KR20200090474A - Air conditioner and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner includes: a plurality of fan motors respectively rotating a plurality of fans; a plurality of inverters for converting DC power into AC power and outputting the converted AC power to the corresponding fan motors, respectively, among the plurality of fan motors; and a control unit for controlling the plurality of inverters. The control unit can perform control so that the plurality of fan motors are driven, can determine whether an error related to the driving occurs for the plurality of fan motors, and can initiate control so that in case an error related to the driving has occurred to at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the frequency of the AC power, output to the other fan motors except for at least one fan motor in which the error related to the driving has occurred, can be changed. Accordingly, even when the fans are rotated by wind before the fan motors are driven, the air conditioner and the control method thereof can stably drive the fan motors. Other embodiments are possible.

Description

Air conditioner and its control method{AIR CONDITIONER AND METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method thereof, and particularly, to an air conditioner and a control method that can stably drive a fan motor even when the fan is rotated by wind before the fan motor is driven. It is about.

The air conditioner is installed to provide a more comfortable indoor environment to human beings by discharging cold and warm air into the room to regulate the indoor temperature and purifying the indoor air to create a comfortable indoor environment. In general, an air conditioner includes an indoor unit installed inside a heat exchanger, and an outdoor unit configured with a compressor and a heat exchanger to supply refrigerant to the indoor unit. In addition, the air conditioner may be connected to at least one indoor unit in the outdoor unit, and the refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit according to a requested operation state, and thus is operated in a cooling or heating mode.

The air conditioner is operated in cooling or heating according to the flow of the refrigerant. During the cooling operation, the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit from the compressor of the outdoor unit through the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit, the temperature of the surrounding air decreases as the refrigerant expands and vaporizes in the indoor unit heat exchanger, and the indoor unit fan rotates Accordingly, cold air is discharged into the room. During the heating operation, the hot and high pressure gas refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit from the compressor of the outdoor unit, and the air warmed by the energy released while the high temperature and high pressure gas refrigerant is liquefied in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit is indoors according to the operation of the indoor unit fan. Is discharged.

Recently, the air conditioner is not only limited to controlling indoor temperature by discharging cold/hot air into the room, but it is a trend that is combined with a ventilation system that discharges indoor air to the outdoors and induces outdoor air to ventilate the room. In particular, in a building where there are no windows or small windows, a system combining a heating and cooling system and a ventilation system is receiving attention.

On the other hand, such air conditioners are provided with a plurality of fan motors that rotate and operate a plurality of fans, thereby improving both the performance of the air conditioning system and the ventilation system. However, when the wind is introduced from the outside, or when only a part of a plurality of fan motors is driven by various causes to generate wind, the fan motor connected to a fan motor that is not driven according to a sufficient operating frequency is rotated by the wind. There may be an error in driving, and there is a problem in that driving of the entire plurality of fan motors is stopped.

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner capable of stably driving a fan motor and a control method thereof even when the fan is rotated by wind before the fan motor is driven.

In order to achieve the above object, the air conditioner according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when an error related to driving occurs for a plurality of fan motors that rotate and operate a plurality of fans, drive all of the plurality of fan motors By changing the operating frequency of the remaining fan motors except for the fan motor in which an error related to driving has not occurred without stopping, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of repeated errors and to enable stable driving of a plurality of fan motors.

To achieve the above object, the air conditioner according to various embodiments of the present invention includes a plurality of fan motors that rotate a plurality of fans, and converts DC power into AC power, and converts the converted AC power into a plurality of fan motors. Among them, a plurality of inverters respectively output to the corresponding fan motors and a control unit for controlling the plurality of inverters, the control unit controls the plurality of fan motors to be driven, and the plurality of fan motors generates an error related to driving. If it is determined whether or not an error related to driving occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the frequency of AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor having an error related to driving is controlled to be changed. Can.

In order to achieve the above object, a control method of an air conditioner according to various embodiments of the present invention includes an operation of driving a plurality of fan motors, and determining whether an error related to driving occurs for a plurality of fan motors And when an error related to driving occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, changing the frequency of AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor in which an error related to driving occurs. .

The air conditioner and the control method according to various embodiments of the present invention, when an error occurs as a fan connected to a fan motor that is not sufficiently driven is rotated by wind, first changes the operating frequency of the other fan motor that is driven By doing so, even if all of the fan motors are not stopped, repeated errors can be prevented, and a plurality of fan motors can be stably driven.

In addition, an air conditioner and a control method thereof according to various embodiments of the present invention generate an error as a fan connected to a fan motor that is not sufficiently driven is rotated by wind generated by driving only a part of the plurality of fan motors first. In the following case, when driving a plurality of fan motors, the increase rate of the driving frequency for driving the fan motors can be reduced to stably drive the plurality of fan motors.

In addition, the air conditioner and its control method according to various embodiments of the present invention can block the wind from the outside by adjusting the opening angle of the provided damper, through which the wind affects the driving of a plurality of fan motors The impact can be reduced.

1 and 2 are views showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of an air conditioning unit provided in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6A and 6B are graphs showing frequencies of AC power output to a plurality of fan motors according to an operation of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, in order to clearly and briefly describe the present invention, illustration of parts irrelevant to the description is omitted, and the same reference numerals are used for the same or extremely similar parts throughout the specification.

The suffixes "modules" and "parts" for components used in the following description are given simply by considering the ease of writing the present specification, and do not give meanings or roles that are particularly important in themselves. Therefore, the "module" and the "unit" may be used interchangeably.

