Air-conditioning apparatus

• US 8,948,919 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2009
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Yabuta, Atsuhiro, Matsui, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven
• Application Number:
  US13/258,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20120017619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,113 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-278, 700/296, 236/51, 323/351, 621/29, 165/11.1
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/65 for selecting an operating mode
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/871 by controlling outdoor fans
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/60 Energy consumption

Abstract

There are provided an electric energy meter with a transmission device that generates a pulse signal for measuring electric energy supplied to an outdoor unit, an input circuit for an external signal that receives the pulse signal, and a control unit that measures electric energy on the basis of the pulse signal, wherein the control unit includes a determination unit that determines, as an input port for the pulse signal, one of input ports that are not in use from among a plurality of input ports forming the input circuit for an external signal, and a calculation unit that calculates electric power, electric energy consumption, and energy consumption efficiency on the basis of the pulse signal.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:

an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, in which said outdoor unit includes;

an electric energy meter with a pulse transmission device that measures the electric energy amount supplied to the outdoor unit,

signal reception means for receiving a pulse signal transmitted from the electric energy meter, and

control means for measuring said electric energy on the basis of said pulse signal,

wherein said control means includes determination means for determining from among a plurality of input ports forming said signal reception means, one input port that is not in use by other signals, and the one input port that is not in use is used determined and as an input port for the pulse signal from said electric energy meter, and calculation means for calculating electric power, electric energy consumption, and energy consumption efficiency on the basis of said pulse signal.

2. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means of said outdoor unit includes means for determining, when the pulse signal from said electric energy meter with a pulse transmission device is input for a specified plurality of times on an input port, the input port as an input port for receiving the pulse signal.

3. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means of said outdoor unit measures only a pulse interval of the pulse signal transmitted from said electric energy meter with a pulse transmission device and calculates electric power, electric energy consumption, and coefficient of performance.

4. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means of said outdoor unit includes means for removing noise of the pulse signal transmitted from said electric energy meter with a pulse transmission device.

5. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in a case in which said signal reception means cannot receive said pulse signal, when said control means of said outdoor unit determines that a pulse input is abnormal, said control means calculates electric power, electric energy consumption, and energy consumption efficiency on the basis of a value acquired by a sensor possessed by said outdoor unit.

6. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units, each of the outdoor units including;

an electric energy meter with a pulse transmission device, the electric energy meter measuring electric energy supplied to the outdoor unit,

signal reception means for receiving a pulse signal transmitted from the electric energy meter, and

control means for measuring said electric energy on the basis of said pulse signal,

wherein the control means of each outdoor unit includes determination means for determining, from among a plurality of input ports forming the signal reception means, one input port which is not in use by other signals, and the one input port that is not in use is determined and used as an input port for the pulse signal from the electric energy meter, and calculation means for calculating electric power, electric energy consumption, and energy consumption efficiency on the basis of the pulse signal, and

wherein the control means of an outdoor unit serving as a main unit organizes electric power of outdoor units serving as subunits and calculates the total electric power, electric energy consumption, and energy consumption efficiency.

7. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 6, wherein in the air-conditioning apparatus having said plurality of outdoor units, in a case where there is an outdoor unit that cannot receive the pulse signal from said electric energy meter with a pulse transmission device, an outdoor unit that has successfully received the pulse signal from other electric energy meter with the pulse transmission device has means for calculating the electric power of said outdoor unit that cannot receive the pulse signal.

8. An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:

an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, in which said outdoor unit includes;

an electric energy meter with a pulse transmission device that measures the electric energy amount supplied to the outdoor unit,

a signal reception unit configured to receive a pulse signal transmitted from the electric energy meter, and

a control unit configured to measure said electric energy on the basis of said pulse signal,

wherein said control unit includes a determination unit that determines from among a plurality of input ports forming said signal reception unit, one input port that is not in use by other signals, and the one input port that is not in use is determined and used as an input port for the pulse signal from said electric energy meter, and a calculation unit that calculates electric power, electric energy consumption, and energy consumption efficiency on the basis of said pulse signal.