Air-conditioning system

Abstract

An air-conditioning system (1) includes: a refrigerant circuit through which a refrigerant circulates to form a refrigeration cycle; a refrigerant sensor (23) that detects leakage of the refrigerant from the refrigerant circuit; a refrigerant sensor determination unit (283) that determines whether the type of refrigerant that can be determined by the refrigerant sensor (23) matches the type of the refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit; and a notification unit (24) that, when the refrigerant sensor determination unit (283) determines that the type of refrigerant that can be determined by the refrigerant sensor (23) does not match the type of the refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit, provides a notification indicating the result of the determination by the refrigerant sensor determination unit (283) as abnormal. The air-conditioning system (1) exhibits the effect of obtaining an air-conditioning system (1) that enables an operator to easily check whether or not a refrigerant sensor suitable for detecting leakage of a refrigerant used therein is attached to the air-conditioning system (1).

Description

air conditioning system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning system including a refrigerant circuit.

[0002] Air conditioning systems use refrigerants to condition the air. In air conditioning systems using mildly flammable or flammable refrigerants, if the volume of the air-conditioned space, such as a living room where the indoor unit is installed, is small, safety measures must be taken to anticipate refrigerant leakage from the indoor unit's equipment or piping. For this reason, some air conditioning systems equipped with refrigerant circuits are equipped with refrigerant sensors that detect refrigerant leakage in the air conditioning system and detect refrigerant leakage during normal operation. There are multiple types of refrigerants that can be used in air conditioning systems. In addition, there are multiple types of refrigerant sensors used in air conditioning systems, one for each type of refrigerant.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an air conditioner that allows an operator to easily determine whether a refrigerant sensor is properly connected. In the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1, the sensor control unit receives information about the configuration of the air conditioner from the indoor unit, and if it determines that the refrigerant used is R32, it transitions to a refrigerant sensor monitoring state. Furthermore, if the sensor control unit detects a refrigerant leak, it alerts the operator to the abnormality by flashing a warning lamp.

[0004] International Publication No. 2023 / 203638

[0005] The air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 can alert the user to a refrigerant leak if the refrigerant used is R32 and a refrigerant sensor for detecting R32 is attached to the air conditioner. However, the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it cannot detect a refrigerant leak if, for example, the refrigerant used is R290 and a refrigerant sensor for detecting R32 is mistakenly attached to the air conditioner.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an air conditioning system that allows an operator to easily check whether a refrigerant sensor appropriate for detecting leakage of the refrigerant being used is installed in the air conditioning system.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the air conditioning system of the present disclosure includes a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates to form a refrigeration cycle, a refrigerant sensor that detects refrigerant leakage from the refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant sensor determination unit that determines whether the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor can identify matches the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit, and an alarm unit that, when the refrigerant sensor determination unit determines that the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor can identify does not match the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit, reports the result of the determination by the refrigerant sensor determination unit as an abnormality.

[0008] The air conditioning system according to the present disclosure has the advantage of providing an air conditioning system that allows an operator to easily check whether a refrigerant sensor appropriate for detecting leakage of the refrigerant being used is installed in the air conditioning system.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit provided in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a refrigerant sensor provided in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a unit configuration of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit provided in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a unit configuration of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit provided in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment;

[0010] An air conditioning system according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram that schematically shows the configuration of an air conditioning system 1 according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram that schematically shows a refrigerant circuit that the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment has.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment includes an indoor unit 2 installed inside a room, which is a space to be air-conditioned, an outdoor unit 3 installed outdoors, a remote controller 5 that remotely controls the operation of the air conditioning system 1, and a refrigerant pipe 4 for circulating a refrigerant between the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3. The outdoor unit 3 is capable of communicating with the indoor unit 2 via a communication line (not shown). Hereinafter, the remote controller may be referred to as a remote control.

[0013] The outdoor unit 3 is installed outside the space to be air-conditioned, such as outside the building, and supplies heat or cold to the indoor unit 2. The indoor unit 2 is installed in the space to be air-conditioned, such as a room within the building, and conditions the air in the space to be air-conditioned.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2 , the air conditioning system 1 includes a refrigeration cycle spanning the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3. The outdoor unit 3 includes a compressor 40, a four-way valve 41, an outdoor unit heat exchanger 42, an expansion valve 43, and refrigerant pipes 4. The compressor 40 compresses the refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit 47. The four-way valve 41 switches the direction of refrigerant flow. The four-way valve 41 switches the direction of refrigerant flow in the refrigerant circuit 47, thereby switching the air conditioning system 1 between heating operation and cooling operation. The outdoor unit heat exchanger 42 exchanges heat between outdoor air and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47, functioning as a condenser or evaporator. The expansion valve 43 is an expansion device for adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47. The indoor unit 2 includes an indoor unit heat exchanger 44 and refrigerant pipes 4. The indoor unit heat exchanger 44 exchanges heat between the air in the room where the indoor unit 2 is located and the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit 47, and functions as a condenser or an evaporator to exchange heat of the refrigerant.

[0015] In the air conditioning system 1, a compressor 40, a four-way valve 41, an outdoor unit heat exchanger 42, an expansion valve 43, and an indoor unit heat exchanger 44 are connected in sequence by a refrigerant pipe 4 to form a refrigerant circuit 47 in which the refrigerant circulates to form a refrigeration cycle.

[0016] The indoor unit 2 is also provided with an indoor unit fan 45 that generates an airflow that passes through the indoor unit heat exchanger 44 and sends the conditioned air that has been heat exchanged in the indoor unit heat exchanger 44 from the indoor unit 2 into the room. The indoor unit fan 45 operates when an indoor unit propeller 451 is driven by an indoor unit fan motor 452. The outdoor unit 3 is also provided with an outdoor unit fan 46 that generates an airflow that passes through the outdoor unit heat exchanger 42. The outdoor unit fan 46 operates when an outdoor unit propeller 461 is driven by an outdoor unit fan motor 462.

[0017] 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the indoor unit 2 and outdoor unit 3 provided in the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1. The indoor unit 2 includes an indoor unit air conditioning unit 21, an indoor temperature sensor 22, a refrigerant sensor 23, a notification unit 24, an indoor unit communication unit 25, an indoor unit storage unit 26, a power supply unit 27, and an indoor unit control unit 28. Information can be exchanged between the components of the indoor unit 2.

[0018] The indoor unit air conditioning unit 21 is an air conditioning unit that conditions the air indoors in the air conditioning system 1, and has the air conditioning functions of the indoor unit of a general air conditioner. The indoor unit air conditioning unit 21 includes components such as an indoor unit heat exchanger 44, an indoor unit fan 45, and a wind direction adjustment unit (not shown) that adjusts the direction in which conditioned air is sent from the indoor unit 2 into the room. Note that the components of the indoor unit air conditioning unit 21 are not limited to these.

[0019] The indoor temperature sensor 22 is configured using, for example, a thermistor and detects the indoor temperature of the room, which is the space to be air-conditioned, at a predetermined cycle. The indoor temperature sensor 22 transmits the detected indoor temperature data to the indoor unit control unit 28.

[0020] The refrigerant sensor 23 detects leakage of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47 from the indoor unit 2. The refrigerant sensor 23 is, for example, a semiconductor gas detection sensor, and detects the same refrigerant gas as that used in the air conditioning system 1. To detect the concentration of refrigerant leaking from the indoor unit 2, the refrigerant sensor 23 is installed, for example, below the indoor unit fan 45 in the housing (not shown) of the indoor unit 2, or below the housing of the indoor unit 2. The installation location of the refrigerant sensor 23 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect leakage of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47 from the indoor unit 2.

[0021] The refrigerant sensor 23 transmits the detection result, that is, information about leakage of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47, to the indoor unit control unit 28. If the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires a refrigerant sensor 23, at least one refrigerant sensor 23 must be provided for each indoor unit 2.

