WO2023210734A1 - Refrigeration cycle device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigeration cycle device having high safety.　A refrigeration cycle device according to the present disclosure comprises a compressor, uses a working medium containing an ethylene-based fluoroolefin, and also comprises a control unit. When the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor is equal to or greater than a first temperature, the control unit stops an air-conditioning operation and executes first error reporting to notify a user that it is necessary to inspect the refrigeration cycle device.

Description

Refrigeration cycle equipment

The present disclosure relates to a refrigeration cycle device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a remote control that is convenient and easy to operate. This remote control includes a display section, a touch panel, and a control device that causes the display section to display a function corresponding to an operation instruction detected by the touch panel.
Patent Document 2 discloses an outdoor unit of a refrigeration system that uses a refrigerant containing a fluorinated hydrocarbon that has the property of causing a disproportionation reaction, and allows an operator to immediately know what work to do with the refrigerant. Disclose. The outdoor unit of this refrigeration system is provided on the outdoor unit casing and has a label on which information regarding the refrigerant used is displayed.

International Publication WO2017/026063 Publication

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-132250

The present disclosure provides a refrigeration cycle device that can suppress the occurrence of disproportionation reactions.

This specification includes all contents of Japanese patent application/Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-074974 filed on April 28, 2022.
A refrigeration cycle device according to the present disclosure includes a compressor and uses a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefin, and includes a control section, and the control section controls the working medium discharged from the compressor. When the temperature becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature, the air conditioning operation is stopped and a first error notification is executed to notify the user that the refrigeration cycle device needs to be inspected.

The refrigeration cycle device according to the present disclosure can suppress an excessive rise in the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor. Furthermore, since the first error notification is sent to the user, the user can quickly understand that the refrigeration cycle device needs to be inspected. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to cause a disproportionation reaction.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a refrigeration cycle device according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the refrigeration cycle device. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the refrigeration cycle device. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the refrigeration cycle device. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the remote control according to the first embodiment. Figure 6 is a plan view of the remote control.

(Findings, etc. that formed the basis of this disclosure)
At the time when the inventors came up with the present disclosure, a conventional remote control for an air conditioner, for example, as in Patent Document 1, had a display section on which an operation image is displayed, and a remote controller for controlling the operation image displayed on the display section. A remote control has been proposed that includes a touch panel that detects an operation instruction, and a control device that causes a display unit to display a function corresponding to the operation instruction detected by the touch panel. In addition, as shown in Patent Document 2, conventional refrigeration equipment uses a working medium containing fluorinated hydrocarbons that have the property of causing a disproportionation reaction, and the outdoor unit is equipped with a working medium that causes a disproportionation reaction during installation work. Refrigeration equipment has been proposed that has a label affixed to alert people to the following.
However, when using a refrigeration system that uses a working medium containing fluorinated hydrocarbons, which have the property of causing a disproportionation reaction, although warnings have been given to installation workers, there are warnings for indoor users. No warning has been issued regarding this.
Therefore, the inventors discovered that with the conventional configuration, when there is a possibility of a disproportionation reaction occurring, it is not possible to reduce the risk of the disproportionation reaction occurring by the user's actions. To solve this problem, we have come to form the subject matter of the present disclosure.
Therefore, the present disclosure provides a highly safe refrigeration cycle device.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially the same configurations may be omitted.
The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter recited in the claims.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, a refrigeration cycle device 1 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.
[1-1. composition]
[1-1-1. Configuration of refrigeration cycle device]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a refrigeration cycle device 1. As shown in FIG. The refrigeration cycle device 1 is an air conditioning device that includes an indoor unit 10, an outdoor unit 30, and a remote control 50. The refrigeration cycle device 1 performs air conditioning such as heating and cooling on the indoor space S by operating. The indoor unit 10 and the outdoor unit 30 are connected to each other by a gas pipe 20 and a liquid pipe 40, respectively.

The indoor unit 10 is a device that is installed in a building such as a private house or a building, or indoors of a moving object such as a ship, and performs air conditioning for the indoor space S. The indoor unit 10 has a display section 12a, an audio output section 12b, and a warning light 12c.

The display section 12a is a display configured by, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The display section 12a displays characters and figures under control from a control section 70, which will be described later.
The audio output unit 12b is configured by, for example, a speaker built into the indoor unit 10. The audio output unit 12b outputs audio to the space S under the control of the control unit 70. The warning light 12c is composed of, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and is turned on or off under the control of the control unit 70. Furthermore, the correspondence between blinking patterns and their meanings is printed near the warning light 12c, so that the user U can immediately understand the meaning of the blinking of the warning light 12c.

The outdoor unit 30 is a device installed outdoors, and causes a working medium flowing through an outdoor heat exchanger 35 (described later) to exchange heat with outside air by rotating an outdoor blower 37.

