KR20240042346A - air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of indoor units each including an indoor temperature sensor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an indoor fan, and is connected to the plurality of indoor units through a refrigerant pipe, and includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and , When an input is received for a temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode that includes an outdoor unit including a plurality of electronic expansion valves corresponding to each of the plurality of indoor units, and manages temperature and humidity according to a comfort zone with a set temperature range and humidity range, First, a general cooling operation is performed, and if a power saving condition is satisfied while performing the general cooling operation, a power saving function that reduces the rotation speed of the compressor is entered.

Description

air conditioner

This disclosure relates to an air conditioner and its operating method. More specifically, it relates to an air conditioner that can effectively control temperature and humidity and its operating method.

Air conditioners are installed to provide a more comfortable indoor environment for humans by discharging hot and cold air into the room, controlling the indoor temperature, and purifying the indoor air to create a comfortable indoor environment. Generally, an air conditioner includes an indoor unit composed of a heat exchanger and installed indoors, and an outdoor unit composed of a compressor and a heat exchanger that supplies refrigerant to the indoor unit.

The air conditioner is controlled by separating an indoor unit consisting of a heat exchanger and an outdoor unit consisting of 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. The refrigerant heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger of the indoor unit flows back into the compressor of the outdoor unit through the refrigerant pipe. Accordingly, the indoor unit discharges cold and hot air into the room through heat exchange using a refrigerant.

As previously explained, the air conditioner circulates a refrigerant, and during the heat exchange process, it discharges cold air or warm air to operate as cooling or heating and regulates the temperature.

Additionally, air conditioners are used even when humidity is high, such as during summer. Air conditioners control humidity through dehumidifying operation, which removes moisture from the air. Generally, during dehumidification operation, the heat exchanger of the indoor unit operates as a condenser, and the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit operates as an evaporator to remove indoor moisture.

Prior document Japanese Patent No. 5369577 discloses an air conditioning system that performs cooling and dehumidification operations, and prior document Japanese Patent No. 5817803 also discloses an air conditioner supporting a dehumidifying function.

Recently, multi-type air conditioners that connect multiple indoor units to the same outdoor unit are gradually increasing. The above-mentioned prior literature does not consider an air-conditioning environment in which temperature and humidity are simultaneously controlled using a multi-type air conditioner in which a plurality of indoor units are arranged and used in a tea room. Therefore, if temperature and humidity are simultaneously controlled with a multi-type air conditioner according to the conventional dehumidification operation logic, efficiency decreases and it is difficult to reduce power consumption.

On the other hand, if the compressor operating speed is reduced to save power, the time to reach the set temperature may increase and it may take a long time to feel comfortable.

The problem that the present disclosure aims to solve is to provide a multi-type air conditioner that can simultaneously adjust temperature and humidity to shorten the time a user feels comfortable and achieve a power saving effect.

Another task of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioner that can prevent overcooling and overhumidification and manage temperature and humidity in a comfort zone where users can feel comfortable.

Another task of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioner that can effectively select a target value for each room to simultaneously control temperature and humidity for each indoor unit.

In order to achieve the above or other objects, an air conditioner according to an aspect of the present disclosure is connected to a plurality of indoor units, each including an indoor temperature sensor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an indoor fan, and a refrigerant pipe. , an outdoor unit including an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and a plurality of electronic expansion valves corresponding to each of the plurality of indoor units, and simultaneous temperature and humidity control that manages temperature and humidity according to a comfort zone with a set temperature range and humidity range. When an input for the mode is received, a general cooling operation is first performed, and if a power saving condition is satisfied while performing the general cooling operation, a power saving function that reduces the rotation speed of the compressor is entered.

The power saving condition includes a first condition in which the highest indoor temperature among the indoor temperatures detected by the indoor temperature sensor provided in the plurality of indoor units is lower than a temperature reference value by a first temperature higher than the maximum temperature in the comfort zone, and The set temperature difference, which is the difference between the sensed indoor temperature and the set temperature, may satisfy the second condition where the set temperature difference is smaller than the first temperature difference reference value.

The power saving condition includes an immediate switching condition in which the set temperature difference is smaller than a second temperature difference reference value set lower than the first temperature difference reference value, and when the immediate switching condition is satisfied, the power saving function is activated regardless of whether other power saving conditions are satisfied. You can enter.

After entering the power saving function, if the set temperature difference satisfies a temperature difference condition greater than a third temperature difference reference value that is set higher than the first temperature difference reference value, the general cooling operation may be performed.

The power saving condition further includes a third condition in which a humidity difference between the indoor humidity detected by the indoor unit equipped with a humidity sensor and the target humidity based on the humidity range is smaller than a first humidity difference reference value, and the first to third conditions If all conditions are met, the power saving function can be entered. In this case as well, the power saving condition includes an immediate switching condition in which the temperature difference is smaller than a second temperature difference reference value set lower than the first temperature difference reference value, and if the immediate switching condition is satisfied, the power saving condition is set to be lower than the first temperature difference reference value, regardless of whether other power saving conditions are satisfied. You can enter the power saving function.

After entering the power saving function, if the humidity difference satisfies a humidity difference condition greater than a second humidity difference reference value that is set higher than the first humidity difference reference value, the general cooling operation may be performed.

If the indoor temperature or indoor humidity is outside the comfort zone, the general cooling operation can be performed.

As the power saving function is entered, the rotation speed of the compressor is controlled in response to the dew point temperature calculated based on the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor of any one of the plurality of indoor units, and the indoor temperature sensor of each indoor unit Based on the sensed indoor temperature and the set temperature, the rotation speed of the indoor fan provided for each indoor unit and the opening degree of the corresponding electronic expansion valve can be controlled.

The compressor may be controlled according to a dew point temperature calculated based on the lowest indoor temperature among the indoor temperatures sensed by the plurality of indoor units.

The rotation speed of the compressor may be controlled in response to the indoor temperature detected by an indoor temperature sensor of one of the plurality of indoor units and the dew point temperature calculated based on the target humidity set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

If the temperature difference between the indoor temperature detected by the plurality of indoor units and the set temperature is greater than or equal to a reference value, the compressor may vary the rotation speed based on the set temperature corresponding to the highest indoor temperature.

The plurality of indoor units each further include a pipe temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant pipe, and the compressor rotates according to the difference between the target pipe temperature corresponding to the dew point temperature and the pipe temperature detected by the pipe temperature sensor. Numbers can be controlled.

The outdoor unit may set the target pipe temperature to a predetermined temperature lower than the dew point temperature so that the highest pipe temperature does not increase above the dew point temperature.

The plurality of indoor units may increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan when the sensed indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and decrease the rotation speed of the indoor fan when the sensed indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature. .

The outdoor unit may increase the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve corresponding to the indoor unit whose sensed indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and may decrease the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve corresponding to the indoor unit whose sensed indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature.

