JP7381944B2 - air conditioning system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to air conditioning systems.

Patent Document 1 below discloses an air conditioner in which an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units are connected via refrigerant piping. A refrigerant leak detection sensor and a remote controller are connected to each of the plurality of indoor units.

In the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, when the refrigerant leak detection sensor detects a refrigerant leak, the refrigerant leak detection information is transmitted to the remote control in the next room via the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, and the indoor unit in the next room. do. The remote control in the next room receives the detection information and issues an alarm.

JP 2017-53509 Publication

Patent Document 1 discloses that when a refrigerant leak occurs, a refrigerant leak alarm is issued by a remote control connected to the indoor unit that detected the leak and a remote control in an adjacent room. There is no guarantee that there will be someone in the room who can respond after a leak occurs.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioning system that can appropriately notify a manager or the like that a refrigerant leak has occurred.

(1) The air conditioning system of the present disclosure includes:
A first device and a second device that are communicably connected to each other and through which a refrigerant flows;
a first refrigerant sensor provided in the first device to detect a refrigerant;
a first alarm device that is communicatively connected to the first device and notifies of a refrigerant leak based on detection of refrigerant by the first refrigerant sensor;
A control device that controls the first device and the second device,
The first alarm can be set with authority to notify of refrigerant leakage based on detection of refrigerant received from a source other than the first refrigerant sensor.

In the air conditioning system having the above configuration, for example, the equipment and alarm installed in the control room are used as the first equipment and the first alarm, respectively, to prevent refrigerant leakage from locations other than where the first equipment is installed. Even if there is a refrigerant leak, the first alarm can be used to notify the administrator etc. of the refrigerant leak.

(2) Preferably, the control device permits operation of the first device and the second device in conjunction with the setting of the authority to the first alarm.
According to this configuration, operation of the first and second devices is permitted in conjunction with the setting of the authority to the first alarm, so that until the authority is set to the first alarm, the operation of the first and second devices is allowed. , the second device cannot be operated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air conditioning system from operating without the authority set.

(3) Preferably, a second refrigerant sensor provided in the second device to detect refrigerant;
a second alarm device that is communicably connected to the second device and that notifies you of a refrigerant leak based on detection of refrigerant by the second refrigerant sensor;
The second alarm can be set with authority to notify of refrigerant leakage based on detection of refrigerant received from a source other than the second refrigerant sensor.
According to this configuration, the authority can be selectively set for all or either of the first notification device and the second notification device. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the authority to all of the first and second notification devices, and it is possible to notify refrigerant leakage within a necessary range.

(4) The control device permits operation of the first device and the second device in conjunction with the setting of the authority to the first notification device or the second notification device.
According to this configuration, if the authority is set to only one of the first alarm device and the second alarm device, the administrator can be notified of the refrigerant leak, so the operation of the first device and the second device can be controlled. may be allowed.

(5) Preferably, further comprising a third device connected to the first device and having a compressor,
The control device is provided in the third device.
According to this configuration, if the control device is provided in the first device, even if a communication failure occurs between the first device and the third device, the first notification device will not be given notification authority. The control device can know this, and can permit operation of the first device and the second device other than the third device. In the present disclosure, since the control device is provided in the third device, when a communication failure occurs between the first device and the third device, the control device controls whether the notification authority is set to the first notification device. I can't know that. Therefore, the entire operation of the first to third devices can be maintained in a stopped state.

(6) Preferably, when the authority is set to the first notification device,
The first device and the second device share identification information that identifies a group including the first notification device and the first device,
The second device transmits leakage detection information and the identification information to the first device based on the detection of the refrigerant by the second refrigerant sensor,
The first device instructs the first notifier to notify of a refrigerant leak based on the leakage detection information and identification information of the group to which the first device belongs.
According to this configuration, the first device instructs the first alarm to notify of a refrigerant leak by receiving the leakage detection information and identification information transmitted by the second device, and the first device instructs the first alarm to notify the second alarm. It is possible to notify of refrigerant leakage from equipment.

(7) Preferably, the identification information is information indicating a model name or a device number of the first device.
According to this configuration, the identification information can be set using the model name or device number originally assigned to the first device.

(8) Preferably, the first device and the second device are communicably connected using a communication method that allows simultaneous communication.
According to this configuration, refrigerant leakage information and identification information can be quickly transmitted from the second device to the first device, and early notification can be realized.

(9) Preferably, the first notification device is a remote controller that operates the first device.

