JP2017072284A - Refrigerant recovery device - Google Patents

Abstract

In refrigerant recovery using a refrigerant recovery device, it is possible to reduce the careful confirmation and attention of a recovery operator. A refrigerant recovery device 60 is connected to a refrigerant recovery service port 50, 52 side of an air conditioner 20 which is a refrigeration apparatus that performs a refrigeration cycle by circulating refrigerant compression, condensation, and evaporation. 62, a recovery unit 66 including a compressor 68 that compresses the refrigerant from the refrigerant suction side port 62, and a condenser 82 that condenses the compressed refrigerant, and a refrigerant recovery container 100, and is condensed by the recovery unit 66 A refrigerant discharge port 64 that discharges the refrigerant as the recovered refrigerant 117 and a refrigerant information output unit 98 that outputs information about the recovered refrigerant using a sensor that detects the characteristics of the refrigerant are provided. As the sensors, a first pressure sensor 90 that detects the condensation pressure and a temperature sensor 92 that detects the condensation temperature are used. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerant recovery apparatus, and more particularly, to a refrigerant recovery apparatus that recovers refrigerant of a refrigeration equipment and fills the refrigerant recovery container.

  In order to collect the refrigerant of the refrigeration equipment and fill the refrigerant collection container, a refrigerant collection device including a compressor and a condenser is used.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a method of collecting liquid refrigerant in an accumulator at high speed for a refrigerating and air-conditioning apparatus having an accumulator that stores liquid refrigerant on the outlet side of a condenser. Here, using the compressor in the refrigerant recovery device connected between the refrigeration air conditioner and the refrigerant recovery container, the refrigerant in the refrigerant recovery container is sent back to the refrigeration air conditioner as a high-temperature and high-pressure gas, The liquid refrigerant in the accumulator is vaporized and the vaporized refrigerant is recovered.

  As a technique related to the present invention, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for detecting filling of a different refrigerant in a port different from a port filled with a refrigerant in a container refrigeration apparatus. Here, the saturation temperature characteristic of the filling gas is derived from the temperature when the refrigerant to be filled is outside the refrigeration system and the low-pressure gas suction side pressure of the compressor of the refrigeration apparatus after filling, and the charging refrigerant is specified. Determine whether the refrigerant is the same or different.

JP 2004-053076 A International Publication WO2013 / 099200

  Since the refrigerant recovery apparatus handles high-pressure gas, a high-pressure cutoff switch is provided that interrupts the recovery operation when the compressed gas pressure exceeds a predetermined high pressure. Since the refrigerant recovery container is a high-pressure gas container, a pressure resistance test is performed, and a container safety valve called a fusible stopper that melts when a predetermined temperature is exceeded is provided. A plurality of types of cylinders are determined for the specifications determined by the pressure resistance standard and the predetermined temperature of the fusible stopper.

  If the recovered refrigerant recovered by the refrigerant recovery device does not conform to the specifications of the refrigerant recovery container, there is a possibility that the fusible plug is melted in the refrigerant recovery container. Whether or not the recovered refrigerant conforms to the specifications of the refrigerant recovery container is carefully checked and paid attention by the recovery operator before and during recovery of the refrigerant. Therefore, there is a demand for a refrigerant recovery apparatus that reduces the detailed confirmation and attention of the recovery operator regarding refrigerant recovery.

  A refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention includes a refrigerant suction side port connected to a service port for refrigerant recovery of a refrigeration apparatus that performs a refrigeration cycle by circulation of refrigerant compression, condensation, and evaporation, and refrigerant from the refrigerant suction side port. A compressor that compresses and a recovery unit that includes a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant, a refrigerant discharge side port that is connected to the refrigerant recovery container and discharges the refrigerant condensed by the recovery unit as a recovered refrigerant, and the characteristics of the refrigerant And a refrigerant information output unit that outputs information on the recovered refrigerant using a sensor to detect.

  According to the refrigerant recovery device having the above configuration, information on the recovered refrigerant is output using the sensor that detects the characteristics of the refrigerant. Since the sensor detects objective data that does not depend on the skill level of the collection worker or individual differences, the use of this data reduces the careful confirmation and attention of the collection worker regarding the refrigerant collection.

  The refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention includes a first pressure sensor provided between an output port of the compressor and an input port of the condenser, and a temperature sensor provided in the condenser, and the refrigerant information output unit includes: It is preferable to output the type of recovered refrigerant based on the refrigerant condensation pressure and the refrigerant condensation temperature, with the detection value of the first pressure sensor as the refrigerant condensation pressure and the temperature sensor detection value as the refrigerant condensation temperature. .

  According to the refrigerant recovery apparatus having the above configuration, the type of the recovered refrigerant is output based on the refrigerant condensing pressure and the refrigerant condensing temperature detected by the sensor. Attention is reduced.

  In the refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention, an assumed refrigerant setting unit for setting the type of refrigerant assumed to be recovered, and the pressure of the recovered refrigerant inside the refrigerant recovery line between the refrigerant discharge port and the refrigerant recovery container are detected. The refrigerant information output unit recovers more than the saturation pressure at the predetermined temperature of the refrigerant assumed to be recovered, with the temperature at which the fusible stopper provided in the refrigerant recovery container is melted as the predetermined temperature. When the pressure of the refrigerant is high, it is preferable to output information that the recovered refrigerant is incompatible with the specifications of the refrigerant recovery container.

