JP2006300374A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the sound of a refrigerant when switching over to operation by a heating cycle from operation by an air-conditioning cycle. <P>SOLUTION: This air conditioner 100 equipped with a refrigerant circuit including a compressor 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 14, a first indoor expansion valve 5a and a first indoor heat exchanger 3a, is provided with a switching mechanism 11 and a control part 60. The switching mechanism 11 switches the circulating direction of the refrigerant to switch the air-conditioning cycle and the heating cycle. When switching over to normal heating operation control from defrosting operation control or oil recovery operation control by the air-conditioning cycle, the control part 60 closes the first indoor expansion valve 5a and performs pump-down operation control of driving the compressor 10 in the state of the switching mechanism 11 being on the air-conditioning cycle side, and then opens the first indoor expansion valve 5a to start normal heating operation control. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioner.

Conventionally, in an air conditioner that can switch between a cooling cycle and a heating cycle by switching the flow direction of the refrigerant, there are cases where the operation is switched from the state in which the operation is performed by the cooling cycle to the operation by the heating cycle. For example, in order to defrost the outdoor exchanger during the heating operation, a so-called defrost operation may be performed in which the expansion valve is opened and the outdoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser in the cooling cycle. When the defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger is completed, the heating operation is performed by switching to the heating cycle (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-22306

However, when the operation is performed in the cooling cycle as in the above defrost operation, the temperature on the indoor heat exchanger side is lowered, so that the liquid refrigerant is easily accumulated on the indoor heat exchanger side. If operation with a heating cycle is started while liquid refrigerant is accumulated on the indoor heat exchanger side, the sound of the refrigerant being discharged when the expansion valve is opened propagates in the liquid, causing discomfort to the user. There is a fear.
The subject of this invention is providing the air conditioner which can suppress the refrigerant | coolant sound at the time of switching from the driving | operation by a cooling cycle to the driving | operation by a heating cycle.

  An air conditioner according to a first invention is an air conditioner including a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first expansion valve, and a first indoor heat exchanger, and includes a switching mechanism, a control unit, Is provided. The switching mechanism switches between the cooling cycle and the heating cycle by switching the refrigerant circulation direction. When the control unit switches from the first operation control based on the cooling cycle to the second operation control based on the heating cycle, the control unit closes the first expansion valve and drives the compressor in a state where the switching mechanism is on the cooling cycle side. After performing the above, the first expansion valve is opened and the second operation control is started.

In this air conditioner, pump down operation control is performed when switching from the first operation control by the cooling cycle to the second operation control by the heating cycle. Thereby, a refrigerant | coolant is collect | recovered by the outdoor heat exchanger side, and it can suppress that a liquid refrigerant accumulates on the 1st indoor heat exchanger side. For this reason, the refrigerant | coolant sound at the time of a 1st expansion valve being opened can be suppressed.
An air conditioner according to a second aspect is the air conditioner according to the first aspect, wherein a discharge side pressure sensor that detects a pressure on the discharge side of the compressor and a suction side pressure that detects a pressure on the suction side of the compressor. And a sensor. The switching mechanism is a four-way switching valve. Then, after performing the pump down operation control, the control unit determines that the difference between the discharge side pressure detected by the discharge side pressure sensor and the suction side pressure detected by the suction side pressure sensor reaches the minimum operating pressure of the four-way switching valve. After that, the first expansion valve is opened.

In this air conditioner, since the first expansion valve is opened after the difference between the discharge side pressure and the suction side pressure reaches the minimum operating pressure of the four-way switching valve, the first expansion is performed until the four-way switching valve is reliably switched. The valve does not open. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from flowing backward when the first expansion valve is opened, and it is possible to suppress the refrigerant noise due to the refrigerant backward flow.
An air conditioner according to a third aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, further comprising an outdoor fan that generates an air flow passing through the outdoor heat exchanger. The first operation control is defrost operation control in which the outdoor blower is stopped or driven with a low air volume, and the refrigerant is circulated in the cooling cycle.

In this air conditioner, pump down operation control is performed when switching from defrost operation control, which is an operation by a cooling cycle, to second operation control by a heating cycle. Thereby, the refrigerant | coolant sound which is easy to occur when the refrigerant | coolant circulation direction is switched from defrost operation control can be suppressed.
An air conditioner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the air conditioner according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, further comprising an oil separator, an oil recovery circuit, and an oil recovery circuit opening / closing part. The oil separator is provided on the discharge side of the compressor and separates oil in the refrigerant. The oil recovery circuit connects the oil separator and the suction side of the compressor. The oil recovery circuit opening / closing unit is provided on the oil recovery circuit and opens and closes the oil recovery circuit. The first operation control is oil recovery operation control in which the oil recovery circuit opening / closing part is opened and the refrigerant is circulated in the cooling cycle.

In this air conditioner, pump down operation control is performed when switching from oil recovery operation control, which is an operation by a cooling cycle, to second operation control by a heating cycle. As a result, it is possible to suppress refrigerant noise that is likely to occur when the refrigerant circulation direction is switched from the oil recovery operation control.
An air conditioner according to a fifth invention is the air conditioner according to the first to fourth inventions, further comprising a receiver, a gas vent circuit, and a gas vent circuit opening / closing part. The receiver is located upstream of the first expansion valve in the cooling cycle and downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger, and can store the refrigerant in the liquid state. The degassing circuit is connected from the receiver to the suction side of the compressor, and sends the refrigerant in the gaseous state in the receiver to the suction side of the compressor. The degassing circuit opening / closing unit is provided on the degassing circuit and opens / closes the degassing circuit. And after a pump down operation control, a control part opens a 1st expansion valve after performing refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery control which opens a degassing circuit opening / closing part, and starts 2nd operation control.

When the pump-down operation is performed in the cooling cycle, if the refrigerant is in an excessive state in the refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant is stored between the receiver and the first expansion valve, and the pressure of the refrigerant is higher than that of other parts. High state is likely to occur. For this reason, if the first expansion valve is opened at the time of disclosing the second operation control, the refrigerant may flow backward and a refrigerant noise may be generated.
However, in this air conditioner, even if the refrigerant having a relatively high pressure is stored between the receiver and the first expansion valve, the receiver and the first expansion valve are opened by opening the gas vent circuit. The refrigerant between can be collected in the receiver. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the reverse flow of the refrigerant when the first expansion valve is opened, and it is possible to suppress the generation of refrigerant noise.

