KR20180058985A - Air conditioner and controlling method of thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present invention, provided is an air conditioner, which comprises: an outdoor heat exchanger exchanging heat between a refrigerant and heat source water; a variable flow rate valve controlling an aperture to enable a flow rate of the heat source water introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger to be variable; a flow rate sensor measuring the flow rate of the heat source water discharged from the variable flow rate valve; and a controller maximizing the aperture during a predetermined time when the air conditioner is started and responding to the flow rate of the heat source water after the predetermined time so as to control the aperture.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner,

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 and its control method capable of controlling the opening of a variable flow rate valve in response to a heat source water flow rate sensed by a flow sensor.

Generally, the air conditioner sucks in hot air through a series of refrigeration cycles consisting of compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation, heat-exchanges the refrigerant with low-temperature refrigerant, and discharges the refrigerant to the room to cool the room. Exchanges heat with high temperature refrigerant, and discharges it to the room to heat the room.

In order for the refrigerant to circulate continuously through the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant must be heat-exchanged with the outdoor air and condensed or evaporated, as opposed to the evaporation or condensation of the refrigerant in the room by heat exchange with the room air. In this case, the refrigerant in the outdoor can be condensed or evaporated by heat exchange with the heat source water such as water instead of the outdoor air, which is referred to as water-cooled heat exchange.

For water-cooled heat exchange with circulating refrigerant, the heat source water such as water is heated or cooled and circulated. To this end, a flow rate valve is provided in the flow path in which the heat source number moves to regulate the flow rate of the heat source water circulating in the flow path. In this case, the flow rate of the circulating heat source water is controlled in accordance with the opening of the flow rate valve. However, there has been a problem in that, in relation to the operation of the oil-flow valve, the minimum opening degree of the oil-flow valve must be set by the user in consideration of the specifications of the oil-flow valve and the external environmental conditions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner and a control method thereof that can control various kinds of variable flow rate valves in various environments by automatically controlling a variable flow volume valve without a user setting an option of a variable flow rate valve.

The present invention also relates to an air conditioner capable of predicting a flow rate using a temperature sensor installed in an outdoor heat exchanger and controlling a flow rate valve based on the flow rate sensor even when the flow rate sensor for measuring the flow rate of the heat source water does not operate normally, And a method thereof.

An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a heat source water and a refrigerant; And a variable volume valve for varying the flow rate of the heat source water flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger by regulating the opening degree; And a flow rate sensor for measuring a flow rate of the heat source water discharged from the flow rate valve; And a control unit for increasing the opening degree to a maximum for a predetermined time when the air conditioner is started and controlling the opening degree corresponding to the flow rate of the heat source water after the predetermined time has elapsed.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling an air conditioner, including: opening a maximum opening of a variable-volume valve for a predetermined time when the air conditioner is started; And a flow rate of the heat source water discharged from the flow rate valve; And controlling the opening degree of the flow rate valve in correspondence to the flow rate of the heat source water after the predetermined time has elapsed.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the opening degree can be automatically adjusted to the specifications of the various oil pressure valves based on the heat source water flow rate measured by the flow sensor, without the user setting an option.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the opening degree of the oil-flow volume valve can be adjusted based on the inlet-outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger measured by the temperature sensor even when the flow sensor does not operate normally.

Furthermore, according to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention, the opening of the oil-flow valve can be adjusted more precisely by controlling the opening of the oil-flow valve based on the actually measured heat-source water flow rate which is not the estimated value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a view showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
1B is a view illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view showing a flow of heat source water in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an air conditioner control process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
5 is a view for explaining the control of the amount of flow valve in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar elements, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of related arts will be omitted when it is determined that the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. , ≪ / RTI > equivalents, and alternatives.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between.

The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In the present application, the terms "comprises", "having", and the like are used to specify that a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a view showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

The air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a multi-type air conditioner for simultaneous heating and cooling. The simultaneous cooling and heating type multi-type air conditioner is characterized in that a plurality of indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 are connected to one outdoor unit A and the indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 are installed in the respective air- . ≪ / RTI > In this case, each of the indoor units B1, B2, B3, and B4 can be operated in one of the heating and cooling modes to air-condition the room.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the multi-type air conditioner 100 may include an outdoor unit A, a plurality of indoor units B1, B2, B3, and B4, and a distributor C. Here, the plurality of indoor units B1, B2, B3, and B4 may be the first, second, third, and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3, and B4, respectively.

The outdoor unit A may include first and second compressors 53 and 54, an outdoor heat exchanger 51, an outdoor heat exchanger fan 61 and a switching unit 62. Here, the switching unit 62 may be a four-way valve.

The accumulator 52 can separate the gaseous refrigerant from the liquid refrigerant and the gaseous refrigerant, and supply the separated refrigerant to the first and second compressors 53 and 54. In this case, the accumulator 52 separates the refrigerant flowing from the indoor unit into gas and liquid, filters the liquid refrigerant, and supplies only the gaseous refrigerant to the first and second compressors 53 and 54. The higher the internal temperature of the accumulator 52, the greater the efficiency of separating the gaseous refrigerant.