  According to the refrigerant recovery apparatus having the above configuration, the pressure of the recovered refrigerant inside the refrigerant recovery pipe is detected by the sensor. The condensed refrigerant flows to the refrigerant collection container side as a collected refrigerant inside the refrigerant collection pipe. The pressure of the recovered refrigerant after condensation is the same condensation pressure as the pressure compressed by the compressor of the refrigerant recovery device until all of the refrigerant is vaporized. If the condensing pressure of the recovered refrigerant detected by the sensor is higher than the saturation pressure at the specified temperature of the refrigerant that is supposed to be recovered, the fusible plug will melt, so the recovered refrigerant does not conform to the specifications of the refrigerant recovery container Is output.

  In the refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention, the refrigerant suction side port is closed to determine the type of the refrigeration equipment refrigerant from the service port of the refrigeration equipment, and the refrigerant discharge side port is closed to collect the refrigerant recovery container filled A refrigerant discrimination sensor unit for discriminating the type of container refrigerant is provided, and the refrigerant information output unit determines whether or not the type of the refrigeration equipment refrigerant matches the type of the recovery container refrigerant based on the detection result of the refrigerant discrimination sensor unit. It is preferable to output information.

  According to the refrigerant recovery apparatus having the above configuration, the type of the refrigeration equipment refrigerant and the type of the recovery container refrigerant can be determined using the sensor. For example, by displaying and displaying the discriminated result, it is possible to reduce the careful confirmation and attention of the recovery operator regarding the mixing of different refrigerants in the refrigerant recovery container.

  According to the refrigerant recovery apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the detailed confirmation and caution regarding the refrigerant recovery of the recovery operator.

It is a lineblock diagram of a refrigerant recovery system containing a refrigerant recovery device of an embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the pressure and specific entropy in operation | movement of the refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery apparatus of embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the kind of cylinder of a refrigerant | coolant collection container, withstand pressure | voltage, and the kind of refrigerant | coolant which should be filled. It is a figure which shows the saturation pressure in 60 degreeC of the main refrigerant | coolants. It is a block diagram of the refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery system containing the refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery apparatus in another embodiment. It is a block diagram of the refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery system containing the refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery apparatus in other embodiment.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, a home air conditioner will be described as the refrigeration equipment that is the target of refrigerant recovery, but this is an illustrative example, and the present invention can be applied to any refrigeration equipment that uses chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant. For example, a package type air conditioner, a commercial refrigeration showcase, a chiller, a turbo chiller, or the like may be used. Below, R22, R410A, etc. will be described as the type of refrigerant, but this is an example for explanation, and other chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants may be used. The condensing pressure, condensing temperature, and the like described below are illustrative examples, and can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the refrigerant recovery system including the refrigerant recovery device. Below, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same element in all the drawings, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the refrigerant recovery system 10. The refrigerant recovery system 10 includes an air conditioner 20 for home use, a refrigerant recovery apparatus 60, a refrigerant recovery container 100, and a plurality of pipes connecting these components. The refrigerant recovery system 10 is a system that recovers the refrigerant used in the home air conditioner 20 that is a refrigeration device into the refrigerant recovery container 100 using the refrigerant recovery device 60.

  Here, as an example, the type of refrigerant used in the home air conditioner 20 is R410A, the specification of the refrigerant recovery device 60 is for R410A recovery, and the specification of the refrigerant recovery container 100 is for R410A recovery. R410A is a HFC32 / 125 (50/50) refrigerant based on hydrofluon carbon (HFC).

  The saturation pressure of R410A at 60 ° C. is 3.8 MPa as a gauge pressure. The gauge pressure indicates an absolute pressure on the basis of atmospheric pressure, and is (gauge pressure = absolute pressure−atmospheric pressure). The saturation pressure is the saturated vapor pressure of the gaseous refrigerant, and is the condensation pressure when changing from gaseous to liquid. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the pressure is indicated by a gauge pressure. The shutoff operation pressure of the high pressure shutoff switch in the refrigerant recovery device 60 with the R410A recovery specification is set to 3.0 MPa. The specification of the refrigerant recovery container 100 for recovering R410A uses an FC3 cylinder having a pressure resistance of 5.0 MPa, and the melting temperature of the fusible plug is about 60 ° C. Details of the types of specifications of the refrigerant recovery container 100 will be described later.

