Air-conditioning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9897359-B2
Application number	US-201214347798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2012
Priority date	Jan 18, 2012
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigeration cycle that includes one or more intermediate heat exchangers, exchanging heat between a heat source side refrigerant and a heat medium different from the heat source side refrigerant, a heat medium circuit that includes at least one pump configured to circulate the heat medium for heat exchange by the intermediate heat exchanger, a use side heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the heat medium and air in an air-conditioning target space, and flow switching valves configured to switch between passing the heated heat medium through the use side heat exchanger and passing the cooled heat medium through the use side heat exchanger and in which the pump, the use side heat exchanger, and the flow switching valves are connected by pipes, and a controller configured to calculate an actual temperature efficiency ratio based on a temperature at a heat medium inlet of the heat exchanger in the heat medium circuit and determine whether a flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal based on the actual temperature efficiency ratio and a set reference temperature efficiency ratio.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
a refrigeration cycle including
a pipe,
a compressor configured to compress a heat source side refrigerant,
a refrigerant flow switching device configured to switch between paths for circulation of the heat source side refrigerant,
a heat source side heat exchanger configured to allow the heat source side refrigerant to exchange heat,
an expansion device configured to regulate a pressure of the heat source side refrigerant, and
at least one intermediate heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the heat source side refrigerant and a heat medium different from the heat source side refrigerant;

a heat medium circuit including
a pipe,
at least one pump configured to circulate the heat medium for heat exchange by the intermediate heat exchanger,
a use side heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the heat medium and air in an air-conditioning target space, and
a flow switching valve configured to switch between passing a heated heat medium through the use side heat exchanger and passing a cooled heat medium through the use side heat exchanger; and

a controller configured to calculate an actual temperature efficiency ratio based on a temperature at a heat medium inlet of the intermediate heat exchanger or the use side heat exchanger in the heat medium circuit and determine whether a flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal based on a difference between the actual temperature efficiency ratio and a set reference temperature efficiency ratio,
wherein the controller is configured to set the reference temperature efficiency ratio based on a rotation speed of the pump.

2. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an incoming heat medium temperature detecting device configured to detect a temperature at a heat medium inlet of the intermediate heat exchanger; and
an outgoing heat medium temperature detecting device configured to detect a temperature at a heat medium outlet of the intermediate heat exchanger,
wherein the controller calculates an actual temperature efficiency ratio based on the temperature at the heat medium inlet, the temperature at the heat medium outlet, and the temperature of the heat source side refrigerant passing through the intermediate heat exchanger and determines whether the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal based on the actual temperature efficiency ratio and the set reference temperature efficiency ratio.

3. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an incoming heat medium temperature detecting device configured to detect a temperature at a heat medium inlet of the intermediate heat exchanger;
an outgoing heat medium temperature detecting device configured to detect a temperature at a heat medium outlet of the intermediate heat exchanger; and
an air-conditioning target temperature detecting device configured to detect the temperature of air flowing into the use side heat exchanger,
wherein the controller calculates an actual temperature efficiency ratio based on the temperature at the heat medium inlet, the temperature at the heat medium outlet, and the temperature of the air flowing into the use side heat exchanger and determines whether the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal based on the actual temperature efficiency ratio and the set reference temperature efficiency ratio.

4. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a use-side incoming temperature detecting device configured to detect a temperature at a heat medium inlet of the use side heat exchanger;
a use-side outgoing temperature detecting device configured to detect a temperature at a heat medium outlet of the use side heat exchanger; and
an air-conditioning target temperature detecting device configured to detect the temperature of air flowing into the use side heat exchanger,
wherein the controller calculates an actual temperature efficiency ratio based on the temperature at the heat medium inlet, the temperature at the heat medium outlet, and the temperature of the air flowing into the use side heat exchanger and determines whether the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal based on the actual temperature efficiency ratio and a set reference temperature efficiency ratio.

5. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when determining that the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal, the controller stops the pump.

6. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when determining that a predetermined period of time has elapsed since activation of the pump, the controller starts to determine whether a flow rate of the heat medium is abnormal.

7. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a rotation speed detecting device configured to detect an actual rotation speed of the pump, wherein the controller determines whether the pump is in an abnormal condition based on a relationship between the actual rotation speed detected by the rotation speed detecting device and a designated rotation speed.

8. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pump temperature detecting device configured to detect the temperature of the pump, wherein the controller determines whether the pump is in an abnormal condition based on the temperature detected by the pump temperature detecting device.

9. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an annunciator configured to provide information indicating abnormality, wherein when determining that the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal, the controller allows the annunciator to provide the information.

10. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein when determining that the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal, the controller stops the pump.

11. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein when determining that the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal, the controller stops the pump.

12. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein when determining that the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circuit is abnormal, the controller stops the pump.

Assignees

• Morimoto Osamu
• Shimamoto Daisuke
• Azuma Koji
• Honda Takayoshi
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Morimoto Osamu
• Shimamoto Daisuke
• Azuma Koji
• Honda Takayoshi

Classifications

• F25B2313/02741

  using one four-way valve · CPC title

• F25B2313/0231

  with simultaneous cooling and heating · CPC title

• F25B49/005

  of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• F25B25/005

  using primary and secondary systems · CPC title

• F24F3/06 Primary

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