US20240117982A1

US20240117982A1 - Fault diagnosis method for an air conditioner appliance

Info

Publication number: US20240117982A1
Application number: US17/962,847
Authority: US
Inventors: Myunggeon Chung; Jongdeok Jang
Original assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions Inc
Current assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions Inc
Priority date: 2022-10-10
Filing date: 2022-10-10
Publication date: 2024-04-11

Abstract

An air conditioner unit may include a refrigeration loop, a compressor operably coupled to the refrigeration loop for circulating a flow of refrigerant, and an indoor fan configured for urging a flow of discharge air through an indoor heat exchanger and out a discharge vent. A controller is configured to initiate an air conditioning cycle, determine that the air conditioning cycle has failed, prompt a user to confirm that all external sources of air are blocked, receive user confirmation that all external sources of air are blocked, determine that the air conditioning cycle is still failing after receiving the user confirmation, and identify a fault with the air conditioner unit.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to air conditioner units, and more particularly to methods for diagnosing faults in air conditioner units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Air conditioner or conditioning units are conventionally utilized to adjust the temperature indoors, e.g., within structures such as dwellings and office buildings. Such units commonly include a closed refrigeration loop to heat or cool the indoor air. Typically, the indoor air is recirculated while being heated or cooled. A variety of sizes and configurations are available for such air conditioner units. For example, some units may have one portion installed within the indoors that is connected to another portion located outdoors, e.g., by tubing or conduit carrying refrigerant. These types of units are typically used for conditioning the air in larger spaces.
Another type of air conditioner unit, commonly referred to as single-package vertical units (SPVU) or package terminal air conditioners (PTAC), may be utilized to adjust the temperature in, for example, a single room or group of rooms of a structure. These units typically operate like split heat pump systems, except that the indoor and outdoor portions are defined by a bulkhead and all system components are housed within a single package that installed in a wall sleeve positioned within an opening of an exterior wall of a building.
In general, air conditioner units operate by driving a measured room temperature to a target room temperature. If the target room temperature is not reached in a satisfactory amount of time, the appliance may assume that there is a fault with the appliance. However, in certain situations, the failure of an air conditioner unit to reach the target room temperature may not be due to appliance operation at all. For example, a user may have inadvertently left a door open to the room being air conditioned, thereby permitting a flow of outside air to continuously flow into the room. In such a situation, the air conditioner unit may incorrectly diagnose a fault with the appliance.
Accordingly, an air conditioner unit having an improved method for detecting faults would be useful. More specifically, a method of diagnosing faults in an air conditioner unit that accounts for external flows of air, e.g., through an open door or window, would be particularly beneficial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In one exemplary embodiment, an air conditioner unit is provided including a refrigeration loop comprising an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, a compressor operably coupled to the refrigeration loop and being configured to urge a flow of refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, an indoor fan configured for urging a flow of discharge air through the indoor heat exchanger and out a discharge vent, and a controller operably coupled to the compressor and the indoor fan. The controller is configured to initiate an air conditioning cycle, determine that the air conditioning cycle has failed, prompt a user to confirm that all external sources of air are blocked, receive user confirmation that all external sources of air are blocked, determine that the air conditioning cycle is still failing after receiving the user confirmation, and identify a fault with the air conditioner unit.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method of diagnosing faults in an air conditioner unit are provided. The method includes initiating an air conditioning cycle, determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed, prompting a user to confirm that all external sources of air are blocked, receiving user confirmation that all external sources of air are blocked, determining that the air conditioning cycle is still failing after receiving the user confirmation, and identifying a fault with the air conditioner unit.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.

FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of an air conditioner unit, with part of an indoor portion exploded from a remainder of the air conditioner unit for illustrative purposes, in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of components of the indoor portion of the exemplary air conditioner unit of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a refrigeration loop in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of an outdoor portion of the exemplary air conditioner unit of FIG. 1 , illustrating a vent aperture in a bulkhead in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the exemplary bulkhead of FIG. 4 with a vent door illustrated in the open position in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the exemplary air conditioner unit and bulkhead of FIG. 4 including a fan assembly for providing make-up air in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a side cross sectional view of the exemplary air conditioner unit of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary air conditioner unit placed within a room in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a method for operating an air conditioner unit in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
As used herein, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). The terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative flow direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the flow direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the flow direction to which the fluid flows. Furthermore, as used herein, terms of approximation, such as “approximately,” “substantially,” or “about,” refer to being within a ten percent margin of error.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , an air conditioner unit 10 is provided. The air conditioner unit 10 is a one-unit type air conditioner, also conventionally referred to as a room air conditioner or a packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC). The unit 10 includes an indoor portion 12 and an outdoor portion 14, and generally defines a vertical direction V, a lateral direction L, and a transverse direction T. Each direction V, L, T is perpendicular to each other, such that an orthogonal coordinate system is generally defined. Although aspects of the present subject matter are described with reference to PTAC unit 10, it should be appreciated that aspects of the present subject matter may be equally applicable to other air conditioner unit types and configurations, such as single package vertical units (SPVUs) and split heat pump systems.
A housing 20 of the unit 10 may contain various other components of the unit 10. Housing 20 may include, for example, a rear grill 22 and a room front 24 which may be spaced apart along the transverse direction T by a wall sleeve 26. The rear grill 22 may be part of the outdoor portion 14, and the room front 24 may be part of the indoor portion 12. Components of the outdoor portion 14, such as an outdoor heat exchanger 30, an outdoor fan 32, and a compressor 34 may be housed within the wall sleeve 26. A fan shroud 36 may additionally enclose outdoor fan 32, as shown.
Indoor portion 12 may include, for example, an indoor heat exchanger 40, a blower fan or indoor fan 42, and a heating unit 44. These components may, for example, be housed behind the room front 24. Additionally, a bulkhead 46 may generally support and/or house various other components or portions thereof of the indoor portion 12, such as indoor fan 42 and the heating unit 44. Bulkhead 46 may generally separate and define the indoor portion 12 and outdoor portion 14.
Outdoor and indoor heat exchangers 30, 40 may be components of a sealed system or refrigeration loop 48, which is shown schematically in FIG. 3 . Refrigeration loop 48 may, for example, further include compressor 34 and an expansion device 50. As illustrated, compressor 34 and expansion device 50 may be in fluid communication with outdoor heat exchanger 30 and indoor heat exchanger 40 to flow refrigerant therethrough as is generally understood. More particularly, refrigeration loop 48 may include various lines for flowing refrigerant between the various components of refrigeration loop 48, thus providing the fluid communication there between. Refrigerant may thus flow through such lines from indoor heat exchanger 40 to compressor 34, from compressor 34 to outdoor heat exchanger 30, from outdoor heat exchanger 30 to expansion device 50, and from expansion device 50 to indoor heat exchanger 40. The refrigerant may generally undergo phase changes associated with a refrigeration cycle as it flows to and through these various components, as is generally understood. Suitable refrigerants for use in refrigeration loop 48 may include pentafluoroethane, difluoromethane, or a mixture such as R410a, although it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples and rather that any suitable refrigerant may be utilized.
As is understood in the art, refrigeration loop 48 may be alternately operated as a refrigeration assembly (and thus perform a refrigeration cycle) or a heat pump (and thus perform a heat pump cycle). As shown in FIG. 3 , when refrigeration loop 48 is operating in a cooling mode and thus performing a refrigeration cycle, the indoor heat exchanger 40 acts as an evaporator and the outdoor heat exchanger 30 acts as a condenser. Alternatively, when the assembly is operating in a heating mode and thus performs a heat pump cycle, the indoor heat exchanger 40 acts as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger 30 acts as an evaporator. The outdoor and indoor heat exchangers 30, 40 may each include coils through which a refrigerant may flow for heat exchange purposes, as is generally understood.
According to an example embodiment, compressor 34 may be a variable speed compressor. In this regard, compressor 34 may be operated at various speeds depending on the current air conditioning needs of the room and the demand from refrigeration loop 48. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment, compressor 34 may be configured to operate at any speed between a minimum speed, e.g., 1500 revolutions per minute (RPM), to a maximum rated speed, e.g., 3500 RPM. Notably, use of variable speed compressor 34 enables efficient operation of refrigeration loop 48 (and thus air conditioner unit 10), minimizes unnecessary noise when compressor 34 does not need to operate at full speed, and ensures a comfortable environment within the room.
Specifically, according to an exemplary embodiment, compressor 34 may be an inverter compressor. In this regard, compressor 34 may include a power inverter, power electronic devices, rectifiers, or other control electronics suitable for converting an alternating current (AC) power input into a direct current (DC) power supply for the compressor. The inverter electronics may regulate the DC power output to any suitable DC voltage that corresponds to a specific operating speed of compressor. In this manner compressor 34 may be regulated to any suitable operating speed, e.g., from 0% to 100% of the full rated power and/or speed of the compressor. This may facilitate precise compressor operation at the desired operating power and speed, thus meeting system needs while maximizing efficiency and minimizing unnecessary system cycling, energy usage, and noise.
