Device and method for detecting anomaly of air conditioner by using acoustic emission method

• US 6,332,362 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2000
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jung Suk, Kim, Jun Ha, Kang, Myoung Chang, Lee, Kam Gyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAINT SURIN, JACQUES M
• Application Number:
  US09/651,279
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 73/570, 73/660, 73/658, 73/659, 73/587, 73/591, 340/683
• US Class Current: 73/659
• 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 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/24 Means for preventing or suppressing noise
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/003 of rotating machines G01H1/10 takes precedence

Abstract

Device and method for detecting anomaly of an air conditioner, the method including the steps of (1) detecting an acoustic emission signal from a compressor in the air conditioner during operation of the air conditioner, (2) detecting parameters of particular components from the detected acoustic emission signal, and (3) comparing the detected parameters to respective references, to determine anomaly of the air conditioner on the whole, whereby permitting the most reliable detection of anomaly of the air conditioner.

Claims

1. A device for detecting anomaly of an air conditioner, comprising:

a body having an inwardly curved surface to fit an outer side form of a compressor in an air conditioner;

a sensor fitted to the inwardly curved surface for sensing an AE signal generated at the compressor, wherein the device is brought into close contact with the compressor in the vicinity of a vane in the compressor, for sensing an acoustic emission signal from the compressor in the air conditioner; and

a comparison and determining part for comparing an AE absolute average to a reference for determining anomaly of the air conditioner, the AE energy being a sum of signals of a frequency among signals detected at the sensor device divided by a number of entire data.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the comparison and determining part also compares an AE energy to a reference for determining anomaly of the air conditioner, the AE energy being a square root of a sum of squares of measured AE signals.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hand grip is connected to one side of the body for user'"'"'s grip.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hand grip has a switch for controlling operation of the sensor device.

5. A device for detecting an anomaly of an air conditioner, comprising:

a body configured to be brought into close contact with a compressor of an air conditioner; and

an AE sensor fitted to the body, wherein the AE sensor is configured to sense acoustic emissions of a compressor.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a hand grip fastened to one side of the body.

7. The device of claim 5, further comprising a switch for controlling an operation of the AE sensor.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the comparison and determining part determines that the acoustic signal of the compressor is abnormal if the average of the detected amplitudes exceeds the reference value.

9. A device for detecting anomaly of an air conditioner, comprising:

a body having an inwardly curved surface configured to fit an outer side form of a compressor in an air conditioner;

means for detecting acoustic emissions from a compressor in the air conditioner during operation of the air conditioner; and

means for determining whether the compressor is abnormal based on an output of the detecting means.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the detecting means is configured to record acoustic emissions for a predetermined period of time.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the determining means is configured to calculate an average of the acoustic emissions recorded during the predetermined period of time.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising means for detecting parameters of particular components from the detected acoustic emissions.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising means for comparing the detected parameters to a reference value, to determine anomaly of the air conditioner.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the parameter detected is an AE absolute average, which is an average of a plurality of detected acoustic emissions.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the parameter detected is an AE energy, which is a square root of a sum of detected acoustic emissions.