Method for determining pressure of refrigerant and air conditioner therefor

Abstract

Provided are an air conditioning apparatus for determining the pressure of a refrigerant and a method for controlling the air conditioning apparatus. The air conditioning apparatus comprises a compressor, at least one memory storing one or more instructions, and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor may execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to: obtain a low pressure that is the pressure of a refrigerant sucked into the compressor; on the basis of an operating frequency of the compressor, power consumption of the compressor, and the obtained low pressure, determine a high pressure that is the pressure of a refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and on the basis of the determined high pressure, output information about the amount of refrigerant or adjust the operating frequency of the compressor such that the high pressure is maintained at or below a threshold pressure.

Description

Method for determining the pressure of refrigerant and air conditioning system according to it

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an air conditioning apparatus for determining the pressure of a refrigerant in the air conditioning apparatus, a method for controlling the air conditioning apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for performing the method for controlling the air conditioning apparatus.

[0002] Air conditioning units can control the air quality, such as temperature, humidity, and dust concentration, in indoor spaces where users reside.

[0003] An air conditioning unit can control a compressor to compress refrigerant to high temperatures and high pressures. This compressed refrigerant circulates through a cooling cycle within the air conditioning unit, absorbing heat through a heat exchanger located in the indoor unit and thus cooling the air surrounding the heat exchanger. Furthermore, this compressed refrigerant circulates through a heating cycle within the air conditioning unit, releasing heat through a heat exchanger located in the indoor unit and thus warming the air surrounding the heat exchanger.

[0004] However, if the refrigerant is compressed more than necessary by the compressor and the pressure of the refrigerant exceeds the critical pressure, the air conditioning unit may have difficulty operating normally and there is a risk of fire.

[0005] One aspect of one embodiment of the present disclosure may provide an air conditioning apparatus for determining the pressure of a refrigerant. The air conditioning apparatus may include a compressor, at least one memory storing one or more instructions, and at least one processor. The at least one processor may obtain a low pressure, which is a pressure of refrigerant sucked into the compressor, by executing one or more instructions stored in the memory. The at least one processor may determine a high pressure, which is a pressure of refrigerant discharged from the compressor, based on the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the obtained low pressure. Based on the determined high pressure, the at least one processor may output information regarding the amount of refrigerant or adjust the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure remains below a critical pressure.

[0006] One aspect of one embodiment of the present disclosure may provide a method for controlling an air conditioning apparatus for determining a pressure of a refrigerant. The method for controlling the air conditioning apparatus may include a step of obtaining a low pressure, which is a pressure of refrigerant sucked into a compressor. The method for controlling the air conditioning apparatus may include a step of determining a high pressure, which is a pressure of refrigerant discharged from the compressor, based on an operating frequency of the compressor, power consumption of the compressor, and the obtained low pressure. The method for controlling the air conditioning apparatus may include a step of outputting information regarding the amount of refrigerant or adjusting the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure is maintained below a critical pressure, based on the determined high pressure.

[0007] One aspect of one embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for performing a method for controlling an air conditioning device on a computer.

[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device to determine the pressure of a refrigerant according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for an air conditioning system to determine the pressure of a refrigerant by referring to a Mollier diagram of the refrigerant, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an air conditioning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for determining a high pressure of a refrigerant and adjusting an operating frequency of a compressor based on the determined high pressure of the refrigerant, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates a method for determining a low pressure of a refrigerant based on an inlet temperature of an indoor heat exchanger, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates a method for an air conditioning system to determine a low pressure of a refrigerant based on an intermediate temperature of an indoor heat exchanger, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates a method for determining a low pressure of a refrigerant in an air conditioning device capable of cooling and heating operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates a method for determining a low pressure of a refrigerant in an air conditioning device capable of cooling and heating operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 9 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device to determine high pressure using an artificial intelligence model, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate graphs comparing the high pressure of the refrigerant predicted by the air conditioner and the high pressure of the refrigerant measured according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart of a method for an air conditioning device to output information about a refrigerant amount based on a high pressure of the refrigerant, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 13 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device to determine a refrigerant amount based on a high pressure of the refrigerant, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 14 illustrates a graph comparing the amount of refrigerant predicted by an air conditioning device and the amount of refrigerant measured, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 15 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device to output information regarding the amount of refrigerant according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram of an air conditioning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] In this disclosure, the expression “at least one of a, b or c” may refer to “a”, “b”, “c”, “a and b”, “a and c”, “b and c”, “all of a, b and c”, or variations thereof.

[0024] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted for clarity of description of the present disclosure, and similar parts are designated with similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0025] The terms used in this disclosure are described as currently common terms, taking into account the functions mentioned herein. However, these terms may mean various other terms depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be interpreted solely based on their names, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure.

[0026] Additionally, while terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one component from another.

[0027] In addition, the terminology used in this disclosure is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular expression includes the plural meaning unless the context clearly indicates the singular. In addition, throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected" but also the case where it is "electrically connected" with another element in between. In addition, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but that other components can be further included, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0028] The phrases “in some embodiments” or “in an embodiment” appearing in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

[0029] An air conditioning device according to various embodiments is a device that performs functions such as air purification, ventilation, humidity control, cooling or heating in an air-conditioned space (hereinafter referred to as “indoor”), and means a device equipped with at least one of these functions.

[0030] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioning apparatus and a control method thereof for determining the pressure of a refrigerant in the air conditioning apparatus.

[0031] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioning apparatus and a control method thereof that controls the air conditioning apparatus based on the high pressure of a refrigerant.

[0032] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioning device and a control method thereof that outputs information about the amount of refrigerant based on the high pressure of the refrigerant.

[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device (1000) to determine the pressure of a refrigerant according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, the air conditioning device (1000) can predict the high pressure of the refrigerant based on the compressor power consumption, the compressor operating frequency, and the low pressure of the refrigerant. Even if a separate pressure sensor for measuring the high pressure is not provided at the outlet (1923) of the compressor (1920), the air conditioning device (1000) can accurately predict the high pressure of the refrigerant based on the compressor power consumption, the compressor operating frequency, and the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0035] The low pressure of the refrigerant may refer to the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor (1920). The high pressure of the refrigerant may refer to the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (1920). If a pressure sensor is provided at the outlet (1923) of the compressor (1920), the high pressure of the refrigerant may be detected by the pressure sensor provided at the outlet (1923) of the compressor (1920).

[0036] The air conditioning device (1000) can predict the high pressure of the refrigerant based on the compressor power consumption, compressor operating frequency, and low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0037] The air conditioning device (1000) can obtain low pressure through a pressure sensor located at the inlet (1921) of the compressor (1920). The air conditioning device (1000) can include a pressure sensor for measuring low pressure of refrigerant at the inlet (1921) of the compressor (1920), and can obtain a pressure value detected by the pressure sensor as the low pressure of the refrigerant. In addition, the pressure sensor for detecting low pressure of the refrigerant can be located in a part of a pipe connected to the inlet (1921) of the compressor (1920) and having the same pressure as the inlet of the compressor.

[0038] If a pressure sensor is not provided at the inlet (1921) of the compressor (1920), the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the low pressure of the refrigerant based on the temperature at the inlet of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator or the temperature in the middle of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator. Accordingly, even if a pressure sensor is not provided at the inlet of the compressor to detect the low pressure of the refrigerant, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the low pressure of the refrigerant based on the temperature of the heat exchanger.

[0039] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine the operating frequency of the compressor. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the operating frequency of the compressor based on the difference between the desired temperature and the indoor temperature, the operating rate of the indoor unit, etc.

[0040] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine the power consumption of the compressor. The air conditioning device (1000) can apply current to the compressor so that it operates at an operating frequency. Even if the current is applied so that the compressor operates at the same operating frequency, the value of the applied current may differ depending on the pressure of the refrigerant (e.g., low pressure or high pressure of the refrigerant). Even if the compressor operates at the same operating frequency, a higher pressure of the refrigerant may require a higher power consumption. For example, if the operating frequency is 60 Hz and the high pressure of the refrigerant is 30 kg / cm 2. In case of g, the power consumption can be 5000W, and the high pressure of the refrigerant is 25Kg / cm at the same operating frequency of 60Hz. 2. In case of g, the power consumption may be 4000 W. The air conditioning device (1000) may detect the operating frequency of the compressor and increase or decrease the applied current until the detected operating frequency of the compressor reaches the target operating frequency. In addition, the air conditioning device (1000) may calculate the power consumption of the compressor based on the applied current and voltage when the detected operating frequency of the compressor reaches the target operating frequency.

