Refrigeration device

Abstract

To provide a refrigeration device capable of promptly detecting an abnormality of a control signal line that connects a motor of an air blower for cooling a heat exchanger and a control device to each other.SOLUTION: A refrigeration device includes: a motor for rotating an air blower of a heat exchanger; a signal generation section that generates a control signal for controlling the rotation of the motor; a drive control section that controls the motor on the basis of the control signal input from the signal generation section via a control signal line; and a determination section that determines whether a voltage value of the control signal input to the drive control section satisfies a predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to refrigeration devices. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a refrigeration device that uses a refrigerant such as carbon dioxide. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigeration / freezing device in which, among the devices constituting a refrigeration circuit, an expansion mechanism and an evaporator are disposed inside an indoor unit (showcase) installed indoors, and a compressor and a condenser are disposed inside an outdoor unit installed outdoors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-219243 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The condenser is provided with a condenser fan that cools the refrigerant. A control signal line that transmits a drive signal is provided between a control device that controls the fan and a motor that rotates the fan.

[0005] The control device and the motor may be installed at a distance from each other. When the control device and the motor are physically far apart, the length of the control signal lines becomes long, making them more susceptible to breakage or connection failure (disconnection, etc.).

[0006] Disconnections are likely to occur, for example, due to shocks when installing the refrigeration / freezing device, or vibrations of the entire device when it is in operation. If a control signal line is disconnected or has a poor connection, the refrigerant cannot be cooled, leading to a breakdown of the entire refrigeration / freezing device.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a refrigeration apparatus that can quickly detect an abnormality in a control signal line connecting a motor of a blower that cools a heat exchanger and a control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The refrigeration device of the present disclosure includes a motor that rotates a blower for a heat exchanger, a signal generating unit that generates a control signal to control the rotation of the motor, a drive control unit that controls the motor based on the control signal input from the signal generating unit via a control signal line, and a determination unit that determines whether the voltage value of the control signal input to the drive control unit satisfies a predetermined condition. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the refrigeration device of the present disclosure, an abnormality in the control signal line connecting the motor of the blower that cools the heat exchanger and the control device can be quickly detected. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a refrigeration device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the connections between components and piping in a refrigeration device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a drive control unit; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a state of connection between a signal generating unit and a control unit of a drive control unit via a control signal line. [Diagram 5] A flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of a refrigeration device. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a waveform used in the abnormality location estimation process of the estimation unit; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] <Summary> In a refrigeration system including a compressor, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a condenser, each of these components may be installed in a plurality of locations. In particular, it is common to install the condenser in a location separate from the other components and allow the condenser to radiate heat obtained from the other components at a location separate from the other components.

[0013] In such a configuration, for example, a signal generating unit that generates control signals for each component of the refrigeration device and a drive control unit that drives and controls a motor that rotates a blower that cools the condenser may be installed in different locations. In this case, it is necessary to connect the signal generating unit and the drive control unit with a control signal line for transmitting the control signal.

[0014] The control signal line connecting the signal generating unit and the drive control unit may become disconnected or broken due to movement of the condenser when the refrigeration apparatus is installed, or due to vibration of the housing when the refrigeration apparatus is in operation after installation, etc. Disconnection or breakage of the control signal line can cause the condenser to malfunction, and ultimately lead to a breakdown of the entire refrigeration apparatus, so there is a demand for a configuration that can quickly detect an abnormality in the control signal line.

[0015] The refrigeration device according to the present disclosure is capable of quickly detecting the occurrence of an abnormality by monitoring voltage fluctuations in a control signal line connecting a signal generating unit and a drive control unit to each other.

[0016] <Overall composition> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a refrigeration device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration device 100 includes a first unit 10, a second unit 20, and a third unit 30. The first unit 10 includes a first compressor 11, a second compressor 12, a first expansion valve 13, a second expansion valve 14, and a signal generating unit 15. The second unit 20 includes a condenser 21, a blower 22, a motor 23, a drive control unit 24, a voltage detection unit 25, a determination unit 27, an outlet temperature detection unit 26, a notification unit 28, and an estimation unit 29. The third unit 30 includes an evaporator 31 and a third expansion valve 32.

