REFRIGERATING SYSTEM

• US 20110120158A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoo, Yoon Ho, Chung, Baik Young, CHOI, Jae Heuk, Ha, Do Yong
• Granted Patent: US 9,297,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/113
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/06 Several compression cycles arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/20 Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves expansion valves F25B41/31
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/24 Arrangement of shut-off valves for disconnecting a part of the refrigerant cycle, e.g. an outdoor part
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 7/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with cascade operation, i.e. with two or more circuits, the heat from the condenser of one circuit being absorbed by the evaporator of the next circuit F25B9/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A refrigerating system including an air conditioning system and a cooler system is provided. An air conditioner-side refrigerant passage may be connected to a cooler-side refrigerant passage to allow refrigerant to flow between the air conditioning system and the cooler system. Thus, if a cooler-side compressor experiences abnormal operation, cooler-side refrigerant may be compressed by an air conditioner-side compressor so as to maintain cooling performance of the refrigerating system.

Claims

1. A refrigerating system, comprising:

an air conditioner that heats and cools a prescribed space, the air conditioner comprising a first compressor, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, a first indoor heat exchanger, and a first refrigerant passage;

a cooler that provides cooling for storage items, the cooler comprising a second compressor, a second outdoor heat exchanger, a second expansion device, a second indoor heat exchanger, and a second refrigerant passage; and

a connection passage that connects the first refrigerant passage to the second refrigerant passage.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection passage guides refrigerant between the air conditioner and the cooler.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first compressor, the first-outdoor heat exchanger, the first expansion device and the first indoor heat exchanger perform a refrigerating cycle of the air conditioner, and the second compressor, the second outdoor heat exchanger, the second expansion device and the second indoor heat exchanger perform a refrigerating cycle of the cooler.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flow interruptor positioned in the connection passage, wherein the flow interruptor selectively interrupts a flow of refrigerant through the connection passage.

5. The refrigerant system according to claim 1, wherein the connection passage comprises:

a first connection passage that directs refrigerant from the air conditioner toward the cooler; and

a second connection passage that directs refrigerant from the cooler toward the air conditioner.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first connection passage connects the first refrigerant passage corresponding to an outlet side of the first outdoor heat exchanger to the second refrigerant passage corresponding to an inlet side of the second indoor heat exchanger, and wherein the second connection passage connects the second refrigerant passage corresponding to an outlet side of the second indoor heat exchanger to the first refrigerant passage corresponding to an inlet side of the first compressor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the connection passage comprises a flow direction restrictor that restricts a direction of flow through the connection passage to one direction.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the connection passage comprises a first connection passage and a second connection passage, and wherein the flow direction restrictor comprises:

a first flow direction restrictor that restricts a flow direction of refrigerant within the first connection passage toward the cooler; and

a second flow direction restrictor that restricts a flow direction of refrigerant within the second connection passage toward the air conditioner.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein refrigerant flowing within the cooler is compressed by the first compressor when the second compressor is stopped.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flow switching device that selectively switches a flow direction of refrigerant within the cooler so as to direct the refrigerant within the cooler toward the connection passage.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the flow switching device comprises two open/close valves or two four-way valves that are respectively disposed in the second refrigerant passage and the connection passage.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein refrigerant of the cooler flowing toward the second compressor is interrupted by the flow switching device when the refrigerant of the cooler flows into the connection passage.

13. A refrigerating system, comprising:

an air conditioner that heats and cools a prescribed space, the air conditioner comprising a first compressor, a first outdoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, a first indoor heat exchanger, and a first refrigerant passage; and

a cooler that provides cooling to storage items, the cooler comprising a second compressor, a second outdoor heat exchanger, a second expansion device, a second indoor heat exchanger, and a second refrigerant passage, wherein the air conditioner and the cooler are coupled such that refrigerant flowing into the second compressor is compressed by the first compressor when flow to the second compressor is interrupted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the refrigerating system operates in a first mode in which both the first and second compressors are operational, and in a second mode in which one of the first compressor or the second compressor is non-operational.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein refrigerant directed towards the one of the first compressor or the second compressor is re-directed to the other of the first compressor or the second compressor in the second mode such that the refrigerant is compressed in the other of the first or second compressor.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first indoor heat exchanger is connected in parallel to the second indoor heat exchanger with respect to the air conditioner.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a flow switching device that selectively a flow of refrigerant toward the second compressor.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the flow switching device is switched in a first position that forms a closed circuit of a refrigerant cycle including the second compressor, or in a second position that forms a closed circuit of a refrigerant cycle including the first compressor.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the cooler is a refrigerator that performs a refrigerating cycle for storing food items in a refrigerated state or a freezer that performs a refrigerating cycle for storing food items in a frozen state.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising a refrigerant heat exchanger in which refrigerant flowing through the air conditioner is heat exchanged with refrigerant flowing through the cooler.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the refrigerant flowing through the air conditioner flows into the first compressor, the first outdoor heat exchanger, the first expansion device and the refrigerant heat exchanger when a flow of refrigerant toward the first indoor heat exchanger is interrupted.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a flow interruptor that selectively interrupts a flow of refrigerant toward the first indoor heat exchanger.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first indoor heat exchanger is connected in parallel to the refrigerant heat exchanger on the first refrigerant passage.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first refrigerant passage comprises:

a first refrigerant tube that connects the first compressor, the first outdoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant heat exchanger to each other; and

a second refrigerant tube that guides refrigerant discharged from the first compressor or the first outdoor heat exchanger to the first indoor heat exchanger.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the refrigerant within the refrigerator, the freezer, and the first refrigerant passage flows in a state where a refrigerant flow within the second refrigerant passage is interrupted.

26. A method of operating a refrigerating system, the method comprising:

providing a first refrigerant to a first refrigerating cycle performed in an air conditioning device including a first compressor;

providing a second refrigerant to a second refrigerating cycle performed in a cooler device including a second compressor;

redirecting a flow of the second refrigerant from the second compressor to the first compressor when the second compressor is disabled and continuing to perform the refrigerating cycle in the cooler using refrigerant compressed by the first compressor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein redirecting a flow of the second refrigerant comprises:

guiding the second refrigerant from the second refrigerating cycle to the first refrigerating cycle through a connection passage that connects the first and second refrigerating cycles of the air conditioning device and the cooler device;

guiding the second refrigerant provided from the second refrigerating cycle to the first refrigerating cycle to the first compressor;

compressing the second refrigerant in the first compressor; and

thereafter guiding the second refrigerant from the first refrigerating cycle back to the second refrigerating cycle through the connection passage.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the connection passage comprises a first connection passage that guides refrigerant from the second refrigerating cycle to the first refrigerating cycle, and a second connection passage that guides refrigerant from the first refrigerating cycle to the second refrigerating cycle.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein guiding the second refrigerant from the second refrigerating cycle to the first refrigerating cycle comprises:

operating a first flow control device to open the first connection passage; and

guiding the second refrigerant from the second refrigerating cycle to the first compressor through the first connection passage.

30. The method of 29, wherein guiding the second refrigerant from the first refrigerating cycle back to the second refrigerating cycle comprises:

operating the first flow control device to close the first connection passage;

operating a second flow control device to open the second connection passage; and

guiding the second refrigerant from the first refrigerating cycle back to the second refrigerating cycle through the second connection passage.