[0041] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine the high pressure of the refrigerant based on the compressor power consumption, compressor operating frequency, and low pressure of the refrigerant using an artificial intelligence model. For example, when the air conditioning device (1000) inputs the compressor operating frequency, compressor power consumption, and the determined low pressure as inputs of the artificial intelligence model, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the output of the artificial intelligence model as the high pressure of the refrigerant.

[0042] When the air conditioner (1000) is equipped with a temperature sensor in the heat exchanger that operates as a condenser, the air conditioner (1000) can determine the high pressure of the refrigerant based on the temperature of the heat exchanger that operates as a condenser even if the high pressure of the refrigerant is not predicted. However, in the case of a low-cost air conditioner (1000), not only may the compressor output not be equipped with a pressure sensor for measuring the high pressure of the refrigerant, but the heat exchanger that operates from the condenser may not be equipped with a temperature sensor. Furthermore, in the case of a low-cost air conditioner (1000), not only may the pressure sensor for measuring the high pressure of the refrigerant not be equipped, but also a pressure sensor for measuring the low pressure of the refrigerant may not be equipped.

[0043] Even if a temperature sensor is not provided in a heat exchanger operating as a condenser, or a pressure sensor for measuring the low pressure of the refrigerant is not separately provided, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the low pressure of the refrigerant using a temperature sensor generally provided in a heat exchanger operating as an evaporator, and determine the high pressure of the refrigerant based on the obtained low pressure of the refrigerant, the operating frequency of the compressor, and the power consumption of the compressor.

[0044] By determining the high pressure of the refrigerant, the air conditioning device (1000) can adjust the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure of the refrigerant follows the target pressure during operation.

[0045] The air conditioning device (1000) can adjust the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure of the refrigerant does not exceed the critical pressure. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine whether the determined high pressure of the refrigerant exceeds the reference pressure. Based on the determination that the determined high pressure of the refrigerant exceeds the reference pressure, the air conditioning device (1000) can lower the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure of the refrigerant falls below the reference pressure.

[0046] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine whether the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning device (1000) is appropriate based on the determined high pressure of the refrigerant. For example, when the air conditioning device (1000) inputs the determined high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV (Electronic Expansion Valve) opening information as inputs to an artificial intelligence model, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the output of the artificial intelligence model as information on whether the amount of refrigerant is appropriate. The EEV may refer to an expansion valve (1820a to 1820c). In addition, the EEV opening may refer to an opening ratio of the EEV.

[0047] The air conditioning device (1000) can output information regarding the appropriateness of the amount of refrigerant obtained. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) can output the ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant. Additionally, the air conditioning device (1000) can output whether the amount of refrigerant is appropriate as one of excessive, appropriate, or insufficient refrigerant.

[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device (1000) to determine the pressure of a refrigerant by referring to a Mollier diagram of the refrigerant according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] Referring to Fig. 2, the air conditioning device (1000) has a low pressure (P) of refrigerant L ), high pressure (P) of the refrigerant based on the compressor power consumption and compressor operating frequency. H ) can be predicted.

[0050] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine the operating frequency of the compressor based on the difference between the desired temperature set by the user and the current indoor temperature. In addition, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the operating frequency of the compressor by considering not only the difference between the desired temperature and the indoor temperature, but also the operating mode, the number of indoor units in operation, and the outdoor temperature.

[0051] The air conditioning device (1000) can apply current to the compressor so that the compressor operates at a determined operating frequency. The air conditioning device (1000) can calculate the power consumption of the compressor based on the current and voltage applied to the compressor.

[0052] As the compressor operates at a determined operating frequency and compresses the low-pressure refrigerant, the refrigerant may undergo an adiabatic compression process in sections P4 and P5. In sections P4 and P5, the refrigerant is adiabatically compressed into a gaseous state and rises along the isentropic curve, with the pressure and temperature gradually increasing.

[0053] The gaseous refrigerant output from the compressor is cooled in the P5 to P6 section, and the temperature of the refrigerant decreases from T3 to T4. The refrigerant is P H As it reaches the saturation temperature T4 in the section P6 to P8, it releases the heat of condensation and gradually changes into a liquid state without a temperature change. From the outlet of the compressor (corresponding to P5) to the condenser (1910 in Fig. 1), it completely changes into a liquid and before entering the expansion valve (1820a to 1820c in Fig. 1), the pressure of the refrigerant is P H It can be scheduled as follows.

[0054] Accordingly, when a temperature sensor is provided in the middle part (corresponding to P7) of the condenser (1910 in FIG. 1), the air conditioning device (1000) can detect the temperature T4 of the condensing refrigerant through the temperature sensor provided in the middle part of the condenser, and determine the saturation pressure at T4 as the high pressure of the refrigerant.

[0055] Additionally, if a pressure sensor is provided at the outlet of the compressor or in a pipe indicating the same pressure as the outlet, the air conditioning device (1000) can directly detect the high pressure of the refrigerant through the pressure sensor.

[0056] Even if the outlet of the compressor is not equipped with a pressure sensor for high pressure measurement, or the condenser is not equipped with a temperature sensor, the air conditioner (1000) can measure low pressure ((P) of the refrigerant. L ), based on the operating frequency of the compressor and the power consumption of the compressor, the high pressure (P) of the refrigerant H ) can be determined.

[0057] The compressor compresses low-pressure refrigerant based on the target operating frequency, thereby increasing the refrigerant pressure to high. Furthermore, the low-pressure refrigerant can vary depending on the evaporator's condition, even at the same operating frequency. For example, the higher the temperature of the air-conditioned space that exchanges heat with the evaporator, i.e., the greater the load, the higher the low-pressure refrigerant can be. Furthermore, the lower the compressor's operating frequency, the higher the low-pressure refrigerant can be. Therefore, the low-pressure refrigerant can be an important factor in determining the high-pressure refrigerant.

[0058] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine the high pressure of the refrigerant based on an artificial intelligence model that outputs the high pressure of the refrigerant when only the compressor operating frequency and compressor power consumption are input, but can more accurately determine the high pressure of the refrigerant by further considering the low pressure of the refrigerant, which is the starting point of adiabatic compression.

[0059] The air conditioning unit (1000) can directly detect the low pressure of the refrigerant through a pressure sensor. For example, if a pressure sensor is provided at the inlet of the compressor or in a pipe that exhibits the same pressure as the inlet of the compressor, the air conditioning unit (1000) can directly detect the low pressure of the refrigerant through the pressure sensor.

[0060] Even if a pressure sensor for measuring the low pressure of the refrigerant is not provided at the inlet of the compressor, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the low pressure of the refrigerant based on the temperature at the inlet of the evaporator or the temperature in the middle of the evaporator.

[0061] Referring to the Molière diagram of Fig. 2, the sections P1 to P3 are sections where the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant absorbs the heat of vaporization as it passes through the evaporator. After the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve, it absorbs the heat of vaporization in the evaporator (1810a to 1810c of Fig. 1) and until it is sucked into the compressor, the pressure of the refrigerant remains at the low pressure (P L ) can be maintained. In addition, as the liquid refrigerant absorbs the heat of vaporization in the evaporator in the P1 to P3 sections, it gradually changes into a gaseous state without a change in temperature.

[0062] Accordingly, the air conditioning device (1000) can detect the temperature (T1) of the refrigerant at the inlet of the evaporator (corresponding to P1) or the temperature (T1) of the refrigerant at the middle of the evaporator (corresponding to P2), and determine the saturation pressure at the detected temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0063] Even if the refrigerant completely changes to a gaseous state as it passes through the evaporator (for example, completely changes to a gaseous state at point P3), the temperature of the refrigerant can rise to point P4 as heat exchange occurs with the room temperature after passing through the evaporator.

[0064] In addition, when the actual air conditioning device (1000) is operated, if the refrigerant in a liquid state that has not yet been converted into a gas flows into the compressor due to various factors, the compressor may be damaged. Therefore, the air conditioning device (1000) can adjust the opening of the expansion device to superheat the refrigerant to point P4 to ensure that the refrigerant is entirely in a gaseous state when it flows into the compressor.

[0065] Accordingly, the pressure of the gaseous refrigerant in the P3 to P4 section is P L, but the temperature of the refrigerant can increase from T1 to T2. Since the temperature at point P4 is not a saturation temperature, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the saturation pressure at the inlet of the evaporator or the middle temperature of the evaporator, rather than the outlet temperature of the evaporator, as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0066] Accordingly, even if a pressure sensor is not provided at the inlet of the compressor, the air conditioning device (1000) can detect the temperature of the refrigerant through a temperature sensor at the inlet of the evaporator (Fig. 1, 1811_1a, 1811_1b, 1811_1c) or a temperature sensor in the middle of the evaporator (Fig. 1, 1811_2a, 1811_2b, 1811_2c), and determine the saturation pressure at the detected temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0067] In the case of low-cost air conditioners (1000), most of them do not have a pressure sensor for measuring the high pressure of the refrigerant, nor a pressure sensor for measuring the low pressure of the refrigerant. On the other hand, even low-cost air conditioners (1000) have a temperature sensor at the evaporator inlet or evaporator outlet, so the air conditioner (1000) can predict the high pressure of the refrigerant using the temperature sensor already provided without adding a separate temperature sensor.

