Patent ID: 6668564
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: F25B

Abstract:
A method for controlling a refrigeration cycle in which a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a flow regulator, and an indoor heat exchanger are connected to each other via pipes to form a loop, the refrigeration cycle containing refrigerating machine oil and a refrigerant, the method comprising the step of:controlling a saturation solubility of the refrigerating machine oil of a liquid refrigerant reserved in the refrigeration cycle via a control section so that the saturation solubility does not become lower than an oil circulation rate of the refrigerating machine oil in the refrigeration cycle; positioning a receiver between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger in order for the receiver to reserve a residual refrigerant; providing at least one of a first flow regulator between a first set of pipes which are connected with the receiver and the outdoor heat exchanger; providing a second flow regulator between a second set of pipes which are connected with the receiver and the indoor heat exchanger; detecting any one of temperature and pressure of the liquid refrigerant reserved in the receiver via a first detector; and controlling the one of the temperature and the pressure of the liquid refrigerant reserved in the receiver via a controller so that the saturation solubility of the refrigerating machine oil of the liquid refrigerant becomes any one of equal to and higher than the oil circulation rate of the refrigerating machine oil flowing in the refrigeration cycle, wherein the controller controls, during a given period from a start of the compressor, one of the first flow regulator and the second flow regulator so that a detected temperature of the liquid refrigerant in the receiver by the first detector becomes any one of equal to and higher than a given preset temperature.