Patent Application
20240271817
The present disclosure relates to an air-conditioning apparatus provided with a single indoor unit including two heat-source-side circuits.
In the past, air-conditioning apparatuses each provided with a single outdoor unit including two heat-source-side circuits have been known. As such a type of air-conditioning apparatus, Patent Literature 1 discloses an air-conditioning apparatus in which two heat exchangers and two fans are housed in a single housing, and air subjected to heat exchange at each of the heat exchangers is blown out by an associated one of the two fans through an associated one of two outlets.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-83272
In the air-conditioning apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1, air-conditioned air is sent even to an indoor space in which no person is present. Thus, in the air-conditioning apparatus of Patent Literature 1, electricity required for air-conditioning the indoor space in which no person is present is wasted.
The present disclosure is applied to solve the above problem, and an object according to the present disclosure is to reduce the electricity consumption of an air-conditioning apparatus provided with a single outdoor unit including two heat-source-side circuits.
An air-conditioning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a housing; a first heat exchanger provided in the housing; a second heat exchanger provided in the housing; a first fan provided in the housing and configured to send air to the first heat exchanger; a second fan provided in the housing and configured to send air to the second heat exchanger; a control valve configured to control a flow of refrigerant to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; and a controller configured to control the control valve, the first fan, and the second fan. The housing includes a first air outlet configured to allow air subjected heat exchange at the first heat exchanger to be blown out, and a second air outlet configured to allow air subjected to heat exchange at the second heat exchanger to be blown out. The controller sets in the air-conditioning target space, a first area associated with the first air outlet and a second area associated with the second area, detects whether a person or persons are present or no person is present in each of the first area and the second area, and controls the control valve, the first fan, and the second fan such that air conditioning is performed in the first area and an air-blowing operation in which air is blown is performed in the second area, when detecting that the person or persons are present in the first area and no person is present in the second area.
In the air-conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure, air-conditioning is performed in the first area in which a person or persons are present, and the air-blowing operation is performed in the second area in which no person is present. Therefore, unnecessary air-conditioning is not performed in the second area, thus reducing the electricity consumption. Furthermore, air-conditioned air blown to the first area is prevented by air blown to the human absence area from flowing to the second area. Therefore, air-conditioning is performed concentratedly in the first area, and the temperature in the first area can be efficiently kept at a temperature set by the user, thereby reducing the electricity consumption. As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus in which two heat-source-side circuits are provided in a single indoor unit.
An air-conditioning apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference the drawings. Regarding Embodiment 1, various settings will be specifically described by way of example, and this description is not limiting.
As illustrated in
The compressor 5 sucks low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, compresses the sucked refrigerant to change it into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and discharges the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. In the refrigerant circuit, the flow switching valve 6 is provided to switch the flow direction of refrigerant, and is, for example, a four-way valve. The outdoor heat exchanger 7 causes heat exchange to be performed between refrigerant and outdoor air, and is, for example, a finned tube heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger 7 operates as a condenser in a cooling operation, and operates as an evaporator in a heating operation. The outdoor fan 8 sends outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 7. The expansion valve 9 reduce the pressure of refrigerant to expand the refrigerant, and is, for example, an electronic expansion valve.
The first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11 are indoor heat exchangers that cause heat exchange to be performed between indoor air and refrigerant. The first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11 operate as evaporators in the cooling operation, and operate as condensers in the heating operation. The first fan 12 sends indoor air to the first heat exchanger 10, and is, for example, a cross-flow fan. The second fan 13 sends indoor air to the second heat exchanger 11, and is, for example, a cross-flow fan.
The first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are each a three-way valve having three ports (not illustrated). The state of each of the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 is switched between the opened state and the closed state, thereby controlling the flow of the refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11. The three ports of the first control valve 14 are connected with the flow switching valve 6, the first heat exchanger 10, and the second heat exchanger 11, respectively. The three ports of the second control valve 15 are connected with the expansion valve 9, the first heat exchanger 10, and the second heat exchanger 11, respectively. Furthermore, the opened/closed states of the ports of each of the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are switched according to which of a first mode, a second mode, and a third mode is set.