(10) Preferably, the first device and the second device are indoor units of an air conditioner.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner. It is a block diagram of a control system of an air conditioner. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a refrigerant leak notification mechanism. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure which shares the identification information of each group with several indoor units. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure which shares the identification information of a management group among several indoor units. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of an indoor unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the air conditioning system will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
The air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment is installed, for example, in a building or the like. The air conditioning system 10 includes an air conditioner 11 having an indoor unit 21 installed indoors in a building and an outdoor unit 22 installed outdoors. In FIG. 1, an air conditioner 11A that operates with a first refrigerant system and an air conditioner 11B that operates with a second refrigerant system are shown.

In each refrigerant system, the outdoor unit 22 of the air conditioner 11 and the plurality of indoor units 21 are communicably connected via the first communication line L1. The outdoor unit 22 of the first refrigerant system and the outdoor unit 22 of the second refrigerant system are also communicably connected via the first communication line L1. Communication via this first communication line L1 enables individual communication between the outdoor unit 22 and indoor unit 21 in each refrigerant system, and also enables communication between either the indoor unit 21 or the outdoor unit 22 in all refrigerant systems. A communication method (first communication method) that allows simultaneous transmission of information from a device to other devices (so-called broadcast) is adopted.

A remote controller 42 is connected to one of the indoor units 21 in each refrigerant system. This remote controller 42 is used to turn on/off the operation of the indoor unit 21 and the outdoor unit 22, and to input settings such as temperature settings. In this embodiment, as shown surrounded by a dotted frame in FIG. 1, one remote controller 42 and the indoor unit 21 connected to it constitute one group, and the air conditioning system 10 is The operation of the indoor unit 21 can be controlled at each time. Each group has one representative indoor unit 21, generally called a "base unit".

In each group, the indoor unit 21 and the remote controller 42 are communicably connected via the second communication line L2. For communication via the second communication line L2, a communication method (second communication method; so-called polling method) that allows sequential communication in which a plurality of indoor units 21 can communicate with the remote controller 42 in order is adopted. ing.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner.
The air conditioner 11 performs vapor compression refrigeration cycle operation by circulating refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit 23 . In this embodiment, a refrigerant having properties such as flammability, slightly flammability, toxicity, or greenhouse effect, such as R32 refrigerant, is used as the refrigerant.

The refrigerant circuit 23 includes a compressor 30, a four-way switching valve 32, an outdoor heat exchanger (heat source heat exchanger) 31, an outdoor expansion valve 34, a liquid closing valve 36, an indoor expansion valve 24, an indoor heat exchanger (utilized heat exchanger) 25, a gas shutoff valve 37, and refrigerant pipes 40L and 40G connecting these.

The indoor unit 21 includes an indoor expansion valve 24 and an indoor heat exchanger 25 that constitute a refrigerant circuit 23 . The indoor expansion valve 24 is an electric expansion valve that can adjust the refrigerant pressure and the refrigerant flow rate. The indoor heat exchanger 25 is a cross-fin tube type or microchannel type heat exchanger, and is used to exchange heat with indoor air.

The indoor unit 21 further includes an indoor fan 26 and a refrigerant sensor 27. The indoor fan 26 is configured to take indoor air into the interior of the indoor unit 21, perform heat exchange between the taken air and the indoor heat exchanger 25, and then blow out the air indoors. . The indoor fan 26 includes a motor whose operating speed can be adjusted by inverter control.

Refrigerant sensor 27 detects refrigerant leaking from refrigerant circuit 23 . The refrigerant sensor 27 is provided near the refrigerant pipe inside the indoor unit 21 . However, the refrigerant sensor 27 may be provided on a remote controller 42, which will be described later, or on the indoor ceiling, wall, floor, or the like.

The outdoor unit 22 includes a compressor 30 , a four-way switching valve 32 , an outdoor heat exchanger 31 , an outdoor expansion valve 34 , a liquid closing valve 36 , and a gas closing valve 37 that constitute a refrigerant circuit 23 .
The compressor 30 sucks in low-pressure gas refrigerant and discharges high-pressure gas refrigerant. The compressor 30 includes a motor whose operating speed can be adjusted by inverter control. The compressor 30 is a variable capacity type (capacity variable type) whose capacity (capacity) can be changed by controlling the motor with an inverter. However, the compressor 30 may be of a constant capacity type. A plurality of compressors 30 may be provided. In this case, a variable capacity compressor and a constant capacity compressor may coexist.

