Refrigerator and control method thereof

Abstract

A refrigerator configured to detect excessive condensation in a condenser based on a temperature difference between evaporators provided in each storage compartment, and configured to control an operating time of a heat dissipation fan configured to cool the condenser, and a control method thereof are provided. The refrigerator includes a plurality of storage compartments, a plurality of evaporators arranged in series with each other and provided to correspond to each of the plurality of storage compartments, a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant evaporated by the plurality of evaporators, a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, a heat dissipation fan configured to cool the condenser, a plurality of evaporator temperature sensors configured to detect a temperature of each of the plurality of evaporators, and a controller configured to determine whether excessive condensation occurs in the condenser based on a temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators, and configured to control an operating time of the heat dissipation fan based on whether the excessive condensation occurs or not.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerator comprising:
 a plurality of storage compartments;   a plurality of evaporators arranged in series with each other and provided to correspond to each of the plurality of storage compartments;   a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant evaporated by the plurality of evaporators;   a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant;   a heat dissipation fan configured to cool the condenser;   a plurality of evaporator temperature sensors configured to detect a temperature of each of the plurality of evaporators; and   a controller configured to:
 determine whether excessive condensation occurs in the condenser based on a temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators, and 
 control an operating time of the heat dissipation fan based on whether the excessive condensation occurs or not. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to the determination that the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser, the controller is further configured to adjust an off-time of the heat dissipation fan to be increased. 
     
     
         3 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to a temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators being greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the controller is further configured to determine that the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the plurality of storage compartments comprises:
 a refrigerating compartment, and 
 a freezing compartment, 
   wherein the plurality of evaporators comprises:
 a first evaporator configured to receive a refrigerant from the condenser and provided to correspond to the refrigerating compartment, and 
 a second evaporator configured to receive a refrigerant from the first evaporator and provided to correspond to the freezing compartment, and 
   wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser based on a temperature difference between the first evaporator and the second evaporator.   
     
     
         5 . The refrigerator of  claim 3 , wherein, in response to the temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators being greater than or equal to the predetermined value for a predetermined time, the controller is further configured to determine that the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser. 
     
     
         6 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser at a predetermined time interval. 
     
     
         7 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an external temperature sensor configured to detect an external temperature of outside air,   wherein in response to the external temperature being less than or equal to a reference temperature, the controller is further configured to determine whether the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser.   
     
     
         8 . The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of internal temperature sensors configured to detect an internal temperature of each of the plurality of storage compartments,   wherein the controller is further configured to determine to start an operation for determining whether the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser based on an internal temperature of a reference storage compartment corresponding to a reference evaporator located at an end with respect to a refrigerant flow, between the plurality of evaporators.   
     
     
         9 . The refrigerator of  claim 8 , wherein, in response to the internal temperature of the reference storage compartment being greater than or equal to a reference temperature, the controller is further configured to determine whether the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser. 
     
     
         10 . The refrigerator of  claim 9 , wherein, in response to a continuous operation of the compressor for a predetermined time, the controller is further configured to identify whether the internal temperature of the reference storage compartment is greater than or equal to a reference temperature. 
     
     
         11 . A control method of a refrigerator that includes a plurality of storage compartments, a plurality of evaporators arranged in series with each other and provided to correspond to each of the plurality of storage compartments, a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant evaporated by the plurality of evaporators, a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, a heat dissipation fan configured to cool the condenser, and a plurality of evaporator temperature sensors configured to detect a temperature of each of the plurality of evaporators, the control method comprising:
 determining whether excessive condensation occurs in the condenser based on a temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators; and   controlling an operating time of the heat dissipation fan based on whether the excessive condensation occurs or not.   
     
     
         12 . The control method of  claim 11 , wherein the controlling of the operating time of the heat dissipation fan comprises, in response to the determination that the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser, adjusting an off-time of the heat dissipation fan to be increased. 
     
     
         13 . The control method of  claim 11 , wherein the determining of whether excessive condensation occurs in the condenser comprises, in response to a temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators being greater than or equal to a predetermined value, determining that the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser. 
     
     
         14 . The control method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the plurality of storage compartments comprises:
 a refrigerating compartment, and 
 a freezing compartment, 
   wherein the plurality of evaporators comprises:
 a first evaporator configured to receive a refrigerant from the condenser and provided to correspond to the refrigerating compartment, and 
 a second evaporator configured to receive a refrigerant from the first evaporator and provided to correspond to the freezing compartment, and 
   wherein the determining of whether excessive condensation occurs in the condenser comprises determining whether the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser based on a temperature difference between the first evaporator and the second evaporator.   
     
     
         15 . The control method of  claim 13 , wherein the determining of whether excessive condensation occurs in the condenser comprises, in response to the temperature difference between the plurality of evaporators being greater than or equal to the predetermined value for a predetermined time, determining that the excessive condensation occurs in the condenser. 
     
     
         16 . The control method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 starting the determining of whether the excessive condensation occurs based on an internal temperature of a reference storage compartment reaching a target temperature.   
     
     
         17 . The control method of  claim 11 , wherein the operating time of the heat dissipation fan is intermittent.