Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner (100) having: a refrigerant circulation circuit (A), which has a compressor (10), a first refrigerant flow path switching device (11), multiple inter-heating-medium heat exchangers (25), first throttle devices (26), and a heat-source-side heat exchanger (12), with a refrigerant circulating therebetween and forming a refrigeration cycle; and a heat medium circulation circuit (B), which has the multiple inter-heating-medium heat exchangers (25), a pump (31), and multiple usage-side heat exchangers (35), with a heat medium circulating therebetween. In addition, the air conditioner has a heat medium heat storage unit (60) that is connected to the heat medium circulation circuit (B) and stores the heat medium, and a heat-storage-unit-internal heat exchanger (25c) that is connected to the refrigerant circulation circuit (A), and heats or cools the heat medium inside the heat medium heat storage unit (60) by means of the supplied heat-source side refrigerant. The heated and stored heat medium which has been heated with the heat medium heat storage unit (60) and stored in the heat medium heat storage unit (60) is transported to the usage-side heat exchanger (35) when a heating operation is required, and the cooled and stored heat medium which has been cooled with the heat medium heat storage unit (60) and stored in the heat medium heat storage unit (60) is transported to the usage-side heat exchanger (35) when a cooling operation is required.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner suitable for use in, for example, a multi-unit air conditioner for a building. Background technique [0002] In an air conditioner, there is a structure in which a heat source unit (outdoor unit) is placed outside the building and an indoor unit is placed inside the building, such as a multi-unit air conditioner for a building. The refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit of such an air-conditioning apparatus radiates heat (absorbs heat) to the air supplied to the heat exchanger of the indoor unit, and heats or cools the air. Then, the heated or cooled air is sent into the air-conditioned space to be heated or cooled. [0003] As the heat-source-side refrigerant used in such air-conditioning apparatuses, for example, HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerants are often used. In addition, the use of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and other natural refrigerants. [0004] In addition, various air-conditi...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, in the technology described in Patent Document 3, not only is it an expensive system corresponding to the number of pumps, but also the noise is large, so it is not a practical structure.

[0024] In addition, since the heat exchanger through which the refrigerant flows is arranged near the indoor unit, there is a possibility that the refrigerant may leak in the room or in the vicinity of the room.

[0025] In the technology described in Patent Document 4, since the primary refrigerant after the heat exchange flows into the same flow path as the primary refrigerant before the heat exchange, when multiple indoor units are connected, each indoor unit cannot function properly. maximum capacity, become a structure that wastes energy

[0026] In the technology described in Patent Document 5, there is no problem when a single refrigerant or a near-azeotropic refrigerant is used as a refrigerant, but when a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant is used as a refrigerant, the refrigeration When the refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the heat medium such as water may freeze due to the temperature gradient between the saturated liquid temperature of the refrigerant and the saturated gas temperature

Images