[0017] The refrigeration device 100 is installed in, for example, a store.

[0018] 1, signal lines connecting the signal generating unit 15 and each component are shown by solid lines, while, for example, piping connecting each component to each other is not shown.

[0019] In this embodiment, the first unit 10, the second unit 20, and the third unit 30 have housings that are independent of each other, for example. The housing of the first unit 10, the housing of the second unit 20, and the housing of the third unit 30 may be disposed adjacent to each other, or may be disposed at locations distant from each other. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to this example, and the configuration of the first unit 10, the configuration of the second unit 20, and the configuration of the third unit 30 do not necessarily have to be stored in different housings. For example, the configurations of the first unit, the second unit, and the third unit may be stored in different compartments provided inside one housing.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the connection relationship between each component and piping in the refrigeration device 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a two-stage compression refrigeration cycle is adopted as the configuration of the refrigeration device 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigeration device 100 has, as a refrigeration cycle, a first compressor 11 as a low-stage compressor, a heat reducer 41, a second compressor 12 as a high-stage compressor, a condenser 21, a first expansion valve 13, an intermediate cooler 42, a second expansion valve 14, a third expansion valve 32, and an evaporator 31. Note that the signal generating unit 15, the blower 22, the motor 23, the drive control unit 24, the determination unit 27, the outlet temperature detection unit 26, the notification unit 28, and the estimation unit 29 shown in FIG. 1 are omitted in FIG. 2.

[0021] The first compressor 11 boosts the low-pressure refrigerant introduced from the pipe P1 to an intermediate pressure and sends it to the pipe P2. The heat reducer 41 cools the intermediate-pressure refrigerant from the first compressor 11 and sends it to the pipe P3. The second compressor 12, which serves as a high-stage compressor, boosts the intermediate-pressure refrigerant from the heat reducer 41 to a high pressure and sends it to the pipe P4.

[0022] The condenser 21 cools the high-pressure refrigerant from the second compressor 12 and sends it to the pipe P5. An outlet temperature detector 26 is disposed at the outlet of the condenser 21 in the pipe P5. The first expansion valve 13 expands the refrigerant cooled by the condenser 21, turns it into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixed state, and sends it to the pipe P6. The intercooler 42 temporarily stores the gas-liquid mixed state refrigerant from the first expansion valve 13, and separates the gas-liquid mixed state refrigerant into gas and liquid. The gas refrigerant is sent to the pipe P3 via the second expansion valve 14 and the pipe P7, and merges with the intermediate-pressure refrigerant. On the other hand, the liquid refrigerant is sent to the third expansion valve 32 via the pipe P8.

[0023] The third expansion valve 32 expands the liquid refrigerant from the intercooler 42 to produce a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant, which is then sent to the evaporator 31. The evaporator 31 exchanges heat between the low-temperature refrigerant and the surrounding air to supply cold air. The refrigerant after the heat exchange is returned to the first compressor 11 via the pipe P1.

[0024] The refrigerant used in the refrigeration device 100 is not particularly limited in this disclosure, but carbon dioxide, for example, may be used.

[0025] The signal generating unit 15 generates a control signal for controlling each component of the refrigeration device 100. One end of a control signal line L1 is connected to the signal generating unit 15. The control signal line L1 is a signal line for transmitting the control signal generated by the signal generating unit 15 for controlling the motor 23 that rotates the blower 22 of the condenser 21 to the drive control unit 24.

[0026] The voltage value of the control signal that the signal generating unit 15 transmits to the drive control unit 24 via the control signal line L1 is not particularly limited in the present disclosure, but may be, for example, 0V or more and 10V or less.

[0027] The blower 22 is a fan for cooling the condenser 21. The blower 22 is rotated by a motor 23. The motor 23 is driven and controlled by a drive control unit 24. The motor 23 may be, for example, an interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor, that is, a motor with embedded magnets.

[0028] The drive control unit 24 controls the drive of the motor 23 based on the control signal input from the signal generating unit 15. To the drive control unit 24, the other end of the control signal line L1 is connected.

[0029] As described above, when the first unit 10 and the second unit 20 are installed in different locations, the control signal line L1 passes outside the respective housings and connects the signal generating unit 15 and the drive control unit 24 to each other.

