Air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide a technique for early suppressing leakage of a refrigerant when the refrigerant has leaked.SOLUTION: An indoor unit 122 is disposed on an indoor side, and an outdoor unit 124 is disposed on an outdoor side. Refrigerant piping 180 connects the indoor unit 122 and the outdoor unit 124 and circulates a refrigerant between the indoor unit 122 and the outdoor unit 124. A discharge hole 182 communicates inside and outside of the refrigerant piping 180, and can discharge the refrigerant on the outdoor side. An opening / closing switching section 184 switches the discharge hole 182 between an opened state and a closed state. The opening / closing switching section 184 closes the discharge hole 182 when a concentration of the refrigerant detected by a refrigerant concentration sensor is smaller than a threshold value. The opening / closing switching section 184 opens the discharge hole 182 when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor is the threshold value or larger.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system that controls the air conditioning of a room using an air conditioner installed in an air-conditioning room that is separate from the room. [Background technology]

[0002] Accurate detection is required when a flammable refrigerant leaks from an air conditioner. For example, refrigerant is detected at the air outlet of the indoor unit (air conditioner) and also on the floor below the indoor unit, and a refrigerant leak warning is issued when the amount of refrigerant gas at the air outlet and the amount of refrigerant gas on the floor exceed a specified amount (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-16822 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a central air-conditioning system, an air conditioner and a blower are installed in an air-conditioning room that is separate from the occupant rooms to be air-conditioned, and the air conditioning room air, which is the air in the conditioned room, is conditioned by the air conditioner. The air conditioning room air is transported to the occupant rooms by the blower through a transport air duct. If a flammable refrigerant leaks from the air conditioner in the air-conditioned room, the blower mixes the air to prevent it from becoming highly concentrated in the air-conditioned room. However, if flammable refrigerant remains in the air conditioner body, the flammable refrigerant will continue to leak from the air conditioner. As a result, the blower must be operated even though the central air-conditioning system cannot be used.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technology for quickly suppressing refrigerant leakage in the event of a refrigerant leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, an air conditioning system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an indoor unit disposed indoors, an outdoor unit disposed outdoors, refrigerant piping connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit and circulating a refrigerant between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, a discharge port connecting the inside and outside of the refrigerant piping and allowing the refrigerant to be discharged to the outdoor side, an open / close switch capable of switching the discharge port between an open state and a closed state, and a refrigerant concentration sensor that detects the concentration of refrigerant contained in the indoor air. The open / close switch closes the discharge port when the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor is less than a threshold value, and the open / close switch opens the discharge port when the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0007] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present disclosure into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, in the event of a refrigerant leak, the refrigerant leakage can be suppressed early. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the connection between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure performed by the control device of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a modified example of the outdoor unit of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Before describing specific embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview of the embodiments will be provided. The present embodiment relates to an air conditioning system installed in a facility such as a house, which performs whole-house air conditioning for the facility. In the air conditioning system, an indoor unit and a blower are installed in an air-conditioning room separate from the living room to be air-conditioned, and the air-conditioning room is air-conditioned by the indoor unit. The air-conditioning room and the living room are connected by a duct, and the living room is air-conditioned by the blower transporting air from the air-conditioning room (hereinafter referred to as "air-conditioned room air") to the living room through the duct. Here, the indoor unit is connected to an outdoor unit installed outside the room by a refrigerant piping, and air conditioning is performed by circulating a refrigerant, for example, a flammable refrigerant such as propane, between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit.

[0011] If a refrigerant leaks from an indoor unit in an air-conditioned room, the air blower continues to blow air, transporting the air in the room and preventing the refrigerant concentration from increasing. However, if refrigerant remains in the indoor unit, outdoor unit, or refrigerant piping, the refrigerant will continue to leak from the indoor unit. As a result, the blower must continue to operate even though the central air conditioning system cannot be used. Therefore, in the event of a refrigerant leak, it is necessary to quickly prevent the refrigerant leak.

[0012] The air conditioning system according to this embodiment includes a discharge hole that can discharge refrigerant from the refrigerant piping on the outdoor side. The discharge hole can be opened and closed, and is closed when the refrigerant concentration in the air-conditioned room is not high, and is opened when the refrigerant concentration in the air-conditioned room is high. Therefore, if refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit in the air-conditioned room, the discharge hole is opened and the refrigerant is discharged from the discharge hole. This quickly prevents refrigerant leakage.

