Air Conditioning System with Self-cooling Function of Outdoor Unit

Abstract

An air conditioning system equipped with a self-cooling function for the outdoor unit is disclosed. The present invention comprises a condensate tank for storing condensate discharged from the main body of the air conditioner, a cooling device for spraying condensate supplied from the condensate tank to an outdoor unit connected to the main body of the air conditioner, and a discharge device for discharging condensate from the condensate tank to the cooling device. According to the present invention, by utilizing the condensate generated during the operation of the main body of the air conditioner to cool the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, water-cooled cooling of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner becomes possible without the need for separate construction or incurring costs for supplying tap water.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system equipped with a self-cooling function for the outdoor unit, and more specifically, to an air conditioning system capable of cooling the outdoor unit using condensate generated during the operation of the air conditioner body, thereby enabling water-cooling treatment for the outdoor unit without the need for separate construction or costs for supplying tap water. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, in split-type air conditioners separated into indoor and outdoor units, the condensate generated in the indoor unit, which is the main body of the air conditioner, is discharged to the outside through a hose.

[0003] Meanwhile, in outdoor units that compress and circulate refrigerant to indoor units, significant heat is generated during the compression process of the refrigerant. This heat from air conditioner outdoor units is identified as a major cause of the urban heat island effect, as well as a cause of fires and increased energy consumption.

[0004] Meanwhile, to solve this problem, an air conditioner outdoor unit cover has been proposed that is designed to spray water in the form of mist through nozzles around the outdoor unit and to take heat from the air around the outdoor unit as the mist evaporates.

[0005] However, according to such conventional technology, there is a problem in that a separate supply of tap water is required for mist spraying, which not only incurs water charges but also necessitates the installation of separate piping for the water supply. The problem to be solved

[0006] Accordingly, the objective of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning system capable of water-cooling the outdoor unit without the need for separate construction or incurring costs for supplying tap water, by utilizing the condensate generated during the operation of the air conditioner body to cool the outdoor unit.

[0007] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned, and include other technical problems that can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0008] An air conditioning system according to the present invention for achieving the above objective comprises: a condensate tank in which condensate discharged from an air conditioner body is stored; a cooling device that sprays the condensate supplied from the condensate tank to an outdoor unit connected to the air conditioner body; and a discharge device that discharges the condensate from the condensate tank to the cooling device.

[0009] Preferably, the control device further includes a water level sensor installed in the condensate tank that measures the water level of the condensate and controls the discharge device based on the water level measurement information.

[0010] In addition, the control device is characterized by controlling the cooling device based on the temperature measurement information of the outdoor unit.

[0011] In addition, the control device is characterized by controlling the cooling device based on weather information at the location where the air conditioning system is installed. Effects of the invention

[0012] According to the present invention, by utilizing the condensate generated during the operation of the air conditioner body to cool the outdoor unit, water-cooled cooling of the outdoor unit becomes possible without the need for separate construction or costs for supplying tap water.

[0013] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned, and include other effects that can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0014] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the operating principle of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation process of an air conditioning system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0015] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that identical components in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals wherever possible. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations that could unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention are omitted.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an air conditioner body (100), a condensate tank (200), a discharge device (300), a cooling device (400), and an outdoor unit (500).

[0017] An air conditioner main body (100) installed in an indoor space discharges condensate generated during the operation of the air conditioner into a condensate tank (200), and the condensate tank (200) collects and stores the condensate discharged from the air conditioner main body (100) in this manner.

[0018] Meanwhile, a water level sensor (250) for measuring the water level of the condensate is installed inside the condensate tank (200), and a discharge device (300), such as a drainage pump, performs the function of discharging the condensate from the condensate tank (200) to a cooling device (400).

[0019] The cooling device (400) stores the condensate supplied from the condensate tank (200) by the discharge device (300) in an internal storage space, and then supplies the condensate to the outdoor unit (500) according to a control signal from the control device (600).

[0020] Specifically, the cooling device (400) may supply the condensate to the outdoor unit (500) by spraying the condensate in a spray manner, or by using a humidification method that utilizes mist generated by vibrating the condensate using an ultrasonic vibration module provided inside.

[0021] Meanwhile, the outdoor unit (500) that discharges heat generated during the refrigerant compression process to the outside can be cooled by the evaporation of condensate supplied from the cooling device (400) as described above.

