Daikin Industries, Ltd.

Michio Moriwaki

Masakazu Okamoto

Katsumi Sakitani

Eiji Kumakura

Tetsuya Okamoto

Hiroshi Yoh

Yume Inokuchi

Yoshinari Sasaki

Kazuhiro Furusho

Atsushi Yoshimi

Hiromune Matsuoka

Takuro Yamada

Ikuhiro Iwata

Junya Minami

Junichi Teraki

Tomoatsu Minamida

Mikio Kagawa

Akio Yoshimoto

A solid-state refrigeration apparatus includes a solid cooling structure, first and second heat exchangers, a heating medium circuit, a reciprocating conveying mechanism, and a thermal storage section. The solid cooling portion includes a solid refrigerant substance, an internal channel where the solid refrigerant substance is disposed, and an induction section configured to cause the solid refrigerant substance to produce a caloric effect. The heating medium circuit is connected to the first and second heat exchangers, and the internal channel. The heating medium heated by the solid cooling portion dissipates heat in the first heat exchanger and the heating medium cooled by the solid cooling portion absorbs heat in the second heat exchanger a heat application operation. Frost on the second heat exchanger is melted using the heat stored in the thermal storage section in a defrosting operation. The thermal storage section stores heat in the heat application operation.

Solid-state refrigeration apparatus

A refrigerant cycle system includes: a first refrigerant circuit that includes a first heat exchanger, a first compressor, and a first cascade heat exchanger and that is configured as a first vapor compression refrigeration cycle; a second refrigerant circuit that includes the first cascade heat exchanger, a second compressor, and a second heat exchanger and that is configured as a second vapor compression refrigeration cycle; a first unit that accommodates the first heat exchanger and the first compressor; a second unit that accommodates the first cascade heat exchanger and the second compressor; and a third unit that accommodates the second heat exchanger. The first unit, the second unit, and the third unit are disposed apart from each other. The first cascade heat exchanger performs heat exchange between a first refrigerant that flows through the first refrigerant circuit and a second refrigerant that flows through the second refrigerant circuit.

Refrigerant cycle system

An air conditioning system includes a heat pump unit including a radiator usable with a refrigerant, a gas furnace unit including a heating section arranged to heat passing air, a blower arranged to generate an air flow that passes through the radiator and the heating section, a first temperature sensor provided in a room, and a controller configured to control each action of the heat pump unit, the gas furnace unit, and the blower. The temperature sensor detects an indoor temperature in the room. The controller causes the gas furnace unit to operate as a heat source unit when a difference value obtained by subtracting the indoor temperature from a set temperature is equal to or greater than a first threshold at startup, and causes the heat pump unit to operate as a heat source unit when the difference value is less than the first threshold at startup.

Air conditioning system

An air conditioning system includes a heat pump having a refrigerant radiator, a gas furnace unit having a heating section to heat passing air, a blower generating air flow through the radiator and the heating section, and a controller controlling operation of the heat pump unit, the gas furnace unit, and the blower. The controller has a first operating mode in which the gas furnace unit operates alone as a heat source unit, a second operating mode in which the heat pump unit operates alone as a heat source unit, and a third operating mode in which the gas furnace unit and the heat pump unit operate at the same time as a heat source unit. The controller is configured to select the operating modes based on a parameter relating to outside air temperature that is the temperature of outside air.

An air conditioning system includes a heat pump unit including a radiator usable with a refrigerant, a gas furnace unit including a heating section arranged to heat passing air, a blower arranged to generate an air flow that passes through the radiator and the heating section, and a controller configured to control each action of the heat pump unit, the gas furnace unit, and the blower. The controller operates either the heat pump unit or the gas furnace unit as a heat source unit, generates a capacity command used to variably adjust operating capacity of the heat source unit, and executes switch control in order to switch the heat source unit from either one of the heat pump unit or the gas furnace unit to the other when an operating capacity level designated in the capacity command is within a predetermined numerical range for a predetermined time.

A rotary type expander is provided with two rotary mechanism parts which differ from each other in displacement volume. The outflow side of the first rotary mechanism part of small displacement volume is fluidly connected to the inflow side of the second rotary mechanism part of large displacement volume. The processes by which the volume of a first low-pressure chamber in the first rotary mechanism part decreases and the volume of a second high-pressure chamber in the second rotary mechanism part increases are respectively in sync. Refrigerant at high pressure is first introduced into a first high-pressure chamber of the first rotary mechanism part. Thereafter, this high-pressure refrigerant passes through a communicating passage and then flows by way of the first low-pressure chamber into the second high-pressure chamber while expanding. The after-expansion refrigerant flows out to an outflow port from a second low-pressure chamber of the second rotary mechanism part.