In the first mode, the refrigerant is caused to flow through the first heat exchanger 10 only, and is not allowed to flow through the second heat exchanger 11. To be more specific, in the first mode, in the first control valve 14, the port connected with the flow switching valve 6 and the port connected with the first heat exchanger 10 are opened, and the port connected with the second heat exchanger 11 is closed; and in the second control valve 15, the port connected with the expansion valve 9 and the port connected with the first heat exchanger 10 are opened, and the port connected with the second heat exchanger 11 is closed.
In the second mode, the refrigerant is not allowed to flow through the first heat exchanger 10, and is caused to flow through the second heat exchanger 11 only. To be more specific, in the second mode, in the first control valve 14, the port connected with the flow switching valve 6 is opened, the port connected with the first heat exchanger 10 is closed, and the port connected with the second heat exchanger 11 is opened; and in the second control valve 15, the port connected with the expansion valve 9 is opened, the port connected with the first heat exchanger 10 is closed, and the port connected with the second heat exchanger 11 is opened.
In the third mode, the refrigerant is caused to flow through both the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11. To be more specific, in the third mode, all the ports of the first control valve 14 are opened, and all the ports of the second control valve 15 are also opened.
It will be described how the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is operated. First of all, the cooling operation in the case where the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are in the first mode will be described. The air-conditioning apparatus 1 performs the cooling operation by switching the state of the flow switching valve 6 such that a discharge side of the compressor 5 is connected with the outdoor heat exchanger 7. In the cooling operation, the refrigerant sucked by the compressor 5 is compressed by the compressor 5 to change into high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant, and is thus discharged as the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 5 passes through the flow switching valve 6, and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 7, which operates as a condenser. The refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 7 exchanges heat with outdoor air sent by the outdoor fan 8 to condense and liquefy. The liquefied refrigerant flows into the expansion valve 9, and is decompressed and expanded thereat to change into low-temperature and low-pressure two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant flows into the first heat exchanger 10, which serves as an evaporator. The refrigerant that has flowed into the first heat exchanger 10 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the first fan 12 to evaporate and gasify. At this time, the indoor air is cooled and the cooling operation is performed in an indoor space. Thereafter, the evaporated high-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant passes through the flow switching valve 6 and is sucked by the compressor 5.
The cooling operation in the case where the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are in the second mode will be described. In this case, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 5 flows in the same manner as in the first mode until the refrigerant passes through the flow switching valve 6, a heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 2, and the expansion valve 9. Two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 9 flows into the second heat exchanger 11, which operates as an evaporator. The refrigerant that has flowed into the second heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the second fan 13 to evaporate and gasify. At this time, the indoor air is cooled and the cooling operation is performed in the indoor space. Thereafter, the evaporated high-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant passes through the flow switching valve 6 and is sucked by the compressor 5.
The cooling operation in which the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are in the third mode will be described. In this case also, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 5 flows in the same manner as in the first mode and the second mode until the refrigerant passes through the flow switching valve 6, the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit 2, and the expansion valve 9. Two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 9 flows into the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11, which operate as evaporators. The refrigerant that has flowed into the first heat exchanger 10 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the first fan 12 to evaporate and gasify. Also, the refrigerant that has flowed into the second heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the second fan 13 to evaporate and gasify. At this time, the indoor air is cooled and the cooling operation is performed in the indoor space. Thereafter, the evaporated high-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant passes through the flow switching valve 6 and is sucked by the compressor 5.
The heating operation in the case where the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are in the first mode will be described. The air-conditioning apparatus 1 performs the heating operation by switching the state of the flow switching valve 6 such that the discharge side of the compressor 5 is connected with the first heat exchanger 10. In the heating operation, the refrigerant sucked by the compressor 5 is compressed by the compressor 5 to change into high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant, and is thus discharged as the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 5 passes through the flow switching valve 6, and flows into the first heat exchanger 10, which operates as a condenser. The refrigerant that has flowed into the first heat exchanger 10 exchanges heat with indoor space sent by the first fan 12 to condense and liquefy. At this time, the indoor space is heated and the heating operation is performed in the indoor space. The liquefied refrigerant flows into the expansion valve 9 and is decompressed and expanded thereat to change into low-temperature and low-pressure two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant. The two-phase gas-liquid refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 7, which operates as an evaporator. The refrigerant that has flowed into the outdoor heat exchanger 7 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the outdoor fan 8 to evaporate and gasify and thus change into low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant. Thereafter, the low-temperature and low-pressure gas refrigerant passes through the flow switching valve 6, and is sucked by the compressor 5.
