Ventilation system and method of controlling a ventilation system

Abstract

A ventilation system according to an embodiment includes a ventilation device and an outdoor unit. The ventilation device comprises a shell, a plurality of air doors, a first air blower, a second air blower, a heat exchanger and a processor, the shell comprises a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a first air outlet and a second air outlet, and the air doors are used for changing the flowing path of air flowing in the shell. The processor is configured to control the plurality of dampers and the first and second blowers to form a first flow path along which outside air flows through the heat exchanger or a second flow path along which indoor air flows through the heat exchanger. The processor controls the outdoor unit so as to form frost in the heat exchanger when air flows along the flow path, and the processor controls the outdoor unit to stop operating based on a preset frosting termination condition so as to clean the heat exchanger by melting the frost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to ventilation systems for providing comfort air into indoor spaces. Background Art

[0002] A ventilation system is a device for ventilating an indoor space by supplying outside air to the indoor space or exchanging indoor air with outside air. Conventional ventilators have no choice but to control indoor temperature and humidity through total heat exchange between outside air and indoor air, which occurs when the air passes through a total heat exchanger. This results in incomplete dehumidification of the outside air supplied to the room, and makes it difficult to keep the indoor temperature and humidity at a comfortable state.

[0003] In addition, when the quality, hygiene and cleanliness of indoor air are emphasized, as the use of ventilators increases today, the problem of contamination of the interior of the ventilator is becoming more and more concerned. Therefore, a method for cleaning the interior of the ventilator is needed. Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical issues to be solved

[0005] The present disclosure provides a ventilation system capable of cleaning a heat exchanger arranged in a ventilator.

[0006] Technical Solution

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a ventilation system includes a ventilator and an outdoor unit. The ventilator includes: a housing, the housing including a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a first air outlet, and a second air outlet; a plurality of dampers, the plurality of dampers being configured to change a flow path of air flowing through the housing; a first blower, the first blower being configured to blow air to the first air outlet; a second blower, the second blower being configured to blow air to the second air outlet; a total heat exchanger in the housing; a heat exchanger in the housing; and a processor, the processor being configured to control the plurality of dampers, the first blower, and the second blower in response to entering a heat exchanger cleaning mode to form a first flow path or a second flow path, so that the air in the ventilator is cooled. A flow path is formed in the fan; in the first flow path, outside air is sucked in through the first air inlet, then flows through the total heat exchanger, then flows through the heat exchanger, and then is discharged through the first air outlet; in the second flow path, indoor air is sucked in through the second air inlet, then flows through the total heat exchanger, then flows through the heat exchanger, and then is discharged through the first air outlet; when air flows through the flow path formed in the ventilator, the outdoor unit is controlled to operate to form frost on the heat exchanger, and the outdoor unit is controlled to stop operating based on a preset frost termination condition so that the frost melts to clean the heat exchanger.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of dampers may include: a first damper configured to open and close the first air inlet; and a second damper configured to open and close a connection flow path formed between the first air inlet and the second air inlet. The processor may be configured to: control the first damper to open the first air inlet and control the second damper to close the connection flow path, and operate the first blower to form the first flow path; or control the first damper to close the first air inlet and control the second damper to open the connection flow path, and operate the first blower to form the second flow path.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ventilator may include: a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of external air flowing through the first flow path and to detect the temperature of indoor air flowing through the second flow path; and a humidity sensor configured to detect the relative humidity of external air flowing through the first flow path and to detect the relative humidity of indoor air flowing through the second flow path.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor can be configured to: in response to entering a heat exchanger cleaning mode, control the multiple dampers to alternately form the first flow path and the second flow path and form the first flow path and the second flow path respectively for a preset time period; calculate the first absolute humidity based on the detected temperature and the detected relative humidity of the external air flowing through the first flow path; calculate the second absolute humidity based on the detected temperature and the detected relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path; and based on a comparison between the first absolute humidity and the second absolute humidity, select one of the first flow path and the second flow path to form the flow path in the ventilator.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor may be configured to select the first flow path based on the first absolute humidity being higher than the second absolute humidity, or to select the second flow path based on the first absolute humidity being lower than the second absolute humidity.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ventilator may include a heat exchanger temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of the heat exchanger. The preset frosting termination condition may include the operation time of the outdoor unit reaching a preset limit time or the temperature of the heat exchanger reaching a target temperature.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor can be configured to determine the target temperature based on a preset correlation function, wherein the preset correlation function takes the detected temperature and the detected relative humidity of the external air flowing through the first path as variables, or the preset correlation function takes the detected temperature and the detected relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path as variables.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor can be configured to determine the rotation speed of the compressor included in the outdoor unit and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the detected relative humidity of the external air flowing through the first flow path, or based on the detected relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor can be configured to: reduce the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the relative humidity of the external air flowing through the first flow path or the relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path being higher than a preset reference humidity range; or increase the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the relative humidity of the external air flowing through the first flow path or the relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path being lower than the preset reference humidity range.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ventilation system may further include a display configured to display information about the operation of the ventilation system. The processor may be configured to control the display to display flow path information about the selection of one of the first flow path and the second flow path.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ventilation system may further include a display configured to display information about the operation of the ventilation system. The processor may be configured to control the display to display the expected time required until the cleaning of the heat exchanger is completed after the outdoor unit stops according to the preset frost termination condition.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a ventilation system includes a ventilator and an outdoor unit. The ventilator includes: a housing, the housing including a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a first air outlet, and a second air outlet; a plurality of dampers, the plurality of dampers being configured to change the flow path of air flowing through the housing; a first blower, the first blower being configured to blow air to the first air outlet; a second blower, the second blower being configured to blow air to the second air outlet; a total heat exchanger in the housing; a heat exchanger in the housing; a heat exchanger temperature sensor, the heat exchanger temperature sensor being configured to detect the temperature of the heat exchanger; and a processor, the processor being configured to: in response to entering a heat exchanger cleaning mode, control the plurality of dampers, the first blower, and the second blower to force the air to flow into the heat exchanger; when the air flows into the heat exchanger, control the outdoor unit to operate to form frost on the heat exchanger; and control the outdoor unit to stop operating based on the operating time of the outdoor unit reaching a preset limit time or the detected temperature of the heat exchanger reaching a target temperature.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ventilator may include: a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the air flowing into the heat exchanger; and a humidity sensor for detecting the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger. The processor may be configured to determine the target temperature based on a preset correlation function, wherein the preset correlation function takes the temperature of the air flowing into the heat exchanger and the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger as variables.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ventilator may include a humidity sensor configured to detect the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger. The processor may be configured to determine the rotation speed of the compressor included in the outdoor unit and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the detected relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor can be configured to: reduce the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger being higher than a preset reference humidity range; or increase the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger being lower than the preset reference humidity range.

[0022] Beneficial Effects

[0023] A ventilation system as disclosed herein may clean a heat exchanger by forming frost on the heat exchanger located inside the ventilator and then melting the frost.

[0024] The ventilation system may effectively clean the heat exchanger by selectively changing the flow path of air flowing into the heat exchanger.

[0025] The ventilation system can also prevent poor cleaning of the heat exchanger and unnecessary energy consumption by appropriately setting the conditions for terminating cleaning of the heat exchanger. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 The figure shows a ventilation system including a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 is a plan view of the interior of the ventilator according to the embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from above, illustrating an example of an air flow path formed inside the ventilator.

[0028] Figure 3 The figure shows another example of an air flow path formed inside a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the circulation of refrigerant during ventilation operation of the ventilation system or during cleaning of the heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a ventilator with some components removed therefrom according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as viewed from below.

[0032] Figure 7 According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 5 The first inner housing of the ventilator shown in FIG. 1 is inverted.

[0033] Figure 8 According to the embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 5 The second inner housing of the ventilator shown in FIG. 1 is inverted.

[0034] Fig. 9 The figure shows an integrated air conditioning system including a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig.10 is a control block diagram of a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Fig.11 is a control block diagram of an integrated controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Fig.12 is a flow chart describing a method of controlling a ventilation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Fig.13 is a more detailed illustration of the embodiment according to the present disclosure Fig.12 Flow chart of a method of controlling a ventilation system described in .

[0039] Fig.14 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present disclosure Fig.13 A flow chart of a method of controlling a ventilation system described in the accompanying drawings, wherein some steps are changed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The embodiments and features as described and illustrated in the present disclosure are merely examples, and various modifications that replace the embodiments and drawings may exist at the time of filing the present application.

[0041] Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts or components. For clarity, the elements of the drawings are drawn in exaggerated form and size.

[0042] It will be further understood that the term "connected" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections, and that an indirect connection includes a connection through a wireless communication network.

[0043] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. It should be understood that the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will also be understood that when used in this specification, the terms "include" and / or "comprise" and the like specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or groups thereof.

[0044] Terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer or section. When describing items by using connecting terms such as "~ and / or ~", the description should be understood to include any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0045] In addition, terms such as "part", "block", "member", "module" and the like may refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation. For example, the terms may refer to at least one process processed by hardware such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) / application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), software stored in a memory, or at least one processor.

[0046] The reference numerals used for the method steps are only used to identify the corresponding steps, rather than to limit the order of the steps. Therefore, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the written order can also be implemented in other ways.