The four-way switching valve 32 reverses the flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe, and switches and supplies the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 30 to either the outdoor heat exchanger 31 or the indoor heat exchanger 25. Thereby, the air conditioner 11 can switch between cooling operation and heating operation.

The outdoor heat exchanger 31 is, for example, a cross-fin tube type or microchannel type heat exchanger, and is used to exchange heat with a refrigerant using air as a heat source. The outdoor expansion valve 34 is constituted by an electric expansion valve that can adjust the refrigerant pressure and the refrigerant flow rate. The liquid shutoff valve 36 is a manual on-off valve. The gas shutoff valve 37 is also a manual on-off valve.

The outdoor unit 22 further includes an outdoor fan 33. The outdoor fan 33 includes a motor whose operating rotation speed can be adjusted by inverter control. The outdoor fan 33 takes outdoor air into the outdoor unit 22 , performs heat exchange between the taken air and the outdoor heat exchanger 31 , and then blows the air out to the outside of the outdoor unit 22 . It is configured.

When the air conditioner 11 configured as described above performs cooling operation, the four-way switching valve 32 is maintained in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 30 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 31 through the four-way switching valve 32, and is radiated by exchanging heat with outdoor air by the operation of the outdoor fan 33. The refrigerant that has radiated heat passes through the outdoor expansion valve 34 in the fully open state and flows into each indoor unit 21 . In the indoor unit 21, the refrigerant is reduced in pressure to a predetermined low pressure by the indoor expansion valve 24, and further exchanges heat with indoor air in the indoor heat exchanger 25 and evaporates. The indoor air cooled by the evaporation of the refrigerant is blown into the room by the indoor fan 26 to cool the room. The refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger 25 returns to the outdoor unit 22 through the gas refrigerant pipe 40G, and is sucked into the compressor 30 through the four-way switching valve 32.

When the air conditioner 11 performs heating operation, the four-way switching valve 32 is maintained in the state shown by the broken line in FIG. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 30 flows into the indoor heat exchanger 25 of each indoor unit 21 via the four-way switching valve 32 . In the indoor heat exchanger 25, the refrigerant exchanges heat with indoor air and radiates heat. Indoor air heated by the heat radiation of the refrigerant is blown into the room by the indoor fan 26 to heat the room. The refrigerant liquefied in the indoor heat exchanger 25 returns to the outdoor unit 22 through the liquid refrigerant pipe 40L, is reduced in pressure to a predetermined low pressure by the outdoor expansion valve 34, and is further heat exchanged with outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 31. Evaporate. The refrigerant evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 31 is sucked into the compressor 30 via the four-way switching valve 32.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control system of the air conditioner.
The indoor unit 21 includes a control device 29 as a component of a control system. The control device 29 is constituted by a microcomputer or the like having a control section 29a such as a CPU, and a storage section 29b such as RAM or ROM. The control device 29 may include an integrated circuit such as FPGA or ASIC. The control device 29 controls the operations of the indoor fan 26 and the indoor expansion valve 24 described above. The control device 29 receives the signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 27 via the second communication line L2. Refrigerant sensor 27 transmits a detection signal of refrigerant leaking from refrigerant circuit 23 to control device 29 .

The remote controller 42 is communicably connected to the control device 29 of the indoor unit 21. The user can operate the remote controller 42 to turn on/off the air conditioner 11, input a set temperature, and the like. The remote controller 42 of the embodiment includes a control device 42a and a display panel (display section) 42b. The control device 42a is constituted by a microcomputer having a control section such as a CPU, and a storage section such as a RAM or ROM. The control device may include an integrated circuit such as an FPGA or an ASIC. The display panel 42b functions as a notification section that notifies you when the refrigerant sensor 27 detects a refrigerant, as will be described later.

The outdoor unit 22 includes a control device 39. The control device 39 is composed of a microcomputer or the like having a control section 39a such as a CPU, and a storage section 39b such as RAM or ROM. The control device 39 may include an integrated circuit such as an FPGA or an ASIC. The control device 39 controls the operations of the compressor 30, the outdoor fan 33, and the outdoor expansion valve 34. The control device 39 transmits control signals for controlling the operations of the indoor fans 26 and indoor expansion valves 24 of the plurality of indoor units 21 to the control devices 29 of the indoor units 21 .

