KR102459591B1 - Control Method of Air Conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an air conditioner.
The control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention comprises at least an outdoor unit having a low-stage compressor and a high-stage compressor, and a first evaporator connected to the outdoor unit and removing sensible heat and a second evaporator for removing latent heat. A method of controlling an air conditioner including one showcase, the method comprising: collecting weather information; identifying the outdoor temperature in the set time zone with the collected weather information; Comparing the average of the outside air temperature in the set time period and the stage change set temperature, and setting the number of operating stages of the low stage compressor and the high stage compressor in the set time period.

Description

Control Method of Air Conditioner

The present invention relates to an air conditioner control method, and more particularly, to an air conditioner control method for controlling the operation of a compressor or an evaporator using weather information.

BACKGROUND ART In general, a refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system is a device that refrigerates using a refrigeration cycle consisting of a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an evaporator, and maintains the temperature inside a refrigerator of a refrigeration system such as a showcase at a low temperature.

The refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system may include a refrigerating indoor unit for storing and displaying products, and an outdoor unit connected to the refrigerating indoor unit and a refrigerant pipe. The compressor disposed inside the outdoor unit can adjust the operating frequency according to the load of the outdoor temperature, and in some cases, the number of stages of the compressor can be changed. However, there is a problem in that unnecessary energy is excessively consumed by repeatedly changing the number of stages of the compressor in response to frequent changes in the load of the outdoor temperature.

In addition, in a high humidity environment, there is a problem in that the amount of implantation on the evaporator disposed inside the showcase increases rapidly due to the humidity of the air flowing into the open showcase.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent unnecessary compressor stage number change by presetting the number of stages of the compressor based on weather information.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent energy consumption due to a sudden change in the target low pressure by pre-determining the time when the load due to the showcase or outdoor temperature increases rapidly, and changing the target low pressure of the compressor in advance.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent excessive energy consumption due to implantation of the evaporator in the showcase by operating an evaporator that removes latent heat in a high-humidity environment based on weather information.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner according to the present invention includes an outdoor unit having a low-stage compressor and a high-stage compressor, and a first evaporator connected to the outdoor unit and removing sensible heat and a second evaporator for removing latent heat. A method for controlling an air conditioner including at least one showcase for driving, the method comprising: collecting weather information; identifying the outdoor temperature in the set time zone with the collected weather information; Comprising the step of comparing the average of the outside air temperature in the set time period with the stage change set temperature, and setting the number of operating stages of the low stage compressor and the high stage compressor in the set time period, the number of stages of the compressor can be fixed according to the weather conditions. .

The stage change set temperature may be set in consideration of the performance coefficient of the air conditioner, thereby increasing the efficiency of the air conditioner.

When the average of the outdoor air temperature in the set time period is higher than the stage change set temperature, a two-stage operation of operating the low stage compressor and the high stage compressor is performed, and when the average of the outdoor air temperature for the set time period is lower than the stage change set temperature, the By performing a one-stage operation of operating any one of the low-stage compressor and the high-stage compressor, it is possible to increase the efficiency of the air conditioner.

determining when the outdoor load is increased based on the received weather information; The method may further include changing the target low pressure of the compressor before a predetermined time at the time when the determined outdoor load increases, predicting the time when the load is generated, and changing the target low pressure of the compressor in advance.

inputting store information; determining when the showcase load increases based on the input store information; and changing the target low pressure of the compressor before a predetermined time when the determined showcase load increases. can

identifying the outside air humidity in the set time zone with the collected weather information; By comparing the average of the outdoor humidity of the set time period and the operating humidity of the second evaporator, the operation of the first evaporator and the second evaporator is controlled, and the time when the outdoor load increases according to the weather information is predicted, and the target low pressure of the compressor can be changed.

When the average of the external humidity of the set time period is higher than the operating humidity of the second evaporator, both the first evaporator and the second evaporator are operated to prevent implantation in the evaporator of the showcase in a high humidity environment.

When the average of the external humidity of the set time period is lower than the operating humidity of the second evaporator, only the first evaporator is operated to stop unnecessary operation of the second evaporator in an environment with low humidity.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the air conditioner of the present invention, there are one or more of the following effects.

First, there is an advantage of increasing the efficiency of the air conditioner by fixing the number of stages of the compressor based on the weather information to prevent unnecessary change of the stage of the compressor.

Second, there is an advantage of preventing unnecessary energy from being wasted by predicting the time when a load occurs based on weather information and store information and changing the target low pressure of the compressor in advance.

