes a first pipe line 74 that communicates the first circuit intermediate portion 70 of the refrigerant circuit 60 with the tank 19 . In this embodiment, the first pipeline 74 is provided with the high-pressure hose 2, the high-pressure pipeline 6 provided with the electromagnetic valve 32 (first valve), and the device compressor 12 from the first circuit midway portion 70. It constitutes a path reaching the tank 19 through the supply line 16 . The electromagnetic valve 32 (first valve) is provided in the middle of the first pipe line 74 and between the device compressor 12 and the first connection portion 78 (connection position with the connection pipe line 15), and is opened and closed by the solenoid valve 32 (first valve). can control the flow of cleaning fluid in the first conduit 74 .

The refrigerant treatment apparatus 100 also includes a second pipe 76 that communicates the second circuit intermediate portion 72 of the refrigerant circuit 60 with the tank 19 when washing the refrigerant circuit 60 with the washing fluid. In this embodiment, the second line 76 extends from the second circuit midway portion 72 through the low-pressure hose 3, the low-pressure line 7, and the filling line 24 provided with the electromagnetic valve 36 (second valve) to the tank. 19. The solenoid valve 36 (second valve) is provided between the tank 19 and the second connection portion 80 (connection position with the connection pipe 15) in the middle of the second pipe 76, and opening and closing the second valve The flow of cleaning fluid in line 2 76 can be controlled.

In addition, when the refrigerant circuit 60 is washed with the washing fluid, the refrigerant treatment device 100 connects the first connecting portion 78 of the first pipe line 74 and the second connecting portion 80 of the second pipe line 76 to each other. A third conduit 82 is provided to communicate the first conduit 74 and the second conduit 76 . In the present embodiment, the third conduit 82 constitutes a route with the connecting conduit 15 .

The refrigerant treatment device 100 also includes a device compressor 12 provided between the tank 19 and the first connecting portion 78 in the middle of the first pipeline 74 . This apparatus compressor 12 is used to press the cleaning fluid in the refrigerant circuit 60 to the tank 19 and recover it.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control system of the refrigerant treatment device 100. As shown in FIG. The refrigerant treatment device 100 includes a control section 44 . The control unit 44 receives a signal from the operation panel 45 and operates each device such as the electromagnetic valves 31 to 39 based on a stored program (including a plurality of steps). The operation panel 45 has, as display functions, a charging amount display section 46 for displaying the refrigerant charging amount, a high pressure display section 47 for displaying the pressure on the high pressure side, and a low pressure display section 48 for displaying the pressure on the low pressure side. It has The operation panel 45 has, as input functions, a course selection key 49, an adjustment key 50 for adjusting the filling amount, etc., a start key 51, a pause key 52 for temporarily interrupting work, and a , and an end key 53 for returning the device to its initial state.

Next, an example of the operation of the refrigerant treatment device 100 (method for manufacturing the refrigerant circuit 60) for treating the refrigerant circuit 60 will be described. Here, a process of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 60 provided in the vehicle air conditioning system (car air conditioner) and regenerating the refrigerant (recovery regeneration process), a process of cleaning the refrigerant circuit 60 (cleaning process), and a process of cleaning the refrigerant circuit 60 3 to 5, a description will be given of a case in which the steps of filling the refrigerant in (filling step) are sequentially executed. FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the recovery and regeneration process. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of the cleaning process. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the filling process. In the refrigerant treatment apparatus 100, these processes can be selected with the course selection key 49. FIG. Also, when starting each step, the start key 51 is pressed.

<Collection and regeneration process>
Before performing the recovery and regeneration process, the operator stops the vehicle engine and stops the compressor 62 . From this state, the high-pressure hose 2 is connected to the high-pressure valve VH by the coupler 4 . Also, the low pressure hose 3 is connected to the low pressure valve VL by a coupler 5 .

