Refrigerant system including filtering apparatus and operating method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerant system, wherein the refrigerant system of the present disclosure may include: a first valve located on a first flow path configured to deliver refrigerant received from a condenser to an expansion valve; a second valve located between the first valve and the expansion valve; a control unit configured to control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve; a second flow path, one end of which is connected to the first valve and the other end of which is connected to the second valve, configured to deliver refrigerant received from the first valve to the second valve; and a filtering device located on the second flow path and filtering the refrigerant flowing in the second flow path according to the control of the control unit.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a refrigerant system and a method of operating a refrigerant system, and more specifically, to a refrigerant system and a method of operating the same that, when a filtering operation is required, switches the flow path of the refrigerant from a first flow path to a second flow path and replenishes refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities. Background Technology

[0002] In a refrigerant system, the refrigerant exchanges heat as it circulates through the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. During this circulation process, the refrigerant may contain various impurities, such as metal particles, dust, moisture, and acidic substances. These impurities cause various problems in key system components (e.g., compressors, expansion valves, etc.). Specifically, metal particles or other solid impurities can accelerate internal wear in the compressor, and moisture within the refrigerant can freeze in low-temperature environments, clogging the expansion valve and degrading system performance. Furthermore, moisture and acidic substances within the refrigerant can corrode metal components inside the system.

[0003] Conventionally, to solve this problem, a method has been used in which a filter dryer is installed to remove impurities while the refrigerant circulates within the system. The filter dryer performs the function of removing physical particles and moisture from the refrigerant and is generally fixedly installed along the refrigerant flow path.

[0004] However, since filter dryers are designed to ensure that the refrigerant always passes through the filter, continuous resistance to the refrigerant flow occurs, leading to significant pressure loss within the system and reducing the system's energy efficiency. Furthermore, conventional filter dryers continuously perform filtering even when the refrigerant contains few impurities, causing unnecessary energy consumption and shortening the filter's lifespan.

[0005] Furthermore, conventional filter dryers only filter impurities and could not replenish the refrigerant lost due to impurities removed along with the refrigerant during the filtering process. Consequently, there was a problem in that the amount of refrigerant could become insufficient during continuous use of the refrigerant system, and the performance of the refrigerant system could deteriorate.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for technology that can filter the refrigerant only when filtering is required and replenish the filtered refrigerant. The problem to be solved

[0007] The present disclosure aims to perform a filtering operation to remove impurities contained in the refrigerant by switching the flow path of the refrigerant from a first flow path to a second flow path when a filtering operation is required.

[0008] In addition, the present disclosure aims to replenish the refrigerant that is filtered out and lost along with impurities during a filtering operation to the refrigerant circuit.

[0009] The problems that this disclosure aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0010] A refrigerant system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a first valve located on a first flow path configured to deliver refrigerant received from a condenser to an expansion valve; a second valve located between the first valve and the expansion valve; a control unit configured to control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve; a second flow path configured to deliver refrigerant received from the first valve to the second valve, with one end connected to the first valve and the other end connected to the second valve; and a filtering device located on the second flow path and filtering the refrigerant flowing in the second flow path according to the control of the control unit.

[0011] In some embodiments, the filtering device may include a refrigerant filter that filters the refrigerant flowing in the second flow path; a first sensor unit that detects the refrigerant flowing in the second flow path; and a refrigerant tank that replenishes the refrigerant in the second flow path with an amount of refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities under the control of a control unit.

[0012] In some embodiments, the filtering device may further include a refrigerant oil tank that replenishes refrigerant oil corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities into a second flow path under the control of a control unit.

[0013] In some embodiments, the refrigerant filter may include at least one of a stainless steel mesh filter, an activated alumina filter, a silica gel filter, and an activated carbon filter.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first sensor unit may include a first pressure sensor that detects the refrigerant pressure before passing through the refrigerant filter and a second pressure sensor that detects the refrigerant pressure after passing through the refrigerant filter.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control unit can calculate the amount of filtered impurities based on the difference between the refrigerant pressure before passing through the refrigerant filter and the refrigerant pressure after passing through the refrigerant filter, and control the refrigerant tank to provide refrigerant corresponding to the calculated amount of impurities to the second flow path.

[0016] In some embodiments, the control unit may control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve so that the refrigerant flow is switched from the first path to the second path when a filtering command is received from a user terminal.

