Air-conditioning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11143420-B2
Application number	US-201616333338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2016
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit and a fluid circuit. The fluid circuit includes a first branch circuit that connects a branching portion at which a downstream portion of a second heat exchanger branches and a connecting portion farther downstream in a direction of fluid flow than the branching portion, and a second branch circuit that connects a branching portion at which a portion farther downstream than the connecting portion of the first branch circuit branches and a connecting portion farther downstream in the direction of fluid flow than the branching portion of the second branch circuit. The first branch circuit is provided with a third heat exchanger that exchanges heat between fluid flowing through the fluid circuit and outdoor air, and the second branch circuit is provided with a heat storage tank that stores fluid having exchanged heat with outdoor air in the third heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:
a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a second heat exchanger are connected by pipes, and through which refrigerant circulates; and
a fluid circuit through which fluid circulates, the fluid exchanging heat, in the second heat exchanger, with the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circuit,
the fluid circuit including
a first branch circuit that connects a branching portion and a connecting portion, wherein the branching portion branches from a conduit downstream of the second heat exchanger, and wherein the connecting portion is farther downstream in a direction of fluid flow than the branching portion, and
a second branch circuit that connects a branching portion and a connecting portion, wherein the branching portion connected to the second branch circuit branches at a portion farther downstream than the connecting portion connected to the first branch circuit, and wherein the connecting portion connected to the second branch circuit is farther downstream in the direction of fluid flow than the branching portion connected to the second branch circuit,
the first branch circuit being provided with a third heat exchanger that exchanges heat between fluid flowing through the fluid circuit and outdoor air,
the second branch circuit being provided with a heat storage tank that stores fluid having exchanged heat with outdoor air in the third heat exchanger.

2. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expansion valve, the second heat exchanger, the first branch circuit, and the third heat exchanger are provided in a first unit.

3. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the second heat exchanger are provided in a first unit, and
the first branch circuit and the third heat exchanger are provided in a second unit separate from the first unit.

4. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device configured to control a flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit and a flow of fluid in the fluid circuit, wherein,
outside an air-conditioning time, the control device configured to perform a cooling storage operation that stops a circulation of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, causes fluid to flow through the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit, and stores, in the heat storage tank, fluid having exchanged heat with outdoor air in the third heat exchanger.

5. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein,
in a state in which fluid cooled in the third heat exchanger is stored in the heat storage tank,
the control device is configured to perform the cooling storage operation when an outdoor air temperature is lower than a temperature of the fluid stored in the heat storage tank.

6. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein,
in a state in which fluid heated in the third heat exchanger is stored in the heat storage tank,
the control device is configured to perform the cooling storage operation when an outdoor air temperature is higher than a temperature of the fluid stored in the heat storage tank.

7. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device configured to control a flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit and a flow of fluid in the fluid circuit, wherein,
inside an air-conditioning time, the control device is configured to perform a heat storage tank water supplying operation that stops a circulation of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, causes fluid to flow through the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit, and supplies fluid stored in the heat storage tank to a load device.

8. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein,
in a state in which fluid cooled in the third heat exchanger is stored in the heat storage tank,
the control device is configured to perform the heat storage tank water supplying operation when a set temperature of an air-conditioned space provided with the load device is higher than a temperature of the fluid stored in the heat storage tank.

9. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein,
in a state in which fluid heated in the third heat exchanger is stored in the heat storage tank,
the control device is configured to perform the heat storage tank water supplying operation when a set temperature of an air-conditioned space provided with the load device is lower than a temperature of the fluid stored in the heat storage tank.

10. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device configured to control a flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit and a flow of fluid in the fluid circuit, wherein,
outside an air-conditioning time, through comparison of an outdoor air temperature to a temperature of fluid stored in the heat storage tank, the control device performs a cooling storage operation that stops a circulation of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, causes fluid to flow through the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit, and stores, in the heat storage tank, fluid having exchanged heat with outdoor air in the third heat exchanger,
inside the air-conditioning time, through comparison of a set temperature of an air-conditioned space provided with a load device to the temperature of fluid stored in the heat storage tank, the control device performs a heat storage tank water supplying operation that stops the circulation of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, causes fluid to flow through the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit, and supplies fluid stored in the heat storage tank to the load device, and,
inside the air-conditioning time, when the set temperature of the air-conditioned space provided with the load device is equal to or lower than the temperature of fluid stored in the heat storage tank, the control device performs a normal operation that circulates refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, causes fluid not to flow through the first branch circuit and the second branch circuit, and supplies fluid having exchanged heat in the refrigerant circuit to the load device.

11. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a flow switching device configured to switch flows of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Horie Hayato
• Hamada Mamoru

Classifications

• Y02E60/14

  Thermal energy storage · CPC title

• F25B30/02 Primary

  of the compression type · CPC title

• F24F1/00

  Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station · CPC title

• F24F11/63

  Electronic processing · CPC title

• F25B13/00

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