US20130111933A1 - Refrigerator using non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture and control method thereof - Google Patents
Refrigerator using non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture and control method thereof Download PDFInfo
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- US20130111933A1 US20130111933A1 US13/672,076 US201213672076A US2013111933A1 US 20130111933 A1 US20130111933 A1 US 20130111933A1 US 201213672076 A US201213672076 A US 201213672076A US 2013111933 A1 US2013111933 A1 US 2013111933A1
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- freezing
- operation mode
- refrigerating
- refrigerant
- compressor
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- 239000003507 refrigerant Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 128
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 29
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 12
- 238000007710 freezing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 280
- 230000008014 freezing Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 280
- 230000008020 evaporation Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 36
- 238000001704 evaporation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 36
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000001351 cycling effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 5
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 abstract description 3
- 239000012071 phase Substances 0.000 description 12
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 11
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 7
- 239000007791 liquid phase Substances 0.000 description 7
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000002427 irreversible effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007664 blowing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001747 exhibiting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000021109 kimchi Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000005012 migration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013508 migration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D19/00—Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
- F25D17/062—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators
- F25D17/065—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation in household refrigerators with compartments at different temperatures
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D11/00—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators
- F25D11/02—Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators with cooling compartments at different temperatures
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
- F25D17/04—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection
- F25D17/06—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating air, e.g. by convection by forced circulation
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D29/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D29/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
- F25D29/003—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for movable devices
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2600/00—Control issues
- F25B2600/02—Compressor control
- F25B2600/025—Compressor control by controlling speed
- F25B2600/0253—Compressor control by controlling speed with variable speed
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B2600/00—Control issues
- F25B2600/11—Fan speed control
- F25B2600/112—Fan speed control of evaporator fans
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B9/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
- F25B9/002—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the refrigerant
- F25B9/006—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the refrigerant the refrigerant containing more than one component
Definitions
- Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a refrigerator using a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) and a control method thereof.
- NARM non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture
- Non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures are refrigerants, the temperature of which is changed during a phase change process differently from pure refrigerants generally used in refrigerators.
- Efficiency of a refrigerator may be improved by applying such a non-azeotropic refrigerant to a refrigerant cycle.
- a refrigerant temperature at a point where evaporation is started becomes lower than the mean evaporation temperature.
- the mean evaporation temperature may be raised as compared to a pure refrigerant, and thus a compression ratio may be reduced.
- a refrigerator using an NARM cycle is configured such that the refrigerant first passes through a freezing chamber evaporator and then passes through a refrigerating chamber evaporator differently from a general refrigerator.
- a refrigerant charging amount may be increased compared to that of a conventional refrigerant cycle and a refrigerating chamber evaporator may be installed at a position further upstream than a freezing chamber evaporator.
- the refrigerating chamber evaporator first uses evaporation latent heat of a refrigerant and then the freezing chamber evaporator uses remaining latent heat during simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation.
- evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in the freezing chamber evaporator is sufficient, freezing chamber heat load is supplemented in an independent freezing operation mode and thus operation of the cycle is not hindered.
- the freezing chamber evaporator is installed at a position further upstream than the refrigerating chamber evaporator and thus the refrigerating chamber evaporator uses evaporation latent heat remaining after use in the freezing chamber evaporator. Since cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber needs to be finished in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode (because there is no independent refrigerating operation mode in the conventional refrigerant cycle), evaporation latent heat remaining after use in the freezing chamber evaporator needs to be sufficient to perform the cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber.
- the charging amount of the refrigerant in the NARM cycle is increased.
- Increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant causes overcharge of the refrigerant during independent freezing operation, thus producing side effects, such as lowering of system efficiency.
- over-charging of the refrigerant at an amount more than a proper level causes increase of input of the compressor and rise of an evaporation temperature due to increase in the operating pressure of the cycle.
- increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant serves to increase loss generated by ON/OFF operation of the refrigerator.
- Such loss is referred to as cycling loss, and is generated in a refrigerator system in which the ON/OFF operation of the refrigerator is continuously performed.
- the cycling loss tends to increase together with increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant.
- the cycling loss may be divided into migration loss generated due to transfer of a high-pressure refrigerant distributed at a high-pressure side to a low-pressure side when a compressor is turned off, and redistribution loss to reach again a stable cycle operation state by transferring a part of the refrigerant located at the low-pressure side to the high-pressure side when the compressor is turned on, and both losses increase also together with increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant.
- NARM non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture
- a refrigerator includes a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber, a compressor to compress a refrigerant, a condenser to cool the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, a refrigerating chamber evaporator to cool the refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamber evaporator provided between the condenser and the refrigerating chamber evaporator at a position further upstream than the refrigerating chamber evaporator and to cool the freezing chamber, a freezing chamber fan blowing cool air having undergone heat exchange in the freezing chamber evaporator, and a controller to control operation of the compressor and the freezing chamber fan, wherein the controller changes the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor so as to increase the amount of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerating chamber evaporator in a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- the controller may lower the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- the controller may temporarily lower the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan to 0 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- the controller may increase the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- the controller may lower the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode or temporarily stop the operation of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, and may increase the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to the freezing operation mode.
- a control method of a refrigerator in which a freezing chamber evaporator is provided at a position further upstream than the refrigerating chamber evaporator includes determining whether or not the refrigerator is in a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, and changing the rotational speed of at least one of a freezing chamber fan and a compressor so as to increase the amount of a refrigerant introduced into the refrigerating chamber evaporator, upon determining that the refrigerator is in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- the change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include lowering the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- the change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include temporarily lowering the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan to 0 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- the change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include increasing the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- the change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include lowering the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode or temporarily stopping the operation of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, increasing the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to the freezing operation mode.
- FIG. 1 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) cycle of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of a freezing chamber fan in a freezing operation mode and a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of a compressor in the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 1 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a freezing chamber 12 located above a diaphragm 11 forming a part of a main body 10 and provided with the opened front surface, a freezing chamber door 13 opening or closing the opened front surface of the freezing chamber 12 , a refrigerating chamber 14 located under the diaphragm 11 and provided with the opened front surface, a refrigerating chamber door 15 opening or closing the opened front surface of the refrigerating chamber 14 , and a compressor 16 provided at a rear portion of the lower portion of the main body 10 .
