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 an air handling unit; a return duct connected to the air handling unit to supply ventilation air to the air handling unit; an outside air introduction duct connected to the air handling unit to introduce outdoor air into a room; a damper module installed at a position at which the return duct and the outside air introduction duct are connected to each other and including a damper that opens or closes the return duct and the outside air introduction duct; a detector installed in the damper module to detect a temperature, humidity, enthalpy, and air pressure of air flowing through the damper module; and a controller that selectively and variably controls an opening amount of the damper based on a measured value and a set value of the detector.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an air handling unit;   a return duct configured to connect to the air handling unit to supply ventilation air to the air handling unit;   an outside air introduction duct configured to connect to the air handling unit to introduce outdoor air into a room;   a damper module configured to be installed at a position at which the return duct and the outside air introduction duct are connected to each other and including at least one damper that opens or closes the return duct and the outside air introduction duct;   a detector configured to be installed in the at least one damper module to detect a temperature, humidity, enthalpy, and air pressure of air flowing through the damper module; and   a controller configured to selectively and variably control an opening amount of the at least one damper based on a measured value and a set value of the detector.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner of  claim 1 , wherein the damper module includes:
 a duct case that forms a flow path for air flowing through the return duct and the outside air introduction duct; and   the at least one damper, which adjusts a discharge flow rate of the air flowing along the flow path of the duct case.   
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner of  claim 2 , wherein the duct case includes:
 a ventilation inflow plate along which the ventilation air of the return duct flows and which includes a ventilation inflow passage;   an outdoor air inflow plate along which the outdoor air of the outside air introduction duct flows and which includes an outdoor air inflow passage; and   an air discharge plate disposed at a position at which the ventilation air passing through the ventilation inflow passage and the outside air inflow passage is discharged, and including a ventilation discharge passage and an outside air discharge passage and through which ventilation and outside air are separately discharged.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner of  claim 3 , wherein an indoor circulation flow path is provided inside of the duct case and configured to connect to the return duct, and wherein an outside air introduction flow path is provided inside of the duct case and configured to connect to the outside air introduction duct. 
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the ventilation inflow passage has a same width as a width of the return duct so that an amount of ventilation air flowing through the return duct is directly supplied to the indoor circulation flow path. 
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the indoor circulation flow path and the outside air introduction flow path are partitioned by a partition wall so that the air flowing therein from the return duct and the outside air introduction duct are not mixed with each other inside of the duct case. 
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner of  claim 6 , wherein the partition wall includes:
 a first partition wall configured to extend into the duct case at an angle from a corner at which the ventilation inflow plate and the outside air inflow plate cross each other; and   a second partition wall configured to extend from the first partition wall to the air discharge plate to separate the indoor circulation flow path and the outside air introduction flow path.   
     
     
         8 . The air conditioner of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one damper includes:
 a plurality of dampers configured to be installed in the indoor circulation flow path and the outside air introduction flow path to adjust a discharge flow rate of inflow air;   a rotational shaft and a rotational wheel configured to be supported by the plurality of dampers to form a rotational center of the plurality of dampers;   a connection link configured to interlock an outside air damper that controls an introduction amount of outside air and a ventilation damper that controls an introduction amount of ventilation air among the plurality of dampers to provide rotational power and enable link rotation; and   a damper motor configured to be installed on the outside air damper to provide rotational power to the outside air damper.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner of  claim 8 , wherein a single outdoor air damper is provided in the outside air introduction flow path, and wherein a pair of ventilation dampers is provided that open and close the indoor circulation flow path by being interlocked with the outside air damper. 
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner of  claim 9 , wherein the controller include a ventilation air introduction mode in which, when a temperature of outdoor air flowing into a room is high and a temperature of the ventilation air flowing into the room is low, the outside air introduction flow path is blocked to prevent the introduction of outdoor air and the indoor circulation flow path is opened. 
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner of  claim 9 , wherein the controller includes an outside air introduction mode in which, when a temperature of the outdoor air flowing into the room is low and a temperature of the ventilation air flowing into the room is high, the outside air introduction flow path is opened to secure the introduction of outdoor air and to block the indoor circulation flow path. 
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner of  claim 9 , wherein the controller includes:
 a mixed air introduction mode that controls an opening amount of the outside air introduction flow path by comparing a temperature of the outdoor air at an inlet of the outdoor air inflow passage and a temperature of the ventilation air at an inlet of the ventilation inflow passage, and a temperature of the mixed air mixed at outlets of the ventilation discharge passage and the outdoor air discharge passage.   
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling an air conditioner, comprising:
 measuring a temperature and relative humidity of an inlet of a ventilation inflow passage and an inlet of an outdoor air inflow passage and measuring an air pressure at the inlet of the outdoor air inflow passage and an outlet of an outdoor air discharge passage;   calculating absolute humidity and enthalpy at the temperature and the relative humidity of the inlet of the ventilation inflow passage and the inlet of the outdoor air inflow passage; and   controlling an opening amount of an outdoor air introduction flow path based on the temperature, the relative humidity, the absolute humidity, and the enthalpy.   
     
