Refrigerator operation control method

Abstract

In the refrigerator operation control method of the present disclosure, each storage compartment is controlled to be maintained within a constant temperature range for each storage compartment during at least one at least one operation of a pre-heat supply operation, a heat supply operation, and a temperature returning operation. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent or minimize each storage compartment from exceeding a constant temperature range due to the heat supply operation.

1 . A refrigerator operation control method comprising:
 a normal cooling operation, including
 a first cooling operation, in which a refrigerant flows along a first cooling flow path to provide air passing through a first evaporator to a first storage compartment by selectively controlling operation of a compressor, a cooling fan, and a first storage compartment blowing to maintain the first storage compartment in a constant temperature range; and 
   a second cooling operation, in which a refrigerant flows along a second cooling flow path to provide air passing through a second evaporator to a second storage compartment by selectively controlling operation of the compressor, the cooling fan, and a second storage compartment blowing fan to maintain the second storage compartment in a constant temperature range,   a heat supply operation, in which heat is supplied to one evaporator by a high-temperature refrigerant flowing along either a first hot gas flow path or a second hot gas flow path, while the other evaporator is cooled;   a pre-heat supply operation, in which either the first or the second storage compartment is cooled before the heat supply operation is performed, if a start condition of the heat supply operation is satisfied during the normal cooling operation; and   a temperature returning operation performed until the normal cooling operation is resumed after the heat supply operation is ended,   wherein each storage compartment is controlled to be maintained within a constant temperature range for each storage compartment during at least one operation of the pre-heat supply operation, the heat supply operation, and the temperature returning operation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the constant temperature range is a temperature range between an upper limit reference temperature (NT1+Diff, NT2+Diff) and a lower limit reference temperature (NT1−Diff, NT2−Diff) set based on a notch temperature (NT1, NT2) for each storage compartment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-heat supply operation includes a cooling process before heat supply for supplying cold air to each storage compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cooling process before heat supply is performed by preferentially cooling the storage compartment having a relatively high temperature among the two storage compartments and then cooling the other storage compartment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a first storage compartment blowing fan is operated when operating for cooling the first storage compartment during the cooling process before heat supply, and the first storage compartment blowing fan is stopped when the temperature of the first evaporator is higher than the temperature of the first storage compartment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the pre-heat supply operation includes a first pause process of stopping an operation of the compressor after the cooling process before heat supply until the heat supply operation is performed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat supply operation includes a heating process of heating any one evaporator by heating a heating source. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the heating process is performed when a heating condition is satisfied. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat supply operation includes a first heat exchange process in which a refrigerant is controlled to flow along the first hot gas flow path, the first evaporator is heated with the high-temperature refrigerant, and the refrigerant passing through the first evaporator is controlled to cool the second evaporator while passing through the second evaporator. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first heat exchange process is performed when a heat exchange condition is satisfied. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first heat exchange process is ended when the temperature of the second storage compartment reaches an overcooling region. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature returning operation includes:
 a second pause process of stopping the compressor and the cooling fan for a set time;   a second heat exchange process of heating the second evaporator while flowing the high-temperature refrigerant along the second hot gas flow path after the second pause process, and cooling the first evaporator; and   a simultaneous operation process of simultaneously supplying a refrigerant to the first evaporator and the second evaporator and simultaneously operating the first storage compartment blowing fan, the second storage compartment blowing fan, and the cooling fan.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the simultaneous operation is performed after the second heat exchange process. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein when the second pause process of the temperature returning operation is started, the second storage compartment blowing fan is operated. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein when the temperature of the first evaporator is lower than the temperature of the first storage compartment while the temperature returning operation is performed, the first storage compartment blowing fan is operated. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein after the simultaneous operation is ended, the first cooling operation is performed, in which the refrigerant flows along the first cooling flow path to provide air passing through the first evaporator to the first storage compartment by selectively controlling operation of the compressor, the cooling fan, and the first storage compartment blowing fan to maintain the first storage compartment in the constant temperature range. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature returning operation includes a second pause process of stopping the compressor and the cooling fan for a set time. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature returning operation includes a second heat exchange, in which a refrigerant is controlled to flow along the second hot gas flow path, the second evaporator is heated with the high-temperature refrigerant, and the refrigerant passing through the second evaporator is controlled to cool the first evaporator while passing through the first evaporator. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature returning operation includes a simultaneous operation process of simultaneously supplying a refrigerant to the first evaporator and the second evaporator and simultaneously operating the first storage compartment blowing fan, the second storage compartment blowing fan, and the cooling fan. 
     
     
         27 . A refrigerator operation control method comprising:
 a normal cooling operation in which air passing through each evaporator is supplied to each storage compartment to maintain a constant temperature range;   a heat supply operation, in which heat is supplied to one evaporator using a high-temperature refrigerant flowing along one hot gas flow path, while the other evaporator is cooled;   a pre-heat supply operation, in which either a first or a second storage compartment is cooled before the heat supply operation is performed, if a start condition of the heat supply operation is satisfied during the normal cooling operation; and,   a temperature returning operation performed until the normal cooling operation is resumed after the heat supply operation is ended,   wherein each storage compartment is controlled to be maintained within a constant temperature range for each storage compartment during at least one operation of the pre-heat supply operation, the heat supply operation, and the temperature returning operation.