- a freezing chamber heat exchange device 30 and 31 and a refrigerating chamber heat exchange device 40 and 41 performing heat exchange are provided between the rear surface portions of the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 14 and the main body 10 , respectively.
- a freezing chamber temperature sensor 17 and a refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 18 are provided at designated portions of the walls of the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 14 .
- Shelves 19 and baskets 20 to store food are provided within the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 14 .
- a machinery chamber which is a separate space is provided at the rear portion of the lower portion of the main body 10 , and the compressor 16 and the condenser 50 are provided within the machinery chamber.
- the freezing chamber heat exchange device 30 and 31 includes a freezing chamber evaporator 30 to cool air in the freezing chamber 12 through heat exchange, and a freezing chamber fan 31 installed above the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and circulating cool air having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 to the inside of the freezing chamber 12 .
- a suction hole 32 through which air in the freezing chamber 12 is sucked by driving of the freezing chamber fan 31 is formed below the freezing chamber evaporator 30 , and a plurality of discharge holes 33 to uniformly discharge cool air blown by the freezing chamber fan 31 to the inside of the freezing chamber 12 is formed on the rear surface of the freezing chamber 12 .
- the refrigerating chamber heat exchange device 40 and 41 includes a refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 to cool air in the refrigerating chamber 14 through heat exchange, and a refrigerating chamber fan 41 installed above the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 and circulating cool air having passed through the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 to the inside of the refrigerating chamber 14 .
- a suction channel 42 to suck air in the refrigerating chamber 14 by driving of the refrigerating chamber fan 41 is provided below the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 , and a plurality of discharge holes 43 to uniformly discharge cool air blown by the refrigerating chamber fan 41 to the inside of the refrigerating chamber 14 is formed on the rear surface of the refrigerating chamber 14 .
- FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) cycle of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- NARM non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture
- the refrigerator having the NARM cycle includes the compressor 16 , a condenser 50 , a capillary tube 60 , the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 , and these components are sequentially connected to refrigerant flow channels represented by solid lines.
- the capillary tube 60 is an example of an expansion device which decompresses and expands a refrigerant discharged from the condenser 50 .
- a condenser fan 51 which sucks air at the outside of the refrigerator into the condenser 50 and then discharges the air to the outside of the refrigerator so as to rapidly perform heat exchange with air at the outside of the refrigerator is provided around the condenser 50 .
- a freezing chamber fan 31 which sucks air at the inside of the freezing chamber 12 into the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and then discharges the air to the inside of the freezing chamber 12 so as to rapidly perform heat exchange with air at the inside of the freezing chamber 12 is provided around the freezing chamber evaporator 30 .
- a refrigerating chamber fan 41 which sucks air at the inside of the refrigerating chamber 14 into the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 and then discharges the air to the inside of the refrigerating chamber 14 so as to rapidly perform heat exchange with air at the inside of the refrigerating chamber 14 is provided around the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- a 3-way valve 70 i.e., a flow channel switch valve to selectively change the respective refrigerant flow channels, is provided at an intersection of a refrigerant pipe connecting the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 and a refrigerant pipe connecting the freezing chamber evaporator and the inlet side of the compressor 16 .
- NARM cycle having the above-described configuration is performed by circulating a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) along the components shown by arrows represented by dotted lines.
- NARM non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture
- the temperature of the NARM is changed during a phase change process differently from pure refrigerants generally used in refrigerators. That is, the temperature of the NARM is raised as the NARM is evaporated.
- efficiency of a refrigerator cycle increases as a compression ratio between a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side is reduced, and such a compression ratio is restricted by the refrigerant evaporation temperature of a freezing chamber evaporator.
- the evaporation temperature needs to be lower than such a temperature and thus the temperature of the inside of the freezing chamber acts as a critical point in decreasing the compression ratio.
- the refrigerant temperature at a point where evaporation is started is lower than the mean evaporation temperature, and thus, by applying the NARM to operation of the freezing chamber, the mean evaporation temperature may be raised as compared to a pure refrigerant and a compression ratio may be reduced.
- the refrigerator using the NARM cycle is configured such that the refrigerant first passes through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and then passes through the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 differently from a general refrigerator.
- the freezing chamber evaporator 30 is located at a position further upstream than the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 16 reaches the 3-way valve 70 via the condenser 50 , the capillary tube 60 and the freezing chamber evaporator 30 .
- the refrigerant pipe at the 3-way valve 70 is branched so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of the compressor 16 via the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 or is introduced directly into the compressor 16 bypassing the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 according to switching of the 3-way valve 70 .
- a freezing/refrigerating cycle in the order of the compressor 16 , the condenser 50 , the capillary tube 60 , the freezing chamber evaporator 30 , the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 and then the compressor 16 and a freezing cycle in the order of the compressor 16 , the condenser 50 , the capillary tube 60 , the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and then the compressor 16 are formed.
- a refrigerant flow channel A of the 3-way valve 70 is opened and a refrigerant flow channel B is closed by turning the 3-way valve 70 on. Further, if it is desired to introduce the refrigerant having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 into the compressor 16 bypassing the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 , the refrigerant flow channel A of the 3-way valve 70 is closed and the refrigerant flow channel B is opened by turning the 3-way valve 70 off.
- a refrigerant in a gas phase compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure state by the compressor 16 of the refrigerator is introduced into the condenser 50 .
- the condenser 50 converts the refrigerant from the gas phase to a liquid phase by emitting heat to the outside through heat exchange with air at the outside of the refrigerator introduced by the condenser fan 51 .
