Chiller system and air-conditioning apparatus including chiller system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12540750-B2
Application number	US-202118253224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Jan 22, 2021
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

A chiller system includes: a chiller; a load; a feed pipe through which water flows from the chiller to the load; a return pipe through which water flows to the chiller from the load; a first controller that controls the chiller; and a second controller that outputs a chiller operating command to the first controller. The chiller includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor. The first sensor measures an inlet water temperature of water flowing through the return pipe. The second sensor measures an outlet water temperature of water flowing through the feed pipe. The third sensor measures an outside air temperature at a chiller installation location. The first controller calculates a temperature range for the chiller based on an inlet water temperature, an outlet water temperature, and an outside air temperature, and then outputs the temperature range to the second controller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A chiller system comprising:
a chiller configured to output water at an adjusted temperature; a load of the chiller; a feed pipe through which water flows to be supplied from the chiller to the load, the feed pipe being connected between the chiller and the load; a return pipe through which water flows back to the chiller from the load, the return pipe being connected between the chiller and the load; a first controller configured to control the chiller; and a second controller configured to output a chiller operating command to control the chiller to the first controller, wherein the chiller includes
a first sensor configured to measure an inlet water temperature of the water flowing through the return pipe to the chiller,
a second sensor configured to measure an outlet water temperature of the water flowing through the feed pipe from the chiller, and
a third sensor configured to measure an outside air temperature at a location where the chiller is installed, and
the first controller includes at least one processor and/or at least one circuit configured to
calculate a temperature range that is operational for the chiller based on the inlet water temperature measured by the first sensor, the outlet water temperature measured by the second sensor, and the outside air temperature measured by the third sensor, and then output the temperature range which is calculated to the second controller, wherein in the temperature range that is operational the chiller operates such that the outlet water temperature of the chiller becomes a target outlet water temperature.

2 . The chiller system of claim 1 , wherein the second controller
is configured to control a water flow rate at which water flows through the feed pipe and the return pipe based on the temperature range.

3 . The chiller system of claim 1 , comprising a water delivery pump configured to deliver water flowing through the return pipe from the load to the chiller, wherein
the second controller is configured to calculate a water flow rate at which the water delivery pump discharges water based on the temperature range which is output from the first controller, and output a first operating command including the water flow rate which is calculated to the water delivery pump.

4 . The chiller system of claim 1 , comprising a water temperature sensor configured to measure a water temperature of water flowing through the feed pipe, wherein
the first controller is configured to output the target outlet water temperature of the chiller to the second controller, and the second controller is configured to output the chiller operating command based on the water temperature measured by the water temperature sensor, a temperature range output from the first controller, and the target outlet water temperature of the chiller which is output from the first controller.

5 . The chiller system of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is configured to calculate the temperature range when a request for calculation of the temperature range from the second controller is detected.

6 . The chiller system of claim 1 , comprising a water-water heat exchanger provided on the feed pipe and the return pipe, wherein
the feed pipe includes a primary-side feed pipe connecting the chiller and the water-water heat exchanger, and a secondary-side feed pipe connecting the water-water heat exchanger and the load, the return pipe includes a primary-side return pipe connecting the chiller and the water-water heat exchanger, and a secondary-side return pipe connecting the water-water heat exchanger and the load, the primary-side feed pipe and the primary-side return pipe are connected in the water-water heat exchanger, while the secondary-side feed pipe and the secondary-side return pipe are connected in the water-water heat exchanger, the water-water heat exchanger exchanges heat between water flowing through the primary-side feed pipe and the primary-side return pipe and water flowing through the secondary-side feed pipe and the secondary-side return pipe, the chiller system comprises a secondary-side water delivery pump configured to deliver water to the water-water heat exchanger, and the second controller is configured to calculate a water flow rate for the secondary-side water delivery pump based on the temperature range which is output from the first controller, and outputs a second operating command including the water flow rate which is calculated to the secondary-side water delivery pump.

7 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
the chiller system of claim 1 , an indoor unit; and an outdoor unit connected to the indoor unit by a pipe through which refrigerant circulates, the outdoor unit including a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and outside air, wherein water flowing through the feed pipe and the return pipe exchanges heat with the load.

8 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the load is a part of the indoor unit.

9 . The chiller system of claim 1 , wherein
the second controller is configured to, in response to a water temperature measured by a water temperature sensor in a vicinity of the load and configured to measure the water temperature of water flowing through the feed pipe not reaching the target outlet water temperature due to a capacity of the chiller becoming insufficient, output the chiller operating command to the chiller to decrease a frequency of water delivery pump in the chiller and increase the frequency of a compressor in an outdoor unit.

10 . The chiller system of claim 1 , wherein
the second controller is configured to, in response to a water temperature measured by a water temperature sensor in a vicinity of the load and configured to measure the water temperature of water flowing through the feed pipe not reaching the target outlet water temperature due to a capacity of the chiller becoming excessive, output the chiller operating command to the chiller, to decrease a frequency of a water delivery pump in the chiller system and minimize the frequency of a compressor in an outdoor unit.

11 . The chiller system of claim 1 , wherein
the second controller is configured to, in response to a water temperature of water flowing to the load being lower than a target temperature of water circulating to the load,
calculate a water flow rate at which water is discharged from a water delivery pump that adjusts the water flow rate of water flowing through the return pipe from the load based on the temperature range for each chiller of one or more chillers in the chiller system, and control the water delivery pump to the water flow rate which is calculated, and
determine the chiller operating command to be output to each chiller of the one or more chillers in the chiller system based on the water flow rate which is calculated and the temperature range which is output from respectively each chiller of the one or more chillers, and output the chiller operating command which is determined for respectively each chiller to each chiller of the one or more chillers.

12 . The chiller system of claim 1 ,
wherein the chiller system is adapted to include a plurality of chillers including the chiller, each chiller of the plurality of chillers includes a respective first controller, wherein the second controller is configured to
determine the chiller operating command to be output to each chiller of the plurality of chillers in the chiller system based on the temperature range which is output from each chiller of the plurality of chillers, and
output the chiller operating command which is determined for res

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Takenaka Shohei
• Kadowaki Kimitaka
• Mochizuki Yuki
• Kurachi Akinori

Classifications

• F24F11/63

  Electronic processing · CPC title

• F24F11/83 Primary

  by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers · CPC title

• F25B2600/0251

  with on-off operation · CPC title

• F25B2600/0253

  with variable speed · CPC title

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title