[Refrigerant leak notification]
In this embodiment, for example, a slightly flammable R32 refrigerant is used as the refrigerant. Therefore, when refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant circuit 23 of the indoor unit 21, it is desirable to notify the user etc. as soon as possible. In this embodiment, when the refrigerant sensor 27 detects refrigerant, the information (leakage detection information) is transmitted from the control device 29 of the indoor unit 21 to the control device 42a of the remote controller 42, and the display panel 42b of the remote controller 42 A refrigerant leak is notified by displaying an alarm. Therefore, users using the room can recognize that the refrigerant has leaked.

The air conditioning system 10 having the plurality of indoor units 21 and the remote controller 42 potentially has the following problems regarding the above-mentioned refrigerant leak notification.
(First issue)
The standards for air conditioners in Japan (Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association standards; JRA standards) require that building managers and the like be notified when a refrigerant leak occurs. In large-scale buildings, all air conditioners are often collectively managed by a central control device, so if a refrigerant leak occurs in any indoor unit 21, the information is received by the central control device. , the administrator can be notified. However, since many small and medium-sized buildings are not equipped with such a centralized control device, it is difficult to notify managers of refrigerant leaks. Therefore, the response to refrigerant leakage may be delayed.

(Second issue)
When a plurality of indoor units 21 communicate with the remote controller 42 using a polling method as in the air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment, the indoor units 21 cannot communicate with the remote controller 42 immediately after detecting the refrigerant. However, communication will be performed after it is your turn. Therefore, the notification by the remote controller 42 may be delayed.

In view of the first and second problems, the air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment takes the following measures.
First, regarding the first problem, in the air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment, one of the remote controllers 42 is configured to be able to be set for management. A construction contractor or a service person can make management settings for a specific remote controller 42 when or after installing the air conditioning system 10. This management setting gives a specific remote controller 42 the authority to notify a refrigerant leak based on the detection of refrigerant received from a device other than the refrigerant sensor 27 of the indoor unit 21 connected to the remote controller 42. (hereinafter also referred to as "notification authority").

For example, if the indoor unit 21 installed in a building manager's room and its remote controller 42 are set for management purposes, and the remote controller 42 is given notification authority, other groups other than the group to which the remote controller 42 belongs The leakage of refrigerant detected in the indoor unit 21 can be reported by the remote controller 42 set for management, and the administrator present in the management room can be immediately notified of the occurrence of refrigerant leakage.

Regarding the second problem, in the air conditioning system 10 of the present embodiment, when refrigerant is detected in any of the plurality of indoor units 21 in each group, all the indoor units 21 included in the group The system is configured to be able to instruct notification of refrigerant leakage. Therefore, regardless of the order of communication with the remote controller 42, the indoor unit 21 that communicates with the remote controller 42 first in the group can issue a refrigerant leak notification instruction to the remote controller 42 without causing any delay. It is possible to notify the occurrence of a refrigerant leak using the remote controller 42 and notify a user indoors of the refrigerant leak.

Hereinafter, specific details regarding notification of refrigerant leakage will be explained.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining a refrigerant leak notification mechanism. In FIG. 4, some groups A, B, and C included in the air conditioning system 10 are extracted and shown. Each group A, B, C includes one or more indoor units 21A, 21B1, 21B2, 21C and remote controllers 42A, 42B, 42C. Note that although only one indoor unit 21A, 21C is shown in group A and group C, a plurality of indoor units may be included.

In the example shown in FIG. 4, indoor unit 21A and remote controller 42A included in group A are set for management. The indoor unit 21A and the remote controller 42A included in this group A may be installed, for example, in a management room of a building.

The storage unit 29b of the indoor units 21A, 21B1, 21B2, and 21C included in each group A, B, and C stores identification information for specifying the group A, B, and C to which the indoor units belong. For example, the indoor unit 21A of group A stores identification information of group A. Identification information of group B is stored in the indoor units 21B1 and 21B2 of group B. Identification information of group C is stored in the indoor unit 21C of group C. Indoor units 21B1 and 21B2 belonging to the same group B share the same identification information.

The storage units 29b of indoor units 21B1, 21B2, and 21C of groups B and C that belong to groups other than management group A contain identification information of group A set for management in addition to identification information of their own groups B and C. is also remembered. Therefore, the identification information of management group A is shared by all indoor units 21A, 21B1, 21B2, and 21C.

