Multi-connected air conditioning device and connection determination method

Abstract

A multi-connected air conditioning device has a hot water indoor unit, an air indoor unit, and an outdoor unit connected to the hot water indoor unit and the air indoor unit. The outdoor unit has an outdoor unit control section that controls a refrigerant circuit and transmits control commands of the hot water indoor unit and the air indoor unit via a transmission signal line. The outdoor unit control section performs hot water indoor unit determination processing that causes the refrigerant circuit to perform heating operation to determine the branch port connected to the hot water indoor unit, and air indoor unit determination processing that, after the hot water indoor unit determination processing is performed, causes the refrigerant circuit to perform cooling operation to determine the connection relationship between the branch port connected to the air indoor unit and the air indoor unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to multi-split air conditioning units and connection determination methods. Background Technology

[0002] In multi-split air conditioning systems where multiple indoor units are connected to a single outdoor unit via piping, the refrigerant piping connections and signal cable wiring are typically performed manually by the installer during on-site installation. Because the refrigerant piping connections and signal cable wiring are done separately, installation errors sometimes occur where the refrigerant piping and signal cable correspondences are inconsistent (mismatched connections). Techniques for determining such inconsistencies in the correspondence between refrigerant piping and signal cable wiring are known (e.g., see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-218512

[0004] However, the multi-split air conditioning unit described in Patent Document 1 can only be used when the type of indoor unit is a single type, including an indoor unit with an air heat exchanger (hereinafter referred to as an air indoor unit). That is, in the case of the multi-split air conditioning unit described in Patent Document 1, when it includes an indoor unit of an indirect air conditioning system that conditioned the indoor air via a water medium (hereinafter referred to as a hot water indoor unit), it is difficult to properly determine the connection between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

[0005] Furthermore, most indoor units of indirect air conditioners can only generate hot water and not cold water. On the other hand, for the outdoor unit, during heating operation, the pressure-reducing mechanism of the outdoor unit must be slightly opened to prevent refrigerant from accumulating in the indoor unit. However, during cooling operation, the refrigerant does not accumulate in the outdoor unit, and the pressure-reducing mechanism can be fully closed. Therefore, it is easier to determine the correspondence with high accuracy during cooling operation than during heating operation. Thus, while it is desirable to implement correspondence determination under cooling operation as much as possible, if there are indoor units of indirect air conditioners that can only generate heat, there is a problem that correspondence determination based on cooling operation cannot be performed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a multi-split air conditioning unit and a connection determination method that can properly determine the connection between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit even when both a hot water indoor unit and an air indoor unit are included.

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, one embodiment of the multi-split air conditioning unit disclosed herein includes: a hot water indoor unit comprising a water circuit in which a water supply medium circulates as a heat exchange medium; an air indoor unit comprising an air heat exchanger; and an outdoor unit connected to the hot water indoor unit and the air indoor unit. The outdoor unit includes: a branch port having a pressure-reducing mechanism at the branch point of the refrigerant circuit, connected to the air indoor unit and the hot water indoor unit via piping; and an outdoor unit control unit controlling the refrigerant circuit and transmitting control commands to the hot water indoor unit and the air indoor unit via a transmission signal line. The outdoor unit control unit performs: a hot water indoor unit determination process, causing the refrigerant circuit to perform a heating operation to determine the branch port connected to the hot water indoor unit; and an air indoor unit determination process, after performing the hot water indoor unit determination process, causing the refrigerant circuit to perform a cooling operation to determine the connection relationship between the branch port connected to the air indoor unit and the air indoor unit.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the connection determination method disclosed herein determines the connection of indoor units in a multi-split air conditioning unit, which includes: a hot water indoor unit comprising a water circuit in which a supply water medium circulates as a heat exchange medium; an air indoor unit comprising an air heat exchanger; and an outdoor unit connected to the hot water indoor unit and a plurality of the air indoor units, wherein the outdoor unit includes: a branch port having a pressure reducing mechanism at a portion after the branching of the refrigerant circuit, connected to the air indoor units and the hot water indoor units via piping; and an outdoor unit control unit controlling the refrigerant circuit and transmitting signals to the hot water indoor units and the air indoor units via a transmission signal line. Upon receiving the control command, the outdoor unit control unit executes a hot water indoor unit determination process. In this process, the refrigerant circuit is activated for heating, and the refrigerant is allowed to flow through the branch ports one by one using the pressure reducing mechanism to determine which branch ports are connected to the hot water indoor unit. After executing the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor unit control unit executes an air indoor unit determination process. In this process, the refrigerant circuit is activated for cooling, and the refrigerant is allowed to flow through the branch ports not connected to the hot water indoor unit one by one to determine the connection relationship between the branch ports connected to the air indoor unit and the air indoor unit.

[0009] According to this disclosure, even when both a hot water indoor unit and an air indoor unit are included, the connection between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can be properly determined. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram showing an example of a multi-split air conditioning unit involved in the implementation method.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a multi-split air conditioning unit involved in the implementation method.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a data example of the outdoor storage unit in the implementation method.

[0013] Figure 4 The first figure shows an example of the refrigerant piping and signal line connection of the multi-split air conditioning unit involved in the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 5 The second figure shows an example of the refrigerant piping and signal line connection of the multi-split air conditioning unit involved in the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a multi-split air conditioning unit involved in the implementation method. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Hereinafter, a multi-split air conditioning unit and connection determination method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram showing an example of a multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment.

[0018] like Figure 1 As shown, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 includes an outdoor unit 10, multiple indoor air units 20, a hot water indoor unit 30, and an external controller 40. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example of a unit with two indoor air units 20 (indoor air unit 20-1 and indoor air unit 20-2) will be described.

[0019] Furthermore, in this embodiment, indoor air unit 20-1 and indoor air unit 20-2 have the same structure. In the case of any indoor air unit included in the multi-split air conditioning unit 100, or without special distinction, they are described as indoor air unit 20.

[0020] The multi-split air conditioning unit 100 is installed in buildings such as ordinary homes, and switches between cooling and heating operations via indoor units 20-1 and 20-2. Additionally, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 performs hot water heating and hot water supply operations via a hot water indoor unit 30.

[0021] The outdoor unit 10 is a heat source unit installed outside the building (outdoors) and generating heat to be supplied to the outdoor unit. A hot water indoor unit 30 and multiple (e.g., two) air indoor units 20 are connected to the outdoor unit 10. The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 11, a four-way valve 12, a pressure reducing mechanism 13 (13-1, 13-2, 13-3), an outdoor heat exchanger 14, a blower 15, a liquid receiver 16, and an outdoor unit control unit 17.

[0022] The compressor 11, four-way valve 12, pressure reducing mechanism 13 (13-1, 13-2, 13-3), outdoor heat exchanger 14, liquid receiver 16, indoor heat exchanger 21 of air indoor unit 20, and refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 of hot water indoor unit 30 are connected by refrigerant piping to form refrigerant circuit RC1. Refrigerant circuit RC1 can use, for example, natural refrigerants such as R410A, R32, HFO-1234yf, and hydrocarbons.

[0023] The compressor 11 is connected between the receiver 16 and the four-way valve 12 via a refrigerant piping. The compressor 11 compresses the refrigerant supplied from the receiver 16 and discharges the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant to the four-way valve 12.

[0024] The four-way valve 12 is a switching unit that connects the refrigerant circuit RC1 to either a heating circuit for heating or a cooling circuit for cooling. Figure 1 In the diagram, a solid line connection for the four-way valve 12 indicates a heating circuit connection, while a dashed line connection indicates a cooling circuit connection. When connected to the heating circuit, the four-way valve 12 is connected to the refrigerant circuit RC1, which allows refrigerant to flow from the compressor 11 to the two indoor air units 20 and the hot water indoor unit 30. When connected to the cooling circuit, the four-way valve 12 is connected to the refrigerant circuit RC1, which allows refrigerant to flow from the compressor 11 to the outdoor heat exchanger 14.

[0025] The pressure reducing mechanism 13 is positioned near the branch port 52 after the branch of the refrigerant circuit RC1 to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant. Furthermore, the pressure reducing mechanism 13 can close the refrigerant circuit RC1. In this embodiment, pressure reducing mechanisms 13-1, 13-2, and 13-3 have the same structure, and are described as pressure reducing mechanism 13 unless otherwise specified, in the context of any pressure reducing mechanism provided by the outdoor unit 10.

