KR20200092774A - Refrigerator and method for controlling compressor of refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a method of controlling a compressor of a refrigerator. According to the present invention, the refrigerator comprises a main controller, a compressor controller and an inverter-controlled compressor. According to the present invention, the compressor controller of a refrigerator is able to determine whether a load of a storage compartment is increased or not based on at least one of the power consumption of the compressor and the driving hours of the compressor measured periodically from each driving cycle of the compressor. When it is determined that the load of the storage compartment is increased, the driving speed of the compressor is set to be a load corresponding speed which is higher than the normal speed. When the compressor is driven at the load corresponding speed, the cooling power of the compressor is increased and thus, the storage compartment is cooled faster. Accordingly, the storage performance of the refrigerator including an inverter-controlled compressor which is controlled by the main controller and the compressor controller placed in the conventional normal-speed type refrigerator is increased.

Description

REFRIGERATOR AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING COMPRESSOR OF REFRIGERATOR

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a compressor control method of the refrigerator.

A refrigerator is a device for storing food at low temperatures, and food is stored in a storage compartment opened and closed by a door. The inside of the storage compartment of the refrigerator is cooled by cold air generated by heat exchange of refrigerant circulating according to the refrigeration cycle. A compressor is provided inside the refrigerator to compress the refrigerant.

The types of refrigerators can be roughly divided into constant speed refrigerators and inverter refrigerators. The compressor of the constant speed type refrigerator is turned on/off by the control of the main controller, and is always driven at a constant speed. On the other hand, the inverter-type refrigerator is turned on/off by the control of a main controller or a compressor controller provided separately from the main controller, and includes a compressor whose driving speed is controlled by an inverter circuit.

Inverter-type refrigerators have less power consumption than constant-speed refrigerators because the driving speed of the compressor varies depending on the situation. Accordingly, the preference for the inverter type refrigerator is increasing. However, constant-speed refrigerators are still lower in price than inverter-type refrigerators, so constant-speed refrigerators are still being used in some regions or countries.

Recently, a new type of refrigerator has been developed to replace the compressor of the constant-speed refrigerator with an inverter-controlled compressor to compensate for the shortcomings of the constant-speed refrigerator. This new type of refrigerator includes an inverter-controlled compressor controlled by a main controller and a compressor controller provided in a conventional constant speed refrigerator.

In this new type of refrigerator, the compressor controller cannot directly check the temperature or driving state of the refrigerator, and only controls the operation of the compressor by relying on/off signals transmitted from the main controller. According to this configuration, since the compressor controller cannot adjust the driving speed of the compressor by reflecting the temperature or driving state of the refrigerator, the efficiency of the compressor is lowered and the response speed to the load change of the refrigerator is slowed down.

For example, when a user puts food having a high temperature in the storage room or keeps the door of the refrigerator open, the load in the storage room increases due to an increase in temperature. When the load of the storage chamber increases, rapid cooling of the storage chamber is required.

However, in the above-described new type of refrigerator, the compressor controller cannot directly check whether the load in the storage room is increased, and in the situation where the load is increased, it controls the driving of the compressor only by relying on/off signals transmitted from the main controller. Due to this, even in a situation where the load of the refrigerator is increased, there is a problem in that the storage performance of the refrigerator is deteriorated because quick cooling of the storage chamber is not performed.

An object of the present invention is to increase the storage performance of the refrigerator by lowering the internal temperature of the storage chamber more rapidly when the load of the storage chamber of the refrigerator having a compressor controller that receives only on/off signals from the main controller increases.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects mentioned above, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood by the following description, and will be more clearly understood by the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, it will be readily appreciated that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be realized by means of the appended claims and combinations thereof.

The refrigerator according to the present invention includes a main controller, a compressor controller, and an inverter-controlled compressor. As described above, in the refrigerator including the main controller, the compressor controller, and the inverter-controlled compressor, the compressor controller cannot directly determine the operating state of the refrigerator, and only drives the compressor based on the on/off signal transmitted from the main controller. .

In order to solve the above-described problem, the compressor controller of the refrigerator according to the present invention determines whether the load of the storage compartment is increased based on at least one of the power consumption of the compressor and the driving time of the compressor periodically measured in each driving cycle of the compressor. .

