EP3043128B1 - Air conditioner and method for controlling an air conditioner - Google Patents
Air conditioner and method for controlling an air conditioner Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3043128B1 EP3043128B1 EP16150788.4A EP16150788A EP3043128B1 EP 3043128 B1 EP3043128 B1 EP 3043128B1 EP 16150788 A EP16150788 A EP 16150788A EP 3043128 B1 EP3043128 B1 EP 3043128B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- heat exchanger
- outdoor
- air conditioner
- exhaust pipe
- exhaust
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 11
- 239000003507 refrigerant Substances 0.000 claims description 39
- 239000000498 cooling water Substances 0.000 claims description 16
- 238000010792 warming Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 32
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 8
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000003949 liquefied natural gas Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000003915 liquefied petroleum gas Substances 0.000 description 4
- 238000010257 thawing Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002918 waste heat Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B13/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/06—Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger
- F24F1/44—Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger characterised by the use of internal combustion engines
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B27/00—Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy
- F25B27/02—Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy using waste heat, e.g. from internal-combustion engines
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B49/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- F25B49/02—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for compression type machines, plants or systems
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2313/00—Compression machines, plants or systems with reversible cycle not otherwise provided for
- F25B2313/004—Outdoor unit with water as a heat sink or heat source
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2327/00—Refrigeration system using an engine for driving a compressor
- F25B2327/001—Refrigeration system using an engine for driving a compressor of the internal combustion type
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2400/00—General features or devices for refrigeration machines, plants or systems, combined heating and refrigeration systems or heat-pump systems, i.e. not limited to a particular subgroup of F25B
- F25B2400/06—Several compression cycles arranged in parallel
Definitions
- An air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner are disclosed herein.
- An air conditioner is an apparatus that cools, warms, or purifies indoor air to provide a more comfortable indoor environment for a user.
- An air conditioner may be classified as an electric heat pump (EHP) type, which uses electric power, or a gas heat pump (GHP) type, which uses a gas fuel, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to a power source for driving a compressor.
- EHP electric heat pump
- GHP gas heat pump
- LPG liquefied petroleum gas
- LNG liquefied natural gas
- a conventional EHP type air conditioner is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0077857 .
- the compressor may be easily controlled by adjusting a supply current, it is possible to respond to a partial load, and thus, the conventional EHP type air conditioner has high energy efficiency.
- the conventional EHP type air conditioner there is a problem in that an outdoor heat exchanger is covered with frost when low temperature warming is performed.
- a conventional GHP type air conditioner is also disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0077857 .
- JP-2011-075162 A relates to an air conditioner adjustment device equipped with a gas branch pipe and a liquid branch pipe connecting an existing EHP-type outdoor unit and an existing GHP-type outdoor unit, and an indoor unit, wherein heat from the exhaust gas of the gas engine is used for heating of the outdoor heat exchanger of the GHP-type outdoor unit.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment.
- FIG. 2 is a partial view illustrating components of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 .
- the air conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit or device 10 and an outdoor unit or device 100.
- One or a plurality of indoor devices 10 may be provided.
- the one or more indoor device are connected with the outdoor device 100, and may cool, warm or purify indoor air.
- the outdoor device 100 is connected with the one or more indoor device 10 and may perform compressing and expanding, for example, of a refrigerant to allow a sufficient heat exchanging operation of the indoor device 10.
- a plurality of outdoor devices 100 is provided.
- an embodiment having one pair of outdoor devices 100 will be described.
- the outdoor device 100 is a combined type including an electric heat pump (EHP) type using electric power and a gas heat pump (GHP) type using a gas fuel, such as LPG and LNG.
- the outdoor device 100 includes an EHP outdoor unit or device 200, a GHP outdoor unit or device 300, and an exhaust unit or device 400.
- the EHP outdoor device 200 is an outdoor device operated using an EHP and may include a first compressor 210, a first accumulator 220, a pair of connection valves 230 and 240, a first outdoor heat exchanger 250, a first outdoor heat exchanger control valve 260, and a first four-way valve 270.
- the first compressor 210 may compress the refrigerant and is driven by applying a voltage. That is, when the voltage is applied to the first compressor 210, the first compressor 210 may compress the refrigerant.
