Outdoor unit of an air conditioning system

Abstract

In an air conditioning system where the outdoor unit is composed of multiple units, this reduces the workload involved in installing the outdoor unit. [Solution] The outdoor unit 1 of the air conditioner comprises a first unit 4 including a first housing that houses a compressor 31 and a first refrigerant pipe 14 connected to the compressor, a second unit 5 including a second housing that houses a heat exchanger 30 and a blower 33, and a second refrigerant pipe 15 connected to the heat exchanger and the first refrigerant pipe, and is configured to be connectable and separable from the first unit, and a plurality of control valves VAD arranged in a specific pipe RPO which is either the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe, which seal refrigerant in the specific pipe and, with the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe connected, release the refrigerant in the specific pipe into the pipe that is not the specific pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner.

Background Art

[0002] As described in Patent Document 1, in an air conditioner including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit that exchanges heat between refrigerant sent from the indoor unit and outside air, there is known an outdoor unit configured by combining a plurality of units.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The refrigerant piping structure of the outdoor unit as described in Patent Document 1 is completed by combining a plurality of units. Therefore, after combining a plurality of units at the installation site, an operation of introducing refrigerant from the outside into the refrigerant piping is required. As a result, the work load for installing the outdoor unit increases.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to reduce the work load for installing an outdoor unit in an air conditioner in which the outdoor unit is configured by combining a plurality of units.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a group of components having a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, a blower for blowing air toward the heat exchanger, and a compressor for compressing the refrigerant; a first unit including a first housing that houses the compressor from the group of components and a first refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor; a second unit including a second housing that houses the heat exchanger and the blower from the group of components and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger and the first refrigerant pipe, and is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit; and a plurality of control valves arranged in a specific pipe which is either the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe, which seals the refrigerant in the specific pipe, and which releases the refrigerant in the specific pipe into the pipe which is either the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe, while the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe are connected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of this disclosure, in an air conditioning system in which an outdoor unit is composed of a combination of multiple units, the burden of work involved in installing the outdoor unit can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the outdoor unit with the first and second units from Figure 1 combined. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the outdoor unit 3 in a state in which the first unit 4 and the second unit 5 of Figure 1 are combined. As shown in Figure 1, the air conditioning system 1 comprises an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 3. The air conditioning system 1 also comprises a plurality of refrigerant pipes RP1 to RP6 for circulating refrigerant between the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3. The air conditioning system 1 is driven (operated) in one of a plurality of modes, including cooling mode, heating mode, and dehumidification mode. The outdoor unit 3 comprises a first unit 4 and a second unit 5 as a plurality of units.

[0010] As will be described in detail later, the first unit 4 and the second unit 5 are configured to be able to be connected and separated from each other. The outdoor unit 3 is driven, for example, when the first unit 4 and the second unit 5 are connected (hereinafter also referred to simply as the connected state). By making the first unit 4 and the second unit 5 separable, the air conditioning system 1 can arrange the outdoor unit 3 well even if the outdoor unit 3 becomes larger or heavier, or if there are space constraints.

[0011] The indoor unit 2 comprises an indoor heat exchanger 20 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and indoor air, and a blower 21 that blows indoor air toward the heat exchanger 20. The blower 21 has a fan 23 and a fan motor M1 that rotates the fan 23. The indoor unit 2 may further include a temperature sensor S for detecting the indoor temperature, and an operating unit 22 for the user to perform operations such as turning the air conditioner 1 on and off or switching operating modes.

[0012] The outdoor unit 3 comprises an outdoor heat exchanger 30 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outside air, a compressor 31 that compresses the refrigerant, a pressure reducing device 32 that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant, and a blower 33 that blows outside air toward the heat exchanger 30. The pressure reducing device 32 includes, for example, a pressure reducing valve. The blower 33 has a fan 38 and a fan motor M2 that rotates the fan 38. The refrigerant circulates through a plurality of refrigerant pipes RP1 to RP6 between the heat exchanger 20, the heat exchanger 30, the compressor 31, and the pressure reducing device 32.

[0013] The outdoor unit 3 further includes an expansion valve V0 that expands the refrigerant and a switching valve V1 that switches the flow direction of the refrigerant. The switching valve V1 is, for example, a four-way valve. The outdoor unit 3 may further include various valve devices, strainers, etc. as appropriate. As an example, the refrigerant pipe RP1 connects the heat exchanger 20 and the decompression device 32. The refrigerant pipe RP2 is connected to the refrigerant pipe RP5. The refrigerant pipes RP2 and RP5 connect the decompression device 32 and the heat exchanger 30. The refrigerant pipe RP3 connects the heat exchanger 20 and the switching valve V1. The refrigerant pipe RP4 is connected to the refrigerant pipe RP6. The refrigerant pipes RP4 and RP6 connect the heat exchanger 30 and the switching valve V1.