[0030] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the drive control unit 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive control unit 24 has a rectifier circuit 51, a control unit 52, and an inverter 53.

[0031] The rectifier circuit 51 is connected to an AC power source S ACIt smoothes the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source S and converts it into a DC voltage. AC The voltage value may be, for example, 200 V. The DC voltage output by the rectifier circuit 51 may be, for example, 280 V.

[0032] The control means 52 outputs a pulse waveform corresponding to the input value of the control signal based on the control signal supplied from the signal generating unit 15. The other end of the above-mentioned control signal line L1 is connected to the control means 52, and the control signal from the signal generating unit 15 is input to the control means 52 via the control signal line L1.

[0033] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the state of connection between the signal generating unit 15 and the control means 52 of the drive control unit 24 by the control signal line L1. For simplicity, in Fig. 3, the control signal line L1 is illustrated as a single line, but in reality, the control signal line L1 is composed of a first signal line L11 that connects the + terminal 151 provided in the signal generating unit 15 and the + terminal 521 provided in the control means 52, and a second signal line L12 that connects the - terminal 152 provided in the signal generating unit 15 and the - terminal 522 provided in the control means 52, as shown in Fig. 4. The second signal line L12 that connects the - terminal 152 provided in the signal generating unit 15 and the - terminal 522 provided in the control means 52 is a GND wiring.

[0034] The inverter 53 converts the DC voltage supplied from the rectifier circuit 51 into an AC voltage, changes the frequency based on a rotation speed command from the control means 52, and controls the rotation speed of the motor 23.

[0035] The voltage detection unit 25 detects the voltage value of the control signal input to the control means 52 of the drive control unit 24. Hereinafter, the voltage value detected by the voltage detection unit 25 will be referred to as an input voltage value.

[0036] When the determination unit 27 described later determines that an abnormality has occurred in the control signal line L1, that is, when the control signal is no longer input from the signal generation unit 15, the drive control unit 24 controls the motor 23 to be driven at full speed. This makes it possible to prevent malfunctions such as the condenser 21 stopping operation even if an abnormality has occurred in the control signal line L1.

[0037] The outlet temperature detector 26 is provided at the piping outlet from the condenser 21 (see FIG. 2), and detects the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the condenser 21. Hereinafter, the refrigerant temperature detected by the outlet temperature detector will be referred to as the outlet temperature.

[0038] The determination unit 27 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the control signal line L1, based on the input voltage value of the control signal detected by the voltage detection unit 25 and the outlet temperature detected by the outlet temperature detection unit .

[0039] A detailed method for determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred by the determination unit 27 will be described later.

[0040] The notification unit 28 notifies the occurrence of an abnormality in the control signal line L1 when the determination unit 27 determines that an abnormality has occurred. The notification unit 28 is, for example, an alarm lamp, and notifies the occurrence of an abnormality by lighting or blinking when an abnormality has occurred. The notification unit 28 may also be a speaker, and notify the occurrence of an abnormality by sounding an alarm or a warning message when an abnormality has occurred. Furthermore, the notification unit 28 may notify the occurrence of an abnormality by sending a warning message, a warning email, or the like to a communication terminal device (such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal) held by the administrator of the refrigeration apparatus 100, for example.

[0041] When the determining unit 27 determines that an abnormality has occurred, the estimating unit 29 estimates the location of the abnormality in the control signal line L1 based on the waveform of the control signal.

[0042] A detailed method in which the estimation unit 29 estimates the location of the abnormality in the control signal line L1 will be described later.

[0043] <Operation Example of Refrigeration Device 100> An example of the operation of the refrigeration device 100, particularly the second unit 20, will be described in detail below. FIG.

[0044] As a premise, the signal generating unit 15 of the first unit 10 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of each component of the refrigeration device 100. As a result, a control signal for a motor that rotates the blower 22 for cooling the condenser 21 is input to the drive control unit 24 via the control signal line L1.

[0045] After the refrigeration device 100 starts operating, a first process including steps S1 to S3, a second process including step S4, and a third process including step S5 are executed in parallel independently of each other. In Fig. 5, the parallel processes of the first process, the second process, and the third process are indicated by being surrounded by dashed lines.

