Air Conditioning Valve Sticking Prevention via Periodic Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air conditioning apparatuses suffer from sticking of opening and closing devices due to prolonged inactivity, leading to ineffective operation during refrigerant leakage, resulting in increased refrigerant leakage from indoor units.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a controller that periodically opens and closes the opening and closing devices even when no refrigerant leakage is detected, to prevent sticking and ensure easy operation during leaks, by managing the refrigerant flow and pressure in the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the opening and closing device is kept closed only when refrigerant leakage occurs, then refrigerant leakage is suppressed, but the device may stick due to prolonged inactivity
Solution Approach 1:
The controller executes a sticking prevention operation that periodically opens and closes the opening and closing device at predetermined intervals even when no refrigerant leakage is detected. This periodic actuation prevents the device from sticking by ensuring it moves regularly, while the device remains closed during actual leakage events to suppress refrigerant loss.
2Reliability
If the opening and closing device is actuated frequently to prevent sticking, then sticking is suppressed, but device complexity and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The controller monitors detection results from refrigerant leakage detection and uses this feedback to intelligently control the opening and closing device. The device is closed when leakage is detected and opened/closed periodically when no leakage is present, optimizing both reliability and control simplicity through condition-based operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
An air conditioning apparatus suppresses sticking of an opening and closing device and suppresses an amount of refrigerant leakage from an indoor unit. In an air conditioning apparatus 1 including an outdoor unit 20 having a compressor 201, an indoor unit 30 having a use side heat exchanger 301, a refrigerant pipes 11, 12, 13, and 14 connecting the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30, opening and closing devices 101 and 102 disposed in the refrigerant pipes 13 and 14, and a controller 100, the controller 100 executes a sticking prevention operation in which the opening and closing devices 101 and 102 are opened and closed when a refrigerant is not leaking.