In the air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment, the model names and equipment numbers of the indoor units included in each group A, B, and C are used as identification information for each group A, B, and C. More specifically, in the air conditioning system 10 of this embodiment, the model names and equipment numbers of the representative indoor units 21A, 21B1, and 21C in each group A, B, and C are employed as identification information. A typical indoor unit is an indoor unit generally called a "base unit", and for example, an indoor unit that supplies power to the remote controller 42 is employed. Note that the equipment number is a unique number given to each indoor unit 21, and includes, for example, a manufacturing number and a communication address.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for sharing identification information of each group among a plurality of indoor units.
In FIG. 5, as an example, a procedure for sharing identification information between a plurality of indoor units 21B1 and 21B2 in group B in FIG. 4 will be described.
First, the indoor unit 21B1, which is the representative in group B, transmits its own identification information (model name and device number) to the remote controller 42B (step S11). This identification information is transmitted by polling communication.

The remote controller 42B that has received the identification information transmits the identification information of the representative indoor unit 21B1 to the other indoor units 21B2 in group B (step S12). Transmission of this identification information is also based on polling type communication.

The other indoor unit 21B2 that has received the identification information stores the identification information in the storage section 29b and shares the identification information of the indoor unit 21B1 (step S13).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for sharing management group identification information among a plurality of indoor units.
As an example, a case will be described in which notification authority is set for the remote controller 42A of group A.
When the construction contractor or service person sets the remote controller 42A included in group A to grant notification authority (step S21), the remote controller 42A receives information indicating that notification authority has been set (setting information) to the indoor unit 21A representing group A (step S22). This transmission is based on polling type communication.

Next, the indoor unit 21A that has received the setting information, as a representative of the management group A, transmits its own model name and equipment number, which are the identification information of the group A, to the other indoor units 21B1, 21B2, and 21C (step S23). ). This transmission is based on broadcast communication. Therefore, the identification information of the indoor unit 21A set for management is also transmitted to the outdoor unit 22. How to handle the identification information transmitted to the outdoor unit 22 will be described later.

The other indoor units 21B1, 21B2, and C store the received identification information of management group A in the storage unit 29b, and share the identification information among all the indoor units 21A, 21B1, 21B2, and 21C (step S24). .

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure for the indoor unit. FIG. 7 shows control procedures for both the indoor unit 21 that has detected refrigerant leakage and the indoor unit 21 that has received information about refrigerant leakage from another indoor unit 21. This control procedure is performed by the control device 29 of the indoor unit 21.

Each indoor unit 21 of the air conditioning system 10 determines whether leaked refrigerant is detected by the refrigerant sensor 27 (step S31). If the determination in step S31 is affirmative (Yes), the indoor unit 21 transmits refrigerant leakage information consisting of the following three pieces of information (a) to (c) to the other indoor units 21 by broadcast method.

(a) Information indicating that refrigerant leakage has been detected (leakage detection information)
(b) Identification information of own group (c) Identification information of management group

Information (a) is a signal generated when refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit 21 and the refrigerant sensor 27 provided in the indoor unit 21 detects the refrigerant, and is also called a leakage flag. The indoor unit 21 that has received this leakage detection information can recognize that refrigerant is leaking from another indoor unit 21 other than itself.

As described above, the information (b) is the identification information (model name and equipment number) of the representative indoor unit 21 that is shared within the group by the procedure shown in FIG. Information (c) is identification information (model name and equipment number) of the indoor unit 21 that is the representative in the management group and is shared by all the indoor units 21 according to the procedure shown in FIG.

When the indoor unit 21 that has detected the refrigerant leak has a chance to communicate with the remote controller 42 using the polling method, it instructs the remote controller 42 to notify the refrigerant leak (step S33).

On the other hand, each indoor unit 21 of the air conditioning system 10 determines whether or not it has received refrigerant leakage information from another indoor unit 21 (step S41). If the determination in step S41 is affirmative (Yes), the indoor unit 21 compares the identification information of the group to which it belongs and the two transmitted identification information (step S42). If the determination in step S42 is affirmative (Yes), the process proceeds to step S43, and if the determination is negative (No), the process returns to step S41.

When the indoor unit 21 receives identification information that matches the identification information of its own group among the refrigerant leakage information, it recognizes that the refrigerant is leaking from another indoor unit 21 in the same group as the indoor unit 21 concerned. can do. For example, when the indoor unit 21B1 shown in FIG. 4 transmits refrigerant leakage information (leakage detection information and identification information of groups A and B) and the indoor unit 21B2 receives it, the indoor unit 21B2 The identification information of group A and the received identification information of group A and group B are compared. Since the indoor unit 21B2 has received the identification information that matches the identification information of its own group B, it can recognize that the refrigerant is leaking from another indoor unit 21B1 in the same group B.