  In FIG. 1, a home air conditioner 20 is a refrigeration device that performs a refrigeration cycle by circulation of refrigerant compression, condensation, and evaporation to cool a room in the home. Hereinafter, the home air conditioner 20 is simply referred to as an air conditioner 20. The air conditioner 20 includes an outdoor unit 22 and an indoor unit 24, and includes a compressor 30 and a condenser 32 in the outdoor unit 22, and an evaporator 40 in the indoor unit 24. The outdoor unit 22 includes a fan 34 for exchanging heat between the condenser 32 and the outside air, a liquid receiver 36 provided on the discharge side of the condenser 32, and an accumulator 44 provided on the suction side of the compressor 30. including. The indoor unit 24 includes a fan 42 for exchanging heat between the evaporator 40 and room air. A high-pressure service port 50 is provided on one side of the two pipes connecting the outdoor unit 22 and the indoor unit 24, and a low-pressure service port 52 is provided on the other side. The service ports 50 and 52 are three-way valves. The valves open in the direction of delivering the refrigerant between the outdoor unit 22 and the indoor unit 24 during normal operation of the air conditioner 20, and the recovery connected to the refrigerant recovery device 60 when recovering the refrigerant. The valve opens so that the refrigerant flows toward the pipeline.

  The gauge manifold 54 is a refrigerant manifold provided in the middle of a pipe line connecting the service ports 50 and 52 and the refrigerant recovery device 60, and is provided with a high pressure side pressure gauge and a low pressure side pressure gauge. The recovery operator shuts off or connects between the service ports 50 and 52 and the refrigerant recovery device 60 while looking at the indication value of the pressure gauge. In the air conditioner 20, there may be a liquid refrigerant in addition to the gaseous refrigerant. To recover a large amount of the liquid refrigerant, a known push-pull recovery method is used to directly collect the liquid refrigerant. It can be sent to the refrigerant recovery container 100. Alternatively, when there is not much liquid refrigerant, it may be recovered as a gaseous refrigerant using the method disclosed in Patent Document 2. In the following, it is assumed that the gaseous refrigerant is recovered from the air conditioner 20.

  The refrigerant recovery device 60 includes a refrigerant suction side port 62, a refrigerant discharge side port 64, a recovery unit 66 disposed therebetween, and a control device 94 that controls the operation of each element of the refrigerant recovery device 60 as a whole. Consists of.

  The refrigerant suction side port 62 is a three-way valve that receives a gaseous refrigerant connected to the service port 52 on the low pressure side of the air conditioner 20 via the gauge manifold 54. The three-way valve is set in a direction in which the received gaseous refrigerant is sent to the compressor 68 of the recovery unit 66 during the normal refrigerant recovery operation.

  The refrigerant discharge side port 64 is an on-off valve that is connected to the refrigerant recovery container 100 and discharges the refrigerant condensed by the condenser 82 of the recovery unit 66 as the recovered refrigerant. This open / close valve has one side port connected to the output side of the condenser 82 and the other side port connected to the refrigerant recovery container 100, and is set to an open state during the refrigerant recovery operation.

  The collection unit 66 is configured to include a compressor 68 and a condenser 82, similar to the configuration of the outdoor unit 22 of the air conditioner 20. The compressor 68 is a gas compression pump including a piston / cylinder mechanism and a rotation mechanism that reciprocates the piston along the cylinder. A conduit 110 between the suction port of the compressor 68 and the refrigerant suction side port 62 is a conduit through which the low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows, and a conduit 112 between the discharge port of the compressor 68 and the three-way valve 80 is And a pipeline through which the compressed high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows. A monitoring pressure gauge 70 provided in the pipeline 110 displays the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant on the suction side of the compressor 68. A monitoring pressure gauge 72 provided in the pipe 112 displays the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 68.

  The high-pressure cutoff switch 74 is a safety switch that shuts off the recovery operation when the pressure of the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant exceeds a predetermined pressure so that the compressor 68 does not excessively compress. The recovery operation can be shut off by shutting off the operating power of the refrigerant recovery device 60 and stopping the operation of the compressor 68. Since the refrigerant recovery device 60 is R410A recovery specification, the high-pressure cutoff switch 74 is set to perform a cutoff operation at 3.0 MPa. In other words, the operation of the compressor 68 is controlled by the controller 94 when the pressure of the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is within 3.0 MPa.

  The three-way valve 80 is provided between the compressor 68 and the condenser 82, and is set in a direction in which the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant from the compressor 68 is sent to the condenser 82 side during refrigerant recovery.

  The first pressure sensor 90 is a pressure gauge that detects the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor 68. The first pressure sensor 90 is provided on the downstream side of the high-pressure cutoff switch 74 and immediately upstream of the three-way valve 80, and detects the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant sent to the condenser 82. The detection result is transmitted to the control device 94 via an appropriate signal line.

  The condenser 82 heat-exchanges the high-pressure and high-temperature gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor 68 with the fan 84, reduces the condensation temperature below the same pressure, and condenses the gaseous refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant. It is. The change from gaseous to liquid occurs gradually under the same pressure. In FIG. 1, the state of the completely gaseous refrigerant remains as the white line 112, and the state of the completely liquid refrigerant is indicated by a dense broken line 116, and the intermediate gaseous refrigerant and A two-phase flow mixed with a liquid refrigerant is indicated by a sparse broken line 114.

  The temperature sensor 92 is a thermometer that detects the temperature of a two-phase flow in which a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant are mixed in the condenser 82. The two-phase flow gradually changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state at the same pressure and the same temperature. That is, the condensation from the gaseous state to the liquid state occurs under the same pressure and the same temperature. Although this temperature is a condensation temperature, the temperature sensor 92 detects this condensation temperature. The detection result is transmitted to the control device 94 via an appropriate signal line.

