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Patent Abstract
Disclosed is a method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
capable of reducing power consumption of an air-conditioner. To
this end, in the method for controlling the solenoid valve of the
air-conditioner, when at least one compressor of the air-conditioner
temporarily stops operating, power is applied to a solenoid valve
connected to the compressor for a preset time.
Patent Claims
1. A method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
comprising: a step in which when at least one compressor of the
air-conditioner temporarily stops operating, power is applied to
a solenoid valve connected to the compressor for a preset time.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: cutting off power
applied to the solenoid valve when the compressor operates.
3. A method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
comprising: measuring a stop time of the compressor when at least
one compressor of the air-conditioner temporarily stops operating;
and applying power to a solenoid valve connected to the compressor
when the measured stop time passes a preset time.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: cutting off power
applied to the solenoid valve when the compressor operates.
5. A method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
comprising: applying power to solenoid valves connected to compressors
of an air-conditioner only for a preset time when the compressors
temporarily stop operating, so that power consumption of the solenoid
valves connected to the compressors of the air-conditioner is reduced.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: cutting off power
applied to the solenoid valves when the compressors operate.
7. A method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
comprising: a step in which when a stop signal for stopping at least
one compressor installed at the air-conditioner is generated, the
compressor is stopped; and a step in which when a stop time of the
compressor passes a first preset time, at least one solenoid valve
connected to the compressor is opened.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: closing the solenoid
valve when the stop time passes a second preset time.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the closing of the solenoid valve
comprises: cutting off power applied to the solenoid valve when
the stop time passes the second preset time.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the opening of the solenoid
valve comprises: applying power to the solenoid valve when the stop
time of the compressor passes the first preset time.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising: cutting off power
applied to the solenoid valve when the compressor operates.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the solenoid valve is installed
at the compressor in order to balance inlet pressure and outlet
pressure of the compressor.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first preset time is obtained
by subtracting the time required to balance the inlet pressure and
the outlet pressure of the compressor from a minimum stop time for
which the compressor stops operating while the air-conditioner is
in operation.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the second preset time is a
minimum stop time for which the compressor stops operating while
the air-conditioner is in operation.
15. The method of claim 8, wherein the first preset time is shorter
than the second preset time.
16. A method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
including a first compressor and a second compressor for compressing
a refrigerant; solenoid valves respectively connected to the first
compressor and the second compressor to balance internal pressure
of the first compressor and the second pressure, comprising: stopping
the first compressor or the second compressor when a first stop
signal for stopping the first compressor or the second compressor
is generated; applying power to the solenoid valve connected to
the first compressor or the second compressor when a time for which
the first compressor or the second compressor stops operating passes
a first preset time; stopping the first compressor and the second
compressor when a second stop signal for simultaneously stopping
the first compressor and the second compressor is generated; and
cutting off power applied to the solenoid valves when a time for
which the first compressor and the second compressor simultaneously
stop operating passes a second preset time.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising closing the solenoid
valve by cutting off power applied to the solenoid valve connected
to the first compressor or the second compressor when the first
compressor and the second compressor operate.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first preset time is a
time obtained by subtracting the time required to balance inlet
pressure and outlet pressure of the first compressor or the second
compressor from a minimum stop time for which the first compressor
or the second compressor stops operating while the air-conditioner
is in operation.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second preset time is a
minimum stop time for which the first compressor or the second compressor
temporarily stops operating while the air-conditioner is in operation.
20. A method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
including a first compressor and a second compressor for compressing
a refrigerant; and solenoid valves respectively connected to the
first compressor and the second compressor to balance internal pressure
of the first compressor and the second compressor, comprising: stopping
the first compressor or the second compressor when a first stop
signal for stopping the first compressor or the second compressor
is generated; applying power to the solenoid valve connected to
the first compressor or the second compressor when a time for which
the first compressor or the second compressor stops operating passes
a first preset time; and cutting off power applied to the solenoid
valves when a time for which the first compressor or the second
compressor stops operating passes a second preset time after the
power is applied to the solenoid valve connected to the first compressor
or the second compressor, wherein, the first preset time is a time
obtained by subtracting the time required to balance inlet pressure
and outlet pressure of the first compressor or the second compressor
from a minimum stop time for which the first compressor and the
second compressor temporarily stops operating, and the second preset
time is a minimum stop time for which the first compressor or the
second compressor temporarily stops operating.
Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an air-conditioner, and
particularly, to a method for controlling a solenoid valve of an
air-conditioner.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] In general, an air-conditioner cools warm air of a room
or heats cool air of the room. A structure of an air-conditioner
having two compressors in accordance with the conventional art will
now be described with reference to FIG. 1. Here, the two compressors
are selectively operated according to a cooling load or a heating
load of a room.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of an air-conditioner
having two compressors in accordance with the prior art.
[0006] As shown, the air-conditioner includes first and second
compressors 11 and 12 having different compressing capacities and
compressing a refrigerant into a high temperature high pressure
gaseous refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger 14 allowing the refrigerant
to exchange its heat with the outdoor air to thereby condense the
refrigerant into a moderate temperature high pressure liquid refrigerant;
an outdoor fan 14A cooling down heat of the outdoor heat exchanger
14; an electronic expansion valve 15 changing the refrigerant having
passed through the outdoor heat exchanger 14 into a low temperature
low pressure liquid refrigerant; an indoor heat exchanger 16 allowing
the refrigerant having passed through the electronic expansion valve
15 to exchange its heat with the indoor air; an indoor fan 16A discharging
the air to the indoor heat exchanger 16; and an accumulator 17 supplying
the refrigerant (gaseous refrigerant) having passed through the
indoor heat exchanger 16 to the first and second compressors 11
and 12.
[0007] In addition, the air-conditioner having two compressors
further includes check valves 11A and 12A preventing back flow of
the refrigerant compressed by the first and second compressors 11
and 12; a four-way valve 13 switching a channel of the refrigerant
having passed through the first and second compressor 11 and 12.
Namely, when the air-conditioner is in a cooling mode, a refrigerant
discharged from the two compressors 11 and 12 passes through the
check valves 11A and 12A and is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger
14. Then, the refrigerant passes through the electronic expansion
valve 15, is evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger 16, and then
is circulated to the first and second compressors 11 and 12 via
the accumulator 17.
[0008] Meanwhile, to achieve balanced internal pressure of the
first and second compressors 11 and 12 (inlet pressure and outlet
pressure of the compressor), solenoid valves are formed at the first
and second compressors 11 and 12, respectively. The solenoid valves
connected to the compressors 11 and 12 will now be described with
reference FIG. 2.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a view showing solenoid valves respectively installed
at compressors of the air-conditioner in accordance with the prior
art.
[0010] As shown in FIG. 2, in order to balance the internal pressure
of the first compressor 11 or the second compressor 12 when the
first compressor 11 or the second compressor 12 does not operate,
solenoid valves 11B and 12B are connected to pipes installed at
inlets of the first and second compressors 11 and 12 and to pipes
installed at outlets of the first and second compressors 11 and
12, respectively.
[0011] The operation of the solenoid valves 11B and 12B will now
be described with reference to FIG. 3.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a view showing a waveform of a control signal
for controlling the compressor and the solenoid valve of the air-conditioner
in accordance with the prior art.
[0013] As shown, when the first compressor 11 or the second compressor
12 of the air-conditioner stops operating, power is applied to the
solenoid valves 11B and 12B for a time for which the first compressor
11 or the second compressor 12 stops operating, to thereby open
the solenoid valves 11B and 12B. By such opening, the internal pressure
of the first compressor 11 or the second compressor 12 is balanced.
[0014] However, the air-conditioner in accordance with the conventional
art is disadvantageous in that power consumption of the air-conditioner
is increased because even in case that the first compressor 11 or
the second compressor 12 stops operating for a long time, power
is unnecessarily applied to the solenoid valve for the long time.
For example, if the compressor (first or second compressor) stops
operating for ten minutes, the air-conditioner in accordance with
the conventional art provides power to the solenoid valve for ten
minutes. At this time, although the balanced internal pressure of
the compressor can be maintained only with two minutes of opening
of the solenoid valve, power is supplied to the solenoid valve for
ten minutes, causing a power consumption increase of the air-conditioner.
