KR100445615B1 - Air conditioning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an air conditioner, in which positioning of a four-way valve in an outdoor unit can be substantially positively performed so long as the valve has no malfunction. CONSTITUTION: The air conditioner is provided with a plurality of outdoor units A-C having respectively four-way valves A1-C1, and a centralized controller for controlling positioning of the four-way valve. In the control, the outdoor units A-C are successively operated, and positions of respective four-way valves are selected in the direction corresponding to the operation mode. The units A-C transmit signals respectively to the centralized control device whether respective valve positions have been switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode. If the controller does not receive signals of successful valve-switching from either of the outdoor units in a predetermined time, the operation is suspended, and the valve positioning control is repeated. The air conditioner is further provided with a control means, which gives priority in starting the next valve positioning to an outdoor unit C having failed in the switching in the previous control.

Description

Air Conditioning Unit {AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner connected in parallel to an inter-unit piping extending a plurality of outdoor units from an indoor unit.

In general, an air conditioner having a plurality of outdoor units having a four-way valve is known. In this kind of thing, each outdoor unit may be controlled using a central control unit (hereinafter referred to as CCU).

During this control, when the CCU performs four-way valve alignment control, all outdoor units are operated in sequence to switch the positions of the four-way valves in the direction consistent with this operation mode, and the four-way valves from the outdoor units to the CCU. If the position of the valve is switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode, and the CCU does not receive a successful switching of the position of the four-way valve from all outdoor units within a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes), Stop operation once and execute 4-way valve alignment control again.

In the above four-way valve alignment control, when the number of outdoor units is large, starting current increases when all outdoor units are started at once, so that the outdoor units are started one by one at intervals of time.

Therefore, there is a fear that it takes time for the switching determination of the four-way valve position in all outdoor units, and it cannot be determined within 2 minutes, for example. In this state, even if the four-way valve control is executed several times, there is a high possibility of failure.

Although it is considered to extend the predetermined time, if it is made long, even if the switching of the four-way valve is unsuccessful for a long time operation, there is a problem such as high-pressure refrigerant flow into other outdoor units.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of almost reliably eliminating the problems of the prior art and providing a four-way valve positioning of an outdoor unit as long as there is no problem with the four-way valve. .

The invention according to claim 1 includes a plurality of outdoor units having four-way valves, and when four-way valve alignment control is performed, all the outdoor units are operated in sequence to position each four-way valve in a direction consistent with this operation mode. In the air conditioner which switches to and changes the position of the four-way valve of all outdoor units within a predetermined time, the operation is once stopped and the four-way valve alignment control is executed again. It is characterized in that it comprises a control means for starting the outdoor unit that fails to change the position of the four-way valve in the next four-way valve alignment control.

The invention according to claim 2 is provided with a plurality of outdoor units having four-way valves, and when the central control unit performs four-way valve alignment control, all four outdoor units are operated in sequence to correspond to this operation mode. Switch the position of the room valve, and transmit from each outdoor unit to the central control unit whether the position of its four-way valve has been switched in the direction consistent with the operation mode, and this central control unit is within a predetermined time for all outdoor units In the air conditioner that stops operation and executes four-way valve alignment control once when the position change of the four-way valve is not received from the above, the position switching of the four-way valve is performed in the last four-way valve alignment control. It is characterized by including control means for starting the failed outdoor unit in the next four-way valve fitting control.

In the present invention, since the outdoor unit that fails to change the position of the four-way valve in the last four-way valve alignment control is started first in the next four-way valve alignment control, the four-way valve position alignment of the failed outdoor unit is changed to four. As long as there is no problem with the room valve, it can almost certainly succeed.

1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing an embodiment of an air conditioner according to the present invention.

2A to 2G are time charts of four-way valve fitting control.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1A, 1B: outdoor unit

3A to 3D: Indoor Unit

5: gas pipe

7: liquid pipe

11A, 11B: Compressor

13A, 13B: 4-way valve

100: central control unit (CCU)

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, one Embodiment by this invention is described with reference to attached drawing.

In Fig. 1, reference numerals 1A and 1B denote outdoor units. These outdoor units 1A and 1B are connected in parallel to the inter-unit piping 9 consisting of the gas pipe 5 and the liquid pipe 7 connected to the outdoor units 3A to 3D.

The outdoor units 1A and 1B are compressors 11A and 11B driven by gas engines, oil separators 12A and 12B, four-way valves 13A and 13B, outdoor heat exchangers 14A and 14B, and outdoor fans 17A. And 17B), expansion valves 15A and 15B, other accumulators 16A and 16B, and the like. In addition, the indoor units 3A to 3D are provided with indoor heat exchangers 34A to 34D, indoor fans 37A to 37D, and indoor electric expansion valves 39A to 39D.

In this embodiment, each outdoor unit 1A, 1B is controlled using the central control apparatus (henceforth a CCU) 100. FIG.

In the heating operation, the four-way valves 13A and 13B are switched to the dotted line state. The refrigerant from the compressors 11A and 11B passes through the four-way valves 13A and 13B of the oil separators 12A and 12B as indicated by the dashed arrows, and then enters the branch gas pipes 5A and 5B to enter the gas pipe 5. It joins and flows into each indoor unit 3A-3D. The liquid pipe 7 is joined via the indoor heat exchangers 34A to 34D and the indoor electric expansion valves 39A to 39D to enter the outdoor units 1A and 1B through the receiver tank 33. The suction pipes of the compressors 11A and 11B are returned via the outdoor heat exchangers 14A and 14B, the four-way valves 13A and 13B, and the accumulators 16A and 16B.

