Refrigerant discharge device and refrigerant discharge method

Abstract

This refrigerant discharge device 100 discharges a refrigerant from a refrigeration device 1 having a refrigerant circuit 10 for enclosing the refrigerant and an odor component and circulating the refrigerant and the odor component. The refrigerant discharge device 100 includes a body part 111 storing a substance 101 for capturing the odor component. The refrigerant discharge device 100 includes: an introduction port 112 which is connected to the body part 111 and can introduce the refrigerant and the odor component discharged from the refrigeration device into the body part 111; and a discharge port 113 which is provided at a position different from the introduction port 112 in the body part 111 and can discharge the refrigerant from the body part 111 to a part other than the body part 111.

Description

Refrigerant discharge device and refrigerant discharge method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerant evacuation device and a refrigerant evacuation method.

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, refrigeration systems have been known in which a highly flammable refrigerant with a low global warming potential (GWP) is sealed in a refrigerant circuit. In this type of refrigeration system, it is important to quickly detect a refrigerant leak from the refrigerant circuit and prevent the refrigerant from combusting.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigeration cycle device in which, in addition to the refrigerant, an odorous component, a sulfur-based odorant, is sealed in the refrigerant circuit. When the refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant circuit, the odorous component also leaks, allowing people nearby to recognize the abnormality and take the necessary measures.

[0004] Patent No. 7162786

[0005] Incidentally, when performing maintenance or inspection, such as removing a refrigeration device or replacing or repairing pipes, workers may perform refrigerant removal work to remove the refrigerant contained therein from the refrigerant circuit. Refrigerants with low GWP values ​​can be discharged from the refrigerant circuit to the atmosphere or other areas outside the refrigerant circuit. However, if odorous components are contained in the refrigerant circuit, the odorous components will also be discharged. If odorous components are discharged outside the refrigeration device, nearby people who are unaware of the situation may become aware of an abnormality or may feel uncomfortable, causing inconvenience.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a technology that can suppress odorous components when discharging refrigerant from a refrigeration device.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a refrigerant discharge device that discharges a refrigerant from a refrigeration device having a refrigerant circuit that seals the refrigerant and odorous components and circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components, the refrigerant discharge device having a main body that contains a substance that captures the odorous components, an inlet port that is connected to the main body and can introduce the refrigerant and the odorous components discharged from the refrigeration device into the main body, and a discharge port that is provided in a position on the main body different from the inlet port and can discharge the refrigerant from the main body to a location other than the main body.

[0008] According to the above, the refrigerant discharge device introduces the refrigerant and odorous components from the refrigeration unit into the main body, and the odorous components can be stably captured by the internal substances. This allows the refrigerant discharge device to suppress odorous components when discharging the refrigerant from the refrigeration unit. As a result, during the refrigerant removal operation, it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as the odorous components diffusing into the surrounding area and causing people nearby to become aware of an abnormality or feel uncomfortable.

[0009] The inlet port is connected to a service port of the refrigeration device.

[0010] This allows an operator to simply attach the refrigerant discharge device to the refrigeration device and cause the refrigerant and odorous components sealed in the refrigerant circuit to flow into the main body.

[0011] The device also includes a hose connecting the introduction port and the service port.

[0012] This increases the degree of freedom when positioning the main body during the refrigerant removal operation, allowing the worker to place the main body in an appropriate location.

[0013] The compressor also includes a tank connected to the discharge port for collecting the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port.

[0014] This makes it possible to prevent the refrigerant from the refrigeration unit from being discharged into the atmosphere during the refrigerant removal operation.

[0015] In addition, a separation section and a cooling section are provided in at least one of the main body section and the section between the inlet port and the main body section, and the separation section receives the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil and separates them into liquid and gas, and the cooling section cools the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil.

[0016] As a result, even when the refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerating machine oil are discharged, the refrigerant discharge device can effectively separate and discharge the refrigerating machine oil. That is, the refrigerant discharge device separates the odorous components from the gaseous refrigerant in the separation section, thereby reducing the amount of odorous components discharged together with the refrigerant outside the closed system (to the outside or a refrigerant recovery device, etc.).

[0017] The substance is an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the odor components.

[0018] This allows the substance to stably adsorb odorous components that have flowed into the main body. Furthermore, the refrigerant discharge device can be easily handled by workers, which promotes the efficiency of the refrigerant removal work.

[0019] The substance is also a catalyst that transforms the odorous components into odorless components.

[0020] This allows the substance to stably transform odorous components that have flowed into the main body into odorless components.

[0021] The substance is a liquid stored inside the main body, and the odorous components pass through the liquid by being introduced through the introduction port.

[0022] This allows the refrigerant discharge device to adequately capture odorous components while allowing the odorous components to pass through the liquid substance.

[0023] The substance is an oxidizing agent that oxidizes the odorous components and transforms them into odorless components.

[0024] Even in this case, the substance can stably transform the odorous components that have flowed into the main body into odorless components.

[0025] In addition, the substance has a Hansen solubility parameter distance of 10 or less from the odor component.

[0026] This allows the refrigerant discharge device to sufficiently dissolve odorous components in the liquid substance, thereby preventing the odorous components from being discharged from the substance.

[0027] The refrigerant is a highly flammable refrigerant.

[0028] As a result, the refrigerant discharge device can discharge a highly flammable refrigerant with reduced odor components, allowing workers to safely remove the refrigerant.

[0029] The refrigerant is a refrigerant containing a hydrocarbon as a main component.

[0030] This makes it possible to avoid environmental pollution even when the refrigerant is discharged during the refrigerant removal operation.

[0031] The odor components include any one of tetrahydrothiophene, dimethyl sulfide, ethyl methyl sulfide, and cyclohexene, or one or more of these as components.

[0032] This allows the refrigeration system to smoothly alert people to the odorous components when refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant circuit, and the refrigerant discharge device can stably detect the odorous components.

[0033] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a refrigerant discharge method for discharging a refrigerant from a refrigeration device having a refrigerant circuit that circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components by sealing the refrigerant and the odorous components, the method comprising: a connecting step of connecting an inlet port of a refrigerant discharge device to the refrigeration device directly or indirectly; and a discharging step of introducing the refrigerant and the odorous components from the refrigeration device into a main body of the refrigerant discharge device through the inlet port, capturing the odorous components with a substance contained in the main body, and then discharging the refrigerant from a discharge port provided in the main body at a position different from the inlet port to a location other than the main body.

[0034] According to the above, the refrigerant discharging method according to the second aspect can also suppress odorous components when discharging the refrigerant from the refrigeration device.

[0035] A third aspect of the present disclosure is a refrigerant discharge method for discharging a refrigerant from a refrigeration device having a refrigerant circuit that seals a refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerating machine oil and circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components, the method comprising: a cooling step for cooling the refrigerant, the odorous components, and the refrigerating machine oil in discharging the refrigerant, the odorous components, and the refrigerating machine oil from the refrigeration device; a separation step for separating a gas containing the refrigerant and the odorous components from the refrigerating machine oil; and an adsorption step for adsorbing the odorous components contained in the refrigerant or the refrigerating machine oil with a substance after performing at least one of the cooling step and the separation step.

[0036] According to the above, the refrigerant discharging method according to the third aspect can also suppress odorous components when discharging the refrigerant from the refrigeration device.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an air conditioner in which a refrigerant discharge device according to an embodiment is used. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation state of a service port of an outdoor unit. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a first shutoff valve and a gas service port of a refrigerant circuit. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the connection state of a refrigerant discharge device according to a first embodiment and an air conditioner. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a refrigerant discharge method. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a form of a refrigerant removal operation according to a modified example. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the connection state of a refrigerant discharge device according to a second embodiment and an air conditioner. FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating Hansen solubility parameters when the odor component is tetrahydrothiophene. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a refrigerant discharge device according to a third embodiment.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted. In each drawing, dimensions, ratios, or numbers may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary to facilitate understanding of the invention.