[0047] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 The figure shows a ventilation system including a ventilator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 1 is a plan view of the interior of the ventilator viewed from above, illustrating an example of an air flow path formed inside the ventilator.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the ventilation system 1 may include a ventilator 100 connected to an indoor space and an outdoor space. The ventilation system 1 may also include an outdoor unit 200 for supplying a refrigerant to the ventilator 100. The ventilator 100 and the outdoor unit 200 may be installed in a machine room different from the outdoor space and the indoor space (e.g., a utility room in a house). There is no limitation on where the ventilator 100 and the outdoor unit 200 are installed.

[0050] The ventilator 100 may include a housing 101 forming an appearance. For example, the housing 101 may be shaped like a hexahedron. The housing 101 may include an intake flow path 102 that draws in and guides the outside air OA into the indoor space, and an exhaust flow path 103 that guides the indoor air RA to the outdoor space. The intake flow path 102 and the exhaust flow path 103 may be separated by a plurality of partitions 108.

[0051] The housing 101 may include a first air inlet 101a connected to an outdoor space and formed to draw external air OA into the housing 101, a first air outlet 101b connected to an indoor space and formed to discharge external air OA drawn into the housing 101 to the indoor space, and a first air inlet chamber 104 and a second air inlet chamber 105 forming an intake flow path 102. The intake flow path 102 may connect the first air inlet 101a to the first air outlet 101b.

[0052] The housing 101 may include a second air inlet 101c connected to the indoor space and formed to draw the indoor air RA into the housing 101, a second air outlet 101d connected to the outdoor space and formed to discharge the external air RA drawn into the housing 101 to the outdoor space, and a first exhaust chamber 106 and a second exhaust chamber 107 forming an exhaust flow path 103. The exhaust flow path 103 may connect the second air inlet 101c to the second air outlet 101d.

[0053] The ventilator 100 may include: a first duct D1, which is connected to the first air inlet 101a of the shell 101 and extends to the outdoor space; a second duct D2, which is connected to the first air outlet 101b and extends to the indoor space; a third duct D3, which is connected to the second air inlet 101c and extends to the indoor space; and a fourth duct D4, which is connected to the second air outlet 101d and extends to the outdoor space.

[0054] The ventilator 100 may include a first blower 109a connected to the first air outlet 101b in the second air inlet chamber 105, and a second blower 109b connected to the second air outlet 101d in the second exhaust chamber 107. The first blower 109a can generate the wind force required to exhaust air through the first air outlet 101b. The second blower 109b can generate the wind force required to exhaust air through the second air outlet 101d. Specifically, when the first blower 109a is running, the air in the housing 101 is discharged into the indoor space through the first air outlet 101b. When the second blower 109b is running, the air in the housing 101 is discharged into the outdoor space through the second air outlet 101d.

[0055] The ventilator 100 may include a total heat exchanger 110 arranged to exchange heat between the outside air OA and the indoor air RA. When the ventilation system 1 operates in the ventilation mode, the air flowing in the exhaust flow path 103 and the air flowing in the intake flow path 102 may exchange heat with each other in the total heat exchanger 110. During the ventilation operation of the ventilation system 1, the air discharged into the indoor space through the first air outlet 101b may be referred to as supply air SA, and the air discharged into the outdoor space through the second air outlet 101d may be referred to as exhaust air EA.

[0056] The total heat exchanger 110 may be formed of a paper material coated with lithium chloride, and may also be referred to as a total heat exchange element. The total heat exchanger 110 may be implemented as a plate-type total heat exchanger or a rotary total heat exchanger. The total heat exchanger 110 may be placed at a point where the intake flow path 102 and the exhaust flow path 103 intersect. In other words, the total heat exchanger 110 is arranged in the intake flow path 102, and is arranged in the exhaust flow path 103 at the same time.

[0057] The total heat exchanger 110 may connect the first intake chamber 104 to the second intake chamber 105. The total heat exchanger 110 may connect the first exhaust chamber 106 to the second exhaust chamber 107. During ventilation operation of the ventilation system 1, the outside air OA flowing through the intake flow path 102 and the indoor air RA flowing through the exhaust flow path 103 exchange heat in the total heat exchanger 110 without contact.

[0058] The ventilator 100 may include a filter 112 for capturing foreign matter contained in the outside air OA. The filter 112 may be arranged adjacent to the total heat exchanger 110. The total heat exchanger 110 may include an intake air inflow end 110a, and the filter 112 may be arranged to face the intake air inflow end 110a of the total heat exchanger 110.

[0059] It may be desirable that the filter 112 is arranged to closely face the intake air inflow end 110a. Therefore, foreign matter contained in the external air OA flowing in through the first intake port 101a can be filtered out and contamination of the main heat exchanger 110 can be prevented.

[0060] For example, the filter 112 may be a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. The HEPA filter may be made of glass fiber. The filter 112 may be configured as a photocatalytic filter that uses a photocatalyst to cause a chemical reaction in the air. Specifically, the filter 112 may include a photocatalyst and cause a chemical reaction of the photocatalyst to light energy to capture various pathogens and bacteria present in the air. The acceleration of the chemical reaction may result in the decomposition, removal or capture of odor particles in the air. However, this is not limited thereto, and many different types of filters capable of capturing foreign matter may be provided for the filter 112.

[0061] The conventional ventilator includes only a total heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the outside air OA and the indoor air RA. The conventional ventilator is not connected to the outdoor unit. In other words, the conventional ventilator does not include an additional heat exchanger for receiving refrigerant from the outdoor unit. The conventional ventilator can only supply the outside air to the indoor space and exhaust the indoor air to the outdoor space, and cannot perform an additional dehumidification function.

[0062] In contrast, the ventilator 100 as disclosed herein includes heat exchangers 120 and 130, which are configured to adjust the humidity and temperature of the air flowing in the intake flow path 102. The heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be referred to as dehumidification modules. The heat exchangers 120 and 130 may remove moisture contained in the air traveling through the heat exchangers 120 and 130. Since the moisture contained in the air is removed while traveling through the heat exchangers 120 and 130, dry air may be supplied to the indoor space. The intake flow path 102 may also be referred to as a first flow path.

[0063] The heat exchangers 120 and 130 may include a first heat exchanger 120 and a second heat exchanger 130. The heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be arranged in the intake flow path 102. The heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be arranged in the second intake chamber 105. The first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130 may be placed in the intake flow path 102 further downstream than the total heat exchanger 110. The second heat exchanger 130 may be placed on the upstream side of the intake flow path 102 further than the first heat exchanger 120. In other words, the first heat exchanger 120 may be placed on the downstream side of the intake flow path 102 further than the second heat exchanger 130.

[0064] There is no limit to the number of heat exchangers arranged in the ventilation device 100. That is, the ventilation device 100 may include at least one heat exchanger.

[0065] During the ventilation operation of the ventilation system 1, the outside air OA sucked through the first air inlet 101a passes through the first air inlet chamber 104, the total heat exchanger 110, the second heat exchanger 130, and the first heat exchanger 120 in sequence, and is then discharged to the indoor space through the first air outlet 101b. The indoor air RA sucked through the second air inlet 101c passes through the first exhaust chamber 106 and the total heat exchanger 110, and is then discharged to the outdoor space through the second air outlet 101d.

[0066] The air flowing from the first air inlet 101a to the first air outlet 101b in the air intake flow path 102 may be dehumidified by the second heat exchanger 130. In addition, the air having passed through the second heat exchanger 130 may be heated or cooled by the first heat exchanger 120.

[0067] The ventilator 100 may include a first sterilizer 111 for sterilizing the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130. The first sterilizer 111 may be arranged between the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130. The first sterilizer 111 may sterilize both the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130 arranged on either side. The first sterilizer 111 may include an ultraviolet light source for irradiating ultraviolet rays. For example, the first sterilizer 111 may include a UV light emitting diode (LED).

[0068] In addition, the ventilator 100 may include a second sterilizer 113 for sterilizing the indoor air RA sucked through the second air inlet 101c. The second sterilizer 113 may be placed in the first exhaust chamber 106. For example, the second sterilizer 113 may include at least one of a heater, an infrared lamp, or a UV LED.

[0069] The ventilator 100 may include various temperature sensors. For example, the ventilator 100 may include a temperature sensor 142 for detecting the temperature of air flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 , and a temperature sensor 144 for detecting the temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 .

[0070] The temperature sensor 142 may be placed in the intake air flow path 102 more upstream than the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The temperature sensor 142 may also be referred to as a first temperature sensor. For example, the temperature sensor 142 may be located between the total heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 130.

[0071] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the temperature sensor 142 may detect a first temperature of the outside air OA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through a first flow path, which is the intake flow path 102. Figure 3 As shown, when the plurality of dampers 330 and 340 operate, a second flow path may be formed to guide the indoor air RA sucked through the second air inlet 101c to the heat exchangers 120 and 130. In this case, the temperature sensor 142 may detect a second temperature of the indoor air RA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the second flow path.

[0072] The heat exchanger temperature sensor 144 may be arranged on the surface of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The heat exchanger temperature sensor 144 may be provided to measure the temperature of both the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130, or a heat exchanger temperature sensor may be provided separately for each of the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130. The heat exchanger temperature sensor 144 may also be referred to as a second temperature sensor.

