Air conditioning system and method of establishing a control logic for shutoff valve actuation

Abstract

The current invention relates to an Air conditioning system comprising compressor unit connected to a plurality of indoor by means of a plurality of pipes: a switching unit between the outdoor unit and each indoor unit, said switching unit comprising a plurality of shutoff valves; a plurality of leak detection sensors; and a controller configured to control the plurality shutoff valves and have information of associating each of the shutoff valves to at least one sensor. In order to safely and efficiently manage refrigerant leaks, the shutoff valves are operated based on information from their associated sensors.

1 . Air conditioning system comprising:
 a compressor unit connected to a plurality of indoor units by means of a plurality of pipes;   a switching unit between the compressor unit and each of the indoor units, said switching unit comprising a plurality of shutoff valves connected to each pipe or pipe branch leading to one of the indoor units;   a plurality of leak detection sensors, at least one of the leak detection sensors being provided in each room which has one of the indoor units and/or which has no indoor unit and is traversed by at least one of the pipes; and   a controller configured to control the plurality shutoff valves and have information of associating each of the shutoff valves to at least one of the leak detection sensors;   characterized in that, each of the shutoff valves is operated based on a signal from the associated sensor which is provided in the room which has no indoor unit and is traversed by at least one of the pipes.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, the switching unit is a manifold configured to be connected to the compressor unit and distribute a refrigerant input throughout a plurality of the pipe branches. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, the leak detection sensors are installed outside of the indoor units. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, each of the leak detection sensors is associated to a room in which it is positioned. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, each of the pipes or pipe branches is associated to a shutoff valve. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, each of the rooms which has one of the indoor units and/or which is traversed by at least one of the pipes is associated with at least one of the shutoff valves. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, the switching unit is placed inside a ventilated room. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, the compressor unit is placed inside a ventilated room. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning system according to any  claim 1 , characterized in that, each of the leak detection sensors is configured to cause the shutoff valves associated with each of the rooms which has an indoor unit and/or which is traversed by at least one of the pipes to close. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , characterized in that, a refrigerant used in the air conditioning system is CO2 or R466A. 
     
     
         11 . A method of establishing a control logic for shutoff valve actuation based on leak detection signal in an air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
 registering the leak detection sensors present in each room;   registering the pipes running through or into in each room;   registering the shutoff valves connected to each pipe; and   registering each of the leak detection sensors to at least one of the shutoff valves.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , characterized in that, each of the leak detection sensors is registered to any of the shutoff valves associated to any of the pipes running through or into the room where the leak detection sensor is installed.