[0039] <Configuration of Refrigeration Device> A refrigerant discharge device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a device used when discharging a refrigerant from a refrigeration device 1. For this reason, the refrigeration device 1 will first be described with reference to FIG. 1 . The refrigeration device 1 according to the embodiment is an air conditioning device that adjusts the temperature of air in an indoor space. Hereinafter, the refrigeration device 1 will also be referred to as the air conditioning device 1.

[0040] The air conditioner 1 is used for cooling and heating indoor spaces by operating a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. In cooling operation, the air conditioner 1 cools the air in the indoor space to adjust the temperature. In heating operation, the air conditioner 1 heats the air in the indoor space to adjust the temperature.

[0041] The air conditioner 1 includes a refrigerant circuit 10 containing a refrigerant, an outdoor unit 20 which is a heat source unit installed in an outdoor space, and an indoor unit 30 which is a utilization unit installed in an indoor space. The refrigerant circuit 10 performs cooling operation and heating operation by circulating the refrigerant between the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30. The air conditioner 1 according to the embodiment is a pair type in which one outdoor unit 20 and one indoor unit 30 are connected. However, the air conditioner 1 may also be configured in such a way that one outdoor unit 20 is connected to multiple indoor units 30, or in such a way that multiple outdoor units 20 are connected to one indoor unit 30.

[0042] The refrigerant circuit 10 includes a first communication pipe 11 and a second communication pipe 12 that connect the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30. The first communication pipe 11 and the second communication pipe 12 are one or more tubes that connect the indoor space and the outdoor space and allow the refrigerant to flow. The first communication pipe 11 is a gas pipe that allows the refrigerant in a gaseous state to flow. The second communication pipe 12 is a liquid pipe that allows the refrigerant in a liquid state to flow.

[0043] The refrigerant circuit 10 also has an outdoor path 13 connected to one end of the first connection pipe 11 and one end of the second connection pipe 12 inside the outdoor unit 20. The refrigerant circuit 10 also has an indoor path 14 connected to the other end of the first connection pipe 11 and the other end of the second connection pipe 12 inside the indoor unit 30. The refrigerant circuit 10 forms an endless circulation circuit by the first connection pipe 11, the second connection pipe, the outdoor path 13, and the indoor path 14.

[0044] <Outdoor Unit> The outdoor unit 20 has an outdoor path 13 installed inside a housing 20a, and thereby constitutes part of the refrigerant circuit 10. The outdoor unit 20 includes a compressor 21, an outdoor heat exchanger 22, an expansion valve 23, a four-way switching valve 24, and an outdoor fan 25. The compressor 21, the outdoor heat exchanger 22, the expansion valve 23, and the four-way switching valve 24 are connected to the outdoor path 13 of the outdoor unit 20.

[0045] During refrigeration cycle operation, the compressor 21 compresses low-pressure refrigerant drawn in through the suction connection end 21i to a high pressure and discharges the high-pressure refrigerant from the discharge connection end 21o. For example, the compressor 21 may be a rotary device in which a sealed compression element is rotationally driven by a compressor motor 21m to pressurize the refrigerant. The suction connection end 21i and the discharge connection end 21o of the compressor 21 are connected to the four-way selector valve 24 through the outdoor path 13.

[0046] The outdoor heat exchanger 22 dissipates heat from the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing therethrough and the outdoor air during refrigeration cycle operation in cooling mode. A fin-and-tube mechanism, for example, can be used as the outdoor heat exchanger 22. A gas connection end 22G of the outdoor heat exchanger 22 is connected to the four-way switching valve 24 via the outdoor path 13. A liquid connection end 22L of the outdoor heat exchanger 22 is connected to the expansion valve 23 via the outdoor path 13.

[0047] The outdoor fan 25 blows outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 22. As the outdoor fan 25, for example, a propeller fan having a motor and a propeller (not shown) can be used.

[0048] The expansion valve 23 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant that has flowed in through the outdoor path 13 to a low temperature. An electronic valve or a temperature-sensitive valve that adjusts the opening degree of an internal flow path is used as the expansion valve 23. The expansion valve 23 may also be provided in the indoor unit 30.

[0049] The four-way switching valve 24 reverses the flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10 to selectively perform cooling operation or heating operation. The four-way switching valve 24 can be switched between a first state shown by the solid lines in Fig. 1 and a second state shown by the dashed lines in Fig. 1.

[0050] Specifically, in the first state, the four-way switching valve 24 communicates the discharge connection end 21o of the compressor 21 with the gas connection end 22G of the outdoor heat exchanger 22, while also communicating the suction connection end 21i of the compressor 21 with the first connection pipe 11 outside the outdoor unit 20. In this first state, the compressor 21 is driven, causing refrigerant to flow from the first connection pipe 11 into the outdoor path 13 of the outdoor unit 20. The refrigerant is compressed to high pressure by the compressor 21 and moves to the outdoor heat exchanger 22 through the four-way switching valve 24. The refrigerant releases heat in the outdoor heat exchanger 22 and is further decompressed in the expansion valve 23, becoming a low-pressure, low-temperature liquid, which then moves to the second connection pipe 12. In other words, the air conditioning apparatus 1 can perform cooling operation by drawing in high-temperature refrigerant through the first connection pipe 11 and sending low-temperature refrigerant to the indoor unit 30 through the second connection pipe 12.

[0051] In the second state, the four-way switching valve 24 connects the discharge connection end 21o of the compressor 21 to the first connecting pipe 11 outside the outdoor unit 20, and connects the suction connection end 21i of the compressor 21 to the gas connection end 22G of the outdoor heat exchanger 22. In this second state, the compressor 21 is driven, causing refrigerant to flow from the second connecting pipe 12 into the outdoor path 13 of the outdoor unit 20. The refrigerant moves through the expansion valve 23 to the outdoor heat exchanger 22, and then moves from the outdoor heat exchanger 22 to the compressor 21. The refrigerant is compressed in the compressor 21 into a high-pressure, high-temperature gas, and then moves through the four-way switching valve 24 to the first connecting pipe 11. In other words, the air conditioning apparatus 1 can perform heating operation by drawing in low-temperature refrigerant through the second connecting pipe 12 and sending high-temperature refrigerant to the indoor unit 30 through the first connecting pipe 11.

[0052] The outdoor path 13 of the outdoor unit 20 can be divided into a gas line 13G, which mainly circulates gaseous refrigerant, and a liquid line 13L, which mainly circulates liquid refrigerant. The gas line 13G in the outdoor path 13 is a pipe connecting the first connecting pipe 11 to the compressor 21 and the gas connection end 22G of the outdoor heat exchanger 22. The liquid line 13L in the outdoor path 13 is a pipe connecting the second connecting pipe 12 to the expansion valve 23 and the liquid connection end 22L of the outdoor heat exchanger 22. The gas line 13G and the liquid line 13L are provided with multiple valves. For example, the multiple valves include a first shut-off valve 41 and a second shut-off valve 42.

[0053] A first shut-off valve 41 is provided in the gas line 13G from the connection point of the first connecting pipe 11 to the compressor 21. Specifically, the first shut-off valve 41 is installed at the connection point of the gas line 13G and the first connecting pipe 11. The first shut-off valve 41 opens and closes the flow path of the gas line 13G based on the operation of an operator.

[0054] A second shut-off valve 42 is provided in the liquid line 13L between the connection point of the second communication pipe 12 and the expansion valve 23. Specifically, the second shut-off valve 42 is installed at the connection point of the liquid line 13L and the second communication pipe 12. The second shut-off valve 42 opens and closes the flow path of the liquid line 13L based on the operation of an operator.

[0055] Furthermore, the first shut-off valve 41 has a gas service port 44. The second shut-off valve 42 has a liquid service port 45. The gas service port 44 is larger than the liquid service port 45. The gas service port 44 and the liquid service port 45 are used when filling the refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioning apparatus 1 with refrigerant, when discharging refrigerant from the outdoor unit 20, when measuring the pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10, etc.

[0056] 2 , the housing 20a of the outdoor unit 20 has a shut-off valve arrangement space therein. The first shut-off valve 41 and the second shut-off valve 42 are provided in the shut-off valve arrangement space of the housing 20a. The first shut-off valve 41 is a connector that connects to the first connecting pipe 11. The second shut-off valve 42 is a connector that connects to the second connecting pipe 12.