The heating operation in the case where the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are in the second mode will be described. In this case, in the heating operation, the refrigerant sucked by the compressor 5 is compressed by the compressor 5 to change into high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant, and is thus discharged as the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 5 passes through the flow switching valve 6, and flows into the second heat exchanger 11, which operates as a condenser. The refrigerant that has flowed into the second heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the second fan 13 to condense and liquefy. At this time, the indoor air is heated and the heating operation is performed in the indoor space. Thereafter, the refrigerant that has passed through the second heat exchanger 11 and has liquefied flows in the same manner as in the first mode until the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve 9, the evaporator, and the outdoor heat exchanger 7, and is sucked by the compressor 5.
The heating operation in the case where the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are in the third mode will be described. In this case, in the heating operation, the refrigerant sucked by the compressor 5 is compressed by the compressor 5 to change into high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant, and is thus discharged as the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 5 passes through the flow switching valve 6, and flows into the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11, which operate as condensers. The refrigerant that has flowed into the first heat exchanger 10 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the first fan 12 to condense and liquefy. The refrigerant that has flowed into the second heat exchanger 11 exchanges heat with indoor air sent by the second fan 13 to condense and liquefy. At this time, the indoor air is heated and the heating operation is performed in the indoor space. Thereafter, the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11 and has liquefied flows in the same manner as in the first mode and the second mode until the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve 9, the evaporator, and the outdoor heat exchanger 7, and is sucked by the compressor 5.
The air-conditioning apparatus 1 includes a controller 21, a first temperature detector 22, a second temperature detector 23, and an infrared sensor 24. The controller 21 controls the operation of the entire air-conditioning apparatus 1 including the indoor unit 3 and the outdoor unit 2, based on set information on a temperature, an air volume, a wind direction, etc. for air-conditioning, and various information. The set information is transmitted from a remote controller (not illustrated), and the various information is transmitted from components of the indoor unit 3 and components of the outdoor unit 2. The first temperature detector 22 and the second temperature detector 23 are each a non-contact temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a space. The infrared sensor 24 is a sensor that detects infrared rays in the space. The first temperature detector 22, the second temperature detector 23, and the infrared sensor 24 are wirelessly connected to the controller 21 such that the first temperature detector 22, the second temperature detector 23, and the infrared sensor 24 can communicate with the controller 21. The controller 21, the first temperature detector 22, the second temperature detector 23, and the infrared sensor 24 will be described in detail later.
The outer casing 31 forms an outer shell of the outdoor unit 2. In the outer casing 31, a first air inlet 41, a second air inlet 42, a first air outlet 43, and a second air outlet 44. The first air inlet 41 is formed in one side surface of the outer casing 31 and is an opening through which indoor air is sucked from the indoor space into the outer casing 31; and the second air inlet 42 is formed in the other side surface of the outer casing 31 which is located opposite to the one side surface thereof and is an opening through which indoor air is sucked from the indoor space into the outer casing 31. The first air outlet 43 is formed in a lower surface of the outer casing 31 and is an opening from which air subjected to heat exchange at the first heat exchanger 10 is blown; and the second air outlet 44 is formed in the lower surface of the outer casing 31 is an opening from which air subjected to heat exchange at the second heat exchanger 11 is blown. It should be noted that the second air outlet 44 is formed separate from the first air outlet 43.
