KR102191582B1 - A refrigerator and a control method the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.
In the control method of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment, in the control method of a refrigerator including a plurality of compressors and a plurality of evaporators that are provided at inlet sides of the plurality of compressors and supply cool air to the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber, the temperature of the refrigerator chamber Recognizing whether or not is in the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section; Recognizing the indoor temperature if the temperature of the refrigerating compartment does not belong to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction period; And when the recognized indoor temperature falls within a set range, recognizing whether a load corresponding operation condition is satisfied, and when the load corresponding operation condition is satisfied, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is performed, and the If the load response operation condition is not satisfied, performing a cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber is included.

Description

A refrigerator and a control method the same}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a control method thereof.

In general, a refrigerator is provided with a plurality of storage compartments in which storage materials are accommodated to freeze or refrigerate food, and one surface of the storage compartment is opened to receive and take out the food. The plurality of storage chambers include a freezing chamber for frozen storage of food and a refrigerating chamber for refrigerating storage of food.

In the refrigerator, a refrigeration system in which refrigerant circulates is driven. Devices constituting the refrigeration system include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The evaporator may include a first evaporator provided on one side of the refrigerating compartment and a second evaporator provided on one side of the freezing compartment.

The cold air stored in the refrigerating chamber is cooled while passing through the first evaporator, and the cooled cold air may be supplied back to the refrigerating chamber. In addition, the cold air stored in the freezing chamber is cooled while passing through the second evaporator, and the cooled cold air may be supplied back to the freezing chamber.

As described above, in a conventional refrigerator, independent cooling is performed in a plurality of storage rooms through separate evaporators.

In this regard, the present applicant has received a patent registration (prior patent registration number 10-1275184, registration date June 10, 2013).

The above prior patent is to control the refrigerant supply means to selectively supply the refrigerant to the first evaporator or the second evaporator to perform cooling of one of the plurality of storage chambers and to stop cooling of the other storage chambers, that is, one storage chamber. It was characterized in that the other storage compartments were selectively or alternately cooled. In this case, the storage compartment in which cooling is performed may maintain a temperature within an appropriate range, but the temperature of the storage compartment not cooled rises, resulting in a problem that exceeds the normal range.

In addition, when it is detected that the temperature of the other storage compartment is out of the normal range while the cooling of one storage compartment is required, there is a problem that cooling of the other storage compartment cannot be performed immediately. As a result, in a structure in which the storage compartment must be independently cooled, cold air cannot be supplied to the right place in a timely manner, resulting in a problem of lowering the operating efficiency of the refrigerator.

On the other hand, in order to cool a plurality of storage chambers at the same time in the related art, when both of the refrigerant supply means are opened to both outlet sides, a phenomenon in which the refrigerant flows to one evaporator among the plurality of evaporators has occurred. In particular, when a three-way valve is used as a refrigerant supply means, the physical balance of the three-way valve is not maintained, so that a large amount of refrigerant flows into one evaporator and a relatively small amount of refrigerant flows into another evaporator.

An object of the present embodiment is to provide a refrigerator with improved operation efficiency and a control method thereof in order to solve this problem.

In the control method of a refrigerator according to the present embodiment, in the control method of a refrigerator including a plurality of compressors and a plurality of evaporators that are provided at inlet sides of the plurality of compressors and supply cool air to the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber, the temperature of the refrigerator chamber Recognizing whether or not is in the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section; Recognizing the indoor temperature if the temperature of the refrigerating compartment does not belong to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction period; And when the recognized indoor temperature falls within a set range, recognizing whether a load corresponding operation condition is satisfied, and when the load corresponding operation condition is satisfied, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is performed, and the If the load response operation condition is not satisfied, performing a cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber is included.

In addition, when the recognized indoor temperature falls outside the set range, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is performed.

In addition, when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment belongs to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction period, recognizing whether the temperature of the freezing compartment belongs to the freezing compartment satisfaction period; And selectively performing a first refrigerant recovery operation when the temperature of the freezing compartment falls within the freezing compartment satisfaction section.

In addition, when the temperature of the freezing chamber belongs to the freezing chamber satisfaction section and the previous operation state includes a freezing chamber cooling operation, the first refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a first set time.

In addition, when the temperature of the freezing compartment does not belong to the freezing compartment satisfaction section, the step of recognizing whether the temperature of the refrigerating compartment has reached the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section at least once or more.

In addition, when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber reaches the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating chamber satisfaction section at least once or more, the step of selectively performing a second refrigerant recovery operation is further included.

In addition, when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber reaches the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating chamber satisfaction section at least once or more, and the previous operation state includes a refrigerating chamber cooling operation, the second refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a second set time. do.

In addition, when the second set time has elapsed, the step of performing a cooling operation of the freezing chamber is further included.

In addition, the load response operation condition includes a state in which the temperature of one of the refrigerating chambers and the freezing chambers belongs to an upper limit section and the temperature of the other storage chambers has not reached the lower limit temperature of the satisfaction section.

In addition, the satisfaction section, the dissatisfaction section, and the upper limit section, which are defined based on the set temperature, are included, and the satisfaction section is a temperature section having a section as much as a first set width up and down based on the set temperature, The dissatisfied section is a temperature section having a value greater than or equal to a second set width greater than the first set width based on the set temperature, and the upper limit section is a temperature section having a temperature value equal to or greater than the dissatisfied section.

In addition, when the simultaneous operation is performed, the plurality of compressors are operated in a first mode to output a set cooling power.

In addition, when the plurality of compressors are operated in the first mode for longer than a set time, the plurality of compressors are switched to the second mode and are operated to output cooling power greater than the set cooling power.

In addition, in the process of operating the plurality of compressors in the first mode or the second mode, when the refrigerating compartment belongs to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section or the freezing compartment belongs to the freezing compartment satisfaction section, the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment is independently cooled. It features.

According to the proposed embodiment, there is an advantage that the temperature of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber can be optimally controlled by performing a freezing chamber alone operation, a refrigerator chamber alone operation, or a simultaneous cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber according to the temperature range of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber.

In addition, when the refrigerator is turned on and starts to be driven, the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle can satisfy the target low pressure by controlling the temperature of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber to reach the lower limit temperature of the satisfied section at least once or more. Accordingly, even if a temperature increase is caused, there is an advantage that the temperature of the storage chamber can be easily formed within a satisfactory period.

In addition, by selecting a simultaneous operation or an alternate operation according to a temperature value of a space in which the refrigerator is installed (hereinafter, referred to as an installation space or an indoor space), there is an effect of improving the operating efficiency of the refrigerator and reducing power consumption. In particular, when the temperature of the installation space is in a set temperature range, there is an advantage that power consumption can be reduced by performing selective operation (or alternating operation) of the freezing chamber or the refrigerating chamber.

In addition, under normal operating conditions, the output of the compressor, i.e., cooling power, is formed at a set level, which prevents excessive power consumption, whereas under load response conditions, the output of the compressor, i. The advantage is that performance can be improved.

In addition, it is possible to determine the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator based on the inlet and outlet temperatures of the evaporator, and control the flow of the refrigerant by controlling the flow control unit according to whether the flow rate of the refrigerant is excessive or insufficient. There is an advantage that distribution can be made effectively. As a result, there is an advantage in that it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being pulled to one of the plurality of evaporators.

1 is a view showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a system diagram showing a configuration of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a graph showing an example of a temperature change in a refrigerator storage compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 to 8 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention during normal operation.
9 and 10 are flow charts illustrating a control method of a refrigerator during load response operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 and 12 are flow charts showing a control method during simultaneous operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the presented embodiments, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention will be able to easily propose other embodiments within the scope of the same idea.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 20 in which a freezing chamber F and a refrigerating chamber R are formed. The freezing chamber (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R) may be partitioned by a partition wall (25).

