Air conditioning apparatus

Abstract

An air conditioning apparatus includes a refrigerant circuit and a controller. The refrigerant circuit is configured to allow refrigerant to circulate through a compressor, a condenser, an LEV, and an evaporator. The LEV has an opening degree variable from a lower limit opening degree to an upper limit opening degree. The controller is configured to control the LEV to alternately repeat a first opening degree and a second opening degree in a range of less than or equal to a quarter of the upper limit opening degree, the second opening degree being smaller than the first opening degree.

1 . An air conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit configured to allow refrigerant to circulate through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator;   an outdoor unit containing one of the condenser and the evaporator and containing the compressor;   an indoor unit containing the other one of the condenser and the evaporator; and   a controller configured to control the expansion valve, wherein   the expansion valve has an opening degree variable from a lower limit opening degree to an upper limit opening degree, and   the controller is configured to control the expansion valve to alternately repeat a first opening degree and a second opening degree in a range of less than or equal to a quarter of the upper limit opening degree when a low-capacity operating condition including a first condition is satisfied, the second opening degree being smaller than the first opening degree, and the first condition being a condition that a magnitude of a difference between a set temperature and a temperature of air sucked into the indoor unit is smaller than a threshold value.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller specifies a plurality of opening degrees from the lower limit opening degree to the upper limit opening degree, by respective command values from  0  to n, where n is a natural number, and   the controller outputs the command values to alternately repeat a first command value and a second command value in a range of less than or equal to a quarter of n, the second command value being smaller than the first command value.   
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the low-capacity operating condition is satisfied, when the first condition is satisfied and a second condition is satisfied, the second condition being a condition that a value of superheat of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is less than or equal to a specified value. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the controller adjusts a time ratio between the first opening degree and the second opening degree in a period that are alternately repeated, to cause the value of superheat to approach the specified value. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller comprises a processor and a memory,   the memory stores a map, input data to the map is an indoor temperature and an outdoor air temperature, and output data from the map is a time ratio between the first opening degree and the second opening degree in a period that are alternately repeated, or the output data is a capacity coefficient of the expansion valve corresponding to the time ratio, and   the processor controls the expansion valve using the map.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller comprises a processor and a memory,   the memory stores a map, input data to the map is an operating frequency of the compressor, and output data from the map is a time ratio between the first opening degree and the second opening degree in a period that are alternately repeated, or the output data is a capacity coefficient of the expansion valve corresponding to the time ratio, and   the processor controls the expansion valve using the map.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller comprises a processor and a memory,   the memory stores a map, input data to the map is an indoor temperature, an outdoor air temperature, and an operating frequency of the compressor, and output data from the map is a time ratio between the first opening degree and the second opening degree in a period that are alternately repeated, or the output data is a capacity coefficient of the expansion valve corresponding to the time ratio, and   the processor controls the expansion valve using the map.