In exemplary embodiments as illustrated, expansion device 50 may be disposed in the outdoor portion 14 between the indoor heat exchanger 40 and the outdoor heat exchanger 30. According to the exemplary embodiment, expansion device 50 may be an electronic expansion valve (“EEV”) that enables controlled expansion of refrigerant, as is known in the art. According to alternative embodiments, expansion device 50 may be a capillary tube or another suitable expansion device configured for use in a thermodynamic cycle.
More specifically, according to exemplary embodiments, electronic expansion device 50 may be configured to precisely control the expansion of refrigerant to maintain, for example, a desired temperature differential of the refrigerant across the evaporator (i.e., the outdoor heat exchanger 30 in heat pump mode). In other words, electronic expansion device 50 throttles the flow of refrigerant based on the reaction of the temperature differential across the evaporator or the amount of superheat temperature differential, thereby ensuring that the refrigerant is in the gaseous state entering compressor 34.
In general, the terms “superheat,” “operating superheat,” or the like are generally intended to refer to the temperature increase of the refrigerant past the fully saturated vapor temperature in the evaporator. In this regard, for example, the superheat may be quantified in degrees Fahrenheit, e.g., such that 1° F. superheat means that the refrigerant exiting the evaporator is 1° F. higher than the saturated vapor temperature. It should be appreciated that the operating superheat may be measured and monitored by controller 64 in any suitable manner. For example, controller 64 may be operably coupled to a pressure sensor for measuring the refrigerant pressure exiting the evaporator, may convert that pressure to the saturated vapor temperature, and may subtract that temperature from the measured refrigerant temperature at the evaporator outlet to determine superheat.
According to exemplary embodiments, expansion device or electronic expansion valve 50 may be driven by a stepper motor or other drive mechanism to any desirable position between a fully closed position (e.g., when no refrigerant passes through EEV 50) to a fully open position (e.g., when there is little or no restriction through the EEV 50). For example, controller 64 may be operably coupled to EEV 50 and may regulate the position of the EEV 50 through a control signal to achieve a target superheat, a target restriction/expansion, etc.
More specifically, the control signal communicated from controller 64 may specify the number of control steps (or simply “steps”) and a corresponding direction (e.g., counterclockwise toward the closed position or clockwise toward the open position). Each EEV 50 may have a physical stroke span equal to the difference between the fully open position and the fully closed position. In addition, the EEV 50 may include a step range or range of control steps that correspond to the number adjustment steps it take for the EEV 50 to travel from the fully closed position to the fully open position.
Each “step” may refer to a predetermined rotation of the drive mechanism, e.g., such as a stepper motor, which may in turn move the EEV 50 a fixed linear distance toward the open or closed position (depending on the commanded step direction). For example, according to the exemplary embodiment, the EEV 50 may have a step range of 500 steps, with 0 steps corresponding to fully closed and 500 steps corresponding to fully open. However, it should be appreciated that according to alternative embodiments, any given electronic expansion valve may include a different number of control steps, and the absolute step adjustments described herein may be varied accordingly.
In addition, as used herein, the position of EEV 50 may be expressed as a percentage, e.g., where 0% corresponds to a fully closed position and 100% corresponds to a fully open position. According to exemplary embodiments, this percentage representation may also refer to the percentage of total control steps taken from the closed position, e.g., with 10% referring to 50 steps (e.g., 10% of the 500 total steps), 80% referring to 400 steps (e.g., 80% of 500 total steps), etc.
According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, outdoor fan 32 is an axial fan and indoor fan 42 is a centrifugal fan. However, it should be appreciated that according to alternative embodiments, outdoor fan 32 and indoor fan 42 may be any suitable fan type. In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment, outdoor fan 32 and indoor fan 42 are variable speed fans, e.g., similar to variable speed compressor 34. For example, outdoor fan 32 and indoor fan 42 may rotate at different rotational speeds, thereby generating different air flow rates. It may be desirable to operate fans 32, 42 at less than their maximum rated speed to ensure safe and proper operation of refrigeration loop 48 at less than its maximum rated speed, e.g., to reduce noise when full speed operation is not needed. In addition, according to alternative embodiments, fans 32, 42 may be operated to urge make-up air into the room.
According to the illustrated embodiment, indoor fan 42 may operate as an evaporator fan in refrigeration loop 48 to encourage the flow of air through indoor heat exchanger 40. Accordingly, indoor fan 42 may be positioned downstream of indoor heat exchanger 40 along the flow direction of indoor air and downstream of heating unit 44. Alternatively, indoor fan 42 may be positioned upstream of indoor heat exchanger 40 along the flow direction of indoor air and may operate to push air through indoor heat exchanger 40.
Heating unit 44 in exemplary embodiments includes one or more heater banks 60. Each heater bank 60 may be operated as desired to produce heat. In some embodiments as shown, three heater banks 60 may be utilized. Alternatively, however, any suitable number of heater banks 60 may be utilized. Each heater bank 60 may further include at least one heater coil or coil pass 62, such as in exemplary embodiments two heater coils or coil passes 62. Alternatively, other suitable heating elements may be utilized.
The operation of air conditioner unit 10 including compressor 34 (and thus refrigeration loop 48 generally) indoor fan 42, outdoor fan 32, heating unit 44, expansion device 50, and other components of refrigeration loop 48 may be controlled by a processing device such as a controller 64. Controller 64 may be in communication (via for example a suitable wired or wireless connection) to such components of the air conditioner unit 10. Controller 64 may include a memory and one or more processing devices such as microprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of unit 10. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor.