The outdoor unit determines the total opening degree of the electronic expansion valves according to the difference between the target superheating degree and the current superheating degree, and the sum of the opening degree changes of the electronic expansion valves for each indoor unit is determined based on the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature for each indoor unit. It can be controlled to achieve the total opening degree.

When an input for the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode is received by one of the plurality of indoor units, a signal corresponding to the input is transmitted to the outdoor unit and the remaining indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, and the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units are, It can be operated in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to simultaneously adjust temperature and humidity to shorten the time a user feels comfortable and achieve a power saving effect.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, overcooling and overhumidification can be prevented, and temperature and humidity can be managed in a comfort zone where the user can feel comfortable.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to effectively select a target value for each room to simultaneously control temperature and humidity for each indoor unit.

Meanwhile, various other effects will be disclosed directly or implicitly in the detailed description according to embodiments of the present disclosure to be described later.

1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit.
Figure 3 is a simplified connection configuration diagram of a multi-type air conditioner.
4 is a simplified internal block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a diagram referenced in the description of compressor control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 6 is a diagram referenced in the description of electronic expansion valve control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a diagram referenced in the description of outdoor fan control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a diagram referenced in the description of indoor fan control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
9 to 13 are diagrams referenced in the description of the operation of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 14 is a flowchart of an air conditioner operating method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can of course be modified into various forms.

In the drawings, parts not related to the description are omitted in order to clearly and briefly explain the present disclosure, and identical or extremely similar parts are denoted by the same drawing reference numerals throughout the specification.

Meanwhile, the suffixes “module” and “part” for components used in the following description are simply given in consideration of the ease of writing this specification, and do not give any particularly important meaning or role in and of themselves. Accordingly, the terms “module” and “unit” may be used interchangeably.

Additionally, in this specification, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, an air conditioner 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of units. The air conditioner 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes at least a plurality of indoor units 30 and one or more outdoor units 20. In addition, the air conditioner 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a remote control 40 connected to the indoor unit, and a central controller 10 capable of controlling units within the air conditioner.

The air conditioner 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes indoor units 31 to 35, outdoor units 21 and 22 connected to the indoor units 31 to 35, and indoor units 31 to 35, respectively. It may include remote controls 41 to 45 connected to. In addition, the air conditioner 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a central controller 10 that controls a plurality of indoor units 31 to 35 and outdoor units 21 and 22.

The central controller 10 is connected to a plurality of indoor units 31 to 36 and a plurality of outdoor units 21 and 22 to monitor and control their operations. At this time, the central controller 10 is connected to a plurality of indoor units and can perform operation settings, lock settings, schedule control, group control, etc. for the indoor units.

The air conditioner can be any of a stand-type air conditioner, a wall-mounted air conditioner, and a ceiling-type air conditioner. However, for convenience of explanation, a ceiling-type air conditioner will be described below as an example. Additionally, the air conditioner may further include at least one of a ventilator, an air purifier, a humidifier, and a heater, and may operate in conjunction with the operations of the indoor unit and outdoor unit.

The outdoor units 21 and 22 include a compressor (not shown) that receives and compresses refrigerant, an outdoor heat exchanger (not shown) that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air, and an accumulator that extracts gaseous refrigerant from the supplied refrigerant and supplies it to the compressor. (not shown) and a four-way valve (not shown) that selects the refrigerant flow path according to heating operation. In addition, it may further include a number of sensors, valves, and an oil recovery device.

The outdoor units 21 and 22 operate the provided compressor and outdoor heat exchanger to compress or heat exchange the refrigerant according to settings and supply the refrigerant to the indoor units 31 to 35.

The outdoor units 21 and 22 are driven by the request of the central controller 10 or the indoor units 31 to 35, and as the cooling/heating capacity varies in response to the driven indoor unit, the number of operating outdoor units and the number of compressors installed in the outdoor unit are changed. The number of operations is variable.

At this time, the explanation is based on the fact that the plurality of outdoor units 21 and 22 each supply refrigerant to the indoor units connected to each other. However, according to the connection structure of the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, the plurality of outdoor units are connected to each other and supply refrigerant to the plurality of indoor units. It may be possible.

The indoor units 31 to 35 are connected to one of the plurality of outdoor units 21 and 22, receive refrigerant, and discharge cold air into the room. The indoor units 31 to 35 include an indoor heat exchanger (not shown), an indoor unit fan (not shown), an expansion valve (not shown) through which supplied refrigerant expands, and a plurality of sensors (not shown).

At this time, the outdoor units 21 and 22 and the indoor units 31 to 35 are connected through a communication line to transmit and receive data to each other, and the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are connected to the central controller 10 through a separate communication line to be controlled by the central controller 10. It operates accordingly.

The remote controllers 41 to 45 are respectively connected to the indoor unit and can input a user's control command to the indoor unit and receive and display status information of the indoor unit. At this time, the remote control communicates wired or wirelessly depending on the connection type with the indoor unit. In some cases, one remote control is connected to multiple indoor units and the settings of the multiple indoor units can be changed through one remote control input.

Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, the remote controls 41 to 45 may include various sensors inside them, such as an indoor temperature sensor that detects the indoor temperature.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, and Figure 3 is a simplified connection configuration diagram of a multi-type air conditioner. Figure 3 shows an example in which one outdoor unit is connected to four indoor units through a refrigerant pipe, simplified to a refrigeration cycle.

When described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the air conditioner 50 is largely divided into an indoor unit 30 and an outdoor unit 20.

The indoor unit 30 includes an indoor heat exchanger 108 that is placed indoors and performs a cooling/heating function, an indoor fan 109a that is placed on one side of the indoor heat exchanger 108 to promote heat dissipation of the refrigerant, and an indoor fan ( It includes an indoor blower 109 consisting of an electric motor 109b that rotates 109a).

At least one indoor heat exchanger 108 may be installed in the indoor unit 30. The compressor 102 may be at least one of an inverter compressor and a constant speed compressor.

Additionally, the air conditioner 50 may be configured as an air conditioner that cools the room, or it may also be configured as a heat pump that cools or heats the room.

The outdoor unit 20 includes a compressor 102 that compresses the refrigerant, a compressor electric motor 102b that drives the compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger 104 that dissipates heat from the compressed refrigerant, and an outdoor heat exchanger. An outdoor fan (105a) disposed on one side of the fan (104) to promote heat dissipation of the refrigerant, an outdoor blower (105) consisting of an electric motor (105b) that rotates the outdoor fan (105a), and an expansion mechanism that expands the condensed refrigerant. It includes (106) and an accumulator (103) that temporarily stores the vaporized refrigerant, removes moisture and foreign substances, and then supplies the refrigerant at a constant pressure to the compressor. In addition, in the case of combined cooling and heating, the outdoor unit 20 further includes a cooling/heating switching valve 110 that changes the flow path of the compressed refrigerant.

