KR20140125242A - An air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an outside unit arranged in an outdoor space and having a compressor and an outside heat exchanger; a plurality of inside units arranged in an indoor space and having inside heat exchangers; an air-liquid separation unit separating a refrigerant, discharged from the outside unit, into a gaseous refrigerant and a liquefied refrigerant; and a distribution unit separably coupled to the air-liquid separation unit and distributing the gaseous refrigerant and the liquefied refrigerant, separated by the air-liquid separation unit, into the inside units.

Description

An air conditioning system

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system.

The air conditioner is a device for keeping the air in a predetermined space in a most suitable condition according to the purpose of use and purpose. Generally, the air conditioner includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator, and a refrigeration cycle for compressing, condensing, expanding, and evaporating the refrigerant is driven to cool or heat the predetermined space .

The predetermined space may be variously proposed depending on the place where the air conditioner is used. For example, when the air conditioner is installed in a home or an office, the predetermined space may be an indoor space of a house or a building. On the other hand, when the air conditioner is disposed in a car, the predetermined space may be a boarding space on which a person boarded.

When the air conditioner performs the cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger provided in the outdoor unit functions as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger provided in the indoor unit functions as an evaporator. On the other hand, when the air conditioner performs the heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator.

1 is a view showing a configuration of a conventional air conditioning system.

1, an air conditioning system 1 includes an outdoor unit 2 having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger, a plurality of distribution units 3 connected to the outdoor unit 1, and a plurality of distribution units 3 And a plurality of indoor units 4 each having an indoor heat exchanger.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of distribution units 3 include a first distribution unit and a second distribution unit, and the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit are included in the plurality of indoor units 4 . The first distribution unit may be connected to the first indoor unit, and the second distribution unit may be connected to the second indoor unit.

The plurality of distribution units 3 are devices for distributing the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor unit 2 to the plurality of indoor units 4 and are connected to the outdoor unit 1 and the plurality of indoor units 4 Can be connected.

In detail, the outdoor unit 2 and the distribution unit 3 can be connected through three pipes. The three pipes include a low-pressure pipe 5, a liquid pipe 6 and a high-pressure pipe 7.

The low-pressure engine 5 is a pipe that flows until the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle is evaporated in the evaporator and then flows into the compressor. The liquid pipe 6 is a pipe that flows after being condensed in the condenser, It can be understood as a pipe flowing after being compressed in the compressor and flowing into the condenser.

The three pipelines may be branched and connected to the first distribution unit and the second distribution unit.

One of the plurality of distribution units 3 and one indoor unit 4 of the plurality of indoor units 4 may be connected through two pipes. The two pipes include a gas pipe 8 through which the gaseous refrigerant flows and a liquid pipe 9 through which the liquid refrigerant flows.

That is, in the conventional air conditioning system, the outdoor unit 2 and the distribution unit 3 are connected through three pipes, and the distribution unit 3 and the indoor unit 4 are connected through two pipes.

However, in the case where the outdoor unit 2 and the distribution unit 3 are connected through three pipes as described above, installation and assembly of the outdoor unit 2 and the distribution unit 3 are complicated, and the piping and the outdoor unit Unit) must be excessively provided, so that installation reliability is deteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning system that is simple in structure and easy to install.

An air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an outdoor unit disposed in an outdoor space, the outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger; A plurality of indoor units disposed in the indoor space and having an indoor heat exchanger; And a gas-liquid separator for separating the gas-phase refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant from the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor unit; And a distribution unit that is detachably coupled to the gas-liquid separation unit and distributes the gaseous refrigerant or liquid refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separation unit to the plurality of indoor units.

An air conditioning system according to another embodiment includes: an outdoor unit disposed in an outdoor space, the outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger; A plurality of indoor units disposed in the indoor space and having an indoor heat exchanger; And a gas-liquid separator for separating the gas-phase refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant from the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor unit; A distribution unit coupled to the gas-liquid separation unit and distributing the gaseous or liquid-phase refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separation unit to the plurality of indoor units; Two first piping connection parts provided on one side of the gas-liquid separation unit and detachably connected to the outdoor unit; And three second pipe connection portions provided on the other side of the gas-liquid separation unit and detachably connected to the distribution unit.

According to the present invention, a gas-liquid separation unit is provided between an outdoor unit and a distribution unit, and the outdoor unit and the gas-liquid separation unit are connected by two pipes, thereby reducing the material cost and reducing the number of welds for connection, There is an advantage that it can be.

Also, since the gas-liquid separation unit is provided, the simultaneous operation in which the air conditioning system simultaneously performs cooling or heating operation and the switching-type operation in which the cooling or heating operation is switched and operated can be performed for the same outdoor unit configuration .

Further, since the gas-liquid separation unit can be detachably coupled to the outdoor unit and the distribution unit through the pipe connection unit, the gas-liquid separation unit can be easily installed and replaced.

Further, when the gas-liquid separation unit and the distribution unit are removed, there is an effect that switching-type operation is possible through the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

Further, since the plurality of indoor units can be further operated by connecting the additional distribution units in series, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom of installation of the air conditioning system can be increased.

1 is a view showing a configuration of a conventional air conditioning system.
2 is a view showing a configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cycle diagram showing a detailed configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a flow of a refrigerant during a heating-only operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a flow of a refrigerant when the cooling operation is further operated in the heating operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a flow of a refrigerant during a cooling-only operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a view showing the flow of refrigerant when the heating operation is further operated in the cooling operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a view showing a configuration of an air conditioning system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the spirit of the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and that those skilled in the art, upon reading and understanding the spirit of the invention, may easily suggest other embodiments within the scope of the same concept.