As a result of the discrimination, if it is determined that the load in the storage chamber has not increased, the driving speed of the compressor is set to the normal speed. However, if it is determined that the load in the storage chamber is increased, the driving speed of the compressor is set to a load response speed faster than the normal speed.

When the compressor is driven at a load-response speed, the cooling power of the compressor increases to cool the storage chamber more quickly. Therefore, the storage performance of the new type of refrigerator including the main controller provided in the existing constant-speed refrigerator and the inverter-controlled compressor controlled by the compressor controller is increased.

According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the storage performance of the refrigerator by lowering the internal temperature of the storage chamber more rapidly when the load of the storage chamber of the refrigerator having a compressor controller receiving only on/off signals from the main controller increases.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing the components of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator based on a power measurement value and a driving time of a compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a graph showing a driving speed and power consumption of a compressor in each driving cycle when a method of controlling driving of the compressor is applied based on a power measurement value according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a graph showing the driving speed and power consumption of the compressor in each driving cycle when a method of controlling driving of the compressor is applied based on the driving time of the compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a graph showing the driving speed, power consumption, and the temperature inside the storage compartment of the compressor of each driving cycle before and after opening the storage compartment door of the refrigerator according to the prior art.
9 is a driving speed, power consumption, and inside of the storage chamber of the compressor of each driving cycle before and after opening the storage compartment door of the refrigerator when a method of controlling driving of the compressor is applied based on the power consumption of the compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a graph showing temperature.

The above-described objects, features, and advantages will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and accordingly, a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement the technical spirit of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of known technologies related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, detailed descriptions will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings are used to indicate the same or similar components.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a storage compartment, that is, a freezer compartment 102 and a refrigerating compartment 104, is provided inside a main body 106 of the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, with partition walls 118 along the vertical direction. Is formed. The freezer compartment door 108 and the freezer compartment door 110 are coupled to the body 106 so that the freezer compartment 102 and the refrigerator compartment 104 can be opened and closed, respectively.

The shroud member 112 is installed at a distance from the inner wall of the main body 106 so that the air passage 126 is formed in the rear region of the freezer compartment 102. On one side of the shroud member 112, a grill member 114 having an air discharge port 116 is spaced apart. Similarly, a grill member 132 in which an air discharge port 134 is formed is installed in the refrigerator compartment 104.

In one region of the partition wall 118, a freezer return path 120 is formed so that the air in the freezer compartment 102 can return to the air passage 126, and the air in the refrigerating chamber 104 is provided in the other area of the partition 118. The refrigerating chamber return flow path 122 is formed to return to the air flow path 126.

Meanwhile, an evaporator 124 for heat exchange of air introduced into the air passage 126 through each return passage 120 and 122 is provided in the air passage 126 formed in the rear region of the freezer compartment 102. A storage compartment fan 128 is installed at an upper portion of the evaporator 124 to introduce air passing through the evaporator 124 into the freezer compartment 102 or the refrigerating compartment 104.

In the rear lower region of the body 106, a machine room is formed. A compressor 130 for compressing the refrigerant delivered from the evaporator 124 is disposed inside the machine room. A condenser (not shown) is provided on one side of the compressor 130 to condense the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 130 through heat dissipation.

When the storage compartment fan 128 is rotated, air inside the freezer compartment 102 or the refrigerating compartment 104 flows into the lower part of the evaporator 124 through each return passage 120 and 122. The air introduced into the lower portion of the evaporator 124 is cooled while passing through the evaporator 124, and the cooled air is supplied into the freezer compartment 102 or the refrigerating compartment 104 by the storage chamber fan 128.

A temperature detection unit 150 is disposed on one side of the storage compartment, for example, the freezer compartment 102. The temperature detector 150 may include components such as a thermistor or a thermostat, or may include a temperature sensor, but is not limited thereto. Also, although not illustrated in FIG. 2, a temperature detector may be disposed on one side of the refrigerator compartment 104.

The temperature detection unit 150 detects whether the internal temperature of the storage room has reached a predetermined reference temperature (eg, 3°C), and the detection result is transmitted to a main controller (not shown).

