KR20100092192A - Air conditioner and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An air conditioner with an emergency power source and a control method thereof are provided to prevent the degradation of operation efficiency and the damage of an instrument by preventing refrigerant from being flowed into a non-operating indoor unit. CONSTITUTION: An air conditioner comprises a plurality of indoor units(30), an outdoor unit(20), and auxiliary power sources(40). The outdoor unit supplies refrigerant to the indoor units, transmits and receives data using communications lines(80). The auxiliary power sources are respectively connected to the indoor units and if a main power source supplied to at least one of the indoor units has a problem, the auxiliary power source supplies an emergency power source to the indoor unit using the power component contained in the communications lines. The indoor unit comprises a main power supply, a driving unit, and a controller. The main power supply changes the common power supply to supply the main power supply for operation. According to the control command of the controller, the driving unit controls the closing and opening of a valve and the operation of an indoor fan.

Description

Air conditioner with emergency power and control method thereof

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an air conditioner having an emergency power source for preventing the introduction of refrigerant by using an emergency power source when an electric power supplied to an indoor unit is cut off. .

The air conditioner is installed to provide a more comfortable indoor environment for humans by discharging cold air into the room to adjust the indoor temperature and purifying the indoor air to create a comfortable indoor environment. In general, an air conditioner includes an indoor unit which is configured as a heat exchanger and installed indoors, and an outdoor unit which is configured as a compressor and a heat exchanger and supplies refrigerant to the indoor unit.

The air conditioner is separated and controlled by an indoor unit composed of a heat exchanger and an outdoor unit composed of a compressor and a heat exchanger, and is operated by controlling power supplied to the compressor or the heat exchanger. In addition, the air conditioner may be connected to at least one indoor unit to the outdoor unit, the refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit according to the requested operating state, the operation is operated in the cooling or heating mode.

The air conditioner can be classified into a dedicated air conditioner used only for cooling, and a heat pump type air conditioner that can be used for both cooling and heating.In recent years, a multi-type air conditioner in which a plurality of outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units are connected in series Groups are widely used.

Such an air conditioner may be provided with different paths of power supplied to each of the plurality of outdoor units and the plurality of indoor units, depending on the installation position.

In this case, when an abnormality occurs in power supply to some indoor units, the indoor unit may not be terminated normally and the refrigerant may be introduced into the indoor unit which is not operated because the power supply is cut off before the refrigerant is blocked. The problem that the outdoor unit is damaged may occur.

For example, some indoor units are stopped due to a power failure or a short circuit, and when other indoor units or outdoor units are normally operated, refrigerant flows into an indoor unit that is not operated, thereby lowering the pressure of the refrigerant, thereby lowering compressor efficiency. The compressor or motor of the outdoor unit is burned out.

An object of the present invention is when the indoor unit is stopped using the emergency power while the other indoor unit or the outdoor unit is normally operated when some indoor unit of the plurality of indoor unit is stopped because the power supplied to the indoor unit is abnormal or the power is cut off. It is to provide an air conditioner and a control method provided with an emergency power source to prevent the refrigerant from flowing into the indoor unit is stopped by operation, thereby preventing the air conditioner from being burned.

An air conditioner equipped with an emergency power source according to the present invention is individually connected to a plurality of indoor units, an outdoor unit for supplying refrigerant to the plurality of indoor units, and transmitting and receiving data using a connected communication line, and the plurality of indoor units, respectively. When there is an abnormality in the main power supplied to at least one indoor unit of the indoor unit, the auxiliary power supply for supplying emergency power to the indoor unit by using the power component included in the communication line.

In addition, the control method of the air conditioner according to the present invention is supplied with the main power, the indoor unit to operate in response to the set operation mode, during operation, the step of sensing the signal according to the emergency power supply, from the auxiliary power supply Using the emergency power supplied, the step of performing the emergency operation by at least one of the operation termination, operation mode change and operation maintenance according to the emergency operation setting, and during the emergency operation, the information on the abnormal and emergency operation of the main power supply And transmitting the collected data to the outdoor unit.

