Air conditioner without outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy and method for driving same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air conditioner without an outdoor unit and a method for driving same. Specifically, the present invention relates to an air conditioner without an outdoor unit, using the cold storage energy of a PCM material, and a method for driving same, in which a multi-component refrigeration machine room and a chilling chamber are provided in an indoor unit of the air conditioner, and a heat exchange method using cold storage energy of a PCM material accommodated in the chilling chamber is used, and thus an outdoor unit having large power consumption can be omitted and power consumption of the air conditioner can be reduced.

Description

Air conditioner without outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy and its driving method

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM (Phase Change Material) cold storage energy and a method for driving the same, and more particularly, to an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy and a method for driving the same, which comprises a minimized multi-stage refrigeration machine room and a chilling chamber in an indoor unit of an air conditioner for maintaining a cool indoor environment by controlling the indoor temperature, and utilizes a heat exchange method that utilizes the cold storage energy of PCM (Phase Change Material) in the chilling chamber, thereby omitting an outdoor unit with a large power consumption and reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner.

[0002] An air conditioner is a device that cools, dehumidifies, purifies, and ventilates air. It is primarily used to control indoor temperature and humidity. Air conditioners are commonly used in a variety of settings, including homes, offices, and commercial facilities, and are particularly useful during hot summer days.

[0003] The main components of an air conditioner include a compressor, condenser, evaporator, fan, refrigerant, refrigerant circuit, control panel, and filter.

[0004] An air conditioner is a device that controls indoor air conditions, such as temperature and humidity, by exploiting the heat exchange that occurs during the refrigerant's phase change process. Refrigerant is the general term for the medium that transfers heat within the air conditioner. The refrigerant circuit is comprised of major components, including a compressor, condenser, and evaporator. As the refrigerant flows through this circuit, it undergoes phase changes and transfers heat. The compressor compresses the gaseous refrigerant, increasing its pressure and temperature. The condenser releases the heat from the compressed refrigerant, converting it to a liquid state. The compressed and condensed refrigerant then passes through the evaporator, vaporizing and absorbing ambient heat. In other words, the evaporator cools the air by absorbing the refrigerant's heat of vaporization. The heat absorbed by the refrigerant in the evaporator returns to the compressor and condenser as it flows through the refrigerant circuit, liquefying and releasing the heat of liquefaction to the outside. A fan is attached to the evaporator or condenser to distribute cold or hot air and circulate the air. The control panel operates the air conditioner and provides functions for controlling temperature and airflow. The filter filters out dust, bacteria, viruses, and moisture from outside air as it enters the air conditioner, keeping the air clean.

[0005] Air conditioners are generally divided into two parts: an indoor unit and an outdoor unit.

[0006] Indoor units are installed in spaces where temperature, humidity, and other factors need to be controlled, and their primary function is to cool the space. Indoor units contain a built-in evaporator, which cools the air using refrigerant. They also include a fan and filter to circulate the air. A control panel or remote control, which allows users to adjust temperature and other settings, is either attached to the indoor unit or interacts with it.

[0007] The outdoor unit is installed outside the building and has a built-in compressor and condenser that release heat.

[0008] The indoor and outdoor units exchange heat contained in the refrigerant through a refrigerant circuit. Connected by electrical wiring, they work together to cool the air and regulate temperature. Therefore, the disadvantage of connecting the indoor and outdoor units is that holes must be drilled in the wall.

[0009] In addition, air conditioners have other problems, including high power consumption and environmental friendliness. Typical air conditioners require large compressors, condensers, and evaporators to provide adequate cooling, along with fans to blow air. These devices consume significant power during operation. Air conditioners are one of the largest consumers of electricity in Korean households. Furthermore, Korea's residential electricity rates are subject to a progressive rate system, which increases electricity usage with each unit price. Long-term use of air conditioners in households can lead to substantial electricity bills, which can be a financial burden. Beyond Korea, Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar also experience extremely hot climates, leading to high electricity consumption due to the daily use of air conditioners. Furthermore, high electricity consumption can increase the output of fossil fuel-burning power plants, potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

[0010] Conventional technologies regarding general air conditioners or methods for manufacturing air conditioners currently commercialized include “Stand-type air conditioners (Korean Patent Office Publication No. 10-2017-0061137, Patent Document 1)” and “Floor-standing air conditioner indoor unit and air conditioner (Korean Patent Office Publication No. 10-2022-0050219, Patent Document 2).”