[0068] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an air conditioning device (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3, the air conditioning device (1000) may include a processor (1100), a memory (1400), and a compressor (1920).

[0070] The processor (1100) can typically control the overall operation of the air conditioning device (1000). The processor (1100) can control the compressor (1920) and the air conditioning device (1000) by executing programs stored in the memory (1400).

[0071] The memory (1400) stores various information, data, commands, programs, etc. required for the operation of the air conditioning device (1000). The memory (1400) may include at least one of volatile memory and non-volatile memory, or a combination thereof.

[0072] For example, the memory (1400) may store parameters of a first artificial intelligence model that outputs high pressure of refrigerant when the operating frequency of the compressor (1920), the power consumption of the compressor (1920), and the low pressure of the refrigerant are input as input. In addition, the memory (1400) may store parameters of a second artificial intelligence model that outputs information on the amount of refrigerant when the high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV opening information are input as input.

[0073] The compressor (1920) can compress the refrigerant by increasing the pressure of the refrigerant by receiving power from a power generation device such as an electric motor.

[0074] By having at least one processor (1100) execute one or more instructions stored in a memory, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the high pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (1920), based on the operating frequency of the compressor (1920), the power consumption of the compressor (1920), and the low pressure. For example, when the air conditioning device (1000) inputs the operating frequency of the compressor (1920), the power consumption of the compressor (1920), and the low pressure as inputs of the first artificial intelligence model, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the output of the first artificial intelligence model as the high pressure.

[0075] By having at least one processor (1100) execute one or more instructions stored in the memory, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain a low pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor (1920). For example, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the saturation pressure at the inlet temperature of a heat exchanger operating as an evaporator or the outlet temperature of the heat exchanger as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0076] By having at least one processor (1100) execute one or more instructions stored in the memory, the air conditioning device (1000) can output information about the amount of refrigerant based on the determined high pressure.

[0077] Additionally, by having at least one processor (1100) execute one or more instructions stored in the memory, the air conditioner (1000) can adjust the operating frequency of the compressor (1920) so that the high pressure is maintained below the critical pressure.

[0078] By having at least one processor (1100) execute one or more instructions stored in a memory, the air conditioning device (1000) can output information about the amount of refrigerant based on information about the high pressure, the outdoor temperature, and the evaporator EEV opening degree of the air conditioning device (1000). For example, when the air conditioning device (1000) inputs the determined high pressure, the outdoor temperature, and the evaporator EEV opening degree information as inputs of the second artificial intelligence model, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the output of the second artificial intelligence model as a ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the appropriate amount of refrigerant, and output the ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the obtained appropriate amount of refrigerant. In addition, for example, the air conditioning device (1000) can output one of excess, appropriate, or insufficient refrigerant as an output value.

[0079] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for determining a high pressure of a refrigerant and adjusting an operating frequency of a compressor based on the determined high pressure of the refrigerant, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] In step S410, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain a low pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor.

[0081] For example, the air conditioning unit (1000) can directly detect low pressure through a pressure sensor located at the inlet (1921) of the compressor (1920).

[0082] For example, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the saturation pressure at the inlet temperature of the heat exchanger detected through the inlet temperature sensor of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator or the outlet temperature of the heat exchanger detected through the outlet temperature sensor of the heat exchanger as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0083] In step S420, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the high pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, based on the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the obtained low pressure.

[0084] When the air conditioning device (1000) inputs the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the determined low pressure as inputs of the artificial intelligence model, it can obtain the output of the artificial intelligence model as high pressure.

[0085] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the air conditioning device (1000) can display the determined high pressure.

[0086] In step S430, the air conditioning device (1000) can output information about the amount of refrigerant based on the determined high pressure or adjust the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure is maintained below the critical pressure.

[0087] If the pressure of the refrigerant exceeds the critical pressure, there is a risk that the components within the air conditioning unit (1000) may be damaged, and not only the cooling and heating performance but also the energy efficiency may significantly decrease. Accordingly, the air conditioning unit (1000) may be equipped with a high pressure switch that physically operates the switch when the pressure of the refrigerant exceeds the critical pressure. When the high pressure switch is turned on, the operation of the compressor or the air conditioning unit (1000) may be stopped.

[0088] The air conditioning device (1000) can lower the operating frequency of the compressor so that the determined high pressure does not exceed the critical pressure. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) can lower the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure of the refrigerant becomes lower than the reference pressure based on determining that the determined high pressure exceeds the reference pressure that is lower than the critical pressure. Accordingly, the air conditioning device (1000) can stably perform cooling and heating operations, and can prevent the air conditioning device (1000) from being stopped due to the operation of the high pressure switch.

[0089] The air conditioning device (1000) may display at least one of an identifier indicating that the determined high pressure exceeds the reference pressure or the determined high pressure based on determining that the reference pressure has been exceeded.

[0090] The air conditioning device (1000) can obtain information on the amount of refrigerant based on the determined high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV opening information of the air conditioning device (1000). For example, when the air conditioning device (1000) inputs the determined high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV opening information as inputs of an artificial intelligence model, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain the output of the artificial intelligence model as a ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant.

[0091] The air conditioning device (1000) can output information about the amount of refrigerant as one of excess, appropriate or insufficient refrigerant.

[0092] The air conditioning device (1000) can output information about the amount of refrigerant as a ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant.

[0093] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the air conditioning device (1000) can adjust the operating frequency of the compressor or the fan motor so that the determined high pressure reaches the target pressure. If the difference between the determined high pressure and the target pressure during heating operation is greater than a reference value, the air conditioning device (1000) can adjust the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure of the refrigerant reaches the target pressure. By operating the high pressure of the refrigerant at the target pressure, the air conditioning device (1000) can perform cooling and heating at optimal performance while maximizing energy efficiency.

[0094] In addition, when the air conditioning device (1000) is in cooling operation, the rotation speed of the fan motor of the air conditioning device (1000) can be lowered so that the high pressure of the refrigerant reaches the target pressure based on the determination that the determined high pressure is lower than the target pressure. By operating the high pressure of the refrigerant at the target pressure, the air conditioning device (1000) can secure the reliability of cooling and heating and improve the cooling and heating performance by increasing the degree of subcooling of the refrigerant.

[0095] FIG. 5 illustrates a method for determining a low pressure of a refrigerant based on an inlet temperature of an indoor heat exchanger by an air conditioning device (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 5, when the air conditioning unit (1000) performs cooling operation, the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) can operate as evaporators. The air conditioning unit (1000) can determine the low pressure of the refrigerant based on the temperature at the inlet of the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) operating as evaporators. To this end, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers can be equipped with temperature sensors (1811_1a, 1811_1b, 1811_1c) at the inlets of the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) into which the refrigerant flows.

[0097] The air conditioning device (1000) can identify at least one indoor heat exchanger in operation among a plurality of indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) and detect a temperature value through at least one temperature sensor provided at an inlet of at least one indoor heat exchanger in operation. Since the refrigerant flowing into the indoor heat exchangers in operation is the same, the temperature values ​​detected through the temperature sensors provided in each of the indoor heat exchangers can be the same.

[0098] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine the detected temperature value as the saturation temperature at low pressure of the refrigerant, and determine the saturation pressure at the saturation temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0099] FIG. 6 illustrates a method for determining a low pressure of a refrigerant based on an intermediate temperature of an indoor heat exchanger by an air conditioning device (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 6, when the air conditioning unit (1000) performs cooling operation, the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) can operate as evaporators. The air conditioning unit (1000) can determine the low pressure of the refrigerant based on the temperature in the middle of the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) operating as evaporators. For this purpose, a plurality of indoor heat exchangers can be provided with temperature sensors (1811_2a, 1811_2b, 1811_2c) in the middle of the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c).

[0101] The middle of the indoor heat exchanger (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) may refer to a part of the main body of the indoor heat exchanger (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) that is located at a standard distance or more from the inlet and outlet.

[0102] The air conditioning device (1000) can identify at least one indoor heat exchanger in operation among a plurality of indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) and detect a temperature value through at least one temperature sensor provided in the middle of at least one indoor heat exchanger in operation.

