KR20050105736A - Air conditioner and method of controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to detect the length of the connection pipe in the indoor and outdoor periods to vary the cooling capacity accordingly, in the multi-air conditioner consisting of an inverter compressor, one outdoor unit having a constant speed compressor, a plurality of indoor units, The indoor unit determines a connection pipe length according to a key input unit for setting the connection pipe length of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, a storage unit for storing the connection pipe length set through the key input unit, and the number of times of input of the key input unit, Accordingly, it is configured to include an outdoor unit controller for controlling the capability of the first compressor, and since the connection pipe length of the indoor / outdoor period can be grasped, the operation frequency of the compressor can be changed according to the connection pipe length, so It is effective to optimize the heating capacity according to the installation conditions to give the user a feeling of comfort.

Description

Air conditioner and method of controlling the same

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a multi air conditioner and a method of controlling the same, in which a multi-air conditioner to which an inverter compressor is applied can vary the capacity of the compressor according to the length of an indoor / outdoor connecting pipe.

In general, air conditioners are home appliances for maintaining indoor air in a state most suitable for use and purpose. For example, in the summer, the room is cooled to a cool state, in winter, the room is heated to a warm state, and also the humidity of the room, and the air in the room to a clean state.

As life convenience products such as air conditioners are gradually expanded and used, consumers are demanding high energy use efficiency, performance improvement and convenience products.

These air conditioners are separate type air conditioners separated from indoor units and outdoor units, integrated air conditioners combined with indoor units and outdoor units as a unit, wall mounted air conditioners and frame type air conditioners configured to be mounted on a wall, and set up in a living room. Slim air conditioner configured to be able to operate, single air conditioner configured to be used in a small place such as home, composed of capacity to drive one indoor unit, and medium to large air conditioner composed of very large capacity for use in a company or restaurant The air conditioner is divided into a multi air conditioner and the like, which are configured with a capacity capable of sufficiently driving a plurality of indoor units.

Here, the separate type air conditioner is configured to be installed indoors to supply hot air or cold air into the air conditioning space, and an outdoor unit for compressing, expanding, etc. the refrigerant so that sufficient heat exchange operation can be performed in the indoor unit.

In addition, the multi-air conditioner includes a plurality of indoor units and one or more outdoor units so that sufficient hot air or cold air can be individually supplied into each air-conditioning space in a place having a plurality of air-conditioning spaces, such as a school.

However, the multi-air conditioner must have a capacity of an outdoor unit capable of driving all of the plurality of indoor units even if the plurality of indoor units are all operated at 100% output state. That is, the outdoor unit of the multi-air conditioner should have a capacity proportional to that when the plurality of indoor units are all operated at 100% output state.

Hereinafter, multi air conditioners according to the prior art will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a configuration diagram showing a refrigerant cycle of a multi-air conditioner according to the prior art, Figure 2 is a graph showing the starting mode of the compressor and the electromagnetic expansion valve (LEV).

As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-air conditioner according to the related art includes an indoor unit 30 having a plurality of indoor heat exchangers 6 and 7. 8 arranged in the room and performing cooling / heating functions, and a compressor ( 1), an accumulator (4), a four-way valve (3), an outdoor heat exchanger (5), a plurality of electromagnetic expansion valves (9-11) and an outdoor unit (20) provided with an oil separator (2).

In the multi-air conditioner according to the prior art configured as described above, the refrigerant flow in the heating operation is performed by the compressor (1). The refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure passes through the oil separator (2) and the four-way valve (3). Flow into groups 6, 7, and 8.

At this time, the refrigerant flows into the first to third indoor heat exchangers 6 to 8 of the indoor unit in which the user requests the heating mode, and the high-pressure supercooling liquid of the first to third indoor heat exchangers 6 to 8 is introduced. Discharged to the outlet.

In this case, the adjustment of the amount of refrigerant in the first to third indoor heat exchangers 6 to 8 and the interruption of the refrigerant flow are controlled by the first to third electromagnetic expansion valves LEVs 9 to 11. Such refrigerant is controlled by the first to third electromagnetic expansion valves (LEVs) 9 to 11.

Since such a refrigerant causes expansion while passing through the first to third electromagnetic expansion valves 9 to 11, the refrigerant becomes a low-drying refrigerant having a low temperature and low pressure and flows to the outdoor heat exchanger 5 in the outdoor unit 20.

Then, when passing through the outdoor heat exchanger (5) becomes a low temperature gas passes through the four-way valve (3) and the accumulator (4) and then flows into the compressor (1).