[0022] 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the refrigerant sensor 23 included in the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1. The refrigerant sensor 23 includes a refrigerant detection unit 231, a sensor storage unit 232, and a sensor control unit 233. Information can be exchanged between the components of the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0023] The refrigerant detection unit 231 detects the refrigerant concentration around the refrigerant detection unit 231 at predetermined intervals to detect leakage of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47 from the indoor unit 2. The refrigerant detection unit 231 detects leakage of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47 from the indoor unit 2 by detecting the refrigerant concentration around the refrigerant detection unit 231 at predetermined intervals. The refrigerant detection unit 231 detects that a refrigerant leak has occurred when the refrigerant concentration around the refrigerant detection unit 231 is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference concentration. The refrigerant detection unit 231 transmits refrigerant leakage detection information, which is information about the detection result, to the sensor control unit 233, indicating that a refrigerant leak has been detected.

[0024] The type of refrigerant that can be detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 varies depending on the type of refrigerant sensor 23. In other words, depending on the selection of the refrigerant sensor 23 to be installed in the air conditioning system 1, it may not be possible to detect leakage of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47 of the air conditioning system 1 from the indoor unit 2.

[0025] For this reason, for example, if R290 is used as the refrigerant in the air conditioning system 1, a refrigerant sensor 23 capable of detecting R290 is mounted in the indoor unit 2. Also, for example, if R454B is used as the refrigerant in the air conditioning system 1, a refrigerant sensor 23 capable of detecting R454B is mounted in the indoor unit 2.

[0026] The sensor storage unit 232 stores various information used to control the refrigerant sensor 23 and information on the detection results of the refrigerant detection unit 231.

[0027] The sensor control unit 233 controls the overall operation of the refrigerant sensor 23. The sensor control unit 233 transmits information related to the refrigerant sensor 23 to the indoor unit control unit 28 of the indoor unit 2. The sensor control unit 233 transmits information on the detection results of the refrigerant detection unit 231 to the indoor unit control unit 28. The sensor control unit 233 stores the information on the detection results of the refrigerant detection unit 231 in the sensor storage unit 232. That is, the sensor control unit 233 receives refrigerant leakage information transmitted from the refrigerant detection unit 231. When the sensor control unit 233 receives refrigerant leakage information, it determines that a refrigerant leak has occurred and detects leakage of refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 47 from the indoor unit 2. The refrigerant detection unit 231 may also transmit information on the refrigerant concentration around the refrigerant detection unit 231 to the sensor control unit 233. In this case, the sensor control unit 233 detects the occurrence of a refrigerant leak when the refrigerant concentration indicated in the refrigerant concentration information is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference concentration.

[0028] The sensor control unit 233 is connected to the indoor unit control unit 28 of the indoor unit 2 via wiring (not shown) including a signal line.

[0029] The refrigerant sensor 23 operates in two modes: a determination mode and a monitoring mode. That is, the sensor control unit 233 controls the function of the refrigerant sensor 23 in the two modes, the determination mode and the monitoring mode.

[0030] The discrimination mode is a mode in which a refrigerant sensor type signal, which is information specific to each type of refrigerant sensor 23 and is refrigerant sensor type information indicating the type of refrigerant sensor 23 , is output to the indoor unit control unit 28 .

[0031] The refrigerant sensor type signal is refrigerant sensor type information that indicates the type of refrigerant sensor 23. In other words, the refrigerant sensor type information is refrigerant type information that indicates the type of refrigerant detected by refrigerant sensor 23. Therefore, the discrimination mode can be said to be a mode in which a signal corresponding to the type of refrigerant discriminated by refrigerant sensor 23 is output.

[0032] The monitoring mode is a mode in which the unit operates in a monitoring state in which it monitors for refrigerant leakage, and outputs signals to the indoor unit control unit 28 corresponding to the operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23, such as the normal operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23, the detected state of a refrigerant leakage, or the failed state of the refrigerant sensor 23. Therefore, the monitoring mode can be said to be a mode in which it monitors for refrigerant leakage, and outputs to the indoor unit control unit 28 information corresponding to the operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23 and information corresponding to the detected state of a refrigerant leakage.

[0033] The notification unit 24 has a notification function of displaying information such as the operating status of the air conditioning system 1 and communicating it to the user. The notification unit 24 is configured, for example, by a display unit provided in the indoor unit 2. The display unit notifies various notification contents by display. The display unit may perform display using a light emitting diode (LED) lamp, or may perform text display using full segments. Note that the indoor unit 2 may also be equipped with a voice-generating unit as the notification unit 24 that notifies the user of information by generating sound. The voice-generating unit notifies various notification contents by sound.

[0034] The indoor unit communication unit 25 communicates with the outdoor unit 3 and the remote control 5. The indoor unit communication unit 25 is capable of two-way communication of information with the outdoor unit 3 via a communication line (not shown). The indoor unit communication unit 25 is also capable of two-way communication with the remote control 5. The indoor unit communication unit 25 transmits information received from devices external to the indoor unit 2 to the indoor unit control unit 28. The indoor unit communication unit 25 transmits information received from the indoor unit control unit 28 to devices other than the indoor unit 2.

[0035] The indoor unit storage unit 26 is a storage unit that stores information such as various control setting values ​​and programs for controlling the operation of the air conditioning system 1. The indoor unit storage unit 26 stores various information such as various information collected by the indoor units 2 and control information generated by the indoor unit control unit 28. The indoor unit storage unit 26 is a non-volatile storage unit, and is configured using a semiconductor storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0036] The power supply unit 27 supplies the power necessary for the operation of each component of the indoor unit 2 to each component. The power supply unit 27 supplies the power necessary for the operation of the refrigerant sensor 23 to the refrigerant sensor 23. The power supply unit 27 is connected to an external power supply (not shown) and is supplied with power from the external power supply.

[0037] The indoor unit control unit 28 controls the operation of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3, including the operation of the air conditioning unit, and controls the operation of the entire air conditioning system 1. The indoor unit control unit 28 can be said to be a control unit for the entire air conditioning system 1. In other words, the indoor unit control unit 28 functions as an air conditioning control unit that controls the operation of the air conditioning unit. The indoor unit control unit 28 is a control unit that controls the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 in response to control commands from the user received via the remote control 5, thereby controlling the air conditioning system 1.

[0038] The indoor unit control unit 28 includes an operation control unit 281, a configuration information acquisition unit 282, and a refrigerant sensor determination unit 283. The above-described components of the indoor unit control unit 28 can exchange information with each other.

[0039] The operation control unit 281 controls the operation of the air conditioning system 1, including the operation of the air conditioning unit. The operation control unit 281 controls the operation of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3, and controls each operation mode of the air conditioning system 1, for example, cooling operation, dehumidification operation, fan operation, and heating operation.

[0040] The configuration information acquisition unit 282 acquires system configuration information of the air conditioning system 1, which is information indicating the system configuration of the air conditioning system 1, from the outdoor unit 3. The system configuration information will be described later.

[0041] The refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 and determines whether the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 can determine matches the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit 47. In other words, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines whether the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 can determine matches the type of refrigerant used in the air conditioning system 1. The refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 also determines the state of the refrigerant sensor 23 based on information corresponding to the operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23 and information corresponding to the refrigerant leak detection state output by the refrigerant sensor 23 in the monitoring state, and determines whether the refrigerant sensor 23 is operating correctly. The refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 can be considered a refrigerant sensor 23 connected to the indoor unit control unit 28.

[0042] The monitoring mode is a mode in which the unit operates in a monitoring state in which it monitors for refrigerant leakage, and outputs signals to the indoor unit control unit 28 corresponding to the operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23, such as the normal operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23, the detected state of a refrigerant leakage, or the failed state of the refrigerant sensor 23. Therefore, the monitoring mode can be said to be a mode in which it monitors for refrigerant leakage, and outputs to the indoor unit control unit 28 information corresponding to the operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23 and information corresponding to the detected state of a refrigerant leakage.

[0043] The outdoor unit 3 includes an outdoor unit air conditioning unit 31, an outdoor air temperature sensor 32, an outdoor unit communication unit 33, an outdoor unit storage unit 34, and an outdoor unit control unit 35. Information can be exchanged between the above-described components of the outdoor unit 3.