- the first accumulator 220 may supply the refrigerant to the first compressor 210. When the refrigerant flows backwards or is introduced into the first compressor 210 as a liquid, the first compressor 210 may be damaged, and thus, the first accumulator 220 may temporarily store a mixture of oil and refrigerant.
- connection valves 230 and 240 may include a connection valve 230, which may connect a pipe 232 that connects to the first compressor 210 with a pipe 12 of the indoor device 10, and a connection valve 240, which may connect a pipe 234 that connects to the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 with a pipe 14 of the indoor device 10.
- the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant according to a cooling operation or a warming operation of the air conditioner 1. When the air conditioner 1 performs the cooling operation, the refrigerant may be condensed, and when the air conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, the refrigerant may be evaporated.
- the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 may be provided with a distributor 252.
- the distributor 252 may extend in a heightwise or lengthwise direction of the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 and may allow the refrigerant to be evenly introduced into the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 when the refrigerant passes through the first outdoor heat exchanger 250.
- As the distributor 252 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted.
- the first outdoor heat exchanger control valve 260 may control a flow of the refrigerant toward the first outdoor heat exchanger 250.
- the first outdoor heat exchanger control valve 260 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted.
- the first four-way valve 270 may change or switch a passage of the refrigerant flowing in the EHP outdoor device 200. As the first four-way valve 270 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted.
- the GHP outdoor device 300 is an outdoor device operated using a GHP method and may include a second compressor 310, a second accumulator 320, an engine 330, a pair of connection valves 340 and 345, a cooling water heat exchanger 350, a cooling water pump 355, a second outdoor heat exchanger 360, a second outdoor heat exchanger control valve 365, a plate type heat exchanger 370, a plate type heat exchanger control valve 375, and a second four-way valve 380.
- the second compressor 310 may compress the refrigerant and is operated through driving of the engine 330, which will be described hereinafter. When a driving force is transmitted to the second compressor 310 through the engine 330, the second compressor 310 may compress the refrigerant, similar to the first compressor 210.
- the second accumulator 320 may supply the refrigerant to the second compressor 310.
- the second compressor 310 may be damaged, and thus, the second accumulator 320 may temporarily store a mixture of oil and refrigerant, similar to the first accumulator 220.
- the engine 330 transmits the driving force to the second compressor 310 and is operated by burning the gas fuel, such as LPG and LNG.
- the GHP outdoor device 300 is operated using the GHP method through a burned gas from the engine 330.
- connection valves 330 and 340 may include a connection valve 340, which may connect a pipe 342 connected to the second compressor 310 with the pipe 12 of the indoor device 10, and a connection valve 345, which may connect a pipe 346 connected to the second outdoor heat exchanger 360 with the pipe 14 of the indoor device 10.
- the cooling water heat exchanger 350 may cool the engine 330.
- the cooling water heat exchanger 350 may absorb heat of the engine 330 overheated by the driving of the engine 330 using cooling water.
- the cooling water pump 355 may provide a flowing force to the cooling water and may be connected with the cooling water heat exchanger 350. Therefore, the cooling water pump 355 may supply the cooling water to the cooling water heat exchanger 350.
- the second outdoor heat exchanger 360 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant according to the cooling operation or the warming operation of the air conditioner 1, similar to the first outdoor heat exchanger 250.
- the refrigerant may be condensed, and when the air conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, the refrigerant may be evaporated.
- the second outdoor heat exchanger control valve 365 may control a flow of the refrigerant toward the second outdoor heat exchanger 360.
- the second outdoor heat exchanger control valve 365 is also well known and similar to the first outdoor heat exchanger control valve 260, detailed description thereof has been omitted.
- the plate type heat exchanger 370 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant according to the cooling operation or the warming operation of the air conditioner 1, similar to the second outdoor heat exchanger 360.
- the plate type heat exchanger 370 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant together with the second outdoor heat exchanger 360.
- the plate type heat exchanger control valve 375 may control the flow of the refrigerant toward the plate type heat exchanger 370. As the plate type heat exchanger control valve 375 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted.
- the second four-way valve 380 may change or switch a passage of the refrigerant flowing in the GHP outdoor device 300.
- the second four-way valve 380 is also well known and similar to the first four-way valve 270, detailed description thereof has been omitted.
- the exhaust device 400 is connected with the engine 330 to discharge an exhaust gas of or from the engine 330 and , not according to the invention, may be provided to pass through the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 and to heat exchange with the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 provided at the EHP outdoor device 200. According to the invention, the exhaust device 400 is provided adjacent to the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 and is extended along the first outdoor heat exchanger 250.
