KR20140122457A - An air conditioner and a controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a controlling method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner comprises a compressor; an outdoor heat exchanger in which a coolant discharged from the compressor and outdoor air exchange heat; at least one expanding device which expands the coolant which has passed through the outdoor heat exchanger; an indoor heat exchanger in which the coolant which has passed through the expanding device and the indoor air exchange heat; a fan which discharges the air of which heat is exchanged in the indoor heat exchanger to a inside space; a reheating heat exchanger which receives the coolant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger and then heats the air being discharged to the inside space; a heater which heats the air discharged to the inside space; and a control unit which selectively drives either the reheating heat exchanger or the heater.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof,

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof.

The air conditioner is a cooling / heating system that cools or heats the room through heat exchange between outdoor / indoor air and refrigerant. Such an air conditioner can control the temperature or the humidity of the room air.

1 is a block diagram of a conventional air conditioner disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1183236. Referring to FIG. 1, the air conditioner includes a compressor 100 for compressing the refrigerant into high temperature and high pressure refrigerant; An outdoor heat exchanger (200) provided in the outdoor unit (10) and performing heat exchange with the outside air; A cooling expansion valve 300 for changing the refrigerant to a low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant; An evaporator (400) and a reheater (500) provided in the indoor unit (20) and performing heat exchange with the air supply supplied to the room by the blower (21); A reheat expansion valve 600 for changing the high-pressure refrigerant into a low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant; An electric heater (700) for heating the air supplied through the evaporator (400) and the reheater (500); A humidifier 800 for humidifying air supplied through the evaporator 400 and the reheater 500; A plurality of conduits and valves CV connecting the components to form a cooling cycle or a reheat cycle; And a controller for controlling the compressor, the electric heater, the humidifier, and the valve to control cooling and reheating, humidifying and dehumidifying, and defrosting of the outdoor heat exchanger. The controller controls the plurality of valves to supply the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant generated in the compressor to the reheater, and heat the air supplied to the room by exchanging heat with the air supply in the reheater.

However, in such a conventional air conditioner, there is an advantage in that power loss consumed by the electric heater can be reduced by using the reheater and the electric heater together, but there is a problem that it is difficult to precisely control the temperature.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that is excellent in power consumption efficiency and high in temperature control precision.

An air conditioner according to one aspect includes: a compressor; An outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the compressor and outdoor air; At least one expansion device for expanding the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger; An indoor heat exchanger in which the refrigerant passing through the expansion device and the room air are heat-exchanged; A fan for discharging the heat-exchanged air from the indoor heat exchanger to the indoor space; A reheat heat exchanger which receives the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger and heats the air discharged into the indoor space; A heater for heating the air discharged into the indoor space; And a control unit for selectively operating one of the reheat heat exchanger and the heater.

An air conditioner according to another aspect comprises: a compressor; A first heat exchanger for condensing the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; A first expansion device in which a refrigerant discharged from the condenser is expanded; A second heat exchanger into which the refrigerant discharged from the first expansion device flows; A second expansion device in which the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger is expanded; A third heat exchanger into which the refrigerant discharged from the second expansion device flows; And one of the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger selectively acts as an evaporator, and the heater operates when the second heat exchanger functions as an evaporator do.

A control method of an air conditioner according to one aspect includes: receiving a set temperature; Sensing a current temperature of the room air; Comparing the temperature difference between the set temperature and the present temperature with a first reference temperature; Operating the reheat heat exchanger that receives the refrigerant directly from the outdoor heat exchanger and heats the indoor air if the temperature difference is equal to or higher than the first reference temperature; And operating the heater to directly heat the indoor air by receiving the power when the temperature difference is less than the first reference temperature and is equal to or higher than the second reference temperature.

According to the present invention, the efficiency of power consumption can be improved by using the reheat heat exchanger for heating the indoor air.

In addition, by direct heating using a heat ray not including a heat storage material, precise temperature control is possible.

In addition, by using the reheat heat exchanger and the hot wire step by step according to the difference between the control target value and the use frequency and the use time of the hot wire, it is possible to prevent breakage due to thermal stress of the hot wire.

Further, there is an advantage in terms of manufacturing cost and maintenance by simplifying the entire piping structure for selectively operating the reheat heat exchanger.

1 is a configuration diagram of a conventional air conditioner.
2 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a partial cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart of a control method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. The same or similar reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for portions having similar functions and functions.