[0044] The outdoor unit air conditioning section 31 is an air conditioning section that conditions the air indoors in the air conditioning system 1, and has the functions of an outdoor unit of a general air conditioner. The indoor unit air conditioning section 21 of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit air conditioning section 31 of the outdoor unit 3 constitute the air conditioning section of the air conditioning system 1, which is a component that conditions the air indoors in the air conditioning system 1.

[0045] The outdoor unit air conditioning section 31 is provided with a compressor 40, a four-way valve 41, an outdoor unit heat exchanger 42, an expansion valve 43, an outdoor unit fan 46, and a refrigerant pipe 4. Note that the configuration of the outdoor unit air conditioning section 31 is not limited to these.

[0046] The outdoor air temperature sensor 32 detects the outdoor air temperature, which is the temperature of the air outdoors. Information on the outdoor air temperature detected by the outdoor air temperature sensor 32 is sent to the indoor unit control unit 28.

[0047] The outdoor unit communication unit 33 communicates with the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2. The outdoor unit communication unit 33 is capable of two-way communication of information with the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2.

[0048] The outdoor unit storage unit 34 is a storage unit that stores information such as various control setting values ​​and programs for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit 3. The outdoor unit storage unit 34 stores system configuration information that is information that indicates the system configuration of the air conditioning system 1. The outdoor unit storage unit 34 is a non-volatile storage unit, and is configured using a semiconductor storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0049] The outdoor unit control unit 35 controls the operation of the outdoor unit 3 under the control of the indoor unit control unit 28 .

[0050] Although Figure 1 shows a configuration in which one indoor unit 2 is connected to one outdoor unit 3 in the air conditioning system 1, it is also possible to configure the air conditioning system 1 so that multiple indoor units 2 are connected to one outdoor unit 3.

[0051] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a unit configuration of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 provided in the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a unit configuration of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 provided in the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1. Here, a unit refers to a unit of an indoor unit 2 and an outdoor unit 3 connected to each other in the air conditioning system 1. The unit configuration refers to a connection configuration of the indoor unit 2 and the outdoor unit 3 connected to each other in the air conditioning system 1.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the air conditioning system 1 can have a unit configuration in which one indoor unit 2 is connected to one outdoor unit 3. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, the air conditioning system 1 can also have a unit configuration in which multiple indoor units 2 are connected to one outdoor unit 3.

[0053] As described above, if a refrigerant sensor 23 needs to be installed in the air conditioning system 1, at least one refrigerant sensor 23 needs to be installed for each indoor unit 2. Therefore, if the air conditioning system 1 has a configuration in which multiple indoor units 2 are connected to one outdoor unit 3 as shown in Figure 6, if a refrigerant sensor 23 needs to be installed in the air conditioning system 1, at least one refrigerant sensor 23 needs to be installed in each of the multiple indoor units 2.

[0054] 7 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the remote controller 5 provided in the air conditioning system 1 according to embodiment 1. The remote controller 5 communicates with the indoor units 2 and transmits control information for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioning system 1 to the indoor units 2. The remote controller 5 also communicates with the indoor units 2 and receives and displays information related to the operation of the air conditioning system 1.

[0055] The remote control 5 includes a remote controller operation unit 51, a remote controller display unit 52, a remote controller storage unit 53, a remote controller communication unit 54, and a remote controller control unit 55. Information can be exchanged between the above-described components of the remote control 5.

[0056] Remote control operation unit 51 accepts operations from the user. When remote control operation unit 51 accepts an operation from the user, it transmits information corresponding to the user operation as an operation signal to remote control control unit 55. Remote control operation unit 51 accepts operations to instruct an operation, such as an operation from the user to instruct cooling operation, an operation from the user to instruct dehumidification operation, an operation from the user to instruct fan operation, and an operation from the user to instruct heating operation.

[0057] The remote control display unit 52 is a display unit that displays various information. The remote control display unit 52 displays information and status required for air conditioning by the air conditioning system 1, such as the set temperature and operation mode of the air conditioning system 1, and switches and displays screens corresponding to operations on the remote control operation unit 51.

[0058] The remote control storage unit 53 stores various types of information necessary for air conditioning in the air conditioning system 1. The remote control storage unit 53 temporarily or long-term stores setting contents and image data related to the setting contents to be displayed on the remote control display unit 52. The remote control storage unit 53 is a non-volatile storage unit and is configured with a semiconductor storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0059] The remote control communication unit 54 is capable of bidirectional communication of information with the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2. The connection between the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2 and the remote control communication unit 54 may be either a wireless connection or a wired connection. In other words, the communication between the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2 and the remote control communication unit 54 may be wireless communication, infrared communication, or wired communication.

[0060] The remote control control unit 55 controls the operation of the remote control 5. The remote control control unit 55 controls the remote control 5 based on an operation signal transmitted from the remote control operation unit 51. The remote control control unit 55 remotely controls the operation of the air conditioning system 1. Based on the operation signal transmitted from the remote control operation unit 51, the remote control control unit 55 transmits control information for remotely controlling the operation of the air conditioning system 1 to the indoor unit 2.

[0061] Next, the operation during adjustment of the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the operation during adjustment of the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment. The operation during adjustment of the air conditioning system 1 described below is performed when adjusting the air conditioning system 1 after the air conditioning system 1 has been installed. Furthermore, the operation during adjustment of the air conditioning system 1 described below is performed in all indoor units 2 included in the installed air conditioning system 1.

[0062] In step S110, the current unit configuration of the installed air conditioning system 1 is determined. That is, in step S110, the connection configuration of the indoor units 2 and outdoor units 3 connected in the currently installed air conditioning system 1 is determined. Specifically, when the air conditioning system 1 is powered on, the indoor unit control unit 28 of the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioning system 1 determines the unit configuration of the currently installed air conditioning system 1. That is, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether the unit configuration of the air conditioning system 1 is a first unit configuration in which one indoor unit 2 is connected to one outdoor unit 3, or a second unit configuration in which multiple indoor units 2 are connected to one outdoor unit 3.

[0063] The outdoor unit storage unit 34 of the outdoor unit 3 stores system configuration information, which is information indicating the system configuration of the air conditioning system 1.

[0064] The system configuration information includes unit configuration information and information on the type of refrigerant used, and is information that indicates the system configuration of the air conditioning system 1.

[0065] The unit configuration information is information that indicates the unit configuration of the air conditioning system 1.

[0066] The refrigerant type information is information that indicates the type of refrigerant used in the currently installed air conditioning system 1.

[0067] The configuration information acquisition unit 282 acquires system configuration information from the outdoor unit 3. Specifically, in order to acquire the system configuration information, the configuration information acquisition unit 282 transmits a system configuration information request to the outdoor unit control unit 35 of the outdoor unit 3 via the indoor unit communication unit 25 of the indoor unit 2.

[0068] The system configuration information request is information that the indoor unit control unit 28 requests the outdoor unit control unit 35 to transmit system configuration information.

[0069] When the outdoor unit control unit 35 receives the system configuration information request via the outdoor unit communication unit 33, it acquires the system configuration information from the outdoor unit storage unit 34. Then, as a response to the system configuration information request, the outdoor unit control unit 35 transmits the system configuration information acquired from the outdoor unit storage unit 34 to the configuration information acquisition unit 282 via the outdoor unit communication unit 33. The configuration information acquisition unit 282 acquires the system configuration information by receiving the system configuration information transmitted from the outdoor unit control unit 35 via the indoor unit communication unit 25, and transmits the system configuration information to the indoor unit control unit 28.

[0070] Based on the system configuration information, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines the current unit configuration of the air conditioning system 1. That is, based on the system configuration information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit 282 from the outdoor unit control unit 35, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether the unit configuration of the air conditioning system 1 is a first unit configuration in which one indoor unit 2 is connected to one outdoor unit 3, or a second unit configuration in which multiple indoor units 2 are connected to one outdoor unit 3. Then, the process proceeds to step S120.

[0071] In step S120, it is determined whether the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23. Specifically, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23. The indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23 based on the system configuration information and refrigerant sensor necessity criterion information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit 282 from the outdoor unit control unit 35. In other words, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23 based on the unit configuration information, refrigerant type information used, and refrigerant sensor necessity criterion information included in the system configuration information.