The expansion mechanism 106 may be installed between the indoor heat exchanger 108 and the outdoor heat exchanger 104, and may be installed in the refrigerant pipe connecting the indoor heat exchanger 108 and the outdoor heat exchanger 104. The expansion mechanism 106 can expand the refrigerant supplied from either the indoor heat exchanger 108 or the outdoor heat exchanger 104 to a low temperature and low pressure state, depending on the operation mode of the air conditioner.

Depending on the embodiment, the expansion mechanism 106 may also be placed on the indoor unit side. For example, the outdoor expansion device is installed in the refrigerant pipe located inside the outdoor unit 20 among the refrigerant pipes between the indoor heat exchanger 108 and the outdoor heat exchanger 104, and the indoor expansion device is installed in the indoor heat exchanger 108. ) and the outdoor heat exchanger (104) may be installed in the refrigerant pipe located inside the indoor unit (30).

The main operation of the refrigeration cycle is performed in the outdoor unit 20, which includes the compressor 102. Basically, the processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 controls the expansion mechanism 106 to control the flow rate of the refrigerant. Depending on the embodiment, the control logic of the inflation device 106 may also be applied to the control of an indoor inflation device.

Meanwhile, the expansion mechanism 106 is composed of an electronic expansion valve (EEV) and the opening degree can be adjusted. The opening of the electronic expansion valve can be controlled according to the input pulse value. For example, when the pulse input to the electronic expansion valve is reduced by 50%, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve may also be reduced by 50%. As the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve increases, the pressure drop of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve increases and the flow rate decreases. On the other hand, when the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve decreases, the pressure drop of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve decreases and the flow rate increases.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 2, one indoor unit 30 and one outdoor unit 20 are shown, but this is for convenience of explanation and is applied to a multi-type air conditioner having one or more outdoor units and a plurality of indoor units as shown in FIG. 3. .

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the outdoor unit 20 includes a compressor 102 that compresses the refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger 104 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air. The indoor units 30 each include one or more indoor heat exchangers 108a, 108b, 108c, and 108d. Additionally, the four indoor heat exchangers (108a, 108b, 108c, and 108d) are connected to the outdoor unit 20 through refrigerant pipes, and refrigerant can move between the outdoor unit 20 and the indoor unit 30 through the refrigerant pipes. Electronic expansion valves (EEV1, EEV2, EEV3, and EEV4) are placed in the refrigerant pipes to control the flow of refrigerant. Meanwhile, looking at the indoor unit 30, one side on which the electronic expansion valves (EEV1, EEV2, EEV3, and EEV4) are located can be called the inlet, and the other side can be called the outlet.

A pressure sensor (P) may be placed on one side of the cooling/heating switching valve 110. During cooling, the pressure sensor (P) senses pressure on the suction side of the compressor (102). Pressure data sensed by the pressure sensor (P) can be converted into evaporation temperature data.

Figure 4 is a simplified internal block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4, the air conditioner 50 includes one or more outdoor units 20 and a plurality of indoor units 31, 32, ... connected to the outdoor units 20 and refrigerant pipes.

The outdoor unit 20 may include a compressor 102 that compresses refrigerant, an outdoor fan 105a, a processor 450, a sensing unit 440, and a communication unit 430. Additionally, the outdoor unit 20 may include a plurality of electronic expansion valves 106a, 106b, 106c.... Additionally, the outdoor unit 20 may include a load driver 410 that drives various loads, such as a compressor 102, an outdoor fan 105a, and expansion valves 106a, 106b, 106c.... The load driving unit 410 may include a compressor driving unit, an outdoor fan driving unit, and a valve driving unit.

The indoor units 31 and 32 may include a vane 301, an indoor fan 109, a processor 350, a sensing unit 340, and a communication unit 330. Additionally, the indoor units 31 and 32 may include a load driver 310 that drives various loads such as a vane 301 and an indoor fan 109. The load driving unit 310 may include a vane driving unit, an indoor fan driving unit, etc. The indoor units 31 and 32 may include an interface 320 including input/output means. For example, the interface 320 may include a display 321 and a remote controller 322 to provide information to the user or receive user input.

The compressor 102, outdoor fan 105a, indoor fan 109, etc. may operate as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The sensing units 340 and 440 may include a plurality of sensors to obtain data related to the operation and status of the air conditioner 50. The sensing units 340 and 440 may be equipped with various sensors to obtain cycle driving data.

For example, the sensing units 340 and 440 may include a plurality of temperature sensors.

The outdoor unit 20 may include a sensing unit 440 including a plurality of sensors. The outdoor unit 20 may include an outdoor temperature sensor 441, a pipe temperature sensor 442, a discharge temperature sensor 443, and a pressure sensor 444 that senses the evaporation temperature. A pressure sensor (P, 444) may be placed on one side of the cooling/heating switching valve 110. During cooling, the pressure sensor (P) senses pressure on the suction side of the compressor (102). Pressure data sensed by the pressure sensor (P) can be converted into evaporation temperature data. Alternatively, a temperature sensor may be placed in the outdoor heat exchanger 104 to detect changes in evaporation temperature. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 440 may include a sensor capable of obtaining data related to the operation and status of the air conditioner 50, and may transmit the sensing data of the sensors to the control unit 450.

The outdoor temperature sensor 441 can detect the outdoor temperature, which is the temperature around the outdoor unit 20 of the air conditioner 50, and can transmit a signal about the sensed outdoor temperature to the processor 450. The exhaust temperature sensor 442 is a sensor that senses the temperature of the refrigerant pipe connected to the outdoor unit 20, and may include an inlet pipe temperature sensor that senses the inlet temperature and an outlet pipe temperature sensor that senses the outlet temperature. The temperature sensor 442 may transmit a signal about the sensed temperature to the processor 450. The discharge temperature sensor 443 can detect the refrigerant discharge temperature from the compressor 102 and transmit a signal about the detected refrigerant discharge temperature to the processor 450. The pressure sensor 444 can sense the pressure of the refrigerant pipe and transmit a signal about the sensed pressure to the processor 450.

The indoor unit 30 may include a sensing unit 340 including a plurality of sensors. The indoor unit 30 may include an indoor temperature sensor 341 and an exhaust temperature sensor 342.

The indoor temperature sensor 341 can detect the indoor temperature, which is the temperature around the indoor unit 30 of the air conditioner 50, and can transmit a signal about the detected indoor temperature to the processor 350. The exhaust temperature sensor 342 is a sensor that senses the temperature of the refrigerant pipe connected to the indoor unit 30, and may include an inlet pipe temperature sensor that senses the inlet temperature and an outlet pipe temperature sensor that senses the outlet temperature. The temperature sensor 342 may transmit a signal about the sensed temperature to the processor 350.