[0014] The refrigerant pipes RP2 and RP5, and the refrigerant pipes RP4 and RP6 are connected by a plurality of couplers between the first unit 4 and the second unit 5. As an example, the first unit 4 includes couplers CP3 and CP4, and the second unit 5 includes couplers CP1 and CP2.

[0015] The refrigerant pipes RP2 and RP5 are connected by the couplers CP1 and CP3, and the refrigerant pipes RP4 and RP6 are connected by the couplers CP2 and CP4. As an example, the couplers CP1 and CP3 and the couplers CP2 and CP4 are connected in the vertical direction.

[0016] Moreover, the outdoor unit 3 of the present embodiment includes a predetermined component group 35. The component group 35 includes a compressor 31, a heat exchanger 30, and a blower 33. The first unit 4 includes a first housing 40a that houses the compressor 31 among the component group 35 and a power supply device 34 described later.

[0017] The second unit 5 includes a second housing 50a that houses the heat exchanger 30 and the blower 33 among the component group 35 and a second refrigerant pipe 15 that is connected to the heat exchanger 30 and connected to the first refrigerant pipe 14. The first refrigerant pipe 14 includes the refrigerant pipes RP2 and RP4. The second refrigerant pipe 15 includes the refrigerant pipes RP5 and RP6. The first housing 40a and the second housing 50a may house the remaining components of the component group 35. As an example, the first housing 40a houses the decompression device 32, the expansion valve V0, and the switching valve V1.

[0018] Also, among the first unit 4 and the second unit 5, the internal volume of the unit with a larger weight may be smaller than the internal volume of the unit with a smaller weight. In the first unit 4 of the present embodiment, the weight is larger and the internal volume is smaller than that of the second unit 5.

[0019] The component group 35 further includes a plurality of electrical components E. The electrical component E housed in the second housing 50a includes a fan motor M2. The electrical component E housed in the first housing 40a includes a compressor 31. The first unit 4 may include a power line PL to which power is supplied from the outside. In this case, the electrical component E housed in the first housing 40a may include a power supply device (switchboard) 34 that is supplied with power from the outside and supplies power to each electrical component E housed in the first housing 40a and the second housing 50a. In the outdoor unit 3, the power supplied from the outside to the power line PL is supplied to each electrical component E via the power supply device 34. The power supply device 34 may have a control unit that controls each electrical component E.

[0020] Here, the outdoor unit 3 is arranged in a specific pipe RP0 which is either the first refrigerant pipe 14 or the second refrigerant pipe 15, encloses the refrigerant in the specific pipe RP0, and in a state where the first refrigerant pipe 14 and the second refrigerant pipe 15 are connected, releases the refrigerant in the specific pipe RP0 into the pipe other than the specific pipe RP0 among the first refrigerant pipe 14 or the second refrigerant pipe 15. A plurality of regulating valves V AD is further provided.

[0021] The specific pipe RP0 of the present embodiment is, for example, the first refrigerant pipe 14. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the regulating valve V of the present embodiment ADThis is located in the first unit 4 and includes a first two-way valve V2 and a second two-way valve V3. In this case, as shown in Figure 1, the first two-way valve V2 may be located in the refrigerant piping RP3 in the first unit 4, and the second two-way valve V3 may be located in the refrigerant piping RP4 in the first unit 4. As a result, when both two-way valves V2 and V3 are in the closed state, refrigerant can be sealed inside the region of the first refrigerant piping 14 sandwiched between the two-way valves V2 and V3. In this embodiment, by closing the two-way valves V2 and V3 in the first unit 4 before installation, the amount of refrigerant required for the air conditioning system 1 is sealed inside the first refrigerant piping 14.

[0022] The air conditioning unit 1 also includes a three-way valve V4 located in the refrigerant piping RP1. The three-way valve V4 is connected to a pressure reducing pump while the first refrigerant piping 14 and the second refrigerant piping 15 are connected, thereby enabling pressure reduction inside the first refrigerant piping 14 and the second refrigerant piping 15. The three-way valve V4 is also referred to as a service valve.

