Refrigeration cycle apparatus, and abnormality detection system for refrigeration cycle apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161661-B2
Application number	US-201415510709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates, the refrigeration cycle including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, expansion valves, and indoor heat exchangers, which are connected to each other via a refrigerant pipe, a heat source unit accommodating the outdoor heat exchanger, use-side units accommodating the indoor heat exchangers, and a control unit that controls at least turning on and off of the refrigeration cycle. The control unit detects abnormality of the refrigeration cycle based on the pressure or temperature of the refrigeration cycle in an off time of the refrigeration cycle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising:
a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a depressurizing device and an indoor heat exchanger connected in a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates via a refrigerant pipe;
an outdoor unit that accommodates the outdoor heat exchanger;
an indoor unit that accommodates the indoor heat exchanger; and
a controller configured to control at least turning on and off of the refrigeration cycle,
the controller being configured to detect an abnormality of the refrigeration cycle based on (i) pressure of the refrigeration cycle acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off or (ii) temperature of the refrigeration cycle acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off, and an ambient temperature around the outdoor unit with respect to an ambient temperature around the indoor unit;
wherein the controller is further configured to detect the abnormality through comparison between the acquired temperature or the acquired pressure and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit or the ambient temperature around the indoor unit,
the acquired pressure of the refrigeration cycle and the acquired temperature of the refrigeration cycle, and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit and the ambient temperature around the indoor unit being acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit increases or decreases with respect to the ambient temperature around the indoor unit.

2. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the abnormality which is detected includes a refrigerant leakage from the refrigeration cycle, and
the controller is configured to detect the refrigerant leakage based on the acquired temperature, wherein the acquired temperature is a refrigerant temperature in the outdoor unit acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit increases or decreases with respect to the ambient temperature around the indoor unit.

3. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the abnormality which is detected includes a refrigerant leakage from the refrigeration cycle, and
the controller is configured to detect the refrigerant leakage based on the acquired pressure, wherein the acquired pressure is a pressure or a saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor unit acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off.

4. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the depressurizing device includes an electronic expansion valve controlled by the controller,
the abnormality which is detected includes a clogging of the electronic expansion valve,
the controller is configured to control the electronic expansion valve so as to be fully opened while the refrigeration cycle is off, and
the controller is configured to detect the clogging of the electronic expansion valve based on the acquired temperature, wherein the acquired temperature is a refrigerant temperature in the indoor unit acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit increases or decreases with respect to the ambient temperature around the indoor unit.

5. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the abnormality which is detected includes a clogging of a discharge valve of the compressor, and
the controller is configured to detect the clogging of the discharge valve based on the acquired pressure, wherein the acquired pressure is a pressure or a saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the outdoor unit acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit increases or decreases with respect to the ambient temperature around the indoor unit.

6. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the abnormality which is detected includes a shortage of refrigerating machine oil in the compressor, and
the controller is configured to detect the shortage of the refrigerating machine oil based on the acquired temperature, wherein the acquired temperature is a temperature of a bottom portion of the compressor acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit increases or decreases with respect to the ambient temperature around the indoor unit.

7. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to detect a refrigerant leakage from the refrigeration cycle based on a determination of whether a temperature difference between the acquired temperature, which is a refrigerant temperature in the outdoor unit, and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit is within a predetermined range.

8. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to
store data of at least the acquired pressure of the refrigeration cycle or the acquired temperature of the refrigeration cycle in an off period of the refrigeration cycle and store data of the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit, and
detect the abnormality in the refrigeration cycle through comparison between a stored pressure or a stored temperature of the refrigeration cycle stored in a past off period and a the acquired pressure or the acquired temperature of the refrigeration cycle at present.

9. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the controller is configured to
acquire data of the stored pressure of the refrigeration cycle or the stored temperature of the refrigeration cycle of the past off period in which the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit is similar to change tendency of the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit at present, and
detect the abnormality in the refrigeration cycle through comparison between the stored pressure or the stored temperature of the refrigeration cycle of the past off period and the acquired pressure or the acquired temperature of the refrigeration cycle at present.

10. An abnormality detection system for a refrigeration cycle apparatus, the system comprising:
a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a depressurizing device and an indoor heat exchanger connected in a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circulates via a refrigerant pipe;
an outdoor unit that accommodates the outdoor heat exchanger;
an indoor unit that accommodates the indoor heat exchanger;
a controller configured to control at least turning on and off of the refrigeration cycle; and
a server connected to the controller via a communication network,
the controller being configured to transmit data of at least a pressure or a temperature of the refrigeration cycle in an off period of the refrigeration cycle to the server, and
the server being configured to detect an abnormality of the refrigeration cycle based on (i)the pressure of the refrigeration cycle acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off or (ii) the temperature acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off, and an ambient temperature around the outdoor unit with respect to an ambient temperature around the indoor unit,
wherein the server is further configured to detect the abnormality through comparison between the acquired temperature or the acquired pressure and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit or the ambient temperature around the indoor unit,
the acquired pressure of the refrigeration cycle and the acquired temperature of the refrigeration cycle, and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit and the ambient temperature around the indoor unit being acquired when the refrigeration cycle is off and the ambient temperature around the outdoor unit increases or decreases with respect to the ambient temperature around the indoor unit.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Ochiai Yasutaka
• Toyoshima Masaki
• Okazaki Takashi

Classifications

• F25B2600/2513

  Expansion valves · CPC title

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F25B2700/2106

  of fresh outdoor air · CPC title

• F25B2500/27

  characterised by the stop of the refrigeration cycle · CPC title

• F25B2500/222

  Detecting refrigerant leaks · CPC title