The air conditioner and control method provided with the emergency power according to the present invention constituted as described above, when an abnormality occurs in the power supplied to the indoor unit or the power is cut off, the indoor unit operates by supplying the emergency power to the indoor unit. Or to shut down normally, preventing unnecessary refrigerant from flowing into the indoor unit that is not operated and preventing other indoor or outdoor units from being affected by the pressure drop or load fluctuation of the refrigerant, thereby preventing deterioration of operating efficiency and damage to the equipment. It is effective.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner of the present invention includes a plurality of units such as an indoor unit 30 for discharging cold air into the room and an outdoor unit 20 connected to the indoor unit. The air conditioner may further include a local controller (not shown) connected to the indoor unit 30 to input an operation command to the indoor unit 30 or a remote controller (not shown) connected to a plurality of units to control and monitor the operation thereof. have. Here, the unit included in the air conditioner will be described with an example that the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is provided, but may further include a unit such as an air cleaning unit, a ventilation unit, a humidification unit, a dehumidification unit, a heater.

In addition, the air conditioner of the present invention will be described as an example of a system air conditioner, it is specified that only one example of the air conditioner can be applied to the stand type or wall-mounted type when a plurality of indoor units are connected.

At least one indoor unit (30, 31 to 33) is installed in the indoor space, and discharges cold air. The indoor unit 30 controls an indoor heat exchanger (not shown), an indoor unit fan (not shown), an expansion valve (not shown) in which refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit is expanded, a plurality of sensors (not shown), and an operation of the indoor unit. The control unit may further include an input unit for inputting a user command and an output unit for displaying an operation state.

The outdoor unit 20 includes a compressor, a heat exchanger, and the like, and compresses or heat exchanges the refrigerant to supply the refrigerant to the indoor unit according to the operating condition of the air conditioner. The outdoor unit may be connected to a plurality of indoor units, and in some cases, the outdoor units may be connected to a plurality of indoor units and may supply a refrigerant to an indoor unit to which each outdoor unit is connected, or a plurality of outdoor units may supply refrigerant to a plurality of indoor units. When the plurality of outdoor units supply the refrigerant to the plurality of indoor units, the air conditioner may further include a distributor (not shown), and the refrigerant of the outdoor unit is transferred to each indoor unit through the distributor.

The outdoor unit 20 is driven by the request of at least one of the plurality of indoor units 31 to 36, and as the cooling / heating capacity is changed in response to the driven indoor unit, the number of operation of the outdoor unit and the number of operation of the compressor installed in the outdoor unit Is variable.

The outdoor unit 20 is a compressor (not shown) for receiving and compressing a refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) for exchanging refrigerant and outdoor air, an outdoor fan (not shown), and extracting a gaseous refrigerant from the supplied refrigerant to the compressor. It includes an accumulator (not shown) to supply and a four-way valve (not shown) which selects the flow path of the refrigerant according to a heating operation. The apparatus may further include a pressure sensor measuring a pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor and a pressure of the refrigerant supplied to the compressor, and a temperature sensor connected to the refrigerant pipe to measure the temperature of the refrigerant. In addition, a plurality of sensors, valves and oil recovery devices, etc. are further included, but a description thereof will be omitted below.

The local controller connected to the indoor unit is connected to the indoor unit 30 to display an operating state of the connected indoor unit and transmit a control command corresponding to the input data to the indoor unit. At this time, the local controller may be connected to the indoor unit by wire or wirelessly, one-way or two-way communication is possible according to the communication method. In addition, the remote controller is connected to a plurality of units not only to control the operation, but also set the operation schedule of each unit and controls to operate according to the set schedule.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the first to third indoor units 31 to 33 are connected to an outdoor unit, and are connected to a power supply unit 12 that supplies power distributed from the power source 11 to an operating power source. To be supplied. The first to third indoor units 31 to 33 are connected not only to the refrigerant pipe 70 but also to the communication line 80.

In addition, as shown in (b) of FIG. 1, the outdoor unit 20 and the plurality of indoor units 30 may be operated by the same power source or may be operated by different power sources, depending on the location or installation form. The first to sixth indoor units (I) are connected to the outdoor unit (20) and the refrigerant pipe (70) to receive the refrigerant and perform cooling or heating operations according to the flow of the refrigerant, respectively, the outdoor unit (20) and the communication line (80) It is connected to transmit and receive data according to a predetermined communication method.

For example, the first indoor units to the third indoor units 31 to 33 are connected to the same power line 11 as the outdoor unit 20 and operated by receiving power from the first power supply unit 12, and the fourth to sixth indoor units. The indoor units 34 to 36 are connected to a power source line 13 different from the outdoor unit 20 and operated by a power source supplied from the second power source unit 14.