The remote control 50 is a device that receives operations from the user U who is present in the indoor space S, and includes an operation section 51 and a remote control display section 53. The operation unit 51 is composed of a plurality of switches that instruct, for example, to start cooling operation, start heating operation, change the set temperature, and stop air conditioning operation. accepts operations. The remote control display unit 53 is a display configured by, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and displays the settings of the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1, the status of the air conditioning operation, and the like. The remote controller 50 is configured to be able to communicate bidirectionally with the indoor unit 10, and transmits a signal corresponding to an operation from the user U to the indoor unit 10, or the remote controller 50 transmits a signal transmitted from the indoor unit 10. receive.

[1-1-2. Refrigeration cycle circuit configuration]
FIG. 2 is a refrigeration cycle diagram of the refrigeration cycle device 1. The refrigeration cycle device 1 uses a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefin in the refrigeration cycle. Working media containing ethylene-based fluoroolefins often have a low global warming coefficient, which indicates the degree to which they contribute to climate change, and are therefore environmentally friendly. On the other hand, it is known that a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefins causes a disproportionation reaction when exposed to a discharge phenomenon at high temperature and high pressure. The occurrence of a disproportionation reaction may cause a sudden pressure increase within the refrigeration cycle. Details regarding the working medium will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigeration cycle device 1 includes an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit 30.
The indoor unit 10 includes an indoor heat exchanger 11 and an indoor blower 13. The indoor heat exchanger 11 is, for example, a fin-tube type heat exchanger, and causes the working medium flowing therein to exchange heat with air. The indoor blower 13 is, for example, a cross flow fan, which sucks air from the indoor space S into the indoor unit 10 by driving a built-in motor, and flows the sucked air through the indoor heat exchanger 11. Make it blow out into space S.

The outdoor unit 30 includes a compressor 31, a four-way valve 33, an outdoor heat exchanger 35, an outdoor blower 37, and an expansion valve 39. The compressor 31 is, for example, a scroll compressor, and is a mechanical device that suctions and compresses a working medium from a suction port, and discharges the compressed working medium from a discharge port. The working medium discharged from the compressor 31 has a high temperature, and its temperature is measured by a working medium temperature sensor 32 provided in a pipe near the discharge port of the compressor 31. The four-way valve 33 is a device whose internal flow path is connected to the discharge port of the compressor 31, the suction port of the compressor 31, the indoor heat exchanger 11, and the outdoor heat exchanger 35, respectively. The four-way valve 33 can switch the flow path by electronic control, and by switching the flow path, the refrigeration cycle device 1 is switched between cooling operation and heating operation. The expansion valve 39 is a valve whose opening degree can be adjusted by electronic control, and reduces the pressure of the working medium passing therethrough.

The four-way valve 33 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 11 via the gas pipe 20 described above. The gas pipe 20 is a pipe through which a gaseous working medium mainly flows, and a three-way valve 21 is provided near the outdoor unit 30. The three-way valve 21 is a valve that has a port for pressure measurement and for sealing in a working medium, and is capable of switching the opening and closing of the working medium flow path in the gas pipe 20 . The expansion valve 39 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 11 by the liquid pipe 40 described above. The liquid pipe 40 is a pipe through which a liquid working medium mainly flows, and a two-way valve 41 is provided near the outdoor unit 30. The two-way valve 41 can open and close the flow path of the working medium in the liquid pipe 40 .

[1-1-3. Control configuration]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the refrigeration cycle device 1. As shown in FIG.
The indoor unit 10 of the refrigeration cycle device 1 includes an indoor communication unit 14 that communicates with the outdoor unit 30 via control wiring. The indoor communication unit 14 is constituted by communication hardware such as a connector and a communication circuit that comply with a predetermined communication standard. Furthermore, the indoor unit 10 includes an indoor wireless communication section 15 that wirelessly communicates with the remote controller 50 . The indoor wireless communication unit 15 includes hardware compatible with wireless communication standards, such as an antenna and a communication circuit, and communicates with the remote controller 50 in both directions.

The remote control 50 has a remote control communication section 55 and a remote control control section 57. The remote control communication unit 55 includes hardware compatible with wireless communication standards, such as an antenna and a communication circuit, and bidirectionally communicates with the indoor wireless communication unit 15 under the control of the remote control control unit 57. The remote control control unit 57 includes a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and a memory that stores programs and data. The remote controller control section 57 controls the remote control display section 53 and the remote control communication section 55 by the processor reading and executing the program stored in the memory. Further, the remote control control section 57 receives an operation from the user U via the operation section 51, and controls the remote control display section 53 and the remote control communication section 55 according to the received operation.

The outdoor unit 30 has an outdoor communication section 34. The outdoor communication section 34 is constituted by communication hardware such as a connector and a communication circuit according to a predetermined communication standard, and communicates with the indoor communication section 14 via control wiring.

Additionally, the outdoor unit 30 includes a control unit 70 that controls each part of the refrigeration cycle device 1. The control unit 70 includes an outdoor unit memory 71, an outdoor unit processor 73, and an outdoor unit interface 75.

