TW202129203A - Refrigeration cycle, air-conditioner, and method for operating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a refrigeration circulating system, a window air conditioner and a method for operating the window air conditioner. The refrigeration circulating system of the present invention comprises a condenser, an evaporator and a compressor, all of which are connected by a pipeline for refrigerant flow and enclosed in a casing; a fan motor for synchronously driving an outdoor fan and an indoor fan; an auxiliary expansion unit including a first capillary tube and a valve connected in parallel with the first capillary tube, wherein the auxiliary expansion unit is arranged on the upstream side of the evaporator; a second capillary tube arranged in the pipeline in sequence with the auxiliary expansion unit; and a controller for controlling the opening of the valve when the frost starts to deposit on the evaporator. The window air conditioner comprises a condenser, an evaporator and a compressor, all of which are connected by a pipeline for refrigerant flow and enclosed in a casing; a fan motor for driving an outdoor fan and an indoor fan synchronously; an auxiliary expansion unit including a first capillary tube and a valve connected in parallel with the first capillary tube, wherein the auxiliary expansion unit is arranged on the upstream side of the evaporator; a second capillary tube arranged in the pipeline sequentially with the auxiliary expansion unit; and a controller for controlling the opening of the valve to wash the evaporator in the washing mode when the frost starts to deposit on the fins on the evaporator. The method for operating a window air conditioner comprises the steps of circulating a refrigerant by the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator through the pipeline; closing the valve to switch the flow path of the refrigerant to a first capillary tube arranged in parallel with the valve so that the refrigerant expands after the capillary tube; introducing the expanded refrigerant into the evaporator while reducing the fan speed to a predetermined speed to wash the evaporator; forming and depositing the frost on the evaporator; and melting the frost on the evaporator to wash the evaporator with the water formed by melting the frost.

Description

Refrigeration cycle system, window air conditioner and method of operating window air conditioner

The present invention relates to a refrigeration technology, and more specifically to a refrigeration cycle system, an air conditioner, and a method of operating a window air conditioner.

Recently, air conditioners have become popular and used during their long-term operation. The air conditioner is used under repeated cooling and heating cycles. During the long operation of the air conditioner, the heat exchanger included in the air conditioner may become dirty due to dust contained in the air introduced into the air conditioner to perform air conditioning. The stain of the heat exchanger sometimes reduces the heat exchange performance and also affects the cleanliness of the indoor environment.

Therefore, the cleanliness of today's air conditioners plays an important role in providing a good indoor air environment and sustainable energy saving during its operation.

Heretofore, cleaning technologies for air conditioners have been proposed, however, air conditioners have various configurations and types, and thus various cleaning and/or washing methods are known. For example, Japanese Patent No. 6498834 (Patent Document 1) discloses an air conditioner having a frost washing element, but the disclosed frost washing element is suitably implemented in a split type air conditioner having an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The frosting element disclosed in Patent Document 1 may not actually be installed in a window-mounting type air conditioner due to its limited size requirements and its configuration.

Japanese Patent (Kokai) Heisei No. 6-323637 (Patent Document 2) discloses a mechanism for changing the throttling amount according to the change in the capacity of the compressor. The mechanism includes an electronic switching valve and an electronic switching valve arranged in parallel respectively Capillary. Although the throttling system disclosed in Patent Document 2 teaches a mechanism for throttling the flow of refrigerant in accordance with a change in the capacity of the compressor, Patent Document 2 does not disclose the idea of using such a mechanism for performing frost washing. [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6498374. [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent (Kokai) Heisei No. 6-323637.

[The problem to be solved by the invention]

In order to perform frost washing, frost must be formed in the indoor heat exchanger unit. However, the window air conditioner only includes one fan motor for driving the indoor fan and the outdoor fan. Therefore, the outdoor fan and the indoor fan cannot operate independently, and it may not be easy to change the operation of the compressor to meet the air-conditioning demand at the same time. Frost forms on the heat exchanger. Therefore, in such a window air conditioner, it is difficult to form frost on the indoor heat exchanger independently of the operation of the outdoor fan under limited space and cost conditions. [Means to solve the problem]

According to the present invention, the auxiliary expansion unit includes a valve and a capillary tube connected in parallel with the valve to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant. In the normal operation in the exemplary embodiment, the electronic valve is opened and the pressure of the refrigerant is reduced by the second capillary tube to perform the normal cooling operation. When performing frost washing, the electric valve is closed so that the refrigerant not only passes through the normal capillary tube but also forms the first capillary tube of the auxiliary expansion unit, so that the temperature of the refrigerant can be lowered without changing the operation of the compressor.

