Method for controlling a gas heat pump system

Abstract

A method for controlling a gas heat pump system, wherein the system comprises an air conditioning module with a compressor (110) and an indoor and an outdoor heat exchanger (120, 140) and a motor module with a motor (210) which combusts a gas mixture and thereby generates drive power for operating the compressor (110), the method comprising the steps of: measuring (S120) factors that are the temperature and humidity of the outside air, a speed of the motor (210), an intake pressure and an air-fuel ratio, wherein the factors have an effect on the drive of the motor (210) in an operating environment in which the motor (210) is operated; determining (S130) a required ignition voltage for an ignition coil in a manner corresponding to at least one of several of the measured factors; and selecting (S140) a hold time during which the required ignition voltage is output by the ignition coil.

Description

Background of the invention Field of invention The present invention relates to a method for controlling a gas heat pump system and in particular a method for controlling a gas heat pump system which is able to vary an ignition voltage for an ignition coil in a motor provided in the gas heat pump system according to an operating situation of the motor, thereby increasing the output power of the motor and improving its efficiency. Description of the state of the art A heat pump system is a system capable of performing a cooling or heating process via a refrigeration circuit and operates in conjunction with a hot water supply device or a combined cooling and heating device. That is, it produces hot water, or it performs air conditioning for cooling and heating using a heat source obtained as a result of heat exchange between a refrigerant in a refrigeration circuit and a predetermined heat storage medium. A refrigeration circuit configuration requires a compressor to compress a refrigerant, a condenser to condense the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, an expansion device to expand the refrigerant condensed by the condenser, and an evaporator to evaporate the expanded refrigerant. The heat pump systems utilize a gas-fired heat pump system. For industrial applications or air conditioning in large non-residential buildings, high-performance compressors are required. This means that the gas-fired heat pump system uses an electric motor, rather than a conventional electric motor, to drive a compressor that compresses a large quantity of refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. Korean patent KR 10 1 341 533 B1 discloses a gas heat pump system and a method for controlling the gas heat pump system. In the prior art gas heat pump system, a compressor refrigerant circulates using a gas engine, for which a heat source is LNG, LPG or the like for residential buildings, and therefore operates in a cooling mode in summer and in a heating mode in winter. A combustion reaction must occur in a cylinder to power the gas engine, and the air-fuel ratio, fuel injection timing, ignition timing, ignition voltage, and other factors must be precisely coordinated for this combustion reaction to take place. If these factors are not properly aligned, incomplete combustion occurs. In the worst case, this results in engine misfires, where the mixed gas is not combusted. If an engine misfire occurs, the engine will not run at a constant speed, resulting in jerking or similar issues and a significant drop in engine power. Therefore, the engine must be driven in such a way as to prevent misfires. In conventional engines, a constant ignition voltage is maintained for an ignition coil. However, in an operating environment where the engine is running, if the air temperature drops or the humidity is high, the ignition may not occur properly. This leads to frequent misfires. The foregoing facts are intended only to facilitate the understanding of the background of the present invention and are not intended to imply that the present invention falls within the area of ​​the prior art already known to the person skilled in the art. DE 11 2018 000 276 T5 discloses an air conditioning module with a compressor and an interior and an exterior heat exchanger, and a motor module with an engine that burns a gas mixture and thereby generates drive power to operate the compressor, as well as the measurement of a temperature and an air-fuel mixture. Publications WO 2018 / 131407A1, JP 2016-37880A, JP 2016-11606A, and EP 2629031A2 relate to control devices for internal combustion engines. Brief description of the invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling a gas heat pump system which is able to vary an ignition voltage in a manner corresponding to a factor associated with the outside environment and a factor associated with the engine operating condition, which have an effect on the drive of an engine in an operating environment in which the engine is operated, and to prevent the occurrence of engine misfire. The invention is defined in the independent claim. Dependent claims describe preferred embodiments. