Patent Application
20240418384
The disclosure relates to an air conditioner capable of controlling indoor air and a control method thereof.
An air conditioner is an apparatus, which controls indoor air to suit intended uses, may control a temperature, humidity, air purity, flow of air, and the like of indoor air. Air conditioners may be used in various places, such as general homes, offices, factories, and vehicles.
An air conditioner is generally capable of controlling indoor air by releasing air cooled through a cooling cycle in which a refrigerant is sequentially compressed, condensed, expanded, and evaporated into a room, or by releasing air heated through a cooling cycle in which the above process is reversed into the room.
Air conditioners may include a multiple air conditioner. The multiple air conditioner is provided to control air in a plurality of indoor spaces by connecting a plurality of indoor units and at least one outdoor unit through a single piping system.
Embodiments of the disclosure provide an air conditioner and a control method thereof of capable of eliminating a separate structure for a humidity sensor, more accurately calculating an outdoor relative humidity using an absolute humidity, and performing a defrosting operation at a more efficient timing based on the outdoor relative humidity, by attaching the humidity sensor to the inside of an outdoor unit.
An example embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioner including: an outdoor unit and an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit includes: a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between outdoor air and the refrigerant, a humidity sensor provided inside the outdoor unit and configured to measure a relative humidity inside the outdoor unit, and a controller comprising circuitry configured to: determine an absolute humidity based on a dry bulb temperature and the relative humidity inside the outdoor unit measured by the humidity sensor, determine an outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and the outdoor temperature, and determine whether to perform a defrosting operation based on the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature.
The controller may be configured to determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and the outdoor temperature based on a specified time elapsing after determining the absolute humidity.
The outdoor unit may include a fan configured to blow outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger, and a motor configured to transmit a rotational force to the fan.
The controller may be configured to determine the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the motor to rotate the fan before operating the compressor based on a heating operation signal being generated.
The controller may be configured to update the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the motor to rotate the fan based on a specified time elapsing after the compressor stops during a heating operation.
The controller may be configured to determine a dew point temperature based on the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature, and determine whether to perform the defrosting operation by comparing the dew point temperature and a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger.
The controller may be configured to control the air conditioner to perform the defrosting operation based on the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger being equal to or lower than the dew point temperature.
The controller may be configured to control the air conditioner to perform the defrosting operation based on the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger being equal to or lower than a temperature lower than the dew point temperature by a specified temperature.
The controller may be configured to control the air conditioner to keep the defrosting operation until the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger falls within a specified temperature range based on performing the defrosting operation.
The humidity sensor may be provided inside a control box of the outdoor unit.
An example embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of controlling an air conditioner including an outdoor unit including an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor temperature sensor, and an indoor unit connected to the outdoor unit, wherein the method includes: determining an absolute humidity based on a dry bulb temperature and a relative humidity inside the outdoor unit measured by a humidity sensor provided inside the outdoor unit to measure the relative humidity inside the outdoor unit, determining an outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and an outdoor temperature, and determining whether to perform a defrosting operation based on the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature.
The determining of the outdoor relative humidity may include determining the outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and the outdoor temperature based on a specified time elapsing after determining the absolute humidity.
The outdoor unit may include a fan configured to blow outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger, and a motor configured to transmit a rotational force to the fan.
The determining of the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity may include determining the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the motor to rotate the fan before operating a compressor based on a heating operation signal being generated.
The determining of the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity may include updating the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the motor to rotate the fan based on a specified time elapsing after a compressor stops during a heating operation.
The determining of whether to perform the defrosting operation may include determining a dew point temperature based on the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature, and determining whether to perform the defrosting operation by comparing the dew point temperature and a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger.
The determining of whether to perform the defrosting operation may include performing the defrosting operation based on the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger being equal to or lower than the dew point temperature.
The determining of whether to perform the defrosting operation may include performing the defrosting operation based on the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger being equal to or lower than a temperature lower than the dew point temperature by a specified temperature.