In this case, the first power supply device 12 and the second power supply device 14 are connected to different commercial power supply lines, respectively, and distribute power from each power supply line to the outdoor unit or the indoor unit. At this time, the power supplied from the first and second power supply devices 12 and 14 to the air conditioner is a commercial power of three phases. Even if an abnormality occurs in the first power supply 12 or a power failure, the second power supply 14 operates separately from the first power supply 12 and does not affect each other.

The first to sixth indoor units 31 to 36 and the outdoor unit 20 are connected to the auxiliary power supply 40, respectively. At this time, the auxiliary power supply 40 is connected to the communication line between the outdoor unit and the indoor period, so that each outdoor unit or It is connected to the indoor unit. The communication line 80 is connected regardless of the power connection of the first to sixth indoor units 31 to 36.

At this time, when the main power supplied to any one of the first to sixth indoor units 31 to 36 and the outdoor unit 20 is cut off, the auxiliary power supply 40 is connected to the indoor unit or the outdoor unit using the power flowing through the communication line 80. Supply emergency power.

That is, when the power supplied to at least one indoor unit of the first to sixth indoor units 31 to 36 is cut off by a cause such as a power failure, an abnormal power supply device, or an abnormal power line, the auxiliary power supply device 40 connected to the indoor unit ) Separates the power components from the communication line and supplies emergency power. The auxiliary power supply 40 supplies emergency power to the indoor unit in at least one of when the main power supplied to the indoor unit is cut off, when the main power line is disconnected, or when the main power line is cut off.

In particular, when the indoor unit or the outdoor unit is in a state in which power is normally supplied and operated, the indoor unit in which the power is cut off is operated by using the emergency power supplied from the auxiliary power supply 40 even if the main power is cut off, or terminates the operation normally. do. At this time, the indoor unit may transmit data on the operation termination due to power failure to the outdoor unit 20 at the end of operation.

2 is a view referred to for explaining the configuration of the indoor unit and the auxiliary power supply of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the indoor unit 30 includes an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan, and an expansion valve, and includes a main power supply unit 120, a communication unit 9170, a driving unit 130, an input unit 140, an output unit 150, and data. The unit 160, the communication unit 70, and the controller 110 for controlling the overall indoor unit operation.

In addition, at least one temperature sensor for detecting a temperature includes a temperature of air sucked into or discharged into the indoor unit, a pipe temperature of the refrigerant sucked into the indoor heat exchanger, and a pipe temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger to detect the controller 110. Is applied. In addition, at least one pressure sensor for detecting a pressure is included, such as the pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchanger, the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger, and detects the pressure of the refrigerant pipe and applies it to the controller 110.

The main power supply unit 120 rectifies and smoothes the commercial power supplied from the power supply device 12 to supply operation power required for each configuration of the air conditioner. The main power supply unit 120 supplies power not only to the control unit 110 but also to a valve, a motor, an output unit, and an input unit requiring an operation power, and each configuration is not required to use the operation power as it is. Or it can be converted and used according to the size.

In addition, the main power supply unit 120 detects the power factor of the three-phase commercial power supply to detect whether or not the abnormal power supply.

The driver 130 controls at least one valve including an indoor fan and an expansion valve in response to a control command of the controller 110. That is, the drive unit 130 controls the driving by controlling the voltage or current applied to the motor for rotating the indoor fan and applying an operation command, and controls whether the expansion valve is opened or closed. In particular, when the valve control command according to the emergency operation is input by the controller 110, the valve is closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing from the outside.

The input unit 140 may include at least one switch, a button, or may be configured as a touch key capable of a touch operation, a touch pad, or a touch screen, and may receive data through a button operation or a touch input. The input unit 200 receives data on an operation setting, an operation mode, and the like of the air conditioner, and applies the data to the controller 110.

The output unit 150 outputs a menu screen of the indoor unit for data input by the input unit 140, and outputs data input through the input unit 140 and data received from another indoor unit or outdoor unit through the communication unit 170. . In addition, the output unit 150 outputs an operation state or error information as the air conditioner is operated in response to a control command of the controller 110.

The output unit 150 includes display means for outputting letters, numbers, or images, and sound output means for outputting predetermined sounds such as effect sounds, warning sounds, and voice guidance; At least one of the. At this time, the display means is located so that the user can easily check the display content, such as the front of the indoor unit body, the top of the front panel, the bottom of the upper discharge port.

