Refrigeration cycle apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11609031-B2
Application number	US-201716485342-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 13, 2017
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

When a refrigerant leakage sensor detects a leakage of refrigerant from a refrigeration cycle apparatus having an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, a refrigerant recovery operation is started. In the refrigerant recovery operation, refrigerant is recovered in an accumulator and afterward a pump down operation is performed. In recovery of refrigerant in the accumulator, refrigerant in a liquid phase is accumulated in the accumulator as a result of circulation of refrigerant by operating a compressor in the state where a liquid shut-off valve and a gas shut-off valve are opened. After recovery of refrigerant in the accumulator is ended, the refrigerant in a liquid phase is accumulated in an outdoor heat exchanger by the pump down operation for operating the compressor in the state where the liquid shut-off valve is closed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration cycle apparatus equipped with an outdoor unit and at least one indoor unit, the refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising:
a compressor;
an accumulator provided on a suction side for refrigerant relative to the compressor;
an outdoor heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit;
an indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit;
an expansion valve;
an indoor fan provided corresponding to the indoor heat exchanger;
a leakage sensor for detecting a refrigerant leak;
a first pressure detector disposed on a refrigerant inlet side of the compressor;
a second pressure detector disposed on a refrigerant outlet side of the compressor;
a first temperature detector disposed on the refrigerant inlet side of the compressor;
a second temperature detector disposed on the refrigerant outlet side of the compressor;
a circulation path for the refrigerant, the circulation path being located in the outdoor unit and the indoor unit to include the compressor, the accumulator, the expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the indoor heat exchanger;
a first shut-off valve provided in a path that connects the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger without passing through the compressor in the circulation path; and
a controller configured to control an operation of the refrigeration cycle apparatus, wherein
when the leakage sensor detects a leakage of the refrigerant, a first refrigerant recovery operation and a second refrigerant recovery operation are performed in a state where the circulation path is formed in a direction in which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor passes through the outdoor heat exchanger and the expansion valve, and subsequently passes through the indoor heat exchanger,
in the first refrigerant recovery operation, the compressor is operated while the first shut-off valve and the expansion valve are opened,
in the second refrigerant recovery operation performed after the first refrigerant recovery operation is ended, the compressor is operated while the first shut-off valve is closed,
the indoor fan is stopped in the first refrigerant recovery operation and operated in the second refrigerant recovery operation, and
the second refrigerant recovery operation is ended when the controller determines that a pressure measured by the second pressure detector is lower than a first prescribed determination value.

2. The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
an interruption valve for interrupting a path of the refrigerant between the indoor unit and the accumulator after the compressor is stopped to end the second refrigerant recovery operation.

3. The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the interruption valve is a second shut-off valve that is closed, and
the second shut-off valve is provided inside a path that connects the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger through the compressor in the circulation path.

4. The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the interruption valve is a four-way valve that is controlled to allow communication between a first port and a second port and to allow communication between a third port and a fourth port,
the first port of the four-way valve is connected to a path leading to the accumulator,
the second port of the four-way valve is connected to a path leading to the outdoor heat exchanger,
the third port of the four-way valve is connected to a discharge side of the refrigerant relative to the compressor,
the fourth port of the four-way valve is connected to a path leading to the indoor heat exchanger, and
in the first refrigerant recovery operation and the second refrigerant recovery operation, the four-way valve is controlled to allow communication between the first port and the fourth port and to allow communication between the second port and the third port.

5. The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising
a four-way valve having a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port, wherein
the four-way valve is controlled to bring about one of:
a first state allowing communication between the first port and the fourth port and allowing communication between the second port and the third port; and
a second state allowing communication between the first port and the second port and allowing communication between the third port and the fourth port,

the first port of the four-way valve is connected to a path leading to the accumulator,
the second port of the four-way valve is connected to a path leading to the outdoor heat exchanger,
the third port of the four-way valve is connected to a discharge side of the refrigerant relative to the compressor,
the fourth port of the four-way valve is connected to a path leading to the indoor heat exchanger,
in the first refrigerant recovery operation and the second refrigerant recovery operation, the four-way valve is controlled to bring about the first state,
the interruption valve is a check valve connected to a path between the first port and the accumulator, and
the check valve is connected in a direction in which the refrigerant is allowed to flow from the first port to the accumulator and the refrigerant is prevented from flowing from the accumulator to the first port.

6. The refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller determines that refrigerant in a liquid phase exists on the refrigerant inlet side of the compressor based on a temperature measurement from at least one of the first temperature detector and the second temperature detector.

7. The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the second refrigerant recovery operation is ended when the controller determines that a pressure measured by the first pressure detector is lower than a second prescribed determination value.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Matsuda Takuya
• Wada Makoto
• Motomura Yuji
• Ishimura Katsuhiro

Classifications

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B2700/21151

  at the suction side of the compressor · CPC title

• F25B41/24 Primary

  Arrangement of shut-off valves for disconnecting a part of the refrigerant cycle, e.g. an outdoor part · CPC title

• F25B2400/19

  Pumping down refrigerant from one part of the cycle to another part of the cycle, e.g. when the cycle is changed from cooling to heating, or before a defrost cycle is started · CPC title

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title