Air-conditioning apparatus
First Claim
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1. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:
- a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, a plurality of expansion devices, a plurality of heat exchangers related to heat medium, a plurality of pumps, and a plurality of use side heat exchangers, whereina refrigerant circuit circulating a refrigerant that contains a refrigerating machine oil therein is formed by connecting the compressor, the heat source side heat exchanger, the expansion devices, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium with a refrigerant piping,a plurality of heat medium circuits circulating a heat medium are formed by connecting the pumps, the use side heat exchangers, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium,the air-conditioning apparatus is capable of executing;
a heating only operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium;
a cooling only operation mode that cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium;
a cooling and heating mixed operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium and cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the remaining heat exchangers related to heat medium; and
an oil collection mode that collects the refrigerating machine oil stagnating in the heat exchangers related to heat medium into the compressor by changing a flow velocity or a flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchangers related to heat medium depending on each operation mode, whereinthe air-conditioning apparatus further includes;
a first refrigerant flow switching device that switches passages of the refrigerant that is discharged or sucked into the compressor, anda plurality of second refrigerant flow switching devices respectively disposed for the heat exchangers related to heat medium, the second refrigerant flow switching devices each switching passages of the refrigerant that flows into or flows out of the corresponding heat exchanger related to heat medium, and whereinin the oil collection mode,while the switching state of the first refrigerant flow switching device is maintained as it is, the switching state of the second refrigerant flow switching devices is switched such that at least one heat exchanger related to heat medium operates as an evaporator, in which the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow operates as a condenser or a gas cooler by sending the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant therein.
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Abstract
To provide an air-conditioning apparatus capable of achieving energy saving.
The air-conditioning apparatus capable of executing an oil collection mode that collects a refrigerating machine oil stagnating in heat exchangers related to heat medium into a compressor by changing a flow velocity or a flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchangers related to heat medium depending on each operation mode.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:
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a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, a plurality of expansion devices, a plurality of heat exchangers related to heat medium, a plurality of pumps, and a plurality of use side heat exchangers, wherein a refrigerant circuit circulating a refrigerant that contains a refrigerating machine oil therein is formed by connecting the compressor, the heat source side heat exchanger, the expansion devices, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium with a refrigerant piping, a plurality of heat medium circuits circulating a heat medium are formed by connecting the pumps, the use side heat exchangers, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium, the air-conditioning apparatus is capable of executing; a heating only operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium; a cooling only operation mode that cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium; a cooling and heating mixed operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium and cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the remaining heat exchangers related to heat medium; and an oil collection mode that collects the refrigerating machine oil stagnating in the heat exchangers related to heat medium into the compressor by changing a flow velocity or a flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchangers related to heat medium depending on each operation mode, wherein the air-conditioning apparatus further includes; a first refrigerant flow switching device that switches passages of the refrigerant that is discharged or sucked into the compressor, and a plurality of second refrigerant flow switching devices respectively disposed for the heat exchangers related to heat medium, the second refrigerant flow switching devices each switching passages of the refrigerant that flows into or flows out of the corresponding heat exchanger related to heat medium, and wherein in the oil collection mode, while the switching state of the first refrigerant flow switching device is maintained as it is, the switching state of the second refrigerant flow switching devices is switched such that at least one heat exchanger related to heat medium operates as an evaporator, in which the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow operates as a condenser or a gas cooler by sending the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:
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a compressor;
a heat source side heat exchanger;
a plurality of expansion devices;
a plurality of heat exchangers related to heat medium;
a plurality of pumps; and
a plurality of use side heat exchangers, whereina refrigerant circuit circulating a refrigerant that contains a refrigerating machine oil therein is formed by connecting the compressor, the heat source side heat exchanger, the expansion devices, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium with a refrigerant piping, a plurality of heat medium circuits circulating a heat medium are formed by connecting the pumps, the use side heat exchangers, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium, and the air-conditioning apparatus is capable of executing; a heating only operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium; a cooling only operation mode that cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium; a cooling and heating mixed operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium and cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the remaining heat exchangers related to heat medium; and an oil collection mode that collects the refrigerating machine oil stagnating in the heat exchangers related to heat medium into the compressor by changing a flow velocity or a flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchangers related to heat medium depending on each operation mode, wherein the air-conditioning apparatus further includes; a plurality of second refrigerant flow switching devices respectively disposed for the heat exchangers related to heat medium, the second refrigerant flow switching devices each switching passages of the refrigerant that flows into or flows out of the corresponding heat exchanger related to heat medium, and wherein serial connection and parallel connection among the heat exchangers related to heat medium are switched by controlling the switching state of the plurality of second refrigerant flow switching devices, in the oil collection mode, the plurality of heat exchangers related to heat medium are switched into serial connection such that one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium, in which the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flows, operate as evaporators and such that one or some of the remaining heat exchangers related to heat medium, in which the high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flows, operate as condensers, and at least one opening degree of the plurality of expansion devices is made larger than the opening degree before the execution of the oil collection mode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:
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a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, a plurality of expansion devices, a plurality of heat exchangers related to heat medium, a plurality of pumps, and a plurality of use side heat exchangers, wherein a refrigerant circuit circulating a refrigerant that contains a refrigerating machine oil therein is formed by connecting the compressor, the heat source side heat exchanger, the expansion devices, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium with a refrigerant piping, a plurality of heat medium circuits circulating a heat medium are formed by connecting the pumps, the use side heat exchangers, and the heat exchangers related to heat medium, the air-conditioning apparatus is capable of executing; a heating only operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium; a cooling only operation mode that cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into all of the heat exchangers related to heat medium; a cooling and heating mixed operation mode that heats the heat medium by making high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium and cools the heat medium by making low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant flow into one or some of the remaining heat exchangers related to heat medium; and an oil collection mode that collects the refrigerating machine oil stagnating in the heat exchangers related to heat medium into the compressor by changing a flow velocity or a flow direction of the refrigerant flowing in the heat exchangers related to heat medium depending on each operation mode; and
whereinin the oil collection mode, when the integration time of the operation time reaches a prescribed value during the heating only operation mode or the cooling only operation mode, each opening degree of the expansion devices corresponding to the one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium is set to be larger than an opening degree before the execution of the oil collection mode, and each opening degree of the expansion devices corresponding to the one or some of the remaining heat exchangers related to heat medium is set to be smaller than an opening degree before the execution of the oil collection mode or is set to be closed such that the operation is running for a fixed period of time, and the refrigerating machine oil stagnating in the one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium is collected into the compressor by increasing the flow velocity of the refrigerant flowing in the one or some of the heat exchangers related to heat medium.
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Specification