An air conditioner according to a sixth invention is the air conditioner according to the first to fifth inventions, wherein the refrigerant circuit is a second indoor heat arranged in parallel with the first expansion valve and the first indoor heat exchanger. It further includes an exchanger and a second expansion valve.
This air conditioner is a so-called multi-type air conditioner provided with a plurality of indoor heat exchangers. In such a multi-type air conditioner, the refrigerant tends to be excessive. Therefore, it becomes an environment where the liquid refrigerant as described above tends to stay and refrigerant noise is likely to be generated. Therefore, the present invention that can suppress refrigerant noise is more effective.

  An air conditioner according to a seventh aspect of the present invention includes a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a first expansion valve, a first indoor heat exchanger, and switching for switching between a cooling cycle and a heating cycle by switching a refrigerant circulation direction. A control method for an air conditioner including a refrigerant circuit including a mechanism, comprising a first operation control execution step, a pump down operation step, and a second operation control start step. In the first operation control execution step, the first operation control by the cooling cycle is executed. In the pump down operation step, after the first operation control execution step, pump down operation control is performed in which the first expansion valve is closed and the compressor is driven with the switching mechanism on the cooling cycle side. In the second operation control start step, after the pump down operation step, the first expansion valve is closed and the second operation control by the heating cycle is started.

  In this air conditioner control method, pump down operation control is performed when switching from the first operation control by the cooling cycle to the second operation control by the heating cycle. Thereby, a refrigerant | coolant is collect | recovered by the outdoor heat exchanger side, and it can suppress that a liquid refrigerant accumulates on the 1st indoor heat exchanger side. For this reason, the refrigerant | coolant sound at the time of a 1st expansion valve being opened can be suppressed.

In the air conditioner according to the first aspect of the present invention, when switching from the first operation control by the cooling cycle to the second operation control by the heating cycle, the refrigerant is collected on the outdoor heat exchanger side, and on the first indoor heat exchanger side. Accumulation of liquid refrigerant can be suppressed. For this reason, the refrigerant | coolant sound at the time of a 1st expansion valve being opened can be suppressed.
In the air conditioner according to the second aspect of the invention, the first expansion valve is not opened until the four-way switching valve is reliably switched, so that it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from flowing backward when the first expansion valve is opened. .

In the air conditioner according to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to suppress the refrigerant noise that is likely to occur when the refrigerant circulation direction is switched from the defrost operation control.
In the air conditioner according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress refrigerant noise that is likely to occur when the refrigerant circulation direction is switched from the oil recovery operation control.
In the air conditioner according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the refrigerant flows backward when the first expansion valve is opened even when the refrigerant having a relatively high pressure is stored between the receiver and the first expansion valve. This can be suppressed, and the generation of refrigerant noise can be suppressed.

The air conditioner according to the sixth aspect of the invention is a multi-type air conditioner, and the present invention that can suppress refrigerant noise is more effective.
In the air conditioner according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when switching from the first operation control by the cooling cycle to the second operation control by the heating cycle, the refrigerant is collected on the outdoor heat exchanger side, and on the first indoor heat exchanger side. Accumulation of liquid refrigerant can be suppressed. For this reason, the refrigerant | coolant sound at the time of a 1st expansion valve being opened can be suppressed.

<Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a configuration of an air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This air conditioner 100 is an air conditioner that cools and heats a house, and is a so-called multi-type air conditioner in which a plurality of indoor units 2 a-2 c are connected to one outdoor unit 1. The indoor units 2a-2c are connected to the outdoor unit 1 via the branch unit BP1. In the present embodiment, a total of three indoor units 2a-2c including the first indoor unit 2a, the second indoor unit 2b, and the third indoor unit 2c are connected to one outdoor unit 1 via the branch unit BP1. ing.

<Configuration of outdoor unit>
The refrigerant circuit on the outdoor unit 1 side includes a compressor 10, a switching mechanism 11, an oil separator 12, a hot gas bypass circuit 13, an outdoor heat exchanger 14, an outdoor expansion valve 15, a receiver 16, a bridge circuit 17, a cooler 18, A supercooling bypass circuit 19, a gas vent circuit 20, a pressure equalizing circuit 21 and the like are included.

The compressor 10 is an electric motor-driven scroll compressor, and is a device for compressing the sucked gas refrigerant. The compressor 10 can variably control the operation frequency by an inverter.
The switching mechanism 11 is a mechanism that switches the direction of the refrigerant flow when switching between the operation by the cooling cycle and the operation by the heating cycle, and the gas side of the discharge pipe 22, the suction pipe 23, and the outdoor heat exchanger 14 of the compressor 10. And a four-way switching valve connected to the gas side of the indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c. The switching mechanism 11 connects the discharge side of the compressor 10 and the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and connects the suction side of the compressor 10 and the gas shut-off valve 24 during operation in the cooling cycle (switching in FIG. 1). (Refer to the solid line of the mechanism 11. Hereinafter, this state is referred to as “cooling cycle side state”.) Moreover, the switching mechanism 11 can connect the discharge side of the compressor 10 and the gas shut-off valve 24 and can connect the suction side of the compressor 10 and the gas side of the outdoor heat exchanger 14 during operation by the heating cycle. (Refer to the broken line of the switching mechanism 11 in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, this state is referred to as a “heating cycle side state”).

The oil separator 12 is a mechanism for separating the lubricating oil contained in the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 10 and returning it to the suction side of the compressor 10, and is provided in the middle of the discharge pipe 22.
The hot gas bypass circuit 13 is a circuit that connects the discharge pipe 22 and the suction pipe 23 of the compressor 10, and connects the suction side and the discharge side of the compressor 10. The hot gas bypass circuit 13 has one end connected to the oil separator 12 and the other end connected to the suction pipe 23. Accordingly, the hot gas bypass circuit 13 functions as an oil recovery circuit for returning the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 to the suction side and returning the oil component separated by the oil separator 12 to the suction side of the compressor 10. can do. On the hot gas bypass circuit 13, a hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part 25 (oil recovery circuit opening / closing part) and a capillary 26 for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant passing therethrough are provided. The hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing unit 25 is an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the hot gas bypass circuit 13, and can close and open the flow of the refrigerant flowing through the hot gas bypass circuit 13.