Therefore, in step S43 in FIG. 7, when the indoor unit 21 has an opportunity to communicate with the remote controller 42 using the polling method, it instructs the remote controller 42 to notify the refrigerant leakage. As a result, both the indoor unit 21 in which the refrigerant has leaked and the other indoor units 21 in the same group can instruct the remote controller 42 in the group to notify of the refrigerant leak (step S33, S43). Therefore, after the refrigerant is detected, the indoor unit 21 that first becomes able to communicate with the remote controller 42 can instruct the remote controller 42 to notify the refrigerant leak, which delays the notification of the refrigerant leak by the remote controller 42. can be suppressed.

On the other hand, if the indoor unit 21B1 shown in FIG. compares its own identification information of group A with the received identification information of groups A and B (step S42). Since the indoor unit 21A has received the identification information that matches the identification information of its own group A, in step S43 of FIG. Instructs to notify of refrigerant leakage. By the notification from the remote controller 42A in the management group A, the administrator in the management room of the building etc. can understand that a refrigerant leak has occurred in any of the indoor units 21 in the air conditioning system 10. Appropriate measures can be taken against refrigerant leaks.

Note that if a plurality of indoor units 21A are included in management group A, all of the indoor units 21A will receive identification information that matches the identification information of their own group A, so each indoor unit 21A will receive its own identification information. At the communication opportunity, an instruction to notify the refrigerant leakage is given to the remote controller 42A in the management group A. Therefore, after the refrigerant is detected, the indoor unit 21A that communicates with the remote controller 42A can issue a notification instruction first, and it is possible to prevent the notification from being delayed by the remote controller 42A.

Even if the indoor unit 21C shown in FIG. 4 receives the refrigerant leakage information transmitted from the indoor unit 21B1, the identification information of its own group C does not match the received identification information of groups A and B, so the remote No notification instruction is given to the controller 42C. Therefore, the process returns from step S42 to step S41 in FIG.

[Interlock function with outdoor unit]
The air conditioning system 10 of the present embodiment includes an interlock function that allows operation of the indoor unit 21 in conjunction with setting notification authority to any one of the plurality of remote controllers 42. For example, the outdoor unit 22 receives the identification information transmitted by the broadcast method from the indoor unit 21A representing the management group A in step S23 of FIG. By receiving this identification information, the outdoor unit 22 can understand that notification authority has been granted to one of the remote controllers 42, and allows the indoor unit 21 to operate based on the reception of this identification information. be able to.

If the operation of the indoor unit 21 is permitted without any notification authority being set on any of the remote controllers 42, it will not be possible to notify the administrator when a refrigerant leak occurs. It becomes difficult to comply with the JRA standards mentioned above. In the air conditioning system 10 of the present embodiment, operation of the indoor unit 21 is not permitted unless notification authority is set to one of the remote controllers 42, so the air conditioning system 10 cannot be operated without notification authority being set. can be suppressed. It is also possible to prevent forgetting to set notification authority.

The control device 39 of the outdoor unit 22 can permit operation of the indoor unit 21 by setting notification authority to at least one remote controller 42 in the air conditioning system 10 .

The interlock function as described above may be provided in the control device 29 of the indoor unit 21. In this case, when notification authority is set for any of the remote controllers 42, the control device 29 of the indoor unit 21 allows the indoor unit 21 to operate. However, in this case, even if there is a communication failure between the indoor unit 21 and the outdoor unit 22, the control device 29 can recognize that the notification authority has been set to the remote controller 42. There is a possibility that operation of the indoor units 21 other than the outdoor unit 22 can be permitted. In this embodiment, since the control device 39 of the outdoor unit 22 has an interlock function, such inconvenience does not occur.

[Other embodiments]
In the air conditioning system 10 described above, the refrigerant sensor 27 is provided in the indoor unit 21 of the air conditioner 11, and the refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit 21 is reported. However, in addition to or instead of the indoor unit 21, the air conditioning system 10 of the present disclosure detects refrigerant leakage in other equipment through which refrigerant flows, such as an outside air processing machine or a ventilation device, using a refrigerant sensor, and notifies the user using a remote controller. It may be something.

In the embodiment described above, the display panel 42b of the remote controller 42 is used to notify of refrigerant leakage, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a light or a buzzer provided on the remote controller 42 is used to notify the user of the refrigerant leakage using light or sound. A refrigerant leak may be notified. The alarm for notifying refrigerant leakage is not limited to the remote controller 42, and may be configured by a device dedicated to notification.