[0103] The air conditioning device (1000) can determine the detected temperature value as the saturation temperature at low pressure of the refrigerant, and determine the saturation pressure at the saturation temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0104] FIG. 7 illustrates a method for determining a low pressure of a refrigerant by an air conditioning device (1000) capable of cooling and heating operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 7, the air conditioning device (1000) may be equipped with a four-way valve. The air conditioning device (1000) may control the four-way valve so that the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) operate as an evaporator or a condenser. In the cooling operation mode, the refrigerant circulates clockwise, the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) operate as an evaporator, and the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) operates as a condenser. In the heating operation mode, the refrigerant circulates counterclockwise, the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) operate as a condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) operates as an evaporator.

[0106] The air conditioning device (1000) can detect the temperature value at the inlet of the indoor heat exchanger (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) through a temperature sensor (1811_1a, 1811_1b, 1811_1c) provided at the inlet of the indoor heat exchanger (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) that operates as an evaporator during cooling operation. During cooling operation, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the temperature value at the inlet of the indoor heat exchanger (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) as the saturation temperature at the low pressure of the refrigerant, and determine the saturation pressure at the saturation temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0107] The air conditioning device (1000) can detect the temperature value at the inlet of the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) through a temperature sensor (1911) provided at the inlet of the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) that operates as an evaporator during heating operation. During heating operation, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the temperature value at the inlet of the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) as the saturation temperature at the low pressure of the refrigerant, and can determine the saturation pressure at the saturation temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0108] FIG. 8 illustrates a method for determining a low pressure of a refrigerant by an air conditioning device (1000) capable of cooling and heating operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 8, the indoor heat exchanger (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) may be provided with a temperature sensor (1811_2a, 1811_2b, 1811_2c) in the middle of the indoor heat exchanger (1810a, 1810b, 1810c).

[0110] The air conditioning device (1000) can detect the temperature value in the middle of the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) operating as an evaporator during cooling operation through a temperature sensor (1811_2a, 1811_2b, 1811_2c) provided in the middle of the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c). During cooling operation, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the temperature value in the middle of the indoor heat exchangers (1810a, 1810b, 1810c) as the saturation temperature at the low pressure of the refrigerant, and determine the saturation pressure at the saturation temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0111] The air conditioning device (1000) can detect the temperature value at the inlet of the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) through a temperature sensor (1911) provided at the inlet of the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) that operates as an evaporator during heating operation. During heating operation, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the temperature value at the inlet of the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) as the saturation temperature at the low pressure of the refrigerant, and can determine the saturation pressure at the saturation temperature as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0112] FIG. 9 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device (1000) to determine high pressure using an artificial intelligence model according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0113] Referring to FIG. 9, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the high pressure of the refrigerant by using an artificial intelligence model (900) that outputs the high pressure of the refrigerant when the compressor operating frequency, compressor power consumption, and low pressure of the refrigerant are input to the artificial intelligence model (900).

[0114] The artificial intelligence model (900) may be pre-trained to output a high pressure refrigerant when the compressor operating frequency, compressor power consumption, and low pressure refrigerant are input. The artificial intelligence model (900) may include multiple neural network layers, and parameters for each of the multiple neural network layers may be determined through learning using training data. The parameters of the artificial intelligence model (900) may be stored in the air conditioning device (1000).

[0115] In order to obtain training data, the compressor operation frequency, compressor power consumption, and low pressure of the refrigerant determined by the air conditioning device (1000) can be obtained in response to the desired temperature, indoor temperature, outdoor temperature, and the number of indoor units in operation, and the high pressure of the refrigerant can be measured through a pressure sensor at the outlet of the compressor. In addition, one training data set can be stored in which the obtained compressor operation frequency, compressor power consumption, and low pressure of the refrigerant are included as input data of the training data, and the measured high pressure of the refrigerant is included as target data of the training data. A large number of training data sets can be obtained in response to various combinations of desired temperatures, indoor temperatures, outdoor temperatures, and the number of indoor units in operation.

[0116] For one set of training data, an artificial intelligence model (900) can be trained so that when input data of the training data is input, target data of the training data is output.

[0117] The learning of the artificial intelligence model (900) can be done using a learning method such as regression analysis, but is not limited thereto.

[0118] Additionally, the high pressure of the refrigerant can be determined by the following equation.

[0119] (Formula 1)

[0120] P H = C0 + C1 * (Comp Hz) 2 + C2 * (PI) 2 + C3 * (P L ) 2 + C4 * (Comp Hz * PI) + C5 * (Comp Hz * P L )+C6 * (PI * P L )+C7 * Comp Hz+C8 * PI + C9 * P L

[0121] In Equation 1, P H is the high pressure of the refrigerant, P Lwhere Hz represents the low pressure of the refrigerant, Comp represents the operating frequency of the compressor, and PI represents the power consumption of the compressor. Coefficients C0 to C9 can be determined experimentally.

[0122] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the air conditioning device (1000) can determine the high pressure of the refrigerant based solely on the compressor operating frequency and compressor power consumption, without considering the low pressure of the refrigerant. For example, when determining the high pressure of the refrigerant based solely on the compressor operating frequency and compressor power consumption, the high pressure of the refrigerant can be determined by the following equation. In equation 2, coefficients C10 to C15 can also be experimentally determined.

[0123] (Formula 2)

[0124] P H = C10 + C11 * (Comp Hz) 2 + C12 * (PI) 2 + C13 * (Comp Hz * PI) + C14 * Comp Hz + C15 * PI

[0125] Although the high pressure of the refrigerant can be determined based only on the compressor operating frequency and compressor power consumption as in Equation 2, the air conditioning device (1000) can more accurately determine the high pressure of the refrigerant by further considering the low pressure of the refrigerant, which is the starting point of adiabatic compression.

[0126] FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 illustrate graphs comparing the high pressure of the refrigerant predicted by the air conditioning device (1000) and the high pressure of the refrigerant measured according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0127] Referring to FIG. 10, the X-axis of the graph of FIG. 10 represents the performance of multiple outdoor units and various indoor and outdoor loads for each of multiple outdoor units with different performances, and the Y-axis represents the predicted high pressure of the refrigerant and the measured high pressure of the refrigerant at various indoor and outdoor loads.

[0128] An air conditioning device (1000) having an outdoor unit of 6 horsepower (101) can determine the high pressure of the refrigerant based on the compressor operating frequency, compressor power consumption, and low pressure of the refrigerant in various combinations of indoor temperature, outdoor temperature, and indoor unit operating rate. In addition, the high pressure of the refrigerant can be measured through a pressure sensor provided at the outlet of the compressor in each combination.

[0129] For outdoor units of 5 horsepower (103), 4 horsepower (105) and 2.5 horsepower (107), the air conditioner (1000) can determine the high pressure of the refrigerant, and the high pressure of the refrigerant can be measured through a pressure sensor.

[0130] The first graph (110) represents the high pressure of the refrigerant determined by the air conditioning unit (1000) under various performance outdoor units and various indoor / outdoor loads, and the second graph (120) represents the high pressure of the refrigerant actually measured when the high pressure of the refrigerant is determined by the air conditioning unit (1000). Referring to the first graph (110) and the second graph (120), it can be seen that the high pressure of the refrigerant determined by the air conditioning unit (1000) is almost the same value as the high pressure of the refrigerant measured through the pressure sensor.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 11, the Y axis represents the high pressure of the refrigerant determined by the air conditioning unit (1000), and the X axis represents the high pressure of the refrigerant measured through the pressure sensor when the high pressure of the refrigerant is determined by the air conditioning unit (1000).

[0132] Referring to the graphs of FIGS. 10 and 11, it can be seen that the high pressure of the refrigerant predicted by the air conditioning device (1000) is almost the same as the high pressure of the refrigerant actually measured.

[0133] FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart of a method in which an air conditioning device (1000) outputs information about the amount of refrigerant based on the high pressure of the refrigerant, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0134] In step 1210, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain information about the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning device (1000) based on the high pressure of the refrigerant, the outdoor temperature, and the evaporator EEV opening information.

[0135] Information about the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning device (1000) may be a ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant. The air conditioning device (1000) may determine the ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning device (1000) based on information about the high pressure of the refrigerant, the outdoor temperature, and the EEV opening degree. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) may use an artificial intelligence model that outputs the ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning device (1000) when information about the high pressure of the refrigerant, the outdoor temperature, and the EEV opening degree are input into the artificial intelligence model.

[0136] Information about the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning unit (1000) may be the current amount of refrigerant. The appropriate amount of refrigerant may be stored in advance as a value obtained by adding the amount of refrigerant in the outdoor unit and the amount of refrigerant in the indoor unit, based on the volume of components through which the refrigerant flows (e.g., heat exchanger, pressure vessel, and pipes, etc.) and the characteristics of the refrigerant (e.g., density) under various operating conditions. However, since the length of the pipe varies depending on the installation environment when installing the air conditioning unit (1000), and refrigerant must be added in proportion to the length of the pipe, the appropriate amount of refrigerant may be a value obtained by adding the amount of refrigerant according to the length of the installation pipe to the previously determined amounts of refrigerant in the outdoor unit and the amount of refrigerant in the indoor unit.

