Distribution of airflow in an HVAC system to optimize energy efficiency and temperature differentials

• US 8,442,694 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jang, Youngjo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US12/842,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 700/277
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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 11/47 Responding to energy costs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• 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
• 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 12/006 using an air-to-air heat exchanger F24F12/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/56 Heat recovery units

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method of controlling the same are disclosed herein. The method of controlling the air conditioner includes receiving an electric power rate information, and distributing an internal air from a first indoor room to a second indoor room to reduce a temperature difference between a plurality of indoor rooms. During periods of peak power rates, costs associated with operating the air conditioner may be reduced by limiting operation of the indoor and outdoor units, while adjusting the temperatures of the indoor rooms by distributing air among the plurality of the indoor rooms.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an air conditioning system comprising:

determining an electric power rate information;

supplying an internal air of a first indoor room to a second indoor room to reduce a temperature difference between the first and second indoor rooms based on the determined electric power rate information; and

determining a level of a current power rate, wherein

if the current power rate is at a first level, controlling the air conditioner to operate according to a user set temperature,

if the current power rate is at a second level, adjusting the user temperature in the second indoor room, and

if the current power rate is at a third level, supplying the internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a target temperature of the second indoor room based on a user set temperature and the determined electric power rate information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, during a cooling mode, supplying internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room, wherein a temperature of the first indoor room is lower than a temperature of the second indoor room.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, during the cooling mode, the temperature of the first indoor room is a lowest temperature among a plurality of indoor rooms, and the temperature of the second indoor room is a highest temperature among the plurality of the indoor rooms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, during a heating mode, supplying internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room, wherein a temperature of the first indoor room is higher than a temperature of the second indoor room.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, during the healing mode, the temperature of the first indoor room is a highest temperature among a plurality of indoor rooms, and the temperature of the second indoor room is a lowest temperature among the plurality of the indoor rooms.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplying internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room includes

determining a temperature of the first indoor room,

determining a target temperature of the second indoor room, and

transferring the internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room based on the determined temperature of the first indoor room and the target temperature of the second indoor room.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, during a cooling mode, supplying the internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room when the temperature of the first indoor room is lower than the target temperature of the second indoor room.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, during a heating mode, supplying internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room when the temperature of the first indoor room is higher than the target temperature of the second indoor room.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a degree of air quality in the first indoor room is outside a predetermined range, and

supplying external ambient air to the first indoor room if the degree of air quality is outside the predetermined range.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the degree of air quality in the first indoor room includes determining whether an amount of humidity in the internal air is above a predetermined level.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the degree of air quality in the first indoor room includes determining whether an amount of CO₂ in the internal air is above a predetermined level.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exhausting an internal air of the second indoor room to an outside of a building to control a temperature of the second indoor room that receives the internal air of the first indoor room.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping the supplying of air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room when a stop air exchange command is inputted by a user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising

sensing a temperature of the first indoor room and the second indoor room, and

calculating an average temperature of the first and second indoor rooms, wherein

during a cooling mode, supplying the internal air of the first indoor room to the second indoor room when a temperature of the first indoor room is lower than the average temperature and a temperature of the second indoor room is higher than the average temperature, and

during a heating mode, supplying the internal air of the first indoor room to the second indoor room when the temperature of the first indoor room is higher than the average temperature and the temperature of the second indoor room is lower than the average temperature.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising

exhausting an internal air from the first indoor room to an outside of a building, and

during a cooling mode, reducing a rate of air exhausted from the first indoor room if the temperature of the second indoor room is higher than the average temperature, and

during a heating mode, reducing the rate of air exhausted from the first indoor room if the temperature of the second indoor room is lower than the average temperature.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the electric power rate information includes determining a peak cost of electric power.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein in the cooling mode, adjusting the user set temperature includes setting a target temperature to be higher than the user set temperature.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein in the heating mode, adjusting the user set temperature includes setting a target temperature to be lower than the user set temperature.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the current power rate is at a fourth level, sensing the temperature in a plurality of indoor rooms that includes the first and second indoor rooms and calculating an average temperature based on the sensed temperatures, wherein

during a cooling mode, supplying the internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room, wherein the first indoor room has a lower temperature than the average temperature and the second indoor room has a higher temperature than the average temperature, and

during a heating mode, supplying the internal air of the first indoor room to the second indoor room, wherein the first indoor room has a higher temperature than the average temperature and the second indoor room has a lower temperature than the average temperature.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the air conditioner includes a compressor, an outdoor unit, a plurality of indoor units, and a ventilation system, and wherein

when the current power rate is at the fourth level, reducing a power consumption rate of the air conditioner by shutting down the compressor, the outdoor unit, or the plurality of indoor units, while operating the ventilation system to supply the internal air from the first indoor room to the second indoor room.