In addition, in the entire specification, when a part is referred to as being 'connected' to another part, it may be referred to as 'indirectly connected' not only with 'directly connected' . Also, to "include" an element means that it may include other elements, rather than excluding other elements, unless specifically stated otherwise.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3, an air conditioner 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor unit 11 including a compressor 100, a first heat exchanger 200, and a first fan 210, And an indoor unit 12 including a second heat exchanger 300, a second fan 310, a third heat exchanger 400 and a heater 600. The refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 100, The second heat exchanger 300, and the third heat exchanger 400. The circulation pipe 500 may be a pipe or a pipe.

The circulation pipe 500 includes a first pipe 510 for allowing the first heat exchanger 200 and the second heat exchanger 300 to communicate with each other and a second pipe 510 for bypassing the first pipe 510, A first bypass pipe 520 for allowing the heat exchanger 200 and the second heat exchanger 300 to communicate with each other and a second piping 520 for allowing the second heat exchanger 300 and the third heat exchanger 400 to communicate with each other, And a second bypass pipe 540 for bypassing the second pipe 530 to allow the second heat exchanger 300 and the third heat exchanger 400 to communicate with each other.

On the other hand, the idea of the present invention is not limited to the separate type air conditioner, but may be an integrated type air conditioner. Hereinafter, the case of the separate type air conditioner will be described as an example.

The compressor 100 compresses the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 100 and discharges the compressed refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 200.

The first heat exchanger 200 exchanges heat between the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 100 and outdoor air. That is, the first heat exchanger 200 serves as a condenser. The first heat exchanger 200 may be referred to as an " outdoor heat exchanger ".

The first fan 210 forcibly flows air so that outdoor air passes through the first heat exchanger 200. The first fan 210 may be referred to as an 'outdoor fan'.

The second heat exchanger (300) flows the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger (200) and discharges the refrigerant to the third heat exchanger (400). The refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 200 is selectively introduced into the second heat exchanger 300 through one of the first pipe 510 and the first bypass pipe 520 . The second heat exchanger 300 may be referred to as a 'reheat heat exchanger'.

The first pipe 510 is provided with a first expansion device 512 whose opening amount can be adjusted. When the refrigerant expanded through the first expansion device 512 flows into the second heat exchanger 300, the second heat exchanger 300 may be operated as an evaporator.

The first bypass pipe 520 may be provided with a first bypass valve 522 that can selectively open or shut off the pipe. When the refrigerant having passed through the first bypass pipe 520 flows into the second heat exchanger 300 while the first bypass valve 522 is opened, Is not operated as an evaporator. The second heat exchanger 300 merely receives the refrigerant condensed in the first heat exchanger 200. That is, the second heat exchanger 300 receives a part of the outdoor heat of condensation heat.

The third heat exchanger (400) may be installed at one side of the second heat exchanger (300). The third heat exchanger (400) may be disposed in a direction parallel to the second heat exchanger (300). According to this structure, the air forcedly flowed by the second fan 310 can be heat-exchanged with the refrigerant flowing in at least one of the second heat exchanger 300 and the third heat exchanger 400 .

The third heat exchanger (400) flows the refrigerant that has passed through the second heat exchanger (300) and discharges the refrigerant to the compressor (100). That is, the third heat exchanger 400 may be connected to the second heat exchanger 300 in series. The refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger 300 is selectively introduced into the third heat exchanger 400 through one of the second pipe 530 and the second bypass pipe 540 . The third heat exchanger 300 may be referred to as an 'indoor heat exchanger'.

The second pipe 530 is provided with a second expansion device 522 whose opening amount can be adjusted. When the refrigerant expanded through the second expansion device 522 flows into the third heat exchanger 400, the third heat exchanger 400 may be operated as an evaporator.

The second bypass pipe 530 may be provided with a second bypass valve 532 that can selectively open or shut off the pipe. When the refrigerant having passed through the second bypass pipe 530 flows into the third heat exchanger 400 while the second bypass valve 532 is opened, The refrigerant passing through the second heat exchanger 300 is merely received.

The second fan 310 forcibly flows air so that the room air passes through the second heat exchanger 300 and the third heat exchanger 400. In other words, the second fan 310 causes the heat exchanged air in the indoor unit 12 to be discharged into the indoor space.

