KR20160011112A - Refrigerator and control method the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a refrigerator comprises: a compressor which compresses a refrigerant; a condenser which condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor; an expansion device for evaporation to decompress the refrigerant condensed by the condenser; an evaporator to evaporate the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion device for evaporation; an expansion device for condensation, installed between the condenser and the expansion device for evaporation, to decompress the refrigerant condensed by the condenser; and an auxiliary condenser installed between the expansion device for condensation and the expansion device for evaporation, to condense the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion device for condensation.

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof,

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

Generally, a refrigerator is provided with a plurality of storage chambers for storing foodstuffs to be frozen or refrigerated, and one side of the storage chamber is opened to receive and take out the foodstuffs. The plurality of storage rooms include a freezer room for refrigerated storage of food and a refrigerated room for refrigerated storage of food.

In the refrigerator, the refrigeration system in which the refrigerant circulates is driven. The apparatus constituting the refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. In the case of a refrigeration system composed of one compressor and one condenser, the freezing or freezing / chilling simultaneous operation is controlled by a valve and a damper at the rear end of the condenser.

In this connection, the applicant has applied for a patent (Prior Patent Application No. 1997-029744).

The refrigeration system of the present invention includes a refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an expansion valve 3 and an evaporator 4. The refrigerator includes a condenser 2 and an expansion valve 3, And an auxiliary condenser (5) functioning as a heat dissipating device is provided. The auxiliary condenser (5) is installed in the defrosting chamber (7) and has a function of defrosting food.

In this case, since the auxiliary condenser is provided to perform a plurality of condensation processes in the refrigeration cycle, there is a problem that the cooling efficiency of the main condenser is reduced due to the reduced amount of heat of the main condenser.

In order to solve such a problem, the present embodiment aims at providing a refrigerator capable of efficiently cooling by adding an expansion device between a condenser and an auxiliary condenser.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising: a compressor compressing a refrigerant; A condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor; An expansion device for evaporating the refrigerant condensed in the condenser; An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant decompressed in the evaporating expansion device; A condensing expansion device installed between the condenser and the evaporating expansion device, for condensing the refrigerant condensed in the condenser; And an auxiliary condenser installed between the expansion expansion device for condensation and the expansion expansion device for condensing the refrigerant decompressed in the expansion expansion device for condensation.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a refrigerator including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator for cooling the storage compartment, an expansion device for evaporation provided at an inlet side of the evaporator to decompress the refrigerant, A method of controlling a refrigerator, the method comprising: a step in which the compressor is driven so that a refrigerant passing through the condenser is introduced into an evaporator of at least one of the evaporator and the condenser; And determining whether or not the temperature of the storage compartment satisfies a desired temperature. If the temperature of the storage compartment does not satisfy the desired temperature, the refrigerant is supplied to the inlet side of the evaporator and the auxiliary condenser And flows into the evaporator.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, there is an advantage that the cooling capacity of the condenser is prevented from being lowered by the auxiliary condenser, thereby increasing the refrigeration effect of the refrigeration cycle.

In addition, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger is improved by using phase change material (PCM: phase change material) as the refrigerant, and the temperature inside the refrigerator is kept constant.

In addition, since an additional device for increasing refrigeration efficiency is not additionally provided in addition to the expansion device, the internal design of the refrigerator is simple, which is effective for utilizing the storage space.

In addition, since the cooling operation and the cooling operation are alternately performed, the optimum operation can be performed according to the operation mode.

In addition, the cycle construction is simple and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

1 is a view illustrating an internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in Fig. 1;
3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the II-II direction in FIG.
4 is a view illustrating a refrigeration cycle configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a graph showing a PH diagram of a refrigerant circulating in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a control block diagram of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the spirit of the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and that those skilled in the art, upon reading and understanding the spirit of the invention, may easily suggest other embodiments within the scope of the same concept.

1 is a view illustrating an internal configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 11 having a front opening and a storage chamber formed in the main body 11. The freezing compartment 12 and the refrigerating compartment 13 may be divided into the freezing compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 13 by the partition 14.

The main body 11 includes an outer case 15 forming an outer appearance of the refrigerator 10 and a freezing compartment inner case 16 disposed inside the outer case 15 and forming the inner surface of the freezing compartment 12, And a refrigerating compartment inner case (17) disposed inside the outer case (15) and forming an inner surface of the refrigerating compartment (13). The freezer compartment inner case 16 and the refrigerating compartment inner case 17 are collectively referred to as an inner case.