[0023] When installing the outdoor unit 3, the worker connects the indoor unit 2 to the outdoor unit 3, and also connects the first refrigerant pipe 14 to the second refrigerant pipe 15. With the refrigerant pressure reduced, the worker connects the pressure reducing pump to the three-way valve V4 and activates the pressure reducing pump. This reduces the pressure inside each of the refrigerant pipes of the air conditioning system 1, including the first refrigerant pipe 14 and the second refrigerant pipe 15 (refrigerant pipe RP2, part of refrigerant pipe RP3, and the inside of each of the refrigerant pipes RP4 to RP6). With this done, the worker sets the two-way valves V2 and V3 to the open position. This allows the refrigerant sealed inside the first refrigerant pipe 14 to circulate throughout the entire air conditioning system 1. The air conditioning system 1 is now ready for use.

[0024] Next, the operation of the air conditioning system 1 will be described. In heating mode, the refrigerant is vaporized in the heat exchanger 30 through heat exchange with the outside air. The vaporized refrigerant is sent to the compressor 31 via refrigerant piping RP6, RP4, expansion valve V0, and switching valve V1. The compressor 31 compresses and discharges the vaporized refrigerant. The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 31 is sent to the heat exchanger 20 via switching valve V1 and refrigerant piping RP3. The heat exchanger 20 exchanges heat between the vaporized refrigerant and the indoor air. The blower 21 blows air that has been heated by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 20 into the room. As a result of this heat exchange, the refrigerant liquefies. The liquefied refrigerant is sent to the pressure reducing device 32 via refrigerant piping RP1. The refrigerant is reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing device 32 and becomes a two-phase gas-liquid state. The refrigerant that has passed through the pressure reducing device 32 returns to the heat exchanger 30 via refrigerant piping RP2 and RP5.

[0025] In cooling or dehumidifying mode, the refrigerant is liquefied in the heat exchanger 30 through heat exchange with the outside air. The liquefied refrigerant is sent to the pressure reducing device 32 via refrigerant piping RP5 and RP2. The pressure reducing device 32 reduces the pressure of the liquefied refrigerant. The refrigerant that has passed through the pressure reducing device 32 is sent to the heat exchanger 20 via refrigerant piping RP1. The heat exchanger 20 exchanges heat between the liquefied refrigerant and the indoor air. The blower 21 blows the air that has been cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 20 into the room. As a result of this heat exchange, the refrigerant vaporizes. The vaporized refrigerant is sent to the compressor 31 via refrigerant piping RP3 and switching valve V1. The compressor 31 compresses the vaporized refrigerant. The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 31 returns to the heat exchanger 30 via switching valve V1, expansion valve V0, and refrigerant piping RP4 and RP6.

[0026] As explained above, the outdoor unit 3 includes a first unit 4 which includes a first housing 40a that houses the compressor 31 from the component group 35 and the first refrigerant piping 14 connected to the compressor 31, and a heat exchanger 30 and blower 33 from the component group 35, and the second refrigerant piping 14 connected to the heat exchanger 30 and the first refrigerant piping 14. A second unit 5, which includes a refrigerant pipe 15 and a second housing 50a housing the second unit 4, and is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit 4, and a plurality of control valves V arranged in a specific pipe RP0 which is either the first refrigerant pipe 14 or the second refrigerant pipe 15, which seal refrigerant in the specific pipe RP0, and which releases the refrigerant in the specific pipe RP0 into the pipe other than the first refrigerant pipe 14 or the second refrigerant pipe 15 when the first refrigerant pipe 14 and the second refrigerant pipe 15 are connected. AD It is equipped with the following.

[0027] According to the above configuration of the outdoor unit 3, multiple control valves V AD This allows the first unit 4 and the second unit 5 to be transported to the installation site with refrigerant sealed in the specific piping RP0, and the outdoor unit 3 to be installed. Furthermore, after connecting the installed outdoor unit 3 and the indoor unit 2, a predetermined process is performed to activate multiple control valves V AD By opening this opening, refrigerant can circulate throughout the entire refrigerant piping RP1 to RP6 connecting the outdoor unit 3 and the indoor unit 2. Therefore, after combining multiple units 4 and 5 at the installation site, it is unnecessary to introduce refrigerant from an external source into the refrigerant piping at the installation site. Consequently, there is no need to bring a refrigerant injection device to the installation site. As a result, in an air conditioning system 1 in which the outdoor unit 3 is composed of multiple units 4 and 5, the workload of installing multiple units 4 and 5 can be reduced.

