Refrigerator and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A refrigerator including a main body including a storage compartment; a first cooler configured to cool the storage compartment, and including a thermoelectric element, a heat dissipation fan, and a cooling fan; a second cooler configured to cool the storage compartment, and including a compressor, and an evaporator fan; and at least one processor configured to, based on a failure in the first cooler, increase an operating speed of the compressor and the evaporator fan of the second cooler.

1 . A refrigerator, comprising:
 a main body including a storage compartment;   a first cooler configured to cool the storage compartment, and including:
 a thermoelectric element, 
 a heat dissipation fan, and 
 a cooling fan; 
   a second cooler configured to cool the storage compartment, and including:
 a compressor, and 
 an evaporator fan; and 
   at least one processor configured to, based on a failure in the first cooler, increase an operating speed of the compressor and the evaporator fan of the second cooler.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one processor is configured to:
 based on the failure in the first cooler, increase or decrease a target temperature of the storage compartment. 
   
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a current sensor configured to detect a current flowing through the thermoelectric element,   wherein the failure in the first cooler includes the current detected by the current sensor being outside a reference current range for a predetermined first period of time.   
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein
 the at least one processor is configured to:
 based on the current detected by the current sensor being outside the reference current range for the predetermined first period of time, stop an operation of the first cooler, and 
 based on an elapse of a predetermined second period of time, restart the operation of the first cooler. 
   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 4 , wherein
 the at least one processor is configured to:
 based on the failure in the first cooler occurring more than a reference number of times, stop the operation of the first cooler for a predetermined third period of time that is longer than the predetermined second period of time. 
   
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a voltage sensor configured to detect a voltage applied to the thermoelectric element,   wherein the failure in the first cooler includes the voltage detected by the voltage sensor being outside a reference voltage range for a predetermined first period of time.   
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein
 the at least one processor is configured to:
 based on the voltage detected by the voltage sensor being outside the reference voltage range for the predetermined first period of time, stop an operation of the first cooler, and 
 based on an elapse of a predetermined second period of time, restart the operation of the first cooler. 
   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first cooler includes:
 a heat absorption sensor configured to detect a temperature of air absorbed by the thermoelectric element, and 
 a heat dissipation sensor configured to detect a temperature of air discharged by the thermoelectric element, and 
   the failure in the first cooler includes the temperature detected by the heat absorption sensor or the heat dissipation sensor being outside a reference temperature range for a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein
 the at least one processor is configured to:
 based on the temperature detected by the heat absorption sensor or the heat dissipation sensor being outside the reference temperature range for the predetermined period of time, reduce a maximum operating voltage of the first cooler. 
   
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein
 the at least one processor is configured to:
 based on the temperature detected by the heat absorption sensor being outside the reference temperature range for the predetermined period of time, reduce the maximum operating voltage of the first cooler to a first voltage, and 
 based on the temperature detected by the heat dissipation sensor being outside the reference temperature range for the predetermined period of time, reduce the maximum operating voltage of the first cooler to a second voltage. 
   
     
     
         11 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein
 the failure in the first cooler includes a rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan or the cooling fan being less than a reference rotation speed for a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         12 . The refrigerator of  claim 11 , wherein
 the at least one processor is configured to, based on the rotation speed of the heat dissipation fan or the cooling fan being less than the reference rotation speed for the predetermined period of time:
 maintain an operation of the heat dissipation fan or the cooling fan, and 
 stop an operation of the thermoelectric element. 
   
     
     
         13 . A method of controlling a refrigerator including a main body including a storage compartment, a first cooler configured to cool the storage compartment and including a thermoelectric element, a heat dissipation fan, and a cooling fan, and a second cooler configured to cool the storage compartment and including a compressor and an evaporator fan, the method comprising:
 detecting whether a failure occurs in the first cooler; and   based on the failure in the first cooler being detected, increasing an operating speed of the compressor and the evaporator fan of the second cooler.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 based on the failure in the first cooler being detected, increasing or decreasing a target temperature of the storage compartment.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , the refrigerator including a current sensor configured to detect a current flowing through the thermoelectric element, wherein
 the failure in the first cooler being detected includes the current detected by the current sensor being outside a reference current range for a predetermined period of time.