Patents by Inventor Yuji Motomura
Yuji Motomura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20220373233Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat source-side system having an intermediate heat exchanger that causes heat exchange to be performed between a heat source-side heat medium and a use-side heat medium, causes the heat source-side heat medium to receive or transfer heat, and causes the use-side heat medium to undergo a phase change; and a use-side cycle circuit formed of pipes connecting, to one another, the intermediate heat exchanger, a pump that sucks and delivers the use-side heat medium in a liquid state, a use-side heat exchanger that heats or cools air in an air-conditioning target space due to heat exchange causing a change in phase of the use-side heat medium, and a pressure-reducing device that reduces a pressure of the use-side heat medium that passes through the use-side heat exchanger, the use-side cycle circuit causing the use-side heat medium to circulate through the use-side cycle circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2020Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Soshi IKEDA, Jun NISHIO, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Yuji MOTOMURA
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Patent number: 11421907Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus has a first mode and a second mode as operation modes. In the first mode, a degree of opening of a first flow rate adjustment valve is fixed to a first degree of opening smaller than 100% and greater than 0%, and an operation frequency of a compressor is varied in accordance with air conditioning performance required of a third heat exchanger. In the second mode, the degree of opening of the first flow rate adjustment valve is varied in accordance with air conditioning performance required of the third heat exchanger. When a difference between the air conditioning performance required of the third heat exchanger and air conditioning performance offered by the third heat exchanger becomes greater than a determination value, the operation mode is changed from the first mode to the second mode.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2018Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
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Patent number: 11397035Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between a first heat medium and a second heat medium, flow rate control valves, and a pump. In a heating mode, a controller is configured to open the flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger, of the third heat exchangers, to which a request for air conditioning has been made, and to close the flow rate control valve(s) corresponding to a heat exchanger(s), of the third heat exchangers, to which the request for air conditioning has not been made. In a defrosting mode, when a temperature of the second heat medium is lower than a first determination temperature, the controller is configured to open at least one of the flow rate control valve(s) corresponding to the heat exchanger(s) to which the request for air conditioning has not been made.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2018Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
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Publication number: 20220205662Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a refrigerant flow switching device, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion device, a heat medium heat exchanger, and an accumulator are connected, a heat medium circuit in which a pump, the heat medium heat exchanger, a heat medium flow control device, and a load side heat exchanger are connected, at least one or more bypass pipes provided in the refrigerant circuit so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor bypasses at least either one of the heat source side heat exchanger and the heat medium heat exchanger, a bypass opening and closing device provided at the bypass pipe, and a controller configured to control the bypass opening and closing device to carry out a start-up control function of causing low-pressure gas refrigerant with a high degree of superheat to flow into the accumulator.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2019Publication date: June 30, 2022Inventors: Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Hiroyuki OKANO, Naomichi TAMURA
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Publication number: 20220163239Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat-source-side device that heats or cools a heat medium; a pump that sucks and transfers the heat medium; use-side heat exchangers; a heat medium circuit; flow rate control devices; indoor-side pressure sensors; a pump inlet-side pressure sensor and/or a pump outlet-side pressure sensor; a flow rate detection device that detects a pump flow rate; and a controller that performs a first operation in which the flow rate control devices are individually opened or closed and data regarding a flow passage resistance at a path related to each of the heat exchangers is obtained, and a second operation in which heat is supplied to indoor air, and calculates calculate flow rates of the heat medium that flows through the heat exchangers in the second operation, from pump flow rates and pressures detected by the pressure sensors in the first and second operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2019Publication date: May 26, 2022Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Jun NISHIO, Soshi IKEDA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA
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Patent number: 11333388Abstract: When a state in which a driving voltage of a pump is set to an upper limit voltage and an opening degree of at least one of a plurality of flow rate control valves is set to a maximum opening degree continues for a first determination time period, an operation frequency of a compressor is raised at a first time so as to increase an amount of heat exchange by a second heat exchanger. When an operation stop request is input, or an indoor temperature reaches a set temperature, in at least one of a plurality of third heat exchangers after the first time, the operation frequency of the compressor is lowered or the driving voltage of the pump is lowered.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2018Date of Patent: May 17, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Naoki Kato, Yuji Motomura, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki
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Patent number: 11326799Abstract: A controller has a timer operation mode in which the operation of a refrigeration cycle that operates as a heat source or a cold source is started before a set operation start time of an indoor fan by a preliminary operation time period. In the timer operation mode, the controller calculates a heat capacity of water or brine, calculates a heat storage amount of a second heat medium from a temperature detected by a temperature sensor and the heat capacity, and determines the preliminary operation time period from the heat storage amount. By determining the preliminary operation time period in this manner, timer operation can be performed such that air at an appropriate temperature is blown from an indoor unit at the operation start time of the indoor fan, from the initial time at which an air conditioning apparatus is installed.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2018Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takuya Matsuda, Naofumi Takenaka, Kimitaka Kadowaki, Yuji Motomura