[0028] (modified version) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioning system 101 according to a modified example of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, there are multiple control valves V in this modified example. ADIt is located in the first unit 4 and includes a two-way valve V2 and a three-way valve V5. The three-way valve V5 is located in the refrigerant piping RP4 in the first unit 4. The three-way valve V5 is connected to a pressure reducing pump while the first refrigerant piping 14 and the second refrigerant piping 15 are connected, thereby enabling pressure reduction inside the first refrigerant piping 14 and the second refrigerant piping 15. The three-way valve V4 shown in the first embodiment may be changed to a two-way valve.

[0029] In this configuration, by connecting a pressure reducing pump to the three-way valve V5 and depressurizing the inside of the first refrigerant pipe 14 and the second refrigerant pipe 15, and then opening the two-way valve V2, the refrigerant can be circulated throughout the entire refrigerant pipes RP1 to RP6 connecting the outdoor unit 3 and the indoor unit 2. The second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0030] (Second Embodiment) Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the air conditioning system 201 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the specific piping RP0 is the second refrigerant piping 15. That is, as shown in Figure 4, the multiple control valves V in this embodiment AD It is located in the second unit 5 and includes a third two-way valve V6 and a fourth two-way valve V7.

[0031] The third two-way valve V6 is located in the refrigerant piping RP5 in the second unit 5, and the fourth two-way valve V7 is located in the refrigerant piping RP6 in the second unit 5. The first unit 4 is located in the same way as in the first embodiment, with a two-way valve V2 and a three-way valve V4.

[0032] Similar to the first embodiment, the three-way valve V4 is connected to a pressure reducing pump while the first refrigerant pipe 14 and the second refrigerant pipe 15 are connected, thereby enabling pressure reduction inside the first refrigerant pipe 14 and the second refrigerant pipe 15.

[0033] With this configuration, the area of ​​the second refrigerant piping 15 sandwiched between the two-way valves V6 and V7 can be sealed with refrigerant. In this embodiment, the two-way valves V6 and V7 are closed in the second unit 5 before installation, thereby sealing the required amount of refrigerant in the second refrigerant piping 15 in the device 1.

[0034] When installing the outdoor unit 3, the worker connects the indoor unit 2 to the outdoor unit 3, and also connects the first refrigerant pipe 14 to the second refrigerant pipe 15. With the refrigerant pump connected to the three-way valve V4, the worker activates the pressure reducing pump. This reduces the pressure inside each of the refrigerant pipes of the air conditioning system 201, including the first refrigerant pipe 14 and the second refrigerant pipe 15 (refrigerant pipe RP2, part of refrigerant pipe RP3, and the inside of each of the refrigerant pipes RP4 to RP6). With this, the worker sets the two-way valves V6 and V7 to the open position. This allows the refrigerant sealed in the second refrigerant pipe 15 to circulate throughout the entire air conditioning system 1. The air conditioning system 201 is then ready for use. In this embodiment, for example, either the two-way valves V6 or V7 may be changed to a three-way valve, and the three-way valve V4 may be changed to a two-way valve.

[0035] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and its configuration and methods may be modified, added, combined, or deleted without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0036] (Note) The above description of embodiments discloses the following technologies. [Technology 1] A group of components comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, a blower for blowing air toward the heat exchanger, and a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, A first unit including a first housing that houses the compressor and a first refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor, The second unit includes a second housing that houses the heat exchanger and the blower from the aforementioned group of components, and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger and connected to the first refrigerant pipe, and is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, An outdoor unit of an air conditioning system, comprising: a plurality of control valves arranged in a specific pipe which is either the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe, which seals refrigerant in the specific pipe, and which, when the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe are connected, releases the refrigerant in the specific pipe into the pipe which is either the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe that is not the specific pipe.

[0037] With the outdoor unit configuration described above, the first and second units can be transported to the installation site and installed with refrigerant sealed in the specific piping by the multiple control valves. Furthermore, after connecting the installed outdoor unit and indoor unit, a predetermined process is performed to open the multiple control valves, allowing the refrigerant to circulate throughout the entire refrigerant piping connecting the outdoor and indoor units. Therefore, after combining the multiple units at the installation site, there is no need to introduce refrigerant from an external source into the refrigerant piping at the installation site. This reduces the workload of installing multiple units in an air conditioning system where the outdoor unit is composed of a combination of multiple units.

[0038] [Technology 2] The aforementioned plurality of control valves include two-way valves and three-way valves, The outdoor unit of the air conditioning system according to Technical 1, wherein the three-way valve is connected to a pressure reducing pump while the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping are connected, thereby enabling the inside of the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping to be depressurized.