- the exhaust device 400 may include a first exhaust pipe 410, a second exhaust pipe 420, and a third exhaust pipe 430.
- the first exhaust pipe 410 may extend from the engine 330 toward the EHP outdoor device 200. That is, the first exhaust pipe 410 may extend from the engine 330 of the GHP outdoor device 300 to a point or position near the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHP outdoor device 200. The first exhaust pipe 410 may extend to the point or position near the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHP outdoor device 200 via the cooling water heat exchanger 350 of the GHP outdoor device 300.
- the second exhaust pipe 420 may connect with the first exhaust pipe 410 and may be adjacent to the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHP outdoor device 200.
- the second exhaust pipe 420 may be adjacent to the distributor 252 and extend along the distributor 252 or may be provided at or on the distributor 252.
- a distributor insertion groove 425, into which the distributor 252 may be inserted, may be formed at or in the second exhaust pipe 420.
- the distributor insertion groove 425 may be provided at or in an outer surface of the second exhaust pipe 420 and may have a size sufficient such that the distributor 252 may be inserted in a longitudinal direction of the second exhaust pipe 420.
- the second exhaust pipe 420 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape provided in a heightwise direction of the distributor 252; however, embodiments are not limited thereto.
- the second exhaust pipe 420 may be provided as near as possible to the outer surface of the distributor 252, or may be provided at the outer surface over a range or area, which may be as wide as possible.
- the third exhaust pipe 430 may connect with the second exhaust pipe 420 to discharge the exhaust gas from the engine 330 outside.
- the third exhaust pipe 430 may include a connection part or portion 432 and an exhaust gas discharging part or portion 434.
- connection portion 432 may connect with the second exhaust pipe 420.
- the exhaust gas discharging portion 434 may be formed to be bent from the connection portion 432.
- the exhaust gas discharging portion 434 may be bent in a direction so as to extend substantially parallel with the first outdoor heat exchanger 250.
- the exhaust gas discharging portion 434 may be bent upward from the connection portion 432 and extend substantially parallel with the first outdoor heat exchanger 250.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of the air conditioner of FIG. 1 .
- a high temperature gas refrigerant may be transferred to the indoor device 10
- a low temperature liquid refrigerant may be introduced from the indoor device 10.
- the high temperature gas refrigerant may be transferred to the indoor device 10 through the connection valve 230 and the pipe 12 of the indoor device 10, and the low temperature liquid refrigerant may be introduced into the EHP outdoor device 200 through the pipe 14 of the indoor device 10 and the connection valve 240.
- the air conditioner 1 When the air conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, in the GHP outdoor device 300, similar to the EHP outdoor device 200, the high temperature gas refrigerant may be transferred to the indoor device 10, and the low temperature liquid refrigerant may be introduced from the indoor device 10. That is, the air conditioner 1 may be driven in a combined method of the EHP method and the GHP method.
- the low temperature liquid refrigerant introduced into the EHP outdoor device 200 may be evaporated in the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 via the pipe 234 and may heat exchange with air. Therefore, a temperature of the low temperature liquid refrigerant may be increased.
- the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHP outdoor device 200 may be covered with frost due to moisture in the air.
- frost due to moisture in the air.
- a frosting range, or range at which frost occurs, at the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 is widened, heat exchange with the refrigerant may not be performed properly, and thus, an undesirable defrosting operation may need to be performed. Due to the defrosting operation, the warming operation may not be performed at the indoor device 10 connected with the EHP outdoor device 200.
- the above-described problem may not occur due to the exhaust device 400.
- the exhaust gas discharged from the engine 330 passes through the exhaust device 400.
- a temperature of the exhaust gas introduced into the exhaust device 400 may be higher than a temperature of the air in the atmosphere.
- the temperature of the exhaust gas may be about 60°C to 70°C.
- the exhaust gas having the temperature of about 60°C to 70°C is transferred to the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 through the exhaust device 400.
- the exhaust gas may pass through the first exhaust pipe 410 of the exhaust device 400, the second exhaust pipe 420 of the exhaust device 400, and the third exhaust pipe 430 of the exhaust device 400, and may then be discharged outside through the exhaust gas discharging portion 434.
- Heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the distributor 252 and the exhaust gas flowing through the second exhaust pipe 420 may be performed through the second exhaust pipe 420, in which the distributor 252 may be inserted and which may be adjacent to the distributor 252. Therefore, as the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the distributor 252 is increased, the frosting phenomenon may be considerably reduced, even when the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 is provided at or in a position or environment having low temperature and high humidity.
- the air conditioner 1 when the air conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, the frosting phenomenon of the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 may be prevented. Additionally, the undesirable defrosting operation may be prevented, even though the first outdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHP outdoor device 200 may be exposed to an environment having low temperature and high humidity. Therefore, in the warming operation of the air conditioner 1, the air conditioner 1 according to the embodiments disclosed herein may improve performance and efficiency of the outdoor device 100.
- An air conditioner according to embodiments disclosed herein capable of further improving performance and efficiency may be provided.
- Embodiments disclosed herein provide an air conditioner including at least one indoor unit or device; an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor unit or device connected with the at least one indoor unit, and configured to drive a first compressor using electric power; a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor unit or device connected with the at least one indoor unit, and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas; and an exhaust unit or device connected with the engine to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine, and configured to perform heat exchange with an outdoor heat exchanger provided at the EHP outdoor unit.
- the exhaust unit is provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger along the outdoor heat exchanger.
- the exhaust unit may include a first exhaust pipe formed to extend from the engine toward the EHP outdoor unit; a second exhaust pipe connected with the first exhaust pipe and disposed adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger; and a third exhaust pipe connected with the second exhaust pipe and configured to discharge the exhaust gas.
- the outdoor heat exchanger may have a distributor, which may be disposed or provided or extend in a heightwise or lengthwise direction of the outdoor heat exchanger.
- the second exhaust pipe may be disposed or provided adjacent to the distributor along the distributor.
- a distributor insertion groove, in which the distributor may be inserted, may be formed at the second exhaust pipe.
- the GHP outdoor unit may include a cooling water heat exchanger configured to perform the heat exchange with a refrigerant introduced from the at least one indoor unit.
- the first exhaust pipe may pass through the cooling water heat exchanger at the engine.
- the second exhaust pipe may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
- the third exhaust pipe may include a connection part or portion connected with the second exhaust pipe, and an exhaust gas discharging part or portion formed to be bent from the connection part.
- the exhaust gas discharging part may be disposed or extend in parallel with the outdoor heat exchanger.
Description
- An air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner are disclosed herein.
- An air conditioner is an apparatus that cools, warms, or purifies indoor air to provide a more comfortable indoor environment for a user. An air conditioner may be classified as an electric heat pump (EHP) type, which uses electric power, or a gas heat pump (GHP) type, which uses a gas fuel, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to a power source for driving a compressor. In a GHP type, an engine is operated by burning a gas fuel, and thus, a compressor is driven.
- A conventional EHP type air conditioner is disclosed in
Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0077857 - In the conventional EHP type air conditioner, as the compressor may be easily controlled by adjusting a supply current, it is possible to respond to a partial load, and thus, the conventional EHP type air conditioner has high energy efficiency. However, in the EHP type air conditioner, there is a problem in that an outdoor heat exchanger is covered with frost when low temperature warming is performed.
- A conventional GHP type air conditioner is also disclosed in
Korean Patent Application No. 10-2003-0077857 JP-2011-075162 A - Therefore, measures capable of providing an air conditioner having further improved performance and efficiency are required.
- Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment; -
FIG. 2 is a partial view illustrating components of the air conditioner ofFIG. 1 ; and -
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of the air conditioner ofFIG. 1 . - The present invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. In the following detailed description of embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration embodiments which may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes may be made without departing from the scope. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope is defined only by the appended claims.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment.FIG. 2 is a partial view illustrating components of the air conditioner ofFIG. 1 . Referring toFigs. 1 and2 , theair conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit ordevice 10 and an outdoor unit ordevice 100. One or a plurality ofindoor devices 10 may be provided. The one or more indoor device are connected with theoutdoor device 100, and may cool, warm or purify indoor air. - The
outdoor device 100 is connected with the one or moreindoor device 10 and may perform compressing and expanding, for example, of a refrigerant to allow a sufficient heat exchanging operation of theindoor device 10. A plurality ofoutdoor devices 100 is provided. Hereinafter, as an example, an embodiment having one pair ofoutdoor devices 100 will be described. - The
outdoor device 100 is a combined type including an electric heat pump (EHP) type using electric power and a gas heat pump (GHP) type using a gas fuel, such as LPG and LNG. Theoutdoor device 100 includes an EHP outdoor unit ordevice 200, a GHP outdoor unit ordevice 300, and an exhaust unit ordevice 400. - The EHP
outdoor device 200 is an outdoor device operated using an EHP and may include afirst compressor 210, afirst accumulator 220, a pair ofconnection valves outdoor heat exchanger 250, a first outdoor heatexchanger control valve 260, and a first four-way valve 270. Thefirst compressor 210 may compress the refrigerant and is driven by applying a voltage. That is, when the voltage is applied to thefirst compressor 210, thefirst compressor 210 may compress the refrigerant. Thefirst accumulator 220 may supply the refrigerant to thefirst compressor 210. When the refrigerant flows backwards or is introduced into thefirst compressor 210 as a liquid, thefirst compressor 210 may be damaged, and thus, thefirst accumulator 220 may temporarily store a mixture of oil and refrigerant. - The pair of
connection valves connection valve 230, which may connect apipe 232 that connects to thefirst compressor 210 with apipe 12 of theindoor device 10, and aconnection valve 240, which may connect apipe 234 that connects to the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 with apipe 14 of theindoor device 10. The firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant according to a cooling operation or a warming operation of theair conditioner 1. When theair conditioner 1 performs the cooling operation, the refrigerant may be condensed, and when theair conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, the refrigerant may be evaporated. - The first
outdoor heat exchanger 250 may be provided with adistributor 252. Thedistributor 252 may extend in a heightwise or lengthwise direction of the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 and may allow the refrigerant to be evenly introduced into the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 when the refrigerant passes through the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250. As thedistributor 252 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted. - The first outdoor heat
exchanger control valve 260 may control a flow of the refrigerant toward the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250. As the first outdoor heatexchanger control valve 260 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted. - The first four-
way valve 270 may change or switch a passage of the refrigerant flowing in the EHPoutdoor device 200. As the first four-way valve 270 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted. - The GHP
outdoor device 300 is an outdoor device operated using a GHP method and may include asecond compressor 310, asecond accumulator 320, anengine 330, a pair ofconnection valves water heat exchanger 350, acooling water pump 355, a secondoutdoor heat exchanger 360, a second outdoor heatexchanger control valve 365, a platetype heat exchanger 370, a plate type heatexchanger control valve 375, and a second four-way valve 380. Thesecond compressor 310 may compress the refrigerant and is operated through driving of theengine 330, which will be described hereinafter. When a driving force is transmitted to thesecond compressor 310 through theengine 330, thesecond compressor 310 may compress the refrigerant, similar to thefirst compressor 210. - The
second accumulator 320 may supply the refrigerant to thesecond compressor 310. When the refrigerant flows backwards or is introduced into thesecond compressor 310 as a liquid, thesecond compressor 310 may be damaged, and thus, thesecond accumulator 320 may temporarily store a mixture of oil and refrigerant, similar to thefirst accumulator 220. - The
engine 330 transmits the driving force to thesecond compressor 310 and is operated by burning the gas fuel, such as LPG and LNG. The GHPoutdoor device 300 is operated using the GHP method through a burned gas from theengine 330. - The pair of
connection valves connection valve 340, which may connect apipe 342 connected to thesecond compressor 310 with thepipe 12 of theindoor device 10, and aconnection valve 345, which may connect apipe 346 connected to the secondoutdoor heat exchanger 360 with thepipe 14 of theindoor device 10. - The cooling
water heat exchanger 350 may cool theengine 330. The coolingwater heat exchanger 350 may absorb heat of theengine 330 overheated by the driving of theengine 330 using cooling water. - The
cooling water pump 355 may provide a flowing force to the cooling water and may be connected with the coolingwater heat exchanger 350. Therefore, thecooling water pump 355 may supply the cooling water to the coolingwater heat exchanger 350. - The second
