KR20170025180A - Air conditioner - Google Patents

Air conditioner Download PDF

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Publication number
KR20170025180A
KR20170025180A KR1020150121209A KR20150121209A KR20170025180A KR 20170025180 A KR20170025180 A KR 20170025180A KR 1020150121209 A KR1020150121209 A KR 1020150121209A KR 20150121209 A KR20150121209 A KR 20150121209A KR 20170025180 A KR20170025180 A KR 20170025180A
Authority
KR
South Korea
Prior art keywords
indoor unit
unit
indoor
outdoor unit
outdoor
Prior art date
Application number
KR1020150121209A
Other languages
Korean (ko)
Inventor
이응신
Original Assignee
엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by 엘지전자 주식회사 filed Critical 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority to KR1020150121209A priority Critical patent/KR20170025180A/en
Publication of KR20170025180A publication Critical patent/KR20170025180A/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/20709—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
    • F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
    • F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
    • F24F1/06—Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger
    • F24F11/0009—
    • F24F11/0086—
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/20709—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
    • H05K7/208—Liquid cooling with phase change
    • H05K7/20827—Liquid cooling with phase change within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. air conditioning devices
    • F24F2011/0068—

Abstract

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least one outdoor device and at least two indoor devices connected to the outdoor device. The outdoor device communicates with a first indoor device operating among the at least two indoor devices to determine whether the first indoor device operates or not, transmits a control signal to the second indoor device when it is determined that the first indoor device does not operate normally, and operates the second indoor device. So, the temperature of a server room can be kept constant at all times.

Description

Air conditioner

The present invention relates to an apparatus for air conditioning.

The air conditioner is a device that discharges cold air into the room to create a pleasant indoor environment. This air conditioner is installed to provide a more comfortable indoor environment to humans by adjusting the room temperature and purifying the room temperature.

Generally, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit that is configured as a heat exchanger and installed in a room, and an outdoor unit that is composed of a compressor, a heat exchanger, and the like and supplies the refrigerant to the indoor unit.

On the other hand, a server, which is a storage medium used in a large-capacity computer system, must be maintained at a certain temperature or less for stable operation. Therefore, in a large business case, a server room is collected and managed, and an air conditioner is installed in the server room to manage the server room at a certain temperature or less.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner which can maintain the temperature of the server room at a constant level.

An air conditioner according to an example of the present invention includes at least one outdoor unit and at least two indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, and the outdoor unit communicates with the first indoor unit operating among the at least two indoor units, And if it is determined that the first indoor unit is not operating normally, transmits a control signal to the second indoor unit in the standby state to operate the second indoor unit.

The outdoor unit generates the control signal such that the second indoor unit operates in the same manner as the operation setting of the first indoor unit.

The first indoor unit transmits an event signal including an error code to the outdoor unit.

The outdoor unit periodically communicates with the first indoor unit and operates the second indoor unit when communication with the first indoor unit is not performed for a predetermined time.

The outdoor unit alternately operates the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit in accordance with a predetermined time.

The outdoor unit counts the predetermined time to control the first indoor unit to operate for the predetermined time and then stops the operation of the first indoor unit and controls the second indoor unit to operate for the predetermined time .

The outdoor unit transmits a push notification message to the mobile terminal indicating that the operation of the first indoor unit is stopped.

The first and second indoor units include a wi-fi module, and the mobile terminal is connected to the first and second indoor units through wi-fi communication.

The outdoor unit transmits the push notification message to the mobile terminal through the second indoor unit.

The push notification message includes a comment indicating that the operation of the first indoor unit is stopped and an error code.

The air conditioner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention operates so that other indoor units that are in a hibernation state can operate normally even if one of the indoor units in the server room does not operate normally. As a result, even if the indoor unit does not operate normally, the temperature of the server room rises sharply and problems can be prevented from occurring in the server.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a server room.
2 shows the overall configuration of the air conditioner.
3 shows a functional block of an outdoor unit.
4 shows a functional block of the indoor unit.
5 illustrates a method of controlling an indoor unit installed in a server room to operate another indoor unit when the indoor unit does not operate normally.