  The outdoor heat exchanger 14 is a cross fin tube type heat exchanger, and is a device for exchanging heat with a refrigerant using air as a heat source. The outdoor unit 1 includes an outdoor blower 27 that generates an air flow through the outdoor heat exchanger 14 in order to take in outdoor air into the outdoor unit 1 and send it out. The outdoor fan 27 exchanges heat between outdoor air and the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 14 by passing air through the outdoor heat exchanger 14.

The outdoor expansion valve 15 is connected to the liquid side of the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and is positioned between a bridge circuit 17 described later and the outdoor heat exchanger 14. The outdoor expansion valve 15 is a motor-operated valve that can depressurize the refrigerant passing therethrough, and can control the flow rate of the refrigerant passing therethrough by controlling the opening of the valve.
The receiver 16 is a container for temporarily storing the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and the indoor heat exchangers 3a to 3c, and can store the liquid refrigerant. The receiver 16 has an inlet at the top of the container and an outlet at the bottom of the container. The inlet of the receiver 16 is connected to the outdoor expansion valve 15 and the liquid closing valve 28 via the bridge circuit 17. The outlet of the receiver 16 is connected to the outdoor expansion valve 15 and the liquid closing valve 28 via the cooler 18 and the bridge circuit 17. The receiver 16 is located between the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and the indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c and on the opposite side of the compressor 10, and is connected between the indoor expansion valve 5a-5c and the outdoor heat exchanger 14. Located between. The receiver 16 is located upstream of the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c and downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger 14 in the refrigerant flow direction in the cooling cycle.

  The bridge circuit 17 is a circuit composed of four check valves 17a-17d connected between the outdoor expansion valve 15 and the receiver 16, and includes an outdoor heat exchanger 14 and an indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c. The refrigerant flowing between them flows into the receiver 16 from the inlet of the receiver 16 in both cases of flowing into the receiver 16 from the outdoor heat exchanger 14 side and flowing into the receiver 16 from the indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c side. The refrigerant flows in and has a function of returning the refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and the indoor heat exchangers 3a-3c from the outlet of the receiver 16. Specifically, the check valve 17a is connected so as to guide the refrigerant flowing from the indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c toward the outdoor heat exchanger 14 to the inlet of the receiver 16. The check valve 17b is connected to guide the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 14 toward the indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c to the inlet of the receiver 16. The check valve 17c is connected so that the refrigerant flowing from the outlet of the receiver 16 through the cooler 18 can flow to the indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c side. The check valve 17d is connected so that the refrigerant flowing from the outlet of the receiver 16 through the cooler 18 can flow to the outdoor heat exchanger 14 side. Thereby, the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and the indoor heat exchangers 3a-3c always flows in from the inlet of the receiver 16 and flows out of the outlet of the receiver 16, and flows out of the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and the indoor heat. It is returned to the exchanges 3a-3c.

The cooler 18 is a double-pipe heat exchanger, and is provided to cool the refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 14 and sent to the indoor heat exchangers 3a to 3c. The cooler 18 is connected between the receiver 16 and the bridge circuit 17.
The subcooling bypass circuit 19 is provided so as to branch a part of the refrigerant sent from the outdoor heat exchanger 14 to the indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c and return it to the suction side of the compressor 10. Specifically, the supercooling bypass circuit 19 is branched from a circuit portion that connects the outlet of the receiver 16 and the check valve 17d of the bridge circuit 17, passes through the cooler 18, and joins the suction pipe 23 of the compressor 10. So connected. The supercooling bypass circuit 19 is provided with a supercooling bypass expansion valve 29 for adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the supercooling bypass circuit 19. The subcooling bypass expansion valve 29 is an electric valve for adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the cooler 18. Thereby, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant circuit 10 is cooled by the refrigerant returned from the outlet of the supercooling bypass expansion valve 29 to the suction pipe 23 of the compressor 10 in the cooler 18.

  One end of the gas vent circuit 20 is connected to the upper end of the receiver 16, and the other end is connected to the supercooling bypass circuit 19, and merges with the suction pipe 23 of the compressor 10. The degassing circuit 20 is a circuit for sending the gaseous refrigerant in the receiver 16 to the suction side of the compressor 10. In addition, a degas circuit opening / closing section 30 is provided on the degas circuit 20. The degassing circuit opening / closing unit 30 is an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the degassing circuit 20, and can close and open the flow of the refrigerant flowing through the degassing circuit 20.

  One end of the pressure equalizing circuit 21 is connected between the gas vent circuit opening / closing part 30 and the receiver 16 in the gas vent circuit 20, and the other end is connected to the discharge pipe 22. Further, the pressure equalizing circuit 21 is provided with a pressure equalizing check valve 31 that allows only the refrigerant to flow from one end to the other end. This pressure equalization circuit 21 is used to prevent the receiver 16 from bursting by allowing the gas refrigerant to escape when the outside air temperature rises abnormally while the air conditioner 100 is stopped and the pressure of the receiver 16 becomes too high. Is.

<Configuration of indoor unit>
The plurality of indoor units 2a-2c are respectively arranged on the wall surface of the room, the ceiling, etc., and blow out conditioned air into the room. The indoor units 2a-2c may be arranged in different rooms, or may be arranged at different positions in the same room. The indoor units 2a-2c can be thermo-ON / OFF and start / stop operation independently, and the operation state can be switched for each indoor unit 2a-2c. The plurality of indoor units 2a-2c are connected to the outdoor unit 1 via the branch unit BP1, and the refrigerant sent from the outdoor unit 1 is branched in the branch unit BP1 and sent to the indoor heat exchangers 3a-3c. It is done. In addition, the refrigerant that has flowed through each of the indoor heat exchangers 3a to 3c merges again in the branch unit BP1 and is sent to the outdoor unit 1.