[0017] In some embodiments, a second sensor unit may be further included that is located on the first flow path and detects the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant flowing in the first flow path.

[0018] In some embodiments, the control unit may control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve so that the refrigerant flow is switched from the first flow path to the second flow path when the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant is above a threshold value.

[0019] A method of operating a refrigerant system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include: controlling the opening and closing of a first valve and a second valve to switch the refrigerant flow from a first path to a second path; passing the refrigerant through a refrigerant filter to remove impurities; calculating the amount of filtered impurities based on the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter; and replenishing the refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities.

[0020] In some embodiments, the step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path may include the step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path when a filtering command is received from a user terminal.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method may further include a step of detecting the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant flowing in the first flow path, and the step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path may include a step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path when the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant is above a threshold.

[0022] In some embodiments, the refrigerant filter may include at least one of a stainless steel mesh filter, an activated alumina filter, a silica gel filter, and an activated carbon filter.

[0023] In some embodiments, the step of replenishing refrigerant oil corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities may be further included. Effects of the invention

[0024] A refrigerant system and a method of operation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can perform a filtering operation to remove impurities contained in the refrigerant by switching the flow path of the refrigerant from a first flow path to a second flow path when a filtering operation is required.

[0025] In addition, the refrigerant system and the method of operation according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can replenish the refrigerant that is filtered out and lost along with impurities during the filtering operation to the refrigerant circuit. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a refrigerant system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of a refrigerant system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the case where a refrigerant flows along a first flow path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the case where a refrigerant flows along a second flow path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a filtering device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a refrigerant system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operation of a refrigerant system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited or restricted by exemplary embodiments. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) shall be used in a meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs, but this may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, case law, the emergence of new technology, etc.

[0028] Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise. In certain cases, terms have been selected at the applicant's discretion, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant explanatory sections. Accordingly, terms used in this disclosure should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the content throughout this disclosure.

[0029] Throughout this specification, when a part is described as "comprising" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components. Furthermore, the singular form used in this specification includes the plural form unless specifically stated otherwise. Additionally, the expression "at least one of a, b, and / or c" as used throughout this specification may encompass 'a alone', 'b alone', 'c alone', 'a and b', 'a and c', 'b and c', or 'a, b, and c all'.

[0030] Meanwhile, terms such as "first and / or second" used in this specification may be used to describe various components, but they are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another and are not intended to limit the scope to the components referred to by such terms. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and the second component may also be named the first component.

[0031] Additionally, terms such as “…part,” “…module,” etc., as described in this specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure may be represented in this specification by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various numbers of hardware and / or software configurations that execute specific functions. For example, embodiments of this disclosure may employ integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which can execute various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.

[0032] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the art to which the present invention pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to ensure that the essence of the present invention is conveyed more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations. For the same reason, some components in the accompanying drawings may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. Throughout this specification, the same reference numerals may refer to the same or corresponding components.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a refrigerant system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerant system (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a compressor (110), a condenser (120), an expansion valve (130), an evaporator (140), a filtering device (150), a first valve (160) and a second valve (170), a first flow path (F1), and a second flow path (F2).

[0036] The compressor (110) can compress the refrigerant to create a high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous state. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor (110) can be transferred to the condenser (120) to perform heat exchange. The compressor (110) is connected to the condenser (120) to continuously circulate the refrigerant.

[0037] A refrigerant is a substance that circulates in a refrigerant system (10) to transport heat, and may refer to a substance that undergoes a phase change while circulating through a compressor (110), a condenser (120), an expansion valve (130), and an evaporator (140) for cooling or heat transfer. Examples include natural refrigerants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants, hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerants, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, and hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerants.

[0038] The condenser (120) may be a heat exchanger that converts a refrigerant in a high-temperature, high-pressure state into a liquid in a low-temperature, high-pressure state. The condenser (120) can increase cooling efficiency by releasing heat from the refrigerant and can transfer the refrigerant delivered from the compressor (110) to the expansion valve (130).

[0039] The expansion valve (130) may be a control device that rapidly lowers the pressure of the refrigerant. The refrigerant, whose pressure has been lowered by the expansion valve (130), can move to the evaporator (140) to absorb heat. The expansion valve (130) can transfer the refrigerant received from the condenser (120) to the evaporator (140).