[0013] The examples described below each illustrate a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps (processes), and step order shown in the following examples are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Therefore, among the components in the following examples, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present disclosure are described as optional components. Furthermore, in each drawing, substantially identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an air conditioning system 1000. The air conditioning system 1000 is installed in a house, which includes a first living room 10a, a second living room 10b, and an air-conditioned room 20, collectively referred to as living rooms 10. The number of living rooms 10 in a house is not limited to two. The living rooms 10 are spaces to be air-conditioned, and the air-conditioned room 20 is a space independent of the living rooms 10.

[0015] The outside air intake duct 102, the exhaust duct 106, the air conditioning duct 130, the first transport duct 150a and the second transport duct 150b collectively referred to as the transport duct 150, the first circulation duct 162a, the second circulation duct 162b, and the circulation duct 164 collectively referred to as the circulation duct 162, and the first exhaust duct 172a and the second exhaust duct 172b collectively referred to as the exhaust duct 172 are pipes that transport air, that is, air paths.

[0016] An outside air inlet 100 is installed on the exterior wall of the house. An outside air inlet duct 102 extends from the outside air inlet 100 toward the interior of the house. The outside air inlet duct 102 is connected to a ventilation device 104. An outside air inlet fan (not shown) is installed in the ventilation device 104, and as the outside air inlet fan rotates, air (outside air) is taken in from the outside air inlet 100 and flows into the ventilation device 104 through the outside air inlet duct 102. The outside air inlet duct 102 extends further from the ventilation device 104 and is connected to a circulation duct 164, causing the air from the ventilation device 104 to flow into the circulation duct 164.

[0017] An exhaust duct 106 is also connected to the ventilation device 104. The exhaust duct 106 is connected to a first exhaust duct 172a extending from the first living room 10a and a second exhaust duct 172b extending from the second living room 10b, and extends toward the exterior wall of the house via the ventilation device 104. The first exhaust duct 172a is also connected to a first air inlet 170a installed in the first living room 10a, and the second exhaust duct 172b is also connected to a second air inlet 170b installed in the second living room 10b. The exhaust duct 106 is also connected to an exhaust outlet 108 installed in the exterior wall of the house.

[0018] An exhaust fan (not shown) is installed in ventilation device 104, and as the exhaust fan rotates, air is taken in through first air inlet 170a and flows into ventilation device 104 through first exhaust duct 172a and exhaust duct 106. As the exhaust fan rotates, air is taken in through second air inlet 170b and flows into ventilation device 104 through second exhaust duct 172b and exhaust duct 106. The air (exhaust) then passes through exhaust duct 106 and is exhausted from exhaust port 108. In this way, first exhaust duct 172a, second exhaust duct 172b, and exhaust duct 106 collect air from first living room 10a and second living room 10b, and exhaust the air to the outdoors through a single exhaust port 108. As a result, the ventilation device 104 ventilates the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b, which are different from each other, and exchanges air between the inside and outside of the living room 10. The ventilation device 104 may exchange heat between the air taken in from the outside air inlet 100 (outside air) and the air taken in from the living room 10 (exhaust air).

[0019] Inside the house, a first circulation duct 162a, a second circulation duct 162b, and a circulation duct 164 are installed, extending from each living room 10 to the air-conditioning room 20, and an air conditioning duct 130, a first conveying duct 150a, and a second conveying duct 150b are installed, extending from the air-conditioning room 20 to each living room 10. The first circulation duct 162a, the second circulation duct 162b, and the circulation duct 164 are also called return air ducts, and the air conditioning duct 130, the first conveying duct 150a, and the second conveying duct 150b are also called supply air ducts. The air passage connecting these ducts is configured in a ring shape.

[0020] The circulation duct 164 is connected to a first circulation duct 162a extending from the first living room 10a, a second circulation duct 162b extending from the second living room 10b, and the outside air introduction duct 102. The first circulation duct 162a is also connected to a first circulation port 160a installed in the first living room 10a, and the second circulation duct 162b is also connected to a first circulation port 160b installed in the second living room 10b. In the circulation duct 164, air from the first circulation duct 162a, air from the second circulation duct 162b, and air from the outside air introduction duct 102 are mixed. The mixed air flows toward the air-conditioned room 20.

[0021] An air conditioning duct 130 extending from the air-conditioned room 20 is connected to a branch chamber 140, and a first transfer duct 150a and a second transfer duct 150b are connected to the branch chamber 140. The first transfer duct 150a is also connected to a first air outlet 152a installed in the first living room 10a, and the second transfer duct 150b is also connected to a second air outlet 152b installed in the second living room 10b.