The outdoor unit memory 71 is a memory that stores programs and data. The outdoor unit memory 71 stores various control programs and data processed by the outdoor unit processor 73. The outdoor unit memory 71 has a nonvolatile storage area. Furthermore, the outdoor unit memory 71 may include a volatile storage area and constitute a work area for the outdoor unit processor 73.

The outdoor unit processor 73 is a processor such as a CPU or MPU. The outdoor unit processor 73 functions as a device control section 73a, a determination section 73b, and a notification section 73c by reading and executing a control program stored in the outdoor unit memory 71.

The outdoor unit interface 75 is an interface equipped with communication hardware such as a connector and a communication circuit that conforms to a predetermined communication standard. The outdoor unit interface 75 communicates with the outdoor communication section 34 , the compressor 31 , the four-way valve 33 , the outdoor blower 37 , the expansion valve 39 , and the working medium temperature sensor 32 .

The equipment control unit 73a receives the operation performed by the user U on the operation unit 51 of the remote controller 50 as a signal, and controls each equipment of the refrigeration cycle device 1 according to the received signal, thereby controlling the air conditioning. Execute driving. The device control unit 73a controls each part of the outdoor unit, such as the outdoor communication unit 34, the compressor 31, the four-way valve 33, the outdoor blower 37, and the expansion valve 39, via the outdoor unit interface 75. Further, the device control section 73a controls each section of the indoor unit 10, such as the indoor blower 13, the display section 12a, the audio output section 12b, and the warning light 12c, via the outdoor communication section 34 and the indoor communication section 14.

The determination unit 73b receives temperature data of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 from the working medium temperature sensor 32, and limits the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 based on the received temperature data.

The notification unit 73c controls the display unit 12a, the audio output unit 12b, and the warning light 12c, and performs various notifications to the user U. Furthermore, the notification unit 73c controls the remote control display unit 53 via the indoor wireless communication unit 15 to notify the user U.

[1-1-4. Working medium]
The refrigerant used in the refrigeration cycle device 1 is a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefin. Ethylene-based fluoroolefins include, for example, 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene (HFO1123), trans-1,2-difluoroethylene (HFO1132(E)), and cis-1,2-difluoroethylene (HFO-1132(Z)). )), 1,1-difluoroethylene (HFO-1132a), tetrafluoroethylene (CF ₂ =CF ₂ , HFO1114), and monofluoroethylene (HFO-1141).

The working medium may include two or more refrigerant components. That is, it may contain an ethylene-based fluoroolefin (for example, 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene) selected from the above examples and a second refrigerant component. The second refrigerant component may include one or more refrigerants selected from hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), saturated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, or other refrigerants. Examples of the hydrofluorocarbon include difluoromethane, difluoroethane, trifluoroethane, tetrafluoroethane, pentafluoroethane, pentafluoropropane, hexafluoropropane, heptafluoropropane, pentafluorobutane, and heptafluorocyclopentane. Examples of the hydrofluoroolefins include monofluoropropene, trifluoropropene, tetrafluoropropene, pentafluoropropene, and hexafluorobutene. Saturated hydrocarbons include, for example, ethane, n-propane, cyclopropane, n-butane, cyclobutane, isobutane (2-methylpropane), methylcyclopropane, n-pentane, isopentane (2-methylbutane), neopentane (2,2 -dimethylpropane) and methylcyclobutane, but other hydrocarbons may also be used. The second refrigerant component may include multiple components. That is, the second refrigerant component may include two or more refrigerant components selected from hydrofluorocarbons, hydrofluoroolefins, saturated hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and other refrigerants.

The working medium used as a refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle device 1 may contain a disproportionation inhibitor in addition to the refrigerant components. Disproportionation inhibitors are, for example, saturated hydrocarbons. The working medium may include a disproportionation inhibitor consisting of one or more components. Saturated hydrocarbons utilized as disproportionation inhibitors include ethane, n-propane, cyclopropane, n-butane, cyclobutane, isobutane (2-methylpropane), methylcyclopropane, n-pentane, isopentane (2-methylbutane). ), neopentane (2,2-dimethylpropane), and methylcyclobutane, but other saturated hydrocarbons may also be used. A particularly preferred disproportionation inhibitor is n-propane.