At the same time, the rotation speed of the fan motor is reduced, and then the temperature of the indoor heat exchanger used as an evaporator is lowered to form frost. After a sufficient amount of frost has formed, the refrigeration cycle system is stopped. The formed frost will melt quickly, so that the stains of the evaporator can be removed and washed off by the water produced by the melting of the frost.

According to one embodiment, a refrigeration cycle system for air conditioning is provided. The refrigeration cycle system includes: a condenser, an evaporator, and a compressor, which are connected by pipes for refrigerant flow and enclosed in a shell; a fan motor, used to synchronously drive an outdoor fan and an indoor fan; an auxiliary expansion unit, including The first capillary tube and a valve connected in parallel with the first capillary tube, the auxiliary expansion unit is arranged on the upstream side of the evaporator; the second capillary tube is arranged in the pipeline in sequence with the auxiliary expansion unit; The opening of the control valve when frost deposits on the evaporator.

According to one embodiment, the auxiliary expansion unit, the second capillary tube, and the evaporator are connected in this order by a pipe along the refrigerant flow. According to one embodiment, the controller causes the evaporator to deposit frost on the fins in the washing mode of the evaporator.

According to one embodiment, the refrigeration cycle system includes branch pipes that divide a plurality of flow paths along the refrigerant flow between the auxiliary expansion unit and the second capillary tube, and a plurality of capillaries each having different resistances are connected to the branch pipes.

According to one embodiment, the housing includes a tandem outlet groove for discharging air-conditioned air, and a front panel disposed between the tandem outlet grooves for introducing indoor air to the evaporator, and on the evaporator Frost is formed.

According to one embodiment, the housing defines the indoor compartment and the outdoor compartment by the partition wall, and an air duct is formed in the indoor compartment, and the air duct is connected to the tandem outlet groove and accommodates the indoor fan therein.

According to one embodiment, frost is formed when the evaporator is washed by water formed by melting the frost deposited on the evaporator.

According to an embodiment, a window type air conditioner and a method of operating the window type air conditioner are provided. [Efficacy of invention]

According to the present invention, frost can be formed on the indoor heat exchanger, and the stains on the indoor heat exchanger can be washed away by melting the frost on the indoor heat exchanger, so that the power consumption of air conditioning can be improved while maintaining Clean air and clean environment in indoor space.

In addition, since the indoor heat exchanger is regularly washed, the amount of air used for air conditioning can be maintained for long-term use, so that the performance of the window air conditioner can be improved.

Now, the present invention will be described in detail using drawings showing exemplary embodiments, however, the present invention should not be limited by the drawings and related descriptions of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a refrigeration cycle system implemented with an air conditioner 100 implementing the configuration of the present invention. The air conditioner 100 is realized as a window-type air conditioner in which an outdoor unit and an indoor unit are integrated. The air conditioner 100 includes an outer casing 110 that encapsulates various devices such as a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a fan, and a motor, so as to provide an air conditioning function as a window air conditioner.

The outer housing 110 is equipped with a front panel 120 and a pair of outlet grooves 140a, 140b, and movable baffles 130a, 130b are respectively provided in the outlet grooves 140a, 140b to form a desired airflow direction. These elements are arranged to face the indoor space to air-condition the indoor space.

The front panel 120 enables the air conditioner to draw indoor air into the air conditioner through a filter module (not shown) and an evaporator (not shown). After the air is air-conditioned, the outlet grooves 140a and 140b blow the air out in a series air flow. The movable baffles 130a and 130b swing the air flow from the air conditioner 100 toward the indoor space.