[0057] First shut-off valve 41 has a base 411, an outdoor connector 412, a communication pipe connector 413, a valve operation unit 414, and a gas service port 44. Outdoor connector 412, communication pipe connector 413, valve operation unit 414, and gas service port 44 protrude from base 411 in mutually different directions.

[0058] The outdoor connector 412 is connected to the piping of the gas line 13G of the outdoor path 13 arranged inside the housing 20a. In addition, a fixing mechanism 412a that fixes the first shut-off valve 41 to the housing 20a of the outdoor unit 20 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outdoor connector 412. The first shut-off valve 41 is fixed to the housing 20a via the fixing mechanism 412a.

[0059] The communication pipe connector 413 is connected to the first communication pipe 11 installed outside the outdoor unit 20. As shown in Fig. 3 , the communication pipe connector 413 has a screw thread 413a on its outer circumferential surface, and the first shut-off valve 41 and the first communication pipe 11 are connected by screwing a nut (not shown) at one end of the first communication pipe 11 onto the screw thread 413a.

[0060] The valve operating unit 414 is a mechanical part that allows an operator to manually open and close the flow path 41 a of the first shut-off valve 41. The valve operating unit 414 includes a protruding tubular portion 414 a that is integrally molded with the base 411, a valve stem 414 b that is provided within the protruding tubular portion 414 a, and a cap 414 c that is detachable from the protruding tubular portion 414 a. The valve operating unit 414 covers the valve stem 414 b by screwing the cap 414 c onto the protruding tubular portion 414 a when not performing opening or closing operations.

[0061] The valve stem 414b has an operating hole extending from the head along the axial direction. An operator inserts an operating tool such as a wrench into this operating hole to rotate the valve stem 414b, moving the valve stem 414b back and forth within the base 411. By advancing the valve stem 414b into the base 411, the operator can close the flow path 41a of the first shut-off valve 41. Conversely, by retracting the valve stem 414b from within the base 411, the operator can open the flow path 41a of the first shut-off valve 41.

[0062] Meanwhile, the gas service port 44 is a connector to which a control valve (not shown) can be connected. The gas service port 44 is in a shutoff state when the control valve is not connected, and when the control valve is connected by an operator, the gas service port 44 switches between communication with the flow path 41a of the first shutoff valve 41 and shutoff by opening and closing the control valve. Specifically, the gas service port 44 includes a protruding tubular portion 44a integrally molded with the base 411, a valve core 44b housed inside the protruding tubular portion 44a, and a cap 44c detachable from the protruding tubular portion 44a. When the gas service port 44 is not connected to an external device, the cap 44c is screwed onto the protruding tubular portion 44a to cover the valve core 44b.

[0063] The valve core 44b has a pin 44bp that is pressed by the control valve when an external device is attached to the protruding cylindrical portion 44a, and a cylindrical body 44bt that opens and closes in response to the displacement of the pin 44bp. When the control valve presses the pin 44bp, the cylindrical body 44bt opens, connecting the external device to the flow path 41a. When the control valve releases the pin 44bp, a spring (not shown) returns the pin 44bp to its original position, causing the cylindrical body 44bt to close the flow path 41a, thereby isolating the flow path 41a from the outside.

[0064] 2, the second shut-off valve 42 also includes a base 421, an outdoor connector 422, a connecting pipe connector 423, a valve operating section 424, and a liquid service port 45. The configuration of the second shut-off valve 42 is substantially the same as that of the first shut-off valve 41, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] <Indoor Unit> Returning to Fig. 1 , the indoor unit 30 has an indoor path 14 installed inside a housing 30a, and thereby constitutes part of the refrigerant circuit 10. The indoor unit 30 includes an indoor heat exchanger 31 and an indoor fan 32. The indoor path 14 of the indoor unit 30 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 31.

[0066] During refrigeration cycle operation, the indoor heat exchanger 31 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing therethrough and the indoor air. As a result, the indoor heat exchanger 31 can absorb heat from the indoor air to cool it when the refrigerant is at a lower temperature than the indoor air, and can release heat into the indoor air to warm it when the refrigerant is at a higher temperature than the indoor air. For example, a fin-and-tube mechanism can be used for this indoor heat exchanger 31. The gas connection end 31G of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is connected to the first connecting pipe 11 via the indoor path 14. The liquid connection end 31L of the indoor heat exchanger 31 is connected to the second connecting pipe 12 via the indoor path 14.

[0067] The indoor fan 32 blows indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger 31. For example, a cross-flow fan having a motor and a cylindrical impeller (not shown) is used as the indoor fan 32. The indoor air transported by the indoor fan 32 passes through the indoor heat exchanger 31 and is blown from the indoor heat exchanger 31 into the indoor space.

[0068] The indoor unit 30 also has a power supply circuit connected to a commercial power source. The air conditioning apparatus 1 operates the indoor unit 30 based on the supply of power from the commercial power source, and also operates the outdoor unit 20 via a power line (not shown).

[0069] <Controller of Air Conditioner> The air conditioner 1 has a controller 90 that controls the operation of each component. The controller 90 is made up of a first control device 91, a second control device 92, and a remote controller 93. The remote controller 93 is a device with which the user operates to issue various instructions to the air conditioner 1, and may be a dedicated controller or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet.

[0070] Each of the first control device 91, the second control device 92, and the remote controller 93 is a computer (more specifically, an MCU: Micro Control Unit) having a processor, memory, an input / output interface, and a communication interface. The processor is one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit made up of multiple discrete semiconductors, etc. The memory includes non-volatile memory and volatile memory. The memory stores programs that control various processes, and the processor controls various operations by reading and executing the programs stored in the memory.

[0071] The first control device 91 is provided in the outdoor unit 20 and controls each component of the outdoor unit 20. The second control device 92 is provided in the indoor unit 30 and controls each component of the indoor unit 30. The first control device 91 and the second control device 92 can transmit and receive information to and from each other via wired or wireless communication. The second control device 92 and the remote controller 93 can transmit and receive information to and from each other via wired or wireless communication. The control unit 90 selectively performs cooling operation or heating operation in response to an operation command from the remote controller 93 by the user.

[0072] <Refrigerant> The refrigerant filled in the refrigerant circuit 10 should preferably have as small a GWP value as possible and have a low environmental impact. Examples of this type of refrigerant material include those primarily composed of hydrocarbons with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as R-290 (propane), R-1270 (propylene), and R-600a (isobutane). These refrigerant materials are highly flammable refrigerants that have higher flammability than hydrofluorocarbons. In this embodiment, a case where propane is used as the refrigerant will be described. Note that the refrigerant may also be methane (R50), ethane (R170), butane (R600), ammonia (R717), or the like.

[0073] <Odor Components> As described above, the air conditioning apparatus 1 seals odor components together with the refrigerant to alert humans to leaks of highly flammable refrigerant from the refrigerant circuit 10. Examples of these odor components include sulfur-based odorants, which are sulfur-based compounds. Examples of sulfur-based odorants include sulfide-based odorants such as tetrahydrothiophene (THT), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and ethyl methyl sulfide, as well as mixtures of sulfide-based odorants with thiols or thioethers. Examples of non-sulfur-based odorants, which are sulfur-free compounds, include cyclohexene (CH). In the embodiment, a case where tetrahydrothiophene is used as the odor component will be described. Hereinafter, tetrahydrothiophene will also be referred to as THT.

[0074] <Refrigerating Machine Oil> In the air conditioner 1, refrigerating machine oil is sealed in the refrigerant circuit 10 along with the refrigerant and odorous components. The refrigerating machine oil is stored mainly at the bottom of the compressor 21 in the refrigerant circuit 10, and can be circulated to the compression elements in the compressor 21 to maintain the lubrication of the sliding parts. A portion of the refrigerating machine oil circulates within the refrigerant circuit 10 together with the refrigerant and odorous components. In other words, the refrigerating machine oil is mixed with the refrigerant and odorous components and used as a working fluid for the refrigeration system. The proportion of the refrigerating machine oil sealed in the total amount of the working fluid for the refrigeration system is preferably 5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, and more preferably 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less.

