Air conditioner and method for operating air conditioner in cooling mode

• US 20040118135A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Cheol Min, Lee, Won Hee, Hwang, Yoon Jei
• Granted Patent: US 6,829,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/175
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0292 related to reversing valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/0751 the compressors having different capacities
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2104 of an indoor room or compartment
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/022 Compressor control arrangements

Abstract

Disclosed are an air conditioner, which reduces an electric power consumption rate and rapidly copes with the requirements of a user, and a method for operating the air conditioner in a cooling mode for cooling air in a room by an independent or simultaneous operation of small-capacity and large-capacity compressors in accordance with the variation of a cooling load. The method comprises the steps of (a) operating the small-capacity compressor; (b) stopping the operation of the small-capacity compressor and operating the large-capacity compressor when it is determined that the room temperature is higher than a first set temperature after the lapse of a first predetermined time after the small-capacity compressor is operated at the step (a); and (c) re-operating the small-capacity compressor together with the operation of the large-capacity compressor when it is determined that the room temperature is higher than a second set temperature after the lapse of a second predetermined time after the large-capacity compressor is operated at the step (b).

Claims

1. An air conditioner comprising:

small-capacity and large-capacity compressors for compressing a refrigerant;

a temperature sensor for sensing a room temperature;

an operating panel for allowing a user to manipulate the air conditioner and to input a target temperature therethrough; and

a control unit for determining a cooling load in a room to be eliminated by comparing the room temperature sensed by the temperature sensor with upper and lower temperature limits being higher and lower than the target temperature by an allowable deviation, and for controlling an independent or simultaneous operation of the small-capacity and large-capacity compressors so that the room temperature is maintained in the range of the upper and lower temperature limits when it is determined that the cooling load is large.

2. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the small-capacity compressor has a capacity of 20˜

40% of a total capacity of the small-capacity and large-capacity compressors.

3. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the large-capacity compressor has a capacity of 60˜

80% of a total capacity of the small-capacity and large-capacity compressors.

4. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a direction change valve adapted to change a flow direction of the refrigerant so that the air conditioner is alternatively operated in a cooling or heating mode.

5. The air conditioner as set forth in claim 1,

wherein one compressor of the small-capacity and large-capacity compressors is a variable capacity compressor, and the other compressor of the small-capacity and large-capacity compressors is a constant speed compressor.

6. A method for operating an air conditioner in a cooling mode for cooling air in a room by an independent or simultaneous operation of small-capacity and large-capacity compressors in accordance with the variation of a cooling load, comprising the steps of:

(a) operating the small-capacity compressor;

(b) stopping the operation of the small-capacity compressor and operating the large-capacity compressor when it is determined that the room temperature is higher than a first set temperature after the lapse of a first predetermined time after the small-capacity compressor is operated at the step (a); and

(c) re-operating the small-capacity compressor together with the operation of the large-capacity compressor when it is determined that the room temperature is higher than a second set temperature after the lapse of a second predetermined time after the large-capacity compressor is operated at the step (b).

7. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the step (b) includes the step of comparing the room temperature to the first set temperature after the lapse of the first predetermined time from the beginning of the operation of the small-capacity compressor at the step (a).

8. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the first set temperature is higher than the target temperature inputted by the user by a predetermined value.

9. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the step (c) includes the step of comparing the room temperature to the second set temperature after the lapse of the second predetermined time from the beginning of the operation of the large-capacity compressor at the step (b).

10. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the step (c) includes the step of comparing the room temperature to the second set temperature after the lapse of the second predetermined time from the beginning of the operation of the small-capacity compressor at the step (a).

11. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the second set temperature is lower than the target temperature inputted by the user by a predetermined value.

12. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the step (a) includes the step of operating the small-capacity compressor when the air conditioner is operated in the cooling mode.

13. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the step (a) includes the step of operating the small-capacity compressor when the room temperature is higher than the first set temperature.

14. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the step (b) includes the step of maintaining the operation of the small-capacity compressor when the room temperature is not higher than the first set temperature after the lapse of the first predetermined time after the small-capacity compressor is operated.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14,

wherein the step (b) includes the step of stopping the operation of the small-capacity compressor when the room temperature is not higher than the second set temperature after the maintenance of the operation of the small-capacity compressor.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15,

wherein the procedure from the step (a) to the step (c) is repeated when the room temperature is higher than the first set temperature after the stoppage of the operation of the small-capacity compressor.

17. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the step (c) includes the step of stopping the large-capacity compressor when the room temperature is not higher than the second set temperature after the lapse of the second predetermined time after the large-capacity compressor is operated.

18. The method as set forth in claim 6,

wherein the procedure from the step (a) to the step (c) is repeated when the room temperature is higher than the first set temperature after the stoppage of the operation of the large-capacity compressor.

19. The method as set forth in claim 6, further comprising the step of (d) stopping the operation of the small-capacity and large-capacity compressors when the room temperature is not higher than the second set temperature after the step (c).

20. The method as set forth in claim 19,

wherein the procedure from the step (a) to the step (d) is repeated.