WO2023139701A1 - Climatiseur - Google Patents

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Publication number
WO2023139701A1
WO2023139701A1 PCT/JP2022/001824 JP2022001824W WO2023139701A1 WO 2023139701 A1 WO2023139701 A1 WO 2023139701A1 JP 2022001824 W JP2022001824 W JP 2022001824W WO 2023139701 A1 WO2023139701 A1 WO 2023139701A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
refrigerant
load
refrigerant pipe
heat source
branch
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PCT/JP2022/001824
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English (en)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
央貴 丸山
博幸 岡野
万誉 篠崎
Original Assignee
三菱電機株式会社
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Application filed by 三菱電機株式会社 filed Critical 三菱電機株式会社
Priority to PCT/JP2022/001824 priority Critical patent/WO2023139701A1/fr
Publication of WO2023139701A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023139701A1/fr

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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B13/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B29/00—Combined heating and refrigeration systems, e.g. operating alternately or simultaneously

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to an air conditioner having a relay unit that distributes refrigerant supplied from a heat source device to indoor units.
  • Patent Literature 1 discloses an air conditioner that includes a heat source device, a plurality of indoor units, and a repeater that distributes refrigerant supplied from the heat source device to the plurality of indoor units.
  • a relay device between a heat source device and an indoor unit switches the flow of refrigerant during cooling operation and during heating operation by a three-way switching valve.
  • Patent Document 2 discloses an air conditioner that uses a plurality of electromagnetic valves instead of the three-way switching valve of Patent Document 1 as a configuration for switching the flow of refrigerant in a repeater in order to suppress the impact noise and flow noise that occur when switching operations.
  • a first solenoid valve and a third solenoid valve with an orifice function are used during cooling operation, and a second solenoid valve is used during heating operation. Then, when the heating operation is switched to the cooling operation, the air conditioner opens the flow rate control device on the indoor unit side before the first and third solenoid valves, and connects the heat source device and the relay machine. After increasing the pressure of the connecting pipe, the refrigerant flows through the first and third solenoid valves.
  • the third solenoid valve is provided with an orifice, so that the inlet side of the second solenoid valve becomes high pressure and the outlet side becomes low pressure, and the second solenoid valve is opened. Therefore, there is a problem that a large amount of refrigerant passes through the second solenoid valve, thereby generating a large impact noise and flow noise.
  • the present disclosure has been made in view of the problems in the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide an air conditioner capable of suppressing the impact noise and flow noise caused by the flow of refrigerant that accompanies operation switching.
  • An air conditioner includes: a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger; a load side unit having a load side flow rate control device and a load side heat exchanger and performing cooling operation or heating operation; When the load-side unit performs the cooling operation, the first branch refrigerant pipe and the first refrigerant pipe are communicated with each other, and when the load-side unit performs the heating operation, the first branch refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe are communicated with each other.
  • the relay unit is provided with a branch portion having an expansion valve whose degree of opening can be adjusted, and when the load-side unit performs heating operation, the first branch refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe communicate with each other while the valve of the three-way flow control device gradually opens.
  • the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve so that the flow rate gradually increases, so it is possible to suppress impact noise and flow noise caused by the flow of the refrigerant that accompanies operation switching.
  • FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1.
  • FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in a cooling only operation mode;
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in a heating only operation mode in the air conditioner of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in a cooling main operation mode in the air conditioner of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in a heating main operation mode in the air conditioner of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 2;
  • Embodiment 1 An air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 will be described.
  • the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 performs only cooling operation, only heating operation, or simultaneous cooling and heating operation for a plurality of air-conditioned spaces.
  • FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of an air conditioner according to Embodiment 1.
  • FIG. 1 each configuration is schematically shown for explanation of the air conditioner, and the relative size difference between the configurations may differ from the actual device.
  • the air conditioner 100 includes a heat source side unit 110, a plurality of load side units 130a to 130c, a relay unit 120, and a control device 30.
  • the load side units 130a to 130c are connected in parallel to the relay unit 120.
  • the heat source side unit 110 and the relay unit 120 are connected by the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 .
  • the pipe of the first refrigerant pipe 6 is thicker than the pipe of the second refrigerant pipe 7 .
  • the first refrigerant pipe 6 branches into first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c
  • the second refrigerant pipe 7 branches into second branch refrigerant pipes 7a to 7c.
  • the relay unit 120 and the load side unit 130a are connected by the first branch refrigerant pipe 6a and the second branch refrigerant pipe 7a.
  • the relay unit 120 and the load side unit 130b are connected by the first branch refrigerant pipe 6b and the second branch refrigerant pipe 7b.
  • the relay unit 120 and the load side unit 130c are connected by the first branch refrigerant pipe 6c and the second branch refrigerant pipe 7c.
  • the heat source side unit 110, the relay unit 120, and the load side units 130a to 130c are connected by various refrigerant pipes to form a refrigerant circuit in which the refrigerant circulates.
  • the air conditioner 100 uses a refrigerant refrigeration cycle to supply the heat source from the heat source side unit 110 to the load side units 130a to 130c.
  • the air-conditioning apparatus 100 is configured such that a user who uses each of the load-side units 130a to 130c can freely select any of the heating operation mode for heating operation and the cooling operation mode for cooling operation.
  • one relay unit 120 is connected to one heat source side unit 110, and three load side units 130a to 130c are connected to one relay unit 120.
  • the number of devices is not limited to the example shown in FIG.
  • the number of heat source side units may be two or more, and the number of relay units may be two or more.
  • the number of load-side units may be one, two, or four or more.