- the refrigerant in the liquid phase having passed through the condenser 50 is decompressed via the capillary tube 60 , and is then introduced sequentially into the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- the freezing chamber evaporator 30 converts the refrigerant from the liquid phase to the gas phase by absorbing heat at the inside of the freezing chamber through heat exchange with air at the inside of the refrigerator introduced by the freezing chamber fan 31 . Cool air is generated by such phase conversion of the refrigerant, and the generated cool air is introduced into the freezing chamber by the freezing chamber fan 31 and lowers the temperature of the freezing chamber. Further, the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 converts the refrigerant from the liquid phase to the gas phase by absorbing heat at the inside of the refrigerating chamber through heat exchange between with air at the inside of the refrigerator introduced by the refrigerating chamber fan 41 .
- Cool air is generated by such phase conversion of the refrigerant, and the generated cool air is introduced into the refrigerating chamber by the refrigerating chamber fan 41 and lowers the temperature of the refrigerating chamber.
- the refrigerant having passed through the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 is introduced into the inlet side of the compressor 16 .
- a refrigerant in a gas phase compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure state by the compressor 16 of the refrigerator is introduced into the condenser 50 .
- the condenser 50 converts the refrigerant from the gas phase to a liquid phase by emitting heat to the outside through heat exchange with air at the outside of the refrigerator introduced by the condenser fan 51 .
- the refrigerant in the liquid phase having passed through the condenser 50 is decompressed via the capillary tube 60 , and is then introduced into the freezing chamber evaporator 30 .
- the freezing chamber evaporator 30 converts the refrigerant from the liquid phase to the gas phase by absorbing heat at the inside of the freezing chamber through heat exchange with air at the inside of the refrigerator introduced by the freezing chamber fan 31 . Cool air is generated by such phase conversion of the refrigerant, and the generated cool air is introduced into the freezing chamber by the freezing chamber fan 31 and lowers the temperature of the freezing chamber.
- the refrigerant having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of the compressor 16 .
- the refrigerator having the above-described configuration includes an operation control device 100 which increases evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of the freezing chamber fan in the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of the compressor in the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the operation control device 100 includes a controller 110 which stores programs in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode and the freezing operation mode and thus outputs control signals to the respective components to cool both the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber 14 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode and to cool the freezing chamber 12 alone in the freezing operation mode.
- the controller 110 reduces evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant consumed by the freezing chamber evaporator 30 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode and thus relatively increases evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant consumed by the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- the controller 110 changes the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan 31 and/or the compressor 16 so as to increase evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- a method of reducing the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan 31 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode or a method of stopping the freezing chamber fan 31 for a designated time in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode may be used. These methods is to relatively increase evaporation latent heat usable in the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 by relatively reducing evaporation latent heat consumed by the freezing chamber evaporator 30 . Therethrough, cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber may be performed without increasing the amount of the refrigerant.
- a control method of the rotational speed of an inverter compressor may be used.
- the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation is increased as compared to the freezing operation, thereby exhibiting similar effects to the control method of the freezing chamber fan 31 .
- the rotational speed of the compressor 16 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation is increased, the mass flow rate of the refrigerant circulating in the cycle is increased at the same refrigerant charging amount and thus evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant of a relatively larger amount may be used in the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- the freezing chamber temperature sensor 17 to sense the temperature of the freezing chamber 12 and the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 18 to sense the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 14 are electrically connected to the input side of the controller 110 .
- the compressor 16 , the freezing chamber fan 31 , the refrigerating chamber fan 41 and the condenser fan 51 operated by control signals from the controller 110 are electrically connected to the output side of the controller 110 .
- the controller 110 includes a fan speed control circuit 111 increasing and decreasing the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan 31 and a compressor speed control circuit 112 increasing and decreasing the rotational speed of the compressor 16 .
- the 3-way valve 70 operated by a control signal from the controller 110 is electrically connected to the output side of the controller 110 .
- the above-described controller 110 performs one of the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- the controller 110 opens or closes the respective refrigerant flow channels A and B through the 3-way valve 70 in the freezing operation mode or the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, thereby forming a freezing cycle or a freezing/refrigerating cycle.
- the controller 110 rotates the freezing chamber fan 31 at a reference speed N 1 in the freezing operation mode, and decreases the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan 31 to a speed N 2 which is lower than the reference speed N 1 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant consumed by the freezing chamber evaporator 30 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating mode may be reduced, and thus evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in the refrigerant chamber evaporator 40 may be relatively increased.
- the controller 110 operates the freezing chamber fan 31 for a reference operation time in the freezing operation mode, and operates the freezing chamber fan 31 for a time shorter than the reference operation time in the freezing/refrigerating operation time. That is, the controller 110 forms a temporary stoppage section where the freezing chamber fan 31 is temporarily stopped in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- the controller 110 rotates the compressor 16 at a reference speed N 1 in the freezing operation mode, and increases the rotational speed of the compressor 16 to a speed N 2 which is higher than the reference speed N 1 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in the refrigerant chamber evaporator 40 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating mode may be relatively increased.
- FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the controller 110 first senses the temperature of the freezing chamber 12 , and determines whether or not a freezing operation condition is satisfied by comparing the sensed temperature with a predetermined temperature (Operation 200 ).
- the controller 110 turns the compressor 16 on (Operation 202 ). At this time, the controller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of the compressor 16 .
- the controller 110 rotates the freezing chamber fan 31 at a predetermined speed, i.e., a reference speed FS_r (Operation 204 ).
- the controller 110 determines whether or not a freezing operation off condition is satisfied (Operation 206 ).
- the controller 110 turns the compressor 16 off (Operation 208 ) and turns the freezing chamber fan 31 off (Operation 210 ).
- the controller 110 determines whether or not a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is satisfied (Operation 212 ).
- the controller 110 turns the compressor 16 on (Operation 214 ). At this time, the controller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of the compressor 16 via the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- the controller 110 After turning-on of the compressor 16 , the controller 110 rotates the freezing chamber fan 31 at a speed FS (FS ⁇ FS_r) which is lower than the predetermined reference speed FS_r (Operation 216 ). At this time, the controller 110 operates the refrigerating chamber fan 41 at a reference speed RS.
- FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
- the controller 110 first senses the temperature of the freezing chamber 12 , and determines whether or not a freezing operation condition is satisfied by comparing the sensed temperature with a predetermined temperature (Operation 300 ).
- the controller 110 rotates the compressor 16 at a predetermined speed, i.e., a reference speed CS_r (Operation 302 ). At this time, the controller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of the compressor 16 .
- the controller 110 rotates the freezing chamber fan 31 at a predetermined speed, i.e., a reference speed FS_r (Operation 304 ).
- the controller 110 determines whether or not a freezing operation off condition is satisfied (Operation 306 ).
- the controller 110 turns the compressor 16 off (Operation 308 ) and turns the freezing chamber fan 31 off (Operation 310 ).
- the controller 110 determines whether or not a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is satisfied (Operation 312 ).
- the controller 110 rotates the compressor 16 at a speed CS (CS>CS_r) which is higher than the predetermined reference speed CS_r (Operation 314 ). At this time, the controller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezing chamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of the compressor 16 via the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 .
- the controller 110 After rotation of the compressor 16 at the speed CS, the controller 110 rotates the freezing chamber fan 31 at the predetermined reference speed FS_r or a speed FS (FS ⁇ FS_r) which is lower than the predetermined reference speed FS_r (Operation 316 ). At this time, the controller 110 operates the refrigerating chamber fan 41 at a reference speed RS.
- sub-coolers In order to maximize effects of the NARM, the dryness and temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the evaporator need to be lowered, and for this purpose, sub-coolers may be mounted.
- the sub-coolers lower the dryness of the refrigerant at the inlet of the freezing chamber evaporator 30 (the outlet of the capillary tube) through heat exchange between the refrigerant pipe at the outlet of the condenser 50 and the refrigerant pipe at the outlet of the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 , and may thus lower the temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the freezing chamber evaporator 30 .
- the number and positions of the sub-coolers may be varied according to characteristics of the cycle, and for example, two sub-coolers may be used.
- a sub-cooler performing heat exchange between the low-pressure side refrigerant pipe between the freezing chamber evaporator 30 and the refrigerating chamber evaporator 40 and the refrigerant pipe of the condenser 50 is referred to as a low temperature heat exchanger (LTHX), and serves both to lower the temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the freezing chamber evaporator and to raise a refrigerating chamber evaporation temperature. Since operation of the refrigerating chamber 14 uses a part of evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant, the dryness of which is high, and the refrigerating chamber evaporation temperature of the NARM becomes higher than that of a pure refrigerant.
- LTHX low temperature heat exchanger
- the LTHX may maximize reduction in the irreversible loss.
- HTHX high temperature heat exchanger
- a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure reduces the rotational speed of a freezing chamber fan or stopping the freezing chamber fan for a designated time, and/or increasing the rotational speed of a compressor in a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of an NARM cycle as compared to a freezing operation mode, and may thus decrease evaporation latent heat of a refrigerant consumed by a freezing chamber evaporator and relatively increase evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in a refrigerating chamber evaporator without increase in a charging amount of the refrigerant, thereby preventing over-charging due to increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant and reducing cycling loss.
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0115911, filed on Nov. 8, 2011 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field
- Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a refrigerator using a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) and a control method thereof.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures (NARMs) are refrigerants, the temperature of which is changed during a phase change process differently from pure refrigerants generally used in refrigerators.
- Efficiency of a refrigerator may be improved by applying such a non-azeotropic refrigerant to a refrigerant cycle.
- If the non-azeotropic refrigerant is used, a refrigerant temperature at a point where evaporation is started becomes lower than the mean evaporation temperature. By applying such a fact to operation of a freezing chamber, the mean evaporation temperature may be raised as compared to a pure refrigerant, and thus a compression ratio may be reduced. For this reason, a refrigerator using an NARM cycle is configured such that the refrigerant first passes through a freezing chamber evaporator and then passes through a refrigerating chamber evaporator differently from a general refrigerator.
- Therefore, a refrigerant charging amount may be increased compared to that of a conventional refrigerant cycle and a refrigerating chamber evaporator may be installed at a position further upstream than a freezing chamber evaporator.
- In the conventional refrigerant cycle, the refrigerating chamber evaporator first uses evaporation latent heat of a refrigerant and then the freezing chamber evaporator uses remaining latent heat during simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation. Here, although evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in the freezing chamber evaporator is sufficient, freezing chamber heat load is supplemented in an independent freezing operation mode and thus operation of the cycle is not hindered.
- However, in case of such a serial NARM cycle, the freezing chamber evaporator is installed at a position further upstream than the refrigerating chamber evaporator and thus the refrigerating chamber evaporator uses evaporation latent heat remaining after use in the freezing chamber evaporator. Since cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber needs to be finished in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode (because there is no independent refrigerating operation mode in the conventional refrigerant cycle), evaporation latent heat remaining after use in the freezing chamber evaporator needs to be sufficient to perform the cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber.
- For this reason, the charging amount of the refrigerant in the NARM cycle is increased. Increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant causes overcharge of the refrigerant during independent freezing operation, thus producing side effects, such as lowering of system efficiency. Because over-charging of the refrigerant at an amount more than a proper level causes increase of input of the compressor and rise of an evaporation temperature due to increase in the operating pressure of the cycle.
- Further, increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant serves to increase loss generated by ON/OFF operation of the refrigerator. Such loss is referred to as cycling loss, and is generated in a refrigerator system in which the ON/OFF operation of the refrigerator is continuously performed. However, the cycling loss tends to increase together with increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant. The cycling loss may be divided into migration loss generated due to transfer of a high-pressure refrigerant distributed at a high-pressure side to a low-pressure side when a compressor is turned off, and redistribution loss to reach again a stable cycle operation state by transferring a part of the refrigerant located at the low-pressure side to the high-pressure side when the compressor is turned on, and both losses increase also together with increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant.
- Therefore, it is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a refrigerator using a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) which increases evaporation latent heat usable in a refrigerating chamber evaporator during simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation without increase in the charging amount of a refrigerant in a NARM cycle, and a control method of the refrigerator.
