KR20210094410A - Air conditioner and method for controlling for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a method for controlling the same. The air conditioner comprises: a compressor; a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors to sense a temperature; a control unit which compares an estimated discharge temperature calculated from a discharge temperature with a reference discharge temperature for a set time in a trial run mode when the discharge temperature of refrigerant discharged from the compressor is sensed by the sensor unit, and finally determines the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant according to the number of times of determining the insufficient amount of the refrigerant; and an input/output unit for outputting a notification according to the shortage of refrigerant. According to the present invention, by judging the excess or lack of refrigerant based on a temperature value calculated in response to a change in the outdoor temperature and the discharge temperature during a trial run, the accuracy of the refrigerant amount is improved, it is possible to set a time limit to prevent unnecessary long-term judgment and to make a quick judgment on the refrigerant amount, and it has the effect of improving safety by outputting an installation error as a notification and checking the installation status.

Description

Air conditioner and method for controlling the same

The present invention relates to an air conditioner and a control method therefor, and more particularly, to an air conditioner for diagnosing whether a refrigerant is insufficient and a control method therefor.

The air conditioner includes an indoor unit configured as a heat exchanger and an outdoor unit configured as a compressor and a heat exchanger. The outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected through a refrigerant pipe, and the refrigerant compressed from the compressor of the outdoor unit is supplied to the heat exchanger of the indoor unit through the refrigerant pipe, and the refrigerant exchanged in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit is again introduced into the compressor of the outdoor unit through the refrigerant pipe.

The indoor unit performs heat exchange between the indoor air and the refrigerant through a pressure change of the refrigerant supplied to the heat exchanger. Accordingly, the indoor unit discharges hot and cold air into the room through heat exchange using the refrigerant.

As described above, in the air conditioner, heat exchange efficiency may be changed according to the amount of refrigerant as the refrigerant is discharged from the outdoor unit to the indoor space and cold and hot is discharged to the indoor space through heat exchange during the circulation process in which the refrigerant is supplied to the indoor unit and returned to the outdoor unit.

When the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, it is necessary to replenish the refrigerant.

In particular, during test operation, the initial refrigerant is absolutely necessary, and since the operation of the air conditioner may be affected later depending on whether the initial refrigerant is sufficient, it is necessary to sufficiently fill the refrigerant so as not to run out of refrigerant.

When the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, the compressor may be damaged, and since the temperature of the air discharged into the room does not reach the desired desired temperature, it is difficult to control the room temperature, and thus there is a problem that may give discomfort to the user.

However, since there is no way to measure the amount of refrigerant distributed and circulating in the refrigerant pipes of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit from the outside, the air conditioner can determine the refrigerant amount based on the data sensed during operation.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2004-0014835 includes an indoor pipe temperature sensor that detects the pipe temperature at the output end of the indoor heat exchanger, and determines the refrigerant amount insufficient state according to the change and frequency of the pipe temperature of the indoor heat exchanger detected during cooling operation, Indicates whether the amount of refrigerant is insufficient.

However, the conventional invention has a problem in that it is impossible to determine the refrigerant shortage in various operating conditions because the refrigerant shortage is determined during the general refrigerant operation.

In addition, the prior invention is to detect refrigerant leakage, not for initial refrigerant encapsulation during trial run. Failure to encapsulate the initial refrigerant may lead to installation failure of the air conditioner, so an installer's inspection is required and reinstallation in some cases. I should, but I can't respond to it.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication 10-2004-0014835

An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for determining excess or deficiency of a refrigerant and a method for controlling the same.

An object of the present invention is to determine the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant by classifying the operating conditions of the discharge temperature of the refrigerant that is changed according to the surrounding environment and the operating state in various environments.

An object of the present invention is to determine whether the air conditioner is normally installed in response to excess or shortage of refrigerant through a trial run when installing the air conditioner of the present invention.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

An air conditioner and a control method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, the amount of refrigerant is determined in consideration of the operating conditions with respect to the discharge temperature that is changed according to the surrounding environment and the operating state during a trial operation to perform air conditioning. It is characterized in that it determines the installation state of the device.

The present invention is characterized in that the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant according to the discharge temperature is determined according to the conditions of general cooling operation, low temperature cooling, and cooling overload according to the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature.

The present invention is characterized in that the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount is determined by calculating the discharge temperature according to the temperature condition.

The present invention is characterized in that the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant is determined by comparing the reference discharge temperature calculated based on the outdoor temperature with the estimated discharge temperature calculated based on the size of the current discharge temperature and the amount of change in the discharge temperature.

The present invention is characterized in that by calculating and estimating the discharge temperature according to the temperature condition, the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant is determined in response to the discharge temperature changed in various environments.

The present invention is characterized in that the determination is made in a state where the set value of the air conditioner is fixed by determining the amount of refrigerant in the trial run mode.

The present invention is characterized in that the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount is determined by using the discharge temperature sensed in the transient section before the cycle is stabilized during the trial run.

The present invention is characterized in that when the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, an inspection is requested by outputting a notification according to an installation error.

The air conditioner of the present invention includes a compressor; a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors to sense a temperature; In the trial operation mode, when the discharge temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is sensed by the sensor unit, the estimated discharge temperature calculated from the discharge temperature is compared with the reference discharge temperature for a set time, and the number of times of determination of insufficient refrigerant amount a control unit that finally determines the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount according to the and an input/output unit for outputting a notification according to a shortage of refrigerant.