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a gas heat pump system is provided, wherein the system comprises an air conditioning module with a compressor and indoor and outdoor heat exchangers and a motor module with a motor that burns a gas mixture and thereby generates drive power to operate the compressor. The method involves measuring factors such as ambient air temperature and humidity, engine speed, intake pressure, and an air-fuel ratio, where these factors affect engine operation in an operating environment; determining (measuring) a required ignition voltage for an ignition coil in a manner that corresponds to at least one of several of the measured factors; and selecting a hold time during which the required ignition voltage is output by the ignition coil. The procedure may involve measuring the following factors: measuring the temperature of the outside air; measuring the humidity of the outside air; measuring the engine speed; measuring the intake pressure using a pressure sensor provided in an intake manifold; and measuring the air-fuel ratio, which is a ratio of air weight to fuel weight, in a mixer that blends air and fuel. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, a holding time adjustment time with respect to each of the factors can be selected in a manner that corresponds to a measurement of each of the factors measured during the measurement of the factors, and the selected holding time adjustment time with respect to each of the factors can be added to a reference holding time to calculate the holding time. In this procedure, when selecting the hold time, the hold time can be selected from a range of 1.0 to 3.0 ms, whereby if the sum of the selected hold time adjustment times with respect to each of the factors and the reference hold time is 1.0 ms or less, the hold time can be set to 1.0 ms, and if the sum is 3.0 ms or more, the hold time can be set to 3.0 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if a temperature value measured during temperature measurement falls within a temperature range of -20 to 50°C, a temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time can be selected from a range of -0.5 to 0.2 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if the temperature measured during the temperature measurement is -20°C or less, the temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to 0.2 ms, and if the temperature measured is 50°C or more, the temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to -0.5 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if a humidity value measured during the humidity measurement falls within a humidity range of 20 to 90%, a humidity-dependent holding time adjustment time can be selected from a range of 0 to 0.1 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if the measured humidity value is 20% or less, the humidity-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to 0 ms, and if the measured humidity value is 90% or more, the humidity-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to 0.1 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if a speed value measured during speed measurement falls within a speed range of 1000 to 2600 rpm, a speed-dependent holding time adjustment time can be selected from a range of 0 to 0.5 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if the measured speed value is 1000 rpm or less, the speed-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to 0.5 ms, and if the measured speed value is 2600 rpm or more, the temperature-dependent holding time can be set to 0 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if a value of the intake pressure measured during the intake pressure measurement falls within a pressure range of 400 to 1100 hPa, a pressure-dependent holding time adjustment time can be selected from a range of 0 to 0.3 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if the intake pressure measured value is 400 hPa or less, the pressure-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to 0.3 ms, and if the intake pressure measured value is 1100 hPa or more, the pressure-dependent holding time can be set to 0 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if a measured value of the air-fuel ratio falls within an air-fuel ratio range of 0.9 to 1.5, a holding time adjustment time dependent on the air-fuel ratio can be selected from a range of -0.5 to 0.7 ms. In this procedure, when selecting the holding time, if the measured value of the air-fuel ratio is 0.9 or less, the air-fuel ratio-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to -0.5 ms, and if the measured value of the air-fuel ratio is 1.5 or more, the air-fuel ratio-dependent holding time adjustment time can be set to 0.7 ms. In the method according to claim 3, when selecting the holding time, the reference holding time can be set to 1.2 ms. In the inventive method for controlling the gas heat pump system, the ignition voltage