The data unit 160 stores control data used for driving the indoor unit, menu screen data output through the output unit 150, sound effect data, driving state data of the indoor unit, and data received from the outdoor unit 20 or another indoor unit. .

The communication unit 170 transmits / receives data with other units such as the outdoor unit 20, another indoor unit, or a local controller according to a predetermined communication scheme in response to a control command of the controller 110. In this case, the communication unit 170 may include at least one communication module having a different communication method, and may transmit and receive data using different communication methods for communication with the outdoor unit and the indoor unit and communication with the local controller, respectively.

In particular, the communication unit 170 has a communication line 80 connected to the outdoor unit 30 and the other indoor unit 30 is connected to the auxiliary power supply 40, and is connected to the auxiliary power supply 40, the outdoor unit 20, Receive data from another indoor unit.

At this time, although the communication unit 170 is connected to the communication line 80 through the auxiliary power supply 40, the auxiliary power supply 40 does not participate in the data transmitted and received, and thus the data may be transmitted regardless of the auxiliary power supply 40. Send and receive

The controller 110 allows the bet to operate in a designated mode in response to the operation mode or setting input through the input unit 140, and requests the outdoor unit to be driven through the communication unit 170.

The controller 110 controls the input / output of the data through the input unit 140, the output unit 150, and the communication unit 170, and applies a control command so that each component performs a specified operation. The control unit 110 applies a control command to the driving unit 130 to operate the indoor fan, the indoor heat exchanger, and the valve according to the setting, and not only allows the input data to be stored in the data unit 160, but also operates the indoor unit. Status or error information is controlled to be output through the output unit 150.

The controller 110 is operated by receiving operation power of a predetermined size from the main power supply unit 120 in a normal operation state. It is operated by receiving power. At this time, the control unit 110 is supplied with emergency power from the auxiliary power supply 40 through the second connection line 92, the power supply is not selected by the control unit 110, the main power supply by the auxiliary power supply 40 In case of power failure, the auxiliary power supply will be supplied immediately.

The controller 110 detects that emergency power is supplied through the third connection line 93 connected to the auxiliary power supply 40.

When the emergency power is supplied from the auxiliary power supply 40, the controller 110 stores the information on the last operation setting in the data unit 160 and stores the data on the abnormality of the main power through the communication unit 70. To be transmitted to the outdoor unit 20.

In addition, the control unit 110 applies a control command to the drive unit 130 so that the coolant supplied from the outdoor unit is blocked so that the coolant does not flow into the indoor unit, so that the valve is closed by the drive unit 130, and then ends the operation. do.

In some cases, when the emergency power is supplied, the controller 110 may maintain the existing operation using the emergency power, or operate the indoor unit by switching the operation mode or the standby mode or the blowing mode.

When the operation is terminated or the operation mode is changed, the controller 110 transmits data according to the operation termination or the operation mode change to the outdoor unit 20.

The indoor unit 30 may control the operation of the indoor unit by using the emergency power of the auxiliary power supply 40 as described above, thereby maintaining or changing the operation or terminating the operation without emergency stop.

The auxiliary power supply 40 is connected to each of the outdoor unit 20 or the indoor unit 30, and when an abnormality occurs in the main power supplied to each unit, supply the emergency power to the unit having an abnormality in the main power supply.

The auxiliary power supply 40 is connected to the communication line 80 for data transmission and reception between the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30, and separates the power flowing through the communication line 80 to supply emergency power. Accordingly, as described above, the auxiliary power supply 40 is not involved in the flow of data and is connected to the communication unit 170 so that the data is applied to the communication unit 170.

The auxiliary power supply 40 is connected to the main power supply unit 120 and the control unit 110 of the indoor unit 30, and if there is an abnormality in the main power supplied to the control unit 110 through the main power supply unit 120, the auxiliary power supply immediately It is supplied to the control unit 110.

Here, in the auxiliary power supply 40, the first connection line 91 is connected to the main power supply unit 120, the second connection line 92 is connected to the main power supply unit 120 and the control unit 110, and the third connection line ( 93 is connected to the controller 110. At this time, the first connection line 91 is grounded, the auxiliary power supply 40 detects an abnormality of the main power supply through the second connection line 92, and supplies emergency power to the indoor unit 30, and the third connection line Inform the indoor unit 30 that emergency power is supplied through 93.

3 is a view referred to explain another configuration of the indoor unit and the auxiliary power supply of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Another embodiment of the indoor unit and the auxiliary power supply is an external type in which the communication unit is provided outside the indoor unit, as shown in FIG. 3, and is provided in the auxiliary power supply.