Hereinafter, 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. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a server room according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, a plurality of servers 30 are installed in the server room 100, and two indoor units 201 and 203 are installed in the server room 100, (Not shown).

One of the two indoor units 201 and 203 installed in the server room 100 is operated to maintain the temperature of the server room 100 at a predetermined temperature and the other one of the indoor units 201 and 203 is idle.

The outdoor unit 10, which has started to operate together with the operation of the indoor unit 201, periodically communicates with the indoor unit 201 in operation to determine whether the indoor unit 201 is operating normally. For example, if the outdoor unit 10 does not normally communicate with the indoor unit 201 in operation, it determines that the indoor unit 201 is not operating normally.

The outdoor unit 10 operates the idle indoor unit 203 so that the indoor temperature of the server room 100 does not rise above a predetermined temperature, And notifies the operator that the indoor unit 201 is not operating normally through the indoor unit 203 which has started to operate.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the air conditioner operating in this manner will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the air conditioner, Fig. 3 is a functional block of an outdoor unit, and Fig. 4 is a functional block of an indoor unit.

In FIG. 2, the indoor units 201 and 203 may be classified into a ceiling type, a stand type, a wall-mounted type, and the like depending on the installation mode, and there is no difference in function, only the installation type is different.

The indoor units 201 and 203 include an expansion valve (not shown) for expanding the refrigerant supplied from the connected outdoor unit 10, an indoor heat exchanger (not shown) for exchanging the refrigerant, indoor air introduced into the indoor heat exchanger, An indoor fan (not shown) for exposing the air to the inside of the room, and a plurality of sensors (not shown) for detecting abnormal operation.

The indoor units 201 and 203 control the intake air and the air to be discharged by controlling the rotation speed of the indoor fan, and adjust the air volume.

The indoor units 201 and 203 include a display unit 211 for displaying the operating state and setting information of the indoor unit, an input unit 213 for inputting setting data, a communication unit 215 for data communication with the outdoor unit 10, And a control unit 217 for calculating data input from each unit.

The communication unit 215 periodically communicates the operating states of the indoor units 201 and 203 with the outdoor unit 10 under the control of the control unit 217. [ For example, the communication unit 215 periodically communicates necessary information with the outdoor unit 10 during operation such as a set temperature, an indoor temperature, an operation mode, and the like, and the information is updated to the outdoor unit 10.

Further, the communication unit 215 transmits an error code to the outdoor unit 10 when the indoor units 201 and 203 perform an error operation. For example, the communication unit 215 transmits an error code determined for each diagnosis to the outdoor unit 10, such as CH_02 in the case of a room temperature sensor failure and CH_08 in the case of an indoor fan operation exchange.

The communication unit 215 further includes a wi-fi module capable of wireless communication, and is configured to connect to a wireless network with another mobile terminal equipped with a Wi-Fi module.

For example, the mobile terminal may be a cellular phone of an operator, and the indoor units 201 and 203 may be connected to a cellular phone of a worker through a communication unit 215 via a wireless network.

The outdoor unit 10 operates in a cooling mode or a heating mode in response to the request of the connected indoor units 201 and 203, and supplies the refrigerant to a plurality of indoor units.

The outdoor unit 10 includes at least one compressor (not shown) for compressing the refrigerant introduced therein and discharging the gas refrigerant at a high pressure, a gas cooler for separating the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant, An oil separator (not shown) for recovering oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) for condensing or evaporating the refrigerant by heat exchange with the outside air, an outdoor heat exchanger An outdoor fan (not shown) for introducing air into the outdoor heat exchanger and discharging the heat-exchanged air to the outside, a four-way valve (not shown) for changing the flow path of the refrigerant according to the operation mode of the outdoor unit, At least one pressure sensor (not shown), at least one temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature, a controller for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit, And a control configuration to be performed. The outdoor unit may further include a plurality of sensors, valves, supercooling devices, and the like.