In addition, the outer casing 110 is provided with an air outlet hole 150 to discharge the outdoor air sucked into the air conditioner 100 after heat exchange with the condenser facing the outdoor space. In the air conditioner shown in FIG. 1, outdoor air is introduced into the outdoor compartment, and indoor air is introduced into the indoor compartment, and each of the indoor compartment and the outdoor compartment is independent in the air conditioner 100 To improve the efficiency of air conditioning.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the internal configuration of the air conditioner 100, in which the outer casing 110 is removed, while only basic elements for air conditioning are shown for illustrative purposes. The air conditioner 100 includes the outdoor compartment 220 and the indoor compartment 230 as described above, which are partitioned by the partition wall 215 and surrounded by the inner casing 210. The outdoor compartment 220 is located on the outdoor side, and includes a condenser 216, an outdoor fan 211, and a compressor 214.

The compressor 214 may be any type including a rotary or scroll compressor, and in a preferred embodiment, the compressor 214 may be a rotary compressor. In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the compressor 214 is assumed to be a rotary compressor. The compressor 214 compresses the refrigerant, and sends the compressed refrigerant to the condenser to exchange heat in the condenser 216.

The outdoor fan 211 causes the outdoor air to pass through the condenser 216 to be sucked into the outdoor compartment 220 to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air, thereby liquefying the refrigerant. The outdoor compartment 220 is provided with a fan motor 213 to drive the outdoor fan 211 through a drive shaft. The outdoor air after heat exchange with the refrigerant is discharged from the air outlet hole 150 to the outdoor environment.

The indoor compartment 230 is located on the indoor side and is used for air conditioning in the indoor environment. The indoor compartment 230 includes an indoor fan 212, an evaporator 217, and a filter module 218. The indoor fan 212 is driven by the fan motor 213 through a drive shaft to form an airflow in the opposite direction to the outdoor compartment 220. The indoor air is sucked into the indoor compartment 230 through the filter module 218 and the evaporator 217 to exchange heat with the refrigerant flowing in the evaporator 217. The indoor air cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing in the evaporator 217 is returned to the indoor space through the outlet grooves 140a and 140b to perform air conditioning of the indoor space.

The deflection members 219a, 219b form an air duct in the indoor compartment 230 together with the inner wall of the housing 210, the partition wall 215, and the inner side of the evaporator 217. The air duct accommodates the indoor fan 212 to form a dual air flow passing through the outlet grooves 140a, 140b and between the outlet grooves 140a, 140b for air conditioning of the indoor space.

According to the present invention, a drain pan (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the inner housing 210 to receive water during the frost wash. The frost washing and frost washing modes in this specification refer to the operation mode of washing the evaporator by forming frost on the evaporator and then melting the frost to wash the evaporator with water formed by the frost. In addition, in this specification, the normal operation and the normal mode refer to operation modes for performing air conditioning operations such as cooling. Once the water from the frost is received in the drain pan, it is then discharged to the outdoor environment through, for example, a drain pipe connected to the drain pan.

(First embodiment)

Now, the detailed configuration of the refrigeration cycle system will be described. In the specific embodiment, the air conditioner 100 is described as a window type air conditioner, however, the present invention can be applied to air conditioners other than the window type. FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the refrigeration cycle system 300 implemented in the air conditioner 100. The refrigeration cycle system 300 is controlled by the controller 314 through the control circuit shown by the dashed line. The refrigeration cycle system 300 includes a compressor 310, a storage tank 311, a condenser 317, and an evaporator 318 to form a refrigeration cycle system.

Each element of the refrigeration cycle system 300 is connected by pipes that interconnect the elements of the refrigeration cycle system 300, and the dashed line extending from the controller 314 to each element in FIG. 3 is a control line, and the actual interconnection of the elements Lines are pipes used to form a refrigeration cycle system. This also applies to other schemes.

The compressor 310 compresses the refrigerant flowing in the refrigeration cycle system 300, and sends the high-pressure refrigerant to the condenser 317 through an appropriate valve such as EEV 313. The condenser 317 is supplied with outdoor air, and the condenser 317 performs heat exchange with the outdoor air to provide a liquefied refrigerant. The refrigerant after the condenser 317 flows through the appropriate valve 316 to the auxiliary expansion unit 330 in the normal operation mode, and also flows to the second capillary tube 321. The auxiliary expansion unit 330 includes a first capillary tube 319 and a valve arranged in parallel with the capillary tube 319. 320.