The indoor unit includes a main power supply unit 1200, a control unit 110, a driving unit 130, an input unit 140, an output unit 1550, and a data unit 170, and is connected to a communication unit 40b provided externally ( 180) further.

In this case, the other embodiment of the indoor unit and the auxiliary power supply device used the same name and the same reference numerals for the same configuration as the indoor unit of FIG. 2 described above, a description thereof will be omitted below.

The connection unit 180 is connected to the communication unit 40b provided externally, receives data from the communication unit, applies the data to the control unit 110, and transmits data to be transmitted to the communication unit 40b in response to a control command of the control unit 110. do.

The auxiliary power supply 40 includes an auxiliary power supply 40a and a communication unit 40b, and a communication line 80 is connected to the auxiliary power supply 40a and the communication unit 40b, respectively.

The auxiliary power supply 40a supplies emergency power to the indoor unit by using the power component of the communication line 80, and the communication unit 40b extracts the data component of the communication line 80 so that the received data is applied to the indoor unit. Allow data to be transmitted over communication line 80. In some cases, the auxiliary power supply 40 may further include a power extraction unit that separates the power component and the data component of the communication line 80.

The auxiliary power supply 40a is connected to the main power supply unit 120 and the control unit 110 of the indoor unit, and if there is an error in the main power supplied to the control unit 110 through the main power supply unit 120, the secondary power supply is immediately controlled. Supply to (110).

As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary power supply 40a has a first connection line 91 connected to the main power supply unit 120, and a first connection line 92 connected to the main power supply unit 120 and the control unit 110. The third connection line 93 is connected to the controller 110.

4 is a view referred to for explaining the configuration of the auxiliary power supply of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the auxiliary power supply unit 40 includes an auxiliary power supply unit 41, a voltage distribution unit 42, and a power control unit 43. In this case, in another embodiment of the auxiliary power supply of FIG. 2 described above, the auxiliary power supply 41, the voltage distribution unit 42, and the power adjusting unit 43 are included in the auxiliary power supply 40a.

The auxiliary power supply 41 separates the power component from the communication line 80, and transmits the data component to the communication unit 170 of the indoor unit. At this time, the communication line 80 includes a power source component of 40V to 220V, depending on the communication method.

The auxiliary power unit 41 includes a switching mode power supply (SMPS), and changes the input AC power to DC power, converts DC power to AC power, and converts the AC power into a specific voltage to be used using a high frequency transformer. After converting the magnitude of the voltage, it is rectified again to generate a DC power of a certain magnitude.

The auxiliary power supply 41 has a third port (P3) is connected to the voltage distribution unit 42, the fourth port (P4) is connected to the power regulator 43, respectively, to supply the generated DC power of a predetermined size do. At this time, the auxiliary power supply 41 generates the emergency power with a voltage of 0.5V to 2V lower than the voltage of the main power supply of the main power supply.

The voltage divider 42 is connected to the first port P1 of the main power supply unit 120 with the first connection line 91 and is grounded. In addition, the voltage divider 42 is connected to the sixth port P6 of the controller 110 through the third connection line 93.

One end of the power control unit 43 is connected to the voltage distribution unit 42 connected to the auxiliary power supply unit 41, and is connected to the second port P2 of the main power supply unit with a second connection line. 5 port (P5) is connected.

At this time, as described above, the main power supply unit 120 is connected to the power control unit 43 at the same time as the second port (P2) is connected to the control unit 110, other components of the control unit or the indoor unit in the main power supply unit 120 The voltage applied to is a DC voltage of about 12V, and the voltage applied from the auxiliary power supply 41 to the power regulation 43 is less than 12V, which is about 11V.

When a voltage of 12 V is applied from the main power supply unit 120 to the control unit, the power adjusting unit 43 has a voltage of 11 V at the side of the main power supply unit 120 and is lower than that of the main power supply unit 120. The power of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 is not supplied to the control unit 110.

If the power control unit 43 does not supply power from the main power supply unit 120 to the control unit 110, the voltage of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 is higher, so that the power of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 is supplied to the control unit 110. do.

The power control unit 43 immediately supplies the power of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 when the main power supply unit 120 is cut off, so that the control unit 110 is continuously operated by receiving the emergency power of the auxiliary power supply unit 41. .

In addition, the power control loop 43 blocks the power supply of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 when the power of the main power supply unit 120 is normally returned to the control unit 110.

