Refrigeration apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9587863-B2
Application number	US-201314404307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2013
Priority date	May 28, 2012
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A refrigeration apparatus uses R32 as refrigerant, and includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, an evaporator, a branch flow channel branching from a main refrigerant channel joining the condenser and the evaporator, a first opening adjustable valve disposed along the branch flow channel, an injection heat exchanger, a first injection channel, a refrigerant storage tank disposed along the main refrigerant channel, and a second injection channel. The injection heat exchanger exchanges heat between refrigerant in the main refrigerant channel and refrigerant passing through the first opening adjustable valve. The first injection channel guides refrigerant that flows in the branch flow channel and that exits from the injection heat exchanger to the compressor or the suction passage. The second injection channel guides a gas component of refrigerant accumulated inside the refrigerant storage tank to the compressor or the suction passage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration apparatus that uses R32 as the refrigerant, the refrigeration apparatus comprising:
a compressor arranged and configured to suck in low-pressure refrigerant from a suction passage, compress the refrigerant and discharge high-pressure refrigerant;
a condenser arranged and configured to condense the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
an expansion mechanism arranged and configured to expand the high-pressure refrigerant exiting the condenser;
an evaporator arranged and configured to evaporate the refrigerant expanded by the expansion mechanism;
a branch flow channel branching from a main refrigerant channel joining the condenser and the evaporator;
a first opening adjustable valve having an adjustable opening and disposed along the branch flow channel;
an injection heat exchanger arranged and configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant that flows in the main refrigerant channel and the refrigerant that passes through the first opening adjustable valve of the branch flow channel;
a first injection channel arranged and configured to guide the refrigerant that flows in the branch flow channel and that exits from the injection heat exchanger to the compressor or the suction passage;
a refrigerant storage tank disposed along the main refrigerant channel;
a second injection channel arranged and configured to guide a gas component of refrigerant accumulated inside the refrigerant storage tank to the compressor or the suction passage; and
a control unit configured to switch between
a first injection control in which refrigerant primarily flows to the first injection channel, and
a second injection control in which refrigerant primarily flows to the second injection channel,

the control unit switching between the first injection control and the second injection control based on a pressure of refrigerant in the main refrigerate channel between the condenser and the expansion mechanism.

2. The refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second opening adjustable valve having an adjustable opening and disposed along the second injection channel,
the first injection channel and the second injection channel being arranged and configured to cause refrigerant to merge with intermediate-pressure refrigerant of the compressor, and
the control unit
in the first injection control, causing refrigerant from primarily the first injection channel to merge with intermediate-pressure refrigerant of the compressor, and
in the second injection control, causing refrigerant from primarily the second injection channel to merge with intermediate-pressure refrigerant of the compressor.

3. The refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit switches between the first injection control, the second injection control, and a non-injection control in which refrigerant does not flow in the first injection channel or the second injection channel.

Assignees

• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kawano Satoshi
• Matsuoka Shinya
• Oka Masahiro

Classifications

• F25B41/04 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25B2313/02741

  using one four-way valve · CPC title

• F25B2313/005

  Outdoor unit expansion valves · CPC title

• F25B2700/1931

  Discharge pressures · CPC title

• F25B2600/2509

  Economiser valves · CPC title