[0040] The evaporator (140) may be a heat exchanger in which the refrigerant in a liquid state is vaporized and heat is absorbed. The evaporator (140) can absorb heat from the surroundings to create a cooling effect on the indoor space. The evaporator (140) can vaporize the refrigerant delivered from the expansion valve (130) and deliver the gaseous refrigerant back to the compressor (110).

[0041] The control unit (141) may be configured to control the opening and closing of the first valve (160) and the second valve (170). The control unit (141) may be an electronic control device that controls each component of the refrigerant system (10). The control unit (141) may switch the refrigerant flow between the first path (F1) and the second path (F2) depending on whether a filtering operation is required. The control unit (141) may receive data from the first sensor unit (153) to control the opening and closing of the valves and the refrigerant replenishment operation.

[0042] In the present disclosure, the filtering operation may refer to an operation in which the refrigerant flow is switched to a second flow path when refrigerant filtering is required, such as when the control unit (141) receives a filtering command from a user terminal or when impurities in the refrigerant are detected, thereby removing impurities as the refrigerant passes through a filtering device. Additionally, in the present disclosure, the refrigerant replenishment operation may refer to an operation in which refrigerant lost during the filtering operation is replenished from the refrigerant tank (151).

[0043] In FIG. 1, the evaporator (140) is illustrated as including a control unit (141) as an example, but the technical concept of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the control unit (141) may be placed at other locations of the refrigerant system (10), such as a filtering device (150) or a condenser (120), depending on the embodiment.

[0044] The filtering device (150) may include a refrigerant tank (151), a refrigerant filter (152), and a first sensor unit (153). The filtering device (150) can filter the refrigerant flowing along the second path (F2) and replenish the lost refrigerant after removing impurities. The filtering device (150) can perform filtering operations and refrigerant replenishment operations by receiving commands from the control unit (141).

[0045] In the present disclosure, impurities may refer to substances that circulate with the refrigerant within the refrigerant system (10) and may degrade system performance or damage parts, and may, for example, be metal particles, dust, moisture, acidic substances, etc.

[0046] The refrigerant tank (151) can replenish the refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities into the second flow path (F2) under the control of the control unit (141). The refrigerant tank (151) can store refrigerant to replenish the refrigerant lost during the filtering operation.

[0047] The refrigerant filter (152) can filter the refrigerant flowing through the second flow path. The refrigerant filter (152) can remove impurities such as metal particles, dust, and moisture from the refrigerant. For example, the refrigerant filter (152) may include various filters such as a stainless steel mesh filter, an activated alumina filter, an activated carbon filter, and a silica gel filter.

[0048] The first sensor unit (153) can detect the refrigerant flowing in the second path (F2). The first sensor unit (153) can transmit the measured data to the control unit (141), and the control unit (141) can control the operation of the refrigerant system (10) based on the data received from the first sensor unit (153).

[0049] In some embodiments, the refrigerant system (10) may further include a second sensor unit (not shown) for detecting the concentration of impurities in the first flow path (F1). The second sensor unit (not shown) will be described in more detail later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0050] The first valve (160) may be located on the first path (F1) configured to transfer the refrigerant received from the condenser (120) to the expansion valve (130).

[0051] The second valve (170) can be located between the first valve (160) and the expansion valve (130).

[0052] The first valve (160) and the second valve (170) may be switching valves that switch the refrigerant flow path. The first valve (160) and the second valve (170) may switch the refrigerant flow to either the first flow path (F1) or the second flow path (F2) according to a signal from the control unit (141). The first valve (160) and the second valve (170) may allow the refrigerant to circulate through the first flow path (F1) during normal operation, and may switch the refrigerant flow to the second flow path (F2) when filtering is required.

[0053] The first path (F1) may represent a basic path through which the refrigerant circulates normally, and, for example, may represent a path leading to a compressor (110), a condenser (120), an expansion valve (130), and an evaporator.

[0054] The second Euro (F2) may refer to an auxiliary path through which the refrigerant flow is switched and passes through the filtering device (150) when a filtering operation is required.

[0055] A refrigerant system (10) and a method of operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can perform a filtering operation to remove impurities contained in the refrigerant by switching the flow path of the refrigerant from the first flow path (F1) to the second flow path (F2) when a filtering operation is required.

[0056] In addition, the refrigerant system and the method of operation according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can replenish the refrigerant that is filtered out and lost along with impurities during the filtering operation to the refrigerant circuit.