4, the outdoor unit 10 includes a power connection unit 161 to which operation power is supplied from the outside, a noise filter 120 to filter the supplied power, a compressor 140, an operation power source for driving the compressor, An indoor unit connection unit 162 for supplying power to an indoor unit, an SMPS 180, a phase control unit 170, a control unit 150, and a communication unit 190.

The power connection unit 161 receives the commercial power supplied through the connector (not shown) and the three-phase AC power. In this case, the input AC power is the power of each phase of R, S, T, N, and each phase power is transmitted to each configuration as operating power of the air conditioner.

The power connection unit 161 is connected to the indoor unit connection unit 162 and the noise filter 120.

The indoor unit connector 162 is a connector for supplying the supplied power to the indoor unit. The indoor unit 20 is connected to the indoor unit connection unit 162 of the outdoor unit 10 and receives power from the indoor unit connection unit 162. In this case, depending on the type of the indoor unit 20, the power connection mode may be changed and may be directly connected to a commercial power source in some cases.

The noise filter 120 may include a configuration for filtering the supplied power source and preventing damage to the air conditioner due to an overcurrent or a low voltage exceeding a predetermined level.

The phase control unit 170 is connected to the noise filter 120 to control any one of the three phases. The phase control unit 170 is connected to the indoor unit connection unit 162 and operates according to a control signal received from the indoor unit 20 to control any one of the three phases of the noise filter 120 accordingly.

The inverter 130 includes an inverter driving circuit. The inverter 130 receives power supplied through the noise filter 120, generates a compressor operation power for driving the motor of the compressor 140 under the control of the inverter drive circuit, and drives the compressor 140.

The compressor (140) controls the refrigerant circulating through the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. When the low temperature gas refrigerant flows into the indoor unit, the compressor 140 compresses the refrigerant and discharges the high temperature gas refrigerant. The refrigerant discharged from the compressor 140 flows into the indoor unit, and the indoor unit operates according to the cooling or heating operation setting to discharge the cold or warm air to the room. The refrigerant discharged from the indoor unit flows into the compressor (140) of the outdoor unit (10) and circulates.

A Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS) 180 converts AC power of three phases into DC power of a predetermined magnitude. The SMPS 180 rectifies and smoothes the AC power of the three phases to generate a stable DC power of a constant voltage, and the DC power is supplied to the controller 150.

The control unit 150 receives the DC power from the SMPS 180 and controls the overall operation of the outdoor unit 10. The control unit 150 periodically communicates with the indoor units 201 and 203 through the communication unit 190 It is determined whether there is an abnormality in the operation of the indoor units 201 and 203.

For example, when the controller 150 counts a predetermined time and data communication with the indoor units 201 and 203 is not performed periodically during that time, the controller 150 determines that the indoor units 201 and 203 are not operating normally, A control signal is inputted to the indoor units 201 and 203 that are inactive through the communication unit 190 so that the indoor units 201 and 203 are operated so that the inactive indoor unit can operate on behalf of the indoor unit being operated.

Also, the controller 150 may detect an abnormal operation of the indoor units 201 and 203 with reference to the error code transmitted from the indoor units 201 and 203. [

Hereinafter, a method for controlling the indoor units installed in the server room with the use of FIG. 5 and operating the other indoor units when the indoor units do not operate normally will be described.

In step S100, as one of the two indoor units operates in the server room 100, the outdoor unit 10 starts operating and starts communication with the first indoor unit 201 in operation. For example, the indoor unit 201 in operation communicates with the outdoor unit 10 every 1 second to transmit the operating state of the indoor unit 201 to the outdoor unit 10.

In step S110, the outdoor unit 10 performs counting for a preset time, and monitors whether the first indoor unit 201 normally communicates with the outdoor unit 10 during this time. As a result of the monitoring, if it is determined that the first indoor unit 201 is normally communicating with the outdoor unit 10, the outdoor unit 10 returns to step S100 and attempts to communicate with the first indoor unit 201 (step S120) .

