Lg Electronics Inc.

Chiwoo Song

Yongcheol Sa

Ilyoong Shin

Kakjoong Kim

Jisung Lee

Jaehwa Jung

Pilhyun Yoon

Jiyoung Jang

Youngjoo Shin

Ahrae Jo

Jaewon Lee

Hojong Jeong

Eunjun Cho

Soyoon Kim

Daehyoung Kim

An air conditioner may include a controller; a compressor; an outdoor heat exchanger; a plurality of indoor heat exchangers; a switching valve that selectively guides a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the outdoor heat exchanger or the plurality of indoor heat exchangers; high pressure pipes that connect the switching valve and the plurality of indoor heat exchangers; high pressure valves installed in the high pressure pipes; low pressure pipes that connect an inlet of the compressor and the high pressure pipes. low pressure valves installed in the low pressure pipes; indoor pipes, which are opposite to the high pressure pipes with respect to the plurality of indoor heat exchangers and connected to the plurality of indoor heat exchangers; indoor expansion valves installed in the indoor pipes; a liquid pipe that connects the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor pipes; and an outdoor expansion valve installed in the liquid pipe.

Air conditioner

An air conditioning system and a method for controlling an air conditioning system are provided. The air conditioning system determines loads for each indoor unit of a plurality of indoor units considering capacities of the plurality of indoor units, and a length of an indoor unit pipe connected from a pump to each indoor unit, and maps the plurality of indoor units and a plurality of pumps based on the determined loads.

Air conditioning system and method for controlling air conditioning system

An air conditioner includes an outdoor unit in which refrigerant circulates; an indoor unit in which water circulates; a heat exchange device including a heat exchanger connecting the outdoor unit to the indoor unit and performing heat exchange between the refrigerant and the water; a first outdoor unit connection pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the heat exchange device, a high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing in the first outdoor unit connection pipe; a second outdoor unit connection pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the heat exchange device, a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing in the second outdoor unit connection pipe; a third outdoor unit connection pipe connecting the outdoor unit and the heat exchange device, a liquid refrigerant flowing in the third outdoor unit connection pipe; a bypass pipe communicating the third outdoor unit connection pipe and the second outdoor unit connection pipe; and a bypass valve provided in the bypass pipe.

An air conditioner may include a case through which outdoor air flows into an indoor space is formed; a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air and refrigerant; a second heat exchanger disposed downstream of the first heat exchanger, through which the refrigerant selectively flows, and that exchanges heat between the air and the refrigerant; a liquid pipe connected to each of the first and second heat exchangers; a high-pressure gas pipe connected to each of the first and second heat exchangers; a low-pressure gas pipe through which the gaseous refrigerant discharged from the first and second heat exchangers flows; a high-pressure gas pipe valve; a low-pressure gas pipe valve; an expansion valve installed in the liquid pipe; and a controller configured to control an opening degree of the low-pressure gas pipe valve, based on a temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchanger.

An air conditioner may include an outdoor unit having a compressor; at least one indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor expansion valve, and a leak sensor that senses leakage of the refrigerant; a gaseous line; a liquid line; a first shut-off valve disposed adjacent to the at least one indoor unit that opens and closes the gaseous line; a second shut-off valve disposed adjacent to the at least one indoor unit that opens and closes the liquid line; a subcooling pipe branched from the liquid line and connected to an inlet of the compressor; a subcooling expansion valve that expands refrigerant, flowing through the subcooling pipe; and a controller configured to control operation of the compressor and to control opening and closing of the first shut-off valve, the second shut-off valve, the indoor expansion valve, and the subcooling expansion valve.

Air conditioner and method for controlling air conditioner

A multi-air conditioner for heating and cooling may include at least one indoor unit for both cooling and heating including an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor unit, and a distributor disposed between the outdoor unit and the at least one indoor unit. The outdoor unit may include a compressor, a plurality of outdoor heat exchangers, and a switching unit disposed on a discharge side of the compressor to switch a flow of refrigerant. The plurality of outdoor heat exchangers may include a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger disposed under the first heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger disposed under the second heat exchanger. A first end of the third heat exchanger may be connected to the discharge side of the compressor, and a second end of the third heat exchanger may be connected to the indoor unit.

Multi-air conditioner for heating and cooling

A multi-air conditioner for heating/cooling operation may include: at least one indoor unit which is installed in a room, and includes an indoor heat exchanger; an outdoor unit which is connected to the indoor unit through a refrigerant pipe, and includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, an outdoor expansion valve, and a four-way valve; at least one leakage blocking valve which is formed on the refrigerant pipe, and blocks a refrigerant flow in the refrigerant pipe when a refrigerant leak occurs from the refrigerant pipe in the room; and a buffer unit which is installed on the refrigerant pipe between the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, and collects refrigerant leaking from the refrigerant pipe. Accordingly, when the refrigerant leaks into the room, it is possible to minimize the amount of the leaking refrigerant by collecting the refrigerant in the buffer tank.