The first internal casing 32 is provided in the outer casing 31 and located above the first fan 12. A surface of the first internal casing 32 that faces the first fan 12 is curved. A space that is surrounded by the outer casing 31 and the first internal casing 32 and communicates with the first air inlet 41 and the first air outlet 43 serves as a first air passage 51. The second internal casing 33 is provided in the outer casing 31 and located above the second fan 13. A surface of the second internal casing 33 that faces the second fan 13 is curved. A space that is surrounded by the outer casing 31 and the second internal casing 33 and communicates with the second air inlet 42 and the second air outlet 44 is a second air passage 52. The partition 34 is provided between the first air passage 51 and the second air passage 52. The partition 34 partitions the inside of the housing 30 so that air that flows through the first air passage 51 and air that flows through the second air passage 52 do not interfere with each other. The partition 34 is formed in the shape of a plate and has substantially the same shape as a side surface of the housing 30.
In the first air passage 51, the first heat exchanger 10 is inclined relative to one side surface in which the first air outlet 43 is formed. In the second air passage 52, the second heat exchanger 11 is inclined relative to another side surface in which the second air outlet 44 is formed. Furthermore, in the first air passage 51, the first fan 12 is provided downward of the first heat exchanger 10. The first fan 12 is, for example, a cross-flow fan, and is provided such that its rotation axis is located substantially horizontally. In the second air passage 52, the second fan 13 is provided downward of the second heat exchanger 11. The second fan 13 is provided such that its rotation axis is located substantially horizontally.
The housing 30 includes the plurality of first deflectors 35 and the plurality of second deflectors 36. The first deflectors 35 are located to cover the first air outlet 43 when the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is in the stopped state. The first deflectors 35 are rotated in the up-down direction to adjust the direction of air that is blown from the first air outlet 43, when the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is in operation. The second deflectors 36 are located to cover the second air outlet 44 when the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is in the stopped state. The second deflectors 36 are rotated in the up-down direction to adjust the direction of air that is blown from the second air outlet 44, when the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is in operation.
The direction of air in the indoor unit 3 of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 will be described. The following description is made with respect to the case where the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are in the third mode. First, air sucked from the first air inlet 41 by rotation of the first fan 12 passes through the first heat exchanger 10 and is subjected to heat exchange. The air subjected to the heat exchange is sent to the indoor space through the first air outlet 43. Furthermore, air sucked from the second air inlet 42 by rotation of the second fan 13 passes through the second heat exchanger 11 and is subjected to heat exchange. The air subjected to the heat exchange is sent to the indoor space through the second air outlet 44. The indoor unit 3 sucks air from the side surfaces of the housing 30, and blows the air downward, as a result of which a short cycle does not easily occur.
The first temperature detector 22 is provided on a surface of a wall located in the first area to detect a temperature of the first area. The first temperature detector 22 transmits temperature information on the temperature detected by the first temperature detector 22 to the controller 21. The second temperature detector 23 is provided on a surface of a wall located in the second area to detect a temperature of the second area. The second temperature detector 23 transmits temperature information on the temperature detected by the second temperature detector 23 to the controller 21. The infrared sensor 24 is provided at the housing 30 of the indoor unit 3, detects infrared rays in the entire air-conditioning target space, and transmits the result of this detection to the controller 21.
The controller 21 controls the operating frequency of the compressor 5, the rotational speed of each of the outdoor fan 8, the first fan 12, and the second fan 13, the opened/closed states of the ports of each of the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15. The controller 21 is dedicated hardware or a central processing unit (CPU, or also referred to as a processing device, an arithmetic device, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a processor that executes a program stored in the memory 25. In the case where the controller 21 is dedicated hardware, the controller 21 is a single circuit, a composite circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a combination of these circuits. Functions of function parts of the controller 21 that are fulfilled by the controller 21 may be fulfilled by respective hardware or single hardware.
In the case where the controller 21 is a CPU, the functions of the function parts of the controller 21 that are fulfilled by the controller 21 are fulfilled by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software and the firmware are written as programs, and then stored in the memory 25. The CPU reads out a program stored in the memory 25 and executes the read-out program, thereby fulfilling a function associated with the program. The memory 25 is a nonvolatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an EPROM or an EEPROM. It should be noted that some functions of the controller 21 may be fulfilled by dedicated hardware, and other functions of the controller 21 may be fulfilled by software or firmware.