[0137] The air conditioning device (1000) can receive user input for inputting the installation pipe length. The air conditioning device (1000) can calculate the amount of refrigerant according to the installation pipe length by multiplying the input installation pipe length by a predetermined ratio. The air conditioning device (1000) can calculate the appropriate amount of refrigerant by adding the amount of refrigerant according to the calculated pipe length to the amount of refrigerant of the outdoor unit and the amount of refrigerant of the indoor unit that are already stored. In addition, the air conditioning device (1000) can calculate the current amount of refrigerant by multiplying the calculated appropriate amount of refrigerant by the ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant obtained from the artificial intelligence model.

[0138] Information regarding the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning unit (1000) may indicate whether the amount of refrigerant is excessive or insufficient. For example, the air conditioning unit (1000) may determine that the current amount of refrigerant is adequate if the ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant is approximately 100% (e.g., 100 ± α). Furthermore, the air conditioning unit (1000) may determine that the current amount of refrigerant is excessive if the ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant exceeds a reference ratio.

[0139] The high pressure of the refrigerant can be detected by a pressure sensor installed at the outlet of the compressor. Additionally, the high pressure of the refrigerant can be determined based on the low pressure of the refrigerant, the operating frequency of the compressor, and the power consumption of the compressor.

[0140] In step S1220, the air conditioning device (1000) can output information about the acquired amount of refrigerant.

[0141] The air conditioning device (1000) can output at least one of the ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the appropriate refrigerant amount, the current refrigerant amount, or whether the refrigerant amount is appropriate.

[0142] The air conditioning device (1000) can output information regarding the amount of refrigerant at a predetermined point in time. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) can periodically output whether the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning device (1000) is appropriate. In addition, for example, when the air conditioning device (1000) receives a user input for outputting information regarding the amount of refrigerant, the air conditioning device (1000) can output information regarding the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning device (1000). In addition, for example, the air conditioning device (1000) can output information regarding the amount of refrigerant based on receiving a user input for starting a test run after installing the air conditioning device (1000).

[0143] FIG. 13 illustrates a method for determining a refrigerant amount based on a high pressure of the refrigerant by an air conditioning device (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0144] Referring to FIG. 13, the air conditioning device (1000) can use an artificial intelligence model (130) that outputs the ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the appropriate refrigerant amount when the high pressure of the refrigerant, the outdoor temperature, and the evaporator EEV opening information are input.

[0145] The artificial intelligence model (130) may be pre-trained to output a ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the appropriate refrigerant amount (hereinafter, “refrigerant amount ratio”) when information on the high pressure of the refrigerant, the outdoor temperature, and the evaporator EEV opening degree is input. The artificial intelligence model (130) may include multiple neural network layers, and parameters for each of the multiple neural network layers may be determined by learning using training data. The parameters of the artificial intelligence model (130) may be stored in the air conditioning device (1000).

[0146] To obtain training data, data on the high pressure of the refrigerant and the evaporator EEV opening can be experimentally obtained based on the refrigerant amount ratio and the outdoor temperature. The high pressure of the refrigerant can be a pressure value determined by the air conditioning unit (1000) based on the compressor operating frequency, compressor power consumption, and the low pressure of the refrigerant, and can be a pressure value detected by a pressure sensor at the compressor outlet.

[0147] Additionally, a single training data set can be stored, including refrigerant high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV opening data as input data for the training data, and refrigerant amount ratio as target data for the training data. Various training data sets can be acquired corresponding to various combinations of refrigerant amount ratios and outdoor temperatures.

[0148] For a set of training data, an artificial intelligence model (130) can be trained so that when input data of the training data is input, target data of the training data is output. The training of the artificial intelligence model (900) can be trained using a learning method such as regression analysis, but is not limited thereto.

[0149] The high pressure of the refrigerant can change sensitively depending on the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning unit (1000). For example, if the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning unit (1000) increases, the amount of refrigerant in the condenser also increases, which may increase the high pressure of the refrigerant. Furthermore, if the amount of refrigerant in the air conditioning unit (1000) decreases, the amount of refrigerant in the condenser also decreases, which may decrease the high pressure of the refrigerant. Therefore, the high pressure of the refrigerant can be an important variable for determining the refrigerant amount ratio.

[0150] Meanwhile, since the high pressure of the refrigerant is greatly affected by the outdoor temperature, when the high pressure of the refrigerant is used as input data for an artificial intelligence model, the outdoor temperature can also be used as input data to minimize the effect of the outdoor temperature on the high pressure of the refrigerant.

[0151] Additionally, the evaporator EEV opening can vary sensitively depending on the refrigerant amount. For example, as the refrigerant amount increases, the amount of refrigerant flowing into the indoor unit also increases. Therefore, the EEV opening may be reduced to reduce the amount of refrigerant flowing into the indoor unit. Furthermore, as the refrigerant amount decreases, the EEV opening may be increased to allow more refrigerant to flow into the indoor unit. Therefore, evaporator EEV opening information can also be an important variable in determining the refrigerant amount ratio.

[0152] Accordingly, the air conditioning device (1000) can obtain an accurate refrigerant amount ratio by using the high pressure of the refrigerant, the outdoor temperature, and the opening information of the evaporator EEV as input data of the artificial intelligence model (130).

[0153] FIG. 14 illustrates a graph comparing the amount of refrigerant predicted by an air conditioning device (1000) and the amount of refrigerant measured according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0154] Referring to FIG. 14, the X-axis represents the dry bulb temperature / wet bulb temperature and the outdoor temperature, and the Y-axis represents data on the amount of refrigerant predicted by the air conditioning unit (1000), the actual amount of refrigerant, and whether the amount of refrigerant identified is excessive or insufficient.

[0155] The first graph (141) outputs information on excess or deficiency of refrigerant determined by the air conditioning unit (1000) under five different indoor and outdoor temperature conditions after injecting a refrigerant amount corresponding to 120% of the appropriate refrigerant amount of the air conditioning unit (1000). The air conditioning unit (1000) can determine the ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the appropriate refrigerant amount based on the high pressure of the refrigerant, the outdoor temperature, and the evaporator EEV opening information. For example, the air conditioning unit (1000) can determine 125% or 118% of the appropriate refrigerant amount as the current refrigerant amount. Based on determining that the current refrigerant amount is 125% of the appropriate refrigerant amount, the air conditioning unit (1000) can determine that the current refrigerant amount is excessive compared to the appropriate refrigerant amount.

[0156] The second graph (143) represents information on excess or deficiency of refrigerant amount determined by the air conditioning unit (1000) under various indoor and outdoor temperature conditions after injecting refrigerant amount corresponding to 100% of the appropriate refrigerant amount of the air conditioning unit (1000). Based on determining that the current refrigerant amount is 98% of the appropriate refrigerant amount, the air conditioning unit (1000) can determine that the current refrigerant amount is appropriate.

[0157] The third graph (145) represents information on the excess or deficiency of refrigerant determined by the air conditioning unit (1000) under various indoor and outdoor temperature conditions after injecting refrigerant equivalent to 70% of the appropriate refrigerant amount of the air conditioning unit (1000). Based on determining that the current refrigerant amount is 70% of the appropriate refrigerant amount, the air conditioning unit (1000) can determine that the current refrigerant amount is insufficient compared to the appropriate refrigerant amount.

[0158] FIG. 15 illustrates a method for an air conditioning device (1000) to output information regarding the amount of refrigerant according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0159] Referring to FIG. 15, the air conditioning device (1000) can output information regarding the amount of refrigerant.

[0160] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the air conditioning device (1000) can output whether the amount of refrigerant is excessive, insufficient, or appropriate by determining the current amount of refrigerant compared to the appropriate amount of refrigerant.

[0161] For example, the air conditioning unit (1000) may output a notification indicating that the amount of refrigerant is excessive or insufficient when it determines that the amount of refrigerant is excessive or insufficient. The air conditioning unit (1000) may output a notification indicating that the amount of refrigerant is excessive or insufficient by blinking or making a buzzer sound.

[0162] In addition, for example, the air conditioning device (1000) can display on the display (1310) whether the amount of refrigerant is excessive, insufficient, or appropriate, along with an identifier ("K9" in FIG. 15) indicating that the information is about the amount of refrigerant. Referring to FIG. 15, if the amount of refrigerant is excessive, the air conditioning device (1000) can output "OV" indicating that the amount of refrigerant is excessive, along with an identifier "K9" indicating that the information is about the amount of refrigerant. In addition, if the amount of refrigerant is appropriate, "OK" indicating that the amount of refrigerant is appropriate can be output, and if the amount of refrigerant is insufficient, "LO" indicating that the amount of refrigerant is insufficient can be output.

