Patent ID: 11892218
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  Y | IPC F

Claim 9:
10. A heat-medium flow-rate calculation method that is carried out using a controller configured to control a heat medium circuit in which for a heat-source-side device and a pump, a plurality of use-side heat exchangers and a plurality of flow rate control devices are connected in parallel by pipes, the heat-source-side device being configured to heat or cool a heat medium serving as a medium that transfers heat, the pump being configured to suck and transfer the heat medium, the plurality of use-side heat exchangers being each configured to cause heat exchange to be performed between the heat medium and indoor air to be conditioned, the flow rate control devices being control flow rates of the heat medium that passes through the use-side heat exchangers,
the heat-medium flow-rate calculation method comprising:
performing a first operation in which an operation of circulating the heat medium, with one of the flow rate control devices opened and an other or others of the flow rate control devices closed is performed, while the flow rate control devices are successively opened, and obtaining data regarding paths that extend from the pump to the respective use-side heat exchangers, from pressures of the heat medium that passes through the respective flow rate control devices, at least one of a pressure of the heat medium on a suction side of the pump and a pressure of the heat medium on the transferring side of the pump, and a pump flow rate; and
in a second operation in which the heat medium is caused to pass through the use-side heat exchangers and heat is supplied to the indoor air,
calculating flow rates of the heat medium that flows through the respective use-side heat exchangers, from pressures of the heat medium that passes through the respective flow rate control devices, at least either pressures of the heat medium on the suction side of the pump or pressures of the heat medium on the transferring side of the pump, and pump flow rates in the first operation and the second operation.