# US 10,309,676 B2 · Air-source heat pump air conditioner

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- Number: US 10,309,676 B2
- Document ID: US10309676B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/947,663
- Filed: 2018-04-06
- Published: 2018-11-01
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-26
- Assignees: Kimura Kohki Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Kimura Kohki Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Keiichi Kimura; Takayuki Ishida; Kazuya Goto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309676B2

## CPC

- F24F 11/46: Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
- F24F 1/0003: characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units
- F24F 1/0035: characterised by introduction of outside air to the room
- F24F 3/001: {in which the air treatment in the central station takes place by means of a heat-pump or by means of a reversible cycle (reversible cycle for humidifying and drying air F24F3/147)}
- F24F 3/044: Systems in which all treatment is given in the central station, i.e. all-air systems
- F24F 3/14: by humidification; by dehumidification
- F24F 5/001: {Compression cycle type}
- F24F 11/81: by controlling the air supply to heat-exchangers or bypass channels
- F24F 11/83: by controlling the supply of heat-exchange fluids to heat-exchangers
- F24F 13/04: Air-mixing units (F24F13/06 takes precedence)
- F24F 2003/0446: {with a single air duct for transporting treated air from the central station to the rooms}
- F25B 2400/06: Several compression cycles arranged in parallel
- Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

An air-source heat pump air conditioner includes a first heat pump including a first refrigeration cycle that is formed by a first air-conditioning heat exchanger, a first heat-source heat exchanger, a first compressor, and first refrigerant flowing therethrough; a second heat pump including a second refrigeration cycle that is formed by a second air-conditioning heat exchanger, a second heat-source heat exchanger, a second compressor, and second refrigerant flowing therethrough; and an air conditioner control device configured to control the first heat pump and the second heat pump to operate at least one of the first refrigeration cycle and the second refrigeration cycle for a space to be air conditioned, the air-conditioning air containing outside air, return air, and other air that exchange heat with the first circulating refrigerant and the second circulating refrigerant in the first air-conditioning heat exchanger and the second air-conditioning heat exchanger.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An air-source heat pump air conditioner comprising:
a first heat pump including a first refrigeration cycle that is formed by a first air-conditioning heat exchanger, a first heat-source heat exchanger, a first compressor, and a first circulating refrigerant flowing between and through the first air-conditioning heat exchanger, the first heat-source heat exchanger, and the first compressor;
a second heat pump including a second refrigeration cycle that is formed by a second air-conditioning heat exchanger, a second heat-source heat exchanger, a second compressor, and a second circulating refrigerant flowing between and through the second air-conditioning heat exchanger, the second heat-source heat exchanger, and the second compressor;
an air conditioner control device comprising a microprocessor, configured to control the first heat pump and the second heat pump to operate at least one of the first refrigeration cycle and the second refrigeration cycle to adjust air-conditioning air to be in a suitable air condition for air conditioning of a space to be air conditioned, the air-conditioning air containing outside air and return air that exchange heat with the first circulating refrigerant and the second circulating refrigerant in the first air-conditioning heat exchanger and the second air-conditioning heat exchanger; and
an air volume adjusting device configured to adjust an air volume of the outside air that exchanges heat with the first circulating refrigerant in the first air-conditioning heat exchanger and an air volume of the return air that exchanges heat with the second circulating refrigerant in the second air-conditioning heat exchanger, wherein
in a case where the air-conditioning air is adjustable to be in the suitable air condition by operating both the first refrigeration cycle and the second refrigeration cycle, the air conditioner control device:
controls the air volume adjusting device to increase the air volume of the return air and decrease the air volume of the outside air when the first heat pump has started a defrosting operation; and
controls the air volume adjusting device to decrease the air volume of the return air and increase the air volume of the outside air when the second heat pump has started a defrosting operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The air-source heat pump air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein
in a case where the air-conditioning air is adjustable to be in the suitable air condition by operating one of the first refrigeration cycle and the second refrigeration cycle, the air conditioner control device:
controls the first heat pump such that the outside air and the first circulating refrigerant exchange heat with each other in the first refrigeration cycle if a load of the outside air is greater than a preset load; and
controls the second heat pump such that the return air and the second circulating refrigerant exchange heat with each other in the second refrigeration cycle if the load of the outside air is less than the preset load.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The air-source heat pump air conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising an air volume adjusting device, including an air blower and at least one damper, configured to adjust an air volume of the outside air that exchanges heat with the first circulating refrigerant in the first air-conditioning heat exchanger and an air volume of the return air that exchanges heat with the second circulating refrigerant in the second air-conditioning heat exchanger, wherein
the air conditioner control device is configured to:
control the air volume adjusting device to increase the air volume of the return air and decrease the air volume of the outside air in a case where an enthalpy of the outside air is greater than an enthalpy of the return air; and
control the air volume adjusting device to decrease the air volume of the return air and increase the air volume of the outside air in a case where the enthalpy of the outside air is less than the enthalpy of the return air.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The air-source heat pump air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein
the first heat pump includes two sets of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the first compressor,
the first refrigeration cycle includes:
a third refrigeration cycle that is formed by a first set of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the first compressor, the first air-conditioning heat exchanger, and a third circulating refrigerant flowing between and through the first set of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the first compressor and the first air-conditioning heat exchanger; and
a fourth refrigeration cycle that is formed by a second set of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the first compressor, the first air-conditioning heat exchanger, and a fourth circulating refrigerant flowing between and through the second set of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the first compressor and the first air-conditioning heat exchanger, and
the air conditioner control device is configured to control the first heat pump in accordance with variation in the load of the outside air to switch an operation state of the first heat pump between a state where one of the third refrigeration cycle and the fourth refrigeration cycle is operated and a state where both the third refrigeration cycle and the fourth refrigeration cycle are operated.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The air-source heat pump air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein
the second heat pump includes two sets of the second heat-source heat exchanger and the second compressor,
the second refrigeration cycle includes:
a fifth refrigeration cycle that is formed by a first set of the second heat-source heat exchanger and the second compressor, the second air-conditioning heat exchanger, and a fifth circulating refrigerant flowing between and through the first set of the second heat-source heat exchanger and the second compressor and the second air-conditioning heat exchanger; and
a sixth refrigeration cycle that is formed by a second set of the second heat-source heat exchanger and the second compressor, the second air-conditioning heat exchanger, and a sixth circulating refrigerant flowing between and through the second set of the second heat-source heat exchanger and the second compressor and the second air-conditioning heat exchanger, and
the air conditioner control device is configured to control the second heat pump in accordance with variation in the load of the outside air to switch an operation state of the second heat pump between a state where one of the fifth refrigeration cycle and the sixth refrigeration cycle is operated and a state where both the fifth refrigeration cycle and the sixth refrigeration cycle are operated.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The air-source heat pump air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein
the air conditioner control device is configured to cool the space to be air conditioned by the outside air in a case where a temperature of the outside air is lower than a temperature of the space to be air conditioned.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The air-source heat pump air conditioner according to claim 2, comprising a humidifier configured to humidify the air-conditioning air at a downwind side of one of or both the first air-conditioning heat exchanger and the second air-conditioning heat exchanger, wherein
the humidifier is configured as a vaporizing humidifier that humidifies the air-conditioning air by evaporation of water, or configured as a steam humidifier that humidifies the air-conditioning air with steam.