The determining of whether to perform the defrosting operation may include keeping the defrosting operation until the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger falls within a specified temperature range based on performing the defrosting operation.
An example embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioner including: at least one outdoor unit configured to perform heat exchange between outdoor air and a refrigerant, and a plurality of indoor units configured to perform heat exchange between indoor air and the refrigerant, wherein each of the at least one outdoor unit includes a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger, a humidity sensor provided inside the outdoor unit and configured to measure a relative humidity inside the outdoor unit, and a controller comprising circuitry configured to: determine an absolute humidity based on a dry bulb temperature and the relative humidity inside the outdoor unit measured by the humidity sensor, determine an outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and an outdoor temperature, and determine whether to perform a defrosting operation based on the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature.
An air conditioner according to an example embodiment, by attaching a humidity sensor to the inside of an outdoor unit, a separate structure for the humidity sensor can be eliminated, an outdoor relative humidity can be more accurately calculated using an absolute humidity, and a defrosting operation can be performed at a more efficient timing based on the outdoor relative humidity.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The various example embodiments described in this disclosure and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely examples of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made at the time of filing of the present disclosure to replace the various embodiments and drawings of the present disclosure.
Throughout this disclosure, when one part is referred to as being “connected” to the other part, it includes “directly connected” to the other part and “indirectly connected” to the other part, and the “indirectly connected” to the other part includes “connected” to the other part through a wireless communication network.
The terms in this disclosure are used for the purpose of describing the various example embodiments and are not intended to restrict and/or to limit the present disclosure. For example, the singular expressions may include plural expressions, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms “includes” and “has” in this disclosure are intended to indicate that there are features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in this disclosure, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms, and the above terms are simply used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.
In addition, terms such as “˜unit,” “˜part,” “˜block,” “˜member,” and “˜module” may denote a unit for processing at least one function or operation. For example, the terms may refer to at least one hardware such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)/an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), at least one software stored in a memory, or at least one process processed by a processor.
A reference numeral assigned to each of steps may be used to identify each step, the reference numeral does not describe the order of the steps, and each step may be performed differently from the order specified unless the context clearly states a particular order.
Hereinafter, various example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The outdoor unit 10 includes an outdoor unit main body 11 forming an exterior of the outdoor unit 10, and an outdoor unit outlet 12 provided on one side of the outdoor unit main body 11 to allow heat-exchanged air to be discharged.
The indoor unit 20 includes an indoor unit main body 21 forming an exterior of the indoor unit 20, an indoor unit outlet 22 provided on a front surface of the indoor unit main body 21 to allow heat-exchanged air to be discharged, an operation panel 23 provided to receive operation commands for the air conditioner 1 from a user, and a display panel 24 provided to display operation information of the air conditioner 1.
In order to facilitate understanding, a flow of the refrigerant and a flow of a signal in the air conditioner 1 will be explained separately, and the flow of the refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 will be explained first and the flow of the signal in the air conditioner 1 will be explained later.
Referring to
The outdoor unit 10 includes a compressor 150 to compress the refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger 161 to perform heat exchange between outdoor air and the refrigerant, a four-way valve 170 to selectively guide the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 150 to either the outdoor heat exchanger 161 or the indoor unit 20 depending on a heating or cooling operation, an outdoor expansion valve 180 to depressurize the refrigerant guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 161 during the heating operation, and an accumulator 155 to prevent and/or reduce a liquid refrigerant that has not yet evaporated from being introduced into the compressor 150.
The compressor 150 compresses a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high-pressure refrigerant using a rotational force of a compressor motor (not shown) rotating by receiving electrical energy from an external power source.
The four-way valve 170 guides the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 150 to the outdoor heat exchanger 161 during the cooling operation, and guides the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 150 to the indoor unit 20 during the heating operation.