2 is a view showing a configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2, the air conditioning system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor unit 100, a gas-liquid separation unit 200, a distribution unit 300, and a plurality of indoor units 400 .

In detail, the gas-liquid separation unit 200 is detachably coupled to the outdoor unit 100. The air conditioning system 10 includes two pipes 191 and 192 for connecting the outdoor unit 100 and the gas-liquid separation unit 200. The two pipes 191 and 192 include a first connection pipe 191 and a second connection pipe 192 which are connected to one side of the gas-liquid separation unit 200.

The gas-liquid separation unit 200 is provided with a first pipe connection part 201 to which the first connection pipe 191 and the second connection pipe 192 are detachably coupled. That is, the gas-liquid separation unit 200 includes two first pipe connection portions 201.

The air conditioning system 10 includes three pipes 193, 194 and 195 for connecting the gas-liquid separation unit 200 and the distribution unit 300. The third piping 193, 194 and 195 include a third piping 193 connected to the other side of the gas-liquid separation unit 200 and a fourth piping 194 and a fifth piping 195.

The gas-liquid separation unit 200 is provided with a second piping connection part 205 to which the third connection piping 193, the fourth connection piping 194 and the fifth connection piping 195 are detachably coupled do. That is, the gas-liquid separation unit 200 includes three second pipe connection portions 205.

The air conditioning system 10 includes a plurality of distribution pipes 390 connecting the distribution unit 300 and the plurality of indoor units 400. The distribution pipe connecting the distribution unit 300 and the indoor unit 400 is provided with an inlet pipe for guiding the inflow of the refrigerant into the indoor unit 400 and an outlet pipe for guiding the refrigerant from the indoor unit 400, May be included.

Hereinafter, the detailed configuration of the air conditioning system 10 will be described.

3 is a cycle diagram showing a detailed configuration of an air conditioning system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

3, the air conditioning system 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor unit 100 disposed outdoors, a gas-liquid separation unit 200 connected to the outdoor unit 100, A distribution unit 300 connected to the gas-liquid separation unit 200 for distributing the refrigerant, and a plurality of indoor units 400 for allowing the refrigerant distributed from the distribution unit 300 to flow therethrough.

Although not shown in the drawings, the indoor unit may include an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat with air in the indoor space, and an expansion device (hereinafter, indoor expansion device) that expands the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger.

The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 101 and an outdoor gas-liquid separator 105 disposed at the inlet side of the compressor 101 for separating the liquid refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant from the refrigerant to be introduced into the compressor 101 do. The gaseous refrigerant separated by the outdoor gas-liquid separator 105 may be introduced into the compressor 101.

The outdoor unit 100 includes a flow path switching unit 107 for guiding the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 101 to the outdoor heat exchanger 111, 112 or the gas-liquid separation unit 200. The flow path switching unit 107 may include a four-way valve.

When the air conditioner operates in the cooling mode, the refrigerant flows from the flow path switching unit 107 to the outdoor heat exchangers 111 and 112. On the other hand, when the air conditioner performs the heating operation, the refrigerant flows into the gas-liquid separation unit 200 from the flow path switching unit 107.

The outdoor heat exchangers (111, 112) include a plurality of heat exchanging sections. The plurality of heat exchanging units include a first heat exchanging unit 111 and a second heat exchanging unit 112 connected in parallel.

The outdoor unit 100 is provided with a variable flow passage 115 for guiding the flow of the refrigerant from the outlet side of the first heat exchange unit 111 to the inlet side of the second heat exchange unit 112, And a variable valve 117 provided on the variable flow path 115 to selectively block the flow of the refrigerant. Depending on whether the variable valve 117 is turned on or off, the refrigerant having passed through the first heat exchanging unit 111 may be selectively introduced into the second heat exchanging unit 112.

More specifically, when the variable valve 117 is turned on or opened, the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchange unit 111 flows into the second heat exchange unit 112 via the variable flow path 115, Flows through the second outdoor pipe (121b) after passing through the heat exchanging part (112). On the other hand, when the variable valve 117 is turned off or closed, the refrigerant flows through the first outdoor pipe 121a after passing through the first heat exchange unit 111. [

The outdoor unit 100 is provided with a first outdoor pipe 121a extending to the outlet of the first heat exchange unit 111 and a second outdoor expansion unit 121b provided in the first outdoor pipe 121a, Apparatus 118 is included.

The outdoor unit 100 is provided with a second outdoor pipe 121b extending to the outlet side of the second heat exchange unit 112 and a second outdoor pipe 121b provided in the second outdoor pipe 121b to control the flow of the refrigerant. An outdoor expansion device 119 is included.

When the first outdoor expansion device 118 is opened or its opening degree is increased, the amount of refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchange part 111 and the first outdoor pipe 121a is increased. When the second outdoor expansion device 119 is opened or its opening degree is increased, the amount of refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchange part 112 and the second outdoor pipe 121b is increased.

Meanwhile, the first outdoor expansion device 118 and the second outdoor expansion device 119 may be connected in parallel. The first outdoor expansion device 118 or the second outdoor expansion device 119 may be formed of an electronic expansion valve to expand the refrigerant to be introduced into the outdoor heat exchangers 111 and 112 during the heating operation, .