Namely, by unnecessarily applying power to the solenoid valve for
eight minutes, the power consumption of the air-conditioner is increased.
[0015] Meanwhile, an air-conditioner in accordance with the conventional
art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,957 issued on Feb. 18, 2003.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide
a method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
capable of reducing power consumption of an air-conditioner by applying
power to a solenoid valve of the air-conditioner when a time for
which a compressor of the air-conditioner stops operating passes
a predetermined time.
[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
method for controlling a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner capable
of reducing power consumption of the air-conditioner by applying
power to the solenoid valve of the air-conditioner for a preset
time whenever a compressor of the air-conditioner temporarily stops
operating.
[0018] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance
with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided a method for controlling a solenoid
valve of an air-conditioner comprising: a step in which when at
least one compressor of the air-conditioner temporarily stops operating,
power is applied to a solenoid valve connected to the compressor
for a preset time.
[0019] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance
with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided a method for controlling a solenoid
valve of an air-conditioner comprising: measuring a stop time of
the compressor when at least one compressor of the air-conditioner
temporarily stops operating; and applying power to a solenoid valve
connected to the compressor when the measured stop time passes a
preset time.
[0020] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance
with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided a method for controlling a solenoid
valve of an air-conditioner comprising: applying power to solenoid
valves connected to compressors of an air-conditioner only for a
preset time when the compressors temporarily stop operating, so
that power consumption of the solenoid valves connected to the compressors
of the air-conditioner is reduced.
[0021] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance
with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided a method for controlling a solenoid
valve of an air-conditioner comprising: a step in which when a stop
signal for stopping at least one compressor installed at the air-conditioner
is generated, the compressor is stopped; and a step in which when
the stop time of the compressor passes a first preset time, at least
one solenoid valve connected to the compressor is opened.
[0022] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance
with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided a method for controlling a solenoid
valve of an air-conditioner including a first compressor and a second
compressor for compressing a refrigerant; solenoid valves respectively
connected to the first compressor and the second compressor to balance
internal pressure of the first compressor and the second pressure,
comprising: stopping the first compressor or the second compressor
when a first stop signal for stopping the first compressor or the
second compressor is generated; applying power to the solenoid valve
connected to the first compressor or the second compressor when
a time for which the first compressor or the second compressor stops
operating passes a first preset time; stopping the first compressor
and the second compressor when a second stop signal for simultaneously
stopping the first compressor and the second compressor is generated;
and cutting off power applied to the solenoid valves when a time
for which the first compressor and the second compressor simultaneously
stop operating passes a second preset time.
[0023] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance
with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly
described herein, there is provided A method for controlling a solenoid
valve of an air-conditioner including a first compressor and a second
compressor for compressing a refrigerant; and solenoid valves respectively
connected to the first compressor and the second compressor to balance
internal pressure of the first compressor and the second compressor,
comprising: stopping the first compressor or the second compressor
when a first stop signal for stopping the first compressor or the
second compressor is generated; applying power to the solenoid valve
connected to the first compressor or the second compressor when
a time for which the first compressor or the second compressor stops
operating passes a first preset time; and cutting off power applied
to the solenoid valves when a time for which the first compressor
or the second compressor stops operating passes a second preset
time after the power is applied to the solenoid valve connected
to the first compressor or the second compressor, wherein, the first
preset time is a time obtained by subtracting the time required
to balance inlet pressure and outlet pressure of the first compressor
or the second compressor from a minimum stop time for which the
first compressor and the second compressor temporarily stops operating,
and the second preset time is a minimum stop time for which the
first compressor or the second compressor temporarily stops operating.
[0024] The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages
of the present invention will become more apparent from the following
detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide
a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in
and constitute a unit of this specification, illustrate embodiments
of the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principles of the invention.