When the internal temperature of the storage room detected by the temperature detection unit 150 is higher than the reference temperature and cooling of the storage room is required, the main controller (not shown) transmits a signal to the compressor controller (not shown). The compressor controller (not shown) that receives the ON signal drives the compressor at a preset driving speed to supply cold air to the storage compartment.

Conversely, when the internal temperature of the storage chamber detected by the temperature detection unit 150 is less than a reference temperature and cooling of the storage chamber is unnecessary, the main controller (not shown) transmits an off signal to the compressor controller (not shown). The compressor controller (not shown) that receives the off signal stops the operation of the compressor 130.

Meanwhile, FIG. 1 shows a top mount type refrigerator in which the freezer compartment 102 is disposed above the refrigerator compartment 104, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the present invention is a refrigerator of a side by side type in which a refrigerating chamber and a freezer are arranged to the left and right, a refrigerator of a bottom freezer type in which a refrigerating chamber is provided at the top and a freezer is provided at the bottom. It can also be applied to type refrigerators.

In addition, although the evaporator 124 is shown only in the rear region of the freezing chamber 102 in FIG. 2, the evaporator may be disposed on the rear side of the refrigerating chamber 104 according to an embodiment.

2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the components of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the main controller 30 is disposed inside the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The main controller 30 transmits an on signal or an off signal to the compressor 130 according to the internal temperature of the storage room as described above.

The main controller 30 transmits an ON signal to the compressor controller 32 when the internal temperature of the storage room detected by the temperature detection unit 150 is greater than or equal to the reference temperature, and the compressor controller 32 when the internal temperature of the storage room is less than the reference temperature Signal on and off.

The compressor controller 32 is electrically connected to the main controller 30 and the compressor 130, respectively. The compressor controller 32 of the refrigerator 10 according to the present invention receives only an ON signal or an OFF signal from the main controller 30, and does not receive information about the internal temperature or load in the storage room.

Upon receiving the signal from the main controller 30, the compressor controller 32 transmits a drive signal to the inverter circuit 34 to drive the compressor 130 according to a predetermined driving speed. In addition, when an off signal is received from the main controller 30, the compressor controller 32 stops the operation of the compressor 130 by stopping the operation of the inverter circuit 34.

When driving the compressor 130, the compressor controller 32 drives the inverter circuit 34 so that power corresponding to a preset driving speed is supplied. The driving speed of the compressor 130 may vary according to the power supplied by the inverter circuit 34.

The higher the driving speed of the compressor 130, the higher the power consumption of the compressor 130, and at the same time, the cooling power of the compressor 130 increases, and the temperature of the storage chamber decreases relatively quickly. Conversely, the lower the driving speed of the compressor 130, the lower the power consumption of the compressor 130, and at the same time, the cooling power of the compressor 130 decreases, and the temperature of the storage chamber decreases relatively slowly.

Hereinafter, the time between the time when the compressor 130 starts to be driven by the control of the compressor controller 32, and the time between when the compressor 130 is stopped to start driving again after the compressor 130 is stopped is the compressor 130. ). The compressor 130 is driven and stopped by repeatedly driving cycles according to on/off signals output from the main controller 30.

As described below, the compressor controller 32 determines whether the load in the storage chamber increases based on at least one of the power consumption of the compressor and the driving time of the compressor measured in each driving cycle of the compressor 130, that is, the internal temperature of the storage chamber. It can be determined whether or not has risen.

In the following, the increase in the load of the storage compartment means that the user stores new food having a high temperature inside the storage compartment or keeps the door of the storage compartment open, so that the temperature of the storage compartment is increased to a predetermined reference temperature or higher. Conversely, the fact that the load of the storage chamber did not increase means that there is no inflow of new food by the user or the door is opened and closed by the user for a short time to keep the temperature of the storage chamber below a predetermined reference temperature.

The compressor controller 32 sets the driving speed of the compressor 130 according to whether the determined load increases. If it is determined that the load in the storage chamber has not increased, the compressor controller 32 sets the driving speed of the compressor 130 to the normal speed. However, if it is determined that the load in the storage room is increased, the compressor controller 32 sets the driving speed of the compressor 130 to a load response speed that is higher than the normal speed.

