Patent ID: 6516629
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: C09K,F25B

Abstract:
An air conditioner using a non-azeotropic refrigerant as a circulating refrigerant, comprising:an outdoor unit including a compressor, a four-way valve, a heat exchanger on a side of a heat source and an electronic expansion valve; a plurality of indoor units; a liquid receiver provided between said heat exchanger on the heat source side and said electronic expansion valve, and having an upper portion storing a refrigerant vapor and a lower portion storing a liquid refrigerant; a second liquid receiver introducing the refrigerant vapor in said liquid receiver through a pipe so as to heat exchange with an ambient air and store as the liquid refrigerant; and a pipe connected to said liquid receiver from a lower portion of said second liquid receiver via a shut-off valve, wherein the air conditioner is operated by closing said shut-off valve at a time of a low load so as to store a low boiling point refrigerant in said second liquid receiver.