The first indoor unit 2a includes a first indoor heat exchanger 3a and a first indoor blower 4a. The first indoor heat exchanger 3a performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing inside and the air. The 1st indoor fan 4a produces | generates the flow of the air which blows off from the inside of the 1st indoor unit 2a, and sends the air which heat-exchanged with the refrigerant | coolant which flows through the 1st indoor heat exchanger 3a indoors.
The second indoor unit 2b includes a second indoor heat exchanger 3b and a second indoor blower 4b. The second indoor heat exchanger 3b performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing inside and the air. The 2nd indoor air blower 4b produces | generates the flow of the air blown out from the inside of the 2nd indoor unit 2b, and sends the air which heat-exchanged with the refrigerant | coolant which flows through the 2nd indoor heat exchanger 3b indoors.

The third indoor unit 2c includes a third indoor heat exchanger 3c and a third indoor fan 4c. The third indoor heat exchanger 3c performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing inside and the air. The 3rd indoor fan 4c produces | generates the flow of the air which blows off from the inside of the 3rd indoor unit 2c, and sends the air which heat-exchanged with the refrigerant | coolant which flows through the 3rd indoor heat exchanger 3c indoors.
The first indoor heat exchanger 3a, the second indoor heat exchanger 3b, and the third indoor heat exchanger 3c are provided in parallel in the refrigerant circuit, and are connected to the branch unit BP1.

<Branch unit configuration>
The branch unit BP1 branches the refrigerant sent from one outdoor unit 1 and distributes the refrigerant to the plurality of indoor units 2a-2c, and combines the refrigerant sent from the plurality of indoor units 2a-2c to give one outdoor unit. 1 is a unit to be sent. In this air conditioner 100, three indoor units 2a-2c are connected to one branch unit BP1, but more or fewer indoor units may be connected to one branch unit BP1. A plurality of branch units may be connected to one outdoor unit 1.

  The branch unit BP1 has a liquid branch pipe 32 branched into three and a gas branch pipe 33 branched into three. The liquid branch pipe 32 connects the liquid closing valve 28 of the outdoor unit 1 to the liquid side of the first indoor heat exchanger 3a, the second indoor heat exchanger 3b, and the third indoor heat exchanger 3c. The gas branch pipe 33 connects the gas shut-off valve 24 of the outdoor unit 1 to the gas side of the first indoor heat exchanger 3a, the second indoor heat exchanger 3b, and the third indoor heat exchanger 3c. Between the branch point of the liquid branch pipe 32 and each indoor heat exchanger 3a-3c, a first indoor expansion valve 5a (first indoor expansion valve), a second indoor expansion valve 5b (second indoor expansion valve), and A third indoor expansion valve 5c is provided, and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are provided in parallel in the refrigerant circuit. Accordingly, a refrigerant circuit on the first indoor unit 2a side made up of the first indoor heat exchanger 3a and the first indoor expansion valve 5a, and a second room made up of the second indoor heat exchanger 3b and the second indoor expansion valve 5b. The refrigerant circuit on the side of the unit 2b and the refrigerant circuit on the side of the third indoor unit 2c composed of the third indoor heat exchanger 3c and the third indoor expansion valve 5c are arranged in parallel with each other on the outdoor unit 1 side via the branch unit BP1. Connected to the refrigerant circuit. Each of the first indoor expansion valve 5a, the second indoor expansion valve 5b, and the third indoor expansion valve 5c is an electric valve that can depressurize the refrigerant that passes through the first indoor expansion valve 5a. Can be controlled. The first indoor expansion valve 5a, the second indoor expansion valve 5b, and the third indoor expansion valve 5c can be independently controlled.

An electric valve 6 for pressure adjustment is provided between the liquid branch pipe 32 and the first gas liquid branch pipe.
<Various sensors>
The air conditioner 100 includes various sensors 40-51 such as a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor provided in each part. Hereinafter, the various sensors 40-51 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The suction pipe 23 of the compressor 10 is provided with a suction side pressure sensor 40 for detecting the pressure of the low-pressure gas refrigerant flowing on the suction side of the compressor 10 (hereinafter referred to as “suction side pressure Pe”). ing. The discharge pipe 22 of the compressor 10 is provided with a discharge side pressure sensor 41 for detecting the pressure of the high-pressure gas refrigerant flowing on the discharge side of the compressor 10 (hereinafter referred to as “discharge side pressure Pc”). ing. The discharge pipe 22 of the compressor 10 is provided with a high pressure switch 42 for detecting an excessive increase in the pressure of the high pressure gas refrigerant. The discharge pipe 22 of the compressor 10 is provided with a discharge temperature sensor 43 for detecting the discharge temperature Td of the refrigerant on the discharge side of the compressor 10, and the suction pipe 23 of the compressor 10 has a discharge temperature sensor 43. A suction temperature sensor 44 for detecting the suction temperature Ts of the refrigerant on the suction side is provided.

An outdoor air temperature sensor 45 for detecting the temperature Ta of the outdoor air is provided at the air inlet of the outdoor fan 27 of the outdoor unit 1. The outdoor heat exchanger 14 is provided with an outdoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 46 for detecting the refrigerant temperature Tb corresponding to the refrigerant condensation temperature during the cooling operation and corresponding to the refrigerant evaporation temperature during the heating operation. Yes.
Further, at the junction of the supercooling bypass circuit 19 with the suction side of the compressor 10, the temperature Tsh of the refrigerant flowing through the supercooling bypass circuit 19 on the outlet side of the cooler 18 is detected to detect the degree of superheat. A supercooling bypass circuit temperature sensor 47 is provided. The supercooling bypass circuit temperature sensor 47 can detect the degree of superheat on the suction side of the compressor 10.

  An indoor temperature sensor 48 for detecting the temperature Tr of the indoor air is provided at each of the air suction ports of the indoor fans 4a-4c of the indoor units 2a-2c. The indoor temperature sensor 48 can detect the temperature of the room that receives air conditioning by the indoor units 2a-2c. The indoor heat exchangers 3a to 3c are each provided with an indoor heat exchanger temperature sensor 49 for detecting a refrigerant temperature Tn corresponding to the evaporation temperature during the cooling operation and corresponding to the condensation temperature during the heating operation. ing.