  From the refrigerant discharge side port 64, the recovered refrigerant 117 that is a completely liquid refrigerant is discharged to the refrigerant recovery line 106. A check valve 86 is provided in order to prevent backflow from the refrigerant discharge side port 64 to the refrigerant suction side port 62.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state change of the refrigerant between the refrigerant suction side port 62 and the refrigerant discharge side port 64. The horizontal axis in FIG. 2 is the specific enthalpy h that is the enthalpy per unit mass, and the vertical axis is the pressure p. The characteristic line 130 is a saturated vapor line for the gaseous refrigerant, and the characteristic line 132 is a saturated liquid line for the liquid refrigerant. The boundary between the saturated vapor line and the saturated liquid line is a critical point 134. A region surrounded by the characteristic line 130 and the characteristic line 132 is a two-phase flow region in which a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant coexist. In FIG. 2, a line connecting the operating points A, B, C, and D indicates a refrigeration cycle in the refrigeration apparatus in a relationship between the pressure p and the specific enthalpy h, and is called a ph diagram. The ph diagram varies depending on the type of refrigerant. If the ph diagram is known, the type of the refrigerant can be specified. The refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner 20 is indicated by a line connecting the operating points A, B, C, and D. The operation of the refrigerant recovery device 60 is from the operating point A to the operating point C.

  The operating point A is a refrigerant state at the refrigerant suction side port 62 and is a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The state change between the operating point A and the operating point B is adiabatic compression by the compressor 68. In this state change, heat does not enter and exit and the internal energy does not change, but the specific enthalpy increases due to changes in pressure and volume, so that the ph characteristic changes along the isentropic line. Therefore, at the operating point B, a high-pressure and high-temperature gaseous refrigerant is obtained. The first pressure sensor 90 detects the pressure 140 at the operating point B.

  The state change between the operating point B and the operating point C is condensation by the condenser 82. The operating point B indicates the state of the gaseous refrigerant in the three-way valve 80, and the operating point C indicates the state of the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant discharge side port 64. Condensation dissipates the heat of condensation caused by the phase change from gas to liquid by cooling by the fan 84, so that the specific enthalpy is reduced. Since there is no pressure change due to phase change, there is no change in the refrigerant pressure in the condensation process, and it is a constant value. That is, the operating line between the operating point B and the operating point C is an isobar.

  The operating point E is the intersection of the condensation isobaric line and the saturated vapor line. The pressure at the operating point E is the saturated vapor pressure. Between the operating point B and the operating point E is near the inlet of the condenser 82, but the refrigerant is a hot gas in a superheated gas state.

  The period from the operating point E to the operating point F corresponds to a section from the inlet to the outlet of the condenser 82, and the state of the refrigerant gradually changes to become a wet gas including a liquid part in a gaseous part. The gaseous refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant are two-phase flows that flow mixedly with each other. The temperature is constant at the condensation temperature. That is, between the operating point E and the operating point F, the pressure is a constant condensation pressure and the temperature is a constant condensation temperature. The temperature sensor 92 detects the condensation temperature 142 in this two-phase flow.

  The operating point F is the intersection of the condensation isobaric line and the saturated liquid line. At the operating point F, all the refrigerants are liquid refrigerants. Between the operating point F and the operating point C, the temperature of the liquid refrigerant further falls below the condensing temperature due to the cooling capacity of the fan 84. The operating point C is the outlet of the condenser 82 and the position of the refrigerant discharge side port 64. The refrigerant is a supercooled liquid refrigerant.

  The above is the description of the change of the refrigerant between the refrigerant suction side port 62 and the refrigerant discharge side port 64 of the refrigerant recovery device 60. In the air conditioner 20, the supercooled liquid refrigerant in the condenser 32 is rapidly decompressed by the expansion valve 38. In the expansion process, the specific enthalpy is constant and the pressure decreases along the isoenthalpy line. Between the operating point C and the operating point G, the temperature remains constant with the liquid refrigerant. The operating point C is the intersection of the expansion enthalpy line and the saturated liquid line. The cooling by the fan 42 starts evaporation from the operating point C, in which the liquid refrigerant changes to a gaseous refrigerant. Between the operating point G and the operating point D, the liquid refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant are mixed. When the depressurization becomes a predetermined low pressure, the evaporation under a constant pressure proceeds, and the specific enthalpy decreases in accordance with the heat of evaporation. At the operating point H, all the refrigerant becomes a gaseous refrigerant. Then, at the operating point A, it is supplied to the compressor 30. In this way, the refrigeration cycle is performed in the air conditioner 20.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the control device 94 includes the compressor 68, the condenser 82, the refrigerant suction side port 62, the refrigerant discharge side port 64, the three-way valve 80, the fan 84, the high pressure cutoff switch 74, and the first pressure of the refrigerant recovery device 60. The operation of each element such as the sensor 90 and the temperature sensor 92 is controlled as a whole. Such a control device 94 can be constituted by a suitable computer or the like. The control device 94 includes a recovery control unit 96 that controls the operation of recovering the refrigerant, and a refrigerant information output unit 98 that outputs information on the recovered refrigerant.