[0163] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the air conditioning device (1000) may display the ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the appropriate refrigerant amount on the display (1310). For example, the air conditioning device (1000) may display "refrigerant amount 120%" on the display (1310) based on determining that the current refrigerant amount is 120% of the appropriate refrigerant amount.

[0164] By displaying the ratio of the current refrigerant amount to the appropriate amount, users can intuitively check the amount of refrigerant to be removed or added.

[0165] FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram of an air conditioning device (1000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 16, the air conditioning device (1000) may include a processor (1100), an output interface (1300), a memory (1400), a communication module (1500), a sensor (1600), an input interface (1700), an indoor module (1805), and an outdoor module (1905). The same reference numbers are used for the same configuration as that illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0167] Not all of the components illustrated are essential components of the air conditioning device (1000). The air conditioning device (1000) may be implemented with more components than those illustrated in FIG. 16, or may be implemented with fewer components than those illustrated in FIG. 16.

[0168] The indoor module (1805) is a part of the components provided within the indoor unit (1800a, 1800b, or 1800c of FIG. 1). The outdoor module (1905) is a part of the components provided within the outdoor unit (1900 of FIG. 1).

[0169] According to one embodiment, the air conditioning device (1000) may include a heat pump device to perform a cooling function or a heating function. The heat pump device may include a refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant circulates along a compressor (1920), an outdoor heat exchanger (1910), an expansion valve (1820), and an indoor heat exchanger (1810). All components of the heat pump device may be built into a single housing forming the exterior of the air conditioning device (1000), and a window-type air conditioner or a portable air conditioner corresponds to such an air conditioning device (1000). On the other hand, some components of the heat pump device may be divided and built into a plurality of housings forming a single air conditioning device (1000), and this includes a wall-mounted air conditioner, a stand-type air conditioner, a system air conditioner, etc.

[0170] An air conditioning device (1000) including a plurality of housings may include at least one outdoor unit (e.g., 1900 in FIG. 1) installed outdoors and at least one indoor unit (e.g., 1800a to 1800c in FIG. 1) installed indoors. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) may be provided such that one outdoor unit and one indoor unit are connected via a refrigerant pipe. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) may be provided such that one outdoor unit is connected to two or more indoor units via refrigerant pipes. For example, the air conditioning device (1000) may be provided such that two or more outdoor units and two or more indoor units are connected via a plurality of refrigerant pipes.

[0171] The outdoor unit may be electrically connected to the indoor unit. For example, information (or commands) for controlling the air conditioning unit (1000) may be input through an input interface (1700) provided on the outdoor unit or the indoor unit, and the outdoor unit and indoor unit may operate simultaneously or sequentially in response to user input.

[0172] The air conditioning device (1000) may include an outdoor heat exchanger (1910) provided in an outdoor unit, an indoor heat exchanger (1810) provided in an indoor unit, and a refrigerant pipe connecting the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) and the indoor heat exchanger (1810).

[0173] The outdoor heat exchanger (1910) can perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air by utilizing a phase change (e.g., evaporation or condensation) of the refrigerant. For example, while the refrigerant condenses in the outdoor heat exchanger (1910), the refrigerant can release heat to the outdoor air, and while the refrigerant flowing in the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) evaporates, the refrigerant can absorb heat from the outdoor air.

[0174] Indoor units are installed indoors. For example, indoor units can be categorized into ceiling-mounted, stand-alone, and wall-mounted types depending on their placement. For example, ceiling-mounted indoor units can be categorized into four-way, one-way, and duct-type indoor units depending on how air is discharged.

[0175] Likewise, the indoor heat exchanger (1810) can perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air by utilizing a phase change of the refrigerant (e.g., evaporation or condensation). For example, in cooling mode, the refrigerant can absorb heat from indoor air while evaporating in the indoor unit, and the indoor space can be cooled by blowing the cooled indoor air while passing through the cooled indoor heat exchanger (1810). In addition, in heating mode, the refrigerant can release heat to the indoor air while condensing in the indoor heat exchanger (1810), and the indoor space can be heated by blowing the heated indoor air while passing through the high-temperature indoor heat exchanger (1810).

[0176] That is, the air conditioner (1000) performs a cooling or heating function through a phase change process of the refrigerant circulating through the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) and the indoor heat exchanger (1810). For this circulation of the refrigerant, the air conditioner may include a compressor (1920) that compresses the refrigerant. The compressor (1920) can suck in refrigerant gas through an intake port and compress the refrigerant gas. The compressor (1920) can discharge high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas through an exhaust port. The compressor (1920) may be placed inside the outdoor unit.

[0177] The refrigerant may be circulated through the refrigerant pipe in the order of a compressor (1920), an outdoor heat exchanger (1910), an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger (1810), or may be circulated in the order of a compressor (1920), an indoor heat exchanger (1810), an expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger (1910).

[0178] For example, in the case where an air conditioning device (1000) has one outdoor unit and one indoor unit directly connected through a refrigerant pipe, the refrigerant may be arranged to circulate between one outdoor unit and one indoor unit through the refrigerant pipe.

[0179] For example, in an air conditioning system where one outdoor unit is connected to two or more indoor units via refrigerant pipes, refrigerant may flow to multiple indoor units via refrigerant pipes branching from the outdoor unit. The refrigerant discharged from the multiple indoor units may be combined and circulated to the outdoor unit. For example, multiple indoor units may be directly connected in parallel to a single outdoor unit via separate refrigerant pipes.

[0180] Multiple indoor units can operate independently, each according to a user-defined operating mode. That is, some indoor units can operate in cooling mode, while others operate simultaneously in heating mode. In this case, the refrigerant can be selectively introduced into each indoor unit at either high or low pressure along a designated circulation path via a flow switching valve, described below, and then discharged to circulate to the outdoor unit.

[0181] For example, when an air conditioning device (1000) has two or more outdoor units and two or more indoor units connected through multiple refrigerant pipes, refrigerants discharged from multiple outdoor units can merge and flow through one refrigerant pipe, then branch off again at some point and flow into multiple indoor units.

[0182] The plurality of outdoor units may all be driven, or at least some may not be driven, depending on the operating load according to the operating capacity of the plurality of indoor units. In this case, the refrigerant may be arranged to be introduced into the driven outdoor unit through a flow switching valve (e.g., 1950 of FIG. 7) and circulated. The air conditioning device (1000) may include an expansion valve (1820) to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant introduced into the heat exchanger. For example, the expansion valve (1820) may be located inside the indoor unit or the outdoor unit, or may be located in both.

[0183] The expansion valve (1820) can, for example, utilize a throttling effect to lower the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The expansion valve (1820) can include an orifice capable of reducing the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path. The refrigerant passing through the orifice can have its temperature and pressure lowered.

[0184] The expansion valve (1820) may be implemented as an electronic expansion valve (EEV) capable of controlling, for example, the opening ratio (the ratio of the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve's flow path in a partially open state to the cross-sectional area of ​​the valve's flow path in a fully open state). The amount of refrigerant passing through the expansion valve can be controlled depending on the opening ratio of the EEV.

[0185] The air conditioning device (1000) may further include a refrigerant diverting valve disposed on the refrigerant flow path. The refrigerant diverting valve may include, for example, a 4-way valve. The refrigerant diverting valve may determine the refrigerant circulation path depending on the indoor unit's operating mode (e.g., cooling operation or heating operation). The refrigerant diverting valve may be connected to the discharge port of the compressor (1920).

[0186] The air conditioning unit (1000) may include an accumulator. The accumulator may be connected to the suction port of the compressor (1920). Low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant evaporated in the indoor heat exchanger (1810) or the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) may be introduced into the accumulator.

[0187] The accumulator can separate the refrigerant liquid from the refrigerant gas when a refrigerant mixture of refrigerant liquid and refrigerant gas is introduced, and provide the refrigerant gas from which the refrigerant liquid has been separated to the compressor (1920).

[0188] An outdoor fan may be provided near the outdoor heat exchanger (1910). The outdoor fan may be connected to a fan motor (1930) to blow outdoor air to the outdoor heat exchanger (1910) to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outdoor air.

[0189] The indoor unit of the air conditioning device (1000) may include a housing, a blower that circulates air into or out of the housing, and an indoor heat exchanger (1810) that exchanges heat with air flowing into the interior of the housing.

[0190] The housing may include an intake port through which indoor air may be drawn into the interior of the housing.

[0191] The indoor unit of the air conditioning device (1000) may include a filter provided to filter foreign substances in the air flowing into the housing through the intake port.

[0192] The housing may include an exhaust port. Air flowing within the housing may be discharged to the exterior of the housing through the exhaust port.