When the setting of the driving speed is completed, the compressor controller 32 drives the compressor 130 according to the set driving speed.

According to such a control, when it is determined that the load of the storage compartment is increased by the user storing new food or keeping the door open, the driving speed of the compressor is set to a load response speed higher than the normal speed, thereby increasing the cooling power of the compressor. do. Therefore, the internal temperature of the storage chamber with an increased load decreases faster.

Hereinafter, a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the compressor controller 32 of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention first acquires a plurality of power measurement values measured during the current driving cycle of the compressor 130 (402).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the compressor controller 32 consumes power of the compressor 130 at predetermined time intervals (eg, 30 second intervals) when the compressor 130 is driven in each driving cycle of the compressor 130. Measure the value. According to an embodiment, the compressor controller 32 may measure power consumption of the compressor 130 by a predetermined number of times (eg, 10 times) for each driving cycle. Hereinafter, the power consumption value of the compressor 130 measured as described above is referred to as a power measurement value.

For example, the compressor controller 32 measures power consumption every 30 seconds when the compressor 130 is kept on in the (n-1) th driving cycle, that is, when the compressor 130 is driven, a total of 20 Power measurement values. In addition, the compressor controller 32 may acquire a total of 20 or 25 power measurement values by measuring the power consumption value at 30 second intervals when the compressor 130 is kept on in the n-th driving cycle, which is the next driving cycle. . As the on time of the compressor 130 is changed in each driving cycle, the number of power measurement values obtained for each driving cycle may also be changed.

Next, the compressor controller 32 determines whether it is possible to adjust the driving speed of the compressor 130 based on a plurality of power measurement values obtained during the current driving cycle (404).

In one embodiment of the present invention, determining whether the driving speed of the compressor 130 is adjustable based on a plurality of power measurement values is 404, the driving speed of the compressor in the previous driving cycle and the driving of the compressor in the current driving cycle. And determining whether a speed is the same and a comparison between each power measurement measured during the current driving cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous driving cycle is possible.

That is, in one embodiment of the present invention, the compressor controller 32 is based on a number of power measurements obtained during the current drive cycle if the drive speed of the compressor in the previous drive cycle is not the same as the drive speed of the compressor in the current drive cycle. It is determined that adjustment of the driving speed of the compressor 130 is impossible.

In addition, even if the driving speed of the compressor in the previous driving cycle and the driving speed of the compressor in the current driving cycle are the same, the compressor controller 32 if the power measuring value of the previous driving cycle corresponding to each power measurement value measured in the current driving cycle exists ) Determines that a comparison between each power measurement measured during the current driving cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous driving cycle is possible.

For example, if 10 power measurements measured at 30 second intervals are obtained in the current driving cycle, but only 5 power measurements measured at 30 second intervals are acquired in the previous driving cycle, the compressor controller 32 is currently running. It may be determined that comparison between each power measurement measured during the cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous driving cycle is impossible.

When it is determined that the driving speed of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurements is possible, the compressor controller 32 is the difference between each power measurement measured during the current driving cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous driving cycle. Yields (406). The compressor controller 32 determines whether the load of the refrigerator is increased based on the calculated difference value (408 ).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the compressor controller 32 determines that the load of the refrigerator increases when each calculated difference value increases by a predetermined reference number, for example, three times in succession. If each calculated difference value has not increased by a predetermined reference number of times, the compressor controller 32 determines that the load of the refrigerator has not increased.

On the other hand, although not shown in the drawing, if it is determined that the driving speed of the compressor based on a number of power measurements is not possible, the compressor controller 32 compares the on time of the previous drive cycle and the on time of the current drive cycle. It is possible to determine whether the load of the refrigerator is increased.

In an embodiment of the present invention, comparing the on time of the previous drive cycle and the on time of the current drive cycle to determine whether the load of the refrigerator increases is determined by determining that the on time of the current drive cycle is greater than the on time of the previous drive cycle. If it is longer than the reference time, it may include determining that the load of the refrigerator is increased. If the on time of the current drive cycle is not longer than a predetermined reference time than the on time of the previous drive cycle, the compressor controller 32 may determine that the load of the refrigerator has not increased.

