Refrigerating cycle device

Abstract

Provided is a refrigerating cycle apparatus in which, even if large power is required to start up an expander, the expander may be started up by activating a compressor. An air conditioner including a first compressor for compressing a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger for radiating heat of the refrigerant compressed by the first compressor, an expander for decompressing the refrigerant that has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger in which the refrigerant decompressed by the expander is evaporated, and a drive shaft for recovering power that is generated when the refrigerant is decompressed by the expander includes an on-off valve which is provided between the expander and the indoor heat exchanger and controls movement of the refrigerant from the expander to the indoor heat exchanger. After the first compressor is started up to increase a pressure of the refrigerant in the expander to a critical pressure or higher, the on-off valve is opened and the expander is started up by a dynamic pressure of the refrigerant.

1 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus including:
 a first compressor for compressing a refrigerant;   a radiator for radiating heat of the refrigerant compressed by the first compressor;   an expander for decompressing the refrigerant that has passed through the radiator;   an evaporator in which the refrigerant decompressed by the expander is evaporated; and   a power recovery device which is connected to the expander and recovers power that is generated when the refrigerant is decompressed by the expander,   the refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising refrigerant movement control means which is provided in a channel of the refrigerant from the expander to the evaporator and controls a flow rate of the refrigerant moving from the expander to the evaporator,   wherein, after the first compressor is started up to increase a pressure of the refrigerant in the expander, the refrigerant movement control means controls the flow rate of the refrigerant to start up the expander by a dynamic pressure of the refrigerant in the expander.   
     
     
         2 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant movement control means controls the flow rate of the refrigerant when the pressure of the refrigerant at an inlet of the refrigerant of the expander is equal to or higher than a critical pressure. 
     
     
         3 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant movement control means controls the flow rate of the refrigerant when a difference between the pressure of the refrigerant at an inlet of the refrigerant of the refrigerant movement control means and the pressure of the refrigerant at an outlet thereof is equal to or larger than 2.5 MPa. 
     
     
         4 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 judging means for judging, after the refrigerant movement control means controls the flow rate of the refrigerant, whether or not the expander is started up;   storage means for storing a number of times the judging means judges that the expander is not started up; and   display means for displaying, when the number of times stored in the storage means has reached a predetermined number of times, a notification that the expander has failed.   
     
     
         5 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising, in a channel of the refrigerant between the radiator and the evaporator, a bypass circuit connected in parallel to the expander and the refrigerant movement control means that are connected in series, and a bypass valve for adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the bypass circuit,
 wherein the refrigerant is allowed to pass through the bypass circuit when the number of times stored in the storage means has reached the predetermined number of times.   
     
     
         6 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant movement control means comprises an on-off valve that is fully closed to restrict movement of the refrigerant from the expander to the evaporator and is fully opened to control the flow rate of the refrigerant moving from the expander to the evaporator. 
     
     
         7 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant movement control means comprises a flow regulating valve that is totally closed or nearly totally closed to restrict movement of the refrigerant from the expander to the evaporator and is adjusted in degree of opening to control the flow rate of the refrigerant moving from the expander to the evaporator. 
     
     
         8 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the power recovery device comprises a power generator. 
     
     
         9 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising, in a channel of the refrigerant between the first compressor and the radiator, a second compressor for compressing the refrigerant,
 wherein the power recovery device comprises one drive shaft which is connected between the expander and the second compressor and transfers the power from the expander to the second compressor.   
     
     
         10 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising, in a channel of the refrigerant between the first compressor and the evaporator, a second compressor for compressing the refrigerant,
 wherein the power recovery device comprises one drive shaft which is connected between the expander and the second compressor and transfers the power from the expander to the second compressor.   
     
     
         11 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first foreign particle trap for trapping foreign particles entering the expander at an inlet of the refrigerant of the expander,
 wherein a size of a smallest one of the foreign particles to be trapped by the first foreign particle trap is smaller than a largest gap in an expansion chamber of the expander.   
     
     
         12 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising a second foreign particle trap for trapping foreign particles entering the second compressor at an inlet of the refrigerant of the second compressor,
 wherein a size of a smallest one of the foreign particles to be trapped by the second foreign particle trap is smaller than a largest gap in a compression chamber of the second compressor.   
     
     
         13 . A refrigerating cycle apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant comprises carbon dioxide.