[0011] Patent documents 1 and 2 have various advantages in that they are indoor units, which are part of an air conditioner, but they include an outdoor unit, just like a general air conditioner.

[0012] A window-type air conditioner with an integrated indoor and outdoor unit can be installed and operated on a window without drilling a hole in the wall. A prior art related to a method for manufacturing a window-type air conditioner is "Window-type Air Conditioner Including a Ventilation Unit (Korean Intellectual Property Office Publication No. 10-2023-0000889, Patent Document 3)". Since Patent Document 3 is an air conditioner that is fixed and installed on a window, it must be smaller than the window, making it suitable for use in small air conditioners. However, this has the drawback that it can only be used indoors with a window that is connected to the outside, and may limit the inherent functions of the window.

[0013] A prior art technology for cooling an indoor space without an outdoor unit is “Heat exchange assembly used in a dual air conditioner device using a phase change material (Korean Patent Office Publication No. 10-2097695, Patent Document 4).” Patent Document 4 uses refrigerant that has passed through a condenser of a refrigeration cycle to create cooling water, exchanges heat with the cooled cooling water in a heat exchanger, and utilizes the latent heat characteristics of the phase change material to maintain a low temperature of the cooling water. At this time, the phase change material is contained in a case, and heat exchange occurs as the cooling water flows through a cooling water piping line inside the phase change material case.

[0014] When the external temperature rises, a phase change material reaches its melting point, and at this time, it absorbs the heat of fusion as it changes from a solid to a liquid state. This material can store a greater amount of thermal energy than other materials without causing a temperature change. Patent Document 4 utilizes the latent heat characteristics of the phase change material, but does not directly cool the phase change material using a refrigeration cycle or refrigerant circuit to achieve an ultra-low temperature. Directly cooling the phase change material to achieve an ultra-low temperature and then storing the cold storage energy would result in greater energy efficiency.

[0015] The present invention was created to solve the above-described problem, and more specifically, it aims to provide an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy and a driving method thereof, which has a minimized multi-refrigeration machine room and a chilling chamber within an indoor unit and can be driven with low power consumption without an outdoor unit by utilizing a heat exchange method using PCM cold storage energy.

[0016] An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by including: a multi-refrigeration machine room in which a plurality of refrigeration systems having compressors and condensers for generating PCM cold storage energy are arranged in parallel; a chilling chamber having a plurality of cryo modules in which cryo cartridges connected to the refrigeration systems and PCM cartridges filled with PCM materials are alternately arranged in parallel to cool introduced air; an intake section having a suction fan and an intake port to suck outside air into the air conditioner; an exhaust section having a discharge fan and an exhaust port to discharge air cooled in the chilling chamber to the outside of the air conditioner; and a housing having an outer wall and an insulating material.

[0017] More specifically, the multi-refrigeration machine room is characterized by including: a compressor that compresses a gaseous refrigerant to a high-pressure gaseous state; an oil filter connected to the compressor and filtering out oil contained in the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant; a condenser connected to the oil filter and condensing the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to a liquid state; and a dryer connected to the condenser and removing water from the liquid refrigerant.

[0018] More specifically, the multi-cooling machine room is characterized by further including a coil-shaped capillary tube capable of rapidly reducing the flow rate of liquid refrigerant at the rear end of the dryer.

[0019] More specifically, the cryo cartridge and PCM cartridge of the cryo module are surrounded by heat transfer plates and have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with wide sides, and are arranged alternately with each side facing each other. The cryo cartridge connected to the refrigeration system is characterized in that the PCM cartridge stores cold storage energy by absorbing heat from the surroundings as the liquid refrigerant expands and vaporizes, thereby lowering the surrounding temperature.

[0020] More specifically, the chilling chamber is characterized by including a wall composed of an insulating material and an inner wall surrounding the cryo module.

[0021] More specifically, the insulation is made of polyurethane, and the inner wall is made of aluminum plate.

[0022] More specifically, the chilling chamber is characterized by having a square or cylindrical shape.

[0023] More specifically, the air conditioner is characterized by having a structure in which one refrigeration system of a multi-refrigeration machine room and one cryo module are connected to each other.