The suction portions of the first and second compressors (53, 54) are connected to the accumulator (52). In this case, the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the accumulator 52 can be sucked into the first and second compressors 53 and 54.

The first and second compressors (53, 54) can suck and compress the refrigerant and discharge it. According to an embodiment, the first compressor 53 may be an inverter compressor capable of varying the compression capacity of the refrigerant, and the second compressor 54 may be a constant speed compressor having a constant compression capacity of the refrigerant.

The first and second discharge pipes 55 and 56 are connected to the discharge portions of the first and second compressors 53 and 54, respectively. The first and second discharge pipes 55 and 56 are joined by the joint portion 57. In this case, the gaseous refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure compressed by the first and second compressors 53 and 54 is discharged to the first and second discharge pipes 55 and 56, and is jointed at the joint portion 57.

First and second oil separators 58 and 59 are installed in the first and second discharge pipes 55 and 56, respectively. The first and second oil separators 58 and 59 can separate the oil from the refrigerant discharged from the first and second compressors 53 and 54. The first and second oil separators 58 and 59 are provided with a first oil separator 58 and a second oil separator 59 for guiding the oil separated from the first and second oil separators 58 and 59 to the suction portions of the first and second compressors 53 and 54, And the second oil return pipes 30 and 31 are connected. In this case, the oil separated by the first and second oil separators 58 and 59 can be recovered to the first and second compressors 53 and 54 through the first and second oil return pipes 30 and 31 have.

A high-pressure gas pipe 63 for bypassing the refrigerant discharged from the first and second compressors 53 and 54 through the four-way valve 62 is connected to the joint portion 57. The joint portion 57 is connected to the four-way valve 62 and the third discharge pipe 68.

The four-way valve 62 can determine the flow path of the gaseous refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure, which is joined at the joint portion 57. In this case, the four-way valve 62 can switch the flow path of the gaseous refrigerant or can branch and flow the gaseous refrigerant depending on whether the main cooling operation or the heating main operation is performed.

The outdoor heat exchanger (51) is connected to the four-way valve (62) by a first connection pipe (71). In the outdoor heat exchanger (51), the refrigerant can be condensed or evaporated by heat exchange with the outside air. The outdoor heat exchanger (51) serves as a condenser during the cooling operation or simultaneously operates the cooling subject, and the outdoor heat exchanger (51) serves as the evaporator during the heating operation or the heating operation simultaneously.

On the other hand, the outdoor fan 61 is installed around the outdoor heat exchanger 51 to allow outdoor air to flow into the outdoor heat exchanger 51 in order to facilitate the heat exchange in the outdoor heat exchanger 51.

An outdoor electronic expansion valve 65 and a supercooling device 66 are installed on a liquid pipe 72 connecting the outdoor heat exchanger 51 and the distributor C to each other.

The outdoor electronic banc valve valve (65) expands the refrigerant at the time of operation of the heating room or simultaneous operation of the heating body. Specifically, the outdoor electronic expansion valve 65 is configured such that the refrigerant condensed in the first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31, and 41 is introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 51 Expand. To this end, the outdoor electronic expansion valve 65 may be controlled to a predetermined degree.

The outdoor electronic expansion valve 65 does not expand the refrigerant at the time of all the cooling operation or the cooling operation simultaneously. Specifically, the outdoor electronic expansion valve 65 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 51 before the refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 51 is introduced into the first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31, Allowing it to pass without being inflated. To this end, the outdoor electronic expansion valve 65 can be fully opened.

The supercooling device 66 can supercool a part of the refrigerant which is passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 51 and moves to the distributor C, during the operation of the cooling operation or the operation of the cooling operation. The subcooling device 66 includes a supercooling device 66a installed to surround a part of the liquid pipe 72 and a subcooling device 66b disposed between the subcooler 66a and the distributor C to divide a part of the refrigerant moving to the distributor C A bypass pipe 66b for bypassing the refrigerant to the inside of the supercooler 66a, an electronic expansion valve 66c installed in the bypass pipe 66b, a number of times of connecting the subcooler 66a and the suction pipe 64 And may include a pipe 66d.

A part of the refrigerant which has flowed to the distributor C along the liquid pipe 72 flows into the bypass pipe 66b at the time of the operation of the cooling chamber or the simultaneous operation of the cooling body. The introduced refrigerant expands through the electronic expansion valve 66c and is guided into the subcooler 66a.

The distributor C is disposed between the outdoor unit A and the first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 so as to control the simultaneous operation of the cooling air chamber, The refrigerant is distributed to the first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 according to the operating conditions. To this end, the dispenser C may include a high pressure gas header 81, a low pressure gas header 82, a liquid header 83 and control valves (not shown).

