Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner is provided with a refrigerant circuit, refrigerant stagnation judging means, and an operation controller. The refrigerant circuit is a circuit that includes a heat source unit, a refrigerant communication pipe, an expansion mechanism, and a utilization unit. A heat source unit and a utilization unit are connected to the refrigerant fluid communication pipes. The heat source unit has a compression mechanism and a heat source side heat exchanger. The refrigerant stagnation judging means can judge whether the refrigerant has stagnated inside the compression mechanism. The operation controller performs a refrigerant de-stagnation operation for eliminating stagnation of the refrigerant in the case that the refrigerant stagnation judging means has judged in advance that the refrigerant inside the compression mechanism has stagnated when a refrigerant quantity judging operation is carried out for judging the refrigerant quantity inside the refrigerant circuit.

1 . An air conditioner comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit having
 a heat source unit having a compression mechanism and a heat source side heat exchanger, 
 a refrigerant communication pipe, the heat source unit being connected thereto, 
 an expansion mechanism, and 
 a utilization unit having a utilization side heat exchanger and being connected to the refrigerant communication pipe; 
   a refrigerant stagnation judging device being configured to judge whether a refrigerant is stagnant inside the compression mechanism; and   an operation controller performing a refrigerant de-stagnation operation eliminating stagnation of the refrigerant in the case that the refrigerant stagnation judging device has judged in advance that the refrigerant is stagnant inside the compression mechanism when a refrigerant quantity judging operation judging a quantity of refrigerant inside the refrigerant circuit is carried out.   
   
   
       2 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant stagnation judging device makes a judgment on the basis of a temperature inside the compression mechanism.   
   
   
       3 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant stagnation judging device makes a judgment on the basis of outside air temperature.   
   
   
       4 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant stagnation judging device is connected to a network, acquires weather information via the network, and makes a judgment on the basis of the weather information.   
   
   
       5 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant stagnation judging device makes a judgment on the basis of a refrigerant stagnation interval in which the refrigerant is predicted to stagnate readily inside the compression mechanism.   
   
   
       6 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 5 , wherein
 the operation controller performs a control to drive the compression mechanism for a first prescribed time as the refrigerant de-stagnation operation.   
   
   
       7 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 6 , wherein
 a plurality of the heat source units is present.   
   
   
       8 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 7 , wherein
 the compression mechanism has a plurality of compressors.   
   
   
       9 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 8 , wherein
 the refrigerant de-stagnation operation drives at least a compressor that is not driven during the refrigerant quantity judgment operation.   
   
   
       10 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 8 , wherein
 the refrigerant de-stagnation operation is an operation in which the operation controller operates all of the compressors one at a time in sequence for a second prescribed time interval.   
   
   
       11 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a heater configured to warm the compression mechanism, wherein the refrigerant de-stagnation operation warms the compression mechanism using the heater. 
   
   
       12 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 10 , wherein
 the operation controller further performs an oil-return operation immediately after the refrigerant de-stagnation operation.   
   
   
       13 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the oil-return operation controls the refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant circuit so that the refrigerant flows inside the pipes at or above a prescribed rate. 
   
   
       14 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the operation controller performs a control to drive the compression mechanism for a first prescribed time as the refrigerant de-stagnation operation.   
   
   
       15 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 a plurality of the heat source units is present.   
   
   
       16 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the compression mechanism has a plurality of compressors.   
   
   
       17 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 16 , wherein
 the refrigerant de-stagnation operation drives at least a compressor that is not driven during the refrigerant quantity judgment operation.   
   
   
       18 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 16 , wherein
 the refrigerant de-stagnation operation is an operation in which the operation controller operates all of the compressors one at a time in sequence for a prescribed time interval.   
   
   
       19 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 1 , wherein
 the operation controller further performs an oil-return operation immediately after the refrigerant de-stagnation operation.   
   
   
       20 . The air conditioner as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the oil-return operation controls the refrigerant that flows through the refrigerant circuit so that the refrigerant flows inside the pipes at or above a prescribed rate.