KR102412928B1 - Method for controlling refrigerating device and cooling apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a refrigerator for cooling water in a water supply device and a cooling apparatus using the same, and the method for controlling a refrigerator according to the present invention includes operating a refrigerator for storing cold air in a cooling material, the temperature of the cooling material measuring and determining whether the temperature is less than or equal to a preset first set temperature; when the temperature of the cooling material is less than or equal to the first set temperature, measuring the outdoor air temperature to a first setting corresponding to the outdoor temperature obtaining a time, measuring the time the refrigerator has been operating, and determining whether the time exceeds the first set time, and when the operating time of the refrigerator exceeds the first set time, the Including stopping the operation of the refrigerator, the first set time may be preset to be longer as the outside temperature increases.

Description

Refrigerator control method and cooling device using the same

The present invention relates to a refrigerator control method and a cooling device using the same, and more particularly, to a refrigerator control method for cooling water in a water supply device and a cooling device using the same.

An ice heat storage system may be used as a method for supplying cold water by cooling purified water in a water supply device such as a water purifier or cold/hot water device. According to this, the refrigerator cools the refrigerant, the refrigerant stored in the heat storage tank receives and stores the cold air of the refrigerant, and the purified water is cooled by receiving the cold air of the refrigerant.

At this time, if the cooling material is overcooled, the purified water may receive cold air more than necessary and freeze, and as a result, the flow path may be clogged. Conversely, if the cooling material does not sufficiently store cold air, the purified water cannot be cooled to a desired temperature, and thus the amount of cold water output may decrease. Therefore, in order to smoothly discharge the cold water, it is important to uniformly maintain the temperature of the cooling material within the appropriate temperature range.

As a method for this, a method of measuring the temperature of the cooling material, stopping the refrigerator when the temperature of the cooling material is lower than the appropriate temperature range, and operating the refrigerator when the temperature of the cooling material is higher than the appropriate temperature range is used.

However, since this control method entirely depends only on the temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the cooling material, if an error occurs in the process of measuring the temperature of the cooling material, it is impossible to check or correct the error. There is a problem that the temperature deviation may become more serious.

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling a refrigerator capable of maintaining a uniform temperature of a cooling material and a cooling apparatus using the same.

The method for controlling a refrigerator according to the present invention comprises the steps of operating a refrigerator for storing cold air in a cooling material, measuring the temperature of the cooling material, and determining whether the temperature is equal to or less than a first preset temperature, the shaft When the temperature of the cooling material is below the first set temperature, measuring the outside air temperature to obtain a first set time corresponding to the outside air temperature, measuring the time the refrigerator operates, and the time is the first set time Determining whether or not to exceed the operating time of the refrigerator, comprising the step of stopping the operation of the refrigerator when the operating time exceeds the first set time, wherein the first set time is longer as the outdoor temperature is higher may be set in advance.

In addition, when the refrigerator stops operating, measuring the temperature of the cooling material to determine whether the temperature exceeds a preset second set temperature, the temperature of the cooling material is the second set temperature If it exceeds, including the step of operating the refrigerator, the second set temperature may be set higher than the first set temperature.

In addition, when the refrigerator stops operating, measuring the temperature of the cooling material and determining whether the temperature exceeds a preset second set temperature, the temperature of the cooling material is below the second set temperature In this case, measuring the outdoor temperature to obtain a second set time corresponding to the outdoor temperature, measuring the time when the refrigerator is stopped, and determining whether the time exceeds the second set time, and the When the time that the refrigerator is stopped exceeds the second set time, operating the refrigerator, wherein the second set temperature is set higher than the first set temperature, and the second set time is the outdoor temperature It may be preset so that it becomes shorter as is higher.

At this time, the first set temperature may be set to -2.5 ℃.

In addition, the second set temperature may be set to 1.5 ℃.

Meanwhile, the first set time may be set to be longer by a specific value whenever the outside temperature increases by a specific value.

In addition, the second set time may be set to be shorter by a specific value whenever the outside temperature increases by a specific value.