The heater 600 can heat the air discharged into the indoor space. The heater 600 may include a heating wire 610, a power supply unit 620 for supplying power to the heating wire 610, and a heater adjusting unit 630.

Unlike the conventional heater, the heat line 610 may not be surrounded by a heat storage material such as magnesium oxide. Using such a direct-heating method, the temperature can be controlled quickly and accurately, thereby improving the precision of temperature control.

The power supply unit 620 is only functionally specific. The power supply unit 620 is not particularly limited and may be the same as or separate from the power supply unit of the entire air conditioner 10.

The heater controller 630 may adjust the heating value of the heating wire 610. The heater control unit 630 may include a relay 632 or a resistance control unit 634.

The relay 632 may selectively supply or cut off the power of the power source unit 620 to the heating wire 610. According to the on / off operation of the relay 632, the calorific value of the heat ray 610 can be controlled.

The resistance adjusting unit 634 may adjust the resistance of the heating wire 610. In other words, the heat line 610 may be a variable resistor.

4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4, an air conditioner 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an input unit 710 for receiving a command related to the operation of the air conditioner 10, A memory 730 for storing information on the operation of the air conditioner 10 and an output for outputting the operation or state of the air conditioner 10, A controller 740 for controlling the operation of the air conditioner 10, and a controller 700 for controlling the operation of the air conditioner 10.

The control unit 700 receives the set temperature through the input unit 710. The set temperature may be a temperature directly input by a user or a temperature corresponding to a setting mode of the air conditioner 10 inputted by a user.

The control unit 700 compares the sensed temperature of the temperature sensing unit 720 with the set temperature to determine whether to operate the second heat exchanger 300 as a reheat heat exchanger or to determine whether the second heat exchanger 300 is operated Determines whether to use the heater (600), or determines an operation mode of the heater (600). The controller (700) selectively operates one of the reheat heat exchanger and the heater. Here, operating the reheat heat exchanger can be understood to operate the second heat exchanger 300 as a reheat heat exchanger.

When the second heat exchanger 300 is used as a reheat heat exchanger, the controller 700 controls the flow of the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 200 to the second heat exchanger 300 in a non- .

Specifically, the controller 700 closes the first expansion device 512 and opens the first bypass valve 522. [ In this case, the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger (200) flows into the second heat exchanger (300) through the first bypass pipe (520). The refrigerant condensed in the first heat exchanger 200 flows into the second heat exchanger 300 and can supply heat to the room air passing through the second heat exchanger 300. That is, a part of the outdoor heat of condensation heat can be used for heating.

At this time, the third heat exchanger 400 is used as an evaporator.

Specifically, the control unit 700 opens the second expansion device 532 at a predetermined opening amount, and blocks the second bypass valve 522. In this case, the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger (300) flows into the third heat exchanger (400) in a state of being expanded through the second pipe (530). The refrigerant flowing into the third heat exchanger (400) takes heat of the room air passing through the third heat exchanger (400) and evaporates. That is, the third heat exchanger 400 operates as an evaporator.

When the second heat exchanger 300 is not used as a reheat heat exchanger, that is, when the second heat exchanger 300 is used as an evaporator, the controller 700 controls the first heat exchanger 200 So that the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 300 in an expanded state.

Specifically, the controller 700 opens the first expansion device 512 at a predetermined opening amount, and cuts off the first bypass valve 522. In this case, the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger (200) flows into the second heat exchanger (300) in a state of being expanded through the first pipe (510). The refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanger (300) takes heat of the room air passing through the second heat exchanger (300) and evaporates. That is, the second heat exchanger 300 operates as an evaporator.

At this time, the third heat exchanger 400 may be used as a secondary evaporator.

Specifically, the controller 700 opens the second expansion device 532 at a predetermined opening amount, and blocks the second bypass valve 542. In this case, the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger (300) flows into the third heat exchanger (400) while being secondarily expanded through the second pipe (530). The refrigerant flowing into the third heat exchanger (400) takes heat of the room air passing through the third heat exchanger (400) and evaporates.

It is also possible that the third heat exchanger 400 is used as a secondary evaporator even when the second expansion device 532 and / or the second bypass valve 542 are open. The refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 300, which has not yet evaporated, may be introduced into the third heat exchanger 400 and evaporated. The present invention does not exclude this idea.

5 is a flowchart of a method of controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the air conditioner 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention receives the set temperature through the input unit 710 (S100).