[0073] In addition, although not shown, the ventilator 100 may further include at least one of a temperature sensor disposed at each of the first air inlet 101a and the second air inlet 101c, and an exhaust temperature sensor for measuring an exhaust temperature, which is the temperature of the supply air SA discharged into the room after passing through the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The exhaust temperature sensor may be placed in the intake flow path 102 further downstream than the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130. The exhaust temperature sensor may measure the temperature of the supply air SA discharged into the room through the first air outlet 101b.

[0074] The ventilator 100 may include a humidity sensor 150 for measuring the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The humidity sensor 150 may be placed in the intake air flow path 102 more upstream than the heat exchangers 120 and 130. For example, the humidity sensor 150 may be located between the main heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 130.

[0075] like Figure 2 As shown, the humidity sensor 150 may detect a first relative humidity of the external air OA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through a first flow path, which is the intake flow path 102. Figure 3 As shown, when the second flow path is formed, the humidity sensor 150 may detect the second relative humidity of the indoor air RA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the second flow path.

[0076] refer to Figure 2and Figure 3 , the housing 101 may include a connecting flow path 102b connecting the first air intake chamber 104 to the first exhaust chamber 106. The connecting flow path 102b may be arranged between the first air intake chamber 104 and the first exhaust chamber 106, and arranged on a partition 108 separating the first air intake chamber 104 and the first exhaust chamber 106. The connecting flow path 102b may be formed by cutting at least a portion of the partition 108. When the connecting flow path 102b is opened, the first air intake chamber 104 and the first exhaust chamber 106 may be connected to each other.

[0077] The ventilator 100 may include a plurality of dampers 330 and 340 arranged to change an air flow path formed in the housing 101. The plurality of dampers 330 and 340 may open or close the flow path formed in the ventilator 100.

[0078] The first damper 330 may be arranged at the first air inlet 101a to open or close the first air inlet 101a. The second damper 340 may be arranged between one side of the total heat exchanger 110 and the inner wall of the housing 101. The second damper 340 may be arranged in the connecting flow path 102b. The second damper 340 may open or close the connecting flow path 102b formed between the first air inlet 101a and the second air inlet 101c.

[0079] Although not shown, the second air inlet 101c may also have a damper (not shown) disposed therein. The damper disposed in the second air inlet 101c may also be referred to as a third damper. The third damper may open or close the second air inlet 101c.

[0080] The opening degree of each of the plurality of dampers 330 and 340 may be adjusted under the control of a process to be described later.

[0081] When the ventilation system 1 operates in the ventilation mode, the first damper 330 arranged at the first air inlet 101a is opened, and the second damper 340 arranged at the connection flow path 102b is closed. In the ventilation mode, both the first blower 109a and the second blower 109b are operated. Therefore, the external air OA sucked through the first air inlet 101a is discharged into the indoor space through the first air outlet 101b along the air intake flow path 102, and the indoor air RA sucked through the second air inlet 101c is discharged into the outdoor space through the second air outlet 101d along the exhaust flow path 103.

[0082] When the ventilation system 1 is operated in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, a first flow path that guides the outside air OA sucked through the first air inlet 101a to the heat exchangers 120 and 130, or a second flow path that guides the indoor air RA sucked through the second air inlet 101c to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be formed. The first flow path is the same as the suction flow path 102. The second flow path is a flow path that allows the indoor air RA sucked through the second suction inlet 101c to flow back into the indoor space.

[0083] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the first blower 109a may be operated and the second blower 109b may be stopped. Without the operation of the second blower 109b, the flow of air through the exhaust flow path 103 does not occur.

[0084] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the first damper 330 may be opened, the second damper 340 may be closed, and the first blower 109a may be operated to form a first flow path. The second blower 109b may be controlled not to operate. Therefore, the external air OA sucked through the first air inlet 101a may pass through the filter 112 and the total heat exchanger 110, and then flow into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The air that has passed through the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be discharged to the indoor space through the first air outlet 101b.

[0085] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the first damper 330 can be closed, the second damper 340 can be opened, and the first blower 109a can be operated to form a second flow path. Due to the closure of the first damper 330, the first air inlet 101a is closed, which prevents the external air OA from flowing into the housing 101. In addition, the second blower 109b can be controlled not to operate. Therefore, the indoor air RA sucked through the second air inlet 101c can travel through the connecting flow path 102b, travel through the filter 112 and the total heat exchanger 110, and then flow into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The air that has traveled through the heat exchangers 120 and 130 can be discharged to the indoor space through the first air outlet 101b.

[0086] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, in order to clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130, the first flow path or the second flow path may be selected. The selection of the first flow path or the second flow path may be performed based on the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130, and the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA. In order to obtain the first absolute humidity OA of the outside air and the second absolute humidity RA of the indoor air, the plurality of dampers 330 and 340 may be controlled to alternately form the first flow path and the second flow path and the first flow path and the second flow path are respectively formed for a preset period of time (e.g., 30 seconds).

[0087] The heat exchangers 120 and 130 are cleaned by forming frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 and then defrosting. In order to easily form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130, air containing relatively high moisture needs to flow into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. In order to supply air having relatively high moisture to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, a first absolute humidity of the outside air OA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the first flow path and a second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the second flow path may be compared.

[0088] Based on the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the first flow path being equal to or higher than the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the second flow path, the first flow path may be used to clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130. Based on the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA being lower than the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA, the second flow path may be used to clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0089] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the circulation of the refrigerant during ventilation operation of the ventilation system or during cleaning of the heat exchanger according to an embodiment.

[0090] refer to Figure 4 The outdoor unit 200 may include a compressor 210 for compressing refrigerant, a liquid accumulator 212 for preventing liquid refrigerant that has not yet evaporated from flowing into the compressor 210, an outdoor heat exchanger 220 for performing heat exchange between external air and the refrigerant, and a cooling fan 220a disposed around the outdoor heat exchanger 220. The outdoor unit 200 may further include a four-way valve 230 for switching the circulation direction of the refrigerant.

[0091] The compressor 210 may operate when receiving electric energy from an external power source. The compressor 210 includes a compressor motor (not shown), and compresses a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high pressure by using the rotational force of the compressor motor. When the ventilation system 1 performs a ventilation operation or operates in a heat exchanger cleaning mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 220 may operate as a condenser that condenses the refrigerant.

[0092] When the ventilation system 1 operates in the ventilation mode or the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the four-way valve 230 may be controlled to guide the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 210 to the outdoor heat exchanger 220. In other words, when the ventilation system 1 operates in the ventilation mode or the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the refrigerant may travel from the compressor 210 through the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and may be supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the ventilator 100.

[0093] In other operation modes, the ventilation system 1 can be operated to supply warm air to the indoor space. When it is necessary to supply warm air to the indoor space, the outdoor heat exchanger 220 can be operated as an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant. To this end, the four-way valve 230 can be controlled to first guide the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 210 to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the ventilator 100. In other words, the refrigerant can travel from the compressor 210 through the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the ventilator 100 and can be supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 220.

[0094] When the cooling fan 220 a operates, air outside the outdoor unit 200 may flow into the outdoor heat exchanger 220 , and the air flowing into the outdoor unit 200 may travel through the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and move back to the outside of the outdoor unit 200 .

[0095] The outdoor unit 200 corresponds to an outdoor unit for air conditioning known in the industry, and thus a person of ordinary skill in the art can easily change or add various components required for practicing the outdoor unit 200. In this way, since the ventilation system 1 as disclosed herein can be operated using the commonly used outdoor unit 200, and therefore, the ventilator 100 does not require additional components (such as a compressor), the size of the ventilator 100 can be reduced and the ventilator 100 has a reduced manufacturing cost.

[0096] The first heat exchanger 120 in the ventilator 100 may be connected to the outdoor unit 200 through a first refrigerant pipe 121. The first heat exchanger 120 may be connected to an outdoor heat exchanger 220 in the outdoor unit 200. The second heat exchanger 130 may be connected to the first heat exchanger 120 through a second refrigerant pipe 131. The second heat exchanger 130 may be connected to the outdoor unit 200 through a third refrigerant pipe 132. The second heat exchanger 130 may be connected to the accumulator 212 in the outdoor unit 200.

[0097] The ventilator 100 may include a first expansion device 160 disposed in the first refrigerant pipe 121. The first expansion device 160 may selectively expand the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger 120 through the first refrigerant pipe 121. The refrigerant having passed through the first expansion device 160 may be in a more decompressed state than before passing through the first expansion device 160.

[0098] The ventilator 100 may include a second expansion device 170 disposed in the second refrigerant pipe 131. The second expansion device 170 may selectively expand the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 120 and supplied to the second heat exchanger 130 through the second refrigerant pipe 131. The refrigerant having passed through the second expansion device 170 may be in a more decompressed state than before traveling through the second expansion device 170. The first expansion device 160 and the second expansion device 170 may be disposed in the housing 101. The second refrigerant pipe 131 may be disposed in the housing 101.

[0099] The first expansion device 160 may expand the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant into the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant according to the throttling effect, and adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger 120. The first expansion device 160 may decompress the refrigerant by using the throttling effect, by which the refrigerant is decompressed by traveling through a narrow flow path without exchanging heat with the outside. For example, the first expansion device 160 may include an electronic expansion valve (EEV) 161. The EEV 161 may adjust the expansion degree and flow rate of the refrigerant by controlling the opening degree. When the EEV 161 is fully opened, the refrigerant may pass through the EEV 161 without resistance and may not expand.