The cooling device according to the present invention includes a cooling material, a refrigerator for storing cold air in the cooling material, an external temperature sensor capable of measuring the outside air temperature, an internal temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the cooling material, and the refrigerator is operated In the case that the operating time elapses a preset first set time, and if the temperature measured by the internal temperature sensor is less than or equal to a preset first set temperature, a control unit for stopping the operation of the refrigerator, wherein the The first set time may be set to be longer as the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor increases.

In addition, when the controller stops the operation of the refrigerator, when the stopped time elapses a preset second set time, or when the temperature measured by the internal temperature sensor exceeds a preset second set temperature, the The refrigerator may be operated, but the second set temperature may be set higher than the first set temperature, and the second set time may be set to be shorter as the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor is higher.

At this time, the first set temperature may be set to -2.5 ℃.

In addition, the second set temperature may be set to 1.5 ℃.

Meanwhile, the first set time may be set to be longer by a specific value whenever the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor increases by a predetermined value.

In addition, the second set time may be set to be shorter by a specific value whenever the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor increases by a predetermined value.

The refrigerator control method and the cooling device using the same according to the present invention measure not only the temperature of the cooling material but also the outside air temperature, and reflect the outside air temperature as the time the refrigerator operates or the time the refrigerator stops, thereby reducing the temperature of the cooling material. By compensating for errors that occurred during the measurement process, the temperature of the cooling material can be maintained uniformly.

1 is a perspective view showing a refrigerator, a heat exchanger, and an external temperature sensor of a cooling device using a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is an exploded perspective view showing a heat exchanger of a cooling device using a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a heat exchanger and an internal temperature sensor of a cooling device using a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a refrigerator 100, a heat exchanger 200, and an external temperature sensor 310 of a cooling device using a refrigerator control method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the present invention. It is an exploded perspective view showing the heat exchanger 200 of the cooling device using the refrigerator control method according to the present invention. ) is a cross-sectional view showing

Referring to FIG. 1 , the refrigerator 100 may be configured as a refrigeration cycle including a condenser 110 and a compressor 120 . In this case, the refrigerator 100 may be operated or stopped by the controller (not shown) operating or stopping the compressor 120 . The refrigerator 100 serves to cool the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant passage pipe 220 of the heat exchanger 200 to be described later.

1 to 3 , the heat exchange device 200 includes a heat storage tank 210 , a refrigerant passage tube 220 , and a purified water passage tube 230 .

The heat storage tank 210 accommodates a refrigerant passage tube 220 and a purified water passage tube 230 . In addition, a cooling material is further accommodated in the heat storage tank 210 . The cooling material receives and stores cold air from the refrigerant passage pipe 220 , and serves to transfer the cold air to the purified water passage tube 230 . Such a cooling material may be, for example, water.

The refrigerant passage pipe 220 has each end (221, 222) connected to the refrigerator (100), the refrigerant cooled by the refrigerator (100) flows. As described above, the refrigerant flow pipe 220 transfers the cold air of the refrigerant to the refrigerating material, and by increasing the contact area with the refrigerating material, to increase the heat exchange efficiency, it is arranged in a coil shape inside the heat storage tank 210 . can be

One end 231 of the purified water passage pipe 230 is connected to a purified water supply unit (not shown), and purified water supplied from the purified water supply unit (not shown) flows. This purified water flows along the purified water passage pipe 230 , receives cold air from the cooling material, is cooled, and then discharged to the other end 232 . The purified water passage pipe 230 may also be arranged in a coil shape inside the heat storage tank 210 to increase the heat exchange efficiency by increasing the contact area with the cooling material.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the external temperature sensor 310 serves to measure the external temperature of the cooling device. The location where the external temperature sensor 310 is installed in FIG. 1 is exemplary, and the external temperature sensor is less affected by heat generated by the operation of the refrigerator 100 or other components included in the cooling device among the cooling devices, It may be placed in another location where the outdoor temperature of the unit can be measured. The outdoor temperature measured by the external temperature sensor 310 is transmitted to a controller (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 3 , the internal temperature sensor 320 serves to measure the temperature of the cooling material accommodated in the heat storage tank 210 of the heat exchanger 200 . The temperature of the cooling material measured by the internal temperature sensor 320 is transmitted to a controller (not shown).