  • the heat source side unit 110 is a heat source machine that supplies a heat source to the load side units 130 a to 130 c via the relay unit 120 .
  • the heat source side unit 110 is usually provided in a space outside a building such as a building in which the load side units 130a to 130c are installed.
  • the heat source side unit 110 is provided on the roof of the building.
  • the heat source side unit 110 includes a compressor 1, a refrigerant flow switching device 2, a heat source side heat exchanger 3, an accumulator 4, a flow path adjustment unit 27, heat source side flow control devices 22 and 24, and a control device 30.
  • the compressor 1, the refrigerant channel switching device 2, the heat source side heat exchanger 3, the accumulator 4, the channel adjustment unit 27, and the heat source side flow control devices 22 and 24 are connected by the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7.
  • the second refrigerant pipe 7 branches into a second branch pipe 71 and a bypass pipe 23 .
  • the second branch pipe 71 has one end connected to the second refrigerant pipe 7 and the other end connected to the refrigerant flow switching device 2 .
  • the second branch pipe 71 is provided with the heat source side flow control device 22 and the heat source side heat exchanger 3 .
  • the bypass pipe 23 has one end connected to the second refrigerant pipe 7 and the other end connected to the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 1 .
  • a bypass pipe 23 is provided to bypass the heat source side heat exchanger 3 .
  • a heat source side flow control device 24 is provided in the bypass pipe 23 .
  • the compressor 1 sucks in a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, compresses the refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure state, and discharges it.
  • the compressor 1 for example, an inverter compressor or the like is used that can control the capacity, which is the amount of refrigerant sent out per unit time, by arbitrarily changing the drive frequency.
  • a driving frequency of the compressor 1 is controlled by the control device 30 .
  • the refrigerant flow switching device 2 is, for example, a four-way valve, and switches between cooling operation and heating operation by switching the direction of refrigerant flow. Switching of the refrigerant flow switching device 2 is controlled by the control device 30 . Note that the refrigerant flow switching device 2 is not limited to this example, and may be configured by combining other valves such as a two-way valve or a three-way valve.
  • the heat source side heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the air (hereinafter referred to as "outdoor air” as appropriate) supplied by the flow control device 3-m provided nearby and the refrigerant.
  • the heat source side heat exchanger 3 functions as a condenser or radiator that radiates the heat of the refrigerant to the outdoor air to condense and liquefy the refrigerant during the cooling operation.
  • the heat source side heat exchanger 3 functions as an evaporator that evaporates and gasifies the refrigerant during heating operation and absorbs heat from the outdoor air as heat of vaporization.
  • the flow control device 3-m is a heat source side fan for supplying outdoor air to the heat source side heat exchanger 3.
  • the control device 30 controls the rotation speed of the heat source side fan, thereby controlling the condensation ability or evaporation ability of the heat source side heat exchanger 3 .
  • the flow control device 3-m is a water circulation pump for circulating a fluid such as water and supplying it to the heat source side heat exchanger 3. By controlling the rotational speed of the water circulation pump by the control device 30, the condensing ability or the evaporating ability of the heat source side heat exchanger 3 is controlled.
  • Embodiment 1 the case where the heat source side heat exchanger 3 is an air-cooled heat exchanger and the flow control device 3-m is a heat source side fan will be described.
  • the heat source side heat exchanger 3 in this case is, for example, a fin-and-tube heat exchanger.
  • the accumulator 4 is provided on the refrigerant suction port side of the compressor 1 .
  • the accumulator 4 stores surplus refrigerant caused by the difference in operating conditions between cooling operation and heating operation, surplus refrigerant due to transient changes in operation, and the like. Note that the accumulator 4 may not necessarily be provided.
  • the flow path adjusting unit 27 has a first connecting pipe 60a, a second connecting pipe 60b, and check valves 18-21.
  • the check valve 19 is provided between the refrigerant flow switching device 2 and the relay unit 120 in the first refrigerant pipe 6 .
  • the check valve 18 is provided between the heat source side flow control devices 22 and 24 and the relay unit 120 in the second refrigerant pipe 7 .
  • the check valve 19 permits the flow of refrigerant from the relay unit 120 to the refrigerant flow switching device 2 but blocks the flow of refrigerant from the refrigerant flow switching device 2 to the relay unit 120 .
  • Check valve 18 allows refrigerant flow from heat source flow control devices 22 and 24 to relay unit 120 but prevents refrigerant flow from relay unit 120 to heat source flow control devices 22 and 24 .
  • the first connection pipe 60 a connects the first refrigerant pipe 6 between the refrigerant outlet of the check valve 19 and the refrigerant flow switching device 2 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 between the refrigerant outlet of the check valve 18 and the relay unit 120 .
  • a check valve 20 is provided in the first connection pipe 60a.
  • the check valve 20 allows the refrigerant to flow from the first refrigerant pipe 6 to the second refrigerant pipe 7 but prevents the refrigerant from flowing from the second refrigerant pipe 7 to the first refrigerant pipe 6 .
  • the check valve 20 circulates the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 to the relay unit 120 when the air conditioner 100 performs heating operation.
  • the second connection pipe 60b connects the first refrigerant pipe 6 between the refrigerant inlet of the check valve 19 and the relay unit 120, and the second refrigerant pipe 7 between the refrigerant inlet of the check valve 18 and the heat source side flow control devices 22 and 24.
  • a check valve 21 is provided in the second connection pipe 60b.
  • the check valve 21 allows the refrigerant to flow from the first refrigerant pipe 6 to the second refrigerant pipe 7 but prevents the refrigerant from flowing from the second refrigerant pipe 7 to the first refrigerant pipe 6 .