The high pressure gas header 81 is connected to one side of the high pressure gas pipe 63 of the joint portion 57 and the first, second, third and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41 . The low-pressure gas header 82 is connected to the suction pipe 64 by a low-pressure gas pipe 75 and is connected to the first, second, . The liquid header 83 is connected to one side of the supercooling device 66 and the first, second, third and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41, respectively. The high pressure gas pipe 81 and the low pressure gas header 82 and the liquid header 83 are connected to the high pressure gas pipe 63 'and the low pressure gas pipe 75' and the liquid pipe 72 'of another outdoor unit (not shown) Respectively.

The first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 may all be operated or only a part thereof may be operated. Also, some of the first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 may be in the cooling operation and the remaining may be in the heating operation.

The first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 are connected to the first, second, third and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41, Second, third and fourth indoor electronic expansion valves 12, 22, 32 and 42 and first, second, third and fourth indoor fan units 15, 25, 35 and 45. The first indoor heat exchanger connecting pipes 13, 23, 33 and 43 are connected to one ends of the first, second, third and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41, The second indoor heat exchanger connecting pipe 14, 24, 34, 44 may be connected to the second indoor heat exchanger connecting pipe.

The first, second, third, and fourth indoor electronic expansion valves (12, 22, 32, 42) are installed on the first indoor heat exchanger connecting pipe (13, 23, 33, 43). Second, third, and fourth indoor electronic expansion valves 12, 22, 32, and 42 during the cooling operation of the first, second, third, and fourth indoor units B1, B2, Can be controlled to a predetermined degree. In this case, the refrigerant may expand through the first, second, third, and fourth indoor electronic expansion valves (12, 22, 32, 42). The first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 are connected to the first, second, third and fourth indoor electronic expansion valves 12, 22, 32 and 42, respectively, Can be fully opened. In this case, the refrigerant passes through the first, second, third, and fourth indoor electronic expansion valves (12, 22, 32, 42) and may not expand.

The first indoor heat exchanger connecting piping 13, 23, 33, 43 connected to the first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3, Second, third, and fourth indoor electronic expansion valves 12, 22, 32, 42 in the liquid header 83 of the first, second, third, and fourth indoor expansion valves. In this case, the second indoor heat exchanger connecting piping (14, 24, 34, 44) connected to the first, second, third and fourth indoor units (B1, B2, B3, B4) Pressure gaseous refrigerant vaporized in the first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31, and 41 to the low-pressure gas header 82 of the distributor C.

The first indoor heat exchanger connecting piping 13, 23, 33, 43 connected to the first, second, third and fourth indoor units B1, B2, B3, The liquid refrigerant condensed in the third and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41 can be guided to the liquid header 83 of the distributor C. In this case, the second indoor heat exchanger connecting piping (14, 24, 34, 44) connected to the first, second, third and fourth indoor units (B1, B2, B3, B4) The gaseous refrigerant can be guided from the high pressure gas header 81 of the distributor C to the first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31, and 41.

The first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers (11, 21, 31, 41) can condense or evaporate the refrigerant by heat exchange with the room air. Specifically, the first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers (11, 21, 31, 41) of the first, second, third and fourth indoor units (B1, B2, B3, B4) ) Can serve as an evaporator. The first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers (11, 21, 31, 41) of the first, second, third and fourth indoor units (B1, B2, B3, B4) Can play a role.

On the other hand, in order to facilitate the heat exchange in the first, second, third and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41, the first, second, third and fourth indoor fan Second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31, and 41 are installed around the first, second, third, and fourth indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 11, 21, 31, 41).

1B is a view illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The air conditioner 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention may be a multi-type air conditioner for switching between heating and cooling. The cooling / heating switching type multi-type air conditioner may be configured such that a plurality of indoor units (B1, B2, B3, B4) and an outdoor unit (A) are connected by a refrigerant pipe. In this case, the cooling / heating switching type multi-type air conditioner can be switched to either the heating mode or the cooling mode to air-condition the room. Such an air conditioner may be referred to as a heat pump type air conditioner.

1B, the air conditioner 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of indoor units B1, B2, B3, and B4 installed in a room of a building, and indoor units B1 and B2 , B3, B4) connected to the outdoor unit (A). The indoor units B1, B2, B3, and B4 and the outdoor unit A may be connected through the refrigerant pipes 10 and 20. The outdoor unit A is driven by the request of at least one of the indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 and the outdoor unit A is driven by the indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 as the cooling / The number of operating units and the number of compressors installed in the outdoor unit (A) can be increased.

The indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4 are provided around the indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41 for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the room air, the indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41, 22, 32, 42 for expanding the refrigerant flowing to the indoor heat exchanger (11, 21, 31, 41) during the cooling of the indoor unit fan (15, 25, 35, 45) circulating the indoor heat exchanger And the like. Here, the indoor heat exchangers (11, 21, 31, 41) function as an evaporator during cooling operation and can function as a condenser during heating operation.