In this way, during the heating operation, the operating frequency of the compressor 1 is the difference between the capacity of the indoor indoor unit, the temperature of the indoor intake air temperature TH4 and the temperature set by the user by remote control by the remote controller, and the temperature of the outdoor unit 2 ( TH5), discharge pressure P, discharge temperature TH6, and the like.

The operation at the time of heating operation is the opening degree adjustment of the said 1st-3rd electromagnetic expansion valves 9-11 of an indoor unit, The 1st-3rd indoor heat exchanger 6-8 at the temperature which converted discharge pressure into saturation temperature, Is controlled by the degree of subcooling which is a difference from the outlet side temperature TH1.

However, the multi-air conditioner according to the prior art operates the compressor at an operating frequency set according to the standard pipe length of the product regardless of the length of the connecting pipe, so that if the length of the connecting pipe is short, it is overheated according to the over capacity. There was a problem causing discomfort to the user.

In addition, when the length of the connection pipe is long, there is another problem causing the user uncomfortable because it does not sufficiently satisfy the cooling and heating ability according to the low capacity.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to detect the length of the connection pipe in the indoor and outdoor periods and to vary the cooling capability accordingly.

The multi-air conditioner according to the present invention for achieving the above object is one outdoor unit having an inverter compressor, a constant speed compressor, a multi-air conditioner composed of a plurality of indoor units, the indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit and the indoor unit piping A key input unit for setting the length, a storage unit for storing the connection pipe length set through the key input unit, and a connection pipe length according to the number of times of input of the key input unit, thereby determining the capability of the first compressor. It is configured to include an outdoor unit control unit for controlling.

Preferably, the key input unit is composed of a tact switch.

More preferably, the storage unit is composed of a nonvolatile memory.

More preferably, it further comprises a display unit for displaying the pipe length set through the key input unit is characterized in that.

A control method of a multi-air conditioner according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a control method of a multi-air conditioner composed of one outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units having an inverter compressor, connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. Detecting and storing the length of the connection pipe; and controlling the operation of the compressor by determining an operating frequency of the inverter compressor according to the length of the stored connection pipe if the user is an operating condition of the inverter compressor. There is a characteristic.

Preferably, the step of sensing and storing the length of the connection pipe comprises the step of detecting the length of the connection pipe according to the input frequency of a separate switch for setting the connection pipe, and storing the connection pipe length when the connection pipe length is set. .

More preferably, controlling the operation of the compressor according to the length of the connection pipe, if the compressor is the operating condition extracting the length of the stored connection pipe, calculating the ratio with the pre-stored standard pipe length, and the calculated It is characterized by the step of varying the operating frequency of the compressor according to the ratio.

Hereinafter, a multi-air conditioner and a control method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a view showing an installation state of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a control unit of the indoor unit control shown in FIG. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration, Figure 5 is a view showing a refrigerant cycle of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention, Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a flow chart showing a control method of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention is for controlling six rooms using two distributors, and is connected to the outdoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 100, and includes a plurality of first and second air conditioners. A distributor 200 composed of second distributors 201 and 202, and an outdoor unit 300 composed of first to sixth indoor units 301 to 306 provided in each chamber.

At this time, the outdoor unit 100 and the first and second distributors 201 and 202 are connected to the main pipe P1 of the outdoor unit 100, and the first distributor 201 and the first to third indoor units are connected. 301, 302, and 303 are connected to the first, second, and third pipes P2, P3, and P4, respectively, and the second distributor 202 and the fourth to sixth indoor units 304, 305, and 306 are connected to each other. Are connected to the fourth, fifth and sixth pipes P5, P6 and P7, respectively.

In addition, the outdoor unit 100 includes an inverter compressor, a constant speed compressor, an accumulator, a quadrilateral, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor fan, and the like, and an outdoor controller 111 for controlling them, and the first and second distributors 201. , 202 is provided with electronic expansion valves for depressurizing and expanding the refrigerant and distribution controllers 211 and 212 for controlling the distribution of the refrigerant. The first to sixth indoor units 301 to 306 have an indoor heat exchanger. An indoor fan and the like are provided with first to sixth indoor unit controllers 311 to 316 for controlling them.