In this application, terms such as “comprises” or “have” are intended to indicate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, and that one or more other features are present. It should be understood that it does not preclude the presence, or the likelihood of adding, or adding, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Further, in the present specification, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

1 and 2 are views showing the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the air conditioner may include, for example, an air conditioning unit 1, an outdoor unit 2, a controller 4, and/or an interface unit 5 connected to the controller 4. .

The air handling unit (AHU) 1 is, for example, supply air supplied to the room (supply air), circulates the room and returns to the air conditioning unit 1, return air, and inflow from outside The amount of outside air to be heated and the amount of supply air to be supplied to the room through heat exchange can be controlled.

The outdoor unit 2 may be operated in a cooling mode or a heating mode, for example, to supply refrigerant to the air conditioning unit 1 depending on the setting. On the other hand, for the air conditioning unit 1, for example, the outdoor unit 2 may be used as a heat source for heat exchange, or a heat source other than the outdoor unit 2 may be used. For example, the air conditioning unit 1 can use a heat pump, a geothermal plate, or the like as a heat source.

The outdoor unit 2 includes, for example, at least one compressor (not shown) that compresses the incoming refrigerant and discharges a high-pressure gas refrigerant, and separates the gas refrigerant and the liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant, so that the non-vaporized liquid refrigerant is used as the compressor. Accumulator (not shown) to prevent inflow, oil separator (not shown) to recover oil from refrigerant discharged from the compressor, outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) to condense or evaporate the refrigerant by heat exchange with outside air, outdoor In order to make the heat exchanger more smoothly, an outdoor fan (not shown) that introduces air to the outdoor heat exchanger and discharges the heat-exchanged air to the outside, a four-way valve that changes the flow path of the refrigerant according to the operation mode of the outdoor unit 2 ( Not shown), at least one pressure sensor (not shown) for measuring pressure, at least one temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring temperature, and/or controlling the operation of the outdoor unit 2 and communicating with other units. It may include a control configuration to perform. On the other hand, the outdoor unit 2 may further include a number of other sensors, valves, supercooling devices, etc., detailed description thereof will be omitted below.

The controller 4 may control, for example, the driving of the air conditioning unit 1 and the degree of circulating air, and control the air to be supplied to the room at a set temperature. The controller 4 can communicate with the outdoor unit 2, for example, to set the target temperature in the outdoor unit 2, or to control the driving of the outdoor unit 2. The controller 4 may control, for example, the outdoor unit 2 to further operate according to the degree of load, or to control a portion of the outdoor unit 2 in operation to stop operating.

The interface unit 5 can be connected to the controller 4, for example, and can act as an input and output of the controller 4. The interface unit 5 can display, for example, the operating state of the air conditioning unit 1 and/or the outdoor unit 2 based on data transmitted and received by the controller 4. At this time, the interface unit 5 may display a graphic-based monitoring screen, for example, so that the user can easily check the operating states of the air conditioning unit 1 and/or the outdoor unit 2. The interface unit 5 may display, for example, a control menu for the air conditioning unit 1 and/or the outdoor unit 2, and transmit data input through the control menu to the controller 4.

Referring to FIG. 2, for example, a plurality of air conditioning units 1 (1a, 1b, 1c) may be installed according to the size and scale of a building. In addition, a plurality of heat sources including the outdoor units 2 (2a to 2c) may be provided correspondingly.

The air conditioning unit 1 may be connected to at least one outdoor unit 2 corresponding to the capacity of the air conditioning unit 1, for example. Meanwhile, the air conditioning unit 1 may have a different number of fans, depending on the embodiment. Each fan included in the air conditioning unit 1 may be configured in a modular form and assembled. That is, the administrator or the user can easily add or remove a fan provided in the air conditioning unit 1, if necessary, and the total amount of circulated air may vary depending on the number of fans provided in the air conditioning unit 1 Can.

The air conditioning unit 1 may be connected to, for example, a duct 3 (3a, 3b, 3c) to discharge air to a room that is an air conditioning target. The air conditioner may include, for example, sensors installed in each air conditioning object, and may measure indoor temperature through sensors installed in each air conditioning object. The air conditioner, for example, may be provided at an end of the duct 3, that is, located at a discharge port for discharging air to an air conditioning object, and may include adjustment means (for example, a damper) for controlling the direction or amount of air to be discharged. have.

3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of an air conditioning unit provided in an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the air conditioning unit 1 includes, for example, an external air portion through which air flows from the outside, an exhaust portion through which air is discharged to the outside, and ventilation through which air circulating in the room flows into the air conditioning unit 1 In addition, an air supply unit through which air is discharged into the room and/or a heat exchange unit through which air is exchanged may be provided. On the other hand, the exhaust unit and the outdoor unit may be configured as, for example, one mixer unit.

The outside, exhaust, ventilation, supply and/or heat exchange sections can be modularized, for example, respectively, and can be added or removed as necessary. In addition, the modularized outdoor unit, exhaust unit, ventilation unit, air supply unit, and/or heat exchange unit, for example, may be arranged in a line to be connected to each other, and may be disposed in close contact with each other to prevent leakage of air.

The external air unit may be provided with, for example, a suction port through which air supplied from the outside (hereinafter, outdoor air) flows, and a space through which air flows. On the other hand, the outside air unit, for example, may be provided with an outside air damper 51 that can open and close the suction port provided in the outside air unit, and the degree of inflow of outside air can be adjusted according to the opening angle of the outside air damper 51. have.

