Air conditioning apparatus

Abstract

An air conditioning apparatus includes a refrigeration cycle, a magnetic field generator, a detector and a control part. The refrigeration cycle has a compression element, a refrigerant tube in thermal contact with a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant tube and/or a heat-generating member in thermal contact with a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant tube. The magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field to inductively heat a heating target portion. The detector detects a state quantity in a state quantity detection portion of the refrigeration cycle. The control part performs startup magnetic field generation control during startup of an air-warming operation in which maximum magnetic field output is initiated until the state quantity detected reaches a first target state quantity, and post-startup magnetic field generation control in which the magnetic field output is restricted after the startup magnetic field generation control has ended.

1 . An air conditioning apparatus comprising:
 a refrigeration cycle having a compression element configured to circulate refrigerant, a refrigeration tube arranged to make thermal contact with a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant tube and/or a heat-generating member arranged to make thermal contact with a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant tube;   a magnetic field generator arranged to generate a magnetic field in order to inductively heat a heating target portion;   a refrigerant state quantity detector arranged and configured to detect a state quantity relating to refrigerant flowing through a predetermined state quantity detection portion which is at least part of the refrigeration cycle; and   a control part configured to perform
 startup magnetic field generation control during startup involving performing an air-warming operation in the refrigeration cycle, a state in which output of the magnetic field generator is a predetermined maximum output being initiated from a time the compression element has assumed a drive state and is ended when the state quantity detected by the refrigerant state quantity detector reaches a first predetermined target state quantity, and 
 post-startup magnetic field generation control in which a state involving applying of a restriction that a first magnetic field limit reference value lower than the predetermined maximum output is an upper limit of the output of the magnetic field generator is performed after the startup magnetic field generation control has ended. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heating target portion contains a magnetic material.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the predetermined state quantity detection portion is a portion in which a magnetic field is generated by the magnetic field generator.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the state quantity detected by the refrigerant state quantity detector includes at least one temperature and pressure relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant state quantity detector is a temperature detector arranged and configured to detect a temperature relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion; and   in the post-startup magnetic field generation control, the control part is further configured to perform post-startup magnetic field generation PI control in order to PI control a size of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator and/or a frequency with which the magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field so that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is maintained at a target maintenance temperature.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant state quantity detector is a temperature detector arranged and configured to detect a temperature relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion; and   the control part is further configured to execute the startup magnetic field generation control after fulfilling of a magnetic field level increase condition that there be a change in the detected temperature of the temperature detector, or that the temperature detector detect a temperature change, due to a magnetic field level change process being performed in order to raise or lower a level of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator within a range below the predetermined maximum output.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 6 ; wherein
 a maximum magnetic field level outputted in the magnetic field level change process is a value less than the first magnetic field limit reference value.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 ; wherein
 the refrigerant state quantity detector is a temperature detector arranged and configured to detect a temperature relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion; and   the control part is further configured to execute a determination of a magnetic field level increase condition after the fulfilling of a flow condition that there be a change in the detected temperature of the temperature detector between a first compression element state and a second compression element state, when the compression element is caused to realize two compression element states of different compression element outputs, one being the first compression mechanism state and the other being the second compression element state having a higher output level than the first compression element state.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 ; wherein
 the refrigerant state quantity detector is a temperature detector arranged and configured to detect a temperature relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion; and   the control part is further configured to perform a defrosting operation output control in order to control the output of the magnetic field generator based on the detected temperature of the temperature detector, the upper limit of the output of the magnetic field generator being the predetermined maximum output, when the refrigeration cycle executes a defrosting operation different from the air-warming operation after the post-startup magnetic field generation control has been initiated.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 9 ; wherein
 during the defrosting operation output control, the control part is further configured to perform defrosting PI control in which PI control is performed so that the temperature detected by the temperature detector is maintained at a second predetermined target temperature that is lower than the first predetermined target temperature.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 ; wherein
 the refrigerant state quantity detector is a temperature detector arranged and configured to detect a temperature relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion; and   the air conditioning apparatus further comprises   an elastic member arranged to apply an elastic force to the temperature detector,   the temperature detector being pressed against the predetermined state quantity detection portion by the elastic force of the elastic member when applied.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the predetermined state quantity detection portion is a portion in which a magnetic field is generated by the magnetic field generator.   
     
     
         13 . The air conditioning apparatus according  claim 12 , wherein
 the state quantity detected by the refrigerant state quantity detector includes at least one temperature and pressure relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioning apparatus according  claim 2 , wherein
 the state quantity detected by the refrigerant state quantity detector includes at least one temperature and pressure relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioning apparatus according  claim 3 , wherein
 the state quantity detected by the refrigerant state quantity detector includes at least one temperature and pressure relating to the refrigerant flowing through the predetermined state quantity detection portion.