The disproportionation inhibitor may be, for example, a haloalkane having 1 to 2 carbon atoms. Examples of haloalkanes having one carbon number, ie, halomethanes, used as disproportionation inhibitors include (mono)iodomethane (CH ₃ I), diiodomethane (CH ₂ I ₂ ), dibromomethane (CH ₂ Br ₂ ), and bromomethane. (CH ₃ Br), dichloromethane (CH ₂ Cl ₂ ), chloroiodomethane (CH ₂ ClI), dibromochloromethane (CHBr ₂ Cl), tetraiodide methane (CI ₄ ), carbon tetrabromide (CBr ₄ ), Bromotrichloromethane (CBrCl ₃ ), dibromodichloromethane (CBr ₂ Cl ₂ ), tribromofluoromethane (CBr ₃ F), fluorodiiodomethane (CHFI ₂ ), difluoroiodomethane (CHF ₂ I), difluorodiiodomethane ( CF ₂ I ₂ ), dibromodifluoromethane (CBr ₂ F ₂ ), and trifluoroiodomethane (CF ₃ I), but other halomethanes may also be used. Examples of the haloalkane having 2 carbon atoms, that is, haloethane, used as a disproportionation inhibitor include 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-iodoethane (CF ₃ CH ₂ I), monoiodoethane (CH ₃ CH ₂ I), monobromoethane (CH ₃ CH ₂ Br), and 1,1,1-triiodoethane (CH ₃ CI ₃ ).

The working medium may include a plurality of disproportionation inhibitors selected from the above-mentioned saturated hydrocarbons and the above-mentioned haloalkanes. Further, the working medium may contain one type of saturated hydrocarbon or may contain two or more types of saturated hydrocarbons. Further, the working medium may contain one type of haloalkane, or may contain two or more types of haloalkanes.

A preferred example of the working medium is a mixture containing 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene and n-propane. This working medium may contain the second refrigerant component described above, or may contain other components.

Each of the above working media may contain unavoidable impurities. Unavoidable impurities include various additives including stabilizers added for the purpose of stabilization during transportation and storage, residues or by-products of synthetic raw materials for refrigerant components, and substances mixed in for other reasons. Can be mentioned.

The mass ratio of 1,1,2-trifluoroethylene and n-propane contained in the working medium can be changed as appropriate. The capacity of a refrigeration cycle is correlated to the mass ratio of refrigerant components contained in the working medium. Therefore, in order to maintain the performance of the refrigeration cycle, it is desirable that the working medium contains n-propane, which is a disproportionation inhibitor, in an amount of 40% by mass or less.

[1-2. motion]
The operation and effect of the refrigeration cycle device 1 configured as described above will be explained below.
The first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 used in the following explanation are, for example, the temperature at which the temperature is inserted between the magnetic steel plate and the magnet wire that generates a magnetic field when energized in the stator of the motor that constitutes the compressor 31. It is determined according to the heat resistance of the insulating paper used. For example, when the heat resistance class of the insulating paper specified in JIS C 4003 is heat resistance class B, the heat resistance temperature is 130°C. If the insulating paper is placed under a temperature condition higher than this heat-resistant temperature, the insulation between the magnet wire and the electromagnetic steel sheet will be broken, increasing the possibility that a discharge phenomenon that causes a disproportionation reaction will occur. Since the insulating paper is under approximately the same temperature condition as the discharge temperature (temperature) T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31, the refrigeration cycle device 1 has a discharge temperature T that is equal to the first temperature T1 and the second temperature. It operates to limit air conditioning operation based on T2.

In this embodiment, insulating paper of heat resistance class E specified in JIS C 4003 is used, and its heat resistance temperature is 120°C. The first temperature T1 is 115° C., which is the heat-resistant temperature plus a margin of about 5K for safety. The second temperature T2 is 105° C., which is the first temperature T1 with a margin of about 10K added thereto for safety. Note that when the temperature of the working medium is 150° C. or higher, the risk of occurrence of a disproportionation reaction increases regardless of the heat resistance temperature of the insulating paper. Therefore, even when using insulating paper with a heat-resistant temperature of 150°C or higher, the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 should be set to a temperature that takes into account a safety margin of 150°C. . That is, the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 are the lower of the temperature at which the risk of occurrence of a discharge phenomenon increases and the temperature at which the risk of occurrence of a disproportionation reaction due to high temperature itself increases. Each is set as a standard.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the refrigeration cycle device 1, and shows the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 while performing air conditioning operation. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the remote controller 50, showing a state in which the second error message M2 is displayed. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the remote controller 50, showing a state in which the first error message is displayed.

As shown in FIG. 4, while the refrigeration cycle device 1 is performing air conditioning operation, the determination unit 73b collects temperature data of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 measured by the working medium temperature sensor 32 at a predetermined sampling rate. Receive it at The determination unit 73b determines whether the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or higher than the second temperature T2, based on the received temperature data (step S1).

When the determination unit 73b determines that the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or higher than the second temperature T2 (step S1: YES), the device control unit 73a controls the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1. limit (step S2). Also, almost simultaneously with step S2, the notification unit 73c issues a second error notification to the user U (step S3). The second error notification executed in step S3 is a notification that notifies the user U that the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 is restricted.