Unit 10 may additionally include a control panel 66 and one or more user inputs 68, which may be included in control panel 66. The user inputs 68 may be in communication with the controller 64. A user of the unit 10 may interact with the user inputs 68 to operate the unit 10, and user commands may be transmitted between the user inputs 68 and controller 64 to facilitate operation of the unit 10 based on such user commands. A display 70 may additionally be provided in the control panel 66 and may be in communication with the controller 64. Display 70 may, for example be a touchscreen or other text-readable display screen, or alternatively may simply be a light that can be activated and deactivated as required to provide an indication of, for example, an event or setting for the unit 10.
Referring briefly to FIG. 4 , a vent aperture 80 may be defined in bulkhead 46 for providing fluid communication between indoor portion 12 and outdoor portion 14. Vent aperture 80 may be utilized in an installed air conditioner unit 10 to allow outdoor air to flow into the room through the indoor portion 12. In this regard, in some cases it may be desirable to allow outside air (i.e., “make-up air”) to flow into the room in order, e.g., to meet government regulations, to compensate for negative pressure created within the room, etc. In this manner, according to an exemplary embodiment, make-up air may be provided into the room through vent aperture 80 when desired.
As shown in FIG. 5 , a vent door 82 may be pivotally mounted to the bulkhead 46 proximate to vent aperture 80 to open and close vent aperture 80. More specifically, as illustrated, vent door 82 is pivotally mounted to the indoor facing surface of indoor portion 12. Vent door 82 may be configured to pivot between a first, closed position where vent door 82 prevents air from flowing between outdoor portion 14 and indoor portion 12, and a second, open position where vent door 82 is in an open position (as shown in FIG. 5 ) and allows make-up air to flow into the room. According to the illustrated embodiment vent door 82 may be pivoted between the open and closed position by an electric motor 84 controlled by controller 64, or by any other suitable method.
In some cases, it may be desirable to treat or condition make-up air flowing through vent aperture 80 prior to blowing it into the room. For example, outdoor air which has a relatively high humidity level may require treating before passing into the room. In addition, if the outdoor air is cool, it may be desirable to heat the air before blowing it into the room. Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter, unit 10 may further include an auxiliary sealed system that is positioned over vent aperture 80 for conditioning make-up air. The auxiliary sealed system may be a miniature sealed system that acts similar to refrigeration loop 48, but conditions only the air flowing through vent aperture 80. According to alternative embodiments, such as that described herein, make-up air may be urged through vent aperture 80 without the assistance of an auxiliary sealed system. Instead, make-up air is urged through vent aperture 80 may be conditioned at least in part by refrigeration loop 48, e.g., by passing through indoor heat exchanger 40. Additionally, the make-up air may be conditioned immediately upon entrance through vent aperture 80 or sequentially after combining with the air stream induced through indoor heat exchanger 40.
Referring now to FIG. 6 , a fan assembly 100 will be described according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. According to the illustrated embodiment, fan assembly 100 is generally configured for urging the flow of makeup air through vent aperture 80 and into a conditioned room without the assistance of an auxiliary sealed system. However, it should be appreciated that fan assembly 100 could be used in conjunction with a make-up air module including an auxiliary sealed system for conditioning the flow of make-up air. As illustrated, fan assembly 100 includes an auxiliary fan 102 for urging a flow of make-up air through a fan duct 104 and into indoor portion 12 through vent aperture 80.
According to the illustrated embodiment, auxiliary fan 102 is an axial fan positioned at an inlet of fan duct 104, e.g., upstream from vent aperture 80. However, it should be appreciated that any other suitable number, type, and configuration of fan or blower could be used to urge a flow of makeup air according to alternative embodiments. In addition, auxiliary fan 102 may be positioned in any other suitable location within air conditioner unit 10 and auxiliary fan 102 may be positioned at any other suitable location within or in fluid communication with fan duct 104. The embodiments described herein are only exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope present subject matter.
Referring now to FIG. 7 , operation of unit 10 will be described according to an exemplary embodiment. More specifically, the operation of components within indoor portion 12 will be described during a cooling operation or cooling cycle of unit 10. To simplify discussion, the operation of auxiliary fan 102 for providing make-up air through vent aperture 80 will be omitted, e.g., as if vent door 82 were closed. Although a cooling cycle will be described, it should be further appreciated that indoor heat exchanger 40 and/or heating unit 44 be used to heat indoor air according to alternative embodiments. Moreover, although operation of unit 10 is described below for the exemplary packaged terminal air conditioner unit, it should be further appreciated that aspects the present subject matter may be used in any other suitable air conditioner unit, such as a heat pump or split unit system.
As illustrated, room front 24 of unit 10 generally defines an intake vent 110 and a discharge vent 112 for use in circulating a flow of air (indicated by arrows 114) throughout a room. In this regard, indoor fan 42 is generally configured for drawing in air 114 through intake vent 110 and urging the flow of air through indoor heat exchanger 40 before discharging the air 114 out of discharge vent 112. According to the illustrated embodiment, intake vent 110 is positioned proximate a bottom of unit 10 and discharge vent 112 is positioned proximate a top of unit 10. However, it should be appreciated that according to alternative embodiments, intake vent 110 and discharge vent 112 may have any other suitable size, shape, position, or configuration.