  • the check valve 21 circulates the refrigerant returned from the relay unit 120 to the heat source side unit 110 to the suction side of the compressor 1 when the air conditioner 100 performs heating operation.
  • the flow path adjustment unit 27 serves to flow high-pressure refrigerant from the heat source side unit 110 to the relay unit 120 via the second refrigerant pipe 7, and flow low-pressure refrigerant from the relay unit 120 to the heat source side unit 110 via the first refrigerant pipe 6.
  • the heat source side flow control devices 22 and 24 are, for example, electronic expansion valves whose opening can be adjusted.
  • the heat source side flow control device 22 is provided between the connection point of the second refrigerant pipe 7 and the second branch pipe 71 and the heat source side heat exchanger 3 .
  • the heat source side flow control device 22 adjusts the flow rate of refrigerant flowing from the heat source side heat exchanger 3 to the check valve 18 when the air conditioner 100 performs cooling operation.
  • the heat source side flow control device 22 adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 from the check valve 21 when the air conditioner 100 performs heating operation.
  • the heat source side flow control device 24 is provided on the bypass pipe 23 .
  • the heat source side flow rate control device 24 adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 by adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 23 .
  • the opening degrees of the heat source side flow control devices 22 and 24 are controlled by the control device 30 .
  • the heat source side unit 110 is provided with a discharge pressure gauge 51, a suction pressure gauge 52, a medium pressure gauge 53, and a discharge temperature gauge .
  • the discharge pressure gauge 51 is provided on the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 1 and detects the discharge pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 .
  • the suction pressure gauge 52 is provided on the refrigerant suction side of the compressor 1 and detects the suction pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor 1 .
  • the medium pressure gauge 53 is provided on the upstream side of the check valve 18 in the second refrigerant pipe 7 and detects medium pressure, which is intermediate pressure between the discharge pressure and the suction pressure of the refrigerant.
  • the discharge thermometer 54 is provided on the refrigerant discharge side of the compressor 1 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 .
  • the discharge pressure gauge 51, the suction pressure gauge 52 and the intermediate pressure gauge 53 are, for example, pressure sensors.
  • the discharge thermometer 54 is, for example, a temperature sensor such as a thermistor. Discharge pressure gauge 51, suction pressure gauge 52, intermediate pressure gauge 53, and discharge thermometer 54 are connected to control device 30 via signal lines (not shown), and output detected values to control device 30 via the signal lines.
  • the heat source side unit 110 is not limited to being installed outside the building.
  • the heat source side unit 110 may be installed in a space surrounded by walls, such as a machine room provided with a ventilation opening. Further, even inside the building, the heat source side unit 110 may be installed in a room in which an exhaust duct is provided so that waste heat can be exhausted to the outside of the building. If the heat source side heat exchanger 3 is a water-cooled heat exchanger, the heat source side unit 110 may be installed inside the building.
  • the relay unit 120 distributes the heat generated by the heat source side unit 110 to the load side units 130a to 130c.
  • the relay unit 120 includes a first branch portion 10, a second branch portion 11, a gas-liquid separator 12, bypass pipes 14a and 14b, relay-side flow control devices 13 and 15, a first heat exchanger 17, and a second heat exchanger 16.
  • the first branch portion 10 is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 6, the second refrigerant pipe 7, and the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c.
  • the second branch portion 11 is connected to the second branch refrigerant pipes 7a to 7c.
  • the bypass pipe 14 a is a pipe that connects the gas-liquid separation device 12 and the second branch portion 11 .
  • the bypass pipe 14 b is a pipe that connects the second branch portion 11 and the first refrigerant pipe 6 .
  • the first refrigerant pipe 6 is connected to the second branch portion 11 via a bypass pipe 14b.
  • the second refrigerant pipe 7 is connected to the first branch portion 10 via the gas-liquid separation device 12 .
  • the second refrigerant pipe 7 is connected to the second branch portion 11 via the gas-liquid separator 12 and the bypass pipe 14a.
  • a first heat exchanger 17 and a second heat exchanger 16 are provided in the bypass pipe 14a and the bypass pipe 14b.
  • a relay-side flow control device 13 is provided between the first heat exchanger 17 and the second heat exchanger 16 in the bypass pipe 14a.
  • a relay-side flow control device 15 is provided between the second heat exchanger 16 and the second branch portion 11 in the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the first branch portion 10 serves to switch the connection destination of each pipe of the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c from one of the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 to the other.
  • the first branch section 10 has three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c.
  • the first branch refrigerant pipe 6a is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 via the three-way flow control device 8a.
  • the first branch refrigerant pipe 6b is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 via the three-way flow control device 8b.
  • the first branch refrigerant pipe 6c is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 via the three-way flow control device 8c.
  • the three-way flow control device 8a is connected to the first branched refrigerant pipe 6a, the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7, and switches the direction of refrigerant flow according to the operating status of the load side unit 130a. Specifically, the three-way flow control device 8a switches the connection so that the first branch refrigerant pipe 6a and the first refrigerant pipe 6 communicate with each other when the load-side unit 130a performs the cooling operation. Further, the three-way flow control device 8a switches the connection so that the first branched refrigerant pipe 6a and the second refrigerant pipe 7 are communicated when the load-side unit 130a performs the heating operation.
  • the three-way flow control device 8b is connected to the first branch refrigerant pipe 6b, the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7, and switches the direction of refrigerant flow according to the operating conditions of the load side unit 130b. Specifically, the three-way flow control device 8b switches the connection so that the first branch refrigerant pipe 6b and the first refrigerant pipe 6 communicate with each other when the load-side unit 130b performs the cooling operation. Further, the three-way flow control device 8b switches the connection so that the first branched refrigerant pipe 6b and the second refrigerant pipe 7 are communicated when the load-side unit 130b performs the heating operation.