The outdoor heat exchanger 161 condenses the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 150 during the cooling operation and evaporates the refrigerant compressed in the indoor unit 20 during the heating operation. The outdoor heat exchanger 161 may include outdoor heat exchanger cooling fins (not shown) to improve heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and outdoor air by increasing a surface area in which an outdoor heat exchanger refrigerant pipe (not shown) through which the refrigerant passes comes into contact with outdoor air, an outdoor fan 163 to blow outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 161, and an outdoor fan motor 165 to transmit a rotational force to the outdoor fan 163.
The outdoor expansion valve 180 not only depressurizes the refrigerant during the heating operation, but also may adjust an amount of refrigerant to be provided to the outdoor heat exchanger 161 so that sufficient heat exchange occurs in the outdoor heat exchanger 161. For example, the outdoor expansion valve 180 depressurizes the refrigerant using a throttling action of the refrigerant, in which a pressure decreases even without heat exchange with the outside when the refrigerant passes through a narrow passage. The outdoor expansion valve 180 may employ an electronic valve capable of adjusting an opening degree to adjust the amount of refrigerant passing through the outdoor expansion valve 180.
The indoor unit 20 includes an indoor heat exchanger 261 to perform heat exchange between indoor air and the refrigerant, and an indoor expansion valve 280 to depressurize the refrigerant provided to the indoor heat exchanger 261 during the cooling operation.
The indoor heat exchanger 261 evaporates a low-pressure liquid refrigerant during the cooling operation and condenses a high-pressure gaseous refrigerant during the heating operation. Like the outdoor heat exchanger 161 of the outdoor unit 10, the indoor heat exchanger 261 may include indoor heat exchanger cooling fins (not shown) to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and indoor air by increasing a surface area in which an indoor heat exchanger refrigerant pipe (not shown) through which the refrigerant passes comes into contact with indoor air, an indoor fan 263 to blow air heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 261 into a room, and an indoor fan motor 265 to transmit a rotational force to the indoor fan 263.
The indoor expansion valve 280 not only depressurizes the refrigerant using the throttling action, but also may adjust an amount of refrigerant to be provided to the indoor heat exchanger 261 so that sufficient heat exchange occurs in the indoor heat exchanger 261. The indoor expansion valve 280 may employ an electronic valve capable of adjusting an opening degree to adjust the amount of refrigerant passing through the indoor expansion valve 280.
Hereinafter, a flow of refrigerant depending on an operation mode of the air conditioner 1, that is, the cooling operation or heating operation, will be described.
When the air conditioner 1 operates in a cooling mode, the refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor 150 of the outdoor unit 10. As the refrigerant is compressed, a pressure and temperature of the refrigerant increase together.
The compressed refrigerant is guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 161 by the four-way valve 170. The refrigerant guided to the outdoor heat exchanger 161 is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 161, and while the refrigerant is condensing, heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant and outdoor air. For example, while the refrigerant changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state, the refrigerant releases energy (latent heat) to the outdoors equal to a difference between internal energy of the refrigerant in the gaseous state and internal energy of the refrigerant in the liquid state.
The condensed liquid refrigerant passes through the outdoor expansion valve 180 and then is provided to the indoor unit 20 through the liquid pipe P1.
The liquid refrigerant provided to the indoor unit 20 is depressurized with the temperature of the refrigerant lowered in the indoor expansion valve 280 provided on the liquid pipe P1. For example, the indoor expansion valve 280 depressurizes the refrigerant using the throttling action of the refrigerant in which a pressure decreases without heat exchange with the outdoors when a fluid passes through a narrow passage.
The indoor expansion valve 280 may employ an electronic valve capable of adjusting the opening degree to adjust the amount of refrigerant introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 261.
The depressurized liquid refrigerant is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger 261, and heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant and indoor air while the refrigerant is evaporated. For example, while the refrigerant changes from the liquid state to the gaseous state, the refrigerant absorbs energy (latent heat) from the indoor air equal to the difference between the internal energy of the refrigerant in the gaseous state and the internal energy of the refrigerant in the liquid state.
As such, in the cooling operation, the air conditioner 1 may cool indoor air using heat exchange between the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 261 and the indoor air, that is, latent heat absorbed by the refrigerant from the indoor air.
