US 11,828,487 B2Granted

Air-conditioning apparatus

AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Corporation

InventorsShinichi Ito, Masaki Toyoshima

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Abstract

The indoor unit has an air passage formed therein to allow the indoor air drawn in the indoor unit to pass therethrough. The first indoor heat exchanger, the adsorption and desorption device, and the second indoor heat exchanger are arranged in the air passage. The second indoor heat exchanger is disposed downstream of the first indoor heat exchanger, and the adsorption and desorption device is disposed downstream of the first indoor heat exchanger and upstream of the second indoor heat exchanger. To perform dehumidifying control, the controller controls the opening degree of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve to enable switching between cooling adsorption mode where the adsorption and desorption device adsorbs moisture in the indoor air and cooling desorption mode where the adsorption and desorption device desorbs the adsorbed moisture.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:

an outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger and configured to draw in outdoor air from an outdoor space and blow out the drawn-in outdoor air to the outdoor space;
an indoor unit including a first expansion valve, a first indoor heat exchanger and a second indoor heat exchanger and configured to draw in indoor air from an indoor space and blow out the drawn-in indoor air to the indoor space;
a second expansion valve provided to the outdoor unit or the indoor unit;
a refrigerant circuit in which the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, the second expansion valve, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first expansion valve, the second indoor heat exchanger are connected by pipes in a named order;
an adsorption and desorption device including an adsorption and desorption material configured to adsorb moisture in air;
and
a controller configured to control an opening degree of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve,
the indoor unit having an air passage formed therein and configured to allow the indoor air drawn into the indoor unit to pass therethrough,
the first indoor heat exchanger, the adsorption and desorption device and the second indoor heat exchanger being arranged on the air passage,
the second indoor heat exchanger being arranged in downstream of the first indoor heat exchanger,
the adsorption and desorption device being arranged in downstream of the first indoor heat exchanger and upstream of the second indoor heat exchanger,
the controller being configured to
cause the air-conditioning apparatus to operate in
a cooling adsorption mode to control an opening degree of the first expansion valve and an opening degree of the second expansion valve, and adsorb moisture in the indoor air by the adsorption and desorption device, and
a cooling desorption mode to desorb the adsorbed moisture,
switch the cooling adsorption mode and the cooling desorption mode to perform dehumidifying control,
set the opening degree of the second expansion valve lower Man the opening degree of the first expansion valve;
and
in the cooling desorption mode, set the opening degree of the second expansion valve higher than the opening degree of the first expansion valve.

16 more elements

An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:

an outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger and configured to draw in outdoor air from an outdoor space and blow out the drawn-in outdoor air to the outdoor space;
an indoor unit including a first expansion valve, a first indoor heat exchanger and a second indoor heat exchanger and configured to draw in indoor air from an indoor space and blow out the drawn-in indoor air to the indoor space;
a second expansion valve provided to the outdoor unit or the indoor unit;
a refrigerant circuit in which the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, the second expansion valve, the first indoor heat exchanger, the first expansion valve, and the second indoor heat exchanger are connected by pipes in a named order;
and
a controller configured to control an opening degree of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve,
the first indoor heat exchanger having an adsorption and desorption material formed on a surface thereof, the adsorption and desorption material being configured to adsorb moisture in air,
the indoor unit having an air passage formed therein and configured to allow the indoor air drawn into the indoor unit to pass therethrough,
the first indoor heat exchanger and the second indoor heat exchanger being arranged in the air passage,
the second indoor heat exchanger being disposed downstream of the first indoor heat exchanger,
the controller being configured to
cause the air-conditioning apparatus to operate in
a cooling adsorption mode to control an opening degree of the first expansion valve and an opening degree of the second expansion valve, and adsorb moisture in the indoor air by the first indoor heat exchanger, and
a cooling desorption mode to desorb the adsorbed moisture, and
switch the cooling adsorption mode and the cooling desorption mode to perform dehumidifying control, and
set the opening degree of the second expansion valve lower than the opening degree of the first expansion valve;
and
in the cooling desorption mode, set the opening degree of the second expansion valve higher than the opening degree of the first expansion valve.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/432,314Filed 24 Apr 2019
Published: US 2022/0341604 A127 Oct 2022
Granted: 28 Nov 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

F24F 3/1411
By humidification; by dehumidification: by absorbing or adsorbing water, e.g. using an hygroscopic desiccant
B01D 53/0438
Constructional details of adsorbing systems: cooling or heating systems
B01D 53/0454
With stationary adsorbents: controlling adsorption
B01D 53/265
Drying gases or vapours: by refrigeration