In step S2, the device control unit 73a limits the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 by limiting the operation of each device of the refrigeration cycle device 1. The operations of each device that are restricted here are operations that cause the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 to become higher. For example, based on the point in time when the discharge temperature T is determined to be equal to or higher than the second temperature T2, an operation of increasing the operating frequency of the compressor 31, an operation of decreasing the opening degree of the expansion valve 39, an operation of increasing the operating frequency of the indoor blower 13 and the outdoor Operations such as reducing the rotation speed of the blower 37 and switching the flow path of the four-way valve 33 are prohibited. Therefore, while the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 is restricted, the operating frequency of the compressor 31 is controlled so as not to become higher than the reference point, even if the temperature of the space S is far from the set temperature, for example. Ru.

Further, when the user U operates the operation unit 51 of the remote controller 50, the operation that involves the above-mentioned restricted operation is invalidated. For example, an operation to lower the set temperature while the refrigeration cycle device 1 is in a cooling operation, an operation to increase the set temperature while the refrigeration cycle device 1 is in a heating operation, an operation to reduce the amount of air blown out from the indoor unit 10, a cooling operation and a heating operation. This corresponds to operations such as switching between In addition, when performing a pump-down operation to collect the working medium in the refrigeration cycle circuit to the outdoor unit 30, an operation that forcibly causes the refrigeration cycle device 1 to perform a cooling operation when the outside temperature is low (forced cooling operation) is performed. ) are also disabled. As described above, the operation that increases the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31, which is invalidated in step S2, is defined as the second operation.

The process of disabling the second operation is performed so that when the user U performs the second operation on the operation unit 51, a signal instructing the operation corresponding to the second operation is not transmitted to the indoor unit 10. Additionally, the remote control control unit 57 may execute the process. Further, the process of invalidating the second operation may be executed in the device control section 73a by ignoring the signal corresponding to the second operation received by the device control section 73a.

In step S3, the notification section 73c transmits a signal to the remote control control section 57 via the outdoor communication section 34, the indoor communication section 14, the indoor wireless communication section 15, and the remote control communication section 55. As shown in FIG. 5, the remote control control section 57 causes the remote control display section 53 to display a second error message M2 in accordance with the received signal. The second error message M2 is, for example, a display such as "The operation of the air conditioner is currently restricted."

Furthermore, in step S3, the notification unit 73c controls the display unit 10a of the indoor unit 10 to display the second error message M2. The notification unit 73c also operates the audio output unit 12b to transmit the second error message M2 as audio. Further, the notification unit 73c causes the warning light 12c to turn on or blink in a predetermined pattern. That is, in this embodiment, the second error message M2 is displayed by the remote control display unit 53 and the display unit 12a, the second error message M2 is transmitted by the audio output unit 12b, and the warning light 12c is turned on or blinks. , a second error notification is performed.

In step S4, the determination unit 73b determines whether the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or higher than the first temperature T1. Normally, the discharge temperature T becomes difficult to rise due to the restriction of the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 started in step S3. Therefore, the discharge temperature T is usually equal to or lower than the first temperature T1 (step S4: NO), and the process moves to step S5.

In step S5, the determination unit 73b determines whether the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or higher than the second temperature T2. At this time, if the determination unit 73b determines that the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or higher than the second temperature T2 (step S5: YES), the process executed in step S2 and step S3 will continue. While the discharge temperature T is greater than or equal to the second temperature T2 and less than or equal to the first temperature T1, the determinations in step S4 and step S5 are repeatedly performed.

The refrigeration cycle device 1 invalidates the second operation received at the operation unit 51 during this period. At this time, for example, if the user U performs an operation on the operation unit 51 to change the set temperature included in the second operation, the set temperature displayed on the remote control display unit 53 may not be changed. Alternatively, when the user U performs an operation to change the set temperature on the operation unit 51, the set temperature displayed on the remote control display unit 53 changes according to the user U's operation, but internally the remote control display A configuration may also be adopted in which the operation reflecting the set temperature displayed on the section 53 is not executed. In the latter case, a configuration may be adopted in which, for example, when step S6, which will be described later, is completed, operation is performed that reflects the set temperature displayed on the remote control display section 53.

In step S5, when the determination unit 73b determines that the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or lower than the second temperature T2 (step S5: NO), the device control unit 73a The started restriction on air conditioning operation is ended (step S6). Furthermore, the notification unit 73c ends the second error notification started in step S3 (step S7), and returns to the normal air conditioning operation state.

In step S4, if it is determined that the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or higher than the first temperature T1 (step S4: YES), the device control unit 73a controls each device of the refrigeration cycle device 1. , and the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 is stopped (step S8). Also, at this time, the determination unit 73b stores the error information in the nonvolatile storage area of the outdoor unit memory 71. The error information is information indicating the state after the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 of the refrigeration cycle device 1 becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature T1.

After each device is stopped in step S8, the device control unit 73a prohibits the operation of each device of the refrigeration cycle device 1, and prohibits the air conditioning operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 (step S9). Also, almost simultaneously with step S9, the notification unit 73c issues a first error notification to the user U (step S10). The first error notification is a notification that informs the user U that the refrigeration cycle device 1 needs to be inspected.