The evaporated gaseous refrigerant is provided to the outdoor unit 10 through the gas pipe P2 and to the accumulator 155 through the four-way valve 170. In the accumulator 155, the refrigerant is separated into a liquid refrigerant that has not yet evaporated and an evaporated gaseous refrigerant, and the gaseous refrigerant is provided back to the compressor 150.
As the gaseous refrigerant provided to the compressor 150 is compressed in the compressor 150, the above-described refrigerant circulation is repeated.
As a summary of heat exchange by the refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 operating in the cooling operation, the refrigerant transfers indoor heat energy to the outdoors by absorbing heat energy of indoor air in the indoor heat exchanger 261 of the indoor unit 20 and releasing the heat energy from the outdoor heat exchanger 161 of the outdoor unit 10 to the outdoors.
When the air conditioner 1 operates in the heating operation, the refrigerant is compressed to a high pressure by the compressor 150 of the outdoor unit 10, and the temperature of the refrigerant increases along with the pressure of the refrigerant.
The compressed refrigerant passes through the four-way valve 170 and is then guided to the indoor unit 20 along the gas pipe P2.
In the indoor heat exchanger 261, the refrigerant is condensed, and heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant and indoor air while the refrigerant is condensed. For example, while the refrigerant changes from the gaseous state to the liquid state, the refrigerant releases energy (latent heat) into the room equal to the difference between the internal energy in the gaseous state and the internal energy in the liquid state. As such, in a heating mode, the air conditioner 1 may heat the indoor air using heat exchange between the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 261 and indoor air, that is, latent heat released by the refrigerant.
The condensed liquid refrigerant passes through the indoor expansion valve 280 and is then provided back to the outdoor unit 10 along the liquid pipe P1.
The liquid refrigerant provided to the outdoor unit 10 is depressurized in the outdoor expansion valve 180 provided on the liquid pipe P1, and the temperature of the refrigerant is also lowered. The outdoor expansion valve 180 may employ an electronic valve capable of adjusting the opening degree to adjust the amount of refrigerant to be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 161, which will be described in greater detail below.
The depressurized liquid refrigerant is evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 161, and heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant and outdoor air while the refrigerant is evaporated. For example, while the refrigerant changes from the liquid state to the gaseous state, the refrigerant absorbs energy (latent heat) from the outdoor air equal to the difference between the internal energy of the refrigerant in the gaseous state and the internal energy of the refrigerant in the liquid state.
The gaseous refrigerant evaporated in the outdoor heat exchanger 161 is provided to the accumulator 155 through the four-way valve 170. In the accumulator 155, the refrigerant is separated into a liquid refrigerant that has not yet evaporated and an evaporated gaseous refrigerant, and the gaseous refrigerant is provided to the compressor 150.
As the gaseous refrigerant provided to the compressor 150 is compressed in the compressor 150, the refrigerant circulation is repeated.
As a summary of heat exchange by the refrigerant in the air conditioner 1 operating in the heating operation, the refrigerant transfers outdoor heat energy to the room by absorbing heat energy of outdoor air in the outdoor heat exchanger 161 of the outdoor unit 10 and releasing the heat energy from the indoor heat exchanger 261 of the indoor unit 20 to the room.
The flow of refrigerant between the components included in the air conditioner 1 has been described above. Hereinafter, the flow of signals of the components included in the air conditioner 1 will be described.
Referring to
Components of the outdoor unit 10 are not limited to the components illustrated in
For example, the outdoor unit 10 may include a communication unit (e.g., including communication circuitry) capable of transmitting and receiving data wired or wirelessly with the indoor unit 20, and the communication unit may operate by receiving an operation command corresponding to a user input inputted from a user through the indoor unit 20.
The humidity sensor 110 according to an embodiment is a known type of humidity sensor, and as illustrated in
For example, the humidity sensor 110 is provided inside the outdoor unit main body 11 and located on an inner side further than the outdoor heat exchanger 161, thereby not only avoiding direct contact with external moisture, but also measuring a humidity of air inside the outdoor unit 10 where the humidity sensor 110 is located.