  Each branch of the gas branch pipe 33 in the branch unit BP1 is provided with a gas pipe temperature sensor 50 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the inside. The gas pipe temperature sensor 50 is provided between the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c and the indoor heat exchangers 3a-3c. Each branch of the liquid branch pipe 32 is provided with a liquid pipe temperature sensor 51 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the inside. The liquid pipe temperature sensor 51 is provided between the indoor heat exchangers 3a to 3c and the branch point of the liquid branch pipe.

In addition, about the various sensors 48-51 with which each indoor unit 2a-2c and branch unit BP1 were equipped, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the sensor of the same function for the simplification.
<Control part>
As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 100 controls each device such as the compressor 10 and the switching mechanism 11 on the basis of signals detected by the various sensors 40-51 to perform air conditioning such as cooling operation and heating operation. The control part 60 for performing a driving | operation is provided.

  The control unit 60 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and a memory, is connected so as to receive the input signals of the various sensors 40-51 described above, and receives a command signal input to the operation terminal 61. it can. The controller 60 can control the various devices 4a-4c, 10, 11, 27, the valves 5a-5c, 15, 29, and the various opening / closing units 25, 30 based on these input signals and command signals. It is connected to the. And this control part 60 controls various apparatus 4a-4c, 10,11,27, valves 5a-5c, 15,29, various opening-and-closing parts 25 and 30, and performs air-conditioning operation, such as cooling operation and heating operation. It can be carried out. In FIG. 2, a plurality of components such as the valves 5 a-5 c, the various opening / closing sections 25 and 30, the indoor blowers 4 a-4 c, and the indoor expansion valves 5 a-5 c are collectively displayed as one block. Each component can be controlled individually.

Hereinafter, various controls performed by the control unit 60 will be described.
<Control performed by the control unit>
The control unit 60 can switch between the operation by the cooling cycle and the operation by the heating cycle. Examples of the operation by the cooling cycle include a cooling operation, a defrost operation, and an oil recovery operation. There is a heating operation as an operation by the heating cycle.

<Control during heating operation>
In the state where the air conditioner 100 is stopped, the switching mechanism 11 holds the previous operation state. For example, when the operation by the cooling cycle was performed during the previous operation, it is in the cooling cycle side state. The compressor 10, the outdoor blower 27, and the indoor blowers 4a-4c are stopped, and the outdoor expansion valve 15, the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c, and the supercooling bypass expansion valve 29 are fully closed. Moreover, the hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part 25 and the degassing circuit opening / closing part 30 are closed. When the start of the heating operation is instructed from the operation terminal 61 or the like in such a stopped state of the air conditioner 100, first, as shown in FIG. 3, after the refrigerant recovery control is started in the first step S1, In 2 step S2, normal heating operation control is started. Moreover, when the air conditioner 100 which performed normal heating operation control stops, pump down operation control is performed in 3rd step S3, and the air conditioner 100 stops operation | movement after that.

(Refrigerant recovery control)
Refrigerant recovery control is performed at the start of activation of the heating operation. In the refrigerant recovery control, the gas vent circuit opening / closing part 30 is opened with the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c closed. As a result, the gas refrigerant in the receiver 16 is sent to the suction side of the compressor 10 via the gas vent circuit 20, and the liquid refrigerant staying between the receiver 16 and the indoor expansion valves 5 a-5 c is transferred to the receiver 16. Collected. The degassing circuit opening / closing part 30 is closed when the time T1 has elapsed since the opening and the condition Tsh−Teg <a is satisfied. Teg is a saturated gas temperature corresponding to the pressure of the suction side gas refrigerant, and a is a predetermined constant. That is, the degassing circuit opening / closing part 30 is closed when the degree of superheat of the refrigerant sent from the degassing circuit 20 to the suction side of the compressor 10 becomes smaller than a predetermined value.

  At the start of heating operation start, refrigerant recovery control is performed, and an ON signal is input to the switching mechanism 11 so that the switching mechanism 11 is switched to the heating cycle side state. Further, the compressor 10 starts to be driven at a low frequency, for example, the lowest operation frequency, and the outdoor blower 27 is driven at a predetermined number of rotations. At this time, the outdoor expansion valve 15, the subcooling bypass expansion valve 29, and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are each in a fully closed state.

In addition, the compressor 10 is controlled so that a frequency increases in steps after starting, and the outdoor expansion valve 15 is opened to a predetermined opening degree.
(Normal heating operation control)
After the start control of the heating operation is performed as described above, when the normal heating operation start condition is satisfied, the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c of the indoor units 2a-2c to which the thermo-on command is issued are opened at a predetermined opening degree. Thus, the normal heating operation control is started. The normal heating operation start condition is a condition for allowing the switching mechanism 11 to be considered to have surely switched from the cooling cycle side state to the heating cycle side state, and the time T2 after the start control of the heating operation is started. Is satisfied, or the condition that either Pc−Pe> b is satisfied is satisfied. Here, b is the minimum operating pressure of the switching mechanism 11. That is, even if an ON signal is input, the switching mechanism 11 is not immediately switched due to the influence of the high and low pressure differential pressures. Therefore, when the high and low pressure differential pressure exceeds the minimum operating pressure of the switching mechanism 11, the switching mechanism 11 The indoor expansion valve 5a-5c is opened assuming that 11 is switched. Therefore, in the normal heating operation control, the switching mechanism 11 is switched to the state indicated by the wavy line in FIG. The hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part 25 is closed, and the subcooling bypass expansion valve 29 is fully closed. The outdoor expansion valve 15, the outdoor blower 27, the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c of the indoor units 2a-2c in the operating state, and the indoor blowers 4a-4c are controlled in accordance with the operation status of the indoor units 2a-2c. In this state, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit, so that the indoor heat exchangers 3a-3c of the indoor units 2a-2c in the operating state function as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 14 functions as an evaporator. Thereby, the heated air is blown into the room, and the normal heating operation is performed.