If the communication with the first indoor unit 201 is not performed for a preset time period, the outdoor unit 10 determines that the first indoor unit 201 is not operating normally, And controls the second indoor unit 203 to operate (step S 130). At this time, the outdoor unit 10 operates in the same mode as that of the first indoor unit 201, and operates the second indoor unit 203 with reference to the operation mode obtained through the previous communication.

Accordingly, even if the first indoor unit 201 does not operate normally, the second indoor unit 203 operates in accordance with the malfunction of the first indoor unit 201, so that a problem occurs in the server due to the temperature increase in the server room Can be prevented.

Meanwhile, it is also possible that the outdoor unit 10 alternately operates the first indoor unit 201 and the second indoor unit 203. That is, the outdoor unit 10 counts a predetermined time to operate the first indoor unit 201, and after the set time passes, the first indoor unit 201 transmits a control signal to the first indoor unit 201 so that the first indoor unit 201 stops its operation And transmits a control signal to the second indoor unit 203 so that the second indoor unit 203 operates. The first indoor unit 201 and the second indoor unit 203 can be operated alternately so that the loads applied to the first indoor unit 201 and the second indoor unit 203 can be reduced and the load on the first indoor unit 201 or the second indoor unit 203 can be reduced. It is possible to prevent the second indoor unit 203 from malfunctioning.

The outdoor unit 10 can also transmit a push notification message to the mobile terminal of the operator when the first indoor unit 201 operates abnormally to operate the second indoor unit 203. [

The outdoor unit 10 transmits a push notification message to the mobile terminal connected to the Wi-Fi module of the second indoor unit 201 when it determines that the first indoor unit 201 is not operating normally. In the mobile terminal, the application receives the push notification message at the same time as the background or the execution of the application, and displays the push notification message through the display of the mobile terminal. This push notification message is a message indicating which indoor unit does not operate normally for some reason, and preferably includes an error code.

Accordingly, even if the operator reports only the notification message, the operator can immediately check which indoor unit does not operate normally for some reason, so that the operator can immediately solve the problem.

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, Of the right.

Claims (10)

At least one outdoor unit;
And at least two indoor units connected to the outdoor unit,
The outdoor unit includes:
Determining whether the first indoor unit is in operation through communication with the first indoor unit operating among the at least two indoor units,
And transmits the control signal to the second indoor unit in a standby state when the first indoor unit is determined not to operate normally, thereby operating the second indoor unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the outdoor unit generates the control signal such that the second indoor unit operates in the same manner as the operation setting of the first indoor unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first indoor unit transmits an event signal including an error code to the outdoor unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the outdoor unit periodically communicates with the first indoor unit and operates the second indoor unit when communication with the first indoor unit is not performed for a predetermined time. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the outdoor unit alternately operates the first indoor unit and the second indoor unit in accordance with a predetermined time. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the outdoor unit counts the predetermined time to control the first indoor unit to operate for the predetermined time and then stops the operation of the first indoor unit and controls the second indoor unit to operate for the predetermined time Air conditioner. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the outdoor unit transmits a push notification message to the mobile terminal indicating that the operation of the first indoor unit is stopped. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the first and second indoor units include a wi-fi module, and the mobile terminal is connected to the first and second indoor units through wi-fi communication. 9. The method of claim 8,
And the outdoor unit transmits the push notification message to the mobile terminal through the second indoor unit. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the push notification message includes a comment indicating that the operation of the first indoor unit is stopped and an error code.
KR1020150121209A 2015-08-27 2015-08-27 Air conditioner KR20170025180A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR1020150121209A KR20170025180A (en) 2015-08-27 2015-08-27 Air conditioner

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR1020150121209A KR20170025180A (en) 2015-08-27 2015-08-27 Air conditioner

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
KR20170025180A true KR20170025180A (en) 2017-03-08

Family

ID=58403568

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
KR1020150121209A KR20170025180A (en) 2015-08-27 2015-08-27 Air conditioner

Country Status (1)

Country Link
KR (1) KR20170025180A (en)

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