The outdoor unit A includes an accumulator 52 for extracting only the gas refrigerant from the refrigerant supplied from the indoor units B1, B2, B3 and B4, a compressor 52 for receiving the gas refrigerant extracted from the accumulator 52, A four-way valve (62) connected to the first and second compressors (53, 54) for selecting the flow path of the refrigerant compressed in accordance with the cooling operation or the heating operation, And an outdoor heat exchanger 51 for exchanging heat between the refrigerant supplied from the valve 62 and outdoor air. Here, the first compressor 53 may be an inverter compressor capable of varying the compression capacity of the refrigerant, and the second compressor 54 may be a constant speed compressor having a constant compression capacity of the refrigerant. Further, the outdoor heat exchanger 51 functions as a condenser during cooling operation, and can function as an evaporator during heating operation. On the other hand, an outdoor fan 61 for introducing outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger 51 may be provided around the outdoor heat exchanger 51.

First and second oil separators 58 and 59 are installed in the pipe connecting the first and second compressors 53 and 54 and the four-way valve 62. The first and second oil separators 58 and 59 are connected to the suction side of the first and second compressors 53 and 54. In this case, the first and second oil separators 58 and 59 separate the oil from the refrigerant discharged from the first and second compressors 53 and 54 and supply the separated oil to the first and second compressors 53 and 54, 54 so that an appropriate amount of oil is retained in the first and second compressors 53, 54. The first and second oil separators 58 and 59 and the suction pipes of the first and second compressors 53 and 54 are connected through first and second oil return pipes 30 and 31, The oil is moved through the first and second oil return pipes (30, 31).

The refrigerant piping 10 guides the refrigerant discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 51 to the indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31, and 41. The refrigerant pipe 10 is provided with an outdoor electronic expansion valve (EEV) 65 for expanding the refrigerant condensed during the heating operation and a supercooling device (supercooling device) 65 for supercooling the refrigerant moving to the indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31, (66).

The outdoor electronic expansion valve (65) is opened at the time of cooling operation, and passes the refrigerant condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger (51) without expanding it. On the other hand, at the time of heating operation, the refrigerant is opened to a predetermined size, and the refrigerant condensed in the indoor heat exchangers (11, 21, 31, 41) is expanded into the sprayed liquid before being introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger (51).

The supercooling device 66 includes a supercooling device 66a which surrounds a part of the refrigerant pipe 10 and a refrigerant pipe 66a which is connected to the indoor heat exchangers 11, 21, 31 and 41 through the subcooler 66a A bypass pipe 66b connected to the refrigerant pipe 10 for bypassing part of the refrigerant moving in the refrigerant pipe 10 to the inside of the subcooler 66a and an electronic expansion valve 66c installed in the bypass pipe 66b, A recovery pipe 66d for connecting the supercooler 66a and the input side refrigerant pipe 64 of the accumulator 52, a recovery pipe 66d and a discharge side pipe (not shown) of the first and second compressors 53 and 54 The superheat pipe 88 connecting the recovery pipe 66d and the superheat pipe 88 and the recovery pipe 66d or the superheat pipe 66d depending on the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the supercooler 66a, And a valve (89) for switching the refrigerant flow direction to the pipe (88).

Here, a space is formed in the subcooler 66a, and the refrigerant pipe 10 is installed through the subcooler 66a. When the air conditioner 100 is driven in a cooling cycle, the refrigerant moving along the refrigerant pipe 10 is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant filled in the subcooler 66a, and the temperature is lowered. To this end, the electronic expansion valve 66c expands the refrigerant flowing to the subcooler 66a through the bypass pipe 66b to convert it into the low-temperature low-pressure liquid refrigerant in the spray state, and the expanded refrigerant is sucked by the subcooler 66a And is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant moving along the refrigerant pipe 10.

On the other hand, in order to detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing in / discharging from the supercooling device 66, the discharge side refrigerant pipe 10 of the supercooler 30 and the discharge port 66c of the electronic expansion valve 66c in the bypass pipe 66b And a pipe 87 provided between the subcooler 66a and the valve 89 in the recovery pipe 66d are connected with temperature sensors 101, 102, and 103 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant, Respectively.

In addition, temperature sensors 104 and 105 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the first and second compressors 53 and 54 are connected to the discharge side refrigerant pipes of the first and second compressors 53 and 54 And a temperature sensor 106 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the accumulator 52 is also installed in the refrigerant pipe on the input side of the accumulator 52.

The valve 89 selects the flow direction of the refrigerant discharged from the subcooler 66a according to the temperature of the refrigerant measured by the temperature sensor 103. [ Specifically, when the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the subcooler 66a is maintained in the normal temperature range, the valve 89 opens the flow path for connecting the refrigerant to the recovery pipe 66d and connects the refrigerant to the superheat pipe 88 Thereby blocking the flow passage. On the other hand, when the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the subcooler 66a is higher than the normal temperature range, the valve 89 is connected to the recovery pipe 66d and the recovery pipe 66d in order to prevent the first and second compressors 53 and 54 from being damaged The flow path connected to the superheat pipe 88 is opened. In this case, the overheat pipe 88 is provided with a check valve 85 for preventing the refrigerant discharged from the first and second compressors 53 and 54 from flowing back to the subcooler 66a.