When the recovery and regeneration process starts, the solenoid valves 31 and 32 of the closed solenoid valves 31 to 39 are opened (S1), and the apparatus compressor 12 is driven (S2). As the apparatus compressor 12 is driven, the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 60 is introduced from the high-pressure hose 2 in the state of a high-pressure liquid, is decompressed and vaporized by the evaporator 9 through the high-pressure pipe 6, and the refrigerating machine oil is separated by the oil separator 10. Thereafter, the refrigerant is filtered and dewatered by the filter drier 11 through the supply pipe 16 , liquefied by the condensers 17 and 18 , and collected in the tank 19 . At this time, in the oil separator 10, since the refrigerant is condensed and liquefied by the built-in condenser 17, vaporization and liquefaction act synergistically to efficiently perform heat exchange.

When the pressure P detected by the high-pressure pressure sensor 8 of the high-pressure pipeline 6 becomes equal to or lower than the first predetermined pressure P1 (S3), it is determined that the refrigerant remaining on the high-pressure side of the refrigerant circuit 60 is in a substantially gaseous state. to open the solenoid valve 33 (S4). As a result, the gaseous refrigerant remaining on the high pressure side and the low pressure side of the refrigerant circuit 60 is recovered in the tank 19 .

After that, when the pressure P detected by the low-pressure pressure sensor 13 of the low-pressure pipeline 7 becomes equal to or lower than the second predetermined pressure P2 (S5), the solenoid valve 32 is closed (S6) and the compressor 12 is stopped (S7). Then, the electromagnetic valve 34 is opened (S8), the vacuum pump 14 is operated (S9), and vacuuming is performed. When the pressure detected by the low pressure sensor 13 becomes equal to or lower than the third predetermined pressure P3 (S10), it is determined that almost all of the refrigerant has been recovered, the vacuum pump 14 is stopped (S11), and the electromagnetic valve 31, 33, and 34 are closed (S12), and collection is finished.

When the refrigerant recovery is completed, the electromagnetic valve 35 is opened (S13), the separated refrigerating machine oil in the oil separator 10 is discharged to the refrigerating machine oil receiver 20 through the discharge pipe 21, and after a predetermined time T1 elapses (S14), the electromagnetic The valve 35 is closed (S15), and the recovery and regeneration process ends. Then, a guidance such as the end of the recovery and regeneration process is output (S16). As described above, in the recovery and regeneration process of the refrigerant processing apparatus 100, the refrigerant is extracted from the refrigerant circuit 60, the refrigerant is separated from the refrigerating machine oil, and the refrigerant is washed and replenished, and the refrigerating machine oil is replaced to regenerate the refrigerant. can be done.

<Washing process>
In performing the cleaning step of cleaning the refrigerant circuit 60 using the cleaning fluid, in the present embodiment, the compressor 62 is disconnected from the refrigerant circuit 60 and the disconnected portion is closed. From this state, the high-pressure hose 2 is connected to the high-pressure valve VH by the coupler 4 . Also, the low pressure hose 3 is connected to the low pressure valve VL by a coupler 5 .

When the cleaning process is started, the electromagnetic valves 31, 33, and 34 among the closed electromagnetic valves 31 to 39 are opened, the vacuum pump 14 is operated (S21), and the refrigerant circuit 60 is decompressed. Evacuation is performed (evacuation process). The pressure reduction in the refrigerant circuit 60 can be confirmed by the pressure detected by the low-pressure sensor 13, or can be adjusted by the vacuum drawing time. In this embodiment, when the pressure detected by the low pressure sensor 13 becomes equal to or lower than the fourth predetermined pressure P4 (S22), the vacuum pump 14 is stopped, the electromagnetic valve 34 is closed (S23), and the refrigerant circuit 60 is is in a decompressed state.