[0100] The second expansion device 170 may also expand the refrigerant according to the throttling effect. For example, the second expansion device 170 may include a solenoid valve 171 and a capillary tube 172 connected in parallel with the solenoid valve 171. When the solenoid valve 171 is locked, the refrigerant may move to the capillary tube 172 to expand by throttling, and when the solenoid valve 171 is unlocked, the refrigerant may flow through the solenoid valve 171 without resistance and may not expand. In order to effectively control the flow and expansion of the refrigerant, the solenoid valve 171 may be replaced by an EEV.

[0101] However, it is not limited thereto. For example, both the first expansion device 160 and the second expansion device 170 may include an EEV. The first expansion device 160 may include an electromagnetic valve and a capillary tube connected in parallel with the electromagnetic valve, and the second expansion device 170 may include an EEV. The first expansion device 160 and the second expansion device 170 may each include an electromagnetic valve and a capillary tube connected in parallel with the electromagnetic valve. Of course, the electromagnetic valve connected in parallel with the capillary tube may be replaced by an EEV.

[0102] When operating in the ventilation mode of the ventilation system 1, the ventilator 100 can provide air at a controlled temperature and humidity by inhaling outside air OA and indoor air RA. Therefore, the indoor space can be ventilated. For the ventilation mode of the ventilation system 1, a first dehumidification mode, a second dehumidification mode and an air supply mode can be provided. The ventilation system 1 can operate in a mode in the first dehumidification mode, the second dehumidification mode and the air supply mode for ventilation operation. The processor 193 in the ventilator 100 can control the ventilator 100 so that the ventilator 100 operates in the first dehumidification mode, the second dehumidification mode or the air supply mode.

[0103] The ventilator 100 may be operated while switching to the first dehumidification mode, the second dehumidification mode, and the air supply mode based on the indoor temperature and the indoor humidity. The ventilator 100 may further include a room temperature sensor for detecting the room temperature, and an indoor humidity sensor for detecting the indoor humidity.

[0104] The first dehumidification mode will now be described. In the first dehumidification mode, the first expansion device 160 may expand the refrigerant. The second expansion device 170 may expand or not expand the refrigerant. It may be desirable that the second expansion device 170 may not expand the refrigerant in the first dehumidification mode so that the refrigerant flows smoothly. To this end, the solenoid valve 171 of the second throttling device 170 may be opened in the first dehumidification mode.

[0105] When the ventilation system 1 operates in the first dehumidification mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 may be condensed by the outdoor heat exchanger 220 in the outdoor unit 200, and then may flow into the first expansion device 160. The first expansion device 160 may expand the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant into a low-temperature and low-pressure state so that the refrigerant may be evaporated by the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130. The refrigerant expanded by the first expansion device 160 may flow into the first heat exchanger 120 and evaporate by heat exchange with the air passing through the first heat exchanger 120. The refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 120 and flowing into the second heat exchanger 130 may evaporate again in the second heat exchanger 130. The first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130 may condense and remove moisture contained in the air passing through the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130, and may cool the air. That is, the ventilation system 1 operating in the first dehumidification mode may reduce the temperature and humidity of the outside air sucked into the indoor space.

[0106] The air supplied to the indoor space by the ventilation device 100 operating in the first dehumidification mode may have a temperature and humidity that makes the user feel comfortable. The ventilation device 100 operating in the first dehumidification mode discharges cold and dry air into the indoor space, so the first dehumidification mode may be referred to as a cooling and dehumidification mode.

[0107] The second dehumidification mode will now be described. In the second dehumidification mode, the first expansion device 160 may not expand the refrigerant. The second expansion device 170 may expand the refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 210 may be condensed by the outdoor heat exchanger 220 in the outdoor unit 200, and may then flow into the first heat exchanger 120. When receiving the refrigerant, the first heat exchanger 120 may condense the refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 120 may be expanded into a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant by the second expansion device 170. The expanded refrigerant may flow into the second heat exchanger 130, and may evaporate by heat exchange with the air passing through the second heat exchanger 130.

[0108] In the second dehumidification mode, the air moving in the intake flow path 102 may sequentially pass through the second heat exchanger 130 and the first heat exchanger 120. The second heat exchanger 130 may condense and remove moisture contained in the air passing through the second heat exchanger 130, and may cool and dehumidify the air passing through the second heat exchanger 130. The first heat exchanger 120 may heat the air from which moisture is removed by the second heat exchanger 130 by condensing the refrigerant. The air that has been cooled while passing through the second heat exchanger 130 is reversely heated by the first heat exchanger 120, and thus the temperature may rise to a temperature higher than that when the air passes through the second heat exchanger 130.

[0109] Therefore, the relative humidity of the air passing through the second heat exchanger 130 and the first heat exchanger 120 can be further reduced than the relative humidity of the air passing through only the second heat exchanger 130. Therefore, air having a temperature and humidity that makes the user feel comfortable can be supplied to the indoor space. The ventilator 100 operating in the second dehumidification mode can discharge dry air having a temperature that is the same as or similar to the room temperature into the indoor space, so the second dehumidification mode can be called a constant temperature dehumidification mode.

[0110] The air supply mode will now be described. In the air supply mode, refrigerant may not be supplied to the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130, and heat exchange may be performed only between the outside air and the indoor air by the main heat exchanger 110. The processor 193 may operate the ventilator 100 in the air supply mode by blocking the flow of the refrigerant flowing into the ventilator 100, blocking the refrigerant flowing into the ventilator 100 from flowing into the heat exchanger 120 or 130, or shutting down the outdoor unit 200.

[0111] Meanwhile, with the accumulated use of the ventilator 100, foreign matter (e.g., dust) may adhere to the surfaces of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The contamination of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may deteriorate the heat transfer performance of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 and cause contamination of the air passing through the heat exchangers 120 and 130. Therefore, the heat exchangers 120 and 130 need to be cleaned.

[0112] The ventilation system 1 as disclosed herein can clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130 by performing a process of forming frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 and then defrosting the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The cleaning of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 can be referred to as freeze cleaning. When operating in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the ventilation system 1 can operate the outdoor unit 200 to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130, and stop the outdoor unit 200 to defrost the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0113] When the ventilation system 1 is operated in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the four-way valve 230 may be controlled to guide the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 210 to the outdoor heat exchanger 220. In other words, in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the refrigerant may travel from the compressor 210 through the outdoor heat exchanger 220 and may be supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the ventilator 100.

[0114] When the ventilation system 1 is operated in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the first expansion device 160 may be controlled to expand the refrigerant. The second expansion device 170 may expand or not expand the refrigerant. It may be desirable that the second expansion device 170 may not expand the refrigerant in the first dehumidification mode so that the refrigerant flows smoothly. The refrigerant is evaporated by exchanging heat with the surrounding air while passing through the first heat exchanger 120 and the second heat exchanger 130. Therefore, the air around the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is cooled.

[0115] When the heat exchangers 120 and 130 operate as evaporators, the surrounding air is cooled, and therefore, the surface temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may drop to or below 0°C (the freezing point of water). Therefore, the steam around the heat exchangers 120 and 130 loses heat, and frost may be formed on the surfaces of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. When the heat exchangers 120 and 130 are frosted, heat is not exchanged between the refrigerant in the heat exchangers 120 and 130 and the outside air. Therefore, while the outdoor unit 200 is operating, the temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 continues to drop.

[0116] When the temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is reduced to the target temperature, the operation of the outdoor unit 200 is stopped. When the operation of the outdoor unit 200 is stopped, the refrigerant does not circulate through the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the ventilator 100, so the temperature of the surfaces and surroundings of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 rises and the frost melts. The melted frost changes to liquid water in phase, and the liquid water may flow down together with foreign matter attached to the surfaces of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. That is, the heat exchangers 120 and 130 can be cleaned by frosting and defrosting.

[0117] The circulation direction of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger cleaning mode is the same as that in the ventilation mode. However, the ventilation mode and the heat exchanger cleaning mode are different in that different air flow paths are formed. Specifically, the operation of the blowers 109a and 109b and the operation of the dampers 330 and 340 are controlled differently according to the ventilation mode or the heat exchanger cleaning mode.

[0118] As described above, when the ventilation system 1 is operated in the ventilation mode, both the first blower 109a and the second blower 109b are operated. In addition, the first damper 330 arranged at the first air inlet 101a is opened, and the second damper 340 arranged at the connection flow path 102b is closed. Therefore, the external air OA sucked in through the first air inlet 101a flows along the intake flow path 102 and is discharged into the indoor space through the first air outlet 101b. In addition, the indoor air RA sucked in through the second air inlet 101c moves along the exhaust flow path 103 and is then discharged to the outdoor space through the second air outlet 101d.

[0119] When the ventilation system 1 operates in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the first blower 109a may operate and the second blower 109b may be stopped. In other words, in the heat exchanger cleaning mode, air may not flow through the exhaust flow path 103. In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the first flow path as the intake flow path 102 and the second flow path as the circulation flow path of the indoor air RA may be formed.

[0120] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the ventilation system 1 operates the compressor 210 to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130. Therefore, air passing through the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is cooled.

