Air-conditioning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021025627-A1
Application number	US-201816969611-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2018
Priority date	Apr 5, 2018
Publication date	Jan 28, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat medium circulation circuit and a heat-source-side refrigerant circulation circuit. In the heat medium circulation circuit, a pump configured to pressurize a heat medium that contains water or brine, an indoor heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between an indoor air and the heat medium, and a flow control device installed corresponding to the indoor heat exchanger and configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium passing through the indoor heat exchanger are connected by a pipe to circulate the heat medium therein. A plurality of the indoor heat exchangers are installed in respective indoor units. Each of the indoor units includes a detection device configured to detect a physical quantity related to a heat quantity involved in heat exchange of the indoor heat exchanger, and is configured to perform communication by a signal containing data on detection of the detection device.

First claim

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a heat medium circulation circuit, in which
a pump configured to pressurize a heat medium that contains water or brine, and transfers heat,
an indoor heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between an indoor air of an air-conditioned space and the heat medium, and
a flow control device installed in correspondence with the indoor heat exchanger and configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium passing through the indoor heat exchanger
are connected by a pipe to circulate the heat medium therein; and a heat-source-side refrigerant circulation circuit, in which
a compressor configured to compress a heat-source-side refrigerant,
a heat-source-side heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the heat-source-side refrigerant and an outdoor air,
an expansion device configured to decompress the heat-source-side refrigerant, and
a heat medium heat exchanger configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the heat-source-side refrigerant and the heat medium
are connected by a pipe, wherein a plurality of the indoor heat exchangers are installed in respective indoor units, and each of the indoor units includes a detection device configured to detect a physical quantity related to a heat quantity involved in heat exchange of the indoor heat exchanger and performs communication by a signal containing data on detection of the detection device.

2 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller,
wherein each of the indoor units further includes an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the indoor air, and
the controller is configured to, based on a set temperature for the indoor air of each indoor unit and a temperature of the indoor air thereof at start of operation, determine a temperature of the heat medium passing through the indoor heat exchanger, and control the heat-source-side refrigerant circulation circuit so that the heat medium having a determined temperature is obtained through heat exchange.

3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller controls a temperature of the heat medium involved in heat exchange with the heat-source-side refrigerant in the heat medium heat exchanger by controlling a temperature of the heat-source-side refrigerant passing through the heat medium heat exchanger, based on a temperature change of the indoor air at a predetermined time interval.

4 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the compressor and the heat-source-side heat exchanger are installed in the outdoor unit, and the heat medium heat exchanger and the pump are installed in a relay unit configured to transfer heat between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

5 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of the relay units are connected in parallel to the outdoor unit by a pipe.

6 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a component of the heat-source-side refrigerant circulation circuit and the pump are installed in the outdoor unit.

7 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flow control device is installed in the indoor unit.

8 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the flow control devices are installed in a flow control unit.

9 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to control the heat-source-side refrigerant circuit based on target temperature gradients each of which is calculated from a set temperature for the indoor air and a temperature of the indoor air at start of operation.

10 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller sets a target temperature gradient as a reference among the target temperature gradients of each of the indoor unit, and, based on the set target temperature gradient, controls the heat-source-side refrigerant circuit.

11 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat quantity involved in heat exchange of the indoor heat exchanger is calculated from a temperature difference between the temperature of the heat medium flowing into the corresponding indoor heat exchanger and that of the heat medium flowing out from the indoor heat exchanger and from a flow rate of the heat medium passing through the indoor heat exchanger.

12 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the flow rate of the heat medium flowing into the indoor heat exchanger is calculated from a Cv value obtained from an opening degree of a valve of the corresponding flow control device and the pressure difference between the pressure of the heat medium before passing through the flow control device and that of after passing through the flow control device.

13 . The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a signal containing data on detection of the detection device is sent to the controller that controls the heat-source-side refrigerant circulation circuit based on the data.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Washiyama Hiroki
• Kadowaki Kimitaka
• Takenaka Naofumi
• Motomura Yuji

Classifications

• F25B2700/2104

  of an indoor room or compartment · CPC title

• F25B2313/003

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

• F25B2700/21152

  at the discharge side of the compressor · CPC title

• F24F11/84 Primary

  using valves · CPC title

• F25B13/00

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