[0024] More specifically, the air conditioner is characterized by further including: an inclined plate capable of collecting condensate generated by defrosting at the bottom of a chilling chamber; a discharge hose connected to the inclined plate to discharge condensate; and a valve controlling the opening and closing of the discharge hose.

[0025] More specifically, the air conditioner is characterized by further including a water tray for storing condensate generated during defrosting operation at any one of the upper, lower, and side portions of the multi-cooling machine room.

[0026] More specifically, the suction unit is characterized by including: a suction port provided in a housing adjacent to the lower portion of the chilling chamber; a suction fan positioned inside the suction port for sucking in external air; and a suction amount controller for controlling the amount of air sucked in.

[0027] More specifically, the suction unit is characterized in that it further includes a dust removal filter and / or a moisture removal filter on the inside of the suction port.

[0028] More specifically, the discharge unit is characterized by including: an exhaust port provided at the top of the housing; an exhaust fan located inside the exhaust port to exhaust cooled air inside to the outside; and an exhaust regulator for controlling the amount of air discharged.

[0029] More specifically, the suction fan or exhaust fan is characterized by being a cross-flow fan.

[0030] More specifically, the suction controller or the discharge controller is characterized by being a throttle valve or an electric damper for an air conditioner.

[0031] More specifically, the air conditioner is characterized by having wheels at the bottom to enable mobility.

[0032] More specifically, the refrigerant is characterized by being any one selected from a mixed gas of R23 and R116 of a freon gas system, a mixed gas of R23 and propane and / or butane, a mixed gas of R116 and propane and / or butane, R404, a mixed gas of R404 and propane and / or butane, a mixed gas of R134A and R410A of a natural refrigerant gas system, a mixed gas of R134A and propane and / or butane, or a mixed gas of R410A and propane and / or butane.

[0033] More specifically, the PCM material is characterized by adding water to any one selected from a CH3-(CH2)-CH3 mixture of paraffin straight chain series, sodium acetate, or high molecular polymer.

[0034] More specifically, the air conditioner is characterized by including a control unit that controls the operation of the air conditioner.

[0035] And, a method for driving an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by including the steps of: operating a multi-refrigeration machine room to change a gaseous refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant; lowering the ambient temperature while the liquid refrigerant is vaporized in a cryo cartridge within a chilling chamber; freezing a PCM material of a PCM cartridge within the chilling chamber to store cold storage energy; cooling air introduced through an intake portion while passing between cryo modules; and blowing the cooled air to the outside of the air conditioner.

[0036] More specifically, the driving method is characterized by further including a step of controlling air flow passing between cryo modules.

[0037] An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention has the effect of miniaturizing the size while maintaining cooling capacity by having two or more minimized refrigeration systems and two or more cryo modules.

[0038] In particular, an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention utilizes a method of storing cooling energy in a PCM cartridge and utilizing it for cooling, thereby increasing cooling efficiency and enabling miniaturization of the refrigeration system, thereby providing the effect of reducing power consumption.

[0039] In addition, an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention has multiple refrigeration machine rooms and multiple cryo modules to increase energy efficiency, so that when refrigerant is recompressed and condensed in each refrigeration machine room, not much heat is released, so there is an effect of providing an integrated air conditioner that does not require a separate outdoor unit.

[0040] In addition, an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention has the characteristics of being miniaturized and not requiring an outdoor unit, and thus provides the effect of being able to move the device to a location requiring cooling, including wheels, and operate it.

[0041] Next, a method for operating an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention provides an effect of maximizing cooling efficiency by storing cooling energy in a PCM cartridge and using the stored cooling energy together with cooling.

[0042] In addition, a method for driving an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a step of controlling the flow of air passing between cryo modules, thereby providing an effect in which a user can control cooling according to the condition of indoor air by controlling the flow rate and velocity of the air.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the structure of a multi-refrigeration machine room, a cryo module, and a refrigerant circuit of an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the structure of a cryo cartridge panel included in an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for driving an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a graph measuring the temperature change inside a chilling chamber when an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention is operated.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the temperature change (Tcc) within a chilling chamber, the change in the discharge temperature of cold air (Tout), and the change in the indoor temperature (Tr) measured when an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold energy according to one embodiment of the present invention is operated.