[0022] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the operating principle of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication module (150), a water level sensor (250), a discharge device (300), a cooling device (400), a temperature sensor (550), and a control device (600).

[0023] A communication module (150) installed in the main body (100) of the air conditioner can receive various weather information (e.g., rainfall information, ambient temperature measurement information, etc.) at the location where the air conditioner system is installed in real time from a user terminal such as a smartphone, and transmit it to a control device (600).

[0024] A water level sensor (250) is installed inside a condensate tank (200) to measure the water level of the condensate and transmits the water level measurement information to a control device (600) in real time.

[0025] Meanwhile, the temperature sensor (550) may be installed in the internal storage space of the cooling device (400) and on the inner side of the outdoor unit (500), respectively. The temperature sensor (550) installed in the cooling device (400) may measure the temperature of the condensate stored in the cooling device (400) and transmit it to the control device (600), and the temperature sensor (550) installed in the outdoor unit (500) may measure the internal temperature of the outdoor unit (500) and transmit it to the control device (600).

[0026] A control device (600) may be installed in the main body (100) of an air conditioner, and the control device (600) may control the condensate discharge operation of the discharge device (300) based on the condensate level measurement information received from the water level sensor (250), and control the spraying operation of the cooling device (400) based on the condensate temperature measurement information, the temperature measurement information of the outdoor unit (500), and weather information.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation process of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation process of an air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0028] First, when the air conditioner main body (100) is operated for indoor cooling by the control device (600), the condensate tank (200) collects and stores the condensate discharged from the air conditioner main body (100).

[0029] A water level sensor (250) installed inside the condensate tank (200) measures the water level of the condensate stored in the condensate tank (200) in real time and transmits the water level measurement information to the control device (600) (S710).

[0030] Accordingly, the control device (600) controls the condensate discharge operation of the discharge device (300) based on the water level measurement information received from the water level sensor (250) (S730).

[0031] Specifically, the control device (600) may control the discharge device (300) so that the condensate is discharged from the condensate tank (200) to the cooling device (400) when the water level measurement value of the water level sensor (250) exceeds a predetermined reference value (for example, a depth corresponding to 80% of the maximum water level in the condensate tank (200)).

[0032] Meanwhile, a temperature sensor (550) installed in the outdoor unit (500) measures the internal temperature of the outdoor unit (500) and transmits it to the control device (600), and a temperature sensor (550) installed in the water storage space inside the cooling device (400) measures the temperature of the condensate and transmits it to the control device (600) (S750).

[0033] Accordingly, the control device (600) may be able to control the condensate spraying operation of the cooling device (400) based on the internal temperature measurement value in the outdoor unit (500).

[0034] Specifically, the control device (600) may control the cooling device (400) when the internal temperature measurement value in the outdoor unit (500) exceeds a predetermined reference temperature (e.g., 50 degrees Celsius), thereby allowing condensate to be sprayed into the outdoor unit (500) so that the outdoor unit (500) is cooled.

[0035] In addition, in carrying out the present invention, the control device (600) may control the cooling device (400) based on the internal temperature measurement of the outdoor unit (500) and the temperature measurement of the condensate.

[0036] Specifically, the control device (600) determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the temperature measurement of the condensate from the internal temperature measurement of the outdoor unit (500) exceeds a predetermined reference value (e.g., 50 degrees Celsius) when the internal temperature measurement of the outdoor unit (500) exceeds a predetermined reference value (e.g., 5 degrees Celsius), and controls the operation of the cooling device (400) only when it exceeds a predetermined reference value (e.g., 5 degrees Celsius) so that the condensate is sprayed into the outdoor unit (500), and may not control the operation of the cooling device (400) when it is below a predetermined reference value (e.g., 5 degrees Celsius).

[0037] In such cases, when the temperature of the condensate stored inside the cooling device (400) increases due to high summer weather and becomes similar to the temperature of the outdoor unit (500), the cooling device (400) is not operated, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption caused by the operation of the cooling device (400) even though the effect of cooling the outdoor unit (500) through the condensate is not significant.