is varied in a manner corresponding to a factor associated with the external environment and a factor associated with the engine operating condition, which affect the engine's operation in the operating environment. This achieves the advantage of preventing engine misfires. Brief description of the drawings The foregoing and other problems, features and other advantages of the present invention are clarified with reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; which show: Fig. 1 a view schematically representing a gas heat pump system; Fig. 2 a view schematically representing operations of respective cylinders in a manner corresponding to control signals, to describe a method according to the invention for controlling the gas heat pump system; Fig. 3 a flowchart schematically representing the method for controlling the gas heat pump system according to the embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 4 a flowchart schematically representing steps for selecting a holding time in the method according to the invention for controlling the gas heat pump system. Detailed description of the invention A method according to the invention for controlling a gas heat pump system is described in more detail below in order to provide an understanding of the features of the present invention. It is noted that, where possible, the same components in the accompanying drawings, which are referenced for illustration and can be used to describe the embodiments, are designated by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, specific descriptions of known configurations and functions related to the present invention are omitted if they would render the characteristics and core content of the present description unclear. Specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a gas heat pump system. According to Fig. 1, the gas heat pump system includes an air conditioning module and the motor module. The gas heat pump system has several components that form the air conditioning module for a refrigeration cycle. For example, the air conditioning module has a compressor 110 and a four-way valve 115. The compressor 110 compresses a refrigerant. The four-way valve 115 switches the flow direction of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 110. The gas heat pump system can further comprise an outdoor heat exchanger 120 and an indoor heat exchanger 140. The outdoor heat exchanger 120 is arranged in an outdoor air conditioning condenser unit installed outdoors, and the indoor heat exchanger 140 is arranged in an indoor air conditioning condenser unit installed indoors. The refrigerant flowing through the four-way valve 115 flows to either the outdoor heat exchanger 120 or the indoor heat exchanger 140. Components that differ from the indoor heat exchanger 140 and an indoor expansion device 145 of the gas heat pump system shown in Fig. 1 are arranged in the outdoor space, i.e., are arranged inside the outdoor air conditioning condenser unit. When the gas heat pump system is operating in a cooling mode, the refrigerant flowing through the four-way valve 115 flows through the outdoor heat exchanger 120 towards the indoor heat exchanger 140. On the other hand, in a case where the gas heat pump system is operating in a heating mode, the refrigerant flowing through the four-way valve 115 flows via the indoor heat exchanger 140 towards the outdoor heat exchanger 120. The gas heat pump system can further include a refrigerant line 170 (a flow path represented by a solid line) that connects the compressor 110, the outdoor heat exchanger 120, the indoor heat exchanger 140 and the like, and carries a flow of refrigerant. First, a configuration for the operation of the gas heat pump system in cooling mode is described below. The refrigerant flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 120 exchanges heat with the outside air and is therefore condensed. The outdoor fan 122, which blows the outside air into the outdoor heat exchanger 120, is located on one side of it. A main expansion device 125 for refrigerant expansion is arranged on the outlet side of the outdoor heat exchanger 120. For example, the main expansion device 125 has an electronic expansion valve (EEV). When cooling operation is performed, the main expansion device 125 is fully open, so no refrigerant expansion process takes place. A subcooling heat exchanger 130 for additional cooling of the refrigerant is arranged on the outlet side of the main expansion device 125. A subcooling flow path 132 is connected to the subcooling heat exchanger 130. The subcooling flow path 132 branches off from the refrigerant line 170 and is connected to the subcooling heat exchanger 130. The subcooling expansion device 135 is installed on the subcooling flow path 132. The refrigerant flowing along the subcooling flow path 132 is expanded as it passes through the subcooling expansion device 135. In the subcooling heat exchanger 130, heat exchange occurs between the refrigerant in the refrigerant line 170 and the