The refrigerator 10 includes a freezing chamber door 21 and a refrigerating chamber door 22 which are rotatably coupled to the front of the main body 11 and selectively shield the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 13, As shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the side by side type in which the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment are provided on the right and left sides will be described as an example. However, the idea of the present invention is not limited to the structure of the refrigerator, but may be a top mount type in which a freezing compartment is formed at an upper portion and a refrigerating compartment is formed at a lower portion, or a bottom freezing type in which a freezing compartment is formed at a lower portion, freezer) type.

The freezing chamber 12 may include a freezing chamber damper 32 for discharging the cooled air from the evaporator 150 (see FIG. 2) to be described later to the freezing chamber 12. The freezer compartment damper 32 may be provided on the rear surface of the freezer compartment 12 and may be formed on the freezer compartment cover plate 23. The evaporator (150) is disposed behind the cover plate (23).

And a freezer compartment cover plate 24 on which a cool air discharge unit (not shown) for discharging cool air is formed on the rear side of the freezer compartment 13.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I 'of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view cut along the II-II direction of FIG. 1, Fig.

2 to 4, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cooling chamber 31 provided in the refrigerator 10, A freezing compartment damper 19 for controlling the flow of the refrigerating chamber of the air cooled by the evaporator 150 and a freezing compartment damper 32 for controlling the freezing compartment flow of the air cooled by the evaporator 150, And a refrigerating unit 160 installed between the refrigerating compartment inner case 17 and the refrigerating compartment cover plate 24. The cold storage unit 160 may be attached to the refrigerator compartment cover plate 24 by a holder (not shown), but is not limited thereto.

The refrigerator compartment damper 19 may be installed in the compartment 14 that separates the freezer compartment 12 and the refrigerating compartment 13. When the refrigerating compartment damper 19 is opened, And may be introduced into the refrigerating chamber 13 through the refrigerating chamber damper 19.

The cold storage portion 160 is understood to be an indirect cooling means for cooling the refrigerating chamber 13. In detail, the cold storage part 160 includes a case 161 forming a storage space and a coolant 162 stored in the case.

The shaft coolant 162 may include a phase change material (PCM) that undergoes a cooling action by a low temperature phase change. In one example, the phase change material may include water or carbon dioxide.

When phase change material is used as a co-coolant, high-density cold storage can be achieved through a large amount of cooling / heating flow while maintaining a constant target temperature during the phase change process. In addition, since the set temperature can be maintained for a long time without external power supply, it can contribute to energy saving.

A condenser 151 for condensing the refrigerant in the case 161 of the condensed refrigerant 160 to store the refrigerant in the condensed refrigerant 162 by evaporating the refrigerant and an auxiliary condenser 151 for condensing the refrigerant by the condensed refrigerant 162, (121) can be installed.

The refrigerant pipe 151a of the evaporator 151 may be bent and extend in the vertical direction. The refrigerant pipe 121a of the auxiliary condenser 121 may be bent and extend in the vertical direction.

The refrigerant pipe 151a of the evaporator 151 and the refrigerant pipe 121a of the auxiliary condenser 121 are arranged vertically in the vertical direction so that the evaporator 151 and the condenser 121 The installation space can be reduced. Therefore, the storage space of the storage chamber can be prevented from being narrowed.

A machine room (30) may be formed under the refrigerator (10). In the machine room 30, a compressor 110 for compressing the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 150 and a condenser 120 for condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor may be included.

The refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerant pipe 100 connecting the compressor 110 and the condenser 120 to guide the flow of the refrigerant.

The refrigerator 10 includes a first branch flow passage 101 and a second branch flow passage 102 for branching the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 120. The refrigerator 10 includes a valve device 130 installed in the refrigerant pipe 100 for branching the refrigerant to the first branched flow path 101 or the second branched flow path 102. The valve device 130 may include a three-way valve having one inlet through which the refrigerant is introduced and two outlets through which the refrigerant is discharged. The first outlet is connected to the first branched flow passage 101 and the second outlet is connected to the second branched flow passage 102 and the second branched flow passage 102. [ . According to the control of the valve device 130, at least one outlet of the first or second outlet may be opened to change the flow path of the refrigerant.