[0072] In the first embodiment, for example, one of R290 and R454B is used as the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 47 of the air conditioning system 1. In this case, the refrigerant type information included in the system configuration information is information indicating the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit 47 of the air conditioning system 1, and is either information indicating R290 or information indicating R454B.

[0073] R290, a flammable refrigerant, has relatively high flammability. On the other hand, R454B, a slightly flammable refrigerant, has relatively low flammability. Note that the types of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit 47 of the air conditioning system 1 are not limited to R290 and R454B.

[0074] When either R290 or R454B is used as the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 47 of the air conditioning system 1, the system configurations of the air conditioning system 1 include the following first system configuration, second system configuration, and third system configuration.

[0075] The first system configuration uses R454B as the refrigerant and has a first unit configuration. As described above, the first unit configuration is a unit configuration in which one indoor unit 2 is connected to one outdoor unit 3. In the first system configuration, the refrigerant R454B is a mildly flammable refrigerant and has relatively low flammability. Furthermore, because the air conditioning system 1 has only one indoor unit 2, the amount of refrigerant leaking from the indoor unit 2 is relatively small. Therefore, in the air conditioning system 1 having the first system configuration, the possibility of refrigerant combustion when refrigerant leaks from the indoor unit 2 is considered to be relatively low, and therefore, the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioning system 1 does not need to be equipped with a refrigerant sensor 23.

[0076] The second system configuration uses R454B as the refrigerant and has the second unit configuration. As described above, the second unit configuration is a unit configuration in which multiple indoor units 2 are connected to one outdoor unit 3. In the second system configuration, the refrigerant R454B is a mildly flammable refrigerant and has relatively low flammability. However, because the air conditioning system 1 has two or more indoor units 2, the amount of refrigerant leaking from the indoor units 2 is relatively large. For this reason, the air conditioning system 1 having the second system configuration requires the installation of a refrigerant sensor 23 in the indoor units 2 of the air conditioning system 1 to ensure safety in the event of a refrigerant leak from the indoor units 2.

[0077] The third system configuration is a system configuration in which the refrigerant used is R290. In the third system configuration, the refrigerant R290 is relatively highly flammable. For this reason, an air conditioning system 1 with the third system configuration requires the installation of a refrigerant sensor 23 in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioning system 1 to ensure safety in the event of a refrigerant leak from the indoor unit 2, regardless of the unit configuration.

[0078] When a refrigerant sensor 23 is installed in the indoor unit 2 to ensure safety in the event of a refrigerant leak, the refrigerant sensor 23 is installed in all indoor units 2 connected to the outdoor unit 3 in the air conditioning system 1. That is, in the air conditioning system 1 of the second system configuration and the air conditioning system 1 of the third system configuration, the refrigerant sensor 23 is installed in all indoor units 2 included in the unit configuration.

[0079] The refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information is criteria information for determining whether or not the air conditioning system 1 needs to be equipped with a refrigerant sensor 23. The refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information is information that includes the system configuration of the air conditioning system 1 and information on whether or not a refrigerant sensor 23 corresponding to the system configuration is required. In other words, the refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information includes unit configuration information of the air conditioning system 1, information on the type of refrigerant used, and information on whether or not a refrigerant sensor 23 corresponding to the system configuration is required.

[0080] The indoor unit memory unit 26 of the indoor unit 2 stores first refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information, second refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information, and third refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information corresponding to the first system configuration, the second system configuration, and the third system configuration, respectively.

[0081] The first refrigerant sensor necessity criterion information is a determination criterion for determining whether or not a refrigerant sensor 23 is required in the indoor unit 2 when the current system configuration of the air conditioning system 1 corresponds to the first system configuration. The first refrigerant sensor necessity criterion information includes information that the refrigerant used is R454B, the unit configuration is the first unit configuration, and that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not required.

[0082] The second refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information is a determination criterion for determining whether or not a refrigerant sensor 23 is required in the indoor unit 2 when the current system configuration of the air conditioning system 1 corresponds to the second system configuration. The second refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information includes information that the refrigerant used is R454B, the unit configuration is the second unit configuration, and that the refrigerant sensor 23 is required.

[0083] The third refrigerant sensor necessity criterion information is a determination criterion for determining whether or not a refrigerant sensor 23 is required in the indoor unit 2 when the current system configuration of the air conditioning system 1 corresponds to the third system configuration. The third refrigerant sensor necessity criterion information includes information that the refrigerant used is R290 and that the refrigerant sensor 23 is required.

[0084] The indoor unit control unit 28 determines the unit configuration of the current air conditioning system 1 based on the unit configuration information included in the system configuration information acquired from the outdoor unit control unit 35. The indoor unit control unit 28 also determines the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit 47 of the current air conditioning system 1 based on the refrigerant type information included in the system configuration information.

[0085] Next, the indoor unit control unit 28 compares the determination results, that is, the current unit configuration of the air conditioning system 1 and the type of refrigerant of the current air conditioning system 1, with the refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information, and obtains information on the necessity of the refrigerant sensor 23 corresponding to the current air conditioning system 1. In other words, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines the refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information corresponding to the determination results, that is, the unit configuration of the current air conditioning system 1 and the type of refrigerant of the current air conditioning system 1, from among the first refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information, the second refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information, and the third refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information.

[0086] The indoor unit control unit 28 acquires information on the necessity of the refrigerant sensor 23, which is included in the determined refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information. Then, based on the acquired information on the necessity of the refrigerant sensor 23, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23. That is, if the acquired information on the necessity of the refrigerant sensor 23 indicates that the installation of the refrigerant sensor 23 is required, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23. If the acquired information on the necessity of the refrigerant sensor 23 indicates that the installation of the refrigerant sensor 23 is not required, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 does not require the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0087] If it is determined that the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23, the answer is Yes in step S120 and the process proceeds to step S130. If it is determined that the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 does not require the refrigerant sensor 23, the answer is No in step S120 and the process proceeds to step S170.

[0088] In step S170, the setting for supplying electricity from the power supply unit 27 to the refrigerant sensor 23 is set to OFF. Specifically, the indoor unit control unit 28 sets the setting for supplying electricity from the power supply unit 27 to the refrigerant sensor 23 to OFF in the indoor unit control unit 28. When the setting for supplying electricity to the refrigerant sensor 23 is set to OFF, the indoor unit control unit 28 controls the power supply unit 27 so as not to supply electricity to the refrigerant sensor 23. In this case, the power supply unit 27 does not supply electricity to the refrigerant sensor 23 in accordance with the control of the indoor unit control unit 28.

[0089] If the air conditioning system 1 determines that the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 does not require a refrigerant sensor 23, it will not energize the refrigerant sensor 23 even if the refrigerant sensor 23 is installed in the indoor unit 2, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption and achieving power savings.

[0090] For example, assume that the current configuration of the air conditioning system 1 determined based on the system configuration information corresponds to the first system configuration. In this case, based on the first refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information, the current air conditioning system 1 does not need to include the refrigerant sensor 23. Therefore, in this case, the process proceeds from step S120 to step S170, and the power supply unit 27 does not energize the refrigerant sensor 23 even if the indoor unit 2 is equipped with the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0091] In step S130, the setting for supplying electricity from the power supply unit 27 to the refrigerant sensor 23 is set to ON, and electricity is supplied from the power supply unit 27 to the refrigerant sensor 23. Specifically, the indoor unit control unit 28 sets the setting for supplying electricity from the power supply unit 27 to the refrigerant sensor 23 in the indoor unit control unit 28 to ON, and controls the power supply unit 27 to supply electricity to the refrigerant sensor 23. The power supply unit 27 supplies electricity to the refrigerant sensor 23 in accordance with the control of the indoor unit control unit 28.

[0092] For example, assume that the current system configuration of the air conditioning system 1 determined based on the system configuration information corresponds to a third system configuration, in which the refrigerant used is R290. In this case, the current air conditioning system 1 requires the installation of a refrigerant sensor 23 based on the third refrigerant sensor necessity criteria information. Then, the process proceeds from step S120 to step S130, and the power supply unit 27 energizes the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0093] The refrigerant sensor 23 starts operation when power is applied from the power supply unit 27, and first enters a discrimination mode and then a discrimination state. The refrigerant sensor 23 then outputs a refrigerant sensor type signal, which is refrigerant sensor type information indicating the type of the refrigerant sensor 23, to the indoor unit control unit 28. Then, the process proceeds to step S140.