outdoor heat exchanger 360 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant according to the cooling operation or the warming operation of theair conditioner 1, similar to the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250. When theair conditioner 1 performs the cooling operation, the refrigerant may be condensed, and when theair conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, the refrigerant may be evaporated. - The second outdoor heat
exchanger control valve 365 may control a flow of the refrigerant toward the secondoutdoor heat exchanger 360. As the second outdoor heatexchanger control valve 365 is also well known and similar to the first outdoor heatexchanger control valve 260, detailed description thereof has been omitted. - The plate
type heat exchanger 370 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant according to the cooling operation or the warming operation of theair conditioner 1, similar to the secondoutdoor heat exchanger 360. The platetype heat exchanger 370 may evaporate or condense the refrigerant together with the secondoutdoor heat exchanger 360. The plate type heatexchanger control valve 375 may control the flow of the refrigerant toward the platetype heat exchanger 370. As the plate type heatexchanger control valve 375 is well known, detailed description thereof has been omitted. - The second four-
way valve 380 may change or switch a passage of the refrigerant flowing in the GHPoutdoor device 300. As the second four-way valve 380 is also well known and similar to the first four-way valve 270, detailed description thereof has been omitted. - The
exhaust device 400 is connected with theengine 330 to discharge an exhaust gas of or from theengine 330 and , not according to the invention, may be provided to pass through the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 and to heat exchange with the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 provided at the EHPoutdoor device 200. According to the invention, theexhaust device 400 is provided adjacent to the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 and is extended along the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250. Theexhaust device 400 may include afirst exhaust pipe 410, asecond exhaust pipe 420, and athird exhaust pipe 430. - The
first exhaust pipe 410 may extend from theengine 330 toward the EHPoutdoor device 200. That is, thefirst exhaust pipe 410 may extend from theengine 330 of the GHPoutdoor device 300 to a point or position near the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHPoutdoor device 200. Thefirst exhaust pipe 410 may extend to the point or position near the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHPoutdoor device 200 via the coolingwater heat exchanger 350 of the GHPoutdoor device 300. - The
second exhaust pipe 420 may connect with thefirst exhaust pipe 410 and may be adjacent to the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHPoutdoor device 200. Thesecond exhaust pipe 420 may be adjacent to thedistributor 252 and extend along thedistributor 252 or may be provided at or on thedistributor 252. - A
distributor insertion groove 425, into which thedistributor 252 may be inserted, may be formed at or in thesecond exhaust pipe 420. Thedistributor insertion groove 425 may be provided at or in an outer surface of thesecond exhaust pipe 420 and may have a size sufficient such that thedistributor 252 may be inserted in a longitudinal direction of thesecond exhaust pipe 420. - The
second exhaust pipe 420 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape provided in a heightwise direction of thedistributor 252; however, embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, thesecond exhaust pipe 420 may be provided as near as possible to the outer surface of thedistributor 252, or may be provided at the outer surface over a range or area, which may be as wide as possible. - The
third exhaust pipe 430 may connect with thesecond exhaust pipe 420 to discharge the exhaust gas from theengine 330 outside. Thethird exhaust pipe 430 may include a connection part orportion 432 and an exhaust gas discharging part orportion 434. - The
connection portion 432 may connect with thesecond exhaust pipe 420. The exhaustgas discharging portion 434 may be formed to be bent from theconnection portion 432. The exhaustgas discharging portion 434 may be bent in a direction so as to extend substantially parallel with the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250. The exhaustgas discharging portion 434 may be bent upward from theconnection portion 432 and extend substantially parallel with the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250. -
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation of the air conditioner ofFIG. 1 . Referring toFIG. 3 , when theair conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, in the EHPoutdoor device 200, a high temperature gas refrigerant may be transferred to theindoor device 10, and a low temperature liquid refrigerant may be introduced from theindoor device 10. The high temperature gas refrigerant may be transferred to theindoor device 10 through theconnection valve 230 and thepipe 12 of theindoor device 10, and the low temperature liquid refrigerant may be introduced into the EHPoutdoor device 200 through thepipe 14 of theindoor device 10 and theconnection valve 240. - When the
air conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, in the GHPoutdoor device 300, similar to the EHPoutdoor device 200, the high temperature gas refrigerant may be transferred to theindoor device 10, and the low temperature liquid refrigerant may be introduced from theindoor device 10. That is, theair conditioner 1 may be driven in a combined method of the EHP method and the GHP method. - In the EHP
outdoor device 200, the low temperature liquid refrigerant introduced into the EHPoutdoor device 200 may be evaporated in the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 via thepipe 234 and may heat exchange with air. Therefore, a temperature of the low temperature liquid refrigerant may be increased. - When an external environment, in which the EHP