[0049] The detailed description of the present invention, which follows, refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention, while different from each other, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0050] Furthermore, it should be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not intended to be limiting, and the scope of the present invention, if properly described, is defined solely by the appended claims, along with the full scope equivalents thereof. Similar reference numerals in the drawings designate the same or similar functions throughout.

[0051] Hereinafter, in order to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to easily practice the present invention, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0052] First, an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0053] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an outdoor unit-less air conditioner using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the structure of a multi-refrigeration machine room, a cryo module, and a refrigerant circuit of an outdoor unit-less air conditioner using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the structure of a cryo cartridge panel included in an outdoor unit-less air conditioner using PCM cold storage energy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 1, an air conditioner (1000) without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy of the present invention includes a multi-refrigeration machine room (100) in which a plurality of refrigeration systems having compressors and condensers are arranged in parallel, a chilling chamber (200) having a plurality of cryo modules in which cryo cartridges connected to the refrigeration systems and PCM cartridges filled with PCM materials are alternately arranged in parallel to cool the introduced air, a suction unit (300) having a suction fan and an intake port to suck outside air into the air conditioner, a discharge unit (400) having a discharge fan and an exhaust port to discharge air cooled in the chilling chamber to the outside of the air conditioner, and a housing (500) having an outer wall and an insulating material.

[0055] First, as shown in FIG. 2, the above multi-refrigeration machine room (100) is configured with two or more refrigeration systems (110, 120) each in parallel.

[0056] The above multi-refrigeration machine room (100) is located at the bottom of the device as shown in Fig. 1 and serves to compress and condense the gaseous refrigerant to change its state into a liquid state.

[0057] Since a large amount of heat can be released during this process, the compressor, condenser, fan, etc. are usually mounted on the outdoor unit, and are installed outdoors separately from the indoor air conditioner. However, the present invention configures the refrigeration system as multiple components to reduce the size and minimize the heat released, and by providing the machine room within the main body, it is possible to configure an air conditioner without a separate outdoor unit. The refrigeration system includes a compressor (111, 121) that compresses a gaseous refrigerant into a high-pressure gaseous state, an oil filter (112, 122) that is connected to the compressor and filters out oil contained in the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, a condenser (113, 123) that is connected to the oil filter and condenses the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a liquid state, and a dryer (114, 124) that is connected to the condenser and removes water from the liquid refrigerant, and may further include a coil-shaped capillary tube that can rapidly reduce the flow rate of the refrigerant at the rear end of the dryer, and a refrigerant line through which the refrigerant flows connects each component of the refrigeration system.

[0058] Next, the chilling chamber (200) serves as a passage through which air flowing into the air conditioner passes, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and serves to cool the air.

[0059] More specifically, the chilling chamber (200) is composed of two or more cryo modules (210, 220) as shown in FIG. 2.

[0060] Here, the cryo module includes a structure in which cryo cartridges (211, 221) and PCM cartridges (212, 222) in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with wide sides are alternately arranged facing each other, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0061] Additionally, the cryo cartridge is connected to the refrigeration system, i.e., the multi-refrigeration machine room, via a refrigerant line.

[0062] When the air conditioner of the present invention is operated, the refrigeration system and the condensed and compressed liquid refrigerant expand and vaporize in the cryo cartridge, absorbing the surrounding heat and lowering the surrounding temperature.

[0063] At this time, when the cryo cartridge faces the side, the temperature of the adjacent PCM cartridge also decreases, storing cooling energy. This cooling energy reduces the temperature rise of the refrigerant flowing through the cryo cartridge, enabling cooling without an outdoor unit.

[0064] The inside of the PCM cartridge is filled with PCM material. This is because PCM material has the characteristic of maintaining the cooled temperature for a long time once cooled. The PCM material will be described in detail later.

[0065] The above cryo cartridge, as illustrated in FIG. 3, inserts cooling tubes (211a) into holes of a heat transfer side plate (211c) including multiple holes, and connects and welds the cooling tubes, excluding the inlet and outlet that are connected to another cryo cartridge or the refrigeration system of a multi-cooling machine room, to neighboring cooling tubes on the same side into a U-shaped cooling tube, thereby increasing the surface area where the refrigerant meets the atmosphere, thereby providing the effect of rapidly cooling the PCM cartridge and the introduced air inside the chilling chamber.