The outdoor unit 100 includes an outdoor joint part 120 that joins the refrigerant that has passed through the first outdoor expansion device 118 and the second outdoor expansion device 119 during a cooling operation. The refrigerant mixed in the outdoor joint part 120 may be discharged from the outdoor unit 100 and may be introduced into the gas-liquid separation unit 200. On the other hand, the outdoor joint part 120 may function to branch the refrigerant to the first outdoor pipe 121a or the second outdoor pipe 121b during the heating operation. Therefore, the outdoor joint portion 120 may be referred to as an "outdoor branch portion ".

The outdoor unit 100 includes bypass pipes 122, 123, and 124 for bypassing at least a part of the refrigerant flowing through the first outdoor pipe 121a or the second outdoor pipe 121b.

The bypass pipes 122, 123 and 124 are connected to the outdoor joint part 120 and extend to the second heat exchanger 112 by bypassing the first outdoor pipe 121a or the second outdoor pipe 121b A first bypass pipe 122 is included. For example, when cooling is performed mainly by heating, the refrigerant may flow into the second outdoor heat exchanger 112 from the outdoor ridge 120 via the first bypass pipe 122 .

The first bypass pipe 122 is provided with a first bypass valve 126 for controlling the amount of refrigerant to be introduced into the second outdoor heat exchanging unit 112. The amount of the refrigerant flowing through the first bypass pipe 122 can be adjusted according to the ON / OFF or the opening degree of the first bypass valve 126.

The bypass pipe 122, 123 and 124 is connected to the first bypass pipe 122 and bypasses the first bypass pipe 122 to bypass the second bypass pipe 122, And a piping 123 is included. The second bypass pipe 123 may be connected to the variable flow path 115. That is, one end of the second bypass pipe 123 may be connected to the first bypass pipe 122, and the other end may be connected to the variable flow path 115.

The refrigerant flowing through the first bypass pipe 122 flows through the second bypass pipe 123 and the variable flow path 115 to the outside of the first outdoor pipe 121. In this case, And may be introduced into the heat exchange unit 111.

The second bypass pipe 123 is provided with a second bypass valve 127 for controlling the amount of refrigerant to be introduced into the first outdoor heat exchanging unit 111. The amount of the refrigerant flowing through the second bypass pipe 123 can be adjusted according to on / off or opening of the second bypass valve 127.

The bypass piping 122, 123 and 124 includes a third bypass piping 124 extending from the second bypass piping 123 to one side of the first outdoor heat exchanging unit 111. The third bypass pipe 124 may be connected to a pipe connecting the first outdoor heat exchange unit 111 and the flow path switching unit 107 (hereinafter referred to as a flow path switching pipe). That is, one end of the third bypass pipe 124 may be connected to the second bypass pipe 123, and the other end may be connected to the flow path switching pipe.

The third bypass pipe 124 is provided with a third bypass valve 128 for controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant. The third bypass valve 128 may include an expansion valve for expanding the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 101.

At least some of the refrigerant to be introduced into the first outdoor heat exchanging unit 111 from the flow path switching unit 107 flows through the first outdoor heat exchanging unit 111, And flows to the third bypass piping 124. [0064] The gaseous refrigerant flowing through the third bypass pipe 124 may be decompressed by the third bypass valve 128 and phase-changed into a two-phase refrigerant.

The air conditioning system 10 includes a first connection pipe 191 and a second connection pipe 192 for connecting the outdoor unit 100 and the gas-liquid separation unit 200. The first connection pipe 191 extends from the flow path switching unit 107 and the second connection pipe 192 extends from the outdoor connection unit 120.

The gas-liquid separation unit 200 includes a first pipe connection part 201 detachably coupled to the first connection pipe 191 and the second connection pipe 192. Therefore, the number of the first pipe connection units 201 may be two.

The gas-liquid separation unit 200 includes bridge circuits 221 and 225 for guiding the refrigerant introduced into the gas-liquid separation unit 200 through the first connection pipe 191 or the second connection pipe 192.

The bridge circuits 221 and 225 include a first bridge pipe 221 and a second bridge pipe 225.

The first bridging pipe 221 is coupled to the first connecting pipe 191 and guides the refrigerant flowing through the first connecting pipe 191 to the gas-liquid separator 210 during heating operation. The second bridging pipe 225 is connected to the second connection pipe 192 and is configured to guide the refrigerant flowing through the second connection pipe 192 to the gas-liquid separator 210 during the cooling operation do.

The bridge circuits 221 and 225 include a first check valve 221a provided to the first bridge pipe 221 and a second check valve 225a provided to the second bridge pipe 225. The first check valve 221a and the second check valve 225a guide only the unidirectional flow of the refrigerant in the pipes 221 and 225.

A third check valve 226 is provided on one side of the bridge circuits 221 and 225. The third check valve 226 allows the refrigerant introduced into the gas-liquid separator 200 to flow into the first bridge pipe 221 through the first connection pipe 191, 193 from being discharged from the gas-liquid separation unit 200.

The gas-liquid separator 200 includes a gas-liquid separator 210 for separating the gas-phase and liquid-phase refrigerant from the refrigerant flowing through the first bridge pipe 221 or the refrigerant piped from the outdoor joint part 120 do.