[0075] Examples of refrigerating machine oils include oxygen-containing synthetic oils (ester-based refrigerating machine oils, ether-based refrigerating machine oils, etc.), hydrocarbon-based refrigerating machine oils, etc. Among these, ester-based refrigerating machine oils and ether-based refrigerating machine oils are preferred from the viewpoint of compatibility with the refrigerant. For example, the refrigerating machine oil is polyalkylene glycol oil (PAG oil). One type of refrigerating machine oil may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination.

[0076] When performing maintenance or inspection of the air conditioning apparatus 1 configured as described above, including removing the apparatus and replacing or repairing pipes, a worker removes the refrigerant sealed in the refrigerant circuit 10. As described above, a refrigerant with a low GWP value is used, so that its emission does not adversely affect ozone layer depletion or global warming. In the refrigerant removal operation, the worker can either recover the refrigerant or release it into the atmosphere. However, in addition to the refrigerant, the refrigerant circuit 10 also contains odorous components that alert people to the exposure of the refrigerant. If odorous components are released outside the refrigerant circuit 10, nearby people who are unaware of the situation may become aware of an abnormality or may feel uncomfortable. This can cause inconvenience.

[0077] <Refrigerant discharge device according to first embodiment> In the refrigerant removal operation using the refrigerant discharge device 100 according to the first embodiment, the refrigerant is discharged to the atmosphere from the refrigerant circuit 10. Next, the refrigerant discharge device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0078] The refrigerant discharge device 100 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 10 by an operator, and passes the refrigerant and odorous components flowing out of the refrigerant circuit 10 through the substance 101, which removes or neutralizes the odorous components before discharging them into the atmosphere. To this end, the refrigerant discharge device 100 includes a container 110 containing the substance 101, and a hose 120 connecting the gas service port 44 and the container 110.

[0079] The container 110 has a main body 111 containing an odor component-capturing substance 101, an inlet port 112 through which the refrigerant and odor components can be introduced into the main body 111, and an outlet port 113 through which the refrigerant can be discharged from the main body 111 to the outside. The main body 111, the inlet port 112, and the outlet port 113 are integrally molded with one another.

[0080] The substance 101 contained in the main body 111 may be, for example, a solid deodorizer that physically adsorbs odor components. Examples of such deodorizers include activated carbon, activated alumina, silica-alumina, silica gel, zeolite, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing metal ions and organic ligands. Alternatively, the deodorizer may be a combination of multiple of these materials. While FIG. 4 shows an example in which a granular deodorizer is used, the form of the deodorizer is not particularly limited and may be, for example, powder, fiber, sheet, or the like. Below, a representative example in which activated carbon is used as the substance 101 will be described.

[0081] The main body 111 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an internal space 111s capable of accommodating an appropriate amount of the substance 101. The main body 111 is formed from a resin material so as to be hard and rigid. During the refrigerant removal operation, the main body 111 is placed on a mounting location such as a stand (not shown) to enable the refrigerant to be continuously discharged. Alternatively, the main body 111 may have a fixing structure that allows it to be fixed to a wall surface (e.g., a ceiling surface) of the housing 20a of the outdoor unit 20, and may be fixed to the housing 20a of the outdoor unit 20 during the refrigerant removal operation.

[0082] An internal structure 114 may be provided inside the main body 111. The internal structure 114 can lengthen the discharge path for the refrigerant and odorous components from the inlet port 112 to the discharge port 113. Examples of the internal structure 114 include a structure in which the refrigerant and odorous components are retained by being divided into multiple chambers by partitions, as shown in Fig. 4, or a labyrinth structure.

[0083] The inlet port 112 protrudes from the left end face in Fig. 4, which is a first end face of the main body 111. The outlet port 113 protrudes from the right end face in Fig. 4, which is a second end face opposite the first end face of the main body 111. In other words, the inlet port 112 and the outlet port 113 are provided at different positions on the main body 111.

[0084] The introduction port 112 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a flow path 112a along its central axis. The flow path 112a communicates with the internal space 111s at the base end of the introduction port 112, and communicates with the outside at the protruding end of the introduction port 112. A hose 120 is attached to the introduction port 112.

[0085] The discharge port 113 is also formed in a cylindrical shape with a flow path 113a along its central axis. The flow path 113a is connected to the internal space 111s at the base end of the discharge port 113 and to the outside at the protruding end of the discharge port 113. The introduction port 112 and the discharge port 113 may be formed in the same shape, so that a hose 120 is connected to one of the ports to serve as the inlet side and the other port to serve as the outlet side. Alternatively, the introduction port 112 may be distinguishable from the discharge port 113 by forming a fixing structure for fixing the hose 120 thereto, for example.

[0086] A filter 115 made of a metal mesh, a resin mesh, or the like may be provided in the flow path 112a of the inlet port 112 and the flow path 113a of the outlet port 113. The filter 115 prevents the substance 101 from falling out of the container 110 while allowing gas to pass through. The filter 115 may be provided in a position adjacent to each port in the internal space 111s of the main body 111.

[0087] Alternatively, the substance 101 contained in the main body 111 may be a photocatalyst that transforms odorous components to deodorize them. Examples of such photocatalysts include titanium oxide. When exposed to light such as ultraviolet light, the photocatalyst generates hydroxyl radicals and oxygen radicals, and these radicals react with odorous components to transform the odorous components into odorless components. In this case, in addition to containing the photocatalytic substance 101, the main body 111 may also include an internal irradiation unit (not shown) that irradiates the photocatalyst with light of an appropriate wavelength, and a power source that supplies power to the irradiation unit. Alternatively, the main body 111 may be configured to be transparent, allowing the photocatalyst to be activated by sunlight.

[0088] Hose 120 connected to container 110 has an internal flow path 120a through which the refrigerant and odor components flow. During the refrigerant removal operation, an operator connects one end of hose 120 to gas service port 44 and the other end of hose 120 to introduction port 112. One end of hose 120 is equipped with a dedicated connector 121 that can be connected to a control valve connected to gas service port 44. Furthermore, hose 120 is flexible, allowing container 110 to be positioned freely during the refrigerant removal operation.

[0089] <Refrigerant Discharge Method> The refrigerant discharge device 100 is basically configured as described above. Hereinafter, the procedure for removing the refrigerant, that is, the refrigerant discharge method will be described with reference to FIG.

[0090] In the refrigerant discharge method, an operator first performs a process of preparing substance 101, which is an adsorbent (step S101). For example, in the process of preparing substance 101, a suction device (not shown) is connected to main body 111 containing substance 101 to perform vacuum drawing, thereby separating components previously adsorbed by substance 101 and enabling the substance 101 to sufficiently adsorb odorous components. Note that various methods may be used to extract the components of substance 101, such as heating main body 111 to separate the components from substance 101. Alternatively, substance 101 capable of adsorbing odorous components may be prepared and filled into empty main body 111. Note that step S101 may not be performed if refrigerant discharge device 100 is new or has only been used a small number of times.

[0091] Next, the worker connects the refrigerant discharge device 100 to the gas service port 44 of the refrigerant circuit 10 (step S102: connection step). At this time, the worker connects the connector 121 of the hose 120, which is connected to the inlet port 112 of the container 110, to the control valve connected to the gas service port 44. In other words, in step S101, the inlet port 112 of the refrigerant discharge device 100 is connected to the gas service port 44 of the air conditioning apparatus 1. The control valve presses the valve core 44b, opening the gas service port 44 and allowing gas to be discharged from the refrigerant circuit 10 to the hose 120.

