Multi-air condition system and method for controlling the same

Abstract

Multi-air condition system including a plurality of outdoor units, a pressure equalizing pipe connected such that refrigerant can flow among the outdoor units, for eliminating refrigerant pressure differences, and imbalance of an amount of refrigerant flow among the outdoor units, and control valves at portions of the pressure equalizing pipe connected to the outdoor units respectively, for cutting off introduction of the refrigerant to a relevant outdoor unit under the control of a controller.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. P2004-101722, filed on Dec. 6, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to multi-air condition systems, and more particularly, to a multi-air condition system for improving cooling / heating performance; and a method for controlling the same. [0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art [0005] In general, the air condition system cools / heats a room by performing the steps of compression, condensing, expanding, and evaporating refrigerant. In the air condition systems, there are cooling systems in which a refrigerant cycle is operated only in one direction to supply cold air to the room, and cooling / heating systems in which the refrigerant system is operated in bilateral directions selectively, for supplying cold air, or warm air to the room. [0006] Mo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-air condition system, and a method for controlling the same, which can eliminate refrigerant pressure differences among a plurality of outdoor units.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-air condition system, and a method for controlling the same, which can improve a cooling / heating performance.

[0015] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a multi-air condition system including a plurality of outdoor units, a pressure equalizing pipe connected such that refrigerant can flow among the outdoor units, for eliminating refrigerant pressure differences, and imbalance of an amount of refrigerant flow among the outdoor units, and control valves at portions of the pressure equalizing pipe connected to the outdoor units respectively, for cutting off introduction of the refrigerant to a relevant outdoor unit under the control of a controller.

[0020] In another aspect of the present invention, a multi-air condition system includes a plurality of outdoor units having a main unit in operation when the multi-air condition system is in operation always, and subunits excluding the main unit, each outdoor unit including a compression unit having at least one compressor, an accumulator, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a 4-way valve connected to an outlet side refrigerant pipe of the compression unit, an inlet side refrigerant pipe of the outdoor heat exchanger, a pressure equalizing pipe connected among inlet side refrigerant pipes of the outdoor heat exchangers of the outdoor units, for eliminating pressure differences, and imbalance of refrigerant flow amounts among outdoor units in operation, a manual valve of a normally open type mounted at a portion having the pressure equalizing pipe connected to the main unit, for opening / closing manually, and a solenoid valve of a normally open type each mounted at a portion having the pressure equalizing pipe connected to each of the subunits, for automatic cut off of a refrigerant flow toward an outdoor unit which is not in operation under the control of a controller.

Problems solved by technology

However, the multi-air condition system having the plurality of outdoor units has the following problem.

That is, in a case the plurality of outdoor units are in operation, there has been a problem in that there have been partial refrigerant pressure differences among refrigerant pipes, to cause pressure losses, resulting to impair the cooling / heating performance.

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