Thermal storage air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10718540-B2
Application number	US-201515529616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 26, 2014
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

The control section implements: a utilization cooling operation in which the thermal storage medium absorbs heat from the refrigerant and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the receiving section receives a first signal indicating a request for reduced use of power during an operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger; and a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the thermal storage medium and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the receiving section receives a second signal indicating a request for accelerated use of power during the operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal storage air conditioner comprising:
a thermal storage circuit configured to circulate a thermal medium and to which a thermal storage tank and at least one heat exchanger are connected, the thermal storage tank configured to accumulate the thermal storage medium;
a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate a refrigerant and to which an indoor heat exchanger is connected, the indoor heat exchanger being configured to cool a room through evaporation of the refrigerant; and
a controller configured to
receive a first signal requesting reduced power usage;
receive a second signal requesting accelerated power usage;
receive a third signal withdrawing a previously received request for reduced or accelerated power usage;
switch an operation by controlling the thermal storage circuit and the refrigerant circuit based on whether the received signal is the first signal, the second signal, or the third signal,

wherein the controller is further configured to implement
a utilization cooling operation in which the thermal storage medium absorbs heat from the refrigerant and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the controller receives the first signal during an operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger,
a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the thermal storage medium and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the controller receives the second signal during the operation in which the room is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger serving as an evaporator;
a simple cooling operation in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger and the thermal storage medium is not circulated, when the controller receives the third signal during performance of the utilization cooling operation or the cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation,

wherein the cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation consumes larger power than the simple cooling operation.

2. The thermal storage air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the thermal storage tank has a rated thermal storage capacity greater than a thermal storage capacity required to maintain the utilization cooling operation for a predetermined period of time at a rated cooling capacity.

3. The thermal storage air conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined period of time is one hour.

4. A thermal storage air conditioner comprising:
a thermal storage circuit configured to circulate a thermal medium and to which a thermal storage tank and at least one heat exchanger are connected, the thermal storage tank configured to accumulate the thermal storage medium;
a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate a refrigerant and to which an indoor heat exchanger is connected, the indoor heat exchanger being configured to cool a room through evaporation of a refrigerant; and
a controller configured to
receive a first signal requesting reduced power usage;
receive a second signal requesting accelerated power usage;
switch an operation by controlling the thermal storage circuit and the refrigerant circuit based on whether the received signal is the first signal or the second signal,

wherein the controller is further configured to implement
a simple cooling operation in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger and the thermal storage medium is not circulated,
a utilization cooling operation in which the thermal storage medium absorbs heat from the refrigerant and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the controller receives the first signal during the simple cooling operation, and
a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the thermal storage medium and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the controller receives the second signal during the simple cooling operation,

wherein the cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation consumes larger power than the simple cooling operation.

5. The thermal storage air conditioner of claim 4 , wherein the thermal storage tank has a rated thermal storage capacity greater than a thermal storage capacity required to maintain the utilization cooling operation for a predetermined period of time at a rated cooling capacity.

6. The thermal storage air conditioner of claim 5 , wherein the predetermined period of time is one hour.

7. A thermal storage air conditioner comprising:
a thermal storage circuit configured to circulate a thermal medium and to which a thermal storage tank and at least one heat exchanger are connected, the thermal storage tank being configured to accumulate the thermal storage medium;
a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate a refrigerant and to which an indoor heat exchanger is connected, the indoor heat exchanger being configured to cool a room through evaporation of the refrigerant; and
a controller configured to
receive a first signal requesting reduced power usage;
receive a second signal requesting accelerated power usage;
receive a third signal withdrawing a previously received request for reduced or accelerated power usage;
switch an operation by controlling the thermal storage circuit and the refrigerant circuit based on whether the received signal is the first signal, the second signal, or the third signal,

wherein the controller is further configured to implement
a utilization cooling operation in which the thermal storage medium absorbs heat from the refrigerant and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the controller receives the first signal during an operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger,
a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the thermal storage medium and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the controller receives the second signal during the operation in which the room is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger serving as an evaporator;
a simple cooling operation in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant bypasses a first line that comprises the at least one heat exchangers configured for transfer of heat between the thermal storage medium and the refrigerant, when the controller receives the third signal during performance of the utilization cooling operation or the cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation,

wherein the cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation consumes larger power than the simple cooling operation.

8. The thermal storage air conditioner of claim 7 , wherein the thermal storage tank has a rated thermal storage capacity greater than a thermal storage capacity required to maintain the utilization cooling operation for a predetermined period of time at a rated cooling capacity.

9. The thermal storage air conditioner of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined period of time is one hour.

10. A thermal storage air conditioner comprising:
a thermal storage circuit configured to circulate a thermal medium and to which a thermal storage tank and at least one heat exchanger are connected, the thermal storage tank being configured to accumulate the thermal storage medium;
a refrigerant circuit configured to circulate a refrigerant and to which an indoor heat exchanger is connected, the indoor heat exchanger configured to cool a room through evaporation of the refrigerant; and
a controller configured to
receive a first signal requesting reduced power usage;
receive a

Assignees

• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yasuo Kouichi
• Fujimoto Shuuji
• Chen Kebi
• Nakao Takuya

Classifications

• F24F11/30 Primary

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title

• F25B2313/009

  indoor unit in circulation with outdoor unit in first operation mode, indoor unit in circulation with an other heat exchanger in second operation mode or outdoor unit in circulation with an other heat exchanger in third operation mode · CPC title

• F24F2005/0025

  using heat exchange fluid storage tanks · CPC title