Central control system of air conditioners and method for operating the same

• US 20050097905A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Tae, Jeon, Duck Gu, Jung, Jae Sik, Yoon, Young Soo, Youn, Sang Chul, Kwon, Jae Hwan
• Granted Patent: US 7,204,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/157
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values

Abstract

A central control system includes a plurality of air conditioners and a central control unit connected to the air conditioners over a network. The air conditioners are installed in rooms of a building to provide air conditioning in the rooms. The central control unit receives a control command for monitoring and controlling each of the air conditioners, and adjusts an operating schedule of each of the air conditioners to limit total peak power consumption of the air conditioners in operation below a reference power value. The central control unit controls the operation of each of the air conditioners based on the adjusted operating schedule. When the total peak power consumption exceeds the reference power value, the central control unit prevents the entire air conditioning system from shutting down, which improves stability of the air conditioning system and decreases electricity costs for air conditioning.

Claims

1. A central control system of air conditioners, comprising:

a plurality of air conditioners, installed in rooms of a building, for providing air conditioning; and

a central control unit, connected to the plurality of air conditioners via a network, for receiving a control command for monitoring and controlling each of the air conditioners, said central control unit adjusting an operating schedule of each of the air conditioners for limiting a total peak power consumption of the plurality of air conditioners in operation below a reference power value, said central control unit controlling an operation of each of the air conditioners based on the adjusted operating schedule.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioners include one of a single-type air conditioner including a single outdoor unit and a single indoor unit and a multi-type air conditioner including a single outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units sharing the single outdoor unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioners include one of a cooling only air conditioner in which refrigerant is circulated in one direction and an air conditioner for both cooling and heating in which refrigerant is circulated in two directions.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the central control unit includes:

an air conditioner communication module for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the plurality of air conditioners via the network;

a database for previously storing a maximum power consumption value of each of the air conditioners;

a peak operation processor for calculating a total peak power consumption based on the maximum power consumption value of each of the air conditioners stored in the database, and determining an operating schedule and an operating mode of each of the air conditioners if the total peak power consumption of the air conditioners in operation exceeds the reference power value; and

an air conditioner controller for issuing a control signal for allowing a corresponding air conditioner to operate in the determined operating mode according to the determined operating schedule.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the central control unit further includes:

an input unit for inputting a control command for controlling the plurality of air conditioners; and

a display unit for displaying state information of each of the air conditioners that are operated and controlled by the air conditioner controller.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein an automatic operation algorithm is implemented in the peak operation processor, whereby if the total peak power consumption exceeds the reference power value, at least one air conditioner selected from the plurality of air conditioners is determined to operate in a normal operating mode, and at least one unselected air conditioner, other than the selected air conditioner, is determined to operate in a blowing mode.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the central control unit further includes an operating schedule update unit for updating the operating schedule of each of the air conditioners in a FIFO scheme in which an air conditioner that has entered a blowing mode first enters a normal operating mode first, and for transferring the updated operating schedule to the peak operation processor.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the operating schedule update unit updates the operating schedule of each of the air conditioners at intervals of a mode change period, said mode change period being input through the input unit.

9. The system according to claim 4, wherein the central control unit further includes an operating schedule update unit for updating the operating schedule of each of the air conditioners in such a manner that air conditioners enter a normal operating mode in descending order of the amount of change in temperatures of rooms where the air conditioners are installed, and for transferring the updated operating schedule to the peak operation processor.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operating schedule update unit updates the operating schedule of each of the air conditioners at intervals of a mode change period, said mode change period being input through the input unit.

11. A method for operating a central control system of air conditioners, said central control system including a central control unit connected to a plurality of air conditioners via a network, said central control unit being capable of monitoring states of the air conditioners and of controlling operations of the air conditioners, said method comprising the steps of:

a) comparing a total peak power consumption of a plurality of air conditioners currently in operation with a previously input reference power value;

b), if the compared result at said step a) is that the total peak power consumption exceeds the reference power value, allowing at least one air conditioner selected from the plurality of air conditioners currently in operation to maintain a normal operating mode, and allowing at least one unselected air conditioner in operation, other than the selected air conditioner, to switch to a blowing mode;

c), if an operating time in the operating mode switched at said step b) exceeds a previously input mode change period, updating an operating schedule of each of the air conditioners; and

d) controlling operations of the air conditioners according to the updated operating schedules.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step a) includes the step of inputting the reference power value for comparison with the total peak power consumption of the plurality of air conditioners.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step a) includes the step of inputting the mode change period at intervals of which the operating modes of the air conditioners are changed.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step c) includes the step of updating the operating schedule of each of the air conditioners in a FIFO scheme in which an air conditioner that has entered a blowing mode first enters a normal operating mode first.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said step c) includes the step of updating the operating schedule of each of the air conditioners in such a manner that air conditioners enter a normal operating mode in descending order of the amount of change in temperatures of rooms where the air conditioners are installed.