[0094] In step S140, it is determined whether a signal has been received from the refrigerant sensor 23 to confirm whether power is being normally supplied to the refrigerant sensor 23. Specifically, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether a signal has been received from the refrigerant sensor 23. The signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23 here is a refrigerant sensor type signal transmitted by the refrigerant sensor 23 that entered the discrimination mode and entered the discrimination state in step S130.

[0095] If the refrigerant sensor type information indicated by the refrigerant sensor type signal, which is a signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23, is stored in the indoor unit control unit 28, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that it has received the signal from the refrigerant sensor 23 and that power is being supplied normally to the refrigerant sensor 23. If the refrigerant sensor type information indicated by the refrigerant sensor type signal, which is a signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23, is stored in the indoor unit control unit 28, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the refrigerant sensor 23 is installed in the indoor unit 2.

[0096] If the indoor unit control unit 28 does not store refrigerant sensor type information indicated by the refrigerant sensor type signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the signal from the refrigerant sensor 23 has not been received and that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not being energized normally. If the indoor unit control unit 28 does not store refrigerant sensor type information indicated by the refrigerant sensor type signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2. Therefore, if the indoor unit control unit 28 does not receive refrigerant sensor type information, which is information unique to each type of refrigerant sensor 23 and indicates the type of refrigerant sensor 23, from the refrigerant sensor 23 after energizing the refrigerant sensor 23, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2. If the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that a refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality has occurred, indicating that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2.

[0097] If it is determined that a signal has been received from refrigerant sensor 23, the answer in step S140 is Yes, and the process proceeds to step S150. If it is determined that a signal has not been received from refrigerant sensor 23, the answer in step S140 is No, and the process proceeds to step S180.

[0098] If the current air conditioning system 1 is a model that requires a refrigerant sensor 23, but the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, power cannot be supplied from the power supply unit 27 to the refrigerant sensor 23 in step S130. Therefore, no signal is sent from the refrigerant sensor 23 to the indoor unit control unit 28. For this reason, if it is determined in step S140 that the indoor unit control unit 28 has not received a signal from the refrigerant sensor 23, it is determined that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, and the process proceeds to step S180.

[0099] In step S180, an operator is notified of a refrigerant sensor not-installed abnormality in which the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2. Specifically, the notifying unit 24 of the indoor unit 2 notifies the operator of a refrigerant sensor not-installed abnormality in which the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2.

[0100] When proceeding from step S140 to step S180, the indoor unit control unit 28 transmits to the alarm unit 24 refrigerant sensor no-installation abnormality information indicating that a refrigerant sensor no-installation abnormality has occurred, where the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2. Upon receiving the refrigerant sensor no-installation abnormality information, the alarm unit 24 notifies the operator of the refrigerant sensor no-installation abnormality, where the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, based on the refrigerant sensor no-installation abnormality information. Therefore, when the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, the alarm unit 24 notifies the operator of the determination by the indoor unit control unit 28 as an abnormality.

[0101] If the notification unit 24 has a display unit configured with, for example, an LED lamp, the LED lamp notifies the operator of the refrigerant sensor non-installation abnormality. The notification unit 24 notifies the operator of the refrigerant sensor non-installation abnormality by lighting or blinking the LED lamp.

[0102] Furthermore, when the air conditioning system 1 has a second unit configuration in which multiple indoor units 2 are connected to one outdoor unit 3, the indoor unit control unit 28 controls the notification unit 24 to notify an operator of a refrigerant sensor non-installation abnormality in all indoor units 2 that are determined not to have received a signal from the refrigerant sensor 23. That is, in all indoor units 2 that are determined not to have the refrigerant sensor 10 installed, the indoor unit control unit 28 controls the notification unit 24 to notify an operator of a refrigerant sensor non-installation abnormality.

[0103] For example, in the case of an air conditioning system 1 having the second system configuration, using R454B as the refrigerant, and having the second unit configuration, it is necessary to install a refrigerant sensor 23 in the indoor unit 2. However, if the air conditioning system 1 determines in step S140 that the indoor unit control unit 28 has not received a signal from the refrigerant sensor 23 and that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, the indoor unit control unit 28 will notify the operator via the notification unit 24 of an abnormality indicating that the refrigerant sensor is not installed.

[0104] Furthermore, for example, in the case of an air conditioning system 1 having the third system configuration and using R290 as the refrigerant, it is necessary to install a refrigerant sensor 23 in the indoor unit 2. However, if the air conditioning system 1 determines in step S140 that the indoor unit control unit 28 has not received a signal from the refrigerant sensor 23 and that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, the indoor unit control unit 28 will notify the operator via the notification unit 24 of an abnormality indicating that the refrigerant sensor is not installed.

[0105] Furthermore, if the notification unit 24 includes a voice generating unit that notifies the user of information by generating a sound, the notification unit 24 may notify the operator of the refrigerant sensor unmounted abnormality by sound.

[0106] The notification of the refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality may also be performed by the remote control 5. In this case, the indoor unit control unit 28 transmits refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality information to the remote control control unit 55 of the remote control 5. Upon receiving the refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality information, the remote control control unit 55 displays a message indicating the occurrence of the refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality or an icon indicating the occurrence of the refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality on the remote control display unit 52 based on the refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality information. This allows the operator to confirm that the refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality has occurred by checking the remote control display unit 52 of the remote control 5.

[0107] In the air conditioning system 1, if the indoor unit 2 is not equipped with the refrigerant sensor 23 even though the indoor unit 2 is a model that requires the refrigerant sensor 23, the notification function of the notification unit 24 notifies the worker of the need to install the refrigerant sensor 23 by notifying the worker of the refrigerant sensor not being installed abnormality. Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 does not need to have the refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2, for example, during production of the air conditioning system 1.

[0108] That is, if a refrigerant sensor not-installed abnormality is reported during adjustment after installation of the air conditioning system 1, the air conditioning system 1 is a model that requires the installation of the refrigerant sensor 23. Therefore, the air conditioning system 1 can be used only after the refrigerant sensor 23 is installed in the indoor unit 2.

[0109] In this way, even if the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2 during production of the air conditioning system 1, the refrigerant sensor 23 can be installed in the indoor unit 2 based on a notification of an abnormality in which the refrigerant sensor is not installed during adjustment after installation of the air conditioning system 1.

[0110] At the time of production of the indoor units 2 and outdoor units 3 of the air conditioning system 1, it is not possible to determine the number of indoor units 2 that will be connected to one outdoor unit 3, and therefore it is not possible to determine at this point whether or not the indoor units 2 need to be equipped with refrigerant sensors 23. For this reason, if the air conditioning system 1 does not have the above-mentioned function for notifying of an abnormality due to a lack of a refrigerant sensor, it is necessary to equip all indoor units 2 with refrigerant sensors 23 when the indoor units 2 are produced.

[0111] On the other hand, by providing the air conditioning system 1 with the above-mentioned function for notifying of an abnormality in which a refrigerant sensor is not installed, the refrigerant sensor 23 does not need to be installed in the indoor unit 2 at the time of production, and the refrigerant sensor 23 can be attached to the indoor unit 2 as needed when the air conditioning system 1 is installed. This makes it possible to avoid installing unnecessary refrigerant sensors 23 in an air conditioning system 1 having a system configuration that does not require the installation of a refrigerant sensor 23. By not installing unnecessary refrigerant sensors 23 in an air conditioning system 1 that does not require the installation of a refrigerant sensor 23, it is possible to reduce the production load, shorten the production process, and cut production costs when producing the air conditioning system 1.

[0112] In step S150, the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 is determined from the signal of the refrigerant sensor 23 in the determination state. Specifically, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 of the indoor unit control unit 28 determines the type of the refrigerant sensor 23 from the signal of the refrigerant sensor 23 in the determination state. The refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines the type of the refrigerant sensor 23 based on the refrigerant sensor type information indicated by the refrigerant sensor type signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23 in the determination state in step S130 described above and the detection conditions of the signal content. Then, proceed to step S160.

