Heat pump system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11913694-B2
Application number	US-201816966090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2018
Priority date	Mar 7, 2018
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

A heat pump system includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow path included in a heat medium heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a heat source side heat exchanger are connected, the heat medium heat exchanger including the refrigerant flow path and a heat medium flow path; a heat medium feed path connected to the heat medium flow path included in the heat medium heat exchanger; an indoor unit connected to the heat medium feed path and configured to condition air inside a room; a room temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature in the room; a heat medium temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a heat medium that flows into the indoor unit; and a controller configured to control the refrigerant circuit or the indoor unit by using a set temperature in the room.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump system, comprising:
a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow path included in a heat medium heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a heat source side heat exchanger are connected, the heat medium heat exchanger including the refrigerant flow path and a heat medium flow path;
a heat medium feed path connected to the heat medium flow path included in the heat medium heat exchanger;
an indoor unit connected to the heat medium feed path and including an indoor fan, the indoor unit being configured to condition air inside a room;
a room temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature in the room;
a heat medium temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a heat medium that flows into the indoor unit; and
a controller configured to control a flow rate of air sent from the indoor fan by using a set temperature in the room, the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor, and the temperature detected by the heat medium temperature sensor in such a manner that the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor is not deviated from the set temperature.

2. The heat pump system of claim 1 , further comprising
a plurality of the refrigerant circuits.

3. The heat pump system of claim 2 , wherein the heat medium temperature sensor includes a plurality of outflow temperature sensors each configured to detect a temperature of the heat medium that flows out from a corresponding one of a plurality of the heat medium heat exchangers in the plurality of the refrigerant circuits.

4. The heat pump system of claim 3 , wherein
the plurality of the refrigerant circuits are mutually connected in parallel and connected to the heat medium feed path, and
the heat medium temperature sensor includes a representative temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat medium that passes through all of the plurality of the heat medium heat exchangers before the heat medium flows into the indoor unit.

5. The heat pump system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to determine, by using a temperature of the heat medium that flows out from one or more of the plurality of the heat medium heat exchangers, a target temperature of the heat medium that flows out from the heat medium heat exchanger other than the one or more of the plurality of the heat medium heat exchangers.

6. The heat pump system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to execute a defrosting mode operation for defrosting one or more of the heat source side heat exchangers in the plurality of the refrigerant circuits.

7. The heat pump system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to increase, when the controller executes the defrosting mode operation, a rotation frequency of the compressor connected to the heat source side heat exchanger that does not perform defrosting as compared with a rotation frequency before the defrosting mode operation is performed.

8. The heat pump system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to execute, in a period after the heat pump system executes a room heating mode operation for performing heating in the room and before the heat pump system executes the defrosting mode operation, a heat storage mode operation for increasing a temperature of the heat medium than a temperature of the heat medium when the room heating mode operation is performed.

9. The heat pump system of claim 8 , further comprising
a frost formation detection sensor configured to detect frost formation of the heat source side heat exchanger, wherein
the controller is configured to execute the heat storage mode operation when the controller determines that a frost formation amount of the heat source side heat exchanger is higher than a first frost formation amount by using a detection result of the frost formation detection sensor.

10. The heat pump system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the defrosting mode operation when the controller determines that the frost formation amount of the heat source side heat exchanger is higher than a second frost formation amount, the second frost formation amount being higher than the first frost formation amount.

11. The heat pump system of claim 9 , wherein the frost formation detection sensor includes a heat exchanger downstream temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of refrigerant subjected to heat exchange in the heat source side heat exchanger.

12. The heat pump system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain, when the controller executes the defrosting mode operation, the temperature detected by the heat medium temperature sensor to be higher than or equal to a defrosting operation target heat medium temperature.

13. The heat pump system of claim 12 , wherein the defrosting operation target heat medium temperature is set to a temperature higher than or equal to the set temperature or the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor.

14. The heat pump system of claim 1 , wherein
the indoor unit includes a use side heat exchanger in which the heat medium flows,
the indoor fan is configured to send air to the use side heat exchanger,
the controller is configured to stop sending of air by the indoor fan when the temperature detected by the heat medium temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature and the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor, or when the temperature detected by the heat medium temperature sensor is lower than the set temperature and the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor, and
the controller is configured to cause the indoor fan to send air when the temperature detected by the heat medium temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature and lower than the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor, or when the temperature detected by the heat medium temperature sensor is lower than the set temperature and higher than the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor.

15. The heat pump system of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant circuit includes a flow path switch device configured to change a direction in which refrigerant flows to a direction in which the refrigerant flows in a heating operation in which the heat medium heat exchanger heats the heat medium and to a direction in which the refrigerant flows in a cooling operation in which the heat medium heat exchanger cools the heat medium.

16. A heat pump system, comprising:
a plurality of refrigerant circuits in each of which a compressor, a refrigerant flow path included in a heat medium heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a heat source side heat exchanger are connected, the heat medium heat exchanger including the refrigerant flow path and a heat medium flow path;
a heat medium feed path connected to the heat medium flow path included in the heat medium heat exchanger;
an indoor unit connected to the heat medium feed path and configured to condition air inside a room;
a heat medium temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a heat medium that flows into the indoor unit; and
a controller configured to control the plurality of refrigerant circuits or the indoor unit,
the heat medium temperature sensor including a plurality of outflow temperature sensors each configured to detect a temperature of the heat medium that flows out from a corresponding one of a plurality of the heat medium heat exchangers in the plurality of refrigerant circuits,
the controller being configured to determine, by using a

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Hayashida Kazuki
• Okoshi Yasushi
• Ito Takuya
• Yamano Yoshio
• Kadowaki Kimitaka
• Akizuki Takahiro

Classifications

• F25B47/02 Primary

  Defrosting cycles · CPC title

• F24F11/42

  of outdoor units · CPC title

• F24F11/74

  for controlling air flow rate or air velocity · CPC title

• F25B13/00

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

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title