At this time, the voltage divider 42 divides the power output from the auxiliary power source 11 and applies the voltage to the controller 110 so that the emergency power is supplied to the controller 110.

The voltage divider 42 includes a plurality of resistors and diodes.

For example, the voltage divider 42 includes a first resistor R1, a second resistor R2, and a zener diode Z1 to adjust the magnitude of the voltage of the power output from the auxiliary power supply 41. .

One end of the first resistor R1 is connected to the fourth port P4 and the power regulator 43 of the auxiliary power supply 41, and the other end thereof is connected to the second resistor R2 and the zener diode Z1.

One end of the second resistor R2 is connected to the first resistor R1 as described above, and the other end thereof is connected to the third port P3 and the control diode Z1 of the auxiliary power supply 41.

The control diode Z1 is connected in parallel to the second resistor R2, and one end thereof is connected to the third port P3 of the auxiliary power supply 41 and simultaneously connected to the main power supply 120 through the first connection line 91. And grounded. The zener diode Z1 is connected to the sixth port P6 of the controller 110 through the third connection line 93 while the other end thereof is connected to the first resistor.

The voltage divider 42 divides the power output from the auxiliary power supply 41 according to the ratio of the resistance magnitudes of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2, and a voltage having a predetermined magnitude is applied to the controller 110. In this case, the emergency power is supplied to the control unit 110.

The power control unit 43 includes at least one diode, one end of which is connected to the fourth port P4 and the first resistor R1 of the auxiliary power unit 41, and the other end of which is connected to the second connection line 92. It is connected to the second port P2 of the main power supply unit 120 and the fifth port P5 (Vcc) of the control unit 110.

Power control unit 43 is a positive electrode (anode) is connected to the auxiliary power supply 41 and the voltage distribution unit 42, the cathode (cathode) is connected to the main power supply 120 and the control unit 110, the characteristics of the diode Accordingly, the reverse flow is blocked so that the power of the main power supply unit 120 does not flow to the auxiliary power supply unit 110, and the emergency power of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 is controlled in response to the power supply state of the main power supply unit 120. To be supplied (Vcc).

That is, when power is normally supplied from the main power supply unit 120 to the control unit 110, the voltage of the first contact point P7 is about 12V and the second contact point on the side of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 is about 11V. When the current does not flow from the positive pole of the power control unit 43 to the negative pole, but the power supply is stopped from the main power supply unit 120, the voltage of the positive pole is higher than the voltage of the negative pole according to the voltage difference, the auxiliary power control unit 110 ) Is supplied to the control unit 110 (Vcc).

When the emergency power of the auxiliary power supply unit 41 is supplied to the control unit 110, the control unit 110 is the main power is abnormal according to the voltage applied to the sixth port (P6) (Vcont), the emergency power is auxiliary It senses that it is supplied from the power supply 40.

Accordingly, the controller 110 maintains the operation state for a predetermined time by using the emergency power, and controls the driving unit 130 to close the valve operation and to allow the indoor unit to end the operation.

In addition, the controller 110 may control the indoor unit to operate in the changed operation mode by maintaining the operation state using the emergency power, or by switching the operation mode to the standby mode or the blowing mode. The controller 110 may transmit data according to a power failure to the outdoor unit 20, and in some cases, transmit data on emergency operation due to power failure to the outside. In particular, the controller 110 transmits the operation information to the outdoor unit 20 when the operation mode is changed or the operation is terminated.

Figure 5 is a flow chart referenced to the operation of the emergency operation method according to the emergency power supply of the indoor unit of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As the emergency power is supplied from the auxiliary power supply device 40 to the indoor unit 30 as described above, the indoor unit can end normal operation without emergency stop, and in some cases, it is operated by maintaining the operation or changing the operation mode. Operation of the indoor unit is as follows.

While the indoor unit is being operated according to the predetermined driving mode (S410), the controller 110 is operated using the main power supplied through the main power unit 120. At this time, the operating voltage Vcc of a predetermined magnitude is input through the fifth port P5 of the controller 110.

The controller 110 detects the control voltage Vcont from the sixth port P6 during operation (S420), and when the control voltage is a set value (S430), detects that an abnormality has occurred in the main power supply and assists the auxiliary voltage. It is determined that the emergency power is supplied from the power supply device 40 (S440). In some cases, the controller 110 detects that the emergency power is supplied due to a problem in the main power supply when the control voltage is a set value or more, or when the difference with the operating voltage of the fifth port P5 is greater than or equal to a certain size. can do.