[0113] The detection conditions for signal content are conditions for detecting the content of information indicated by the signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23, and are information indicating the relationship between the signal transmitted from the refrigerant sensor 23 and the content of the information indicated by the signal. The information for the detection conditions for signal content is determined in advance and stored in the indoor unit control unit 28.

[0114] The operation of the refrigerant sensor 23 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 9, 10, and 11. Figure 9 is a first timing chart illustrating an example of the operation of the refrigerant sensor 23 provided in the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 is a second timing chart illustrating an example of the operation of the refrigerant sensor 23 provided in the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 9 shows an example of a timing chart illustrating the operation of refrigerant sensor A, which is one example of the refrigerant sensor 23. Figure 10 shows an example of a timing chart illustrating the operation of refrigerant sensor B, which is another example of the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0115] 11 is a diagram illustrating the detection conditions for the signal content of the refrigerant sensor 23 included in the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 11 shows an information table for the signal output by the refrigerant sensor 23, including a "refrigerant sensor state" indicating the state of the refrigerant sensor 23, "refrigerant sensor output content" which is the content of the signal output by the refrigerant sensor 23, a "basic waveform of the pulse signal" which indicates the basic waveform of the pulse signal output by the refrigerant sensor 23, and "detection conditions" which indicate the detection conditions for the signal content. The information table shown in Fig. 11 is predetermined and stored in the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283.

[0116] As described above, the refrigerant sensor 23 has two operating modes: a discrimination mode in which it operates in a discrimination state, and a monitoring mode in which it operates in a monitoring state. When power is applied from the power supply unit 27 in step S130 described above, the refrigerant sensor 23 starts operating and first transitions to the discrimination mode, entering the discrimination state. The refrigerant sensor 23 remains in the discrimination state for a predetermined discrimination mode period. The predetermined discrimination mode period is, for example, one minute.

[0117] When the sensor control unit 233 of the refrigerant sensor 23 enters a determination state, it outputs to the indoor unit control unit 28 a refrigerant sensor type signal, which is refrigerant sensor type information indicating the type of the refrigerant sensor 23. The refrigerant sensor type information is information unique to each type of refrigerant sensor 23, and can be said to be refrigerant type information indicating the type of refrigerant detected by the refrigerant sensor 23. Therefore, the refrigerant sensor type signal is a signal unique to each type of refrigerant sensor 23.

[0118] For example, as shown in Figures 9 and 11, the sensor control unit 233 of refrigerant sensor A in the determination state outputs a signal with a 5T fundamental waveform as the refrigerant sensor type signal. Similarly, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the sensor control unit 233 of refrigerant sensor B in the determination state outputs a signal with a 6T fundamental waveform as the refrigerant sensor type signal. Refrigerant sensors A and B are refrigerant sensors 23 that detect different types of refrigerant. Refrigerant sensor A is a refrigerant sensor 23 suitable for detecting R290 refrigerant leaks, for example. Refrigerant sensor B is a refrigerant sensor 23 suitable for detecting R454B refrigerant leaks, for example.

[0119] Here, one period of the pulse signal output by the refrigerant sensor 23 is defined as T. 5T means five periods of the pulse signal, and 6T means six periods of the pulse signal.

[0120] When receiving a signal from refrigerant sensor 23, refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 detects a rising edge of the pulse signal, detects a continuous Hi interval with a period of 5T, and then detects a falling edge of the pulse signal. Refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 then determines that the Hi interval is a valid "Hi interval = 5T." Based on the detection conditions of the signal content, refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines that the refrigerant sensor type is "refrigerant sensor A" and that the type of refrigerant detected by refrigerant sensor 23 is "R290."

[0121] In other words, the 5T pulse signal is a refrigerant sensor type signal output by refrigerant sensor A, and is refrigerant sensor type information that means that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 is refrigerant sensor A, and is refrigerant type information that means that the type of refrigerant detected by refrigerant sensor 23 is R290.

[0122] When receiving a signal from refrigerant sensor 23, refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 detects a rising edge of the pulse signal, detects a continuous Hi interval with a period of 6T, and then detects a falling edge of the pulse signal. Refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 then determines that the Hi interval is valid (Hi interval = 6T). Based on the detection conditions of the signal content, refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines that the refrigerant sensor type is "refrigerant sensor B" and that the type of refrigerant detected by refrigerant sensor 23 is "R454B."

[0123] In other words, the 6T pulse signal is a refrigerant sensor type signal output by refrigerant sensor B, and is refrigerant sensor type information that means that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 is refrigerant sensor B, and is refrigerant type information that means that the type of refrigerant detected by refrigerant sensor 23 is R454B.

[0124] As a result, when the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 receives a 5T pulse signal from a refrigerant sensor 23 in the determination state, it can determine, based on the detection conditions of the signal content, that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 that output the 5T pulse signal is "refrigerant sensor A" and that the type of refrigerant detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 is "R290." Furthermore, when the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 receives a 6T pulse signal from a refrigerant sensor 23 in the determination state, it can determine, based on the detection conditions of the signal content, that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 that output the 6T pulse signal is "refrigerant sensor B" and that the type of refrigerant detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 is "R454B."

[0125] That is, in the example shown in Figure 11, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 receives a refrigerant sensor type signal transmitted from a refrigerant sensor 23 in a determination state implemented in the indoor unit 2, and can determine whether the refrigerant sensor 23 connected to the indoor unit control unit 28 is refrigerant sensor A or refrigerant sensor B.

[0126] In this way, in the air conditioning system 1, by setting the signal length of the pulse signal of the refrigerant sensor type signal to a length specific to the type of refrigerant sensor 23, it is possible to distinguish the type of refrigerant sensor 23 provided in the indoor unit 2 and the type of refrigerant detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 by differences in the length of the pulse signal output by the refrigerant sensor 23. In other words, in the air conditioning system 1, by using multiple refrigerant sensor type signals with different pulse signal lengths, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 of the indoor unit 2 can easily determine the type of refrigerant sensor 23 provided in the indoor unit 2 and the type of refrigerant detected by the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0127] In step S160, it is determined whether the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 matches the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required in the air conditioning system 1. Specifically, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines whether the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 matches the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required in the air conditioning system 1. The type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 is the type of refrigerant sensor 23 determined in step S150.

[0128] The type of refrigerant sensor 23 required in the air conditioning system 1 is the type of refrigerant sensor 23 that can detect the refrigerant indicated in the refrigerant type information included in the system configuration information. The type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 is the type of refrigerant sensor 23 indicated by the refrigerant sensor type signal, and is the type of refrigerant sensor 23 indicated by the refrigerant sensor type information indicated by the refrigerant sensor type signal.

[0129] The refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines whether the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 matches the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required in the air conditioning system 1 by determining whether the refrigerant type indicated in the refrigerant type information included in the system configuration information matches the refrigerant type detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 of the type installed in the indoor unit 2.

[0130] The refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 matches the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required in the air conditioning system 1 when the refrigerant type indicated in the refrigerant type information included in the system configuration information matches the refrigerant type detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 of the type installed in the indoor unit 2.

[0131] If the refrigerant type indicated in the refrigerant type information included in the system configuration information does not match the refrigerant type detected by the refrigerant sensor 23 of the type installed in the indoor unit 2, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 does not match the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1. Then, if the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 does not match the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1, it determines that a refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly has occurred, where the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 does not match the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1.

[0132] If it is determined that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 matches the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1, the answer is Yes in step S160, and the adjustment work for the refrigerant sensor 23 is completed. If it is determined that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 does not match the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1, the answer is No in step S160, and the process proceeds to step S190.

[0133] In step S190, an operator is notified of a refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly, in which the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 does not match the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1. Specifically, the notification unit 24 of the indoor unit 2 notifies an operator of a refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly, in which the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 does not match the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1.