[0092] Next, the operator operates the control valve to open the valve core 44b of the gas service port 44, allowing the refrigerant and odorous components to flow into the refrigerant discharge device 100 and then discharge the refrigerant from the discharge port 113 of the refrigerant discharge device 100 (step S103: discharge step). The refrigerant and odorous components in the refrigerant circuit 10 flow from the gas service port 44 through the hose 120 and into the internal space 111s of the main body 111 via the inlet port 112 of the container 110. As the odorous components move through the internal space 111s, they are adsorbed by the substance 101 contained therein. As a result, the amount of odorous components mixed in the refrigerant is sufficiently reduced, and the refrigerant is discharged from the discharge port 113 of the container 110 to a location other than the main body 111 (the atmosphere). Therefore, the refrigerant discharge device 100 can discharge a substantially odorless gas from the discharge port 113.

[0093] During the refrigerant removal operation, the container 110 is placed in an appropriate location, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10 is continuously discharged through the refrigerant discharge device 100. The operator determines whether the refrigerant has been completely discharged from the refrigerant circuit 10 (step S104). Whether the refrigerant has been completely discharged can be monitored by the operator by hearing or touching the force of the refrigerant being discharged from the discharge port 113. Alternatively, during the refrigerant removal operation, the operator may interpose a compound pressure gauge or the like between the hose 120 and the container 110 and monitor the refrigerant pressure using the compound pressure gauge.

[0094] The air conditioning apparatus 1 may drive the compressor 21 to circulate the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10 when discharging the refrigerant from the refrigerant circuit 10. This allows the refrigerant to be sufficiently discharged from the refrigerant circuit 10. If the refrigerant has not been completely discharged in step S104 (step S104: NO), the discharge of the refrigerant continues. On the other hand, if the refrigerant has been completely discharged (step S104: YES), the process proceeds to step S105.

[0095] In step S105, the worker operates the control valve to stop the discharge of refrigerant from the gas service port 44, and then detaches the refrigerant discharge device 100 and the control valve from the gas service port 44 (step S105). This completes the refrigerant discharge method for discharging refrigerant from the refrigerant circuit 10 to the atmosphere. The worker can then perform maintenance such as removal, replacement, or repair of the air conditioning apparatus 1, and inspection, etc., on the air conditioning apparatus 1 from which the refrigerant and odorous components have been discharged.

[0096] As described above, the refrigerant discharge device 100 and the refrigerant discharge method can prevent odorous components sealed in the refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioner 1 from being discharged into the atmosphere by using the substance 101 in the main body 111 to capture the odorous components. Note that the expression "capturing odorous components" in this specification includes concepts such as capturing and deodorizing odorous components, dissolving and removing odorous components, and transforming odorous components into another substance to neutralize or deodorize them.

[0097] During the refrigerant removal work, refrigerant discharge device 100 prevents odorous components from being discharged into the atmosphere, thereby making it possible to avoid inconveniences such as people in the vicinity noticing an abnormality or feeling uncomfortable. In particular, because the worker can suppress the emission of odorous components by simply connecting refrigerant discharge device 100 to gas service port 44, the device is easy to handle and can promote work efficiency.

[0098] The refrigerant discharge device 100 and the refrigerant discharge method are not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the refrigerant discharge device 100 according to the above embodiment, the container 110 is connected to the gas service port 44 via the hose 120. However, the container 110 may be connected directly to the gas service port 44 without using the hose 120. In this case, the inlet port 112 of the container 110 may be provided with a connector that can be connected to the gas service port 44 or a control valve.

[0099] The shape of the container 110 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 4 and may be designed arbitrarily. For example, the container 110 may be a long tubular body that contains the substance 101 in an internal flow path, in other words, a discharge hose.

[0100] The refrigerant removal operation (refrigerant discharge method) according to the modified example shown in Figure 6 differs from the refrigerant discharge method according to the first embodiment in that a refrigerant discharge device 100 is applied to a refrigerant recovery device 50. The refrigerant recovery device 50 includes a recovery unit 51 and a tank 55 connected downstream of the recovery unit 51. The refrigerant recovery device 50 also includes an upstream pipe 56 connecting the refrigerant circuit 10 (gas service port 44: see Figure 2) and the recovery unit 51, and a downstream pipe 57 connecting the recovery unit 51 and the tank 55. The upstream pipe 56 has an on-off valve 56v located midway to open and close the internal flow path. The downstream pipe 57 has an on-off valve 57v located midway to open and close the internal flow path.

[0101] The recovery unit 51 includes a housing, and inside the housing, a compressor 52, a heat exchanger 53, and a cooling fan 54. The compressor 52 is connected to an upstream pipe 56 and is also connected to the heat exchanger 53 via a pipe inside the housing. The compressor 52 sucks the refrigerant and odor components from the refrigerant circuit 10 through the upstream pipe 56, compresses them, and discharges the high-pressure refrigerant and odor components to the heat exchanger 53. This allows the refrigerant recovery device 50 to suck the refrigerant until all the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10 is drained. Note that, when a refrigerant discharge device 100 is disposed in the upstream pipe 56 as described below, the recovery unit 51 can compress refrigerant that contains almost no odor components.

[0102] The heat exchanger 53 is configured, for example, with a serpentine pipe and a plurality of fins provided on the outside of the pipe. One end of the pipe of the heat exchanger 53 is connected to a pipe inside the housing, and the other end of the pipe of the heat exchanger 53 is connected to the downstream pipe 57. The cooling fan 54 cools the heat exchanger 53 by blowing air onto the heat exchanger 53. In the heat exchanger 53, the refrigerant and odor components inside the pipe are cooled by the air from the cooling fan 54. Some or all of the refrigerant cooled in the heat exchanger 53 becomes liquid and is discharged from the heat exchanger 53 to the downstream pipe 57. The odor components become liquid or dissolve in the liquid refrigerant and are discharged together with the refrigerant to the downstream pipe 57.

[0103] The tank 55 connected to the recovery unit 51 recovers the liquid refrigerant containing odor components and the odor components therein. The tank 55 stores the refrigerant continuously pumped by the recovery unit 51, thereby allowing the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10 to remain liquid. The tank 55 may store gaseous refrigerant in addition to liquid refrigerant.

[0104] By installing the refrigerant discharge device 100 in the refrigerant recovery device 50, the refrigerant discharge device 100 can adsorb odorous components discharged from the refrigerant circuit 10 using the substance 101 in the main body 111. For example, the refrigerant discharge device 100 may be located midway along the upstream pipe 56 (e.g., downstream of the on-off valve 56v). This allows the refrigerant discharge device 100 to capture odorous components before the refrigerant flows into the recovery unit 51, and the refrigerant flows into the recovery unit 51 with as little odorous components as possible. Alternatively, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6 , the refrigerant discharge device 100 may be located midway along the downstream pipe 57 (e.g., upstream of the on-off valve 57v). In this case, the substance 101 may be selected to capture odorous components mixed in the liquid refrigerant. In other words, even if the refrigerant is recovered using the tank 55 of the refrigerant recovery device 50, the refrigerant discharge device 100 can be installed at an appropriate location to capture odorous components before the refrigerant is recovered in the tank 55. This prevents odorous components from leaking outside the refrigerant recovery device 50.

[0105] The refrigerant recovery device 50 used in the refrigerant discharge method is not limited to the configuration described above, and various configurations may be adopted. For example, the tank 55 may be provided inside the housing of the recovery unit 51 together with the compressor 52 and the heat exchanger 53.

[0106] Another example of the refrigerant recovery device 50 is one in which a cooling mechanism (not shown) is provided in the tank 55, and the cooling mechanism converts the refrigerant in the tank 55 into a liquid. In this case, the tank 55 with the cooling mechanism may be connected directly to the refrigeration system 1 (refrigerant circuit 10) without going through the recovery unit 51. Even in this case, the refrigerant discharge device 100 can be installed in the piping between the refrigerant circuit 10 and the tank 55 with the cooling mechanism. The cooling mechanism is not particularly limited, and may be a mechanism having a cooler, an expansion valve, a radiator, a compressor, etc.

[0107] Furthermore, another refrigerant recovery device 50 may be configured such that circulation pipes are connected to both the gas service port 44 and the liquid service port of the refrigeration system 1 (refrigerant circuit 10), and some of the gas refrigerant is returned while the liquid refrigerant flows into the tank 55. In this case, the circulation pipe on the gas refrigerant return side may be provided with a recovery unit (not shown) that functions as a pump to circulate the refrigerant and has the function of reducing the pressure of the gas and returning it to the refrigerant circuit 10.