[0046] First, the first process will be described. In step S1, the drive control unit 24 acquires information about the input control signal. The information about the control signal includes information about the input voltage value of the control signal and information about the waveform of the control signal, which indicates the relationship between the fluctuation of the input voltage value and the passage of time.

[0047] In step S2, the determination unit 27 determines whether or not the voltage value (input voltage value) of the control signal input to the drive control unit 24 satisfies a predetermined first condition. The predetermined first condition is an example of the predetermined condition of the present disclosure.

[0048] The predetermined first condition is, for example, that the input voltage value fluctuates from a value equal to or greater than the predetermined maximum threshold to a value less than the predetermined minimum threshold a predetermined number of times or more within a predetermined period of time. In the present disclosure, the predetermined period, the predetermined number of times, the predetermined maximum threshold, and the predetermined minimum threshold are not limited to specific values, but as an example, the predetermined period may be set to 5 seconds, the predetermined number of times to 2 times, the predetermined maximum threshold to 0.7 V, and the predetermined minimum threshold to 0.1 V.

[0049] In the above example of the present disclosure, the predetermined first condition includes all of the multiple parameters, namely, the predetermined period, the predetermined number of times, the predetermined maximum threshold, and the predetermined minimum threshold. However, in the present disclosure, it is sufficient that the predetermined first condition includes at least any one of the multiple parameters.

[0050] Here, the meaning of the input voltage value satisfying the first condition will be described.

[0051] It is empirically known that the waveform of the control signal input to the control means 52 in the refrigeration apparatus 100 varies depending on where an abnormality occurs in the control signal line L1. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a waveform input to the control means 52 when an abnormality occurs somewhere in the control signal line L1 and when no abnormality occurs. The waveform shown in Fig. 6 is, as an example, the waveform of a control signal that stops the rotation of the motor 23.

[0052] Fig. 6A shows an example of a waveform when there is no abnormality in the control signal line L1. Fig. 6B shows an example of a waveform when the first signal line L11 is disconnected at the + terminal 521 of the control means 52. Fig. 6C shows an example of a waveform when the second signal line L12 is disconnected at the - terminal 522 of the control means 52. Fig. 6D shows an example of a waveform when the first signal line L11 is disconnected at the + terminal 151 of the signal generating unit 15. Fig. 6E shows an example of a waveform when the second signal line L12 is disconnected at the - terminal 152 of the signal generating unit 15.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6B, when the first signal line L11 is disconnected from the positive terminal 521 of the control means 52, the waveform has substantially the same shape as that shown in FIG. 6A when no abnormality occurs.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6C, when the second signal line L12 becomes disconnected at the negative terminal 522 of the control means 52, the waveform is similar to the waveform shown in FIG. 6A when no abnormality occurs, but the amplitude is clearly larger.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6D, when the first signal line L11 becomes disconnected at the + terminal 151 of the signal generating unit 15, the waveform clearly differs from the waveform when no abnormality occurs as shown in FIG. 6A, and becomes a waveform that shows periodic peaks.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6E, when the second signal line L12 becomes disconnected at the - terminal 152 of the signal generating unit 15, the waveform becomes significantly different from the waveform shown in FIG. 6A when no abnormality occurs, and becomes a waveform with high randomness.

[0057] In this way, the waveform shown in Figure 6C, Figure 6D, or Figure 6E when the signal line is disconnected at the - terminal 522 of the control means 52, the + terminal 151 of the signal generating unit 15, or the - terminal 152 of the signal generating unit 15 clearly has a larger amplitude fluctuation value than the waveform shown in Figure 6A when no abnormality occurs.

[0058] Therefore, when the signal line is disconnected at the - terminal 522 of the control means 52 as shown in Figure 6C, the signal line is disconnected at the + terminal 151 of the signal generating unit 15 as shown in Figure 6D, or the signal line is disconnected at the - terminal 152 of the signal generating unit 15 as shown in Figure 6E, the input voltage value will satisfy a predetermined first condition.

[0059] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 6B, when the signal line is disconnected at the positive terminal 521 of the control means 52, the waveform has almost the same shape as that when no abnormality occurs as shown in Fig. 6A. Therefore, even if the signal line is disconnected at the positive terminal 521 of the control means 52, the input voltage value does not satisfy the first condition.