  The refrigerant information output unit 98 determines the type of recovered refrigerant in the refrigerant recovery device 60 from the detection value of the first pressure sensor 90 and the detection value of the temperature sensor 92, and outputs the determined type of recovered refrigerant. As described in FIG. 2, the first pressure sensor 90 detects the pressure 140 at the operating point B. The pressure 140 is a constant pressure during condensation and is the same as the condensation pressure from the operating point E to the operating point F. The temperature sensor 92 detects a condensing temperature 142 in a two-phase flow in which a gaseous refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant flow between the operating point E and the operating point F in FIG. The combination of (condensation pressure and condensation temperature) is determined by the type of refrigerant. The detected value of the first pressure sensor 90 is used as the refrigerant condensing pressure, the detected value of the temperature sensor 92 is used as the condensing temperature of the refrigerant, and the type of refrigerant is determined, and this is used as the type of recovered refrigerant.

  The determined type of recovered refrigerant is output to the display device. Preferably, the detected condensing pressure and condensing temperature are also output together. As the display device, a liquid crystal display, a printer, or the like can be used. For example, “type of recovered refrigerant: R410A, condensing pressure: 2.3 MPa, condensing temperature: 40 ° C.” is displayed.

  In FIG. 1, the conduit connecting the coolant discharge side port 64 of the coolant recovery device 60 and the coolant recovery container 100 is the coolant recovery conduit 106 through which the recovered coolant 117 flows. The refrigerant recovery container 100 includes a cylinder 102, a cylinder side port 104 provided in the upper part of the cylinder 102, a fusible plug 108 provided in the cylinder side port 104, and a float sensor 109.

  The cylinder 102 is a high-pressure cylinder that has passed a predetermined pressure resistance test. FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the type of cylinder 102, the pressure resistance, and the type of refrigerant to be charged. As shown in FIG. 2, there are three types of pressure resistance specifications, and there are three types of cylinders corresponding to FC1, FC2, and FC3. In the case of FIG. 1, an FC3 cylinder corresponding to the refrigerant of R410A is used. FIG. 1 shows the refrigerant 120 filled in the cylinder 102. The float sensor 109 is a monitoring device for the liquid level of the refrigerant 120. The float sensor 109 detects that the liquid level of the refrigerant 120 exceeds a predetermined liquid level and transmits the result to the refrigerant recovery device 60.

  The cylinder side port 104 is provided with a liquid side port to which the refrigerant recovery conduit 106 is connected, a discharge side port for discharging the refrigerant in the cylinder 102, and a valve for opening and closing each port.

  The fusible plug 108 is a container safety valve of the refrigerant recovery container 100, and releases the refrigerant inside the cylinder 102 to the outside when the refrigerant recovery container 100 reaches a high temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature. The fusible plug 108 is a plug made of an alloy that is provided at a base portion of the cylinder-side port 104 on the cylinder 102 side and melts when a predetermined temperature is exceeded. An example of the predetermined temperature is 60 ° C. (+ 0 ° C. to −4 ° C.).

  An example in which the fusible plug 108 melts is when the condensation pressure in the refrigerant recovery device 60 is equal to or higher than the saturation pressure at 60 ° C. of the refrigerant. At this time, when the cylinder 102 is filled through the refrigerant recovery conduit 106, the refrigerant is vaporized at the saturation pressure. If the temperature at that time exceeds 60 ° C., the fusible plug 108 is melted and the refrigerant is ejected to the outside. The refrigerant recovery device 60 is safety protected by the high pressure cutoff switch 74 so that the condensation pressure does not exceed a certain value. However, if the combination of the specification of the refrigerant recovery device 60 and the specification of the refrigerant recovery container 100 is inappropriate, It occurs that the condensation pressure in the refrigerant recovery device 60 becomes equal to or higher than the saturation pressure at 60 ° C. of the refrigerant.

  FIG. 4 shows the saturation pressure at 60 ° C. of main refrigerants. In the example of FIG. 1, the recovered refrigerant is R410A. The saturation pressure of R410A at 60 ° C. is 3.8 MPa. Since the refrigerant recovery device 60 is R410A compatible, the predetermined pressure at which the high pressure cutoff switch 74 operates is set to 3.0 MPa, and the pressure after being compressed by the compressor 68 is limited to less than 3.0 MPa. . Therefore, the condensation pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is less than 3.0 MPa, and even when the recovered refrigerant 117 is filled in the refrigerant recovery container 100, the saturation pressure at 60 ° C. of R410A is less than 3.8 MPa, and the fusible plug 108 is melted. do not do.

  The operation of the above configuration, particularly the function of the refrigerant information output unit 98 of the control device 94 will be described in more detail.

  When collecting the refrigerant, the collection operator checks the type of refrigerant used in the air conditioner 20, refers to the specification list corresponding to FIG. 3, FIG. The refrigerant recovery device 60 having the above and the refrigerant recovery container 100 are prepared. In the example of FIG. 1, since the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 20 is R410A, the refrigerant recovery container 100 of the FC3 cylinder is prepared with reference to FIG. In addition, referring to FIG. 4, a refrigerant recovery device 60 having a high-pressure cutoff switch 74 that operates below the saturation pressure of R410A at 60 ° C. is prepared.