[0193] The housing of the indoor unit may be provided with an airflow guide that guides the direction of air discharged through the exhaust port. For example, the airflow guide may include blades positioned above the exhaust port. For example, the airflow guide may include an auxiliary fan for controlling the exhaust airflow. However, the airflow guide is not limited thereto and may be omitted.

[0194] An indoor heat exchanger (1810) and a blower may be provided inside the housing of the indoor unit, which are arranged on a path connecting the intake and exhaust ports.

[0195] The blower may include an indoor fan and a fan motor (1830). For example, the indoor fan may include an axial fan, a diffusion fan, a crossflow fan, or a centrifugal fan.

[0196] An indoor heat exchanger (1810) may be positioned between the blower and the exhaust port, or between the intake port and the blower. The indoor heat exchanger (1810) may absorb heat from air introduced through the intake port, or transfer heat to the air introduced through the intake port. The indoor heat exchanger (1810) may include heat exchange tubes through which refrigerant flows, and heat exchange fins in contact with the heat exchange tubes to increase the heat transfer surface area.

[0197] The indoor unit of the air conditioning device (1000) may include a drain tray disposed below the indoor heat exchanger (1810) to collect condensate generated in the indoor heat exchanger (1810). The condensate collected in the drain tray may be drained to the outside through a drain hose. The drain tray may be provided to support the indoor heat exchanger (1810).

[0198] The indoor unit of the air conditioner (1000) may include an input interface (1700). The input interface (1700) may include any type of user input means, including buttons, switches, a touch screen, and / or a touch pad. The user may directly input setting data (e.g., desired indoor temperature, operation mode settings for cooling / heating / dehumidification / air purification, outlet selection settings, and / or air volume settings) through the input interface (1700).

[0199] The input interface (1700) may also be connected to an external input device. For example, the remote control receiver (1720) of the input interface (1700) may be electrically connected to a wired remote controller. The wired remote controller may be installed at a specific location in an indoor space (e.g., a portion of a wall). A user may input setting data regarding the operation of the air conditioner by operating the wired remote controller. An electrical signal corresponding to the setting data acquired through the wired remote controller may be transmitted to the input interface (1700). In addition, the remote control receiver (1720) of the input interface (1700) may include an infrared sensor. A user may remotely input setting data regarding the operation of the air conditioner (1000) using a wireless remote controller. The setting data input through the wireless remote controller may be transmitted to the input interface (1700) as an infrared signal.

[0200] In addition, the input interface (1700) may include a microphone (1710). A user's voice command may be acquired through the microphone (1710). The microphone (1710) may convert the user's voice command into an electrical signal and transmit the converted electrical signal to the indoor unit control unit. The indoor unit control unit may control the components of the air conditioner (1000) to execute a function corresponding to the user's voice command. The setting data acquired through the input interface (1700) (e.g., desired indoor temperature, operation mode setting of cooling / heating / dehumidification / air purification, outlet selection setting, and / or wind speed setting) may be transmitted to the indoor unit control unit, which will be described later. In one example, the setting data acquired through the input interface (1700) may be transmitted to the outside, i.e., to an outdoor unit or a server, through the indoor unit communication unit, which will be described later.

[0201] The indoor unit of the air conditioning device (1000) may include a power module. The power module may be connected to an external power source to supply power to components of the indoor unit.

[0202] The air conditioning device (1000) may include a sensor (1600). The sensor (1600) may include a temperature sensor (1610) and a humidity sensor (1620) as environmental sensors.

[0203] For example, it may include a temperature sensor for detecting air temperature around the outdoor unit, a humidity sensor for detecting air humidity around the outdoor unit, a temperature sensor for detecting air temperature around the indoor unit, and a humidity sensor for detecting air humidity around the indoor unit.

[0204] For example, each environmental information detected by an indoor unit sensor can be transmitted to the indoor unit control unit described later or transmitted externally through the indoor unit communication unit described later.

[0205] The communication module (1500) may include an indoor unit communication unit and an outdoor unit communication unit.

[0206] An outdoor unit of an air conditioning device (1000) may include an outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit communication unit may be configured to receive a control signal from a control unit of an indoor unit of the air conditioning device (1000), which will be described later. The outdoor unit may control the operation of a compressor (1920), an outdoor heat exchanger (1910), an expansion valve (1820), a flow switching valve, an accumulator, or an outdoor fan based on the control signal received through the outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit may transmit a sensing value detected from an outdoor unit sensor to the control unit of the indoor unit through the outdoor unit communication unit.

[0207] The indoor unit of the air conditioning device (1000) may include an indoor unit communication unit. The indoor unit communication unit may include at least one of a short-range communication module and a long-range communication module. The indoor unit communication unit may include at least one antenna for wirelessly communicating with other devices. The outdoor unit may include an outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit communication unit may also include at least one of a short-range communication module and a long-range communication module.

[0208] The short-range wireless communication module may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication module, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication module, a near field communication module, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication module, a Zigbee communication module, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication module, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication module, an UWB (ultrawideband) communication module, an Ant+ communication module, a microwave (uWave) communication module, etc.

[0209] The long-distance communication module may include a communication module that performs various types of long-distance communication and may include a mobile communication unit. The mobile communication unit transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network.

[0210] The indoor unit communication unit can communicate with external devices such as a server, mobile device, and other home appliances through a nearby access point (AP). The access point (AP) can connect a local area network (LAN) to which the air conditioner or user device is connected to a wide area network (WAN) to which the server is connected. The air conditioner or user device can be connected to the server through the wide area network (WAN). The indoor unit of the air conditioner (1000) can include an indoor unit control unit that controls components of the indoor unit, including a blower, etc. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner (1000) can include an outdoor unit control unit that controls components of the outdoor unit, including a compressor (1920), etc. The indoor unit control unit can communicate with the outdoor unit control unit through the indoor unit communication unit and the outdoor unit communication unit. The outdoor unit communication unit can transmit a control signal generated by the outdoor unit control unit to the indoor unit communication unit, or can transmit a control signal transmitted from the indoor unit communication unit to the outdoor unit control unit. In other words, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit can communicate bidirectionally. The outdoor unit and the indoor unit can transmit and receive various signals generated during the operation of the air conditioning device (1000).

[0211] The processor (1100) may include multiple processors. Additionally, some of the multiple processors may be provided in the outdoor unit control unit, and the remaining some may be provided in the indoor unit control unit.

[0212] The outdoor unit control unit can be electrically connected to components of the outdoor unit and can control the operation of each component. For example, the outdoor unit control unit can adjust the frequency of the compressor (1920) and control the flow switching valve to change the circulation direction of the refrigerant. The outdoor unit control unit can control the fan motor (1930) to adjust the rotation speed of the outdoor fan. In addition, the outdoor unit control unit can generate a control signal for adjusting the opening degree of the expansion valve (1820). Under the control of the outdoor unit control unit, the refrigerant can circulate along a refrigerant circulation circuit including the compressor (1920), the flow switching valve, the outdoor heat exchanger (1910), the expansion valve (1820), and the indoor heat exchanger (1810).

[0213] The indoor unit control unit can obtain user input from a user device, including a mobile device, through the indoor unit communication unit, and can obtain user input directly through the input interface (1700) or through a remote controller. The indoor unit control unit can control components of the indoor unit, including a blower, in response to the received user input. The indoor unit control unit can transmit information regarding the received user input to the outdoor unit control unit of the outdoor unit.

[0214] The outdoor unit control unit can control the components of the outdoor unit, including the compressor (1920), based on information regarding user input received from the indoor unit. For example, when a control signal corresponding to a user input for selecting an operation mode, such as cooling operation, heating operation, ventilation operation, defrosting operation, or dehumidifying operation, is received from the indoor unit, the outdoor unit control unit can control the components of the outdoor unit so that the operation of the air conditioning device (1000) corresponding to the selected operation mode is performed.

[0215] The outdoor unit control unit and the indoor unit control unit may each include a processor (1100) and a memory (1400). The indoor unit control unit may include at least one first processor and at least one first memory, and the outdoor unit control unit may include at least one second processor and at least one second memory.

[0216] The memory (1400) can store / remember various information necessary for the operation of the air conditioner. The memory (1400) can store instructions, applications, data, and / or programs necessary for the operation of the air conditioner. For example, the memory (1400) can store various programs for cooling operation, heating operation, dehumidification operation, and / or defrosting operation of the air conditioner. The memory (1400) can include volatile memory such as Static Random Access Memory (S-RAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memory (D-RAM) for temporarily storing data. In addition, the memory (1400) can include nonvolatile memory such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), and Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) for long-term storage of data.

[0217] The processor (1100) may generate control signals for controlling the operation of the air conditioner based on instructions, applications, data, and / or programs stored in the memory. The processor, as hardware, may include logic circuits and arithmetic circuits. The processor may process data according to programs and / or instructions provided from the memory and generate control signals based on the processing results. The memory and the processor may be implemented as a single control circuit or as multiple circuits.