A control method of an air conditioner according to the present invention includes the steps of starting an operation in a trial operation mode;

sensing an outdoor temperature and an indoor temperature; a step of starting a compressor and detecting, by a sensor, a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; calculating a reference discharge temperature for determining the amount of refrigerant and an estimated discharge temperature from the discharge temperature; determining an excess or deficiency of a refrigerant amount by comparing the reference discharge temperature with the estimated discharge temperature; Final determination of excess or deficiency of the amount of refrigerant in response to the number of times of determination of insufficient amount of refrigerant for a set time; and outputting a notification when the amount of refrigerant is insufficient.

The air conditioner and the control method of the present invention can make a more accurate and stable determination by judging an excess or deficiency of a refrigerant in consideration of various operating conditions during a trial run.

According to the present invention, the amount of refrigerant can be determined in consideration of various conditions according to the operation of the air conditioner by calculating the discharge temperature according to the temperature condition and determining the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant based on the estimated value based on the calculation.

According to the present invention, by determining the amount of refrigerant in the trial run mode, it is possible to determine the set value of the air conditioner in a fixed state, thereby improving the accuracy of the refrigerant amount.

The present invention can determine whether the air conditioner is normally installed in consideration of various operating conditions.

According to the present invention, the time required for determining the amount of refrigerant and the installation time can be shortened by estimating the discharge temperature.

The present invention prevents unnecessary judgment for a long time by setting a time limit according to the determination of the amount of refrigerant.

The present invention has an effect of improving safety by outputting an installation error due to excessive or insufficient refrigerant during a trial run as a notification to check the installation state.

The present invention is effective in preventing failure of the air conditioner due to incomplete installation.

1 is a schematic diagram of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram referenced for explaining a refrigerant flow between an outdoor unit and an indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a control configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a diagram referenced for explaining the operation according to the temperature condition of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating a change in the discharge temperature according to the outdoor temperature of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram illustrating a control method for determining the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating a change in discharge temperature during a low-temperature cooling operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating a change in discharge temperature according to a second cooling operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a diagram illustrating a change in discharge temperature according to a third cooling operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a diagram illustrating a change in discharge temperature according to a cooling overload operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only these embodiments allow the disclosure of the present invention to be complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention pertains It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The control configuration of the present invention may consist of at least one processor.

1 is a schematic diagram of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram referenced to explain a refrigerant flow between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the air conditioner according to the present invention may include indoor units 1 and 2 and an outdoor unit 5 connected to the indoor units 1 and 2 .

A plurality of indoor units, that is, the first indoor unit 1 and the second indoor unit 2 may be connected to one outdoor unit 5 through refrigerant pipes P1 and P2.

The indoor units 1 and 2 of the air conditioner may be any of a stand-type air conditioner, a wall-mounted air conditioner, and a ceiling type air conditioner.

The outdoor unit 5 supplies the compressed refrigerant to the connected first indoor unit 1 and the second indoor unit 2 . The indoor units 1 and 2 receive refrigerant from the outdoor unit 5 and discharge cold and hot air into the room.

The outdoor unit 5 includes a compressor 102 serving to compress the refrigerant, a compressor electric motor (not shown) for driving the compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger 104 serving to radiate heat from the compressed refrigerant, and an outdoor unit. An outdoor blower (not shown) comprising an outdoor fan (not shown) disposed on one side of the heat exchanger 104 to promote heat dissipation of the refrigerant and an electric motor (not shown) rotating the outdoor fan, and expansion to expand the condensed refrigerant The mechanism 106, the cooling/heating switching valve 111 for changing the flow path of the compressed refrigerant, and an accumulator (not shown) for temporarily storing the vaporized refrigerant to remove moisture and foreign substances and then supplying the refrigerant at a constant pressure to the compressor (not shown) ), etc. At least one of an inverter compressor and a constant speed compressor may be used as the compressor 102 .

In addition, the outdoor unit 5 includes at least one pressure sensor (not shown) for measuring pressure, at least one temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring temperature, and a control for controlling the operation of the outdoor unit and performing communication with other units. configuration may be included. The outdoor unit 5 may further include a plurality of sensors, valves, supercoolers, and the like, but a description thereof will be omitted below.

The indoor units 1 and 2 are disposed indoors and are disposed on one side of the indoor heat exchangers 108 and 109 to perform cooling/heating functions and the indoor heat exchangers 108 and 109 to promote heat dissipation of the refrigerant. This includes an indoor fan (not shown) and an indoor blower (not shown) including an indoor fan (not shown) and an electric motor (not shown) for rotating the indoor fan.

In addition, the indoor units 1 and 2 include a discharge port 13 for discharging heat-exchanged air, and a wind direction control means (not shown) for opening and closing the discharge port and controlling the direction of the discharged air is provided. The indoor unit controls the intake air and the discharged air by controlling the rotation speed of the indoor unit fan, and adjusts the air volume. The indoor units 1 and 2 may further include an input/output unit 18 for displaying the operation state and setting information of the indoor unit and inputting setting data.

The first indoor unit 1 includes a first heat exchanger 108 , the second indoor unit 2 includes a second heat exchanger 109 .

In addition, the air conditioner may be configured as an air conditioner for cooling the room, or may be configured as a heat pump for cooling or heating the room.