The operations of each device that are prohibited in step S9 are operations of each device that affect the state of the refrigeration cycle circuit in the refrigeration cycle device 1. For example, this includes the operation of the compressor 31, the flow path switching operation of the four-way valve 33, the opening adjustment operation of the expansion valve 39, the operation of the indoor blower 13, and the operation of the outdoor blower 37.
Conversely, in the refrigeration cycle device 1, operations that do not affect the state of the refrigeration cycle circuit are not prohibited. For example, this includes the display on the display section 12a, the sound output by the audio output section 12b, the lighting or flashing of the warning light 12c, the display on the remote control display section 53 of the remote control 50, and the like.

Further, when the user U operates the operation unit 51 of the remote controller 50, the operation that involves the above-mentioned prohibited operation is invalidated. For example, this includes an operation to start a cooling operation or a heating operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1, a forced cooling operation, and the like. These operations by user U that are prohibited in step S9 are defined as first operations.

The process of disabling the first operation is performed so that when the user U performs the first operation on the operation unit 51, a signal instructing the operation corresponding to the first operation is not transmitted to the indoor unit 10. Additionally, the remote control control unit 57 may execute the process. Further, the process of invalidating the first operation may be executed in the device control section 73a by ignoring the signal corresponding to the first operation received by the device control section 73a.

In step S10, the notification section 73c transmits a signal to the remote control control section 57 via the outdoor communication section 34, the indoor communication section 14, the indoor wireless communication section 15, and the remote control communication section 55. As shown in FIG. 6, the remote control control section 57 causes the remote control display section 53 to display a first error message M1 according to the received signal. The first error message M1 includes, for example, a message urging the user U to perform an inspection, such as "Please contact the number below for inspection. XX-XXXX-XXXX," and a message for the service person performing the inspection. Contains information to contact you. The information for contacting the service person may be, for example, a telephone number, email address, web page address, or two-dimensional barcode.

In step S10, the notification unit 73c controls the display unit 10a of the indoor unit 10 to display the first error message M1. The notification unit 73c also controls the audio output unit 12b to transmit the first error message M1 as audio. Further, the notification unit 73c causes the warning light 12c to turn on or blink in a predetermined pattern. That is, in this embodiment, the remote control display section 53 and the display section 12a display the first error message M1, the audio output section 12b transmits the first error message M1, and the warning light 12c lights up or flashes. , a first error notification is performed. However, the lighting or blinking pattern of the warning light 12c is different from the lighting or blinking pattern of the warning light 12c in the second error notification.

The prohibition of air conditioning operation in step S9 and the execution of the first error notification in step S10 are continued as long as the error information is stored in the outdoor unit memory 71. Therefore, the prohibition of air conditioning operation and the execution of the first error notification are not canceled due to the passage of time, restart of the refrigeration cycle device 1, temporary power cutoff, or the like. In other words, the refrigeration cycle device 1 stops the air conditioning operation when the discharge temperature T becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature T1, and continues to stop the air conditioning operation until an error release operation is performed.

The prohibition of air conditioning operation in step S9 and the execution of the first error notification in step S10 are respectively terminated (steps S12 and S13) when the service engineer performs the error cancellation operation (step S11: YES). ).

The error release operation is an operation performed by the serviceman after the serviceman inspects each device of the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 including the compressor 31. By executing the error cancellation operation, the error information stored in the outdoor unit memory 71 is invalidated. The error clearing operation is an operation that is difficult for the user U to perform. For example, the error cancellation operation may be an operation of operating the operation unit 51 in a predetermined complicated procedure. Alternatively, the operation may be an operation of operating a switch or the like located in a position that is difficult for the user U to access, such as inside the indoor unit 10 or the outdoor unit 30.

After Step S12 and Step S13, the refrigeration cycle device 1 is in a state where the air conditioning operation is stopped. In this state, for example, when the user U presses a switch to start the cooling operation or heating operation on the operation unit 51, the device control unit 73a receives a signal to start the cooling operation or heating operation (step S14: YES). . Thereby, the refrigeration cycle device 1 returns to the state in which normal air conditioning operation is being performed.

[1-3. Effects, etc.]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1 includes the compressor 31 and uses a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefin. , when the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature T1, the air conditioning operation is stopped and the user is notified that the refrigeration cycle device needs to be inspected. Execute error notification in step 1.

According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 from increasing excessively. Furthermore, since the first error notification is sent to the user U, the user U can quickly understand that the refrigeration cycle device needs to be inspected. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to cause a disproportionation reaction.

As in this embodiment, the refrigeration cycle device 1 includes an indoor unit 10, and the indoor unit 10 includes at least one of a display section 12a, an audio output section 12b, and a warning light 12c. The first error notification includes at least the following: displaying a first error message on the display unit 12a, transmitting the first error message from the audio output unit 12b, and lighting or blinking the warning light 12c. There is one.