In the operation by the heating cycle including the normal heating operation as described above, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit as follows. Note that. Here, description will be made assuming that the first indoor unit 2a is in the thermo-on state, and the second indoor unit 2b and the third indoor unit 2c are in the thermo-off state or the operation stopped state.
First, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 is sent from the switching mechanism 11 to the first indoor heat exchanger 3a through the gas closing valve 24 and the branch unit BP1. In the first indoor heat exchanger 3a, the refrigerant radiates heat to the indoor air and condenses. The refrigerant condensed in the first indoor heat exchanger 3a flows into the receiver 16 through the first indoor expansion valve 5a, the liquid closing valve 28, and the bridge circuit 17. The refrigerant that has flowed out of the receiver 16 is depressurized by the outdoor expansion valve 15, passes through the bridge circuit 17, and is sent to the outdoor heat exchanger 14. In the outdoor heat exchanger 14, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outdoor air and evaporates. The refrigerant evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 14 is sucked into the compressor 10 through the switching mechanism 11. The compressor 10 compresses the sucked refrigerant and discharges it again.

In the second indoor unit 2b and the third indoor unit 2c that are stopped among the indoor units 2a-2c, the corresponding second indoor expansion valve 5b and third indoor expansion valve 5c are opened with a slight opening. Inflow of refrigerant is restricted.
The controller 60 controls the frequency of the compressor 10, the opening degree of the outdoor expansion valve 15, and the like according to the change in the operating state of each indoor unit 2a-2c.

(Pump down operation control)
When the normal heating operation is stopped, the indoor blowers 4a-4c are stopped, the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are fully closed, and the operations of the indoor units 2a-2c are stopped. Then, after the operation of the indoor units 2a-2c is stopped, pump-down operation control for recovering the refrigerant to the high pressure side is performed in order to prevent liquid back at the next startup.

In the pump down operation control, the compressor 10 is driven in a state where the switching mechanism 11 is in the cooling cycle side state and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are fully closed. The outdoor expansion valve 15 is opened at a predetermined opening, the supercooling bypass expansion valve 29 is fully closed, and the hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing unit 25 is closed. The outdoor blower 27 is stopped or driven at a predetermined rotational speed.
Thereafter, the compressor 10 and the outdoor blower 27 are stopped, the outdoor expansion valve 15 is fully closed, and the operation of the outdoor unit 1 is stopped.

(Defrost operation control)
When the outside air temperature is low as in winter, the outdoor heat exchanger 14 of the outdoor unit 1 may freeze. In this case, the defrost operation (first operation control) according to the refrigerant operation can be performed to release the freezing of the outdoor heat exchanger 14.
In this air conditioner 100, as shown in FIG. 4, after the defrost operation control is performed in the eleventh step S11 (first operation control execution step), the pump down operation is performed in the twelfth step S12 (pump down operation step). Control is performed. Next, refrigerant recovery control is performed in the thirteenth step S13, and then normal heating operation control (second operation control) is performed in the fourteenth step S14 (second operation control start step). That is, after defrost operation control is performed, pump down operation control is performed before switching to normal heating operation control. Further, after the pump down operation control is performed, the refrigerant recovery control is performed before switching to the normal heating operation.

  In the defrost operation control, the switching mechanism 11 is switched to the cooling cycle side state, and the compressor 10 is driven in a state where the outdoor blower 27 and the indoor blowers 4a-4c are stopped. At this time, the outdoor expansion valve 15 is opened at a predetermined opening, and the subcooling bypass expansion valve 29 is in a fully closed state. Moreover, the hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part 25 is opened, and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c of the indoor units 2a-2c in the operating state are opened to a predetermined opening. The degassing circuit opening / closing part 30 is opened after a predetermined time T4 has elapsed from the closed state, and then closed again.

  Such defrost operation control is performed when a predetermined time T5 has elapsed from the start of defrost operation control, Tb> c is satisfied, or Pc> d is satisfied. After that, the pump down operation control is performed. Here, c and d are predetermined constants and are determined so that the defrosting is sufficiently performed in the outdoor heat exchanger 14.

  Following the end of the defrost operation control, the pump down operation control is performed. In the pump down operation control, the compressor 10 is driven while the switching mechanism 11 is in the cooling cycle side state and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are closed. Further, the hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part 25 is closed. The pump-down operation control is performed when any of the predetermined time T3 has elapsed from the start of the pump-down operation, Pe <e is satisfied, Td> f is satisfied, and Pc> g is satisfied. The process is terminated when the condition is satisfied, and then the refrigerant recovery control is performed. Note that e, f, and g are predetermined constants. When the refrigerant recovery control is finished, the normal heating operation control is started. Note that the refrigerant recovery control and the normal heating operation control are the same as those described above, but conditions different from the above may be used for determination at the end of each control.

(Oil recovery operation control)
In the air conditioner 100, when a predetermined condition is satisfied during normal heating operation control, oil recovery operation control (first operation control) is performed, and the oil content in the refrigerant is recovered in the compressor 10. be able to. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, first, oil recovery operation control is performed in the 21st step S21 (first operation control execution step), and then pump down operation is performed in the 22nd step S22 (pump down operation step). Control is performed. Thereafter, refrigerant recovery control is performed in the 23rd step S23, and then normal heating operation control (second operation control) is performed in the 24th step S24 (second operation control start step). That is, when switching from oil recovery operation control to normal heating operation control, normal heating operation control is performed after pump down operation control is performed. Further, after the pump down operation control is performed, the refrigerant recovery control is performed before the normal heating operation control is performed.

  In the oil recovery operation control, the switching mechanism 11 is switched to the cooling cycle side state, the outdoor blower 27 is driven at a predetermined rotational speed, and the compressor 10 is driven in a state where the indoor blowers 4a-4c are stopped. At this time, the outdoor expansion valve 15 is opened at a predetermined opening, and the subcooling bypass expansion valve 29 is in a fully closed state. Moreover, the hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part 25 is opened, and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c of the indoor units 2a-2c in the operating state are opened to a predetermined opening. The degassing circuit opening / closing part 30 is opened after a predetermined time has elapsed from the closed state, and then closed again.