The refrigerant pipe 10 is provided with a dryer 110 for removing moisture from the inside of the refrigerant pipe 10 and a refrigerant passing through the dryer 110 is bypassed from the refrigerant pipe 10, Flows to the heat exchanger (11, 21, 31, 41) side.

Hereinafter, in the air conditioner shown in Figs. 1A to 1B, details of the embodiments for controlling the opening of the oil-flow amount valve based on the heat source water flow rate measured by the flow sensor or the inlet / outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger measured by the temperature sensor Explain.

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

The air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be the air conditioner multi-type air conditioner shown in FIG. 1A or the multi-type air conditioner shown in FIG. 1B. The air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a compressor 210, an outdoor heat exchanger 220, a temperature sensor 230, a flow rate sensor 240, a flow rate valve 250, a pump 260, And may include a controller 270.

The compressor 210 may be operated at an operating frequency (Hz) corresponding to the target high pressure of the refrigeration cycle. The target high pressure can be set differently corresponding to the cooling operation, the heating operation, the simultaneous operation of the cooling subject and the simultaneous operation of the heating subject.

The outdoor heat exchanger 220 can perform water-cooled heat exchange. In this case, the outdoor heat exchanger 220 can evaporate or condense the introduced refrigerant by heat exchange with the heat source water. The heat source water may be a liquid energy source having a constant water temperature.

The outdoor heat exchanger 220 may be connected to the refrigerant heat exchange passage and the heat source water heat exchange passage. The refrigerant heat exchange flow path may be a flow path through which the refrigerant is evaporated or condensed. The heat source water heat exchange flow path may be a flow path which is cooled or heated while the heat source water passes.

The outdoor heat exchanger 220 may be constituted by a plate heat exchanger or a shell tubular heat exchanger. In the case of a plate heat exchanger, the refrigerant heat exchange channel and the heat source water heat exchange channel are partitioned through the plate type heat transfer member, and the refrigerant and the heat source water can be heat-exchanged through the plate type heat transfer member. In the case of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the refrigerant heat exchange flow path and the heat source water heat exchange flow path are partitioned by a tube disposed inside the shell, so that the refrigerant and the heat source water can be heat-exchanged through the tube.

The temperature sensor 230 can measure the temperature. To this end, the temperature sensor 230 may measure the temperature of a fluid or an object surface using a detecting element, convert the measured temperature into an electric signal, and output or transmit the electric signal. Here, the detecting element may include a thermistor, a platinum, a nickel, and a thermocouple.

According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor 230 may measure the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 220. Specifically, the temperature sensor 230 can measure the inlet temperature at which the heat source water flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and the outlet temperature at which the heat source water is discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 220. For this purpose, a plurality of temperature sensors 230 may be disposed corresponding to the inlet and the outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220, respectively.

The flow sensor 240 can measure the mass of the flowing liquid or gas.

According to one embodiment, the flow sensor 240 can measure the outlet flow rate of the oil-flow valve 250. Specifically, the flow sensor 240 can measure the outlet flow rate at which the heat source water is discharged from the oil-flow valve 250. For this purpose, the flow sensor 240 may be installed at the outlet side of the oil-flow valve 250.

The flow rate valve 250 can control the flow rate of the heat source water flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 220 or discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 220. Specifically, the flow rate valve 250 can vary the flow rate of the heat source water circulating through the heat source water heat exchange channel by adjusting the opening degree. To this end, the oil-flow valve 250 may be installed on the heat source water heat exchange flow path. In this case, the oil-flow valve 250 may be installed in at least one of the water inlet channel and the water outlet channel constituting the heat source water heat exchange channel.

The oil-flow valve 250 may be opened at full opening at full opening and closed at full close. When the oil-flow valve 250 is opened at the maximum opening degree, the flow rate of the heat source water circulating through the heat source water heat exchange channel can be maximized. When the oil-flow valve 250 is closed, the flow rate of the heat source water circulating through the heat source water heat exchange channel can be minimized.

When the cooling operation or the heating operation is started, the oil-flow valve 250 can be fully opened. Specifically, the oil-flow valve 250 is opened at the maximum opening degree, so that the flow rate of heat source water in the heat source water heat exchange flow path can be maximized.

When the cooling operation or the heating operation is completed, the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 can be adjusted. In this case, the opening degree of the full-open valve 250 may be reduced to a predetermined degree.

When the normal operation is performed by entering the predetermined operation mode, the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 can be adjusted corresponding to the flow rate of the heat source measured by the flow sensor 240. Specifically, the amount-of-oil valve 250 can be increased or decreased by a predetermined degree in the current opening degree. To this end, the pulse value for opening the oil-flow valve 250 may be increased or decreased by a predetermined pulse.

