IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,385,661
Granted Patent B2
US 12,385,661 · App. 18/277,583 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Air-conditioning apparatus

Inventors: Kazuya Honda (Tokyo, JP); Naofumi Takenaka (Tokyo, JP); Jumpei Takagi (Tokyo, JP); Masafumi Tomita (Tokyo, JP); Mizuo Sakai (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
F24F11/65F24F1/0083F24F11/0008F24F2110/20
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,385,661
App. No.
18/277,583
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus includes configured to, when a cooling operation mode is changed into one of multiple dehumidifying operation modes, select the one of the multiple dehumidifying operation modes on the basis of a value of a sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF that is a difference between a target sensible heat ratio acquired from an indoor temperature detected by an indoor temperature sensor, a target indoor temperature, and target indoor humidity and a theoretical minimum possible sensible heat ratio acquired from enthalpy of an indoor air, enthalpy of blown air from the indoor unit when relative humidity is 100%, and enthalpy of sensible heat.

Claims (51)

1. An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:

an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan configured to send indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger, and an indoor temperature sensor configured to detect an indoor temperature, the indoor unit being installed in an indoor space;

an outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, the outdoor unit being installed outside the indoor space;

a refrigerant circuit in which the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and the indoor heat exchanger are connected by a pipe; and

a controller having a cooling operation mode in which the indoor space is cooled and multiple dehumidifying operation modes in which the indoor space is dehumidified,

the multiple dehumidifying operation modes including a first dehumidifying operation mode in which an air volume of the indoor fan is increased or decreased and a second dehumidifying operation mode in which the compressor alternates between operation and suspension,

the controller being configured to, when the cooling operation mode is changed into one of the multiple dehumidifying operation modes, select the one of the multiple dehumidifying operation modes on the basis of a value of a sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF that is a difference between a target sensible heat ratio acquired from the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor, a target indoor temperature, and target indoor humidity and a theoretical minimum possible sensible heat ratio acquired from enthalpy of the indoor air, enthalpy of blown air from the indoor unit when relative humidity is 100%, and enthalpy of sensible heat.

2. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is configured to, in the first dehumidifying operation mode,

determine the air volume of the indoor fan on the basis of the value of the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF, and

decrease the air volume of the indoor fan when the value of the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF decreases.

3. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is configured to, in the second dehumidifying operation mode,

alternate between an ON mode and an OFF mode, a rotation frequency of the compressor being controlled for an ON time Atl such that the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor approaches the target indoor temperature in the ON mode, the operation of the compressor being suspended for an OFF time Δt2 in the OFF mode, and

determine a ratio between the ON time Δt1 and the OFF time Δt2 on the basis of the value of the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF.

4. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the indoor unit includes

an auxiliary heat exchanger disposed between the indoor heat exchanger and the expansion device, and

an indoor expansion device disposed between the indoor heat exchanger and the auxiliary heat exchanger, and

wherein the multiple dehumidifying operation modes include a third dehumidifying operation mode in which the indoor expansion device is opened or closed on the basis of the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor.

5. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is configured to

change the cooling operation mode into the first dehumidifying operation mode in a case where the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF is larger than a first reference value, and

change the cooling operation mode into the second dehumidifying operation mode in a case where the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF is not larger than the first reference value.

6. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 4 ,

wherein the controller is configured to

change the cooling operation mode into the first dehumidifying operation mode in a case where the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF is larger than a first reference value,

change the cooling operation mode into the second dehumidifying operation mode in a case where the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF is not larger than the first reference value and is larger than a second reference value that is a value smaller than the first reference value, and

change the cooling operation mode into the third dehumidifying operation mode in a case where the sensible heat ratio difference ΔSHF is not larger than the second reference value.

7. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the air-conditioning apparatus comprises a plurality of the indoor units, and

wherein the plurality of the indoor units is connected to the outdoor unit by a pipe such that the plurality of the indoor units is in parallel with each other.

8. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 7 ,

wherein the controller is configured to acquire the target sensible heat ratio from an average indoor temperature acquired by averaging indoor temperatures detected by the indoor temperature sensors included in the plurality of the indoor units, the target indoor temperature, and the target indoor humidity.

9. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 7 ,

wherein the controller is configured to acquire the target sensible heat ratio from a highest indoor temperature of indoor temperatures detected by the indoor temperature sensors included in the plurality of the indoor units, the target indoor temperature, and the target indoor humidity.

10. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 7 ,

wherein the controller is configured to, in a case where a temperature difference between a highest indoor temperature and a lowest indoor temperature of indoor temperatures detected by the indoor temperature sensors included in the plurality of the indoor units is more than or equal to a predetermined value, acquire the target sensible heat ratio from the highest indoor temperature, the target indoor temperature, and the target indoor humidity.

11. An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:

an indoor unit including an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan configured to send indoor air to the indoor heat exchanger, and an entrance temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger, the indoor unit being installed in an indoor space;

an outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, the outdoor unit being installed outside the indoor space;

a refrigerant circuit in which the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and the indoor heat exchanger are connected by a pipe; and

a controller having a cooling operation mode in which the indoor space is cooled and multiple dehumidifying operation modes in which the indoor space is dehumidified,

the multiple dehumidifying operation modes including a first dehumidifying operation mode in which an air volume of the indoor fan is increased or decreased and a second dehumidifying operation mode in which the compressor alternates between operation and suspension,

the controller being configured to, when the cooling operation mode is changed into one of the multiple dehumidifying operation modes, select the one of the multiple dehumidifying operation modes on the basis of a value of a temperature difference ΔTdp between a dew point acquired from a target indoor temperature and target indoor humidity and the temperature of the refrigerant detected by the entrance temperature sensor.

12. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein the controller is configured to continue the cooling operation mode in a case where the temperature difference ΔTdp is larger than 0.

13. The air-conditioning apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the controller is configured to

change the cooling operation mode into the first dehumidifying operation mode in a case where the temperature difference ΔTdp is larger than a reference value that is a value smaller than 0, and

change the cooling operation mode into the second dehumidifying operation mode in a case where the temperature difference ΔTdp is not larger than the reference value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2023
From: HONDA, KAZUYA; TAKENAKA, NAOFUMI; TAKAGI, JUMPEI; TOMITA, MASAFUMI; SAKAI, MIZUO
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064619/0968 →
Continuity (2)
Related Publication 20240133573A1 · Apr 25, 2024
Related Publication 20240230137A9 · Jul 11, 2024
References Cited (12)
US 20070180851A1 · Fujiyoshi · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20100242508A1 · Lifson · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20160178222A1 · Bush · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170159964A1 · Arai · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20200271346A1 · Nakajima · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210222905A1 · Morioka · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220228765A1 · Kulandaisamy · 2022 [cited by examiner]
JP 2002054832A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 2011075179A · 2011 [cited by applicant]
JP 5487857B2 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014153008A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion mailed on May 25, 2021, received for PCT Application PCT/JP2021/010974, filed on Mar. 18, 2021, 8 pages including English Translation. [cited by applicant]