Next, by opening the solenoid valve 31, the solenoid valve 33, and the solenoid valve 36 (second valve) (the other solenoid valves 32 and the like are closed) (S24), the refrigerant circuit 60 that has been evacuated A cleaning fluid is injected from the tank 19 (cleaning fluid filling step). Since the refrigerant circuit 60 is decompressed, cleaning fluid is injected into the refrigerant circuit 60 from each of the first circuit midsection 70 and the second circuit midway section 72 . By injecting the cleaning fluid into the refrigerant circuit 60 not from one location but from a plurality of locations (the first circuit intermediate portion 70 and the second circuit intermediate portion 72), it is possible to fill the refrigerant circuit 60 with the cleaning fluid in a short time. Therefore, the entire cleaning process can be shortened, and the cleaning efficiency can be improved. The amount of cleaning fluid injected into the refrigerant circuit 60 is calculated by detecting the weight of the tank 19 with the load cell 22 . When the load cell 23 detects that the cleaning fluid in the tank 19 has decreased by a specified amount, it is determined that the refrigerant circuit 60 is filled with a specified amount of cleaning fluid (S25).

After the refrigerant circuit 60 is filled with the cleaning fluid for cleaning, the solenoid valve 36 (second valve) is closed, the solenoid valves 31, 32 (first valve) and solenoid valve 33 are opened, and the device compressor is 12 is driven (S26). By driving the device compressor 12, the cleaning fluid in the refrigerant circuit 60 is pressed into the tank 19 and recovered. When the load cell 23 detects that the cleaning fluid in the tank 19 has increased by the specified amount, it is determined that the cleaning fluid in the refrigerant circuit 60 has been recovered by the specified amount (S27). Here, part of the cleaning fluid filled in the refrigerant circuit 60 is recovered from each of the first circuit intermediate portion 70 and the second circuit intermediate portion 72 (intermediate recovery step).

After that, by closing the solenoid valve 32 (first valve) and opening the solenoid valves 31, 33 and 36 (second valve) (S28), part of the cleaning fluid was recovered. A cleaning fluid is injected from the tank 19 into the refrigerant circuit 60 (intermediate filling step). Since the internal pressure of the tank 19 is increased by the apparatus compressor 12 , the cleaning fluid in the tank 19 is injected into the refrigerant circuit 60 from the first circuit intermediate portion 70 and the second circuit intermediate portion 72 . When the load cell 23 detects that the cleaning fluid in the tank 19 has decreased by a specified amount, it is determined that the refrigerant circuit 60 is filled with a specified amount of cleaning fluid (S29).

After filling the inside of the refrigerant circuit 60 with the cleaning fluid in this manner, part of the cleaning fluid is recovered and the inside of the refrigerant circuit 60 is filled with the cleaning fluid again, thereby reciprocating the cleaning fluid within the refrigerant circuit 60 . Specifically, in the refrigerant circuit 60, the expansion valve 66, which has a smaller pipe diameter, is used as a boundary, and a pipe line extending from the first circuit midway portion 70 to the expansion valve 66 via the condenser 64, and from the second circuit midway portion 72 Refrigerant circuit 60 is divided into a pipe line extending to expansion valve 66 via evaporator 68, and washing fluid reciprocates in each line.

As a result, the reciprocating motion of the cleaning fluid can cleanse and remove oil and foreign matter adhering within the refrigerant circuit 60 that could not be removed by the one-way flow of the cleaning fluid. In particular, since the cleaning fluid reciprocates with the expansion valve 66 as a boundary, clogging of the nozzle hole of the expansion valve 66, which has a smaller diameter than the other pipes, can be eliminated. Further, by repeating the intermediate recovery process and the intermediate filling process a predetermined number of times (S30), the number of times the cleaning fluid is reciprocated increases, so oil and the like can be removed by cleaning. Also, the refrigerant circuit 60 can be divided into two pipe lines (paths) with respect to the expansion valve 66 and can be washed simultaneously. Therefore, the efficiency of cleaning the inside of the refrigerant circuit 60 can be improved. The oil and the like removed from the refrigerant circuit 60 can be separated in the same manner as in the recovery and regeneration process described above.