The exhaust unit may be provided with, for example, a discharge port through which air (hereinafter, exhaust air) discharged to the outside and a space through which air flows. On the other hand, the exhaust section, for example, may be provided with an exhaust damper 52 that can open and close the discharge port provided in the exhaust section, and the degree of outflow of the exhaust can be adjusted according to the opening angle of the exhaust damper 52. have.

On the other hand, between the outer air portion and the exhaust portion, for example, a mixed damper 53 may be provided, and according to the opening angle of the exhaust damper 52, the amount of air flowing from the exhaust portion to the outer air portion may be adjusted. have. On the other hand, the air flowing from the exhaust portion to the outside air and the outside air may be mixed in a space provided in the outside portion, and hereinafter, air mixed with the air flowing from the exhaust portion to the outside portion is mixed air. Name it.

In the ventilation unit, for example, a space through which the air circulated in the room (hereinafter, return air) flows into the air conditioning unit 1 and a space through which air flows may be provided. On the other hand, the ventilation unit, for example, may be provided with a ventilation damper 54 for opening and closing the inlet provided in the ventilation unit, the degree of inflow of ventilation can be adjusted according to the opening angle of the ventilation damper 54 have.

The ventilation unit may be provided with a ventilation fan module including, for example, a ventilation fan 56 and a ventilation fan motor 57 that rotates the ventilation fan 56. Meanwhile, the ventilation unit may be provided with, for example, a plurality of ventilation fan motors 57 and a plurality of ventilation fan motors 57 that rotate the plurality of ventilation fans 56, respectively. For example, one to six ventilation fans 56 may be provided in the ventilation unit.

The ventilation fan motor 57 may, for example, rotate the ventilation fan 56 to allow ventilation to be sucked into the air conditioning unit 1 through the intake port provided in the ventilation unit, and the sucked ventilation to the exhaust unit. It can be made to flow. The ventilation fan motor 57 may be, for example, an inverter motor operating according to a set operating frequency, and may control the rotational speed of the ventilation fan 57.

The heat exchange unit, for example, may be connected to the outside air unit, and may be supplied with a mixer from the outside air unit. In the heat exchange unit, for example, an expansion valve 61 to which refrigerant is supplied from the heat exchanger 60 and the outdoor unit 2 may be provided. On the other hand, opening and closing of the expansion valve 61 can be controlled by, for example, the controller 4.

For example, according to the heating operation or the cooling operation operation of the air conditioner, the refrigerant may be supplied through the expansion valve 61, and the mixer passing through the heat exchanger 60 may be cooled or heated. At this time, the heat exchanger 60 may be, for example, a water cooling type, an air cooling type, or a method combining a water cooling type and an air cooling type.

The air supply unit may be provided with, for example, a discharge port through which air supplied to the room (hereinafter, supply air) is discharged, and a space through which air flows. On the other hand, the air supply unit, for example, may be provided with an air supply damper 55 that can open and close the discharge port provided in the air supply unit, the degree of outflow of the air supply can be adjusted according to the opening angle of the air supply damper 55 have.

The air supply unit may be provided with an air supply fan module including, for example, an air supply fan 58 and an air supply fan motor 59 that rotates the air supply fan 58. Meanwhile, the air supply unit may be provided with, for example, a plurality of air supply fan motors 59 and a plurality of air supply fan motors 59 for rotating the plurality of air supply fans 58, respectively. For example, one to six air supply fans 58 may be provided in the air supply unit.

The air supply fan motor 59, for example, rotates the air supply fan 58 to allow the mixer delivered through the heat exchange unit to flow to the air supply unit, and the air supply to the room through the outlet provided in the air supply unit Can be supplied. The air supply fan motor 59 may be, for example, an inverter motor that operates according to a set operating frequency, and may control the rotation speed of the air supply fan 59.

The outdoor air damper 51, the exhaust damper 52, the mixed damper 53, the ventilation damper 54, and/or the air supply damper 55 may be opened and closed by interlocking with each other, for example. At this time, as the ventilation fan module and the air supply fan module operate, air may flow, and the flow path of air may be determined according to the opening angle of each of the dampers 51 to 55. In addition, the exhaust and the outside air can be adjusted according to the internal pressure of the air conditioning unit 1.

For example, when 70% of the ventilation is supplied to the room as supply air, the mixer damper 53 is opened about 67 degrees, and the exhaust damper 52 is opened 23 degrees, so that 70% of the ventilation flows to the outside air. And 30% of ventilation can be exhausted as exhaust. In addition, the outside air damper 52 is opened 23 degrees, and the outside air may flow into the outside air as much as the exhaust air is discharged according to the internal pressure of the air conditioning unit 1. Through this, a mixer composed of 70% ventilation and 30% outside air can be supplied to the room as the supply air.

On the other hand, for example, when the mixing damper 53 is closed, the exhaust damper 52 is opened 90 degrees, and the outside air damper 51 is opened 90 degrees, all ventilation can be discharged to the outside as exhaust, and air conditioning Depending on the internal pressure of the unit 1, all the outside air can be supplied to the room as supply air. At this time, the air conditioning unit 1 when all of the outside air is supplied as the supply air can be referred to as an all-out air.

The air conditioning unit 1, for example, when driving the ventilation fan motor 57 provided in the ventilation fan module, can control the opening angle of the ventilation damper 54 to close the inlet provided in the ventilation unit. On the other hand, the air conditioning unit 1, for example, when the driving of the ventilation fan motor 57 is stopped while driving, may control the opening angle of the ventilation damper 54 to close the inlet provided in the ventilation unit. .