refrigerant on the subcooling flow path 132. During this heat exchange process, the refrigerant in the refrigerant line 170 is subcooled, and the refrigerant on the subcooling flow path 132 absorbs heat. The subcooling flow path 132 is connected to the gas-liquid separator 160. The refrigerant on the subcooling flow path 132, which exchanges heat in the subcooling heat exchanger 130, flows into the gas-liquid separator 160. The refrigerant on the refrigerant line 170, which flows through the subcooling heat exchanger 130, flows towards the indoor air conditioning condenser unit, expands in an indoor expansion device 145, and then evaporates in the indoor heat exchanger 140. The indoor expansion device 145 is installed in the indoor air conditioning condenser unit and is configured as an electronic expansion valve (EEV). Furthermore, the refrigerant evaporating in the interior heat exchanger 140 passes through the four-way valve 115 and can then flow directly into the gas-liquid separator 160. Gaseous refrigerant resulting from refrigerant separation is absorbed into the compressor 110. In the gas heat pump system, the motor module includes a motor 210 and various components for supplying a gas mixture to the motor 210. The gas heat pump system can further include a mixer 220, which is located on the inlet side of the engine 210 and supplies the fuel mixture. The gas heat pump system can further comprise an air filter 272, a silencer 273, and a zero-pressure regulator 271. The air filter 272 supplies purified air to the mixer 220. The silencer 273 reduces the intake noise. The zero-pressure regulator 271 supplies fuel at a predetermined pressure or a lower pressure. The zero-pressure regulator 271 is a device that, regardless of the magnitude of the fuel inlet pressure or a change in the flow rate, maintains a constant outlet pressure and supplies the resulting outlet pressure. The air flowing through the air filter 272 and the fuel supplied by the zero regulator 271 are mixed in the mixer 220 to form the gas mixture. The gas mixture is supplied to the engine 210. The gas heat pump system can also include a flow control unit 274 arranged between the mixer 220 and the motor 210. The flow control unit 274 controls the amount of gas mixture to be supplied to the engine 210. For example, the flow control unit 274 is provided as a valve that uses an electronic throttle control (ETC) scheme. Therefore, the amount of gas mixture to be supplied to the engine 210 is precisely controlled via the flow control unit 274. The gas heat pump system can also include an exhaust gas heat exchanger 280, which is located on the exhaust gas outlet side of the engine 210 and in which the heat exchange between coolant and exhaust gas takes place. The gas heat pump system may further include a coolant line 360 ​​(a flow path indicated by a dashed line) which carries a flow of coolant to cool the engine 210. A coolant pump 300, several flow control valves 310 and 320, and a radiator 330 are installed on the coolant line 360. The coolant pump 300 generates a force to cause a coolant flow. The several flow control valves 310 and 320 reverse the flow direction of the coolant. The radiator 330 cools the coolant. The flow control valves 310 and 320 each have a first flow control valve 310 and a second flow control valve 320. For example, the first flow control valve 310 and the second flow control valve 320 each have a three-way valve. The radiator 330 is located on one side of the outdoor heat exchanger 120. The coolant in the radiator 330 exchanges heat with the outside air by driving the outdoor fan 122 and is cooled during this heat exchange. When the coolant pump 300 is driven, the coolant flows through the engine 210 and the exhaust gas heat exchanger 280 and flows selectively through the first flow control valve 310 and the second flow control valve 320 into the radiator 330 or into an auxiliary heat exchanger 150. Fig. 2 shows a view for the schematic representation of operations of respective cylinders in a manner corresponding to control signals, to describe a method according to the invention for controlling the gas heat pump system. The following describes an engine of the gas heat pump system with reference to Fig. 2, using a four-stroke engine with four cylinders as an example. The engine has a camshaft position sensor and a crankshaft position sensor. The camshaft position sensor detects the top dead center of a piston in one of several cylinders. The crankshaft position sensor measures the rotation angle of a crankshaft. The cam sensor is designed to find the top dead center of a piston in a first cylinder. The crankshaft position sensor is a Hall sensor. It detects several protrusions extending along the circumference of the crankshaft and thereby measures the crankshaft's angle of rotation. Data measurement techniques that use the cam sensor and the crank sensor are generally used for conventional engines and are therefore not described in detail. The engine's operation is described in more