[0022] The air-conditioned room 20 is equipped with a humidifier 120, an indoor unit 122, a blower 126, and a refrigerant concentration sensor 128. Air flows into the air-conditioned room 20 from a circulation duct 164. The air flowing into the air-conditioned room 20 (air inside the air-conditioned room 20) corresponds to the "air-conditioned room air" described above. The humidifier 120 humidifies or dehumidifies the air-conditioned room air. The indoor unit 122 (air conditioner) is connected to an outdoor unit 124 installed outside the facility, and cools or heats the air-conditioned room air. The blower 126 blows the air-conditioned room air from the air-conditioned room 20 to an air-conditioning duct 130.

[0023] The humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, and the blower 126 are equipped with wireless communication or wired communication functions and are capable of communicating with the control device 200. The humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, and the blower 126 receive instructions from the control device 200, such as instructions for humidification or dehumidification for the humidifier 120, instructions for cooling or heating for the indoor unit 122, and instructions for blowing air for the blower 126. The humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, and the blower 126 operate in accordance with the instructions received from the control device 200.

[0024] The refrigerant concentration sensor 128 detects the concentration of refrigerant contained in the air-conditioned room air, which is the air in the air-conditioned room 20. The refrigerant concentration sensor 128 may be installed anywhere as long as it can detect the concentration of refrigerant contained in the air-conditioned room air. The refrigerant concentration sensor 128 is preferably installed inside the indoor unit 122. Because the air-conditioned room air is constantly discharged from the air-conditioned room 20 by the blower 126, installing the refrigerant concentration sensor 128 inside the indoor unit 122 ensures reliable detection of refrigerant leaks. Since known technology can be used to detect the refrigerant concentration in the refrigerant concentration sensor 128, a description thereof will be omitted here. The refrigerant concentration sensor 128 has a wireless communication function or a wired communication function and is capable of communicating with the control device 200. The refrigerant concentration sensor 128 transmits the value of the refrigerant concentration to the control device 200.

[0025] The air-conditioned room 20 may be equipped with a filter. The filter is, for example, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. The HEPA filter is an air filter that removes dirt, dust, etc. from the air in the air-conditioned room and outputs purified air-conditioned room air. The purified air-conditioned room air is blown out by a blower 126.

[0026] The branching chamber 140 branches the air conditioning duct 130 from the air-conditioned room 20 into a first transfer duct 150a and a second transfer duct 150b. The transfer duct 150 is an air passage for transferring the air from the air-conditioned room to the living room 10.

[0027] The control device 200 is a system controller that controls the entire air conditioning system 1000. The control device 200 has a wireless communication function or a wired communication function and can communicate with the humidifier 120, the indoor unit 122, the blower 126, and the refrigerant concentration sensor 128. In Fig. 1, the control device 200 is installed in the first living room 10a, but is not limited to this.

[0028] When the air conditioning system 1000 performs whole-building air conditioning, the air in the air-conditioned room 20 is blown out to the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b via the air conditioning duct 130, the branch chamber 140, the first transfer duct 150a, and the second transfer duct 150b. The air in the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b is exhausted to the outside of the facility via the first exhaust duct 172a, the second exhaust duct 172b, and the exhaust duct 106. The air in the first living room 10a and the second living room 10b is returned to the air-conditioned room 20 via the first circulation duct 162a, the second circulation duct 162b, and the circulation duct 164. At this time, outside air flows into the circulation duct 164 via the outside air intake duct 102.

[0029] By circulating the air in this way, air is drawn in and out of the air-conditioned room 20. In other words, the air-conditioned room air is constantly replaced without remaining stagnant in the air-conditioned room 20. Therefore, even if refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit 122 and is contained in the air-conditioned room air, the air-conditioned room air containing the refrigerant is also replaced.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows the connection between the indoor unit 122 and the outdoor unit 124. The indoor unit 122 is placed indoors, for example, in the air-conditioned room 20 in FIG. 1. The outdoor unit 124 is placed outdoors. Refrigerant piping 180 connects the indoor unit 122 and the outdoor unit 124 in a ring shape. The refrigerant piping 180 may be divided into multiple sections. The refrigerant piping 180 is a hollow tube, and circulates a refrigerant between the indoor unit 122 and the outdoor unit 124. As mentioned above, an example of the refrigerant is a flammable refrigerant such as propane. A compressor (not shown) provided in the outdoor unit, for example, is used to circulate the refrigerant.