The air conditioning unit 1 may close the discharge port provided in the air supply unit by controlling the opening angle of the air supply damper 55 when driving the air supply fan motor 59 provided in the air supply fan module, for example. On the other hand, the air conditioning unit 1, for example, when the driving of the air supply fan motor 59 is stopped while driving, may control the opening angle of the air supply damper 55 to close the discharge port provided in the air supply unit. .

The controller 4 may operate by determining the temperature of the air supply supplied from the air supply unit to the room as the room temperature, or according to one of the air supply method or the ventilation method, for example, or the temperature of ventilation returning in circulation. It can be operated by judging as the room temperature. That is, in the case of the air conditioner, in the case of the air supply method, an air conditioning operation may be performed by heating or cooling the temperature of the air supply to be a target temperature for the air conditioner, and in the case of a ventilation method, the air temperature is subject to air conditioning It can be judged as the current temperature of the air conditioning operation based on the temperature of the ventilation.

The interface unit 5 can transmit and receive data to and from the controller 4, for example, and monitor the operation status, air flow, and the like of the air conditioning unit 1 based on the data received from the controller 4 You can print it on the screen.

Referring to Figure 3b, a plurality of air conditioning units (1a, 1b, 1c), for example, is connected to the duct (3), it is possible to discharge the air to the air-conditioning room. The plurality of air conditioning units 1a, 1b, and 1c can operate independently, for example. At this time, a plurality of air conditioning units (1a, 1b, 1c), for example, may be connected to a plurality of controllers (4), respectively, may operate under the control of the connected controller (4).

For example, while the first air conditioning unit 1a and the third air conditioning unit 1c are operating, the second air conditioning unit 1b may not operate. At this time, by the ventilation damper 54b and the air supply damper 55b provided in the second air conditioning unit 1b, the inlet and outlet of the second air conditioning unit 1b connected to the duct 3 may be closed. Through this, the ventilation fan 56 and the air supply fan 58 provided in the second air conditioning unit 1b are rotated by the wind generated by the operation of the first air conditioning unit 1a and the third air conditioning unit 1c. Can be prevented.

The air conditioning units 1a, 1b, 1c, for example, control the opening angles of the ventilation dampers 54a, 54b, 54c and/or the air supply dampers 55a, 55b, 55c, respectively, to control the opening angle of the duct 3 It is possible to open and close the inlet and/or outlet connected to the.

For example, when the second air conditioning unit 1b stops driving the ventilation fan motor 57b, the second air conditioning unit 1b connected to the duct 3 by controlling the opening angle of the ventilation damper 54b ) Can be closed. For example, when the second air conditioning unit 1b stops driving the air supply fan motor 59b, the second air conditioning unit 1b connected to the duct 3 by controlling the opening angle of the air supply damper 55b ) Can be closed.

On the other hand, the second air conditioning unit (1b), for example, when driving the ventilation fan motor (57b) is stopped, the second air conditioning connected to the duct (3) by controlling the opening angle of the ventilation damper (54b) The intake port of the unit 1b may be closed. For example, when the second air conditioning unit 1b drives the air supply fan motor 59b whose driving is stopped, the second air conditioning unit connected to the duct 3 by controlling the opening angle of the air supply damper 55b The discharge port of (1b) can be closed.

4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1, 2, 3a and 3b will be omitted for detailed description of the content overlapping with the description.

Referring to FIG. 4, the air conditioner may include, for example, a fan module unit 410, a driving unit 420, a damper unit 430, an output current detection unit 440, and/or a control unit 450. have.

The fan module unit 410 includes, for example, a fan (not shown) (eg, 56 and 58 in FIG. 3A) and a fan motor (not shown) that rotates and operates the fan (eg, 57 and 59 in FIG. 3A). It may include a plurality of fan modules provided.

A fan motor provided in each of the plurality of fan modules may be, for example, an inverter motor operating according to a set operating frequency, and may control the rotational speed of the fan. For example, when an output current having a frequency equal to or greater than a predetermined frequency is supplied from the inverter, the fan motor may be driven, and the rotational speed of the fan may be determined according to the frequency of the output current.

For example, at least one fan module may be provided in the ventilation unit and the air supply unit of the air conditioning unit 1. At this time, each of the fan modules provided in the ventilation unit and the air supply unit may be driven independently, and each fan provided in the fan module may rotate at a different speed.

The driving unit 420 may include, for example, a plurality of inverters (not shown) that respectively output AC power to a plurality of fan modules provided in the fan module unit 410.

The inverter provided in the driving unit 420 includes, for example, a plurality of switching elements, and converts the smoothed DC power into a three-phase AC power of a predetermined frequency by turning on/off the switching element, and thereby converts the fan module. It can be output to the fan motor provided in the unit 410.

Specifically, the inverter may include, for example, a pair of upper and lower arm switching elements connected in series with each other and a pair of upper and lower arm switching elements connected in parallel with each other. In addition, diodes may be connected in reverse parallel to each switching element provided in the inverter.

The driving unit 420 may include, for example, a plurality of inverter drivers (not shown) that control switching of switching elements provided in the plurality of inverters. The inverter driver, for example, may receive a control signal from the control unit 450 and control switching of switching elements provided in the inverter based on the control signal. For example, the inverter driver may control switching of switching elements provided in the inverter so that an AC power having a predetermined frequency is output from the inverter according to a control signal received from the controller 450.