For example, the humidity sensor 110 may be provided inside a control box (C-BOX) in which a printed board assembly (PBA) on which a processor of the controller 140 is mounted is provided.
Through this, the humidity sensor 110 may measure the relative humidity and a dry bulb temperature inside the outdoor unit 10 even without a separate structure for preventing/reducing contact with external moisture, and may contribute to calculating the relative humidity of outdoor air by finally calculating an absolute humidity inside the outdoor unit 10.
The humidity sensor 110 may measure a dry bulb temperature of air inside the outdoor unit 10 where the humidity sensor 110 is located based on a built-in dry bulb temperature sensor in addition to measuring the relative humidity inside the outdoor unit 10.
The outdoor temperature sensor 120 according to an embodiment is a known type of temperature sensor and may measure a temperature of outdoor air.
For example, as illustrated in
The heat exchanger outlet temperature sensor 130 according to an embodiment is a known type of temperature sensor and may be provided on one side of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 to measure the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161.
For example, as illustrated in
The controller 140 according to an embodiment may include various processing and/or control circuitry and determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the output of the humidity sensor 110.
For example, the controller 140 may determine the absolute humidity based on the output of the humidity sensor 110, and may determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and the outdoor temperature.
For example, the controller 140 may determine the absolute humidity based on the dry bulb temperature and relative humidity inside the outdoor unit 10 measured by the humidity sensor 110. In this case, the controller 140 may use a water vapor partial pressure, which will be described in more detail later.
The controller 140 may determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the determined absolute humidity and the dry bulb temperature measured by the outdoor temperature sensor 120, and may use the water vapor partial pressure in this case as well.
According to an embodiment, when a heating operation signal is generated, the controller 140 may determine the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the outdoor fan motor 165 to rotate the outdoor fan 163 before operating the compressor 150.
According to an embodiment, when a preset time elapses after the compressor 150 stops during the heating operation, the controller 140 may update the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the outdoor fan motor 165 to rotate the outdoor fan 163.
In the case of the heating operation, because the outdoor heat exchanger 161 may operate as an evaporator as described above so that water vapor in the air introduced into the outdoor unit 10 may be condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 161, the outdoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity inside the outdoor unit 10 may become different during the heating operation.
Accordingly, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment determines the outdoor relative humidity by rotating the outdoor fan 163 before operating the compressor 150 when the heating operation signal is generated and determines the outdoor relative humidity after the set time from the stop of the compressor 150 during the heating operation, thereby determining the outdoor relative humidity in a state in which the outdoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity inside the outdoor unit 10 are the same.
Through this, the air conditioner 1 may accurately calculate the relative humidity of outdoor air using the absolute humidity even in a state in which the humidity sensor 110 measuring the relative humidity is provided inside the outdoor unit 10.
According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and the outdoor temperature when the preset time elapses after determining the absolute humidity. For example, the air conditioner 1 may determine a more accurate outdoor relative humidity, by determining a constant absolute humidity without being affected by temperature considering the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may vary depending on an operation after determining the absolute humidity. In other words, the air conditioner 1 may determine the outdoor relative humidity considering the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may occur depending on an operation for the preset time after determining the absolute humidity.
According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may update the outdoor relative humidity at a preset time interval based on the outdoor temperature determined at the preset time interval after determining the absolute humidity and the determined absolute humidity. Through this, the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may vary depending on an operation, may be accurately determined at the corresponding time point, thereby increasing the accuracy of calculating the outdoor relative humidity.
The controller 140 according to an embodiment may determine whether to perform the defrosting operation based on the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature.
For example, the controller 140 can determine a dew point temperature of outdoor air based on the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature, and may determine whether to perform the defrosting operation by comparing the dew point temperature and the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161.