- Additional aspects of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosure.
- In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a refrigerator includes a freezing chamber and a refrigerating chamber, a compressor to compress a refrigerant, a condenser to cool the refrigerant discharged from the compressor, a refrigerating chamber evaporator to cool the refrigerating chamber, a freezing chamber evaporator provided between the condenser and the refrigerating chamber evaporator at a position further upstream than the refrigerating chamber evaporator and to cool the freezing chamber, a freezing chamber fan blowing cool air having undergone heat exchange in the freezing chamber evaporator, and a controller to control operation of the compressor and the freezing chamber fan, wherein the controller changes the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor so as to increase the amount of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerating chamber evaporator in a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- The controller may lower the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- The controller may temporarily lower the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan to 0 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- The controller may increase the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- The controller may lower the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode or temporarily stop the operation of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, and may increase the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to the freezing operation mode.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a control method of a refrigerator in which a freezing chamber evaporator is provided at a position further upstream than the refrigerating chamber evaporator includes determining whether or not the refrigerator is in a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, and changing the rotational speed of at least one of a freezing chamber fan and a compressor so as to increase the amount of a refrigerant introduced into the refrigerating chamber evaporator, upon determining that the refrigerator is in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- The change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include lowering the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- The change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include temporarily lowering the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan to 0 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode.
- The change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include increasing the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode.
- The change of the rotational speed of at least one of the freezing chamber fan and the compressor may include lowering the rotational speed of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to a freezing operation mode or temporarily stopping the operation of the freezing chamber fan in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, increasing the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode as compared to the freezing operation mode.
- These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
-
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) cycle of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of a freezing chamber fan in a freezing operation mode and a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of a compressor in the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. - Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like components throughout.
-
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure includes afreezing chamber 12 located above adiaphragm 11 forming a part of amain body 10 and provided with the opened front surface, afreezing chamber door 13 opening or closing the opened front surface of thefreezing chamber 12, a refrigeratingchamber 14 located under thediaphragm 11 and provided with the opened front surface, a refrigeratingchamber door 15 opening or closing the opened front surface of the refrigeratingchamber 14, and acompressor 16 provided at a rear portion of the lower portion of themain body 10. - A freezing chamber
heat exchange device heat exchange device freezing chamber 12 and the refrigeratingchamber 14 and themain body 10, respectively. - A freezing
chamber temperature sensor 17 and a refrigeratingchamber temperature sensor 18 are provided at designated portions of the walls of thefreezing chamber 12 and the refrigeratingchamber 14. -
Shelves 19 andbaskets 20 to store food are provided within thefreezing chamber 12 and the refrigeratingchamber 14. - A machinery chamber which is a separate space is provided at the rear portion of the lower portion of the
main body 10, and thecompressor 16 and thecondenser 50 are provided within the machinery chamber. - The freezing chamber
heat exchange device freezing chamber evaporator 30 to cool air in thefreezing chamber 12 through heat exchange, and afreezing chamber fan 31 installed above thefreezing chamber evaporator 30 and circulating cool air having passed through thefreezing chamber evaporator 30 to the inside of thefreezing chamber 12. - A
suction hole 32 through which air in thefreezing chamber 12 is sucked by driving of thefreezing chamber fan 31 is formed below thefreezing chamber evaporator 30, and a plurality ofdischarge holes 33 to uniformly discharge cool air blown by thefreezing chamber fan 31 to the inside of thefreezing chamber 12 is formed on the rear surface of thefreezing chamber 12. - Similar to the freezing chamber
heat exchange device heat exchange device chamber evaporator 40 to cool air in the refrigeratingchamber 14 through heat exchange, and a refrigeratingchamber fan 41 installed above the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 and circulating cool air having passed through the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 to the inside of the refrigeratingchamber 14. - A
suction channel 42 to suck air in the refrigeratingchamber 14 by driving of therefrigerating chamber fan 41 is provided below the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40, and a plurality ofdischarge holes 43 to uniformly discharge cool air blown by the refrigeratingchamber fan 41 to the inside of the refrigeratingchamber 14 is formed on the rear surface of the refrigeratingchamber 14. -
FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) cycle of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , the refrigerator having the NARM cycle includes thecompressor 16, acondenser 50, acapillary tube 60, thefreezing chamber evaporator 30 and the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40, and these components are sequentially connected to refrigerant flow channels represented by solid lines. - The
capillary tube 60 is an example of an expansion device which decompresses and expands a refrigerant discharged from thecondenser 50. - A
condenser fan 51 which sucks air at the outside of the refrigerator into thecondenser 50 and then discharges the air to the outside of the refrigerator so as to rapidly perform heat exchange with air at the outside of the refrigerator is provided around thecondenser 50. - A
freezing chamber fan 31 which sucks air at the inside of thefreezing chamber 12 into thefreezing chamber evaporator 30 and then discharges the air to the inside of thefreezing chamber 12 so as to rapidly perform heat exchange with air at the inside of thefreezing chamber 12 is provided around thefreezing chamber evaporator 30. - A
refrigerating chamber fan 41 which sucks air at the inside of the refrigeratingchamber 14 into the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 and then discharges the air to the inside of the refrigeratingchamber 14 so as to rapidly perform heat exchange with air at the inside of the refrigeratingchamber 14 is provided around the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. - Further, a 3-
way valve 70, i.e., a flow channel switch valve to selectively change the respective refrigerant flow channels, is provided at an intersection of a refrigerant pipe connecting the freezingchamber evaporator 30 and the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 and a refrigerant pipe connecting the freezing chamber evaporator and the inlet side of thecompressor 16. - The NARM cycle having the above-described configuration is performed by circulating a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture (NARM) along the components shown by arrows represented by dotted lines.
- The temperature of the NARM is changed during a phase change process differently from pure refrigerants generally used in refrigerators. That is, the temperature of the NARM is raised as the NARM is evaporated.