[0031] Discharge hole 182 is provided in refrigerant piping 180. Discharge hole 182 is a hole that connects the inside and outside of refrigerant piping 180. A cover (not shown) that can be opened and closed is provided at discharge hole 182. When the cover is closed, refrigerant is not discharged from discharge hole 182, and when the cover is open, refrigerant is discharged from discharge hole 182. Discharge hole 182 is arranged, for example, inside outdoor unit 124, but may also be arranged outside outdoor unit 124 if it is outside the facility (outdoors). In other words, discharge hole 182 allows refrigerant to be discharged outdoors.

[0032] The open / close switching unit 184 is connected to the lid of the exhaust hole 182 and controls the opening and closing of the lid. The open / close switching unit 184 has a wireless communication function or a wired communication function and is capable of communicating with the control device 200. Upon receiving an instruction from the control device 200, the open / close switching unit 184 switches the exhaust hole 182 between an open state and a closed state in accordance with the instruction. Here, the open / close switching unit 184 is disposed inside the outdoor unit 124 together with the exhaust hole 182. The exhaust fan 186 is provided in the outdoor unit 124 and dissipates heat inside the outdoor unit 124 to the outside of the outdoor unit 124.

[0033] The following describes the operation when refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit 122 in the air-conditioned room 20. Fig. 3 shows the configuration of the control device 200. The control device 200 includes a control unit 220 and a memory unit 240. The control unit 220 is connected to the refrigerant concentration sensor 128 and the open / close switch unit 184 in the outdoor unit 124. Here, the configuration necessary to explain the operation when refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit 122 is shown, and the configuration included in the control device 200 is not limited to this.

[0034] As described above, the refrigerant concentration sensor 128 detects the concentration of the refrigerant contained in the room, for example, the air in the air-conditioned room 20. The refrigerant concentration sensor 128 transmits the value of the refrigerant concentration to the control device 200.

[0035] The control unit 220 of the control device 200 receives the refrigerant concentration value from the refrigerant concentration sensor 128. The control unit 220 compares the refrigerant concentration value with a threshold value stored in the memory unit 240. The threshold value is a value at which refrigerant is deemed to be leaking into the air-conditioned room 20, and is determined in advance, for example, through experiments, simulations, etc. The control unit 220 determines to close the discharge hole 182 when the refrigerant concentration value is less than the threshold value. On the other hand, the control unit 220 determines to open the discharge hole 182 when the refrigerant concentration value is less than the threshold value. The control unit 220 transmits the determination result to the open / close switch unit 184.

[0036] The open / close switching unit 184 receives the determined content from the control device 200. When the determined content is the closed state, the open / close switching unit 184 closes the discharge hole 182. On the other hand, when the determined content is the open state, the open / close switching unit 184 opens the discharge hole 182. When the discharge hole 182 is opened, it discharges the refrigerant into the outdoor unit 124. The heat exhaust fan 186 exhausts the refrigerant that has been discharged into the outdoor unit 124 to the outside of the outdoor unit 124. In other words, the heat exhaust fan 186 exhausts heat from the outdoor unit 124 when the discharge hole 182 is closed, and discharges the refrigerant when the discharge hole 182 is open.

[0037] The subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure includes a computer. The computer executes a program to realize the functions of the subject of the device, system, or method of the present disclosure. The computer includes, as its main hardware component, a processor that operates according to the program. The processor may be of any type, as long as it can realize the functions by executing the program. The processor may be composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integration (LSI). The electronic circuits may be integrated into a single chip or may be provided on multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into a single device or may be provided on multiple devices. The program is recorded on a non-transitory recording medium, such as a computer-readable ROM, optical disk, or hard disk drive. The program may be pre-stored on the recording medium or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide-area communication network, including the Internet.

[0038] The operation of the air conditioning system 1000 configured as described above will now be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure performed by the control device 200. The control unit 220 receives the value of the refrigerant concentration from the refrigerant concentration sensor 128 (S10). If the concentration is less than the threshold value (Y in S12), the control unit 220 decides to close the discharge hole 182 (S14). On the other hand, if the concentration is not less than the threshold value (N in S12), the control unit 220 decides to open the discharge hole 182 (S16).

