Lg Electronics Inc.

Seoul National University

Yongcheol Sa

Chiwoo Song

Ilyoong Shin

Pilhyun Yoon

Jaehwa Jung

Kakjoong Kim

Jisung Lee

Donghwi Kim

Junseong Park

Jiyoung Jang

Seokho Choi

Hojong Jeong

Youngjoo Shin

Daehyoung Kim

Ahrae Jo

Eunjun Cho

Baikyoung Chung

Hyungjoon Kim

Siyoung Oh

Byungsoon Kim

Jaewon Lee

Song Leem Choi

Taejun Kim

Juhyok Kim

Sangyeul Lee

Hyeri Park

Seungyup Kim

Haecheon Choi

Keuntae Park

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.

Air conditioner

An air conditioner is provided that includes a compressor that compresses a refrigerant; an accumulator that supplies the refrigerant to the compressor; a condenser that condenses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; an expansion valve that expands the refrigerant having passed through the condenser; an evaporator that includes a heat exchange pipe through which the refrigerant having passed through the expansion valve flows, and that evaporates the refrigerant flowing through the heat exchange pipe; a gas-liquid separation pipe that connects a first point and a second point located between a first end and a second end of the heat exchange pipe; and a bypass pipe a first end of which is connected to the gas-liquid separation pipe and a second end of which is connected to the accumulator. The gas-liquid separation pipe includes a first portion a first end of which is connected to the first point and a second end of which is connected to one end of the bypass pipe; and a second portion that extends from the first point between the first end and the second end of the first portion, and is connected to the second point.

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

Provided is an air conditioning apparatus. The air conditioning apparatus includes an outdoor unit through which a refrigerant circulates, a plurality of indoor units through which water circulates, the plurality of indoor units comprising a first indoor heat exchanger and a second indoor heat exchanger, and a heat-exchange device configured to connect the outdoor unit to the indoor unit, the heat exchange device including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, in which the refrigerant and water are heat exchanged with each other. The heat exchange device includes a first inflow tube extending from the first indoor heat exchanger toward the first heat exchanger to guide a flow of the water, a second inflow tube extending from the second indoor heat exchanger toward the second heat exchanger to guide the flow of the water, a first pump provided in the first inflow tube and a second pump provided in the second inflow tube. When a portion of the indoor unit performs a heating operation, and the other portion of the indoor unit performs a cooling operation, when a total capacity required for the indoor unit is equal to or less than a set capacity, the first pump or the second pump operates, and when the total capacity required for the indoor unit exceeds the set capacity, the first pump and the second pump operate.

Air conditioning apparatus

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 multi-air conditioner for heating/cooling operations, including at least one indoor unit for heating/cooling operations including an indoor heat exchanger; and an outdoor unit for heating/cooling operations including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a switching unit configured to be disposed in a discharge side of the compressor to switch a flow of refrigerant. The outdoor unit includes a receiver that selectively stores refrigerant or oil according to a cooling or heating operation mode and provides the stored refrigerant or oil to the compressor. Accordingly, in the accumulator of the multi-air conditioner using the receiver, the receiver which is not used in the heating mode may be converted and used for oil storage, thereby preventing oil burnout without adding structure.

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.

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 conditioner includes an outdoor unit for circulating refrigerant, a plurality of indoor units for circulating water, and a heat exchange device configured to connect the outdoor unit to the plurality of indoor units and perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the water. The heat exchange device includes a plurality of ports to which the plurality of indoor units are connected. The air conditioner further includes a controller configured to control flow of the water between the heat exchange device and the plurality of indoor units, and to search pipes respectively connected to the plurality of ports. The controller can control the flow of water such that water at a first temperature flows to some of the plurality of ports and the water at a second temperature lower than the first temperature flows to other some of the plurality of ports.

Air conditioner and pipe search method therefor

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.

Growing community of inventors

Seoul, South Korea

Yongcheol Sa