[0134] When proceeding from step S160 to step S190, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 sends refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly information to the alarm unit 24, indicating that a refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly has occurred, in which the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 does not match the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required in the air conditioning system 1. Upon receiving the refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly information, the alarm unit 24 alerts the operator to the refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly information based on the refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly information. That is, when the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines that the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor 23 can determine does not match the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit 47, the alarm unit 24 alerts the operator to the determination result of the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 as an anomaly.

[0135] If the notification unit 24 has a display unit configured with, for example, an LED lamp, the notification unit 24 notifies the operator of the refrigerant sensor mismatch abnormality by lighting up or blinking the LED lamp.

[0136] If notification unit 24 includes a voice output unit that notifies the user of information by generating a sound, notification unit 24 may notify the operator of the refrigerant sensor mismatch abnormality by sound. Notification of the refrigerant sensor mismatch abnormality may also be performed by remote control 5. By performing the above process, the adjustment of refrigerant sensor 23 is completed.

[0137] In this way, the air conditioning system 1 issues a refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly through an alert from the alert unit 24 when the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 differs from the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1. This allows the worker to easily determine that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 differs from the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1. This allows the worker to reliably install a refrigerant sensor 23 of the type required for the air conditioning system 1 in the indoor unit 2.

[0138] Next, the operation of the refrigerant sensor 23 in the monitoring mode will be described. When the refrigerant sensor 23 remains in the discrimination state for a predetermined period of time, the refrigerant sensor 23 transitions from the discrimination state to the monitoring state. That is, after the sensor control unit 233 of the refrigerant sensor 23 controls the function of the refrigerant sensor 23 in the discrimination mode for the predetermined period of time, the sensor control unit 233 transitions from the discrimination mode to the monitoring mode and controls the function of the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0139] In the monitoring state, the sensor control unit 233 outputs one of the following signals to the indoor unit control unit 28 as an operating status signal indicating the operating status of the refrigerant sensor 23: a "normal" signal, a "leak detected" signal, or a "failure" signal, as shown in FIG. 11 .

[0140] When refrigerant sensor 23 is operating normally, sensor control unit 233 outputs a "normal" signal indicating that the output of refrigerant sensor 23 is "normal." The "normal" output of refrigerant sensor 23 indicates that the operating state of refrigerant sensor 23 is "normal." FIG. 9 shows an example of a "Hi section = T" pulse signal, which is a "normal" signal output from refrigerant sensor A in the monitoring state. FIG. 10 shows an example of a "Hi section = T" pulse signal, which is a "normal" signal output from refrigerant sensor B in the monitoring state.

[0141] When the sensor control unit 233 detects a refrigerant leak, it outputs a "leak detected" signal indicating that the output content of the refrigerant sensor 23 is "leak detected." The "leak detected" output content of the refrigerant sensor 23 indicates that the operating state of the refrigerant sensor 23 is a "refrigerant leak detection state in which a refrigerant leak is being detected."

[0142] When refrigerant sensor 23 is not operating normally, sensor control unit 233 outputs a "failure" signal indicating that the output content of refrigerant sensor 23 is "failure." The "failure" output content of refrigerant sensor 23 indicates that the operating state of refrigerant sensor 23 is in a "failure state where the refrigerant sensor 23 is not operating normally."

[0143] When the refrigerant sensor 23 is operating normally, the sensor control unit 233 in the monitoring state outputs a pulse signal with a "Hi interval = T" as an operation status signal to the indoor unit control unit 28, as shown in Fig. 11 for example. When a refrigerant leak is detected, the sensor control unit 233 in the monitoring state outputs a pulse signal with a "Hi interval = 3T" as an operation status signal to the indoor unit control unit 28, as shown in Fig. 11 for example. When a malfunction of the refrigerant sensor 23 is detected, the sensor control unit 233 in the monitoring state outputs a pulse signal with a "Hi interval = 4T" as an operation status signal to the indoor unit control unit 28, as shown in Fig. 11 for example. The detection conditions for the signal content include the basic waveforms of the pulse signals corresponding to the "normal", "leak detected", and "malfunction" signals, as well as the conditions for detecting each signal, as shown in Fig. 11 for example.

[0144] The indoor unit control unit 28 receives the operating status signal, detects the rising edge of the pulse signal, detects the Hi section with a period of 1T, and then detects the falling edge of the pulse signal. Then, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the Hi section is valid, "Hi section = T," and detects that the operating status of the refrigerant sensor 23 is "normal."

[0145] The indoor unit control unit 28 receives the operating status signal, detects the rising edge of the pulse signal, detects the Hi section with a period of 3T, and then detects the falling edge of the pulse signal. Then, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the Hi section is valid, "Hi section = 3T," and detects that the operating status of the refrigerant sensor 23 is "leak detected."

[0146] The indoor unit control unit 28 receives the operating status signal, detects the rising edge of the pulse signal, detects the Hi section with a period of 4T, and then detects the falling edge of the pulse signal. Then, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the Hi section is valid, "Hi section = 4T," and detects that the operating status of the refrigerant sensor 23 is "failed."

[0147] In this way, in the air conditioning system 1, by setting the signal length of the pulse signal of the operation status signal to a length specific to the operation status of the refrigerant sensor 23, the monitoring results of the refrigerant sensor 23 can be distinguished by differences in the length of the pulse signal output by the refrigerant sensor 23. In other words, in the air conditioning system 1, by using a plurality of operation status signals with different pulse signal lengths, the indoor unit control unit 28 of the indoor unit 2 can easily determine the current state of the refrigerant sensor 23. In this way, in the air conditioning system 1, the determination results of the installed refrigerant sensor 23 and the operation monitoring results of the air conditioning system 1 can be represented by differences in the pulse width of the pulse signal, so that the determination results and monitoring results can be easily and reliably communicated.

[0148] According to the air conditioning system 1 of the above-described first embodiment, an air conditioning system is realized that includes a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates to form a refrigeration cycle, a refrigerant sensor that detects refrigerant leakage from the refrigerant circuit, a refrigerant sensor determination unit that determines whether the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor can identify matches the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit, and an alarm unit that, when the refrigerant sensor determination unit determines that the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor can identify does not match the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit, reports the result of the determination by the refrigerant sensor determination unit as an abnormality.

[0149] In the air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment described above, the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines whether the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor 23 can determine matches the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit 47. If the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 determines that the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor 23 can determine does not match the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit 47, the notification unit 24 reports the result of the determination by the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 as a refrigerant sensor mismatch abnormality.

[0150] In this way, the air conditioning system 1 issues a refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly through an alert from the alert unit 24 when the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 differs from the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1. This allows the worker to easily determine that the type of refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 differs from the type of refrigerant sensor 23 required for the air conditioning system 1. This allows the worker to reliably install a refrigerant sensor 23 of the type required for the air conditioning system 1 in the indoor unit 2.

[0151] In other words, the air conditioning system 1 is capable of determining, via the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283, whether the refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 is an appropriate refrigerant sensor 23 for the air conditioning system 1, based on the system configuration information stored in the outdoor unit 3 and the refrigerant sensor type signal received from the refrigerant sensor 23.

[0152] For example, assume that an air conditioning system 1 using R454B as the refrigerant is equipped with a refrigerant sensor 23 that detects the refrigerant R290. In the air conditioning system 1, the refrigerant sensors 23 that detect the refrigerant R290 output a refrigerant sensor type signal that is information unique to each type of refrigerant sensor 23 and indicates the type of refrigerant sensor 23. The refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 reads the refrigerant sensor type signal and determines from the read refrigerant sensor type signal that the refrigerant sensor 23 installed in the indoor unit 2 is a refrigerant sensor 23 that detects the refrigerant R290. This allows the refrigerant sensor determination unit 283 to detect a refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly. The notification unit 24 can then issue a notification of the refrigerant sensor mismatch anomaly.

[0153] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 1, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines whether the configuration of the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23 based on the system configuration information acquired by the configuration information acquisition unit 282 from the outdoor unit 3 and refrigerant sensor necessity reference information, which is reference information for determining whether the air conditioning system 1 needs to be equipped with the refrigerant sensor 23. This allows the indoor unit control unit 28 to easily determine whether the air conditioning system 1 requires the refrigerant sensor 23. Therefore, the worker can easily know whether the air conditioning system 1 to be installed requires the refrigerant sensor 23 without having to consult specifications or the like.