In addition, the air conditioner includes a controller and remote controllers 3 and 4, and may further include a terminal (not shown) operating as a controller by accessing it through an external network such as the Internet. It is specified that the number of connected indoor units is not limited to the drawings.

In addition to the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, the air conditioner is composed of a system and may include a ventilation device, an air purifier, a humidifier, a heater, and the like, and may further include units such as a chiller, an air conditioning unit, and a cooling tower depending on the scale. The air conditioner may operate in conjunction with the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit by connecting each unit to each other. In addition, the air conditioner may operate in connection with a building, a mobile device, a security device, an alarm device, and the like.

The air conditioner may transmit/receive data to each other in a wired communication method or a wireless communication method. The outdoor unit and the indoor unit may be connected to a controller (not shown) by wire or wirelessly to operate under the control of the controller.

The remote controllers 3 and 4 are connected to the indoor unit in a wired or wireless communication method to input a user command to the indoor unit, and receive and output data from the indoor unit. The remote controller may transmit a user command to the indoor unit and perform one-way communication in which data from the indoor unit is not received, or perform two-way communication in which data is transmitted/received between the indoor unit and the indoor unit according to a connection method with the indoor unit.

The controller controls the operation of the indoor units 1 and 2 and the outdoor unit 5 in response to an input user command, and periodically receives and stores data on the operating states of the indoor and outdoor units corresponding thereto, and through the monitoring screen. Operation status can be output. The controller may perform operation setting, lock setting, schedule control, group control, peak control for power use, demand control, and the like for the indoor units 1 and 2 .

The terminal (not shown) operates as a second controller connected from the outside of the air conditioner network. The terminal may be a mobile terminal that communicates through a mobile communication network, and a PDA, PC, tablet PC, smartphone, control terminal, etc. may be used, and any terminal capable of installing a program for controlling the air conditioner may be used. can

The outdoor units 5 are respectively connected to the indoor units 1 and 2 through a refrigerant pipe to supply the refrigerant to the indoor units 1 and 2 . In addition, the outdoor unit 5 periodically communicates with the plurality of indoor units 1 and 2 to transmit/receive data to and from each other, and change the operation according to the operation setting changed from the indoor unit.

When the controller displays data information in characters such as numerical values, the data information of the indoor units 1 and 2, the data information of the outdoor unit 5, and the valve of the pipe connecting the indoor units 1 and 2 and the outdoor unit 5, etc. information, etc. can be displayed. The controller may check the operating state of the indoor units 1 and 2 or the outdoor unit 5 in real time.

Also, the air conditioner may transmit/receive data to and from another air conditioner through a network connection such as the Internet. The air conditioner may connect to an external service center (not shown), a management server (not shown), a database (not shown), etc. through the controller, and may communicate with an external terminal connected through a network.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the compressor 102 compresses the refrigerant to expose the refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure. The refrigerant flow path of the discharged refrigerant is switched by the switching valve 111 set according to the operation mode. In the cooling mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 104 and is condensed as it heats up. The condensed refrigerant flows to the indoor unit, is expanded through the expansion mechanism, and is supplied to the first heat exchanger 108 and the second heat exchanger 109 , respectively. The expanded refrigerant exchanges heat with air supplied by the blower in the first and second heat exchangers. As the temperature of the air is lowered by heat exchange with the refrigerant, the indoor unit discharges cold air into the indoor space.

Refrigerant is evaporated by heat exchange with air in the heat exchanger and re-introduced into the compressor through the switching valve.

In the heating mode, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is introduced into the indoor unit by the switching valve. In the heating mode, the first and second heat exchangers operate as condensers, and the outdoor heat exchangers operate as evaporators. Accordingly, the indoor unit may discharge the warmth to the indoor space.

As the compressor compresses the introduced refrigerant again and discharges it, the refrigerant is circulated between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.

3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a control configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the outdoor unit 5 of the air conditioner includes a sensor unit 140 , a power supply unit 130 , a compressor driving unit 161 , a fan driving unit 162 , a valve control unit 163 , and an input/output unit 190 . ), a memory 120 , a communication unit 150 , and a control unit 110 for controlling overall operations.

Each unit including the control unit 110 may be composed of one or a plurality of microprocessors. In addition to the control unit, each unit of the sensor unit, power supply unit, compressor driving unit, fan driving unit, valve control unit, input/output unit, memory, and communication unit may each include at least one microprocessor. Each unit including the control unit may be connected in a bus (BUS) format to transmit/receive data.

The compressor driving unit 161 , the fan driving unit 162 , and the valve control unit 163 may be configured as one driving unit, and as described above, may be configured independently of each other.

The indoor unit may also include a sensor unit, a power supply unit, a fan driving unit, a valve control unit, an input/output unit, a memory, a communication unit, and a control unit.

The power supply unit 130 supplies operating power to the main body of the outdoor unit. The power supply unit 130 rectifies and smooths the connected commercial power to generate and supply voltages required by each unit. The power supply unit 130 prevents inrush current and generates a constant voltage. Also, the power supply unit 130 may supply operating power to the indoor unit (not shown).

The input/output unit 190 includes at least one of a button, a switch, and a touch input means, an input means (not shown) for inputting a user command or predetermined data, and a display means (not shown) such as LCD, LED, OLED, etc. is configured, and the touch pad may include a layered touch screen. The display means displays the driving setting or operation information in a combination of at least one of a character, an image, a special character, a symbol, an emoticon, and an icon.

