JPH109692A - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] Recently, the capacity of indoor units has been reduced, and the number of cases where indoor units are installed in extremely small rooms has increased, and the capacity of outdoor units has been increased to enable connection of more indoor units. I'm sorry Therefore, when the refrigerant leaks into the room, the multi-type air conditioner is likely to have a high refrigerant gas concentration, which is dangerous, and causes environmental problems such as destruction of the ozone layer. In an air conditioner using a refrigerant such as Freon, refrigerant gas leaked from an indoor unit installed indoors is detected, and the outdoor unit performs a recovery operation of the refrigerant in the same system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a separate type air conditioner for performing air conditioning using a refrigerant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional technique will be described with reference to FIG. BACKGROUND ART In recent years, a multi-type air conditioner that connects a plurality of indoor units to one outdoor unit and performs air conditioning has been widely used as air conditioning for buildings. This type has one indoor unit compared to one-to-one individual air conditioners.
The capacity of the outdoor unit relative to the capacity per unit is large, and therefore, when refrigerant gas leaks from the indoor unit into the room, more refrigerant leaks into the room than in the case of a one-to-one individual air conditioner. Although nonflammable and non-toxic safe refrigerant gas is used, when a large amount of refrigerant gas leaks into the room from the indoor unit, the possibility of suffocation may occur due to a decrease in oxygen concentration. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the capacity of the room in which the indoor unit is installed or to provide a refrigerant gas leak detection alarm system and a mechanical ventilator linked thereto so that emergency treatment can be performed without any trouble even when the refrigerant gas leaks ( (See FIG. 2).

[0003]

Recently, the capacity of indoor units has been reduced, and the number of cases where indoor units are installed in extremely small rooms has increased.
The capacity of the outdoor unit is increasing to enable connection of more indoor units.

[0004] Therefore, when the refrigerant leaks into the room, the multi-type air conditioner has a high possibility that the refrigerant gas concentration becomes high, which is dangerous, and causes environmental problems such as destruction of the ozone layer.
At present, refrigerant gas is released into the atmosphere and is not good for the environment in the conventional recovery technology.

[0005]

FIG. 2 shows a means of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] A refrigerant gas detection sensor is attached to an indoor unit or a place where refrigerant gas leaked from the indoor unit can be detected, so that a detection signal can be transmitted to an air conditioner.

When the air conditioner receives a signal from the refrigerant gas detection sensor, the outlet side of the refrigerant pipe connected to the indoor unit is closed, a cooling operation is performed for a certain period of time, and a refrigerant tank provided in the outdoor unit is provided. After the collection, a control is provided to close the inlet side of the refrigerant pipe and end the operation.

[0008] The air conditioner of the present invention requires only a small amount of refrigerant gas leakage from the indoor unit, thereby preventing oxygen deficiency in the room. .

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit system (hereinafter simply referred to as a recovery system) for recovering a heat medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the recovery system of the present invention is roughly composed of an outdoor unit A and a plurality of indoor units B and C. The outdoor unit A and the indoor units B and C are connected to the refrigerant pipe 14,
15 to form a refrigeration cycle. The outdoor unit A includes a compressor 1, a four-way valve 2, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, an outdoor flow rate control valve 4, a refrigerant amount regulator 5 also serving as a recovery tank, a four-way valve 2, and a compressor 1, which are sequentially connected. The system comprises an accumulator 6 installed and control valves 9, 10 controlled by signals from a refrigerant gas sensor installed in the indoor unit or indoors, provided inside blocking valves 11, 12 of refrigerant pipes 13, 14.

The indoor units B and C comprise an indoor flow control valve 7, an indoor heat exchanger 8, and a refrigerant gas sensor 15.

In the recovery system configured as described above, when the refrigerant gas leaks from the indoor unit, the outdoor unit receiving the signal from the refrigerant gas sensor 15 closes the control valve 9 and switches from the outdoor unit to the indoor unit. The refrigerant recovery operation (cooling operation) is performed with the circulation of the refrigerant gas stopped. During the heating operation, the operation is switched to the cooling operation to perform the refrigerant recovery operation. The refrigerant recovery operation time is determined based on the capacity and the number of indoor units connected to the outdoor units. After performing the refrigerant recovery operation for a predetermined time, the control valve 10 is closed to terminate the operation. In addition to controlling the refrigerant recovery operation with time as described above, there is also a method of detecting the low pressure value and operating until the pressure value drops to the target value. During the refrigerant recovery operation, the refrigerant gas returned from the indoor unit enters the outdoor unit through the check valve 12, the accumulator 6, the compressor 1, the four-way valve 2,
After passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 3 and the outdoor flow control valve 4, the refrigerant is accumulated in a refrigerant amount regulator 5 which also serves as a recovery tank.

[0014]

According to the present invention, in a multi-type air conditioner, even when refrigerant gas leaks from an indoor unit, all refrigerant gas in the same system does not leak, and the amount of refrigerant gas leakage is minimized. It is possible to stop. Also, the room where the indoor unit is installed should have a larger capacity for the room where the indoor unit will be installed, and a refrigerant gas leak detection and alarm system and a It is necessary to provide an interlocking mechanical ventilator (with a ventilation capacity of 0.4 m ³ / min or more per ton of legal refrigeration capacity) so that even if refrigerant gas leaks, it will not be filled by ventilation, In some cases, no care is required, and equipment such as a refrigerant gas leak detection alarm system and a mechanical ventilator associated therewith may not be required.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional air conditioning system.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an installation example of a conventional countermeasure for refrigerant gas leakage.

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of an air conditioner system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Compressor, 2 ... 4-way valve, 3 ... Outdoor heat exchanger, 4 ... Outdoor flow control valve, 5 ... Refrigerant amount regulator, 6 ... Accumulator,
7 ... indoor flow control valve, 8 ... indoor heat exchanger, 9, 10 ... control valve, 11, 12 ... blocking valve, 13, 14 ... refrigerant pipe, 1
5. Refrigerant gas sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An air conditioner using a refrigerant such as chlorofluorocarbon is characterized in that refrigerant gas leaked from an indoor unit installed indoors is detected and a refrigerant in the same system is recovered and operated by the outdoor unit. Machine.