[0038] In addition, in carrying out the present invention, a load cell (not shown) for measuring the load of condensate stored inside the cooling device (400) may be installed at the bottom of the cooling device (400), and in such case, the control device (600) may control the cooling device (400) based on load measurement information received from the load cell.

[0039] Specifically, the control device (600) determines whether the difference value (i.e., the difference value) obtained by subtracting the temperature value of the condensate from the internal temperature value of the outdoor unit (500) when the internal temperature value of the outdoor unit (500) exceeds a predetermined reference value (e.g., 5 degrees Celsius), and when the difference value is less than or equal to the predetermined reference value (e.g., 5 degrees Celsius), determines whether the value obtained by multiplying the difference value (e.g., 3 degrees Celsius) by the load value of the condensate (e.g., 2000g) exceeds a predetermined reference value (e.g., 5000g degrees Celsius), and when it exceeds this, controls the operation of the cooling device (400) so that the condensate is supplied to the outdoor unit (500).

[0040] In such cases, even if the temperature of the condensate stored inside the cooling device (400) increases due to high summer weather and becomes similar to the temperature of the outdoor unit (500), if it is determined that the outdoor unit (500) can be cooled by considering the weight of the condensate stored in the cooling device (400), cooling treatment by spraying the condensate is performed.

[0041] Meanwhile, in carrying out the present invention, the control device (600) determines whether the temperature value inside the outdoor unit (500), which is measured in real time by the temperature sensor (550) while the condensate is sprayed by the cooling device (400), is below a predetermined reference temperature (e.g., 30 degrees Celsius), and if it is below the reference temperature, it can prevent the condensate from being sprayed unnecessarily by stopping the spraying operation of the cooling device (400).

[0042] In addition, in carrying out the present invention, the control device (600) may analyze weather information (e.g., rainfall information, atmospheric temperature measurement information, etc.) received from the communication module (150) (S770) and control the cooling device (400) based thereon (S790).

[0043] Specifically, the control device (600) determines whether the difference between the current ambient temperature measurement and the condensate temperature measurement (i.e., the difference value) exceeds a predetermined reference value (e.g., 5 degrees Celsius) when the internal temperature measurement of the outdoor unit (500) exceeds a predetermined reference temperature (e.g., 50 degrees Celsius), and controls the operation of the cooling device (400) only when it exceeds the predetermined reference value so that the condensate is supplied to the outdoor unit (500), and may not control the spraying operation of the cooling device (400) when it is below the predetermined reference value.

[0044] In such cases, if the temperature of the condensate stored in the cooling device (400) increases due to high summer weather and there is no significant difference from the ambient temperature, the cooling device (400) is not operated, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption caused by the operation of the cooling device (400) even though the effect of water-cooled cooling treatment for the outdoor unit (500) through the condensate is not significant.

[0045] In addition, even if the control device (600) has decided to spray condensate from the cooling device (400) as described above, if it is determined that the current condition is raining as a result of analyzing the weather information received from the communication module (150), it controls the cooling device (400) not to spray condensate, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption due to the operation of the cooling device (400) even though the efficiency of water-cooled cooling by the cooling device (400) is significantly reduced due to the rain condition.

[0046] In addition, even if the control device (600) has determined to spray condensate from the cooling device (400) as described above, if it analyzes the weather information received from the communication module (150) and determines that the current rainfall amount exceeds a predetermined standard rainfall amount (e.g., 10 mm / h), it can control the cooling device (400) not to spray condensate, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption due to the operation of the cooling device (400) even though the efficiency of water-cooled cooling by the cooling device (400) is significantly reduced due to the rainfall condition.

[0047] In addition, in carrying out the present invention, the control device (600) may determine whether the temperature value inside the outdoor unit (500), which is measured in real time by the temperature sensor (550) while the condensate is sprayed by the cooling device (400), is lower than or equal to the current ambient temperature value (e.g., 35 degrees Celsius) in the weather information, and if it is lower than or equal to the ambient temperature value, it may prevent the condensate from being sprayed unnecessarily by stopping the spraying operation of the cooling device (400).