In addition, the input/output unit 190 includes an audio output unit (not shown) including a buzzer or speaker for outputting voice guidance, a predetermined warning sound, and an effect sound, and an audio input unit (not shown) including a microphone for receiving a predetermined sound. may include

The display means and the audio output section are output sections.

The memory 120 includes control data for controlling an operation, data on an operation mode, data sensed by the sensor unit 140 , data transmitted/received through the communication unit 150 , input data by the input/output unit 190 , and output Data and data for determining whether an operation is abnormal are stored. The memory 120 stores data that can be read by a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPOM, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Disk), SDD (Silicon) A storage device such as a disk drive) may be included.

The communication unit 150 includes at least one communication module to transmit and receive data in a wired or wireless communication method.

The communication unit 150 transmits/receives data to and from another device, for example, an indoor unit, another outdoor unit, or a controller. In addition, the communication unit 150 may be connected to a predetermined network to communicate with an external server or terminal. The communication unit 150 transmits and receives data including communication modules such as Wi-Fi and WiBro, as well as short-distance wireless communication such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, and infrared.

The sensor unit 140 includes a plurality of sensors, and the measured data is input to the control unit 110 . The sensor unit 140 includes a temperature sensor (not shown), a pressure sensor (not shown), a humidity sensor (not shown), a current sensor (not shown), and a voltage sensor (not shown).

The temperature sensor is installed in the refrigerant pipe to measure the temperature of the refrigerant pipe, and is installed in the heat exchanger to sense the outdoor temperature and the heat exchanger temperature, respectively.

The pressure sensor is installed in the refrigerant pipe to sense the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant pipe. The pressure sensor is installed in the refrigerant inlet and outlet of the compressor 171, respectively, and is also installed in the heat exchanger.

The compressor driving unit 161 operates the compressors 171 and 102 according to the control command of the control unit 110 . At this time, the compressor driving unit 160 supplies operating power to the motor 102b of the compressor so that the compressor 171 operates at a specific operating frequency. Accordingly, when the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows in, the compressor 171 compresses it and discharges it as a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant.

The fan driving unit 162 controls the driving of the motor 105b provided in the fans 172 and 105 in response to the control command of the controller 110, thereby causing the fan 105a to rotate. The fan driving unit 162 supplies operating power to the fan 172 and controls the fan to rotate at a set rotation speed of the fan 172 . The fan 172 is provided in the outdoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 171 flows into the heat exchanger to suck in and supply outdoor air to exchange heat with the outdoor air, and discharge the heat-exchanged air to the outdoors. In this case, the fan 172 may be an inverter fan capable of adjusting the rotation speed. The fan 172 includes a motor and a fan, and the fan rotates as the motor operates under the control of the fan driving unit 162 .

The valve control unit 163 may control opening/closing of the plurality of valves 173 provided in the outdoor unit 21 in response to a control command from the control unit 110 , or adjust an opening rate, and may change the flow path of the refrigerant. In this case, the valve control unit 163 may be provided in each of the plurality of valves 173 .

The controller 110 applies a control command to the compressor driving unit 161 to operate the compressor 171 in response to data received from the indoor unit 31 or the controller, and transmits the control command to the fan 172 to the fan driving unit ( 162) is approved. In addition, the control unit 110 applies a control command to the valve control unit 163 to control the opening and closing of each of the plurality of valves 173 to change the flow path and flow rate of the refrigerant according to the operation mode.

The control unit 110 determines the states of the compressor 171 , the refrigerant, and the fan 172 in response to data input from a plurality of sensors of the sensor unit 140 , and generates a control command in response thereto and applies it to each driving unit do.

The controller 110 communicates with the indoor units 1 and 2 at predetermined time intervals through the communication unit 150 to receive data of each indoor unit, and also transmits data of the outdoor unit to the indoor units 1 and 2 .

In addition, the control unit 110 determines whether the operation state of each unit is normal based on the data sensed by the sensor unit 140 and the data stored in the memory 120 , and generates an error. The controller 110 may output an error code for the generated error.

When it is determined that there is an error, the control unit 110 determines whether driving is possible.

The indoor units 1 and 2 transmit input operation settings and detected data to the outdoor unit, and output an operation state, a notification, or an error message according to the data received from the outdoor unit 5 .

When the trial operation mode is set, the control unit 110 determines the amount of refrigerant. When the refrigerant light is insufficient or excessive, the control unit 110 outputs a notification through the input/output unit 190 . Also, the controller 110 may transmit a notification regarding the amount of refrigerant to the indoor units 1 and 2 .

The control unit 110 uses the outdoor temperature sensed by the sensor unit 140 and the indoor temperature received from the indoor unit to check the operating conditions according to the temperature, and calculate the discharge temperature according to the temperature condition.

The control unit 110 estimates the discharge temperature according to the operating conditions based on the previously stored refrigerant amount data, and determines the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant by comparing it with the calculated discharge temperature.

The control unit 110 classifies and determines the cooling standard (first cooling operation), the second cooling operation, the third cooling operation, the low temperature cooling, and the cooling overload according to the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature.