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Patent number: 11326804Abstract: An air-conditioning system includes a plurality of indoor units; a relay unit including an intermediate heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between refrigerant and a heat medium; and a heat source unit configured to supply cooling energy or heating energy to each of the plurality of indoor units via the relay unit. The heat source unit and the relay unit are connected by a heat-source connection pipe through which the refrigerant flows, and the relay unit and the plurality of indoor units are connected by a load connection pipe through which the heat medium flows. The load connection pipe comprises a main pipe connecting between the relay unit and one of the indoor units provided at an end of the load connection pipe opposite to the relay unit. The main pipe has branch parts associated with the indoor units.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2018Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Naofumi Takenaka, Hiroki Washiyama, Yuji Motomura, Kimitaka Kadowaki
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Patent number: 11313595Abstract: An air-conditioning system includes a heat source side refrigerant circuit in which a heat source side heat exchanger is provided, a load side heat medium circuit in which a load side heat exchanger is provided, an intermediate heat exchanger, and a heat medium sealing. The heat medium sealing mechanism includes a supply port through which the heat medium and gas flow, the gas being more soluble in the heat medium than air, a discharge port through which the gas pushed by the heat medium is discharged, and a flow straightener that is connected to the load side heat medium circuit in such a manner that, when the gas is supplied, the gas flows from the supply port to the discharge port, and when the heat medium is supplied, the heat medium flows from the supply port to the discharge port.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2017Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Naofumi Takenaka, Yuji Motomura, Osamu Morimoto
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Publication number: 20220090815Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat source unit that generates a heating energy or a cooling energy that is transferred to refrigerant; a heat-use unit that causes the refrigerant to transfer the heating energy or the cooling energy to a heat load through heat exchange between the refrigerant and the heat load; a plurality of return pipes arranged parallel to each other and connecting the heat source unit and the heat-use unit to allow the refrigerant to flow therein from the heat-use unit to the heat source unit; an opening and closing device provided at at least one of the return pipes to control a flow rate of refrigerant; and a controller that opens the opening and closing device in a cooling operation, and closes the opening and closing device in a heating operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2019Publication date: March 24, 2022Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Kazuya HONDA, Soshi IKEDA, Jun NISHIO, Yuki MIZUNO, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Kosuke TANAKA
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Publication number: 20220090812Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes a plurality of third heat exchangers and flow rate control valves. In a heating mode, a controller opens a flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger that is being requested to perform air conditioning of the plurality of third heat exchangers, and closes a flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger that is not being requested to perform air conditioning of the plurality of third heat exchangers. In a defrosting mode, when a temperature of a second heat medium is lower than a first determination temperature, the controller opens a flow rate control valve corresponding to at least one of the heat exchangers that are not being requested to perform air conditioning. The at least one of the heat exchangers is assigned a higher priority than a remaining heat exchanger that is not being requested to perform air conditioning.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2019Publication date: March 24, 2022Inventors: Naoki KATO, Yuji MOTOMURA, Kimitaka KADOWAKI
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Publication number: 20220082283Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes: a second heat exchanger; a plurality of third heat exchangers; and a plurality of flow rate control valves. In a defrosting mode, when a heat exchanger that is not being requested to perform air conditioning includes a first device having a set temperature lower than or equal to a current room temperature and a second device which is set so as not to perform air conditioning, a controller is configured to control a first flow rate control valve corresponding to the first device and a second flow rate control valve corresponding to the second device such that a degree of opening of the first flow rate control valve is higher than or equal to a degree of opening of the second flow rate control valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2019Publication date: March 17, 2022Inventors: Naoki KATO, Yuji MOTOMURA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Kimitaka KADOWAKI
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Publication number: 20220057100Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes a primary-side circuit in which a compressor, a first flow switching device, an outdoor heat exchanger, a second flow switching device, a first expansion device, and a relay heat exchanger are connected by pipes and in which refrigerant circulates; a secondary-side circuit in which the relay heat exchanger, a pump, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers, and heat medium flow control devices are connected by pipes and in which a heat medium circulates; and a controller configured to control the first and second flow switching devices such that in cooling and heating operations, the refrigerant and a heat-source-side fluid flow through the outdoor heat exchanger in opposite directions and the refrigerant flows through the relay heat exchanger in a constant direction. The pump is installed such that the heat medium, the refrigerant flow, and air for an air-conditioning target space flow in particular directions.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2019Publication date: February 24, 2022Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Soshi IKEDA, Kazuya HONDA, Jun NISHIO, Yuki MIZUNO, Katsuhiro ISHIMURA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Kosuke TANAKA