  • the three-way flow control device 8c is connected to the first branched refrigerant pipe 6c, the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the second refrigerant pipe 7, and switches the direction of refrigerant flow according to the operating status of the load side unit 130c. Specifically, the three-way flow control device 8c switches the connection so that the first branch refrigerant pipe 6c and the first refrigerant pipe 6 communicate with each other when the load-side unit 130c performs cooling operation. Further, the three-way flow control device 8c switches the connection so that the first branched refrigerant pipe 6c and the second refrigerant pipe 7 are communicated when the load side unit 130c performs heating operation.
  • the three-way flow controllers 8a to 8c also have the function of decompressing and expanding the refrigerant by linearly adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant.
  • the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c are composed of valves, such as electronic expansion valves, whose opening degree can be controlled. The switching and opening degrees of the three-way flow control devices 8a-8c are controlled by the control device 30. FIG.
  • the second branch portion 11 serves to connect the second branch refrigerant pipes 7a to 7c to the bypass pipes 14a and 14b.
  • the second branch portion 11 has a meeting portion that joins the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14a and the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the gas-liquid separation device 12 separates the refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant pipe 7 into gas refrigerant and liquid refrigerant.
  • the gas refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separation device 12 flows out from the gas outflow side and flows into the first branch portion 10 .
  • the liquid refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separation device 12 flows out from the liquid outflow side and flows into the second branch portion 11 .
  • the relay-side flow rate control device 13 adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14a.
  • the relay-side flow rate control device 15 adjusts the flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b.
  • Electronic expansion valves for example, are used as these relay-side flow control devices 13 and 15 .
  • the opening degrees of the relay-side flow control devices 13 and 15 are controlled by the control device 30 .
  • the first heat exchanger 17 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing between the gas-liquid separation device 12 and the relay-side flow control device 13 and the refrigerant flowing between the second heat exchanger 16 and the first refrigerant pipe 6.
  • the second heat exchanger 16 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing between the relay-side flow control device 13 and the second branch portion 11 and the refrigerant flowing between the relay-side flow control device 15 and the first heat exchanger 17.
  • Each unit of the load side units 130a to 130c is installed at a position where conditioned air can be supplied to the air-conditioned space.
  • Each of the load-side units 130 a to 130 c supplies conditioned air to the air-conditioned space when heat is supplied from the heat source-side unit 110 via the relay unit 120 .
  • the load side unit 130a includes a load side heat exchanger 5a and a load side flow control device 9a.
  • a load-side flow control device 9a is connected to one end of the load-side heat exchanger 5a, and a first branch refrigerant pipe 6a is connected to the other end.
  • a second branch refrigerant pipe 7a is connected to one end of the load side flow control device 9a, and the load side heat exchanger 5a is connected to the other end.
  • the load side unit 130b includes a load side heat exchanger 5b and a load side flow control device 9b.
  • a load-side flow control device 9b is connected to one end of the load-side heat exchanger 5b, and the first branch refrigerant pipe 6b is connected to the other end.
  • a second branch refrigerant pipe 7b is connected to one end of the load side flow control device 9b, and the load side heat exchanger 5b is connected to the other end.
  • the load side unit 130c includes a load side heat exchanger 5c and a load side flow control device 9c.
  • a load-side flow control device 9c is connected to one end of the load-side heat exchanger 5c, and the first branch refrigerant pipe 6c is connected to the other end.
  • a second branch refrigerant pipe 7c is connected to one end of the load-side flow control device 9c, and the load-side heat exchanger 5c is connected to the other end.
  • the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c exchange heat between the air (hereinafter referred to as "indoor air” as appropriate) supplied by the flow control devices 5a-m to 5c-m provided in the vicinity, respectively, and the refrigerant. Thereby, heating air or cooling air to be supplied to the air-conditioned space is generated.
  • each of the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c functions as an evaporator during the cooling operation, and cools the indoor air for cooling.
  • the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c each function as a condenser or a radiator during heating operation, and heat the room air to perform heating.
  • the flow control devices 5a-m-5c-m are load-side fans for supplying room air to the load-side heat exchangers 5a-5c, respectively. By controlling the rotation speed of the load-side fan by the control device 30, the condensing capacity or evaporation capacity of the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c is controlled. Further, when the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c are water-cooled heat exchangers, the flow control devices 5a-m to 5c-m are water circulation pumps for circulating fluids such as water and supplying them to the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c. By controlling the rotational speed of the water circulation pump by the controller 30, the condensing capacity or the evaporating capacity of the load side heat exchangers 5a to 5c is controlled.
  • the load side heat exchangers 5a to 5c are air-cooled heat exchangers, and the flow control devices 5a-m to 5c-m are load side fans.
  • the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c in this case are, for example, fin-and-tube heat exchangers.
  • the load-side flow rate control devices 9a-9c adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the second branched refrigerant pipes 7a-7c, respectively.
  • Electronic expansion valves for example, are used as the load-side flow control devices 9a to 9c.
  • the control device 30 controls the opening degrees of the load-side flow control devices 9a to 9c.
  • control device 30 The control device 30 controls the entire air conditioner 100 .