[0026] In the drawings:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of an air-conditioner
having two compressors in accordance with the prior art;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a view showing solenoid valves respectively installed
at compressors of the air-conditioner in accordance with the prior
art;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a view showing a waveform of a control signal
for controlling a compressor and a solenoid valve of the air-conditioner
in accordance with the prior art;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling
a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention; and
[0031] FIG. 5 is a view showing a waveform of a control signal
for controlling a compressor and a solenoid valve of the air-conditioner
in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments
of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
[0033] A preferred embodiment of a method for controlling a solenoid
valve of an air-conditioner to reduce power consumption of the air-conditioner
will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Here, because
compressors and solenoid valves in accordance with the present invention
have the same structure as that of the conventional art, reference
numbers of the compressors and the solenoid valves will be omitted.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a method for controlling
a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner in accordance with an embodiment
of the present invention. Here, the solenoid valves are connected
to inlet pipes and outlet pipes of a small capacity compressor and
a large capacity compressor, respectively, to balance internal pressure
of the small capacity compressor and the large capacity compressor.
[0035] As shown, the method for controlling a solenoid valve of
the air-conditioner in accordance with the present invention comprises:
stopping a small capacity compressor or a large capacity compressor
installed in the air-conditioner when a stop signal for stopping
the small capacity compressor or the large capacity compressor is
generated; balancing the internal pressure of the small capacity
compressor or the large capacity compressor by applying power to
the solenoid valve connected to the small capacity compressor or
the large capacity compressor when a time for which the small capacity
compressor or the large capacity compressor stops operating passes
a first preset time.
[0036] Here, preferably, the first preset time is preferably obtained
by subtracting the time required to balance inlet pressure and outlet
pressure of the compressor from a minimum stop time for which the
compressor (small capacity compressor or large capacity compressor)
temporarily stops operating while the air-conditioner is in operation.
For example, if the minimum stop time for which the compressor temporarily
stops operating in operation of the air-conditioner is seven minutes
and the time required to balance the inlet pressure and the outlet
pressure of the compressor is two minutes, preferably, the first
preset time is set to be five minutes (7 min.-2 min.=5 min.). Namely,
in the present invention, on the assumption that the compressor
temporarily stops operating for seven minutes at the minimum and
then reoperates, when the stop time of the compressor passes five
minutes (first preset time), power is applied to the solenoid valve
connected to the compressor only for two minutes, thereby reducing
power consumption of the air-conditioner. Namely, because power
is not applied to the solenoid valve for five minutes, the power
consumption of the air-conditioner (solenoid valve) is reduced.
[0037] In addition, a method for controlling a solenoid valve of
an air-conditioner in accordance with the present invention further
includes: simultaneously stopping the small capacity compressor
and the large capacity compressor when a stop signal for simultaneously
stopping the small capacity compressor and the large capacity compressor
is generated; and cutting off power supplied to the solenoid valves
when the time for which the small capacity compressor and the large
capacity compressor simultaneously stop operating passes a second
preset time. That is, in the present invention, power applied to
the solenoid valves is cut off when all compressors do not reoperate
but continuously maintains their stopped state although all compressors
of the air-conditioner stops operating for longer than the second
preset time (e.g., seven minutes), thereby further reducing the
power consumption of the air-conditioner (solenoid valve).
[0038] Hereinafter, the method for controlling the solenoid valve
of the air-conditioner in accordance with the present invention
will now be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.
[0039] First, when the air-conditioner is operated with its mode
changed to a cooling mode or a heating mode (S1), the air-conditioner
separately or simultaneously drives a small capacity compressor
and a large capacity compressor according to a heating load or a
cooling load or simultaneously drives the compressors. At this time,
when the air-conditioner operates in the cooling mode or the heating
mode, a control unit (not shown) of the air-conditioner determines
whether a first stop signal for temporarily stopping the small capacity
compressor or the large capacity compressor is generated according
to the heating load or the cooling load (S2).
[0040] Thereafter, if a first stop signal for stopping the small
capacity compressor (or large capacity compressor) is generated,
the control unit stops the small capacity compressor (or large capacity
compressor) (S3) and then measures how long the small capacity compressor
has been stopped (S4).
[0041] When the measured stop time passes a first preset time (S5),
the control unit applies power to the solenoid valve installed at
the small capacity compressor to open the solenoid valve and thus
balance the internal pressure of the small capacity compressor (S6).
Here, the first preset time may be varied depending on a kind of
compressor and a compressing capacity.
