Current controlling apparatus and method for air conditioning apparatus

• US 5,209,075 A
• Filed: 11/15/1991
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Tae D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US07/792,929
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 62/160, 62/230, 62/126, 62/127, 62/129, 361/22, 361/24, 361/31
• US Class Current: 62/126
• 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 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/86 by controlling compressors within refrigeration or heat pump circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/021 Inverters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/151 of the compressor motor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/025 Motor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A current control method and apparatus for use in an air conditioning apparatus is disclosed. A total current detection portion is mounted at the AC power supply portion and a peak current detection device is mounted between the conversion portion and the inverter. The total current detection portion detects a maximum current applied to the air conditioning apparatus and the peak current detection portion detects a peak current generated in the inverter. The limitation of the detected total current value is particularly preset in the heating and in the cooling operations. When the detected value surpasses the preset limitation, the inverter motor is stopped.

Claims

1. A current control apparatus for use in an air conditioning apparatus separated into an indoor device and an outdoor device and providing a heating operation and a cooling operation, said current control apparatus comprising:

rectifying means for rectifying alternating current power to pulsating direct current power;

inverter means for converting the pulsating direct current power output of the rectifying portion into three phase alternating current power, said inverter means comprising plural transistors;

base drive means for supplying a control signal to bases of the transistors;

total current detection means for detecting current by a current transformer mounted between a source of the alternating power and the rectifying means and outputting the detected total current value;

peak current detection means for detecting peak current flowing in a shunt resistor mounted between the rectifying means and the inverter means and outputting the detected peak current value;

temperature sensing means for sensing at least indoor and outdoor temperature, indoor and outdoor piping temperature and compressor discharging gas temperature and outputting the above sensed data;

microprocessor means for outputting a control signal to the base drive means which is obtained by processing the temperature data received from the temperature sensing means and the current data received from the total current detection means and the peak current detection means, said microprocessor means comprising an indoor microprocessor and an outdoor microprocessor; and

interface means for connecting the outdoor microprocessor and the indoor microprocessor.

2. The current controlling apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peak detection means comprises:

a differential means comprising a zener diode for providing a zener voltage as a reference voltage, said differential means determining whether voltage applied to said shunt resistor is greater than said reference voltage;

a voltage source for providing a normal operation indication signal to said microprocessor means; and

a photo-coupler being turned on for grounding said voltage source when said differential means determines that said voltage applied to said shunt resistor is greater than said reference voltage.

3. A method of current control for use in an air conditioning apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the operation mode of the apparatus is a heating mode or a cooling mode and setting a total current limitation value or a peak current limitation value according to the determined mode after supplying power and initializing;

detecting the total current and the peak current applied to the air conditioning apparatus;

determining whether the detected peak current is above the peak current limitation value;

halting a motor of the air conditioning apparatus if the detected peak current is above the peak current limitation value;

halting the motor of the air conditioning apparatus when the detected total current is above the total current limitation value for a predetermined time period if the detected peak current is determined not to be above the peak current limitation value; and

continuously driving the motor of the air conditioning apparatus when the detected total current is below the total current limitation value.

4. A method of current control for use in an air conditioning apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the operation mode is a heating mode or a cooling mode after supplying power and initializing;

determining, if in the heating mode, the operation frequency depending on the detected environment temperature from a temperature sensing means and setting a current limitation value to a value adapted to the heating operation;

or

determining, if in the cooling mode, the operation frequency depending on the detected environment temperature from the temperature sensing means and setting a current limitation value to a value adapted to the cooling operation;

then

detecting the total current and the peak current after setting the current limitation value;

inquiring whether the detected peak current is above the current limitation value;

halting the inverter motor when the detected peak current is above the current limitation value;

setting a timer buffer to "0" when the detected peak current is not above the current limitation value;

determining whether the detected total current is above the current limitation value;

executing an operation routine when the detected total current is not above the current limitation value;

increasing the timer buffer by "1" when the detected total current is above the total current limitation value;

inquiring whether the timer buffer is above a predetermined value;

executing the halt routine when the timer buffer is above the predetermined value;

returning to said step of determining whether the detected total current is above the current limitation value when the timer buffer is not above the predetermined value; and

returning to the step inquiring as to whether the operation mode is in the heating mode or the cooling mode after executing the operation routine.