Refrigeration cycle apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016209088-A1
Application number	US-201314915278-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2013
Priority date	Sep 24, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes connected in series a compressor, an oil separator, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, and comprising: a distributor communicating to the oil separator and configured to branch a flow of refrigerating machine oil separated within the oil separator; a first oil return flow path to cause the flow of the refrigerating machine oil branched by the distributor to flow into a suction side of the compressor, the first oil return flow path including an expansion valve; and a second oil return flow path to cause the flow of the refrigerating machine oil branched by the distributor to flow into the suction side of the compressor, the second oil return flow path including an oil tank accumulating refrigerating machine oil and a valve provided between the oil tank and the suction side of the compressor, the distributor having a distributor main body in which an inflow opening port communicating to the oil separator, a first oil return opening port communicating to the first oil return flow path, and a second oil return opening port communicating to the second oil return flow path are formed, the first oil return opening port provided at an upper portion of the distributor main body, the second oil return opening port being provided at a lower portion of the distributor main body.

First claim

1 . A refrigeration cycle apparatus including, connected in series, a compressor, an oil separator, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, the refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising:
a distributor communicating to the oil separator and configured to branch a flow of refrigerating machine oil separated within the oil separator; a first oil return flow path configured to cause the flow of the refrigerating machine oil branched by the distributor to flow into a suction side of the compressor, the first oil return flow path including an expansion valve; a second oil return flow path configured to cause the flow of the refrigerating machine oil branched by the distributor to flow into the suction side of the compressor, the second oil return flow path including an oil tank accumulating refrigerating machine oil and a valve provided between the oil tank and the suction side of the compressor; and an opening and closing control unit configured to control opening and closing of the valve, the distributor having a distributor main body in which an inflow opening port communicating to the oil separator, a first oil return opening port communicating to the first oil return flow path, and a second oil return opening port communicating to the second oil return flow path are formed, the first oil return opening port being provided at an upper portion of the distributor main body, and the second oil return opening port being provided at a lower portion of the distributor main body.

2 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distributor main body is formed such that a flow path area of the distributor main body is larger than a flow path area of each of the inflow opening port, the first oil return opening port, and the second oil return opening port.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing control unit is configured to control the valve such that the valve is opened upon activation of the compressor.

5 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claims 1 , wherein the opening and closing control unit is configured to control the valve such that the valve is closed where a degree of superheat within a shell of the compressor is larger than a prescribed threshold (SHref).

6 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
a discharge temperature sensor detecting a temperature of refrigerant discharged from the compressor as a discharge temperature; and a condensing temperature sensor detecting a temperature of refrigerant flowing in the condenser as a condensing temperature, and wherein the opening and closing control unit is configured to compute a degree of superheat within a shell of the compressor based on the discharge temperature and the condensing temperature.

7 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing control unit is configured to open the valve where an operation frequency of the compressor is larger than a prescribed threshold (SHref) and close the valve where the operation frequency of the compressor is equal to or less than the prescribed threshold.

8 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant includes an R32 refrigerant.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Shimazu yusuke

Classifications

• F25B2700/171

  of the compressor · CPC title

• F25B43/006

  Accumulators · CPC title

• F25B41/04

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25B2700/21152

  at the discharge side of the compressor · CPC title

• F25B2600/2515

  Flow valves · CPC title