For reference, the compressor driving time in the present invention includes an on time and an off time. The on time refers to the time that the compressor 130 is driven by the compressor controller 32 during each driving cycle of the compressor 130. In addition, the off time refers to the time that the compressor 130 is not driven by the compressor controller 32 and remains stationary.

Referring back to FIG. 4, when it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is increased, the compressor controller 32 sets the driving speed of the compressor 130 to a load response speed, and when it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is not increased, the compressor 130 Set the driving speed of the normal speed (410). Here, the load response speed (eg, 43 rpms) is set to a speed faster than the normal speed (eg, 24 rpms).

When the setting of the driving speed of the compressor 130 is completed, the compressor controller 32 drives the compressor 130 based on the set driving speed (412).

Hereinafter, a control method of a refrigerator based on a power measurement value and a driving time of a compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator based on a power measurement value and a driving time of a compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a graph showing the driving speed and power consumption of the compressor in each driving cycle when a method of controlling driving of the compressor is applied based on the power measurement value according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a graph showing the driving speed and power consumption of the compressor in each driving cycle when a method of controlling driving of the compressor is applied based on the driving time of the compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

For reference, the graphs indicated by dotted lines in FIGS. 6 and 7 indicate the driving speed (rps) of the compressor 130 according to the passage of time, and the graphs indicated by solid lines indicate the power consumption (W) of the refrigerator 10 according to the passage of time. ).

First, the compressor controller 32 receives a signal from the main controller 30. Accordingly, the compressor controller 32 transmits a control signal to the inverter circuit 34 to drive the compressor 130. When the driving of the compressor 130 starts, a driving cycle of the compressor 130 starts.

When the driving cycle of the compressor 130 starts together with the driving of the compressor 130, the compressor controller 32 measures the power consumption of the compressor 130 while the compressor 130 is maintained (502).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the compressor controller 32 may measure the power consumption value of the compressor 130 at predetermined time intervals (eg, 30 second intervals). In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the compressor controller 32 may measure the power consumption value of the compressor 130 by a predetermined number of times (eg, 10 times) for each driving cycle. According to an embodiment, the compressor controller 32 may measure the power consumption value of the compressor 130 according to a predetermined time interval until the driving of the compressor 130 is stopped.

For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the compressor controller 32 performs the compressor 130 during the intervals A1 to A2 in which the compressor 130 is maintained in the (n-1)th driving cycles A1 to A3. The power consumption is measured at 30 second intervals to obtain 20 power measurements. In addition, the compressor controller 32 measures the power consumption of the compressor 130 at intervals of 30 seconds during intervals (A3 to A6) in which the compressor 130 is turned on in the n-th driving cycle (A3 to A7), and generates 20 Acquire power measurements.

When a plurality of power measurements are obtained by the power consumption measurement 502, the compressor controller 32 first checks whether the compressor driving speed of the previous driving cycle is equal to the compressor driving speed of the current driving cycle (504).

As a result of the check 504, if the compressor driving speed of the previous driving cycle is equal to the compressor driving speed of the current driving cycle, the compressor controller 32 can compare the power measuring value of the previous driving cycle with the power measuring value of the current driving cycle. Confirm (506).

For example, in FIG. 6, the driving speed (24rps) of the compressor 130 in the section A3 to A5 of the nth driving cycle is the same as the driving speed (24rps) of the compressor 130 in the (n-1)th driving cycle. Therefore, in step 504, the compressor controller 32 determines that the compressor driving speed of the current driving cycle (nth driving cycle) and the compressor driving speed of the previous driving cycle ((n-1)th driving cycle) are the same.

Subsequently, the compressor controller 32 checks whether there is a power measurement value of the (n-1)th driving cycle corresponding to the power measurement value obtained at 30 second intervals in the A3 to A5 periods of the nth driving cycle. In FIG. 6, when four power measurement values measured every 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, and 120 seconds in sections A3 to A5 of the n-th driving cycle are obtained, the same time interval is obtained in the (n-1)-th driving cycle, That is, since there are four power measurement values measured every 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, and 120 seconds, the compressor controller 32 includes the current driving cycle (nth driving cycle) and the previous driving cycle ((n-1)th) It is determined that the comparison of the power measurement values of the driving cycle) is possible (506).