Next, all of the cleaning fluid filled in the refrigerant circuit 60 for cleaning is recovered from each of the first circuit intermediate portion 70 and the second circuit intermediate portion 72 (cleaning fluid recovery step). Specifically, the solenoid valve 36 (second valve) is closed, the solenoid valves 31, 32 (first valve) and solenoid valve 33 are opened, and the apparatus compressor 12 is driven (S31). By recovering the cleaning fluid in the refrigerant circuit 60 not from one location but from a plurality of locations (the first circuit intermediate portion 70 and the second circuit intermediate portion 72), the cleaning fluid can be filled in a short time. Therefore, the entire cleaning process can be shortened, and the cleaning efficiency can be improved.

After that, the apparatus compressor 12 is stopped, and the electromagnetic valves 31, 32 and 33 are closed (S32), and the cleaning process is completed. Then, guidance such as that the cleaning process is completed is output (S33). In the present embodiment, since the compressor 62 is separated from the refrigerant circuit 60 in the cleaning process, the compressor 62 is reconnected for evacuation.

<Filling process>
In performing the filling process of filling the refrigerant circuit 60 with the refrigerant, the operator connects the high pressure hose 2 to the high pressure valve VH with the coupler 4 . Also, the low pressure hose 3 is connected to the low pressure valve VL by a coupler 5 . The charging process can be performed while the vehicle engine is running, but in order to protect the refrigerant circuit 60, the charging process is performed while the vehicle engine is stopped. At this time, the solenoid valves 31 and 36 are opened, and the pressure in the tank 19 allows the medium circuit 60 to be supplied (preliminarily charged) with a certain amount of refrigerant.

When the operator presses the start key 51 according to the guidance of the refrigerant treatment device 100, the charging process is started. When the charging process starts, among the closed solenoid valves 31 to 39, the solenoid valve 31 and the solenoid valve 36 are opened (S41), and the refrigerant in the tank 19 flows from the second circuit intermediate portion 72 to the refrigerant circuit 60. supplied. Further, by opening the electromagnetic valve 38 of the replenishment line 28 in advance, the refrigerating machine oil in the oil can 29 is injected into the refrigerant circuit 60 together with the refrigerant.

After that, when the load cell 23 detects that the refrigerant in the tank 19 has decreased by the specified refrigerant amount C (S42), it is determined that the refrigerant circuit 60 is filled with the specified amount C of refrigerant. As a result, the solenoid valves 31 and 36 of the filling line 24 are closed, and the solenoid valve 38 of the replenishment line 28 is closed (S43), thus ending the filling process. Then, guidance such as completion of the filling process is output (S44). Thus, in the charging process of the refrigerant treatment device 100, the refrigerant circuit 60 can be filled with an appropriate amount of refrigerant.

Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the above embodiment, the case where freon (for example, hydrofluorocarbon: HFC) is used as the refrigerant and cleaning fluid has been described. Not limited to this, for example, hydrofluoroolefin can be used as the refrigerant or cleaning fluid.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the cleaning process is performed after the recovery and regeneration process has been described. The cleaning process is not limited to this, and the cleaning process may be performed before the refrigerant circuit is filled with the refrigerant for the first time. As a result, it is possible to remove foreign matter adhering during assembly of the expansion valve or the like.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the compressor of the refrigerant circuit is disconnected when performing the cleaning process has been described. Alternatively, the compressor may remain connected to the refrigerant circuit. If the compressor is left connected to the refrigerant circuit, the compressor causes pressure reduction. This is because the influence of the compressor can be suppressed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case of application to a refrigerant circuit applied to a vehicle air conditioning system (car air conditioner) has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, a refrigerant circuit applied to a refrigerator or the like.

1 device main body 2 high-pressure hose 3 low-pressure hose 4, 5 coupler 6 high-pressure pipeline 7 low-pressure pipeline 8 high-pressure pressure sensor 9 evaporator 10 oil separator 11 filter dryer 12 compressor for device 13 Low-pressure pressure sensor 14 Vacuum pump 15 Connection line 16 Supply line 17, 18 Condenser 19 Tank 20 Refrigerant oil receiver 21 Oil drain pipe 22 Safety valve 23 Load cell 24 Filling line 25 Circulation Pipeline 26, 27 Valve 28 Replenishment pipe 29 Oil can 30 Freon can 31-39 Solenoid valve 40-43 Check valve 44 Control unit 45 Operation panel 46 Filling amount display unit 47 High pressure 48 Low pressure display 49 Course selection key 50 Adjustment key 51 Start key 52 Pause key 53 End key 60 Refrigerant circuit 62 Compressor 64 Condenser 66 Expansion valve 68 Evaporator , 70 first circuit midway portion, 72 second circuit midway portion, 74 first pipeline, 76 second pipeline, 78 first connection portion, 80 second connection portion, 82 third pipeline, 100 refrigerant treatment device, U vehicle air conditioning system, VH high pressure valve, VL low pressure valve