- In general, efficiency of a refrigerator cycle increases as a compression ratio between a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side is reduced, and such a compression ratio is restricted by the refrigerant evaporation temperature of a freezing chamber evaporator. For example, if it is desired to keep the freezing chamber at a temperature of −20° C., the evaporation temperature needs to be lower than such a temperature and thus the temperature of the inside of the freezing chamber acts as a critical point in decreasing the compression ratio.
- If the NARM is used under this condition, the refrigerant temperature at a point where evaporation is started is lower than the mean evaporation temperature, and thus, by applying the NARM to operation of the freezing chamber, the mean evaporation temperature may be raised as compared to a pure refrigerant and a compression ratio may be reduced.
- For this reason, the refrigerator using the NARM cycle is configured such that the refrigerant first passes through the freezing
chamber evaporator 30 and then passes through the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 differently from a general refrigerator. - Therefore, in the NARM cycle, the freezing
chamber evaporator 30 is located at a position further upstream than the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. - Now, the flow of the refrigerant in the NARM cycle will be described. The refrigerant discharged from the
compressor 16 reaches the 3-way valve 70 via thecondenser 50, thecapillary tube 60 and the freezingchamber evaporator 30. The refrigerant pipe at the 3-way valve 70 is branched so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezingchamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of thecompressor 16 via the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 or is introduced directly into thecompressor 16 bypassing the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 according to switching of the 3-way valve 70. - That is, according to switching of the 3-
way valve 70, a freezing/refrigerating cycle in the order of thecompressor 16, thecondenser 50, thecapillary tube 60, the freezingchamber evaporator 30, the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 and then thecompressor 16, and a freezing cycle in the order of thecompressor 16, thecondenser 50, thecapillary tube 60, the freezingchamber evaporator 30 and then thecompressor 16 are formed. - If it is desired to introduce the refrigerant having passed through the freezing
chamber evaporator 30 into the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40, a refrigerant flow channel A of the 3-way valve 70 is opened and a refrigerant flow channel B is closed by turning the 3-way valve 70 on. Further, if it is desired to introduce the refrigerant having passed through the freezingchamber evaporator 30 into thecompressor 16 bypassing the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40, the refrigerant flow channel A of the 3-way valve 70 is closed and the refrigerant flow channel B is opened by turning the 3-way valve 70 off. - In the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, a refrigerant in a gas phase compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure state by the
compressor 16 of the refrigerator is introduced into thecondenser 50. Thecondenser 50 converts the refrigerant from the gas phase to a liquid phase by emitting heat to the outside through heat exchange with air at the outside of the refrigerator introduced by thecondenser fan 51. The refrigerant in the liquid phase having passed through thecondenser 50 is decompressed via thecapillary tube 60, and is then introduced sequentially into the freezingchamber evaporator 30 and the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. The freezingchamber evaporator 30 converts the refrigerant from the liquid phase to the gas phase by absorbing heat at the inside of the freezing chamber through heat exchange with air at the inside of the refrigerator introduced by the freezingchamber fan 31. Cool air is generated by such phase conversion of the refrigerant, and the generated cool air is introduced into the freezing chamber by the freezingchamber fan 31 and lowers the temperature of the freezing chamber. Further, the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 converts the refrigerant from the liquid phase to the gas phase by absorbing heat at the inside of the refrigerating chamber through heat exchange between with air at the inside of the refrigerator introduced by the refrigeratingchamber fan 41. Cool air is generated by such phase conversion of the refrigerant, and the generated cool air is introduced into the refrigerating chamber by the refrigeratingchamber fan 41 and lowers the temperature of the refrigerating chamber. The refrigerant having passed through the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 is introduced into the inlet side of thecompressor 16. - On the other hand, in the freezing operation mode, a refrigerant in a gas phase compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure state by the
compressor 16 of the refrigerator is introduced into thecondenser 50. Thecondenser 50 converts the refrigerant from the gas phase to a liquid phase by emitting heat to the outside through heat exchange with air at the outside of the refrigerator introduced by thecondenser fan 51. The refrigerant in the liquid phase having passed through thecondenser 50 is decompressed via thecapillary tube 60, and is then introduced into the freezingchamber evaporator 30. The freezingchamber evaporator 30 converts the refrigerant from the liquid phase to the gas phase by absorbing heat at the inside of the freezing chamber through heat exchange with air at the inside of the refrigerator introduced by the freezingchamber fan 31. Cool air is generated by such phase conversion of the refrigerant, and the generated cool air is introduced into the freezing chamber by the freezingchamber fan 31 and lowers the temperature of the freezing chamber. The refrigerant having passed through the freezingchamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of thecompressor 16. - The refrigerator having the above-described configuration includes an
operation control device 100 which increases evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode. -
FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure,FIG. 4 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of the freezing chamber fan in the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, andFIG. 5 is a timing diagram illustrating rotational speed change of the compressor in the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of the refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , theoperation control device 100 includes acontroller 110 which stores programs in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode and the freezing operation mode and thus outputs control signals to the respective components to cool both the freezingchamber 12 and the refrigeratingchamber 14 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode and to cool the freezingchamber 12 alone in the freezing operation mode. - Particularly, the
controller 110 reduces evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant consumed by the freezingchamber evaporator 30 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode and thus relatively increases evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant consumed by the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. For this purpose, thecontroller 110 changes the rotational speed of at least one of the freezingchamber fan 31 and/or thecompressor 16 so as to increase evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. - As a control method of the freezing
chamber fan 31, a method of reducing the rotational speed of the freezingchamber fan 31 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode or a method of stopping the freezingchamber fan 31 for a designated time in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode may be used. These methods is to relatively increase evaporation latent heat usable in the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 by relatively reducing evaporation latent heat consumed by the freezingchamber evaporator 30. Therethrough, cooling operation of the refrigerating chamber may be performed without increasing the amount of the refrigerant. - In addition to the control method of the freezing