The control unit 110 starts to operate in the trial run mode and starts to determine the amount of refrigerant at the first time after waiting. The control unit 110 determines the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount by using the discharge temperature in the transient section before the cycle is stabilized during the trial operation. For example, the first time may be set to 4 to 6 minutes based on the driving start time. The first time may be set to 5 minutes. Since the amount of refrigerant is determined in the transient section before the cycle is stabilized, the amount of change in the discharge temperature can be reflected and quick judgment is possible.

The control unit 110 minimizes the influence of other factors and reflects only the change due to the amount of refrigerant as it operates in a state in which the setting of each unit is fixed through the trial operation mode setting.

Also, the control unit 110 ends the operation at the second time. For example, the second time may be set to 8 to 10 minutes based on the driving start time. The second time may be set to 9 minutes.

The controller 110 may terminate the operation when the operation condition is not satisfied, when the refrigerant amount is repeatedly determined, or when the refrigerant amount cannot be determined within a specified time. The control unit 110 terminates the operation when the second time is reached even if the refrigerant amount determination is repeated. Accordingly, the control unit 110 does not take more than a predetermined time to determine the amount of refrigerant.

4 is a diagram referenced for explaining the operation according to the temperature condition of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the control unit 110 controls the cooling standard (first cooling operation) (C), the second cooling operation (B), the third cooling operation (D), and low temperature according to the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature. It is judged by dividing into cooling (A) and cooling overload (E).

The air conditioner regulates the indoor temperature through the discharged cold and hot air, but the outdoor heat exchanger introduces outdoor air to conduct heat exchange, so the outdoor temperature also affects the operation of the air conditioner.

Accordingly, in determining the amount of refrigerant, the control unit 110 classifies the operating state based on the temperature control conditions according to the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature.

The outdoor temperature may be determined based on 21 degrees, 35 degrees and 48 degrees, and the indoor temperature may be determined based on 21 degrees, 27 degrees and 32 degrees. The temperature, which is the criterion for judgment, may be changed according to the installation environment of the air conditioner.

Low-temperature cooling (A) is when cooling is performed when both the outdoor and indoor temperatures are low, and the second cooling operation (B) when the outdoor is low-temperature and indoors is high. 1 cooling operation) (C), cooling in a state where the outdoor temperature is high and the indoor temperature is low is the third cooling operation (D).

In addition, the refrigerant amount data, which is a reference for determining the amount of refrigerant, represents a change in the discharge temperature according to each operating condition for each amount of refrigerant.

The refrigerant amount data is data obtained based on the time when the cycle becomes normal in the trial run mode.

Accordingly, when determining the amount of refrigerant during test operation, the control unit can determine the amount of refrigerant based on the time when the cycle becomes normal with the same requirements. As described above, the control unit starts determining the amount of refrigerant at the first time and Allow the operation to end at 2 hours.

The control unit 110 determines that the refrigerant amount is sufficient if 85 or more based on the total amount of the required refrigerant amount. In addition, the control unit 110 sets the temperature condition based on the second cooling operation (B) and the cooling overload (E).

The control unit can determine the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount according to the temperature condition because the possibility that the cycle is changed by other configurations in the trial run mode is lowered.

The control unit 110 uses the discharge temperature as a reference for determining the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount.

The control unit 110 may calculate the reference discharge temperature by multiplying the outdoor temperature by the specified first constant and summing the second constant.

Also, the control unit 110 calculates an estimated discharge temperature for comparison. The controller 110 calculates the estimated discharge temperature by using the current discharge temperature and the rising slope of the discharge temperature.

The control unit 110 multiplies the value (E) obtained by subtracting the current discharge temperature from the reference discharge temperature by the third constant (Ki), adds up the amount of change in the discharge temperature, and multiplies the sum by the fourth constant (Kp) to calculate can do. The change amount is the current discharge temperature minus the discharge temperature 10 seconds ago. The third constant may be 0.01, and the fourth constant may be set to 1.78. Such a constant value is merely an example, and is not limited thereto and may be changed in some cases.

After calculating the reference discharge temperature and the estimated discharge temperature, the controller 110 compares the two values, and when the value obtained by subtracting the reference discharge temperature from the estimated discharge temperature exceeds 1, it may be determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient. If the controller 110 determines that the refrigerant amount is insufficient more than a set number of times, the controller 110 may finally determine the refrigerant amount insufficient. In this case, the setting number may be set to about 3 times.

The control unit 110 repeatedly performs the determination of the amount of refrigerant within the time limit, but ends the operation when the second time limit is reached.

The control unit 110 determines that the amount of refrigerant is sufficient if it is not determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient within the time limit of 9 minutes. If it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient twice within 9 minutes, it can be determined that the amount of refrigerant is sufficient.

5 is a diagram illustrating a change in the discharge temperature according to the outdoor temperature of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The control unit 110 determines that the refrigerant amount is sufficient if 85 or more based on the total amount of the required refrigerant amount.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the discharge temperature varies according to the outdoor temperature.

The control unit 110 calculates a reference discharge temperature and an estimated discharge temperature, which are reference values for determining the amount of refrigerant, based on the temperature condition of the second cooling operation (B) and the cooling overload (E).

The control unit 110 determines that the refrigerant amount is sufficient if 85 or more based on the total amount of the required refrigerant amount. Accordingly, the control unit 110 may determine the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount by calculating the reference discharge temperature and the estimated discharge temperature for the case where the amount of refrigerant is 85% or more in each temperature condition.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the discharge temperature increased as the outdoor temperature increased with the elapsed time measured with the refrigerant amount being 60%, 80%, and 100%%.