During a cooling cycle, refrigeration loop 48 is generally configured for urging cold refrigerant through indoor heat exchanger 40 in order to lower the temperature of the flow of air 114 before discharging it back into the room. Specifically, during a cooling operation, controller 64 may be provided with a target temperature, e.g., as set by a user for the desired room temperature. In general, components of refrigeration loop 48, outdoor fan 32, indoor fan 42, and other components of unit 10 operate to continuously cool the flow of air.
In order to facilitate operation of refrigeration loop 48 and other components of unit 10, unit 10 may include a variety of sensors for detecting conditions internal and external to the unit 10. These conditions can be fed to controller 64 which may make decisions regarding operation of unit 10 to rectify undesirable conditions or to otherwise condition the flow of air 114 into the room. For example, as best illustrated in FIG. 7 , unit 10 may include an indoor temperature sensor 120 which is positioned and configured for measuring the indoor temperature within the room. In addition, unit 10 may include an indoor humidity sensor 122 which is positioned and configured for measuring the indoor humidity within the room. In this manner, unit 10 may be used to regulate the flow of air 114 into the room until the measured indoor temperature reaches the desired target temperature and/or humidity level. According to exemplary embodiments, unit 10 may further include an outdoor temperature sensor for measuring ambient outdoor temperatures.
As used herein, “temperature sensor” or the equivalent is intended to refer to any suitable type of temperature measuring system or device positioned at any suitable location for measuring the desired temperature. Thus, for example, temperature sensor 120 may each be any suitable type of temperature sensor, such as a thermistor, a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector, a semiconductor-based integrated circuit temperature sensor, etc. In addition, temperature sensor 120 may be positioned at any suitable location and may output a signal, such as a voltage, to a controller that is proportional to and/or indicative of the temperature being measured. Although exemplary positioning of temperature sensors is described herein, it should be appreciated that unit 10 may include any other suitable number, type, and position of temperature, and/or other sensors according to alternative embodiments.
As used herein, the terms “humidity sensor” or the equivalent may be intended to refer to any suitable type of humidity measuring system or device positioned at any suitable location for measuring the desired humidity. Thus, for example, humidity sensor 122 may refer to any suitable type of humidity sensor, such as capacitive digital sensors, resistive sensors, and thermal conductivity humidity sensors. In addition, humidity sensor 122 may be positioned at any suitable location and may output a signal, such as a voltage, to a controller that is proportional to and/or indicative of the humidity being measured. Although exemplary positioning of humidity sensors is described herein, it should be appreciated that unit 10 may include any other suitable number, type, and position of humidity sensors according to alternative embodiments.
Referring now to FIG. 8 , a schematic diagram of an external communication system 170 will be described according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. In general, external communication system 170 is configured for permitting interaction, data transfer, and other communications between air conditioner unit 10 and one or more external devices. For example, this communication may be used to provide and receive operating parameters, user instructions or notifications, performance characteristics, user preferences, or any other suitable information for improved performance of air conditioner unit 10. In addition, it should be appreciated that external communication system 170 may be used to transfer data or other information to improve performance of one or more external devices or appliances and/or improve user interaction with such devices.
For example, external communication system 170 permits controller 64 of air conditioner unit 10 to communicate with a separate device external to air conditioner unit 10, referred to generally herein as an external device 172. As described in more detail below, these communications may be facilitated using a wired or wireless connection, such as via a network 174. In general, external device 172 may be any suitable device separate from air conditioner unit 10 that is configured to provide and/or receive communications, information, data, or commands from a user. In this regard, external device 172 may be, for example, a personal phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop or personal computer, a wearable device, a smart home system, or another mobile or remote device.
In addition, a remote server 176 may be in communication with air conditioner unit 10 and/or external device 172 through network 174. In this regard, for example, remote server 176 may be a cloud-based server 176, and is thus located at a distant location, such as in a separate state, country, etc. According to an exemplary embodiment, external device 172 may communicate with a remote server 176 over network 174, such as the Internet, to transmit/receive data or information, provide user inputs, receive user notifications or instructions, interact with or control air conditioner unit 10, etc. In addition, external device 172 and remote server 176 may communicate with air conditioner unit 10 to communicate similar information.
In general, communication between air conditioner unit 10, external device 172, remote server 176, and/or other user devices or appliances may be carried using any type of wired or wireless connection and using any suitable type of communication network, non-limiting examples of which are provided below. For example, external device 172 may be in direct or indirect communication with air conditioner unit 10 through any suitable wired or wireless communication connections or interfaces, such as network 174. For example, network 174 may include one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a personal area network (PAN), the Internet, a cellular network, any other suitable short- or long-range wireless networks, etc. In addition, communications may be transmitted using any suitable communications devices or protocols, such as via Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, wireless radio, laser, infrared, Ethernet type devices and interfaces, etc. In addition, such communication may use a variety of communication protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP, SMTP, FTP), encodings or formats (e.g., HTML, XML), and/or protection schemes (e.g., VPN, secure HTTP, SSL).
