Air-conditioning apparatus and air-conditioning method

Abstract

An air-conditioning apparatus according to a first aspect includes a heat source device, an air-conditioning unit, a hot water supply unit, and control circuitry configured to perform a first alternate operation of alternately performing a heating operation and a hot water supply operation when a heating request and a hot water supply request are received at the same time, and to perform a second alternate operation of alternately performing a cooling operation and the hot water supply operation when a cooling request and the hot water supply request are received at the same time, in which the control circuitry is configured to perform control to make a first continuous operation time of the hot water supply operation in the first alternate operation different from a second continuous operation time of the hot water supply operation in the second alternate operation.

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a heat source device that includes a refrigerant cycle circulating a refrigerant;   an air-conditioning unit configured to perform a heating operation and a cooling operation by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and indoor air;   a hot water supply unit that includes a hot water storage tank and configured to perform a hot water supply operation by heating with the refrigerant; and   control circuitry configured to perform a first alternate operation of alternately performing the heating operation and the hot water supply operation when a heating request and a hot water supply request are received at the same time, and to perform a second alternate operation of alternately performing the cooling operation and the hot water supply operation when a cooling request and the hot water supply request are received at the same time, wherein   the control circuitry is configured to perform control to make a first continuous operation time of the hot water supply operation in the first alternate operation different from a second continuous operation time of the hot water supply operation in the second alternate operation.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to set the first continuous operation time to be shorter than the second continuous operation time. 
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to change at least one of the first continuous operation time and the second continuous operation time based on an outside air temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the hot water supply unit includes a heating unit, and   the control circuitry is configured to cause the heating unit to start heating and start the heating operation in the first alternate operation, and to cause the heating unit to start heating and start the cooling operation in the second alternate operation.   
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the heating unit to start heating when a water temperature in the hot water storage tank reaches a threshold value. 
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the heating unit to start heating when a condensation temperature of the refrigerant during the hot water supply operation reaches a threshold value. 
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to prohibit the heating unit from starting heating when the heating operation is performed in the first alternate operation or when the cooling operation is performed in the second alternate operation. 
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to permit the heating unit to perform heating when the heating operation is performed in the first alternate operation or the cooling operation is performed in the second alternate operation, and an indoor temperature reaches a target temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The air-conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heat source device includes a compressor,   a minimum frequency of the compressor in the hot water supply operation is greater than a minimum frequency of the compressor in the heating operation, and the minimum frequency of the compressor in the hot water supply operation is greater than a minimum frequency of the compressor in the cooling operation.   
     
     
         10 . An air-conditioning method in an air-conditioning apparatus including a heat source device that includes a refrigerant cycle circulating a refrigerant, an air-conditioning unit configured to perform a heating operation and a cooling operation by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and indoor air, and a hot water supply unit that includes a hot water storage tank and configured to perform a hot water supply operation by heating with the refrigerant, the air-conditioning method comprising:
 performing a first alternate operation of alternately performing the heating operation and the hot water supply operation when a heating request and a hot water supply request are received at the same time; and   performing a second alternate operation of alternately performing the cooling operation and the hot water supply operation when a cooling request and the hot water supply request are received at the same time, wherein   a first continuous operation time of the hot water supply operation in the first alternate operation is different from a second continuous operation time of the hot water supply operation in the second alternate operation.