Air conditioning system and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525600-B2
Application number	US-201615195049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

An air conditioning control system includes a casing including paths through which air passes, dampers arranged at an entrance and an exit of each of the paths and operated to open or close the entrance and the exit according to a control signal, a heat and mass exchanger including a hygroscopic material for absorbing moisture and arranged across the paths to be rotated with respect to the casing, a driving unit rotating the heat and mass exchanger, a heat exchange unit having a heat transfer medium flowing inside the heat exchange unit and arranged on at least one of the paths, and a controller opening or closing the entrance and the exit of the paths by applying a control signal to the dampers, and changing a rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger by applying a control signal to the driving unit, according to operation modes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a casing including a plurality of paths through which air passes;
a plurality of dampers arranged at an entrance and an exit of each of the plurality of paths;
a heat and mass exchanger including a hygroscopic material, arranged across the plurality of paths, and configured to be driven to rotate with respect to the casing;
a heat exchanger having a heat transfer medium flowing inside the heat exchanger, and arranged on at least one path among the plurality of paths, the heat exchanger comprising:
an upstream evaporator arranged at an upstream side of the heat and mass exchanger in a first path among the plurality of paths; and
a condenser arranged at the upstream side of the heat and mass exchanger in a second path among the plurality of paths;

a downstream evaporator arranged at a downstream side of the heat and mass exchanger in the first path;
a downstream condenser arranged at the downstream side of the heat and mass exchanger in the second path; and
a controller configured to:
open and close the entrance and the exit by applying a first control signal to the plurality of dampers;
control a rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger by applying a second control signal to the heat and mass exchanger; and
selectively cause the air conditioner to perform
dehumidification by supplying dehumidified air to an indoor by passing indoor return air through the first path and discharging humidified air to an outdoor by passing outdoor intake air through the second path, by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger to within a preset first speed range,
humidification by discharging the dehumidified air to the outdoor by passing the outdoor intake air through the first path and supplying the humidified air to the indoor by passing the indoor return air through the second path, by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger to within the preset first speed range,
energy recovery ventilation by recovering and transferring heat and moisture between the indoor return air and the outdoor intake air by the heat and mass exchanger, by passing the indoor return air through the second path to be discharged to the outdoor and passing the outdoor intake air through the first path to be supplied to the indoor, by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger to within a preset second speed range,
ventilation cooling by discharging the indoor return air, which is heated by the heat and mass exchanger, to the outdoor by passing the indoor return air through the second path and supplying the outdoor intake air, which is cooled by the heat and mass exchanger, to the indoor by passing the outdoor intake air through the first path, by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger to within the preset second speed range, and
ventilation heating by supplying the outdoor intake air, which is heated by the heat and mass exchanger, to the indoor by passing the outdoor intake air through the second path and discharging the indoor return air, which is cooled by the heat and mass exchanger, to the outdoor by passing the indoor return air through the first path, by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger to within the preset second speed range.

2. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dampers comprise:
a plurality of outlet dampers connecting exits of the first path among the plurality of paths and the second path among the plurality of paths to an outdoor discharge path or an indoor supply path, and
a plurality of inlet dampers connecting entrances of the first path and the second path to an outdoor intake path or an indoor return path.

3. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the preset first speed range is 0.1 to 1 rpm, and the preset second speed range is 2 rpm or higher.

4. The air conditioner of claim 3 , wherein the upstream evaporator and the condenser operate and the downstream evaporator and the downstream condenser do not operate during the dehumidification, the upstream evaporator and the downstream condenser do not operate and the condenser and the downstream evaporator operate during the humidification, the upstream evaporator, the condenser, the downstream evaporator, and the downstream condenser do not operate during the energy recovery ventilation, and the upstream evaporator and the condenser do not operate and the downstream evaporator and the downstream condenser operate during the ventilation cooling and the ventilation heating.

5. An air conditioner, comprising:
a casing including a plurality of paths through which air passes;
a plurality of dampers arranged at an entrance and an exit of each of the plurality of paths;
a heat and mass exchanger including a hygroscopic material, arranged across the plurality of paths, and configured to be driven to rotate with respect to the casing;
a heat exchanger having a heat transfer medium flowing inside the heat exchanger, and arranged on at least one path among the plurality of paths, the heat exchanger comprising:
an upstream evaporator arranged at an upstream side of the heat and mass exchanger in a first path among the plurality of paths; and
a condenser arranged at the upstream side of the heat and mass exchanger in a second path among the plurality of paths;

a downstream evaporator arranged at a downstream side of the heat and mass exchanger in the first path; and
a controller configured to open and close the entrance and the exit by applying a first control signal to the plurality of dampers, and control a rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger by applying a second control signal to the heat and mass exchanger,
wherein the controller is further configured to selectively cause the air conditioner to perform dehumidification, humidification, energy recovery ventilation, ventilation cooling, and ventilation heating by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger, and
wherein the upstream evaporator and the condenser operate and the downstream evaporator and a downstream condenser do not operate during the dehumidification, the upstream evaporator and the downstream condenser do not operate and the condenser and the downstream evaporator operate during the humidification, the upstream evaporator, the condenser, the downstream evaporator, and the downstream condenser do not operate during the energy recovery ventilation, and the upstream evaporator and the condenser do not operate and the downstream evaporator and the downstream condenser operate during the ventilation cooling and the ventilation heating.

6. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform the selective causing of the air conditioner to:
perform the dehumidification by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger to a first speed in the preset first speed range, and
perform the energy recovery ventilation by controlling the rotation speed of the heat and mass exchanger to a second speed in the preset second speed range.

7. The air conditioner of claim 6 , wherein the preset first speed range is 0.1 to 1 rpm, and the preset second speed range is 2 rpm or higher.

8. The air conditioner of claim 6 , wherein the upstream evaporator and the condenser operate during the dehumidification, and the upstream evaporator and the condenser do not operate during the energy recovery ventilation.

9. The air conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the upstream evaporator and the condenser operate and the downstream evaporator does not operate during the dehumidification, the upstream evaporator does not operate and the condenser and the downstream evaporator operate during the humid

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Lee Dae Young

Classifications

• F24F2203/1032

  Desiccant wheel · CPC title

• F24F2110/20

  Humidity · CPC title

• F24F11/65

  for selecting an operating mode · CPC title

• F24F2110/50

  Air quality properties · CPC title

• F24F2140/00

  Control inputs relating to system states · CPC title