The gas-phase refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator 210 flows into the distribution unit 300, and the separated liquid-phase refrigerant can be introduced into the subcooler 230. The subcooler 230 is disposed at the outlet side of the gas-liquid separator 210.

The subcooler 230 can be understood as an intermediate heat exchanger in which a first refrigerant circulating through the system 10 and a refrigerant (a second refrigerant) of a portion of the first refrigerant are branched and then heat-exchanged.

The gas-liquid separation unit (200) includes a supercooling flow path (231) through which the second refrigerant is branched. The supercooling passage 231 is provided with a supercooling expansion device 235 for reducing the pressure of the second refrigerant. The supercooling expansion device 235 may include an EEV (Electric Expansion Valve).

A subcooling outlet pipe 245 and a first flow rate regulator 241 provided in the subcooling outlet pipe 245 are provided at the outlet side of the subcooler 230. The first flow rate regulator 241 is configured to regulate the amount of the first refrigerant passing through the subcooler 230.

For example, when the first flow rate regulator 241 is opened, heat is exchanged in the subcooler 230, and the refrigerant having passed through the subcooler 230 may flow into the distribution unit 300 . On the other hand, when the first flow rate regulator 241 is closed, heat exchange in the subcooler 230 does not occur.

The gas-liquid separating unit 200 is connected to the gas-liquid separator 200 through the indoor unit 400 in the process of performing the heating operation, And a second flow rate regulator 243 for regulating the flow rate.

The first flow rate regulator 241 or the second flow rate regulator 243 may include an EEV (Electric Expansion Valve) as an example of the expansion device. Accordingly, the pressure reduction degree of the refrigerant passing through the first flow rate regulator 241 or the second flow rate regulator 243 can be adjusted.

The gas-liquid separation unit 200 is provided with a second pipe connection portion 205. A plurality of connection pipes connected to the distribution unit 300 may be detachably coupled to the second pipe connection unit 205. The plurality of connection pipes include a third connection pipe 193, a fourth connection pipe 194, and a fifth connection pipe 195.

The gas-liquid separation unit (200) includes a gas-liquid separation joint part (250) in which a refrigerant is jointed. When the heating main body cooling operation is performed, the refrigerant that has passed through the second flow rate regulator 243 and the refrigerant that has evaporated from the third indoor unit 403 from the first and second indoor units 401 and 402, (See FIG. 5).

When the cooling only operation is performed, the second refrigerant passing through the subcooler 230 and the refrigerant evaporated in the plurality of indoor units 400 may be combined in the gas-liquid separator 250 6).

The distribution unit 300 functions to distribute the refrigerant discharged from the gas-liquid separation unit 200 to the plurality of indoor units 400.

In detail, the distribution unit 300 includes a plurality of distribution pipes 310, 312, and 314 for guiding the inflow of the refrigerant into the one indoor unit 400 or the discharge of the refrigerant having passed through the one indoor unit 400. The plurality of distribution pipes 310, 312 and 314 includes a first distribution pipe 310, a second distribution pipe 312 and a third distribution pipe 314.

The first distribution pipe 310 is a pipe through which the gaseous refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator 210 flows, the second distribution pipe 312 is a pipe connected to the third connection pipe 193, The third distribution pipe 314 can be understood as a pipe connected to the subcooling outlet pipe 245.

The first distribution pipe 310 is provided with a first distribution valve 321 to control the flow rate of the refrigerant and the second distribution pipe 312 is provided with a second distribution valve 323, .

As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of distribution pipes 310, 312, and 314 and the distribution valves 321 and 323 are provided corresponding to the respective indoor units. In addition, the plurality of distribution pipes 310, 312, and 314 provided in the one indoor unit may be branched and extended from the plurality of distribution pipes 310, 312, and 314 provided in the other indoor units.

The indoor unit (400) is provided with an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion device. The refrigerant flowing into the one indoor unit may be decompressed in the indoor expansion unit and then evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger.

Hereinafter, the operation according to the operation mode and the refrigerant flow in the air conditioning system according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a flow of a refrigerant during a heating-only operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the operation and the refrigerant flow when the air conditioning system 10 dedicates heating operation, that is, when all indoor units perform heating, will be described.

The refrigerant compressed in the compressor 101 flows through the first connection pipe 191 through the flow path switching unit 107 and flows into the first bridge pipe 221. At this time, the refrigerant can be easily guided to the first bridge pipe 221 by the third check valve 226 and can be introduced into the gas-liquid separator 210.

The refrigerant flowing into the gas-liquid separator 210 is a high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant. The gas-phase refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator 210 flows into the distribution unit 300 through the fifth connection pipe 195. Meanwhile, the supercooling expansion unit 235 and the first flow rate control unit 241 are closed, so that the refrigerant does not flow into the subcooler 230.

The refrigerant flowing into the distribution unit 300 flows through the first distribution pipe 310 corresponding to each indoor unit 400 and flows into the indoor unit 400 to be condensed. At this time, the first dispense valve 321 may be opened and the second dispense valve 323 may be closed. As a result, the heating operation can be performed through the plurality of indoor units 400.

The refrigerant condensed in the indoor unit (400) is discharged from the indoor unit (400) and flows through the third distribution pipe (314).

The refrigerant flowing through the third distribution pipe 314 corresponding to each of the indoor units 400 is connected to the second flow rate regulator 243 via the fourth connection pipe 194. At this time, the second flow rate regulator 243 is fully opened, so that the pressure reducing effect of the refrigerant may not be generated.

