Refrigeration-cycle equipment

Abstract

There is provided refrigeration-cycle equipment in which a mixture of a refrigerant component and an additive is employed as a refrigerant. The refrigeration-cycle equipment includes an evaporator, a condenser, a vapor passage, and a return passage. The return passage guides refrigerant liquid from the condenser to the evaporator. The return, passage is provided with a separating mechanism that separates the additive from the refrigerant component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Refrigeration-cycle equipment in which a mixture of a refrigerant component and an additive is employed as a refrigerant, the refrigeration-cycle equipment comprising:
 an evaporator that stores refrigerant liquid, evaporates the refrigerant liquid, and generates refrigerant vapor;   a condenser that condenses the refrigerant vapor and generates refrigerant liquid;   a compressor provided between the evaporator and the condenser, the compressor compressing the refrigerant vapor;   a vapor passage that connects the evaporator and the condenser to each other through the compressor and guides the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator to the condenser;   a return passage that guides the refrigerant liquid from the condenser to the evaporator; and   a separating mechanism provided in the return passage, the separating mechanism separating the additive from the refrigerant liquid supplied from the condenser to the evaporator.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein the separating mechanism is a filtering device employing a total filtering method. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 1 , further comprising a flow rate adjustment mechanism for adjusting flow rate of the refrigerant liquid provided in the return passage. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pump provided in the return passage. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the separating mechanism is a filtering device employing a cross flow method, and   wherein the return passage includes
 (a1) an upstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid to be treated by the separating mechanism from the condenser to the separating mechanism; 
 (a2) a first downstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid whose additive concentration has been reduced from the separating mechanism to the evaporator; and 
 (a3) a second downstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid whose additive concentration has been increased from the separating mechanism to the condenser. 
   
     
     
         6 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 5 , further comprising a flow rate adjustment mechanism for adjusting flow rate of the refrigerant liquid provided in the return passage. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a bypass passage that bypasses the separating mechanism and guides the refrigerant liquid from the condenser to the evaporator; and   a flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts an amount of refrigerant liquid supplied from the condenser through the separating mechanism to the evaporator and an amount of refrigerant liquid supplied from the condenser through the bypass passage to the evaporator.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 5 , further comprising an adjustment passage that has a valve and guides the refrigerant liquid from the evaporator to the condenser. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an adjustment passage that guides the refrigerant liquid from the evaporator through the separating mechanism to the condenser,   wherein the return passage includes
 an upstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid to be treated by the separating mechanism from the condenser to the separating mechanism; and 
 a downstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid whose additive concentration has been reduced from the separating mechanism to the evaporator, 
   wherein the adjustment passage includes
 an upstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid to be treated by the separating mechanism from the evaporator to the separating mechanism; and 
 a downstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid whose additive concentration has been reduced from the separating mechanism to the condenser, and 
   wherein the refrigeration-cycle equipment further includes
 a first three-way valve that selectively connects one of the upstream portion of the return passage and the upstream portion of the adjustment passage to an inlet of the separating mechanism; and 
 a second three-way valve that selectively connects one of the downstream portion of the return passage and the downstream portion of the adjustment passage to an outlet of the separating mechanism. 
   
     
     
         10 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a bypass passage that bypasses the separating mechanism and guides the refrigerant liquid from the evaporator to the condenser; and   a flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts an amount of refrigerant liquid supplied from the evaporator through the separating mechanism to the condenser and an amount of refrigerant liquid supplied from the evaporator through the bypass passage to the condenser.   
     
     
         11 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 an adjustment passage that guides the refrigerant liquid from the evaporator through the separating mechanism to the condenser,   wherein the adjustment passage includes
 (b1) an upstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid to be treated by the separating mechanism from the evaporator to the separating mechanism; 
 (b2) a first downstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid whose additive concentration has been reduced from the separating mechanism to the condenser; and 
 (b3) a second downstream portion that guides the refrigerant liquid whose additive concentration has been increased from the separating mechanism to the evaporator, and 
   herein the refrigeration-cycle equipment further includes
 (c1) a first three-way valve that selectively connects one of the upstream portion of the return passage and the upstream portion of the adjustment passage to an inlet of the separating mechanism; 
 (c2) a second three-way valve that selectively connects one of the first downstream portion of the return passage and the first downstream portion of the adjustment passage to a permeated liquid outlet of the separating mechanism; and 
 (c3) a third three-way valve that selectively connects one or the second downstream portion of the return passage and the second downstream portion of the adjustment passage to a concentrated liquid outlet of the separating mechanism. 
   
     
     
         12 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a bypass passage that bypasses the separating mechanism and guides the refrigerant liquid from the evaporator to the condenser; and   a flow rate adjustment mechanism that adjusts an amount of refrigerant liquid supplied from the evaporator through the separating mechanism to the condenser and an amount of refrigerant liquid supplied from the evaporator through the bypass passage to the condenser.   
     
     
         13 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the additive is a substance that is mixed with the refrigerant component, and   wherein a saturated vapor pressure of the mixture at a specific temperature is relax a saturated vapor pressure of the refrigerant component at the specific temperature.   
     
     
         14 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant component is a substance whose saturated vapor pressure at room temperature is a negative pressure. 
     
     
         15 . The refrigeration-cycle equipment according to  claim 1 , wherein a saturated vapor pressure P 1  of the refrigerant liquid stored in the evaporator and being at a specific temperature is higher than a saturated vapor pressure P 2  of the refrigerant liquid stored in the condenser and being at the specific temperature.