When the user inputs a key for operating the air conditioner (cooling), the control unit of the indoor unit selected from one or more of the first to sixth indoor units 301 to 306 selects the desired temperature, the current room temperature, the desired air volume, After collecting data on the capacity and the like, the data is sent to the outdoor controller 111. The outdoor controller 111 examines additional data such as the outdoor temperature to calculate the total load for the operation of the selected indoor units. Is sent to the dispensing controllers 122, 130, and on the other hand drives compressors based thereon.

At this time, the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention will be described for example the refrigerant cycle of the three-room type in which three indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit.

As shown in FIG. 5, the heating operation cycle of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention includes an indoor unit 300 having one outdoor unit 100 and first to third indoor units 301, 302, and 303. And a distributor 200 connected between the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 300.

The outdoor unit 100 includes a plurality of first and second compressors 101 and 102, an accumulator 105, a four-way valve 108, an outdoor heat exchanger 106, an outdoor fan 107, and an oil separator 103. 104, and to resolve the imbalance generated between the capacities of the first and second compressors 101 and 102 and the capacities of the first to third indoor units 301, 302 and 303. It consists of a bypass valve 109 which bypasses the first and second compressors 101 and 102 inlet side.

In addition, the distributor 200 includes the first and second branches 210 and 220 and a plurality of electromagnetic expansion valves 230 and 240 and 250.

The indoor unit 300 is composed of first to third indoor units 301, 302, and 303, and each of the first to third indoor units 301, 302, and 303 is a first to third unit. An indoor heat exchanger (301a) (301b) (301c) and first to third indoor fans (301a) (301b) (301c).

The first to third indoor units 301, 302, and 303 may include first to third indoor unit controllers 310, 320, and 330, and the outdoor unit 300 may include the first to third indoor units. An outdoor unit controller 510 which communicates with the third indoor unit controllers 310, 320, 330, and outputs a control signal according to the indoor unit capacity detection and the outdoor temperature detected by the outdoor temperature sensor 560, and the outdoor unit It is composed of a bypass valve 109, a 1/2 compressor (101) 102, a four-way valve 108, an outdoor fan (107) driven in accordance with the control signal of the controller 510.

The four-sided 108 is a device for changing the flow of the refrigerant flowing into or out of the compressors according to each operation mode when the air conditioner is operated in the cooling or heating operation, in the case of the cooling operation is a solid line The refrigerant flows in and out in the direction of the arrow, and in the case of heating operation, the refrigerant flows in and out of the arrow.

Therefore, the refrigerant discharged from the first and second compressors 101 and 102 flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 106 in the case of cooling by the flow of the four sides 108, and in the case of heating. Flows into the first distributor 200.

The outdoor heat exchanger 106 is connected to the first distributor 200 through an inlet pipe of the main pipe (P1 of FIG. 3), and in the case of cooling, the first and second compressors 101 and 102. From the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant discharged from the outdoor fan 107 with the help of the condenser to radiate heat, in the case of heating, serves as an evaporator to absorb the heat of the outdoor.

The distributor 200 has a first branch pipe 210 and a second branch pipe 220 therein, the first branch pipe 210 for joining the refrigerant passing through each indoor unit into one place. The second branch pipe 220 is a pipe for distributing the refrigerant introduced through the inlet pipe of the main pipe to each indoor unit (in the case of heating, the reverse operation).

Left. The first, second and third electromagnetic expansion valves 230, 240, and 250 are respectively installed in the inlet pipes of the first, second, and third pipes. It is a device for converting into a low pressure refrigerant.

The refrigerant expanded under reduced pressure by the first to third electromagnetic expansion valves 230, 240, and 250 is first to third indoor heat exchangers 301 and 302 through an inlet pipe of the first to third pipes. 303, the refrigerant exchanged through the first to third indoor heat exchangers (301, 302, 303) and heat exchanged through the outlet pipes of the first to third pipes (210). Inflow).

In the multi air conditioner configured as described above, a control configuration of the multi air conditioner according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The multi-air conditioner according to the present invention is intended to vary the capacity of the compressor according to the length of the connection pipe connected between the indoor units (301 to 303) and the outdoor unit (100), the indoor unit 301 has a control configuration as shown in FIG. It is configured to include.

That is, an indoor unit for outputting a control signal to the outdoor unit controller 111 so that the compressor capability can be changed according to the key input unit 401 for setting the length of the connection pipe and the connection pipe detected through the key input unit 401. A control unit 311, a storage unit 403 for storing the detected connection pipe length and a standard pipe length, and a display unit for displaying the set length of the connection pipe according to a control signal of the indoor unit controller 311. 404.