The sensing unit 340 may include a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, and other sensors capable of acquiring data related to the operation and status of the air conditioner 50, and may transmit the sensing data of the sensors to the processor 350. there is. Depending on the embodiment, one or more indoor units 30 may be provided with a humidity sensor to detect indoor humidity. The humidity sensor measures the humidity of indoor air. For example, a humidity sensor can detect relative humidity. Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage of the ratio between the amount of water vapor contained in the atmosphere and the maximum amount of water vapor (saturated water vapor) that the atmosphere can contain at that temperature. Since the maximum amount of water vapor varies depending on temperature, relative humidity also varies depending on temperature.

The outdoor unit 20 and the indoor units 31 and 32 can transmit and receive signals to each other through the communication units 430 and 330. The processor 350 of the indoor units 31 and 32 can control the overall operation of the indoor units 31 and 32. The processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 can control the overall operation of the outdoor unit 20. Additionally, the processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 and the processors 350 of the indoor units 31 and 32 may transmit and receive signals to each other through the communication units 430 and 330.

The processor 350 of the indoor units 31 and 32 may control the indoor unit information and user input input from the remote controller 322 to be transmitted to the outdoor unit 20 through the communication unit 330. Additionally, the operator may input indoor unit information using the remote control 322.

The processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 can check whether there is an error in the received indoor unit information through the communication unit 330. The processor 450 can control the refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner.

The outdoor unit 20 includes an outdoor heat exchanger 104 and a compressor 102, and the plurality of indoor units 30 includes an indoor heat exchanger 108 and an indoor fan 109, and one or more outdoor units 20 and A plurality of indoor units 30 are connected by a refrigerant pipe to allow refrigerant to flow, and an electronic expansion valve 106 corresponding to each indoor unit 30 is disposed in the refrigerant pipe connected to each indoor unit 30 to control the flow rate of the refrigerant. do.

The plurality of indoor units 30 are arranged and used in two or more multi-rooms. When the indoor unit 30 placed in a different room is connected to the same outdoor unit 10 and the refrigerant circulates, the temperature and humidity required for each room and the current temperature and humidity conditions vary, so each indoor unit 30 ) and the outdoor unit 10 are highly likely to operate inefficiently.

Therefore, when operating in a simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode that manages both temperature and humidity in a multi-type air conditioner, there is a greater need to effectively select a target for efficient multi-room control and control each configuration accordingly.

Temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode is a mode that manages temperature and humidity modes. It is different from general cooling/heating operation that operates with the goal of controlling temperature only and general dehumidification operation that only lowers humidity to the target, and controls both temperature and humidity as factors. It may be a control mode considered.

The temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode may be a control mode that manages the temperature and humidity of a predetermined indoor space so that the temperature and humidity range in which the user can feel comfortable are included in a set comfort zone. For example, the comfort zone may be set at a temperature of 22 to 27 degrees and a relative humidity of 40% to 60%. In this case, in the hot and humid summer, the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode can simultaneously perform cooling and dehumidification at a target temperature of 27 degrees and a target humidity of 60% so that temperature and humidity are simultaneously managed in the example comfort zone.

Meanwhile, the air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can reduce power consumption while simultaneously managing the temperature and humidity of the installed room. The temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode improves efficiency and reduces power consumption when managing humidity in addition to traditional temperature management in a tea room environment, so it is also called the comfortable power saving function, power saving function (power saving control), and power saving dehumidification (power saving humidity) function. It can be.

Below, selection of the goal of the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode for tea room control and specific control according to the selected goal will be described.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode, the rotation speed of the compressor 102 is based on the indoor temperature detected by any one of the indoor temperature sensors 341 provided in the plurality of indoor units 30. The rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 provided for each indoor unit 30 and the opening degree of the corresponding electronic expansion valve 106 are detected by the indoor temperature sensor 341 of each indoor unit 30. It is controlled based on the room temperature and set temperature.

Since a plurality of indoor units 30 are connected to one outdoor unit 20, the compressor 102 of the outdoor unit 20 receives indoor temperature data detected by a plurality of indoor temperature sensors 341 provided in the plurality of indoor units 30. Can be used in whole or in part. For example, the compressor 102 may be controlled based on the average value of room temperature data. More preferably, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the compressor 102 may operate based on indoor temperature data sensed by an indoor temperature sensor 341.

The rotation speed of the compressor 102 is controlled in accordance with the dew point temperature. Dew point temperature is the temperature at which water vapor reaches saturation and water begins to condense when the temperature is lowered without changing the atmospheric pressure and amount of water vapor, including water vapor.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dew point temperature is calculated based on the target humidity set according to the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode and the indoor temperature data detected by an indoor temperature sensor 341, and the rotation speed of the compressor 102. Can be controlled in response to the calculated dew point temperature.

Compressor control is targeted based on the target piping temperature, and as shown below, the target piping temperature can be selected based on the current indoor temperature and target relative humidity.

Target piping temperature = f (current indoor temperature, target relative humidity)

Meanwhile, the processor 450 may select a target based on the lowest indoor temperature. That is, the processor 450 can calculate the dew point temperature based on the lowest indoor temperature among the indoor temperature data detected by the plurality of indoor temperature sensors 341, and determine the target piping temperature based on the calculated dew point temperature. there is. Accordingly, the compressor 102 can be controlled according to the dew point temperature calculated based on the lowest indoor temperature among the indoor temperatures sensed by each of the plurality of indoor units 30. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent sufficient dehumidification when operating by considering the set temperature.

The compressor 102 is configured to match the indoor temperature (more preferably the lowest indoor temperature) detected by the indoor temperature sensor 341 of any one of the plurality of indoor units 30 and the target humidity set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode. The rotation speed can be controlled in response to the dew point temperature calculated based on the dew point temperature.

Meanwhile, the processor 450 may control the compressor 102 based on the difference between the target pipe temperature and the current pipe temperature.

In addition, if the temperature difference between the indoor temperature detected by the plurality of indoor units 30 and the set temperature is greater than or equal to a reference value, the compressor 102 may vary the rotation speed based on the set temperature corresponding to the highest indoor temperature. . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature from becoming too large while simultaneously controlling the humidity.

The processor 450 may calculate the set temperature of each indoor unit 30 and the temperature difference detected by the corresponding indoor unit 30. Alternatively, the processor 450 may receive the set temperature of each indoor unit 30 calculated by the processor 350 of each indoor unit 30 and the temperature difference detected by the corresponding indoor unit 30 through the communication units 430 and 330. .

The processor 450 may determine whether the largest temperature difference among the temperature difference data is greater than or equal to the reference value. If there is a temperature difference greater than the reference value, the processor 450 may increase the rotation speed of the compressor 102 to improve cooling performance.

Meanwhile, each of the plurality of indoor units 30 may include a pipe temperature sensor 342 that detects the temperature of a refrigerant pipe connected to the outdoor unit 20. The rotation speed of the compressor 102 may be controlled according to the difference between the target pipe temperature corresponding to the dew point temperature and the pipe temperature detected by the pipe temperature sensor 342. Depending on the embodiment, the pipe temperature detected by the pipe temperature sensor 442 on the outdoor unit 20 side may be used as the pipe temperature.