Rotary type expander and fluid machinery

A positive displacement expander includes a volume change mechanism () for changing the volume of a first fluid chamber () of an expansion mechanism (). The expansion mechanism () includes a first rotary mechanism () and a second rotary mechanism () each having a cylinder () containing a rotor (). The first fluid chamber () of the first rotary mechanism () and a second fluid chamber () of the second rotary mechanism () are in fluid communication with each other to form an actuation chamber (). Meanwhile, the first fluid chamber () of the first rotary mechanism () is smaller than the second fluid chamber () of the second rotary mechanism (). The volume change mechanism () includes an auxiliary chamber () fluidly communicating with the first fluid chamber () and an auxiliary piston () for changing the volume of the auxiliary chamber (). The auxiliary chamber () is in fluid communication with the first fluid chamber () of the first rotary mechanism ().

Expander

A first and a second expansion and compression machine () having different volume ratios (Vc/Ve) are connected in parallel to a refrigerant circuit () of a refrigeration apparatus. Expanders () of the expansion and compression machines () are connected in parallel. Compressors () of the expansion and compression machines () are also connected in parallel. Upon variation in the operating condition of the refrigeration apparatus, the ratio of rotation speed between the expansion and compression machines () is controlled by a controller (). This, as a result, allows the refrigeration apparatus to operate at a COP close to an ideal condition.

Refrigeration apparatus

An outdoor heat exchanger (), an indoor heat exchanger (), a compression/expansion unit (), and other circuit components are connected in a refrigerant circuit (). The compression/expansion unit () includes a compression mechanism (), an electric motor (), and an expansion mechanism (). In addition, the refrigerant circuit () has an injection pipeline (). When an injection valve () is opened, a portion of high pressure refrigerant after heat dissipation flows into the injection pipeline () and is introduced into an expansion chamber () of the expansion mechanism () in the process of expansion. In the expansion mechanism (), power is recovered from both high pressure refrigerant introduced into the expansion chamber () from an inflow port () and high pressure refrigerant introduced into the expansion chamber () from the injection pipeline ().

Refrigeration apparatus with expander control for improved coefficient of performance

Two rotary mechanism parts () are provided in a rotary expander (). The first rotary mechanism part () is smaller in displacement volume than the second rotary mechanism part (). A first low-pressure chamber () of the first rotary mechanism part () and a second high-pressure chamber () of the second rotary mechanism part () are fluidly connected together by a communicating passageway (), thereby forming a single expansion chamber (). High-pressure refrigerant introduced into the first rotary mechanism part () expands in the expansion chamber (). An injection passageway () is fluidly connected to the communicating passageway (). When an motor-operated valve () is placed in the open state, high-pressure refrigerant is introduced into the expansion chamber () also from the injection passageway (). This makes it possible to inhibit the drop in power recovery efficiency, even in the condition that causes the actual expansion ratio to fall below the design expansion ratio.

Rotary expander

In a compression/expansion unit () serving as a fluid machine, both a compression mechanism () and an expansion mechanism () are housed in a single casing (). An oil supply passageway () is formed in a shaft () by which the compression mechanism () and the expansion mechanism () are coupled together. Refrigeration oil accumulated in the bottom of the casing () is drawn up into the oil supply passageway () and is supplied to the compression mechanism () and to the expansion mechanism (). Surplus refrigeration oil, which is supplied to neither of the compression and expansion mechanisms () and (), is discharged out of the terminating end of the oil supply passageway () which opens at the upper end of the shaft (). Thereafter, the surplus refrigeration oil flows into an oil return pipe () from a lead-out hole () and is returned back towards a second space (). This reduces the amount of heat input to the fluid flowing through the expansion mechanism from the surplus refrigeration oil which has not been utilized to lubricate the compression and expansion mechanisms.

Fluid machine having reduced heat input to fluid

A refrigerant circuit () of a refrigeration apparatus is filled up with carbon dioxide as a refrigerant. In the refrigerant circuit (), a first compressor () and a second compressor () are arranged in parallel. The first compressor () is connected to both an expander () and a first electric motor (), and is driven by both of the expander () and the first electric motor (). On the other hand, the second compressor () is connected only to a second electric motor (), and is driven by the second electric motor (). In addition, the refrigerant circuit () is provided with a bypass line () which bypasses the expander (). The bypass line () is provided with a bypass valve (). And, the capacity of the second compressor () and the valve opening of the bypass valve () are regulated so that the COP of the refrigeration apparatus is improved after enabling the refrigeration apparatus to operate properly in any operation conditions.

Disclosed is a displacement type expansion machine. In the displacement type expansion machine, a communicating passage () for allowing fluid communication between an expansion-process intermediate position and an outflow position in an expansion chamber () is provided thereby to allow the fluid at the outflow side to return to the expansion chamber (). Such arrangement prevents the pressure of the expansion chamber () from being lowered to an excessive extent in predetermined operating conditions, thereby avoiding the drop in power recovery efficiency.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Michio Moriwaki