Air conditioner and method for controlling an air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include at least one indoor device; an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and configured to drive a first compressor using electric power; a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas; and an exhaust device connected with the engine to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine, and configured to perform heat exchange with an outdoor heat exchanger provided at the EHP outdoor device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 at least one indoor device;   an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and including a first compressor using electric power and an outdoor heat exchanger;   a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas; and   an exhaust device connected to the engine to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine, and configured to perform heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust device is provided adjacent to and extends along the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the exhaust device includes:
 a first exhaust pipe that extends from the engine toward the EHP outdoor device;   a second exhaust pipe connected to the first exhaust pipe and provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger; and   a third exhaust pipe connected to the second exhaust pipe and configured to discharge the exhaust gas.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the outdoor heat exchanger has a distributor that extends in a lengthwise direction of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 4 , wherein the second exhaust pipe is provided adjacent to and extends along the distributor. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 4 , wherein the second exhaust pipe includes a distributor insertion groove into which the distributor is inserted. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the GHP outdoor device includes a cooling water heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange with refrigerant introduced from the at least one indoor device. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 7 , wherein the first exhaust pipe passes through the cooling water heat exchanger. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the second exhaust pipe has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the third exhaust pipe includes:
 a connection portion connected to the second exhaust pipe; and   an exhaust gas discharging portion bent from the connection portion.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , wherein the exhaust gas discharging portion extends parallel with the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling an air conditioner including at least one indoor device; an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and including a first compressor using electric power and an outdoor heat exchanger; a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas; and an exhaust device connected to the engine to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine, the method comprising:
 driving the GHP outdoor device and the EHP outdoor device to perform a warming operation; and   during the warming operation performing heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger using the exhaust device.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the exhaust device is provided adjacent to and extends along the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the exhaust device includes:
 a first exhaust pipe that extends from the engine toward the EHP outdoor device;   a second exhaust pipe connected to the first exhaust pipe and provided adjacent to the outdoor heat exchanger; and   a third exhaust pipe connected to the second exhaust pipe and configured to discharge the exhaust gas.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the outdoor heat exchanger has a distributor that extends in a lengthwise direction of the outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the second exhaust pipe is provided adjacent to and extends along the distributor. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the second exhaust pipe includes a distributor insertion groove into which the distributor is inserted. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the GHP outdoor device includes a cooling water heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange with refrigerant introduced from the at least one indoor device. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the first exhaust pipe passes through the cooling water heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the third exhaust pipe includes:
 a connection portion connected to the second exhaust pipe; and   an exhaust gas discharging portion bent from the connection portion.   
     
     
         21 . Apparatus for controlling an air conditioner including at least one indoor device; an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and including a first compressor using electric power and an outdoor heat exchanger; a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas; and an exhaust device connected to the engine to discharge an exhaust gas of the engine, the apparatus comprising:
 means for driving the GHP outdoor device and the EHP outdoor device to perform a warming operation; and   means for, during the warming operation, performing heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger using the exhaust device.