The valve 320 may be a simple on-off valve and/or a flow regulating valve, etc., and any valve may be used according to specific applications and equipment costs. The valve 320 is opened under the normal operation of the refrigeration cycle system 300 so that the refrigerant does not pass through the first capillary tube 319 but the refrigerant passes through only the second capillary tube 321. The refrigerant passing through the second capillary tube 321 is sent to the evaporator 318 through an appropriate valve 322 and pipe.

The refrigerant introduced into the evaporator 318 evaporates to absorb potential energy and lower the temperature of the evaporator 318, so that the indoor air passing through the evaporator 318 is cooled, and then the indoor air returns to the indoor space to achieve air conditioning. The refrigerant passing through the evaporator 318 is returned to the storage tank 311 through a pipe, and then is supplied to the compressor 310 to complete the refrigeration cycle system.

The air conditioner 100 of the present invention performs frost washing on the indoor heat exchanger called the evaporator 318 by forming frost on the heat exchanger fins of the evaporator 318. As mentioned above, the window air conditioner 100 includes a fan motor 213 for driving the outdoor fan 211 and the indoor fan 212. Therefore, as the rotation speed of the indoor fan 212 decreases, the rotation speed of the outdoor fan 211 correspondingly decreases, so that the control of the refrigerant temperature must be independent of the control of the fan speed.

The present invention solves the aforementioned trade-off problem by implementing the auxiliary expansion unit 330 upstream of the evaporator 318, and more preferably upstream of the second capillary 321. When performing frost washing, the valve 320 is closed to allow the refrigerant to pass through the first capillary tube 319, and then the refrigerant is introduced into the second capillary tube 321. Therefore, the refrigerant undergoes two expansions, and the temperature of the refrigerant will be lowered by the relatively simple structure depicted in FIG. 3.

The cooled refrigerant is sent to the evaporator 318, at which time the fan speed is reduced to reduce the speed of the indoor air. This condition helps to form frost on the heat exchanger fins with minimal impact on the performance of the air conditioner while using simple and low-cost components.

(Second embodiment)

FIG. 4 shows a refrigeration cycle system 400 of an exemplary second embodiment including a plurality of evaporators 418a, 418b. In the second embodiment, the first capillary tube 419 and the valve 420 constitute an auxiliary expansion unit 430, and a second capillary tube 421a is provided downstream of the auxiliary expansion unit 430. The refrigerant is circulated to the first evaporator 418a for air conditioning.

In the second embodiment, a third capillary tube 421b is added in parallel to the second capillary tube 421a, and the refrigerant after passing through the third capillary tube 421b is supplied to the second evaporator 418a to form a second refrigeration cycle system.

Therefore, a plurality of evaporators 418a and 418b can use the common auxiliary expansion unit 430 to form frost for frost washing. The second capillary tube 421a and the third capillary tube 421b have different resistances due to their difference in length, so as to resolve the difference in capacity between the evaporator 418a and the evaporator 418b. The resistance of the second capillary tube 421a and the third capillary tube 421b may be the same as each other, or may be different according to the specific requirements of the evaporators 418a and 418b.

In the second embodiment, the total resistance of the second capillary tube 421a and the third capillary tube 421b preferably satisfies the following relationship, so that the expansion efficiency at the second capillary tube 421a and the third capillary tube 421b is effective:

[Formula 1] (B1+B2)/2＞A Where B1 and B2 are the resistance of the second capillary 421a and the third capillary 421b, respectively, and A is the resistance of the capillary 419.

The refrigerant discharged from the evaporators 418a and 418b is combined with each other downstream of the evaporators 418a and 418b, and then sent to the storage tank 411 and the compressor 410 to complete the refrigeration cycle system.