[0066] The above PCM cartridge inserts cooling tubes (212a) into holes of a heat transfer side plate (212c) including multiple holes, and connects and welds adjacent cooling tubes on the same side into a U-shaped cooling tube, thereby increasing the surface area where the PCM material comes into contact with the atmosphere, thereby providing the effect of quickly storing cooling energy.

[0067] The above cryo cartridge and PCM cartridge are wrapped with heat transfer plates (211b, 212b) in a direction perpendicular to the heat transfer side plate, thereby providing a high thermal conductivity and thus increasing heat exchange efficiency.

[0068] The above chilling chamber includes a wall made of insulation and an inner wall, which prevents heat loss and provides the effect of increasing cooling efficiency.

[0069] The insulation material of the above chilling chamber is made of polyurethane, and the inner wall of the above chilling chamber can be made of aluminum plate, which increases the insulation effect inside the chilling chamber to maintain cooling and provides durability to prevent corrosion.

[0070] The above chilling chamber can be configured in a square or cylindrical shape to efficiently configure the internal space.

[0071] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the air conditioner has a structure in which one refrigeration system of a multi-cooling machine room and one cryo module of a chilling chamber are connected to each other in parallel, thereby providing the effect of supplementing the cooling capacity of the compressor, condenser, and cryo cartridge, which are components of a miniaturized refrigerant circuit.

[0072] The arrows shown in Figure 2 represent the flow of refrigerant, circulating through a refrigerant circuit connecting a single refrigeration system and a single cryomodule. In a multi-circuit refrigerant system, the refrigerant flows do not meet or mix between the multiple refrigerant circuits.

[0073] In addition, the air conditioner of the present invention further includes an inclined plate at the bottom of the chilling chamber capable of collecting condensate generated during defrosting operation, a discharge hose connected to the inclined plate to discharge condensate, and a valve controlling the opening and closing of the discharge hose, thereby providing an effect capable of effectively collecting condensate generated during operation of the device.

[0074] In addition, the air conditioner further includes a water tray for storing condensate collected by the inclined plate, discharge hose, and valve at any one of the upper, lower, and side portions of the multi-refrigeration machine room, thereby providing the effect of increasing the amount of condensate collected and improving the mobility of the device.

[0075] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the suction unit (300) is provided at the bottom of the chilling chamber and serves to suck outside air into the air conditioner and send it into the chilling chamber.

[0076] The above suction unit includes an intake port (310) that serves as an air passage provided in a housing adjacent to the lower portion of the chilling chamber, an intake fan (320) that is located inside the intake port and serves to suck in external air, and an intake amount controller (330) that controls the amount of air sucked in.

[0077] The above suction unit further includes a dust removal filter and / or a moisture removal filter on the inside of the suction port to provide the effect of primarily removing impurities or moisture in the air flowing into the air conditioner.

[0078] Next, as shown in Fig. 1, the discharge unit (400) is provided at the upper portion of the chilling chamber and serves to discharge the air cooled in the chilling chamber to the outside of the air conditioner.

[0079] The above exhaust unit has an exhaust port (410) provided at the top of the housing, an exhaust fan (420) located inside the exhaust port to exhaust cooled air inside to the outside, and an exhaust volume controller (430) to control the amount of air discharged.

[0080] In addition, the suction fan or discharge fan in the suction part (300) and discharge part (400) may use a cross flow fan, which provides the effect of controlling the direction of air flow and blowing air uniformly.

[0081] In addition, the intake volume controller or exhaust volume controller in the intake section (300) and exhaust section (400) may use a throttle valve or an electric damper for an air conditioner, which provides the effect of easily controlling the air flow volume.

[0082] The arrows shown in Figure 1 indicate the flow of air when the air conditioner is operating. Outside air is drawn into the air conditioner through the intake, cooled as it passes through the chilling chamber, and the cooled air is discharged through the exhaust.

[0083] Next, the housing (500) protects internal components including the outer wall as shown in Fig. 1, and includes insulation to increase cooling efficiency.

[0084] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner may be provided with wheels at the bottom to provide mobility.

