Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & It Cooling Systems S.p.a.

Mitsuru Kawashima

Yasuhiro Suzuki

Akira Maeda

Kosuke Tanaka

Yoshihiro Takahashi

Masahiko Takagi

Katsuhiro Ishimura

Takao Komai

Takumi Nishiyama

Kenyu Tanaka

Jiro Okajima

Federico Marchetto

A refrigerant detection apparatus that is able to detect refrigerant having leaked in a plurality of rooms using sensors the number of which is smaller than the number of rooms serving as detection targets includes a sensor configured to be able to detect refrigerant being filled in a refrigerant pipe of an air conditioner, and a casing that houses the sensor. The casing has a first opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room, and a second opening configured to be able to connect to the inside of a room different from the room being able to be connected to the first opening.

Refrigerant detection apparatus

An indoor unit includes an air-sending fan, an air inlet through which air of an indoor space is sucked in, and an air outlet located above the air inlet and through which the air sucked in through the air inlet is blown out to the indoor space. A control unit activates the air-sending fan when leakage of the refrigerant is detected. When M [kg] represents an amount of charge of the refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle, LFL [kg/m] represents a lower flammable limit of the refrigerant, A [m] represents a floor area of the indoor space, and Ho [m] represents a height of the air outlet above a floor surface of the indoor space, the amount of charge M, the lower flammable limit LFL, the floor area A, and the height Ho satisfy a relationship of M&#x3c;LFL&#xd7;A&#xd7;Ho.

Method for setting the refrigerant charge amount in an air-conditioning apparatus

An air conditioner that includes a refrigerant circuit connecting a plurality of indoor heat exchangers in parallel and is able to complete collection of refrigerant to the side of an outdoor heat exchanger in a shorter time when the refrigerant has leaked at any indoor heat exchanger is provided. Thus, in the air conditioner according to the present invention, when refrigerant leak is detected by a refrigerant leak sensor provided in an indoor unit and refrigerant leak is not detected by a refrigerant leak sensor provided in an indoor unit, an indoor LEV and a cutoff valve are closed to isolate an indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit from the refrigerant circuit in a refrigerant pump-down operation. When refrigerant leak is detected by the refrigerant leak sensor and refrigerant leak is not detected by the refrigerant leak sensor, an indoor LEV and a cutoff valve are closed.

Air conditioner

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigeration circuit in which non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture circulates. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a four-way valve. The four-way valve is configured to assume a first state and a second state. The outdoor heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant flow paths and a linear flow path switching valve configured to switch connections of the plurality of refrigerant flow paths between a series state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in series and a parallel state in which the non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture flows through the plurality of refrigerant flow paths in parallel. A controller switches the linear flow path switching valve between the series state and the parallel state when a multi-way valve is in the second state.

Refrigeration cycle apparatus having heat exchanger switchable between parallel and series connection

A heat pump device can discharge air in a heat medium circuit regardless of the height positions of two bodies of the heat pump device and prevents refrigerant outflow when the refrigerant enters the heat medium circuit in the liquid heat exchanger. A pump causes the liquid heat medium to flow in a predetermined circulatory direction in a heat medium pipe, and a liquid heat exchanger, a first air vent valve and a second air vent valve are arranged in this order along a circulatory direction.

Heat pump device

A load unit includes a water circuit chamber configured to accommodate at least a part of a water circuit configured to allow water to flow therethrough, a fan, an air inlet formed at a height positioned different from that of the air inlet and configured to suck indoor air therethrough, an air outlet configured to blow indoors the air sucked through the air inlet, and an air passage formed between the air inlet and the air outlet so as to be isolated from the water circuit chamber. A load-side heat exchanger is provided in the air passage.

Heat pump apparatus with refrigerant leakage protection

A refrigeration cycle device uses a refrigerant having a higher concentration than air under atmospheric pressure, and is capable of preventing a region having a certain refrigerant concentration or higher from being formed even if the refrigerant leaks in a casing of the refrigeration cycle device in a nonenergized state. The refrigeration cycle device includes: a casing having a first opening and a second opening, one of which is an inlet and the other of which is an outlet, and having therein an air course providing communication between the first opening and the second opening; and a refrigerant circuit provided in the air course in the casing and filled with a refrigerant having a higher concentration than air under atmospheric pressure, the casing having a third opening providing communication between the air course and outside of the casing.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Mitsuru Kawashima