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a modified example of the outdoor unit 124. The aforementioned outdoor space is, for example, a veranda 50 or a balcony. The outdoor unit 124 is installed on the veranda 50 along the facility. In addition, an opposing wall 30 is erected at a position separated from the outdoor unit 124. The opposing wall 30 is, for example, a handrail. The underside of the opposing wall 30 is connected to the underside of the facility by a connecting floor 40. As described above, if a refrigerant leak occurs in the air-conditioned room 20, the discharge hole 182 discharges the refrigerant into the outdoor unit 124, and the heat exhaust fan 186 discharges the refrigerant inside the outdoor unit 124 to the outside of the outdoor unit 124. At this time, the presence of the opposing wall 30 may make it difficult for the heat exhaust fan 186 to discharge the refrigerant. For this reason, a rectifying plate 188 inclined toward the upper end of the opposing wall 30 is attached to the outdoor unit 124. The rectifying plate 188 guides the airflow from the heat exhaust fan 186 upwards of the outdoor unit 124 .

[0040] According to this embodiment, when the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor 128 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the discharge hole 182 is opened, thereby enabling refrigerant leakage to be prevented promptly. Furthermore, when the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor 128 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the discharge hole 182 is opened, thereby eliminating a state in which refrigerant remains in the indoor unit 122, the outdoor unit 124, or the refrigerant piping 180. Furthermore, since the state in which refrigerant remains in the indoor unit 122, the outdoor unit 124, or the refrigerant piping 180 is eliminated, there is no need to continue operating the blower 126, thereby preventing an increase in energy consumption. Furthermore, since the discharge hole 182 is located inside the outdoor unit 124, the structure can be simplified. Furthermore, since the outdoor unit 124 is equipped with a rectifying plate 188, the refrigerant can be discharged far away even if there is an obstruction near the outdoor unit 124.

[0041] An outline of one aspect of the present disclosure is as follows. (Item 1) an indoor unit (122) disposed indoors; an outdoor unit (124) disposed outdoors; a refrigerant pipe (180) connecting the indoor unit (122) and the outdoor unit (124) and circulating a refrigerant between the indoor unit (122) and the outdoor unit (124); a discharge hole (182) that connects the inside and outside of the refrigerant pipe (180) and allows the refrigerant to be discharged on the outdoor side; an open / close switch (184) that can switch the discharge hole (182) between an open state and a closed state; a refrigerant concentration sensor (128) that detects the concentration of the refrigerant contained in the air in the room; When the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor (128) is less than a threshold value, the open / close switch (184) closes the discharge hole (182), In the air conditioning system (1000), the open / close switch (184) opens the discharge hole (182) when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor (128) is equal to or higher than a threshold value.

[0042] (Item 2) The outdoor unit (124) includes a heat exhaust fan (186) for dissipating heat inside the outdoor unit (124) to the outside of the outdoor unit (124), Item 2. The air conditioning system (1000) according to item 1, wherein the exhaust hole (182) is located inside the outdoor unit (124).

[0043] (Item 3) Item 3. The air conditioning system (1000) according to item 2, wherein the outdoor unit (124) includes a rectifying plate (188) that directs the airflow of the heat exhaust fan (186) upward from the outdoor unit (124).

[0044] The present disclosure has been described above based on examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples, and it can be easily inferred that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 living room, 20 air-conditioned room, 100 outdoor air inlet, 102 outdoor air inlet duct, 104 ventilation device, 106 exhaust duct, 120 humidifier, 122 indoor unit, 124 outdoor unit, 126 blower, 128 refrigerant concentration sensor, 130 air conditioning duct, 140 branch chamber, 150 conveying duct, 152 outlet, 160 circulation port, 162, 164 circulation duct, 170 intake port, 172 exhaust duct, 180 refrigerant piping, 182 discharge hole, 184 opening / closing switch, 186 exhaust heat fan, 188 rectifier plate, 200 control device, 220 control unit, 240 memory unit, 1000 air conditioning system.

Claims

1. an indoor unit disposed indoors; an outdoor unit disposed outdoors; a refrigerant pipe that connects the indoor unit and the outdoor unit and circulates a refrigerant between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; a discharge hole that connects the inside and the outside of the refrigerant pipe and that can discharge the refrigerant on the outdoor side; an open / close switch that switches the discharge hole between an open state and a closed state; a refrigerant concentration sensor that detects the concentration of the refrigerant contained in the air in the room, the open / close switcher closes the discharge hole when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor is less than a threshold value; The open / close switch opens the discharge hole when the concentration of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

2. The outdoor unit includes a heat exhaust fan for dissipating heat inside the outdoor unit to the outside of the outdoor unit, The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust hole is located inside the outdoor unit.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein the outdoor unit includes a rectifying plate that guides the airflow of the heat exhaust fan upward from the outdoor unit.

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