[0218] The indoor unit of the air conditioner (1000) may include an output interface (1300). The output interface (1300) is electrically connected to the indoor unit control unit and may output information related to the operation of the air conditioner (1000) under the control of the indoor unit control unit. For example, information such as an operation mode, wind direction, wind volume, and temperature selected by a user input may be output. In addition, the output interface (1300) may output sensing information and warning / error messages acquired from an indoor unit sensor or an outdoor unit sensor. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner (1000) may also include an output interface (1300).

[0219] The output interface (1300) may include a display (1310) and an audio output module (1320). The audio output module (1320) may output various sounds as an audio device. The display (1310) may display information input by a user or information provided to the user using various graphic elements. For example, operation information of the air conditioning device (1000) may be displayed as at least one of an image or text. In addition, the display (1310) may include an indicator that provides specific information. The display (1310) may include an LCD panel (Liquid Crystal Display Panel), an LED panel (Light Emitting Diode Panel), an OLED panel (Organic Light Emitting Diode Panel), a micro LED panel, and / or a plurality of LEDs.

[0220] The artificial intelligence-related functions according to the present disclosure are operated through a processor (1100) and a memory (1400). The processor (1100) may be composed of one or more processors. In this case, one or more processors may be a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, an AP, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a graphics-only processor such as a GPU, a VPU (Vision Processing Unit), or an artificial intelligence-only processor such as an NPU. One or more processors control input data to be processed according to predefined operation rules or artificial intelligence models stored in the memory (1400). Alternatively, when one or more processors are artificial intelligence-only processors, the artificial intelligence-only processor may be designed with a hardware structure specialized for processing a specific artificial intelligence model.

[0221] The predefined operation rules or artificial intelligence models are characterized by being created through learning. Here, being created through learning means that the basic artificial intelligence model is trained using a learning algorithm using a plurality of learning data, thereby creating a predefined operation rules or artificial intelligence model set to perform a desired characteristic (or purpose). This learning may be performed on the device itself on which the artificial intelligence according to the present disclosure is performed, or may be performed through a separate server and / or system. Examples of the learning algorithm include, but are not limited to, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning.

[0222] An artificial intelligence model may be composed of multiple neural network layers. Each of the multiple neural network layers has multiple weight values, and performs neural network operations through operations between the operation results of the previous layer and the multiple weights. The multiple weights of the multiple neural network layers may be optimized based on the learning results of the artificial intelligence model. For example, the multiple weights may be updated so that the loss value or cost value obtained from the artificial intelligence model is reduced or minimized during the learning process. The artificial neural network may include a deep neural network (DNN), and examples thereof include, but are not limited to, a convolutional neural network (CNN), a deep neural network (DNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or deep Q-networks.

[0223] At least one processor (1100) can determine the low pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor. At least one processor (1100) can determine the high pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, based on the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the determined low pressure. At least one processor (1100) can adjust the operating frequency of the compressor so that the determined high pressure reaches the target pressure.

[0224] At least one processor (1100) can obtain the output of the artificial intelligence model as high pressure when the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the determined low pressure are input as inputs of the artificial intelligence model.

[0225] At least one processor (1100) can determine the saturation pressure at the inlet temperature of the heat exchanger detected through the temperature sensor at the inlet of the heat exchanger (1810 or 1910) or the intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger detected through the temperature sensor at the middle of the heat exchanger (1810 or 1910) as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

[0226] At least one processor (1100) may lower the operating frequency of the compressor (1920) so that the high pressure of the refrigerant becomes lower than the reference high pressure based on determining that the determined high pressure exceeds the reference high pressure.

[0227] At least one processor (1100) can lower the rotation speed of the fan motor so that the determined high pressure reaches the target pressure based on determining that the determined high pressure is lower than the target pressure during cooling operation of the air conditioner.

[0228] At least one processor (1100) can output information about the amount of refrigerant based on the determined high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV opening information of the air conditioning unit.

[0229] At least one processor (1100) can output information regarding the amount of refrigerant as either excess, adequate or insufficient refrigerant.

[0230] At least one processor (1100) can output information about the amount of refrigerant as a ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the desired amount of refrigerant.

[0231] At least one processor (1100) can obtain the output of the artificial intelligence model as a ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant when the determined high pressure, outdoor temperature and evaporator EEV opening information are input to the artificial intelligence model.

[0232] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0233] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

Claims

1. In the air conditioning device (1000), Compressor (1920); At least one memory (1400) storing one or more instructions; and At least one processor (1100) is included, and the at least one processor (1100) executes the one or more instructions stored in the memory (1400), Obtain low pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor (1920), Based on the operating frequency of the compressor (1920), the power consumption of the compressor (1920), and the obtained low pressure, the high pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (1920), is determined, An air conditioning device (1000) that outputs information about the amount of the refrigerant based on the determined high pressure or adjusts the operating frequency of the compressor (1920) so that the high pressure is maintained below the critical pressure.

2. In paragraph 1, At least one processor, An air conditioning device that obtains the output of the artificial intelligence model as the high pressure when the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the determined low pressure are input as inputs of an artificial intelligence model.

3. In paragraph 1 or 2, The air conditioning device further includes a heat exchanger operating as an evaporator, and an inlet temperature sensor of the heat exchanger or an outlet temperature sensor of the heat exchanger, At least one processor, An air conditioning device that obtains the saturation pressure at the inlet temperature of the heat exchanger detected through a temperature sensor at the inlet of the heat exchanger or the intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger detected through a temperature sensor in the middle of the heat exchanger as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, At least one processor, An air conditioning device that adjusts the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure of the refrigerant is lower than the reference high pressure by lowering the operating frequency of the compressor based on determining that the determined high pressure exceeds a reference high pressure lower than the critical pressure, thereby maintaining the high pressure below the critical pressure.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, The above air conditioning device further includes a heat exchanger operating as a condenser and a fan motor for discharging heat emitted from the heat exchanger, At least one processor, An air conditioning device, wherein, when the air conditioning device is in cooling operation, the rotation speed of the fan motor is lowered so that the determined high pressure reaches the target pressure based on the determination that the determined high pressure is lower than the target pressure.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, At least one processor, An air conditioning device that outputs information about the amount of refrigerant based on the determined high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV opening information of the air conditioning device.

7. In paragraph 6, At least one processor, An air conditioning device that outputs information about the amount of the refrigerant as one of excess, proper or insufficient refrigerant.

8. In paragraph 6, At least one processor, An air conditioning device that outputs information about the amount of the refrigerant as a ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of the refrigerant.

9. In paragraph 6, At least one processor, An air conditioning device, wherein when the determined high pressure, the outdoor temperature, and the evaporator EEV opening information are input into an artificial intelligence model, the output of the artificial intelligence model is obtained as a ratio of the current amount of refrigerant to the appropriate amount of refrigerant.

10. In a control method of an air conditioning device that determines the high pressure of a refrigerant, A step of obtaining low pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor; A step of determining a high pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, based on the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the obtained low pressure; and A method comprising the step of outputting information about the amount of the refrigerant based on the determined high pressure or adjusting the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure is maintained below the critical pressure.

11. In paragraph 10, The step of determining the high pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, is as follows: A method comprising the step of obtaining the output of the artificial intelligence model as the high pressure when the operating frequency of the compressor, the power consumption of the compressor, and the determined low pressure are input to the artificial intelligence model.

12. In paragraph 10 or 11, The step of determining the low pressure, which is the pressure of the refrigerant sucked into the compressor, is: A method comprising the step of obtaining the saturation pressure at the inlet temperature of the heat exchanger detected through the temperature sensor at the inlet of the heat exchanger of the air conditioning device or the intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger detected through the temperature sensor at the intermediate temperature of the heat exchanger as the low pressure of the refrigerant.

13. In any one of paragraphs 10 to 12, The above method, A method further comprising the step of adjusting the operating frequency of the compressor so that the high pressure of the refrigerant is maintained below the threshold pressure by lowering the operating frequency of the compressor based on determining that the determined high pressure exceeds a reference high pressure lower than the threshold pressure, so that the high pressure of the refrigerant is lower than the reference high pressure.

14. In any one of paragraphs 10 to 13, The step of adjusting the operating frequency of the compressor so that the determined high pressure reaches the target pressure is as follows: A method comprising a step of lowering the rotation speed of the fan motor of the air conditioning device so that the determined high pressure reaches the target pressure, based on determining that the determined high pressure is less than the target pressure during the cooling operation of the air conditioning device.

15. In any one of paragraphs 10 to 14, The above method, A method further comprising the step of outputting information on the amount of the refrigerant based on the determined high pressure, outdoor temperature, and evaporator EEV opening information of the air conditioning device.

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