detail with reference to Fig. 2. First, the fuel-air mixture is ignited by an ignition coil located in the first cylinder, rotating the crankshaft from 0 to 180 degrees. Second, the fuel-air mixture is ignited by an ignition coil located in the third cylinder, rotating the crankshaft from 180 to 360 degrees. Third, the fuel-air mixture is ignited by an ignition coil located in the fourth cylinder, rotating the crankshaft from 360 to 540 degrees. Finally, the fuel-air mixture is ignited by an ignition coil located in the second cylinder, rotating the crankshaft from 540 to 720 degrees. That is, the fuel-air mixture is ignited by the ignition coils located in the first, third, fourth, and second cylinders in this sequence, rotating the crankshaft once and driving the engine. When the ignition coil ignites the gas mixture, the ignition voltage is proportional to the holding time D for the ignition coil. For example, if the ignition voltage is set to 25 kV, the holding time D is 1.0 ms, and if the ignition voltage is set to 55 kV, the holding time D is 3.0 ms. Fig. 3 shows a flowchart schematically illustrating the method for controlling the gas heat pump system according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 shows a flowchart schematically illustrating the steps for selecting the holding time in the method for controlling the gas heat pump system. According to Figures 3 and 4, the method for controlling the gas heat pump system according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises an engine start step S110, a factor measurement step S120, an ignition voltage measurement step S130, a holding time calculation step S140, and an ignition coil ignition step S150. In the engine start step S110, the engine is first started. In the factor measurement step S120, a factor that affects the engine's drive is measured. In the ignition voltage measurement step S130, a required ignition voltage for the ignition coil is determined in a manner corresponding to the measured factor. In the holding time calculation step S140, the holding time over which the required ignition voltage is output is selected. In the ignition coil ignition step S150, the gas mixture is ignited by the ignition coils during the selected holding time. This means that, according to the invention, the method for controlling the gas heat pump system involves selecting and measuring factors related to the external environment in which the engine is operated and which affect ignition by the ignition coil, as well as factors related to the engine's operating condition and which also affect ignition by the ignition coil, when the engine is started. Then, an optimal required ignition voltage for the ignition coil is determined in a manner corresponding to the measured factor, and the holding time during which this optimal required ignition voltage is applied is selected. Finally, the gas mixture is ignited by the ignition coil at the optimal required ignition voltage, thereby starting the engine without misfiring. In factor measurement step S120, factors such as the temperature and humidity of the outside air, the speed of the engine, the intake pressure and an air-fuel ratio, which have an effect on the drive of the engine, are measured in an operating environment in which the engine is operated. The S120 factor measurement step comprises a sub-step for temperature measurement, a sub-step for humidity measurement, a sub-step for speed measurement, a sub-step for intake pressure measurement, and a sub-step for measuring the air-fuel ratio. In the temperature measurement sub-step, the ambient air temperature is measured. In the humidity measurement sub-step, the humidity of the ambient air is measured. In the speed measurement sub-step, the engine speed is measured. In the intake pressure measurement sub-step, the intake pressure is measured by a pressure sensor located in an intake manifold. In the air-fuel ratio measurement sub-step, the air-fuel ratio, which is the ratio of air weight to fuel weight, is measured in the mixer 220, which mixes fuel and air. In the operating environment where the engine is run, the ambient air temperature affects the temperature of the gas mixture that is to be supplied to the engine's combustion chamber. The higher the temperature of the gas mixture supplied to the combustion chamber, the more readily air molecules form free electrons. Therefore, the gas mixture becomes ionized, making ignition more likely. Therefore, if the ambient air temperature is high, ignition can occur easily, requiring a low ignition voltage. Conversely, if the ambient air temperature is low, ignition is relatively difficult, requiring a high ignition voltage. In the operating environment where the engine is run, the humidity of the ambient air affects the specific heat and oxygen concentration of the gas mixture supplied to the engine's combustion chamber. When the humidity of the ambient air is high, the specific heat of the gas mixture supplied to the combustion chamber increases, and the