METHOD OF CONTROLLING HEAT SOURCE-SIDE HEAT EXCHANGER FAN , AND AIR CONDITIONER

• US 20130061619A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Original Assignee: Daikin Industries Ltd
• Inventors: Saitou, Masashi, Shimoda, Junichi, Makino, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,752,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/89
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/871 by controlling outdoor fans
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/12 Heat-exchange fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/02741 using one four-way valve
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0294 related to the outdoor fan, e.g. controlling speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0315 Temperature sensors near the outdoor heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/19 Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/027 Condenser control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/06 by forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A heat source-side heat exchanger fan blowing air to a heat source-side heat exchanger performing heat exchange with refrigerant compressed in a compressor is controlled. A current detected temperature at a current time is converted to obtain a current converted high pressure value at the current time. The current converted high pressure is a pressure of refrigerant inside a high pressure-side pipe of the compressor. The current detected temperature is a temperature detected by a temperature detector attached to the heat source-side heat exchanger. A past detected temperature is converted to obtain a past converted high pressure value at the past time. A speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan is determined using a corrected converted high pressure value. The corrected converted high pressure value is obtained by correcting the current converted high pressure value based on the past converted high pressure value.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a heat source-side heat exchanger fan blowing air to a heat source-side heat exchanger performing heat exchange with refrigerant compressed in a compressor, the method comprising:

converting a current detected temperature at a current time to obtain a current converted high pressure value at the current time, the current converted high pressure being a pressure of refrigerant inside a high pressure-side pipe of the compressor, and the current detected temperature being a temperature detected by a temperature detector attached to the heat source-side heat exchanger;

converting a past detected temperature detected by the temperature detector at a past time before the current time to obtain a past converted high pressure value at the past time, the past converted high pressure being a pressure of the refrigerant inside the high pressure-side pipe; and

determining a speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan using a corrected converted high pressure value, the corrected converted high pressure value being obtained by correcting the current converted high pressure value based on the past converted high pressure value.

2. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 1, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value is obtained by

obtaining a rate change of the current converted high pressure value near the current time from the current converted high pressure value and the past converted high pressure value, and

adding a product of the rate of change and a correction coefficient to the current converted high pressure value.

3. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 2, wherein

the rate of change of the current converted high pressure value is obtained by dividing a difference between the current converted high pressure value and the past converted high pressure value by an amount of elapsed time from the past time to the current time.

4. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 3, wherein

the amount of elapsed time is set to a constant value between 2 seconds and 10 seconds.

5. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 1, further comprising

detecting an outdoor temperature of outdoor air that is an air-blowing target of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan;

and

discriminating whether the outdoor temperature is in a first temperature region or a second temperature region higher than the first temperature region,

when the outdoor temperature is in the first temperature region, the corrected converted high pressure value being used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan, and

when the outdoor temperature is in the second temperature region, the current converted high pressure value being used instead of the corrected converted high pressure value, or another corrected converted high pressure value found using another correction coefficient differing from the correction coefficient being used, to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

6. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 1, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value is used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

9. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 2, further comprising

detecting an outdoor temperature of outdoor air that is an air-blowing target of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan;

and

discriminating whether the outdoor temperature is in a first temperature region or a second temperature region higher than the first temperature region,

when the outdoor temperature is in the first temperature region, the corrected converted high pressure value being used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan, and

when the outdoor temperature is in the second temperature region, the current converted high pressure value being used instead of the corrected converted high pressure value, or another corrected converted high pressure value found using another correction coefficient differing from the correction coefficient being used, to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

10. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 9, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value is used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

11. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 2, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value is used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

12. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 3, further comprising

detecting an outdoor temperature of outdoor air that is an air-blowing target of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan;

and

discriminating whether the outdoor temperature is in a first temperature region or a second temperature region higher than the first temperature region,

when the outdoor temperature is in the first temperature region, the corrected converted high pressure value being used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan, and

when the outdoor temperature is in the second temperature region, the current converted high pressure value being used instead of the corrected converted high pressure value, or another corrected converted high pressure value found using another correction coefficient differing from the correction coefficient being used, to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

13. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 12, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value is used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

14. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 3, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value is used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

15. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 4, further comprising

detecting an outdoor temperature of outdoor air that is an air-blowing target of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan;

and

discriminating whether the outdoor temperature is in a first temperature region or a second temperature region higher than the first temperature region,

when the outdoor temperature is in the first temperature region, the corrected converted high pressure value being used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan, and

when the outdoor temperature is in the second temperature region, the current converted high pressure value being used instead of the corrected converted high pressure value, or another corrected converted high pressure value found using another correction coefficient differing from the correction coefficient being used, to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

16. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 15, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value is used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

17. The heat source-side heat exchanger fan control method according to claim 4, wherein

the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value is used to determine the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan.

7. An air conditioner comprising:

a compressor configured and arranged to compress refrigerant and having a high pressure-side pipe configured and arranged to discharge refrigerant that has reached a high pressure;

a heat source-side heat exchanger connected to the high pressure-side pipe of the compressor and being configured and arranged to perform heat exchange with the compressed refrigerant;

a heat source-side heat exchanger fan configured and arranged to perform air blowing with respect to the heat source-side heat exchanger;

a temperature detector attached to the heat source-side heat exchanger; and

a controller configured to

convert a current detected temperature detected by the temperature detector at a current time to obtain a current converted high pressure value at the current time, the current converted high pressure being a pressure of refrigerant inside the high pressure-side pipe of the compressor,

to convert a past detected temperature detected by the temperature detector at a past time before the current time to obtain a past converted high pressure value at the past time, the current converted high pressure being a pressure of refrigerant inside the high pressure-side pipe, and

to determine a speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan using a corrected converted high pressure value, the corrected converted high pressure value being obtained by correcting the current converted high pressure value based on the past converted high pressure value.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, wherein

the controller is further configured to control the speed of the heat source-side heat exchanger fan using the corrected converted high pressure value closer to an actual pressure than the current converted high pressure value.