As described above, the controller (not shown) receives the external air temperature by the external temperature sensor 310 and the temperature of the cooling material by the internal temperature sensor 320, and operates the refrigerator 100 or serves to stop.

Hereinafter, a method for the control unit (not shown) to operate or stop the refrigerator 100 will be described.

The controller (not shown) stops the refrigerator 100 in operation when the temperature of the cooling material is less than or equal to the first preset temperature and the operating time of the refrigerator 100 is longer than the first preset time. Here, the first set temperature is an appropriate temperature range of the cooling material, that is, a temperature at which the purified water flowing through the purified water passage pipe 230 can be cooled to a desired temperature and the purified water flowing through the purified water flow path pipe 230 can be maintained so that it does not freeze. It is the lower limit of the range. For example, if the appropriate temperature range of the cooling material is -2.5°C to 1.5°C, that is, when the cooling material exceeds -2.5°C, the purified water flowing through the purified water passage pipe 230 can be maintained so that it does not freeze, and 1.5°C In the following case, if the purified water flowing through the purified water passage pipe 230 can be cooled to a desired temperature, the first set temperature may be -2.5°C. Of course, the specific value of the first set temperature may vary depending on design conditions or usage conditions. At this time, the first set time becomes longer as the outside temperature increases, which will be described later.

In addition, the controller (not shown) operates the stopped refrigerator 100 when the temperature of the cooling material exceeds a preset second set temperature, or when the chiller 100 stops time is longer than the preset second preset time. . Here, the second set temperature is an upper limit value in the appropriate temperature range of the cooling material, and the specific value may vary depending on design conditions or usage conditions. If, in the case of the above-described example, the second set temperature may be 1.5 ℃. At this time, the second set time becomes shorter as the outside temperature increases, which will also be described later.

If an example of the refrigerator 100 control method described above is shown in a flowchart, it may be the same as in FIG. 4 .

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the refrigerator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , it is first determined whether the current refrigerator 100 is operating or stopped ( S100 ).

If the refrigerator 100 is operating, it is determined whether the temperature of the cooling material is less than or equal to a first set temperature (S210).

If the temperature of the cooling material exceeds the first set temperature, the refrigerator 100 continues to operate (S211). This is because, since the temperature of the cooling material is still within the appropriate temperature range, even if the refrigerator 100 is further operated, the possibility that the cooling material is overcooled and the purified water flowing in the purified water passage pipe 230 is frozen is small.

On the other hand, if the temperature of the cooling material is less than the first set temperature, it is determined whether the operating time of the refrigerator 100 exceeds the first set time (S310).

At this time, if the operating time of the refrigerator 100 is less than the first set time, the refrigerator 100 continues to operate (S311). The reason that the refrigerator 100 continues to operate without stopping even though the temperature of the cooling material is below the appropriate temperature range is because an error occurs when the internal temperature sensor 320 measures the temperature of the cooling material, so that the temperature of the cooling material is actually exceeds the first set temperature, but since it can be measured as being less than or equal to the first set temperature, if the time that the refrigerator 100 has been operated has not been long, that is, if it is less than the first set time, by further operating the refrigerator 100 This is to compensate for the above error. Even if an error does not occur, that is, even if the temperature of the cooling material is actually below the first set temperature, by operating the refrigerator 100 only for the first set time, the purified water flowing through the purified water passage pipe 230 is it can be prevented

However, if the temperature of the regenerator material is below the first set temperature and the time the refrigerator 100 operates exceeds the first set time, the regenerated material is overcooled and the purified water flowing in the purified water passage pipe 230 is frozen. Because of this, the refrigerator 100 is stopped (S312).