As the emergency power is supplied, the controller 110 calls the emergency operation setting stored in the data unit 160 (S450).

In response to the emergency operation setting, the indoor unit performs any of operation termination, operation mode change, and operation maintenance.

When the emergency power is supplied when the operation is set to end (S460), the control unit applies a control command according to the valve and the indoor fan control to the drive unit 130. At this time, when the emergency unit does not exist the emergency operation setting according to the emergency power supply is operated by the end of the default setting.

The driving unit 130 controls the valve to be closed to block the flow of the coolant so that the coolant does not flow and the indoor fan is stopped (S470).

The controller 110 transmits data including information on an abnormal occurrence of the main power source and the operation termination of the indoor unit to the outdoor unit 20 (S480). In some cases, it may be transmitted to a remote controller or a local controller, and data may be transmitted to an external terminal through a predetermined network.

The control unit 110 allows the operation of the indoor unit to be terminated after the valve control and data transmission as described above (S490).

On the other hand, when the operation mode is set to change as the emergency power is supplied (S500), the control unit 110 changes the operation mode to the blowing mode or the standby mode (S510). At this time, the control unit 110 transmits the data indicating that the abnormal operation of the main power and the operation mode of the indoor unit is changed to the outdoor unit 20 (S520).

The controller 110 applies a control command to the driver 130 to operate the indoor unit in response to the changed driving mode. Accordingly, the driving unit 9130 controls the opening and closing of the valve in accordance with the changed operation mode, and controls the rotational speed of the indoor fan to be changed to perform the operation according to the changed operation mode (S530). For example, in the case of a change to the blowing mode, the valve is closed and the indoor fan is rotated according to the set air volume, and in the case of the standby mode, the valve is closed and the indoor fan is also stopped. Maintain the standby state.

When the operation state maintenance is set instead of the operation termination and the operation mode change, the controller 110 controls the current operation state to be maintained by using the emergency power, and transmits data according to the main power abnormality to the outdoor unit 20. (S540). If it is difficult to operate only with emergency power, the controller 110 changes the operation mode or controls the operation to be terminated.

Therefore, the air conditioner and the control method of the present invention supply emergency power to the indoor unit immediately when the supply to some indoor units of the plurality of indoor units is cut off or when an abnormality occurs in power supply, thereby maintaining an operating state or power failure. In response to the change in the operation mode of the indoor unit, it is possible to minimize the change in the room temperature due to the indoor unit operation stop.

In addition, the indoor unit does not emergency stop due to power failure, and the emergency operation is terminated normally by using the emergency power, even if the bet operation stops the refrigerant flows into the indoor unit from the outdoor unit in operation through the normal operation termination operation, It can prevent the abnormal operation of pressure and damage other operating units.

In addition, the air conditioner and the control method of the present invention can immediately supply the emergency power to the indoor unit according to the power supply abnormality of the main power supply unit through a simple circuit configuration of the auxiliary power supply without a separate sensing means, the emergency power is supplied Allow the control to detect.

As described above, the air conditioner and the control method according to the present invention have been described with reference to the illustrated drawings, but the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, and the application is within the scope of the technical idea. Can be.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a view referred to for explaining the configuration of the indoor unit and the auxiliary power supply of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention,

3 is a view referred to to explain another configuration of the indoor unit and the auxiliary power supply of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention,

4 is a view referred to for explaining the configuration of the auxiliary power supply of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation of a control method according to supplying emergency power of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols on main parts of the drawings>

11, 13: power lines 12, 14: power supply

20: outdoor unit 30, 31 to 36: indoor unit

40: auxiliary power supply 40a: power supply port

40b, 170: communication unit 41: auxiliary power supply

42: voltage divider 43: power control unit

60: power line 70: refrigerant piping

80: communication line

110: control unit 120: main power supply unit

Claims (17)