The rotation speed of the compressor 102 may be controlled to be proportional to the difference between the target pipe temperature and the highest pipe temperature detected by the pipe temperature sensor 342.

The processor 450 may calculate the temperature difference between the pipe temperature detected in the refrigerant pipe connected to each indoor unit 30 and the target pipe temperature. Alternatively, the processor 450 receives temperature difference data between the pipe temperature detected in the refrigerant pipe connected to each indoor unit 30 and the target pipe temperature calculated by the processor 350 of each indoor unit 30 through the communication units 430 and 330. can do. The processor 450 may change the rotation speed of the compressor 102 to be proportional to the largest temperature difference data among the temperature difference data between the current pipe temperature and the target pipe temperature.

The outdoor unit 20 can adjust the pressure of the refrigerant pipe by controlling the rotation speed of the compressor 102 so that the highest pipe temperature is variable.

In order to control the temperature of the refrigerant pipe, the processor 450 may set the target pipe temperature to a predetermined temperature lower than the dew point temperature. For example, a temperature 1 or 2 degrees lower than the dew point temperature can be set as the target piping temperature.

The processor 450 can calculate the maximum pressure value of the refrigerant pipe that can be set using the dew point temperature and target pipe temperature based on pressure tracking control. The processor 450 can convert the target pipe temperature into a pressure value in response to the conversion equation.

The pipe temperature sensor 342 installed in the refrigerant pipe on the indoor unit 30 detects the temperature of the refrigerant pipe. When the temperature of the refrigerant pipe is above the target pipe temperature, the processor 450 may control pressure tracking control to determine the temperature of the indoor refrigerant pipe to control the temperature of the refrigerant pipe below the target pipe temperature.

The processor 450 performs pressure tracking control based on the pressure of the refrigerant pipe and controls the rotation speed of the compressor 102 accordingly to control the pressure of the refrigerant pipe.

As the pressure of the refrigerant pipe is controlled, the temperature of the refrigerant pipe can be maintained below the target pipe temperature. In the case of temperature-based control, operation is stopped when the indoor temperature reaches the target temperature, but in pressure-based control, operation can be maintained even if the indoor temperature reaches the target temperature in order to control the temperature of the refrigerant pipe.

The processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 may set a predetermined temperature lower than the dew point temperature as the target pipe temperature so that the highest pipe temperature does not increase above the dew point temperature.

In order to control the temperature of the indoor refrigerant pipe to a reference temperature lower than the dew point temperature, the processor 450 may convert the temperature value into a pressure value and set the maximum value of the convertible range as the pressure limit value. For example, the processor 450 may set a temperature that is 1 or 2 degrees lower than the dew point temperature as the target piping temperature and calculate the pressure limit value based on this to control the operation.

The processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 may control the compressor 102 to follow the target humidity set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

FIG. 5 is a diagram referenced in the description of compressor control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5, the dew point temperature calculation unit 510 calculates the dew point temperature based on the target humidity (eg, 55%, 60%) of the comfort zone set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode and the indoor temperature. Here, the indoor temperature is indoor temperature data detected by the indoor temperature sensor 341 of one of the plurality of indoor units 30. More preferably, the indoor temperature that serves as the standard for dew point temperature calculation may be the lowest indoor temperature value among the indoor temperature values detected by the plurality of indoor temperature sensors 341 provided in the plurality of indoor units 30.

Meanwhile, the target piping temperature is set in response to the calculated dew point temperature. For example, the target piping temperature is set lower than the calculated dew point temperature. The pressure tracking controller 520 compares the target pipe temperature and the current pipe temperature and performs pressure tracking control. The pressure tracking controller 520 converts the temperature value into a pressure value and performs pressure tracking control based on the pressure of the refrigerant pipe.

The dew point temperature calculating unit 510 and the pressure tracking controller 520 illustrated in FIG. 5 may be provided in the processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 or the compressor driving unit of the load driving unit 410.

Meanwhile, depending on the embodiment, the compressor 102 may be controlled based on the weighted average humidity for each capacity. The weighted average humidity by capacity is humidity considering the capacity of each indoor unit 30, and is the sum of the products of the capacity of each indoor unit 30 and the humidity data (or alternative humidity data) detected in each indoor unit 30. ) divided by the total capacity of Accordingly, the outdoor unit 20 can operate at optimal efficiency by taking into account the larger capacity of the indoor unit 30.

The indoor fan 109 is controlled for each indoor unit 30. Additionally, the electronic expansion valve 106 corresponding to each indoor unit 30 is also controlled for each indoor unit 30. For each indoor unit 30, the number of revolutions of the indoor fan 109 provided and the opening degree of the corresponding electronic expansion valve 106 are determined by the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor 341 of each indoor unit 30 and It is controlled based on the set temperature.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the indoor temperature can be controlled using the indoor fan 109 and the electronic expansion valve 106. The processor 350 of the indoor unit 30 may control the operation of the indoor fan 109, and the processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 may control the operation of the electronic expansion valve 106.

The plurality of indoor units 30 each increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 when the sensed indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 when the sensed indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature. ) can reduce the number of rotations.

At this time, each of the plurality of indoor units 30 may increase or decrease the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 in proportion to the temperature difference between the detected indoor temperature and the set temperature. That is, the processor 350 can increase or decrease the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 to a greater extent as the temperature difference increases.

The outdoor unit 20 increases the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 106 in response to the indoor unit 30 in which the sensed indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and in response to the indoor unit 30 in which the sensed indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature. The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 106 can be reduced.

If the indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, the rotation speed of the indoor fan (109) is increased and the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve (106) is increased to increase the heat exchange amount of the indoor heat exchanger (108) and increase the flow rate of the refrigerant to increase the amount of heat. It can be raised.

If the indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature, the number of rotations of the indoor fan (109) is reduced and the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve (106) is reduced to lower the heat exchange amount of the indoor heat exchanger (108) and the flow rate of the refrigerant is reduced to reduce heat loss. can be lowered.

Figure 6 is a diagram referenced in the description of electronic expansion valve control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the main flow controller 610 and the room distribution controller 620 control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 106 so that the current superheat degree follows the target superheat degree. Meanwhile, the main flow controller 610 and the room-specific distribution controller 620 illustrated in FIG. 6 may be provided in the processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 or the valve driver of the load driver 410.

The main flow controller 610 determines the total opening degree of the electronic expansion valves according to the difference between the target superheating degree and the current superheating degree. The degree of superheat can be obtained according to sensed data such as temperature and pressure on the high-pressure and/or low-pressure side of the compressor 102 and a known calculation formula. For example, the current discharge superheat corresponding to the difference between the saturation temperature on the high pressure side of the compressor and the discharge temperature can be calculated. The main flow controller 610 may calculate the total opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 106 so that the current superheat degree follows the target superheat degree. The sum of the opening degree changes of the electronic expansion valves for each indoor unit becomes the total opening degree.

