Abstract: In an air-conditioning system including a thermal storage heat exchanger, a refrigerant circuit is configured such that an indoor heat exchanger and a receiver communicate with the thermal storage heat exchanger when an operational mode of the refrigerant circuit is switched to a cooling operation in which the thermal storage heat exchanger serves as a radiator and the indoor heat exchanger serves as an evaporator.

Abstract: An air-conditioning system includes a refrigerant circuit configured to perform a refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant circuit connects a compressor, a utilization-side heat exchanger that performs air conditioning of an indoor space, and a thermal storage heat exchanger. The air-conditioning system executes a first operation in accordance with a reduction command to reduce commercial power consumption in a whole of the air-conditioning system. The first operation allows the utilization-side heat exchanger to perform air conditioning using the thermal storage heat exchanger as a heat source. The air-conditioning system includes a power reduction section configured to perform a first control in synchronization with timing of a start of the first operation. The first control makes the commercial power consumption in the whole of the air-conditioning system equal to or lower than a first value.

Abstract: In an air-conditioning system including a thermal storage heat exchanger, a refrigerant circuit is configured such that an indoor heat exchanger and a receiver communicate with the thermal storage heat exchanger when an operational mode of the refrigerant circuit is switched to a cooling operation in which the thermal storage heat exchanger serves as a radiator and the indoor heat exchanger serves as an evaporator.

Abstract: The control section implements: a utilization cooling operation in which the thermal storage medium absorbs heat from the refrigerant and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the receiving section receives a first signal indicating a request for reduced use of power during an operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger; and a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the thermal storage medium and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the receiving section receives a second signal indicating a request for accelerated use of power during the operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger.

Abstract: To avoid decline in the efficiency of a compressor at a low load, a thermal storage air conditioner has a refrigerant circuit (11) which has a compressor (22), an outdoor heat exchanger (23), and an indoor heat exchanger (72) and performs a refrigeration cycle, and a thermal storage section (60) which has a thermal storage medium and exchanges heat between the thermal storage medium and a refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit (11). The thermal storage air conditioner performs a simple cooling operation in which in the refrigerant circuit (11), the refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger (23) and evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger (72), and a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which in the refrigerant circuit (11), the refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger (23) and evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger (72), and in which the thermal storage medium in the thermal storage section (60) is cooled by the refrigerant.

Abstract: To avoid decline in the efficiency of a compressor at a low load, the thermal storage air conditioner has an operation controller which, if a rotational speed of the compressor is slowed down to a predetermined lower reference value in a simple cooling operation, switches operation of the thermal storage air conditioner from the simple cooling operation to a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation to increase the rotational speed of the compressor. During the simple cooling operation refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger and evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, and during a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation the refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger, evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, and the thermal storage medium in the thermal storage section is cooled by the refrigerant.

Abstract: To avoid decline in the efficiency of a compressor at a low load, a thermal storage air conditioner has a refrigerant circuit (11) which has a compressor (22), an outdoor heat exchanger (23), and an indoor heat exchanger (72) and performs a refrigeration cycle, and a thermal storage section (60) which has a thermal storage medium and exchanges heat between the thermal storage medium and a refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit (11). The thermal storage air conditioner performs a simple cooling operation in which in the refrigerant circuit (11), the refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger (23) and evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger (72), and a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which in the refrigerant circuit (11), the refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger (23) and evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger (72), and in which the thermal storage medium in the thermal storage section (60) is cooled by the refrigerant.

Abstract: An air conditioner disclosed herein includes a cooling/heating module including a thermoelastic material and an actuator applying tension to the thermoelastic material and a switching control section selectively applying or removing tension to/from the thermoelastic material.

Abstract: A cooling/heating, module configured to cool and heat air includes: first and second cooling/heating sections (20a, 20b), each having a thermoelastic material (21); and an actuator (22) applying tension to the thermoelastic material (21). The actuator (22) is configured to alternately perform the operation of applying tension to the thermoelastic material (21) of the first cooling/heating section (20a) and removing tension from the thermoelastic material (21) of the second cooling/heating section (20b) and the operation of applying tension to the thermoelastic material (21) of the second cooling/heating section (20b) and removing tension from the thermoelastic material (21) of the first cooling/heating section (20a).