[0026] In this embodiment, branch ports 51-1, 51-2, and 51-3 represent branch ports on the four-way valve 12 side. They are described as branch ports 51, either representing any branch port on the four-way valve 12 side of the outdoor unit 10 or without special distinction. Similarly, in this embodiment, branch ports 52-1, 52-2, and 52-3 represent branch ports on the pressure reducing mechanism 13-1 side of the outdoor unit 10. They are described as branch ports 52, either representing any branch port on the pressure reducing mechanism 13-1 side of the outdoor unit 10 or without special distinction.

[0027] The outdoor heat exchanger 14 is a heat exchanger located between the pressure reducing mechanism 13 and the four-way valve 12 in the refrigerant circuit RC1. The outdoor heat exchanger 14 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit RC1 and the air blown by the blower 15.

[0028] The blower 15 is an outdoor fan that blows outside air from the outdoor unit 10 to the outdoor heat exchanger 14.

[0029] The receiver 16 is located in the refrigerant circuit RC1 before the refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 11. The receiver 16 is a liquid separator that separates the unevaporated refrigerant liquid in the refrigerant circuit RC1.

[0030] The outdoor unit control unit 17 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the outdoor unit 10. The outdoor unit control unit 17 performs actions such as switching the heating circuit connection and cooling circuit connection of the refrigerant circuit RC1 via the four-way valve 12, and controlling the compressor 11, the pressure reducing mechanism 13, and the blower 15. Furthermore, the outdoor unit control unit 17 controls the air-conditioning indoor unit 20 and the hot-water indoor unit 30 via a transmission signal line connected to the wiring port 71. Details regarding the functions of the outdoor unit control unit 17 will be provided later. Figure 2 Please provide an explanation.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, wiring port 71-1, wiring port 71-2, and wiring port 71-3 are described as wiring port 71 when referring to any wiring port provided by the outdoor unit 10, or when not specifically distinguished.

[0032] In addition, the outdoor unit 10 is equipped with a pressure sensor 201, a temperature sensor 202, a temperature sensor 206, a temperature sensor 207, and a temperature sensor 208.

[0033] Pressure sensor 201 is disposed on the discharge side of compressor 11 and measures the pressure of refrigerant on the discharge side of compressor 11.

[0034] Temperature sensor 202 is disposed on the discharge side of compressor 11 and measures the temperature of the refrigerant flowing on the discharge side of compressor 11.

[0035] Temperature sensor 206 is disposed in outdoor heat exchanger 14 and measures the temperature of refrigerant in outdoor heat exchanger 14.

[0036] Temperature sensor 207 is disposed at the air intake of blower 15 and measures the temperature of the air to be drawn into outdoor unit 10.

[0037] Temperature sensor 208 is disposed on the pressure reducing mechanism 13 side of outdoor heat exchanger 14 and measures the temperature of refrigerant flowing on the pressure reducing mechanism 13 side.

[0038] Indoor units 20-1 and 20-2 are installed inside a building (indoors) and can perform heating operation (heating the building) and cooling operation (cooling the building) through heat exchange between air and refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit RC1. Furthermore, indoor units 20-1 and 20-2 have the same structure, and will be described as indoor unit 20 unless otherwise specified, in the context of any indoor unit included in the multi-split air conditioning unit 100.

[0039] The indoor air unit 20-1 is connected to the branch port 51-1 of the outdoor unit 10 via a pipe 61-1, which is a liquid pipe, and is also connected to the branch port 52-1 of the outdoor unit 10 via a pipe 62-1, which is a gas pipe. The indoor air unit 20-1 includes an indoor heat exchanger 21-1, a blower 22-1, an indoor air unit control unit 23-1, a wiring port 72-1, a temperature sensor 203-1, a temperature sensor 204-1, and a temperature sensor 205-1.

[0040] The indoor heat exchanger 21-1 is an air heat exchanger that uses heat supplied from the outdoor unit 10 to exchange heat between indoor and outdoor air.

[0041] The blower 22-1 is an indoor fan that blows indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 21-1. The air volume of the blower 22-1 can be adjusted by the control of the indoor unit control unit 23-1.

[0042] The indoor unit control unit 23-1 includes, for example, a CPU and controls the indoor unit 20-1. The indoor unit control unit 23-1 is connected to the outdoor unit control unit 17 via a transmission signal line SL1, through wiring ports 71-1 and 72-1. Here, wiring port 72-1 is the wiring port on the indoor unit 20-1 side that connects to the transmission signal line SL1. The indoor unit control unit 23-1 executes various controls within the indoor unit 20-1 based on transmission signals including control commands from the outdoor unit control unit 17.

[0043] Temperature sensor 203-1 is disposed in indoor heat exchanger 21-1 and measures the temperature of refrigerant in indoor heat exchanger 21-1.

[0044] Temperature sensor 204-1 is located at the air intake and measures the temperature of the air to be drawn into indoor unit 20-1.

[0045] Temperature sensor 205-1 is disposed on the piping 62-1 side of indoor heat exchanger 21-1 and measures the temperature of refrigerant.

[0046] The indoor air unit 20-2 is connected to the branch port 51-2 of the outdoor unit 10 via a pipe 61-2, which is a liquid pipe, and is also connected to the branch port 52-2 of the outdoor unit 10 via a pipe 62-2, which is a gas pipe. The indoor air unit 20-2 includes an indoor heat exchanger 21-2, a blower 22-2, an indoor air unit control unit 23-2, a wiring port 72-2, a temperature sensor 203-2, a temperature sensor 204-2, and a temperature sensor 205-2.

[0047] The indoor heat exchanger 21-2 is an air heat exchanger that uses heat supplied from the outdoor unit 10 to exchange heat between indoor and outdoor air.

[0048] The blower 22-2 is an indoor fan that blows indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 21-2. The air volume of the blower 22-2 can be adjusted by the control unit 23-2.

[0049] The indoor unit control unit 23-2 includes, for example, a CPU and controls the indoor unit 20-2. The indoor unit control unit 23-2 is connected to the outdoor unit control unit 17 via a transmission signal line SL2, through wiring ports 71-2 and 72-2. Here, wiring port 72-2 is the wiring port on the indoor unit 20-2 side that connects to the transmission signal line SL2. The indoor unit control unit 23-2 executes various controls within the indoor unit 20-2 based on transmission signals including control commands from the outdoor unit control unit 17.

[0050] Temperature sensor 203-2 is disposed in indoor heat exchanger 21-2 and measures the temperature of refrigerant in indoor heat exchanger 21-2.

[0051] Temperature sensor 204-2 is located at the air intake and measures the temperature of the air to be drawn into indoor unit 20-2.

[0052] Temperature sensor 205-2 is disposed on the piping 62-2 side of indoor heat exchanger 21-2 and measures the temperature of refrigerant.

[0053] The hot water indoor unit 30 is an indoor unit installed inside a building and includes a water circuit RC2. In the water circuit RC2, water circulates as a heat exchange medium. The hot water indoor unit 30 can perform hot water heating operation to heat the building and hot water supply operation to supply hot water by heat exchange between the water medium flowing in the water circuit RC2 and the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit RC1.

[0054] The hot water indoor unit 30 is connected to the branch port 51-3 of the outdoor unit 10 via a pipe 61-3 for liquid piping, and also to the branch port 52-3 of the outdoor unit 10 via a pipe 62-3 for gas piping. The hot water indoor unit 30 includes a refrigerant water heat exchanger 31, a three-way valve 32, a water-to-water heat exchanger 33, a water pump 34, a water pump 36, a hot water storage tank 35, a hot water indoor unit control unit 38, and a wiring port 72-3.

[0055] The water circuit RC2 includes a refrigerant water heat exchanger 31, a three-way valve 32, a water-to-water heat exchanger 33, and a water pump 34. In the water circuit RC2, the water medium circulates in the following order: water pump 34 → refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 → three-way valve 32 → water-to-water heat exchanger 33 → water pump 34.

[0056] The refrigerant-water heat exchanger 31 is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit RC1 and the water medium in the water circuit RC2. The refrigerant-water heat exchanger 31 performs heat exchange with the water medium supplied from the water pump 34 and supplies the water medium to the three-way valve 32.

[0057] The three-way valve 32 is positioned between the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 and the water heat exchanger 33 in the water circuit RC2, connecting the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 with the hot water heating unit 37-1 and the hot water heating unit 37-2.

