Refrigeration apparatus-use unit, heat source unit, and refrigeration apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022003463-A1
Application number	US-202117480777-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2021
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Jan 6, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A switching mechanism (TV1, TV2, TV3, TV4, FV) includes an electric motor (74), a flow path switching portion (71) to be driven by the electric motor (74), a first port (P1) connected to a high-pressure flow path (7, 24, 28b, 31, 32) of a refrigerant circuit (6), a second port (P2) connected to a low-pressure flow path (8, 25, 28a, 33, 34) of the refrigerant circuit (6), and a third port (P3) connected to a predetermined flow path of the refrigerant circuit (6). The switching mechanism (TV1, TV2, TV3, TV4, FV) is switched between a first state in which the first port (P1) communicates with the third port (P3) and a second state in which the second port (P2) communicates with the third port (P3) in such a manner that the electric motor (74) drives the flow path switching portion (71).

First claim

1 . A refrigeration apparatus-use unit for a refrigeration apparatus ( 1 ) including a refrigerant circuit ( 6 ) configured to perform a refrigeration cycle in which a pressure above a critical pressure is applied to a refrigerant,
the refrigeration apparatus-use unit comprising a switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , TV 4 , FV) configured to switch a flow path of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit ( 6 ), wherein the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , TV 4 , FV) includes:
an electric motor ( 74 );
a flow path switching portion ( 71 ) to be driven by the electric motor ( 74 );
a first port (P 1 ) connected to a high-pressure flow path ( 7 , 24 , 28 b, 31 , 32 ) of the refrigerant circuit ( 6 );
a second port (P 2 ) connected to a low-pressure flow path ( 8 , 25 , 28 a, 33 , 34 ) of the refrigerant circuit ( 6 ); and
a third port (P 3 ) connected to a predetermined flow path of the refrigerant circuit ( 6 ), and
the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , TV 4 , FV) is switched to a first state in which the first port (P 1 ) communicates with the third port (P 3 ) or a second state in which the second port (P 2 ) communicates with the third port (P 3 ) in such a manner that the electric motor ( 74 ) drives the flow path switching portion ( 71 ).

2 . The refrigeration apparatus-use unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching mechanism comprises an electrically driven three-way valve (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , TV 4 ).

3 . The refrigeration apparatus-use unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the three-way valve comprises a first three-way valve (TV 1 ) and a second three-way valve (TV 2 ), the first port (P 1 ) of the first three-way valve (TV 1 ) is connected to a discharge side of a compression unit (C), the second port (P 2 ) of the first three-way valve (TV 1 ) is connected to a suction side of the compression unit (C), the third port (P 3 ) of the first three-way valve (TV 1 ) is connected to a gas end of a utilization-side heat exchanger ( 64 ), the first port (P 1 ) of the second three-way valve (TV 2 ) is connected to the discharge side of the compression unit (C), the second port (P 2 ) of the second three-way valve (TV 2 ) is connected to the suction side of the compression unit (C), and the third port (P 3 ) of the second three-way valve (TV 2 ) is connected to a gas end of a heat source-side heat exchanger ( 13 ).

4 . The refrigeration apparatus-use unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching mechanism comprises an electrically driven four-way valve (FV) including the first port (P 1 ), the second port (P 2 ), the third port (P 3 ), and a fourth port (P 4 ) connected to a predetermined flow path of the refrigerant circuit ( 6 ), the four-way valve (FV) is switched by the electric motor ( 74 ) to the first state in which the first port (P 1 ) communicates with the third port (P 3 ) and the second port (P 2 ) communicates with the fourth port (P 4 ), and the four-way valve (FV) is switched by the electric motor ( 74 ) to the second state in which the second port (P 2 ) communicates with the third port (P 3 ) and the first port (P 1 ) communicates with the fourth port (P 4 ).

5 . The refrigeration apparatus-use unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , TV 4 , FV) comprises a rotary-type flow path switching valve, and the electric motor ( 74 ) drives the flow path switching portion ( 71 ) to rotate the flow path switching portion ( 71 ).

6 . The refrigeration apparatus-use unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit ( 6 ) comprises carbon dioxide.

7 . A heat source unit for a refrigeration apparatus ( 1 ) including a refrigerant circuit ( 6 ) configured to perform a refrigeration cycle in which a pressure above a critical pressure is applied to a refrigerant,
the heat source unit comprising: a compression unit (C); a heat source-side heat exchanger ( 13 ); and the refrigeration apparatus-use unit ( 30 ) according to claim 1 .

8 . The heat source unit according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a control unit ( 100 ) configured to stop the compression unit (C) before a start of state switching of the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , FV) or in the state switching.

9 . The heat source unit according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a control unit ( 100 ) configured to control the compression unit (C) to decrease a pressure difference between the high-pressure flow path ( 24 , 28 b, 31 , 32 ) and the low-pressure flow path ( 25 , 28 a, 33 , 34 ) before a start of state switching of the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , FV) or in the state switching.

10 . The heat source unit according to claim 9 , wherein
the compression unit (C) comprises one compressor ( 28 ), and the control unit ( 100 ) decreases an operating frequency of the compressor ( 28 ) before the start of the state switching of the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , FV) or in the state switching.

11 . The heat source unit according to claim 9 , wherein
the compression unit (C) includes a first compressor ( 21 ) and a second compressor ( 22 ) connected in series to the refrigerant circuit ( 6 ), and the control unit ( 100 ) decreases an operating frequency of at least one of the first compressor ( 21 ) or the second compressor ( 22 ) before the start of the state switching of the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 , TV 3 , FV) or in the state switching.

12 . The heat source unit according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a pressure difference adjustment mechanism ( 14 , 47 , 63 ) configured to decrease a pressure difference between the high-pressure flow path ( 24 , 28 b, 31 , 32 ) and the low-pressure flow path ( 25 , 28 a, 33 , 34 ) before a start of state switching of the switching mechanism (TV 1 , TV 2 ) or in the state switching.

13 . A refrigeration apparatus comprising:
a refrigerant circuit ( 6 ) configured to perform a refrigeration cycle in which a pressure above a critical pressure is applied to a refrigerant; and the refrigeration apparatus-use unit ( 30 , 80 ) according to claim 1 .

14 . A refrigeration apparatus comprising:
a refrigerant circuit ( 6 ) configured to perform a refrigeration cycle in which a pressure above a critical pressure is applied to a refrigerant; and the heat source unit ( 30 ) according to claim 7 .

Assignees

• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Takegami Masaaki
• TAGUCHI Shuuichi

Classifications

• F25B41/26

  of fluid flow reversing valves · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F25B1/10

  with multi-stage compression (with cascade operation F25B7/00) · CPC title

• F25B2400/075

  with parallel compressors · CPC title

• F25B2700/1933

  Suction pressures · CPC title