[0060] Although Fig. 6B to Fig. 6E show examples of waveforms when the control signal line L1 is disconnected from each terminal, when a break occurs somewhere in the control signal line L1, waveforms as shown in Fig. 6B to Fig. 6E are obtained according to the location of the break. For example, when a break occurs in the control signal line L1 near the - terminal 522 of the control means 52, a waveform as shown in Fig. 6C is obtained.

[0061] Also, while Fig. 6 shows an example of the waveform of the control signal that stops the rotation of motor 23, for example, the waveform of the control signal in other drive modes (start of rotation, increase in rotation speed, etc.) will be a waveform different from the example shown in Fig. 6. Estimation unit 29 can estimate the location of the abnormality based on the waveform of the control signal obtained when estimating the location of the abnormality, which corresponds to the drive mode.

[0062] From the above, when the input voltage value satisfies the predetermined first condition, an abnormality occurs in the signal line near either the negative terminal 522, the positive terminal 151, or the negative terminal 152. On the other hand, when the input voltage value does not satisfy the predetermined first condition, an abnormality does not occur in the control signal line L1, or an abnormality occurs in the signal line near the positive terminal 521.

[0063] When the determination unit 27 determines that the input voltage value satisfies the first condition (step S2: Y), the process proceeds to step S3, and if not (step S2: N), the process proceeds to step S6.

[0064] In step S3, the estimation unit 29 estimates the location of the abnormality in the control signal line L1 based on information about the waveform of the control signal.

[0065] The estimation unit 29 can estimate the location of the abnormality by comparing the current waveform obtained in step S1 with a waveform (see Figure 6) when an abnormality occurs in the control signal line L1, which is pre-stored in a memory (not shown) or the like.

[0066] The waveform shown in Fig. 6C when the second signal line L12 becomes disconnected at the negative terminal 522 of the control means 52 is clearly different from the waveforms shown in Fig. 6A, 6B, 6D, or 6E. Therefore, when a control signal having a waveform as shown in Fig. 6C is input, the estimation unit 29 estimates that the second signal line L12 becomes disconnected at the negative terminal 522.

[0067] The waveform shown in Fig. 6D when the first signal line L11 becomes disconnected at the + terminal 151 of the signal generating unit 15 is clearly different from the waveforms shown in Fig. 6A, 6B, 6C, or 6E. Therefore, when a control signal having a waveform as shown in Fig. 6D is input, the estimation unit 29 estimates that the first signal line L11 becomes disconnected at the + terminal 151.

[0068] The waveform shown in Fig. 6E when the first signal line L11 is disconnected at the + terminal 151 of the signal generating unit 15 is clearly different from the waveforms shown in Fig. 6A, 6B, 6C, or 6E. Therefore, when a control signal having a waveform as shown in Fig. 6D is input, the estimation unit 29 estimates that the first signal line L11 is disconnected at the + terminal 151.

[0069] In this way, the estimation unit 29 can estimate at which location in the control signal line L1 the abnormality has occurred, based on the waveform of the control signal input to the control means 52 of the drive control unit 24.

[0070] In this way, the estimation unit 29 can estimate where the abnormality (disconnection or loose terminal) in the control signal line L1 occurred among three locations: near the - terminal 522 of the control means 52, near the + terminal 151 of the signal generating unit 15, or near the - terminal.

[0071] As described above, in the first process, it is possible to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the control signal line L1 based on the voltage value and waveform of the input signal, and if an abnormality has occurred, to estimate where the abnormality has occurred.

[0072] However, in the first process, if an abnormality occurs near the positive terminal 521 of the control means 52, the input voltage value does not satisfy the first condition, making it difficult to detect the occurrence of the abnormality. For this reason, the refrigeration device 100 is configured so that the occurrence of an abnormality near the positive terminal 521 of the control means 52 is not overlooked by the second process or the third process, which are processes parallel to the first process.

[0073] When step S3 of the first process is completed, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0074] Next, a second process executed in parallel with the first process of steps S1 to S3 will be described. In step S4, the determination unit 27 determines whether or not a malfunction has occurred in the outlet temperature detection unit .