In the drawing, the idea that the freezing chamber (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R) are spaced apart from each other is disclosed, but unlike this, the freezing chamber (F) and the refrigerating chamber (R) may be arranged vertically spaced apart.

The cabinet 20 includes a freezing compartment door 32 that opens and closes the freezing compartment F and a refrigerating compartment door 34 that opens and closes the refrigerating compartment R.

In addition, the cabinet 20 includes an outer case 41 forming the exterior of the refrigerator 10, and a freezing compartment inner case 45 disposed inside the outer case 41 and forming an inner surface of the freezing compartment F. ) And a refrigerating compartment inner case 43 disposed inside the outer case 41 and forming an inner surface of the refrigerating compartment R.

The refrigerator 10 includes a plurality of evaporators 150 and 160 for independently cooling the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F, respectively. The plurality of evaporators 150 and 160 include a first evaporator 150 for cooling the refrigerating chamber R and a second evaporator 160 for cooling the freezing chamber F. The first evaporator 150 may be referred to as “refrigerating chamber evaporator” and the second evaporator 160 may be referred to as “freezing chamber evaporator”.

In the cabinet 20, a freezer rear panel 49 that divides the inner space of the freezing compartment inner case 45 into a freezing compartment F in which food is stored frozen and a freezing heat exchange compartment 161 in which the freezing compartment evaporator 160 is accommodated. ) Is included. That is, the freezing compartment rear panel 49 is understood as a “freezing compartment cover” as a storage compartment cover that shields the freezing heat exchange compartment 161 from the freezing compartment F, and the freezing heat exchange compartment 161 is the freezing compartment rear panel It can be formed on the rear side of (49).

In the freezing compartment rear panel 49, the cold air inlet 49a through which the cold air in the freezing compartment F flows into the freezing heat exchange compartment 161 and the cold air cooled by the freezing compartment evaporator 160 is discharged to the freezing compartment F. A cold air discharge port 49b may be formed.

In addition, a freezing chamber fan 165 as a “blowing fan” for circulating the air in the freezing chamber F to the freezing heat exchange chamber 161 and the freezing chamber F may be disposed in the freezing heat exchange chamber 161.

The cabinet 20 includes a refrigerating compartment rear panel 47 that divides the interior of the refrigerating compartment inner case 43 into a refrigerating compartment R in which food is refrigerated and a refrigerated heat exchange compartment 151 in which the refrigerating compartment evaporator 150 is accommodated. This includes. That is, the refrigerating compartment rear panel 47 is understood as a “refrigerating compartment cover” as a storage compartment cover that shields the refrigerated heat exchange compartment 151 from the refrigerating compartment R, and the refrigerating heat exchange compartment 151 is the refrigerating compartment rear panel It can be formed on the rear side of (47).

The cold air cooled by the cold air inlet 47a through which the cold air of the refrigerating chamber R flows into the refrigerating heat exchange chamber 151 and the cold air cooled by the refrigerating chamber evaporator 150 are discharged to the refrigerating chamber R to the refrigerating compartment rear panel 47 A cold air discharge port 47b may be formed.

In addition, in the refrigerating heat exchange chamber 151, a refrigerating chamber fan 155 as a “blowing fan” for circulating the air in the refrigerating chamber R to the refrigerating chamber heat exchange chamber 151 and the refrigerating chamber R may be disposed.

The refrigerating compartment rear panel 47 and the freezing compartment rear panel 49 may be disposed on both sides of the partition wall 25. In addition, the refrigeration heat exchange chamber 151 and the refrigeration heat exchange chamber 161 may be combined to be referred to as “heat exchange chamber”.

2 is a system diagram showing a configuration of a refrigeration cycle of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of devices for driving a refrigeration cycle.

In detail, the refrigerator 10 includes a plurality of compressors 111 and 115 for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser 120 for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the plurality of compressors 111 and 115, and the condensed at the condenser 120. A plurality of expansion devices (141, 143, 145) for decompressing the refrigerant and a plurality of evaporators (150, 160) for evaporating the refrigerant depressurized by the plurality of expansion devices (141, 143, 145) are included.

In addition, the refrigerator 10 includes a refrigerant pipe 100 connecting the plurality of compressors 111 and 115, condensers 120, expansion devices 141, 143 and 145, and evaporators 150 and 160 to guide the flow of the refrigerant.

The plurality of compressors 111 and 115 include a second compressor 115 disposed on a low pressure side and a first compressor 111 further compressing the refrigerant compressed by the second compressor 115. The first compressor 111 and the second compressor 115 are connected in series. That is, the refrigerant pipe at the outlet side of the second compressor 115 is connected to the inlet side of the first compressor 111.

In the case of the independent cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment R of the refrigerator, the driving of the second compressor 115 is stopped, and only the first compressor 111 is driven. On the other hand, in the case of a single cooling operation of the freezing chamber F or a simultaneous R/F operation, both the first and second compressors 111 and 115 may be driven.

The plurality of evaporators 150 and 160 include a first evaporator 150 for generating cold air to be supplied to the refrigerating chamber R and a second evaporator 160 for generating cold air to be supplied to the freezing chamber F. The temperature of the cold air supplied to the freezing chamber may be lower than the temperature of the cold air supplied to the refrigerating chamber, and accordingly, the refrigerant evaporation pressure of the second evaporator 160 may be lower than the refrigerant evaporation pressure of the first evaporator 150. have.

The outlet side refrigerant pipe 100 of the second evaporator 160 extends toward the inlet side of the second compressor 115. Accordingly, the refrigerant that has passed through the second evaporator 160 may be sucked into the second compressor 115.

The outlet side refrigerant pipe 100 of the first evaporator 150 is connected to the outlet side refrigerant pipe of the second compressor 115. Accordingly, the refrigerant that has passed through the first evaporator 150 may be combined with the refrigerant compressed in the second compressor 115 and sucked into the first compressor 111.

The plurality of expansion devices (141, 143, 145) include a first expansion device (141) and a third expansion device (145) for expanding the refrigerant to be introduced into the first evaporator (150), and the second evaporator (160). A second expansion device 143 for expanding the refrigerant to be introduced is included. A capillary tube may be included in the first to third expansion devices 141, 143, and 145.

In order to form the refrigerant evaporation pressure of the second evaporator 160 lower than the evaporation pressure of the refrigerant of the first evaporator 150, the capillary tube diameter of the second expansion device 143 is the first expansion device 141 And a capillary tube diameter of the third expansion device 145.

At the inlet side of the first evaporator 150, a plurality of refrigerant passages 101 and 105 for guiding the inflow of refrigerant into the first evaporator 150 are provided.

The plurality of refrigerant passages 101 and 105 include a first refrigerant passage 101 in which the first expansion device 141 is installed and a third refrigerant passage 105 in which the third expansion device 145 is installed. . The first and third refrigerant passages 101 and 105 may be referred to as "first evaporation passages" in that they guide the inflow of the refrigerant into the first evaporator 150. The refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant passage 101 and the third refrigerant passage 105 may be laminated and then introduced into the first evaporator 150.

In addition, at the inlet side of the second evaporator 160, one refrigerant passage 103 is provided to guide the inflow of the refrigerant into the second evaporator 160. The one refrigerant flow path 103 includes a second refrigerant flow path 103 in which the second expansion device 143 is installed. The second refrigerant passage 103 may be referred to as a "second evaporation passage" in that it guides the inflow of the refrigerant into the second evaporator 160.

The first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103, and 105 may be understood as "branch passages" branched from the refrigerant pipe 100.

