HEAT SOURCE SIDE UNIT AND AIR-CONDITIONING APPARATUS

• US 20160320100A1
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: OKANO, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 10,539,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 1/06 Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/005 Outdoor unit expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/006 two pipes connecting the outdoor side to the indoor side with multiple indoor units
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0231 with simultaneous cooling and heating
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0253 in parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0272 using bridge circuits of one-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/02741 using one four-way valve
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0292 related to reversing valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0294 related to the outdoor fan, e.g. controlling speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0314 Temperature sensors near the indoor heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/13 Economisers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/23 Separators
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2513 Expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 for compression type machines, plants or systems

Abstract

A heat source side unit connected to load side units by pipes and constituting a refrigerant circuit, includes a compressor that compresses refrigerant and discharges the refrigerant, a heat source side heat exchanger that serves as an evaporator or a radiator, a gas-liquid separator that separates inflow refrigerant into liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant, a liquid refrigerant outlet from which the liquid refrigerant flows out being connected to a connecting pipe at a refrigerant inflow side in a case where the heat source side heat exchanger serves as the evaporator, a sixth connecting pipe that connects a gas refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator from which the gas refrigerant flows out to a pipe at a refrigerant outflow side in a case where the heat source side heat exchanger serves as the evaporator, and an expansion device that controls passage of refrigerant in the sixth connecting pipe.

Claims

1. A heat source side unit connected to a load side unit configured to supply a capacity to a load by a pipe and constituting a refrigerant circuit, the heat source side unit comprising:

a compressor configured to compress refrigerant and discharge the refrigerant;

a heat source side heat exchanger configured to serve as an evaporator or a radiator;

a channel switching device configured to switch a flow of refrigerant based on a function of the heat source side heat exchanger;

a gas-liquid separator configured to separate inflow refrigerant into liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant, the gas-liquid separator being configured that a liquid refrigerant outlet from which the liquid refrigerant flows out is connected to a pipe at a refrigerant inflow side when the heat source side heat exchanger serves as the evaporator; and

a bypass pipe connecting a gas refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator from which the gas refrigerant flows out to a pipe at a refrigerant outflow side when the heat source side heat exchanger serves as the evaporator; and

when the heat source side heat exchanger serves as the radiator, the gas-liquid separator and the bypass pipe being connected in parallel to a channel passing through the channel switching device to cause part of the refrigerant flowed from the load side unit to be branched off and bypass the channel switching device.

3. The heat source side unit of claim 1, further comprising;

an expansion device configured to control passage of the refrigerant in the bypass pipe; and

a quality detection device configured to detect a quality of refrigerant in a refrigerant inflow side of the gas-liquid separator, wherein

an opening degree of the expansion device is controlled based on the quality of the refrigerant detected by the quality detection device.

4. The heat source side unit of claim 1, further comprising

an expansion device configured to control passage of the refrigerant in the bypass pipe, wherein

an opening degree of the expansion device is controlled based on a quality of refrigerant obtained from a capacity supplied from the load side unit to the load.

5. The heat source side unit of claim 3, wherein

the expansion device is controlled to allow the liquid refrigerant to flow out of the gas refrigerant outlet.

6. An air-conditioning apparatus comprising

a plurality of load side units and the heat source side unit of claim 1 connected, by a pipe, in a refrigerant circuit.

7. The heat source side unit of claim 1, further comprising

an expansion device configured to control passage of the refrigerant in the bypass pipe, wherein

when the heat source side heat exchanger serves as a condenser, an opening degree of the expansion device is set at maximum.

2. (canceled)