The identification information for each group A, B, and C is not limited to the model name and equipment number of the representative indoor units 21A, 21B1, and 21C, but may be the model name and equipment number of an indoor unit other than the representative indoor units. The identification information may include only either the model name or the device number.

Setting of notification authority for management can be performed for all remote controllers 42 in the air conditioning system 10. Therefore, the notification authority for management can be set by selecting one or more remote controllers 42 from among all the remote controllers 42. This makes it possible to notify only necessary people, such as an administrator or a person in a specific room, of a refrigerant leak. The interlock function that permits operation of the indoor unit 21 in conjunction with the notification authority setting only needs to function when the notification authority is set for at least one remote controller 42.

[Operations and effects of embodiment]
(1) The air conditioning system 10 of the present embodiment includes a first device (for example, the indoor unit 21A in FIG. 4) and a second device (for example, the indoor units 21B1 and 21B2 in FIG. 4) that are communicably connected to each other and through which refrigerant flows. , or 21C), a first refrigerant sensor 27 provided in the first device 21A to detect the refrigerant, and a first refrigerant sensor 27 that is communicably connected to the first device 21A and detects the refrigerant based on the detection of the refrigerant by the first refrigerant sensor 27. A first alarm device that notifies a leak (for example, the remote controller 42A in FIG. 4), and a control device (for example, the control device 39 or the control device in FIG. 3) that controls the first device 21A and the second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C. 29). The first notification device 42A can be set with authority to notify of refrigerant leakage based on the detection of refrigerant received from a source other than the first refrigerant sensor 27.

According to this configuration, for example, by setting the equipment and alarm installed in the management room as the first equipment 21A and the first alarm 42A, respectively, refrigerant leakage at a location other than where the first equipment 21A is installed is prevented. Even if it is, the first notification device 42A is used to notify the user and the administrator etc. can be notified quickly.

(2) In the above embodiment, the control device 39 or 29 permits operation of the first device 21A and the second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C in conjunction with the setting of the authority to the first notification device 42A. Therefore, the operation of the first and second devices 21A, 21B1, 21B2, and 21C is permitted in conjunction with the setting of the authority to the first alarm 42A, so the notification authority is set to the first alarm 42A. The first and second devices 21A, 21B1, 21B2, and 21C cannot be operated until the Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air conditioning system from operating without notification authority set. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent forgetting to set the notification authority.

(3) In the above embodiment, the air conditioning system 10 includes a second refrigerant sensor (for example, the refrigerant sensor 27 of group B or group C in FIG. 4) that is provided in the second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C and detects the refrigerant; A second alarm device (for example, remote controller 42B or 42C in FIG. 4) that is communicably connected to the second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C and notifies the user of refrigerant leakage based on the detection of refrigerant by the second refrigerant sensor 27; The second notification devices 42B and 42C can be set with authority to notify of refrigerant leakage based on the detection of refrigerant received from a source other than the second refrigerant sensor 27. Thereby, the authority can be selectively set to all or any of the first notification device 42A and the second notification devices 42B and 42C. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the authority to all of the first and second notification devices 42A, 42B, and 42C, and it is possible to notify refrigerant leakage within a necessary range.

(4) In the above embodiment, the control devices 39, 29 operate the first device 21A, the second device 21B1, Permit operation of 21B2 and 21C. Therefore, if the authority is set to only one of the first alarm device 42A and the second alarm devices 42B and 42C, it is possible to notify the administrator of the refrigerant leak. Operation of 21B2 and 21C can be permitted.

(5) In the embodiment described above, the third device 22 is further provided with a third device (for example, the outdoor unit 22) that is connected to the first device 21A and has the compressor 30, and the control device 39 is provided in the third device 22. In this case, if the control device is provided in the first device 21A, even if a communication failure occurs between the first device 21A and the third device 22, the first notification device 42A is granted notification authority. The control device can know that the third device 22 has been activated, and can permit the operation of the first device 21A and the second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C other than the third device 22. In the embodiment described above, since the control device 39 is provided in the third device 22, when a communication failure occurs between the first device 21A and the third device 22, the control device 39 cannot know that notification authority has been set. Therefore, the operation of the first device 21A, the second devices 21B1, 21B2, 21C, and the third device 22 as a whole can be maintained in a stopped state.