At the same outdoor temperature, the smaller the refrigerant amount, the higher the discharge temperature is measured. When the outdoor temperature is 25 degrees or less and 45 degrees or more, the deviation is large, and when the outdoor temperature is 30 degrees, the deviation is small. In addition, it is easy to distinguish the discharge temperature according to the amount of refrigerant at about 35 to 36 degrees.

In addition, although the distribution of the discharge temperature for each refrigerant amount varies according to the outdoor temperature, 60% of the refrigerant amount is measured as a high value, regardless of the outdoor temperature, to be distinguished from the distribution of 80% of the refrigerant and 100% of the refrigerant.

When the outdoor temperature is about 22°C, the discharge temperature of 80% of the refrigerant and 100% of the refrigerant are partially overlapped, but 60% of the refrigerant is separated. It shows the distribution of distinguishable discharge temperature.

For example, when the outdoor temperature is about 22 degrees, the discharge temperature is measured within the range of 30 to 60 degrees in the case of 100% of the refrigerant amount, and in the case of 80% of the refrigerant, the discharge temperature is measured in the range of 55 to 65 degrees, and the amount of refrigerant In the case of 60%, it can be seen that it is measured within the range of 60 to 70 degrees.

Accordingly, when it is determined that the refrigerant amount is sufficient based on 80 to 85% of the refrigerant amount, it is possible to set a predicted value for the criterion for determining the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount. The predicted value of the discharge temperature according to the outdoor temperature increases linearly in proportion to the outdoor temperature.

In addition, the control unit 110 may set a temperature condition according to the determination of the amount of refrigerant in order to prevent an erroneous diagnosis under a condition in which the refrigerant is sufficient because the lower the outdoor temperature, the lower the refrigerant discrimination power by the discharge temperature.

As described above, when the outdoor temperature is about 22 degrees. It corresponds to low-temperature cooling, and there is a problem in that it is difficult to distinguish as the discharge temperature section overlaps with the refrigerant amount of 80% and the refrigerant amount of 100%. On the other hand, even at the same outdoor temperature, in the case of the second cooling operation (B) in which the indoor temperature is 32 degrees, the value is different, so that it can be used to determine the excess or insufficient amount of refrigerant.

Accordingly, the control unit 110 may determine the amount of refrigerant based on the temperature condition of the second cooling operation (B) and the cooling overload (E). In addition, the control unit 110 may calculate a reference discharge temperature and an estimated discharge temperature, which are reference values for determining the amount of refrigerant under the temperature conditions of the second cooling operation (B) and the cooling overload (E).

In particular, in the case of the second cooling operation (B), the discharge temperature is the highest, so it is easy to distinguish. In addition, in the case of cooling overload (E), the discharge temperature is the highest temperature condition, so it is easy to classify it.

In the trial operation mode, the control unit 110 minimizes the influence on the cycle by other components as all components, for example, a compressor, an expansion mechanism, an outdoor fan, an indoor fan, etc. are fixed, and the influence of the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature can be emphasized, so the amount of refrigerant is judged in the trial run mode.

After the compressor is started, the discharge temperature starts to rise. If the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, the discharge temperature rises significantly. Therefore, the control unit 110 may determine the amount of refrigerant based on the change in the discharge temperature. When the refrigerant is insufficient, the controller 110 determines the amount of refrigerant by using the convergent discharge temperature and the slope of the discharge temperature increase.

Accordingly, the controller 110 may calculate the reference discharge temperature and the estimated discharge temperature based on the predicted values for the discharge temperature for each refrigerant amount according to the outdoor temperature.

6 is a diagram illustrating a control method for determining the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the air conditioner starts an operation for determining the amount of refrigerant ( S310 ).

When the trial operation mode is set (S320), the controller of the outdoor unit determines whether the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature satisfy conditions (S330). The controller may determine whether a temperature condition is satisfied based on the outdoor temperature sensed through the sensor unit and the indoor temperature received from the indoor unit.

In addition, the control unit 110 determines whether a temperature condition for determining the amount of refrigerant is satisfied (S330).

The control unit 110 determines whether the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature correspond to the temperature conditions of the second cooling operation (B) or the cooling overload (E). For example, when the outdoor temperature is in the range of 19 to 25 degrees and the indoor temperature is in the range of 28 to 35 degrees, in particular, when the indoor temperature is about 21 degrees and the indoor temperature is about 32, it is determined that the temperature conditions according to the second cooling operation (B) are satisfied. . In addition, when the outdoor temperature is in the range of 35 to 50 degrees and the indoor temperature is in the range of 28 to 35 degrees, it is determined that the temperature condition according to the cooling overload is satisfied.

In addition, although it is possible to determine the amount of refrigerant in the first cooling operation (cooling standard), the third cooling operation, and low-temperature cooling, it is preferable to operate under a temperature condition in which the discrimination power of the discharge temperature according to the amount of refrigerant is high.

The control unit 110 may stop determining the amount of refrigerant when the temperature condition is not satisfied in a state in which the trial operation mode is not set.

Meanwhile, when the indoor temperature does not satisfy the condition for the outdoor temperature among the temperature conditions, the controller 110 may withhold the determination of the temperature condition until a set time is reached. When the set time is reached and the room temperature satisfies the condition, the refrigerant amount may be determined.