The refrigerator 10 further includes a flow control unit 130 for branching and flowing the refrigerant into the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103, and 105. The flow control unit 130 may be understood as a device that adjusts the flow of the refrigerant so that the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 are operated simultaneously, that is, the refrigerant flows into the first and second evaporators simultaneously.

As an example, the flow control unit 130 includes a four-way valve having one inlet through which the refrigerant is introduced and three outlets through which the refrigerant is discharged.

The first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103 and 105 are connected to the three outlet portions of the flow control unit 130, respectively. Accordingly, the refrigerant passing through the flow control unit 130 may be branched into the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103, and 105 and discharged. The outlets connected to the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103 and 105 are sequentially referred to as "first outlet", "second outlet" and "third outlet".

At least one of the first to third outlets may be opened. When all of the first to third outlets are opened, the refrigerant flows through the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103 and 105. On the other hand, when the first and second outlets are opened and the third outlet is closed, the refrigerant flows through the first and second refrigerant passages 101 and 103.

In this way, the flow path of the refrigerant may vary according to the control of the flow control unit 130. Further, the control of the flow control unit 130 may be performed based on whether the refrigerant in the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 is insufficient or insufficient.

For example, when the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 are operated simultaneously, when the first evaporator 150 is relatively short of refrigerant, the refrigerant may flow through the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103 and 105. So that the flow control unit 130 is controlled.

On the other hand, when the refrigerant is relatively insufficient in the second evaporator 160, the third refrigerant passage 105 is closed, and the flow is controlled so that the refrigerant can flow through the first and second refrigerant passages 101 and 103. The unit 130 is controlled.

That is, a plurality of flow paths 101 and 105 of the refrigerant to be introduced into the first evaporator 150 are provided, and the first evaporator 150 is selectively controlled by selectively controlling the flow of the refrigerant through the plurality of flow paths 101 and 105. Alternatively, the amount of refrigerant to be introduced into the second evaporator 160 may be adjusted.

On the other hand, compared to the inlet side of the second evaporator 160, since more refrigerant passages are formed on the inlet side of the first evaporator 150, when all of the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103 and 105 are open In comparison to the second evaporator 160, the refrigerant can flow relatively more to the first evaporator 150.

The refrigerator 10 includes blowing fans 125, 155, and 165 provided on one side of the heat exchanger to blow air. The blowing fans 125, 155, and 165 include a condensing fan 125 provided at one side of the condenser 120, a first evaporating fan 155 provided at one side of the first evaporator 150, and the second evaporator 160. A second evaporation fan 165 provided on one side of) is included.

The heat exchange capacity of the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 may vary according to the rotational speed of the first and second evaporating fans 155 and 165. For example, when it is necessary to generate a lot of cold air according to the operation of the first evaporator 150, the rotational speed of the first evaporation fan 155 increases, and when there is sufficient cold air, the first evaporation fan 155 The rotation speed of the can be reduced.

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes storage room temperature sensors 201 and 205 capable of sensing the temperature of the storage room. The storage compartment temperature sensors 201 and 205 include a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 201 capable of sensing the temperature of the refrigerating compartment R and a freezing compartment temperature sensor 205 capable of sensing the temperature of the freezing compartment F.

The refrigerator 10 further includes a plurality of evaporator temperature sensors 210, 220, 230 and 240 capable of sensing inlet and outlet temperatures of the first evaporator 150 and the second evaporator 160.

In detail, the plurality of evaporator temperature sensors 210, 220, 230, 240 have a first inlet temperature sensor 210 for sensing the inlet temperature of the first evaporator 150 and a first inlet temperature sensor 210 for sensing the outlet temperature of the first evaporator 150. A first outlet temperature sensor 220 is included.

And, the plurality of evaporator temperature sensors (210, 220, 230, 240), a second inlet temperature sensor 230 for sensing the inlet temperature of the second evaporator 160 and the outlet temperature of the second evaporator 160 A second outlet temperature sensor 240 is included.

The refrigerator 10 further includes an indoor temperature sensor 250 for sensing a temperature of a space in which the refrigerator 10 is installed, for example, an indoor space. In addition, the refrigerator 10 further includes a timer 260 for accumulating a time elapsed when a preset operation is performed.

The refrigerator 10 recognizes a temperature value sensed by the storage room temperature sensors 201 and 205, a plurality of evaporator temperature sensors 210, 220, 230, 240, and an indoor temperature sensor 250, or a time value accumulated by the timer 260. The control unit 200 is further included.

The control unit, based on the recognized temperature value or time value, the first and second compressors (111, 115), the condensation fan (125) and the first and second evaporation fans (155, 165), or the flow control unit (130) By controlling the operation of, it is possible to perform simultaneous cooling operation of the storage chambers (R, F) or independent operation of a specific storage chamber.

4 is a graph showing an example of a temperature change in a refrigerator storage compartment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

After the power of the refrigerator 10 is turned on, the first and second compressors 111 and 115 are driven, and heat exchange occurs in the condenser 120 and the evaporators 150 and 160 to operate the refrigeration cycle. According to the operation of the refrigeration cycle, the temperature of the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F decreases.

4 shows a state in which the temperature of the refrigerating chamber R or the freezing chamber F rises or falls according to a predetermined change trend. For example, at time 0, when the refrigeration cycle is not operated, the temperature of the storage chamber R or F is in a relatively very high state. The temperature at this time may have a value similar to the temperature of the indoor space in which the refrigerator 10 is installed.

When the operation of the refrigeration cycle starts and cold air is supplied to the storage chamber (R or F), the temperature of the storage chamber starts to decrease. In addition, when the supply of cold air to the storage chamber is stopped, the temperature of the storage chamber rises again, and when the increased temperature is sensed and the supply of cold air is resumed, the temperature may decrease.

In addition, when the user opens the refrigerator door, air outside the refrigerator is introduced to increase the temperature of the storage compartment, and accordingly, cold air may be supplied to lower the temperature of the storage compartment. The supply of cold air according to this pattern may be selectively performed in the refrigerating compartment R or the freezing compartment F, thereby forming a temperature change diagram as shown in FIG. 4. Of course, the temperature change of FIG. 4 is only an example, and is not necessarily formed in this manner, and may vary according to the relative temperature values of the refrigerating compartment R and the freezing compartment F or the user's refrigerator door opening pattern.

The refrigerator 10 defines a preset temperature section (hereinafter, a control temperature section) in order to control the temperature of the storage room. For example, the temperature section includes "satisfied section (first temperature section)", "dissatisfied section (second temperature section)", and "upper limit section (third temperature section)".

In addition, the satisfaction interval of the refrigerator compartment is referred to as "refrigeration compartment satisfaction interval", the satisfaction interval of the freezer is referred to as "freezer satisfaction interval", and the unsatisfactory interval of the refrigeration chamber and the freezer is referred to as "refrigerator dissatisfaction interval" and "freezer dissatisfaction interval", respectively. In addition, the upper limit section of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber are referred to as "refrigerating chamber upper limit section" and "freezing chamber upper limit section", respectively.

The satisfaction interval may be defined as a temperature interval between a temperature value as high as a first set width (△T1) and a temperature value as low as the first set width (△T1) based on the set temperature (To) of the storage room. have. That is, the satisfaction interval may be understood as a temperature interval of To-ΔT1 or more and To+ΔT1 or less.

The set temperature To is a temperature value that can be set by a user. In addition, To-ΔT1 may be referred to as a lower limit temperature of a satisfaction section, and To+ΔT1 may be referred to as an upper limit temperature of a satisfaction interval.