[0108] <Refrigerant discharge device according to second embodiment> Next, a refrigerant discharge device 200 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The refrigerant discharge device 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the refrigerant discharge device 100 according to the first embodiment in that a liquid substance 201 is stored in a container 210. In other respects, the refrigerant discharge device 200 has the same configuration as the first embodiment.

[0109] Specifically, the refrigerant discharge device 200 includes a container 210 that stores a liquid substance 201, and a hose 220 that connects the gas service port 44 and the container 210. The container 210 has a main body 211, an inlet port 212 that can introduce the refrigerant and odor components into the main body 211, and a discharge port 213 that can discharge the refrigerant from the main body 211 to a location other than the main body 211. The hose 220 may be the same as the hose 120 of the first embodiment.

[0110] The substance 201 stored in the main body 211 may be a deodorizer that chemically modifies odorous components by oxidation or the like. Examples of such deodorizers include an oxidizer such as sodium hypochlorite that oxidizes odorous components, and a neutralizer that neutralizes odorous components. The odorous components are transformed into odorless components by the substance 201 and then released into the atmosphere together with the refrigerant. Note that the substance 201 may be a mixture of multiple components. Alternatively, the substance 201 may be a combination of a physical deodorizer and a chemical deodorizer. For example, the substance 101 may be one in which a deodorizer is added to and supported on a porous portion such as activated carbon.

[0111] The main body 211 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having an internal space 211s. An appropriate amount of the substance 201 is stored in the internal space 211s of the main body 211 to stably react with the odor components. An internal structure 214 for promoting the reaction between the refrigerant and odor components and the substance 201 may be provided inside the main body 211. Examples of the internal structure 214 include a structure for directing the refrigerant and odor components to the bottom of the main body 211 as shown in FIG. 7 , a structure for lengthening the flow path, a structure for agitating the odor components, a structure for supplying electricity, a heating structure, etc.

[0112] A filter 215 may be provided in the flow path 212a of the inlet port 212 and in the flow path 213a of the outlet port 213. An appropriate filter that is permeable to gas but can block the permeation of liquid may be selected as the filter 215. The filter 215 may be provided at a position adjacent to each port in the internal space 211s.

[0113] Alternatively, the substance 201 stored in the main body 211 is not limited to a substance that chemically reacts with odor components. The other substance 201 may be, for example, a liquid with a melting point of -20°C or lower and a boiling point of 50°C or higher that is capable of dissolving odor components. For this substance 201, a liquid having a Hansen Solubility Parameter (HPS) distance of 10 or less relative to the odor components may be selected. The Hansen Solubility Parameter is a value used to predict the solubility of substances, and is expressed as a three-dimensional vector using three parameters: a dispersion term dD, a polarization term dP, and a hydrogen bonding term dH. Hereinafter, the Hansen Solubility Parameter distance will also be referred to as the HPS distance.

[0114] "HPS distance" is the distance between the HSP values ​​of two substances, and the more similar the vectors are, in other words, the closer the distance, the easier the substances are to dissolve. In other words, when applying a substance 201 that dissolves odor components, it is sufficient to select a substance with similar vectors and close HPS values ​​using the HSP values ​​[dD, dP, dH] of the odor components as indicators.

[0115] As shown in Figure 8, when THT is used as an odor component, the HPS value [dD, dP, dH] is [18.6, 6.7, 6]. Examples of substances with an HPS distance of 10 or less to this HPS value include dimethoxybenzene (m-Dimethoxybenzene), phenyl isocyanate, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, 4-fluoroanisole (p-Fluoroanisole), methyl thiomethyl mercaptan, and phosphoric acid, 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl ester.

[0116] The refrigerant discharge device 200 according to the second embodiment is basically configured as described above. This refrigerant discharge device 200 also discharges the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 10 into the atmosphere using the same refrigerant removal procedure (refrigerant discharge method) as the refrigerant discharge device 100 according to the first embodiment. That is, the refrigerant discharge device 200 and the refrigerant discharge method also capture odorous components sealed in the refrigerant circuit 10 of the air conditioner 1 with the liquid substance 201 in the main body 211, thereby preventing the odorous components from being discharged into the atmosphere.

[0117] Refrigerant discharge device 200 according to the second embodiment may also be installed in refrigerant recovery device 50 that recovers refrigerant in tank 55 as shown in Fig. 6. Even in this case, by capturing odorous components with substance 201 of refrigerant discharge device 200, it is possible to prevent odorous components from being contained in the refrigerant and to stably recover the refrigerant.

[0118] <Refrigerant discharge device according to third embodiment> Next, a refrigerant discharge device 300 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The refrigerant discharge device 300 according to the third embodiment differs from the refrigerant discharge devices 100 and 200 described above in that it includes a separation container 310 that serves as a separation unit.

[0119] Specifically, the refrigerant discharge device 300 includes a first port 311 and a second port 312 connected to the ceiling of the separation container 310, and a drain port 313 connected to the bottom of the separation container 310. The first port 311 is connected to the gas service port 44 of the refrigerant circuit 10 via a hose 120 (see FIG. 4 ) or the like. The second port 312 is connected to the outside or a refrigerant recovery device 50 (see FIG. 6 ). In the third embodiment, a main body 111 containing an odor component capturing (adsorbing) substance 101 is provided for the second port 312. In other words, the refrigerant discharge device 300 is configured such that the first port 311, which is upstream of the main body 111, corresponds to an inlet port, and the separation container 310 is provided between the first port 311 and the main body 111. In the third embodiment, a portion of the second port 312 downstream of the main body 111 corresponds to a discharge port.

[0120] Separation container 310 separates the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil that have flowed in into liquid and gas. Separation container 310 separates the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil that have flowed in through first port 311 into refrigeration oil that mainly contains odor components and refrigerant that mainly contains odor components. One method of separation in separation container 310 is to utilize the density difference between gas and liquid, for example.

[0121] The separation container 310 has an internal space 310s inside that can store refrigerating machine oil. A first port 311 connected to the separation container 310 extends vertically downward from the ceiling of the separation container 310 in the internal space 310s. The first port 311 has an opening through which the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigerating machine oil flow out. The opening of the first port 311 is located at a height that is a predetermined distance away from the bottom of the separation container 310.

[0122] The separation container 310 may have a drain port 313 at the bottom of the separation container 310. The drain port 313 of the separation container 310 is a port for discharging refrigeration oil accumulated in the internal space 310s from the separation container 310. The drain port 313 is provided with a drain valve 313v that opens and closes a flow path within the port. The drain valve 313v is normally closed, and when a certain amount of refrigeration oil accumulates in the separation container 310, the drain valve 313v is opened by an operator and the refrigeration oil is discharged outside the separation container 310 (for example, to a container for collecting refrigeration oil).

[0123] The refrigerant discharge device 300 also includes a cooling unit 320 on the outer periphery of the separation container 310. The cooling unit 320 cools the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigerating machine oil that have flowed into the separation container 310. The cooling unit 320 may cool the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigerating machine oil so as to liquefy the odor components.

[0124] The cooling unit 320 according to the embodiment is a plurality of fins 321 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the separation container 310, and cools the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil by dissipating heat from the separation container 310 through the fins 321. The cooling unit 320 may also include a cooling fan that blows air to the fins 321. The cooling unit 320 is not limited to an air-cooled type such as the fins 321 or a cooling fan, and may employ various configurations that can cool the inside of the separation container 310 (for example, a water-cooled type that circulates cooling water or immerses the separation container 310 in ice water).