In the second embodiment, the indoor fan 212 may be shared between the evaporators 418a, 418b. Alternatively, indoor fans may be provided for the evaporators 418a and 418b according to specific applications. As described in the first embodiment, when frost is formed, the valve 420 is closed and the fan speed of the indoor fan 212 is reduced to effectively form frost on the fins of the evaporators 418a, 418b. The second embodiment may be effective in a refrigeration cycle system having a plurality of evaporators of not less than two, because one auxiliary expansion unit controls the frost formation of the plurality of evaporators, so that an increase in the cost of the refrigeration cycle system can be suppressed.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment 500 of frost formation for the air conditioner 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the refrigeration cycle system of FIG. 1 is exemplarily used to illustrate frost formation. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the valve 520 is closed to allow the refrigerant to pass through the first capillary tube 519 and then pass through the second capillary tube 521.

The refrigerant flows into the first capillary 519 from the valve 516, and then undergoes adiabatic expansion after passing through the first capillary 519. At this stage, the refrigerant is cooled due to adiabatic expansion, and then flows to the second capillary tube 521 to perform a second adiabatic expansion, thereby further reducing the temperature of the refrigerant.

The refrigerant that has undergone adiabatic expansion twice is introduced into the evaporator 518 through a pipe and a valve 522, and then evaporated in the evaporator 518 to cool the evaporator fins. At this time, the speed of the indoor fan 212 is set to a low speed predetermined by the controller 514. The water in the indoor air condenses on the evaporator fins to form frost 540.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the evaporator 518 is designed as a dual refrigeration path, and the refrigerant is introduced from one row of inlets arranged in front of the evaporator 518, and from another outlet arranged behind the evaporator 518. Is discharged.

After the frost is formed, the frost on the evaporator fins will melt for frost washing. In an embodiment of the frost wash, the frost can be melted by the ambient temperature while turning off the fan motor 213 without supplying indoor air. In an alternative embodiment, the frost may be melted by supplying indoor air without driving the fan motor 213 without driving other components of the air conditioner 100. In this embodiment, the user of the air conditioner can receive low-temperature air cooled by the frost formed in front of the evaporator 518 during the frost wash.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, frost tends to deposit around the center of the evaporator 518. As mentioned above, the water formed by melting the frost flows downward, so that the upper area of the evaporator 518 is not sufficiently cleaned in some cases.

(Modified implementation)

When the frost melts, water flows down from the top area to the bottom area, so that the frost wash can be completely completed on the entire evaporator. In the modified embodiment, the refrigerant is introduced from the top end of the evaporator, and the frost is formed from the top area, and then spreads to the lower area of the evaporator. The refrigerant path in the modified example can be changed by a switching valve or the like to introduce the refrigerant from the top area of the evaporator, and then flow down the refrigerant pipe.

In the modified embodiment, the condition for stopping the fan maximizes the frost formation efficiency, however, the reliability of the refrigerant pressure tends to decrease. In such an embodiment, the fan motor 213 may be driven for a predetermined period of time, and then it may be stopped to expand the two-phase area in the evaporator and suppress an increase in the discharge pressure (Pd).

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment 600 of operating conditions of the air conditioner 100. Operating conditions include normal operating mode and frost washing mode. The normal operation mode also has fan speed conditions and operating states of the valves constituting the auxiliary expansion unit.

In the normal operation mode, the fan speed is set to a high speed, a medium speed, or a low speed to respond to the user's request for the intensity of the airflow from the air conditioner 100. In addition, under normal operating conditions, the valve 320, 420, or 520 is opened so as not to pass through the paired capillaries arranged in parallel.

In the frost washing mode, the fan speed may be set to a low speed or stopped, and the valve 320, 420, or 520 included in the auxiliary expansion unit may be closed. Under this operating condition, the refrigerant reaches the matched first capillary through the valve, and then expands into a lower temperature refrigerant after passing through the capillary. In some cases, the valve in the auxiliary expansion unit may be closed in the early stage of frosting, and the valve in the auxiliary expansion unit may be opened in the later stage of frosting to control the speed of frost formation.

In normal operation, low-temperature refrigerant is introduced into the evaporator 318, 418a, 418b, or 518 at a low fan speed or a stopped fan speed. Therefore, the frost for washing the evaporator fins can be efficiently formed, so that the frost washing can be performed after stopping the circulation of the refrigerant.

