Method for operating air conditioner

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for operating an air conditioner which is capable of achieving the effective operation of a plurality of indoor units. The method comprises the steps of: a) receiving operating state information of the indoor units connected to one outdoor unit; b) determining whether or not the amount of refrigerant to be distributed into the indoor units needs to be regulated, based on the operating state information of the indoor units; and c) regulating the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed into the indoor units.

1 . A method for operating an air conditioner comprising the steps of: 
 a) receiving operating state information of a plurality of indoor units connected to one outdoor unit;    b) determining whether or not the amount of refrigerant to be distributed into the indoor units needs to be regulated, based on the operating state information of the indoor units; and    c) regulating the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed into the indoor units.    
   
   
       2 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the operating state information includes at least one of the temperature of air discharged from each of the indoor units, the temperature of each of indoor unit conduits, the temperature of air suctioned into each of the indoor units, and a flow rate value of each of the indoor units.  
   
   
       3 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 confirming that a controller receives the operating state information from all the indoor units.    
   
   
       4 . The method as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step b) comprises the sub steps of: 
 b1) calculating the operating performance of each of the indoor units based on the operating state information; and    b2) determining whether or not the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed needs to be regulated, in accordance with the operating performance of each of the indoor units.    
   
   
       5 . The method as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the operating performance is calculated by the proportion of an actual operating capability in relation to a rated operating capability under a preset operation condition.  
   
   
       6 . The method as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the rated operating capability is a preset temperature of each of the indoor units, and the actual operating capability is the temperature of air discharged from each of the indoor units under the preset operation condition.  
   
   
       7 . The method as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated when it is determined that there are at least one indoor unit having the operating performance below 1 and at least one indoor unit having the operating performance more than 1.  
   
   
       8 . The method as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated in the step c), so that an increased amount of the refrigerant is introduced into one or ones of the indoor units having the operating performance below 1.  
   
   
       9 . The method as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the step b1) comprises the step of: 
 comparing the temperature of air discharged from each of the indoor units with the average temperature of air discharged from all the indoor units, to calculate the operating performance.    
   
   
       10 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated when it is determined that there are at least one indoor unit in which the temperature of air discharged therefrom is higher than the average temperature and at least one indoor unit in which the temperature of air discharged therefrom is lower than the average temperature.  
   
   
       11 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein, when the indoor units operate in heating mode, the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated in the step c), so that an increased amount of the refrigerant is introduced into one or ones of the indoor units in which the temperature of air discharged therefrom is lower than the average temperature of air discharged from all the indoor units.  
   
   
       12 . The method as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein, when the indoor units operate in cooling mode, the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated in the step c), so that an increased amount of the refrigerant is introduced into one or ones of the indoor units in which the temperature of air discharged therefrom is higher than the average temperature of air discharged from all the indoor units.  
   
   
       13 . The method as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the step b1) comprises the step of: 
 comparing the temperature of each of indoor unit conduits with the average temperature of all the indoor unit conduits, to calculate the operating performance.    
   
   
       14 . The method as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated when it is determined that there are at least one indoor unit in which the temperature of the associated conduit is higher than the average temperature and at least one indoor unit in which the temperature of the associated conduit is lower than the average temperature.  
   
   
       15 . The method as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein, when the indoor units operate in heating mode, the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated in the step c), so that an increased amount of the refrigerant is introduced into one or ones of the indoor units in which the temperature of the associated conduit is lower than the average temperature of all the indoor unit conduits.  
   
   
       16 . The method as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein, when the indoor units operate in cooling mode, the amount of the refrigerant to be distributed is regulated in the step c), so that an increased amount of the refrigerant is introduced into one or ones of the indoor units in which the temperature of the associated conduit is higher than the average temperature.