If it is determined in step 506 that a comparison of the power measurement value of the previous drive cycle with the power measurement value of the current drive cycle is possible, the compressor controller 32 may calculate the power measurement value of the previous drive cycle and the power measurement value of the current drive cycle. The difference value is calculated (508).

For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the compressor controller 32 drives the previous driving cycle ((n-1)) from the power measurement value measured at 30 second intervals in the current driving cycle (nth driving cycle) as shown in the table below. Cycle) to calculate the difference value by subtracting the measured power value measured at 30 second intervals.

30 seconds 60 seconds 90 seconds 120 seconds 150 seconds 180 seconds 210 seconds Previous drive
Cycle
Power measurement value 26 21 22 22 21 22 23 Drive Current
Cycle
Power measurement value 27 22 23 23 24 26 28 Difference One One One One 3 4 5

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the point of view A4 means the point at which the user opened the door of the storage room to store hot food. After the time point A4, the internal temperature of the storage chamber rises, and the load of the refrigerator increases. In Table 1, the time point A4 is a time corresponding to 120 seconds.

Referring to FIG. 5 again, the compressor controller 32 checks whether each difference value calculated in step 508 increases continuously by a predetermined reference number, for example, 3 times (510).

As a result of checking in step 510, when it is confirmed that each difference value calculated in step 508 increases continuously by a predetermined reference number of times, the compressor controller 32 sets the driving speed of the compressor 130 to the load response speed ( For example, set to 43rps) (512). However, as a result of checking in step 510, if each difference value calculated in step 508 is not continuously increased by a predetermined reference number of times, the compressor controller 32 loads the driving speed of the compressor 130. It is set to a normal speed (for example, 24 rpms) that is lower than the corresponding speed (514). When the driving speed setting is completed, the compressor controller 32 drives the compressor 130 at the set driving speed (520).

For example, in Table 1, the difference value of the power measurement values obtained at 120 seconds, 150 seconds, 180 seconds, and 210 seconds increases three times in succession to 1, 3, 4, and 5. When hot food enters the storage compartment or the door remains open for a long time, the internal temperature of the storage compartment increases. Accordingly, even if the compressor 130 is driven at the same speed, since the cooling power required for the compressor 130 is increased to lower the internal temperature of the storage room, the power consumed by the compressor 130 is increased. Therefore, the fact that the difference value of the power measurement value is increased three times in succession means that the power consumed by the compressor 130 becomes higher and higher, and the load of the refrigerator may be considered to be increased due to an increase in the internal temperature of the storage compartment.

When a pattern in which the difference value of the power measurement value is increased three times in a row is confirmed, the compressor controller 32 responds to the driving speed of the compressor 130 in order to rapidly lower the internal temperature of the storage chamber by increasing the cooling power of the compressor 130. Set the speed to 43rps.

Accordingly, the compressor 130 is driven at a load response speed 43rps faster than the normal speed 24rps from the time point A5 to the time point A6. Accordingly, the internal temperature of the storage chamber rapidly decreases from the point A5 to the point A6.

Referring back to FIG. 5, when the condition of step 504 or step 506 is not satisfied, the compressor controller 32 determines that the on time of the current drive cycle is a predetermined reference time (eg, the on time of the previous drive cycle). 10 minutes or more) to determine whether it is long (516).

If it is determined in step 516 that the on time of the current drive cycle is not longer than a predetermined reference time than the on time of the previous drive cycle, the compressor controller 32 lowers the drive speed of the compressor 130 to a load response speed. The speed is set to a normal speed (for example, 24 rpms) (514). On the other hand, if it is determined in step 516 that the on-time of the current drive cycle is longer than a predetermined reference time than the on-time of the previous drive cycle, the compressor controller 32 sets the drive speed of the compressor 130 to the load response speed ( For example, it is set to 43rps) (518). When the driving speed setting is completed, the compressor controller 32 drives the compressor 130 at the set driving speed (520).