The operating conditions shown in FIG. 6 can be stored as a look-up table or other data format in an appropriate memory in the controller 314, 414, or 514. The controller 314, 414, or 514 reads the operating conditions to perform necessary control on the air conditioner 100 to provide air conditioning service or frosting service.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic flowchart of a frost washing method for the air conditioner 100. A program for controlling the air conditioner 100 is used by the controller 314 or the like to execute the operation method of FIG. 7. The frosting process can be started periodically according to the operating duration of the air conditioner 100, or can be started by a user's instruction by remote peripheral devices such as a remote control of the air conditioner and/or a smartphone.

The frosting method starts from step S700. In step S710, the valve in the auxiliary expansion unit is closed to allow the refrigerant to pass through the first capillary tube. Synchronously with the shut-off valve or after a predetermined time has elapsed from the shut-off valve, the fan speed is set to a low-speed state or a stopped state. In step S720, the frosting process of forming frost is started, and step S720 is continued for a predetermined period of time in order to deposit enough frost on the evaporator fins.

In step S730, the melting process is started by terminating the circulation of the refrigerant or the like. In this step, according to the frosting process in step S720, the indoor fan 212 may be driven at a low speed, or the indoor fan 212 may be kept stopped. When the indoor fan 212 is driven, low-temperature air cooled by the frost can be supplied to the indoor space. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the user of the air conditioner 100 can enjoy the cooling by the frost deposited on the evaporator fins during the frost wash. Low temperature air.

In one embodiment, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of the frost washing (that is, the moment when the valve included in the auxiliary expansion unit is closed), the frost washing process is terminated in step S740. The air conditioner 100 may be automatically restarted after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, or the indoor fan 212 may be stopped until the user of the air conditioner 100 instructs to operate the air conditioner 100.

In other embodiments, the frost washing may be terminated after a predetermined period of time has elapsed when the temperature of the evaporator 318 and the like becomes not higher than a predetermined temperature (ie -30 degrees Celsius, etc.), or the frost washing may be terminated in the evaporator 318 and the like. When the temperature becomes not higher than the predetermined temperature (that is, -40 degrees Celsius, etc.), the cream wash is terminated.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic flowchart of the operation process of the air conditioner 100, and the process starts from step S800 after receiving an instruction for starting the air conditioner 100. In step S810, the controller determines whether the frost wash start time has come. If the frost wash start time is reached (step S810: Yes), then in step S820, the controller instructs the valve in the auxiliary expansion unit to close, and also instructs to modify the fan speed to, for example, a low speed state, and then start in step S830 The formation of frost.

In step S840, the controller terminates the circulation of the refrigerant, and causes the air conditioner 100 to perform the frost washing of the evaporator described in FIG. 8. Step S850 is an optional processing step depending on the specific settings of the air conditioner 100, and in the described embodiment, the air conditioner 100 starts to operate normally for air conditioning of the indoor space. In an alternative embodiment, the process will go to step S870 to immediately stop the fan motor 123 and terminate the operation of the air conditioner 100.

In step S860 executed after step S850, if step S850 is implemented, the controller determines whether to terminate the operation of the air conditioner 100 based on the instruction from the remote peripheral device or the expiration of the timer counter. If terminated (step S860: Yes), the process proceeds to step S870 to stop the operation of the air conditioner 100. If it is not terminated (step S860: No), the process goes to step S810 to repeat the process shown in FIG. 8.

When the judgment in step S810 returns a negative result (step S810: No), the process goes to step S850 to start the normal operation of the air conditioner 100. Using the above process, the window air conditioner can be frosted and washed with the lowest cost and minimal modification to the existing refrigeration cycle system.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment 900 of the air conditioner 100 in a frost wash. When the deposition of frost progresses, the main surface of the evaporator 917 is almost closed by the frost, and it becomes difficult for indoor air to enter the indoor compartment 930 through the filter module 918 and the evaporator 917. If this happens, the air conditioner 100 shown in FIG. 9 has dual outlet grooves 940a, 940b, which are initially formed to discharge air-conditioned air into the indoor space. When the intake amount of indoor air decreases or stops, the circulation of the indoor fan 912 causes an air flow shown by the thick arrow in the air duct 930.