[0125] The refrigerant discharge device 300 described above separates the refrigerant, which is a gas, from the refrigerant oil, which is a liquid (mist), based on the density difference between them. The refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerant oil flow into the separation container 310 through the first port 311. As the refrigerant oil moves through the first port 311, it adheres to the inner wall of the first port 311 and falls to the bottom of the separation container 310 as droplets. The refrigerant oil that flows into the separation container 310 from the first port 311 accumulates in the lower part of the internal space 310s due to its own weight. The refrigerant oil is cooled by the cooling unit 320, causing its temperature to drop, which encourages it to turn into droplets. Furthermore, the lowered temperature of the refrigerant oil makes it easier for odorous components to dissolve. That is, some of the odorous components liquefied by the cooling unit 320 dissolve into the droplets of the refrigerant oil. In this way, by mixing some of the odorous components into the refrigerating machine oil, the amount of odorous components contained in the refrigerant in the separation container 310 is reduced.

[0126] The separation container 310 is connected to the second port 312. The refrigerant-containing gas separated in the separation container 310 is discharged to the outside or to the refrigerant recovery device 50 or the like via the second port 312. However, the second port 312 may partially contain a liquid containing mist-like refrigerating machine oil or the like. The second port 312 has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the second port 312 is a portion extending vertically downward from the ceiling portion of the separation container 310 toward the internal space 310s. The second portion of the second port 312 is a portion other than the first portion of the second port 312.

[0127] Main body 111 is provided in the second portion of second port 312. The refrigerant and odorous components that flow out of separation container 310 are captured in main body 111 by substance 101 contained therein. Therefore, refrigerant discharge device 300 can discharge refrigerant with fewer odorous components from the downstream side (discharge port) of second port 312.

[0128] In other words, the refrigerant discharge method according to the third embodiment simultaneously performs a cooling step of cooling the refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerating machine oil, and a separation step of separating the refrigerant and the gas containing the odorous components from the refrigerating machine oil. After the cooling step and the separation step, the refrigerant discharge method also performs an adsorption step of adsorbing the odorous components contained in the refrigerant or the refrigerating machine oil with a substance. This allows the odorous components to be more thoroughly removed from the refrigerant.

[0129] Furthermore, the main body 111 provided in the second portion of the second port 312 can be easily replaced, or the substance 101 inside can be easily replaced. Also, the main body 111 can capture more odorous components by receiving the refrigerant and odorous components that have been sufficiently cooled by the cooling unit 320. Note that the main body 111 may be the main body 111 according to the first embodiment or the main body 211 according to the second embodiment.

[0130] Furthermore, the position of the main body 111 (or the material 101) in the refrigerant discharge device 300 is not limited to the above. For example, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 9 , the main body 111A may be provided in the first portion of the second port 312. Alternatively, the separation container 310 may include a mesh-like, porous, or fibrous (nonwoven fabric, etc.) material 101A to define the internal space 310s. When the material 101A is located inside the separation container 310, the separation container 310 itself corresponds to the main body 111 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the refrigerant discharge device 300 may be configured such that the main body 111 (or the material 101) is provided in multiple locations, such as inside the separation container 310 and at the second port 312.

[0131] Furthermore, the refrigerant discharge method is not limited to the above-described method in which the separation process and cooling process are performed first, followed by the adsorption process. For example, in a refrigerant discharge device without a cooling unit 320, a refrigerant discharge method in which the separation process is performed first and then the adsorption process may be performed. This method also allows for the discharge of a refrigerant with fewer odorous components. This is because the odorous components are separated from the gaseous refrigerant in the separation container 310 and then captured by the substance 101. In the separation container 310, the inclusion of liquid odorous components in the refrigerating machine oil causes a drop in the vapor pressure of the odorous components, reducing the saturated vapor pressure of the odorous components and decreasing the amount of odorous components contained in the gas phase. This allows the odorous components to be separated from the gaseous refrigerant. Furthermore, for example, the refrigerant discharge method may be configured to first perform the cooling process and then the adsorption process. This method also allows for the discharge of a refrigerant with fewer odorous components. This is because the cooling process lowers the refrigerant temperature, allowing more odorous components to be captured in the adsorption process. Furthermore, for example, in a refrigerant discharge device having a cooling unit 320 in the first port 311, a refrigerant discharge method may be performed in which the cooling step is first performed, then the separation step is performed in the separation container 310, and finally the adsorption step is performed. This method also makes it possible to discharge a refrigerant with fewer odorous components, as in the third embodiment. Alternatively, in a refrigerant discharge device having a cooling unit 320 in the second port 312, a refrigerant discharge method may be performed in which the separation step is performed in the separation container 310, then the cooling step is performed, and finally the adsorption step is performed.

[0132] Furthermore, the separation method used by the separation unit is not limited to the above, and may be a centrifugal separation method, a filter separation method, a surface tension separation method, or the like. For example, a centrifugal separation method may involve arranging the portion of the first port 311 extending vertically downward from the ceiling of the separation container 310 along the circumference of the inner circle of the separation container 310, thereby causing the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil flowing out from the first port 311 to hit the inner wall surface of the separation container 310 and promote separation. For example, a filter separation method may involve installing a filter in the first port 311 to catch the refrigeration oil and allowing oil droplets collected on the filter to fall. Alternatively, a surface tension separation method may involve spraying the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil against a wall (not shown) of the separation container 310, causing the refrigeration oil droplets to enlarge and fall.

[0133] Aspects and Effects of the Present Disclosure The above-disclosed embodiment has, for example, the following aspects and effects.

[0134] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a refrigerant discharge device (100, 200, 300) that discharges refrigerant from a refrigeration device (1) having a refrigerant circuit (10) that seals in the refrigerant and odorous components and circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components, and includes a main body (111, 211) that contains a substance (101, 201) that captures odorous components, an inlet port (112, 212, 311) that is connected to the main body (111, 211) and can introduce the refrigerant and odorous components discharged from the refrigeration device (1) into the main body (111, 211), and an outlet port (113, 213, 312) that is provided in the main body (111, 211) at a position different from the inlet port (112, 212, 311) and can discharge the refrigerant from the main body (111, 211) to a location other than the main body (111, 211).

[0135] As described above, refrigerant discharge devices 100, 200, 300 can introduce refrigerant and odorous components from refrigeration apparatus 1 into main body 111, 211 and stably capture the odorous components with internal substances 101, 201. This allows refrigerant discharge devices 100, 200, 300 to suppress odorous components when discharging refrigerant from refrigeration apparatus 1. As a result, during the refrigerant removal operation, it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as odorous components diffusing into the surroundings and causing nearby people to become aware of an abnormality or feel uncomfortable.

[0136] Furthermore, the introduction ports 112, 212, 311 are connected to the service port (gas service port 44) of the refrigeration device 1.

[0137] This allows an operator to easily attach the refrigerant discharge devices 100, 200, 300 to the refrigeration device 1 and allow the refrigerant and odor components sealed in the refrigerant circuit 10 to flow into the main body parts 111, 211.

[0138] Also provided is a hose 120 that connects the introduction ports 112, 212, 311 to the service port (gas service port 44).

[0139] This increases the degree of freedom when positioning main body parts 111, 211 during the refrigerant removal work, allowing the worker to place main body parts 111, 211 in an appropriate location.

[0140] The cooling system also includes a tank 55 connected to the discharge ports 113 , 213 , and 312 to collect the refrigerant discharged from the discharge ports 113 , 213 , and 312 .

[0141] This prevents the refrigerant in the refrigeration device 1 from being discharged into the atmosphere during the refrigerant removal operation.

[0142] Furthermore, a separation unit 310 and a cooling unit 320 are provided in at least one of the main body 111, 211 and between the inlet port 311 and the main body 111, 211. The separation unit 310 receives the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil and separates them into liquid and gas. The cooling unit 320 cools the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigeration oil.

[0143] As a result, even when the refrigerant, odor components, and refrigerating machine oil are discharged, the refrigerant discharge device 300 can separate the refrigerating machine oil and discharge the refrigerant from the refrigerant discharge devices 100, 200, and 300.

[0144] The substance 101 is an adsorbent capable of adsorbing odor components.

[0145] This allows substance 101 to stably adsorb odorous components that have flowed into main body 111. Furthermore, an operator can easily handle refrigerant discharge device 100, which can promote the efficiency of the refrigerant removal work.

[0146] The substance 101 is a catalyst that transforms odorous components into odorless components.