[0048] Meanwhile, in carrying out the present invention, a water level sensor (250) may be additionally installed in the condensate storage space inside the cooling device (400). In this case, the control device (400) may immediately control the discharge device (300) so that the water level measurement value received from the water level sensor (250) of the cooling device (400) is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value (e.g., a depth corresponding to 10% of the maximum water level in the storage space inside the cooling device (400)), even if the water level measurement value in the condensate tank (200) is less than or equal to a predetermined reference value (e.g., a depth corresponding to 80% of the maximum water level in the condensate tank (200)), thereby allowing the condensate to be discharged from the condensate tank (200) to the cooling device (400) and stored in the cooling device (400), thereby ensuring that a minimum amount of condensate is first secured.

[0049] Meanwhile, in carrying out the present invention, the control device (600) may control the direction of condensate spraying of the cooling device (400) based on the indoor humidity value measured by the humidity sensor installed in the air conditioner body (100).

[0050] Specifically, the control device (600) can determine that the indoor air is in a dry state when the indoor humidity value received from the humidity sensor installed in the air conditioner body (100) is less than or equal to a predetermined standard humidity value (e.g., 10%), and can control the cooling device (400) so that mist generated by vibrating the condensate of the cooling device (400) using an ultrasonic vibration module is supplied into the room.

[0051] To this end, the cooling device (400) may be equipped with a spray nozzle installed facing the outdoor unit (500) and a spray nozzle installed facing the indoor space, respectively, and in this case, the cooling device (400) can additionally perform the function of an indoor humidifier.

[0052] Meanwhile, the order of the steps (S710 to S790) described above in the present invention is merely an example and is not limited thereto. That is, the order of the steps (S710 to S790) described above may vary, and some of these steps may be executed simultaneously or deleted.

[0053] The terms used in this invention are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "comprising" or "having" are intended to indicate the presence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0054] Although preferred embodiments and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and applications described above. Furthermore, various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essence of the invention as claimed in the claims, and such modifications should not be understood individually from the technical spirit or perspective of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0055] 100: Air conditioner main unit, 150: Communication module, 200: Condensate tank, 250: Water level sensor, 300: Exhaust device, 400: Cooling device, 500: Outdoor unit, 550: Temperature sensor, 600: Control unit.

Claims

Claim 1 A condensate tank (200) in which condensate discharged from an air conditioner main body (100) is stored; a cooling device (400) that sprays the condensate supplied from the condensate tank (200) to an outdoor unit (500) connected to the air conditioner main body (100); and a discharge device (300) that discharges the condensate from the condensate tank (200) to the cooling device (400). The apparatus includes a control device (600) that receives the temperature measurement value of the condensate stored in the cooling device (400) and the temperature measurement value of the outdoor unit (500) from a temperature sensor (550); the control device (600) determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the temperature measurement value of the condensate from the temperature measurement value of the outdoor unit (500) exceeds a first reference value when the temperature measurement value of the outdoor unit (500) exceeds a reference temperature, and controls the cooling device (400) so that the condensate is sprayed to the outdoor unit (500) when the first reference value is exceeded, and further includes a load cell installed in the cooling device (400) to measure the load of the condensate stored in the cooling device (400); and the control device (600) determines whether the value obtained by multiplying the temperature difference value, which is the value obtained by subtracting the temperature measurement value of the condensate from the temperature measurement value of the outdoor unit (500), is less than or equal to the first reference value, and the value obtained by multiplying the temperature difference value by the load measurement value of the condensate is a predetermined reference value An air conditioning system that determines whether the above reference value is exceeded and controls the cooling device (400) so that the above condensate is sprayed to the outdoor unit (500) when the above reference value is exceeded. Claim 2 In claim 1, the cooling device (400) is provided with a spray nozzle installed facing the outdoor unit (500) and a spray nozzle installed facing the indoor space, respectively, and the control device (600) controls the cooling device (400) so that mist generated from the condensate is supplied to the indoor space when the indoor humidity value received from the humidity sensor installed in the air conditioner body (100) is less than or equal to the reference humidity value. Claim 3 An air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the control device (600) determines whether the value obtained by subtracting the temperature measurement value of the condensate from the ambient temperature measurement value exceeds a second reference value when the temperature measurement value of the outdoor unit (500) exceeds the reference temperature, and controls the cooling device (400) so that the condensate is sprayed to the outdoor unit (500) when the second reference value exceeds the reference value. Claim 4 In paragraph 3, the air conditioning system is such that the control device (600) controls the cooling device (400) based on weather information at the location where the air conditioning system is installed.

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