[0058] Hot water heating units 37-1 and 37-2 are connected to the water circuit RC2 via a three-way valve 32. Hot water heating units 37-1 and 37-2 are connected to the three-way valve 32 via piping 64, and are also connected to the water circuit RC2 via piping 63 at the branch point P1 between the water pump 34 and the water-to-water heat exchanger 33. Hot water heating units 37-1 and 37-2 are, for example, radiators, fan coil units, or hot water underfloor heating systems, and heat the room by exchanging heat between indoor air and water.

[0059] Furthermore, hot water heating unit 37-1 and hot water heating unit 37-2 have the same structure, and will be described as hot water heating unit 37 when referring to any hot water heating unit included in the multi-split air conditioning unit 100, or when not specifically distinguished.

[0060] The water-to-water heat exchanger 33 is positioned between the three-way valve 32 and the water pump 34. It exchanges heat with the water medium in the water circuit RC2, thereby causing the water (low-temperature tap water) stored in the hot water storage tank 35 to boil and generate hot water.

[0061] A water pump 34 is positioned between the water-to-water heat exchanger 33 and the refrigerant water-to-water heat exchanger 31 to circulate the water medium in the water circuit RC2. The water pump 34 is configured, for example, to have its speed (water flow rate) changed by an inverter. The water pump 34 is a primary-side pump that circulates the water medium on the primary side in the water-to-water heat exchanger 33.

[0062] The hot water storage tank 35 is, for example, a full-water tank, connected to the secondary side of the water-to-water heat exchanger 33 via a water pump 36. The hot water storage tank 35 stores hot water that has boiled through the water-to-water heat exchanger 33, and hot water flows out from the top of the tank according to hot water outflow requests. In addition, low-temperature tap water is supplied to the hot water storage tank 35 from the bottom of the tank in accordance with the outflow rate.

[0063] A water pump 36 is disposed between the hot water storage tank 35 and the water-to-water heat exchanger 33 to circulate the water medium on the secondary side of the water-to-water heat exchanger 33. The water pump 36 is configured such that its speed (water flow rate) can be changed, for example, by an inverter. The water pump 36 is a secondary-side pump that circulates the water medium on the secondary side of the water-to-water heat exchanger 33.

[0064] The hot water indoor unit control unit 38 includes, for example, a CPU and controls the hot water indoor unit 30. The hot water indoor unit control unit 38 is connected to the outdoor unit control unit 17 via a transmission signal line SL3, through wiring ports 71-3 and 72-3. Here, wiring port 72-3 is the wiring port on the hot water indoor unit 30 side that connects to the transmission signal line SL3. The hot water indoor unit control unit 38 executes various controls within the hot water indoor unit 30 based on transmission signals including control commands from the outdoor unit control unit 17. Details regarding the functions of the hot water indoor unit control unit 38 will be provided later. Figure 2 Please provide an explanation.

[0065] In addition, the hot water indoor unit 30 is equipped with temperature sensor 209, temperature sensor 210, temperature sensor 211, and temperature sensor 212.

[0066] Temperature sensor 209 is configured on the piping 62-3 side of the refrigerant circuit RC1 in the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 and measures the temperature of the refrigerant.

[0067] Temperature sensor 210 is disposed on the upstream side of water circuit RC2 in refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 and measures the temperature of the water medium to be supplied to refrigerant water heat exchanger 31.

[0068] Temperature sensor 211 is disposed on the downstream side of water circuit RC2 in refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 and measures the temperature of water medium flowing out of refrigerant water heat exchanger 31.

[0069] Temperature sensor 212 is disposed in hot water storage tank 35 and measures the temperature of water medium (hot water) stored in hot water storage tank 35.

[0070] In addition, Figure 1 In the case where the refrigerant circuit RC1 is in heating mode (heating circuit connection), the refrigerant circulates in the following order: compressor 11 → branch port 51 → indoor unit (indoor heat exchanger 21 of air indoor unit 20 and refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 of hot water indoor unit 30) → branch port 52 → pressure reducing mechanism 13 → outdoor heat exchanger 14 → liquid receiver 16 → compressor 11.

[0071] In addition, when the refrigerant circuit RC1 is in cooling operation (refrigeration circuit connection), the refrigerant circulates in the following order: compressor 11 → outdoor heat exchanger 14 → pressure reducing mechanism 13 → branch port 52 → indoor unit (indoor heat exchanger 21 of air indoor unit 20) → branch port 51 → liquid receiver 16 → compressor 11.

[0072] The external controller 40 is, for example, a tablet computer, a smartphone, or other terminal device. The external controller 40 is used in connection determination processing to determine the connection between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30). Details regarding the function of the external controller 40 will be provided later. Figure 2 Please provide an explanation.

[0073] Next, refer to Figure 2 The functional modules of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 involved in this embodiment will be described.

[0074] Figure 2 This is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment.

[0075] like Figure 2 As shown, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 includes an outdoor unit control unit 17, an indoor unit air control unit 23, a hot water indoor unit control unit 38, and an external controller 40. Furthermore, since indoor units 20-1 and 20-2 have the same structure, the components of indoor units 20-1 and 20-2 will be described here as a blower 22, an indoor unit air control unit 23, a temperature sensor 203, a temperature sensor 204, and a temperature sensor 205.

[0076] The indoor unit control unit 23 includes an indoor measurement unit 231, an indoor control unit 232, and an indoor communication unit 233.

[0077] The indoor measuring unit 231 acquires various temperatures measured by temperature sensors 203, 204 and 205.

[0078] The indoor communication unit 233 communicates with the outdoor unit control unit 17 or receives various control information from a remote control (not shown). For example, the indoor communication unit 233 receives control commands from the outdoor unit control unit 17 based on transmitted signals. Additionally, based on requests from the outdoor unit control unit 17, the indoor communication unit 233 sends various temperatures obtained by the indoor measurement unit 231 to the outdoor unit control unit 17. Furthermore, the indoor communication unit 233 sends various requests based on control information received from the remote control to the outdoor unit control unit 17.

[0079] The indoor control unit 232 controls the blower 22 based on control commands from the outdoor unit control unit 17, various control information from the remote controller, or various temperatures obtained by the indoor measuring unit 231.

[0080] The hot water indoor unit control unit 38 includes a hot water measuring unit 381, a hot water control unit 382, ​​and a hot water communication unit 383.

[0081] The hot water measuring unit 381 acquires various temperatures measured by temperature sensors 209, 210, 211, and 212.

[0082] The hot water communication unit 383 communicates with the outdoor unit control unit 17 or receives various control information from a remote control (not shown). For example, the hot water communication unit 383 receives control commands from the outdoor unit control unit 17 based on transmitted signals. Additionally, based on requests from the outdoor unit control unit 17, the hot water communication unit 383 sends various temperatures obtained by the hot water measuring unit 381 to the outdoor unit control unit 17. Furthermore, the hot water communication unit 383 sends various requests based on control information received from the remote control to the outdoor unit control unit 17.

[0083] The hot water control unit 382 controls the three-way valve 32, the water pump 34, and the water pump 36 based on control commands from the outdoor unit control unit 17, various control information from the remote controller, or various temperatures obtained by the hot water measuring unit 381.

[0084] The external controller 40 includes an input unit 41, an external communication unit 42, and a display unit 43.

[0085] The input unit 41 is an input device such as a keyboard or touch panel, which accepts input information corresponding to the operation of the operator or other user.

[0086] The external communication unit 42 communicates with the outdoor unit control unit 17 via, for example, a telephone line, a LAN line, or wireless communication. Based on the input information received by the input unit 41, the external communication unit 42 sends various commands and instructions to the outdoor unit control unit 17. Furthermore, the external communication unit 42 receives response information from the outdoor unit control unit 17 regarding these commands and instructions.

[0087] The display unit 43 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The display unit 43 displays display information based on display information corresponding to the operation of the input unit 41, response information received by the external communication unit 42 from the outdoor unit control unit 17, etc. For example, the display unit 43 displays the connection determination result between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30) based on the response information received from the outdoor unit control unit 17.

[0088] The outdoor unit control unit 17 includes an outdoor measurement unit 171, an outdoor communication unit 172, an outdoor control unit 173, and an outdoor storage unit 174.

[0089] The outdoor measuring unit 171 acquires the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 201 and various temperatures measured by the temperature sensors 202, 206, 207 and 208.