It is assumed that the indoor fan 912 rotates clockwise when viewed from the indoor space. In this case, the air flow in the air duct 930 is in a direction according to the rotation of the indoor fan 912 and the orientation of the fan. The air drawn into the air duct is cooled on the back side of the evaporator 917, and water in the air can form frost on the back side of the evaporator 917. This makes it possible to perform frost washing on the back side of the evaporator 917, so that the front side and the back side of the evaporator 917 can be frost washed. The configuration shown in FIG. 9 means that the operation of the air conditioner can be kept to a minimum when undergoing such air circulation in the indoor space due to the existence of the double outlet groove during the frosting process.

This feature is advantageous for the configuration in which the air conditioner is provided with one outlet groove, because the air flow through the dual outlet grooves 940a, 940b cannot be expected in one outlet groove.

Figure 10 shows an example 1000 of frost formation. The air conditioner having the configuration of FIG. 2 and the refrigeration cycle system shown in FIG. 5 was used to check the frost formation according to the present invention. The filter module 218 is removed from the outer housing 110 to show frost formation. The frost formation test was performed under the following conditions. Indoor temperature: 28 degrees Celsius. Relative humidity: 50%. Outdoor temperature: 35 degrees Celsius. Fan speed: low speed.

As shown in FIG. 10, the evaporator 217 is cooled to -11.7 degrees Celsius (near the upper inlet of the refrigerant) and -12.7 degrees Celsius (near the lower inlet of the refrigerant). The evaporator 217 is covered with frost 540 on about 70% of its front side area, and achieves excellent frost formation.

As described so far, the present invention describes a new configuration of a refrigeration cycle system, an air conditioner, and a method for washing the air conditioner. According to the present invention, by defrosting, the stains of the indoor heat exchanger can be quickly washed, so that clean air can be provided while improving the air conditioning efficiency.

Since the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention should not be limited to specific related embodiments, and those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can make various modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the present invention And the true scope should only be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

100: Air conditioner 110: Outer shell 120: front panel 130a, 130b: movable baffle 140a, 140b: outlet slot 150: Air outlet hole 210: inner shell 211: outdoor fan 212,912: Indoor fans 213: Fan Motor 214,310,410,510: Compressor 215: Partition Wall 216: Condenser 217,418a,418b: evaporator 218,918: filter module 219a, 219b: deflection member 220: outdoor compartment 230,930: indoor compartment 300: refrigeration cycle system 311,411,511: storage tank 313: EEV 314,414,514: Controller 316, 320, 322, 420, 516, 520, 522: valve 317: Condenser 318,418a,418b,518,917: evaporator 319: first capillary 321: second capillary 330,430: auxiliary expansion unit 400: refrigeration cycle system 419,519: first capillary 421a, 521: second capillary 421b: third capillary 540: Frost 940a, 940b: Double outlet slot

[Fig. 1] is a diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of a refrigeration cycle system implemented with an air conditioner 100 that implements the configuration of the present invention. [Fig. 2] is a plan view showing an exemplary embodiment of the internal configuration of the air conditioner 100, in which the outer casing 100 is removed, and at the same time only basic elements for air conditioning are shown for illustrative purposes. [Fig. 3] A first embodiment of the refrigeration cycle system 300 implemented in the air conditioner 100 is shown. [Fig. 4] A refrigeration cycle system 400 of an exemplary second embodiment including a plurality of evaporators 418a, 418b is shown. [Fig. 5] An exemplary embodiment 500 of frost formation for the air conditioner 100 is shown. [Fig. 6] An embodiment 600 showing operating conditions of the air conditioner 100 is shown. [Fig. 7] A schematic flowchart showing a frost washing method for the air conditioner 100. [Fig. [Fig. 8] A schematic flowchart showing the operation process of the air conditioner 100. [Fig. [Fig. 9] A schematic embodiment 900 of the air conditioner 100 in the frost wash is shown. [Fig. 10] An example 1000 of frost formation is shown.

