Accumulator Control for Accurate Air Conditioner Refrigerant Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioning apparatuses face challenges in accurately determining the proper refrigerant quantity due to the time-consuming process of evaporating liquid refrigerant accumulation on the low-pressure side, which can lead to errors in refrigerant quantity determination.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioning apparatus with a refrigerant circuit, operation controlling device, and liquid refrigerant accumulation determining device that eliminates liquid refrigerant accumulation in the accumulator, allowing for accurate refrigerant quantity determination by controlling the operation of the compressor and expansion mechanisms to prevent liquid refrigerant inflow and efficiently release accumulated refrigerant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If liquid refrigerant accumulation is allowed to exist in the accumulator during refrigerant quantity determination, then the determination process becomes time-consuming as the liquid refrigerant must be evaporated, but if the accumulation is eliminated beforehand, then accurate determination can be performed quickly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of liquid refrigerant accumulation in the accumulator before initiating the refrigerant quantity determination process. If accumulation is detected, the system executes elimination control to remove the liquid refrigerant beforehand, ensuring accurate determination can proceed without time-consuming evaporation delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the accumulator state through temperature and pressure sensors, providing feedback to the control unit. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect liquid refrigerant accumulation and automatically adjust operation to eliminate it before determination, resolving the contradiction between speed and accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If liquid refrigerant accumulates in the accumulator on the low pressure side, then the refrigerant quantity determination on the high pressure side becomes erroneous, but eliminating the accumulation requires additional control operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its existing temperature and pressure sensors along with normal operation data to automatically detect and eliminate liquid refrigerant accumulation. The control unit processes sensor information and adjusts expansion valve opening or compressor operation to eliminate accumulation, allowing the system to self-correct without external intervention or complex additional hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as expansion valve opening degree or compressor suction pressure to eliminate liquid refrigerant accumulation. By adjusting these parameters, the system transforms the accumulator operation mode to prevent or remove liquid accumulation, ensuring accurate refrigerant quantity determination.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables rapid and accurate determination of the proper refrigerant quantity, reducing errors and time consumption during the refrigerant quantity determination process.
Implementation Method 1
the heat source-side heat exchanger is caused to function as a condenser of refrigerant compressed in the compressor
Implementation Method 2
the utilization-side heat exchanger is caused to function as an evaporator of refrigerant condensed in the heat source-side heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
refrigerant compressed in the compressor
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit, an operation controlling device and a liquid refrigerant accumulation determining device. The refrigerant circuit has an accumulator. The operation controlling device performs normal operation control where each device of the heat source unit and the utilization unit are controlled in accordance with operating load of the utilization unit, and refrigerant quantity determination operation control where properness of quantity of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is determined while performing the cooling operation. The liquid refrigerant accumulation determining device determines whether or not liquid refrigerant is accumulating in the accumulator. When it has been determined that liquid refrigerant is accumulating in the accumulator, liquid refrigerant accumulation control is performed to eliminate liquid refrigerant accumulation in the accumulator.