oxygen concentration decreases. Therefore, the temperature of the gas mixture decreases when it is burned. This results in incomplete combustion. Therefore, if the humidity of the outside air is high, the temperature of the gas mixture is low at ignition, requiring a high ignition voltage. Conversely, if the humidity of the outside air is low, the temperature of the gas mixture is relatively high at ignition, requiring a low ignition voltage. In the operating environment where the engine runs, the temperature of a spark plug electrode is maintained at a high temperature when the engine is running at high speed and intake pressure, causing the molecules forming the electrode to move actively. This vibration of the molecules causes electrons orbiting an atomic nucleus to move to an outer shell on the electrode surface, becoming free electrons. This facilitates ignition. Therefore, if the engine speed and intake pressure are high, ignition can occur easily, requiring a low ignition voltage. Conversely, if the engine speed and intake pressure are low, ignition is relatively difficult to achieve, requiring a high ignition voltage. In the operating environment where the engine is operated, if the air-fuel ratio of the gas mixture is high, i.e., if the air weight increases relative to the fuel weight, the insulation resistance increases, so that good ignition does not occur. Therefore, if the air-fuel ratio is low, the insulation resistance is low. Ignition occurs easily, requiring a low ignition voltage. Conversely, if the air-fuel ratio is high, the insulation resistance is high. Ignition is not relatively easy, requiring a high ignition voltage. In ignition voltage measurement step S130, a required ignition voltage for the ignition coil is determined in a manner that corresponds to at least one of several measured factors. The factors measured in factor measurement step S120, such as ambient air temperature and humidity, engine speed, intake pressure, and air-fuel ratio, correspond to factors for setting the ignition voltage for the ignition coil. That is, if the ambient air temperature is low, its humidity is high, the engine speed and intake pressure are low, and the air-fuel ratio is high, the ignition voltage for the ignition coil is set to a high value, thus preventing engine misfires. The ignition voltage is proportional to the holding time of the ignition coil. This means that if the holding time is increased, the ignition voltage increases, and if the holding time is shortened, the ignition voltage decreases. Therefore, if a required ignition voltage is selected in a manner that corresponds to a change in each of the factors, the holding time for the ignition coil will be adjusted accordingly so that the required ignition voltage is output. In the hold time selection step S140, the hold time is selected during which the required ignition voltage is output by the ignition coil. In particular, in the hold time selection step S140, a hold time adjustment time is selected with respect to each of the factors in a manner that corresponds to a measurement of each of the factors measured in the factor measurement step S120, and the selected hold time adjustment time with respect to each of the factors is added to a reference hold time to select the hold time. A procedure for selecting the holding time corresponding to the measured value of each of the factors is preset through a large number of experiments. For example, the ambient air temperature at which the engine operates is set to vary in 10°C intervals. The hold-time adjustment time at each temperature is added to the reference hold-time until the optimal hold-time is determined. This process selects an optimal ignition voltage. The hold-time adjustment time required to output the selected ignition voltage is calculated, and the ambient air temperature and the calculated hold-time adjustment time are calibrated. A database is generated containing records of these calibration results in fields. For example, the database is generated such that at an ambient air temperature of -10°C, the hold-time is obtained by adding 0.1 ms to the reference hold-time, and at an ambient air temperature of -20°C, it is obtained by subtracting 0.2 ms from the reference hold-time. In this way, in the database, a value for the holding time adjustment time in relation to the temperature and humidity of the outside air, the engine speed, the intake pressure and the air-fuel ratio corresponds to a change in the measured value of the temperature and humidity of the outside air, the engine speed, the intake pressure and the air-fuel ratio. In the hold time calculation step S140, a minimum and a maximum hold time for ignition are limited. For example, if the hold time adjustment time is selected with respect to each of the factors in a manner corresponding to the measured value of each of the factors (S141), if the result of adding the selected hold time adjustment time with respect to each of the factors to the reference hold time (S142) is