The refrigerant that has passed through the second flow rate regulator 243 flows through the second bridge pipe 225 and flows into the outdoor unit 100 through the second connection pipe 192.

The refrigerant flowing into the outdoor unit 100 is branched by the outdoor branch 120 and flows through the first outdoor heat exchanger 111 and the second outdoor heat exchanger 121b through the first outdoor pipe 121a and the second outdoor pipe 121b. And is evaporated in the heat exchange portion 112.

At this time, the first bypass valve 126, the second bypass valve 127 and the third bypass valve 128 are closed, and the bypass piping 122, 123, 124 ) Can be limited.

The refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanging part 112 is not introduced into the first heat exchanging part 111 but is discharged from the first heat exchanging part 111, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > refrigerant. ≪ / RTI >

The refrigerant having passed through the outdoor heat exchangers 111 and 112 can be introduced into the compressor 101 through the flow path switching unit 107. This refrigerant cycle can be repeated.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a flow of a refrigerant when the cooling operation is further operated in the heating operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 5, the operation of the air conditioning system 10 in the case where the main body of the air conditioner is heated and the cooling of some of the indoor units is performed (the heating main body cooling operation) and the refrigerant flow will be described.

Here, the term " heating main body cooling operation "may be understood to mean that the number of indoor units in which heating is performed is larger than that in cooling.

The refrigerant compressed in the compressor 101 flows through the first connection pipe 191 through the flow path switching unit 107 and flows into the first bridge pipe 221. At this time, the refrigerant can be easily guided to the first bridge pipe 221 by the third check valve 226 and can be introduced into the gas-liquid separator 210.

The refrigerant flowing into the gas-liquid separator 210 is a high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant. The gas-phase refrigerant separated by the gas-liquid separator 210 flows into the distribution unit 300 through the fifth connection pipe 195. Meanwhile, the supercooling expansion unit 235 and the first flow rate control unit 241 are closed, so that the refrigerant does not flow into the subcooler 230.

The refrigerant flowing into the distribution unit 300 is branched and flows through the first distribution pipe 310 corresponding to the first indoor unit 401 and the second indoor unit 402 and flows through the first indoor unit 401 and the second indoor unit 402 Indoor unit 402 and can be condensed. Accordingly, the heating operation can be performed through the first indoor unit 401 and the second indoor unit 402.

At least a part of the refrigerant condensed in the first indoor unit 401 and the second indoor unit 402 is mixed and flows into the third indoor unit 403. The refrigerant flowing into the third indoor unit 403 is decompressed while passing through the indoor expansion unit, and then evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger. Accordingly, the cooling operation can be performed through the third indoor unit 403.

The refrigerant evaporated in the third indoor unit 403 is discharged from the third indoor unit 403 and flows through the second distribution pipe 312 and flows through the third connection pipe 193, Unit 200 as shown in FIG.

Meanwhile, the remaining refrigerant of the refrigerant condensed in the first indoor unit 401 and the second indoor unit 402 passes through the second flow rate regulator 243 via the fourth connection pipe 194. The second flow rate regulator 243 is provided on the outlet side of the first indoor unit 401 and the second indoor unit 402.

The refrigerant can be decompressed in accordance with the opening degree of the second flow rate regulator 243 during the passage of the refrigerant through the second flow rate regulator 243. For example, the smaller the opening of the second flow rate regulator 243, the larger the pressure reducing effect.

The opening degree of the second flow rate regulator 243 may be adjusted according to the amount of refrigerant to be introduced into the third indoor unit 403.

For example, when the opening degree of the second flow rate regulator 243 is reduced, the amount of refrigerant flowing into the third indoor unit 403 relatively increases as compared with the amount of refrigerant flowing into the second flow rate regulator 243 And may have a tendency to lower the low pressure (vapor pressure) in terms of the reliability of the refrigeration cycle.

On the other hand, when the opening degree of the second flow rate regulator 243 is increased, the amount of refrigerant flowing into the third indoor unit 403 is relatively smaller than the amount of refrigerant flowing into the second flow rate regulator 243 , The low pressure (evaporation pressure) may tend to increase from the viewpoint of the reliability of the refrigeration cycle.

Accordingly, the opening degree of the second flow rate regulator 243 can be controlled to an appropriate degree of opening in consideration of the cooling capability of the third indoor unit 403 or the reliability of the refrigeration cycle.

The refrigerant decompressed in the second flow rate regulator 243 flows from the third indoor unit 403 via the third connection pipe 193 to the refrigerant flowing into the gas- And are joined together in the branch 250.

The refrigerant flows into the outdoor unit 100 through the second bridge pipe 225. At this time, the combined refrigerant may be a two-phase refrigerant in which the gaseous refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant are mixed.

The refrigerant flowing into the outdoor unit 100 is branched by the outdoor branch 120 and flows through the first outdoor heat exchanger 111 and the second outdoor heat exchanger 121b through the first outdoor pipe 121a and the second outdoor pipe 121b. And is evaporated in the heat exchange portion 112. The evaporated refrigerant may flow into the compressor 101 via the flow path switching unit 107. [

Then, the first bypass valve 126 and the second bypass valve 127 may be opened and the third bypass valve 128 may be closed.

The first bypass valve 126 and the second bypass valve 127 are opened so that a part of the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor unit 100 is branched by the outdoor branching unit 120, May be introduced into the compressor 101 after passing through the first heat exchanger 111 and the second heat exchanger 112 through the first bypass pipe 122 and the second bypass pipe 123 have.