The area setting module 61 causes the memory 25 to store setting information indicating a setting in which the first temperature detector 22 is installed in the first area. Also, the area setting module 61 causes the memory 25 to store setting information indicating a setting in which the second temperature detector 23 is installed in the second area. That is, the area setting module 61 sets a relationship between the first temperature detector 22 and the first area and a relationship between the second temperature detector 23 and the second area. Such an area setting by the area setting module 61 is performed when the position of at least one of the indoor unit 3 of the air-conditioning apparatus 1, the first temperature detector 22, and the second temperature detector 23 is changed. In this case, the area setting is performed at timing indicated by an instruction given by a user or a contractor using the remote controller.
The temperature reception module 62 receives temperature information on the first area, from the first temperature detector 22. Also, the temperature reception module 62 receives temperature information on the second area, from the second temperature detector 23.
The thermal image creation module 63 creates a thermal image based on the result of detection of infrared rays that is transmitted from the infrared sensor 24. As processing for creasing the thermal image, well known processing for creation of the thermal image may be applied.
The human presence determination module 64 calculates coordinate ranges corresponding to the first area and the second area, in the thermal image created by the thermal image creation module 63, and detects whether a person or persons are present or no person is present in each of the coordinate ranges. As processing for detecting whether a person or persons are present or not, well-known human detection processing may be applied. The human presence determination module 64 determines an area where a person or persons are detected, as a human presence area, and an area where no person is detected, as a human absence area.
When it is determined that at least one of the first area and the second area is the human presence area, the air-conditioning control module 65 controls each of components such that air-conditioning is performed in the human presence area based on set information set by the user, and an air-blowing operation in which air is blown is performed in the human absence area.
More specifically, when it is determined that the first area is the human presence area, and the second area is the human absence area, the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are controlled to be in the first mode in which the refrigerant is made to flow though the first heat exchanger 10 only. Furthermore, the operating frequency of the compressor 5 and the rotational frequency of the outdoor fan 8 are adjusted such that the temperature of the first area reaches the temperature set by the user, and the volume of refrigerant that flows through the first heat exchanger 10 is controlled. In addition, the first fan 12 and the second fan 13 are both driven and the first deflectors 35 are rotated such that the air volume and the wind direction reach a set air volume and a set wind direction. The second deflectors 36 are kept at a predetermined angle.
When it is determined that the first area is the human absence area and the second area is the human presence area, the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are controlled to be in the second mode in which the refrigerant is made to flow through the second heat exchanger only. Furthermore, the operating frequency of the compressor 5 and the rotational frequency of the outdoor fan 8 are adjusted and the volume of refrigerant that flows through the second heat exchanger 11 is controlled such that the temperature of the second area reaches a temperature set by the user. In addition, the first fan 12 and the second fan 13 are both driven and the second deflectors 36 are rotated such that the air volume and the wind direction reach a set air volume and a set wind direction. The first deflectors 35 are kept at a predetermined angle.
When it is determined that the first area and the second area are each the human presence area, the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are controlled to be in the third mode in which the refrigerant is made to flow through both the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11. Furthermore, the operating frequency of the compressor 5 and the rotational frequency of the outdoor fan 8 are adjusted and the volume of the refrigerant that flows through each of the first heat exchanger 10 and the second heat exchanger 11 is controlled such that the temperatures of the first area and the second area reach a temperature set by the user. In addition, the first fan 12 and the second fan 13 are both driven and the first deflectors 35 and the second deflectors 36 are rotated such that the air volume and the wind direction reach a set air volume and a set wind direction.
When it is determined that the first area and the second area are each the human absence area, the air-conditioning control module 65 stops the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1.
The air-conditioning control module 65 causes each of the first deflectors 35 to be rotated such that the opening degree θv1 of the first deflector 35 falls within the range of 0 to 90°. That is, the first deflectors 35 are rotated such that air is blown toward the first area. Furthermore, the air-conditioning control module 65 keeps the opening degree of each of the second deflectors 36 at a predetermined opening degree that falls within falls within the range of 0 to 90°. For example, in an example illustrated in
An operation of the controller 21 will be described.