The first branch flow channel 101 may be provided with a condenser 151 for evaporating the refrigerant and a first expansion device 141 installed at the inlet side of the condenser and condenser 151. The first expansion device 141 may include a capillary.

When the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 120 flows into the first branch flow path 101 and flows into the second evaporator 151, the refrigerant is evaporated in the second evaporator 151, It can be made cold. The first expansion device 141 is referred to as a " cold expansion device ".

The second branch flow path 102 may be provided with an auxiliary condenser 121 capable of condensing the refrigerant and a second expansion device 142 installed at the inlet side of the auxiliary condenser 121 for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant . The second expansion device 142 includes a capillary tube and may be referred to as a " expansion device for condensation " in that depressurization for auxiliary condensation is performed.

The refrigerant condensed in the condenser 120 flows into the second expansion device 142 when the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 120 flows into the second branch flow path 102 and flows into the auxiliary condenser 121, And then condensed in the auxiliary condenser 121, the cooling capacity can be increased (see FIG. 5).

The second branch flow path 102 is provided with an evaporator 150 installed on the outlet side of the auxiliary condenser 121 and a third expansion device 143 provided on the inlet side of the evaporator 150 for expanding the refrigerant Can be installed. The third expansion device 143 may include a capillary. The third expansion device 143 is called an " evaporation expansion device ".

The control of the valve device 130 may be performed based on whether the inside temperature of the refrigerator 10 is satisfied.

When the interior temperature satisfies the desired temperature condition, the refrigerator (10) is controlled to perform " low cooling power operation " in which cool air is stored in the cooling water (162). Specifically, the valve device 130 is controlled so that the refrigerant can flow into the evaporator 151 through the first branched flow path 101 by opening the first outlet. At this time, the second outlet may be closed.

On the other hand, when the interior temperature does not satisfy the desired temperature condition, the refrigerator 10 is controlled to perform " high cooling operation ". Specifically, the valve device 130 is controlled so that the refrigerant flows into the second branched flow passage 102 by opening the second outlet portion. The first outlet may then be closed.

A specific control method for the high-cooling operation or the low-cooling operation will be described later with reference to FIG.

The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 150 flows into the compressor 110 and a check valve 170 is installed in the refrigerant pipe 100 between the evaporator 150 and the compressor 110 to prevent the refrigerant from flowing backward Can be installed.

The refrigerator 10 may further include blowing fans 125 and 155 provided at one side of the condenser 120 or the evaporator 150 to blow air. The blowing fans 125 and 155 include a condensing fan 125 provided at one side of the condenser 120 and an evaporating fan 155 provided at one side of the evaporator 150.

The heat exchange capacity of the evaporator 150 may vary depending on the rotational speed of the evaporation fan 155. For example, when a large amount of cold air is generated due to the operation of the evaporator 150, the rotation speed of the evaporation fan 155 increases, and when the cool air is sufficient, the rotation speed of the evaporation fan 155 decreases .

5 is a graph showing a P-H diagram of a refrigerant circulating in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, or when the refrigerator 10 performs " low cooling power operation ", the refrigeration cycle circulates A-> B-> . At this time, the performance of the evaporator (151) is the same as that of the evaporator (150), and the performance of the first expansion device (141) and the third expansion device (143) is assumed to be the same. Therefore, it can be seen that there are differences in the installation of the second expansion device 142 and the auxiliary condenser 121 in the two cycles.

In detail, the refrigerant in the state A, which is sucked into the compressor 110, indicates the state B after compression. The state of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 120 represents C.

The refrigerant decompressed in the first expansion device 141 through the valve device 130 is in the D state and the refrigerant decompressed in the first expansion device 141 flows through the evaporator 151, And the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 151 is in an A state.

According to this refrigeration cycle, the heat of evaporation on the side of the evaporator for condensing and cooling 150 forms h2-h1. This is the result when the performance of the evaporator for cold storage 151 is assumed to be the same as that of the evaporator 150.

On the other hand, when the first expansion device 141 is provided in the refrigeration cycle, that is, when performing " high cooling operation ", the refrigeration cycle is A-> B-> C-> F.

In detail, the refrigerant in the state A, which is sucked into the compressor 110, indicates the state B after compression. The state of the refrigerant in which the refrigerant in the B state flows into the condenser 120 and condensed is denoted by C.