Meanwhile, the inverter driver may control switching of switching elements provided in the inverter, for example, so that the frequency of the AC power output from the inverter is changed. The inverter driver may control switching of switching elements provided in the inverter so that, for example, a frequency of an AC power output from the inverter is changed according to a predetermined frequency increase rate or frequency reduction rate. At this time, the inverter driver, for example, may receive a control signal for changing the frequency increase rate or the frequency reduction rate from the control unit 450, the frequency of the AC power output from the inverter is changed according to the changed frequency increase rate or frequency reduction rate It is possible to control the switching of the switching elements provided in the inverter.

The damper unit 430 may include, for example, an outdoor air damper 51, an exhaust damper 52, a mixed damper 53, a ventilation damper 54, and/or an air supply damper 55. Each of the dampers 51 to 55 provided in the damper unit 430 may have an opening angle adjusted according to, for example, control of the control unit 450.

The outdoor air damper 51, for example, can open and close the suction port provided in the outdoor air unit, and can adjust the inflow degree of the outdoor air according to the opening angle. The exhaust damper 52, for example, can open and close the discharge port provided in the exhaust portion, and can control the degree of exhaust flow according to the opening angle. Mixing damper 53, for example, may be disposed between the air outlet and the exhaust, it is possible to adjust the amount of air flowing from the exhaust to the outside according to the opening angle. Ventilation damper 54, for example, can open and close the inlet provided in the ventilation unit, it is possible to adjust the degree of inflow of ventilation according to the opening angle. The air supply damper 55, for example, can open and close the discharge port provided in the air supply unit, and can control the degree of outflow of the air supply according to the opening angle.

The output current detection unit 440 may detect, for example, an output current output from the driving unit 420 to the fan module unit 410. The output current detector 440 may include, for example, a plurality of output current detection circuits (not shown) positioned between a plurality of inverters and a plurality of fan motors, and output currents output from the inverter to the fan motor. Each can be detected. That is, the output current detection unit 440 may detect phase currents flowing through the plurality of fan motors provided in the fan module unit 410, respectively.

The output current detector 440 may detect, for example, all output currents of each phase flowing through the fan motor, or may detect output currents of two phases by using three-phase balance. The output current detection circuit provided in the output current detection unit 440 may include, for example, a current transformer (CT), a shunt resistor, for the detection of output current. Meanwhile, the detected output current may be input to the control unit 450, for example.

The control unit 450 may be connected to each component provided in the air conditioner, for example. The control unit 450 may transmit and receive signals to and from each component provided in the air conditioner, for example, to check the operation status of each component, and to control the overall operation of each component. The control unit 450 may be provided in the controller 4, for example.

The control unit 450 may output control signals to, for example, a plurality of inverter drivers provided in the driving unit 450. In this case, the control unit 450 may output different control signals to each of a plurality of inverter drivers provided in the driving unit 450, for example.

The control unit 450 may control, for example, a plurality of fan motors provided in the fan module unit 410 to be driven. For example, the control unit 450 may control a plurality of fan motors to be driven by outputting control signals to a plurality of inverter drivers so that AC power is output from a plurality of inverters provided in the driving unit 420.

The control unit 450 may check, for example, the frequencies of AC power output from a plurality of inverters provided in the driving unit 420, respectively, and control the frequencies of the AC power output from the plurality of inverters to be changed. . For example, while a plurality of control units 450 output AC power having a first frequency from a plurality of inverters, a plurality of control signals for changing the frequency of the AC power to a second frequency are provided in the driving unit 420. By outputting to the inverter driver, it can be controlled to output an AC power having a second frequency from a plurality of inverters. Meanwhile, the control unit 450 may control, for example, AC power having different frequencies to be output from a plurality of inverters.

The control unit 450 may determine, for example, an increase or decrease rate of the frequency of the AC power output from the plurality of inverters, and control the frequency of the AC power to be changed according to the determined frequency increase or decrease rate.

Meanwhile, the control unit 450 may output, for example, a control signal related to a reference increase rate to a plurality of inverter drivers. Here, the reference increase rate may mean, for example, an increase rate of the frequency of the AC power for driving the fan motor when the fan motor is driven. The control unit 450 may, for example, change the reference increase rate, and output a control signal regarding the changed reference increase rate to a plurality of inverter drivers. For example, the control unit 450 may change the reference increase rate based on the output current detected by the output current detection unit 440.

The control unit 450 may determine, for example, whether an error related to driving a plurality of fan motors (hereinafter, a driving error) occurs based on the output current detected by the output current detector 440.

The control unit 450 may check, for example, the levels of output currents flowing through the plurality of fan motors, and determine whether a driving error has occurred for the plurality of fan motors based on the verification result.

The control unit 450 may determine that a driving error has occurred, for example, when it is detected that a current of a predetermined level or more flows through a fan motor that is not driven. Here, the fan motor that is not driven may mean, for example, a fan motor that cannot rotate the fan according to an operation frequency of a predetermined frequency or more.

For example, when the wind flows from the outside or when the AC power is output from a plurality of inverters, some of the plurality of fan motors are driven first, and the fan connected to the first driven fan motor rotates to wind. When this occurs, the fan connected to the fan motor that is not driven may rotate by wind, thereby causing a current of a predetermined level or more to flow through the fan motor that is not driven. At this time, the control unit 450 may determine that a driving error has occurred for an undriven fan motor through which a current of a predetermined level or more flows.