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the first set time becomes longer as the outside temperature increases. This is because, as the outside air temperature is higher, more cold air of the regenerator material is discharged to the outside, and the temperature of the regenerator material rises faster. This is to keep it from getting higher than the temperature range. In this case, the first set time and the outdoor temperature may have a linear proportional relationship. Alternatively, when the relationship is drawn with the outdoor temperature as the X axis and the first set time as the Y axis as the first set time lengthens by a specific value whenever the outdoor temperature rises by a certain value, the relationship is a step type. It may be a relationship represented by , and in this case, it may be as shown in Table 1. Of course, in Table 1, specific values of T _OUT , T _IN , t _ON and the first set time may vary depending on design conditions or usage conditions.

T _OUT [℃] 1st set time [minutes] Conditions for stopping a running chiller T _OUT <15 5 When T _IN ≤-2.5℃ and t _ON >5 min 15≤T _OUT < 20 5 When T _IN ≤-2.5℃ and t _ON >5 min 20≤T _OUT <25 13 When T _IN ≤-2.5℃ and t _ON >13 min 25≤T _OUT <30 15 When T _IN ≤-2.5°C and t _ON >15 min 30≤T _OUT <35 20 When T _IN ≤-2.5°C and t _ON >20 min 35≤T _OUT <40 25 When T _IN ≤-2.5°C and t _ON >25 min 40≤ T _OUT 30 When T _IN ≤-2.5℃ and t _ON >30 min

(T _OUT : outside temperature, T _IN : temperature of the cooling material, t _ON : the time the refrigerator operates)

In this way, since the first set time corresponds to the outside temperature, the measured outside temperature before or at the same time as the step (S310) of determining whether the operating time of the refrigerator 100 exceeds the first set time The step of obtaining the first set time corresponding to the figure may be further added.

If, as a result of determining whether the refrigerator 100 is currently operating or stopped (S100), the refrigerator 100 is stopped, it is determined whether the temperature of the cooling material exceeds a second set temperature (S220).

If the temperature of the cooling material exceeds the second set temperature, the refrigerator 100 is operated (S221). This is because, since the temperature of the cooling material is higher than the appropriate temperature range, there is a possibility that the purified water flowing through the purified water passage pipe 230 cannot be cooled to a desired temperature because the cooling material cannot store sufficient cold air.

On the other hand, if the temperature of the cooling material is less than the second set temperature, it is determined whether the time that the refrigerator 100 is stopped exceeds the second set time (S320).

At this time, if the time that the refrigerator 100 is stopped exceeds the second set time, the refrigerator 100 is operated (S321). The reason that the refrigerator 100 is operated without further stopping even though the temperature of the cooling material is still within the appropriate temperature range is because an error occurs when the internal temperature sensor measures the temperature of the cooling material, so that the temperature of the cooling material is not actually 2 Exceeds the set temperature, but can be measured to be below the second set temperature, so if the time that the refrigerator 100 is stopped is long, that is, if it exceeds the second set time, the error is corrected by operating the refrigerator 100 to complement

However, if the temperature of the cooling material is equal to or less than the second set temperature and the operating time of the refrigerator 100 is equal to or less than the second set time, it is difficult to cool the purified water flowing through the purified water passage pipe 320 to the desired temperature. Since there is a small possibility that the temperature of the cooling material increases, the refrigerator 100 is continuously stopped (S322).

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the second set time becomes shorter as the outside temperature increases. This is because, as the outside air temperature is higher, more cold air of the cooling material is discharged to the outside, and the temperature of the cooling material rises faster. This is to keep it from getting higher than the temperature range. In this case, the second set time and the outdoor temperature may have a linear proportional relationship. Alternatively, as the second set time is shortened by a specific value whenever the outdoor temperature increases by a certain value, when the relationship is drawn with the outdoor temperature as the X-axis and the second set time as the Y-axis, the relationship is stepped It may be a relationship represented by , and in this case, it may be as shown in Table 2. In Table 2, specific values of T _OUT , T _IN , t _OFF and the second set time may also vary depending on design conditions or usage conditions.