For example, the controller 140 may determine the dew point temperature based on correlation information between outside air information and the dew point temperature, the outdoor relative humidity, and the outdoor temperature. In this case, the correlation information between the outside air information and the dew point temperature may include information on the dew point temperature for each outside air information (the outdoor relative humidity and outdoor temperature).
The controller 140 may perform the defrosting operation when the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature, or equal to or lower than a temperature lower than the dew point temperature by a preset temperature.
For example, the controller 140 may perform the defrosting operation by switching the operation from the heating operation to the cooling operation when a frost accumulation occurs due to a phenomenon in which frost adheres to a surface of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 as water vapor in the air is condensed and frozen because the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 is lower than the dew point temperature during the heating operation.
Through this, the outdoor heat exchanger 161 may operate as a condenser, so that the frost adhered to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 may be removed by heat generation.
When performing the defrosting operation, the controller 140 may keep the defrosting operation until the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 falls within a preset temperature range (for example, 12 to 14 degrees Celsius).
As such, the air conditioner 1 may increase the heat exchange efficiency by performing the defrosting operation when the frost accumulation that reduces the heat exchange effect occurs. Moreover, compared to existing technologies that may cause a decrease in heating performance due to frequent defrosting operations, the air conditioner may efficiently determine a timing of the defrosting operation by accurately calculating the dew point temperature of outdoor air and comparing the calculated dew point temperature with the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161.
The controller 140 may include at least one memory storing a program performing the operations described above and operations to be described later, and at least one processor comprising processing circuitry that may execute the stored program. In a case in which a plurality of the memories and processors is provided, they may be integrated into one chip or may be provided in physically separate locations. The controller 140 may include a processor that may include various processing circuitry and/or multiple processors. For example, as used herein, including the claims, the term “processor” may include various processing circuitry, including at least one processor, wherein one or more of at least one processor, individually and/or collectively in a distributed manner, may be configured to perform various functions described herein. As used herein, when “a processor”, “at least one processor”, and “one or more processors” are described as being configured to perform numerous functions, these terms cover situations, for example and without limitation, in which one processor performs some of recited functions and another processor(s) performs other of recited functions, and also situations in which a single processor may perform all recited functions. Additionally, the at least one processor may include a combination of processors performing various of the recited/disclosed functions, e.g., in a distributed manner. At least one processor may execute program instructions to achieve or perform various functions.
The storage unit 190 according to an embodiment may include a memory and store a variety of information necessary for control. For example, the storage unit 190 may store the correlation information between the outdoor temperature and the dew point temperature, and may store data such as the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity. To this end, the storage unit 190 may be provided as a known type of storage medium.
The configuration of the outdoor unit 10 has been described above. Hereinafter, it will be described in greater detail how the outdoor unit 10 determines the absolute humidity based on the relative humidity inside the outdoor unit 10, determines the outdoor relative humidity through the absolute humidity, and determines whether to perform the defrosting operation by determining the dew point temperature based on the outdoor relative humidity.
Referring to
For example, as illustrated in
The controller 140 may determine a water vapor partial pressure P by substituting a dry bulb temperature T and relative humidity R inside the outdoor unit 10 measured by the humidity sensor 110 into Equation 1.
The controller 140 may determine an absolute humidity X by substituting the water vapor partial pressure P into <Equation 2>.
As illustrated in
For example, the controller 140 may determine the water vapor partial pressure corresponding to the absolute humidity through an inverse function of <Equation 2>, and may determine the outdoor relative humidity corresponding to the water vapor partial pressure and outdoor temperature through an inverse function of <Equation 1>.
In this case, according to an embodiment, as illustrated in
For example, the controller 140 may control the air conditioner to rotate the outdoor fan 163 before starting the operation of the compressor 150 when the heating operation signal is generated, and may determine the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity based on the outdoor air flowing by the outdoor fan 163 and being introduced into the outdoor unit 10.
According to an embodiment, as illustrated in
For example, when a preset time elapses until the outdoor heat exchanger 161 ends operating as an evaporator after the compressor 150 stops according to an operation schedule of the heating operation, the controller 140 may rotate the outdoor fan 163 before starting operation of the compressor 150, and may determine the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity based on outdoor air flowing by the outdoor fan 163 and being introduced into the outdoor unit 10.
In the case of the heating operation, because the outdoor heat exchanger 161 operates as an evaporator as described above so that water vapor in the air introduced into the outdoor unit 10 may be condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 161, the outdoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity inside the outdoor unit 10 may become different during the heating operation.
Accordingly, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment determines the outdoor relative humidity by rotating the outdoor fan 163 before operating the compressor 150 when the heating operation signal is generated and determines the outdoor relative humidity after the set time from the stop of the compressor 150 during the heating operation, thereby determining the outdoor relative humidity in the state in which the outdoor absolute humidity and the absolute humidity inside the outdoor unit 10 are the same.
Through this, the air conditioner 1 may accurately calculate the relative humidity of outdoor air using the absolute humidity even in a state in which the humidity sensor 110 measuring the relative humidity is provided inside the outdoor unit 10.
According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and the outdoor temperature when the preset time elapses after determining the absolute humidity. For example, the air conditioner 1 may determine a more accurate outdoor relative humidity, by determining the constant absolute humidity without being affected by temperature considering the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may vary depending on an operation after determining the absolute humidity. In other words, the air conditioner 1 may determine the outdoor relative humidity considering the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which occur depending on an operation for the preset time after determining the absolute humidity.
According to an embodiment, the controller 140 may update the outdoor relative humidity at the preset time interval based on the outdoor temperature determined at the preset time interval after determining the absolute humidity and the determined absolute humidity. Through this, the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may vary depending on an operation, may be accurately determined at the corresponding time point, thereby increasing the accuracy of calculating the outdoor relative humidity.
Referring to
For example, the controller 140 may determine the dew point temperature based on the correlation information between the outside air information and the dew point temperature, and the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature. In this case, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
For example, the controller 140 may perform the defrosting operation by switching the operation from the heating operation to the cooling operation when the frost accumulation occurs due to the phenomenon in which frost adheres to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 as water vapor in the air is condensed and frozen because the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 is lower than the dew point temperature during the heating operation.
Through this, the outdoor heat exchanger 161 operates as a condenser, so that the frost adhered to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 may be removed by heat generation.
When performing the defrosting operation, the controller 140 may keep the defrosting operation until the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 falls within the preset temperature range (for example, 12 to 14 degrees Celsius).
As such, the air conditioner 1 may increase the heat exchange efficiency by performing the defrosting operation when the frost accumulation that reduces the heat exchange effect occurs. Moreover, compared to the existing technologies that may cause a decrease in heating performance due to frequent defrosting operations, the air conditioner may efficiently determine the timing of the defrosting operation by accurately calculating the dew point temperature of outdoor air and comparing the calculated dew point temperature with the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161.
Referring to
As illustrated in
In the case of the multiple air conditioner 1 as well, the outdoor unit 10 may be provided with the configuration described in
A method of controlling the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment will be described in greater detail below. The air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment may be applied to the control method of the air conditioner 1, which will be described later. Therefore, the content previously described with reference to
Referring to
For example, the air conditioner 1 may determine the absolute humidity based on the dry bulb temperature and relative humidity inside the outdoor unit 10 measured by the humidity sensor 110. In this case, the controller 140 may use the water vapor partial pressure.
The air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment may determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the determined absolute humidity and the dry bulb temperature measured by the outdoor temperature sensor 120 (1220). In this case as well, the water vapor partial pressure may be used.
According to an embodiment, when the heating operation signal is generated, the controller 140 may determine the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the outdoor fan motor 165 to rotate the outdoor fan 163 before operating the compressor 150.
According to an embodiment, when the preset time elapses after the compressor 150 stops during the heating operation, the controller 140 may update the absolute humidity and the outdoor relative humidity by controlling the outdoor fan motor 165 to rotate the outdoor fan 163.
