Refrigeration cycle apparatus and refrigerant leakage detection method

Abstract

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates, a temperature sensor provided at a position on the refrigerant circuit, the position being adjacent to a brazed portion or adjacent to a joint portion in which refrigerant pipes are joined to each other, and a controller configured to determine whether or not the refrigerant has leaked based on a detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is covered with a heat insulating material together with the brazed portion or the joint portion.

1 . A refrigeration cycle apparatus, comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates;   a temperature sensor provided at a position on the refrigerant circuit, the position being adjacent to a brazed portion or the position being adjacent to a joint portion in which refrigerant pipes are joined to each other; and   a controller configured to determine whether or not the refrigerant has leaked based on a detected temperature detected by the temperature sensor,   wherein the temperature sensor is covered with a heat insulating material together with the brazed portion or the joint portion.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the refrigerant has leaked when the detected temperature is lower than a threshold temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that the refrigerant has leaked when a temporal change of the detected temperature is lower than a threshold value. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fan,
 wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the refrigerant has leaked only when the fan is stopped.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is provided below the brazed portion or the joint portion. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is provided above or beside the brazed portion or the joint portion. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is covered with a heat insulating material that is same as the heat insulating material covering the brazed portion or the joint portion. 
     
     
         8 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat insulating material comprises a plurality of heat insulating members. 
     
     
         9 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, among the plurality of the heat insulating members, two heat insulating members that are adjacent to each other are arranged such that end portions of the two heat insulating members overlap with each other. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein, among the plurality of the heat insulating members, two heat insulating members that are adjacent to each other are arranged such that end surfaces of the two heat insulating members are in contact with each other. 
     
     
         11 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the brazed portion or the joint portion is covered with a first heat insulating member among the plurality of the heat insulating members, and   wherein the temperature sensor is covered with a second heat insulating member among the plurality of the heat insulating members.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigeration cycle apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor also serves as a temperature sensor configured to detect a refrigerant temperature of a heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . A refrigerant leakage detection method, comprising:
 detecting a temperature of a position on a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates, the position being adjacent to a brazed portion and being covered with a heat insulating material together with the brazed portion, or the position being adjacent to a joint portion in which refrigerant pipes are joined to each other and being covered with a heat insulating material together with the joint portion; and   determining whether or not the refrigerant has leaked based on the temperature.