outdoor device 200 may be provided, has a low temperature and high humidity, the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHPoutdoor device 200 may be covered with frost due to moisture in the air. When a frosting range, or range at which frost occurs, at the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 is widened, heat exchange with the refrigerant may not be performed properly, and thus, an undesirable defrosting operation may need to be performed. Due to the defrosting operation, the warming operation may not be performed at theindoor device 10 connected with the EHPoutdoor device 200. - However, in the
air conditioner 1 according to embodiments disclosed herein, the above-described problem may not occur due to theexhaust device 400. The exhaust gas discharged from theengine 330 passes through theexhaust device 400. Typically, a temperature of the exhaust gas introduced into theexhaust device 400 may be higher than a temperature of the air in the atmosphere. The temperature of the exhaust gas may be about 60°C to 70°C. The exhaust gas having the temperature of about 60°C to 70°C is transferred to the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 through theexhaust device 400. - The exhaust gas may pass through the
first exhaust pipe 410 of theexhaust device 400, thesecond exhaust pipe 420 of theexhaust device 400, and thethird exhaust pipe 430 of theexhaust device 400, and may then be discharged outside through the exhaustgas discharging portion 434. Heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through thedistributor 252 and the exhaust gas flowing through thesecond exhaust pipe 420 may be performed through thesecond exhaust pipe 420, in which thedistributor 252 may be inserted and which may be adjacent to thedistributor 252. Therefore, as the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through thedistributor 252 is increased, the frosting phenomenon may be considerably reduced, even when the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 is provided at or in a position or environment having low temperature and high humidity. - Thus, in the embodiments disclosed herein, when the
air conditioner 1 performs the warming operation, the frosting phenomenon of the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 may be prevented. Additionally, the undesirable defrosting operation may be prevented, even though the firstoutdoor heat exchanger 250 of the EHPoutdoor device 200 may be exposed to an environment having low temperature and high humidity. Therefore, in the warming operation of theair conditioner 1, theair conditioner 1 according to the embodiments disclosed herein may improve performance and efficiency of theoutdoor device 100. - An air conditioner according to embodiments disclosed herein capable of further improving performance and efficiency may be provided.
- Embodiments disclosed herein provide an air conditioner including at least one indoor unit or device; an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor unit or device connected with the at least one indoor unit, and configured to drive a first compressor using electric power; a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor unit or device connected with the at least one indoor unit, and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas; and an exhaust unit or device connected with the engine to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine, and configured to perform heat exchange with an outdoor heat exchanger provided at the EHP outdoor unit. The exhaust unit is provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger along the outdoor heat exchanger. The exhaust unit may include a first exhaust pipe formed to extend from the engine toward the EHP outdoor unit; a second exhaust pipe connected with the first exhaust pipe and disposed adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger; and a third exhaust pipe connected with the second exhaust pipe and configured to discharge the exhaust gas.
- The outdoor heat exchanger may have a distributor, which may be disposed or provided or extend in a heightwise or lengthwise direction of the outdoor heat exchanger. The second exhaust pipe may be disposed or provided adjacent to the distributor along the distributor. A distributor insertion groove, in which the distributor may be inserted, may be formed at the second exhaust pipe.
- The GHP outdoor unit may include a cooling water heat exchanger configured to perform the heat exchange with a refrigerant introduced from the at least one indoor unit. The first exhaust pipe may pass through the cooling water heat exchanger at the engine. The second exhaust pipe may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The third exhaust pipe may include a connection part or portion connected with the second exhaust pipe, and an exhaust gas discharging part or portion formed to be bent from the connection part. The exhaust gas discharging part may be disposed or extend in parallel with the outdoor heat exchanger.
- Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the scope of the appended claims, as long as the resulting embodiment comprises at least all features of at least one of the appended independent claims.
Claims (13)
- An air conditioner (1), comprising:at least one indoor device (10);an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device (200) connected to the at least one indoor device (10), and including a first compressor (210) using electric power and an outdoor heat exchanger (250);a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device (300) connected to the at least one indoor device (10), and including a second compressor (310), and having an engine (330) configured to drive the second compressor (310) using a burned gas; andan exhaust device (400) connected to the engine (330) to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine (330),characterised in thatthe exhaust device (400) is provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger (250), is extended along the outdoor heat exchanger (250) and is configured to perform heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger (250).