The dissatisfaction interval may be understood as a temperature interval of To+ΔT1 or more and To+ΔT2 or less. Here, ΔT2 is a second set width and is determined to be a larger value than the first set width.

The upper limit section can be understood as a temperature section above To+ΔT2.

The refrigerator 10 may be controlled to supply cool air to the storage compartment so that the temperature of the storage compartment is maintained in the satisfaction period. The satisfaction section is called a first temperature section, the dissatisfied section is called a second temperature section, and the upper limit section is called a third temperature section.

For example, referring to FIG. 4, after the refrigerator 10 is turned on and the compressors 111 and 115 are driven, cold air is supplied to the storage compartment, so that the temperature of the storage compartment may decrease. In addition, when the temperature of the storage chamber reaches the lower limit temperature (To-ΔT1) of the satisfaction section at time t1, the supply of cold air to the storage chamber may be stopped.

The temperature of the storage compartment may increase according to the interruption of the supply of cold air, and when the temperature of the storage compartment reaches the upper limit temperature (To+ΔT1) of the satisfaction period at time t2, the cooling air may be supplied to the storage compartment again. As this pattern is repeated, the temperature of the storage chamber can be formed within a satisfactory period.

On the other hand, when the refrigerator is turned on and the refrigeration cycle is operated, the difference between the high pressure (discharge pressure of the compressor or condensation pressure of the condenser) and the low pressure (evaporation pressure of the evaporator) of the cycle gradually increases. And, when the refrigeration cycle is stabilized after a predetermined time elapses, the high and low pressures of the cycle may be formed within a range of a preset operating pressure (hereinafter, a set operating pressure).

However, in the process of selectively evaporating the refrigerant according to the cooling mode of the storage compartment, that is, the refrigerator compartment alone cooling operation, the freezing compartment alone cooling operation, and the simultaneous cooling operation mode of the refrigerator compartment and the freezing compartment, a plurality of evaporators are each disposed in the storage compartment. If the cooling operation of the storage chamber is stopped before the evaporation pressure reaches the set operation low pressure, the refrigeration cycle may be operated while the evaporation pressure or evaporation temperature is maintained at a relatively high state.

In this case, the temperature of the cold air passing through the evaporator forming a relatively high evaporation temperature is increased, and thus sufficient cooling of the storage chamber may not be performed.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, when the refrigerator 10 is turned on and the refrigeration cycle starts to be driven, the temperature of the storage chamber reaches the lower limit temperature (To-ΔT1) of the satisfaction section at least one or more times. Even if the low pressure is formed in the pressure section of the set operation low pressure, and accordingly, even if the temperature of the storage chamber changes, the control can be performed so that it can be changed within the satisfaction section.

That is, even if the temperature value of the storage room belongs to the satisfaction section, the control method of the refrigerator may be different based on whether the lower limit temperature of the satisfaction section has ever been reached. If the temperature value of the storage chamber has ever reached the lower limit temperature of the satisfaction section, it is recognized as being in the "once satisfied" state, and if the lower limit temperature of the satisfaction section has never been reached, it will be recognized as being in the "once unsatisfactory" state. I can. That is, whether or not "satisfied once" may be determined when the temperature of the storage room falls within the satisfaction period.

Hereinafter, a control method of the refrigerator according to the present embodiment will be described using a table.

Freezer (F) temperature Refrigerating room (R) temperature Refrigeration room (R) once satisfied Operation (control) mode Upper limit section Upper limit section R/F simultaneous operation Dissatisfaction R/F simultaneous operation Satisfaction interval
Once satisfied F cooling operation Once dissatisfied R/F simultaneous operation

In a state in which the refrigerator 10 is operated, temperature values of the freezing chamber F and the refrigerating chamber R may be sensed using the freezing chamber temperature sensor 205 and the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 201. [Table 1] shows the operation (control) mode of the refrigerator when the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) falls within the upper limit section.

When the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) belongs to the upper limit section, and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) falls within the upper limit section, that is, the temperature of the storage compartments (R, F) is formed at a value equal to or higher than the satisfactory section, R/F Control so that simultaneous operation occurs. When the R/F simultaneous operation is performed, the first and second compressors (111.115) are driven, and the refrigerant is supplied to both the first evaporator 150 and the second evaporator 160 by controlling the flow control unit 130 Can be.

When the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) belongs to the upper limit section, and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) falls within the unsatisfactory section, that is, the temperature of the storage chambers (R, F) is formed at a value equal to or higher than the satisfactory section, R/F Control so that simultaneous operation occurs.

When the temperature of the freezing compartment F falls within the upper limit section and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment R falls within a satisfaction section, it may be recognized whether the refrigerating compartment R satisfies "once satisfied". When the refrigerating compartment R satisfies "once satisfied", the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle reached the set operation low pressure and the refrigerating compartment R was recognized as being formed in a stable temperature range, so that the independent cooling operation of the freezing compartment F was performed. Perform. F When a single cooling operation is performed, the first and second compressors 111 and 115 are driven and the flow control unit 130 is controlled so that the refrigerant may be supplied only to the second evaporator 160.

On the other hand, when "once satisfied" is not satisfied, that is, "once unsatisfied", it is determined that sufficient cooling of the refrigerating chamber R has not been performed, and simultaneous cooling operation of the storage chambers R and F can be performed. have.

Freezer (F) temperature Refrigerating room (R) temperature Whether the refrigerator compartment (R) is satisfied once Operation (control) mode Unsatisfactory section Upper limit
R/F simultaneous operation Unsatisfactory section
R cooling operation (indoor temperature is within the set range) R/F simultaneous operation (indoor temperature is outside the set range) Satisfaction interval
Once satisfied F cooling operation Once dissatisfied R cooling operation (indoor temperature is within the set range) R/F simultaneous operation (indoor temperature is outside the set range)

[Table 2] shows the operation (control) mode of the refrigerator when the temperature of the freezer (F) falls within the unsatisfactory section.

When the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) belongs to the unsatisfactory section and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) falls within the upper limit section, that is, the temperature of the storage compartments (R, F) are all formed at a value equal to or higher than the satisfactory section, R/F Control so that simultaneous operation occurs.

When the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) belongs to the unsatisfied section and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) falls within the unsatisfactory section, the indoor temperature sensor 250 is used to determine the installation space (indoor space) in which the refrigerator 10 is installed. Sense the temperature. When the temperature of the indoor space falls within the set range, the R cooling operation is controlled, and when the temperature is outside the set range, the R/F simultaneous operation is controlled. When the R cooling operation is performed, only the first compressor 111 is driven, and the refrigerant may be supplied to the first evaporator 150 by controlling the flow control unit 130.

In principle, when the temperature of the storage chambers (R, F) all fall within the unsatisfactory section, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber (R) and the freezing chamber (F) may be desirable. However, when the simultaneous operation is performed, the power consumption is higher than that of the single cooling operation due to the difference in the operation of the compressor or the fan.

On the other hand, when the temperature of the storage chambers (R, F) falls within the unsatisfactory section, the temperature difference between the temperature of the storage chamber and the satisfaction section is not very large, and only one of the refrigerating chambers (R) and the freezing chambers (F) is cooled. Thus, even if the temperature of the other storage chamber rises, the temperature of the other storage chamber may be lowered through a later cooling operation.

Accordingly, in order to reduce power consumption as well as efficient cooling operation, the refrigerator according to the present embodiment may perform an independent cooling operation instead of simultaneous operation of the refrigerator compartment and the freezing compartment under the above conditions.

As an example, the storage compartment in which the independent cooling operation is performed may be selected as a storage compartment having relatively high consumer reliability requirements among the refrigerating compartment R and the freezing compartment F. That is, a storage room having a relatively large storage capacity may be selected. In the present embodiment, the refrigerating chamber R is selected as such a storage chamber. Accordingly, when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F falls within the unsatisfactory section and the indoor temperature falls within the set range, the refrigerating chamber R alone performs a cooling operation.