[0085] Next, in the air conditioner, the refrigerant (R) is characterized by being any one selected from among a mixed gas of R23 and R116 of a freon gas system, a mixed gas of R23 and propane and / or butane, a mixed gas of R116 and propane and / or butane, R404, a mixed gas of R404 and propane and / or butane, a mixed gas of R134A and R410A of a natural refrigerant gas system, a mixed gas of R134A and propane and / or butane, or a mixed gas of R410A and propane and / or butane, thereby providing an effect of increasing cooling efficiency.

[0086] Next, in the above air conditioner, the PCM(P) material is characterized by adding water to any one selected from a CH3-(CH2)-CH3 mixture of paraffin straight chain series, sodium acetate, or high molecular polymer, thereby providing an effect of efficiently storing cold storage energy.

[0087] Next, the air conditioner of the present invention further includes a control unit (600) to control the operation of the air conditioner.

[0088] Next, a method for driving an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0089] FIG. 4 is a block flowchart schematically illustrating the sequence of operations of an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] The method for operating an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy of the present invention includes a step (S100) of operating a multi-refrigeration machine room to change a gaseous refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant, a step (S200) of lowering the ambient temperature while the liquid refrigerant is vaporized in a cryo cartridge in a chilling chamber, a step (S300) of freezing the PCM material of the PCM cartridge in the chilling chamber and storing cold storage energy, a step (S400) of cooling air introduced through an intake while passing between cryo modules, and a step (S600) of blowing the cooled air to the outside of the air conditioner.

[0091] First, the step (S100) of operating the multi-refrigeration machine room to change the gaseous refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant is a step of operating the multi-refrigeration machine room (100) to compress and condense the refrigerant, thereby causing a phase change in the refrigerant.

[0092] And, the step (S200) of lowering the surrounding temperature while the liquid refrigerant is vaporized in the cryo cartridge within the chilling chamber is a step in which the refrigerant liquefied in the multi-refrigeration machine room expands and vaporizes in the cryo cartridge within the chilling chamber (200) while absorbing heat of vaporization from the surrounding atmosphere, thereby lowering the temperature around the cryo cartridge.

[0093] Next, the step (S300) of freezing the PCM material of the PCM cartridge within the above-described chilling chamber and storing the cold storage energy is a step of storing the cold storage energy by freezing the PCM material filled in the PCM cartridge to an ultra-low temperature state due to the temperature inside the chilling chamber, which has been lowered by the vaporization of the refrigerant.

[0094] In addition, the step (S400) in which air drawn in through the above-mentioned suction unit passes between cryo modules and is cooled is a step in which, after the PCM material is frozen and cooled to store cold storage energy, atmospheric air drawn in through the suction unit passes between cold cryo modules and loses heat to the refrigerant and is cooled.

[0095] More specifically, the PCM material filled in the PCM cartridge is frozen and maintains an ultra-low temperature, thereby preventing the temperature of the gaseous refrigerant passing through the cryo cartridge from rising and directly cooling the introduced air, thereby providing the effect of increasing the efficiency of cooling.

[0096] More specifically, as the air conditioner continues to operate, the PCM cartridge loses its storage energy, but as the refrigeration system continues to operate, a change in the state of the refrigerant also occurs in the cryo cartridge, which provides the effect of replenishing the storage energy in the PCM cartridge.

[0097] Next, the step (S600) of blowing cooled air outside the air conditioner is a step in which cooled air passes through the chilling chamber (200) and is blown outside through the exhaust port.

[0098] Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the method for operating an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy further includes a step (S500) of controlling the air flow passing between cryo modules, so that the amount and speed of the incoming and outgoing air can be controlled using the fan and valve of the intake section (300) and the exhaust section (400), which provides the effect of being able to perform an appropriate amount of cooling.

[0099] FIG. 5 is a graph measuring the temperature change inside a chilling chamber when an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy according to one embodiment of the present invention is operated.

[0100] As illustrated in FIG. 5, when the refrigeration system is operated in the multi-refrigeration machine room (100), the inside of the chilling chamber (200) changes to a low temperature state. The temperature inside the chilling chamber was controlled to -50°C using the PID method, and the experiment was conducted for 13 hours. The temperature inside the chilling chamber started at 25°C, reached -51°C after 50 minutes of refrigeration system operation, and was then maintained at -50±1°C through PID control. Here, the intake controller (330) for controlling the amount of atmospheric air intake into the chilling chamber and the discharge controller (430) for controlling the amount of cold air discharged outside the chilling chamber are in a completely closed state.