The control unit 700 compares the current temperature sensed by the temperature sensing unit 720 with the preset temperature so that the difference DELTA T between the current temperature and the preset temperature is stored in the memory unit 730, It is determined whether or not it is equal to or higher than the reference temperature T1 (S105). The first reference temperature T1 is a reference temperature for operating the second heat exchanger 300 as a reheat heat exchanger. If the temperature difference? T is less than the first reference temperature T1, the current temperature and the set temperature are continuously compared.

If the temperature difference ΔT is equal to or greater than the first reference temperature T1, the reheat heat exchanger is operated (S110). Specifically, the second heat exchanger 300 is operated as a reheat heat exchanger. That is, the first expansion device 512 is shut off, the first bypass valve 522 is opened, and the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 200 is maintained in a state of not being inflated To the second heat exchanger (300). In this case, the third heat exchanger 400 may be operated as an evaporator.

After the second heat exchanger 300 is operated as a reheat heat exchanger, the controller 700 determines whether the temperature difference ΔT is less than the first reference temperature T1 (S120) The second heat exchanger 300 operates as a reheat heat exchanger until the temperature difference? T becomes less than the first reference temperature T1.

If the temperature difference? T is less than the first reference temperature T1, the operation of the reheat heat exchanger is stopped (S130). Specifically, the second heat exchanger 300 is prevented from operating as a reheat heat exchanger. That is, the first expansion device 512 is opened at a predetermined opening amount, the first bypass valve 522 is closed, the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 200 is expanded, and the second heat exchange (300). In other words, the second heat exchanger 300 is operated as an evaporator. In this case, the third heat exchanger 300 may be operated as a secondary evaporator.

The controller 700 determines whether the temperature difference ΔT is equal to or greater than a second reference temperature T2 stored in the memory unit 730 at step S135. The second reference temperature T2 is a reference temperature for determining whether the heater 600 operates. The second reference temperature T2 may be smaller than the first reference temperature T1. In other words, the present invention can be said to operate the reheat heat exchanger when the temperature difference? T is large and adjust the temperature step by step by operating the heater 600 when the temperature difference? T is small . If the temperature difference? T is less than the second reference temperature T2, the current temperature and the set temperature are continuously compared.

If the temperature difference? T is equal to or greater than the second reference temperature T2, the heater 600 is operated (S140). Specifically, the controller 700 controls the on / off time or interval of the relay 632 or adjusts the resistance controller 634 to adjust the driving time or resistance value of the heating wire 631, . As the temperature difference? T increases, the controller 700 may increase the driving time of the relay 632. In addition, as the temperature difference? T increases, the controller 700 can increase the resistance value of the heat line 631.

After the heater 600 is operated, the controller 700 determines whether the temperature difference? T is less than the second reference temperature T2 (S150) The heater 600 is operated until the second reference temperature T2 becomes less than the second reference temperature T2. As the temperature difference [Delta] T becomes smaller, the control unit 700 can reduce the driving time of the relay 632. [ Also, as the temperature difference [Delta] T becomes smaller, the controller 700 can reduce the resistance value of the heat line 631. [

If the temperature difference? T is less than the second reference temperature T2, the operation of the heater 600 is stopped (S160).

Then, the process may return to step S120. That is, the reheat heat exchanger is operated repeatedly when the temperature difference ΔT is large, and the temperature can be controlled stepwise by operating the heater 600 when the temperature difference ΔT is small. When the operation returns to step S120 instead of step S135, when a sudden temperature change occurs, the heat can be supplied by operating the reheat heat exchanger instead of increasing the temperature by adjusting the heater 600. [

According to the present invention, the efficiency of power consumption can be improved by using the reheat heat exchanger to heat the outdoor heat of condensation heat to the indoor air. In addition, by direct heating using a heat ray not including a heat storage material, precise temperature control is possible. In addition, by using the reheat heat exchanger and the hot wire step by step according to the difference between the control target value and the use frequency and the use time of the hot wire, it is possible to prevent the hot wire from being damaged by thermal stress. Further, there is an advantage in terms of manufacturing cost and maintenance by simplifying the entire piping structure for selectively operating the reheat heat exchanger.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood that various modifications and applications other than those described above are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiments of the present invention can be modified and implemented. It is to be understood that all changes and modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims (15)