In Embodiment 1, the air-conditioning apparatus 1 performs air-conditioning in the first area in which a person or persons are present, and sends wind to the second area in which no person is present. Therefore, in the second area, unnecessary temperature adjustment is not performed, and the electricity consumption is thus reduced. In addition, air-conditioned air that is blown toward the first area is prevented by air blown toward the human absence area from flowing toward the second area. Thus, air-conditioning is performed concentratedly in the first area and the temperature in the first area can be efficiently kept at the temperature set by the user, thereby reducing the electricity consumption. As described above, according to Embodiment 1, it is possible to reduce the electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 provided with single indoor unit 3 including two heat-source-side circuits.
Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the housing 30 includes the partition 34 which is provided between the first air passage 51 and the second air passage 52. Thus, air that flows in the first air passage 51 and air that flows in the second air passage 52 do not interfere with each other. It is therefore possible to reduce a decrease in the momentum of air blown from the first air outlet 43 and the second air outlet 44.
In addition, in Embodiment 1, the first air outlet 43 and the second air outlet 44 are formed in the lower surface of the housing 30. Therefore, the air-conditioning apparatus 1 can perform air-conditioning in a larger area than in the case where the first air outlet 43 and the second air outlet 44 are formed in respective side surfaces of the housing 30, thus improving the comfort of the user.
As illustrated in
Furthermore, the indoor unit 103 includes a first control valve 121, a second control valve 122, a third control valve 123, a fourth control valve 124, a fifth control valve 125, and a sixth control valve 126. The first control valve 121, the second control valve 122, the third control valve 123, the fourth control valve 124, the fifth control valve 125, and the sixth control valve 126 are each a three-way valve. The flows of refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 111, the second heat exchanger 112, the third heat exchanger 113, and the fourth heat exchanger 114 are controlled by controlling in combination, the opened/closed states of the ports of the first control valve 121, the second control valve 122, the third control valve 123, the fourth control valve 124, the fifth control valve 125, and the sixth control valve 126.
The ports of the first control valve 121 are connected to the flow switching valve 6, the first heat exchanger 111, and the third control valve 123; the ports of the second control valve 122 are connected to the expansion valve 9, the first heat exchanger 111, and the fourth control valve 124; the ports of the third control valve 123 are connected to the second heat exchanger 112, the first control valve 121, and the fifth control valve 125; the ports of the fourth control valve 124 are connected to the second heat exchanger 112, the second control valve 122, and the sixth control valve 126; the ports of the fifth control valve 125 are connected to the third heat exchanger 113, the fourth heat exchanger 114, and the third control valve 123; and the ports of the sixth control valve 126 are connected to the third heat exchanger 113, the fourth heat exchanger 114, and the fourth control valve 124.
The memory 25 stores in advance, setting information indicating a setting in which a region to be air-conditioned by air blown from the first air outlet 165, that is, a region of the air-conditioning target space that is associated with the first air outlet 165, is the first area, as in Embodiment 1; the memory 25 stores in advance, store setting information indicating a setting in which a region to be air-conditioned by air blown from the second air outlet 166, that is, a region of the air-conditioning target space that is associated with the second air outlet 166, is the second area; the memory 25 stores in advance, setting information indicating a setting in which a region to be air-conditioned by air blown from the third air outlet 167, that is, a region of the air-conditioning target space that is associated with the third air outlet 167, is a third area; and the memory 25 stores in advance, setting information indicating a setting in which a region to be air-conditioned by air blown from the fourth air outlet 168, that is, a region of the air-conditioning target space that is associated with the fourth air outlet 168, is a fourth area.
Referring to
For example, in the case where the first area is the human presence area, and each of the second area, the third area, and the fourth area is the human absence area, in the first control valve 121, the port connecting with the flow switching valve 6 is opened, the port connected with the first heat exchanger 111 is opened, and the port connected with the third control valve 123 is closed; in the second control valve 122, the port connected with the expansion valve 9 is opened, the port connected with the first heat exchanger 111 is opened, and the port connected with the fourth control valve 124 is closed; and in each of the third control valve 123, the fourth control valve 124, the fifth control valve 125, and the sixth control valve 126, all the ports are closed. Furthermore, the operating frequency of the compressor 5, the rotational frequency of the outdoor fan 8, and the volume of refrigerant that flows through the first heat exchanger 111 are controlled. Then, the first fan 115, the second fan 116, the third fan 117, and the fourth fan 118 are driven, and first deflectors 151 are rotated, such that an air volume and a wind direction reach a set air volume and a set wind direction. Furthermore, second deflectors 152, third deflectors 153, and fourth deflectors 154 are kept at predetermined angles. As a result, the refrigerant flows through the first heat exchanger 111 only; and air conditioning is performed only in the first area, and the air-blowing operation is performed in each of the second area, the third area, and the fourth area.