[0101] Figure 6 is a graph showing the temperature change (Tcc) in the chilling chamber, the temperature change (Tout) of the exhaust air, and the indoor temperature change (Tr) measured when an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy according to an embodiment of the present invention was operated. A thermocouple, which is a contact temperature sensor, was used for temperature measurement, and an INNPITRON GR20000 recorder was used for temperature change measurement. The temperature change (T) in the chilling chamber cc ) The thermocouple for measurement was installed in the cryo module, and the change in the discharge temperature of the cold air (T out ) A thermocouple for measurement was installed at the outlet (410), and the indoor temperature change (T r ) was installed in front of the air conditioner, 3 m away, and 1.5 m high. Before starting the temperature measurement, the multi-refrigeration machine room was operated to store the cooling energy in the PCM cartridge, and the temperature inside the chilling chamber was -50°C, and about 132 m 2 The indoor temperature in the area (approximately 40 pyeong) was 24.3°C, and the air conditioner was operated for 24 hours. During the air conditioner operation, the refrigeration system in the multi-refrigeration machine room, set to -50°C by PID control, remained in operation.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 6, when the air conditioner was operated for 24 hours, the temperature (T) inside the chilling chamber cc ) increased from -50°C to -8.5°C, and the discharge temperature of cold air (T out ) rose from -9.0°C to -3.0°C. Even though the air conditioner was operated for 24 hours, it can be seen that it discharges sub-zero cold air. And the change in indoor temperature (T r ) dropped from 24.3°C to 7.8°C after driving for 1 hour and then gradually rose to 11.0°C.

[0103] When measuring the temperature change shown in Figure 6, the power consumed by an outdoor unit-less air conditioner using PCM cooling energy for 12 hours was 15.84 kWh. The hourly power consumption of a typical commercial air conditioner is approximately 132 m 2 (Approximately 40 pyeong) It is approximately 5.82 kW based on the floor area or cooling area. When a general air conditioner is operated for 12 hours, the power consumption is 69.84 kWh. When the above power consumption is relatively compared, the air conditioner in the above embodiment uses approximately 42% of the power consumption of a general commercial air conditioner. In other words, the air conditioner without an outdoor unit using the PCM cold storage energy has an energy saving effect of 58% compared to a general commercial air conditioner.

[0104] Although the present invention has been described above with specific details such as specific components and limited examples and drawings, these are provided only to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations from this description.

[0105] Therefore, the idea of ​​the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described above, and all things that are modified equally or equivalently to the following claims as well as the claims are considered to fall within the scope of the idea of ​​the present invention.

Claims

1. For air conditioners that do not have an outdoor unit, A multi-refrigeration machine room (100) in which a plurality of refrigeration systems are arranged in parallel, including a compressor that compresses a gaseous refrigerant into a high-pressure gaseous state, an oil filter connected to the compressor and filtering out oil contained in the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, a condenser connected to the oil filter and condensing the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a liquid state, and a dryer connected to the condenser and removing water from the liquid refrigerant; A chilling chamber (200) capable of cooling the introduced air by having a plurality of cryo modules arranged in parallel, wherein the cryo cartridges connected to the above refrigeration system and the PCM cartridges filled with PCM materials are alternately arranged; A suction unit (300) equipped with a suction fan and a suction port to suck outside air into the air conditioner; An exhaust unit (400) having an exhaust fan and an exhaust port to exhaust the cooled air from the chilling chamber to the outside of the air conditioner; and A housing (500) having an outer wall and insulation; The above cryo module, The cryo cartridge and PCM cartridge are surrounded by a heating plate and have a rectangular shape with wide sides, and are arranged alternately with each side facing each other. An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized in that the PCM cartridge stores cold storage energy by lowering the surrounding temperature by absorbing the surrounding heat as the liquid refrigerant in the cryo cartridge connected to the refrigeration system expands and vaporizes.

2. In paragraph 1, The above multi-refrigeration machine room is, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, further comprising a coil-shaped capillary tube capable of rapidly reducing the flow rate of liquid refrigerant at the rear end of the dryer.