[0147] This allows the substance 101 to stably transform odorous components that have flowed into the main body 111 into odorless components.

[0148] The substance 201 is a liquid stored inside the main body 211, and the odorous components are introduced from the introduction port 212 and pass through the liquid.

[0149] This allows the refrigerant discharge device 200 to capture the odorous components sufficiently while the odorous components are passing through the liquid substance 201 .

[0150] The substance 201 is an oxidizing agent that oxidizes odorous components and transforms them into odorless components.

[0151] Even in this case, the substance 201 can stably transform the odorous components that have flowed into the main body 211 into odorless components.

[0152] Furthermore, the substance 201 has a Hansen solubility parameter distance (HSP distance) of 10 or less from the odor component.

[0153] This allows the refrigerant discharge device 200 to sufficiently dissolve odorous components in the liquid substance 201, thereby preventing the odorous components from being discharged from the substance 201.

[0154] The refrigerant is a highly flammable refrigerant.

[0155] As a result, the refrigerant discharge devices 100, 200, and 300 can discharge a highly flammable refrigerant with reduced odor components into the atmosphere, allowing workers to safely perform the refrigerant removal work.

[0156] The refrigerant is a refrigerant whose main component is a hydrocarbon.

[0157] This makes it possible to avoid environmental pollution even if the refrigerant is discharged into the atmosphere during the refrigerant removal operation.

[0158] The odor components include any one of tetrahydrothiophene, dimethyl sulfide, ethyl methyl sulfide, and cyclohexene, or one or more of these as components.

[0159] As a result, the odor components have superior odor quality and odor threshold compared to other odor components, and are chemically stabilized, so that the composition of the odor components can be well maintained in the refrigerant circuit 10.

[0160] Furthermore, a second aspect of the present disclosure is a refrigerant discharge method for discharging a refrigerant from a refrigeration device (1) having a refrigerant circuit (10) that encloses the refrigerant and odorous components and circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components, the method comprising: a connection step of connecting inlet ports (112, 212, 311) of a refrigerant discharge device (100, 200, 300) directly or indirectly to the refrigeration device (1); and a discharge step of introducing the refrigerant and odorous components from the refrigeration device (1) into main body parts (111, 211) of the refrigerant discharge devices (100, 200, 300) through the inlet ports (112, 212, 311), capturing the odorous components with substances (101, 201) contained in the main body parts (111, 211), and then discharging the refrigerant from outlet ports (113, 213, 312) provided in the main body parts (111, 211) at positions different from the inlet ports (112, 212, 311) to a location other than the main body parts (111, 211).

[0161] According to the above, the refrigerant discharging method can also suppress odorous components when discharging the refrigerant from the refrigeration device 1.

[0162] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present disclosure is a refrigerant discharge method for discharging a refrigerant from a refrigeration device (1) having a refrigerant circuit (10) that seals a refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerating machine oil and circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components, the method comprising, in discharging the refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerating machine oil from the refrigeration device (1), a cooling step for cooling the refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerating machine oil, a separation step for separating a gas containing the refrigerant and the odorous components from the refrigerating machine oil, and an adsorption step for adsorbing the odorous components contained in the refrigerant or refrigerating machine oil with a substance after performing at least one of the cooling step and the separation step.

[0163] As described above, the refrigerant discharging method according to the third aspect can also suppress odorous components when discharging the refrigerant from the refrigeration device 1.

[0164] The refrigeration device 1 according to the presently disclosed embodiment is illustrative in all respects and is not limiting. The embodiment may be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The features described in the above-described embodiments may be configured differently and may be combined within a consistent range.

[0165] For example, the refrigeration device 1 may be a device that circulates a refrigerant other than the air conditioning device 1. As an example, the refrigeration device 1 can be applied to a cooling device that cools a refrigerator or a freezer, a chiller unit, a heat pump type water heater, etc.

[0166] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-057725, filed on March 29, 2024, with the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0167] REFRIGERATION SYSTEM (AIR CONDITIONER) 10 REFRIGERATOR CIRCUIT 44 GAS SERVICE PORT 100, 200, 300 REFRIGERATOR DISCHARGE DEVICE 101, 201 SUBSTANCE 111, 211 BODY 112, 212, 311 INTAKE PORT 113, 213, 312 OUTLET PORT 120 HOSE

Claims

1. A refrigerant discharge device (100, 200, 300) that discharges a refrigerant from a refrigeration device (1) having a refrigerant circuit (10) that seals the refrigerant and odorous components and circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components, the refrigerant discharge device comprising: a main body (111, 211) that contains a substance (101, 201) that captures the odorous components; an introduction port (112, 212, 311) that is connected to the main body (111, 211) and can introduce the refrigerant and the odorous components discharged from the refrigeration device (1) into the main body (111, 211); and a discharge port (113, 213, 312) that is provided in the main body (111, 211) at a position different from the introduction port (112, 212, 311) and can discharge the refrigerant from the main body (111, 211) to a location other than the main body (111, 211).

2. The refrigerant discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet port (112, 212, 311) is connected to a service port (44) of the refrigeration device (1).

3. The refrigerant discharge device according to claim 2, further comprising a hose (120) connecting between the inlet port (112, 212, 311) and the service port (44).

4. The refrigerant discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a tank (55) connected to the discharge port (113, 213, 312) for collecting the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port (113, 213, 312).

5. The refrigerant discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a separation section (310) and a cooling section (320) are provided in at least one of the main body section (111, 211) and between the inlet port (112, 212, 311) and the main body section (111, 211), the separation section (310) receives the refrigerant, the odorous components, and the refrigerating machine oil and separates them into a liquid and a gas, and the cooling section (320) cools the refrigerant, the odorous components, and the refrigerating machine oil.

6. The refrigerant discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the substance (101) is an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the odorous components.

7. The refrigerant discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the substance (101) is a catalyst that transforms the odorous components into odorless components.

8. A refrigerant discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the substance (201) is a liquid stored inside the main body (211), and the odorous components pass through the liquid by being introduced through the introduction port (212).

9. The refrigerant discharge device according to claim 8, wherein the substance (201) is an oxidizing agent that oxidizes the odorous components and transforms them into odorless components.

10. The refrigerant discharge device according to claim 8, wherein the substance (201) has a Hansen solubility parameter distance of 10 or less from the odorous component.

11. A refrigerant discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the refrigerant is a highly flammable refrigerant.

12. The refrigerant discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the refrigerant is a refrigerant whose main component is a hydrocarbon.

13. The refrigerant discharge device according to claim 12, wherein the odorous components include one or more of tetrahydrothiophene, dimethyl sulfide, ethyl methyl sulfide, and cyclohexene.

14. A refrigerant discharge method for discharging a refrigerant from a refrigeration device (1) having a refrigerant circuit (10) that circulates the refrigerant and odorous components, comprising: a connecting step of connecting an inlet port (112, 212, 311) of a refrigerant discharge device (100, 200, 300) directly or indirectly to the refrigeration device (1); a discharge step of introducing the refrigerant and the odorous components from the refrigeration device (1) into a main body (111, 211) of the refrigerant discharge device (100, 200, 300) through the introduction port (112, 212, 311), capturing the odorous components with a substance (101, 201) contained in the main body (111, 211), and then discharging the refrigerant from a discharge port (113, 213, 312) provided in the main body (111, 211) at a position different from the introduction port (112, 212, 311) to a location other than the main body (111, 211).

15. A refrigerant discharge method for discharging a refrigerant from a refrigeration device (1) having a refrigerant circuit (10) that seals the refrigerant, odorous components, and refrigerating machine oil and circulates the refrigerant and the odorous components, the method comprising: a cooling step for cooling the refrigerant, the odorous components, and the refrigerating machine oil when discharging the refrigerant, the odorous components, and the refrigerating machine oil from the refrigeration device (1); a separation step for separating a gas containing the refrigerant and the odorous components from the refrigerating machine oil; and an adsorption step for adsorbing the odorous components contained in the refrigerant or the refrigerating machine oil with a substance (101, 201) after performing at least one of the cooling step and the separation step.

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