For example, referring to the embodiment of FIG. 8, in the previous driving cycles B1 to B3, the compressor 130 remains on for a period of time T1. Subsequently, in the current driving cycles B3 to B6, the compressor 130 remains on for a longer period of time than T2 equal to T1. In other words, the on time of the compressor 130 in the previous drive cycle is shorter than the on time of the compressor 130 in the current drive cycle.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the power measurement value measured after the time point B4 cannot be compared with the power measurement value of the previous cycle. Accordingly, the compressor controller 32 determines in step 506 of FIG. 5 that it is impossible to compare the power measurement value of the previous drive cycle with the power measurement value of the current drive cycle and performs step 516.

As a result of performing step 516 in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the compressor controller 32 has a reference time (10 minutes) that the on time of the compressor 130 of the current drive cycle is greater than the on time of the compressor 130 of the previous drive cycle. Check the longer one. Accordingly, the compressor controller 32 sets the driving speed of the compressor 130 to 43 rpm, which is a load response speed.

Therefore, the compressor 130 has a normal speed since the time point B5 when it is determined that the on time of the compressor 130 of the current drive cycle is longer than the reference time (10 minutes) than the on time of the compressor 130 of the previous drive cycle ( 24rps). Therefore, the cooling power of the compressor 130 is increased at the time points B5 to B6, and the internal temperature of the storage chamber rapidly decreases.

8 is a graph showing the driving speed, power consumption, and the temperature inside the storage compartment of the compressor of each driving cycle before and after opening the storage compartment door of the refrigerator according to the prior art. 9 is a driving speed, power consumption, and storage room of the compressor of each driving cycle before and after opening the storage compartment door of the refrigerator when a method of controlling driving of the compressor is applied based on the power consumption of the compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a graph showing the internal temperature.

For reference, in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, a graph indicated by a dotted line among the upper graphs indicates a driving speed (rps) of the compressor according to the passage of time, and a graph indicated by a solid line indicates power consumption of the refrigerator 10 according to the passage of time ( W). The graph at the bottom in FIGS. 8 and 9 shows the internal temperature of the storage chamber over time.

Referring first to FIG. 8, an n-th driving cycle of the compressor 130 is started at a time point C3 by an on signal transmitted from the main controller 30. When the compressor 130 is being driven, food having a high temperature flows into the storage compartment at a time point C4.

However, as described above, the compressor controller of the refrigerator according to the prior art cannot directly recognize an increase in temperature inside the storage chamber and an increase in the load of the refrigerator as food is introduced into the storage chamber or the door is kept open. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the driving speed of the compressor 130 is maintained at 24 rpms, the same as the driving speed of the compressor 130 in the previous driving cycle, even after the time point C4.

Accordingly, the time taken from the time when the n-th driving cycle of the compressor 130 starts (C3) to the time when the internal temperature of the storage chamber falls below a certain temperature (eg, -12°C) (C5) is T3.

Next, referring to FIG. 9, an n-th driving cycle of the compressor 130 is started at a time point D3 by an on signal transmitted from the main controller 30. When the compressor 130 is being driven, food having a high temperature flows into the storage chamber at a time point D4.

At this time, the compressor controller 32 of the refrigerator according to the present invention recognizes that the load of the refrigerator has risen at the time D4 through the control process as described above, and the driving speed of the compressor 130 is higher than the normal speed (24rps). Set to a high load response speed (43rps). Therefore, from the time point D5, the compressor 130 is driven at 43 rpms, and the temperature of the storage chamber is rapidly lowered.

Accordingly, the time taken from the time when the n-th driving cycle of the compressor 130 starts (D3) to the time when the internal temperature of the storage chamber falls below a certain temperature (for example, -12°C) (D6) is a time shorter than T3. It becomes T4.

As described above, the compressor controller 32 of the refrigerator according to the present invention can recognize an increase in the internal temperature of the storage compartment, that is, an increase in the load of the refrigerator due to inflow of food or opening of the door. In addition, by immediately increasing the driving speed of the compressor 130 according to the recognition of the load increase, the cooling power of the compressor 130 can be increased to quickly lower the temperature inside the storage compartment.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplified drawings, but the present invention is not limited by the examples and drawings disclosed in the present specification, and can be varied by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is obvious that modifications can be made. In addition, although the operation and effect according to the configuration of the present invention is not explicitly described while describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is natural that the predictable effect by the configuration should also be recognized.

