Air conditoner and method for controlling an air conditioner
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Air conditioners face inefficiencies and user dissatisfaction due to refrigerant shortages, which require manual replenishment and are challenging to determine, especially during low outdoor temperatures, leading to energy waste and inaccurate compressor operation frequency changes.
Innovation Solution
An automated system for air conditioners that includes a controller connected to both indoor and outdoor units, a refrigerant charging valve, and sensors to monitor and adjust refrigerant levels, allowing for automatic refrigerant supplementation and precise compressor operation frequency management, independent of cooling or heating modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If cooling operation is performed to supplement refrigerant, then refrigerant can be replenished, but the system requires outdoor temperature to be sufficiently high and cannot operate at low temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by enabling refrigerant supplementation during heating operation instead of cooling operation. The controller detects refrigerant shortage during heating mode and automatically controls the refrigerant charging valve to supplement refrigerant, allowing the system to operate and replenish refrigerant at low outdoor temperatures where conventional cooling-based supplementation cannot function.
2Quantity of substance
If manual refrigerant replenishment is performed during heating operation, then refrigerant can be added, but the user must physically approach the installation location and cannot accurately determine required amount
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting refrigerant shortage during heating operation and controlling the refrigerant charging valve to supplement the required amount without user intervention. The controller monitors system parameters, determines when refrigerant replenishment is needed, and executes the charging process autonomously, eliminating the need for users to physically access the installation location or calculate required amounts.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller uses feedback from system parameter monitoring to automatically determine when refrigerant supplementation is required and to control the charging process. By continuously monitoring operational parameters during heating mode, the system detects refrigerant shortage conditions and adjusts the refrigerant charging valve accordingly, providing closed-loop control that eliminates manual intervention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If compressor operation frequency is frequently changed based on target pressures, then compressor can adapt to load changes, but accurate determination of refrigerant amount becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by fixing the compressor operation frequency before initiating refrigerant supplementation. The controller detects refrigerant shortage, then sets the compressor to a predetermined frequency and maintains this fixed frequency during the entire refrigerant charging process. This preliminary setup ensures stable measurement conditions for accurately determining refrigerant amount before the charging begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts compressor operation frequency based on operational phase: during normal operation, frequency varies to adapt to load changes, but during refrigerant supplementation, frequency is fixed at a predetermined value. This dynamic switching between adaptive and fixed frequency modes allows the system to maintain both load adaptability and measurement precision as needed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient and automatic refrigerant replenishment, maintaining optimal operation and reducing energy waste by accurately determining and managing refrigerant levels, ensuring stable air conditioner performance without manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
an indoor unit that includes a heat exchanger, and an outdoor unit that includes a compressor and a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
refrigerant compressed by the compressor of the outdoor unit is supplied to the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner and a method of controlling an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include a compressor, an accumulator that recovers a liquid refrigerant contained in a refrigerant flowing into the compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange of air using the refrigerant, an outdoor unit fan that supplies outside air to the outdoor heat exchanger and discharges heat-exchanged air, a refrigerant charging pipe connected to a refrigerant pipe and allowing the refrigerant to the additionally introduced from the outside, a refrigerant charging valve installed in the refrigerant charging pipe to open and close the refrigerant charging pipe, and a controller that sets an operation mode so as to operate in a cooling operation or a heating operation upon setting of a refrigerant charging mode, sets an operation frequency of the compressor in accordance with a load of an indoor unit upon the setting of the refrigerant charging mode to allow the compressor to operate at the set operation frequency during the refrigerant charging, and calculates an amount of refrigerant in order to stop the refrigerant charging when a predetermined reference value is reached.