Meanwhile, the setting range is determined as a general temperature range of an indoor space in which a refrigerator is mainly installed. For example, the setting range may be determined from 18°C to 27°C.

On the other hand, when the indoor temperature falls outside the set range, in principle, simultaneous operation of the storage chambers R and F is performed. In particular, when the room temperature is formed to a temperature greater than or equal to the set range, the condensation temperature increases, and accordingly, the evaporation pressure or the evaporation temperature increases together, thereby limiting the cooling effect of the storage chamber. Therefore, in this case, even if the power consumption increases slightly, the cooling performance can be secured by performing simultaneous operation of the storage chamber.

Referring back to [Table 2], when the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) belongs to the unsatisfactory section and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) falls within the satisfactory range, whether the refrigerating compartment (R) satisfies the "once satisfied" Whether or not can be recognized. When the refrigerating compartment R satisfies "once satisfied", the low pressure of the refrigeration cycle reached the set operation low pressure and the refrigerating compartment R was recognized as being formed in a stable temperature range, so that the independent cooling operation of the freezing compartment F was performed. Perform.

On the other hand, if "once satisfied" is not satisfied, that is, "once unsatisfied", it may be determined that sufficient cooling of the refrigerating chamber R has not yet been performed. In this case, in principle, simultaneous cooling operation of the storage chambers (R, F) can be performed, but as described above, when the indoor temperature falls within the set temperature range, in order to reduce power consumption, the refrigerating chamber (R) is Cooling operation can be performed. On the other hand, when the indoor temperature falls outside the set temperature range, in principle, simultaneous cooling operation of the storage chambers R and F can be performed.

Freezer (F) temperature Whether the refrigerator compartment (F) is satisfied once Refrigerating room (R) temperature Operation (control) mode Satisfaction interval Once satisfied Upper limit

R cooling operation (indoor temperature is within the set range) R/F simultaneous operation (indoor temperature is outside the set range) Once dissatisfied R/F simultaneous operation
Unsatisfactory section
R cooling operation (indoor temperature is within the set range) R/F simultaneous operation (indoor temperature is outside the set range) Satisfaction interval Driving off (OFF)

[Table 3] shows the operation (control) mode of the refrigerator when the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) falls within the satisfactory range.

When the temperature of the freezing compartment F falls within a satisfactory section, it is recognized whether the freezing compartment F satisfies "once satisfied". When the freezing compartment (F) satisfies "Once satisfactory" and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) falls within the upper limit section, when the indoor temperature falls within the set range, the refrigerating compartment (R) cooling operation is performed, and the indoor temperature is If it falls outside the set range, it performs simultaneous operation of the storage chamber (R,F).

Since the freezing chamber (F) once satisfied the satisfaction, the independent cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber (R) may be a principle operation. However, when the indoor temperature is out of the set range, especially when the indoor temperature forms a relatively high temperature, the temperature of the freezing chamber F rises rapidly due to the temperature difference between the internal temperature of the freezing chamber F and the indoor temperature. This can happen. Therefore, in this case, by performing simultaneous operation of the storage chambers R and F, it is possible to prevent an increase in temperature of the freezing chamber F.

When the freezing compartment (F) is in a "once unsatisfactory" state and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) falls within the upper limit section, simultaneous operation of the storage compartments (R, F) is performed to cool the refrigerator compartment (R) and the freezer compartment (F). To induce.

When the temperature of the freezing chamber (F) belongs to a satisfactory section and the temperature of the refrigerating chamber (R) falls within an unsatisfactory section, the indoor temperature is sensed. As in the case where the temperature of the refrigerating chamber (R) is at the upper limit, if the indoor temperature falls within the set range, the refrigerating chamber (R) cooling operation is performed, and if the indoor temperature falls outside the set range, the storage chambers (R, F) Simultaneous operation is performed.

However, in this case, it is not determined whether or not the temperature of the freezing compartment F satisfies "once satisfied". When the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) is in a "once unsatisfactory" state and the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) is in an unsatisfactory section, in principle, simultaneous operation of the storage compartments (R, F) may be in principle, but power consumption In order to save, it is possible to perform a single operation of the refrigerator compartment (R) or a simultaneous operation of the storage compartments (R, F) according to the room temperature. Therefore, as shown in [Table 3], when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber (R) belongs to the unsatisfied section and the temperature of the freezing chamber (F) is within the satisfactory section, whether the freezing chamber (F) is in the "once satisfied" state Is not judged. By such a control method, it is possible to simplify the control of the refrigerator.

5 to 8 are flowcharts illustrating a control method of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention during normal operation.

* Referring to FIGS. 5 to 8, when the first and second compressors 111 and 115 are started to start the operation of the refrigerator 10, the temperature value of the refrigerating chamber R may be recognized. In addition, it may be recognized whether or not the recognized temperature of the refrigerating chamber R falls within the satisfaction section (S11, S12).

When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment R falls within the satisfied section, it may be recognized whether the temperature of the freezing compartment F falls within the satisfied section (S13, S14, S15).

When the temperature of the freezing compartment F falls within the satisfied section, the previous operating state of the refrigerator may be recognized. The previous operation state is understood as a state indicating whether there was a cooling operation of the refrigerating compartment (R) or the freezing compartment (F) at the time when the temperatures of both the refrigerating compartment (R) and the freezing compartment (F) were within the satisfactory section. do. When the storage chambers R and F are simultaneously operated, it is recognized that both the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F have been cooled (S16).

When the cooling operation of the freezing compartment F is included in the previous operation state, the indoor temperature value may be recognized (S17 and S18).

When the recognized indoor temperature value falls within the set range, a first refrigerant recovery operation is performed. For example, the setting range may be determined from 18°C to 27°C. The setting range may generally be understood as a temperature of an indoor space in which a refrigerator is installed.

If the recognized indoor temperature value falls outside the set range, the first refrigerant recovery operation is not performed. In the case of performing the first refrigerant recovery operation, since the cooling operation of the storage chambers R and F is stopped, the refrigerant recovery operation is not performed to prevent a decrease in cooling performance. In particular, if the cooling operation of the storage compartment is stopped when the recognized indoor temperature value is above the set range, the temperature of the storage compartment may be rapidly increased, and this is to prevent this phenomenon.

The first refrigerant recovery operation is performed after the cooling operation of the freezing chamber F is performed, and is understood as a refrigerant recovery operation that sends the refrigerant to the condenser 120. When the first refrigerant recovery operation is performed, the flow control unit 130 is closed so that the supply of refrigerant to the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 is limited, and the first and second evaporating fans 155 and 165 are operated at low speed, The condensing fan 125 is not driven (S19, S20).

When the first refrigerant recovery operation is performed, the elapsed time is accumulated, and it is recognized whether the accumulated time has passed the first set time. For example, the first set time is determined to be about 80 to 100 seconds. The first set time may be longer than a second set time which is a reference when performing a second refrigerant recovery operation to be described later (S21).

When the first set time has elapsed, the first and second compressors 111 and 115 are stopped (S22).

This control method may be repeated until the refrigerator 10 is powered off. That is, if the power-off command of the refrigerator 10 is not generated, steps S12 or lower may be continuously performed (S23).

On the other hand, in step S13, if the temperature of the refrigerating chamber R does not belong to the satisfied section, the indoor temperature value is recognized (S24). Then, it is recognized whether the recognized indoor temperature value falls within the set range (S25).