Claims (12)

Obtaining a number of power measurements measured during the current drive cycle of the compressor;
Determining whether control of a driving speed of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurement values is possible;
If it is determined that the driving speed adjustment of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurements is possible, calculating a difference between each power measurement value measured during the current driving cycle and each power measurement value measured during the previous driving cycle;
Determining whether the load of the refrigerator increases based on the calculated difference values; And
When it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is increased, setting the driving speed of the compressor to a load response speed, and when it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is not increased, setting the driving speed of the compressor to a normal speed; And
And driving the compressor based on a set driving speed.
How to control the compressor in the refrigerator.
According to claim 1,
The step of determining whether the driving speed of the compressor can be adjusted based on the plurality of power measurement values is
Whether the driving speed of the compressor in the previous driving cycle and the driving speed of the compressor in the current driving cycle are the same, and whether comparison between each power measurement measured during the current driving cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous driving cycle is possible. Comprising the steps of confirming
How to control the compressor in the refrigerator.
According to claim 2,
A comparison between each power measurement measured during the current drive cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous drive cycle is present if there is a power measurement value of the previous drive cycle corresponding to each power measurement measured in the current drive cycle. Determined to be possible
How to control the compressor in the refrigerator.
According to claim 1,
The step of determining whether the load of the refrigerator is increased based on the calculated difference values is
And determining that the load of the refrigerator is increased when each difference value is continuously increased by a predetermined reference number of times.
How to control the compressor in the refrigerator.
According to claim 1,
If it is determined that it is not possible to adjust the driving speed of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurements, comparing the on time of the previous drive cycle and the on time of the current drive cycle to further determine whether the load of the refrigerator increases or not.
How to control the compressor in the refrigerator.
The method of claim 5,
The step of determining whether the load of the refrigerator is increased by comparing the on time of the previous drive cycle and the on time of the current drive cycle is
And determining that the load of the refrigerator is increased when the on time of the current driving cycle is longer than a predetermined reference time than the on time of the previous driving cycle.
How to control the compressor in the refrigerator.
storeroom;
A main controller outputting an on signal or an off signal to the compressor based on the internal temperature of the storage chamber;
And a compressor controller that controls driving of the compressor based on an on signal or an off signal to the compressor,
The compressor controller
Acquiring a plurality of power measurements measured during the current driving cycle of the compressor, determining whether it is possible to adjust the driving speed of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurements, and adjusting the driving speed of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurements If it is determined that this is possible, the difference value between each power measurement value measured during the current driving cycle and each power measurement value measured during the previous driving cycle is calculated, and whether the load of the refrigerator increases based on the calculated difference value. If it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is increased, the driving speed of the compressor is set to a load response speed, and when it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is not increased, the driving speed of the compressor is set to a normal speed, and is set. Driving the compressor based on the driving speed
Refrigerator.
The method of claim 7,
The compressor controller
Whether the driving speed of the compressor in the previous driving cycle and the driving speed of the compressor in the current driving cycle are the same, and whether comparison between each power measurement measured during the current driving cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous driving cycle is possible. Check to determine whether it is possible to adjust the driving speed of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurements
Refrigerator.
The method of claim 8,
A comparison between each power measurement measured during the current drive cycle and each power measurement measured during the previous drive cycle is present if there is a power measurement value of the previous drive cycle corresponding to each power measurement measured in the current drive cycle. Determined to be possible
Refrigerator.
The method of claim 7,
The compressor controller
When each difference value is continuously increased by a predetermined reference number of times, it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is increased.
Refrigerator.
The method of claim 7,
The compressor controller
When it is determined that it is not possible to adjust the driving speed of the compressor based on the plurality of power measurement values, the on time of the previous driving cycle and the on time of the current driving cycle are compared to determine whether the load of the refrigerator is increased.
Refrigerator.
The method of claim 11,
The compressor controller
When the on time of the current driving cycle is longer than a predetermined reference time than the on time of the previous driving cycle, it is determined that the load of the refrigerator is increased.
Refrigerator.

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