Air conditioning system with multi-temperature zone, control method therefor and transport refrigeration vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12305897-B2
Application number	US-202318158864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2023
Priority date	Jan 26, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A multi-temperature air conditioning system, a control method thereof and a transport refrigeration vehicle. The multi-temperature air conditioning system includes an outdoor unit; a first indoor unit; and a second indoor unit; a number of a first four-way valves corresponds to the number of the first indoor units, and a number of a second four-way valves corresponds to the number of the second indoor units; and a section flow path which could be connected or disconnected is further included, which connects the first indoor unit between the first throttling element and the first on-off valve, and connects the second indoor unit between the second throttling element and the second on-off valve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-temperature air conditioning system, comprising:
an outdoor unit, in which a compressor, a first four-way valve, a second four-way valve and an outdoor heat exchanger connected through pipelines are arranged;
a first indoor unit, in which a first indoor heat exchanger, a first throttling element and a first on-off valve are respectively arranged, wherein a first end of the first indoor heat exchanger is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger through the first throttling element and the first on-off valve, and a second end of the first indoor heat exchanger is connected to the compressor through the first four-way valve; and
a second indoor unit, in which a second indoor heat exchanger, a second throttling element and a second on-off valve are respectively arranged, wherein a first end of the second indoor heat exchanger is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger through the second throttling element and the second on-off valve, and a second end of the second indoor heat exchanger is connected to the compressor through the second four-way valve;
wherein the first four-way valve is respectively connected to a gas inlet of the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, the first indoor heat exchanger, and is capable of being connected to or disconnected from a gas outlet of the compressor; the second four-way valve is respectively connected to the gas inlet of the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, the second indoor heat exchanger, and is capable of being connected to or disconnected from the gas outlet of the compressor; and
wherein a section flow path capable of being connected or disconnected is further included, wherein the section flow path connects to the first indoor unit between the first throttling element and the first on-off valve, and the section flow path connects to the second indoor unit between the second throttling element and the second on-off valve.

2. The multi-temperature air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the section flow path comprises: a first section on-off control valve located in the first indoor unit; and a second section on-off control valve located in the second indoor unit.

3. The multi-temperature air conditioning system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas-liquid separator arranged upstream of the gas inlet of the compressor;
a subcooling flow path connected between the outdoor heat exchanger and the first throttling element and the second throttling element, wherein the subcooling flow path flows through the interior of the gas-liquid separator; and
a subcooler arranged between the outdoor heat exchanger and the first throttling element and the second throttling element.

4. A control method for the multi-temperature air conditioning system according to claim 1 , comprising:
a first zone cooling and heating mode of alternatively switching the first four-way valve or the second four-way valve to connect a pipeline connection between the first four-way valve or the second four-way valve and the gas outlet of the compressor accordingly, turning off the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve, and connecting the section flow path, so that refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the first four-way valve, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first throttling element, the section flow path, the second throttling element, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor; or the refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the second four-way valve, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second throttling element, the section flow path, the first throttling element, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor.

5. The control method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a second zone cooling and heating mode of alternatively switching the first four-way valve or the second four-way valve to connect pipeline connections between the first four-way valve and the second four-way valve and the gas outlet of the compressor, turning off the first on-off valve or the second on-off valve accordingly, and connecting the section flow path, so that a first part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the first four-way valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the first on-off valve, the first throttling element, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor; and a second part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the second four-way valve, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second throttling element, the section flow path, the first throttling element, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor; or the first part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the second four-way valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the second on-off valve, the second throttling element, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor; and the second part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the first four-way valve, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first throttling element, the section flow path, the second throttling element, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor.

6. The control method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a whole region cooling mode of connecting the pipeline connections between the first four-way valve and the second four-way valve and the gas outlet of the compressor, turning on the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve, and disconnecting the section flow path, so that the first part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the first four-way valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the first on-off valve, the first throttling element, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor; and the second part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the second four-way valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the second on-off valve, the second throttling element, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor.

7. The control method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a whole region heating mode of switching flow directions of the first four-way valve and the second four-way valve, connecting the pipeline connections between the first four-way valve and the second four-way valve and the gas outlet of the compressor, turning on the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve, and disconnecting the section flow path, so that the first part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the first four-way valve, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first throttling element, the first on-off valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the first four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor; and the second part of refrigerant flows sequentially through the gas outlet of the compressor, the second four-way valve, the second indoor heat exchanger, the second throttling element, the second on-off valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the second four-way valve and the gas inlet of the compressor.

8. The control method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a specific zone cooling mode of alternatively connecting the pipeline connection between the first four-way valve or the second four-way valve and the gas outlet of the compressor, turning on the first on-off valve or the second on-off valve

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Chen Kun
• Chen Linhui

Classifications

• B60P3/20

  Refrigerated goods vehicles (air treatment of goods space B60H; {air-conditioning means for freight cars, isothermic wagons B61D27/0027; superstructures for refrigerated goods vehicles B62D33/048}) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00935

  comprising four way valves for controlling the fluid direction · CPC title

• F25B2400/0411

  for expansion valves or capillary tubes · CPC title

• F25B2400/0409

  for evaporators · CPC title

• F25B2400/0403

  for condensers · CPC title