  • the control device 30 controls the drive frequency of the compressor 1, the switching of the refrigerant flow switching device 2, the rotation speeds of the flow control devices 3-m and 5a-m to 5c-m, the opening degrees of the load side flow control devices 9a to 9c, the opening degrees of the relay side flow control devices 13 and 15, and the heat source side flow control devices 22 and 24, based on the values detected by the discharge pressure gauge 51, the suction pressure gauge 52, the intermediate pressure gauge 53, and the discharge thermometer 54, and various sensors (not shown). , and the switching and opening of the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c.
  • the control device 30 implements various functions by executing software on an arithmetic device such as a microcomputer, or is composed of hardware such as circuit devices that implement various functions.
  • control device 30 is provided in the heat source side unit 110 in the example of FIG. 1, it may be provided in either the relay unit 120 or the load side units 130a to 130c. Further, the control device 30 may be provided separately from the heat source side unit 110, the relay unit 120 and the load side units 130a to 130c, for example. Alternatively, for example, the heat source side unit 110, the relay unit 120, and the load side units 130a to 130c may each include a control device, and may be connected to communicate with each other wirelessly or by wire to transmit and receive various data.
  • the air-conditioning apparatus 100 operates in one of the cooling-only operation, heating-only operation, cooling-main operation, and heating-main operation.
  • the cooling-only operation is an operation in which all the load-side units 130a to 130c perform either cooling operation or operation stop.
  • the heating-only operation is an operation in which all of the load-side units 130a to 130c either perform heating operation or stop operation.
  • the cooling-dominant operation is an operation mode in which each of the load-side units 130a to 130c can select cooling operation or heating operation, and is an operation performed when the cooling load exceeds the heating load.
  • the heating-dominant operation is an operation mode in which each of the load-side units 130a to 130c can select cooling operation or heating operation, and is an operation performed when the heating load exceeds the cooling load.
  • cooling-dominant operation is performed, for example, when the number of load-side units performing cooling operation is greater than the number of load-side units performing heating operation.
  • the heating load exceeds the cooling load and heating-dominant operation is performed, for example, when the number of load-side units performing heating operation is greater than the number of load-side units performing cooling operation.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in the cooling only operation mode.
  • the cooling only operation mode all the load side units 130a to 130c perform cooling operation.
  • the flow path indicated by a thick line is the refrigerant flow path during the cooling only operation mode, and the direction of flow of the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path is indicated by arrows.
  • the refrigerant flow switching device 2 in the heat source side unit 110 is switched so that the discharge side of the compressor 1 and the heat source side heat exchanger 3 are connected, and the suction side of the compressor 1 and the first refrigerant pipe 6 are connected.
  • the three-way flow control devices 8a-8c of the first branch 10 are switched so that the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a-6c are connected.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 1 and discharged as a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant.
  • a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 via the refrigerant flow switching device 2 .
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source-side heat exchanger 3 is condensed while exchanging heat with outdoor air and releasing heat, and flows out of the heat-source-side heat exchanger 3 as medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant.
  • the medium-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the gas-liquid separation device 12 .
  • the medium-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows out from the liquid outflow side of the gas-liquid separation device 12 and flows into the first heat exchanger 17 .
  • the liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the first heat exchanger 17 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14 b in the first heat exchanger 17 and flows out of the first heat exchanger 17 .
  • the liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the first heat exchanger 17 flows into the second heat exchanger 16 through the relay-side flow control device 13 .
  • the liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the second heat exchanger 16 is further cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14 b in the second heat exchanger 16 and flows out of the second heat exchanger 16 as a low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant.
  • the low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant that has flowed into the second branch portion 11 is divided into refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b and refrigerant flowing through the second branch refrigerant pipes 7a to 7c.
  • the low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the second branch refrigerant pipes 7a to 7c flows out from the relay unit 120 and flows into the load-side units 130a to 130c, respectively.
  • the low-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b is decompressed and expanded by the relay-side flow control device 15, heated by the first heat exchanger 17 and the second heat exchanger 16 to become a low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant, and passes through the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side units 130a-130c is decompressed and expanded by the load-side flow control devices 9a-9c, respectively, to become low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and flows into the load-side heat exchangers 5a-5c.
  • the change of the refrigerant in the load side flow rate control devices 9a to 9c is performed under a constant enthalpy.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c exchanges heat with the indoor air, absorbs heat, and evaporates to cool the indoor air, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant, and flows out of the load-side heat exchangers 5a to 5c.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerants flowing out of the load-side heat exchangers 5a-5c pass through the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a-6c, flow out of the load-side units 130a-130c, and flow into the relay unit 120.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the first branch portion 10 and joins through the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c.
  • the joined low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant further joins with the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has passed through the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the joined low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant flows out of the relay unit 120 through the first refrigerant pipe 6 and flows into the heat source side unit 110 through the first refrigerant pipe 6 .
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source side unit 110 passes through the check valve 19 of the flow regulating unit 27, the refrigerant flow switching device 2, and the accumulator 4, and is sucked into the compressor 1. Thereafter, the above-described circulation is repeated.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in the heating only operation mode.
  • the heating only operation mode all the load side units 130a to 130c perform heating operation.
  • the flow path indicated by the thick line is the refrigerant flow path in the heating only operation mode, and the arrow indicates the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path.
  • the refrigerant flow switching device 2 in the heat source side unit 110 is switched so that the discharge side of the compressor 1 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 are connected, and the suction side of the compressor 1 and the heat source side heat exchanger 3 are connected. Also, the three-way flow control devices 8a-8c are switched so that the second refrigerant pipe 7 and the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a-6c are connected.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 1 and discharged as a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant.
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows out of the heat source side unit 110 via the refrigerant flow switching device 2 and the check valve 20 of the flow adjustment unit 27, passes through the second refrigerant pipe 7, and flows into the relay unit 120.
