AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS

• US 20150285530A1
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Europe N.V. (Daikin Industries Ltd), Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Europe N.V. (Daikin Industries Ltd), Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Honda, Masahiro, Matsuoka, Shinya, Nakagawa, Hideyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,410,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/89 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/20 Heat-exchange fluid temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0035 using evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0233 in parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/02741 using one four-way valve
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/029 Control issues
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0313 Pressure sensors near the outdoor heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0314 Temperature sensors near the indoor heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/19 Refrigerant outlet condenser temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/21 Refrigerant outlet evaporator temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21151 at the suction side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21152 at the discharge side of the compressor

Abstract

An air conditioning apparatus has a refrigerant circuit configured as a result of plural indoor units being connected to an outdoor unit, and the air conditioning apparatus has a capacity controlling part and a target refrigerant temperature mode setting part. The capacity controlling part controls the air conditioning capacity of the outdoor unit in such a way that the evaporation temperature or the condensation temperature of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit becomes a target evaporation temperature or a target condensation temperature. The target refrigerant temperature mode setting part is configured to set a target refrigerant temperature mode to either of a target refrigerant temperature changing mode that changes the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature and a target refrigerant temperature fixing mode that fixes the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature.

Claims

1. An air conditioning apparatus equipped with a refrigerant circuit configured with plural indoor units connected to an outdoor unit, the air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a capacity controlling part controlling an air conditioning capacity of the outdoor unit such that an evaporation temperature or a condensation temperature of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit becomes a target evaporation temperature or a target condensation temperature; and

a target refrigerant temperature mode setting part setting a target refrigerant temperature mode to one of

a target refrigerant temperature changing mode that changes the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature, and

a target refrigerant temperature fixing mode that fixes the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature,

the target refrigerant temperature changing mode having

a fast changing mode that changes the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature in such a way that room temperatures of air conditioned spaces targeted by the indoor units reach, in a short amount of time, set temperatures that are target values of the room temperatures, and

a slow changing mode that changes the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature in such a way that the room temperatures reach the set temperatures in a longer amount of time than in the fast changing mode, and

the fast changing mode and the slow changing mode being set by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part.

3. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in the target refrigerant temperature fixing mode, the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature is fixed to a maximum capacity evaporation temperature or a maximum capacity condensation temperature corresponding to a case in which an air conditioning capacity of the outdoor unit is at 100% capacity.

4. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the fast changing mode has

a powerful mode that allows the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature to be changed to a lowest evaporation temperature or a highest condensation temperature exceeding the maximum capacity evaporation temperature or the maximum capacity condensation temperature and

a quick mode that does not allow the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature to be changed to the lowest evaporation temperature or the highest condensation temperature, and

the powerful mode and the quick mode are set by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part.

5. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the target refrigerant temperature changing mode further has

an automatic mode that sets a reference target evaporation temperature or a reference target condensation temperature serving as a reference value of the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature in accordance with an outdoor temperature of an outside space where the outdoor unit is disposed and

a high-sensitivity mode in which a user sets the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature,

the fast changing mode and the slow changing mode are set, together with the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode, by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part, and

the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature is changed by making, with respect to the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature, a correction corresponding to the fast changing mode or the slow changing mode.

6. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the target refrigerant temperature changing mode further has an economy mode in which the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature that has been set in the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode is set as the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature without a correction being made to the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature, and

the economy mode is set, together with the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode, by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part.

7. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the reference target evaporation temperature is restricted to be no more than an upper limit evaporation temperature that has been set in accordance with the room temperatures.

8. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the target refrigerant temperature changing mode further has

an automatic mode that sets a reference target evaporation temperature or a reference target condensation temperature serving as a reference value of the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature in accordance with an outdoor temperature of an outside space where the outdoor unit is disposed and

a high-sensitivity mode in which a user sets the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature,

the fast changing mode and the slow changing mode are set, together with the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode, by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part, and

the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature is changed by making, with respect to the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature, a correction corresponding to the fast changing mode or the slow changing mode.

9. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the target refrigerant temperature changing mode further has an economy mode in which the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature that has been set in the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode is set as the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature without a correction being made to the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature, and

the economy mode is set, together with the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode, by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part.

10. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the reference target evaporation temperature is restricted to be no more than an upper limit evaporation temperature that has been set in accordance with the room temperatures.

11. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the target refrigerant temperature changing mode further has

an automatic mode that sets a reference target evaporation temperature or a reference target condensation temperature serving as a reference value of the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature in accordance with an outdoor temperature of an outside space where the outdoor unit is disposed and

a high-sensitivity mode in which a user sets the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature,

the fast changing mode and the slow changing mode are set, together with the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode, by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part, and

the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature is changed by making, with respect to the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature, a correction corresponding to the fast changing mode or the slow changing mode.

12. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the target refrigerant temperature changing mode further has an economy mode in which the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature that has been set in the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode is set as the target evaporation temperature or the target condensation temperature without a correction being made to the reference target evaporation temperature or the reference target condensation temperature, and

the economy mode is set, together with the automatic mode or the high-sensitivity mode, by the target refrigerant temperature mode setting part.

13. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the reference target evaporation temperature is restricted to be no more than an upper limit evaporation temperature that has been set in accordance with the room temperatures.

2. (canceled)