Also, in cases other than the above case, the controller 131 controls the control valves to cause the refrigerant to flow through only an indoor heat exchanger associated with an area which is determined as the human presence area, and to stop the flow of the refrigerant to an indoor heat exchanger associated with an area which is determined as the human absence area.
In Embodiment 2, the air-conditioning apparatus 101 divides the indoor space into four areas; and performs air-conditioning, based on setting information set by the user, in an area or areas each determined as the human presence area, and sends wind to an area or areas each determined as the human absence area. Thus, in the air-conditioning apparatus 101 according to Embodiment 2, it is possible to further limit the air-conditioning target space to a target area or target areas in which air-conditioning is concentratedly performed, as compared with the air-conditioning apparatus 101 according to Embodiment 1. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, it is possible to further reduce the electricity consumption of the air-conditioning apparatus 101 which is provided with a plurality of heat-source-side circuits in the single housing 140.
Although the present disclosure is made to explain the above embodiments, application of the present disclosure is not limited to explanation of the embodiments, that is, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, although it is described above regarding Embodiment 1 that the first control valve 14 and the second control valve 15 are three-way valves, four-way valves or two-way valves may be combined to have the same functions as the first control valve 14 and the second control valve.
Regarding the first temperature detector 22 and the second temperature detector 23 of Embodiment 1, the installation locations of the first temperature detector 22 and the second temperature detector 23 and the number of first temperature detectors 22 and that of second temperature detectors 23 may be changed as long as the first temperature detector or detectors 22 and the second temperature detector or detectors 23 are capable of detecting respective areas. For example, the first temperature detector 22 and the second temperature detector 23 may be installed in the housing 30 of the indoor unit 3. Furthermore, the first temperature detector 22 and the second temperature detector 23 may detect temperatures in the indoor space based on a thermal image created based on infrared rays detected by the infrared sensor 24. In addition, a PC or a mobile terminal of the user, such as a smartphone, are wirelessly connected to the controller 21 such that the mobile phone can communicate with the controller 21, and the controller 21 may acquire a temperature detected by the mobile terminal or the PC. In this case, the first temperature detector 22 and the second temperature detector 23 can be omitted.
The infrared sensor 24 of Embodiment 1 may be configured to not only detect infrared rays in the air-conditioning target space, but also have a function of creating a thermal image. In this case, the thermal image creation module 63 included in the controller 21 may be omitted.
The human presence determination module 64 of Embodiment 1 may be configured to determine whether an area is the human presence area or the human absence area based on whether a signal received from the mobile terminal, the PC, or other devices, is present or absent, or the intensity of the signal, not based on the thermal image. In this case, the infrared sensor 24 can be omitted.
In Embodiment 1, in a given region, wireless communication may be performed, and in another region, wire communication may be performed. In addition, communication from a given device to another device may be performed as wire communication, and communication from the above other device to the given device may be performed as wireless communication.
With respect to Embodiment 1, it is described above that the timing at which the area setting by the area setting module 61 is performed is indicated by an instruction or a contractor using the remote controller. In a modification, it is detected from, for example, a change in the intensities of signals received from the first temperature detector 22 and the second temperature detector 23, it is detected that a relative positional relationship between the area setting module 61 and the first temperature detector 22 or the area setting module 61 and the second temperature detector 23 is changed, and as a result, the area setting module 61 can automatically perform the area setting.
Regarding Embodiment 1, it is described above that in the case where all the areas are each determined as the human absence area, the operation of the air-conditioning apparatus 1 is stopped. However, in the case where all the areas are each determined as the human absence area, wind may be sent to all the areas.