  • the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the gas-liquid separation device 12 . Then, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant flows out from the gas outflow side of the gas-liquid separation device 12 and flows into the first branch portion 10 .
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the first branch 10 flows out of the relay unit 120 via the three-way flow control devices 8a-8c, and flows through the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a-6c into the load-side units 130a-130c, respectively.
  • the control device 30 linearly controls the opening of the valves of the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c to adjust the flow rate.
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side units 130a-130c flows into the load-side heat exchangers 5a-5c, respectively, and heats the indoor air by condensing while exchanging heat with the room air and radiating heat.
  • the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the load-side heat exchangers 5a-5c is decompressed and expanded by the load-side flow control devices 9a-9c, respectively, to become medium-temperature, medium-pressure liquid refrigerant, and flows out of the load-side units 130a-130c.
  • the medium-temperature medium-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the load-side units 130a to 130c flows into the relay unit 120 via the second branch refrigerant pipes 7a to 7c.
  • the medium-temperature medium-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the second branch portion 11, joins, and flows through the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the medium-temperature and medium-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b passes through the relay-side flow control device 15, the second heat exchanger 16, and the first heat exchanger 17, flows out of the relay unit 120, passes through the second refrigerant pipe 7, and flows into the heat source-side unit 110.
  • the refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source side unit 110 flows into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 via the check valve 21 and the heat source side flow control device 22 of the flow path adjusting unit 27 .
  • the refrigerant flowing into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 is decompressed and expanded by the relay side flow control device 15 of the relay unit 120 and the heat source side flow control device 22 of the heat source side unit 110 to become a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source-side heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat with the outdoor air, absorbs heat, evaporates, becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant, and flows out of the heat source-side heat exchanger 3 .
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed out of the heat source side heat exchanger 3 passes through the refrigerant flow switching device 2 and the accumulator 4 and is sucked into the compressor 1 . Thereafter, the above-described circulation is repeated.
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in the cooling main operation mode.
  • the load-side units 130a and 130b perform the cooling operation
  • the load-side unit 130c performs the heating operation.
  • the flow path indicated by the thick line is the refrigerant flow path in the cooling main operation mode
  • the arrow indicates the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path.
  • the refrigerant flow switching device 2 in the heat source side unit 110 is switched so that the discharge side of the compressor 1 and the heat source side heat exchanger 3 are connected, and the suction side of the compressor 1 and the first refrigerant pipe 6 are connected.
  • the three-way flow controllers 8a and 8b of the first branch 10 are switched so that the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a and 6b are connected.
  • the three-way flow control device 8c is switched so that the second refrigerant pipe 7 and the first branch refrigerant pipe 6c are connected.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 1 and discharged as a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant.
  • a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 via the refrigerant flow switching device 2 .
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source-side heat exchanger 3 is condensed while exchanging heat with the outdoor air and radiating heat, and flows out of the heat-source-side heat exchanger 3 as medium-temperature, high-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant.
  • the refrigerant is cooled by dissipating heat to the outdoor air so as to leave the required amount of heat in the load side unit 130c that performs the heating operation.
  • the medium-temperature, high-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has flowed out of the heat source side heat exchanger 3 flows out of the heat source side unit 110 via the check valve 18 of the flow path adjustment unit 27, passes through the second refrigerant pipe 7, and flows into the relay unit 120.
  • the medium-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas-liquid separation device 12 flows into the first branch portion 10 and flows out of the relay unit 120 via the three-way flow control device 8c. Then, the medium-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant flows into the load-side unit 130c through the first branched refrigerant pipe 6c.
  • the intermediate-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side unit 130c flows into the load-side heat exchanger 5c, heats the indoor air by condensing while exchanging heat with the room air and releasing heat, and flows out of the load-side heat exchanger 5c as a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant.
  • the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the load-side heat exchanger 5c is depressurized and expanded by the load-side flow control device 9c, and flows out of the load-side unit 130c. Then, the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the load-side unit 130c flows into the relay unit 120 via the second branch refrigerant pipe 7c.
  • the liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the second branch portion 11 .
  • the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas-liquid separation device 12 flows into the first heat exchanger 17, where it is cooled by the low-pressure refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b, and then flows out of the first heat exchanger 17.
  • the liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of the first heat exchanger 17 flows into the second heat exchanger 16 through the relay-side flow control device 13 .
  • the liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the second heat exchanger 16 is further cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14 b in the second heat exchanger 16 and flows out of the second heat exchanger 16 as a low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant.
  • the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the load side unit 130c and the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 16 join.
  • the merged liquid refrigerant is divided into refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b and refrigerant flowing through the second branched refrigerant pipes 7a and 7b.
  • the high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the second branch refrigerant pipes 7a and 7b flows out from the relay unit 120 and flows into the load-side units 130a and 130b, respectively.
  • the liquid refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b is decompressed and expanded by the relay-side flow control device 15, is heated by the first heat exchanger 17 and the second heat exchanger 16, becomes a low-temperature low-pressure gas refrigerant, and passes through the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side units 130a and 130b is decompressed and expanded by the load-side flow control devices 9a and 9b, respectively, to become a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and flows into the load-side heat exchangers 5a and 5b.
  • the change of the refrigerant in the load side flow rate control devices 9a and 9b is performed under a constant enthalpy.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side heat exchangers 5a and 5b exchanges heat with the indoor air, absorbs heat, and evaporates to cool the indoor air, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant, and flows out of the load-side heat exchangers 5a and 5b.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerants flowing out of the load-side heat exchangers 5a and 5b pass through the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a and 6b, flow out of the load-side units 130a and 130b, and flow into the relay unit 120.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the first branch portion 10 and joins through the three-way flow control devices 8a and 8b.