Third, there is an advantage of increasing the efficiency of the air conditioner by operating an evaporator that removes latent heat according to the humidity based on the weather information to prevent implantation occurring in the evaporator of an open showcase.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a block diagram of a refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an operational view of the refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system shown in FIG. 1 .
3 is a block diagram of an evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows the difference in the coefficient of performance according to the temperature change during the first-stage operation and the second-stage operation of the compressor.
5 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit and a configuration related to the control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an operation method of a compressor according to weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a target low pressure of a compressor according to weather information and burial information according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an operation method of an evaporator according to weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 shows changes in energy consumption according to changes in relative humidity in the case where only the first evaporator is used and when both the first evaporator and the second evaporator are used.
10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling lighting/signboard according to weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a block diagram of a structure in which the central control unit controls air conditioners, etc. of a plurality of stores, respectively, by utilizing weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining an air conditioner control method according to embodiments of the present invention.

<Configuration of air conditioner>

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an operational view of the refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a block diagram of an evaporator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system according to the present embodiment includes an outdoor unit 300 , a refrigeration showcase 100 , and a refrigeration showcase 200 .

One refrigerant may be circulated in the refrigeration showcase 100 and the refrigeration showcase 200 . The refrigeration showcase 100 and the refrigeration showcase 200 form different evaporation temperatures.

The outdoor unit 300 according to the present embodiment has a structure that can shorten the service time by quickly recovering the refrigerant during after-sales service.

<Configuration of outdoor unit>

The outdoor unit 300 includes a first compressor 310 , a second compressor 320 , an outdoor heat exchanger 330 , a supercooling unit, and a receiver 390 .

In the outdoor unit 300 , refrigerant recovery valves 392 and 394 are disposed between the second compressor 320 and the intermediate heat exchanger 340 to recover the refrigerant.

The first compressor 310 and the second compressor 320 are connected in series.

A discharge pipe 315 connecting the first compressor 310 and the second compressor 320 is disposed. The refrigerant discharged from the first compressor 310 is provided to the suction side of the second compressor 320 through the discharge pipe 315 .

The refrigerant discharged from the first compressor 310 is compressed again by the second compressor 320 . The first compressor 310 performs low-stage compression, and the second compressor 320 performs high-stage compression.

The outdoor unit 300 including the first compressor 310 and the second compressor 320 according to the present embodiment includes a first stage operation in which only one of the first compressor 310 and the second compressor 320 is operated; A two-stage operation using both the first compressor 310 and the second compressor 320 may be performed. The efficiency of the inverter compressor may vary according to the rotation speed (Hz).

Referring to FIG. 4 , the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration system varies according to the first-stage operation and the second-stage operation based on the outdoor temperature A. Therefore, it is preferable to perform the first-stage operation when the outdoor temperature is below a certain temperature, and perform the second-stage operation when the outdoor temperature is above the predetermined temperature.

Although not shown, an accumulator may be disposed on the suction side of at least one of the first compressor 310 and the second compressor 320 . The accumulator stores the refrigerant and supplies only the gaseous refrigerant to the first compressor 310 or the second compressor 320 .

The first compressor 310 or the second compressor 320 according to the present embodiment may use an inverter compressor that varies the operating frequency according to external conditions. Accordingly, the first compressor 310 or the second compressor 320 according to the present embodiment converts DC power into AC power for driving a motor (not shown) provided in the compressor and supplies the inverter to each phase of the motor. A unit (not shown), a rotation speed detection unit (not shown) that detects the rotation speed of the motor by counting the pulses generated by checking the position of the rotor of the motor, and an inverter unit according to the rotation speed of the compressor input from the rotation speed detection unit It may include a compressor control unit (not shown) for controlling.

The inverter compressor according to the present embodiment may adjust the rotation speed to a preset starting rotation speed by the compressor controller, and may maintain the starting rotation speed when the starting rotation speed is reached.

The outdoor heat exchanger 330 heats the compressed refrigerant with air, and the heat-exchanged refrigerant is condensed. The outdoor heat exchanger 330 operates as a condenser.

The refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 330 flows to the supercooling unit.

The supercooling unit includes an intermediate heat exchanger 340 , a supercooling valve 350 , a bypass pipe 380 , a first bypass valve 360 , and a second bypass valve 370 .

The intermediate heat exchanger 340 exchanges heat between air and refrigerant again. The intermediate heat exchanger 340 is configured as a double heat exchanger.

The refrigerant heat-exchanged in the intermediate heat exchanger 340 flows to the refrigeration showcase 100 .