In Embodiment 1, the shape of the housing 30 and the arrangement of the air inlets and the air outlets may be changed as appropriate to differ from the shape and arrangement described above regarding Embodiment 1. For example, the first air inlet 41 and the second air inlet 42 may be formed in the lower surface of the housing 30 and the first air outlet 43 and the second air outlet 44 may be formed in the side surfaces of the housing 30.
Regarding Embodiment 1, although it is described above that the air volume in the human absence area is an air volume set by the user, the air volume in the human absence area may be made larger than that in the human presence area. In this case, air-conditioned air blown to the human presence area is more reliably prevented by air blown toward the human absence area from flowing toward the human absence area.
In Embodiment 1, although it is described above that the opening degree θv2 of each of the second deflectors 36 in the human absence area is approximately 80°, it suffices that the opening degree θv2 is kept at an opening degree which falls within the range of 0 to 90°, such that air blown from the second air outlet 44 flows in a direction away from the first area. For example, when the opening degree θv2 is set to 90°, air blown from the second air outlet 44 flows toward a region located directly below the air-conditioning apparatus 1. In this case, the flow of the air blown from the second air outlet 44 is not easily attenuated until the air comes into contact with air blown from the first air outlet 43. Thus, it is possible to more reliably prevent the flow of the air from the first area to the second area.
Furthermore, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the deflectors in the human presence area are controlled to be rotated; however, the deflectors may be kept at a predetermined angle. In addition, in the case where each of the deflectors is located in such a manner as to cause air blown from an associated air outlet to flow in a direction away from an area other than an associated area, the orientation of the deflector may be fixed relative to the housing and the deflector may be configured not to have a function of rotating.
The opened/closed states of the control valves are not limited to the opened/closed states described above regarding Embodiments 1 and 2, that is, the opened/closed states of the control valves may be set to opened/closed states other than the opened/closed states described above regarding Embodiments 1 and 2, as long as the opened/closed states of the control valves are set such that the control valves cause the refrigerant to flow through only the indoor heat exchanger associated with an area or areas each determined as the human presence area, and stop the flow of the refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger associated with an area or areas each determined as the human absence area. In addition, in Embodiments 1 and 2, one or more of the control valves may be omitted, as long as the opened/closed states of the remaining control valves can be set such that the remaining control valves cause the refrigerant to flow through only the indoor heat exchanger associated with an area or areas each determined as the human presence area, and stop the flow of the refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger associated with an area or areas each determined as the human absence area.
1: air-conditioning apparatus, 2: outdoor unit, 3: indoor unit, 4: refrigerant pipe, 5: compressor, 6: flow switching valve, 7: outdoor heat exchanger, 8: outdoor fan, 9: expansion valve, 10: first heat exchanger, 11: second heat exchanger, 12: first fan, 13: second fan, 14: first control vale, 15: second control valve, 21: controller, 22: first temperature detector, 23: second temperature detector, 24: infrared sensor, 25: memory, 30: housing, 31: outer casing, 32: first internal casing, 33: second internal casing, 34: partition, 35: first deflector. 36: second deflector, 41: first air inlet, 42: second air inlet, 43: first air outlet, 44: second air outlet, 51: second air passage, 52: second air passage, 61: area setting module, 62: temperature reception module, 63: thermal image creation module, 64: human presence determination module, 65: air-conditioning control module. 101: air-conditioning apparatus. 103: indoor unit, 111: first heat exchanger, 112: second heat exchanger, 113: third heat exchanger, 114: fourth heat exchanger, 115: first fan, 116: second fan, 117: third fan, 118: fourth fan, 121: first control valve, 122: second control valve, 123: third control valve, 124: fourth control valve, 125: fifth control valve, 126: sixth control valve, 131: controller, 132: first temperature detector, 133: second temperature detector, 134: third temperature detector, 135: fourth temperature detector, 140: housing, 141: partition, 151: first deflector, 152: second deflector, 153: third deflector, 154: fourth deflector, 161: first air inlet, 162: second air inlet, 165: first air outlet, 166: second air outlet, 167: third air outlet, 168: fourth air outlet, 171: first air passage, 181: area setting module, 182: temperature reception module, 183; thermal image creation module, 184: human presence determination module, 185: air-conditioning control module
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/000802 | 1/13/2021 | WO |