  • the joined low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant further joins with the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has passed through the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the joined low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant flows out of the relay unit 120 through the first refrigerant pipe 6 and flows into the heat source side unit 110 through the first refrigerant pipe 6 .
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source side unit 110 passes through the check valve 19 of the flow regulating unit 27, the refrigerant flow switching device 2, and the accumulator 4, and is sucked into the compressor 1. Thereafter, the above-described circulation is repeated.
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner of FIG. 1 in the heating main operation mode.
  • the load-side units 130a and 130b perform the heating operation
  • the load-side unit 130c performs the cooling operation.
  • the flow path indicated by the thick line is the refrigerant flow path in the heating main operation mode
  • the arrow indicates the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path.
  • the refrigerant flow switching device 2 in the heat source side unit 110 is switched so that the discharge side of the compressor 1 and the second refrigerant pipe 7 are connected, and the suction side of the compressor 1 and the heat source side heat exchanger 3 are connected.
  • the three-way flow control devices 8a and 8b are switched so that the second refrigerant pipe 7 and the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a and 6b are connected.
  • the three-way flow control device 8c is switched so that the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the first branch refrigerant pipe 6c are connected.
  • the opening degree of the heat source side flow rate control device 22 is fully opened or the opening degree is controlled such that the evaporation pressure of the second refrigerant pipe 7 is about 0° C. in terms of the saturation temperature.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 1 and discharged as a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant.
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows out of the heat source side unit 110 via the refrigerant flow switching device 2 and the check valve 20 of the flow adjustment unit 27, passes through the second refrigerant pipe 7, and flows into the relay unit 120.
  • the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the gas-liquid separation device 12 . Then, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant flows out from the gas outflow side of the gas-liquid separation device 12 and flows into the first branch portion 10 .
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the first branch 10 flows out of the relay unit 120 via the three-way flow control devices 8a and 8b, and flows through the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a and 6b into the load-side units 130a and 130b, respectively.
  • the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side units 130a and 130b flows into the load-side heat exchangers 5a and 5b, respectively, and heats the indoor air by condensing while exchanging heat with the room air and releasing heat, and flows out of the load-side heat exchangers 5a and 5b as a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant.
  • the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed out of load-side heat exchangers 5a and 5b is decompressed and expanded by load-side flow control devices 9a and 9b, respectively, and flows out of load-side units 130a and 130b. Then, the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the load-side units 130a and 130b flows into the relay unit 120 via the second branch refrigerant pipes 7a and 7b.
  • the high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the second branch portion 11 and joins. Then, the joined high-pressure liquid refrigerant is divided into refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b and refrigerant flowing through the second branched refrigerant pipe 7c. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the second branch refrigerant pipe 7c flows out from the relay unit 120 and flows into the load side unit 130c.
  • the high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the bypass pipe 14b is decompressed and expanded by the relay-side flow control device 15, becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, and flows out of the relay-side flow control device 15.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing out of the relay-side flow control device 15 passes through the second heat exchanger 16 and the first heat exchanger 17 and flows into the first refrigerant pipe 6 via the bypass pipe 14b.
  • the high-pressure liquid refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side unit 130c is decompressed and expanded by the load-side flow control device 9c to become a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant, which flows into the load-side heat exchanger 5c.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has flowed into the load-side heat exchanger 5c exchanges heat with the indoor air, absorbs heat, and evaporates to cool the indoor air, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant, and flows out of the load-side heat exchanger 5c.
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed out of the load-side heat exchanger 5 c passes through the first branch refrigerant pipe 6 c, flows out of the load-side unit 130 c, and flows into the relay unit 120 .
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed into the relay unit 120 flows into the first branch portion 10 and joins with the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has passed through the bypass pipe 14b via the three-way flow control device 8c.
  • the merged low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows through the first refrigerant pipe 6 to flow out of the relay unit 120 , passes through the first refrigerant pipe 6 , and flows into the heat source side unit 110 .
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source side unit 110 flows into the heat source side heat exchanger 3 via the check valve 21 and the heat source side flow control device 22 of the flow path adjustment unit 27 .
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant that has flowed into the heat source-side heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat with outdoor air, absorbs heat, evaporates, becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant, and flows out of the heat source-side heat exchanger 3 .
  • the low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant that has flowed out of the heat source side heat exchanger 3 passes through the refrigerant flow switching device 2 and the accumulator 4 and is sucked into the compressor 1 . Thereafter, the above-described circulation is repeated.
  • the conventional air conditioner supplies high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant to the load side unit by opening the electromagnetic valve provided in the relay unit.
  • the solenoid valve cannot arbitrarily adjust the refrigerant flow rate, a large amount of refrigerant flows when the valve is opened. Therefore, vibration noise and impact noise may occur due to the inflow of a large amount of refrigerant.
  • refrigerant flow noise may occur.
  • the opening degrees of the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c of the first branch section 10 provided in the relay unit 120 are linearly controlled by the control device 30.
  • the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c are controlled so that their opening degrees gradually increase, thereby starting heating while suppressing the flow rate of the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant supplied to the load-side units 130a to 130c. Therefore, vibration noise and impact noise caused by the inflow of the refrigerant can be suppressed. Furthermore, since a large amount of refrigerant does not flow in at once when the heating operation is performed, the refrigerant flow noise can also be suppressed.
