Refrigeration cycle apparatus and refrigeration apparatus

Abstract

A refrigeration cycle apparatus is a refrigeration cycle apparatus having a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser, a supercooler, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected by a refrigerant pipe, and configured to circulate refrigerant containing refrigerant having a temperature gradient, wherein the supercooler sets a degree of supercooling of the refrigerant, which is a temperature difference between a temperature from the condenser to a refrigerant flow inlet of the supercooler and a temperature in a refrigerant flow outlet on a downstream side of the supercooler, to be larger than the temperature gradient generated at a time of refrigerant shortage of the refrigerant between the refrigerant flow inlet and the refrigerant flow outlet of the supercooler, the refrigeration cycle apparatus including a refrigerant amount determination unit configured to compare a determination threshold value set to a value larger than the temperature gradient of the refrigerant with the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant, and determine whether or not there is a shortage of a refrigerant amount filled in the refrigerant circuit.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A refrigeration cycle apparatus comprising
 a controller having a microcomputer and a refrigerant circuit in which a compressor, a condenser, a liquid receiver, a supercooler, an expansion valve, and an evaporator are connected by a refrigerant pipe, and configured to circulate refrigerant having a temperature gradient,   wherein the refrigeration cycle apparatus further comprises 
 a supercooler inlet temperature sensor installed in the refrigerant flow inlet of the supercooler, and configured to detect a temperature; 
 a supercooler outlet temperature sensor installed in the refrigerant flow outlet of the supercooler, and configured to detect a temperature; 
 a pressure sensor disposed on a discharge side of the compressor; and 
 an outdoor air temperature sensor configured to detect an outdoor ambient air temperature, 
   wherein the controller is configured to calculate a temperature efficiency of the supercooler, the temperature efficiency being a value obtained by dividing a degree of supercooling of the refrigerant by a maximum temperature difference of the refrigerant in the supercooler,   wherein the degree of supercooling is a temperature difference between a temperature from the condenser to a refrigerant flow inlet of the supercooler, measured by the supercooler inlet temperature sensor and a temperature in a refrigerant flow outlet on a downstream side of the supercooler, measured by the supercooler outlet temperature sensor,   wherein the maximum temperature difference is a temperature difference between a condensing temperature of the refrigerant and an outdoor air temperature,   wherein the controller is further configured to compare a determination threshold value set to a value larger than a value obtained by dividing the temperature gradient of the refrigerant by the maximum temperature difference in the supercooler with the temperature efficiency of the supercooler, and determine whether or not there is a shortage of a refrigerant amount filled in the refrigerant circuit,   wherein the temperature gradient of the refrigerant is a difference between a saturated gas temperature and a saturated liquid temperature of the refrigerant at the same pressure,   wherein the refrigeration cycle apparatus further comprises a remote control, and   wherein the determination threshold value is set based on an instruction sent from the remote control.