[0121] When the humidity of the air sucked into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is lower than a preset reference humidity range, an insufficient amount of frost is formed on the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The insufficient amount of frost may reduce the effect of cleaning the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0122] As an example of a method for preventing the cleaning effect from being reduced, a method of increasing the frosting time for forming frost may be used. The increase in the frosting time for forming frost means increasing the operating time of the outdoor unit 200. The operating time of the outdoor unit 200 may be increased by lowering the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0123] As another example of a method for preventing the cleaning effect from being reduced, a method of increasing the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 can also be used. When the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is fixed, the ventilation system 1 can increase the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. In order to increase the frosting speed, the ventilation system 1 can increase the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 included in the outdoor unit 200 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a. As the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 increases, the amount of refrigerant supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 increases. As the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a increases, the amount of air supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 increases. Therefore, the frosting speed can be increased rapidly.

[0124] On the other hand, when the humidity of the air sucked into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is higher than the preset reference humidity range, frost may be formed more than the amount of frost required to clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130. In this case, unnecessary energy may be consumed, so it is necessary to reduce the frosting time to form frost or reduce the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. For example, the operation time of the outdoor unit 200 may be reduced by increasing the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. In another example, when the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is fixed, the frosting speed may be reduced by reducing the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a.

[0125] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a ventilator according to an embodiment. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a ventilator with some components removed therefrom according to an embodiment, which is viewed from below. Figure 7 yes Figure 5 The first inner housing of the ventilator shown in FIG. 1 is inverted. Figure 8 yes Figure 5 The second inner housing of the ventilator shown in FIG. 1 is inverted.

[0126] refer to Figure 5 , the ventilator 100 may include a drain pan 125 for collecting condensed water generated from the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The drain pan 125 may be arranged below the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the vertical direction Z.

[0127] The housing 101 may include a first inner housing 310 and a second inner housing 320. The second inner housing 320 may be coupled to the first inner housing 310 in the vertical direction Z. The inner housings 310 and 320 may be formed of a heat insulating material. For example, the inner housings 310 and 320 may be formed of an expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS) material such as polystyrene. However, it is not limited thereto, and the inner housings 310 and 320 may be formed of various heat insulating materials configured to maintain the air moving in the intake flow path 102 and the exhaust flow path 103 at a constant temperature.

[0128] The ventilator 100 may include covers 410 and 420, which are arranged to form the exterior of the housing 101 and cover the inner housings 310 and 320. The covers 410 and 420 may include a first cover 410 arranged below in the vertical direction Z, and a second cover 420 arranged above the first cover 410 and coupled to the first cover 14. The first cover 410 may form the lower exterior of the ventilator 100, and the second cover 420 may form the upper exterior of the ventilator 100. The covers 410 and 420 may protect the inner housings 310 and 320 from external influences by covering the inner housings 310 and 320. For example, the covers 410 and 420 may be made of an injection molding material such as plastic.

[0129] The first inner housing 310 may be plugged into the first cover 410, and the second inner housing 320 may be plugged into the second cover 420. From the bottom to the top of the ventilator 100, the first cover 410, the first inner housing 310, the second inner housing 320, and the second cover 420 may be arranged in sequence.

[0130] Components of the ventilator 100 , such as the main heat exchanger 110 , the filter 112 , the blowers 109 a and 109 b , the heat exchangers 120 and 130 , and the drain pan 125 , may be arranged to be supported by the first inner case 310 and / or the second inner case 320 .

[0131] The first hole 315 may be formed on the first inner case 310. The total heat exchanger 110, the filter 112, and the drain pan 125 may be arranged to be separable from the ventilator 100 through the first hole 315 of the first inner case 310. The second inner case 320 may include a second hole 325 formed to match the first hole 315 of the first inner case 310.

[0132] The first cover 410 may include a body portion 411 shaped like a rectangular frame, a plane portion 412 detachably coupled to the body portion 411 and shaped like a plate, and a lower cover portion 413 arranged to cover the plane portion 412 from the bottom. The plane portion 412 of the first cover 410 may include a plate body 412a, a first surface 412b of the plate body 412a, and a second surface arranged on the other side of the first surface 412b.

[0133] The planar portion 412 of the first cover 410 may include a third hole 412d formed to match the first hole 315 of the first inner housing 310. The third hole 412d may be formed on the plate body 412a. Since the third hole 412d is formed to match the first hole 315, the third hole 412d may be asymmetrically formed on the plate body 412a around one of the major axis L and the minor axis S of the housing 101.

[0134] The plane portion 412 of the first cover 410 may be coupled to the body portion 411 so that the first surface 412b faces downward. The first hole 315 and the third hole 412d may be provided in the same shape and arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction Z.

[0135] refer to Figure 6 When the lower cover portion 413 is separated from the first cover 410, the total heat exchanger 110, the filter 112, and the drain pan 125 can be exposed below the ventilator 100. Therefore, the user can easily separate the total heat exchanger 110, the filter 112, and the drain pan 125 from the ventilator 110.

[0136] refer to Figure 7 The first inner housing 310 may include a first air inlet forming portion 311 forming a portion of the first air inlet 101a, a first air outlet forming portion 312 forming a portion of the first air outlet 101b, a second air inlet forming portion 313 forming a portion of the second air inlet 101c, and a second air outlet forming portion 314 forming a portion of the second air outlet 101d. The first air outlet forming portion 312 and the second air outlet forming portion 314 may be formed to be symmetrical to each other about the long axis L of the ventilator 100. The first air inlet forming portion 311 and the second air inlet forming portion 313 may also be formed to be symmetrical to each other about the long axis L of the ventilator 100.

[0137] The first hole 315 formed for the total heat exchanger 110, the filter 112, and the drain pan 125 to be taken out may be divided into a first section 315a from which the total heat exchanger 110 and the filter 112 are taken out, and a second section 315b from which the drain pan 125 is taken out. Although the first section 315a and the second section 315b of the first hole 315 are shown in the form of being connected to each other, they are not limited thereto, and in this case, the first section 315a and the second section 315b may be separated from each other.

[0138] The total heat exchanger 110 may be shaped like a hexahedron. Since the total heat exchanger 110 is formed to have a square cross section and the filter 112 is arranged adjacent to the intake air inflow end 110a of the total heat exchanger 110, the first section 315a of the first hole 315 may be formed to have a rectangular shape. Through the first section 315a of the first hole 315, the total heat exchanger 110 and the filter 112 may be exposed to the outside.

[0139] The second section 315b of the first hole 315 may be formed to have a shape matching the shape of the drain pan 125. For example, the second section 315b may be formed to have a polygonal shape, but it is not limited thereto, and it may have various shapes.

[0140] refer to Figure 8 The second inner shell 320 may include a first air inlet forming portion 321 forming a portion of the first air inlet 101a, a first air outlet forming portion 322 forming a portion of the first air outlet 101b, a second air inlet forming portion 323 forming a portion of the second air inlet 101c, and a second air outlet forming portion 324 forming a portion of the second air outlet 101d. The first air outlet forming portion 322 and the second air outlet forming portion 324 may be formed to be symmetrical to each other. The first air inlet forming portion 321 and the second air inlet forming portion 323 may also be formed to be symmetrical to each other.

[0141] When the first inner case 310 and the second inner case 320 are assembled in the vertical direction Z, the first air inlet 101a, the first air outlet 101b, the second air inlet 101c, and the second air outlet 101d may be formed. When a surface 316 of the first inner case and another surface 326 of the second inner case 320 are arranged in parallel, the first hole 315 of the first inner case 310 and the second hole 325 of the second inner case 320 are parallel.

[0142] Assuming that in the front-rear direction X, the side where the first air inlet 101a and the second air outlet 101d are formed is referred to as one side of the housing 101, and the side where the second air inlet 101c and the first air outlet 101b are formed is referred to as the other side of the housing 101, the total heat exchanger 110 may be arranged adjacent to the one side of the housing 101. Since the heat exchangers 120 and 130 are arranged in the second air inlet chamber 105 to be adjacent to the first air outlet 101b and the first blower 109a, the total heat exchanger 110 may be arranged as close to the first air inlet 101a as possible to ensure as much space as possible for the second air inlet 105.

[0143] The first intake chamber 104, the second intake chamber 105, the first exhaust chamber 106, and the second exhaust chamber 107 may be separated by a partition 108 formed by the first inner shell 310 and the second inner shell 320. In addition, the partition 108 may play a role in supporting the total heat exchanger 110. The partition 108 separating the first exhaust chamber 105 from the second intake chamber 106 may be formed by a partition forming portion 317 of the first inner shell 310 and a partition forming portion 327 of the second inner shell 320. The connection flow path 102a may be formed by cutting at least a portion of the partition.

[0144] Fig. 9 The figure shows an integrated air conditioning system including a ventilator according to an embodiment.

[0145] refer to Fig. 9, the integrated air conditioning system 2 may include a ventilator 100, an outdoor unit or outdoor unit 200, a plurality of indoor units or indoor units 30 (30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d), and an integrated controller 50. The ventilator 100 may be connected to the outdoor unit 200 via a refrigerant pipe P1. The refrigerant pipe P1 may correspond to the first refrigerant pipe 121 as described above. The plurality of indoor units 30 may be connected to the outdoor unit 200 via a refrigerant pipe P2. The outdoor unit 200 may supply refrigerant to each of the plurality of indoor units 30 via the refrigerant pipe P2.