According to this configuration, the user U can quickly and reliably recognize the first error notification, and the refrigeration cycle device 1 can promptly guide the user U to inspect the refrigeration cycle device 1. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to cause a disproportionation reaction.

As in the present embodiment, in the refrigeration cycle device 1, the control unit 70 controls the first operation by the user U when the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature T1. The first operation is an operation for causing the refrigeration cycle device 1 to perform air conditioning operation.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the user U from restarting the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 by mistake. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to undergo a disproportionation reaction.

As in the present embodiment, in the refrigeration cycle device 1, the control unit 70 stops the air conditioning operation when the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature T1. Operation will continue to stop until the release action is performed.

According to this configuration, the refrigeration cycle device 1 stops operating until the error release operation is executed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the user U from restarting the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 by mistake. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to undergo a disproportionation reaction.

As in the present embodiment, in the refrigeration cycle device 1, the control unit 70 controls the controller 70 so that the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 is equal to or higher than the second temperature T2, which is lower than the first temperature T1. In this case, the second operation received from the user U is invalidated, and the second operation is an operation for increasing the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31.

According to this configuration, the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 becomes difficult to reach the first temperature T1. Therefore, the occurrence of disproportionation reactions is suppressed.

As in the present embodiment, in the refrigeration cycle apparatus 1, the control unit 70 controls the user when the discharge temperature T of the working medium discharged from the compressor 31 becomes equal to or higher than the second temperature T2. A second error notification is executed to inform U that the operation of the refrigeration cycle device 1 is restricted.

According to this configuration, the user U can know the status of the refrigeration cycle device 1. Therefore, the convenience of the refrigeration cycle device 1 for the user U is improved.

(Other embodiments)
As mentioned above, Embodiment 1 has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments in which changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc. are made.
Therefore, other embodiments will be illustrated below.

In the first embodiment, the first error notification and the second error notification are sent by the remote control display unit 53, the display unit 12a, the audio output unit 12b, and the warning light 12c when the first error notification is executed. As explained above, this is just an example. For example, the first error notification and the second error notification may be executed by any one or more of the remote control display section 53, the display section 12a, the audio output section 12b, and the warning light 12c. . Furthermore, execution of the first error notification and the second error notification is not limited to the above-mentioned devices. For example, the indoor unit 10 is configured to be communicatively connected to a smart speaker (not shown) provided indoors by short-range wireless communication, and to execute the first error notification and the second error notification by transmitting audio from the smart speaker. You can also use it as

Alternatively, the first error notification and the second error notification may be executed by displaying a push notification on an arbitrary terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal owned by the user U. In this case, the terminal performs short-range wireless communication with the indoor unit 10 by operating according to a dedicated application program downloaded from a predetermined server or the like, and receives a signal for executing the push notification. Alternatively, the indoor unit 10 transmits information for executing a push notification to a management server connected to the communication network, and the terminal receives information from the management server via the communication network by following the application program. Receive information for performing push notifications.

In the first embodiment, the first temperature T1 is set by adding a margin of about 5K to the heat-resistant temperature of the insulating paper, and the second temperature T2 is set by adding a margin of about 10K to the first temperature T1. This is just an example. For example, each margin may have a value between about 0K and 20K. Further, the margin may be set depending on the distance between the working medium temperature sensor 32 and the stator of the compressor 31, etc.

In the first embodiment, when the discharge temperature T becomes less than the second temperature T2 in step S5 (step S5: NO), the process moves to step S6, but this is just an example. For example, in step S5, when the discharge temperature T becomes less than the third temperature T3, which is about 0 to 20 K lower than the second temperature T2, the process may proceed to step S6. In this case, when step S6 is reached, the discharge temperature T is about 0 to 20K lower than the second temperature T2, so the discharge temperature T is prevented from immediately exceeding the second temperature T2 again. can.

The outdoor unit processor 73 may be composed of a plurality of processors, or may be composed of a single processor. The outdoor unit processor 73 may be hardware programmed to implement corresponding functional units. That is, the outdoor unit processor 73 is configured with, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

Each part shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the specific implementation form is not particularly limited. That is, it is not necessarily necessary to implement hardware corresponding to each part individually, and it is of course possible to have a configuration in which the functions of each part are realized by one processor executing a program. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, some of the functions implemented by software may be implemented by hardware, or some functions implemented by hardware may be implemented by software. In addition, the specific detailed configurations of each part of the indoor unit 10, the outdoor unit 30, and the remote control 50 can be changed arbitrarily without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

The operation step units shown in FIG. 4 are divided according to the main processing contents in order to facilitate understanding of the operation of each part of the refrigeration cycle device 1. There are no restrictions on operation. Depending on the processing content, the process may be divided into more steps. Furthermore, the process may be divided so that one step unit includes more processes. Further, the order of the steps may be changed as appropriate without interfering with the spirit of the present disclosure.

[Configurations supported by the above embodiment]
The above embodiment supports the following configurations.