3. In paragraph 1, The above cryo cartridge, It has a heat transfer side plate containing multiple holes and a cooling pipe through which refrigerant flows, It is characterized by inserting cooling tubes into the holes of the heat transfer side plate, and connecting and welding the cooling tubes, except for the inlet and outlet connected to the adjacent cryo cartridge or refrigeration system, to form a U-shaped cooling tube, thereby increasing the surface area where the refrigerant meets the atmosphere. The above PCM cartridge, It has a heat transfer side plate including multiple holes and a cooling tube filled with PCM material, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit that utilizes PCM cooling energy, characterized by inserting cooling tubes into holes in a heat-conducting side plate, connecting and welding adjacent cooling tubes into a U-shaped cooling tube, and increasing the surface area where the PCM material comes into contact with the atmosphere.

4. In paragraph 1, The above chilling chamber is, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit utilizing PCM cold energy, characterized in that it includes a wall composed of an insulating material and an inner wall surrounding a cryo module.

5. In paragraph 4, The above insulation material is made of polyurethane, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit that uses PCM cold storage energy, characterized in that the inner wall is made of aluminum material.

6. In paragraph 1, The above chilling chamber is, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit that uses PCM cold storage energy, characterized by a square or cylindrical shape.

7. In paragraph 1, The above air conditioner, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized by a structure in which one refrigeration system of a multi-refrigeration machine room and one cryo module of a chilling chamber are connected to each other.

8. In paragraph 1, The above air conditioner, An inclined plate at the bottom of the chilling chamber to collect condensate generated during defrosting; A discharge hose connected to the above inclined plate to discharge condensate; and An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized in that it further includes a valve for controlling the opening and closing of the discharge hose.

9. In paragraph 1, The above air conditioner, A water tray that stores condensate generated during defrosting operation in one of the upper, lower, or side parts of the multi-refrigeration machine room; An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized by further inclusion.

10. In paragraph 1, The above suction part, An inlet provided in a housing adjacent to the lower portion of the chilling chamber; A suction fan located inside the above suction port to suck in outside air; and An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized by including an intake controller for controlling the intake amount of air.

11. In paragraph 1, The above suction part, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy, characterized in that it further includes a dust removal filter and / or a moisture removal filter on the inside of the above suction port.

12. In paragraph 1, The above discharge part, An exhaust port provided on the top of the housing; An exhaust fan located inside the above exhaust port to exhaust the cooled air inside to the outside; and An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized by including an exhaust air controller for controlling the exhaust air volume.

13. In paragraph 1, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cooling energy, characterized in that the above suction fan or exhaust fan is a cross-flow fan.

14. In paragraph 1, The above air conditioner, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit that utilizes PCM cold storage energy and features wheels at the bottom for mobility.

15. In paragraph 1, The above refrigerant, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized in that any one of the following is selected from a mixed gas of R23 and R116 of a freon gas system, a mixed gas of R23 and propane and / or butane, a mixed gas of R116 and propane and / or butane, a mixed gas of R404, R404 and propane and / or butane, a mixed gas of R134A and R410A of a natural refrigerant gas system, a mixed gas of R134A and propane and / or butane, or a mixed gas of R410A and propane and / or butane.

16. In paragraph 1, The above PCM material is, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy characterized by adding water to any one selected from a CH3-(CH2)-CH3 mixture of paraffin straight chain series, sodium acetate, or high molecular polymer.

17. In paragraph 1, The above air conditioner, An air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized in that it includes a control unit that controls the operation of the air conditioner.

18. In a method for driving an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy as described in claim 1 above, A step of operating a multi-refrigeration machine room to change a gaseous refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant; A step of lowering the surrounding temperature by vaporizing the liquid refrigerant in the cryo cartridge within the chilling chamber; A step in which the PCM material of the PCM cartridge within the chilling chamber is frozen and cold storage energy is stored; A step in which air drawn in through the intake is cooled while passing between cryo modules; and A method for operating an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized in that it includes a step of blowing cooled air to the outside of the air conditioner.

19. In paragraph 18, A method for operating an air conditioner without an outdoor unit using PCM cold storage energy, characterized in that it further comprises a step of controlling the air flow passing between cryo modules.

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