[0146] The plurality of indoor units 30 may be respectively arranged in a plurality of different indoor spaces. For example, the plurality of indoor units 30 may be respectively arranged in a plurality of offices, a plurality of guest rooms, or a plurality of rooms in a building. When the plurality of indoor units 30 are respectively operated, the air in the indoor space in which each of the plurality of indoor units 30 is installed may be directly conditioned (e.g., cooled).

[0147] The ventilator 100 can be installed in many different spaces in a building. For example, the ventilator 100 can be installed in a space such as an apartment balcony or a utility room. The first air inlet 101a, the second air inlet 101c, the first air outlet 101b, and the second air outlet 101d formed at the housing 101 of the ventilator 100 can be connected to corresponding pipes. The pipe connected to the second air inlet 101c and the first air outlet 101b can extend until the indoor space. For example, a hole can be formed on the ceiling or wall of the indoor space to connect to the ventilator 100. The pipe connected to the first air inlet 101a and the second air outlet 101d can extend until the outdoor space.

[0148] The integrated controller 50 may be electrically connected to the ventilator 100, the outdoor unit 500, and the plurality of indoor units 30. The integrated controller 50 may be electrically connected to the ventilator 100, the outdoor unit 500, and the plurality of indoor units 30 through a communication line (CL). The integrated controller 50 may control the operation of the ventilator 100, the outdoor unit 200, and the plurality of indoor units 30.

[0149] The integrated controller 50 may obtain user input, and in response to the user input, operate the integrated air conditioning system 2 and display information of the integrated air conditioning system 2. The integrated controller 50 may control the ventilator 100 and the indoor unit 30 based on the room temperature and indoor humidity in the indoor space in which the indoor unit 30 is placed. By appropriately controlling the operation of the ventilator 100 and the indoor unit 30, the cooling efficiency and the dehumidification efficiency may be improved, and energy for cooling and dehumidification may be saved.

[0150] Thus, one outdoor unit 200 can be used to supply refrigerant to the ventilator 100 and a plurality of indoor units 30. In addition, the number of the blower 100, the outdoor unit 200, and the indoor unit 30 is not limited to the number described above.

[0151] The method for controlling the ventilation system 1 can also be used in combination with Fig. 9 Described integrated air conditioning system 2.

[0152] Fig.10 is a control block diagram of a ventilator according to an embodiment.

[0153] refer to Fig.10 , the ventilator 100 may include a first blower 109a, a second blower 109b, a first sterilizer 111, a second sterilizer 112, a temperature sensor 142, a heat exchanger temperature sensor 144, a humidity sensor 150, a first expansion device 160, and a second expansion device 170. In addition, the ventilator 100 may include a user interface 180, a memory 191, a communication interface 192, a processor 193, a first damper 330, and a second damper 340. The processor 193 may be electrically connected to the components of the ventilator 100 to control the corresponding components.

[0154] The processor 193 may control the first expansion device 160 to selectively expand the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger 120 through the first refrigerant pipe 121. The processor 193 may control the second expansion device 170 to selectively expand the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 120 and supplied to the second heat exchanger 130 through the second refrigerant pipe 131.

[0155] The user interface 180 can obtain various user inputs about the operation of the ventilator 100. The user interface 180 can output an electrical signal (voltage or current) corresponding to the user input to the processor 193 of the ventilator 100. The user interface 180 may include various buttons, dials and / or displays. The display of the user interface 180 can display information about the operation of the ventilation system 1.

[0156] For example, the user interface 180 may obtain a command for executing a heat exchanger cleaning mode. The processor 193 may cause the ventilation system 1 to operate in the heat exchanger cleaning mode based on the command for executing the heat exchanger cleaning mode. The user interface 180 may obtain user input to arrange a schedule for heat exchanger cleaning. The schedule for heat exchanger cleaning may be pre-set on a design basis. The processor 193 may periodically perform a heat exchanger cleaning operation based on a schedule for cleaning the heat exchanger.

[0157] The memory 191 may store / store various information required for the operation of the ventilation system 1. The memory 191 may store instructions, applications, data and / or programs required for the operation of the ventilation system 1. The processor 193 may generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the ventilation system 1 based on the instructions, applications, data and / or programs stored in the memory 191.

[0158] The communication interface 192 may perform communication with the outdoor unit 200, the indoor unit 30, and / or the integrated controller 50. The ventilator 100 may operate based on a control signal transmitted from the integrated controller 50 through the communication interface 192. In addition, the processor 193 of the ventilator 100 may generate a control signal for operating the outdoor unit 200, and transmit the control signal to the outdoor unit 200 through the communication interface 192.

[0159] As described above, with the cumulative use of the ventilation device 100, the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be contaminated. In order to manage the heat exchangers 120 and 130 to be clean, it is necessary to clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The ventilation system 1 as disclosed herein can clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130 by performing a process of forming frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 and then defrosting the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0160] In this case, when the amount of frost formed on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is insufficient, the effect of cleaning the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be reduced. On the other hand, when more frost than the amount required for cleaning the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is formed, unnecessary energy may be consumed. In order to solve these problems, the ventilation system 1 as disclosed herein can select an appropriate air flow path to easily form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130, and appropriately control the frosting time for forming frost. In addition, the ventilation system 1 can appropriately control the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0161] The processor 193 may periodically perform cleaning on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on a preset schedule. In addition, the processor 193 may perform cleaning on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on a command obtained through the user interface 180. The processor 193 may control the outdoor unit 200 to supply refrigerant to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode.

[0162] In response to entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the processor 193 can control multiple dampers 330 and 340, the first blower 109a and the second blower 109b to form a first flow path to guide the external air OA drawn in through the first air inlet 101a of the shell 101 to the heat exchangers 120 and 130, or form a second flow path to guide the indoor air RA drawn in through the second air inlet 101c to the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0163] In order to form the first flow path, the processor 193 may open the first damper 330 to open the first air inlet 101a, and close the second damper 340 to close the connecting flow path 102b. In order to form the second flow path, the processor 193 may close the first damper 330 to close the first air inlet 101a, and open the second damper 340 to open the connecting flow path 102b. In response to entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the processor 193 may control the plurality of dampers 330 and 340 to alternately form the first flow path and the second flow path and the first flow path and the second flow path are respectively formed for a preset time period (e.g., 30 seconds).

[0164] The temperature sensor 142 may detect the temperature of the air flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The temperature sensor 142 may also be referred to as a first temperature sensor. The temperature sensor 142 may detect a first temperature of the outside air OA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through a first flow path, which is the intake flow path 102. The temperature sensor 142 may detect a second temperature of the indoor air RA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through a second flow path.

[0165] The heat exchanger temperature sensor 144 may detect the temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The heat exchanger temperature sensor 144 may also be referred to as a second temperature sensor.

[0166] The humidity sensor 150 may measure the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The humidity sensor 150 may detect a first relative humidity of the outside air OA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through a first flow path, which is the intake flow path 102. The humidity sensor 150 may detect a second relative humidity of the indoor air RA flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through a second flow path.

[0167] The processor 193 may calculate the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA based on the first temperature and the first relative humidity of the outside air OA flowing through the first flow path. The processor 193 may calculate the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA based on the second temperature and the second relative humidity of the indoor air RA flowing through the second flow path. The processor 193 may select one of the first flow path and the second flow path based on a comparison between the first absolute humidity and the second absolute humidity. In other words, the first flow path or the second flow path may be used to clean the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0168] The processor 193 may select the first flow path based on that the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA is equal to or higher than the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA. The processor 193 may select the second flow path based on that the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA is lower than the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA. The processor 193 may control the display of the user interface 180 to display flow path information about the selection of one of the first flow path and the second flow path.

[0169] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the processor 193 may operate the outdoor unit 200 to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130, and stop the operation of the outdoor unit 200 based on a preset frost termination condition to defrost the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The processor 193 may control the display of the user interface 180 to display the expected time required until the cleaning of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is completed after the operation of the outdoor unit 200 is terminated based on the frost termination condition.

[0170] For example, the frosting termination condition may include that the operation time of the outdoor unit 200 reaches a preset limit time (e.g., 20 minutes) or the third temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 reaches a target temperature. The processor 193 may determine to stop the operation of the outdoor unit 200 based on the temperature detected by the heat exchanger temperature sensor 144 being equal to or lower than the target temperature. In addition, the processor 193 may also determine to stop the operation of the outdoor unit 200 based on the operation time of the outdoor unit 200 after entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode passing a preset limit time.

[0171] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the processor 193 may determine the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on a preset correlation function. The processor 193 may calculate the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode. The processor 193 may calculate the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on the selection of the first flow path or the second flow path.

[0172] The correlation function includes, as variables, the temperature and humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. For example, the correlation function may include, as variables, a first temperature and a first relative humidity of the outside air OA supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130. In addition, the correlation function may include, as variables, a second temperature and a second relative humidity of the indoor air RA supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0173] In other words, the first temperature and the first relative humidity of the outside air OA are input to the correlation function, or the second temperature and the second relative humidity of the indoor air RA are input to the correlation function, thereby calculating the target temperature. The correlation function can be defined as in the following formula 1. Formula 1 is only an example. The correlation function can be defined in various formulas according to the data of the ventilator 100.