(Additional note)
(Technology 1) A refrigeration cycle device including a compressor and using a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefin, including a control section, the control section controlling the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor to a first level. A refrigeration cycle device that stops air conditioning operation when the temperature reaches or exceeds , and issues a first error notification to a user to the effect that inspection of the refrigeration cycle device is necessary.
Thereby, it is possible to suppress the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor from rising excessively. Furthermore, since the first error notification is sent to the user, the user can quickly understand that the refrigeration cycle device needs to be inspected. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to cause a disproportionation reaction.

(Technology 2) The indoor unit includes at least one of a display section, an audio output section, and a warning light, and the first error notification is sent to the first error notification on the display section. refrigeration according to technique 1, which is at least one of: displaying an error message; transmitting the first error message from the audio output unit; and lighting or blinking the warning light. cycle equipment.
Thereby, the user can quickly and reliably recognize the first error notification, and the refrigeration cycle device can promptly guide the user to inspect the refrigeration cycle device. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to cause a disproportionation reaction.

(Technique 3) When the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature, the control unit disables the first operation by the user, and the first operation is , the refrigeration cycle device according to technique 1 or 2, which is an operation of causing the refrigeration cycle device to perform an air conditioning operation.
Thereby, it is possible to prevent the user from restarting the operation of the refrigeration cycle device by mistake. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to undergo a disproportionation reaction.

(Technique 4) When the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature, the control unit stops the air conditioning operation and continues to stop the operation until an error release operation is performed. The refrigeration cycle device according to technique 3 continues.
As a result, the refrigeration cycle device stops operating until the error release operation is executed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the user from restarting the operation of the refrigeration cycle device by mistake. Therefore, the working medium is less likely to undergo a disproportionation reaction.

(Technique 5) When the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor becomes equal to or higher than a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature, the control unit controls the second temperature received from the user. The refrigeration cycle device according to any one of techniques 1 to 4, wherein the operation is disabled, and the second operation is an operation in which the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor is increased.
This makes it difficult for the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor to reach the first temperature. Therefore, the occurrence of disproportionation reactions is suppressed.

(Technology 6) When the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor becomes equal to or higher than the second temperature, the control unit may notify the user that operation of the refrigeration cycle device is restricted. The refrigeration cycle device according to technique 5, which executes a second error notification that notifies.
This allows the user to know the status of the refrigeration cycle device. Therefore, the convenience of the refrigeration cycle device for the user is improved.

The present disclosure is applicable to a refrigeration cycle device that uses a working medium containing an ethylene-based fluoroolefin. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to air conditioners and the like that use a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefins.

1 Refrigeration cycle device 10 Indoor unit 11 Indoor heat exchanger 12a Display section 12b Audio output section 12c Warning light 13 Indoor blower 14 Indoor communication section 15 Indoor wireless communication section 20 Gas pipe 21 Three-way valve 30 Outdoor unit 31 Compressor 32 Working medium temperature Sensor 33 Four-way valve 34 Outdoor communication section 35 Outdoor heat exchanger 37 Outdoor blower 39 Expansion valve 40 Liquid pipe 41 Two-way valve 50 Remote control 51 Operation section 53 Remote control display section 55 Remote control communication section 57 Remote control control section 70 Control section 71 Outdoor unit memory 73 Outdoor unit processor 73a Equipment control section 73b Judgment section 73c Notification section 75 Outdoor unit interface M1 First error message M2 Second error message S Space T Discharge temperature (temperature)
T1 First temperature T2 Second temperature U User

Claims (6)

1. In a refrigeration cycle device equipped with a compressor and using a working medium containing ethylene-based fluoroolefin,
   Equipped with a control unit,
   The control unit stops the air conditioning operation when the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor exceeds a first temperature, and notifies the user that the refrigeration cycle device needs to be inspected. Execute a first error notification to be notified;
   Refrigeration cycle equipment.
2. Has an indoor unit,
   The indoor unit has at least one of a display section, an audio output section, and a warning light,
   The first error notification includes displaying a first error message on the display unit, transmitting the first error message from the audio output unit, and lighting or blinking the warning light. is at least one of ,
   The refrigeration cycle device according to claim 1.
3. The control unit disables the first operation by the user when the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature,
   The first operation is an operation for causing the refrigeration cycle device to perform air conditioning operation,
   The refrigeration cycle device according to claim 1.
4. The control unit stops air conditioning operation when the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor becomes equal to or higher than the first temperature, and continues to stop the operation until an error release operation is performed.
   The refrigeration cycle device according to claim 3.
5. The control unit disables the second operation received from the user when the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor reaches a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. ,
   The second operation is an operation in which the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor increases.
   The refrigeration cycle device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The control unit is configured to notify the user that operation of the refrigeration cycle device is restricted when the temperature of the working medium discharged from the compressor becomes equal to or higher than the second temperature. Execute the error notification in 2.
   The refrigeration cycle device according to claim 5.
   

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