[0075] Whether or not a malfunction has occurred in outlet temperature detection unit 26 is determined, for example, as follows: For example, when outlet temperature detection unit 26 is in an open state (a state in which outlet temperature detection unit 26 is directly connected to GND) or in a short state (a state in which outlet temperature detection unit 26 is not connected to GND) for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) or more, determination unit 27 determines that a malfunction has occurred in outlet temperature detection unit 26.

[0076] If it is determined in step S4 that a malfunction has occurred in the outlet temperature detection unit 26 (step S4: Y), the process proceeds to step S7; if not (step S4: N), the process returns to the beginning of the first process, the second process, and the third process.

[0077] Next, a third process executed in parallel with the first process of steps S1 to S3 and the second process of step S4 will be described. In step S5, determination unit 27 determines whether the outlet temperature of condenser 21 detected by outlet temperature detection unit 26 satisfies a predetermined second condition.

[0078] The second predetermined condition is, for example, that the outlet temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold temperature for a predetermined period of time or more. In the present disclosure, the predetermined threshold temperature and the predetermined period of time are not limited to specific values, but as an example, the predetermined threshold temperature may be set to 43° C. and the predetermined period of time may be set to 1 second.

[0079] The outlet temperature of the condenser 21 may rise regardless of the intention of the manager of the refrigeration device 100, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the control signal line L1 and the blower 22 cannot rotate. In step S5, it is determined whether such an event has occurred. By this process, it is possible to detect the occurrence of an abnormality that is difficult to detect by the first process, such as that shown in FIG. 6B, without missing it.

[0080] If it is determined in step S5 that the outlet temperature satisfies the predetermined second condition (step S5: Y), the process proceeds to step S8, and if not (step S5: N), the process returns to step S1.

[0081] The first process, the second process, and the third process, which are parallel processes, have been described above. Next, the processes of steps S6, S7, and S8, which are executed as the results of the first process, the second process, and the third process, will be described.

[0082] The process of step S6 is executed when it is determined in step S2 of the first process that the input value of the control signal does not satisfy the first condition. In step S6, the drive control unit 24 drives the motor 23 based on the control signal input to the control means 52.

[0083] In step S6, after a predetermined time, a notification may be given that an abnormality may have occurred. The reason for this is as follows. For example, in winter, when the temperature around the condenser 21 is low, it may not be necessary to rotate the blower 22 for a long period of time. In such a case, the refrigeration device 100 cannot accurately determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the control signal line L1 or whether no abnormality has occurred because the control signal for rotating the motor 23 has simply not been input from the signal generating unit 15 to the control means 52 for a long period of time.

[0084] Therefore, in this case, the notification unit 28 waits until a relatively long time, for example 60 minutes, has passed, and then notifies the possibility that an abnormality has occurred. This makes it possible to prevent a situation in which an abnormality is not notified even when no abnormality has occurred simply because a control signal for rotating the motor 23 has not been input from the signal generating unit 15 to the control means 52 for a long time, and thus the administrator is not bothered. This is because, if no abnormality has occurred, there is a high possibility that a new control signal will be input by the administrator while the notification unit 28 is waiting for a long time to notify.

[0085] After step S6, the process returns to the beginning of the first process, the second process, and the third process.

[0086] The process of step S7 is executed after the end of step S3 of the first process, or when a defect is detected in outlet temperature detection unit 26 in step S4 of the second process. In step S7, drive control unit 24 drives motor 23 at full speed, and notification unit 28 notifies the occurrence of an abnormality. Note that in step S7, notification unit 28 may notify the occurrence of the abnormality, as estimated by estimation unit 29, in addition to notifying the occurrence of the abnormality.

[0087] By having the drive control unit 24 drive the motor 23 at full speed, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a normal control signal is not input to the drive control unit 24 due to an abnormality occurring in the control signal line L1, making it impossible to normally rotate the motor 23. When it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the control signal line L1, the blower 22 that cools the condenser 21 can be rotated at full speed, so that it is possible to prevent malfunction of the entire refrigeration device 100 due to the refrigerant not being cooled by the condenser 21.