In this way, since the first and second bypass pipes 122 and 123 are opened to allow the refrigerant to flow, the pressure of the refrigerant can be prevented from being lost in the outdoor unit 100.

That is, the refrigerant passing through the outdoor branch 120 is a two-phase refrigerant, and the gas-phase refrigerant may have a large pressure loss during the passage of the refrigerant through the piping. The first and second outdoor pipes 121a and 121b By opening the first and second bypass pipes 122 and 123, the refrigerant flow space can be secured and the pressure loss can be reduced accordingly.

On the other hand, the third bypass valve 128 is closed so that the two-phase refrigerant can be prevented from flowing into the compressor 101 without passing through the outdoor heat exchangers 111 and 112.

The refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanging part 112 is not introduced into the first heat exchanging part 111 but is discharged from the first heat exchanging part 111, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > refrigerant. ≪ / RTI >

FIG. 6 is a view showing a flow of a refrigerant during a cooling-only operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the operation and the refrigerant flow when the air conditioning system 10 is dedicated to cooling operation, that is, when all of the indoor units perform cooling, will be described.

The refrigerant compressed by the compressor (101) flows into the first outdoor heat exchanging part (111) through the flow path switching part (107) and is condensed. Then, the variable valve 117 can be opened. A part of the refrigerant that has passed through the first outdoor heat exchanging unit 111 flows through the first outdoor pipe 121a and the remaining part of the refrigerant flows through the second outdoor heat exchanging unit 112 ) And is condensed.

The refrigerant discharged from the second outdoor heat exchanging unit (112) can be discharged from the outdoor unit (100) via the second outdoor pipe (121b).

At this time, the first bypass valve 126, the second bypass valve 127, and the third bypass valve 128 are closed to restrict the flow of the refrigerant.

As described above, in the case of the cooling only operation, the variable valve 117 is opened, and the refrigerant can be condensed through the plurality of heat exchange units 111 and 112 through the shielding. However, if the required cooling capacity is low, the variable valve 117 may be closed so that the refrigerant passes through the first heat exchange unit 111 only.

The refrigerant discharged from the outdoor unit 100 flows through the second connection pipe 192 and may be introduced into the gas-liquid separator 210.

The refrigerant flowing into the gas-liquid separator 210 is entirely or mainly composed of liquid refrigerant as condensed refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant separated in the gas-liquid separator 210 passes through the subcooler 230 and the first flow rate regulator 241 and can be introduced into the distribution unit 300 through the fourth connection pipe 194 have.

At this time, the supercooling expansion unit 235 and the first flow rate control unit 241 are opened, and the supercooler 230 can cool the refrigerant. The supercooling degree of the first refrigerant or the superheating degree of the second refrigerant in the supercooler 230 can be controlled according to the opening degree of the supercooling expansion unit 235. [

The refrigerant having passed through the subcooler 230, that is, the first refrigerant, flows into the third distribution pipe 314 through the fourth connection pipe 194 and is evaporated in the indoor unit 400. When a plurality of indoor units 300 are provided as in the present embodiment, the refrigerant may be branched into a third distribution pipe 314 corresponding to each indoor unit 400 and then introduced into the indoor unit 400.

The refrigerant evaporated in the plurality of indoor units 400 flows through the second distribution pipe 312 and flows into the gas-liquid separation unit 200 through the third connection pipe 193.

Meanwhile, the refrigerant vaporized in the indoor unit 400 is combined with the second refrigerant that has passed through the subcooler 230 in the gas-liquid separation unit 250.

The refrigerant flows into the outdoor unit 100 through the first connection pipe 191 and is compressed by the compressor 101. This refrigerant cycle can be repeated.

On the other hand, the first distribution valve 321 is closed, so that refrigerant flow from the gas-liquid separator 210 to the first distribution pipe 310 is restricted.

FIG. 7 is a view showing the flow of refrigerant when the heating operation is further operated in the cooling operation in the air conditioning system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. Referring to Fig. 7, the operation and cooling flow of the air conditioning system 10 will be described in the case where the air conditioning system 10 performs cooling independently and some indoor units perform heating (cooling body heating operation).

Here, the term " cooling main body heating operation "may be understood to mean that the number of indoor units in which cooling is performed is greater than heating.

The refrigerant compressed in the compressor 101 is branched and flows to the first outdoor heat exchanger 111 and the third bypass pipe 124 through the flow path switching unit 107. At this time, the third bypass valve 128 is opened.

The first bypass valve 126, the second bypass valve 127, and the variable valve 117 may be opened.

Accordingly, some of the refrigerant that has passed through the first outdoor heat exchanging unit 111 flows into the first outdoor expansion device 118 through the first outdoor pipe 121a, and the other refrigerant flows through the first outdoor pipe 121a, And then flows into the second outdoor heat exchanger (112) via the valve (117) and is condensed.

Then, the remaining refrigerant flows to the second bypass pipe 123 through the second bypass valve 127. At this time, the refrigerant having passed through the second bypass valve 127 flows together with the refrigerant passing through the third bypass valve 128 and flows through the second bypass pipe 123.

A part of the refrigerant condensed in the second outdoor heat exchanger (112) flows to the first bypass pipe (123) through the first bypass valve (126). At this time, the refrigerant having passed through the first bypass valve 126 is mixed with the refrigerant flowing through the second bypass pipe 123, and flows through the first bypass pipe 122.