[0174] [Formula 1]

[0175] Target temperature = f(temperature, relative humidity) = -63.6 + (1.783 × temperature) + (11.63 × relative humidity)

[0176] The operation time of the outdoor unit 200 may be adjusted as the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 changes. When the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 decreases, the operation time of the outdoor unit 200 may increase. This is because more time is required to reduce the temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 to the target temperature. Conversely, when the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 increases, the operation time of the outdoor unit 200 may decrease. The heat exchangers 120 and 130 need to be frosted, so the target temperature may be determined to have a value lower than a preset threshold temperature (e.g., -5°C).

[0177] Alternatively, the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be fixed at the design stage of the ventilator 100. When the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is fixed, the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be adjusted. In order to adjust the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130, the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a may be adjusted.

[0178] For example, as the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 increases, the amount of refrigerant supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 increases. As the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a increases, the amount of air supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 increases. Therefore, the frosting speed can be increased rapidly. On the contrary, as the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a decrease, the frosting speed can be slowed down.

[0179] The processor 193 may determine a first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and a second rotation speed of the first blower 109a included in the outdoor unit 200 based on a first relative humidity of the outside air OA or a second relative humidity of the indoor air RA supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130. For example, the processor 193 may reduce the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a based on the first relative humidity OA of the outside air or the second relative humidity RA of the indoor air being higher than a preset reference humidity range. In another example, the processor 193 may increase the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a based on the first relative humidity OA of the outside air or the second relative humidity RA of the indoor air being lower than a preset reference humidity range.

[0180] In the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the processor 193 may operate the first blower 109a and stop the second blower 109b. In order to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130, air needs to be continuously supplied to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 during the operation of the outdoor unit 200. In order to supply air to the heat exchangers 120 and 130, the first blower 109a may be operated. However, when the operation of the outdoor unit 200 is stopped for defrosting, the processor 193 may stop the first blower 109a until the frost thaws. In order to remove moisture left after the frost thaws, the processor 193 may operate the first blower 109a again.

[0181] Fig.11 is a control block diagram of an integrated controller according to an embodiment.

[0182] refer to Fig.11 The integrated controller 50 may include a display 51, an input device 52, a communication interface 53, a memory 54, and a processor 55 electrically connected to these components. The integrated controller 50 may provide a user interface for interaction between the integrated air conditioning system 2 and a user.

[0183] The display 51 may display information about the state and / or operation of the integrated air conditioning system 2. The display 51 may display information input by a user or information to be provided to a user in various screens. The display 51 may display information about the operation of the integrated air conditioning system 2 in at least one of an image or text. In addition, the display 51 may display a graphical user interface (GUI) capable of controlling the integrated air conditioning system 2. Therefore, the display 51 may display a user interface component (UI component) such as an icon.

[0184] The display 51 may include various types of display panels. For example, the display 51 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, an organic LED (OLED) panel, or a micro LED panel.

[0185] The display 51 may be implemented with a touch display. The touch display may include a display panel for displaying an image and a touch panel for receiving a touch input. The display panel may convert image data received from the processor 55 into an optical signal visible to a user. The touch panel may recognize a touch input from a user and provide an electrical signal corresponding to the received touch input to the processor 55.

[0186] The input device 52 of the integrated controller 50 can output an electrical signal (voltage or current) corresponding to the user input to the processor 55. The input module 52 may include various buttons or even a dial. When the display 51 is set as a touch display, the input device 52 may not be separately set for the integrated controller 50. That is, the integrated controller 50 can obtain user input. For example, the integrated controller 50 can obtain user input for turning on or off each of the indoor unit 30 and the ventilator 100, or user input for setting the operating mode of each of the indoor unit 30 and the ventilator 100.

[0187] The communication interface 53 may perform communication with the ventilator 100, the outdoor unit 200, and the indoor unit 30. The communication interface 53 of the integrated controller 50 may be connected to a communication interface of each of the indoor unit 30, the ventilator 100, and the outdoor unit 200 through a communication line (CL). The integrated controller 50 may transmit a control signal to the ventilator 100, the outdoor unit 500, and the indoor unit 30 through the communication interface 53.

[0188] The communication interface 53 may include a wired communication module and / or a wireless communication module to communicate with an external device (e.g., a mobile device, a computer). The wired communication module may communicate with the external device through a wide area network such as the Internet, and the wireless communication module may communicate with the external device through an access point connected to the wide area network. Thus, the user can remotely control the integrated air conditioning system 2.

[0189] The memory 54 may store / store various information required for the operation of the integrated air conditioning system 2. The memory 54 may store instructions, applications, data and / or programs required for the operation of the integrated air conditioning system 2. For example, the memory 54 may store data on a reference temperature and a reference humidity for determining the operation of the ventilator 100 and the indoor unit 30.

[0190] The memory 54 may include a volatile memory for temporarily storing data, such as a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The memory 54 may also include a nonvolatile memory for storing data for a long time, such as a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), or an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM).

[0191] The processor 55 may generate a control signal for controlling the operation of the integrated air conditioning system 2 based on the instructions, application programs, data and / or programs stored in the memory 54. The processor 55 may include a logic circuit and an operation circuit in the form of hardware. The processor 55 may process data according to the program and / or instructions provided from the memory 54, and generate a control signal based on the processing result. The memory 54 and the processor 55 may be implemented in one control circuit or multiple circuits.

[0192] The components of the ventilator 100, the outdoor unit 200, the indoor unit 30 and the integrated controller 50 are not limited to the above combination. Fig.10 and Fig.11 Some of the above-described components of each of the ventilator 100, the outdoor unit 200, the indoor unit 30, and the integrated controller 50 may be omitted, or other components may be further added.

[0193] Fig.12 is a flow chart describing a method of controlling a ventilation system according to an embodiment.

[0194] refer to Fig.12 In 1201, the ventilation system 1 may operate in a heat exchanger cleaning mode. For example, the processor 193 of the ventilation system 1 may enter the heat exchanger cleaning mode based on user input obtained through the user interface 180. The processor 193 may enter the heat exchanger cleaning mode based on a preset heat exchanger cleaning schedule.

[0195] In response to the ventilation system 1 entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the processor 193 of the ventilation system 1 may control the plurality of dampers 330 and 340, the first blower 109a and the second blower 109b to force air to flow into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The processor 193 may control the plurality of dampers 330 and 340, the first blower 109a and the second blower 109b to form a first flow path that guides the outside air OA sucked in through the first air inlet 101a of the housing 101 to the heat exchangers 120 and 130, or to form a second flow path that guides the indoor air RA sucked in through the second air inlet 101c to the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0196] In order to easily form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130, air containing relatively much moisture needs to flow into the heat exchangers 120 and 130. One of the first flow path and the second flow path may be selected to supply air containing relatively much moisture to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the heat exchanger cleaning mode.

[0197] In 1203, the processor 193 may operate the outdoor unit 200 to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 in the heat exchanger cleaning mode. Thereafter, in 1204, the processor 193 may stop the operation of the outdoor unit 200 based on a preset frost termination condition to defrost the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be cleaned by forming frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130 and then defrosting.

[0198] Fig.13 A more detailed map is shown in Fig.12 Flow chart of a method of controlling a ventilation system described in .

[0199] In response to entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode, the processor 193 of the ventilation system 1 may control the plurality of dampers 330 and 340 to alternately form the first flow path and the second flow path for a preset period of time (eg, 30 seconds), respectively.

[0200] Within a preset time period (e.g., 30 seconds), the processor 193 may open the first damper 330, close the second damper 340, and operate the first blower 109a to form a first flow path. Therefore, the external air OA sucked in through the first air inlet 101a may flow into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the first flow path. The temperature sensor 142 may detect a first temperature of the external air OA flowing in through the first flow path. The humidity sensor 150 may detect a first relative humidity of the external air OA flowing in through the first flow path. In 1302, the processor 193 may calculate a first absolute humidity of the external air OA based on the first temperature and the first relative humidity of the external air OA.

[0201] In addition, within a preset time period (e.g., 30 seconds), the processor 193 may close the first damper 330, open the second damper 340, and operate the first blower 109a to form a second flow path. Therefore, the indoor air RA sucked through the second air inlet 101c may flow into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the second flow path. The temperature sensor 142 may detect a second temperature of the indoor air RA flowing in through the second flow path. The humidity sensor 150 may detect a second relative humidity of the indoor air RA flowing in through the second flow path. In 1303, the processor 193 may calculate a second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA based on the second temperature and the second relative humidity of the indoor air RA.

[0202] The processor 193 may select one of the first flow path and the second flow path based on a comparison between the first absolute humidity and the second absolute humidity. In 1304 and 1305, the processor 193 may select the first flow path based on the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA being equal to or higher than the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA. The processor 193 may control the plurality of dampers 330 and 340 to supply air to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the first flow path to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0203] In 1304 and 1306, the processor 193 may select the second flow path based on the first absolute humidity of the outside air OA being lower than the second absolute humidity of the indoor air RA. The processor 193 may control the plurality of dampers 330 and 340 to supply air to the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the second flow path to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130.

[0204] In 1307, the processor 193 may determine the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The processor 193 may calculate the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on the selection of the first flow path or the second flow path. The processor 193 may determine the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 based on the temperature of the air flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130, the relative humidity of the air, and a preset correlation function.