The control unit 110 is in the trial operation mode, and when the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature satisfy the temperature condition, it is determined whether a set time has elapsed after the start of the operation (S340).

When the control unit 110 reaches a set time (second time), which is a time limit for determining the amount of refrigerant after the start of operation, the control unit 110 terminates the determination of the amount of refrigerant and controls the operation to stop.

The control unit 110 maintains the operation when the set time is not reached.

If it is determined that the first time has elapsed before reaching the set time, the control unit 110 starts to determine the amount of refrigerant. In addition, the control unit starts to determine the amount of refrigerant at the first time and stops the operation when the set time, which is the second time, is reached.

The controller 110 calculates a reference discharge temperature (S350), calculates an estimated discharge temperature (S360), and performs a comparison operation with the current discharge temperature (S370).

The control unit 110 calculates a reference discharge temperature by multiplying the outdoor temperature by a designated first constant and summing the second constant.

Also, the controller 110 calculates the estimated discharge temperature by using the current discharge temperature and the rising slope of the discharge temperature.

The control unit 110 multiplies the value (E) obtained by subtracting the current discharge temperature from the reference discharge temperature by the third constant (Ki), adds up the amount of change in the discharge temperature, and multiplies the sum by the fourth constant (Kp) to calculate can do. The change amount is the current discharge temperature minus the discharge temperature 10 seconds ago. The third constant may be 0.01, and the fourth constant may be set to 1.78. Such a constant value is merely an example, and is not limited thereto and may be changed in some cases.

After calculating the reference discharge temperature and the estimated discharge temperature, the controller 110 compares the two values and compares the value obtained by subtracting the reference discharge temperature from the estimated discharge temperature with 1 .

The control unit 110 determines whether the amount of refrigerant is insufficient according to the result of comparison between the reference discharge temperature and the estimated discharge temperature ( S380 ).

After calculating the reference discharge temperature and the estimated discharge temperature, the controller 110 compares the two values, and when the value obtained by subtracting the reference discharge temperature from the estimated discharge temperature exceeds 1, it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient.

When the amount of refrigerant is not insufficient, the controller 110 may repeat the determination of the amount of refrigerant until a set time. When it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is sufficient, the control unit 110 determines that the amount of refrigerant is sufficient and the normal installation and ends the operation (S410).

When it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, the control unit 110 counts the number of times and determines whether the count reaches a set number of times (N) (S390). In this case, the setting number may be set to about 3 times.

The control unit 110 repeats the determination of the refrigerant amount when the count does not reach the set number of times (N) even if it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient (S330 to S390).

In addition, the control unit 110 ends the operation when the count reaches the set time before reaching the set number of times (N).

The controller 110 finally determines that the refrigerant amount is insufficient when the count for the insufficient amount of the refrigerant reaches the set number of times (N).

When it is finally determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, the control unit 110 displays a notification about the shortage of refrigerant, determines that the installation is not completed, and outputs a warning therefor (S420).

Accordingly, the user or the installer can check the installation error through the output notification and warning, and additionally charge the refrigerant.

The determination of the amount of refrigerant may be performed not only for initial installation, but also by setting a trial operation mode and determining the amount of refrigerant as necessary.

7 to 10 are diagrams illustrating changes in the discharge temperature according to the amount of refrigerant in each temperature condition of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a diagram illustrating a change in discharge temperature during a low-temperature cooling operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second cooling operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. A change in the discharge temperature is shown. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a change in the discharge temperature according to the third cooling operation of the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing the change in the discharge temperature according to the cooling overload operation of the air conditioner according to FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 , in the first to eighth graphs, the discharge temperature changes when each of the graphs operates with a specific amount of refrigerant.

The first graph (S11) (S21) (S31) (S41) is a refrigerant 40%, the second graph (S12) (S22) (S32) (S42) is a refrigerant 20%, the third graph (S13) (S23) ( S33) (S43) is a refrigerant 60%, the fourth graph (S14) (S24) (S34) (S44) is a refrigerant 55%, the fifth graph (S15) (S25) (S35) (S45) is a refrigerant 85%, The sixth graph (S16) (S26) (S36) (S46) is a refrigerant 65%, the seventh graph (S17) (S27) (S37) (S47) is a refrigerant 100%, the eighth graph (S18) (S28) ( S38) and S48 show the change in the discharge temperature with respect to 0% of the refrigerant.

When the refrigerant is 0%, the discharge temperature does not change because there is no refrigerant to be compressed as shown in the eighth graphs (S18), (S28), (S38) and (S48). The temperature sensed at this time is the temperature of the refrigerant pipe.

The control unit starts the operation at the first time T1, starts to determine the amount of refrigerant at the second time T2, and controls the operation to stop at the third time T3. The second time is about 5 minutes and the third time is about 9 minutes.

When the indoor unit and the indoor unit of the air conditioner start to operate at the first time T1, the discharge temperature is changed as time elapses. At this time, the discharge temperature is the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor.

When the operation is started at the first time and reaches the second time T2, there is a difference in the degree of temperature change depending on the amount of refrigerant, but the discharge temperature rises at the second time compared to the initially sensed discharge temperature.

The low temperature cooling operation and the second cooling operation are based on the outdoor temperature of 21 degrees, and the third cooling operation and the cooling overload operation are based on the outdoor temperature of 48 degrees.