Meanwhile, the control unit 450 may determine whether a driving error is generated for the plurality of fan motors, for example, based on the frequency and level of the output current output to the plurality of fan motors. For example, when a current of a predetermined level or more flows through the fan motor before the frequency of the output current output to the fan motor reaches a minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven, the control unit 450 indicates that a drive error has occurred. I can judge.

The control unit 450 may compare, for example, at least one of the level and frequency of the output current flowing through the plurality of fan motors, respectively, and determine whether a driving error occurs for the plurality of fan motors based on the comparison result can do. For example, when the plurality of fan motors are driven, when the difference between the level of the output current flowing through one fan motor and the level of the output current flowing through another fan motor is greater than or equal to a predetermined level, the control unit 450 generates a driving error. It can be judged to have occurred. For example, when driving a plurality of fan motors, when the difference between the frequency of the output current flowing through one fan motor and the frequency of the output current flowing through the other fan motor is greater than or equal to a predetermined frequency, the control unit 450 generates a driving error. It can be judged to have occurred.

The control unit 450 may control, for example, when the driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the driving of the fan motor having the driving error is stopped. For example, if the driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the control unit 450 controls the inverter driver corresponding to the fan motor in which the driving error occurs so that the driving of the fan motor in which the driving error occurs is stopped. You can output a signal.

Meanwhile, the control unit 450 may change the reference increase rate when, for example, a driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors. For example, while the first increase rate is set as the reference increase rate, if a driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the controller 450 may determine a second increase rate lower than the first increase rate as the new reference increase rate. . In addition, the control unit 450 may output control signals regarding the changed reference increase rate to the plurality of inverter drivers so that the plurality of fan motors are driven according to the changed reference increase rate.

Meanwhile, when the driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the control unit 450 may control the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor where the driving error occurs to be changed. have. For example, when the driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the controller 450 changes the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor where the driving error occurs, A control signal may be output to an inverter driver corresponding to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor in which a driving error has occurred. At this time, the control unit 450 may control, for example, the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor in which a driving error occurs to be changed to a minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven. have.

Meanwhile, the control unit 450 may control, for example, a fan motor in which driving is stopped due to a driving error to be driven again. For example, when the driving of the fan motor having the driving error is stopped, the controller 450 may control the fan motor having the driving error to be driven again according to the changed reference increase rate. Or, for example, when the driving of the fan motor in which the driving error occurs is stopped, the control unit 450 controls the fan motor having the driving error to be driven again according to the reference increase rate before the change, and drives the plurality of fan motors. After all of these are stopped, the standard rate of increase may be changed.

The control unit 450 includes, for example, an external air damper 51, an exhaust damper 52, a mixed damper 53, a ventilation damper 54, and/or an air supply damper 55 provided in the damper unit 430 The opening angle of can be controlled. The control unit 450 controls, for example, the opening angle of each damper 51 to 55 provided in the damper unit 430 according to the operation of the plurality of fan modules provided in the fan module unit 410. Can.

The control unit 450 may control the opening angle of the ventilation damper 54 such that when the driving of the at least one fan module provided in the ventilation unit is stopped, the intake port provided in the ventilation unit is closed. .

The control unit 450 may control the opening angle of the air supply damper 55 such that, when the driving of at least one fan module provided in the air supply unit is stopped, the discharge port provided in the air supply unit is closed. .

Meanwhile, the air conditioner includes, for example, a rectifying unit (not shown) for rectifying commercial AC power, a filter unit for removing noise included in the AC power, a dc stage capacitor for storing pulsation voltage, and a dc stage capacitor. A voltage step-down unit for outputting the stored voltage by step-down may be further included, but a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

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

Referring to FIG. 5, the control unit 450 provided in the air conditioner may control a plurality of fan motors to be driven in operation S510. For example, the control unit 450 may output a control signal to a plurality of inverter drivers so that AC power is output from a plurality of inverters to a plurality of fan motors.

In operation S520, the control unit 450 may determine whether a driving error occurs for a plurality of fan motors. The control unit 450 may determine, for example, whether a driving error occurs for a plurality of fan motors based on the output current detected by the output current detection unit 440.

For example, the controller 450 may determine that a drive error has occurred when it is detected that a current of a predetermined level or more flows through a fan motor that has not been driven.

For example, the controller 450 may generate a driving error when a current of a predetermined level or more flows through the fan motor before the frequency of the output current output to the fan motor reaches a minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven. You can judge that.

In operation S530, the controller 450 may control to stop the driving of the fan motor in which the driving error occurs when the driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors. For example, the control unit 450 may output a control signal to the inverter driver corresponding to the fan motor in which the driving error occurs so that AC current is not output from the inverter corresponding to at least one fan motor in which the driving error occurs. .

Meanwhile, the control unit 450 may change the reference increase rate when, for example, a driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors. For example, while the first increase rate is set as the reference increase rate, if a driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the controller 450 may determine a second increase rate lower than the first increase rate as the new reference increase rate. .

In operation S540, the controller 450 may control the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor in which a driving error occurs to be changed. For example, when the driving error occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the control unit 450 sets the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motors other than the at least one fan motor in which the driving error occurs to a predetermined criterion. In order to change the frequency, a control signal may be output to an inverter driver corresponding to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor in which a driving error occurs. In this case, the reference frequency may be, for example, a minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven.