When the indoor temperature value falls within the set range, it may be recognized whether or not the load response driving condition is satisfied (S26). The load response operation condition refers to a case in which the temperature of one storage chamber rapidly increases and the temperature of the other storage chamber satisfies a specific condition. For example, in the load response operation condition, when the user frequently opens the refrigerator compartment door or opens it for a long time, the temperature of the refrigerator compartment R rises to the upper limit section, and the freezing compartment F is in a "once unsatisfactory" state. Included. This will be described in detail in FIG. 9.

When the load response operation condition is satisfied, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F is performed. On the other hand, when the load corresponding operation condition is not satisfied, in order to reduce power consumption, an independent cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber R is performed (see [Table 1] to [Table 3]) (S27, S28, S29).

And, if the indoor temperature falls outside the set range in step S25, simultaneous R/F operation can be performed (refer to [Table 1] to [Table 3]).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) does not belong to the satisfactory section in step S15, whether the temperature of the refrigerating compartment (R) has ever reached the lower limit temperature of the satisfaction section, that is, whether the "once satisfied" of the refrigerating compartment (R) is satisfied Whether or not it is recognized (S30).

When the temperature of the refrigerating chamber R satisfies the "once satisfied", the previous operating state may be recognized (S31, S32).

When the cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber R is included in the previous operation state, the indoor temperature value may be recognized. In addition, it is recognized whether the recognized indoor temperature value falls within a set range, and when the recognized indoor temperature value falls within a set range, a second refrigerant recovery operation may be performed.

On the other hand, if the recognized indoor temperature value falls outside the set range, the second refrigerant recovery operation is not performed. In the case of performing the second refrigerant recovery operation, since the cooling operation of the storage chambers R and F is stopped, the refrigerant recovery operation is not performed to prevent a decrease in cooling performance (S33, S34, S35).

The two refrigerant recovery operation is performed after the cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber R is performed, and is understood as a refrigerant recovery operation that sends the refrigerant to the condenser 120. When the second refrigerant recovery operation is performed, the flow control unit 130 is closed to limit the supply of refrigerant to the first and second evaporators 150 and 160, and the first evaporation fan 155 operates at a low speed and a second evaporation fan (165) is a medium speed operation, the condensation fan may be operated at a medium speed (S36).

When the second refrigerant recovery operation is performed, the elapsed time is accumulated, and it is recognized whether the accumulated time has passed the second set time. For example, the second set time is determined to be about 20 to 40 seconds. The second set time may be formed shorter than the first set time that is a reference when performing the aforementioned first refrigerant recovery operation.

When the first refrigerant recovery operation is performed while the cooling operation of the freezing chamber F is performed, the refrigerant in the second evaporator 160 formed at a relatively low pressure passes through the first and second compressors 111 and 115 to the condenser 120 Relatively a lot of work is required to flow into the flow. That is, since the pressure difference between the refrigerant pressure of the second evaporator 160 and the first and second compressors 111 and 115 increases, the refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a relatively long time.

On the other hand, when the second refrigerant recovery operation is performed while the cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber R is performed, the refrigerant of the first evaporator 150 formed at a relatively high pressure passes through the first compressor 111 and the condenser 120 In order to flow to ), relatively little work is required. That is, since the pressure difference between the first evaporator 150 and the first compressor 111 is small, the refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a relatively short time (S37).

When the second set time elapses, the cooling operation of the freezing chamber F may be performed (S38).

9 and 10 are flow charts illustrating a control method of a refrigerator during load response operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 and 10, when the room temperature falls within a set range, when the load response condition of the refrigerator is satisfied, for example, when the temperature of the refrigerator compartment R or the freezing compartment F falls within the upper limit section, the storage compartment A control method in which single operation or simultaneous operation of is performed is shown. In addition, FIGS. 9 and 10 include detailed contents of S26 to S29 of FIG. 7.

When the first compressor 111 or the second compressor 115 is started and the refrigerator operation is started, it may be recognized that the indoor temperature falls within the set range (S41, S42).

The independent cooling operation of the freezing chamber (F) or the independent cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber (R) described in [Table 1] to [Table 3] may be performed. The independent cooling operation of the refrigerator compartment R described in step S28 of FIG. 7 and the independent cooling operation of the freezing compartment F described in step S38 of FIG. 8 may correspond to this (S43). In addition, temperature values of the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F may be recognized (S44).

Whether or not the temperature of the refrigerating chamber R falls within the upper limit section may be recognized. If the temperature of the refrigerating chamber (R) belongs to the upper limit section and the temperature of the freezing chamber (F) has reached the lower limit temperature of the satisfied section, that is, in the "once satisfied" state, the process returns to step S43 and Perform cooling operation (S45, S46) (refer to Table 3).

On the other hand, if the temperature of the refrigerating compartment R falls within the upper limit section and the temperature of the freezing compartment F is in a "once unsatisfactory" state, simultaneous operation of the storage compartments R and F is performed (S47) (Table 3). Reference).

On the other hand, in step S45, if the temperature of the refrigerator compartment (R) does not belong to the upper limit range and the temperature of the freezing compartment (F) falls within the upper limit range, whether the temperature of the refrigerator compartment (R) has ever reached the lower limit temperature of the satisfaction period, that is, "Once Whether it is in the "satisfied" state is recognized (S54, S55).

If the refrigerating chamber R is in the "once satisfied" state, it returns to step S43 and performs a cooling operation of the freezing chamber F (see Table 1).

On the other hand, when the temperature of the refrigerating chamber R has never reached the lower limit temperature of the satisfactory section, that is, when it is in a “once unsatisfied” state, simultaneous operation of the storage chambers R and F is performed (see Table 1).

On the other hand, in step S54, when the temperature of the freezing compartment F does not fall within the upper limit range, a cooling operation of the refrigerating compartment R or a cooling operation of the freezing compartment F is performed (see Tables 2 and 3).

In the above step, when the storage chambers R and F are simultaneously operated, the first and second compressors 111 and 115 may be operated in the first mode (S48). The first mode of the compressor may be understood as a general mode capable of outputting a set cooling power.

Then, the elapsed time of the simultaneous operation is accumulated, and it is recognized whether the simultaneous operation has been performed for a set time. If the simultaneous operation is not performed for more than a set time, the compressor continues to operate in the first mode (S49).

On the other hand, when the simultaneous operation is performed for more than a set time, the first and second compressors 111 and 115 are operated by switching to the second mode. The second mode of the compressor may be understood as a power mode capable of outputting a cooling power greater than or equal to a set cooling power (S50).

In the second mode process of the first and second compressors 111 and 115, the temperatures of the refrigerating compartment R and the freezing compartment F may be continuously sensed. In addition, the second mode operation of the first and second compressors 111 and 115 may continue as long as the temperature of at least one of the temperatures of the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F does not reach a satisfactory period. . When the temperature of the at least one storage chamber reaches a satisfactory period, the process returns to step S43 (S51).

Of course, in the first mode operation process of the first and second compressors (111, 115), even when the temperature of at least one of the temperatures of the refrigerating chamber (R) and the freezing chamber (F) reaches a satisfactory period, step S43 You will be able to go back to

In addition, this control method may be repeatedly performed until the power of the refrigerator 10 is turned off (S52 and S53).

According to such a control method, when the temperature of any one of the refrigerating chamber (R) and the freezing chamber (F) falls within the upper limit section, and the other storage chamber is not in the "once satisfied" state, the refrigerating chamber (R) and There is an advantage in that the cooling performance of the storage compartment can be improved by performing simultaneous operation of the freezing compartment (F).

That is, if the temperature of one storage room belongs to the upper limit section and the other storage room is in an unsatisfied state once, if only the cooling of the storage compartment belonging to the upper limit section is performed, the temperature of the other storage room falls into the unsatisfactory section. There may be a problem that may occur, but the present embodiment can prevent such a problem.