[0154] Furthermore, in the air conditioning system 1, after energizing the refrigerant sensor 23, if the indoor unit control unit 28 does not receive refrigerant sensor type information from the refrigerant sensor 23, which is information unique to each type of refrigerant sensor 23 and indicates the type of refrigerant sensor 23, the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2. If the indoor unit control unit 28 determines that the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2, the notification unit 24 notifies the result of the determination by the indoor unit control unit 28 as a refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality.

[0155] As a result, in the air conditioning system 1, even if the refrigerant sensor 23 is not installed in the indoor unit 2 during production of the air conditioning system 1, it is possible to install the refrigerant sensor 23 in the indoor unit 2 based on whether or not a refrigerant sensor not installed abnormality is reported during adjustment after installation of the air conditioning system 1. This makes it possible to avoid installing unnecessary refrigerant sensors 23 in an air conditioning system 1 having a system configuration that does not require the installation of a refrigerant sensor 23. By not installing unnecessary refrigerant sensors 23 in an air conditioning system 1 that does not require the installation of a refrigerant sensor 23, it is possible to reduce the production load, shorten the production process, and cut production costs during production of the air conditioning system 1.

[0156] As described above, the air conditioning system of embodiment 1 has the effect of providing an air conditioning system that allows an operator to easily check whether a refrigerant sensor 23 appropriate for detecting leakage of the refrigerant being used is installed in the air conditioning system 1.

[0157] Next, the hardware configuration of each of the control units 80 according to the first embodiment will be described. The control unit 80 according to the first embodiment corresponds to each of the sensor control unit 233 of the refrigerant sensor 23 in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioning system 1, the indoor unit control unit 28 in the indoor unit 2 of the air conditioning system 1, the outdoor unit control unit 35 in the outdoor unit 3 of the air conditioning system 1, and the remote control control unit 55 in the remote control 5. Each function of the control unit 80 according to the first embodiment is realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processing unit that executes a program stored in a storage device.

[0158] When the processing circuit is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or a combination thereof. Figure 12 is a diagram showing a configuration in which the functions of the control unit 80 according to the first embodiment are realized by hardware. The processing circuit 81 incorporates a logic circuit 81a that realizes the functions of the control unit 80.

[0159] When the processing circuit 81 is a processing device, the functions of the control unit 80 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware.

[0160] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which the functions of the control unit 80 according to the first embodiment are implemented by software. The processing circuit 81 includes a processor 811 that executes a program 81b, a random access memory 812 that the processor 811 uses as a work area, and a storage device 813 that stores the program 81b. The processor 811 deploys the program 81b stored in the storage device 813 on the random access memory 812 and executes it, thereby realizing the functions of the control unit 80. The software or firmware is written in a programming language and stored in the storage device 813. The processor 811 may be, but is not limited to, a central processing unit. The storage device 813 may be a semiconductor memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The semiconductor memory may be either a non-volatile memory or a volatile memory. In addition to semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) can be used as the storage device 813. The processor 811 may output data such as calculation results to the storage device 813 for storage, or may store the data in an auxiliary storage device (not shown) via the random access memory 812. By integrating the processor 811, the random access memory 812, and the storage device 813 on a single chip, the functions of the control unit 80 can be realized by a microcomputer.

[0161] The processing circuitry 81 reads and executes the program 81b stored in the storage device 813 to realize the functions of the control unit 80. It can also be said that the program 81b causes the computer to execute the procedures and methods for realizing the functions of the control unit 80.

[0162] The processing circuit 81 may be configured so that some of the functions of the control unit 80 are realized by dedicated hardware, and some of the functions of the control unit 80 are realized by software or firmware.

[0163] In this way, the processing circuitry 81 can realize each of the above-described functions by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0164] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, and parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0165] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Air conditioning system, 2 Indoor unit, 3 Outdoor unit, 4 Refrigerant pipe, 5 Remote controller, 21 Indoor unit air conditioning unit, 22 Indoor temperature sensor, 23 Refrigerant sensor, 24 Notification unit, 25 Indoor unit communication unit, 26 Indoor unit memory unit, 27 Power supply unit, 28 Indoor unit control unit, 31 Outdoor unit air conditioning unit, 32 Outdoor air temperature sensor, 33 Outdoor unit communication unit, 34 Outdoor unit memory unit, 35 Outdoor unit control unit, 40 Compressor, 41 Four-way valve, 42 Outdoor unit heat exchanger, 43 Expansion valve, 44 Indoor unit heat exchanger, 45 Indoor unit fan, 46 Outdoor unit fan, 47 Refrigerant circuit, 51 Remote controller operation unit, 52 Remote controller display unit, 53 Remote controller memory unit, 54 Remote controller communication unit, 55 Remote controller control unit, 80 Control unit, 81 Processing circuit, 81a Logic circuit, 81b program, 231 refrigerant detection unit, 232 sensor storage unit, 233 sensor control unit, 281 operation control unit, 282 configuration information acquisition unit, 283 refrigerant sensor determination unit, 451 indoor unit propeller, 452 indoor unit fan motor, 461 outdoor unit propeller, 462 outdoor unit fan motor, 811 processor, 812 random access memory, 813 storage device.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system comprising: a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates to form a refrigeration cycle; a refrigerant sensor that detects leakage of the refrigerant from the refrigerant circuit; a refrigerant sensor determination unit that determines whether the type of refrigerant that can be determined by the refrigerant sensor matches the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit; and a notification unit that, when the refrigerant sensor determination unit determines that the type of refrigerant that can be determined by the refrigerant sensor does not match the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit, notifies the user of the result of the determination by the refrigerant sensor determination unit as an abnormality.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system comprises an indoor unit disposed in a room which is a space to be air-conditioned, and an outdoor unit disposed outside the room, and the refrigerant sensor is mounted in the indoor unit and detects the refrigerant leaking from the indoor unit.

3. The air conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the outdoor unit stores system configuration information that indicates the system configuration of the air conditioning system, the indoor unit has a control unit that controls the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit to control the operation of the air conditioning system, the control unit has a configuration information acquisition unit that acquires the system configuration information from the outdoor unit, and the control unit determines whether the air conditioning system is configured to require the refrigerant sensor based on the system configuration information acquired from the outdoor unit by the configuration information acquisition unit and refrigerant sensor necessity standard information that is standard information for determining whether the air conditioning system needs to implement the refrigerant sensor.

4. The air conditioning system of claim 3, wherein the control unit determines that the refrigerant sensor is not installed in the indoor unit if, after energizing the refrigerant sensor, it does not receive refrigerant sensor type information from the refrigerant sensor, which is information unique to each type of refrigerant sensor and indicates the type of refrigerant sensor; and the notification unit notifies the control unit of the determination result as an abnormality if the control unit determines that the refrigerant sensor is not installed in the indoor unit.

5. An air conditioning system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the refrigerant sensor operates in a discrimination mode in which refrigerant sensor type information, which is information unique to each type of refrigerant sensor and indicates the type of refrigerant sensor, is output, and a monitoring mode in which the refrigerant sensor is monitored for leakage, and information corresponding to the operating state of the refrigerant sensor and information corresponding to the detection state of the refrigerant leakage is output, and the refrigerant sensor determination unit determines whether the type of refrigerant that the refrigerant sensor can determine matches the type of refrigerant used in the refrigerant circuit based on the refrigerant sensor type information, and determines the state of the refrigerant sensor based on the information corresponding to the operating state of the refrigerant sensor and the information corresponding to the detection state of the refrigerant leakage, thereby determining whether the refrigerant sensor is operating correctly.

6. An air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: an indoor unit arranged in a room which is a space to be air-conditioned; and an outdoor unit arranged outside the room, wherein the notification unit is provided in the indoor unit.

7. An air conditioning system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: an indoor unit arranged in a room which is a space to be air-conditioned; an outdoor unit arranged outside the room; and a remote controller which communicates with the indoor unit and transmits control information to the indoor unit for remotely operating the operation of the air conditioning system, and the alarm unit is provided in the remote controller.

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