300: refrigeration cycle system

310: Compressor

311: storage tank

313: EEV

314: Controller

316, 320, 322: Valve

317: Condenser

318: Evaporator

319: first capillary

321: second capillary

330: auxiliary expansion unit

Claims (15)

A refrigeration cycle system used for air conditioning and includes: Condenser, evaporator and compressor are connected by pipes for refrigerant flow and are enclosed in a shell; Fan motor, used to drive outdoor fan and indoor fan synchronously; The auxiliary expansion unit includes a first capillary tube and a valve connected in parallel with the aforementioned first capillary tube, and the aforementioned auxiliary expansion unit is arranged on the upstream side of the aforementioned evaporator; The second capillary tube is arranged in the aforementioned pipe in sequence with the aforementioned auxiliary expansion unit; and The controller is used to control the opening of the valve when the frost starts to deposit on the evaporator. The refrigeration cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the controller causes the evaporator to deposit frost on the fins in the washing mode of the evaporator. The refrigeration cycle system described in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary expansion unit, the second capillary tube, and the evaporator are connected in this order by the pipe along the refrigerant flow. The refrigeration cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration cycle system includes branch pipes that divide a plurality of flow paths along the refrigerant flow between the auxiliary expansion unit and the second capillary tube, and each has a different resistance A plurality of capillaries are connected to the aforementioned branch pipes. The refrigeration cycle system described in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a tandem outlet groove for discharging air-conditioned air, and is arranged between the tandem outlet grooves for introducing indoor air to the evaporation The front panel of the evaporator, and frost is formed on the aforementioned evaporator. The refrigeration cycle system described in claim 5, wherein the housing defines the indoor compartment and the outdoor compartment by a partition wall, and an air duct is formed in the indoor compartment, and the air duct is connected to the tandem outlet tank and The aforementioned indoor fan is accommodated therein. The refrigeration cycle system according to claim 1, wherein the frost is formed when the evaporator is washed by water formed by melting the frost deposited on the evaporator. A window type air conditioner, which includes: Condenser, evaporator and compressor are connected by pipes for refrigerant flow and are enclosed in a shell; Fan motor, used to drive outdoor fan and indoor fan synchronously; The auxiliary expansion unit includes a first capillary tube and a valve connected in parallel with the aforementioned first capillary tube, and the aforementioned auxiliary expansion unit is arranged on the upstream side of the aforementioned evaporator; The second capillary tube is arranged in the aforementioned pipe in sequence with the aforementioned auxiliary expansion unit; and The controller is used for controlling the opening of the valve to wash the evaporator when frost starts to deposit on the fins on the evaporator in the washing mode. The window air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the auxiliary expansion unit, the second capillary tube, and the evaporator are connected in this order by the pipe along the refrigerant flow. The window air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the window air conditioner includes branch pipes that divide a plurality of flow paths along the refrigerant flow between the auxiliary expansion unit and the second capillary tube, and each has a different A plurality of capillaries of resistance are connected to the aforementioned branch pipes. The window air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein in the washing mode of the evaporator, the controller causes the evaporator to deposit frost on the fins. The window air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the aforementioned indoor fan is driven at a predetermined low speed for a predetermined period of time during the washing mode. A method of operating a window air conditioner includes: The refrigerant circulates through the compressor, condenser and evaporator through the pipeline; Closing the valve to switch the flow path of the aforementioned refrigerant to the first capillary tube arranged in parallel with the aforementioned valve, so that the aforementioned refrigerant expands after the aforementioned capillary tube; Introducing the expanded refrigerant into the aforementioned evaporator while reducing the fan speed to a predetermined speed to wash the aforementioned evaporator; Frost is formed and deposited on the aforementioned evaporator; and The frost on the evaporator is melted to wash the evaporator with water formed by melting the frost. The method of operating a window air conditioner as described in claim 13, which also includes: The valve is opened and the flow path of the refrigerant is switched so that the refrigerant flows through the valve after washing of the evaporator. The method of operating a window air conditioner as recited in claim 13, wherein the frost is formed and deposited on an evaporator, and the evaporator is provided between outlet grooves for discharging air-conditioned air.

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