Air Conditioner Refrigerant Charge Check Using Stored Test-State Values
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-type air conditioners, the accuracy of determining the adequacy of refrigerant quantity is compromised due to inconsistencies in initial refrigerant charging and fluctuations in reference operation state quantities caused by varying pipe lengths, unit combinations, and installation heights, leading to inaccurate assessments even when refrigerant is charged to the prescribed quantity.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerant quantity determining system that includes a state quantity storing means and a refrigerant quantity determining means, which performs a test operation to store operation state quantities during initial refrigerant charging and compares these with current values to accurately assess the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity, and optionally adjusts for different operating conditions using control variables and correction formulas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional reference values are used for determining refrigerant quantity, then the determination process is simple, but the accuracy degrades due to inconsistencies in initial charging and fluctuations from varying installation conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a test operation after installation to preliminarily capture operation state quantities under actual installation conditions. These captured values are stored as reference values before normal operation begins, ensuring the reference values reflect the specific installation scenario rather than using generic predetermined values.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously compares current operation state quantities with the stored reference values during normal operation. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic determination of refrigerant quantity adequacy, allowing the system to detect deviations from the expected state and trigger appropriate responses.
2Measurement precision
If test operation is performed after installation to capture actual operation state quantities, then the accuracy of refrigerant quantity determination improves, but the installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The test operation is performed as a preliminary step immediately after installation and before the system is handed over to the user. This timing ensures that the reference values are captured under actual installation conditions without delaying the start of normal operation, as the test operation is efficiently integrated into the installation process.
3Measurement precision
If reference values are adjusted for different pipe lengths, unit combinations, and installation heights, then the accuracy improves, but the complexity of determining appropriate reference values increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically captures operation state quantities during the test operation and stores them as reference values without requiring manual adjustment or calculation. The system self-adapts to the specific installation conditions by using the actual measured values from that installation, eliminating the need for complex manual determination of appropriate reference values for different pipe lengths, unit combinations, and installation heights.
Data Source
AI summary
In a multi-type air conditioner, the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity charged in the air conditioner can be accurately determined, even when the refrigerant quantity charged on site is inconsistent, or even when a reference value of the operation state quantity, which is used for determining the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity, fluctuates depending on the pipe length of the refrigerant communication pipe, combination of utilization units, and the difference in the installation height among each unit. In an air conditioner (1) including a refrigerant circuit (10) configured by the interconnection of a heat source unit (2) and utilization units (4, 5) via refrigerant communication pipes (6, 7), a refrigerant quantity determining system determines the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity and includes a state quantity storing means and a refrigerant quantity determining means. The state quantity storing means stores the operation state quantity of constituent equipment or the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit (10) in which refrigerant is charged up to an initial refrigerant quantity by on-site refrigerant charging. The refrigerant quantity determining means compares the operation state quantity during test operation as a reference value with a current value of the operation state quantity, and thereby determines the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity.