Patent Application
20080120985
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 2006-0117738, filed on Nov. 27, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a rotary compressor, a control method thereof and an air conditioner using the same, and more particularly, to a rotary compressor to intermittently perform a load running in a partial load running, thereby improving efficiency of a compressor, a control method thereof, and an air conditioner using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional, a cooling apparatus applied to an air conditioner employs a variable capacity type rotary compressor varying a compressing ability of a coolant to perform an optimal cooling satisfying a needed condition, so that a cooling ability can be varied, and to reduce energy consumption.
A conventional variable type rotary compressor is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 620044.
A conventional variable type rotary compressor includes a first cylinder and a second cylinder respectively forming a first compressing space and a second compressing space, compressing a compressing media and formed with a first vane slot and a second vane slot in an inner surface thereof, a first rolling piston and a second rolling piston eccentrically coupled to a rotating shaft in the compressing space of each cylinder to execute a circulating movement, and a first vane and a second vane provided to each vane slot to be forcedly contacted against the rolling piston to suck and compress coolant with the rolling piston.
The conventional variable type rotary compressor performs a full load running in which a compressing media is concurrently compressed in the first compressing space and the second compressing space, and a partial load running in which a suction pressure relatively smaller than pressure applied to the second compressing space is supplied to the second vane in the second compressing space to perform a no-load running in the second compressing space so that the compressing media can be compressed only in the first compressing space.
When the rotary compressor operates, an inside of an airtight casing maintains a high pressure by means of a compressed gas discharged through discharge holes, and the compressed gas inside the casing is guided to the outside through a gas discharge pipe provided to an upper part of the casing.
However, in the conventional rotary compressor, the inside of the casing maintains a high pressure when the compressor is operated. If a partial load running of the compressor is continued, a high pressure gas inside the casing leaks from between the rotating shaft and the second rolling piston to the second compressing space maintaining a relatively low pressure to flow backward through a second suction hole of the second cylinder. Accordingly, the temperature of accumulator increases, which results in a deterioration of efficiency of the compressor, and an increase in temperature of the cylinder during the partial load running.
The present general inventive concept provides a rotary compressor, a control method and an air conditioner using the same to improve a partial load running, thereby preventing the temperature of a cylinder from increasing according to the partial load running, and to improve a partial load efficiency of the compressor.
Additional aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.
The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept are achieved by providing a rotary compressor comprising a cylinder to form a first compressing chamber and a second compressing chamber partitioned from each other and comprising a first vane slot and a second vane slot which is formed in the first compressing chamber and the second compressing chamber respectively, and a first roller and a second roller to respectively rotate in the first compressing chamber and the second compressing chamber to compress a compressing media, the rotary compressor operating in a full load running mode in which a load running is concurrently performed in the first compressing chamber and the second compressing chamber, and in a partial load running mode in which a load running is performed in only the second compressing chamber, the rotary compressor further comprising a first vane which is controllably accommodated in the first vane slot, a vane driving part which enables the first vane to contact and be distanced apart from an outer surface of the first roller to perform a load running and a no-load running in the first compressing chamber, and a controller which controls the vane driving part to intermittently perform the load running in the first compressing chamber in the partial load running mode.
The controller may control the vane driving part so that the first vane can contact and be distanced apart from the outer surface of the first roller according to a predetermined period.
The rotary compressor may further comprise a temperature sensing part which measures the temperature of a compressing media discharged from the cylinder, wherein the controller controls the vane driving part based on a signal of the temperature sensing part.
The rotary compressor may further comprise a temperature sensing part which measures the temperature of a compressing media discharged from the cylinder, wherein the controller controls the vane driving part based on a signal of the temperature sensing part.
The vane driving part may comprise a connecting pipe which communicates with the first vane slot; a high pressure pipe which communicates with the connecting pipe, and allows part of a compressing media discharged from the cylinder to flow therethrough, a low pressure pipe which communicates with the connecting pipe, and allows part of a compressing media introduced into the compressing chambers to flow therethrough, and a channel converting valve which is provided to the connecting pipe to enable the high pressure pipe and the low pressure pipe to selectively communicate with the connecting pipe.
The controller may control the channel converting valve to allow the high pressure pipe to communicate with the connecting pipe in the load running of the first compressing chamber, and controls the channel converting valve to allow the low pressure pipe to communicate with the connecting pipe in the no-load running of the first compressing chamber.
The rotary compressor may further include an air conditioner, comprising a condenser which performs heat-exchange between a compressing media compressed from the rotary compressor and an outdoor air, an expanding part which drops the pressure of a compressing media condensed from the condenser, an evaporator which performs heat-exchange between a compressing media expanded from the expanding part and an indoor air, and an accumulator which separates a compressing media evaporated from the evaporator into gas and liquid, and supplies the compressing media of a gaseous state to the rotary compressor.
The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a control method of a rotary compressor which comprises a cylinder which forms a first compressing chamber and a second compressing chamber partitioned each other, the rotary compressor operating in a full load running mode in which a load running is concurrently performed in the first compressing chamber and the second compressing chamber, and in a partial load running mode in which a load running is performed in only the second compressing chamber, the control method comprising performing a load running in the second compressing chamber, and intermittently performing a load running in the first compressing chamber in the partial load running mode.
The load running may be performed in the first compressing chamber according to a predetermined period in the partial load running mode.
The control method of the rotary compressor may further comprise measuring the temperature of a compressing media discharged from the cylinder in the partial load running mode, wherein the load running is intermittently performed in the first compressing chamber if the temperature of the compressing media is higher than a predetermined temperature.
The control method of the rotary compressor may further comprise measuring the temperature of a compressing media discharged from the cylinder in the partial load running mode, wherein the load running is intermittently performed in the first compressing chamber if the temperature of the compressing media is higher than a predetermined temperature.
The foregoing and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a rotary compressor, comprising a cylinder to form a first compressing chamber and a second compressing chamber, and a controller to control the first compressing chamber and the second compressing chamber according to a full load running mode in which a load running is concurrently performed in the first compressing chamber and the second compressing chamber, and a partial load running mode in which a load running is performed in only the second compressing chamber.
The rotary compressor may further comprise a first roller to rotate in the first compressing chamber to compress compressing media; a first vane controllably accommodated in the first vane slot, and a vane driving part to enable the first vane to contact and be distanced apart from an outer surface of the first roller to perform the load running and a no-load running in the first compressing chamber.
The controller may control the vane driving part based on temperature of the compressing media.
The load running may be performed in the first compressing chamber if the temperature of the compressing media is higher than a predetermined temperature.
These and/or other aspects and utilities of the prevent general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The exemplary embodiments are described below so as to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.
As illustrated in
The electromotive part 10 comprises a rotating shaft 11, a cylindrical stator 12 fixed to an inner surface of the casing 9, and a rotor 13 rotatably disposed inside the stator 12 and including a central part coupled to the rotating shaft 11. When power is supplied to the rotary compressor 8, the rotor 13 rotates so that the electromotive part 10 drives the compressing part 20 coupled by means of the rotating shaft 11.
The compressing part 20 comprises a cylinder 30 having an upper first compressing chamber 31 and a lower second compressing chamber 32 partitioned from each other, and a first compressing unit 40 and a second compressing unit 50 respectively provided in the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32 to be driven by the rotating shaft 11.
The cylinder 30 comprises an upper first body 33 formed with the first compressing chamber 31, a second body 34 formed with the second compressing chamber 32 and disposed under the first body 33, an intermediate plate 35 disposed between the first body 33 and the second body 34 for partitioning the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32, and a first flange 36 and a second flange 37, respectively mounted to an upper part of the first body 33 and a lower part of the second body 34, to close an upper opening of the first compressing chamber 31 and a lower opening of the second compressing chamber 32, and to support the rotating shaft 11. The rotating shaft 11 penetrates a center portion of the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32, and is connected to the compressing units 40 and 50 inside the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32.
The first compressing unit 40 and the second compressing unit 50 comprise a first eccentric part 41 and a second eccentric part 51 respectively provided to the rotating shaft 11 of the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32, and a first roller 42 and a second roller 52 respectively rotatably coupled to outer surfaces of the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32 to rotate while maintaining contact with inner surfaces of the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32. Eccentric directions of the first eccentric part 41 and the second eccentric part 51 are oppositely disposed so that the first eccentric part 41 and the second eccentric part 51 can maintain balance. Here, the first roller 42 and the second roller 52 eccentrically rotate in the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32 to compress a compressing media.
Also, the first compressing unit 40 and the second compressing unit 50 comprise a first vane 43 and a second vane 53 to partition the compressing chambers 31 and 32 and to reciprocate in radial directions of the first compressing chamber 31 and the second comprising chamber 32 according to rotation of the first roller 42 and the second roller 52. As illustrated in
The first body 33 and the second body 34 are formed with the first vane slot 44 and the second vane slot 54 to accommodate the first vane 43 and the second vane 53, respectively. Accordingly, the first vane 43 and the second vane 53 are guided by the first vane slot 44 and the second vane slot 54.
The first vane slot recesses outward in an inner surface of the first compressing chamber 31 to have a thickness similar to a thickness of the first vane 43. Also, a magnet 47 is disposed at a rear part of the first vane slot 44 and contacts a rear end of the first vane 43 to fixedly hold the first vane 43 to prevent the first vane 43 from being shaken when the first vane 43 completely retreats. Accordingly, the rear end of the first vane 43 may have a curved sectional shape so that the rear end of the first vane 43 can easily contact the magnet 47 when the first vane 43 retreats.
The rotary compressor according to an embodiment the present general inventive concept, comprises a vane driving part 60 to supply a suction pressure to a rear part of the first vane 43 to hold the first vane 43 in a retreated state, or to supply a discharge pressure to a rear part of the first vane 43 to reciprocate the first vane 43. The vane driving part 60 holds or releases the first vane 43 so that compressing or idling can be performed in the first compressing chamber 31, that is, a load running or a no-load running can be performed, thereby varying a compressing capacity.
The second vane slot 54 comprises a second vane guide 56 recessed outward in an inner surface of the second compressing chamber 32 to guide the second vane 53, and a vane spring accommodating part 57 in which a vane spring 55 is disposed to press the second vane 53 to the second roller 52 so that the second vane 53 can partition the second compressing chamber 32.
As illustrated in
The compressing media passes through an accumulator 78, and is guided to the suction hole 73 of the compressing chambers 31 and 32 through the suction pipes 71 and 72.
As illustrated in
The channel converting valve 64 comprises an electromotive three-way valve disposed in a connecting area of the connecting pipe 61, the high pressure pipe 62 and the low pressure pipe 63. An outlet of the connecting pipe 61 is connected to the first flange 36, and the first flange 36 is formed with a communicating channel 36a enabling the connecting pipe 61 to communicate with the first vane slot 44.
The rotary compressor 8 according to an embodiment the present general inventive comprises a controller 80 to control the vane driving part 60 so that a load running can be periodically performed in the first compressing chamber 31 in a partial load running mode. As illustrated in
Also, the rotary compressor 8, according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept, may be provided to constitute a circuit of an air conditioner. That is, the air conditioner comprises the rotary compressor 8 according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept, a condenser 3 to perform heat-exchanging between compressing media discharged from the compressor 8 and outdoor air, an expanding part 5 to drop the pressure of the condensed compressing media, an evaporator 7 to perform heat-exchanging between the expanded compressing media and an indoor air, and the accumulator 78 to separate the evaporated compressing media into gas and liquid to supply the compressing media of a gaseous state to the compressor 8.
Hereinafter, an operating process of the rotary compressor 8 according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept will be described.
As illustrated in
With this configuration, the rotary compressor 8 according to the present general inventive concept controls restriction of the first vane 43 by means of the vane driving part 60 so that compressing or an idling rotation can be performed in the first compressing chamber 31, thereby varying a compression capacity. That is, if the discharge pressure is applied to the rear part of the first vane 43 so that the first vane 43 is contacted against an outer surface of the first roller 42 to reciprocate, compressing is performed in both the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32, thereby performing a large capacity compression. Accordingly, the compressor 8 according to the present general inventive concept operates in a full load running mode. In contrast, if the suction pressure is applied to the rear part of the first vane 43 to restrict the first vane 43, that is, to distance the first vane 43 from the first roller 42, an idling rotation is performed in the first compressing chamber 31, and compressing is performed in only the second compressing chamber 32, thereby reducing the compression capacity. Accordingly, the compressor 8 according to an embodiment of the present general inventive concept operates in a partial load running mode.
During the partial load running of the compressor 8, the controller 80 alternately supplies the discharge pressure and the suction pressure to the rear part of the first vane 43 in a predetermined period so that the first vane 43 can be contacted with and distanced from the outer surface of the first roller 42, thereby periodically performing a load running and a no-load running in the first compressing chamber 31.
Accordingly, in the partial load running of the compressor 8, a compressing media leaked from between the rotating shaft 11 and the first roller 42 to the first compressing chamber 31 can be prevented from counterflowing through the suction hole 73, and can be compressed by operation of the first roller 42 and the first vane 43 to be periodically discharged through the discharge hole 75. Accordingly, the rotary compressor 8 according to the an embodiment of the present general inventive concept, as illustrated in
A rotary compressor according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept is illustrated in
During partial load running, the controller 80 of the rotary compressor 8′ according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept controls a vane driving part 60 to alternately supply a discharge pressure and a suction pressure of a compressing media to a rear part of a first vane 43 according to the temperature of the compressing media discharged from the casing 9, so that the first vane 43 can be contacted with and distanced from an outer surface of a first roller 42, thereby performing a load running and a no-load running in a first compressing chamber 31.
That is, if the temperature of the compressing media discharged from the casing 9 through a discharge tube 77 is higher than a predetermined temperature, the controller 80 opens a channel converting valve 64 during a predetermined time so that a high pressure pipe 62 can communicate with a connecting pipe 61, can supply a discharge pressure of the compressing media to a rear part of the first vane 43, and accordingly, can perform a full load running in which 100% compressing can be accomplished in the first compressing chamber 31 and the second compressing chamber 32.
Accordingly, the temperature of the compressor 8′ can be prevented from increasing during a partial load running, and the temperature of an accumulator 78 can be decreased, resulting in improved efficiency of both the compressor 8′ and the partial load operation.
As described above, in a partial load running of a compressor, by intermittently performing a load running, a temperature increase of a cylinder according to the partial load running can be prevented, and a partial load efficiency of the compressor can be improved.
In an exemplary embodiment, when a compressor operates during a partial load running, a load running and a no-load running are performed in a first compressing chamber according to a predetermined period. Alternatively, a load running and a no-load running may be performed in a first compressing chamber aperiodically.
In the above exemplary embodiment, when the compressor operates during the partial load running, the load running and the no-load running are performed in the first compressing chamber according to a predetermined period, or according to a temperature of a compressing media discharged from the compressor. Alternatively, in the partial load running, a load running and a no-load running may be performed in the first compressing chamber according to a predetermined period and the temperature of the compressing media discharged from the compressor.
As described above, the present general inventive concept provides a rotary compressor, a control method and an air conditioner using the same to improve a partial load running, thereby preventing the temperature of a cylinder from increasing according to the partial load running, and improving a partial load efficiency of the compressor.
Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-117738 | Nov 2006 | KR | national |