  The service ports 50 and 52 of the air conditioner 20 and the gauge manifold 54 are connected by a pipe line, and the gauge manifold 54 and the refrigerant suction side port 62 of the refrigerant recovery apparatus 60 are connected by a pipe line. In addition, a refrigerant recovery conduit 106 connects the refrigerant discharge side port 64 of the refrigerant recovery device 60 and the cylinder side port 104 of the refrigerant recovery container 100. After it is confirmed that the air conditioner 20, the refrigerant recovery device 60, and the refrigerant recovery container 100 are connected by a pipeline, the recovery operation is performed according to a procedure such as a predetermined refrigerant recovery operation standard.

  In the control device 94 of the refrigerant recovery device 60, the refrigerant information output unit 98 acquires the detection values of the first pressure sensor 90 and the temperature sensor 92, determines the type of the recovered refrigerant 117 from the results, and is not shown. Output to the display device. The detected value of the first pressure sensor 90 is the condensation pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117, and the detected value of the temperature sensor 92 is the condensing temperature of the recovered refrigerant 117. The control device 94 has a memory that stores data indicating the relationship between the condensation pressure and the condensation temperature in advance for all the refrigerants shown in FIG. 3, and searches for a combination of (condensation pressure and condensation temperature) as a search key. The result is automatically output as the type of the recovered refrigerant 117. Instead of this, only the main refrigerant may have a memory storing data indicating the relationship with the combination of each (condensation pressure and condensation temperature). For example, if there are three types of typical refrigerants used in the air conditioner 20 for home use, a memory storing only the data for the three types is used, and combinations of (condensation pressure and condensation temperature) not corresponding to this are used. In such a case, it may be output that “no corresponding refrigerant”. In the example of FIG. 1, “the recovered refrigerant is R410A” is automatically output.

  As another form, the data of (condensation pressure, condensing temperature) may be output as it is without holding the memory for discriminating the type of the recovered refrigerant 117. In this case, the recovery operator looks at the data and determines whether or not the recovered refrigerant 117 meets the specifications of the refrigerant recovery container 100.

  In the above description, the refrigerant recovery device 60 and the refrigerant recovery container 100 having specifications suitable for the type of refrigerant used in the air conditioner 20 have been prepared. However, depending on the circumstances, the refrigerant recovery device 60 is compatible with the type of refrigerant used. In some cases, the refrigerant recovery device 60 and the refrigerant recovery container 100 having the specifications to be prepared cannot be prepared. As an example, a case where the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 20 is R22 will be described. Referring to FIG. 3, any of FC1, FC2, and FC3 can be used as the cylinder 102. Referring to FIG. 4, since the saturation pressure of R22 at 60 ° C. is 2.4 MPa, the refrigerant recovery device 60 preferably has a specification having a high-pressure cutoff switch 74 that operates at about 2 Mpa or less for safety.

  Here, it is assumed that only the refrigerant recovery apparatus 60 having the high-pressure cutoff switch 74 operating at 3 Mpa described in FIG. 1 and the refrigerant recovery container 100 having the FC3 cylinder can be prepared. Conventionally, a recovery operator connects the air conditioner 20 whose refrigerant is R22, a refrigerant recovery device 60 having a high-pressure cutoff switch 74 that operates at 3.0 Mpa, and a refrigerant recovery container 100 having an FC3 cylinder, Carefully proceed with the collection work with great care. That is, the operation of the compressor 68 is monitored while carefully watching the pressure displayed by the monitoring pressure gauges 70 and 72 of the refrigerant recovery device 60. And the display value of the monitoring pressure gauge 72 is made not to exceed 2.4 MPa which is the saturation pressure in 60 degreeC of R22. Considering the safety side, the operation of the compressor 68 is stopped in the refrigerant recovery device 60 when the display value of the monitoring pressure gauge 72 becomes approximately 2 MPa. As described above, conventionally, the collection work is advanced under the utmost care by the collection operator.

  In the configuration of FIG. 1, since the first pressure sensor 90 and the temperature sensor 92 are provided, even if the refrigerant used in the air conditioner 20 is R22, even if it is mistaken as R410A, the refrigerant information output unit 98 outputs “Recovered refrigerant is R22”. The recovery operator knows from the display of this output that the recovered refrigerant is R22. Therefore, for example, the refrigerant discharge side port 64 is immediately closed, the cylinder side port 104 of the refrigerant recovery container 100 is immediately closed, and the refrigerant recovery device 60 Measures such as stopping the operation can be taken. As described above, according to the configuration of FIG. 1, it is possible to take appropriate measures even in the case of an error that may still occur even if the recovery operator pays close attention to the type of refrigerant in the prior art. Can be prevented in advance.

  In the above, the first pressure sensor 90 and the temperature sensor 92 are built in the refrigerant recovery device 60, and the type of the recovered refrigerant 117 is determined based on the combination (condensation pressure and condensation temperature) detected by them. One of the purposes is to prevent the fusible plug 108 from melting when the refrigerant collection container 100 is filled with the refrigerant collection container 100 in view of the specifications of the refrigerant collection device 60 and the refrigerant collection container 100. . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of the refrigerant recovery system 12 including the refrigerant recovery device 150 that can output information on whether or not the recovered refrigerant 117 conforms to the specification of the refrigerant recovery container 100 based on the condensation pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117. It is.