In operation S550, the control unit 450 may control at least one fan motor whose driving is stopped due to a driving error to be driven again, and branch to S520 to generate a driving error for a plurality of fan motors. Can judge. For example, the control unit 450 may output a control signal to the inverter driver corresponding to the fan motor in which the driving error occurs so that an AC current is output from the inverter corresponding to at least one fan motor in which the driving error occurs.

In operation S560, when the driving error does not occur for the plurality of fan motors, in operation S560, the control unit 450 may determine whether the frequencies of the AC power flowing through the plurality of fan motors are greater than or equal to a reference frequency. For example, the control unit 450 may check whether AC power having a frequency equal to or greater than a minimum frequency at which the motor can be driven flows through the plurality of fan motors. Alternatively, the control unit 450 may check whether all of the plurality of fan motors are driven.

In operation S570, when the frequencies of the AC power flowing in the plurality of fan motors are greater than or equal to the reference frequency, in operation S570, the control unit 450 performs air conditioning according to the setting of the air conditioner. It can be controlled to be changed to the target frequency for.

6A and 6B are graphs showing frequencies of AC power output to a plurality of fan motors according to an operation of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6A, the frequency of the AC power 620 output to the first fan motor among the plurality of fan motors increases from 0 seconds, and the AC power 610 output to the second fan motor among the plurality of fan motors increases. It can be seen that the frequency is increased from 3 seconds. For example, when a control signal output from the control unit 450 to a plurality of inverter drivers is different, when a plurality of inverter drivers receive a control signal according to a state of a control signal transmission system, a plurality of inverters In various cases, such as when a driver controls switching of a plurality of inverters are different, a time at which the frequencies of AC power output to a plurality of fan motors are increased may be different.

In addition, it is confirmed that the frequency of the AC power 610 output to the first fan motor reaches 20 Hz, which is the minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven, before the frequency of the AC power 620 output to the second fan motor. Can. In this case, as the first fan motor is driven from 7 seconds and the fan connected to the first fan motor rotates, wind may occur, and by the generated wind, the fan connected to the second fan motor rotates, thereby causing the second A drive error for the fan motor may occur.

On the other hand, when the drive error for the second fan motor occurs in 7 seconds, it can be seen that the frequency of the AC power 620 output to the second fan motor decreases in order to stop driving of the second fan motor. . For example, the controller 450 may output a control signal to an inverter driver corresponding to the second fan motor in which a driving error has occurred, and control the frequency of the AC power 620 output to the second fan motor to be reduced. have.

On the other hand, when the drive error for the second fan motor occurs in 7 seconds, it can be confirmed that the frequency of the AC power 610 output to the first fan motor is changed to 20 Hz, which is the minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven. have. Through this, when a driving error occurs for a part of the plurality of fan motors, the fans are not stopped, and the driving frequency of the remaining fan motors except for some of the fan motors having a driving error is reduced to a minimum frequency. It is possible to minimize the effect of the wind generated by the rotation on some fan motors with driving errors.

In order to drive the second fan motor, which has stopped driving again, it can be seen that the frequency of the AC power 620 output to the second fan motor increases again from 9 seconds. At this time, it can also be confirmed that the frequency of the AC power 610 output to the first fan motor is maintained at the minimum frequency.

From 16 seconds after the frequency of the AC power 620 output to the second fan motor reaches 20 Hz, which is the minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven, the AC power 610, 620 output to the first and second fan motors It can be seen that the frequency of) is changed to a target frequency for performing air conditioning according to the setting of the air conditioner.

On the other hand, when a driving error occurs with respect to the second fan motor in FIG. 6A, the reference increase rate, which is the frequency increase rate of the AC power for driving the fan motor, may be changed. At this time, for example, the control unit 450 may control the second fan motor, which has been stopped to drive again, according to the reference increase rate changed since 9 seconds, but the driving of the first and second fan motors has been stopped. Thereafter, when the first and second fan motors are restarted, the first and second fan motors may be controlled to be driven again according to the changed reference increase rate, which will be described with reference to FIG. 6B.

Referring to FIG. 6B, as in FIG. 6A, the frequency of the AC power 610 output to the first fan motor among the plurality of fan motors increases from 0 seconds, and the AC output to the second fan motor among the plurality of fan motors It can be seen that the frequency of the power source 620 is increased from 3 seconds. In addition, it can be confirmed that the AC power 610 output to the first fan motor reaches 20 Hz, which is the minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven, before the AC power 620 output to the second fan motor.

However, when the frequency of the AC power 610 output to the first fan motor reaches 20 Hz, which is the minimum frequency at which the fan motor can be driven, the frequency of the AC power 620 output to the second fan motor is also 17 Hz. You can see that it reaches In this case, since the wind generated as the fan connected to the first fan motor rotates has little effect on the driving of the second fan motor, a driving error for the second fan motor may not occur.

Accordingly, according to various embodiments of the present invention, even if an error occurs in driving a fan motor as a fan connected to a fan motor that is not sufficiently driven is rotated by wind, it is repeated even if all the fan motors are not stopped. The occurrence of an error can be prevented, and a plurality of fan motors can be stably driven.

The accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed in the specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention It should be understood to include water to substitutes.

Likewise, although the operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, it should not be understood that such operations should be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all shown actions should be performed in order to obtain the desired result. . In certain cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. In addition, various modifications can be implemented by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical idea or prospect of the present invention.