The intermediate heat exchanger 340 and the refrigeration showcase 100 are connected to a liquid pipe 301 . In addition, the refrigeration showcase 100 and the first compressor 310 are connected to a gas pipe 302 .

The liquid pipe 301 connects the intermediate heat exchanger 340 and the indoor heat exchangers 120 and 220 , and provides condensed liquid refrigerant to the indoor heat exchangers 120 and 220 . The gas pipe 302 provides the gas refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchangers 120 and 220 to the first compressor 310 .

The liquid pipe 301 is divided into a first liquid pipe 301a disposed inside the outdoor unit 300 and a second liquid pipe 301b disposed outside the outdoor unit 300 .

Similarly, the gas pipe 302 is divided into a first gas pipe 302a disposed inside the outdoor unit 300 and a second gas pipe 302b disposed outside the outdoor unit 300 .

A service valve 303 is disposed between the first liquid pipe 301a and the second liquid pipe 301b. A service valve 304 is disposed between the first gas pipe 302a and the second gas pipe 302b.

The outdoor unit 300 includes a bypass pipe 380 branched from the liquid pipe 301 and connected to the first compressor 310 through the intermediate heat exchanger 340 .

One end 381 of the bypass pipe 380 is connected to the liquid pipe 301 . In this embodiment, one end 381 of the bypass pipe 380 is connected to the first liquid pipe 301a.

The bypass pipe 380 is branched into a first connection bypass pipe 384 and a second connection bypass pipe 386 in a section after passing through the intermediate heat exchanger 340 .

The first connection bypass pipe 384 is connected to the suction side of the first compressor 310 . The second connection bypass pipe 386 is connected to the suction side of the second compressor 320 .

Thus, the first connection bypass pipe 384 is connected to the first gas pipe 302a, and the second connection bypass pipe 386 is connected to the discharge pipe 315 .

Valves 360 and 370 are respectively disposed in the first connection bypass pipe 384 and the second connection bypass pipe 386 . As the valves 360 and 370, an on/off valve or an electronic expansion valve may be used.

The valve 360 disposed in the first connection bypass pipe 384 is defined as a first bypass valve 360 , and the valve 370 disposed in the second connection bypass pipe 386 is a second It is defined as a bypass valve 370 .

According to the opening and closing of the first bypass valve 360 , the expanded refrigerant is provided to the suction side of the first compressor 310 , thereby controlling the pressure or temperature of the first compressor 310 .

Similarly, the expanded refrigerant is provided to the suction side of the second compressor 320 according to the opening and closing of the second bypass valve 370 , thereby controlling the pressure or temperature of the second compressor 320 .

As the supercooling valve 350, an electronic expansion valve is used. The refrigerant expanded by the supercooling valve 350 may be provided to at least one of the first connection bypass pipe 384 and the second connection bypass pipe 386 .

When both the first bypass valve 360 and the second bypass valve 370 are closed, the expanded refrigerant is not supplied to the compressors 310 and 320 even if the refrigerant is expanded in the supercooling valve 350 .

The supercooling valve 350 expands the liquid refrigerant in the liquid pipe 301 . The refrigerant expanded in the supercooling valve 350 may be heat exchanged in the intermediate heat exchanger 340 and evaporated. The intermediate heat exchanger 340 may be cooled by the refrigerant expanded in the supercooling valve 350, thereby lowering the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the liquid pipe 301 and suppressing the vaporization of the condensed refrigerant. have.

The supercooling valve 350 may adjust the opening amount, and may allow the refrigerant to pass therethrough without expanding according to the opening amount. When the liquid refrigerant passes through the supercooling valve 350 as it is, the intermediate heat exchanger 340 may supercool the liquid refrigerant in the bypass pipe 380 .

The receiver 390 may store some of the refrigerant circulating in the system. The control unit may store some of the refrigerant circulating in the system and supply some of the stored refrigerant to the system.

In this embodiment, the receiver 390 is disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger 330 and the intermediate heat exchanger 340 , and some of the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger 330 to the intermediate heat exchanger 340 . can be saved.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, refrigerant recovery valves 392 and 394 may be installed in order to quickly recover the refrigerant during after-sales service.

A first refrigerant recovery valve (392) is disposed between the second compressor (320) and the outdoor heat exchanger (330), and a second refrigerant recovery valve (394) is disposed between the receiver (390) and the intermediate heat exchanger (340). is placed

A ball valve may be used as the first refrigerant return valve 392 and the second refrigerant return valve 394 .