[0090] The outdoor communication unit 172 communicates with the external communication unit 42 of the external controller 40, for example, via telephone lines, LAN lines, or wireless communication. Additionally, the outdoor communication unit 172 communicates with the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air conditioning indoor unit 20 via signal transmission lines. The outdoor communication unit 172 sends control commands to the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air conditioning indoor unit 20, for example, by transmitting signals. Furthermore, the outdoor communication unit 172 receives various temperatures, for example, from the hot water communication unit 383 of the hot water indoor unit 30 and the indoor communication unit 233 of the air conditioning indoor unit 20 by transmitting signals.

[0091] The outdoor storage unit 174 (an example of an information storage unit) is composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory, and stores operating status parameters such as temperature and pressure, set values, and various information about the indoor unit. The outdoor storage unit 174 stores, for example, corresponding information that establishes a link between indoor unit identification information that identifies the indoor unit being controlled and branch port identification information that identifies the branch port 52. Here, refer to... Figure 3 Here is an explanation of the data examples of the corresponding information stored in the outdoor storage unit 174.

[0092] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating a data example of the outdoor storage unit 174 in this embodiment.

[0093] like Figure 3 As shown, the outdoor storage unit 174 stores the corresponding information that establishes the association between the "indoor unit", "branch port ID" and "wiring port ID".

[0094] exist Figure 3 In this context, "Indoor Unit" represents the name of the indoor unit and is an example of indoor unit identification information used to identify the indoor unit being controlled. Additionally, "Branch Port ID" and "Wiring Port ID" are connection destination information. "Branch Port ID" identifies the branch port 52, and "Wiring Port ID" identifies the wiring port 71.

[0095] In addition, Figure 3In the example shown, the indoor unit name of the hot water indoor unit 30 is set to "Hot Water Indoor Unit", and the indoor unit names of the air indoor unit 20-1 and the air indoor unit 20-1 are set to "Air Indoor Unit A" and "Air Indoor Unit B" respectively. Additionally, the "Branch Port ID" of branch port 52-1 is set to "B01", the "Branch Port ID" of branch port 52-2 is set to "B02", and the "Branch Port ID" of branch port 52-3 is set to "B03". Furthermore, the "Wiring Port ID" of wiring port 71-1 is set to "L01", the "Wiring Port ID" of wiring port 71-2 is set to "L02", and the "Wiring Port ID" of wiring port 71-3 is set to "L03".

[0096] For example, in Figure 3 In the example shown, the hot water indoor unit 30, which is the "hot water indoor unit", is connected to "B03" (branch port 52-3) and "L03" (wiring port 71-3). The air indoor unit 20-1, which is the "air indoor unit A", is also shown connected to "B01" (branch port 52-1) and "L01" (wiring port 71-1).

[0097] Return to Figure 2 As explained, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the compressor 11, four-way valve 12, pressure reducing mechanism 13, and blower 15 based on various information received from the external controller 40, air indoor unit control unit 23, and hot water indoor unit control unit 38, or pressure and various temperatures obtained from the outdoor measuring unit 171. The outdoor control unit 173, for example, performs processing such as switching the refrigerant circuit RC1 between heating operation (heating circuit connection) and cooling operation (cooling circuit connection), or sending control commands to the air indoor unit control unit 23 and hot water indoor unit control unit 38 via the outdoor communication unit 172. The outdoor control unit 173 controls the refrigerant circuit RC1 and transmits control commands to the hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20 via a transmission signal line. Furthermore, when sending control commands to the air indoor unit control unit 23 and hot water indoor unit control unit 38, the outdoor control unit 173, based on the above... Figure 3 The corresponding information stored in the outdoor storage unit 174 shown controls the air indoor unit 20 and the hot water indoor unit 30.

[0098] In addition, when the operator installs the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 in the building, the outdoor control unit 173 performs a connection determination process to determine whether there is a connection error in the indoor units (air-cooled indoor unit 20-1, air-cooled indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30). The outdoor control unit 173 performs hot water indoor unit determination processing and air-cooled indoor unit determination processing as part of the connection determination process. In the hot water indoor unit determination processing, the outdoor control unit 173 performs a process of causing the refrigerant circuit RC1 to operate in heating mode, and using the pressure reducing mechanism 13 to allow the refrigerant to flow sequentially through the branch ports 52, thereby determining the branch port 52 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30.

[0099] In the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 determines the branch port 52 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 based, for example, on the temperature of the water medium at the inlet of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 and the temperature of the water medium at the outlet of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31. Specifically, the outdoor control unit 173 sequentially opens each pressure reducing mechanism 13, allowing refrigerant to flow sequentially through the branch port 52 corresponding to each pressure reducing mechanism 13, and obtains the temperatures measured by temperature sensor 210 and temperature sensor 211 via the outdoor communication unit 172. The outdoor control unit 173 determines the branch port 52 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 by confirming that the temperature measured by temperature sensor 211 is higher than the temperature measured by temperature sensor 210.

[0100] Furthermore, during the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 reduces the amount of water circulating in the water circuit RC2 compared to the normal operation of the water circuit RC2. That is, during the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 sends a control command to the hot water control unit 382 via the outdoor communication unit 172 to reduce the water flow of the water pump 34.

[0101] Furthermore, during the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 causes the blower 22 to blow less air than the normal operating air indoor unit 20. That is, during the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 sends a control command to the indoor control unit 232 via the outdoor communication unit 172 to reduce the airflow of the blower 22.

[0102] Furthermore, in the air indoor unit determination process, after performing the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 performs a cooling operation on the refrigerant circuit RC1, causing the refrigerant to flow sequentially through the branch port 52 not connected to the hot water indoor unit 30, to determine the connection relationship between the branch port 52 connected to the air indoor unit 20 and the air indoor unit 20. In the air indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 determines the connection relationship between the branch port 52 connected to the air indoor unit 20 and the air indoor unit 20, for example, based on the temperature of the intake air and the temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 21.

[0103] In the process of determining the indoor unit's connection, the outdoor control unit 173 activates the refrigerant circuit RC1 to perform cooling on the two remaining branch ports 52 (excluding the one connected to the hot water indoor unit 30), sequentially opening the pressure reducing mechanism 13 corresponding to each branch port 52 to allow refrigerant to flow through them. The outdoor control unit 173 obtains the temperatures measured by temperature sensor 204 and temperature sensor 203 via the outdoor communication unit 172. By confirming that the temperature measured by temperature sensor 203 is lower than the temperature measured by temperature sensor 204, the outdoor control unit 173 determines the connection relationship between the branch port 52 connected to the indoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 20.

[0104] Furthermore, during the execution of the air indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 circulates more water in the water circuit RC2 than during the execution of the hot water indoor unit determination process. That is, during the execution of the air indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 sends a control command via the outdoor communication unit 172 to the hot water control unit 382 to increase the water volume to more than during the execution of the hot water indoor unit determination process of the water pump 34.

[0105] Additionally, the outdoor control unit 173 causes the display unit 43 to display information indicating the determination results of the hot water indoor unit determination process and the air indoor unit determination process. That is, the outdoor control unit 173 sends the determination results of the connection determination process to the external controller 40 via the outdoor communication unit 172, causing the display unit 43 of the external controller 40 to display the determination results of the connection determination process.

[0106] Furthermore, based on the determination results of the hot water indoor unit determination process and the air indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 modifies the correspondence between the indoor unit to be controlled and the branch port 52, so that the hot water indoor unit 30 or the air indoor unit 20, i.e., the indoor unit to be controlled, is consistent with the branch port 52 connected to that indoor unit. Based on the determination result of the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor control unit 173 stores the corresponding information for the hot water indoor unit 30 in the outdoor storage unit 174, and based on the determination result of the air indoor unit determination process, stores the corresponding information for the air indoor unit 20 in the outdoor storage unit 174. Based on the corresponding information stored in the outdoor storage unit 174, the outdoor control unit 173 transmits control commands to the indoor unit to be controlled.

[0107] Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the operation of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0108] First, referring to the above Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The operation of each operating mode (action mode) of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 is explained.

[0109] When the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 is selected for hot water heating via a remote control (not shown), it operates in hot water heating mode. In hot water heating mode, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the connection of the four-way valve 12 to the heating connection circuit. Additionally, the outdoor control unit 173 opens the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3, connecting the refrigerant circuit RC1 to the hot water indoor unit 30. Furthermore, in this case, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the closure of pressure reducing mechanisms 13-1 and 13-2.

[0110] Additionally, the hot water control unit 382 changes the output of the three-way valve 32 to connect the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 with the hot water heating unit 37 (37-1, 37-2). Here, the three-way valve 32 directs the water medium to the piping 64 while shutting off the flow of the water medium to the water heat exchanger 33.