The air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment may determine the dew point temperature based on the determined outdoor relative humidity and the dry bulb temperature measured by the outdoor temperature sensor 120 (1230), and may determine whether to perform the defrosting operation by comparing the dew point temperature and the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 (1240).
For example, the air conditioner 1 may determine the dew point temperature based on the correlation information between the outside air information and the dew point temperature, the outdoor relative humidity, and the outdoor temperature. In this case, the correlation information between the outside air information and the dew point temperature may include information on the dew point temperature for each outside air information (the outdoor relative humidity and outdoor temperature).
The air conditioner 1 may perform the defrosting operation when the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 is equal to or lower than the dew point temperature, or equal to or lower than a temperature lower than the dew point temperature by the preset temperature.
For example, the air conditioner 1 may perform the defrosting operation by switching the operation from the heating operation to the cooling operation when the frost accumulation occurs due to the phenomenon in which frost adheres to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 as water vapor in the air is condensed and frozen because the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 is lower than the dew point temperature during the heating operation.
Through this, the outdoor heat exchanger 161 operates as a condenser, so that the frost adhered to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 may be removed by heat generation.
When performing the defrosting operation, the air conditioner 1 may keep the defrosting operation until the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161 falls within the preset temperature range (for example, 12 to 14 degrees Celsius).
As such, the air conditioner 1 may increase the heat exchange efficiency by performing the defrosting operation when the frost accumulation that reduces the heat exchange effect occurs. Moreover, compared to the existing technologies that may cause a decrease in heating performance due to frequent defrosting operations, the air conditioner may efficiently determine the timing of the defrosting operation by accurately calculating the dew point temperature of outdoor air and comparing the calculated dew point temperature with the temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 161.
Referring to
When the preset time elapses after determining the absolute humidity (YES in 1320), the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment may determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the determined absolute humidity and the dry bulb temperature measured by the outdoor temperature sensor 120 (1330).
For example, according to an embodiment, the air conditioner 1 may determine the outdoor relative humidity based on the absolute humidity and the outdoor temperature when the preset time elapses after determining the absolute humidity. For example, the air conditioner 1 may determine a more accurate outdoor relative humidity, by determining the constant absolute humidity without being affected by temperature considering the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may vary depending on an operation after determining the absolute humidity. In other words, the air conditioner 1 may determine the outdoor relative humidity considering the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may occur depending on an operation for the preset time after determining the absolute humidity.
When the preset time elapses after determining the outdoor relative humidity before determining whether to perform the defrosting operation by comparing the outdoor relative humidity and the outdoor temperature (NO in 1340), the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment may repeat the operation of determining the outdoor relative humidity based on the determined absolute humidity and the dry bulb temperature measured by the outdoor temperature sensor (1330).
For example, according to an embodiment, the air conditioner 1 may update the outdoor relative humidity at the preset time interval based on the outdoor temperature, which is determined at the preset time interval before determining whether to perform the defrosting operation after determining the absolute humidity, and the determined absolute humidity. Through this, the difference between the temperature inside the outdoor unit and the outdoor temperature, which may vary depending on an operation, may be accurately determined at the corresponding time point, thereby increasing the accuracy of calculating the outdoor relative humidity.
For convenience of explanation, the set time until determining the outdoor relative humidity after determining the absolute humidity and the set time for updating the outdoor relative humidity have been described as being the same, but depending on an embodiment, the two set times may be different.
The disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, a program module may be created to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.
The computer-readable recording medium includes any type of recording medium in which instructions readable by the computer are stored. For example, the recording medium may include a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, an optical data storage device, and the like.
The various example embodiments disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings have been described above and are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and full scope of the disclosure including the appended claims and their equivalents. It will also be understood that any of the embodiment(s) described herein may be used in conjunction with any other embodiment(s) described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2022-0033442 | Mar 2022 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/KR2023/001534 designating the United States, filed on Feb. 2, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Receiving Office and claiming priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0033442, filed on Mar. 17, 2022, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/KR2023/001534 | Feb 2023 | WO |
| Child | 18817795 | US |