The refrigerant recovery unit 400 may be connected to the second refrigerant recovery valve 394 . In the after-sales service, the refrigerant collector 400 is connected to the second refrigerant return valve 394 , and the refrigerant collected in the receiver 390 and the outdoor heat exchanger 330 can be quickly recovered.

Since the refrigerant recovery unit 400 is connected to the second refrigerant recovery valve 394, there is a possibility that bending or deformation may occur during the connection process. To prevent this, the second refrigerant return valve 394 is preferably fixed to the structure of the outdoor unit 300 .

In this embodiment, the second refrigerant return valve 394 is preferably fixed to any one of an accumulator, an outdoor unit case, a first compressor, and a second compressor.

<Configuration of Frozen Showcase>

The refrigeration showcase 100 is generally arranged in a business place. The business place may be, for example, a mart or a convenience store that sells frozen food to consumers.

The frozen showcase 100 must supply a certain amount of cold air or more to maintain the freshness of the frozen food even after the business hours are over, and for this purpose, the frozen showcase 100 is generally operated continuously for 24 hours.

The refrigeration showcase 100 is connected to the liquid pipe 301 and receives a refrigeration expansion valve 110 that expands the condensed refrigerant, receives the refrigerant expanded from the refrigeration expansion valve 110, and evaporates the gas. It includes a refrigeration evaporator 120 connected to the pipe (302).

The liquid pipe 301 connects the intermediate heat exchanger 340 and the refrigeration expansion valve 110 . The gas pipe 302 connects the refrigeration evaporator 120 and the first compressor 310 .

<Configuration of Refrigerated Showcase>

The refrigerated showcase 200 is a device for keeping food and the like fresh.

The refrigerated showcase 200 is generally disposed in a business place. The business place may be, for example, a mart or a convenience store that sells fresh food to consumers.

The refrigerated showcase 200 must supply a certain amount of cold air or more to maintain the freshness of the product even after business hours are over, and for this purpose, the refrigerated showcase 200 is generally operated continuously for 24 hours.

The refrigerating showcase 200 includes a refrigerating expansion valve 210 and a refrigerating evaporator 220 receiving and evaporating the refrigerant expanded from the refrigerating expansion valve 210 .

The liquid pipe 301 connects the intermediate heat exchanger 340 and the refrigerating expansion valve 210 . The gas pipe 302 connects the refrigeration evaporator 220 and the first compressor 310 .

<Evaporator>

The frozen showcase 100 or the refrigerated showcase 200 according to the present embodiment may include a first evaporator 410 and a second evaporator 420 . That is, the refrigeration evaporator 120 used in the refrigeration showcase 100 and the refrigeration evaporator 220 used in the refrigeration showcase 200 according to this embodiment are specifically, the first evaporator 410 and the second evaporator as shown in FIG. 3 . It may be divided into two evaporators 420 .

In the case of an open showcase, when the humidity is above a certain standard, there may be a problem in that the energy consumption input value rapidly rises along with an increase in the amount of blown power due to a rapid increase in the amount of evaporator implantation of air mixed into the evaporator. Accordingly, the first evaporator 410 and the second evaporator 420 may be included to prevent the amount of implantation in the evaporator disposed inside the open showcase from rapidly increasing.

The evaporators 410 and 412 and the expansion valves 420 and 422 of the showcase described in FIG. 3 may be applied to the refrigeration showcase 100 and/or the refrigeration showcase 200 of FIGS. 1 to 2, and for convenience of explanation, other It will be described using identification numbers.

The showcase according to this embodiment includes a second evaporator 420 that removes latent heat of flowing air, a first evaporator 410 that exchanges sensible heat of the air that has passed through the second evaporator 420, and the refrigerant flowing into the showcase. It includes a first expansion valve 420 that expands, and a second expansion valve 422 that once again expands the refrigerant flowing to the second evaporator 420 through the first expansion valve 420 . In addition, it may further include a showcase blowing fan 430 for flowing the air inside the showcase.

The showcase according to this embodiment guides the refrigerant flowing into the showcase to the first evaporator 410, the first evaporator inlet pipe 440 in which the first expansion valve 420 is disposed, and the first evaporator inlet pipe ( It is branched from 440 and connected to the second evaporator 420 , and may include a second evaporator inlet pipe 442 in which the second expansion valve 422 is disposed.

When the second expansion valve 422 is closed, the refrigerant is supplied only to the first evaporator 410 , and heat exchange is performed only in the first evaporator 410 . When the second expansion valve 422 is opened, the refrigerant is supplied to the second evaporator 420 , and heat exchange is also performed in the second evaporator 420 . The second evaporator 420 removes the latent heat of the incoming air to prevent condensation and implantation in the first evaporator 410 .