The refrigerant flowing through the first bypass pipe 122 is discharged from the outdoor unit 100 via the outdoor branching unit 120.

Some of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 101 flows through the third bypass valve 128 and some of the refrigerant is discharged from the outdoor unit 110 through the outdoor heat exchangers 111 and 112 The refrigerant may have a two-phase state above a set high pressure.

On the other hand, the opening of the third bypass valve 128 can be adjusted according to the amount of refrigerant flowing into the first indoor unit 401 that performs heating. Here, the shortage of the amount of refrigerant flowing into the first indoor unit 401 may be determined based on the high pressure (condensation pressure) of the refrigeration cycle. If the amount of refrigerant in the first indoor unit 401 is insufficient, the high pressure will be lowered.

For example, when the refrigerant flowing into the first indoor unit 401 is sufficient, the opening degree of the third bypass valve 128 is reduced. When the refrigerant flowing into the first indoor unit 401 is insufficient, 3 bypass valve 128 can be enlarged to control the flow of the gaseous refrigerant at a higher pressure into the first indoor unit 401. [

The refrigerant discharged from the outdoor unit 100 may be introduced into the gas-liquid separator 210 through the second connection pipe 192.

The gaseous refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separator 210 flows to the first distribution pipe 310 corresponding to the first indoor unit 401 through the fifth connection pipe 195 and flows into the first indoor unit 401, And can be condensed. Accordingly, the first indoor unit 401 can perform heating.

The refrigerant condensed in the first indoor unit 401 flows to the second indoor unit 402 and the third indoor unit 403 through the third distribution pipe 314. The refrigerant flowing into the second and third indoor units (402, 403) is expanded in the indoor expansion device, and then evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger to perform cooling.

The refrigerant evaporated in the second and third indoor units (402, 403) is connected to the gas-liquid separation unit (200) through the third connection pipe (193).

On the other hand, the liquid refrigerant separated in the gas-liquid separator 210 can selectively pass through the subcooler 230. In detail, the first flow rate regulator 241 may be adjusted in accordance with whether the amount of refrigerant flowing into the second and third indoor units 402 and 403 is insufficient. For example, if the amount of refrigerant to be introduced into the second and third indoor units 402 and 403 is insufficient, the low pressure will be raised.

When the amount of the refrigerant to be introduced into the second and third indoor units 402 and 403 is insufficient, the opening degree of the first flow rate regulator 241 increases, The amount of the refrigerant flowing into the first and second heat exchangers 402 and 403 increases.

At this time, the refrigerant having passed through the first flow rate regulator 241 may be mixed with the refrigerant that has passed through the first indoor unit 401, and may be introduced into the second and third indoor units 402 and 403.

On the contrary, when the amount of refrigerant to be introduced into the second and third indoor units 402 and 403 is sufficient, the opening of the first flow rate regulator 241 may be reduced or closed, The amount of refrigerant flowing into the second and third indoor units 402 and 403 can be reduced.

6, the supercooling degree of the first refrigerant or the superheating degree of the second refrigerant can be controlled according to the opening degree of the supercooling expansion unit 235 will be.

The refrigerant vaporized in the second and third indoor units (402, 403) and the second refrigerant that has passed through the subcooler (230) are combined in the gas-liquid separation joint part (250) 191 to the outdoor unit 100.

The refrigerant flowing into the outdoor unit (100) is compressed by the compressor (101) through the flow path switching unit (107). This refrigeration cycle can be repeated.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a configuration of an air conditioning system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

8, the air conditioning system 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor unit 100, a gas-liquid separation unit 200, a plurality of distribution units 301 and 302, and a plurality of indoor units 400 ).

In detail, the gas-liquid separation unit 200 is detachably coupled to the outdoor unit 100. The air conditioning system 10 includes two pipes 191 and 192 for connecting the outdoor unit 100 and the gas-liquid separation unit 200. The two pipes 191 and 192 include a first connection pipe 191 and a second connection pipe 192 which are connected to one side of the gas-liquid separation unit 200.

The air conditioning system 10 includes three pipes 193, 194 and 195 for connecting the gas-liquid separating unit 200 and the first distributing unit 301 to each other. The third piping 193, 194 and 195 include a third piping 193 connected to the other side of the gas-liquid separation unit 200 and a fourth piping 194 and a fifth piping 195.

The air conditioning system 10 includes a plurality of distribution pipes 390 that connect one of the distribution units 301 and 302 and the plurality of indoor units 400. The distribution pipe connecting the one distribution unit (301,302) and the one indoor unit (400) includes an inlet pipe for guiding the inflow of the refrigerant to the one indoor unit (400) and an outlet pipe for guiding the outflow of the refrigerant from the one indoor unit Piping may be included.

The plurality of distribution units 300 includes a first distribution unit 301 and a second distribution unit 302 detachably coupled to the first distribution unit 301. The first distribution unit 301 And the second dispensing unit 302 may be connected by the dispensing unit connecting pipe 350. The refrigerant discharged from the gas-liquid separation unit 200 may be branched into the first distribution unit 301 and the second distribution unit 302.

The gas-liquid separation unit 200 and the first distribution unit 301 and the second distribution unit 302 may be connected in series.

In FIG. 8, the first and second dispensing units 301 and 302 are shown as being coupled, however, additional dispensing units may be further coupled. In one example, an additional distribution unit may be connected in series to one side of the second distribution unit 302.