A plurality of indoor units; An outdoor unit supplying a coolant to the plurality of indoor units and transmitting and receiving data using a connected communication line; And Auxiliary power source for supplying emergency power to the indoor unit by using a power component included in the communication line, if there is an abnormality in the main power supplied to each of the plurality of indoor units, respectively, and supplied to at least one indoor unit of the plurality of indoor units An air conditioner comprising a device. The method of claim 1, The indoor unit includes a main power supply unit for supplying a main power for operation by converting commercial power; A driving unit controlling the opening and closing of the valve and the operation of the indoor fan in response to a control command of the control unit; And A control unit connected to the main power supply unit and the sub power supply device, the control unit configured to receive power from one of the main power supply unit and the sub power supply unit, and to apply a control command to the driving unit in response to a set operation mode; Air conditioner. The method of claim 2, The control unit performs an emergency operation to operate at least one of operation termination, operation mode change, and operation maintenance when the signal according to the emergency power supply from the auxiliary power supply is input, and information on the abnormality and emergency operation of the main power supply An air conditioner for transmitting the included data to the outdoor unit. The method of claim 3, wherein The control unit, when the emergency operation is set to the end of the operation, the valve is closed operation to block the refrigerant flow, and the air conditioner for applying a control command to the drive unit to stop the operation of the indoor fan. The method of claim 2, The auxiliary power supply apparatus includes: an auxiliary power supply unit configured to generate emergency power from a power component of the communication line with a voltage having a magnitude required to operate the indoor unit; A power control unit connected to the main power unit and the control unit and supplying emergency power of the auxiliary power unit to the indoor unit when the main power is cut off; And And a voltage divider for dividing the emergency power and applying a signal indicating that emergency power is supplied to the controller. The method of claim 5, One end of the power control unit is connected to the auxiliary power unit, and the other end is connected to the main power unit and the control unit, and when the main power is supplied from the main power unit to the control unit, the main power is blocked from being supplied back to the auxiliary power unit. and, And an air conditioner that immediately supplies the emergency power to the indoor unit when the voltage of the main power is lower than the voltage of the scattering power in response to the difference between the voltage of the emergency power and the voltage of the main power. The method of claim 5, The voltage divider includes a plurality of resistors, and divides the voltage of the emergency power according to a ratio of the resistance values of the plurality of resistors to apply a signal according to the emergency power supply to the controller. The method of claim 6, And the auxiliary power supply unit generates the emergency power at a voltage of 0.5V to 2V lower than the main power supply. The method of claim 6, The power control unit includes a diode, the anode of the diode is connected to the auxiliary power supply, the cathode is connected to the main power supply and the control unit, When the main power is supplied from the main power supply to the controller, when the main power is blocked from being supplied back to the auxiliary power supply, and the main power of the positive electrode is not supplied to the controller, the auxiliary power is immediately supplied to the controller. Air conditioner to supply. The method of claim 7, wherein The voltage divider includes a plurality of resistors and diodes, and divides the emergency power according to the resistance ratio of the plurality of resistors. The method of claim 2, The indoor unit is connected to the auxiliary power supply, the air conditioner further comprises a communication unit for extracting data components of the communication line to receive data, and transmits the transmission data to the outdoor unit or another indoor unit in response to a control command of the control unit. group. The method of claim 5, The auxiliary power supply further includes a communication unit for extracting a data component of the communication line and applying the received data to the indoor unit, and transmitting the transmission data input from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit or another indoor unit through the communication line, The indoor unit is connected to the auxiliary power supply, the air conditioner further comprises a connection for applying the received data to the control unit, and transmits the transmission data to the communication unit. The method of claim 1, The auxiliary power supply unit is an air conditioner for supplying emergency power to the indoor unit when at least one of when the main power supplied to the indoor unit is cut off, when the main power line is disconnected. Receiving the main power and driving the indoor unit in response to the set operation mode; During operation, the emergency power supply detects a signal according to the supply; Performing an emergency operation using at least one of an operation termination, an operation mode change, and an operation maintenance according to an emergency operation setting using an emergency power supplied from an auxiliary power supply; And And transmitting, to the outdoor unit, data including information on abnormality and emergency operation of the main power source during the emergency operation. The method of claim 14, In the emergency operation step, the closing control of the valve so that the incoming refrigerant is cut off at the end of the operation, stop the operation of the indoor fan, The control method of the air conditioner to terminate the operation after the data transmission. The method of claim 14, The emergency operation step, the control method of the air conditioner to change the operation mode to the blowing mode or the standby mode when the operation mode change setting, closing the valve to block the incoming refrigerant, and to operate in the changed operation mode. The method of claim 14, The emergency operation step, when operating maintenance setting, Driving using the emergency power supplied from the auxiliary power supply, The control method of the air conditioner to close the valve so that the incoming refrigerant is blocked when the operation is not possible by the emergency power, stop the operation of the indoor fan and end the operation.

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