Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner includes a refrigerant circuit configured by the interconnection of a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger; an operation controlling means capable of performing a refrigerant quantity judging operation to control constituent equipment such that the refrigerant circulation flow rate that is the refrigerant quantity circulating in the refrigerant circuit becomes constant; and a refrigerant quantity judging means that judges the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit using an operation state quantity of constituent equipment or refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit during the refrigerant quantity judging operation.

1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit being configured by the interconnection of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator;   an operation controller being configured to perform a refrigerant quantity judging operation to control constituent equipment such that a refrigerant circulation flow rate that is the refrigerant quantity circulating in the refrigerant circuit becomes constant; and   a refrigerant quantity judging device being configured to judge the adequacy of the refrigerant quantity in the refrigerant circuit, using an operation state quantity of constituent equipment or refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit during the refrigerant quantity judging operation.   
   
   
       2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the operation capacity of the compressor is varied by changing the speed of the compressor, and   the operation controller changes the speed of the compressor in the refrigerant quantity judging operation such that the refrigerant circulation flow rate becomes constant.   
   
   
       3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the refrigerant circulation flow rate is calculated based on an operation state quantity of constituent equipment or refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit.   
   
   
       4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the operation state quantity used for the calculation of the refrigerant circulation flow rate includes at least one of the following   refrigerant temperature on a suction side of the compressors,   refrigerant pressure on the suction side of the compressor,   refrigerant temperature on a discharge side of the compressor,   refrigerant pressure on the discharge side of the compressor,   superheat degree of the refrigerant on an inlet side of the condensers,   subcooling degree of the refrigerant on an outlet side of the condenser,   condensation temperature of the refrigerant, and   evaporation temperature of the refrigerant.   
   
   
       5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant circulation flow rate is calculated based on an operation state quantity of constituent equipment or refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit.   
   
   
       6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the operation state quantity used for the calculation of the refrigerant circulation flow rate includes at least one of the following   refrigerant temperature on a suction side of the compressor,   refrigerant pressure on the suction side of the compressor,   refrigerant temperature on a discharge side of the compressor,   refrigerant pressure on the discharge side of the compressor,   superheat degree of the refrigerant on an inlet side of the condenser,   subcooling degree of the refrigerant on an outlet side of the condenser,   condensation temperature of the refrigerant, and   evaporation temperature of the refrigerant.