IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,385,662
Granted Patent B2
US 12,385,662 · App. 18/251,028 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Air conditioner

Inventors: Akihiro Abe (Tokyo, JP); Masafumi Tomita (Tokyo, JP); Tsutomu Makino (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
F24F11/72F24F1/38F24F11/63
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,385,662
App. No.
18/251,028
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An air conditioner includes: an indoor unit; an outdoor unit; and a control unit that controls operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. The outdoor unit includes: an outdoor unit fan that takes in air; an outside air temperature detection unit that detects an outside air temperature that is a temperature of outside air; and an air pressure acquisition unit that acquires an air pressure of outside air. The control unit calculates an air property value of air at an installation location of the air conditioner based on an outside air temperature acquired by the outside air temperature detection unit and an air pressure acquired by the air pressure acquisition unit, and controls the outdoor unit fan based on the air property value.

Claims (58)

1. An air conditioner comprising: an indoor unit; an outdoor unit; and processing circuitry to control operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, wherein

the outdoor unit includes:

an outdoor unit fan to take in air;

an outdoor unit heat exchanger to cause outdoor air taken in by the outdoor unit fan and a refrigerant to exchange heat;

an outside air temperature detector to detect an outside air temperature that is a temperature of outside air; and

an air pressure sensor to acquire an air pressure of outside air, and

the processing circuitry calculates an air property value of air at an installation location of the air conditioner based on an outside air temperature acquired by the outside air temperature detector and an air pressure acquired by the air pressure sensor, calculates a heat transfer coefficient regarding heat transfer between the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the air from the air property value, calculates a corrected rotational speed that is a value obtained by correcting a rotational speed of the outdoor unit fan by using the heat transfer coefficient, and controls the outdoor unit fan using the corrected rotational speed.

2. An air conditioner comprising: an indoor unit; an outdoor unit; and a processing circuitry to control operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, wherein

the outdoor unit includes:

an outdoor unit fan to take in air;

an outdoor unit heat exchanger to cause outdoor air taken in by the outdoor unit fan and a refrigerant to exchange heat; and

an outside air temperature detector to detect an outside air temperature that is a temperature of outside air;

wherein

the processing circuitry stores air conditioner location information indicating a location where the air conditioner is installed, the air conditioner location information being convertible into an air pressure at the installation location of the air conditioner,

when geographical location information that is information on a geographical location where the air conditioner is installed is input to the processing circuitry, the processing circuitry converts the geographical location information into the air conditioner location information, stores the converted air conditioner location information, calculates an air pressure from the air conditioner location information, calculates an air property value of air at the installation location of the air conditioner from the calculated air pressure and an outside air temperature acquired from the outside air temperature detector, calculates a heat transfer coefficient regarding heat transfer between the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the air from the air property value, calculates a corrected rotational speed that is a value obtained by correcting a rotational speed of the outdoor unit fan by using the heat transfer coefficient, and controls the outdoor unit fan using the corrected rotational speed.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein

the air conditioner location information indicates an altitude, and

the processing circuitry converts the input geographical location information into the air conditioner location information by using altitude conversion information in which the geographical location information is associated with the altitude.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a remote controller to instruct the processing circuitry to make settings for operation of the air conditioner, wherein

the geographical location information is input via the remote controller.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein

the processing circuitry communicates with an external device, wherein

the processing circuitry receives the geographical location information from an information communication terminal located at the installation location of the air conditioner, and

the processing circuitry converts, into the air conditioner location information, the geographical location information received.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein

the outdoor unit further includes an actuator,

the indoor unit includes an indoor unit fan to take in air, and

the processing circuitry recalculates the heat transfer coefficient based on which a control target value is calculated and used to cause the outdoor unit fan to operate, and controls the actuator and the indoor unit fan based on the recalculated heat transfer coefficient.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6 , wherein the actuator includes: a compressor to compress a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; a four-way valve to switch flow paths of the refrigerant; and a decompressor to decompress the refrigerant.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a remote controller to instruct the processing circuitry to make settings for operation of the air conditioner, wherein

the geographical location information is input via the remote controller.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein

the outdoor unit further includes an actuator,

the indoor unit includes an indoor unit fan to take in air, and

the processing circuitry recalculates the heat transfer coefficient based on which a control target value is calculated and used to cause the outdoor unit fan to operate, and controls the actuator and the indoor unit fan based on the recalculated heat transfer coefficient.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein

the outdoor unit further includes an actuator,

the indoor unit includes an indoor unit fan to take in air, and

the processing circuitry recalculates the heat transfer coefficient based on which a control target value is calculated and used to cause the outdoor unit fan to operate, and controls the actuator and the indoor unit fan based on the recalculated heat transfer coefficient.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein

the outdoor unit further includes an actuator,

the indoor unit includes an indoor unit fan to take in air, and

the processing circuitry recalculates the heat transfer coefficient based on which a control target value is calculated and used to cause the outdoor unit fan to operate, and controls the actuator and the indoor unit fan based on the recalculated heat transfer coefficient.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein

the outdoor unit further includes an actuator,

the indoor unit includes an indoor unit fan to take in air, and

the processing circuitry recalculates the heat transfer coefficient based on which a control target value is calculated and used to cause the outdoor unit fan to operate, and controls the actuator and the indoor unit fan based on the recalculated heat transfer coefficient.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 8 , wherein

the outdoor unit further includes an actuator,

the indoor unit includes an indoor unit fan to take in air, and

the processing circuitry recalculates the heat transfer coefficient based on which a control target value is calculated and used to cause the outdoor unit fan to operate, and controls the actuator and the indoor unit fan based on the recalculated heat transfer coefficient.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein the actuator includes: a compressor to compress a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; a four-way valve to switch flow paths of the refrigerant; and a decompressor to decompress the refrigerant.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 10 , wherein the actuator includes: a compressor to compress a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; a four-way valve to switch flow paths of the refrigerant; and a decompressor to decompress the refrigerant.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 11 , wherein the actuator includes: a compressor to compress a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; a four-way valve to switch flow paths of the refrigerant; and a decompressor to decompress the refrigerant.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein the actuator includes: a compressor to compress a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; a four-way valve to switch flow paths of the refrigerant; and a decompressor to decompress the refrigerant.

18. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein the actuator includes: a compressor to compress a refrigerant that circulates between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit; a four-way valve to switch flow paths of the refrigerant; and a decompressor to decompress the refrigerant.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: ABE, AKIHIRO; TOMITA, MASAFUMI; MAKINO, TSUTOMU
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063476/0603 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230375211A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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