Meanwhile, the indoor temperature in FIG. 6 is indoor temperature data detected by the indoor temperature sensor 341 of each indoor unit 30, and the set temperature may be a set temperature set in each indoor unit 30.

The room distribution controller 620 may control the sum of the opening degree changes of the electronic expansion valves for each indoor unit to become the total opening degree based on the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature for each indoor unit.

For example, when the opening degree of the first electronic expansion valve corresponding to the one-chamber indoor unit is 100 pulses and the opening degree of the second electronic expansion valve corresponding to the two-chamber indoor unit is 200 pulses, the main flow controller 610 If an increase in opening degree of 20 pulses is calculated, the room-specific distribution controller 620 can distribute a total increase in opening degree of 20 pulses according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature of the first and second rooms. For example, the opening degree of the first electronic expansion valve can be increased by 15 pulses to increase the opening degree to 115 pulses, and the opening degree of the second electronic expansion valve can be increased by 5 pulses to increase the opening degree to 205 pulses.

Alternatively, when the opening degree of the first electronic expansion valve is 100 pulses and the opening degree of the second electronic expansion valve is 200 pulses, if the main flow controller 610 calculates an opening degree increase of a total of 10 pulses, the room distribution controller ( 620) can distribute an increase in opening degree of a total of 10 pulses according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature of the first and second rooms. For example, the opening degree of the first electronic expansion valve can be increased by 15 pulses to increase the opening degree to 115 pulses, and the opening degree of the second electronic expansion valve can be decreased by 5 pulses to reduce the opening degree to 195 pulses.

Meanwhile, the outdoor unit 20 further includes an outdoor fan 105, and applies pressure to the outdoor fan 105 based on the target temperature set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode and the pressure difference on the outdoor heat exchanger 104. Follow-up control is possible.

FIG. 7 is a diagram referenced in the description of outdoor fan control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 7, the pressure tracking controller 710 sets target temperature and pressure data corresponding to the comfort zone (e.g., outlet pressure of the outdoor heat exchanger 104, high pressure side pressure data of the compressor 102). Compare and control pressure tracking. The pressure tracking controller 520 converts the temperature value into a pressure value and performs pressure tracking control based on the pressure and target temperature difference.

The pressure tracking controller 710 illustrated in FIG. 7 may be provided in the processor 450 of the outdoor unit 20 or the outdoor fan driver of the load driver 410.

The outdoor unit 20 controls the compressor 102 to follow the target humidity set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode, and controls the electronic expansion valve 106 to follow the target temperature set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode, , the indoor unit 30 can control the indoor fan 109 to follow the target temperature.

FIG. 8 is a diagram referenced in the description of indoor fan control according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, the room temperature tracking controller 810 performs room temperature tracking control by comparing the set temperature set for each indoor unit 30 with the indoor temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 341 of each indoor unit 30. Additionally, the set temperature may be the same as the target temperature of the comfort zone in the simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode, or may be a target temperature value directly input by the user. Meanwhile, the room temperature tracking controller 810 can change the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 in proportion to the temperature difference. Accordingly, the larger the temperature difference, the greater the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109, so that the target temperature can be achieved more quickly.

The room temperature tracking controller 810 illustrated in FIG. 8 may be installed in the processor 350 of the indoor unit 30 or the indoor fan driver of the load driver 310.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode function operates in one indoor unit, the corresponding information can be transmitted to all indoor units connected to the same outdoor unit, so that all indoor units can be controlled to enter the function.

That is, when an input for the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode is received by one of the plurality of indoor units, a signal corresponding to the input is transmitted to the outdoor unit and the remaining indoor units connected to the outdoor unit, and the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units may operate in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to continuously maintain indoor dehumidification and indoor temperature in a comfort zone where the user can feel a comfortable indoor environment, and also perform a power saving operation in which power consumption is greatly reduced.

9 to 13 are diagrams referenced in the description of the operation of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figures 9 to 13 are graphs comparing a general cooling operation and the simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figures 11 to 13 are graphs showing small-capacity and large-capacity indoor units separated.

FIG. 9 shows the cumulative power consumption value 910 of a small-capacity indoor unit during general cooling operation and the cumulative power consumption value 920 of the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode. Referring to Figure 9, the longer the usage time, the greater the power consumption reduction effect of the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode. In the case of large-capacity indoor units, the trend is similar.

Figure 10 shows changes in the compressor operating frequency (revolutions) 1010 in general cooling operation of a small-capacity indoor unit and the compressor operating frequency (revolutions) 1020 in simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode. Referring to FIG. 10, when the humidity is lowered, the compressor operating frequency (rpm) is lowered in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode (1020) much faster than the general cooling operation (1010). Accordingly, power consumption can be reduced. In the case of large-capacity indoor units, the trend is similar.

11 shows the indoor fan rotation speed (1110) for general cooling operation of the small-capacity indoor unit, the indoor fan rotation speed (1120) in simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode for the small-capacity indoor unit, the indoor fan rotation speed (1130) for general cooling operation of the large-capacity indoor unit, and the temperature and humidity of the large-capacity indoor unit. Simultaneous control mode indoor fan rotation speed (1140) is shown.

Referring to FIG. 11, the indoor fan rotation speeds 1130 and 1140 of the large-capacity indoor unit are generally faster than the indoor fan rotation speeds 1110 and 1120 of the small-capacity indoor unit. In addition, the indoor fan rotation speeds 1110 and 1130 in general cooling operation are constant, but the indoor fan rotation speeds 1120 and 1140 in simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode are actively varied. Accordingly, the current indoor temperature reaches the target temperature more quickly, thereby increasing the user's comfort, or further reducing power consumption by reducing the number of rotations when the target temperature is reached.

Figure 12 shows the indoor temperature change during general cooling operation of a small-capacity indoor unit (1210), the indoor temperature change in simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode of a small-capacity indoor unit (1220), and the general cooling operation indoor temperature change of a large-capacity indoor unit when the set temperature is set to 24 degrees (1210). 1230), shows the indoor temperature change 1240 in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode of a large-capacity indoor unit.

Referring to FIG. 12, it can be seen that the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode (1220, 1240) quickly follows the set temperature without overcooling.

In addition, Figure 13 shows the indoor humidity change in general cooling operation of a small-capacity indoor unit (1310), the indoor humidity change in simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode of a small-capacity indoor unit (1320), and the general cooling operation indoor of a large-capacity indoor unit when the target humidity is set to 60%. A change in humidity (1330) and a change in indoor humidity (1340) in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode of a large-capacity indoor unit are shown.

Referring to FIG. 13, it can be seen that the target humidity is quickly followed without overhumidity below 40% in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode (1320, 1340).