Claims (20)

A plurality of fan motors for rotating the plurality of fans, respectively;
A plurality of inverters for converting DC power into AC power, and outputting the converted AC power to corresponding fan motors among the plurality of fan motors; And
It includes a control unit for controlling the plurality of inverters,
The control unit,
The plurality of fan motors are controlled to be driven,
For the plurality of fan motors, it is determined whether an error related to driving occurs, and
When an error related to the driving occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the frequency of AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor having an error related to the driving is controlled to be changed. Air conditioner made with. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
And controlling the driving of at least one fan motor having an error related to the driving to be stopped. According to claim 2,
Further comprising an output current detection unit for detecting the phase current flowing in each of the plurality of fan motors,
The control unit,
Check the level of the phase current flowing through the plurality of fan motors through the output current detection unit,
And determining whether an error related to the driving occurs for the plurality of fan motors based on the check result. According to claim 3,
The control unit,
Controlling at least one inverter corresponding to the remaining fan motor so that the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motor is changed to a predetermined frequency,
And controlling at least one inverter corresponding to the at least one fan motor having an error related to the driving so that at least one fan motor having an error related to the driving is driven again. According to claim 4,
The control unit,
When the frequency of the AC power output to the at least one fan motor driven again reaches the predetermined frequency, the plurality of inverters are controlled so that the frequency of the AC power output to the plurality of fan motors is changed to a target frequency. Air conditioner characterized in that. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a plurality of inverter drivers are respectively connected to the plurality of inverters, and outputting a switching signal to a plurality of switching elements provided in each of the plurality of inverters, to control the AC power output from the plurality of inverters,
The control unit,
When driving the plurality of fan motors, the air conditioner, characterized in that for controlling the plurality of inverter drivers, so that the frequency of the AC power output to the plurality of fan motors increases according to the first increase rate that is the reference increase rate. The method of claim 6,
The control unit,
And when the error associated with the driving occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the air conditioner is characterized in that the reference increase rate is changed to a second increase rate lower than the first increase rate. According to claim 1,
A ventilation damper that opens and closes an intake port through which return air is re-supplied to the air conditioner after indoor circulation; And
Further comprising an air supply damper for opening and closing the discharge port to which the supply air supply (supply air) is discharged,
The plurality of fan motors,
At least one ventilation fan motor associated with the ventilation; And
And at least one air supply fan motor associated with the air supply,
The control unit,
When the at least one ventilation fan motor is driven, an opening angle of the ventilation damper is determined so that the suction port is closed,
And when the at least one air supply fan motor is driven, the opening angle of the air supply damper is determined so that the discharge port is closed. The method of claim 8,
The control unit,
When an error related to the driving does not occur with respect to the at least one ventilation fan motor, an opening angle of the ventilation damper is determined to open the suction port,
If the error associated with the drive does not occur for the at least one air supply fan motor, the air conditioner, characterized in that for determining the opening angle of the air supply damper to open the discharge port. The method of claim 9,
When the driving of the at least one ventilation fan motor is stopped, the opening angle of the suction damper is determined so that the suction port is closed,
And when the driving of the at least one air supply fan motor is stopped, an opening angle of the air supply damper is determined so that the discharge port is closed. In the control method of the air conditioner,
Driving a plurality of fan motors;
Determining whether an error related to driving occurs for the plurality of fan motors; And
And when an error related to the driving occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, changing the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motors except for at least one fan motor having an error related to the driving. Control method of air conditioner. The method of claim 11,
Controlling the air conditioner further comprising stopping the driving of at least one fan motor in which an error related to the driving occurs when at least one of the plurality of fan motors has an error related to the driving. Way. The method of claim 12,
The operation of determining whether the error has occurred,
Checking a level of a phase current flowing through the plurality of fan motors; And
And determining whether an error related to the driving occurs for the plurality of fan motors based on the check result. The method of claim 13,
The operation of changing the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motor is
And changing the frequency of the AC power output to the remaining fan motor to a predetermined frequency,
And re-driving at least one fan motor having an error related to the driving. The method of claim 14,
When the frequency of the AC power output to the at least one fan motor driven again reaches the predetermined frequency, further comprising the step of changing the frequency of the AC power output to the plurality of fan motors to a target frequency. Control method of air conditioner. The method of claim 11,
The operation of driving the plurality of fan motors,
And, when driving the plurality of fan motors, increasing the frequency of the AC power output to the plurality of fan motors according to a first increase rate that is a reference increase rate. The method of claim 16,
And when the error related to the driving occurs for at least one of the plurality of fan motors, the method of controlling the air conditioner further comprising changing the reference increase rate to a second increase rate lower than the first increase rate. . The method of claim 11,
The operation of driving the plurality of fan motors,
Determining an opening angle of the ventilation damper such that when the at least one ventilation fan motor of the plurality of fan motors is driven, the intake port through which the return air that is re-supplied to the air conditioner after indoor circulation is closed is closed; And
And when the at least one air supply fan motor of the plurality of fan motors is driven, determining an opening angle of the air supply damper so that a discharge port through which supply air is discharged is closed. How to control the harmony. The method of claim 18,
Determining an opening angle of the ventilation damper such that the intake opening is opened when an error related to the driving does not occur with respect to the at least one ventilation fan motor; And
And when the error associated with the driving does not occur for the at least one air supply fan motor, determining an opening angle of the air supply damper to open the discharge port. The method of claim 19,
Determining an opening angle of the suction damper so that the suction port is closed when the driving of the at least one ventilation fan motor is stopped; And
And when the driving of the at least one air supply fan motor is stopped, determining the opening angle of the air supply damper so that the discharge port is closed.

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