Variable capacity compressor and starting method thereof

Abstract

A variable capacity compressor and a starting method thereof. The variable capacity compressor includes a four-way valve having a suction gas distribution function and an idling chamber high-pressure injection function, thereby achieving a reduced manufacturing cost and an improved reliability incurred by the use of a validated component. Further, a boosting algorithm is applicable to obtain a driving source of the four-way valve in an initial parallel pressure state. In the variable capacity compressor comprising a plurality of compression chambers having different capacities and a four-way valve to distribute a suction refrigerant gas into the plurality of compression chambers, a starting method thereof comprises determining whether the variable capacity compressor is in an initial starting mode, and controlling the four-way valve to generate a pressure difference among the plurality of compression chambers to move a piston of the four-way valve from an initial parallel pressure state if the variable capacity compressor is determined to be in the initial starting mode.

1 . A variable capacity compressor, comprising: 
 a plurality of compression chambers having different capacities;    a passage switching device to supply a refrigerant gas into one of the plurality of compression chambers to perform a compression operation and to supply a compressed high-pressure refrigerant into a non-operating one of the plurality of compression chambers.    
   
   
       2 . The compressor according to  claim 1 , wherein the passage switching device comprises a four-way valve to distribute a gas into an operating compression chamber and to inject the compressed high-pressure refrigerant into the non-operating compression chamber.  
   
   
       3 . The compressor according to  claim 2 , wherein the four-way valve is connected to: 
 a bypass pipe branched from an outlet pipe through which the compressed high-pressure refrigerant is discharged,    an inlet pipe through which a suction refrigerant gas to be compressed is supplied, and    a plurality of suction pipes through which the suction refrigerant gas from the inlet pipe to the plurality of compression chambers is delivered to the plurality of compression chambers, and the four-way valve selectively connects one of the suction pipes with the inlet pipe and another one of the suction pipes with the bypass pipe.    
   
   
       4 . The compressor according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a control unit to control a boosting operation to move a piston of the four-way valve from an initial parallel pressure state.    
   
   
       5 . A variable capacity compressor usable with a cooling system, comprising: 
 a first compression chamber having a first compression capacity;    a second compression chamber having a second compression capacity; and    a valve unit to selectively provide uncompressed gas and compressed gas to the first and second compression chambers according to an operation mode of the variable capacity compressor.    
   
   
       6 . The compressor according to  claim 5 , wherein the valve unit provides uncompressed gas to an operating one of the first and second compression chambers and provides compressed gas to a non-operating one of the first and second compression chambers.  
   
   
       7 . The compressor according to  claim 5 , wherein the first compression capacity is a full capacity and the second compression capacity is a partial capacity.  
   
   
       8 . The compressor according to  claim 5 , wherein the valve unit comprises: 
 a first pipe to provide gas to the first compression chamber;    a second pipe to provide gas to the second compression chamber;    an inlet pipe to receive the uncompressed gas from a refrigeration cycle; and    a bypass pipe to receive the compressed gas from an output of the variable capacity compressor.    
   
   
       9 . The compressor according to  claim 8 , wherein the valve unit further comprises: 
 a valve body having a passageway disposed therein to connect to the first, second, inlet, and bypass pipes;    a switching member disposed in the passageway to block or connect the first, second, inlet, and bypass pipes with respect to each other; and    a driving unit to move the switching member in the passageway.    
   
   
       10 . The compressor according to  claim 9 , wherein the driving unit comprises a piston and a solenoid.  
   
   
       11 . The compressor according to  claim 8 , wherein the valve unit has: 
 a first operational state in which the first pipe is connected to the inlet pipe and blocked from the bypass pipe, and the second pipe is connected to the bypass pipe and blocked from the inlet pipe; and    a second operational state in which the first pipe is connected to the bypass pipe and blocked from the inlet pipe, and the second pipe is connected to the inlet pipe and blocked from the bypass pipe.    
   
   
       12 . A method of starting a variable capacity compressor including a plurality of compression chambers having different compression capacities and a four-way valve to selectively distribute a cooling gas into the plurality of compression chambers, the method comprising: 
 determining whether the variable capacity compressor is in an initial starting mode; and    controlling the four-way valve to generate a pressure difference among the plurality of compression chambers to move a piston of the four-way valve from an initial parallel pressure state when the variable capacity compressor is determined to be in the initial starting mode.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the controlling of the four-way valve to generate the pressure difference comprises: 
 operating one or more of the plurality of compression chambers;    resting the variable capacity compressor for a predetermined waiting time; and    operating one or more remaining compression chambers after a lapse of the predetermined waiting time.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of compression chambers or the one or more remaining compression chambers are selectively operated for a predetermined operation time.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein all of the plurality of compression chambers are prevented from operating during the predetermined waiting time.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 determining whether the variable capacity compressor is in an intermittent operation mode.    
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the four-way valve is controlled to generate the pressure difference among the plurality of compression chambers to move the piston of the four-way valve when the variable capacity compressor is determined to be in the intermittent operation mode.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein, in the intermittent operation mode, the variable capacity compressor restarts operation after a lapse of a predetermined rest time.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the determining of whether the variable capacity compressor is in the initial starting mode comprises determining whether the variable capacity compressor is in a cold starting mode or a hot starting mode.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 determining whether the variable capacity compressor is in an intermittent operation mode or a continuous operation mode when it is determined that the variable capacity compressor is in the hot starting mode.    
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the controlling of the four-way valve to generate the pressure difference among the plurality of compression chambers is performed when the variable capacity compressor is in the cold starting mode or the intermittent starting mode.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 operating a first compression chamber for a first predetermined operation time;    resting the variable capacity compressor for a first predetermined rest time; and    operating a second compression chamber for a second predetermined operation time.    
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the operating of the first compression chamber comprises operating at a 100% compression capacity for the first predetermined operation time; and    the operation of the second compression chamber comprises operating at a 40% compression capacity for the second predetermined operation time.