External communication system 170 is described herein according to an exemplary embodiment of the present subject matter. However, it should be appreciated that the exemplary functions and configurations of external communication system 170 provided herein are used only as examples to facilitate description of aspects of the present subject matter. System configurations may vary, other communication devices may be used to communicate directly or indirectly with one or more associated appliances, other communication protocols and steps may be implemented, etc. These variations and modifications are contemplated as within the scope of the present subject matter.
Referring still to FIG. 8 , an exemplary air conditioner unit that is placed within a room 180 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. For example, the air conditioner unit may be same as or similar to air conditioner unit 10 described above. As illustrated, when air conditioner unit 10 is performing an air conditioning cycle (e.g., a heating or cooling cycle), a flow of air 114 passes through the air conditioner unit 10 to be heated or cooled before being ejected back into the room. Under normal operating circumstances with a properly functioning air conditioner unit, the temperature of the air within room 180 may slowly be driven to a target temperature, e.g., the desired temperature set by the user using control panel 140.
However, as explained above, during certain situations, air conditioner unit 10 may fail to properly adjust the temperature within the room 180, e.g., the unit may fail to drive the measured temperature to the target temperature in a timely manner. This failure may be indicative of a malfunctioning unit, but that is not always the case. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , room 180 may further define one or more external sources of temperature (e.g., identified generally by reference numeral 184). In general, these “external sources of air” may refer to any source of air or moisture that may increase or decrease the temperature within room 180.
For example, according to the illustrated embodiment, external sources of air 184 include an open window and an exhaust vent, both of which may let in a flow of outside air (e.g., identified generally by reference numeral 186) if not blocked or if otherwise left open. According to still other embodiments, the external source of air 184 may include a competing air conditioner unit or any other source of air from outside room 180. As explained above, these flows of humid air 186 may result in the failure of air conditioner unit 10 to achieve the target temperature, which may be incorrectly assumed to be a fault with the appliance itself. Aspects of the present subject matter are directed to methods for properly diagnosing faults in an air conditioner unit.
Now that the construction of air conditioner unit 10 and the configuration of controller 64 according to exemplary embodiments have been presented, an exemplary method 200 of operating an air conditioner unit will be described. Although the discussion below refers to the exemplary method 200 of operating air conditioner unit 10, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary method 200 is applicable to the operation of a variety of other air conditioning appliances. In exemplary embodiments, the various method steps as disclosed herein may be performed by controller 64 or a separate, dedicated controller.
Referring now to FIG. 10 , method 200 includes, at step 210, initiating an air conditioning cycle of an air conditioner unit to adjust the temperature within a room. In this regard, continuing the example from above, air conditioner unit 10 may be activated to adjust the temperature within room 180. In this regard, controller 64 of air conditioner unit 10 may activate compressor 34 to begin circulating refrigerant through refrigeration loop 48 while operating indoor fan 42 and outdoor fan 32 to facilitate a heat exchange process. In this manner, if the air conditioner unit is operating properly, the temperature of the flow of air 114 should slowly increase/decrease the room temperature until a target temperature is reached, at which time air conditioner unit 10 may be stopped.
Step 220 may include determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed. In this regard, controller 64 may be programmed with a target room temperature and may operate in order to drive a measured temperature (e.g., as measured by temperature sensor 120) to the target temperature. However, in situations where controller 64 determines that the air conditioner unit 10 is failing to drive the measured temperature to the target temperature at the desired rate or within the desired time, controller 64 may make a determination that the air conditioning cycle has failed. Although exemplary methods for making such a determination are provided below, it should be appreciated that variations and modifications for making such a determination are possible and within scope the present subject matter.
According to an exemplary embodiment, determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed may include measuring a room temperature with temperature sensor 120 and determining that the measured temperature has not reached the target temperature within a predetermined conditioning time. For example, the predetermined air conditioning time may generally correspond with the time it takes a properly operating the air conditioner unit 10 to adjust the room temperature to the target temperature, e.g., such as between about 10 minutes and 3 hours, between about 30 minutes and 2 hours, or about 1 hour. Other predetermined air conditioning times are possible and within the scope present subject matter.
According to still other exemplary embodiments, determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed may include determining that air conditioning rate falls below a predetermined rate threshold. In this regard, using data from temperature sensor 120, controller 64 may estimate the average rate of temperature change and determine that the estimated rate falls below a preprogrammed or otherwise calculated target rate. This rate may be determined based on historical data regarding operation of air conditioner unit 10 or may be set in any other suitable manner.
In addition, determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed may include debounce procedures to prevent such a determination when air conditioner unit 10 is in fact operating properly. For example, if a room is quickly supplied with a large amount of air (e.g., by opening the door on a hot or cold day), it may take longer than the predetermined amount of time to adjust the temperature of the air. Accordingly, determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed may include implementing a plurality of consecutive air conditioning cycles and determining that the measured temperature does not reach a target temperature in any of the consecutive air conditioning cycles (e.g., or the air conditioning rate does not meet the target rate). For example, the air conditioner unit 10 may operate through 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, or more air conditioning cycles before the determination is made that the air conditioning cycle has failed.
