Abstract: An error in judgment due to the difference in the temperature of the refrigerant at an outlet of a condenser is reduced when judging the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity. An air conditioner (1) includes a refrigerant circuit (10), operation controlling means, and refrigerant quantity judging means. The refrigerant circuit (10) is configured by the interconnection of a compressor (21), an outdoor heat exchanger (23), a subcooler (25), an indoor expansion valve (41, 51), and an indoor heat exchanger (42, 52). The operation controlling means can perform a refrigerant quantity judging operation in which performance of the subcooler (25) is controlled such that the temperature of the refrigerant sent from the subcooler (25) to the indoor expansion valve (41, 51) becomes constant.

Abstract: An air conditioner performs a refrigerant quantity judging operation to judge the refrigerant quantity in a refrigerant circuit, and includes a heat source unit, utilization units, expansion mechanisms, a first refrigerant gas pipe, a second refrigerant gas pipe, a refrigerant liquid pipe, switching mechanisms, bypass circuits, bypass circuit opening/closing element, and a controller. The switching mechanism can switch between a first state and a second state. The bypass circuit opening/closing element are provided in the bypass circuits that bypass the first refrigerant gas pipe to the second refrigerant gas pipe, and open and close the bypass circuits. The controller opens the bypass circuit opening/closing element before performing the refrigerant quantity judging operation.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: An air conditioning device has a heat source unit and a utilization unit connected via a refrigerant connection pipe to form a refrigerant circuit, and has a cooler, a secondary receiver, and a separation membrane device. The cooler cools at least a portion of the refrigerant that flows through the liquid-side refrigerant circuit as the compressor is operated and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is recirculated. The secondary receiver separates the refrigerant cooled by the cooler into a liquid refrigerant and a gas refrigerant that includes non-condensable gas. The separation membrane device has a separation membrane for separating the non-condensable gas from the gas refrigerant obtained by gas-liquid separation, and discharges the non-condensable gas thus separated to the outside of the refrigerant circuit.

Abstract: The capacity of a compressor (21) in cleaning operation is set based on a Froude number Fr. The Froude number Fr expresses a ratio of an inertial force of a gas refrigerant flowing through a gas side communication pipe (70) to a gravity working on a liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70). The capacity of the compressor (21) in the cleaning operation is set so that the Froude number Fr is larger than 1, whereby the inertial force of the gas refrigerant flowing through the gas side communication pipe (70) becomes larger than the gravity working on the liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70) which contains mineral oil and foreign matters. In this connection, the liquid containing the mineral oil and the foreign matters is pushed up by the gas refrigerant even in a perpendicularly extending portion of the gas side communication pipe (70).

Abstract: An air conditioning system includes a heat source unit, an air supply device, and a heating medium circuit. The heat source unit heats a heating medium that is used for heating the room. The air supply device supplies outdoor air to the room as ventilation air. The heating medium circuit includes at least one room heating device that releases the heat of the heating medium, and an outdoor air heating device that heats the ventilation air with the heat of the heating medium. The heating medium circuit circulates the heating medium between among the room heating device, the outdoor air heating device, and the heating medium—refrigerant heat exchanger.

Abstract: An air conditioning system includes a heat source unit, an air supply device that supplies the outside air to the room as the ventilation air, a water supply type humidifier for humidifying the ventilation air, a heating medium circuit, and a supply water heating device. The heat source unit heats a heating medium that is used for heating the room in a heating medium—refrigerant heat exchanger. The heating medium circuit includes at least one room heating device that releases the heat of the heating medium heated in the heating medium—refrigerant heat exchanger into the room, and circulates the heating medium between the room heating device and the heating medium—refrigerant heat exchanger. The supply water heating device uses the heat generated from the heat source unit in order to heat water to be used in the humidifier.

Abstract: The separation efficiency of non-condensable gas in the separation membrane is enhanced in a refrigeration device provided with a configuration whereby non-condensable gas remaining in the refrigerant connection pipes at the time of on-site installation can be separated and removed from a state of mixture with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit using a separation membrane. An air conditioning device 1 comprises a heat source unit (2) and a utilization unit (5) connected via a refrigerant connection pipe (6, 7) to form a refrigerant circuit (10), and has a cooler (32), a secondary receiver (33), and a separation membrane device (34). The cooler (32) cools at least a portion of the refrigerant that flows through the liquid-side refrigerant circuit (11) as the compressor (21) is operated and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit (10) is recirculated.

Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus utilizes a separation membrane to separate and eliminate a noncondensable gas from a refrigerant inside a refrigerant circuit. The refrigeration apparatus has a gas separation apparatus. The gas separation apparatus includes a separation membrane apparatus connected to a liquid side refrigerant circuit that connects a heat source side heat exchanger and a utilization side heat exchanger. The separation membrane apparatus has a separation membrane that separates from the refrigerant and discharges out of the liquid side refrigerant circuit the noncondensable gas remaining in a refrigerant connecting pipe.

Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus is provided with a vapor compression type refrigerant circuit. With this apparatus, reliability from the standpoint of the pipe cleaning mode of the apparatus is improved. The air conditioning system has a main refrigerant circuit that has a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, and a user-side heat exchanger. The air conditioning system also has a contaminant collecting device provided on the intake side of the compressor (21). The contaminant collecting device is equipped with a contaminant collecting container, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a main opening/closing device. The contaminant collecting container separates contaminants from refrigerant flowing in the intake gas pipe toward the compressor when the refrigerant is directed through it. The inlet and outlet pipes are each provided with a return preventing shape for preventing contaminants that have accumulated inside the pipes from returning to the intake gas pipe.

Abstract: A refrigeration system comprises a refrigerant circuit (10) in which a compressor (21), an outdoor heat exchanger (24) and an indoor heat exchanger (33) are connected to operate on a refrigeration cycle, and an oil recovery container (40) connected to the suction side of the compressor (21), and carries out a recovery operation for circulating refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit (10) to recover oil into the recovery container (40). The refrigeration system further comprises: a compressor control section (50) for stepwise increasing the operating capacity of the compressor (21) in an initial stage of the recovery operation so that the refrigerant temperature in the low pressure side of the refrigerant circuit (10) reaches or exceeds a predetermined value; and a fan control section (70) for continuously driving an indoor fan (33a) at least during a time period when the compressor (21) is driven.

Abstract: Disposed is a contaminant recovery receptacle (40) which is connected, through an inflow pipe (42) and an outflow pipe (43), to the suction side of a compressor (21). The inflow pipe (42) has an exit end which opens towards the inner bottom of the recovery receptacle (40). The outflow pipe (43) has an entrance end which is situated above the exit end of the inflow pipe (42) in the recovery receptacle (40). Firstly, a preliminary operation is carried out which causes refrigerant to circulate in a refrigerant circuit (10) for a predetermined length of time so that gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flows into the recovery receptacle (40). Thereafter, a recovery operation is carried out, which causes refrigerant to circulate in the refrigerant circuit (10) so that gas refrigerant flows into the recovery receptacle (40). As a result, contaminants are recovered in the recovery receptacle (40).

Abstract: The capacity of a compressor (21) in cleaning operation is set based on a Froude number Fr. The Froude number Fr expresses a ratio of an inertial force of a gas refrigerant flowing through a gas side communication pipe (70) to a gravity working on a liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70). The capacity of the compressor (21) in the cleaning operation is set so that the Froude number Fr is larger than 1, whereby the inertial force of the gas refrigerant flowing through the gas side communication pipe (70) becomes larger than the gravity working on the liquid in the gas side communication pipe (70) which contains mineral oil and foreign matters. In this connection, the liquid containing the mineral oil and the foreign matters is pushed up by the gas refrigerant even in a perpendicularly extending portion of the gas side communication pipe (70).

Abstract: A method is disclosed that makes it possible to reduce the amount of refrigerant used and shorten the amount of time over which the new air conditioner must be run in a refrigerant pipe washing mode when an air conditioner that used a mineral-oil-based refrigerant oil is updated to or replaced with an air conditioner using an HFC refrigerant as the working refrigerant and the existing refrigerant piping is reused as is. Thus, the existing refrigerant piping of the air conditioner that used a mineral-oil-based refrigerant oil is reused in the air conditioner that uses an HFC refrigerant as the working refrigerant, the by washing the refrigerant piping using a cleaning agent comprising an HFC refrigerant containing at least 40 wt % of R32 to remove residual refrigerant oil in the refrigerant piping.

Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus is provided with a vapor compression type refrigerant circuit. With this apparatus, reliability from the standpoint of the pipe cleaning mode of the apparatus is improved. The air conditioning system has a main refrigerant circuit that has a compressor, a heat-source-side heat exchanger, and a user-side heat exchanger. The air conditioning system also has a contaminant collecting device provided on the intake side of the compressor (21). The contaminant collecting device is equipped with a contaminant collecting container, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a main opening/closing device. The contaminant collecting container separates contaminants from refrigerant flowing in the intake gas pipe toward the compressor when the refrigerant is directed through it. The inlet and outlet pipes are each provided with a return preventing shape for preventing contaminants that have accumulated inside the pipes from returning to the intake gas pipe.

Abstract: A cycle-side system (20) is formed by duct connecting a compressor (21), a heat exchanger (30), a demoisturizer (22), and an expansion device (23) in that order. The compressor (21) draws in room air and supply air for ventilation and compresses the same. The compressed air exchanges heat with exhaust air for ventilation in the heat exchanger (30), thereby being cooled. Water vapor in the cooled, compressed air is removed in the demoisturizer (22). The demoisturizer (22) is provided with a separation membrane and separates water vapor in the compressed air without the occurrence of condensation. Thereafter, the compressed air is expanded in the expansion device (23) to change into low-temperature air. The low-temperature air is supplied into a room. On the other hand, the heat exchanger (30) is fed exhaust air cooled in a humidifying cooler (41).

Abstract: Water is used as a refrigerant, and a humidification cooler (41) which evaporates the water to generate cold heat and a dehumidifier (42) are provided. A compressor (50) which compresses water vapor separated by the dehumidifier (42) is provided. A moisture discharging device (60) which discharges water vapor compressed in the compressor (50) is provided. The compressor (50) is driven by a steam turbine (80) capable of generating rotational power from thermal energy.

Abstract: A water vapor separating section (20), a compressor (30), and a main heat exchanger (40) are connected in that order to form a cycle system (12). The inside of the water vapor separating section (20) is divided by a water vapor permeable membrane (21) into an air space (22) and a water vapor space (23). A mixture of ventilation exhaust air and outdoor air is delivered, as heat source air, to the water vapor space (23). Water vapor contained in the heat source air passes through the water vapor permeable membrane (21), thereby being separated from the heat source air. The water vapor separated is compressed in the compressor (30) and thereafter delivered to the main heat exchanger (40). In the main heat exchanger (40), the water vapor from the compressor (30) condenses and to-be-heated air in a utilization system (13) is heated by heat of condensation of the water vapor.

Abstract: In a refrigeration system (10), an evaporator (11) and a condenser (15) are each formed of a container-like member (55). The inside of the container-like member (55) is divided into a liquid side space (12, 16) and a gas side space (13, 17) by a moisture permeable membrane (14, 18). Both the gas side spaces (13, 17) are held in a predetermined reduced-pressure condition. Both the liquid side spaces (12, 16) are placed in an atmospheric pressure condition. Water vapor provided by evaporation of water in the liquid side space (12) of the evaporator (11) passes through the moisture permeable membrane (14) and moves to the gas side space (13). The water vapor in the gas side space (13) is sucked by a compressor (21) so as to be pumped to the gas side space (17) of the condenser (15). In the condenser (15), the water vapor in the gas side space (17) moves to the liquid side space (16) and then condensates therein.

Abstract: A cycle-side system (20) is formed by duct connecting a compressor (21), a heat exchanger (30), a demoisturizer (22), and an expansion device (23) in that order. The compressor (21) draws in room air and supply air for ventilation and compresses the same. The compressed air exchanges heat with exhaust air for ventilation in the heat exchanger (30), thereby being cooled. Water vapor in the cooled, compressed air is removed in the demoisturizer (22). The demoisturizer (22) is provided with a separation membrane and separates water vapor in the compressed air without the occurrence of condensation. Thereafter, the compressed air is expanded in the expansion device (23) to change into low-temperature air. The low-temperature air is supplied into a room. On the other hand, the heat exchanger (30) is fed exhaust air cooled in a humidifying cooler (41).