Air-conditioning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12595945-B2
Application number	US-202118549006-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2021
Priority date	Apr 20, 2021
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a refrigerant cycle circuit in which a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a refrigerant-side flow passage of an inter-heat-medium heat exchanger are connected by refrigerant pipes, and refrigerant is circulated; and a heat-medium cycle circuit in which a pump, a use-side heat exchanger, and a heat-medium-side flow passage of the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger are connected by heat-medium conveying pipes, and the heat medium is circulated. An inside diameter D of each of the heat-medium conveying pipes is determined based on a capacity Q of the use-side heat exchanger connected to the heat-medium conveying pipes and a length L of at least part of each of the heat-medium conveying pipes included in the heat-medium cycle circuit, and is set to satisfy the following formula (1):

3
⁢

(

LQ
2

)

0.2

<
D
<

104
⁢

(

Q
/
L

)

0.5

.

(
1
)

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a refrigerant cycle circuit in which a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a refrigerant-side flow passage of an inter-heat-medium heat exchanger are connected by refrigerant pipes, and refrigerant is circulated, the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger being configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the refrigerant and a heat medium; and a heat-medium cycle circuit in which a pump, a use-side heat exchanger, and a heat-medium-side flow passage of the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger are connected by heat-medium conveying pipes, and the heat medium is circulated, wherein an inside diameter D of each of the heat-medium conveying pipes satisfies the following formula (1):

3
⁢

(

LQ
⁢
2

)

0.2

<
D
<

104
⁢

(

Q
/
L

)

0.5

,

(
1
)

where
D is a numerical value of the inside diameter expressed in mm,
Q is a numerical value of a capacity expressed in kW of the use-side heat exchanger connected to the heat-medium conveying pipes, and
L is numerical value of a length expressed in m of at least one of the heat-medium conveying pipes included in the heat-medium cycle circuit, wherein
a plurality of use-side heat exchangers including the use-side heat exchanger are provided,
the heat-medium conveying pipes include
a plurality of use-side pipes each connected to an associated one of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers, and
a heat-source-side pipe connected to the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger, and
of the inside diameters D of the heat-medium conveying pipes, an inside diameter Da of the heat-source-side pipe satisfies the formula (1), where a total capacity Qa of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers is substituted for the capacity Q and a length La of the heat-source-side pipe is substituted for the length L, and
wherein the inside diameter Da of the heat-source-side pipe is larger than an inside diameter of each of the plurality of use-side pipes.

2 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of use-side pipes branch off from the heat-source-side pipe.

3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of use-side heat exchangers include at least a first use-side heat exchanger, the plurality of use-side pipes include a first use-side pipe connected to the first use-side heat exchanger, and of the inside diameters D of the heat-medium conveying pipes, an inside diameter D 1 of the first use-side pipe satisfies the formula (1), where a capacity Q 1 of the first use-side heat exchanger is substituted for the capacity Q and a length L 1 of the first use-side pipe is substituted for the length L.

4 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 ,
further comprising: a heat source unit including at least the compressor and the heat-source-side heat exchanger; and a relay unit connected to the heat source unit by a pipe, and including at least the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger, wherein the plurality of use-side pipes each connect the relay unit and an associated one of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers.

5 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising an auxiliary
relay unit connected between the relay unit and the plurality of use-side heat exchangers, wherein the heat-medium conveying pipes further include an intermediate pipe connecting the relay unit and the auxiliary relay unit, and an inside diameter Db of the intermediate pipe satisfies the formula (1), where a total capacity Qb of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers connected to the auxiliary relay unit is substituted for the capacity Q and a length Lb of the intermediate pipe is substituted for the length L.

6 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the auxiliary relay unit is
connected to one or more of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers, the one or more of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers being different from one or more of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers that are connected to the relay unit.

7 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein
a plurality of inter-heat-medium heat exchangers including the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger are provided, and each of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers is connected to an associated one of the plurality of inter-heat-medium heat exchangers.

8 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a refrigerant cycle circuit in which a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a refrigerant-side flow passage of an inter-heat-medium heat exchanger are connected by refrigerant pipes, and refrigerant is circulated, the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger being configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the refrigerant and a heat medium; and a heat-medium cycle circuit in which a pump, a use-side heat exchanger, and a heat-medium-side flow passage of the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger are connected by heat-medium conveying pipes, and the heat medium is circulated, wherein an inside diameter D of each of the heat-medium conveying pipes satisfies the following formula (1):
3( LQ 2 ) 0.2 <D< 104( Q/L ) 0.5   (1),

where D is a numerical value of the inside diameter expressed in mm, Q is a numerical value of a capacity expressed in kW of the use-side heat exchanger connected to the heat-medium conveying pipes, and L is numerical value of a length expressed in m of at least one of the heat-medium conveying pipes included in the heat-medium cycle circuit, wherein a plurality of use-side heat exchangers including the use-side heat exchanger are provided, the heat-medium conveying pipes include
a plurality of use-side pipes each connected to an associated one of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers, and
a heat-source-side pipe connected to the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger, and
of the inside diameters D of the heat-medium conveying pipes, an inside diameter Da of the heat-source-side pipe satisfies the formula (1), where a total capacity Qa of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers is substituted for the capacity Q and a length La of the heat-source-side pipe is substituted for the length L, further comprising: a heat source unit including at least the compressor and the heat-source-side heat exchanger; and a relay unit connected to the heat source unit by a pipe, and including at least the inter-heat-medium heat exchanger, wherein the plurality

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Matsui Ryosuke

Classifications

• F25B25/005

  using primary and secondary systems · CPC title

• F25B2313/003

  Indoor unit with water as a heat sink or heat source · CPC title

• F24F3/06

  characterised by the arrangements for the supply of heat-exchange fluid for the subsequent treatment of primary air in the room units · CPC title

• F25B41/42 Primary

  Arrangements for diverging or converging flows, e.g. branch lines or junctions · CPC title

• F24F3/065 Primary

  with a plurality of evaporators or condensers · CPC title