chamber fan 31, a control method of the rotational speed of an inverter compressor may be used. In such a method, the rotational speed of the compressor in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation is increased as compared to the freezing operation, thereby exhibiting similar effects to the control method of the freezingchamber fan 31. If the rotational speed of thecompressor 16 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation is increased, the mass flow rate of the refrigerant circulating in the cycle is increased at the same refrigerant charging amount and thus evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant of a relatively larger amount may be used in the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. - The freezing
chamber temperature sensor 17 to sense the temperature of the freezingchamber 12 and the refrigeratingchamber temperature sensor 18 to sense the temperature of the refrigeratingchamber 14 are electrically connected to the input side of thecontroller 110. - Further, the
compressor 16, the freezingchamber fan 31, the refrigeratingchamber fan 41 and thecondenser fan 51 operated by control signals from thecontroller 110 are electrically connected to the output side of thecontroller 110. - The
controller 110 includes a fanspeed control circuit 111 increasing and decreasing the rotational speed of the freezingchamber fan 31 and a compressorspeed control circuit 112 increasing and decreasing the rotational speed of thecompressor 16. - The 3-
way valve 70 operated by a control signal from thecontroller 110 is electrically connected to the output side of thecontroller 110. - The above-described
controller 110 performs one of the freezing operation mode and the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode. Thecontroller 110 opens or closes the respective refrigerant flow channels A and B through the 3-way valve 70 in the freezing operation mode or the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode, thereby forming a freezing cycle or a freezing/refrigerating cycle. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , thecontroller 110 rotates the freezingchamber fan 31 at a reference speed N1 in the freezing operation mode, and decreases the rotational speed of the freezingchamber fan 31 to a speed N2 which is lower than the reference speed N1 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode. Thereby, evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant consumed by the freezingchamber evaporator 30 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating mode may be reduced, and thus evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in therefrigerant chamber evaporator 40 may be relatively increased. - Further, the
controller 110 operates the freezingchamber fan 31 for a reference operation time in the freezing operation mode, and operates the freezingchamber fan 31 for a time shorter than the reference operation time in the freezing/refrigerating operation time. That is, thecontroller 110 forms a temporary stoppage section where the freezingchamber fan 31 is temporarily stopped in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , thecontroller 110 rotates thecompressor 16 at a reference speed N1 in the freezing operation mode, and increases the rotational speed of thecompressor 16 to a speed N2 which is higher than the reference speed N1 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode. Thereby, evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in therefrigerant chamber evaporator 40 in the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating mode may be relatively increased. -
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. - With reference to
FIG. 6 , thecontroller 110 first senses the temperature of the freezingchamber 12, and determines whether or not a freezing operation condition is satisfied by comparing the sensed temperature with a predetermined temperature (Operation 200). - As a result of the determination of
Operation 200, if it is determined that the freezing operation condition is satisfied, thecontroller 110 turns thecompressor 16 on (Operation 202). At this time, thecontroller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezingchamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of thecompressor 16. - After turning-on of the
compressor 16, thecontroller 110 rotates the freezingchamber fan 31 at a predetermined speed, i.e., a reference speed FS_r (Operation 204). - After rotation of the freezing
chamber fan 31, thecontroller 110 determines whether or not a freezing operation off condition is satisfied (Operation 206). - As a result of the determination of
Operation 206, if it is determined that the freezing operation off condition is satisfied, thecontroller 110 turns thecompressor 16 off (Operation 208) and turns the freezingchamber fan 31 off (Operation 210). - Thereafter, the
controller 110 determines whether or not a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is satisfied (Operation 212). - As a result of the determination of
Operation 212, if it is determined that the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is satisfied, thecontroller 110 turns thecompressor 16 on (Operation 214). At this time, thecontroller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezingchamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of thecompressor 16 via the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. - After turning-on of the
compressor 16, thecontroller 110 rotates the freezingchamber fan 31 at a speed FS (FS<FS_r) which is lower than the predetermined reference speed FS_r (Operation 216). At this time, thecontroller 110 operates the refrigeratingchamber fan 41 at a reference speed RS. - On the other hand, as the result of the determination of
Operation 200, if it is determined that the freezing operation condition is not satisfied, thecontroller 110 moves toOperation 212 and then performs subsequent Operations. - Further, as the result of the determination of
Operation 212, if it is determined that the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is not satisfied, thecontroller 110 returns to the predetermined routine. -
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a refrigerator in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. - With reference to
FIG. 7 , thecontroller 110 first senses the temperature of the freezingchamber 12, and determines whether or not a freezing operation condition is satisfied by comparing the sensed temperature with a predetermined temperature (Operation 300). - As a result of the determination of
Operation 300, if it is determined that the freezing operation condition is satisfied, thecontroller 110 rotates thecompressor 16 at a predetermined speed, i.e., a reference speed CS_r (Operation 302). At this time, thecontroller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezingchamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of thecompressor 16. - After rotation of the
compressor 16 at the predetermined reference speed CS_r, thecontroller 110 rotates the freezingchamber fan 31 at a predetermined speed, i.e., a reference speed FS_r (Operation 304). - After rotation of the freezing
chamber fan 31 at the predetermined reference speed FS_r, thecontroller 110 determines whether or not a freezing operation off condition is satisfied (Operation 306). - As a result of the determination of
Operation 306, if it is determined that the freezing operation off condition is satisfied, thecontroller 110 turns thecompressor 16 off (Operation 308) and turns the freezingchamber fan 31 off (Operation 310). - Thereafter, the
controller 110 determines whether or not a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is satisfied (Operation 312). - As a result of the determination of