Notably, as explained above, there are scenarios where controller 64 may determine that the air conditioning cycle has failed, but such failure may not be due to the operation or functioning of air conditioner unit 10 itself. For example, if a user has left open a door or a window, a large and continuous inflow of external air 186 may overcome the capacity of air conditioner unit 10. During such situations, it may be desirable to identify these issues instead of falsely determining that the air conditioner unit 10 is malfunctioning.
Accordingly, step 230 may generally include prompting the user to confirm that all external sources of air are blocked. In this regard, after determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed (e.g., at step 220), controller 64 may instruct the user to investigate other sources of air that may be the actual reason for the air conditioning “failure.” Step 240 may include receiving a user confirmation that all external sources of external air are blocked. In this regard, the user may reply to the prompt issued at step 230, indicating that there are no other substantial sources of external air.
In this regard, in response to the prompt issued at step 230, a user may identify the window is open, that the exhaust vent to a bathroom fan is left in an open position, that a door remains open, etc. The user may rectify the condition and provide a user confirmation at step 240. Step 250 generally includes determining that the air conditioning cycle is still failing after receiving the user confirmation. In this regard, the air conditioner unit 10 may continue the air conditioning cycle or may initiate a new air conditioning cycle. If the air conditioning cycle is still failing (e.g., as determined in a manner similar to that described above), step 260 may include identifying a fault with the air conditioner unit.
Notably, steps 230 of prompting the user and 240 of receiving a user confirmation may include receiving a user confirmation that specifies that the user has checked for external sources of air and has identified none. In such situation, step 250 may be omitted and method 200 may proceed to step 260 where a fault is identified. In this regard, if the user took no corrective action to block external sources of external air, it is likely that the outcome of a subsequent air conditioning cycle will be the same as the previous cycles, i.e., an air conditioning failure.
Notably, steps 230 and 240 of prompting the user and receiving a user confirmation may be performed by controller 64 via control panel 140, via remote device 172 over network 174, or using any other suitable communication means. For example, the user may be prompted to confirm that all external sources of air are blocked through a push notification to a mobile phone. The user may perform such a confirmation and then may select a response to the push notification at step 240.
In the event a fault is identified at step 260, various subsequent actions may be taken by controller 64 to facilitate correction of such malfunction. In this regard, for example, controller 64 may perform an internal troubleshooting process to identify the source of the fault and may communicate that fault source to the user. According to still alternative embodiments, controller 64 may instruct the user to schedule maintenance visit or may directly schedule maintenance visit via network 174. According to example embodiments, a command may be issued to another air conditioner in the room or in a dwelling to increase operation to compensate for the failure of air conditioner unit 10. Other suitable responsive actions are possible and within the scope of the present subject matter.
FIG. 9 depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those of ordinary skill in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will understand that the steps of any of the methods discussed herein can be adapted, rearranged, expanded, omitted, or modified in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, although aspects of method 200 are explained using air conditioner unit 10 as an example, it should be appreciated that these methods may be applied to the operation of any suitable air conditioner unit.
As explained above, aspects of the present subject matter are generally directed to an air conditioner fault diagnosis method using a network-connected database. For example, when an air conditioner unit operates for a long time or through multiple consecutive operating cycles without being able to achieve the target room temperature, there is an air conditioning problem that needs to be addressed. However, there may be multiple reasons that the unit may not be capable of adjusting the room temperature, and the air conditioner unit cannot itself properly determine the cause, e.g., whether there is an issue with the air conditioner unit itself or whether there is an external problem.
Accordingly, when the unit is consistently failing to maintain target room temperatures, the user may be instructed to identify sources of external air and to block those sources of inflow from outside of the room. After these openings are blocked, the air conditioner unit may run one or more subsequent cycles to check and see whether target room temperatures are achievable. According to example embodiments, a remote, cloud-based server may receive this information and may use the collected data to determine whether the air conditioner unit is operating properly, and if not, may encourage the consumer to receive repair services.
An exemplary diagnostic method is provided herein, e.g., for determining whether the issue relates to a large flow rate of outside air flowing into the room or whether the air conditioner unit is undersized or malfunctioning. For example, the remote server may consider the air conditioner running to be a failed cycle when the measured room temperature does not reach the target temperature at least one time during a predetermined time period, e.g., 1 hour. The reverse case may be considered a successful cycle. If the air conditioner is operated for a predetermined number of cycles, e.g., such as seven cycles, over a predetermined time (e.g., 1 hour) and no successful cycle has occurred, the logic may default to an assumption that the issue relates to the inflow of outside air. Accordingly, the user may be instructed to identify and block such sources of outside air. The air conditioner unit may then be run again after blocking the inflow of external air. If a successful cycle still does not occur, the remote server may determine that the air conditioner unit is malfunctioning and may send a notification to the user to receive a repair service.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner unit comprising:

