# US 12,215,902 B2 · Support system that supports design or construction of a refrigerant cycle apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,902 B2 - Document ID: US12215902B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/435,914 - Filed: 2020-03-04 - Published: 2022-07-28 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-04 - Assignees: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Applicants: Daikin Industries, Ltd. - Inventors: Ryuuta Ohura; Takuya Kotani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215902B2 ## CPC - F25B 41/24: Arrangement of shut-off valves for disconnecting a part of the refrigerant cycle, e.g. an outdoor part - F24F 11/36: to leakage of heat-exchange fluid - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 41/40: Fluid line arrangements - F25B 49/005: {of safety devices (F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence)} - F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems - G06F 30/18: Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling (circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18) - F25B 2313/0233: in parallel arrangements - F25B 2400/12: Inflammable refrigerants - F25B 2400/121: using R1234 - F25B 2500/19: Calculation of parameters - F25B 2500/222: Detecting refrigerant leaks - G06F 2113/08: Fluids - G06F 2113/14: Pipes - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A support system includes a display and a server. Upon acquiring first information on arrangement of a first refrigerant shut-off unit, second information on each of utilization-side units in a first utilization-side unit group, and third information on one of or both a length and an internal volume of the first connection pipe group, the server determines, based on an allowable leakage amount of the refrigerant into a space where a corresponding one or more utilization-side units is installed, whether the first, second, and third information are suitable for the design, and causes the display to display a result of the determination; or the server calculates a first refrigerant amount as a sum of an amount of the refrigerant in the first refrigerant circuit and an amount of the refrigerant, and causes the display to display the first refrigerant amount. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A support system that supports at least one of design or construction of a refrigerant cycle apparatus, the support system comprising: a display; and a server that comprises a storage and a processor that causes the display to display information, wherein the refrigerant cycle apparatus comprises: utilization-side units each comprising a first refrigerant circuit; a heat source-side unit comprising a second refrigerant circuit; a connection pipe group that connects the first refrigerant circuit and the second refrigerant circuit; and a refrigerant shut-off unit that is disposed between the first refrigerant circuit and the second refrigerant circuit and that blocks a refrigerant flowing through the connection pipe group, the utilization-side units comprising a first utilization-side unit group that is a group of N utilization-side units, wherein N is an integer equal to or more than two, wherein the refrigerant shut-off unit comprises a first refrigerant shut-off unit that blocks a flow of the refrigerant between the first refrigerant circuit in the first utilization-side unit group and the second refrigerant circuit, the first refrigerant shut-off unit is common to the group of N utilization-side units constituting the first utilization-side unit group, the connection pipe group comprises a first connection pipe group that connects the first refrigerant circuit in the first utilization-side unit group and the first refrigerant shut-off unit, the storage stores first information on arrangement of the first refrigerant shut-off unit, second information on each of the utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group, and third information on one of or both a length and an internal volume of the first connection pipe group, the processor acquires, from the storage, the first information, the second information, or the third information, when the processor acquires the first information, the second information, and the third information, the processor: determines, based on an allowable refrigerant leak amount of the refrigerant into a space where a corresponding one or more utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group is installed, whether the first information, the second information, and the third information are suitable for at least one of the design or the construction of the refrigerant cycle apparatus and causes the display to display a result of the determination; or calculates a first refrigerant amount and causes the display to display the first refrigerant amount, the first refrigerant amount that is a sum of a second refrigerant amount in the first refrigerant circuit in the first utilization-side unit group and a third refrigerant amount in the first connection pipe group, and a number of utilization side units in the first utilization-side unit group is less than a total number of the utilization-side units in the refrigerant cycle apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The support system according to claim 1, wherein the second information comprises: installation space information on the space where the corresponding one or more utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group is installed; and refrigerant amount information on the second refrigerant amount, and when the processor acquires the second information and the third information, the processor calculates the arrangement of the first refrigerant shut-off unit as the first information such that the first refrigerant amount is smaller than the allowable refrigerant leak amount. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The support system according to claim 2, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant circuit, the second refrigerant circuit, and the connection pipe group has flammability, and the allowable refrigerant leak amount is an allowable refrigerant leak amount in a first room having a smallest spatial volume among one or more rooms where one of the utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group is or the utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group are installed, and the allowable refrigerant leak amount in the first room is set such that a concentration of the refrigerant in the first room is within lower flammability limit (LFL) of refrigerant/safety factor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The support system according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant circuit, the second refrigerant circuit, and the connection pipe group includes: a mildly flammable refrigerant classified as “Class 2L” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; a lower flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 2” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; or a higher flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 3” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The support system according to claim 2, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant circuit, the second refrigerant circuit, and the connection pipe group includes: a mildly flammable refrigerant classified as “Class 2L” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; a lower flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 2” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; or a higher flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 3” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The support system according to claim 1, wherein the second information comprises: installation space information on the space where the corresponding one or more utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group is installed; and refrigerant amount information on the second refrigerant amount, and when the processor acquires the first information, the second information, and the third information, the processor determines whether the first refrigerant amount is smaller than the allowable refrigerant leak amount, and when the first refrigerant amount is smaller than the allowable refrigerant leak amount, the processor determines that the first information, the second information, and the third information are suitable for at least one of the design or the construction of the refrigerant cycle apparatus. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The support system according to claim 6, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant circuit, the second refrigerant circuit, and the connection pipe group has flammability, and the allowable refrigerant leak amount is an allowable refrigerant leak amount in a first room having a smallest spatial volume among one or more rooms where one of the utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group is or the utilization-side units in the first utilization-side unit group are installed, and the allowable refrigerant leak amount in the first room is set such that a concentration of the refrigerant in the first room is within LFL of refrigerant/safety factor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The support system according to claim 6, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant circuit, the second refrigerant circuit, and the connection pipe group includes: a mildly flammable refrigerant classified as “Class 2L” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; a lower flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 2” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; or a higher flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 3” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The support system according to claim 1, wherein when the processor acquires the first information, the second information, and the third information, the processor calculates the second refrigerant amount and the third refrigerant amount, based on a thermal environment of a place where the refrigerant cycle apparatus is installed and calculates the first refrigerant amount. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The support system according to claim 9, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant circuit, the second refrigerant circuit, and the connection pipe group includes: a mildly flammable refrigerant classified as “Class 2L” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; a lower flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 2” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; or a higher flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 3” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The support system according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant circuit, the second refrigerant circuit, and the connection pipe group includes: a mildly flammable refrigerant classified as “Class 2L” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; a lower flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 2” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013; or a higher flammability refrigerant classified as “Class 3” in U.S. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013.