Air conditioner

Abstract

A refrigerant circuit performs a cool storage operation in which a thermal storage medium is circulated such that a refrigerant having been condensed in an air heat exchanger and passed through an auxiliary heat exchanger is evaporated in the thermal storage heat exchanger. In a thermal storage circuit during the cool storage operation of the refrigerant circuit, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from an outlet of a thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, a retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into an inlet of the thermal storage tank. The retention portion retains crystals contained in the thermal storage medium.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit having an air heat exchanger which exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air;   a thermal storage circuit having a thermal storage tank configured to store a thermal storage medium which turns into slurry when cooled, and a circulation pump provided to circulate the thermal storage medium;   a thermal storage heat exchanger which is connected to the refrigerant circuit and to the thermal storage circuit, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit and the thermal storage medium flowing in the thermal storage circuit;   an auxiliary heat exchanger which is connected to the refrigerant circuit and to the thermal storage circuit, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit and the thermal storage medium flowing in the thermal storage circuit; and   a retention portion provided in the thermal storage circuit to retain crystals contained in the thermal storage medium, wherein   the refrigerant circuit performs a cool storage operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant which has been condensed in the air heat exchanger and passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger is evaporated in the thermal storage heat exchanger, and   in the thermal storage circuit during the cool storage operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from an outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into an inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the retention portion includes a retention filter which catches and retains the crystals contained in the thermal storage medium.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the retention portion includes a retention tank which is provided with an inlet and an outlet, and which retains the thermal storage medium flowing therein through the inlet and discharges the thermal storage medium retained therein through the outlet.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the retention portion includes a retention pipe of which a middle portion has a larger cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of each of its end portions.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the circulation pump is provided between the auxiliary heat exchanger and the retention portion in the thermal storage circuit.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the outlet of the thermal storage tank is provided at a location higher than the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein
 the air heat exchanger is an outdoor heat exchanger,   the refrigerant circuit includes the air heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs the cool storage operation and a use cooling operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant having passed through the thermal storage heat exchanger is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger,   in the thermal storage circuit during any one of the cool storage operation or the use cooling operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from the outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein
 the circulation pump is provided between the auxiliary heat exchanger and the retention portion in the thermal storage circuit.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein
 the outlet of the thermal storage tank is provided at a location higher than the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein
 the air heat exchanger is an outdoor heat exchanger,   the refrigerant circuit includes the air heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs the cool storage operation and a use cooling operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant having passed through the thermal storage heat exchanger is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger,   in the thermal storage circuit during any one of the cool storage operation or the use cooling operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from the outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein
 the circulation pump is provided between the auxiliary heat exchanger and the retention portion in the thermal storage circuit.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein
 the outlet of the thermal storage tank is provided at a location higher than the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein
 the air heat exchanger is an outdoor heat exchanger,   the refrigerant circuit includes the air heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs the cool storage operation and a use cooling operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant having passed through the thermal storage heat exchanger is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger,   in the thermal storage circuit during any one of the cool storage operation or the use cooling operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from the outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein
 the circulation pump is provided between the auxiliary heat exchanger and the retention portion in the thermal storage circuit.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein
 the outlet of the thermal storage tank is provided at a location higher than the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein
 the air heat exchanger is an outdoor heat exchanger,   the refrigerant circuit includes the air heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs the cool storage operation and a use cooling operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant having passed through the thermal storage heat exchanger is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger,   in the thermal storage circuit during any one of the cool storage operation or the use cooling operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from the outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         17 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein
 the outlet of the thermal storage tank is provided at a location higher than the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner of  claim 17 , wherein
 the air heat exchanger is an outdoor heat exchanger,   the refrigerant circuit includes the air heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs the cool storage operation and a use cooling operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant having passed through the thermal storage heat exchanger is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger,   in the thermal storage circuit during any one of the cool storage operation or the use cooling operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from the outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         19 . The air conditioner of  claim 5 , wherein
 the air heat exchanger is an outdoor heat exchanger,   the refrigerant circuit includes the air heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs the cool storage operation and a use cooling operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant having passed through the thermal storage heat exchanger is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger,   in the thermal storage circuit during any one of the cool storage operation or the use cooling operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from the outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into the inlet of the thermal storage tank.   
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein
 the air heat exchanger is an outdoor heat exchanger,   the refrigerant circuit includes the air heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, and performs the cool storage operation and a use cooling operation in which the refrigerant is circulated such that the refrigerant having passed through the thermal storage heat exchanger is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger,   in the thermal storage circuit during any one of the cool storage operation or the use cooling operation, the thermal storage medium is circulated such that the thermal storage medium having flowed out from the outlet of the thermal storage tank sequentially passes through the auxiliary heat exchanger, the retention portion, and the thermal storage heat exchanger and flows into the inlet of the thermal storage tank.