  The refrigerant recovery device 150 of FIG. 5 differs from the refrigerant recovery device 60 of FIG. 1 in that neither the first pressure sensor 90 nor the temperature sensor 92 is built in, and instead the refrigerant recovery arranged outside the refrigerant recovery device 150. The second pressure sensor 152 is provided in the pipe line 106, and the assumed refrigerant setting unit 154 is provided in the control device 94.

  The second pressure sensor 152 is a pressure gauge that is externally attached to the refrigerant recovery pipe 106 disposed outside the refrigerant recovery apparatus 150 and detects the pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 inside the refrigerant recovery pipe 106. The pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is a condensation pressure. The detected condensation pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is transmitted to the control device 94 via an appropriate signal line.

  The assumed refrigerant setting unit 154 sets the type of refrigerant assumed to be collected. For example, a keyboard (not shown) is connected to the control device 94, and the collection operator operates the keyboard to input the type name of the refrigerant assumed to be collected, and the control device 94 acquires the input data to collect the refrigerant. Set to the type of refrigerant that is assumed.

  The refrigerant information output unit 98 has a memory that stores in advance data indicating the relationship with the saturation pressure at a predetermined temperature at which the fusible stopper provided in the refrigerant recovery container melts for all of the refrigerants shown in FIG. Therefore, the memory is searched using the type of refrigerant set by the assumed refrigerant setting unit 154 as a search key, and the saturation pressure of the refrigerant at a predetermined temperature is acquired. Instead of this, it is also possible to have a memory that stores data on saturation pressure at a predetermined temperature (predetermined temperature = 60 ° C.) as shown in FIG. Using the acquired result, the refrigerant information output unit 98 uses the fusible plug 108 of the refrigerant recovery container 100 when the pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is higher than the saturation pressure at a predetermined temperature of the refrigerant assumed to be recovered. Since it dissolves, information indicating that the pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is incompatible with the specifications of the refrigerant recovery container is output.

  As an example, the type of refrigerant that is assumed to be recovered is R22. The saturation pressure of R22 at 60 ° C. is 2.4 MPa according to FIG. When the condensation pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is 2.5 MPa, the pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is higher than the saturation pressure at a predetermined temperature of the refrigerant assumed to be recovered, and the soluble stopper 108 of the refrigerant recovery container 100 is dissolved. To do. Such a situation may occur when the refrigerant recovery device 150 has a specification that conforms to R410A and the high pressure cutoff switch 74 has a cutoff operating pressure of 3.0 MPa. In this case, information indicating that the pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is incompatible with the specifications of the refrigerant recovery container is output.

  The output information is displayed on the display device. The recovery operator knows from the display of this output that the condensation pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is too high, so for example, immediately close the refrigerant discharge side port 64 and close the cylinder side port 104 of the refrigerant recovery container 100 to recover the refrigerant. Measures such as stopping the operation of the device 60 can be taken.

  Further, in addition to displaying on the display device, output may be performed by lighting a lamp or the like. For example, when the pressure of the recovered refrigerant 117 is less than the saturation pressure at a predetermined temperature of the refrigerant assumed to be recovered, the “normal” lamp is turned on, and when the pressure is equal to or higher than the saturation pressure at the predetermined temperature of the refrigerant assumed to be recovered Turn on the “alarm” lamp. Instead of lamp lighting, character lighting output, voice output, or the like may be used. These output means may be used in combination.

  The refrigerant recovery system 10 in FIG. 1 and the refrigerant recovery system 12 in FIG. 5 are cases where the cylinder 102 of the refrigerant recovery container 100 is empty. When there is a case where some refrigerant is already filled in the refrigerant collection container 100 prepared when the refrigerant is collected, if the collected refrigerant 117 may be different from the already filled refrigerant, one cylinder 102 is different. Since a refrigerant | coolant will be mixed, it is not preferable.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a refrigerant recovery system 14 including a refrigerant recovery device 160 that can output information about whether or not the type of refrigerant in the air conditioner 20 matches the type of refrigerant already filled in the refrigerant recovery container 100. It is. In FIG. 6, the refrigerant 170 is a refrigerant used in the air conditioner 20, and the refrigerant 172 is a refrigerant already filled in the refrigerant recovery container 100.

  The refrigerant recovery device 160 in FIG. 6 is obtained by providing the refrigerant determination sensor unit 162 in the refrigerant recovery device 60 in FIG. The refrigerant determination sensor unit 162 includes a first refrigerant sensor 164 that determines the type of the refrigerant 170 and a second refrigerant sensor 166 that determines the type of the refrigerant 172. As the first refrigerant sensor 164 and the second refrigerant sensor 164, a commercially available leak sensor that determines the type of refrigerant that has leaked by using an infrared method or a heat detection method can be used. Switching means may be provided in the refrigerant discrimination sensor unit 162, and the first refrigerant sensor 164 and the second refrigerant sensor 164 may be combined with one sensor.