Such oil recovery operation control is continued until either a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the oil recovery operation control or Th-Teg <h is satisfied, and then pump down Operation control is performed. Note that h is a predetermined constant and is determined so that oil recovery is sufficiently performed.
Following the oil recovery operation control, pump down operation control is performed. In the pump down operation control, the compressor 10 is driven in a state where the switching mechanism 11 is in the cooling cycle side state and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are closed. Further, the hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part 25 is closed. The pump down operation control is performed when the predetermined time T3 has elapsed since the start of the pump down operation, when Pe <e is satisfied, when Td> f is satisfied, or when Pc> g is satisfied. Is finished, and then refrigerant recovery control is performed. When the refrigerant recovery control is finished, the normal heating operation control is started. The pump-down operation control, the refrigerant recovery control, and the normal heating operation control are the same controls as described above, but different conditions may be used when determining the end of each control.

<Effect>
(1)
In the air conditioner 100, after the operation of the indoor units 2a-2c is stopped, a pump-down operation for recovering the refrigerant to the high pressure side is performed in order to prevent the occurrence of liquid back at the next activation. When the pump-down operation is performed when the indoor units 2a-2c are stopped, a refrigerant having a relatively high pressure may remain between the receiver 16 and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c in a situation where the refrigerant is excessive. When the heating operation is restarted, the indoor expansion valve 5a-5c is opened and opened at a predetermined opening. Therefore, if the indoor expansion valve 5a-5c is opened with the refrigerant stagnated as described above, the receiver 16 and the indoor There is a risk that the high-pressure refrigerant between the expansion valves 5a-5c will flow backward to the indoor units 2a-2c and generate refrigerant noise. In particular, in an air conditioner used for residential use, there is a risk of discomfort to the residents.

  However, in the air conditioner 100, the refrigerant recovery control for opening the indoor expansion valve 5a-5c at the start of the heating operation and recovering the refrigerant remaining between the receiver 16 and the indoor expansion valve 5a-5c to the receiver 16 is started. Thereafter, the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are opened, and the normal heating operation is started. For this reason, when indoor expansion valve 5a-5c is opened, it can suppress that a refrigerant flows back, and generation of refrigerant sound can be controlled.

  In the air conditioner 100, in the refrigerant recovery control, when the difference between the discharge side pressure Pc and the suction side pressure Pe exceeds the minimum operating pressure of the switching mechanism 11, or sufficiently after the refrigerant recovery control is started. When a long time elapses, the operation shifts to normal heating operation. For this reason, the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are not opened until the switching mechanism 11 is reliably switched from the cooling cycle side to the heating cycle side. For this reason, the reverse flow of the refrigerant can be more reliably suppressed, and the generation of refrigerant noise can be suppressed.

Furthermore, since the back flow of the refrigerant can be suppressed at the time of starting the heating operation, the rising performance at the time of starting the heating operation can be improved.
(2)
In the air conditioner 100, the defrosting operation and the oil recovery operation during heating are performed by circulating the refrigerant in the cooling cycle. When such defrosting operation or oil recovery operation during heating is performed, the pressure on the receiver 16 side is high, so that when the indoor expansion valve 5a-5c is opened at the time of restarting the heating operation in this state, the suction side The refrigerant tends to flow backward and the amount of refrigerant on the suction side tends to increase. Alternatively, in the defrosting operation and the oil recovery operation during heating, since the refrigerant circulates in the cooling cycle, the temperature on the indoor unit 2a-2c side decreases, and the ratio of the liquid refrigerant on the indoor unit 2a-2c side increases. . For this reason, when the switching mechanism 11 is switched from the cooling cycle side state to the heating cycle side state in the state as described above, the inlets of the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c are liquid-sealed, and the refrigerant is discharged when a differential pressure of a certain pressure or more is applied. There is a possibility that the discharged sound may propagate in the liquid to the indoor units 2a-2c. In this case, in an air conditioner used for a house, there is a risk of discomfort to the resident.

However, in this air conditioner 100, the pump down operation control is performed after completion of the defrost operation control and the oil recovery operation control during heating, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is recovered by the receiver 16. For this reason, the refrigerant | coolant amount by the side of suction at the time of starting is reduced, and generation | occurrence | production of a refrigerant | coolant sound can be suppressed.
Moreover, in this air conditioner 100, also when the pump down operation control after completion | finish of defrost operation control and the oil collection operation control at the time of heating is performed, refrigerant | coolant collection control is performed before transfering to normal heating operation control. . For this reason, the indoor expansion valve 5a-5c is not opened until the switching mechanism 11 is reliably switched from the cooling cycle side to the heating cycle side, and the reverse flow of the refrigerant can be more reliably suppressed. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of a refrigerant | coolant sound can be suppressed.

Furthermore, since the amount of low-temperature liquid refrigerant decreases, the refrigerant temperature can be increased more quickly when the heating operation is started.
(3)
In the air conditioner 100, the receiver 16 can temporarily store the refrigerant, and can suppress the generation of refrigerant sound that is likely to occur when the refrigerant is excessive as described above. For this reason, the accumulator generally used as what stores a refrigerant | coolant can be abbreviate | omitted. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

<Other embodiments>
(1)
The number of indoor units 2a-2c connected to one outdoor unit 1 is not limited to the above, but one or more indoor units may be connected. However, the problem of refrigerant noise is that the refrigerant is excessive in the refrigerant circuit. Therefore, the present invention is particularly effective in a multi-type air conditioner including a plurality of indoor units 2a-2c as described above.

(2)
In the above embodiment, the supercooling bypass circuit 19, the pressure equalization circuit 21, and the hot gas bypass circuit 13 are provided in the refrigerant circuit. However, from the viewpoint of performing the above control for suppressing the refrigerant noise, the refrigerant circuit is not necessarily required. is not.
Moreover, the branch unit BP1 is not provided, and the indoor units 2a-2c each including the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c may be directly connected to the outdoor unit 1.

Furthermore, the outlet of the gas vent circuit 20 may be connected to the suction pipe 23 of the compressor 10 instead of being connected to the supercooling bypass circuit 19.
(3)
In the above embodiment, the condition for shifting from the refrigerant recovery control to the normal heating operation control is determined by the minimum operating pressure b of the switching mechanism 11, but the switching mechanism 11 is reliably switched from the cooling cycle side state to the heating cycle side state. As long as it is a condition that can be regarded as being switched to, the pressure value other than the minimum operating pressure b of the switching mechanism 11 may be determined. For example, a pressure value equal to or higher than the minimum operating pressure b of the switching mechanism 11 may be considered.