The second evaporator 420 according to the present embodiment may be designed to easily reach the dew point temperature by changing the heat exchanger and fan air volume so as to easily exhibit performance in a dehumidifying condition. In addition, the condensed water generated in the second evaporator may include enhanced hydrophilic performance or coating performance in a water-repellent state to facilitate drainage.

Hereinafter, a control method of a refrigeration and freezing air conditioning system will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Frozen Showcase and Refrigerated Showcase Operation>

The operation of the refrigeration showcase 100 and the refrigeration showcase 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

In order to operate the refrigeration showcase 100 and the refrigeration showcase 200, the first compressor 310 and the second compressor 320 are operated to compress the refrigerant, and then the compressed refrigerant is transferred to the outdoor heat exchanger (330). ) is condensed in

The condensed refrigerant passes through the intermediate heat exchanger 340 and is cooled once again, and then provided to the refrigeration showcase 100 and/or the refrigeration showcase 200 .

In the refrigeration showcase 100 , the refrigeration expansion valve 110 expands the received condensed refrigerant and provides it to the refrigeration evaporator 120 , and the refrigeration evaporator 120 evaporates the expanded refrigerant to form the refrigeration showcase 100 . ) to maintain the internal temperature of the refrigerator as the freezing target temperature.

The refrigeration evaporator 120 may provide an evaporation temperature of about -40 degrees Celsius, and the internal temperature of the refrigerator may form a temperature of -25 degrees Celsius to -20 degrees Celsius.

After the refrigerant evaporated in the refrigeration evaporator 120 is recovered to the first compressor 310, the above-described process is repeated again.

In the refrigeration showcase 200 , the refrigeration expansion valve 210 expands the received condensed refrigerant and provides it to the refrigeration evaporator 220 , and the refrigeration evaporator 220 evaporates the expanded refrigerant to form the refrigeration showcase 200 . ) to maintain the internal temperature of the refrigerator at the refrigeration target temperature.

The refrigeration evaporator 220 may provide an evaporation temperature of about -10 degrees Celsius, and the internal temperature of the refrigerator may form a temperature of 0 to 10 degrees Celsius.

After the refrigerant evaporated in the refrigeration evaporator 220 is recovered to the first compressor 310, the above-described process is repeated again.

On the other hand, when the supercooling valve 350 is opened, some of the refrigerant that has passed through the intermediate heat exchanger 340 is branched from the liquid pipe 301 and re-enters the intermediate heat exchanger 340 .

Depending on the opening degree of the supercooling valve 350, some of the condensed refrigerant may be expanded or may be passed through. Even when the supercooling valve 350 is in a fully open state, since the refrigerant condensed in the intermediate heat exchanger 340 exchanges heat with air again, the condensed refrigerant can be formed in a supercooled state.

The supercooled refrigerant that has passed through the intermediate heat exchanger 340 flows along the first bypass pipe 380 .

According to the opening and closing of the first bypass valve 360 , the expanded refrigerant is provided to the suction side of the first compressor 310 , thereby controlling the pressure or temperature of the first compressor 310 .

Similarly, the expanded refrigerant is provided to the suction side of the second compressor 320 according to the opening and closing of the second bypass valve 370 , thereby controlling the pressure or temperature of the second compressor 320 .

<Control of Compressor and Evaporator>

The compressors 310 and 320 according to the present embodiment may perform a single stage operation using only a low stage compressor or a two stage operation using both a low stage compressor and a high stage compressor. The compressor according to the present embodiment performs a first-stage operation when the outdoor temperature is below the set temperature, and performs a second-stage operation when the outdoor temperature exceeds the set temperature.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the outdoor temperature is below temperature A, a single-stage operation of operating the low-stage compressor at 120Hz is performed, and when the temperature exceeds A, the low-stage compressor operates at 40Hz and the high-stage compressor at 90Hz Two-stage operation can be performed. Referring to FIG. 4 , since it is advantageous to the coefficient of performance (COP) to perform the first-stage operation below the A temperature, and to perform the second-stage operation above the A temperature is advantageous to the coefficient of performance, the efficiency can be increased.

The evaporator according to the present embodiment includes a first evaporator 410 for exchanging sensible heat of the air passing through the second evaporator 420 and a second evaporator 420 for removing latent heat of the flowing air. During normal operation, only the first evaporator 410 is used to evaporate the refrigerant. Accordingly, during normal operation, with the second expansion valve 422 closed, the refrigerant flowing through the first evaporator inlet pipe 440 flows into only the first evaporator 410 .