(6) In the above embodiment, when the authority is set for the first notification device 42A, the first device 21A and the second devices 21B1, 21B2, 21C are connected to the first notification device 42A and the first device 21A. The second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C share the leakage detection information and the identification information to the first device 21A based on the detection of the refrigerant by the second refrigerant sensor 27. Based on the reception of the refrigerant detection information and the identification information of group A to which the first device 21A belongs, the first device 21A instructs the first notifier 42A to notify of refrigerant leakage. As a result, the first device 21A receives the leakage detection information and identification information transmitted by the second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C, and instructs the first alarm 42A to notify of a refrigerant leak. The refrigerant leakage of the second device 21B1 can be notified by the device 42A.

(7) In the above embodiment, the identification information is information indicating the model name or device number of the first device 21A. According to this configuration, the identification information can be set using the model name or device number originally assigned to the first device 21A.

(8) In the above embodiment, the first device 21A and the second devices 21B1, 21B2, and 21C are communicably connected using a communication method that allows simultaneous communication. According to this configuration, refrigerant leakage information and identification information can be quickly transmitted from the second device 21B1 to the first device 21A, and early notification can be realized.

(9) In the above embodiment, the first notification device 42A is a remote controller that operates the first device 21A. Thereby, refrigerant leakage can be reported using the remote controller 42A that operates the first device 21A.

Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.
For example, the interlock function of the air conditioning system is not limited to the method linked to the setting of notification authority for the notification device, but other methods can be adopted. For example, the air conditioning system may be configured to permit operation of the indoor unit when at least one alarm is communicably connected. However, in this case, the notification authority may not be set for any of the notification devices. Therefore, if the above-mentioned notification authority is not set for any alarm, when refrigerant is detected by any refrigerant sensor, all the alarms will notify the refrigerant leak based on the receipt of the leak detection information. Good too. The alarm is not limited to a remote controller, but may be a centralized device that centrally controls the outdoor unit and indoor unit of the air conditioning system.

10: Air conditioning system 11: Air conditioner 21A: Indoor unit (first equipment)
21B1: Indoor unit (second equipment)
21B2: Indoor unit (second equipment)
21C: Indoor unit (second equipment)
22: Outdoor unit (third equipment)
27: Refrigerant sensor 29: Control device 30: Compressor 39: Control device 42A: Remote controller (first alarm)
42B: Remote controller (second alarm)
42C: Remote controller (second alarm)

Claims (9)

A first device (21A) and a second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) that are communicably connected to each other and through which refrigerant flows;
a first refrigerant sensor (27) provided in the first device (21A) to detect refrigerant;
a second refrigerant sensor (27) provided in the second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) to detect the refrigerant;
a first alarm (42A) that is communicatively connected to the first device (21A) and notifies of a refrigerant leak based on detection of refrigerant by the first refrigerant sensor (27);
a second alarm (42B, 42C) that is communicatively connected to the second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) and notifies of refrigerant leakage based on detection of refrigerant by the second refrigerant sensor (27);
A control device (39, 29) that controls the first device (21A) and the second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C),
The first alarm (42A) can set an authority to notify a refrigerant leak based on the detection of refrigerant received from a source other than the first refrigerant sensor (27) , and determines whether or not to set the authority. is selectable ,
The second alarm device (42B, 42C) can set an authority to notify a refrigerant leak based on the detection of refrigerant received from a source other than the second refrigerant sensor (27), and determines whether or not to set the authority. The air conditioning system is selectable . The control device (39, 29) controls the operation of the first device (21A) and the second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) in conjunction with the setting of the authority to the first notification device (42A). The air conditioning system according to claim 1, which allows. The control device (39, 29) controls the first device (21A) and the first device (21A) in conjunction with the setting of the authority to the first notification device (42A) or the second notification device (42B, 42C). The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , which permits operation of two devices (21B1, 21B2, 21C). Further comprising a third device (22) connected to the first device (21A) and having a compressor (30) that compresses the refrigerant,
The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the control device (39) is provided in the third device (22). When the authority is set to the first notification device (42A),
The first device (21A) and the second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) have identification information that specifies a group (A) including the first alarm (42A) and the first device (21A). are shared,
The second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) transmits leakage detection information and the identification information to the first device (21A) based on the detection of refrigerant by the second refrigerant sensor (27),
The first device (21A) instructs the first notifier (42A) to notify of a refrigerant leak based on the leakage detection information and identification information of the group (A) to which the first device (21A) belongs; The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein the identification information is information indicating a model name or a device number of the first device (21A). The air conditioning system according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the first device (21A) and the second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) are communicably connected by a communication method that allows simultaneous communication. The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the first alarm (42A) is a remote controller that operates the first device (21A). The air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the first device (21A) and the second device (21B1, 21B2, 21C) are indoor units of an air conditioner.

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