[0111] In the hot water heating operation mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows into the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 after passing through the four-way valve 12, branch port 51-3, and piping 61-3. Additionally, the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 heats the intermediate water supplied by the water pump 34. Subsequently, the refrigerant flows out of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31, passes through piping 62-3 and branch port 52-3, is depressurized by the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3, and flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 14, where it exchanges heat with the outdoor air supplied by the blower 15, becoming a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger 14 then passes through the four-way valve 12, through the receiver 16, and is drawn back into the compressor 11.

[0112] In the hot water heating operation mode, the water medium supplied by the water pump 34 of the hot water indoor unit 30 is heated to a high temperature by the refrigerant in the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31. Then, the high-temperature water medium passes through the three-way valve 32 and piping 64, and exchanges heat with the indoor air at the installation location in the hot water heating unit 37 (37-1, 37-2), thereby lowering its temperature. Afterwards, the water medium flows back into the water pump 34 via piping 63 and branch point P1. Furthermore, here, the hot water control unit 382 controls the water pump 36 to stop.

[0113] Next, the operation of the hot water supply mode of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 will be explained.

[0114] When the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 is selected for hot water supply operation via a remote control (not shown), it executes a hot water supply operation mode (hot water supply mode). In the hot water supply operation mode, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the connection of the four-way valve 12 to the heating connection circuit. Additionally, the outdoor control unit 173 opens the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3, connecting the refrigerant circuit RC1 to the hot water indoor unit 30. Furthermore, in this case, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the closure of the pressure reducing mechanisms 13-1 and 13-2. The outdoor control unit 173 controls the operating frequency of the compressor 11 by maintaining a fixed maximum frequency to prevent the hot water from running out.

[0115] Additionally, the hot water control unit 382 changes the output of the three-way valve 32 to connect the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 and the water-to-water heat exchanger 33. Here, the three-way valve 32 shuts off the flow of water medium to the piping 64 side.

[0116] In the hot water supply operation mode, the water medium supplied by the water pump 34 of the hot water indoor unit 30 is heated to a high temperature by the refrigerant in the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31. Then, the high-temperature water medium flows into the water heat exchanger 33 through the three-way valve 32, heating the water flowing out of the hot water storage tank 35, thereby lowering its temperature. Subsequently, the water medium is pumped back to the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 by the water pump 34, where it becomes hot water.

[0117] On the other hand, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 35 is supplied by a water pump 36 at a fixed speed, and flows into the water-to-water heat exchanger 33 via the water pump 36. The hot water supplied by the water pump 36 receives heat from the water medium flowing through the three-way valve 32, causing its temperature to rise, and then flows into the hot water storage tank 35. Through this process, the hot water in the hot water storage tank 35 boils. Other operations are the same as the hot water heating operation mode described above.

[0118] Next, the operation of the cooling mode of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 will be explained.

[0119] When the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 is programmed to operate in cooling mode via a remote control (not shown), it executes the cooling operation mode. In cooling operation mode, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the connection of the four-way valve 12 to the cooling connection circuit. Additionally, the outdoor control unit 173 opens the pressure reducing mechanisms 13-1 and 13-2, connecting the refrigerant circuit RC1 to the indoor units 20-1 and 20-2. Furthermore, in this situation, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the closure of the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3. Meanwhile, the hot water control unit 382 stops the water pumps 34 and 36.

[0120] In cooling operation mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from compressor 11 flows into outdoor heat exchanger 14 through four-way valve 12, dissipating heat to the outdoor air blown by fan 15 and becoming high-pressure liquid refrigerant. Subsequently, the refrigerant flows out of outdoor heat exchanger 14 and is depressurized by pressure reducing mechanisms 13-1 and 13-2, becoming low-pressure two-phase refrigerant. The low-pressure two-phase refrigerant flows out from outdoor unit 10 through branch ports 52-1 and 52-2, and flows into indoor unit 20-1 and 20-2 via liquid piping 62-1 and 62-2.

[0121] Subsequently, the refrigerant cools the indoor air through indoor heat exchangers 21-1 and 21-2, becoming a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows out from indoor heat exchangers 21-1 and 21-2, flows into outdoor unit 10 through pipes 61-1 and 61-2 and branch ports 51-1 and 51-2, and is then drawn back into compressor 11 after flowing through receiver 16.

[0122] Next, refer to Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 The connection between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30) is explained.

[0123] In the multi-split air conditioning unit 100, the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (air-cooled indoor unit 20-1, air-cooled indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30) are connected via piping 61 and piping 62 of the refrigerant circuit RC1 and a transmission signal line. The transmission signal line is used for communication regarding the operating status, operating mode, and control commands of the indoor units (air-cooled indoor unit 20-1, air-cooled indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30).

[0124] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates an example of the refrigerant piping and signal line connections in the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 4 An example is shown where the outdoor unit 10 is normally connected to the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30).

[0125] exist Figure 4 In the connections shown, branch ports 51-1 and 52-1 of outdoor unit 10 are connected to the indoor air unit 20-1 via piping, and wiring port 71-1 of outdoor unit 10 is connected to wiring port 72-1 of indoor air unit 20-1 via signal transmission line SL1. Additionally, branch ports 51-2 and 52-2 of outdoor unit 10 are connected to the indoor air unit 20-2 via piping, and wiring port 71-2 of outdoor unit 10 is connected to wiring port 72-2 of indoor air unit 20-2 via signal transmission line SL2. Furthermore, branch ports 51-3 and 52-3 of outdoor unit 10 are connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 via piping, and wiring port 71-3 of outdoor unit 10 is connected to wiring port 72-3 of hot water indoor unit 30 via signal transmission line SL3.

[0126] The outdoor control unit 173 of the outdoor unit control unit 17 determines, based on the connection status of transmission signal lines SL1, SL2, and SL3 and the corresponding information in the outdoor storage unit 174, which branch port of the group consisting of the air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30 should be connected to in piping.

[0127] Specifically, when the command for the indoor hot water unit 30 to change from being stopped to operating in hot water supply mode is received, the outdoor control unit 173 opens the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3 based on the corresponding information stored in the outdoor storage unit 174. Here, the corresponding information is, for example, as described above. Figure 3 The information shown. In addition, the outdoor storage unit 174 may, for example, set the correspondence information between the hot water indoor unit 30 and the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3 as "correspondence information 1", set the correspondence information between the air indoor unit 20-1 and the pressure reducing mechanism 13-1 as "correspondence information 2", and set the correspondence information between the air indoor unit 20-2 and the pressure reducing mechanism 13-2 as "correspondence information 3" for storage.

[0128] When the indoor unit connected to branch port 52-1 and wiring port 71-1 is operating, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the pressure reducing mechanism 13-1 from closed to open. Additionally, when the indoor unit connected to branch port 52-2 and wiring port 71-2 is operating, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the pressure reducing mechanism 13-2 from closed to open. Furthermore, when the indoor unit connected to branch port 52-3 and wiring port 71-3 is operating, the outdoor control unit 173 controls the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3 from closed to open.

[0129] However, during the installation (construction) of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 at the installation site, the connection between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (air-cooled indoor unit 20-1, air-cooled indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30) is performed by the operator. Therefore, in the multi-split air conditioning unit 100, for example, as Figure 5 As shown, sometimes an incorrect connection occurs where the outdoor unit 10 and the hot water indoor unit 30 are connected to the branch port 51-1 and branch port 52-1 instead of the branch port 51-3 and branch port 52-3.

[0130] Figure 5 This illustrates an example of a situation where the outdoor unit 10 is not properly connected to the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30).

[0131] exist Figure 5 In the connection shown, the connections of the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20-1 are interchanged. In this case, because of this connection, the pressure reducing mechanism 13-1 and pressure reducing mechanism 13-3 cannot be properly controlled, and therefore the air indoor unit 20-1 and the hot water indoor unit 30 cannot operate normally. The multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can perform connection determination processing to determine such incorrect indoor unit connections, see reference... Figure 6 The connection determination process for the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 is explained.

[0132] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment. Here, an example of the connection determination process, i.e., the corresponding determination process, of the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 will be described.

[0133] like Figure 6 As shown, the external controller 40 sends a start command for the corresponding decision-making process to the outdoor unit 10 (step S101). The input unit 41 of the external controller 40 accepts the operator's operation, and the external communication unit 42 sends a start command for the corresponding decision-making process to the outdoor unit 10.