11 and 12 are flow charts showing a control method during simultaneous operation of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. A method of controlling a refrigerator according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

In order to operate the refrigerator, the first and second compressors 111 and 115 are started. When the compressor 110 is started, a refrigeration cycle according to compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation of the refrigerant may be driven. The refrigerant evaporated in the second evaporator 160 is compressed in the second compressor 115, and the compressed refrigerant is combined with the refrigerant evaporated in the first evaporator 150 and sucked into the first compressor 111. Can be (S61).

According to the driving of the refrigeration cycle, simultaneous cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber may be performed. For simultaneous cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber, the flow control unit 130 may be controlled to open the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103 and 105.

That is, when the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103 and 105 are opened, refrigerant flows into the first evaporator 150 and the second evaporator 160, and heat exchange is performed in the first and second evaporators 150 and 160. As a result, cold air may be supplied to the refrigerating chamber R and the freezing chamber F.

In addition, since a relatively large amount of refrigerant is provided to the first evaporator 150, the amount of heat exchange in the first evaporator 150 may be greater than the amount of heat exchange in the second evaporator 160. Accordingly, the cooling load supplied to the storage chamber in which the first evaporator 150 is installed, that is, the refrigerating chamber may be increased (S62 and S63).

delete

The inlet temperature and the outlet temperature of the first evaporator 150 may be detected by the first inlet temperature sensor 210 and the first outlet temperature sensor 220. In addition, the inlet temperature and the outlet temperature of the second evaporator 160 may be detected by the second inlet temperature sensor 230 and the second outlet temperature sensor 240 (S64, S65).

The control unit 200 may determine a difference value between a temperature difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures of the first evaporator 150 and the inlet and outlet temperatures of the second evaporator 160.

When the amount of refrigerant flowing into the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 is equal to or greater than the appropriate amount of refrigerant, the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 decreases. Conversely, when the amount of refrigerant flowing into the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 is less than an appropriate amount of refrigerant, the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 increases.

The control unit 200 may recognize whether the information on the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 falls within a set range.

That is, the controller 200 flows the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 based on a temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 and the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 Whether or not the refrigerant is insufficient, that is, whether the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 is drawn may be recognized.

In detail, whether the refrigerant flowing through the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 is excessive or insufficient, the temperature difference in the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150, the temperature difference in the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 and the second It may be determined based on a difference value or a ratio value of the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the evaporator 160 (S66).

Hereinafter, a detailed determination method will be described.

As an example of the determination method, whether or not the refrigerant is drawn may be determined according to whether the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is equal to a preset reference value or greater or less than the reference value.

The refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle is branched and flows through the flow conversion unit 130 to the first evaporator 150 and the second evaporator 160, and detects a temperature difference at the entrance and exit of the first evaporator 150 Then, the ratio of the refrigerant passing through the first evaporator 150 can be recognized, and the ratio of the refrigerant passing through the second evaporator 150 can be recognized based on the ratio of the refrigerant passing through the first evaporator 160. have.

For example, if the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is greater than the reference value, it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, and conversely, it may be recognized that the amount of refrigerant is relatively large in the second evaporator 160.

In this embodiment, a method of determining whether or not the refrigerant is drawn by using the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 will be described. Of course, it may be determined whether or not the refrigerant is drawn by using the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160.

When the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is the same as a preset reference value (reference temperature), it may be recognized that refrigerant is not drawn to the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160. On the other hand, when the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is not equal to a preset reference value, or greater than or equal to the reference value, refrigerant is drawn to the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160. Is recognized as

In detail, when the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is smaller than the preset reference value, it is recognized that relatively large amounts of refrigerant pass through the first evaporator 150. That is, it is recognized that the refrigerant is drawn to the first evaporator 150.

Conversely, when the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is greater than the preset reference value, it is recognized that a relatively small amount of refrigerant passes through the first evaporator 150. That is, it is recognized that the refrigerant is drawn to the second evaporator 160.

As another example of the determination method, whether the ratio of the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 and the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 is the same as the first set value, or greater or less than the first set value. Depending on whether or not, it is possible to determine whether the refrigerant is drawn. For example, the first set value may be 1.

When the ratio of the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 to the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 is 1, that is, when the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 is the same, the first It is recognized that the refrigerant is not drawn to the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160.

On the other hand, when the ratio of the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 to the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 is greater than 1, that is, the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is the second When the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the evaporator 160 is greater than the temperature difference, it is recognized that the refrigerant is drawn to the second evaporator 160.

And, when the ratio of the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 to the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 is less than 1, that is, the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is the second evaporator If it is smaller than the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of 160, it is recognized that the refrigerant is drawn to the first evaporator 150.

As another example of the determination method, whether the difference value between the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 and the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 is equal to the second set value, or greater than the second set value. Whether or not the refrigerant is drawn can be determined depending on whether it is small or small. For example, the second set value may be 0.

When a value obtained by subtracting the temperature difference at the entrance and exit of the second evaporator 160 from the temperature difference at the entrance and exit of the first evaporator 150 is 0, that is, when the temperature difference at the entrance and exit of the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 is the same, the first It is recognized that the refrigerant is not drawn to the evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160.

On the other hand, when a value obtained by subtracting the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 from the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is greater than 0, that is, the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is the second evaporator. When it is greater than the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of 160, it is recognized that the refrigerant is drawn to the second evaporator 160.

And, when a value obtained by subtracting the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the second evaporator 160 from the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is less than 0, that is, the temperature difference at the inlet and outlet of the first evaporator 150 is equal to the second evaporator ( If it is smaller than the temperature difference of the inlet and outlet of 160), it is recognized that the refrigerant is drawn to the first evaporator 150.

When it is recognized that refrigerant is not drawn to the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160 using one of the above three determination methods, the flow control unit 130 controls The state can be maintained. That is, the flow control unit 130 may be controlled to open all of the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103, and 105 (S67).

On the other hand, when it is recognized that the refrigerant is drawn to the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160, the control state of the flow control unit 130 may be changed (S71).

When the refrigerant flows into the first evaporator 150, the third refrigerant flow path 105 is closed, and the flow of the refrigerant through the first and second refrigerant flow paths 101 and 103 may be controlled. Of course, the first refrigerant passage 101 may be closed, and the refrigerant flow through the second and third refrigerant passages 103 and 105 may be controlled.

In this case, since the amount of refrigerant flowing into the first evaporator 150 decreases and the amount of refrigerant flowing into the second evaporator 160 increases relatively, the refrigerant pulling phenomenon of the first evaporator 150 may be solved. (S72, S73, S74).

On the other hand, when the second evaporator 160 causes the refrigerant to flow, the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103, and 105 are kept open. As time elapses, since a relatively large number of refrigerants among the refrigerants circulating in the refrigeration cycle are introduced into the first evaporator 150, the phenomenon that the refrigerant is concentrated in the second evaporator 160 may be solved (S76). ,S77).

In this way, when the refrigerant is shifted from the first evaporator 150 or the second evaporator 160, whether or not the first to third refrigerant flow paths are opened or closed is controlled to solve the refrigerant shifting phenomenon. Simultaneous cooling operation can be maintained (S75).

On the other hand, although not shown in FIG. 11, it is recognized that refrigerant is drawn to the second evaporator 160 while the refrigerant flows through the first and second refrigerant passages 101 and 103 through the control of steps S73 and S74. In this case, by opening the third refrigerant passage 105 again, the refrigerant flow through the first to third refrigerant passages 101, 103, and 105 may be controlled. According to this control, since the refrigerant flow to the first evaporator 150 is relatively increased, the refrigerant shifting phenomenon in the second evaporator 160 can be solved.