In the normal operation, if the flow sensor 240 does not operate normally, the oil supply valve 250 can adjust the opening degree corresponding to the inlet / outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 measured by the temperature sensor 230 have. In this case, the heat source water flow rate can be predicted based on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220. This will be described later with reference to Fig.

The oil-flow valve 250 is driven by a stepping motor (also referred to as a pulse motor) controlled by a pulse signal, so that the amount of operation, that is, the opening degree can be changed. Here, the stepping motor may be a motor that rotates by an angle proportional to a given number of pulses by giving an order to the pulses in a stepped state. Accordingly, the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 can be expressed in pulse units.

The pump 260 may circulate the heat source number between the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and an external heat exchange facility (not shown). Here, the external heat exchange facility (not shown) can heat-exchange the heat source water heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 220 with outdoor air, geothermal heat, and the like.

The pump 260 may pump the heat source circulating the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and the heat source water heat exchange passage and the external heat exchange facility (not shown). To this end, the pump 260 may be installed in at least one of the inlet flow path and the outlet flow path constituting the heat source water heat exchange flow path.

The pump 260 may be composed of a variable displacement pump whose capacity can be varied. In this case, the capacity variable pump may be an inverter pump whose capacity is variable according to the input frequency, or may be a constant speed pump capable of varying the pumping capacity.

The pump 260 may include a pressure sensor capable of sensing pressure. According to one embodiment, the pump 260 may increase or decrease the number of revolutions in response to a pressure change sensed by the pressure sensor.

The control unit 270 can control the opening of the oil-flow valve 250.

Specifically, when the cooling operation or the heating operation is started, the control unit 270 can open the oil-flow valve 250 in a full-open state. In this case, the oil-flow valve 250 is opened at the maximum opening degree. When the cooling operation or the heating operation is completed, the controller 270 can adjust the opening of the oil-flow valve 250. In this case, the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 that has been fully opened can be reduced by a predetermined degree.

The control unit 270 can control the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 in accordance with the flow rate of the heat source measured by the flow sensor 240. In this case, In this case, the oil-flow valve 250 may be increased or decreased by a predetermined degree in the current opening degree.

According to an embodiment, the controller 270 may be formed inside or outside of the outdoor unit and the at least one indoor unit.

3 is a view showing a flow of heat source water in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The outdoor heat exchanger 220 is connected to the heat source water heat exchange channel 310 and the refrigerant heat exchange channel (not shown). The heat source water heat exchange channel 310 and the refrigerant heat exchange channel (not shown) may be correspondingly arranged so that heat exchange can be performed between the refrigerant and the heat source water.

A plurality of temperature sensors 230a and 230b are disposed corresponding to the inlet and the outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220, respectively. In this case, the temperature sensor 230 can measure the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 220.

The heat source water heat exchange channel 310 may be a channel that is cooled or heated while the heat source water passes. The heat source water heat exchange channel 310 is connected to an external heat exchange facility (not shown). Specifically, the heat source water heat exchange channel 310 may include an inlet channel 312 and an outlet channel 314. The inlet channel 312 may be a channel through which the number of heat sources that have passed through the external heat exchange facility (not shown) is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 220. The outflow channel 314 may be a channel through which the heat source heat exchanged with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is discharged to an external heat exchange facility (not shown).

The external heat exchange facility (not shown) can heat-exchange the heat source water heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 220 with outdoor air, geothermal heat or the like. In this case, the external heat exchange facility (not shown) includes a cooling tower that cools the heat source water exiting through the outflow channel 314 by outdoor air, a geothermal heat exchange heat exchanging heat source water exiting through the outflow channel 314 with the geothermal heat A boiler for heating the heat source water exiting through the outflow channel 314, and the like.

The heat-source water heat exchange passage 310 may be provided with a flow-rate valve 250 in at least one of the water inlet channel 312 and the water outlet channel 314. The flow rate valve 250 can control the flow rate of the heat source water flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger 220 through the inlet flow path 312 or the heat source discharged from the outdoor heat exchanger 220 through the outlet flow path 314. Specifically, the flow rate valve 250 can vary the flow rate of the heat source water circulating through the heat source water heat exchange channel 310 by adjusting the opening degree.

A flow rate sensor 240 is installed at the outlet side of the flow rate valve 250. The flow sensor 240 can measure the outlet flow rate of the oil-flow valve 250. Thus, the flow rate of heat source water discharged from the oil-flow valve 250 is measured.

The pump 260 may be installed in at least one of the water inlet channel 312 and the water outlet channel 314 constituting the heat source water heat exchange channel 310.

The pump 260 may circulate the heat source number between the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and an external heat exchange facility (not shown). Specifically, the pump 260 can pump the heat source water so that the heat source water circulates through the inlet flow passage 312, the outdoor heat exchanger 220, the outlet flow passage 314, and the external heat exchange facility (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 3, the number of heat sources introduced from an external heat exchange facility (not shown) flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 220 through the inlet channel 312. The heat source water is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and flows into the external heat exchange facility (not shown) through the oil flow valve 314 and the oil-flow valve 250.