compressor;
An outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant discharged from the compressor and outdoor air;
At least one expansion device for expanding the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger;
An indoor heat exchanger in which the refrigerant passing through the expansion device and the room air are heat-exchanged;
A fan for discharging the heat-exchanged air from the indoor heat exchanger to the indoor space;
A reheat heat exchanger which receives the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger and heats the air discharged into the indoor space;
A heater for heating the air discharged into the indoor space;
And a control unit for selectively operating one of the reheat heat exchanger and the heater. The method according to claim 1,
And a temperature sensing unit for measuring a current temperature of the room air,
Wherein the control unit calculates a temperature difference between a predetermined set temperature and a current temperature and stops the operation of the reheat heat exchanger when the temperature difference is less than the reference temperature to cause the heater to operate. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heater does not include a heat storage material but has a heating line for directly heating the air discharged into the indoor space. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the indoor heat exchanger and the reheat heat exchanger are connected in series. The method according to claim 1,
A first pipe connected to the outdoor heat exchanger and the reheat heat exchanger;
A first bypass pipe through which the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger bypasses the first pipe and flows into the reheat heat exchanger;
A second pipe for communicating the reheat heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger; And
And a second bypass pipe for bypassing the second pipe to allow the refrigerant discharged from the reheat heat exchanger to flow into the indoor heat exchanger. 6. The method of claim 5,
The expansion device includes:
A first expansion device provided in the first pipe; And
And a second expansion device provided in the second pipe,
Wherein,
When the reheat heat exchanger is operated, the first expansion device is opened to a set opening amount to expand the refrigerant, and the second expansion device to be shut off,
Wherein when the heater is operated, the second expansion device is opened at a predetermined opening amount to expand the refrigerant, and the first expansion device is shut off. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first bypass pipe is provided with a first bypass valve for selectively blocking the first bypass pipe,
Wherein the second bypass pipe is provided with a second bypass valve for selectively blocking the second bypass pipe,
Wherein,
When the reheat heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, the first bypass valve is shut off, the second bypass valve is opened,
Wherein when the indoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, the second bypass valve is shut off, and the first bypass valve is opened. compressor;
A first heat exchanger for condensing the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
A first expansion device in which a refrigerant discharged from the condenser is expanded;
A second heat exchanger into which the refrigerant discharged from the first expansion device flows;
A second expansion device in which the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger is expanded;
A third heat exchanger into which the refrigerant discharged from the second expansion device flows; And
And a heater for heating the air discharged into the room,
One of the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger selectively acts as an evaporator,
Wherein the heater is operated when the second heat exchanger functions as an evaporator. 9. The method of claim 8,
A first bypass pipe which bypasses the first expansion device and guides the refrigerant from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger;
A first bypass valve selectively blocking the first bypass pipe;
A second bypass pipe for bypassing the second expansion device and guiding the refrigerant from the second heat exchanger to the third heat exchanger; And
And a second bypass valve for selectively blocking the second bypass pipe. 10. The method of claim 9,
When the second heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, the first expansion device is opened at a predetermined opening amount to expand the refrigerant, the first bypass valve and the second expansion device are shut off, and the second bypass valve is opened And,
When the third heat exchanger functions as an evaporator, the second expansion device is opened at a predetermined opening amount to expand the refrigerant, the second bypass valve and the first expansion device are shut off, and the first bypass valve is opened Air conditioner. Receiving a set temperature;
Sensing a current temperature of the room air;
Comparing the temperature difference between the set temperature and the present temperature with a first reference temperature;
Operating the reheat heat exchanger that receives the refrigerant directly from the outdoor heat exchanger and heats the indoor air if the temperature difference is equal to or higher than the first reference temperature; And
And operating the heater to directly heat the indoor air by receiving power when the temperature difference is less than the first reference temperature and is equal to or higher than the second reference temperature. 12. The method of claim 11,
And the other heating means is not operated while the one of the reheat heat exchanger and the heater is operated. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the reheat heat exchanger is operated,
Closing an expansion device provided in a pipe communicating with the outdoor heat exchanger and the reheat heat exchanger; And
And opening a bypass valve provided in a bypass pipe bypassing the piping. 12. The method of claim 11,
The step of operating the heater includes:
Opening the expansion device to a predetermined opening amount; And
And shutting off the bypass valve. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the reheat heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger connected in series to the reheat heat exchanger are selectively used as an evaporator.

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