[0058] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of a refrigerant system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 2 can be explained with reference to the aforementioned Figure 1.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 2, the method of operation (S100) of a refrigerant system may include the step of receiving a filtering command (S110), the step of controlling the opening and closing of a first valve and a second valve to switch the refrigerant flow from a first path to a second path (S120), the step of passing the refrigerant through a refrigerant filter to remove impurities (S130), the step of calculating the amount of filtered impurities based on the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter (S140), and the step of replenishing the refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities (S150).

[0061] FIG. 2 illustrates steps S110 to S150 being performed sequentially, but is not limited thereto; some steps may be merged and performed simultaneously, some steps may be omitted, or new steps may be added.

[0062] In step S110, a filtering command may be received. The filtering command may be a command manually entered from a user terminal (e.g., a refrigerant system controller).

[0063] In step 120, the opening and closing of the first valve (160) and the second valve (170) can be controlled to switch the refrigerant flow from the first path (F1) to the second path (F2). For example, the control unit (141) can switch the refrigerant flow from the first path (F1) to the second path (F2) as shown in FIG. 4.

[0064] In step S130, the refrigerant can be passed through a refrigerant filter to remove impurities. For example, the filtering device (150) can remove impurities contained in the refrigerant (e.g., metal particles, dust, moisture, etc.) through the refrigerant filter (152). The refrigerant filter (152) may include various filters, such as stainless steel mesh, activated alumina, activated carbon, silica gel, etc. The filtered refrigerant can be returned to the circulation path of the refrigerant system (10) through the second valve (170).

[0065] In step S140, the amount of filtered impurities can be calculated based on the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter. For example, the first sensor unit (153) can measure the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter, and the control unit (141) can calculate the amount of filtered impurities based on the difference between the two pressure values. To calculate the amount of impurities, the control unit (141) can store data corresponding to the difference between the two pressure values ​​in the form of a lookup table.

[0066] In step S150, refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities can be replenished. For example, the control unit (141) can control the refrigerant tank (151) to supply an amount of refrigerant corresponding to the amount of impurities calculated in S140 to the second flow path (F2).

[0068] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing a case where a refrigerant flows along a first flow path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 can be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 described above.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerant system (10) can have the refrigerant flow through the first path (F1) during normal operation. The refrigerant flowing through the first path can circulate back to the compressor (110) via the compressor (110), condenser (120), first valve (160), second valve (170), expansion valve (130), and evaporator (140).

[0070] The control unit (141) can control the first valve (160) and the second valve (170) so that the refrigerant does not flow into the second path (F2).

[0072] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a case where a refrigerant flows along a second flow path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 can be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 described above.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerant system (10) allows the refrigerant to flow into the second path (F1) during the filtering operation. The refrigerant delivered from the condenser (120) can flow into the second path (F2), and after passing through the filtering device (150), it can be delivered to the expansion valve (130) via the second valve (170).

[0074] The control unit (141) can control the first valve (160) and the second valve (170) so that the refrigerant flow is switched from the first path (F1) to the second path (F2) when a filtering operation is required.

[0076] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a filtering device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] FIG. 5 can be described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 5, a filtering device (250) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a refrigerant filter (251), a first pressure sensor (252), a second pressure sensor (253), a refrigerant tank (254), and a refrigerant oil tank (255). The filtering device (250) illustrated in FIG. 5 may correspond, for example, to the filtering device (150) of FIG. 1.

[0078] The first pressure sensor (252) can measure the refrigerant pressure (IN) before passing through the refrigerant filter (251). The first pressure sensor (252) can transmit the measured refrigerant pressure (IN) to the control unit (141).

[0079] The refrigerant filter (251) may include a first filter (251A), a second filter (251B), and a third filter (251C).

[0080] The first filter (251A) may, for example, be a stainless steel mesh filter that primarily removes metal particles and large particle impurities.

[0081] The second filter (251B) may, for example, be an activated alumina filter or a silica gel filter that removes moisture from the refrigerant.

[0082] The third filter (251C) may, for example, be an activated carbon filter that removes fine particles and organic matter contained in the refrigerant.