As described above, since a plurality of distribution units can be continuously installed on one side of the gas-liquid separation unit as required, additional installation of the system becomes easy.

10: air conditioning system 100: outdoor unit
101: compressor 105: outdoor gas-liquid separator
111: first heat exchanger 112: second heat exchanger
122: first bypass piping 123: second bypass piping
124: third bypass piping 126: first bypass valve
127: second bypass valve 128: third bypass valve
191 to 195: First to fifth connecting piping 200: Gas-liquid separation unit
201: first pipe connecting portion 205: second pipe connecting portion
210: gas-liquid separator 221: first bridge pipe
225: second bridge piping 230: supercooler
241: first flow rate regulator 243: second flow rate regulator
300: distribution unit 312: first indoor piping
314: second indoor piping 316: third indoor piping
400: indoor unit

Claims (16)

An outdoor unit disposed in the outdoor space and having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger;
A plurality of indoor units disposed in the indoor space and having an indoor heat exchanger;
A gas-liquid separator for separating the gaseous refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant from the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor unit, and a super-cooling unit disposed at an outlet side of the gas-liquid separator;
A distribution unit coupled to the gas-liquid separation unit and distributing the gaseous or liquid-phase refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separation unit to the plurality of indoor units;
Two first piping connection parts provided on one side of the gas-liquid separation unit and detachably connected to the outdoor unit;
And three second piping connecting portions provided on the other side of the gas-liquid separating unit and detachably connected to the distributing unit. The method according to claim 1,
In the gas-liquid separation unit,
And a first flow rate adjusting unit disposed at an outlet side of the subcooler for adjusting an amount of refrigerant flowing into the distributing unit. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the first flow rate regulator includes:
Is opened during a heating operation and is opened during a cooling operation. The method according to claim 1,
In the gas-liquid separation unit,
Further comprising a second flow rate adjusting unit through which refrigerant discharged from at least some indoor units of the plurality of indoor units passes during a heating operation,
And the amount of refrigerant flowing into the remaining indoor units of the plurality of indoor units is adjusted according to the opening degree of the second flow rate control unit. The method according to claim 1,
Some of the indoor heat exchangers provided in the plurality of indoor units serve to condense the refrigerant,
And the remaining indoor heat exchangers function to operate to evaporate the refrigerant. An outdoor unit disposed in the outdoor space and having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger;
A plurality of indoor units disposed in the indoor space and having an indoor heat exchanger;
A gas-liquid separator for separating the gaseous refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant from the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor unit, and a gas-liquid separator disposed at the outlet side of the gas-liquid separator and including a subcooler in which at least a part of the liquid- unit; And
And a distribution unit that is detachably coupled to the gas-liquid separation unit and distributes the gaseous refrigerant or liquid refrigerant separated from the gas-liquid separation unit to the plurality of indoor units. The method according to claim 6,
In the gas-liquid separation unit,
A first flow rate regulator disposed at an outlet side of the subcooler for regulating an amount of refrigerant flowing into the distribution unit; And
Further comprising: a second flow rate regulating unit through which refrigerant discharged from at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units passes. The method according to claim 6,
And two pipes connecting the outdoor unit and the gas-liquid separation unit are included,
In the two pipings, during heating operation,
A first connection pipe for guiding the refrigerant from the outdoor unit to the gas-liquid separator; And
And a second pipe for guiding the refrigerant from the gas-liquid separation unit to the outdoor unit. 9. The method of claim 8,
During cooling operation,
The first connection pipe guides the refrigerant from the gas-liquid separation unit to the outdoor unit,
And the second connection pipe guides the refrigerant from the outdoor unit to the gas-liquid separator. 10. The method of claim 9,
A first bridge pipe connected to the first connection pipe and guiding the refrigerant flowing through the first connection pipe in the heating operation to the gas-liquid separator; And
And a second bridge pipe coupled to the second connection pipe and guiding the refrigerant flowing through the second connection pipe to the gas-liquid separator during a cooling operation. 10. The method of claim 9,
In the gas-liquid separation unit,
Wherein the first connection pipe and the second connection pipe are detachably connected to each other. The method according to claim 6,
Liquid separation unit, and three connection pipes for connecting the gas-liquid separation unit and the distribution unit,
In the three connecting pipes,
A third connection pipe for guiding the gaseous refrigerant separated in the gas-liquid separator to the distribution unit;
A fourth connection pipe for guiding the liquid refrigerant separated in the gas-liquid separator to the distribution unit; And
And a fifth connecting pipe for guiding the refrigerant from the distributing unit to the gas-liquid separating unit. 13. The method of claim 12,
In the gas-liquid separation unit,
And three second piping connecting portions to which the third, fourth, and fifth connecting piping are detachably connected. The method according to claim 6,
In the gas-liquid separation unit,
A supercooling pipe for branching and introducing the refrigerant into the subcooler; And
And a supercooling expansion unit provided in the supercooling pipe for controlling the flow of the refrigerant through the supercooling pipe. The method according to claim 6,
A plurality of the distribution units are provided and coupled by connection piping,
Wherein the gas-liquid separation unit and the plurality of distribution units are connected in series. The method according to claim 6,
In the outdoor unit,
Further comprising an outdoor gas-liquid separator provided at an inlet side of the compressor for separating and introducing the gaseous refrigerant in the refrigerant into the compressor.

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