  In order to detect the type of the refrigerant 170 by the first refrigerant sensor 164, the refrigerant suction side port 62 is closed and the gauge manifold 54 and the pipe line 110 are blocked. In order to detect the type of the refrigerant 172 by the second refrigerant sensor 166, the refrigerant discharge side port 64 is closed, and the refrigerant recovery line 106 and the check valve 86 are shut off. In addition, the liquid side port of the cylinder side port 104 of the refrigerant recovery container 100 is opened.

  The refrigerant information output unit 98 of the control device 94 outputs information about whether or not the type of the refrigerant 170 matches the type of the refrigerant 172 based on the detection result of the refrigerant discrimination sensor unit 162. The output information is displayed on the display device. The recovery operator knows from the display of this output whether or not the refrigerant 170 to be recovered matches the refrigerant 172 already filled in the refrigerant recovery container 100. It is possible to immediately take measures such as closing the refrigerant discharge side port 64, closing the cylinder side port 104 of the refrigerant recovery container 100, and stopping the operation of the refrigerant recovery device 60.

  Further, in addition to displaying on the display device, output may be performed by lighting a lamp or the like. For example, the “normal” lamp is turned on when the refrigerant 170 and the refrigerant 172 match, and the “alarm” lamp is turned on when they do not match. Instead of lamp lighting, character lighting output, voice output, or the like may be used. These output means may be used in combination.

  The refrigerant discrimination sensor unit 162 can be provided in the refrigerant recovery device 150 of FIG. In this manner, by providing the refrigerant discrimination sensor unit 162, it is possible to prevent the mixing of different refrigerants in the refrigerant recovery container 100.

  10, 12, 14 Refrigerant recovery system, 20 Air conditioner (refrigeration equipment), 22 Outdoor unit, 24 Indoor unit, 30, 68 Compressor, 32, 82 Condenser, 34, 42, 84 Fan, 36 Liquid receiver, 38 Expansion valve, 40 Evaporator, 44 Accumulator, 50, 52 Service port, 54 Gauge manifold, 60, 150, 160 Refrigerant recovery device, 62 Refrigerant suction side port, 64 Refrigerant discharge side port, 66 Recovery part, 70, 72 Monitoring pressure 74, high pressure cutoff switch, 80 three-way valve, 86 check valve, 90 first pressure sensor, 92 temperature sensor, 94 control device, 96 recovery control unit, 98 refrigerant information output unit, 100 refrigerant recovery container, 102 cylinder, 104 Cylinder side port, 106 refrigerant recovery line, 108 fusible plug, 109 float sensor, 110, 112, 1 14, 116 pipeline, 117 recovered refrigerant, 120, 170, 172 refrigerant, 130, 132 characteristic line, 134 critical point, 140 pressure, 142 condensing temperature, 152 second pressure sensor, 154 assumed refrigerant setting unit, 162 refrigerant discrimination sensor , 164 first refrigerant sensor, 166 second refrigerant sensor.

Claims (4)

A refrigerant suction side port connected to a service port for refrigerant recovery of a refrigeration apparatus that performs a refrigeration cycle by circulation of refrigerant compression, condensation and evaporation;
A recovery unit including a compressor that compresses the refrigerant from the refrigerant suction side port and a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant;
A refrigerant discharge side port connected to the refrigerant recovery container and discharging the refrigerant condensed by the recovery unit as a recovery refrigerant;
A refrigerant information output unit that outputs information about the recovered refrigerant using a sensor that detects the characteristics of the refrigerant;
A refrigerant recovery apparatus comprising: The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 1,
A first pressure sensor provided between an output port of the compressor and an input port of the condenser;
A temperature sensor provided in the condenser;
With
The refrigerant information output unit
The detected value of the first pressure sensor is the refrigerant condensing pressure, the detected value of the temperature sensor is the refrigerant condensing temperature, and the type of recovered refrigerant is output based on the refrigerant condensing pressure and the refrigerant condensing temperature. A refrigerant recovery device. The refrigerant recovery device according to claim 1,
An assumed refrigerant setting unit for setting the type of refrigerant assumed to be collected;
A second pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of the recovered refrigerant inside the refrigerant recovery line between the refrigerant discharge port and the refrigerant recovery container;
With
The refrigerant information output unit
When the temperature at which the fusible plug provided in the refrigerant recovery container melts is a predetermined temperature, and the recovered refrigerant pressure is higher than the saturation pressure at the predetermined temperature of the refrigerant to be recovered, the recovered refrigerant A refrigerant recovery device that outputs information that does not conform to specifications. In the refrigerant recovery device according to claim 2 or 3,
Refrigerant discrimination in which the refrigerant suction side port is closed to determine the type of refrigeration equipment refrigerant from the service port of the refrigeration equipment, and the refrigerant discharge side port is closed to determine the type of the recovery container refrigerant filled in the refrigerant recovery container It has a sensor part,
The refrigerant information output unit
A refrigerant recovery apparatus that outputs information on whether or not the type of refrigeration equipment refrigerant matches the type of recovery container refrigerant based on the detection result of the refrigerant discrimination sensor unit.

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