Claims (7)

A method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, in which refrigerant circulates from the compressor through the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator in order, and then returns to the compressor,
a cleaning step of cleaning the refrigerant circuit with a cleaning fluid before filling the refrigerant circuit with the refrigerant;
The washing step includes
A washing fluid charged in the refrigerant circuit for washing is distributed to a first halfway portion of the refrigerant circuit between the compressor and the condenser and a first halfway portion of the refrigerant circuit between the compressor and the evaporator. a cleaning fluid recovery step for recovering from each of the two circuit intermediates ;
The cleaning step includes, prior to the cleaning fluid recovery step,
a vacuuming step of vacuuming the inside of the refrigerant circuit;
a cleaning fluid charging step of charging a cleaning fluid into the refrigerant circuit from each of the intermediate portion of the first circuit and the intermediate portion of the second circuit after the vacuuming step;
A method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit, characterized by: In the cleaning step, between the cleaning fluid filling step and the cleaning fluid recovery step,
an intermediate recovery step of recovering part of the cleaning fluid filled in the refrigerant circuit from each of the intermediate portion of the first circuit and the intermediate portion of the second circuit;
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, after the intermediate recovery step, an intermediate charging step of charging cleaning fluid into the refrigerant circuit from each of the intermediate portion of the first circuit and the intermediate portion of the second circuit. A method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit. 3. The method of manufacturing a refrigerant circuit according to claim 2 , wherein the intermediate recovery step and the intermediate filling step are repeated. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the cleaning step is performed with the compressor disconnected from the refrigerant circuit. A method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, in which refrigerant circulates from the compressor through the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator in order, and then returns to the compressor,
a cleaning step of cleaning the refrigerant circuit with a cleaning fluid before filling the refrigerant circuit with the refrigerant;
The washing step includes
A washing fluid charged in the refrigerant circuit for washing is distributed to a first halfway portion of the refrigerant circuit between the compressor and the condenser and a first halfway portion of the refrigerant circuit between the compressor and the evaporator. a cleaning fluid recovery step for recovering from each of the two circuit intermediates ;
The cleaning step is performed with the compressor disconnected from the refrigerant circuit.
A method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit, characterized by: The method for manufacturing a refrigerant circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein flon is used as the cleaning fluid. A processing apparatus for a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator, wherein refrigerant circulates from the compressor through the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator in order and back to the compressor,
a tank storing a cleaning fluid for cleaning the refrigerant circuit;
a first conduit that communicates with a first circuit intermediate portion between the compressor and the condenser in the refrigerant circuit and the tank;
a second pipe that communicates between a middle portion of a second circuit between the compressor and the evaporator in the refrigerant circuit and the tank;
a third pipeline that connects a first connection portion of the first pipeline and a second connection portion of the second pipeline and communicates the first pipeline and the second pipeline;
a device compressor provided between the tank and the first connecting portion at an intermediate portion of the first pipe;
a first valve provided between the apparatus compressor and the first connecting portion in the middle of the first pipe;
a second valve provided between the tank and the second connecting portion in the middle of the second pipe,
In a state in which the second valve is closed, the first valve is opened, and the apparatus compressor is driven, the cleaning fluid charged in the refrigerant circuit for cleaning is supplied to the intermediate portion of the first circuit and the second portion of the refrigerant circuit. A processing device for a refrigerant circuit, characterized in that recovery is performed from each of the intermediate portions of the circuit.

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