Gas heat pump-type air conditioner

• US 6,637,218 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kasahara, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US09/986,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 621/25, 621/26, 621/27, 621/29, 621/30, 621/92, 621/93, 623/231, 623/234, 622/281, 622/284, 368/5, 73/530.5, 340/450.3, 340/457.4, 701/30, 123/196.S
• US Class Current: 62/126
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/04 Filling or draining lubricant of or from machines or engines
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 11/10 Indicating devices; Other safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2011/1486 by considering duration of operation
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2327/00 Refrigeration system using an engine for driving a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a gas heat pump-type air conditioner that can reliably notify a user that the time for changing the engine oil of the gas engine that drives the compressor has arrived without stopping the operation of the gas engine. In a gas heat pump-type air conditioner that forms a cooling cycle by circulating refrigerant using a compressor having a gas engine as a drive source, when the cumulative hours of operation t of the gas engine reaches a second predetermined time T2 (S3), a warning display A is displayed while the operation of the gas engine continues, and thereby the user is notified that the time for changing the engine oil has arrived (S4), and at the same time, after the initial stop procedure is carried out subsequent to reaching the predetermined time T2 (S5), a warning display B is displayed (S6), and the warning restoration operation procedure (S7) is carried out.

Claims

1. A gas heat pump-type air conditioner that forms a cooling cycle by circulating refrigerant using a compressor having a gas engine as a power source, wherein:

a user is notified about the time for changing the engine oil by displaying a warning while continuing to operate said gas engine when the cumulative hours of operation (t) of said gas engine has reached a predetermined time (T2), and at the same time issuing a warning display and carrying out a warning restoration operation procedure after carrying out the first stop procedure subsequent to reaching said predetermined time (T2).

7. A gas heat pump-type air conditioner according to any of claims 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 wherein, in the operation start procedure up to a predetermined number of time, said warning restoration operation procedure displays a warning while continuing the operation stop state, and displays a warning and starts the operation at the point in time that the operation start procedure is carried out more than said predetermined number of times.

2. A gas heat pump-type air conditioner that forms a cooling cycle by circulating refrigerant using a compressor having a gas engine as a power source, wherein:

the user is notified about the time for changing the engine oil by forcibly reducing the engine revolutions of the gas engine to the minimum number of revolutions when the cumulative hours of operation (t) of said gas engine has reached a predetermined time (T3).

3. A gas heat pump-type air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein after carrying out the first stop procedure subsequent to having reached said predetermined time (T3), a warning is displayed and at the same time a warning restoration operation procedure is carried out.

4. A gas heat pump-type air conditioner that forms a cooling cycle by circulating refrigerant using a compressor having a gas engine as a power source, wherein:

when the cumulative hours of operation (t) of said gas engine has reached a predetermined time (T4) and each time said cumulative hours of operation (t) is increased from the predetermined time (T4) by a predetermined time (Δ

t), the user is notified that the time for changing the engine oil has arrived by forcibly reducing the engine revolutions of said gas engine to the minimum number of revolutions and at the same time, after said predetermined time (T4) has been passed, when the stop procedure is carried out, a warning is displayed and at the same time a warning restoration operation procedure is carried out.

5. A gas heat pump-type air conditioner according to claim 4 wherein when said cumulative hours operation (t) reaches a predetermined time (T5), which is said predetermined time (Δ

t) or greater added to said predetermined time (T4), the operation of said gas engine is forcibly stopped.

6. A gas heat pump-type air conditioner that forms a cooling cycle by circulating refrigerant using a compressor having a gas engine as a power source, comprising:

a first warning stage in which, when the cumulative hours of operation (t) of said gas engine has reached a first predetermined time (T1), the user is notified about the time for changing the engine oil by displaying a warning while continuing to operation said gas engine;

a second warning stage in which, when said cumulative hours of operation (t) has reached a second predetermined time (T2), the user is notified about the time for changing the engine oil by displaying a warning while continuing to operate said gas engine when the cumulative hours of operation (t) of said gas engine has reached a second predetermined time (T2) and at the same time after the first stop procedure is carried out subsequent to having reached said second predetermined time (T2), in addition to displaying a warning the warning restoration operation procedure is carried out;

a third warning stage in which, when said cumulative hours of operation (t) has reached a third predetermined time (T3), the user is notified about the time for changing the engine oil by forcibly reducing the engine revolutions of said gas engine to the minimum number of revolutions, and after the first stop procedure carried out subsequent to having reached said third predetermined time (T3), a warning is displayed and at the same time the warning restoration operation procedure is carried out;

a fourth warning stage in which, when the cumulative hours of operation (t) of said gas engine has reached a fourth predetermined time (T4) and each time said cumulative hours of operation (t) is increased from the predetermined time (T4) by a predetermined time (Δ

t), the user is notified about time for changing the engine oil by forcibly reducing the engine revolutions of said gas engine to the minimum number of revolutions and at the same time after said fourth predetermined time (T4) has been passed, when the stop procedure is carried out, a warning is displayed and at the same time a warning restoration operation procedure is carried out; and

a fifth warning stage in which, when said cumulative operation value (t) has increased from said fourth predetermined time (T4) to said fifth predetermined time (T5), the operation of said gas engine is forcibly stopped.