T _OUT [℃] 2nd set time [minutes] Conditions for operating a frozen chiller 15≤T _OUT < 20 150 For T _IN >1.5 °C or t _OFF >150 min 20≤T _OUT <25 100 If T _IN >1.5°C or t _OFF >100 min 25≤T _OUT <30 90 If T _IN >1.5 °C or t _OFF >90 min 30≤T _OUT <35 70 If T _IN >1.5 °C or t _OFF >70 min 35≤T _OUT <40 60 If T _IN >1.5 °C or t _OFF >60 min 40≤ T _OUT 50 If T _IN >1.5 °C or t _OFF >50 min

(T _OUT : outside temperature, T _IN : temperature of the cooling material, t _OFF : time when the refrigerator is stopped)

In this way, since the second set time also corresponds to the outside temperature, the measured outside temperature before or at the same time as the step (S320) of determining whether the time when the refrigerator 100 is stopped exceeds the second set time The step of obtaining the second set time corresponding to the figure may be further added.

As mentioned above, the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is an example of a method for controlling the refrigerator 100, and in another example, determining whether the temperature of the cooling material is below the first set temperature (S210) and the refrigerator 100 ) of determining whether the operating time exceeds the first set time (S310) may be changed or made at the same time. Similarly, the sequence of the step of determining whether the temperature of the cooling material exceeds the second set temperature (S220) and the step of determining whether the time at which the refrigerator 100 is stopped exceeds the second set time (S320) is may change or may occur at the same time.

Tables 3 to 7 are comparative experimental data for a water supply device including a cooling device using the refrigerator 100 control method according to an embodiment of the present invention and a water supply device including a cooling device using a refrigerator control method according to the prior art. . In this experiment, the first set temperature and the second set temperature were set to -2.5 °C and 1.5 °C, respectively. In addition, the refrigerator control method according to the prior art simply stops the refrigerator when the temperature of the cooling material is below the first set temperature without considering the outside air temperature, and operates the refrigerator when the temperature of the cooling material exceeds the second set temperature. say how On the other hand, this experiment was simulated as the case where the outside temperature was 13°C, 23°C, 25°C, 28°C and 32°C, and two experiments were performed for each case. At this time, the amount of cold water output was measured, and the difference between the two experiments was recorded. Here, the small difference in the amount of water discharged means that the temperature of the cooling material is uniformly maintained within the appropriate temperature range. This is because, as the temperature of the cooling material is uniformly maintained within the appropriate temperature range, the purified water can be cooled more uniformly, so that the difference in the amount of water discharged from the cold water is reduced.

Outside temperature: 13℃ Method according to an embodiment of the present invention Method according to the prior art Experiment One 2 One 2 Operating time [min] 5 5 3 4 Stop time [min] 235 269 368 479 Cold water output 2.16 2.16 1.44 1.52 difference in output 0 0.08

Outside temperature: 23℃ Method according to an embodiment of the present invention Method according to the prior art Experiment One 2 One 2 Operating time [min] 13 13 6 24 Stop time [min] 101 101 36 216 Cold water output 2.64 2.4 1.56 2.04 difference in output 0.24 0.48

Outside temperature: 25℃ Method according to an embodiment of the present invention Method according to the prior art Experiment One 2 One 2 Operating time [min] 15 13 18.5 9.67 Stop time [min] 91 101 107 83.83 Cold water output 2.28 2.28 1.8 1.92 difference in output 0 0.12

Outside temperature: 28℃ Method according to an embodiment of the present invention Method according to the prior art Experiment One 2 One 2 Operating time [min] 15 15 7 18 Stop time [min] 91 91 36 129 Cold water output 1.92 1.92 1.44 1.56 difference in output 0 0.12

Outside temperature: 32℃ Method according to an embodiment of the present invention Method according to the prior art Experiment One 2 One 2 Operating time [min] 21 20 36 18 Stop time [min] 71 70 119 134 Cold water output 2.4 2.28 1.32 2.16 difference in output 0.12 0.84