General cooling operation has low power saving effect. However, the simultaneous temperature and humidity control mode in a real environment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a power saving function that reduces power consumption while simultaneously managing temperature and humidity. When reducing the compressor operation speed for power saving effect, depending on the situation such as temperature and humidity conditions, it takes a long time for the user to feel comfortable, and it takes a long time to reach the indoor temperature set by the user or the temperature range of the comfort zone. It may take a long time.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, even if the power saving control is entered, the power saving control is switched after the load is relieved after the initial normal operation. Additionally, if load is introduced while entering power saving control, it can be switched to normal operation. The standard for such control switching can be determined by indoor temperature, set temperature, and humidity.

In the multi-type air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when an input for the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode that manages temperature and humidity according to the comfort zone in which the temperature and humidity ranges are set is received through the remote control 322, etc., it immediately After entering the power saving function, the time to reach the comfort zone can be shortened by first performing general cooling operation without managing temperature and humidity according to the selected goal.

Meanwhile, when an input for the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode is received in any one of the plurality of indoor units 30, the outdoor unit 20 and the remaining indoor units 30 connected to the outdoor unit 20 respond to the input. A signal is transmitted, and all units can operate in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

Figure 14 is a flowchart of an air conditioner operation method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the operation flow of the air conditioner operation according to the input to the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

Referring to FIG. 14, when an input for the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode is received through the remote control 322, etc., the air conditioner first performs a general cooling operation (S1410).

While performing the general cooling operation (S1410), if the power saving condition is satisfied (S1420), a power saving function that reduces the rotation speed of the compressor 102 is entered (S1430).

That is, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a comfort zone, which is a driving area where one feels comfortable even when the power saving function is activated, is defined, and driving is performed in normal cooling mode until entering the zone, and then switched to the power saving function. Accordingly, the time for the user to feel comfortable can be shortened and a power saving effect can be achieved.

For example, the comfort zone may be set to a temperature of 22 to 27 degrees and a relative humidity of 40% to 60%. The power saving condition may be set as a condition for determining whether a comfort zone has been approached or reached.

Specifically, the power saving condition is a temperature reference value ( The first condition that is lower than a) and the second condition that the set temperature difference, which is the difference between the indoor temperature detected by each indoor unit 30 and the set temperature, are smaller than the first temperature difference reference value (b) may be satisfied. That is, both the first condition and the second condition must be satisfied (S1420) to enter the power saving function (S1430).

The first temperature difference reference value (b) may be set to be greater than the first temperature. For example, if the first temperature is about 1 degree, the temperature reference value (a) is set to the maximum temperature of pig storage + the first temperature (about 1 degree), and the first temperature difference reference value (b) is about 3 degrees. It can be set to .

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the set temperature difference may be the largest value among the differences between the set temperature of each of the plurality of indoor units 30 and the indoor temperature.

Meanwhile, the power saving condition may include an immediate switching condition in which the set temperature difference is less than a second temperature difference reference value (d) set lower than the first temperature difference reference value (b). Meanwhile, the second temperature difference reference value (d) may be significantly smaller than the first temperature difference reference value (b) (b>>d).

The immediate conversion condition is set separately from the first condition and the second condition. Accordingly, if the immediate switching condition is satisfied (S1420), the power saving function can be entered regardless of whether other power saving conditions, that is, the first condition and the second condition, are satisfied (S1430). If the set temperature difference is quite small, the power saving function should be activated immediately to prevent operation off or overcooling. Additionally, if the user directly specifies the set temperature, priority is given to the user's intention and the power saving function can be entered as soon as the temperature difference becomes smaller. If the set temperature difference is smaller than the second temperature difference reference value (d), the power saving function can be immediately entered.

The power saving condition may further include a third condition in which the humidity difference between the indoor humidity detected by the indoor unit including the humidity sensor and the target humidity based on the comfortable zone humidity range is smaller than the first humidity difference reference value (c).

In this case, if all of the first to third conditions are satisfied (S1420), the power saving function can be entered (S1430). Even when the power saving condition further includes a third condition that is a humidity condition, the power saving condition may include an immediate switching condition in which the set temperature difference is less than a second temperature difference reference value (d) set lower than the first temperature difference reference value (b). there is.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the power saving function state, if the indoor temperature or indoor humidity is outside the comfort zone, the general cooling operation may be switched.

In addition, after entering the power saving function, if the set temperature difference satisfies the temperature difference condition greater than the third temperature difference reference value (b + e), which is set higher than the first temperature difference reference value (b) (S1440), the general cooling operation can be switched. (S1410). Here, the third temperature difference reference value (b+e) may be set higher than the first temperature difference reference value (b) by a predetermined margin (e). For example, when the first temperature difference reference value (b) is set to around 3 degrees, the predetermined margin (e) may be set to 1 to 3 degrees so as not to be greater than the first temperature difference reference value (b). In this case, the third temperature difference reference value (b+e) will be any one of 4 to 6 degrees.

In addition, after entering the power saving function, if the humidity difference satisfies the humidity difference condition greater than the second humidity difference reference value (c+f), which is set higher than the first humidity difference reference value (c) (S1440), the general cooling operation is performed. It can be converted to (S1410). Here, the second humidity difference reference value (c+f) may be set higher than the first humidity difference reference value (c) by a predetermined margin (f). For example, when the first humidity difference reference value (c) is set to 10 to 15%, the predetermined margin (f) may be set to 5%. In this case, the second humidity difference reference value (c+f) will be any one of 15 to 20%.

The general conversion condition for switching from the power saving function state to normal cooling operation may include the temperature difference condition (set temperature difference > b+e) and the humidity difference condition (humidity difference > c+f) as an 'or' condition. Therefore, if the temperature difference condition (set temperature difference > b+e) is satisfied or the humidity difference condition (humidity difference > c+f) is satisfied (S1440), the air conditioner can be switched to the general cooling operation (S1410) ).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to simultaneously adjust temperature and humidity to shorten the time a user feels comfortable and achieve a power saving effect.

Referring to Figures 9 to 13, when the initial indoor load is large, control is similar to general cooling and then switched to power saving control, so the compressor rotation speed is lowered faster than general cooling operation, and the cumulative power consumption reduction effect over time You can see that is large.

Meanwhile, when the power saving function is entered (S1430), as explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13, the number of revolutions of the compressor 102 is determined by one of the indoor temperature sensors 341 provided in the plurality of indoor units 30. It is controlled based on the indoor temperature detected by either one. In addition, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 provided for each indoor unit 30 and the opening degree of the corresponding electronic expansion valve 106 are determined by the indoor temperature sensor 341 of each indoor unit 30. Controlled based on temperature and set temperature.

