Air conditioner and method for controlling an air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner and a method for controlling an air conditioner are provided. The air conditioner may include at least one indoor device; an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, configured to drive a first compressor using electric power, and having a first outdoor heat exchanger for heat exchange with a refrigerant; a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected in parallel with the EHP outdoor device, connected to the at least one indoor device, and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas, a second outdoor heat exchanger for heat exchange with the refrigerant, and a waste heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the refrigerant using waste heat of the engine; and a controller configured to control a warming operation or a defrosting operation of the EHP outdoor device and the GHP outdoor device, and to supply a high pressure refrigerant from the second compressor of the GHP outdoor device to the EHP outdoor device while the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 at least one indoor device;   an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, configured to drive a first compressor using electric power, and having a first outdoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with a refrigerant;   a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected in parallel with the EHP outdoor device, connected to the at least one indoor device, and including an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas, a second outdoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with the refrigerant, and a waste heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the refrigerant using waste heat of the engine; and   a controller configured to control a warming operation or a defrosting operation of the EHP outdoor device and the GHP outdoor device, and to supply a high pressure refrigerant from the second compressor of the GHP outdoor device to the EHP outdoor device while the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller switches the EHP outdoor device to perform the defrosting operation when it is determined that the first outdoor heat exchanger of the EHP outdoor device is covered with frost while the EHP outdoor device and the GHP outdoor device perform the warming operation. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the EHP outdoor device includes a first four-way valve, which is switched to an EHP warming mode during which the first compressor is connected with the at least one indoor device when the EHP outdoor device performs the warming operation, and which is switched to an EHP defrosting mode during which the first compressor is connected with the second compressor when the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation. 
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein when the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation, the controller switches the first four-way valve to the EHP defrosting mode, and supplies the high pressure refrigerant of the second compressor to the first compressor. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 3 , wherein the GHP outdoor device includes:
 an outdoor heat exchanger control valve configured to control a flow of the refrigerant flowing into the second outdoor heat exchanger; and   a waste heat exchanger control valve configured to control a flow of the refrigerant flowing into the waste heat exchanger.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 5 , wherein, when the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation, the controller closes the outdoor heat exchanger control valve of the GHP outdoor device, and opens the waste heat exchanger control valve. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , further including a temperature sensor provided on the first outdoor heat exchanger and configured to detect a temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller performs the defrosting operation of the EHP outdoor device at a predetermined frosting temperature difference, and switches the defrosting operation of the EHP outdoor device to a warming operation thereof at a predetermined defrosting completion temperature. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined frosting temperature difference is a temperature difference between an external air temperature and a temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined defrosting completion temperature is a temperature at which the temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger is about 10° C. or more. 
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling an air conditioner including at least one indoor device, an EHP outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device and configured to drive a first compressor using electric power, and a GHP outdoor device connected in parallel with the EHP outdoor device, connected to the at least one indoor device and having an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas, the control method comprising:
 performing a warming operation of the EHP outdoor device and the GHP outdoor device;   switching the EHP outdoor device to perform a defrosting operation when the EHP outdoor device reaches a predetermined frosting temperature; and   supplying a high pressure refrigerant from the GHP outdoor device to the EHP outdoor device.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein, in the supplying of the high pressure refrigerant from the GHP outdoor device to the EHP outdoor device, a two-stage compression cycle in which the high pressure refrigerant from the GHP outdoor device is compressed by the compressor of the GHP outdoor device and then compressed by the compressor of the EHP outdoor device is formed. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , further including switching the EHP outdoor device to perform a warming operation when the EHP outdoor device reaches a predetermined defrosting completion temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined frosting temperature difference is a temperature difference between an external air temperature and a temperature of a first outdoor heat. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined defrosting completion temperature is a temperature at which the temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger is about 10° C. or more. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the EHP outdoor device includes a first four-way valve, which is switched to an EHP warming mode during which the first compressor is connected with the at least one indoor device when the EHP outdoor device performs the warming operation, and which is switched to an EHP defrosting mode during which the first compressor is connected with the second compressor of the GHP outdoor device when the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the GHP outdoor device includes:
 an outdoor heat exchanger control valve configured to control a flow of the refrigerant flowing into the second outdoor heat exchanger; and   a waste heat exchanger control valve configured to control a flow of the refrigerant flowing into the waste heat exchanger.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further including closing the outdoor heat exchanger control valve, and opening the waste heat exchanger control valve when the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the first outdoor heat exchanger includes a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the first outdoor heat exchanger. 
     
     
         20 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 at least one indoor device;   an electric heat pump (EHP) outdoor device connected to the at least one indoor device, configured to drive a first compressor using electric power, and having a first outdoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with a refrigerant, and a first four-way valve;   a gas heat pump (GHP) outdoor device connected in parallel with the EHP outdoor device, connected to the at least one indoor device, and including an engine configured to drive a second compressor using a burned gas, a second outdoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with the refrigerant, and a waste heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with the refrigerant using waste heat of the engine; and   a controller configured to control a warming operation or a defrosting operation of the EHP outdoor device and the GHP outdoor device, and to supply a high pressure refrigerant from the second compressor of the GHP outdoor device to the EHP outdoor device while the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation by controlling the first four-way valve to supply the high pressure refrigerant from the second compressor to the first compressor, the first outdoor heat exchanger, and the waste heat exchanger.   
     
     
         21 . The air conditioner according to  claim 20 , wherein the controller switches the EHP outdoor device to perform the defrosting operation when it is determined that the first outdoor heat exchanger of the EHP outdoor device is covered with frost while the EHP outdoor device and the GHP outdoor device perform the warming operation. 
     
     
         22 . The air conditioner according to  claim 21 , wherein the GHP outdoor device includes:
 an outdoor heat exchanger control valve configured to control a flow of the refrigerant flowing into the second outdoor heat exchanger; and   a waste heat exchanger control valve configured to control a flow of the refrigerant flowing into the waste heat exchanger.   
     
     
         23 . The air conditioner according to  claim 22 , wherein, when the EHP outdoor device performs the defrosting operation, the controller closes the outdoor heat exchanger control valve of the GHP outdoor device, and opens the waste heat exchanger control valve.