Looking at the difference in water output, the method for controlling the refrigerator 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is smaller than the method for controlling the refrigerator according to the prior art. In particular, when the outside temperature is 13 ℃, 25 ℃, and 28 ℃, the difference in the amount of water outflow of the control method of the refrigerator 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention was measured to be zero. In addition, when the outside temperature is 23 ℃ and 32 ℃, the refrigerator control method according to the prior art has a difference in the amount of water output 2 times and 7 times larger than the refrigerator 100 control method according to the embodiment of the present invention, respectively. was measured. As a result, the refrigerator 100 control method according to the embodiment of the present invention can further improve the effect of maintaining the temperature of the cooling material uniformly within the appropriate temperature range, compared with the refrigerator control method according to the prior art. It can be confirmed that there is

The embodiments of the present invention described above and shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting the technical spirit of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention is limited only by the matters described in the claims, and those skilled in the art can improve or change the technical idea of the present invention in various forms. Accordingly, as long as such improvements or modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art, they will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims (13)

operating a refrigerator for storing cold air in the refrigerant;
Measuring the temperature of the cooling material, determining whether the temperature is below a preset first set temperature;
when the temperature of the cooling material is less than or equal to the first set temperature, measuring the outside air temperature to obtain a first set time corresponding to the outside air temperature;
Measuring the time the refrigerator operates, determining whether the time exceeds the first set time;
Comprising the step of stopping the operation of the refrigerator when the operating time of the refrigerator exceeds the first set time,
The first set time is a refrigerator control method set in advance so that the higher the outside temperature is, the longer. The method of claim 1,
When the refrigerator stops operating, measuring the temperature of the cooling material and determining whether the temperature exceeds a preset second set temperature;
When the temperature of the cooling material exceeds the second set temperature, including the step of operating the refrigerator,
The second set temperature is a refrigerator control method set higher than the first set temperature. The method of claim 1,
When the refrigerator stops operating, measuring the temperature of the cooling material and determining whether the temperature exceeds a preset second set temperature;
when the temperature of the cooling material is less than or equal to the second set temperature, measuring the outdoor air temperature to obtain a second set time corresponding to the outdoor air temperature;
Measuring the time that the refrigerator is stopped, determining whether the time exceeds the second set time;
Comprising the step of operating the refrigerator when the time that the refrigerator is stopped exceeds the second set time,
The second set temperature is set higher than the first set temperature,
The method for controlling the refrigerator is preset such that the second set time is shorter as the outside temperature is higher. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first set temperature is a refrigerator control method set to -2.5 ℃. 4. according to any one of claims 2 and 3,
The second set temperature is a refrigerator control method set to 1.5 ℃. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first set time is set to be longer by a specific value whenever the outside temperature increases by a specific value. 4. The method of claim 3,
The second set time is set to be shortened by a specific value whenever the outside temperature increases by a specific value. cold storage material,
a refrigerator for storing cold air in the cooling material;
An external temperature sensor that can measure the outside temperature;
an internal temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the cooling material; and
When the refrigerator is operating, when the operating time elapses a preset first set time, and the temperature measured by the internal temperature sensor is less than or equal to a preset first set temperature, a control unit for stopping the operation of the refrigerator including,
The first set time is set to be longer as the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor increases. 9. The method of claim 8,
When the controller stops the operation of the refrigerator, when the stopped time elapses a preset second set time, or when the temperature measured by the internal temperature sensor exceeds a preset second set temperature, the make it work,
The second set temperature is set higher than the first set temperature,
The second set time is set to be shorter as the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor is higher. 10. The method according to any one of claims 8 and 9,
The first set temperature is a cooling device set to -2.5 ℃. 10. The method of claim 9,
The second set temperature is a cooling device set to 1.5 ℃. 10. The method according to any one of claims 8 and 9,
The first set time is set to be longer by a specific value whenever the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor increases by a specific value. 10. The method of claim 9,
The second set time is set to be shortened by a specific value whenever the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor increases by a specific value.

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