In this case, the flow sensor 240 measures the flow rate of the heat source discharged from the flow rate valve 250, and adjusts the opening of the flow rate valve 250 in accordance with the measured flow rate of the heat source.

The temperature sensor 230 measures the temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and adjusts the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 in accordance with the measured temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet. Specifically, the heat source water flow rate is predicted based on the temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220, and the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 is adjusted in correspondence with the predicted heat source water flow rate. This will be described later with reference to Fig.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an air conditioner control process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.

According to the control method of the air conditioner 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner 100 including the outdoor unit performing the water-cooled heat exchange corresponds to the flow rate of the heat source measured by the flow rate sensor 240 So that the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 can be automatically controlled. The opening degree of the oil-flow valve 250 can be controlled based on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 measured by the temperature sensor 230 when the flow sensor 240 does not operate normally.

The air conditioner 100 sets the target operating frequency of the compressor 210 when the cooling operation or the heating operation is started (S401).

The control unit 270 of the air conditioner 100 can set the target operating frequency (Hz) of the compressor 210 when the cooling operation or the heating operation is started and the compressor 210 is powered.

The air conditioner 100 controls to open the oil-flow valve 250 to the maximum (S402).

The controller 270 of the air conditioner 100 can fully open the oil-flow valve 250 that has been fully closed before the start-up.

The air conditioner 100 measures the flow rate through the flow rate sensor 240 (S403).

Specifically, the flow sensor 240 is provided at the outlet side of the oil-flow valve 250 to measure the flow rate of the heat source water discharged from the oil-flow valve 250. In this case, the flow rate sensor 240 can measure the flow rate for a predetermined period of time after the start of operation. According to one embodiment, the initial flow measurement time may be one minute after the start of operation.

The air conditioner 100 determines whether the oil-flow valve 250 is open according to the control signal (S404).

The control unit 270 of the air conditioner 100 waits until the oil-flow valve 250 is fully opened, and after the oil-flow valve 250 is opened to the maximum, the operation can be terminated and the normal operation can be started.

Accordingly, if the flow rate valve 250 is opened in accordance with the control signal in step S404 (Yes in step S404), the air conditioner 100 performs normal operation (step S405).

The control unit 270 may adjust the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 in accordance with the flow rate of the heat source measured by the flow sensor 240. In this case, In this case, the control unit 270 can increase or decrease the opening degree of the oil-flow valve 250 by a predetermined degree from the current opening degree by controlling the pulse value for opening. The normal operation of the air conditioner 100 may continue for a predetermined time. According to one embodiment, the predetermined time may be 30 seconds.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S404 that the oil supply amount valve 250 is not opened in accordance with the control signal (NO in step S404), the air conditioner 100 opens the oil amount valve 250 in accordance with the control signal (step S406).

The control unit 270 of the air conditioner 100 waits until the oil-flow valve 250 operates properly when the oil-flow-volume valve 250 is not operated properly and is not fully opened. Specifically, the control unit 270 waits until the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 is maximally opened. If step S406 is performed, the flow returns to step S403 and the flow rate is measured.

The air conditioner 100 determines whether 30 seconds have passed since the normal operation (S407).

If 30 seconds have elapsed after the normal operation (S407-Yes), the air conditioner 100 determines whether the inlet-outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 corresponds to the reference value (S408).

According to the present invention, the air conditioner (100) controls the opening of the oil-flow valve (250) in accordance with the flow rate of the heat source measured by the flow sensor (240) Therefore, if the flow sensor 240 does not operate properly, the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 can not be properly controlled.

In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, the opening degree of the oil-flow valve 250 can be controlled based on the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 when the flow sensor 240 does not operate normally. To this end, the controller 270 of the air conditioner 100 determines whether the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is appropriate for the reference value, and controls the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 based thereon. That is, if it is determined in step S408 that the inlet-outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 corresponds to the reference value (S408-Yes), the controller 270 continues normal operation. On the other hand, when it is determined that the inlet / outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 does not correspond to the reference value (S408-No), the controller 270 determines that the opening degree of the oil- . In this case, the control unit 270 outputs an error indicating that the flow sensor 240 is in error (S409).

The air conditioner 100 determines whether the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is equal to or greater than a reference value (S410). If the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is equal to or larger than the reference value (S410-Yes), the control unit 270 opens the oil-flow valve 250 (S411). On the other hand, if the inlet-outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is less than the reference value (S410-No), the controller 270 closes the oil-flow valve 250 (S412). That is, when the flow sensor 240 does not operate normally, the air conditioner 100 compares the inlet / outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 with the reference value, and controls the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 according to the temperature difference. Specifically, if the inlet / outlet temperature difference is high, the oil-flow valve 250 is opened, and if the inlet / outlet temperature difference is low, the oil-flow valve 250 is closed. This is because the inlet / outlet temperature difference of the outdoor heat exchanger 220 is inversely proportional to the heat source water flow rate, which will be described later with reference to FIG.