Multi-air conditioner for heating and cooling operations

A multi-air conditioner for heating and cooling may include at least one indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and at least one leak shut-off valve. The at least one indoor unit is installed in an indoor space and includes an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor expansion valve. The outdoor unit is connected to the at least one indoor unit via a refrigerant pipeline and includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, an outdoor expansion valve, and a four-way valve. The outdoor unit may decrease a pressure of the refrigerant pipeline when a refrigerant leak occurs from the refrigerant pipeline. The at least one leak shut-off valve is provided on the refrigerant pipeline and blocks a flow of refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline when a refrigerant leak from the refrigerant pipeline occurs in the indoor space.

Multi-air conditioner for heating and cooling including a shut-off valve between indoor and outdoor units and control method thereof

A heat pump and a method for operating a heat pump are provided. The heat pump may include an outdoor unit including a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and an outdoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air, a hybrid unit including at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant supplied from the outdoor unit and a fluid, such as water, and at least one refrigerant control valve that controls an amount of refrigerant flowing through the at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger, a plurality of indoor units each including an indoor heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the fluid supplied from the hybrid unit and indoor air, and a controller. The controller may calculate operation loads of the plurality of indoor units and control an opening degree of the at least one refrigerant control value based on the operation loads of the plurality of indoor units.

Heat pump and method for operating heat pump

An air conditioning apparatus is provided that may include an outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger and through which a refrigerant is circulated, an indoor unit through which a fluid, such as water is circulated, and at least one heat exchange device including a heat exchanger in which the refrigerant and the fluid are heat-exchanged with each other. The at least one heat exchange device may include a high-pressure guide tube that extends from a high-pressure gas tube of the outdoor unit so as to be connected to a first side of the heat exchanger, a low-pressure guide tube that extends from a low-pressure gas tube of the outdoor unit so as to be combined with the high-pressure guide tube, a liquid guide tube that extends from a liquid tube of the outdoor unit so as to be connected to a second side of the heat exchanger, and a solenoid valve installed in the high-pressure guide tube or the low-pressure guide tube to perform an opening and closing operation so as to allow the refrigerant to flow in a first direction. The high-pressure gas tube and the low-pressure gas tube may be connected to each other by a single gas tube, and when the indoor unit performs a cooling operation or a heating operation, flow of refrigerant in the first direction may be blocked in a state in which power is applied to the solenoid valve.

Air conditioning apparatus

Provided is an air conditioning apparatus. The air conditioning apparatus includes a heat exchanger in which the refrigerant and the water are heat-exchanged with each other, a high-pressure guide tube extending from a high-pressure gas tube of an outdoor unit so as to be connected to one side of the heat exchanger, a low-pressure guide tube extending from a low-pressure gas tube of the outdoor unit so as to be combined with the high-pressure guide tube, a liquid guide tube extending from a liquid tube of the outdoor unit so as to be connected to the other side of the heat exchanger, a bypass tube configured to connect a bypass branch point of the high-pressure gas tube to a bypass combination point of the liquid guide tube to bypass a high-pressure refrigerant existing in the high-pressure tube to the liquid guide tube, and a bypass valve installed in the bypass tube.

A multi-type air conditioner may include three pipes, including a high-pressure pipe, a low-pressure pipe, and a liquid line which may be connected to a plurality of indoor units, in which some of the indoor units may be operated in a cooling mode and the rest of the indoor units may be operated in a heating mode, such that waste heat from the indoor units operated in the heating mode may be recovered to be used for the indoor units operated in the cooling mode.

Multi-type air conditioner

An air conditioning apparatus includes an outdoor unit configured to circulate refrigerant, an indoor unit configured to circulate water, and a heat exchange device that connects the indoor unit to the outdoor unit and that is configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the water. The heat exchange device includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, a first refrigerant pipe and a second refrigerant pipe that are connected to the first heat exchanger, a third refrigerant pipe and a fourth refrigerant pipe that are connected to the second heat exchanger, a first expansion valve disposed at the second refrigerant pipe, a second expansion valve disposed at the fourth refrigerant pipe, a bypass pipe that connects the second refrigerant pipe to the third refrigerant pipe, and a bypass valve disposed at the bypass pipe.

An air conditioner includes a bypass pipe connecting a first bypass branch of a first connection pipe, through which high-pressure refrigerant flows, with a second bypass branch of a third connection pipe, through which low-pressure refrigerant flows, to allow bypassing of high-pressure refrigerant in the first connection pipe to the third connection pipe, and a bypass valve mounted in the bypass pipe. During a cooling operation of an indoor unit, the bypass valve is opened to allow bypassing of high-pressure refrigerant of the first connection pipe to the third connection pipe.

An air conditioning apparatus may include an outdoor unit through which a first fluid, such as refrigerant circulates, an indoor unit through which a second fluid, such as water circulates, a heat exchange device which is configured to connect the outdoor unit to the indoor unit and in which the first fluid and the second fluid are heat-exchanged with each other, first to third inner tubes configured to connect the outdoor unit to the heat exchange device, and a heat storage unit connected to the first to third inner tubes.

Growing community of inventors

Seoul, South Korea

Chiwoo Song