[0205] In 1308, the processor 193 may operate the outdoor unit 200 to form frost on the heat exchangers 120 and 130. The rotation speed of the compressor 210 may be kept constant until the operation of the outdoor unit 200 stops. The rotation speed of the first blower 109a may also be kept constant. When frost is formed on the heat exchangers 120 and 130, the temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 decreases. In 1309 and 1311, when the temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 decreases to the target temperature, the processor 193 may stop the operation of the outdoor unit 200.

[0206] In 1310 and 1311 , even when the temperatures of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 do not reach the target temperature, the processor 193 may stop the operation of the outdoor unit 200 when the driving time of the outdoor unit 200 passes a preset limit time (eg, 20 minutes).

[0207] Fig.14 It is shown in Fig.13 A flow chart of a method of controlling a ventilation system described in the accompanying drawings, wherein some steps are changed.

[0208] refer to Fig.14 , the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be fixed at the design stage of the ventilator 100. When the target temperature of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 is fixed, the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130 may be adjusted. In order to adjust the frosting speed of the heat exchangers 120 and 130, the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a may be adjusted.

[0209] As in Fig.13 As described in , after selecting the first flow path in 1305 or selecting the second flow path in 1306, in 1401, the processor 193 can control the humidity sensor 150 to detect the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchangers 120 and 130 through the first flow path or the second flow path.

[0210] When the detected relative humidity of the air is within a preset reference humidity range, in 1403, the processor 193 may set the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 to a preset first reference speed and set the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a to a preset second reference speed.

[0211] The processor 193 may reduce the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a based on the detected relative humidity of the air being higher than the preset reference humidity range. In 1404, the processor 193 may increase the first rotation speed of the compressor 210 and the second rotation speed of the first blower 109a based on the detected relative humidity of the air being lower than the preset reference humidity range.

[0212] According to the present disclosure, a ventilation system may clean a heat exchanger located inside a ventilator by forming frost on the heat exchanger and then melting the frost.

[0213] The ventilation system can effectively clean the heat exchanger by selectively changing the flow path of the air flowing into the heat exchanger.

[0214] The ventilation system can also prevent poor cleaning of the heat exchanger and prevent unnecessary energy consumption by appropriately setting conditions for terminating cleaning of the heat exchanger.

[0215] Meanwhile, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of a storage medium for storing instructions to be executed by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program codes, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions may generate a program module to perform the operations in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0216] The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. The term "non-transitory storage medium" may mean a tangible device that does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), and may not distinguish between semi-permanent storage of data in the storage medium and temporary storage of data in the storage medium. For example, a non-transitory storage medium may include a cache that temporarily stores data.

[0217] The above-described methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided in a computer program product. A computer program product may be a commercial product that may be traded between a seller and a buyer. A computer program product may be distributed in the form of a storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), distributed through an application store (e.g., play store™), distributed directly between two user devices (e.g., a smartphone), or distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable application) may be at least temporarily stored or arbitrarily created in a storage medium, which may be a device such as a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0218] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described so far with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced in other forms than the embodiments of the present disclosure as described above without changing the technical ideas or basic features of the present disclosure. The above embodiments of the present disclosure are merely examples and should not be interpreted in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. A ventilation system comprising: Ventilators; and Outdoor unit, Wherein, the ventilator comprises: a housing, the housing comprising a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a first air outlet, and a second air outlet, a plurality of dampers configured to change a flow path of air flowing through the housing, a first blower, the first blower being configured to blow the air to the first air outlet, a second blower, the second blower being configured to blow the air to the second air outlet, a total heat exchanger in said housing, a heat exchanger in the housing, and a processor configured, in response to entering a heat exchanger cleaning mode: controlling the plurality of dampers, the first blower, and the second blower to form a first flow path or to form a second flow path, thereby forming a flow path in the ventilator, In the first flow path, external air is sucked in through the first air inlet, then flows through the total heat exchanger, then flows through the heat exchanger, and then is exhausted through the first air outlet, In the second flow path, indoor air is sucked in through the second air inlet, then flows through the total heat exchanger, then flows through the heat exchanger, and then is exhausted through the first air outlet; controlling the outdoor unit to operate so as to form frost on the heat exchanger when air flows through the flow path formed in the ventilator; and Based on a preset frost termination condition, the outdoor unit is controlled to stop operating so that the frost melts to clean the heat exchanger.

2. The ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of dampers include: a first damper configured to open and close the first air inlet, and a second damper configured to open and close a connecting flow path formed between the first air inlet and the second air inlet, and The processor is configured to: controlling the first damper to open the first air inlet and controlling the second damper to close the connecting flow path, and operating the first blower to form the first flow path, or The first damper is controlled to close the first air inlet and the second damper is controlled to open the connecting flow path, and the first blower is operated to form the second flow path.

3. The ventilation system according to claim 1, wherein The ventilator comprises: a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of outside air flowing through the first flow path or to detect a temperature of indoor air flowing through the second flow path, and A humidity sensor is configured to detect a relative humidity of the outside air flowing through the first flow path or to detect a relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path.

4. The ventilation system according to claim 3, wherein The processor is configured to: In response to entering the heat exchanger cleaning mode, controlling the plurality of dampers to alternately form the first flow path and the second flow path and to form the first flow path and the second flow path respectively for a preset time period, calculating a first absolute humidity based on a detected temperature and a detected relative humidity of the outside air flowing through the first flow path, calculating a second absolute humidity based on the detected temperature and the detected relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path, and Based on a comparison between the first absolute humidity and the second absolute humidity, one of the first flow path and the second flow path is selected to form the flow path in the ventilator.

5. The ventilation system according to claim 4, wherein The processor is configured to: selecting the first flow path based on the first absolute humidity being equal to or higher than the second absolute humidity, or The second flow path is selected based on the first absolute humidity being lower than the second absolute humidity.

6. The ventilation system according to claim 3, wherein The ventilator comprises: a heat exchanger temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat exchanger, and The preset frosting termination condition includes that the operation time of the outdoor unit reaches a preset limit time or the temperature of the heat exchanger reaches a target temperature.

7. The ventilation system according to claim 6, wherein The processor is configured to determine the target temperature based on a preset correlation function, which takes the detected temperature and the detected relative humidity of the outside air flowing through the first path as variables, or the preset correlation function takes the detected temperature and the detected relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path as variables.

8. The ventilation system according to claim 3, wherein The processor is configured to determine a rotation speed of a compressor included in the outdoor unit and a rotation speed of the first blower based on the detected relative humidity of external air flowing through the first flow path or based on the detected relative humidity of indoor air flowing through the second flow path.

9. The ventilation system according to claim 8, wherein The processor is configured to: reducing the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the detected relative humidity of the outside air flowing through the first flow path or the detected relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path being higher than a preset reference humidity range, or Based on the detected relative humidity of the outside air flowing through the first flow path or the detected relative humidity of the indoor air flowing through the second flow path being lower than the preset reference humidity range, the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower are increased.

10. The ventilation system of claim 1, further comprising: a display configured to display information regarding the operation of the ventilation system, Wherein, the processor is configured to: The display is controlled to display flow path information regarding selection of one of the first flow path and the second flow path.

11. The ventilation system of claim 1 , further comprising: a display configured to display information regarding the operation of the ventilation system, Wherein, the processor is configured to: The display is controlled to display an expected time required until cleaning of the heat exchanger is completed after the outdoor unit stops according to the preset frost termination condition.

12. A ventilation system comprising: Ventilators; and Outdoor unit, Wherein, the ventilator comprises: a housing, the housing comprising a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a first air outlet, and a second air outlet, a plurality of dampers configured to change a flow path of air flowing through the housing, a first blower, the first blower being configured to blow the air to the first air outlet, a second blower, the second blower being configured to blow the air to the second air outlet, a total heat exchanger in said housing, a heat exchanger in the housing, a heat exchanger temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the heat exchanger, and a processor configured, in response to entering a heat exchanger cleaning mode: controlling the plurality of dampers, the first blower, and the second blower to force the air to flow into the heat exchanger, When the air flows into the heat exchanger, controlling the outdoor unit to operate so as to form frost on the heat exchanger, and The outdoor unit is controlled to stop operating based on the operating time of the outdoor unit reaching a preset limit time or the detected temperature of the heat exchanger reaching a target temperature.

13. The ventilation system of claim 12, wherein The ventilator comprises: a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of air flowing into the heat exchanger, and a humidity sensor for detecting the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger, and The processor is configured to determine the target temperature based on a preset correlation function having a temperature of air flowing into the heat exchanger and a relative humidity of air flowing into the heat exchanger as variables.

14. The ventilation system of claim 12, wherein The ventilator comprises: a humidity sensor for detecting the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger, and The processor is configured to determine a rotation speed of a compressor included in the outdoor unit and a rotation speed of the first blower based on the detected relative humidity of air flowing into the heat exchanger.

15. The ventilation system of claim 14, wherein The processor is configured to: reducing the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower based on the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger being higher than a preset reference humidity range, or Based on the relative humidity of the air flowing into the heat exchanger being lower than the preset reference humidity range, the rotation speed of the compressor and the rotation speed of the first blower are increased.

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