Next, the refrigerant in the C state passes through the valve device 130 and flows into the second expansion device 142. The refrigerant flowing into the second expansion device (142) and depressurized is in a D 'state.

The refrigerant in the D'-state, which is reduced in pressure by the second expansion device 142, flows into the auxiliary condenser 121 and is condensed once more. The state of the refrigerant flowing into the auxiliary condenser 121 and condensed indicates E.

Next, the refrigerant condensed in the auxiliary condenser 121 flows into the first expansion device 141 and is decompressed one more time. The refrigerant flowing into the third expansion device (143) and depressurized is in an F state.

The refrigerant in the F state that has been depressurized by the third expansion device 143 flows into the evaporator 150, and the refrigerant that has flown into the evaporator 150 and evaporated is in the A state.

The second expansion device 142 prevents the auxiliary condenser 121 from lowering the amount of heat dissipated by the auxiliary condenser 121 due to the condensation of the refrigerant at a pressure lower than that of the condenser 120, Role.

According to this refrigeration cycle, the amount of heat of evaporation on the side of the evaporator 150 forms h2-h1 '.

The evaporation heat amount h2-h1 'on the side of the evaporator 150 is formed to be larger than the evaporation heat amount h2-h1 on the side of the evaporation device 151 by the refrigerant depression of the second expansion device 142 by? . This is because the performance of the evaporator 151 is the same as the performance of the evaporator 150 and the calorific value of the first expansion device 141 and the third expansion device 143 The refrigerating efficiency is increased because the amount of heat of evaporation is increased by adding the second expansion device 142 to the refrigeration cycle.

Therefore, the operating ability of the refrigerator is improved, and the power consumption can be relatively reduced in comparison with the same driving ability. As a result, the operation efficiency of the refrigerator is improved.

6 is a control block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a controller 50, an input unit 41 through which a user or the like can input a desired freezing room temperature, A freezer compartment temperature sensor 42 for sensing the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13 and a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 43 for sensing the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 13. The freezer compartment temperature sensor 42 and the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 43 may collectively be referred to as a " temperature sensor ".

The control unit 50 controls the compressor 110, the condensing fan 125, the valve unit 130, the evaporation fan (not shown), and the evaporator fan 130 according to whether the temperature sensed by the temperature sensors 42 and 43 satisfies the desired temperature 155, the freezer compartment damper 32, and the refrigerating compartment damper 19. [

The control unit 50 can adjust the internal temperature by adjusting the freezer compartment damper 32 and the refrigerating compartment damper 19 in accordance with whether the temperature detected by the temperature sensors 42 and 43 satisfies the desired temperature .

More specifically, when the temperature sensed by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 42 does not satisfy the desired temperature, the controller 50 opens the freezer compartment damper 32 to the maximum to cool the refrigerating compartment 12 The controller 50 controls the freezer compartment damper 32 so as to prevent the cool air from flowing into the freezer compartment 12 when the temperature sensed by the freezer compartment temperature sensor 42 satisfies the desired temperature. have.

When the temperature sensed by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 43 does not satisfy the desired temperature, the controller 50 opens the refrigerating compartment damper 19 to the maximum to cool the refrigerating compartment 13 The control unit 50 controls the freezer compartment damper 32 so as to prevent the freezing of the freezer compartment 12 from being introduced into the freezer compartment 12. In the case where the temperature detected by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 43 satisfies the desired temperature, have.

If the temperature sensed by the temperature sensors 42 and 43 does not satisfy the desired temperature despite the damper 32 and 19 control, the controller 50 controls the compressor 110, It is possible to control the fan 125, the valve device 130 and the evaporation fan 155 to control the refrigeration cycle to perform the high-cooling operation or the low-cooling operation. A specific control method will be described later with reference to FIG.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. A control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

When the operation of the refrigerator 10 is started, the controller 50 drives the compressor 110 to circulate the refrigeration cycle (S1).

Next, the desired temperature of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment is input from the user through the input unit 41, and the room temperature is sensed using the freezer compartment temperature sensor 42 or the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 43 (S3) .

After sensing the internal temperature through the sensor, the controller 50 determines whether the internal temperature satisfies the desired temperature (S4)

When the indoor temperature satisfies the desired temperature, that is, when both the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment comply with the desired temperature, the control unit 50 controls the refrigerating cycle to perform the cold-storage operation (low-cooling operation) .