Thereafter, the air conditioner 100 returns to step S403 and continues normal operation.

Conventionally, in order to increase the cooling / heating performance during the operation of the air conditioner 100 and to selectively control the power consumption and the efficiency, the user or the installer considers the climatic conditions in which the air conditioner 100 is installed, The flow rate was manipulated. In this case, if the oil-flow valve 250 is not opened at a desired opening degree, a high pressure is formed, which lowers the operation efficiency.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow sensor 240 adjusts the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 in accordance with the measured flow rate of the heat source water. Therefore, even if the user or the installer does not set the minimum flow rate of the oil-flow valve 250, the opening of the oil-flow valve 250 can be automatically adjusted according to the operating conditions.

5 is a view for explaining the control of the amount of flow valve in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Specifically, FIG. 5 shows a case where water is used as the heat source water. Heat exchange can occur between the water and the refrigerant. The temperature of the water before heat exchange with the refrigerant is T1, and the temperature of the water after heat exchange with the refrigerant is T2. In this case, the temperature change amount DELTA T = T2 - T1 of the water.

By the law of conservation of mass, the amount of heat change Q1 of water and the amount of heat change Q2 of refrigerant are the same. Therefore, the following relationship holds.

The amount of change in the amount of heat of the water (Q1) = the amount of change in the amount of heat of the refrigerant (Q2)

Here, Q1 = Cp x w x ΔT (Cp: specific heat of water, w: water mass flow rate, ΔT: temperature variation).

Also, Q2 = r *? H (r: refrigerant mass flow rate,? H: enthalpy of refrigerant). In this case, it is assumed that Q2 is fixed.

The smaller the water flow, the smaller the w value. In this case, since the Cp value is 1,? T increases. Therefore, as the water flows less, the temperature change of the heat source water increases.

The w value becomes large when a lot of water flows. In this case, since the Cp value is 1,? T is decreased. Therefore, when a large amount of water flows, the temperature change of the heat source water decreases.

That is, the flow rate of water and temperature change are in inverse proportion. Therefore, the flow rate of water (heat source water) can be predicted from the temperature change.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the flow rate of the heat source water can be tracked and adjusted through the temperature change of the outdoor heat exchanger 220. Accordingly, even when the flow rate sensor 240 does not operate normally, the opening degree of the flow rate valve 250 can be adjusted based on the temperature change value measured by the temperature sensor 230.

The present invention described above can be embodied as computer-readable codes on a medium on which a program is recorded. The computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer readable medium include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state disk (SSD), a silicon disk drive (SDD), a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, And may also be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (e.g., transmission over the Internet). Also, the computer may include a control unit 180 of the terminal. Accordingly, the above description should not be construed in a limiting sense in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

100: air conditioner 210: compressor
220: outdoor heat exchanger 230: temperature sensor
240: Flow sensor 250: Oil-flow valve
260: Pump 270:

Claims (11)

In the air conditioner,
An outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the heat source water and the refrigerant;
A variable-volume valve for varying the flow rate of the heat source water flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger with its opening degree adjusted;
A flow rate sensor for measuring a flow rate of the heat source water discharged from the flow rate valve; And
And a control unit for increasing the opening degree to a maximum for a predetermined time when the air conditioner is started and controlling the opening degree corresponding to the flow rate of the heat source water after the predetermined time has elapsed. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature difference between an inlet and an outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger,
Wherein the control unit predicts the flow rate of the heat source water based on the temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet when the flow rate sensor does not operate normally and controls the opening degree of the air flow in accordance with the predicted flow rate of the heat source water, . 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the flow rate of the heat source water is reduced when the temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet increases. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the temperature sensor is installed corresponding to an inlet and an outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the flow sensor is disposed at an outlet side of the oil-flow valve. The method according to claim 1,
The oil-
An inlet flow passage through which the heat source water flows into the outdoor heat exchanger and an outlet flow passage through which the heat source flows from the outdoor heat exchanger. The method according to claim 1,
And a pump for controlling the heat source to circulate the oil-flow valve and the outdoor heat exchanger. 8. The method of claim 7,
The pump includes:
An inlet flow passage through which the heat source water flows into the outdoor heat exchanger and an outlet flow passage through which the heat source flows from the outdoor heat exchanger. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the predetermined time is 30 seconds. A control method for an air conditioner,
Opening the opening of the oil-flow volume valve to a maximum during a predetermined time when the air conditioner is started;
Measuring a flow rate of the heat source water discharged from the flow rate valve; And
And controlling the opening degree of the oil-flow volume valve in accordance with the flow rate of the heat source water after the predetermined time has elapsed. 11. The method of claim 10,
Further comprising the step of measuring a temperature difference between an inlet and an outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger,
The flow rate of the heat source water is predicted based on the temperature difference between the inlet and the outlet and the opening degree is controlled in accordance with the predicted flow rate of the heat source water when the flow rate sensor for measuring the flow rate of the heat source water does not operate normally Control method of air conditioner.

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