Operation control method for unitary air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention discloses an operation control method for a unitary air conditioner. The present invention improves the load response capabilities of compressors by operating them at three-stages of the maximum operation, minimum operation and intermediate operation using one or more compressors, and improves the energy efficiency and the amenity by determining the three-stage operation mode based on the previous operation status.

1 . An operation control method for a unitary air conditioner with one or more compressors, comprising the steps of: 
 operating the compressors for a predetermined time by a user's selecting a low cold temperature cooling mode or a high cold temperature cooling mode; and    operating the compressors in either the minimum operation mode or the intermediate operation mode when a low cold temperature signal is inputted from a thermostat by the selection of the low cold temperature cooling mode.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of operating both smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors in the maximum operation mode when a high cold temperature signal is inputted from the thermostat by the selection of the high cold temperature cooling mode.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum operation mode allows to operate only the compressor with a smaller capacity out of the one or more compressors, and the intermediate operation mode allows to operate only the compressor with a larger capacity out of the one or more compressors.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of operating the compressors according to a low cold temperature signal from the thermostat further comprises the step of checking the previous operation status of the cooling mode.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the previous operation status is determined based on a gap between a room temperature and a desired temperature or an outdoor temperature.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the minimum or intermediate operation mode is determined by judging the size of the load at the indoor side.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the size of the load at the indoor side is a gap between a room temperature and a desired temperature.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein, when the load at the indoor side is large, the load response capabilities is increased using only the larger capacity compressor out of the one or more compressors.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein, when the load at the indoor side is small, the power consumption is reduced using only the smaller capacity compressor out of the one or more compressors.  
   
   
       10 . An operation control method for a unitary air conditioner with one or more compressors, comprising the steps of: 
 a user's selecting a low cold temperature cooling mode or a high cold temperature cooling mode;    when a high cold temperature signal is inputted from a thermostat by selecting the high cold temperature cooling mode, operating both smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors in the maximum operation mode; and    when a low cold temperature signal is inputted from the thermostat by selecting the low cold temperature cooling mode, checking the previous operation status based on the size of the load at the indoor side and operating the compressors in either the minimum operation mode or the intermediate operation mode.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of: 
 detecting a room temperature and comparing the room temperature with a desired temperature; and    judging the size of the load at the indoor side based on the result of the comparison between the room temperature and the desired temperature.    
   
   
       12 . An operation control method for a unitary air conditioner with one or more compressors, comprising the steps of: 
 selecting a cooling mode and generating a low cold temperature signal from a thermostat;    operating the compressor with a larger capacity according to the low cold temperature signal;    comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after a lapse of a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a high cold temperature signal based on the result of the comparison, operating all of the one or more compressors.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors for a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a low cold temperature signal based on the result of the comparison, operating the larger capacity compressor.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the larger capacity compressor for a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for stopping the operation of the larger capacity compressor based on the result of the comparison, stopping the operation of the larger capacity compressor;    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a low cold temperature signal after a predetermined of time, operating the smaller capacity compressor.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the smaller capacity compressor for a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for stopping the operation of the smaller capacity compressor based on the result of the comparison, stopping the operation of the smaller capacity compressor;    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a low cold temperature signal after a predetermined of time, operating the smaller capacity compressor.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors for a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for stopping the operation of the smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors based on the result of the comparison, stopping the operation of the smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors for a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a low cold temperature signal based on the result of the comparison, operating the larger capacity compressor.    
   
   
       18 . An operation control method for a unitary air conditioner with one or more compressors, comprising the steps of: 
 generating a high cold temperature signal from a thermostat when a cooling mode is selected;    operating all of the one or more compressors according to the low cold temperature signal;    comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the compressors for a predetermined time;    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for stopping the operation of the compressors based on the result of the comparison, stopping the operation of the compressors;    comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a low cold temperature signal based on the result of the comparison, operating the larger capacity compressor out of the one or more compressors.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the smaller capacity and larger capacity compressors for a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a low cold temperature signal based on the result of the comparison, operating the larger capacity compressor.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of: 
 comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after operating the larger capacity compressor for a predetermined time; and    when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for stopping the operation of the larger capacity compressor based on the result of the comparison, stopping the operation of the larger capacity compressor;    comparing a room temperature and a desired temperature after a predetermined time, and when the thermostat generates a compressor on/off control signal for generating a low cold temperature signal after a predetermined of time, operating the smaller capacity compressor.