     
         14 . The method for controlling an air conditioner of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 when the temperature of the outdoor air flowing into a room through the outdoor air inflow passage is high and the temperature of the ventilation air flowing into the room through the ventilation inflow passage is low, performing a ventilation introduction mode in which the outside air introduction flow path is closed to prevent the introduction of outdoor air and to open the indoor circulation flow path.   
     
     
         15 . The method for controlling an air conditioner of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 when the temperature of the outdoor air flowing into a room through the outdoor air inflow passage is low and the temperature of the ventilation air flowing into the room through the ventilation inflow passage is high, performing an outside air introduction mode in which the outside air introduction flow path is opened to secure the introduction of outside air and the indoor circulation flow path is blocked.   
     
     
         16 . The method for controlling an air conditioner of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 performing a mixed air introduction mode which controls an opening amount of the outside air introduction flow path by comparing the temperature of the outdoor air at the inlet of the outdoor air inflow passage and the temperature of the ventilation air at the inlet of the ventilation inflow passage with the temperature of the mixed air mixed at the outlets of the ventilation discharge passage and the outdoor air discharge passage.   
     
     
         17 . An air conditioner, comprising:
 an air handling unit;   a return duct configured to connect to the air handling unit to supply ventilation air to the air handling unit;   an outside air introduction duct configured to connect to the air handling unit to introduce outdoor air into a room;   a damper module installed at a position at which the return duct and the outside air introduction duct are connected to each other and including a plurality of dampers that selectively opens or closes the return duct and the outside air introduction duct;   a detector installed in the damper module to detect a temperature, humidity, enthalpy, and air pressure of air flowing through the damper module; and   a controller configured to selectively and variably control an opening amount of the plurality of dampers based on a measured value and a set value of the detector.   
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of dampers is installed in a indoor circulation flow path and an outside air introduction flow path to adjust a discharge flow rate of inflow air, and wherein the plurality of dampers further comprises:
 a rotational shaft and a rotational wheel configured to be supported by the plurality of dampers to form a rotational center of the plurality of dampers;   a connection link configured to interlock an outside air damper that controls an introduction amount of outside air and a ventilation damper that controls an introduction amount of ventilation air among the plurality of dampers to provide rotational power and enable link rotation; and   a damper motor configured to be installed on the outside air damper to provide rotational power to the outside air damper.   
     
     
         19 . The air conditioner of  claim 18 , wherein a single outdoor air damper is provided in the outside air introduction flow path, and wherein a pair of ventilation dampers is provided that open and close the indoor circulation flow path by being interlocked with the outside air damper. 
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner of  claim 19 , wherein the controller include a ventilation air introduction mode in which, when a temperature of outdoor air flowing into a room is high and a temperature of the ventilation air flowing into the room is low, the outside air introduction flow path is blocked to prevent the introduction of outdoor air and the indoor circulation flow path is opened, an outside air introduction mode in which, when a temperature of the outdoor air flowing into the room is low and a temperature of the ventilation air flowing into the room is high, the outside air introduction flow path is opened to secure the introduction of outdoor air and to block the indoor circulation flow path; and a mixed air introduction mode that controls the opening amount of the outside air introduction flow path by comparing a temperature of the outdoor air at an inlet of the outdoor air inflow passage and a temperature of the ventilation air at an inlet of the ventilation inflow passage, and a temperature of the mixed air mixed at outlets of the ventilation discharge passage and the outdoor air discharge passage.