Driving controlling apparatus for air conditioner having plural compressors and method thereof

Abstract

A driving controlling apparatus for an air conditioner having a plurality of compressors, and a method thereof. The apparatus comprises a flow amount distribution resistor installed at an outlet of an expansion valve, for passing a certain amount of refrigerant; and a controlling unit for detecting a current load and outputting a control signal so as to introduce a certain amount of refrigerant into the flow amount distribution resistor based on a driving mode corresponding to the detected load.

1 . A driving controlling apparatus for an air conditioner having a plurality of compressors, comprising: 
 a refrigerant accumulating unit for accumulating a certain amount of refrigerant; and    a controlling unit for selecting a driving mode based on a current driving load, and controlling the refrigerant accumulating unit based on the selected driving mode.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant accumulating unit is installed at one of double flow paths between a condensing unit and an expansion valve.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a switching unit installed between a condensing unit and an expansion valve, for switching a refrigerant flow on double flow paths that connect the condensing unit and the expansion valve to each other.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compressor is driven in a maximum capacity driving mode, the controlling unit introduces a refrigerant discharged from the condensing unit into the expansion valve.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the compressor is driven in a minimum capacity driving mode, the controlling unit introduces a refrigerant discharged from the condensing unit into the expansion valve via a flow path where the refrigerant accumulating unit is installed.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling unit detects an indoor temperature, and compares the detected indoor temperature with a user's preset temperature thereby to detect a current load.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controlling unit detects an outdoor temperature, and compares the detected outdoor temperature with a reference temperature thereby to detect a current load.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein when the compressors are driven in a minimum capacity driving mode, the refrigerant accumulating unit is set to have a size enough to accumulate an optimum refrigerant.  
     
     
         9 . A driving controlling apparatus for an air conditioner having a plurality of compressors, comprising: 
 a switching unit installed between a condensing unit and an expansion valve, for switching a refrigerant flow on double flow paths that connect the condensing unit to the expansion valve by a controlling signal;    a refrigerant accumulating unit installed between the condensing unit and the expansion valve, for accumulating a certain amount of refrigerant; and    a controlling unit for selecting a driving mode based on a current driving load, and controlling the switching unit based on the selected driving mode.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the refrigerant accumulating unit is installed at one of double flow paths between the condensing unit and the expansion valve.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the compressor is driven in a maximum capacity driving mode, the controlling unit introduces a refrigerant discharged from the condensing unit into the expansion valve.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the compressor is driven in a minimum capacity driving mode, the controlling unit introduces a refrigerant discharged from the condensing unit into the expansion valve via a flow path where the refrigerant accumulating unit is installed.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the controlling unit detects an indoor temperature, and compares the detected indoor temperature with a user's preset temperature thereby to detect a driving load.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the controlling unit detects an outdoor temperature, and compares the detected outdoor temperature with a reference temperature thereby to detect a current load.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein when the compressors are driven in a minimum capacity driving mode, the refrigerant accumulating unit is set to have a size enough to accumulate an optimum refrigerant.  
     
     
         16 . A driving controlling method for an air conditioner having a plurality of compressors, comprising: 
 detecting a current driving load, and selecting a driving mode based on the detected driving load;    analyzing the driving mode, and controlling a refrigerant circulation amount based on the analyzed result.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of selecting a compressor driving mode comprises: 
 detecting an indoor temperature; and    comparing the detected indoor temperature with a user's preset temperature thereby detecting a current load.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of selecting a compressor driving mode comprises: 
 detecting an outdoor temperature; and    comparing the detected outdoor temperature with a reference temperature thereby detecting a current load.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of controlling a refrigerant circulation amount comprises introducing a refrigerant discharged from a condensing unit into an expansion valve when the compressors are driven in a maximum capacity driving mode.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of controlling a refrigerant circulation amount comprises: 
 when the compressors are driven in a minimum capacity driving mode, partially accumulating a refrigerant discharged from the condensing unit in a refrigerant accumulating unit, and then introducing the rest refrigerant having not accumulated in the refrigerant accumulating unit into the expansion valve.    
     
     
         21 . A driving controlling method for an air conditioner having a plurality of compressors, comprising: 
 detecting a current driving load, and selecting a driving mode based on the detected driving load;    analyzing the driving mode;    when the driving mode is a maximum capacity driving mode, introducing a refrigerant discharged from a condensing unit into an expansion valve; and    when the driving mode is a minimum capacity driving mode, partially accumulating a refrigerant discharged from the condensing unit in a refrigerant accumulating unit, and then introducing the rest refrigerant having not accumulated in the refrigerant accumulating unit into the expansion valve.