[0134] Next, the outdoor unit 10 initiates the operation of each device in the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20 (step S102). The outdoor control unit 173 of the outdoor unit 10 initiates the operation of each device in the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20 via the outdoor communication unit 172 and the transmission signal line. The outdoor control unit 173 sends control commands to the hot water indoor unit 30, such as initiating the operation of the water pumps 34 and 36, and adjusting the connection of the three-way valve 32. Specifically, based on the control commands from the outdoor control unit 173, the hot water control unit 382 of the hot water indoor unit 30 initiates the operation of the water pumps 34 and 36, and sets the connection of the three-way valve 32 to the hot water supply operation mode. In addition, the outdoor control unit 173 maintains the state where the air blower 22 of the air indoor unit 20 is stopped.

[0135] Next, the outdoor control unit 173 sets the four-way valve 12 to the connection of the heating circuit (step S103). That is, the outdoor control unit 173 changes the four-way valve 12 to the connection of the heating circuit for performing heating operation, and sets the refrigerant circuit RC1 to a state in which the heating operation can be performed.

[0136] Next, in order to allow refrigerant to flow in the hot water indoor unit 30, the outdoor control unit 173 opens one of the pressure reducing mechanisms 13 and closes the others, thus initiating hot water supply operation (step S104). The outdoor control unit 173 opens one of the pressure reducing mechanisms 13-1, 13-2, and 13-3 (e.g., pressure reducing mechanism 13-1) and closes the remaining pressure reducing mechanisms (e.g., pressure reducing mechanisms 13-2 and 13-3). Additionally, the outdoor control unit 173 operates the compressor 11, the outdoor heat exchanger 14, and the blower 15 to control the operation for hot water supply.

[0137] Next, the outdoor control unit 173 determines whether refrigerant is flowing in the hot water indoor unit 30 (step S105). After a predetermined period (e.g., 10 minutes) from the start of operation, the outdoor control unit 173 obtains the outlet water temperature (measured by temperature sensor 211) and inlet water temperature (measured by temperature sensor 210) of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31. If the outlet water temperature of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 is higher than the inlet water temperature by a predetermined value (e.g., 2°C or more), the outdoor control unit 173 determines that refrigerant is flowing in the hot water indoor unit 30. If refrigerant is flowing in the hot water indoor unit 30 (step S105: Yes), the outdoor control unit 173 proceeds to step S107. Conversely, if refrigerant is not flowing in the hot water indoor unit 30 (step S105: No), the outdoor control unit 173 proceeds to step S106.

[0138] In step S106, the outdoor control unit 173 changes the pressure reducing mechanism 13, opening one of the pressure reducing mechanisms and closing the others to start hot water supply operation. After the processing in step S106, the outdoor control unit 173 moves to step S105, and performs the same determination for changing the pressure reducing mechanism 13.

[0139] Additionally, in step S107, the outdoor control unit 173 stores the setting (correspondence information) that establishes the association between the branch port 52 of the pressure reducing mechanism 13 and the hot water indoor unit 30 in the outdoor storage unit 174 (see reference). Figure 3 Additionally, outdoor control unit 173 terminated hot water supply operation.

[0140] Next, the outdoor control unit 173 changes the connection of the four-way valve 12 to the refrigeration circuit (step S108). That is, the outdoor control unit 173 changes the connection of the four-way valve 12 to the refrigeration circuit for performing refrigeration operation, and sets the refrigerant circuit RC1 to a state in which refrigeration operation can be performed.

[0141] Next, the outdoor control unit 173 changes the operation of each device in the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20 for the determination of the air indoor unit 20 (step S109). The outdoor control unit 173 changes the operation of each device in the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20 for the determination via the outdoor communication unit 172 and the transmission signal line. The outdoor control unit 173 increases the fan speed of the air supply fan 22-1 and the air supply fan 22-2 of the air indoor unit 20-1 to blow air. In addition, the outdoor control unit 173 is set to a state where the pump speed of the water pump 34 and the water pump 36 of the hot water indoor unit 30 is increased without stopping them.

[0142] Furthermore, in the corresponding determination operation of indoor air unit 20-1 and indoor air unit 20-2, since the refrigerant flows in a cooling operation, by keeping water pump 34 and water pump 36 running, freezing can be avoided when unintentionally cooled refrigerant flows to refrigerant water heat exchanger 31, thereby improving the reliability of multi-split air conditioning unit 100.

[0143] Next, in order to allow the refrigerant to flow in the unconfigured indoor unit 20, the outdoor control unit 173 opens one of the pressure reducing mechanisms 13 and closes the other pressure reducing mechanisms to start the cooling operation (step S110). The outdoor control unit 173 opens one of the three pressure reducing mechanisms 13 except for the pressure reducing mechanism 13 corresponding to the hot water indoor unit 30 and the pressure reducing mechanism 13 corresponding to the indoor unit 20, and closes the other pressure reducing mechanisms to start the cooling operation.

[0144] Next, the outdoor control unit 173 determines which indoor unit 20 has received refrigerant through a refrigerant inflow determination process (step S111). The outdoor control unit 173 executes the refrigerant inflow determination process for the indoor unit 20 after a predetermined period (e.g., after 10 minutes) from the start of operation. Specifically, the outdoor control unit 173 determines the indoor unit 20 with the largest temperature difference between the intake air temperature (measured by temperature sensor 204) and the low-pressure two-phase refrigerant temperature (detected by temperature sensor 203) as the indoor unit 20 from which refrigerant has flowed.

[0145] Next, the outdoor control unit 173 stores the settings (correspondence information) that determine the association between the indoor unit 20 and the branch port 52 where refrigerant is flowing into the outdoor storage unit 174 (step S112, see outdoor storage unit 174). Figure 3 ).

[0146] Next, the outdoor control unit 173 determines whether the determination of all indoor air units 20 has been completed (step S113). If the outdoor control unit 173 has completed the determination of all indoor air units 20 (step S113: Yes), the process proceeds to step S114. Otherwise, if the outdoor control unit 173 has not completed the determination of all indoor air units 20 (step S113: No), the process returns to step S110.

[0147] In step S114, the outdoor control unit 173 changes the correspondence between the branch port 52 and the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30) based on the setting information (correspondence information) stored in the outdoor storage unit 174. For example, the outdoor control unit 173 changes the correspondence between the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30) and the pressure reducing mechanism 13. Figure 5 In the connection example shown, the outdoor control unit 173 is configured to establish the following correspondence: the hot water indoor unit 30 is associated with the pressure reducing mechanism 13-1, and the air indoor unit 20-1 is associated with the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3. After the processing in step S114, the outdoor control unit 173 ends the correspondence determination process (connection determination process).

[0148] In addition, Figure 6 In the process shown, the processes from step S102 to step S107 correspond to the hot water indoor unit determination process (the first step process), and the processes from step S108 to step S113 correspond to the air indoor unit determination process (the second step process).

[0149] As described above, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment includes: a hot water indoor unit 30, comprising a water circuit RC2 in which a water supply medium circulates as a heat exchange medium; an air indoor unit 20, comprising an indoor heat exchanger 21 (air heat exchanger); and an outdoor unit 10, connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 and multiple air indoor units 20. The outdoor unit 10 includes branch ports 52 (52-1, 52-2, 52-3), wiring ports 71 (71-1, 71-2, 71-3), and an outdoor unit control unit 17. The branch port 52 has a pressure reducing mechanism 13 at the branch point after the refrigerant circuit RC1, and is connected to the air indoor units 20 and the hot water indoor unit 30 via piping. The wiring ports 71 are respectively connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20 via signal transmission lines. The outdoor unit control unit 17 controls the refrigerant circuit RC1 and transmits control commands to the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20 via the signal transmission lines. In addition, the outdoor unit control unit 17 performs hot water indoor unit determination processing and air indoor unit determination processing. In the hot water indoor unit determination processing, the outdoor unit control unit 17 activates the refrigerant circuit RC1 for heating, using the pressure reducing mechanism 13 to allow the refrigerant to flow through the branch ports 52 one by one, thereby determining the branch ports 52 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30. In the air indoor unit determination processing, after performing the hot water indoor unit determination processing, the outdoor unit control unit 17 activates the refrigerant circuit RC1 for cooling, allowing the refrigerant to flow through the branch ports 52 not connected to the hot water indoor unit 30, thereby determining the connection relationship between the branch ports 52 connected to the air indoor unit 20 and the air indoor unit 20.