In this way, a plurality of refrigerant flow paths and expansion devices are installed on the inlet side of the first evaporator 150, and the flow of the refrigerant can be controlled according to whether the amount of refrigerant flowing into the first and second evaporators 150 and 160 is excessive or insufficient. Therefore, during the simultaneous operation of a plurality of evaporators, it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from being pulled to any one evaporator.

10: refrigerator R: refrigerator compartment
F: freezer 101: first refrigerant flow path
103: second refrigerant passage 105: third refrigerant passage
107: fourth refrigerant flow passage 111,115: first and second compressors
120: condenser 130: flow control unit
141: first expansion device 143: second expansion device
145: third expansion device 150: first evaporator
160: second evaporator 200: control unit
201: refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 205: freezing compartment temperature sensor
210: first inlet temperature sensor 220: first outlet temperature sensor
230: second inlet temperature sensor 240: second outlet temperature sensor
250: room temperature sensor 260: timer

Claims (23)

A method for controlling a refrigerator including a plurality of compressors and a plurality of evaporators provided at inlet sides of the plurality of compressors and supplying cool air to a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber,
Recognizing whether the temperature of the refrigerating compartment falls within a refrigerating compartment satisfaction period;
Recognizing the indoor temperature if the temperature of the refrigerating compartment does not belong to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction period;
Recognizing whether or not a load corresponding driving condition is satisfied when the recognized indoor temperature falls within a set range; And
When the load corresponding operation condition is satisfied, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is performed, and when the load corresponding operation condition is not satisfied, performing a cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber,
When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment belongs to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section, it is recognized whether the temperature of the freezing compartment belongs to the freezing compartment satisfaction section,
If the temperature of the freezing compartment falls within the freezing compartment satisfaction section, it is determined whether or not the first refrigerant recovery operation is performed, and when the freezing compartment temperature does not belong to the freezing compartment satisfaction section, the temperature of the refrigerating compartment is at least once more than the lower limit temperature of the refrigeration compartment satisfaction section. A method of controlling a refrigerator, characterized in that recognizing whether it has reached or not. The method of claim 1,
When the recognized indoor temperature falls outside a set range, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is performed. delete The method of claim 1,
When the temperature of the freezing compartment belongs to the freezing compartment satisfaction section and the previous operation state includes a freezing compartment cooling operation,
The control method of a refrigerator, wherein the first refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a first set time. delete The method of claim 1,
When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment reaches the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section at least once or more, determining whether to perform a second refrigerant recovery operation or not. The method of claim 6,
When the temperature of the refrigerating chamber reaches the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating chamber satisfaction section at least once or more, and the previous operation state includes a refrigerating chamber cooling operation,
The control method of a refrigerator, wherein the second refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a second set time. The method of claim 7,
When the second set time has elapsed, the method of controlling a refrigerator further comprises performing a cooling operation of the freezing chamber. The method of claim 1,
In the above load response operating conditions,
A method of controlling a refrigerator, comprising a state in which a temperature of one storage compartment among the refrigerating compartments and freezing compartments falls within an upper limit section, and a temperature of another storage compartment does not reach a lower limit temperature of a satisfaction section. The method of claim 9,
The satisfaction section, the dissatisfaction section and the upper limit section, which are defined based on the set temperature, are included,
The satisfaction section is a temperature section having a section corresponding to a first set width vertically based on the set temperature,
The unsatisfactory section is a temperature section having a value greater than or equal to a second set width greater than the first set width, based on the set temperature,
The upper limit section is a temperature section having a temperature value equal to or higher than the unsatisfactory section. The method of claim 1,
When the simultaneous operation is performed, the plurality of compressors are operated in a first mode to output a set cooling power,
When the plurality of compressors are operated in the first mode for a set time or longer, the plurality of compressors are switched to the second mode and are operated to output cooling power greater than the set cooling power. The method of claim 11,
In the process of operating the plurality of compressors in the first mode or the second mode,
When the refrigerating compartment belongs to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section or the freezing compartment belongs to the freezing compartment satisfaction section, a refrigerator control method comprising performing an independent cooling operation of the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment. A method for controlling a refrigerator including a plurality of compressors and a plurality of evaporators provided at inlet sides of the plurality of compressors and supplying cool air to a refrigerating chamber and a freezing chamber,
Recognizing whether the temperature of the refrigerating compartment falls within a refrigerating compartment satisfaction period;
Recognizing the indoor temperature if the temperature of the refrigerating compartment does not belong to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction period;
If the recognized indoor temperature falls within the set range, the step of recognizing whether or not the load corresponding operation condition is satisfied is included,
The load response operation condition is satisfied when the temperature of one storage compartment among the refrigerating compartments and freezing compartments falls within an upper limit range equal to or greater than the satisfaction range, and the temperature of the other storage compartment does not reach the lower limit temperature of the satisfaction range at least once or more. Recognized,
When the indoor temperature falls within the set range and the load corresponding operation condition is satisfied, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is performed,
If the indoor temperature falls within the set range and the load corresponding operation condition is not satisfied, a cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber is performed,
When it is recognized that the indoor temperature is greater than or equal to the set range, simultaneous operation of the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber is performed. The method of claim 13,
Recognizing whether the temperature of the freezing compartment falls within the freezing compartment satisfaction period when the temperature of the refrigerating compartment falls within the refrigerating compartment satisfaction period; And
And determining whether to perform a first refrigerant recovery operation when the temperature of the freezing compartment falls within the freezing compartment satisfaction section. The method of claim 14,
When the temperature of the freezing compartment belongs to the freezing compartment satisfaction section and the previous operation state includes a freezing compartment cooling operation,
The control method of a refrigerator, wherein the first refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a first set time. The method of claim 14,
If the temperature of the freezing compartment does not belong to the freezing compartment satisfaction section, the step of recognizing whether or not the temperature of the refrigerating compartment has reached the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section at least once or more. The method of claim 16,
When the temperature of the refrigerating compartment reaches the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section at least once or more, determining whether to perform a second refrigerant recovery operation or not. The method of claim 17,
When the temperature of the refrigerating chamber reaches the lower limit temperature of the refrigerating chamber satisfaction section at least once or more, and the previous operation state includes a refrigerating chamber cooling operation,
The control method of a refrigerator, wherein the second refrigerant recovery operation is performed for a second set time. The method of claim 18,
When the second set time has elapsed, the method of controlling a refrigerator further comprises performing a cooling operation of the freezing chamber. The method of claim 13,
The satisfaction section, the dissatisfaction section and the upper limit section, which are defined based on the set temperature, are included,
The satisfaction section is a temperature section having a section corresponding to a first set width vertically based on the set temperature,
The unsatisfactory section is a temperature section having a value greater than or equal to a second set width greater than the first set width, based on the set temperature,
The upper limit section is a temperature section having a temperature value equal to or higher than the unsatisfactory section. The method of claim 13,
When the simultaneous operation is performed, the plurality of compressors are operated in a first mode to output a set cooling power,
When the plurality of compressors are operated in the first mode for a set time or longer, the plurality of compressors are switched to the second mode and are operated to output cooling power greater than the set cooling power. The method of claim 21,
In the process of operating the plurality of compressors in the first mode or the second mode,
When the refrigerating compartment belongs to the refrigerating compartment satisfaction section or the freezing compartment belongs to the freezing compartment satisfaction section, a refrigerator control method comprising performing an independent cooling operation of the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment. The method of claim 1 or 13,
The control method of the refrigerator, the setting range is within the range of 18 ~ 27 °C.

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