Air conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863668-B2
Application number	US-201614993693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2016
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner may include at least one indoor device, an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected with the at least one indoor device, and having a first compressor driven using electric power and a first outdoor heat exchanger, and a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected with the at least one indoor device, and having an engine portion driven through a combustion gas, a second compressor driven by receiving a driving force from the engine portion, and a second outdoor heat exchanger. The GHP outdoor device may include an engine circulation pipe in which a refrigerant flowing through the EHP outdoor device may be introduced and then supplied to the engine portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner, comprising:
at least one indoor device;
an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected with the at least one indoor device, and having a first compressor driven using electric power and a first outdoor heat exchanger; and
a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected with the at least one indoor device, and having an engine portion driven using a combustion gas, a second compressor driven by receiving a driving force from the engine portion, and a second outdoor heat exchanger, wherein the GHP outdoor device includes an engine circulation pipe in which a refrigerant flowing through the EHP outdoor device is introduced and then supplied to the engine portion.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the GHP outdoor device includes:
a GHP gas pipe that connects a discharge side of the second compressor with the at least one indoor device; and
a GHP liquid pipe that connects the second outdoor heat exchanger with the at least one indoor device, wherein the engine circulation pipe is coupled to the GHP gas pipe and the GHP liquid pipe.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein the engine circulation pipe includes a first end, which is coupled to the GHP gas pipe, and a second end, which is coupled to the GHP liquid pipe.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein the GHP outdoor device includes:
a first circulation pipe that includes the first end and extends from the GHP gas pipe to the engine portion; and
a second circulation pipe that includes the second end and extends from the GHP liquid pipe to the engine portion.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein the GHP outdoor device further includes a third circulation pipe that is connected to the first circulation pipe and the second circulation pipe and exchanges heat with the engine portion.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein the third circulation pipe is provided in contact with or close to the engine portion.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein the engine portion includes:
an engine that generates the driving force through burning of a fuel; and
a governor that controls an amount of the fuel supplied to the engine.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein the governor includes a zero-governor that constantly controls an outlet pressure to constantly supply the fuel to the engine.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8 , wherein the third circulation pipe is connected with the governor to heat the combustion gas.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 7 , wherein the engine further includes an oil pan, in which engine oil is accommodated, and the third circulation pipe is connected to the oil pan.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 4 , further including a circulation control valve that is provided at or on the first circulation pipe or the second circulation pipe and controls a flow rate of the refrigerant supplied from the EHP outdoor device.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 2 , wherein the EHP outdoor device includes:
an EHP gas pipe that connects a discharge side of the first compressor with the at least one indoor device; and
an EHP liquid pipe that connects the first outdoor heat exchanger with the at least one indoor device.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12 , further including:
a gas pipe that connects the EHP gas pipe with the GHP gas pipe; and
a liquid pipe that connects the EHP liquid pipe with the GHP liquid pipe.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein the EHP outdoor device further includes:
a first connection valve, which is opened to allow refrigerant compressed in the first compressor to flow to the gas pipe; and
a second connection valve, which is opened to allow refrigerant flowing through the at least one indoor device to flow to the first outdoor heat exchanger.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 13 , wherein the GHP outdoor device further includes:
a third connection valve, which is opened to allow at least some of refrigerant flowing through the gas pipe to flow to the GHP gas pipe and the engine circulation pipe; and
a fourth circulation valve, which is opened to allow refrigerant flowing through the engine circulation pipe to flow to the GHP liquid pipe and the liquid pipe.

16. An air conditioner, comprising:
at least one indoor device;
an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device, which communicates with the at least one indoor device, having a first compressor driven using electric power and a first outdoor heat exchanger; and
a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device, which communicates with the at least one indoor device, including:
an engine portion using a combustion gas to drive a second compressor;
a second outdoor heat exchanger;
an engine circulation pipe that supplies a refrigerant from the EHP outdoor device to the engine portion;
a GHP gas pipe that connects a discharge side of the second compressor with the at least one indoor device; and
a GHP liquid pipe that connects the second outdoor heat exchanger with the at least one indoor device, wherein the engine circulation pipe is coupled to the GHP gas pipe and the GHP liquid pipe.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 16 , wherein the GHP outdoor device further includes:
a first circulation pipe that includes a first end that extends from the GHP gas pipe to the engine portion;
a second circulation pipe that includes a second end that extends from the GHP liquid pipe to the engine portion; and
a circulation control valve provided at or on the first circulation pipe or the second circulation pipe to control a flow rate of the refrigerant supplied from the EHP outdoor device to the engine portion.

18. An air conditioner, comprising:
at least one indoor device;
an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device, which communicates with the at least one indoor device, including:
a first compressor driven using electric power;
a first outdoor heat exchanger;
an EHP gas pipe that connects a discharge side of the first compressor with the at least one indoor device; and
an EHP liquid pipe that connects the first outdoor heat exchanger with the at least one indoor device; and

a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device, which communicates with the at least one indoor device, including:
an engine portion using a combustion gas to drive a second compressor;
a second outdoor heat exchanger;
an engine circulation pipe that supplies a refrigerant from the EHP outdoor device to the engine portion;
a GHP gas pipe that connects a discharge side of the second compressor with the at least one indoor device; and
a GHP liquid pipe that connects the second outdoor heat exchanger with the at least one indoor device.

19. The air conditioner according to claim 18 , further including:
a gas pipe that connects the EHP gas pipe with the GHP gas pipe; and
a liquid pipe that connects the EHP liquid pipe with the GHP liquid pipe.

20. The air conditioner according to claim 19 , wherein the EHP outdoor device further includes:
a first connection valve, which is opened to allow refrigerant compressed in the first compressor to flow to the gas pipe; and
a second connection valve, which is opened to allow refrigerant flowing through the at least one indoor device to flow to the first outdoor heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Shin Kwangho
• Jeong Hojong
• Chung Minho
• Choi Song

Classifications

• F25B2327/001

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F24F1/0007

  Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units (self-contained units F24F1/02) · CPC title

• F25B2327/00

  Compressor driving means · CPC title

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F24F1/08 Primary

  Compressors specially adapted for separate outdoor units · CPC title