[0039] According to the above configuration, by opening the three-way valve and using a pressure reducing pump, the inside of the first and second refrigerant pipes is depressurized, and then by opening the two-way valve, the refrigerant can be circulated throughout the entire refrigerant piping connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

[0040] [Technology 3] An air conditioning system comprising an outdoor unit as described in Technical 1 or 2.

[0041] [Technology 4] A group of components comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, a blower for blowing air toward the heat exchanger, and a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, A first unit including a first housing that houses the compressor and a first refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor, An air conditioning unit that is the first unit of an air conditioning system comprising an outdoor unit including a second housing that houses the heat exchanger and the blower from the group of components, and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger and connected to the first refrigerant pipe, and a second unit configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, wherein the second unit is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, An air conditioning unit comprising a plurality of control valves arranged in the first refrigerant piping, which seal refrigerant within the first refrigerant piping, and which, when the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping are connected, release the refrigerant in the first refrigerant piping into the first refrigerant piping or the second refrigerant piping that is not the specified piping.

[0042] [Technology 5] A group of components comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, a blower for blowing air toward the heat exchanger, and a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, A first unit including a first housing that houses the compressor and a first refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor, An air conditioning unit comprising an outdoor unit which includes a second unit that houses the heat exchanger and blower from the aforementioned group of components, and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger and connected to the first refrigerant pipe, and is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, the second unit being a second unit of an air conditioning system, An air conditioning unit comprising a plurality of control valves arranged in the second refrigerant piping, which seal refrigerant within the second refrigerant piping, and which, with the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping connected, release the refrigerant in the second refrigerant piping into either the first refrigerant piping or the second refrigerant piping other than the specified piping. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] V AD Adjustment valve V2, V3, V6, V7 Two-way valves V5 Three-way valve RP0 Specific Piping 1,101,201 Air conditioning system 3 Outdoor unit 4. Unit 1 5. Unit 2 14. First refrigerant piping 15. Second refrigerant piping 30 Outdoor heat exchanger (heat exchanger) 31 Compressor 33 Blower 35 component groups 40a First enclosure 50a Second enclosure

Claims

1. A group of components comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, a blower for blowing air toward the heat exchanger, and a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, A first unit including a first housing that houses the compressor and a first refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor, The second unit includes a second housing that houses the heat exchanger and the blower from the aforementioned group of components, and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger and connected to the first refrigerant pipe, and is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, An outdoor unit of an air conditioning system, comprising: a plurality of control valves arranged in a specific pipe which is either the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe, which seals refrigerant in the specific pipe, and which, when the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe are connected, releases the refrigerant in the specific pipe into the pipe which is either the first refrigerant pipe or the second refrigerant pipe that is not the specific pipe.

2. The aforementioned plurality of control valves include two-way valves and three-way valves, The outdoor unit of the air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the three-way valve is connected to a pressure reducing pump while the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping are connected, thereby enabling the inside of the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping to be depressurized.

3. An air conditioning system comprising an outdoor unit as described in claim 1 or 2.

4. A group of components comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, a blower for blowing air toward the heat exchanger, and a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, A first unit including a first housing that houses the compressor and a first refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor, An air conditioning unit that is the first unit of an air conditioning system comprising an outdoor unit including a second housing that houses the heat exchanger and the blower from the group of components, and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger and connected to the first refrigerant pipe, and a second unit configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, wherein the second unit is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, An air conditioning unit comprising a plurality of control valves arranged in the first refrigerant piping, which seal refrigerant in the first refrigerant piping, and which, when the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping are connected, release the refrigerant in the first refrigerant piping into the first refrigerant piping or the second refrigerant piping that is not the specified piping.

5. A group of components comprising a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and a refrigerant, a blower for blowing air toward the heat exchanger, and a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, A first unit including a first housing that houses the compressor and a first refrigerant pipe connected to the compressor, An air conditioning unit comprising an outdoor unit which includes a second unit that houses the heat exchanger and blower from the group of components, and a second refrigerant pipe connected to the heat exchanger and connected to the first refrigerant pipe, and is configured to be connectable and detachable from the first unit, An air conditioning unit comprising a plurality of control valves arranged in the second refrigerant piping, which seal refrigerant within the second refrigerant piping, and which, with the first refrigerant piping and the second refrigerant piping connected, release the refrigerant in the second refrigerant piping into either the first refrigerant piping or the second refrigerant piping other than the specified piping.

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