During the cooling operation, the four-way valves 13A and 13B are switched to the solid state. The refrigerant from the compressors 11A and 11B passes through the oil separators 12A and 12B and the four-way valves 13A and 13B, as indicated by the solid arrows, and then enters the outdoor heat exchangers 14A and 14B and expands the expansion valve ( It reaches the liquid pipe 7 and the receiver tank 33 via 5A, 5B. From then on, they enter the indoor units 3A to 3D and enter the gas pipe 5 and the branch gas pipes 5A and 5B via the indoor electric expansion valves 39A to 39D and the indoor heat exchangers 34A to 34D. The suction pipes of the compressors 11A and 11B are returned via the four-way valves 13A and 13B and the accumulators 16A and 16B of 1A and 1B.

In the above air conditioner, the switching positions of the four-way valves 13A and 13B of all the outdoor units 1A and 1B coincide with their operation modes during system operation regardless of the operation or the stop of the individual outdoor units 1A and 1B. I need to. For example, in the heating operation mode, the switching positions of the four-way valves 13A and 13B must be matched in the dotted line state, and in the cooling operation mode, the switching positions of the four-way valves 13A and 13B must be matched in the solid line state. There is.

This four-way valve alignment control is executed by the above-described CCU 100. The CCU 100 stops the operation of all the outdoor units 1A and 1B once when the system is initialized and operated for the first time or when switching of heating and cooling occurs, and executes four-way valve fitting control in the following order. .

Fig. 2 is a time chart showing the procedure of the four-way valve fitting control. In FIG. 1, two outdoor units are described, but for convenience of explanation, three outdoor units are designated, and each outdoor unit is denoted by A, B, and C, and the four-way valve is denoted by A1, B1, and C1. Explain.

When the four-way valve fitting control is turned on by the command from the CCU 100 in FIG. 2A, first, the outdoor unit A is started in FIG. 2B, and then a little later in FIG. The outdoor unit B is started in (c), and the outdoor unit C is started a little later in FIG. This is to stop the starting current to a minimum.

After the outdoor unit A is started up in Fig. 2B, the four-way valve A1 is first switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode in this case in Fig. 2E. Unless a problem occurs in the four-way valve A1, when the alignment signal is output from the CCU 100, the four-way valve A1 is switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode according to the command. Whether or not this is switched is detected by, for example, a rise in the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchangers 14A and 14B, the gas pipe 5, the liquid pipe 7, and the like, and the CCU ( 100).

Next, the outdoor unit B is started in Fig. 2C, and the four-way valve B1 is switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode in this case in Fig. 2F. Also, a little later, the outdoor unit C is started in Fig. 2 (d), and finally, in Fig. 2 (g), the four-way valve C1 will be switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode in this case. .

However, in FIG.2 (a), the time required for one 4-way valve control is set to 2 minutes at maximum. Therefore, in FIG. 2 (g), 2 minutes elapse before the four-way valve C1 is switched, resulting in the switching failure of all four-way valves C1 in the state where the switching operation is not performed. . Then, the CCU 100 stops all the outdoor units once and then shifts to the second four-way valve fitting control. In the conventional case, when shifting to the second four-way valve fitting control, the same control switching is performed again from the beginning in the order of the outdoor units A to C. This is likely to be the result of the same case being repeated, resulting in a switch failure of the last four-way valve C1.

In the present embodiment, when the second four-way valve alignment control is executed in FIG. 2A, the outdoor unit that fails to switch in the first four-way valve alignment control as shown in FIG. Start C) first. As a result, as shown in Fig. 2G, the four-way valve C1 is switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode, and the four-way valve fitting of all the outdoor units A to C is aligned with the first time. Is done. According to this, the outdoor unit that failed the previous changeover is preferentially started in the next four-way valve alignment control, so that the four-way valve alignment that failed last time is almost certainly performed within a maximum of two minutes unless there is a problem with the four-way valve. You can succeed.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on one Embodiment, it is clear that this invention is not limited to this.

In the present invention, the outdoor unit that failed to switch the previous time is preferentially started in the next four-way valve alignment control, so that the four-way valve alignment that failed last time can be executed almost certainly as long as the four-way valve has no problem.

Claims (2)

In the case of four-way valve fitting control provided with a plurality of outdoor units having four-way valves, all outdoor units are operated in sequence to switch positions of each four-way valve in a direction consistent with this operation mode, and all outdoor units. In the air conditioner that stops operation and executes 4-way valve alignment control once, if the position switching of the 4-way valve of the valve is not successful within a predetermined time, And a control means for starting the outdoor unit that fails to change the position of the four-way valve in the previous four-way valve alignment control in the next four-way valve alignment control. With a plurality of outdoor units having four-way valves, when the central control unit performs four-way valve fitting control, all outdoor units are operated in sequence to switch the position of each four-way valve in a direction consistent with this operation mode. And transmitting, from each outdoor unit to the central control unit, whether the position of its four-way valve has been switched in the direction corresponding to the operation mode, and the central control unit switches the position of the four-way valve from all outdoor units within a predetermined time. In the case of not receiving a success, the air conditioner that stops operation and executes four-way valve fitting control again, And a control means for starting the outdoor unit that fails to change the position of the four-way valve in the previous four-way valve alignment control in the next four-way valve alignment control.