However, in a state in which the humidity is increased by more than a certain level, the second evaporator 420 is operated together to prevent the increase in the amount of blowing power due to the rapid increase in the amount of implantation at the outer circumference of the evaporator due to the air flowing into the evaporator. In this case, the second expansion valve 422 is opened to flow the refrigerant in the second evaporator 420 . The pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the second evaporator 420 is lowered once more by the second expansion valve 422 to remove the latent heat of the flowing air.

<control unit>

The air conditioner according to the present embodiment further includes a controller for controlling the internal configuration of the outdoor unit, the refrigeration showcase, and the refrigeration showcase. The controller 500 according to the present embodiment may receive the meteorological information from the weather server to the meteorological data receiving unit 520 that receives the meteorological information, and may control internal configurations of the outdoor unit, the refrigerated showcase, and the refrigerated showcase. That is, the control unit 500 may receive information on the average outdoor temperature for a set time from the weather data receiving unit 520 , and may cause the compressor to operate in one stage or in two stages. The control unit 500 may receive information on the outdoor humidity for a set time from the weather data receiving unit 520 to operate the second evaporator 420 .

The weather information may include all data observed and predicted by the weather server, such as weather, temperature, humidity, and sunrise/sunset times for each region.

The air conditioner according to the present embodiment may further include a sensing unit 510 for measuring internal temperature, humidity, refrigerant pressure, and the like of the outdoor unit, the refrigeration showcase, and the refrigeration showcase.

The air conditioner according to the present embodiment may include a signboard or lighting installed in a refrigerated showcase or a frozen showcase, and the controller may control the signboard or lighting.

The air conditioner according to the present embodiment may be controlled by a separate central control unit 600 or a command such as a user (store owner). When a command from the central controller 600 or a user is input, the controller 500 may control the outdoor unit 300 , the refrigeration showcase 200 , and the refrigeration showcase 100 based on the input.

<Compressor operation control linked to weather information>

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an operation method of a compressor according to weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the contents of controlling the operation method of the compressor based on the weather information will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .

The air conditioner according to the present embodiment goes through a step (S100) of collecting weather information. Weather information includes daily expected maximum/minimum temperature and humidity in the area where the air conditioner is installed. The weather information includes current weather information and predicted weather information of the area where the air conditioner is installed.

A step (S110) of determining the outdoor temperature of the set time is performed. The set time zone is a period of time during which the air conditioner is operated, and includes the time during which the store is operated or the time divided by the time during which the store is operated. In addition, in the case of the showcase, the time after the operation of the store is terminated may be included in consideration of the fact that the showcase is operated in addition to the operating hours of the store.

The set time zone may be set differently depending on the operating method of the store or the conditions of the season or time zone. Therefore, the set time zone may include the concept of the entire time during which the store is operated or divided into morning, afternoon, evening, dawn, and the like, or divided into time units.

The outside air temperature in the set time range means the average temperature of the outside air in the set time range. Therefore, when the set time zone is set for the entire day, the daily average expected temperature may be the outdoor temperature of the set time zone.

Thereafter, the control unit 500 undergoes a step (S120) of comparing the set temperature of the set time period with the set temperature for changing the number of stages of the compressor. The stage change set temperature may be set in consideration of the efficiency of the compressor. That is, the stage change set temperature may be set at the intersection point where the efficiency of the first stage operation increases and the efficiency of the second stage operation increases.

The control unit 500 performs a two-stage operation of the compressors 310 and 320 when the outside air temperature in the set time period is greater than the stage change set temperature (S140). However, before setting the operation method of the compressor, it may be first determined whether the current time zone corresponds to the set time zone ( S130 ).

The control unit 500 performs the first stage operation of the compressors 310 and 320 when the outside air temperature of the set time period is smaller than the stage change set temperature (S160). However, before setting the operation method of the compressor, it may be first determined whether the current time zone corresponds to the set time zone (S150).

<Change target low pressure linked to weather information>

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a target low pressure of a compressor according to weather information and burial information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the contents of controlling the operation method of the compressor based on weather information and store information will be described with reference to FIG. 7 .

Before a store is opened or at a point in time when a rapid increase in the refrigeration/freezing load is expected at a specific time, the refrigeration/freezing speed is increased through the outdoor unit capacity expansion control so that the compressor can be actively controlled according to the expected load. To this end, the compressor may be inverter-controlled.

The air conditioner according to this embodiment undergoes a step of collecting weather information (S200) and a step of inputting store information (S210). The store information may be the location of the store and the opening or closing time of the store.