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Publication number: 20210372655Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a heat medium circulation circuit, a heat-source-side device, and a voltage drop device. In the heat medium circulation circuit, a pump, an indoor heat exchanger, and a flow control device are connected by pipes to circulate the heat medium. The pump sends a heat medium that contains water or brine and transfers heat. The indoor heat exchanger causes heat exchange to be performed between the heat medium and an indoor air in an air-conditioned space. The flow control device controls a flow rate of the heat medium in the indoor heat exchanger. The heat-source-side device heats or cools the heat medium before the heat medium is sent to the indoor heat exchanger. The voltage drop device reduces a voltage that is applied to the pump based on a value of a current that is supplied to the pump, in association with a flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium circulation circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2018Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Koji FURUYA, Kimitaka KADOWAKI, Koji AZUMA, Yuji MOTOMURA, Yasushi OKOSHI
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Patent number: 11156391Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a heat source unit configured to supply refrigerant, a first distribution unit and a second distribution unit respectively connected to the heat source unit, and a distribution pipe located between the heat source unit and the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit for distributing the refrigerant flowing from the heat source unit into the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit. Further, the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit individually include a heat exchanger configured to serve as a condenser. Further, if the refrigerant flowing through the distribution pipe is unevenly distributed into the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit, a degree of subcooling at an outlet of the heat exchanger of one of the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit of which the distributed refrigerant is of high quality is increased.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2015Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Kensaku Hatanaka, Yuji Motomura
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Patent number: 11143439Abstract: A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a gas leakage sensor and a control device. When refrigerant leakage is detected by the gas leakage sensor, the control device performs a first mode operation to operate a compressor in such a state that a four-way valve is set to a cooling operation state, an expansion valve is opened, and a first shutoff valve is closed. After performing the first mode operation, the control device performs a second mode operation to operate the compressor in such a state that the four-way valve is set to a heating operation state and the first shutoff valve is closed.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2017Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takuya Matsuda, Makoto Wada, Yuji Motomura, Katsuhiro Ishimura
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Publication number: 20210310688Abstract: When heating is being performed, and a temperature detected by a temperature sensor is lower than a first determination value, a controller opens the flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger, of the third heat exchangers, to which a request for air conditioning has not been made, and closes the flow rate control valve corresponding to a heat exchanger, of the third heat exchangers, to which the request for air conditioning has been made. When heating is being performed, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a second determination value, the controller opens the flow rate control valve corresponding to the heat exchanger to which the request for air conditioning has been made, and closes the flow rate control valve corresponding to the heat exchanger to which the request for air conditioning has not been made.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2018Publication date: October 7, 2021Inventors: Naoki KATO, Yuji MOTOMURA, Naofumi TAKENAKA, Kimitaka KADOWAKI
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Publication number: 20210302046Abstract: An air-conditioning apparatus includes: a heat medium circulation circuit including: a heat medium device, a heat medium pipe, a pump, a heat medium detection unit, and a controller includes a count unit to count an air-conditioning operation time and count a pump operation time based on heat medium detection information of the heat medium detection unit, a storage unit storing a set air-conditioning time and a set pump time, a comparison unit to compare the air-conditioning operation time with the set air-conditioning time and compare the pump operation time with the set pump time, and a device control unit to control driving of the pump so that the pump operation time reaches or exceeds the set pump time when the air-conditioning operation time is longer than or equal to the set air-conditioning time and the pump operation time is shorter than the set pump time.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2018Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Naoto ISHII, Yuji MOTOMURA, Kimitaka KADOWAKI
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Patent number: 11118821Abstract: A space in which an indoor unit is disposed has its corresponding refrigerant leakage sensor. A remote control for the indoor unit has its corresponding information output device for notifying the user of information visually and/or aurally. When the refrigerant leakage sensor detects a leakage of refrigerant, an alarm outputs a warning sound and a safety measure device is activated. Further, the information output device outputs guidance information for notifying the user action to be taken after the safety measure device takes the safety measure. After outputting the guidance information, the information output device stops outputting the guidance information in response to completion of the user action.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2017Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takuya Matsuda, Makoto Wada, Yuji Motomura, Katsuhiro Ishimura
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Publication number: 20210215383Abstract: A relay includes a first relay unit and a second relay unit provided between an outdoor unit and an indoor unit to allow refrigerant to circulate between the first relay unit and the outdoor unit and between the second relay unit and the outdoor unit, and a heat medium circuit connecting the first relay unit and the second relay unit to the indoor unit to allow a heat medium to circulate through the heat medium circuit. The second relay unit is installed above or on a top of the first relay unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2018Publication date: July 15, 2021Inventors: Nobuhiro WADA, Kimitaka KADOWAKI, Yuji MOTOMURA, Yasushi OKOSHI