[0150] Therefore, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment determines the connection of the hot water indoor unit 30 through hot water indoor unit determination processing and determines the connection of the air indoor unit 20 through air indoor unit determination processing. Thus, even when both the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20 are included, the connection between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20) can be appropriately determined. The operator installing the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 does not need to perform tedious manual operations to determine the connection relationship of the indoor units (hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20), thereby shortening the installation operation time.

[0151] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 performs hot water indoor unit determination processing before performing air indoor unit determination processing via cooling operation. Therefore, the cooling operation prevents the pressure reducing mechanism 13-3 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 from opening during the air indoor unit determination processing, thus avoiding freezing and damage to the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 caused by cold refrigerant flowing through the hot water indoor unit 30. Consequently, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 of this embodiment can more safely determine the connection between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20), improving reliability.

[0152] In addition, in this embodiment, the outdoor unit control unit 17 changes the correspondence between the indoor unit being controlled and the branch port 52 (or pressure reducing mechanism 13) based on the determination results of the hot water indoor unit determination process and the air indoor unit determination process, so that the hot water indoor unit 30 or the air indoor unit 20, that is, the indoor unit being controlled, is consistent with the branch port 52 (or pressure reducing mechanism 13) connected to the indoor unit.

[0153] like Figure 5 As shown, in the case of an incorrect connection between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (air indoor unit 20-1, air indoor unit 20-2, and hot water indoor unit 30), the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 of this embodiment can be used directly without changing the connection by changing the corresponding relationship. Therefore, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 of this embodiment can improve the convenience of the installation operation.

[0154] Furthermore, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment includes an outdoor storage unit 174 (correspondence information storage unit). This outdoor storage unit 174 stores correspondence information that establishes an association between indoor unit identification information that identifies the indoor unit as the control target and branch port 52 identification information that identifies the branch port 52. Based on the determination result of the hot water indoor unit determination processing, the outdoor unit control unit 17 stores the correspondence information corresponding to the hot water indoor unit 30 in the outdoor storage unit 174, and based on the determination result of the air indoor unit determination processing, stores the correspondence information corresponding to the air indoor unit 20 in the outdoor storage unit 174. Based on the correspondence information stored in the outdoor storage unit 174, it transmits control commands to the indoor unit as the control target.

[0155] Therefore, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can easily cope with the situation where there is a misconnection between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor unit (hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20) by using the outdoor storage unit 174.

[0156] In addition, in this embodiment, the water circuit RC2 includes a refrigerant water heat exchanger 31. During the hot water indoor unit determination process, the outdoor unit control unit 17 determines the branch port 52 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 based on the temperature of the water medium at the inlet of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 and the temperature of the water medium at the outlet of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31.

[0157] Therefore, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can easily determine the branch port 52 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 by using a simple method such as water temperature.

[0158] In addition, in this embodiment, the outdoor unit control unit 17 reduces the amount of water circulating in the water circuit RC2 during the hot water indoor unit determination process compared to the normal operation of the water circuit RC2.

[0159] Therefore, by reducing the amount of water circulating in the water circuit RC2, the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 becomes larger. Thus, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can accurately determine the branch port 52 connected to the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 while reducing false positives.

[0160] In addition, in this embodiment, the outdoor unit control unit 17 causes the water circuit RC2 to operate in hot water supply mode during the hot water indoor unit determination process.

[0161] Therefore, even in high-temperature locations such as summer when hot water heating cannot be guaranteed, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can more safely perform hot water indoor unit determination processing by operating in a hot water supply mode that guarantees operation.

[0162] In addition, in this embodiment, the indoor air unit 20 includes a blower 22 that blows air to the indoor heat exchanger 21. When performing hot water indoor unit determination processing, the outdoor unit control unit 17 causes the blower 22 to blow a smaller volume of air than the normal operation of the indoor air unit 20.

[0163] Therefore, in performing hot water indoor unit determination processing, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can reduce the impact of the indoor heat exchanger 21 during the hot water indoor unit determination processing by reducing the air volume of the blower 22. Thus, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can reduce false determinations in the hot water indoor unit determination processing.

[0164] In addition, in this embodiment, the outdoor unit control unit 17 determines the connection relationship between the branch port 52 connected to the indoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 20 based on the temperature of the intake air and the temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 21 during the indoor unit determination process.

[0165] Therefore, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can easily determine the connection relationship between the branch port 52 connected to the indoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 20 by using a simple method such as the temperature of the intake air and the temperature of the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 21.

[0166] In addition, in this embodiment, during the execution of the air indoor unit determination process, the outdoor unit control unit 17 circulates more water in the water circuit RC2 than during the execution of the hot water indoor unit determination process.

[0167] Therefore, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can improve reliability by circulating the refrigerant in the water circuit RC2, thereby preventing freezing when unintentionally cold refrigerant flows into the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31 during the execution of the hot water indoor unit determination process.

[0168] In this embodiment, the outdoor unit control unit 17 causes the display unit 43 to display information indicating the determination results of the hot water indoor unit determination process and the determination results of the air indoor unit determination process. For example, the outdoor unit control unit 17 causes the display unit 43 to display the determination results indicating a normal connection or an incorrect connection.

[0169] Therefore, in the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment, the operator can easily grasp the connection relationship between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20) through the display of the display unit 43.

[0170] In addition, in this embodiment, the outdoor unit control unit 17 starts the execution of hot water indoor unit determination processing and air indoor unit determination processing according to the start request from the external controller 40.

[0171] Therefore, by using an external controller 40, the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 according to this embodiment can more easily begin the connection determination process between the outdoor unit 10 and the indoor units (hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20).

[0172] Furthermore, the connection determination method involved in this embodiment includes a connection determination method for determining the connection of indoor units in the multi-split air conditioning unit 100, namely, a first step and a second step. In the first step, the outdoor unit control unit 17 performs a hot water indoor unit 30 determination process. In this hot water indoor unit 30 determination process, the refrigerant circuit RC1 is activated for heating, and the refrigerant is allowed to flow through the branch ports 52 one by one using the pressure reducing mechanism 13 to determine the branch ports 52 connected to the hot water indoor unit 30. In the second step, the outdoor unit control unit 17 performs an air indoor unit determination process. In this air indoor unit determination process, after the hot water indoor unit determination process is performed, the refrigerant circuit RC1 is activated for cooling, and the refrigerant is allowed to flow through the branch ports 52 not connected to the hot water indoor unit 30 one by one to determine the connection relationship between the branch ports 52 connected to the air indoor unit 20 and the air indoor unit 20.

[0173] Therefore, the connection determination method involved in this embodiment has the same effect as the multi-split air conditioning unit 100 involved in this embodiment described above. Even when both hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20 are included, the connection between outdoor unit 10 and indoor unit (hot water indoor unit 30 and air indoor unit 20) can be properly determined.

[0174] Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0175] For example, in the above embodiment, an example of a multi-split air conditioning unit 100 having two indoor air units 20 has been described, but it is not limited to this, and it may also have one indoor air unit 20 or three or more indoor air units 20.

[0176] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the outdoor unit control unit 17 changed the correspondence between the indoor unit being controlled and the branch port 52 (or, pressure reducing mechanism 13) based on the determination results of the hot water indoor unit determination process and the air indoor unit determination process, but this is not a limitation. For example, the outdoor unit control unit 17 may not perform the process of changing the correspondence, but instead have the display unit 43 display information based on the determination results of the hot water indoor unit determination process and the air indoor unit determination process.

[0177] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example of the outdoor unit control unit 17 initiating connection determination processing based on the start instruction of the external controller 40 has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, the outdoor unit control unit 17 may also initiate connection determination processing based on the operation of the start switch provided on the outdoor unit 10, the operation of the remote control of the hot water indoor unit 30 and the air indoor unit 20.

[0178] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described where the outdoor unit control unit 17 determines whether refrigerant flows in the hot water indoor unit 30 based on the outlet and inlet water temperatures of the refrigerant water heat exchanger 31, but this is not a limitation. For example, the outdoor unit control unit 17 may also determine whether refrigerant flows in the hot water indoor unit 30 based on the water temperature of the hot water storage tank 35 (the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 212). In this case, the outdoor unit control unit 17 may also determine whether refrigerant flows in the hot water indoor unit 30 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 212 rising above a predetermined temperature (e.g., 2°C or more).

[0179] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, an example of storing corresponding information in the outdoor storage unit 174 has been described, but it is not limited to this. The corresponding information can also be used to associate the identification information of the indoor unit with the identification information of the pressure reducing mechanism 13.