in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 ms (YES in S143), the result of the addition is selected as the hold time (S144). If the sum of the selected hold time adjustment time with respect to each of the factors and the reference hold time is 1.0 ms or less (YES in S145), the hold time is set to 1.0 ms (S146). If the sum is 3.0 ms or more (NO in S145), the hold time is set to 3.0 ms (S147). This means that the minimum hold time and the maximum hold time are limited to 1.0 ms and 3.0 ms respectively. As an example, a range of values ​​in which the hold time adjustment time is set according to the change in each of the factors is selected as follows. If a temperature value measured during a temperature measurement step falls within the temperature range of -20 to 50°C, a temperature-dependent hold time adjustment time is selected from a range of -0.5 to 0.2 ms. If the temperature value measured during this step is -20°C or less, the temperature-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0.2 ms. If the measured temperature value is 50°C or more, the temperature-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to -0.5 ms. This limits the minimum and maximum ignition voltages. If a humidity value measured during a moisture measurement step falls within a range of 20% to 90%, a humidity-dependent hold time adjustment time is selected from a range of 0 to 0.1 ms. If the humidity value measured during this step is 20% or less, the humidity-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0 ms. If the humidity value measured is 90% or more, the humidity-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0.1 ms. This limits the minimum and maximum ignition voltages. If a speed value measured during a partial speed measurement falls within a speed range of 1000 to 2600 rpm, a speed-dependent hold time adjustment time is selected from a range of 0 to 0.5 ms. If the speed value measured during a partial speed measurement is 1000 rpm or less, the speed-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0.5 ms. If the measured speed value is 2600 rpm or more, the temperature-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0 ms. This limits the minimum and maximum ignition voltage. If an intake pressure value measured during a sub-step of the intake pressure measurement falls within a pressure range of 400 to 1100 hPa, a pressure-dependent hold time adjustment time is selected from a range of 0 to 0.3 ms. If the intake pressure value measured during this sub-step is 400 hPa or less, the pressure-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0.3 ms. If the measured intake pressure value is 1100 hPa or more, the pressure-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0 ms. This limits the minimum and maximum ignition voltage. If an air-fuel ratio value measured during a sub-step of the measurement falls within a range of 0.9 to 1.5, an air-fuel ratio-dependent hold time adjustment time is selected from a range of -0.5 to 0.7 ms. If the air-fuel ratio value measured during this sub-step is 0.9 or less, the air-fuel ratio-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to -0.5 ms. If the measured air-fuel ratio value is 1.5 or more, the air-fuel ratio-dependent hold time adjustment time is set to 0.7 ms. This limits the minimum and maximum ignition voltages. For example, if the operating environment in which the engine is operated, for which the reference holding time for the ignition coil is set to 1.2 ms, is such that the ambient air temperature, ambient air humidity, engine speed, intake pressure, and air-fuel ratio are 20°C, 30%, 1800 rpm, 700 hPa, and 1.1 respectively, then the temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time, the humidity-dependent holding time adjustment time, the speed-dependent holding time adjustment time, the pressure-dependent holding time adjustment time, and the air-fuel ratio-dependent holding time adjustment time will be -0.2 ms, 0.02 ms, 0.24 ms, 0.18 ms, and 0.2 ms respectively. Therefore, the holding time in the operating environment where the engine is run, and in an operating state where the engine is running, is 1.64 ms, which corresponds to the holding time obtained by adding each of the holding time adjustment times to the reference holding time. Therefore, the holding time for the ignition coil is changed to 1.64 ms, and then the gas mixture is ignited by the spark plugs. The method for controlling the gas heat pump system according to the embodiment of the present invention causes the ignition voltage to be varied in real time in the operating environment in which the engine is operated. This variation corresponds to the temperature and humidity of the outside air, which are factors associated with the outside environment and affect the engine's operation, and also corresponds to the engine speed, intake pressure, and air-fuel ratio, which are factors associated with the engine's operating condition and also affect the engine's operation. This advantageously prevents engine misfires.