[0083] The second pressure sensor (253) can measure the refrigerant pressure (OUT) after passing through the refrigerant filter (251). The second pressure sensor (253) can transmit the measured refrigerant pressure (OUT) to the control unit (141). The control unit (141) can calculate the amount of filtered impurities based on the pressures (IN, OUT) of the refrigerant before and after filtering received from the first pressure sensor (252) and the second pressure sensor (253). Additionally, the control unit (141) can store the amount of refrigerant and refrigerant oil lost along with impurities during refrigerant filtering in the form of a lookup table, and can calculate the amount of refrigerant and refrigerant oil to be replenished according to the amount of filtered impurities.

[0084] The refrigerant tank (254) can replenish the refrigerant (RFR) corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities into the second flow path (F2) according to the control of the control unit (141). The refrigerant tank (254) can provide the refrigerant (RFR) corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities into the second flow path (F2) according to the control signal of the control unit (141).

[0085] The refrigerant oil tank (255) can replenish the refrigerant oil (RFO) corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities into the second flow path (F2) according to the control of the control unit (141). The refrigerant oil tank (255) can provide the refrigerant oil (RFO) corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities into the second flow path (F2) according to the control signal of the control unit (141).

[0087] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a refrigerant system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] FIG. 6 can be explained with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 described above.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 6, a refrigerant system (30) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a compressor (310), a condenser (320), an expansion valve (330), an evaporator (340), a filtering device (350), a first valve (360) and a second valve (370), a second sensor unit (380), a first flow path (F1), and a second flow path (F2). Content in FIG. 6 that overlaps with FIG. 1 will be omitted.

[0090] The refrigerant system (30) illustrated in FIG. 6 may further include a second sensor unit (380), unlike the refrigerant system (10) illustrated in FIG. 1. The second sensor unit (380) can detect the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant flowing in the first flow path (F1) and can provide the detected concentration of impurities to the control unit (341). The second sensor unit (380) may, for example, include a pressure sensor that measures the refrigerant pressure and can measure the concentration of impurities based on the difference between the measured pressure and the refrigerant pressure corresponding to the normal state. However, this is merely an example, and the second sensor unit (380) can measure the concentration of impurities in various ways. For example, the second sensor unit (380) may measure the concentration of impurities by including an optical sensor that measures the degree of light scattering, an electrical conductivity sensor that measures electrical conductivity, etc.

[0091] The control unit (341) can control the opening and closing of the first valve (360) and the second valve (370) so that the refrigerant flow is switched from the first path (F1) to the second path (F2) when the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant is above a threshold. The control unit (341) can, for example, determine the threshold based on data collected during the operation of the refrigerant system (30). Additionally, the control unit (341) may store the concentration of impurities requiring filtering in the form of a lookup table.

[0093] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operation of a refrigerant system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] FIG. 7 can be explained with reference to FIG. 1 to 6 described above.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 7, the method of operation (S200) of a refrigerant system may include a step of determining whether the impurity concentration in the refrigerant is above a threshold value (S210), a step of controlling the opening and closing of a first valve and a second valve to switch the refrigerant flow from a first path to a second path (S220), a step of passing the refrigerant through a refrigerant filter to remove impurities (S230), a step of calculating the amount of filtered impurities based on the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter (S240), and a step of replenishing the refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities (S250).

[0096] FIG. 7 illustrates steps S210 to S250 being performed sequentially, but is not limited thereto; some steps may be merged and performed simultaneously, some steps may be omitted, or new steps may be added.

[0097] In step S210, it can be determined whether the impurity concentration in the refrigerant is above a threshold. For example, the control unit (341) can receive the impurity concentration in the refrigerant from the second sensor unit (380) and determine whether the impurity concentration in the refrigerant is above a threshold. If the impurity concentration in the refrigerant is below the threshold, the control unit (341) can determine that a filtering operation is not required, and step S210 can be performed again. If the impurity concentration in the refrigerant is above the threshold, step S220 can be performed.

[0098] In step 220, the opening and closing of the first valve (360) and the second valve (370) can be controlled to switch the refrigerant flow from the first path (F1) to the second path (F2). For example, the control unit (341) can switch the refrigerant flow from the first path (F1) to the second path (F2).

[0099] In step S230, the refrigerant can be passed through a refrigerant filter to remove impurities. For example, the filtering device (350) can remove impurities contained in the refrigerant (e.g., metal particles, dust, moisture, etc.) through the refrigerant filter (352). The refrigerant filter (352) may include various filters, such as stainless steel mesh, activated alumina, activated carbon, silica gel, etc. The filtered refrigerant can be returned to the circulation path of the refrigerant system (30) through the second valve (370).