Thereafter, the air conditioner uses the weather information and/or store information to determine when the load is increased ( S220 ). The time at which the load increases can be determined according to a change in outdoor temperature or store information. Here, the increased/decreased load includes an outdoor load generated by a change in outdoor temperature and a showcase load for refrigeration or freezing of items in the showcase.

That is, it may be a point in time when the load of the showcase is expected to increase rapidly in the event of organizing the items inside the showcase before or after the store is opened or closed. For example, in a large supermarket, a sudden increase in the load of the showcase including the daily product replacement may occur before daily business (usually 8:00 am), and also the During operation, an increase in the load of the showcase may occur. Alternatively, when the outdoor temperature rapidly increases or decreases rapidly, it may be determined as the time when the outdoor load rapidly fluctuates.

Thereafter, if it is determined that a predetermined time has passed from the determined load increase point (S230), a step (S240) of changing the target low pressure is performed. The control method according to the present invention can respond in advance to the overload applied to the compressor at the time when the load is increased by determining in advance the time when the load is expected to increase, and dynamically changing the target low pressure before a predetermined time. After the number of operation stages is set, the target low pressure of the first compressor or the second compressor may be changed before a predetermined time when the determined outdoor load is increased.

The control method of the air conditioner according to the present embodiment can prevent an excessive change in the operating frequency of the compressor at the time of the load increase by determining the expected load increase time in advance and adjusting the target low pressure in advance before the corresponding time point. . The predetermined time before the predetermined time from the time of the load increase may be determined in consideration of the slope and time of the change of the operating frequency of the compressor according to the change of the target low pressure.

Thereafter, when the load increase time elapses (S250), the control unit 500 may go through a step (S260) of releasing the changed target low pressure.

<Weather information interlocking evaporator operation control>

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an operation method of an evaporator according to weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9 shows changes in energy consumption according to changes in relative humidity in the case where only the first evaporator is used and when both the first evaporator and the second evaporator are used.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8, the content of controlling the operation method of the evaporator based on the weather information will be described. In the case of an open showcase, when the outdoor humidity increases, the amount of implantation of the evaporator due to the amount of mixed air may rapidly increase, thereby increasing the amount of blowing power or the input value of energy consumption. Therefore, when the outdoor humidity increases, air from which latent heat has been removed is injected to remove a load that may occur in the showcase.

The air conditioner according to the present embodiment collects meteorological information (S300) and goes through a step (S310) of determining the humidity of the outside air in a set time zone. Thereafter, the control unit 500 undergoes a step (S320) of comparing the average humidity of the outside air with the operating humidity of the second evaporator for a set time period. The operating humidity of the second evaporator may be set in a range in which the amount of implantation of the evaporator by the amount of mixed air rapidly increases. In the range where the amount of implantation in the evaporator increases rapidly, energy consumption may increase due to an increase in the amount of implantation in the evaporator. The second evaporator operating humidity may be set in a range in which the energy consumption increases over a certain range. Referring to FIG. 9 , the difference in energy consumption between the case in which the second evaporator is not operated and the case in which the second evaporator is operated is shown in the range in which the energy consumption is increased to 50 or more. The relative humidity B may be defined as the operating humidity of the second evaporator. Alternatively, the relative humidity in a range in which the target low pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor is lowered to a predetermined level or less may be set as the operating humidity of the second evaporator.

The control unit 500 operates both the first evaporator 410 and the second evaporator 420 when the external humidity of the set time period is greater than the operating humidity of the second evaporator (S340). Referring to FIG. 3 , by opening the second expansion valve 422 , some refrigerant may be sent to the second evaporator. However, before operating the second evaporator, it may be first determined whether the current time zone corresponds to the set time zone (S330).

The control unit 500 operates only the first evaporator 410 when the external humidity of the set time period is smaller than the operating humidity of the second evaporator (S360). Referring to FIG. 3 , by closing the second expansion valve 422 , the refrigerant may be sent only to the first evaporator. However, before operating the first evaporator, it may be first determined whether the current time zone corresponds to the set time zone (S350).

<Weather information interlocking lighting/signboard control>

10 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling lighting/signboard according to weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 10, a method of controlling a signboard/lighting based on weather information will be described.

The air conditioner according to this embodiment goes through a step (S400) of collecting weather information. The air conditioner can determine the sunrise and sunset times from the weather information.