Claims

A method for controlling a gas heat pump system, wherein the system comprises an air conditioning module with a compressor (110) and an indoor and an outdoor heat exchanger (120, 140) and a motor module with a motor (210) which combusts a gas mixture and thereby generates drive power for operating the compressor (110), the method comprising the steps of: measuring (S120) factors that are the temperature and humidity of the outside air, a speed of the motor (210), an intake pressure and an air-fuel ratio, wherein the factors have an effect on the drive of the motor (210) in an operating environment in which the motor (210) is operated; determining (S130) a required ignition voltage for an ignition coil in a manner corresponding to at least one of several of the measured factors; and selecting (S140) a hold time during which the required ignition voltage is output by the ignition coil. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring (S120) comprises: measuring the temperature of the outside air; measuring the humidity of the outside air; measuring the speed of the engine (210); measuring the intake pressure using a pressure sensor arranged in an intake manifold; and measuring the air-fuel ratio, which is a ratio of air weight to fuel weight, in a mixer that mixes air and fuel. Method according to claim 2, wherein when selecting (S140) the holding time, a holding time adjustment time is selected in respect of each of the factors in a manner (S141) that corresponds to a measurement of each of the factors measured in the measurement of the factors, and wherein the holding time is selected based on a sum of the selected holding adjustment times for each of the factors and a reference holding time (S142). Method according to claim 3, wherein when selecting (S140) the hold time the hold time is selected from a range of 1.0 to 3.0 ms (S143), and wherein if a sum of the selected hold time adjustment times with respect to each of the factors and the reference hold time is 1.0 ms or less (S145), the hold time is set to 1.0 ms (S146), and if the sum thereof is 3.0 ms or more, the hold time is set to 3.0 ms (S147). Method according to claim 4, wherein when selecting (S140) the holding time, if a temperature value measured during temperature measurement falls within a temperature range of -20 to 50°C, a temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time is selected from a range of -0.5 to 0.2 ms. Method according to claim 5, wherein when selecting the holding time, if the temperature measured value is -20°C or less, the temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to 0.2 ms, and if the temperature measured value is 50°C or more, the temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to -0.5 ms. Method according to claim 4, wherein when selecting the holding time, if a moisture value measured during the moisture measurement falls within a moisture range of 20 to 90%, a moisture-dependent holding time adjustment time is selected from a range of 0 to 0.1 ms. Method according to claim 7, wherein when selecting the holding time, if the moisture value measured during the moisture measurement is 20% or less, the moisture-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to 0 ms, and if the moisture value measured is 90% or more, the moisture-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to 0.1 ms. Method according to claim 4, wherein when selecting the holding time, if a value of the rotational speed measured during the rotational speed measurement falls within a rotational speed range of 1000 to 2600 rpm, a rotational speed-dependent holding time adjustment time is selected from a range of 0 to 0.5 ms. Method according to claim 9, wherein when selecting the holding time, if the speed measured during the speed measurement is 1000 rpm or less, the speed-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to 0.5 ms, and if the speed measured is 2600 rpm or more, the temperature-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to 0 ms. Method according to claim 4, wherein when selecting the holding time, if a value of the intake pressure measured during the intake pressure measurement falls within a pressure range of 400 to 1100 hPa, a pressure-dependent holding time adjustment time is selected from a range of 0 to 0.3 ms. Method according to claim 11, wherein when selecting the holding time, if the value of the intake pressure measured during the intake pressure measurement is 400 hPa or less, the pressure-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to 0.3 ms, and if the value of the intake pressure measured is 1100 hPa or more, the pressure-dependent holding time adjustment time is set to 0 ms. Method according to claim 4, wherein when selecting the holding time, if a value of the air-fuel ratio measured during the measurement falls within an air-fuel ratio range of 0.9 to 1.5, a holding time adjustment time dependent on the air-fuel ratio is selected from a range of -0.5 to 0.7 ms. Method according to claim 13, wherein when selecting the holding time, if the value of the air-fuel ratio measured during the measurement is 0.9 or less, the holding time adjustment time dependent on the air-fuel ratio is set to -0.5 ms, and if the value of the air-fuel ratio measured is 1.5 or more, the holding time adjustment time dependent on the air-fuel ratio is set to 0.7 ms. Method according to claim 3, wherein when selecting the holding time the reference holding time is set to 1.2 ms.

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