An air conditioner and a method of operating an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include a heat pump having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with heat source water; a heat source water flow path connected to the water
An air conditioner and a method of operating an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include a heat pump having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with heat source water; a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger; a pump installed on the heat source water flow path; a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path; and a variable flow valve controller that controls an opening degree of the variable flow valve. The variable flow valve controller may include a heat source water minimum flow manipulator that manipulates a minimum flow rate of the heat source water and regulates the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to the manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulator. Accordingly, a user or installation personnel may selectively regulate power consumption and efficiency as desired.
대표청구항▼
1. An air conditioner, comprising: a heat pump having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with heat source water;a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger;a variable flow valve installed on the heat sour
1. An air conditioner, comprising: a heat pump having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with heat source water;a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger;a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path; anda variable flow valve controller that controls an opening degree of the variable flow valve, wherein the variable flow valve controller comprises a heat source water minimum flow manipulation device that manipulates a minimum flow rate of the heat source water and regulates the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to a manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device, wherein the variable flow valve controller sets one of a plurality of control lower limits upon manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device. 2. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a pump installed on the heat source water flow path. 3. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of control lower limits are control values between a minimum opening degree control value corresponding to a minimum opening degree of the variable flow valve and a maximum opening degree control value corresponding to a maximum opening degree of the variable flow valve. 4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the plurality of control lower limits are gradually increased in increments of a set value. 5. An air conditioner, comprising: a heat pump having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with heat source water;a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger;a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path; anda variable flow valve controller that controls an opening degree of the variable flow valve, wherein the variable flow valve controller comprises a heat source water minimum flow manipulation device that manipulates a minimum flow rate of the heat source water and regulates the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to a manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device, wherein the heat source water minimum flow rate manipulation device sets a control lower limit of the variable flow valve by a switching combination of a plurality of dip switches. 6. The air conditioner of claim 5, wherein the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device sets the control lower limit set by the switching combination of the plurality of dip switches, which is different between a cooling operation and a heating operation. 7. The air conditioner of claim 6, wherein, if the switching combination of the plurality of dip switches is the same for both the cooling operation and the heating operation, the control lower limit for the heating operation is set higher than the control lower limit for the cooling operation. 8. An air conditioner, comprising: a heat pump having a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with heat source water;a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger;a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path; anda variable flow valve controller that controls an opening degree of the variable flow valve, wherein the variable flow valve controller comprises a heat source water minimum flow manipulation device that manipulates a minimum flow rate of the heat source water and regulates the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to a manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device, and wherein the variable flow valve controller outputs a control value to the variable flow valve to control the opening degree of the variable flow valve, and the variable flow valve controller senses a type of the variable flow valve based on a pressure change in the heat pump due to a change in the control value, and controls the variable flow valve in a control mode corresponding to a sensed type. 9. The air conditioner of claim 8, wherein the control mode comprises a first mode for increasing the control value to increase the opening degree of the variable flow valve or a second mode for decreasing the control value to increase the opening degree of the variable flow valve. 10. The air conditioner of claim 9, wherein, in a cooling operation, if a condensation pressure rises upon a decrease in the control value, the variable flow valve controller controls the variable flow valve in the first mode. 11. The air conditioner of claim 9, wherein, in a cooling operation, if a condensation pressure drops upon a decrease in the control value, the variable flow valve controller controls the variable flow valve in the second mode. 12. The air conditioner of claim 9, wherein, in a heating operation, if an evaporation pressure rises upon a decrease in the control value, the variable flow valve controller controls the variable flow valve in the first mode. 13. The air conditioner of claim 9, wherein, in a heating operation, if an evaporation pressure drops upon a decrease of the control value, the variable flow valve controller controls the variable flow valve in the second mode. 14. A method of operating an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising a water-refrigerant heat exchanger installed in a heat pump that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat-exchange with heat source water, a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path, the method comprising: manipulating a minimum flow rate of heat source water via a heat source water minimum flow manipulation device installed in a variable flow valve controller;setting a control lower limit based on the minimum flow rate of heat source water via the variable flow valve controller; andcontrolling the variable flow valve to have a control value higher than the control lower limit. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the controlling of the variable flow valve, the variable flow valve is controlled in a range of the set control lower limit and a maximum opening degree control value corresponding to a maximum opening degree of the variable flow valve. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the setting of the control lower limit, one of a plurality of control lower limits between a minimum opening degree control value corresponding to a minimum opening degree of the variable flow valve and a maximum opening degree control value corresponding to a maximum opening degree of the variable flow valve is set as the control lower limit. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of control lower limits are gradually increased in increments of a set value. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the control lower limit is different for a cooling operation and a heating operation. 19. The method of claim 14, wherein, if a same manipulation is input to the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device, the control lower limit for a heating operation is higher than the control lower limit for a cooling operation. 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the manipulating comprises receiving input of the minimum flow rate from a user. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device includes a plurality of dip switches, and the receiving input of the minimum flow rate from a user comprises receiving input of the minimum flow rate from a user through the user's on/off manipulation of the plurality of clip switches. 22. A method of operating an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising a water-refrigerant heat exchanger installed in a heat pump that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat-exchange with heat source water, a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger, and a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path, the method comprising: outputting a maximum control value from a variable flow valve controller to the variable flow valve; andafter the outputting of the maximum control value, decreasing the control value output to the variable flow valve and controlling the variable flow valve, wherein, in the controlling of the variable flow valve, if a condensation pressure of a cooling operation rises or an evaporation pressure of a heating operation drops upon a decrease in the control value, the variable flow valve is controlled in a first control mode, and, if the condensation pressure of the cooling operation drops or the evaporation pressure of the heating operation rises upon a decrease in the control value, the variable flow valve is controlled in a second control mode, wherein the first control mode is a control mode for increasing the control value output to the variable flow valve upon an increase in an opening degree of the variable flow valve, and the second control mode is a control mode for decreasing the control value output to the variable flow valve upon an increase in the opening degree of the variable flow valve. 23. An air conditioner, comprising: a heat pump having a compression device that compresses a refrigerant and a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that condenses or evaporates a refrigerant by heat exchange with a heat source water;a heat source water flow path connected to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger;a variable flow valve installed on the heat source water flow path; anda variable flow valve controller that controls an opening degree of the variable flow valve, wherein the variable flow valve controller controls the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to at least one of a pressure of refrigerant flowing from the compression device to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger and a pressure of refrigerant flowing from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger to the compression device, and wherein the variable flow valve controller comprises a heat source water minimum flow manipulation device that manipulates a minimum flow rate of the heat source water and regulates the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to a manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device. 24. The air conditioner of claim 23, further comprising a high-pressure sensor that sense a pressure of the refrigerant compressed in the compression device; anda low-pressure sensor that sense a pressure of the refrigerant suctioned into the compression device, wherein the variable flow valve controller controls the opening degree of the variable flow valve according to one of the pressure sensed by the high-pressure sensor and the pressure sensed by the low-pressure sensor and,wherein the variable flow valve controller controls the variable flow valve to have a control value higher than a control lower limit set according to the manipulation of the heat source water minimum flow manipulation device.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (4)
Itoh Satoshi,JPX ; Iritani Kunio,JPX, Air conditioner.
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