In addition, since the key input unit 401 is configured as a tact switch, the display unit 404 is displayed in increments of 1m as the user inputs the connection once for the connection piping.

At this time, if the length of the connection pipe displayed on the display unit 404 exceeds the preset maximum pipe length, the reset (reset) and start again from the beginning, the length of the connection pipe set in the storage unit 403 Save it.

Then, the indoor unit controller 311 corrects and operates an operating frequency of the compressor according to a length ratio between the set length of the connection pipe and the length of the standard pipe pre-stored in the storage unit 403.

The control method of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 6. First, when a user inputs a key for setting a connection pipe length, the counter increases according to the number of key inputs input by the user ( S101 to S102).

Subsequently, it is determined whether the input frequency is the maximum (S).

If the input frequency is the maximum, the input frequency is initialized (S104).

Subsequently, the number of inputs is displayed, and when the input time exceeds the preset time, the number of inputs is stored (S105 to S107). At this time, the length of the connection pipe is determined according to the number of inputs.

In addition, when the length of the connection pipe is determined as described above, the operating frequency of the compressor is determined to control the operating frequency.

That is, referring to FIG. 7, if the compressor is in an operating condition, the stored connection pipe length is read (S201 to S202).

Then, the operation frequency is corrected according to the ratio between the read length of the connection pipe and the pre-stored standard connection pipe length, thereby controlling the operation of the compressor (S203).

Finally, when the user inputs the power off command, the process ends (S204).

Therefore, when the length of the connecting pipe is short, the capacity of the compressor is reduced, and when the length of the connecting pipe is long, the capacity of the compressor is greatly changed.

As described above, the multi-air conditioner and its control method according to the present invention have the following effects.

First, since the length of the connection pipe of the indoor / outdoor period can be grasped, the operation frequency of the compressor can be varied depending on the length of the connection pipe.

Second, by varying the compressor capacity according to the length of the connection pipe can optimize the cooling / heating capacity according to the installation conditions to give the user a feeling of comfort.

Third, the reliability of the product can be improved because the cooling / heating ability can be optimized.

1 is a view showing a refrigerant cycle of a multi-air conditioner according to the prior art

2 is a view showing the installation state of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention

3 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the multi-air conditioner shown in FIG.

4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the indoor unit controller shown in FIG.

5 is a view showing a refrigerant cycle of the multi-air conditioner according to the present invention

6 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of a multi air conditioner according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

100: outdoor unit 101: first compressor

102: second compressor 103, 104: oil separator

105: accumulator 106: outdoor heat exchanger

107: outdoor fan 108: four sides

109: bypass valve 111: outdoor unit control unit

200: divider 201: first divider

202: second divider 210: first branch

211: first divider control unit

212: second divider control unit

220: second branch 230, 240, 250: electromagnetic expansion valve (LEV)

300: indoor unit

301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306: 1st to 6th indoor unit

311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316: 1st to 6th indoor unit controller

301a, 302a, 303a: first to third indoor heat exchanger

301b, 302b, and 303b: first to third indoor fans

401: key input unit 403: storage unit

404: display unit

Claims (7)

In an outdoor unit having an inverter compressor and a constant speed compressor, and a multi air conditioner composed of a plurality of indoor units, The indoor unit A key input unit for setting a connection pipe length of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit; A storage unit for storing the connection pipe length set through the key input unit; And, And an indoor unit controller for determining the length of the connection pipe according to the number of times of input of the key input unit and controlling the capability of the first compressor accordingly. The method of claim 1, The key input unit is a multi air conditioner, characterized in that consisting of a tact switch. The method of claim 1, And the storage unit comprises a nonvolatile memory. The method of claim 1, And a display unit for displaying the pipe length set through the key input unit. In the control method of a multi-air conditioner composed of one outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units having an inverter compressor, Sensing and storing a length of a connection pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit; And, And controlling the operation of the compressor by determining an operation frequency of the inverter compressor according to the length of the stored connection pipe if the user is an operating condition of the inverter compressor. The method of claim 5, Detecting and storing the length of the connection pipe The control method of the multi-air conditioner, characterized in that the step of detecting the length of the connection pipe according to the input frequency of the separate switch for setting the connection pipe, and storing the connection pipe length is set. The method of claim 5, Controlling the compressor drive in accordance with the length of the connection pipe If the compressor is in an operating condition, extracting the length of the stored connection pipe and calculating a ratio with the previously stored standard pipe length; And controlling the operating frequency of the compressor according to the calculated ratio.