Specifically, the driving of the evaporation fan 155 is stopped (S6), and the valve apparatus 130 is controlled so as to open the first outlet and close the second outlet (S7).

Specifically, the evaporation fan 155 is driven (S9), and the valve apparatus 130 controls to open the second outlet and close the first outlet (S10). Next, the internal temperature of the refrigerator 10 is sensed to determine whether the desired temperature is satisfied.

If the inside temperature does not satisfy the desired temperature, the controller 50 controls the refrigeration cycle to perform the high cooling operation to cool the inside of the room (S8). The case where the internal temperature does not satisfy the desired temperature means that the temperature of the freezing chamber 12 does not satisfy the desired temperature. When the temperature of the freezing chamber 12 satisfies the desired temperature but the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 13 does not satisfy the desired temperature, the freezing chamber damper 19 is opened to allow the cool air in the cooling chamber 31 to flow into the freezing chamber 13 .

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 (14)

A compressor for compressing the refrigerant;
A condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed in the compressor;
An expansion device for evaporating the refrigerant condensed in the condenser;
An evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant decompressed in the evaporating expansion device;
A condensing expansion device installed between the condenser and the evaporating expansion device, for condensing the refrigerant condensed in the condenser; And
And an auxiliary condenser installed between the expansion expansion device for condensation and the expansion expansion device for condensing the refrigerant decompressed in the expansion expansion device for condensation. The method according to claim 1,
A refrigerant pipe for guiding the flow of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser;
A first branch flow channel branched from the refrigerant pipe; And
And a second branched flow path branched from the refrigerant pipe and provided with the expansion device for condensing. 3. The method of claim 2,
In the first branch passage,
A condensing / condensing device for condensing the refrigerant condensed in the condenser; And
And a condenser / condenser for evaporating the refrigerant decompressed in the condenser / condenser is installed. The method of claim 3,
A refrigerant pipe installed in the refrigerant pipe,
Further comprising a valve device for branching the refrigerant to the first branch flow path and the second branch flow path. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the valve device comprises:
A three-way valve having one inlet, a first outlet and a second outlet,
The first branched flow path is connected to the first outlet portion,
And the second branched flow path is connected to the second outlet. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a condenser unit for performing heat exchange with the auxiliary condenser or the condenser and condenser using the phase change material. The method according to claim 6,
The axial cold portion further includes a case for accommodating the phase change material,
Wherein the auxiliary condenser and the condenser / freeze evaporator are installed in the case. The method of claim 3,
And a check valve installed at the outlet side of the evaporator for guiding the unidirectional flow of the refrigerant is provided in the second branch flow channel. The method according to claim 6,
And a main body having a storage chamber,
Wherein the storage chamber includes a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber,
Wherein the evaporator is installed on a rear wall of the freezer compartment, and the evaporator and auxiliary condenser are installed on a rear wall of the refrigerator compartment. 10. The method of claim 9,
An input unit for receiving a desired temperature of the storage chamber,
And a temperature sensor provided inside the storage compartment. 11. The method of claim 10,
When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor satisfies the desired temperature,
Wherein the valve device opens the first outlet and closes the second outlet to guide the refrigerant to flow to the evaporator. 11. The method of claim 10,
If the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor does not satisfy the desired temperature,
Wherein the valve device opens the second outlet and closes the first outlet to guide the refrigerant to flow to the evaporator. A control method for a refrigerator including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator for cooling the storage compartment, an expansion device for evaporation provided at an inlet side of the evaporator to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant, and a condenser for evaporating the refrigerant in the condenser,
Wherein the compressor is driven so that the refrigerant having passed through the condenser flows into the evaporator of at least one of the evaporator or the condenser and the condenser; And
And determining whether the temperature of the storage compartment satisfies a desired temperature,
If the temperature of the storage chamber does not satisfy the desired temperature,
Wherein the refrigerant flows into the expansion device for condensation and the auxiliary condenser provided at the inlet side of the evaporator and flows into the evaporator. 14. The method of claim 13,
If the temperature of the storage chamber satisfies the desired temperature,
Wherein the refrigerant flows through a condensing device for condensing refrigerant provided at an inlet side of the condensing / condensing evaporator, and flows into the condensing / condensing evaporator.

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