The compressor 102 may be controlled according to the dew point temperature calculated based on the lowest indoor temperature among the indoor temperatures sensed by the plurality of indoor units 30. The dew point temperature may be calculated based on the indoor temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor 341 of any one of the plurality of indoor units and the target humidity set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

If the temperature difference between the indoor temperature detected by the plurality of indoor units 30 and the set temperature is greater than or equal to a reference value, the compressor 102 may vary the rotation speed based on the set temperature corresponding to the highest indoor temperature.

Additionally, the rotation speed of the compressor 102 may be controlled according to the difference between the target pipe temperature corresponding to the dew point temperature and the pipe temperature detected by the pipe temperature sensor 342. The rotation speed of the compressor 102 may be controlled to be proportional to the difference between the target pipe temperature and the highest pipe temperature detected by the pipe temperature sensor 342.

The outdoor unit 20 may set the target piping temperature to a predetermined temperature lower than the dew point temperature so that the highest piping temperature does not increase above the dew point temperature.

Meanwhile, the plurality of indoor units 30 each increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 when the sensed indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and increase the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 when the sensed indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature. The rotation number of (109) can be reduced. At this time, the rotation speed of the indoor fan 109 may be increased or decreased in proportion to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature.

The outdoor unit 20 increases the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 106 in response to the indoor unit 30 in which the sensed indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and in response to the indoor unit 30 in which the sensed indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature. The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 106 can be reduced.

In addition, the outdoor unit 20 determines the total opening degree of the electronic expansion valves 106 according to the difference between the target superheating degree and the current superheating degree, and determines the total opening degree of the electronic expansion valves 106 for each indoor unit based on the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature for each indoor unit. It can be controlled so that the sum of the opening degree changes of the expansion valve 106 becomes the total opening degree.

In the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and can be used in the technical field to which the invention pertains without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the patent claims. Of course, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and these modifications should not be understood individually from the technical idea or perspective of the present invention.

Air conditioner: 50
Outdoor unit: 20
Compressor: 102
Outdoor heat exchanger: 104
Indoor unit: 30
Indoor heat exchanger: 108

Claims (18)

A plurality of indoor units each including an indoor temperature sensor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an indoor fan;
Connected to the plurality of indoor units through refrigerant pipes,
An outdoor unit including an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and a plurality of electronic expansion valves corresponding to each of the plurality of indoor units,
When input for the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode is received, which manages temperature and humidity according to the comfort zone where the temperature and humidity ranges are set,
First perform normal cooling operation,
An air conditioner that enters a power saving function that reduces the rotation speed of the compressor when a power saving condition is satisfied while performing the general cooling operation. According to paragraph 1,
The power saving conditions are:
A first condition in which the highest indoor temperature among the indoor temperatures detected by the indoor temperature sensor provided in the plurality of indoor units is lower than a temperature reference value that is higher than the maximum temperature of the comfort zone by a first temperature;
An air conditioner that satisfies the second condition in which the set temperature difference, which is the difference between the indoor temperature detected by each indoor unit and the set temperature, is smaller than the first temperature difference standard. According to paragraph 2,
The power saving conditions are:
Including an immediate switching condition in which the set temperature difference is less than a second temperature difference reference value set lower than the first temperature difference reference value,
An air conditioner that enters the power saving function when the immediate switching condition is satisfied, regardless of whether other power saving conditions are satisfied. According to paragraph 2,
After entering the power saving function, if the set temperature difference satisfies a temperature difference condition greater than a third temperature difference reference value set higher than the first temperature difference reference value,
An air conditioner that switches to the general cooling operation. According to paragraph 2,
The power saving conditions are:
It further includes a third condition in which the humidity difference between the indoor humidity detected by the indoor unit equipped with a humidity sensor and the target humidity based on the humidity range is less than the first humidity difference reference value,
An air conditioner that enters the power saving function when all of the first to third conditions are satisfied. According to clause 5,
The power saving conditions are:
Including an immediate conversion condition in which the temperature difference is less than a second temperature difference reference value set lower than the first temperature difference reference value,
An air conditioner that enters the power saving function when the immediate switching condition is satisfied, regardless of whether other power saving conditions are satisfied. According to clause 5,
After entering the power saving function, if the humidity difference satisfies the humidity difference condition greater than the second humidity difference reference value set higher than the first humidity difference reference value,
Air conditioner switching to the above general cooling operation According to paragraph 1,
An air conditioner that performs the general cooling operation when the indoor temperature or indoor humidity is outside the comfort zone. According to paragraph 1,
Upon entering the power saving function,
Based on the indoor temperature detected by an indoor temperature sensor of one of the plurality of indoor units, the rotation speed of the compressor is controlled in response to the calculated dew point temperature,
An air conditioner in which the rotation speed of the indoor fan provided for each indoor unit and the opening degree of the corresponding electronic expansion valve are controlled based on the indoor temperature and set temperature detected by the indoor temperature sensor of each indoor unit. According to clause 9,
The compressor,
An air conditioner controlled according to a dew point temperature calculated based on the lowest indoor temperature among the indoor temperatures detected by the plurality of indoor units. According to clause 10,
The compressor,
An air conditioner whose rotation speed is controlled in response to the dew point temperature calculated based on the indoor temperature detected by an indoor temperature sensor of any one of the plurality of indoor units and the target humidity set in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode. According to clause 10,
The compressor,
If the temperature difference between the indoor temperature detected by the plurality of indoor units and the set temperature is greater than the standard value,
An air conditioner that varies the rotation speed based on the set temperature corresponding to the highest indoor temperature. According to clause 10,
Each of the plurality of indoor units further includes a pipe temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant pipe,
The compressor,
An air conditioner whose rotational speed is controlled according to the difference between the target pipe temperature corresponding to the dew point temperature and the pipe temperature detected by the pipe temperature sensor. According to clause 13,
The outdoor unit,
An air conditioner that sets a predetermined temperature lower than the dew point temperature as the target piping temperature so that the highest piping temperature does not increase above the dew point temperature. According to clause 9,
The plurality of indoor units each have,
An air conditioner that increases the rotation speed of the indoor fan when the detected indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and decreases the rotation speed of the indoor fan when the detected indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature. According to clause 9,
The outdoor unit,
An air conditioner that increases the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve corresponding to the indoor unit whose sensed indoor temperature is higher than the set temperature, and decreases the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve corresponding to the indoor unit whose sensed indoor temperature is lower than the set temperature. According to clause 16,
The outdoor unit,
Determine the total opening degree of the electronic expansion valves according to the difference between the target superheating degree and the current superheating degree,
An air conditioner that controls the sum of the opening degree changes of the electronic expansion valves for each indoor unit to be the total opening degree based on the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the set temperature for each indoor unit. According to paragraph 1,
When an input for the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode is received from any one of the plurality of indoor units,
A signal corresponding to the input is transmitted to the outdoor unit and the remaining indoor units connected to the outdoor unit,
An air conditioner wherein the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units operate in the temperature and humidity simultaneous control mode.

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