[0100] In step S340, the amount of filtered impurities can be calculated based on the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter. For example, the first sensor unit (353) can measure the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter, and the control unit (341) can calculate the amount of filtered impurities based on the difference between the two pressure values. To calculate the amount of impurities, the control unit (341) can store data corresponding to the difference between the two pressure values ​​in the form of a lookup table.

[0101] In step S350, refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities can be replenished. For example, the control unit (341) can control the refrigerant tank (351) to supply an amount of refrigerant corresponding to the amount of impurities calculated in S240 to the second flow path (F2).

[0103] The above descriptions are specific embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure. The present disclosure will include not only the embodiments described above, but also embodiments that are simply modified or can be easily modified. Furthermore, the present disclosure will include technologies that can be easily modified and implemented using the embodiments described above. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the embodiments described above, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents to the claims of the present disclosure.

Claims

Claim 1 A refrigerant system comprising: a first valve located on a first flow path configured to deliver refrigerant received from a condenser to an expansion valve; a second valve located between the first valve and the expansion valve; a control unit configured to control the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve; a second flow path configured such that one end is connected to the first valve and the other end is connected to the second valve, thereby delivering refrigerant received from the first valve to the second valve; and a filtering device located on the second flow path and filtering the refrigerant flowing in the second flow path according to the control of the control unit. Claim 2 A refrigerant system according to claim 1, wherein the filtering device comprises: a refrigerant filter for filtering the refrigerant flowing in the second flow path; a first sensor unit for detecting the refrigerant flowing in the second flow path; and a refrigerant tank for replenishing the refrigerant in the second flow path with an amount of refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities according to the control of the control unit. Claim 3 In claim 2, the filtering device further comprises a refrigerant oil tank that replenishes refrigerant oil corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities into the second flow path according to the control of the control unit, a refrigerant system. Claim 4 In paragraph 2, the refrigerant filter comprises at least one of a stainless steel mesh filter, an activated alumina filter, a silica gel filter, and an activated carbon filter, in a refrigerant system. Claim 5 In claim 2, the first sensor unit comprises a first pressure sensor that detects the refrigerant pressure before passing through the refrigerant filter and a second pressure sensor that detects the refrigerant pressure after passing through the refrigerant filter, in a refrigerant system. Claim 6 A refrigerant system according to claim 5, wherein the control unit calculates the amount of filtered impurities based on the difference between the refrigerant pressure before passing through the refrigerant filter and the refrigerant pressure after passing through the refrigerant filter, and controls the refrigerant tank to provide the refrigerant corresponding to the calculated amount of impurities to the second flow path. Claim 7 A refrigerant system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve so that the refrigerant flow is switched from the first flow path to the second flow path when a filtering command is received from a user terminal. Claim 8 A refrigerant system according to claim 2, further comprising a second sensor unit located on the first flow path and detecting the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant flowing in the first flow path. Claim 9 A refrigerant system according to claim 8, wherein the control unit controls the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve so that the refrigerant flow is switched from the first flow path to the second flow path when the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant is above a critical value. Claim 10 A method of operating a refrigerant system comprising: a step of controlling the opening and closing of a first valve and a second valve to switch the refrigerant flow from a first path to a second path; a step of passing the refrigerant through a refrigerant filter to remove impurities; a step of calculating the amount of filtered impurities based on the pressure of the refrigerant before passing through the refrigerant filter and the pressure of the refrigerant after passing through the refrigerant filter; and a step of replenishing the refrigerant corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities. Claim 11 A method of operation of a refrigerant system according to claim 10, wherein the step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path includes the step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path when a filtering command is received from a user terminal. Claim 12 A method of operation of a refrigerant system according to claim 10, further comprising the step of detecting the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant flowing in the first flow path, and the step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path includes the step of switching the refrigerant flow from the first flow path to the second flow path when the concentration of impurities in the refrigerant is greater than or equal to a threshold value. Claim 13 A method of operation of a refrigerant system according to claim 10, wherein the refrigerant filter comprises at least one of a stainless steel mesh filter, an activated alumina filter, a silica gel filter, and an activated carbon filter. Claim 14 A method of operating a refrigerant system according to claim 10, further comprising the step of replenishing refrigerant oil corresponding to the amount of filtered impurities.

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