[0042] Thereafter, if the compressor of the air-conditioner operates,
the control unit cuts off power applied to the solenoid valve. At
this time, the air-conditioner separately or simultaneously operates
a small capacity compressor and a large capacity compressor according
to a control signal (e.g., a control signal of a thermostat (not
shown) of the air-conditioner). Namely, if one of the small capacity
compressor and the large capacity compressor is operated, the control
unit cuts off power supplied to the solenoid valve installed at
the operated compressor to thereby close the solenoid valve.
[0043] Here, when the stop time passes the first preset time, the
control unit applies power to a solenoid valve connected to one
of the small capacity compressor and the large capacity compressor.
Then, if the compressor does not operate even though the stop time
of the compressor passes the second preset minutes (e.g., seven
minutes), the control unit cuts off power applied to the solenoid
valve.
[0044] Meanwhile, in the step (S2) of determining whether a first
stop signal for stopping the small capacity compressor or the large
capacity compressor is generated according to the heating load or
the cooling load, if the first stop signal is not generated, the
control unit (not shown) of the air-conditioner determines whether
a second stop signal for simultaneously stopping the small capacity
compressor and the large capacity compressor is generated (S7).
[0045] The control unit simultaneously stops the small capacity
compressor and the large capacity compressor based on the second
stop signal (S8).
[0046] Thereafter, the control unit measures how long the small
capacity compressor and the large capacity compressor have been
simultaneously stopped (S9), and when the measured stop time passes
the second preset time (S10), power supplied to each solenoid valve
is cut off to reduce power consumption of each solenoid valve (S11).
Here, the second preset time means a minimum operation stop time
(e.g., seven minutes) for which the compressor stops operating while
the air-conditioner is in operation. For example, if the small capacity
compressor and the large capacity compressor simultaneously stop
operating, the control unit applies power to each solenoid valve
after the first preset time elapses, to thereby balance the internal
pressure of the small capacity compressor and the large capacity
compressor and maintain the balanced internal pressure. Then, when
the time for which the small capacity compressor and the large capacity
compressor simultaneously stop operating passes the second preset
time (e.g., seven minutes), the control unit recognizes that the
air-conditioner is forcedly stopped by a user and cuts off power
supplied to each solenoid valve.
[0047] FIG. 5 is a view showing a waveform of a control signal
for controlling a compressor and a solenoid valve of an air-conditioner
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0048] As shown, in the method for controlling a solenoid valve
of the air-conditioner in accordance with the present invention,
power is not applied to the solenoid valve as soon as the compressor
(small capacity compressor and/or large capacity compressor) stops
operating. But, the power is applied to the solenoid valve and opens
the solenoid valve when the first preset time (e.g., five minutes)
elapses, so that the power consumption of the air-conditioner (solenoid
valve) is reduced.
[0049] In addition, when a time for which all compressors of the
air-conditioner simultaneously stop operating passes a second preset
time, power applied to the solenoid valves is cut off and closes
the solenoid valve, so that the power consumption of the air-conditioner
(solenoid valve) is additionally reduced.
[0050] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the power consumption
of the air-conditioner may be reduced by applying power to the solenoid
valve only for a preset time (e.g., for two minutes) whenever the
air-conditioner temporarily stops operating.
[0051] As so far described, in the method for controlling a solenoid
valve of the air-conditioner in accordance with the present invention,
when a temporary stop time of at least one compressor of the air-conditioner
passes a preset time, power is applied to a solenoid valve connected
to the compressor, thereby reducing power consumption of the air-conditioner.
[0052] In addition, in the method for controlling a solenoid valve
of the air-conditioner in accordance with the present invention,
whenever at least one compressor of the air-conditioner temporarily
stops operating, power is applied to a solenoid valve of the compressor
only for a preset time, thereby reducing power consumption of the
air-conditioner.
[0053] Also, in the method for controlling a solenoid valve of
the air-conditioner in accordance with the present invention, when
a time for which all compressors of the air-conditioner stop operating
passes a preset time, power applied to the solenoid valves is cut
off, thereby additionally reducing power consumption.
[0054] As the present invention may be embodied in several forms
without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof,
it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments
are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description,
unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly
within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and
therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes
and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds
are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims. |