The control unit 500 determines whether or not the sunrise time has elapsed (S410), and when the sunrise time has elapsed, a step of turning off the lighting/signboard (S420) is performed. In the same manner, it is determined whether the sunset time has passed (S430), and when the sunset time has passed, a step (S440) of turning on the lighting/signboard is performed.

The on (ON) and off (OFF) of the lighting/signboard may be set differently depending on the open state of the store. Therefore, it is also possible to control to adjust the on (ON), off (OFF) state of the lighting or the signboard by integrating the store information and the weather information, or the brightness level of the lighting or the signboard.

<Central control of multiple stores>

11 is a block diagram of a structure in which the central control unit controls air conditioners, etc. of a plurality of stores, respectively, by utilizing weather information according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The central control unit 600 is connected to a weather data receiving unit that receives weather information from a weather server. The central control unit 600 uses the weather information for each store received from the weather data receiving unit 610 to control the number of stages of the compressor for each store and set time for each store, or operate both the first evaporator and the second evaporator. Operation to remove latent heat can be performed.

Accordingly, it may be possible to operate a plurality of stores M1 , M2 , M3 , and M4 using the weather information through one central control unit 600 .

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and in the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention.

100: refrigeration showcase 110: refrigeration expansion valve
120: refrigeration evaporator 200: refrigerated showcase
210: refrigeration expansion valve 220: refrigeration evaporator
300: outdoor unit 310: first compressor
320: second compressor 330: outdoor heat exchanger
340: intermediate heat exchanger 410: first evaporator
412: second evaporator 420: first expansion valve
422: second expansion valve 500: control unit
600: central control unit

Claims (9)

A first evaporator for removing sensible heat, a second evaporator for removing latent heat, a first expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant flowing between the first evaporator and the second evaporator, and the second evaporator passing through the first expansion valve At least one showcase including a second expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant flowing through, a second compressor for compressing the refrigerant flowing into the at least one showcase, and a second compressor for compressing the refrigerant flowing into the at least one showcase A method of controlling an air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit having a first compressor sent to the second compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger that heat-exchanges refrigerant discharged from the second compressor with air and sends it to the at least one showcase,
collecting weather information;
identifying the outdoor temperature in the set time zone with the collected weather information;
Comparing the average of the outside air temperature of the set time period and the stage change set temperature, a single stage operation of operating only the first compressor in the set time period, or a two stage operation of operating both the first compressor and the second compressor A control method of an air conditioner comprising the step of setting the number of stages. The method of claim 1,
The control method of the air conditioner in which the stage change set temperature is set in consideration of the performance coefficient of the air conditioner. The method of claim 1,
When the average of the outdoor temperature in the set time period is higher than the set temperature for changing the number of stages,
A control method of an air conditioner for performing a two-stage operation of operating the first compressor and the second compressor. The method of claim 1,
When the average of the outdoor temperature in the set time period is lower than the set temperature for changing the number of stages,
A control method of an air conditioner for performing a one-stage operation of operating any one of the first compressor and the second compressor. The method of claim 1,
after the meteorological information is collected, determining when the outdoor load increases with the collected weather information;
The control method of the air conditioner further comprising the step of changing the target low pressure of the first compressor or the second compressor before a predetermined time when the determined outdoor load increases after the number of operation stages is set. The method of claim 1,
inputting store information;
determining when the showcase load increases based on the input store information and the collected weather information; and
and changing the target low pressure of the first compressor or the second compressor before a predetermined time when the determined showcase load increases after the number of operation stages is set. A first evaporator for removing sensible heat, a second evaporator for removing latent heat, a first expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant flowing between the first evaporator and the second evaporator, and the second evaporator passing through the first expansion valve at least one showcase including a second expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant flowing in the case; a first compressor for compressing the refrigerant flowing into the at least one showcase; and a second compressor for compressing the refrigerant flowing into the at least one showcase; A method of controlling an air conditioner including an outdoor unit provided with an outdoor unit, the method comprising:
collecting weather information;
identifying the outdoor humidity in a set time zone with the collected weather information;
Control method of an air conditioner comprising the step of adjusting the operation of the first evaporator and the second evaporator by comparing the average of the outdoor humidity of the set time period and the operating humidity of the second evaporator 8. The method of claim 7,
When the average of the external humidity of the set time period is higher than the operating humidity of the second evaporator,
A control method of an air conditioner in which the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve are adjusted so that both the first evaporator and the second evaporator operate. 8. The method of claim 7,
When the average of the external humidity of the set time period is lower than the operating humidity of the second evaporator,
A control method of an air conditioner in which the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve are adjusted so that only the first evaporator operates.

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