The reference discharge temperature is calculated by multiplying the outdoor temperature by the constant A and adding up the constant B.

In addition, the estimated discharge temperature is obtained by multiplying the value (E) obtained by subtracting the current discharge temperature from the reference discharge temperature by the third constant (Ki), adding up the amount of change in the discharge temperature, and multiplying the sum by the fourth constant (Kp) can be calculated. The change amount is the current discharge temperature minus the discharge temperature 10 seconds ago. The third constant may be 0.01, and the fourth constant may be set to 1.78. Such a constant value is merely an example, and is not limited thereto and may be changed in some cases.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical spirit of the present invention, and various modifications and variations will be possible without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention.

10: indoor unit 20: outdoor unit
110: control unit 140: sensor unit
161: compressor driving unit 102, 171: compressor

Claims (20)

compressor;
a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors to sense a temperature;
In the trial operation mode, when the discharge temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is sensed by the sensor unit, the estimated discharge temperature calculated from the discharge temperature and the reference discharge temperature are compared with the reference discharge temperature for a set period of time to determine the amount of refrigerant insufficient a control unit that finally determines the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount according to the and
An air conditioner including; an input/output unit for outputting a notification according to a shortage of refrigerant. The method of claim 1,
The control unit starts the operation and starts to determine the amount of refrigerant when a first time elapses, and ends the operation when the second time is reached. 3. The method of claim 2,
The control unit determines the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount by using the discharge temperature in the transient section before the cycle is stabilized during the trial operation. 3. The method of claim 2,
When it is determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient for more than a set number of times during the first time to the second time, the controller finally determines that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient. 3. The method of claim 2,
The controller finally determines that the amount of refrigerant is sufficient when it is not determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient for more than a set number of times by the 2 hours. The method of claim 1,
The control unit calculates the reference discharge temperature in response to the outdoor temperature, and calculates the estimated discharge temperature in response to the magnitude of the discharge temperature and the amount of change in the discharge temperature. 7. The method of claim 6,
The control unit calculates the reference discharge temperature in response to the outdoor temperature. 7. The method of claim 6,
The controller calculates the estimated discharge temperature by multiplying a value obtained by subtracting the current discharge temperature from the reference discharge temperature by a third constant (Ki), adding up the amount of change in the discharge temperature, and multiplying the summed value by a fourth constant (Kp) air conditioner that does. 9. The method of claim 8,
The control unit calculates the amount of change in the discharge temperature as a value obtained by subtracting the discharge temperature sensed before a predetermined time from the current discharge temperature. The method of claim 1,
The controller determines that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient when the difference between the estimated discharge temperature and the reference discharge temperature exceeds a set temperature. 11. The method of claim 10,
The control unit finally determines that the refrigerant amount is insufficient when the determination according to the refrigerant amount is more than a set number of times, the air conditioner. The method of claim 1,
The control unit determines the excess or deficiency of the refrigerant amount based on the temperature conditions of a cooling operation in which the outdoor temperature is low and the indoor temperature is high, and a cooling overload in which the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature are high. The method of claim 1,
According to the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature, the control unit performs a cooling operation in a state where the outdoor temperature is low and the indoor temperature is high, the cooling operation in a state where the outdoor temperature is high and the indoor temperature is low, and the outdoor temperature and the indoor temperature are low. An air conditioner that determines the amount of refrigerant overload in response to the temperature conditions for low-temperature cooling operation in an in-state condition and cooling overload operation in a state where the outdoor and indoor temperatures are high. starting the operation in a trial run mode;
sensing an outdoor temperature and an indoor temperature;
a step of starting a compressor and detecting, by a sensor, a discharge temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
calculating a reference discharge temperature for determining the amount of refrigerant and an estimated discharge temperature from the discharge temperature;
comparing the reference discharge temperature with the estimated discharge temperature to determine an excess or deficiency of a refrigerant amount;
Final determination of excess or deficiency of the amount of refrigerant in response to the number of times of determination of insufficient amount of refrigerant for a set time; and
Outputting a notification when the amount of refrigerant is insufficient; Control method of an air conditioner comprising a. 15. The method of claim 14,
starting to determine the amount of refrigerant when a first time has elapsed after starting the operation;
The control method of the air conditioner further comprising; terminating the operation when the second time is reached. 15. The method of claim 14,
During the set time, when it is determined that the refrigerant amount is insufficient for a set number of times or more, finally determining that the refrigerant amount is insufficient;
and finally determining that the amount of refrigerant is sufficient when it is not determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient for more than the set number of times during the set time. 15. The method of claim 14,
calculating the reference discharge temperature in response to the outdoor temperature; and
The control method of the air conditioner further comprising the step of calculating the estimated discharge temperature in response to the size of the discharge temperature and the amount of change in the discharge temperature. 15. The method of claim 14,
first determining that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient when the difference between the estimated discharge temperature and the reference discharge temperature exceeds a set temperature; and
The control method of the air conditioner further comprising the step of making a final determination that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient when the determination according to the insufficient amount of refrigerant is more than a set number of times. 15. The method of claim 14,
determining whether the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature satisfy a temperature condition for determining the amount of refrigerant;
The control method of the air conditioner further comprising; starting to determine the amount of refrigerant when the temperature condition is satisfied. 15. The method of claim 14,
When it is finally determined that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, outputting a warning about an installation error; Control method of an air conditioner further comprising a.

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