Abstract: To avoid decline in the efficiency of a compressor at a low load, a thermal storage air conditioner has a refrigerant circuit (11) which has a compressor (22), an outdoor heat exchanger (23), and an indoor heat exchanger (72) and performs a refrigeration cycle, and a thermal storage section (60) which has a thermal storage medium and exchanges heat between the thermal storage medium and a refrigerant of the refrigerant circuit (11). The thermal storage air conditioner performs a simple cooling operation in which in the refrigerant circuit (11), the refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger (23) and evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger (72), and a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which in the refrigerant circuit (11), the refrigerant is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger (23) and evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger (72), and in which the thermal storage medium in the thermal storage section (60) is cooled by the refrigerant.

Abstract: The control section implements: a utilization cooling operation in which the thermal storage medium absorbs heat from the refrigerant and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the receiving section receives a first signal indicating a request for reduced use of power during an operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger; and a cooling and cold thermal energy storage operation in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the thermal storage medium and in which the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger, when the receiving section receives a second signal indicating a request for accelerated use of power during the operation in which the room is cooled by the refrigerant evaporating in the indoor heat exchanger.

Abstract: A cooling/heating module configured to cool and heat air includes: first and second cooling/heating sections, each comprising a thermoelastic material; and an actuator applying tension to the thermoelastic material. The actuator is configured to alternately perform the operation of applying tension to the thermoelastic material of the first cooling/heating section and removing tension from the thermoelastic material of the second cooling/heating section and the operation of applying tension to the thermoelastic material of the second cooling/heating section and removing tension from the thermoelastic material of the first cooling/heating section.

Abstract: An air conditioner disclosed herein includes a cooling/heating module including a thermoelastic material and an actuator applying tension to the thermoelastic material and a switching control section selectively applying or removing tension to/from the thermoelastic material.

Abstract: A refrigerant circuit performs a cool storage operation in which a thermal storage medium is circulated such that a refrigerant having been condensed in an air heat exchanger and passed through an auxiliary heat exchanger is evaporated in the thermal storage heat exchanger. In a thermal storage circuit during the cool storage operation of the refrigerant circuit, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from an outlet of a thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, a retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into an inlet of the thermal storage tank. The retention portion retains crystals contained in the thermal storage medium.

Abstract: A wall-mounted air conditioning indoor unit includes a casing, and an air flow direction adjustment unit with plural guide blades positioned between right and left side walls of the outlet passage of the casing. A first of the guide blades is positioned closest to a predetermined side wall of the right and left side walls. In a state in which the first guide blade is postured closer to the predetermined side wall as the first guide blade extends on a downstream side, first and second gaps are formed between first and second sections of the first guide blade and the predetermined side wall, respectively. The first section is part of an end portion of the first blade on the downstream side. The second section is outside the first section. The first gap is equal to or less than 10 mm. The second gap is greater than 10 mm.

Abstract: An air conditioner indoor unit has a box-shaped body casing 1. A pair of air inlet ports 5 are formed in a front surface of the body casing 1. A pair of air outlet ports 7 are formed on both sides of each of the air inlet ports 5. A pair of air passages 6 are each formed in the body casing 1 and extend from the corresponding air inlet port 5 toward the air outlet ports 7. Turbofans 8 are arranged in the body casing 1 in correspondence with the air inlet ports 5. A pair of heat exchangers 9 are arranged on both sides of each of the turbofans 8 in correspondence with the associated two air outlet ports 7. A drain pan 15 is arranged below the heat exchangers 9 and the turbofans 8. Refrigerant pipes 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, which connect the heat exchangers 9 to each other, are received in the drain pan 15.

Abstract: The heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer tubes 1, 1 . . . arranged in parallel, and a multiplicity of mesh-form fins 2, 2 . . . arranged parallel to axes of the tubes and joined to the heat transfer tubes 1, 1 . . . . Each of the heat transfer tubes 1 consists of a pair of tube component members 4, 4 of a half cylindrical configuration having, at their respective circumferential ends, joining flanges 4a, 4b extending along the axis of the tube. The opposed joining flanges 4a, 4b of the tube component members 4, 4 are joined together by being pressed against the fins 2, 2 from outer side thereof. This provides for improvement in operating efficiency in the process of assembling heat transfer tubes and mesh-form fins together.