[0180] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example of the outdoor unit control unit 17 performing hot water indoor unit determination processing in the hot water supply operation mode (hot water supply operation mode) has been described, but it is not limited to this. Instead of the hot water supply operation mode (hot water supply operation mode), it can also be performed in the hot water heating operation mode.

[0181] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example of stopping the blower 22 during the connection determination operation of the hot water indoor unit 30 was described, but it is not limited to this. The fan speed of the blower 22 can also be set to the minimum for operation. This allows the air indoor unit 20 to condense the refrigerant and perform heat exchange, thus avoiding the risk of excessive pressure rise in the refrigerant circuit RC1. However, if the fan speed is set too high, the amount of refrigerant retained in the indoor heat exchanger 21 will increase, preventing normal hot water supply operation. Therefore, it is preferable to operate the blower 22 at the minimum fan speed or stop it altogether.

[0182] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the connection determination process begins from the external controller 40, the display unit 43 can also display a message indicating that the connection determination process is complete. This allows the operator to immediately recognize the end of the determination process, further shortening the construction time. Moreover, when the display unit 43 displays the corresponding determination result, for example by showing all branch points where the correspondence is consistent or inconsistent, the operator can be reminded to pay attention during the next installation, thereby improving construction quality.

[0183] Furthermore, the aforementioned multi-split air conditioning unit 100 has an internal computer system. Moreover, the connection determination processing procedure is stored as a program in a computer-readable recording medium, and the aforementioned processing is performed by the computer reading and executing the program. Here, computer-readable recording media refers to disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories, etc. Alternatively, the computer program can be distributed to a computer via a communication line, and the computer receiving the distribution can execute the program.

[0184] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0185] 10...Outdoor unit; 11...Compressor; 12...Four-way valve; 13, 13-1, 13-2, 13-3...Pressure reducing mechanism; 14...Outdoor heat exchanger; 15, 22, 22-1, 22-2...Blower; 16...Receiver; 17...Outdoor unit control unit; 20, 20-1, 20-2...Indoor air unit; 21, 21-1, 21-2...Indoor heat exchanger; 23, 23-1, 23-2...Indoor air unit control unit; 30...Hot water unit; 31...Refrigerant water heat exchanger; 32...Three-way valve; 33...Water-to-water heat exchanger; 34, 36...Water pump; 35...Hot water storage tank; 37, 37-1, 37-2...Hot water heating unit; 38...Hot water unit control unit; 40...External controller; 41...Input unit; 42...External communication unit; 43...Display unit; 51, 5 1-1, 51-2, 51-3, 52, 52-1, 52-2, 52-3... Branch ports; 61, 61-1, 61-2, 61-3, 62, 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, 63, 64... Piping; 71, 71-1, 71-2, 71-3, 72-1, 72-2, 72-3... Wiring ports; 100... Multi-split air conditioning unit; 171... Outdoor measurement unit; 172... Outdoor communication unit ; 173...Outdoor control unit; 174...Outdoor storage unit; 201...Pressure sensor; 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212...Temperature sensor; 231...Indoor measurement unit; 232...Indoor control unit; 233...Indoor communication unit; 381...Hot water measurement unit; 382...Hot water control unit; 383...Hot water communication unit.

Claims

1. A multi-connected air conditioning apparatus, comprising: a hot-water indoor unit including a water circuit in which a water medium is circulated as a heat exchange medium; an air indoor unit including an air heat exchanger; and an outdoor unit connected to the hot-water indoor unit and the air indoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit includes: branch ports having a pressure-reducing mechanism at a portion after a branch of a refrigerant circuit, and connected to the air indoor unit and the hot-water indoor unit via a pipe; and an outdoor unit control portion that controls the refrigerant circuit and transmits a control command of the hot-water indoor unit and the air indoor unit via a transmission signal line, the outdoor unit control portion performs: a hot-water indoor unit determination process that causes the refrigerant circuit to perform a heating operation to determine the branch port connected to the hot-water indoor unit; and an air indoor unit determination process that, after the hot-water indoor unit determination process is performed, causes the refrigerant circuit to perform a cooling operation to determine a connection relationship between the branch port connected to the air indoor unit and the air indoor unit.

2. The multi-connected air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outdoor unit control portion performs: the hot-water indoor unit determination process that causes the refrigerant circuit to perform a heating operation, and causes refrigerant to flow through the branch ports one by one using the pressure-reducing mechanism to determine the hot-water indoor unit connected to the branch port; and the air indoor unit determination process that, after the hot-water indoor unit determination process is performed, causes the refrigerant circuit to perform a cooling operation to cause refrigerant to flow through the branch port not connected to the hot-water indoor unit to determine a connection relationship between the branch port connected to the air indoor unit and the air indoor unit, the outdoor unit control portion changes a correspondence relationship between the indoor unit as a control target and the branch port based on a determination result of the hot-water indoor unit determination process and a determination result of the air indoor unit determination process so that the indoor unit as the control target coincides with the branch port connected to the indoor unit.

3. The multi-connected air conditioning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a correspondence information storage portion that stores correspondence information that associates indoor unit identification information that identifies the indoor unit as the control target with branch port identification information that identifies the branch port is provided, the outdoor unit control portion stores the correspondence information corresponding to the hot-water indoor unit in the correspondence information storage portion based on a determination result of the hot-water indoor unit determination process, and stores the correspondence information corresponding to the air indoor unit in the correspondence information storage portion based on a determination result of the air indoor unit determination process, and transmits the control command to the indoor unit as the control target based on the correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage portion.

4. The multi-connected air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water circuit includes a refrigerant-water heat exchanger. ​ ​ The outdoor unit control portion determines the branch port connected to the hot-water indoor unit based on the temperature of the water medium at the inlet of the refrigerant-water heat exchanger and the temperature of the water medium at the outlet of the refrigerant-water heat exchanger in the hot-water indoor unit determination processing.

5. The multi-split air conditioning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The outdoor unit control portion reduces the amount of water circulating in the water circuit compared to when the water circuit is normally operated in the hot-water indoor unit determination processing.

6. The multi-split air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The outdoor unit control portion causes the water circuit to operate in a hot-water supply operation mode in the hot-water indoor unit determination processing.

7. The multi-split air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The air indoor unit is provided with a blower that blows air to the air heat exchanger, The outdoor unit control portion causes the blower to blow a smaller amount of air than when the air indoor unit is normally operated in the execution of the hot-water indoor unit determination processing.

8. The multi-split air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein The outdoor unit control portion determines the connection relationship between the branch port connected to the air indoor unit and the air indoor unit based on the temperature of the sucked air and the temperature of the refrigerant in the air heat exchanger in the air indoor unit determination processing.

9. The multi-split air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein The outdoor unit control portion causes a larger amount of water to circulate in the water circuit in the execution of the air indoor unit determination processing than in the execution of the hot-water indoor unit determination processing.

10. The multi-split air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The outdoor unit control portion displays information indicating the determination result of the hot-water indoor unit determination processing and the determination result of the air indoor unit determination processing on a display portion.

11. The multi-split air conditioning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein The outdoor unit control portion starts the execution of the hot-water indoor unit determination processing and the air indoor unit determination processing in accordance with a start request from an external controller.

12. A connection determination method that determines the connection of an indoor unit in a multi-split air conditioning apparatus that is provided with a hot-water indoor unit including a water circuit in which a water medium is circulated as a heat exchange medium, an air indoor unit including an air heat exchanger, and an outdoor unit connected to the hot-water indoor unit and a plurality of the air indoor units, wherein The outdoor unit is provided with: a branch port having a pressure-reducing mechanism at a portion after a branch of a refrigerant circuit, connected to the air indoor unit and the hot-water indoor unit via a pipe; and an outdoor unit control portion that controls the refrigerant circuit and transmits a control instruction of the hot-water indoor unit and the air indoor unit via a transmission signal line. The outdoor unit control section executes hot-water indoor unit determination processing in which the refrigerant circuit is caused to perform heating operation, the branch ports connected to the hot-water indoor units are caused to flow refrigerant one by one through the branch ports using the pressure-reducing mechanism, and the branch ports connected to the hot-water indoor units are determined. The outdoor unit control section executes air indoor unit determination processing after executing the hot-water indoor unit determination processing, in which the refrigerant circuit is caused to perform cooling operation, the branch ports not connected to the hot-water indoor units are caused to flow refrigerant one by one through the branch ports, and the branch ports connected to the air indoor units and the connection relationship with the air indoor units are determined.

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