Air conditioning system

Abstract

An air conditioning system includes a refrigerant cycle, a power feed unit, a controller, and a processor. The refrigerant cycle includes an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units. The outdoor unit includes a compressor. In a case where a power source for at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units is interrupted, the power feed unit feeds power from an auxiliary power source to the at least one indoor unit. The controller controls at least the compressor. In the case where the power source for the at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units is interrupted, the processor makes one of a determination to stop the compressor and a determination to cause the compressor to continue operating. The processor transmits to the controller an instruction corresponding to the determination that has been made.

1 . An air conditioning system comprising:
 a refrigerant cycle including an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units, the outdoor unit including a compressor;   a power feed unit that, in a case where a power source for at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units is interrupted, feeds power from an auxiliary power source to the at least one indoor unit;   a controller that controls at least the compressor; and   a processor that, in the case where the power source for the at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units is interrupted, makes one of   a determination to stop the compressor, and   a determination to cause the compressor to continue operating, and   transmits to the controller an instruction corresponding to the determination that has been made, wherein   the controller causes at least the compressor to perform an oil return operation or a defrosting operation in the refrigerant cycle, and   the processor determines, in a case where the power feed unit feeds power from the auxiliary power source to the at least one indoor unit, whether to continue the oil return operation or the defrosting operation.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor makes the determination on the basis of at least one of   a degree of wetness of refrigerant sucked by the compressor or a prediction of the degree of wetness, and   an amount of drain water in the at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units or a prediction of the amount of drain water.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the processor makes the determination on the basis of   the amount of drain water in the at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units or the prediction of the amount of drain water, and   a power feed capacity of the power feed unit.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in a case where the processor determines not to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the controller stops the compressor on the basis of a degree of wetness of refrigerant sucked by the compressor.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of indoor units each include an expansion valve,   the controller groups the plurality of indoor units into at least two groups,   in a case where the processor determines to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller sequentially performs   first group closing control of closing the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a first group and opening the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a second group, and   second group closing control of opening the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the first group and closing the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the second group.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the outdoor unit further includes a four-way switching valve, and   in a case where the processor determines not to continue the defrosting operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the defrosting operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 in a case where the processor determines not to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 in a case where the processor determines not to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the plurality of indoor units each include an expansion valve,   the controller groups the plurality of indoor units into at least two groups,   in a case where the processor determines to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller sequentially performs   first group closing control of closing the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a first group and opening the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a second group, and   second group closing control of opening the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the first group and closing the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the second group.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the plurality of indoor units each include an expansion valve,   the controller groups the plurality of indoor units into at least two groups,   in a case where the processor determines to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller sequentially performs   first group closing control of closing the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a first group and opening the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a second group, and   second group closing control of opening the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the first group and closing the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the second group.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the plurality of indoor units each include an expansion valve,   the controller groups the plurality of indoor units into at least two groups,   in a case where the processor determines to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller sequentially performs   first group closing control of closing the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a first group and opening the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a second group, and   second group closing control of opening the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the first group and closing the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the second group.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the plurality of indoor units each include an expansion valve,   the controller groups the plurality of indoor units into at least two groups,   in a case where the processor determines to continue the oil return operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the oil return operation, the controller sequentially performs   first group closing control of closing the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a first group and opening the expansion valve of an indoor unit belonging to a second group, and   second group closing control of opening the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the first group and closing the expansion valve of the indoor unit belonging to the second group.   
     
     
         17 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the outdoor unit further includes a four-way switching valve, and   in a case where the processor determines not to continue the defrosting operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the defrosting operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         18 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the outdoor unit further includes a four-way switching valve, and   in a case where the processor determines not to continue the defrosting operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the defrosting operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         19 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the outdoor unit further includes a four-way switching valve, and   in a case where the processor determines not to continue the defrosting operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the defrosting operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         20 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the outdoor unit further includes a four-way switching valve, and   in a case where the processor determines not to continue the defrosting operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the defrosting operation, the controller stops the compressor.   
     
     
         21 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the outdoor unit further includes a four-way switching valve, and   in a case where the processor determines not to continue the defrosting operation when the controller is causing the refrigerant cycle to perform the defrosting operation, the controller stops the compressor.