Operation 312, if it is determined that the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is satisfied, thecontroller 110 rotates thecompressor 16 at a speed CS (CS>CS_r) which is higher than the predetermined reference speed CS_r (Operation 314). At this time, thecontroller 110 changes the refrigerant flow channel through the 3-way valve 70 so that the refrigerant having passed through the freezingchamber evaporator 30 is introduced into the inlet side of thecompressor 16 via the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40. - After rotation of the
compressor 16 at the speed CS, thecontroller 110 rotates the freezingchamber fan 31 at the predetermined reference speed FS_r or a speed FS (FS<FS_r) which is lower than the predetermined reference speed FS_r (Operation 316). At this time, thecontroller 110 operates the refrigeratingchamber fan 41 at a reference speed RS. - On the other hand, as the result of the determination of
Operation 300, if it is determined that the freezing operation condition is not satisfied, thecontroller 110 moves toOperation 312 and then performs subsequent Operations. - Further, as the result of the determination of
Operation 312, if it is determined that the simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation condition is not satisfied, thecontroller 110 returns to the predetermined routine. - In order to maximize effects of the NARM, the dryness and temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the evaporator need to be lowered, and for this purpose, sub-coolers may be mounted. The sub-coolers lower the dryness of the refrigerant at the inlet of the freezing chamber evaporator 30 (the outlet of the capillary tube) through heat exchange between the refrigerant pipe at the outlet of the
condenser 50 and the refrigerant pipe at the outlet of the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40, and may thus lower the temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the freezingchamber evaporator 30. The number and positions of the sub-coolers may be varied according to characteristics of the cycle, and for example, two sub-coolers may be used. - A sub-cooler performing heat exchange between the low-pressure side refrigerant pipe between the freezing
chamber evaporator 30 and the refrigeratingchamber evaporator 40 and the refrigerant pipe of thecondenser 50 is referred to as a low temperature heat exchanger (LTHX), and serves both to lower the temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the freezing chamber evaporator and to raise a refrigerating chamber evaporation temperature. Since operation of the refrigeratingchamber 14 uses a part of evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant, the dryness of which is high, and the refrigerating chamber evaporation temperature of the NARM becomes higher than that of a pure refrigerant. This reduces a heat exchange temperature difference between the refrigerant and air, thus reducing thermodynamic irreversible loss. Since the irreversible loss is reduced in inverse proportion to the refrigerant chamber evaporation temperature, the LTHX may maximize reduction in the irreversible loss. - On the other hand, a sub-cooler performing heat exchange between the outlet of the evaporator and the refrigerant pipe of the condenser is referred to as a high temperature heat exchanger (HTHX). Such an HTHX serves to lower the temperature of the refrigerant at the inlet of the evaporator in the same manner as the LTHX.
- As is apparent from the above description, a refrigerator in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure reduces the rotational speed of a freezing chamber fan or stopping the freezing chamber fan for a designated time, and/or increasing the rotational speed of a compressor in a simultaneous freezing/refrigerating operation mode of an NARM cycle as compared to a freezing operation mode, and may thus decrease evaporation latent heat of a refrigerant consumed by a freezing chamber evaporator and relatively increase evaporation latent heat of the refrigerant usable in a refrigerating chamber evaporator without increase in a charging amount of the refrigerant, thereby preventing over-charging due to increase in the charging amount of the refrigerant and reducing cycling loss.
- Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. For example, the technical features of the present disclosure may be applied to a direct cooling refrigerator such as a KimChi refrigerator. In this case, the method of controlling the rotational speed of the compressor as describe above may be applied.
Claims (18)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR1020110115911A KR20130050700A (en) | 2011-11-08 | 2011-11-08 | Refrigerator using non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures, and control method thereof |
KR10-2011-0115911 | 2011-11-08 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20130111933A1 true US20130111933A1 (en) | 2013-05-09 |
Family
ID=47323895
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US13/672,076 Abandoned US20130111933A1 (en) | 2011-11-08 | 2012-11-08 | Refrigerator using non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture and control method thereof |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20130111933A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2592372A3 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20130050700A (en) |
CN (1) | CN103090619A (en) |
Cited By (6)
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JP2015102315A (en) * | 2013-11-27 | 2015-06-04 | 株式会社東芝 | Refrigerator |
US10429118B2 (en) * | 2014-12-01 | 2019-10-01 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator |
US10544979B2 (en) | 2016-12-19 | 2020-01-28 | Whirlpool Corporation | Appliance and method of controlling the appliance |
US11401701B2 (en) * | 2017-04-25 | 2022-08-02 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigeration apparatus configured to capture atmospheric water |
US20220341649A1 (en) * | 2019-11-04 | 2022-10-27 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator and method of controlling the same |
CN115247918A (en) * | 2022-06-29 | 2022-10-28 | 宁波方太厨具有限公司 | Method for determining refrigerant charge amount of refrigerator |
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KR102171448B1 (en) * | 2014-02-11 | 2020-10-29 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Inverter Compressor for a refrigerator and Controlling Method for an Inverter Compressor for a refrigerator |
KR102151817B1 (en) * | 2016-11-30 | 2020-09-04 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator and method for controlling the same |
KR102177946B1 (en) * | 2016-12-02 | 2020-11-12 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator |
CN106839640A (en) * | 2017-01-18 | 2017-06-13 | 合肥美的电冰箱有限公司 | The control method of double refrigeration system refrigerators, control device and double refrigeration system refrigerators |
KR102496303B1 (en) * | 2017-06-12 | 2023-02-07 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator and method for controlling the same |
CN107036369A (en) * | 2017-06-19 | 2017-08-11 | 海信容声(广东)冰箱有限公司 | A kind of refrigerator supply air system and wind cooling refrigerator |
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EP3674631B1 (en) * | 2018-12-28 | 2024-04-24 | LG Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator and method for controlling the same |
KR20210022933A (en) * | 2019-08-21 | 2021-03-04 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerating machine system using non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant |
CN112665299B (en) * | 2020-12-11 | 2022-07-01 | 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 | Refrigeration control method and device of refrigerator, controller and refrigerator |
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US20220341649A1 (en) * | 2019-11-04 | 2022-10-27 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator and method of controlling the same |
CN115247918A (en) * | 2022-06-29 | 2022-10-28 | 宁波方太厨具有限公司 | Method for determining refrigerant charge amount of refrigerator |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2592372A2 (en) | 2013-05-15 |
KR20130050700A (en) | 2013-05-16 |
CN103090619A (en) | 2013-05-08 |
EP2592372A3 (en) | 2015-09-09 |
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