- The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust device (400) includes:a first exhaust pipe (410) that extends from the engine (330) toward the EHP outdoor device (200);a second exhaust pipe (420) connected to the first exhaust pipe (410) and provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger (250); anda third exhaust pipe (430) connected to the second exhaust pipe (420) and configured to discharge the exhaust gas.
- The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger (250) has a distributor (252) that extends in a lengthwise direction of the outdoor heat exchanger (250).
- The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the second exhaust pipe (420) is provided adjacent to and extends along the distributor (252).
- The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein the second exhaust pipe (420) includes a distributor insertion groove (425) into which the distributor (252) is inserted.
- The air conditioner according to any of claims 2 to 5, wherein the GHP outdoor device (300) includes a cooling water heat exchanger (350) configured to perform heat exchange with refrigerant introduced from the at least one indoor device (10).
- The air conditioner according to claim 6, wherein the first exhaust pipe (410) passes through the cooling water heat exchanger (350).
- The air conditioner according to any of claims 2 to 7, wherein the second exhaust pipe (420) has a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
- The air conditioner according to any of claims 2 to 8, wherein the third exhaust pipe (430) includes:a connection portion (432) connected to the second exhaust pipe (420); andan exhaust gas discharging portion (434) bent from the connection portion.
- The air conditioner according to claim 9, wherein the exhaust gas discharging portion (434) extends parallel with the outdoor heat exchanger (250).
- A method for controlling an air conditioner including at least one indoor device (10); an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device (200) connected to the at least one indoor device (10), and including a first compressor (210) using electric power and an outdoor heat exchanger (250); a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device (300) connected to the at least one indoor device (10), and including a second compressor (310), and having an engine (330) configured to drive the second compressor (310) using a burned gas; and an exhaust device (400) connected to the engine (330) to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine (330), wherein the exhaust device (400) is provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger (250), is extended along the outdoor heat exchanger (250), the method comprising:driving the GHP outdoor device (300) and the EHP outdoor device (200) to perform a warming operation; andduring the warming operation performing heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger (250) using of the exhaust device (400).
- The method according to claim 11, wherein the exhaust device (400) includes:a first exhaust pipe (410) that extends from the engine (330) toward the EHP outdoor device (200);a second exhaust pipe (420) connected to the first exhaust pipe (410) and provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger (250); anda third exhaust pipe (430) connected to the second exhaust pipe (420) and configured to discharge the exhaust gas.
- The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger (250) has a distributor (252) that extends in a lengthwise direction of the outdoor heat exchanger (250).
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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KR1020150004180A KR20160086617A (en) | 2015-01-12 | 2015-01-12 | Air conditioner |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP3043128A1 EP3043128A1 (en) | 2016-07-13 |
EP3043128B1 true EP3043128B1 (en) | 2022-05-18 |
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EP16150788.4A Active EP3043128B1 (en) | 2015-01-12 | 2016-01-11 | Air conditioner and method for controlling an air conditioner |
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US (1) | US20160201953A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP3043128B1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20160086617A (en) |
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KR101877204B1 (en) * | 2018-04-20 | 2018-07-10 | 김훈 | GHP outdoor unit |
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KR20030077857A (en) | 2002-03-27 | 2003-10-04 | 이형우 | Digital Watermark Verification Method with Zero Knowledge Proofing |
KR100462834B1 (en) * | 2003-03-31 | 2004-12-23 | 주식회사 두우종합기술단 | Electricity and Air Conditioning Supply Method and the Device that use Co-Generation GHP |
JP5249164B2 (en) * | 2009-09-29 | 2013-07-31 | アイシン精機株式会社 | Air conditioner adjusting device and air conditioner |
KR101980710B1 (en) * | 2012-10-24 | 2019-05-21 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Air conditioner |
-
2015
- 2015-01-12 KR KR1020150004180A patent/KR20160086617A/en active Search and Examination
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2016
- 2016-01-11 EP EP16150788.4A patent/EP3043128B1/en active Active
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US20160201953A1 (en) | 2016-07-14 |
KR20160086617A (en) | 2016-07-20 |
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