  • the solenoid valve and the expansion valve are controlled so that the expansion valve of the load side unit opens first before opening the solenoid valve of the relay unit. In this case, immediately after an instruction to start the heating operation is given, the solenoid valve does not open as a measure against noise, and the high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant is not supplied to the load-side unit, so heating is not immediately started.
  • the air conditioner 100 according to Embodiment 1 instead of the solenoid valves of the relay unit 120, three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c capable of linearly controlling the opening are used. Therefore, even if the pressure difference before and after the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c is large, the valves are opened with a small degree of opening when the heating operation is performed, thereby suppressing the generation of vibration noise and impact noise caused by the refrigerant. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the heating start time from when the start of the heating operation is instructed to when the heating is started.
  • the relay unit 120 is provided with the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c that are connected to the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c and the second refrigerant pipe 7 and function as expansion valves that can adjust the degree of opening.
  • the first branched refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c and the second refrigerant pipe 7 communicate with each other while the valves of the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c are gradually opened.
  • the refrigerant passes through the three-way flow control devices 8a to 8c so that the flow rate gradually increases, so that it is possible to suppress impact noise and flow noise caused by the flow of the refrigerant that accompanies operation switching.
  • Embodiment 2 differs from the air conditioner according to Embodiment 1 in the configuration of the first branch provided in the relay unit. It should be noted that, in the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are assigned to the parts that are common to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
  • FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the configuration of the air conditioner according to Embodiment 2.
  • the air conditioner 100A includes a heat source side unit 110, a plurality of load side units 130a to 130c, a relay unit 120A, and a control device 30.
  • the relay unit 120A includes a first branch portion 10A, a second branch portion 11, a gas-liquid separator 12, bypass pipes 14a and 14b, relay-side flow control devices 13 and 15, a first heat exchanger 17, and a second heat exchanger 16.
  • the first branch section 10A has cooling opening/closing devices 25a-25c and heating flow control devices 26a-26c instead of the three-way flow control devices 8a-8c in the first embodiment.
  • One of the cooling switchgears 25a to 25c is connected to the first refrigerant pipe 6, and the other is connected to the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c, allowing or blocking the refrigerant flowing from the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c to the first refrigerant pipe 6.
  • Electromagnetic valves for example, are used as the cooling opening/closing devices 25a to 25c. Opening and closing of the cooling opening/closing devices 25a to 25c are controlled by the control device 30.
  • One of the heating flow control devices 26a to 26c is connected to the second refrigerant pipe 7, and the other is connected to the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c, and the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing from the second refrigerant pipe 7 to the first branch refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c is adjusted.
  • Electronic expansion valves for example, are used as the heating flow control devices 26a to 26c.
  • the opening degrees of the heating flow control devices 26a to 26c are controlled by the control device 30.
  • the heating flow control devices 26a to 26c are controlled in opening degree so that the second refrigerant pipe 7 and the first branched refrigerant pipes 6a to 6c are communicated with each other. Also, the cooling opening/closing devices 25a to 25c are closed.
  • the cooling switchgears 25a-25c are opened so that the first refrigerant pipe 6 and the first branched refrigerant pipes 6a-6c communicate with each other. Also, the heating flow control devices 26a to 26c are closed.
  • the first branch portion 10A of the relay unit 120A By configuring the first branch portion 10A of the relay unit 120A in this way, it is possible to realize the same refrigerant flow as in the first embodiment in various operation modes. Then, similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the impact noise and flow noise caused by the refrigerant flowing.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Compression-Type Refrigeration Machines With Reversible Cycles (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un climatiseur comprenant : une unité côté source de chaleur qui a un compresseur et un échangeur thermique côté source de chaleur ; une unité côté charge qui a un dispositif de commande d'écoulement côté charge et un échangeur thermique côté charge et effectue une opération de refroidissement ou une opération de chauffage ; et une unité de relais qui est reliée à l'unité côté source de chaleur, par un premier tuyau de fluide frigorigène et un second tuyau de fluide frigorigène, et à l'unité côté charge, par un premier tuyau de fluide frigorigène de ramification et un second tuyau de fluide frigorigène de ramification, et fournit un fluide frigorigène fourni par l'unité côté source de chaleur à l'unité côté charge. L'unité de relais a une partie de ramification qui permet une communication entre le premier tuyau de fluide frigorigène de ramification et le premier tuyau de fluide frigorigène lorsque l'unité côté charge est en fonctionnement de refroidissement et qui permet une communication entre le premier tuyau de fluide frigorigène de ramification et le second tuyau de fluide frigorigène lorsque l'unité côté charge est en fonctionnement de chauffage, la partie de ramification ayant un détendeur qui est relié au premier tuyau de fluide frigorigène de ramification et au second tuyau de fluide frigorigène et dont l'ouverture est réglable.
PCT/JP2022/001824 2022-01-19 2022-01-19 Climatiseur WO2023139701A1 (fr)

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Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH04283363A (ja) * 1991-03-13 1992-10-08 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd 冷凍装置
JP2000346488A (ja) * 1999-05-31 2000-12-15 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 空気調和装置
JP2013250003A (ja) * 2012-05-31 2013-12-12 Aisin Seiki Co Ltd ヒートポンプ式空気調和装置

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH04283363A (ja) * 1991-03-13 1992-10-08 Sanyo Electric Co Ltd 冷凍装置
JP2000346488A (ja) * 1999-05-31 2000-12-15 Mitsubishi Electric Corp 空気調和装置
JP2013250003A (ja) * 2012-05-31 2013-12-12 Aisin Seiki Co Ltd ヒートポンプ式空気調和装置

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