Air-conditioning apparatus

Abstract

For each of a plurality of use-side heat exchangers, a plurality of heat medium flow switching devices respectively corresponding to the plurality of use-side heat exchangers are entirely or partially integrated, and the thus obtained integrated heat medium flow switching device is driven by a single driving device.

1 . An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising:
 a refrigerant circuit formed by connecting a compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger, a plurality of expansion devices, and refrigerant-side passages in a plurality of intermediate heat exchangers by refrigerant pipes to allow heat source-side refrigerant to circulate therethrough;   a plurality of heat medium circuits formed by connecting a plurality of pumps, a plurality of use-side heat exchangers, and heat medium-side passages in the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers by heat-medium pipes to allow a heat medium to circulate therethrough;   a plurality of heat medium flow switching devices provided correspondingly to each of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers, and the plurality of heat medium flow switching devices configured to switch a passage for the heat medium by connecting the use-side heat exchangers to any one of the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers,
 the plurality of use-side heat exchangers being individually connected to any one of the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers to enable a heating operation or a cooling operation; and 
   an integrated heat medium flow switching device formed by entirely or partially integrating the plurality of heat medium flow switching devices,
 the integrated heat medium flow switching device being provided for each of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers, the integrated heat medium flow switching device being configured to switch the passage for the heat medium depending on a rotation stop position of a valve body, and the integrated heat medium flow switching device being configured to control a flow rate of the heat medium flowing into the corresponding use-side heat exchanger of the use-side heat exchangers depending on a rotation stop position of the valve body, and the integrated heat medium flow switching device being driven by a single driving device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the integrated heat medium flow switching device comprises
 a pair of heat medium delivery main pipes, which is provided to the each of the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers, and serves as a passage between the intermediate heat exchanger and any one of the plurality of use-side heat exchangers, 
 a body having a valve chamber intersecting a plurality of the pairs of heat medium delivery main pipes, and 
 the valve body having a shaft-like shape and arranged in the valve chamber so as to be axially rotatable, 
   the valve body comprises
 a pair of selection-side openings to be brought into communication with any one of the plurality of the pairs of heat medium delivery main pipes depending on a rotation stop position of the valve body, 
 an indoor unit-side inlet opening to be connected to an inlet side of a corresponding use-side heat exchanger of the use-side heat exchangers, and 
 a plurality of indoor unit-side outlet openings to be brought into communication with an outlet side of the corresponding use-side heat exchanger of the use-side heat exchangers in a state in which the pair of selection-side openings is held in communication with each of the plurality of the pairs of heat medium delivery main pipes, and 
   the valve body formed therein
 a supply passage for bringing one of the pair of selection-side openings and the indoor unit-side inlet opening into communication with each other, and 
 a plurality of selective return passages for connecting each of the plurality of indoor unit-side outlet openings and an other of the pair of selection-side openings to each other. 
   
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the pair of selection-side openings and the plurality of indoor unit-side outlet openings are formed in an outer peripheral surface of the valve body,   the indoor unit-side inlet opening is formed in an axial end portion of the valve body, and   the valve body further includes an adiabatic wall formed between the supply passage and the plurality of selective return passages.   
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the valve body controls a flow rate of the heat medium flowing into the corresponding use-side heat exchanger of the use-side heat exchangers by a change in communicating area between the pair of selection-side openings and the pair of heat medium delivery main pipes depending on the rotation stop position of the valve body. 
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the valve body separates the corresponding use-side heat exchanger of the use-side heat exchangers from the heat medium circuit by stopping at a rotation stop position at which the pair of selection-side openings is not brought into communication with any one of the plurality of the pairs of heat medium delivery main pipes. 
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air-conditioning apparatus operates
 a heating only operation mode in which all the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers function as condensers,   a cooling only operation mode in which all the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers function as evaporators, and   a cooling and heating mixed operation mode in which some of the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers function as the condensers and other some of the plurality of intermediate heat exchangers function as the evaporators,   wherein, in the cooling and heating mixed operation mode, when the use-side heat exchanger of the use-side heat exchangers is switched from one of cooling to heating and heating to cooling, the driving device corresponding to the use-side heat exchanger of the use-side heat exchangers for which the operation is switched is driven to switch the passage for the heat medium.   
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source-side refrigerant comprises any one of a single-component refrigerant, a near-azeotropic refrigerant mixture, a zeotropic refrigerant mixture, a refrigerant with a two-phase change including a natural refrigerant, and a refrigerant that turns into a supercritical state. 
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat medium comprises any one of an antifreezing solution, water, a mixture of the antifreezing solution and water, and a mixture of water and an additive having an anticorrosive effect. 
     
     
         9 . The air-conditioning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the driving device comprises a stepping motor.