(4)
From the viewpoint of recovering the refrigerant that has accumulated between the receiver 16 and the indoor expansion valves 5a-5c to the receiver 16 by the pump down operation control, the refrigerant recovery control is performed after the pump down operation control is performed. It may be performed only at the start of operation, but may be performed at the start of heating operation.

(5)
In the above embodiment, the pump-down operation is performed at the time of transition from the defrost operation control to the normal heating operation control and at the time of transition from the oil recovery operation control to the normal heating operation control. From the viewpoint of suppressing the occurrence of this, it may be performed at the time of transition from the operation by the cooling cycle other than the defrost operation control and the oil recovery operation to the normal heating operation control. Further, the pump-down operation may be performed at the time of shifting to the operation by the heating cycle other than the normal heating operation control.

(6)
In the defrost operation control described above, the outdoor blower 27 and the indoor blowers 4a-4c may not be completely stopped but may be operated with a low air volume.
(7)
Regarding the above defrost operation control, normal heating operation control, defrost operation control, pump down operation control, refrigerant recovery control, and normal heating operation control may be sequentially performed in order.

  Similarly for the oil recovery operation control described above, the normal heating operation control, the oil recovery operation control, the pump down operation control, the refrigerant recovery control, and the normal heating operation control may be successively performed in order.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has an effect of suppressing refrigerant noise when switching from operation by a cooling cycle to operation by a heating cycle, and is useful as an air conditioner.

The refrigerant circuit diagram which shows the structure of an air conditioner. The control block diagram of an air conditioner. The figure which shows the control flow at the time of heating operation starting. The figure which shows the control flow at the time of transfer from defrost operation control to normal heating operation control. The figure which shows the control flow at the time of transfer from oil recovery operation control to normal heating operation control.

Explanation of symbols

3a First indoor heat exchanger 3b Second indoor heat exchanger 5a First expansion valve (first indoor expansion valve)
5b Second expansion valve (second indoor expansion valve)
10 Compressor 11 Switching Mechanism 12 Oil Separator 13 Hot Gas Bypass Circuit (Oil Recovery Circuit)
14 Outdoor heat exchanger 16 Receiver 20 Degassing circuit 25 Hot gas bypass circuit opening / closing part (oil recovery circuit opening / closing part)
27 Outdoor blower 30 Degassing circuit opening / closing part 40 Suction side pressure sensor 41 Discharge side pressure sensor 60 Control part 100 Air conditioner

Claims (7)

An air conditioner (100) comprising a refrigerant circuit including a compressor (10), an outdoor heat exchanger (14), a first expansion valve (5a), and a first indoor heat exchanger (3a),
A switching mechanism (11) for switching between the cooling cycle and the heating cycle by switching the circulation direction of the refrigerant;
When switching from the first operation control based on the cooling cycle to the second operation control based on the heating cycle, the first expansion valve (5a) is closed and the switching mechanism (11) is in the state on the cooling cycle side to perform the compression. A control unit (60) for opening the first expansion valve (5a) and starting the second operation control after performing pump down operation control for driving the machine (10);
An air conditioner (100) comprising: A discharge-side pressure sensor (41) for detecting the pressure on the discharge side of the compressor (10);
A suction side pressure sensor (40) for detecting the pressure on the suction side of the compressor (10);
Further comprising
The switching mechanism (11) is a four-way switching valve,
The controller (60), after performing the pump down operation control, the difference between the discharge side pressure detected by the discharge side pressure sensor (41) and the suction side pressure detected by the suction side pressure sensor (40). Opens the first expansion valve (5a) after reaching the minimum operating pressure of the four-way switching valve,
The air conditioner (100) according to claim 1. Further comprising an outdoor fan (27) for generating an air flow through the outdoor heat exchanger (14),
The first operation control is defrost operation control in which the outdoor blower (27) is stopped or driven with a low air volume, and the refrigerant is circulated in the cooling cycle.
The air conditioner (100) according to claim 1 or 2. An oil separator (12) provided on the discharge side of the compressor (10) for separating oil in the refrigerant;
An oil recovery circuit (13) connecting the oil separator (12) and the suction side of the compressor (10);
An oil recovery circuit opening / closing part (25) provided on the oil recovery circuit (13) for opening and closing the oil recovery circuit (13);
Further comprising
The first operation control is oil recovery operation control in which the oil recovery circuit opening / closing part (25) is opened and the refrigerant is circulated in the cooling cycle.
The air conditioner (100) according to claim 1 or 2. A receiver (16) that is located upstream of the first expansion valve (5a) in the cooling cycle and downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger (14) and capable of storing the liquid refrigerant;
A degassing circuit (20) connected from the receiver (16) to the suction side of the compressor (10) and sending the gaseous refrigerant in the receiver (16) to the suction side of the compressor (10); ,
A degassing circuit opening / closing section (30) provided on the degassing circuit (20) for opening and closing the degassing circuit (20);
Further comprising
The control unit (60) performs the refrigerant recovery control for opening the degassing circuit opening / closing unit (30) after the pump down operation control, and then opens the first expansion valve (5a) to perform the second operation control. Start,
The air conditioner (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The refrigerant circuit further includes a second indoor heat exchanger (3b) and a second expansion valve (5b) arranged in parallel with the first expansion valve (5a) and the first indoor heat exchanger (3a). ,
The air conditioner (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The compressor (10), the outdoor heat exchanger (14), the first expansion valve (5a), the first indoor heat exchanger (3a), and the cooling cycle and the heating cycle are switched by switching the refrigerant circulation direction. A control method for an air conditioner (100) comprising a refrigerant circuit including a switching mechanism (11) for switching,
A first operation control execution step (S11, S21) in which the first operation control by the cooling cycle is executed;
After the first operation control execution step (S11, S21), the pump down for closing the first expansion valve (5a) and driving the compressor (10) while the switching mechanism (11) is on the cooling cycle side. A pump down operation step (S12, S22) in which operation control is performed;
A second operation control start step (S14, S24) in which, after the pump-down operation step (S12, S22), the first expansion valve (5a) is closed to start the second operation control by the heating cycle;
The control method of an air conditioner (100) provided with.

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