[0088] Furthermore, by the notification unit 28 notifying the occurrence of an abnormality, the manager of the refrigeration apparatus 100 can quickly eliminate the abnormality that has occurred in the control signal line L1.

[0089] The process of step S8 is performed when it is determined in step S5 of the third process that the outlet temperature satisfies the second condition.

[0090] In step S8, the drive control unit 24 drives the motor at full speed. The outlet temperature of the condenser 21 may rise regardless of the intention of the manager of the refrigeration device 100, for example, when an abnormality occurs in the control signal line L1 and the blower 22 cannot rotate. Since an increase in the outlet temperature of the condenser 21 adversely affects the normal operation of the refrigeration device 100, such an event can be prevented by driving the motor 23 at full speed in step S8. This makes it possible to prevent the occurrence of an abnormality from being overlooked even when it is difficult to find the abnormality in the first process, such as when an abnormality occurs near the terminal 521 (see FIG. 6B). Note that the occurrence of an abnormality is not notified by the notification unit 28 in step S8.

[0091] The steps S6, S7, and S8 described above are not exclusive processes; when the condition for executing any one of the processes is newly established, even if another process is being executed, the process for which the condition is newly established will be started.

[0092] As described above, in the refrigeration device 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is determined whether or not the voltage value (input voltage value) of the control signal input to the drive control unit 24 via the control signal line L1 satisfies the first condition. If it is determined that the input voltage value satisfies the first condition, the drive control unit 24 drives the motor 23 at full speed (step S7 in FIG. 5). This prevents the motor 23 from being unable to rotate as controlled by the signal generating unit 15 due to an abnormality occurring in the control signal line L1, which in turn prevents the condenser 21 from being able to sufficiently cool the refrigerant, thereby preventing malfunctions in the overall operation of the refrigeration device 100.

[0093] Furthermore, in the refrigeration apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the estimation unit 29 estimates the location of the abnormality in the control signal line L1 based on the waveform of the control signal input to the control means 52 of the drive control unit 24. This enables the notification unit 28 to notify not only that an abnormality has occurred but also the location of the abnormality, which is useful when the manager responds to the abnormality.

[0094] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and / or changes are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the refrigeration device 100 employs a two-stage compression refrigeration cycle, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The present disclosure can also be applied to refrigeration devices employing other types of refrigeration cycles. [Industrial Applicability]

[0096] The present disclosure is applicable to refrigeration devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 100 Refrigeration equipment 10 Unit 1 11 First compressor 12 Second compressor 13 First expansion valve 14 Second expansion valve 15 Signal Generation Unit 151 + terminal 152 - Terminal 20 Unit 2 21 Condenser 22 Blower 23 Motor 24 Drive control unit 25 Voltage detection section 26 Outlet temperature detector 27 Judgment section 28. Notification Department 29 Estimation part 30 Unit 3 31 Evaporator 32 Third expansion valve 41 Heat reducer 42 Intercooler 51 Rectifier circuit 52 Control Means 521 + terminal 522 - Terminal 53 Inverter

Claims

1. A motor that rotates a blower for the heat exchanger; A signal generating unit that generates a control signal for controlling the rotation of the motor; a drive control unit that controls the motor based on the control signal input from the signal generating unit via a control signal line; a determination unit that determines whether a voltage value of the control signal input to the drive control unit satisfies a predetermined condition; A refrigeration device comprising:

2. the determination unit determines that the condition is satisfied when the voltage value fluctuates from a value equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum threshold to a value less than a predetermined minimum threshold a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period of time.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1.

3. The drive control unit controls the motor to be driven at full speed when the determination unit determines that the voltage value satisfies the condition.

3. A refrigeration system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a notification unit that notifies an occurrence of an abnormality in the control signal line when the determination unit determines that the voltage value satisfies the condition.

4. The refrigeration system of claim 3.

5. An outlet temperature detection unit that detects an outlet temperature at a refrigerant outlet pipe of the heat exchanger, The signal generating unit controls the motor to be driven at full speed when the outlet temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold temperature for a predetermined period of time or more.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1.

6. and an estimation unit that estimates a location of an abnormality in the control signal line based on a waveform of the control signal when the determination unit determines that the voltage value satisfies the condition.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1.

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