a refrigeration loop comprising an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger;

a compressor operably coupled to the refrigeration loop and being configured to urge a flow of refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger;

an indoor fan configured for urging a flow of discharge air through the indoor heat exchanger and out a discharge vent; and

a controller operably coupled to the compressor and the indoor fan, the controller being configured to:

initiate an air conditioning cycle;

determine that the air conditioning cycle has failed;

prompt a user to confirm that all external sources of air are blocked;

receive user confirmation that all external sources of air are blocked;

determine that the air conditioning cycle is still failing after receiving the user confirmation; and

identify a fault with the air conditioner unit.

2. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed comprises:

determining that a measured temperature has not reached a target temperature within a predetermined air conditioning time.

3. The air conditioner unit of claim 2, wherein the predetermined air conditioning time is between about 30 minutes and 2 hours.

4. The air conditioner unit of claim 2, wherein the predetermined air conditioning time is 1 hour.

5. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed comprises:

determining that an air conditioning rate falls below a predetermined rate threshold.

6. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed comprises:

implementing a plurality of consecutive air conditioning cycles; and

determining that a measured temperature does not reach a target temperature in any of the consecutive air conditioning cycles.

7. The air conditioner unit of claim 6, wherein the plurality of consecutive air conditioning cycles comprises between 7 and 10 cycles.

8. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface panel, wherein the user is prompted and the user confirmation is received through the user interface panel.

9. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the air conditioner unit is in operative communication with a remote device through an external network, and wherein the user is prompted and the user confirmation is received through the remote device.

10. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

advise the user to request a service visit or perform maintenance on the air conditioner unit upon identifying the fault with the air conditioner unit.

11. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the air conditioner unit is in operative communication with a remote server through an external network, and wherein identifying the fault with the air conditioner unit comprises:

transmitting performance data of the air conditioner unit during the air conditioning cycle that has failed to the remote server; and

receiving a fault notification from the remote server.

12. The air conditioner unit of claim 11, wherein the remote server stores historical data related to operation of the air conditioner unit.

13. The air conditioner unit of claim 11, wherein the remote server stores an artificial intelligence model for analyzing the performance data and identifying the fault.

14. A method of diagnosing faults in an air conditioner unit, the method comprising:

initiating an air conditioning cycle;

determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed;

prompting a user to confirm that all external sources of air are blocked;

receiving user confirmation that all external sources of air are blocked;

determining that the air conditioning cycle is still failing after receiving the user confirmation; and

identifying a fault with the air conditioner unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed comprises:

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed comprises:

17. The method of claim 14, wherein determining that the air conditioning cycle has failed comprises:

implementing a plurality of consecutive air conditioning cycles; and

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the air conditioner unit is in operative communication with a remote device through an external network, and wherein the user is prompted and the user confirmation is received through the remote device.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

advising the user to request a service visit or perform maintenance on the air conditioner unit upon identifying the fault with the air conditioner unit.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the air conditioner unit is in operative communication with a remote server through an external network, and wherein identifying the fault with the air conditioner unit comprises:

receiving a fault notification from the remote server.