Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling cooling/heating of a heat pump system comprising the steps of: (a) controlling a compressor so that a flow rate of a refrigerant is reduced when the heat pump system is switched from a cooling mode to a heating mode or from the heating mode to the cooling mode; and (b) controlling a four-way valve so that a flow direction of the refrigerant is converted into an opposite direction when the flow rate of the refrigerant is reduced after the step (a). The method prevents the rapid change of the flow direction of the refrigerant during the cooling/heating mode switching and reduces noise generated in the cooling/heating mode switching.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the aperture ratio of a linear expansion valve (LEV) so as to control the flow rate of refrigerant circulating in an air conditioning system. The LEV aperture ratio is controlled to range from the minimum value to the maximum value, which are determined according to the compressor's capacity and the cooling and heating modes. The LEV aperture ratio is controlled also based on the compressor's operating status, the change of the indoor fan's air volume, and whether or not the indoor fan operates. Such LEV control enables refrigerant to always be circulated at a suitable flow rate, improving the cooling and heating efficiencies, and also prevents liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor, securing high reliability of the compressor.

Abstract: An improved accumulator is disclosed, which includes a body having an empty space therein; an inlet tube inserted into the inside of the body from a top thereof, downwardly, for an inflow of a refrigerant to the inside of the body; an outlet tube inserted into the inside of the body from a bottom thereof, upwardly, for a discharge of the refrigerant to the outside of the body; and an isolating plate provided on an inner bottom of the body between the inlet tube and the outlet tube, for preventing the outlet tube from being splashed with the liquid phase refrigerant, and preventing the liquid phase refrigerant from flowing into the outlet tube.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling noise reduction of an air conditioner comprising the steps of: (a) stopping a compressor, when the air conditioner is stopped under the condition that the compressor and an outdoor fan are operated; and (b) stopping the outdoor fan after a designated time after a point in time when the compressor is stopped in the step (a) elapses, thus reducing the size and duration of noise generated by the flow of the refrigerant due to a difference of inner pressures in the air conditioner and allowing the noise at a designated frequency band generated by the flow of the refrigerant, which causes unpleasantness to users, to be concealed by noise generated by the operation of the outdoor fan. Accordingly, the method of the present invention increases reliability of air conditioner products.

Abstract: Disclosed are an air conditioner for cooling or heating air in a room by compressing, condensing, expanding and evaporating a refrigerant, and a method for controlling an electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner. The air conditioner includes a plurality of compressors, for compressing a refrigerant, of which one or more are operated so that refrigerant compression capacity is variably changed according to the variation of a cooling/heating load; and an electronic expansion valve adapted to control the refrigerant compression capacity. The electronic expansion valve controls the flow rate of the refrigerant after one or more of the compressors are stopped, thereby rapidly achieving the pressure equilibrium at inlet and outlet pipes of the stopped compressor(s), shortening a time taken to allow the stopped compressor(s) to be re-operated, and improving reliability in operating the compressors.

Abstract: An accumulator having a heater therein and an air conditioning system using the same is disclosed, in which the accumulator includes a body having an empty space therein; an inlet tube inserted into the inside of the body through a predetermined external point, for an inflow of a refrigerant to the inside of the body; an outlet tube inserted into the inside of the body from a predetermined external point, for a discharge of the refrigerant to the outside of the body; and at least one heater provided in the inside of the body, for heating the flowing refrigerant.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for operating an air conditioner in a warming mode, including the 100% operation performing step of operating/stopping all of compressors, the load determining step of determining a warming load to be eliminated after completion of the 100% operation performing step, the 100%/X% operation performing step of operating all of the compressors when it is determined at the load determining step that the warming load is not large, subsequently stopping a part of the compressors, and subsequently stopping the remainder of the compressors, the sensing step of sensing the number of stoppages of the remainder of the compressors after completion of the 100%/X% operation performing step, and the X% operation performing step of operating/stopping the remainder of the compressors when the sensed number of stoppage times reaches a predetermined number.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for controlling the aperture ratio of a linear expansion valve (LEV) so as to control the flow rate of refrigerant circulating in an air conditioning system. The LEV aperture ratio is controlled to range from the minimum value to the maximum value, which are determined according to the compressor's capacity and the cooling and heating modes. The LEV aperture ratio is controlled also based on the compressor's operating status, the change of the indoor pan's air volume, and whether or not the indoor pan operates. Such LEV control enables refrigerant to always be circulated at a suitable flow rate, improving the cooling and heating efficiencies, and also prevents liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor, securing high reliability of the compressor.

Abstract: Disclosed are compressor-controlling device and method for an air conditioner comprising a plurality of compressors. The compressor-controlling device comprises a movable timer for sensing a stopping time (t) of stopped compressors selected from the plural compressors according to a decrease of a cooling load, a comparison unit for determining whether the stopping time (t) sensed by the movable timer exceeds a designated time (T), and a control unit for re-operating the stopped compressors after a lapse of the designated time (T) when the cooling load is increased, in case the comparison unit judges that the stopping time (t) does not exceed the designated time (T). When the cooling load is increased, the stopped compressors for satisfying the decrease of a cooling load are re-operated after the lapse of the designated time. Therefore, the compressor-controlling device assures the reliability of its system.

Abstract: Disclosed are a heat pump air conditioning system comprising an additional heater and a method for operating the same, in which the additional heater is driven during a full activation standby time taken to simultaneously operate all of a plurality of compressors so as to rapidly satisfy an increased heating load. When the increased heating load exceeding a total capacity of some compressors selected from the plural compressors is sensed, since the additional heater is driven during the full activation standby time so as to rapidly satisfy the increased heating load, the air conditioning system improves heating effectiveness and uniformly maintains room temperature, thereby improving users' comfort.

Abstract: Disclosed are compressor-controlling device and method for an air conditioner comprising a plurality of compressors. In case several compressors selected from the plural compressors are stopped for a long period of time according to cooling or heating load, the refrigerant contained in a higher-pressure state inside of the stopped compressors moves toward a refrigerant pipe of a lower-pressure inlet port, and oil used to operate the compressors leaks toward the inlet port, thus lowering the oil level within the stopped compressors. Since the stopped compressors are operated during a second designated time when stopped time of the stopped compressors exceeds a first designated time, the stopped compressors are protected from damage due to poor lubrication.

Abstract: Disclosed are an air conditioning system with two compressors and a method for operating the same, so as to variably change a compression capacity of a refrigerant according to the variation of cooling load. Herein, when a full operation order is inputted to the two compressors in order to satisfy increased cooling load, the first compressor is first operated, and then the second compressor having a compression capacity of a refrigerant smaller than that of the first compressor is additionally operated, so that a current peak value for operating the compressors does not exceed an allowable current range of a circuit breaker installed in a home or building, thereby safely controlling the air conditioning system and simultaneously allowing the current to be provided to other electric appliances, thus improving users' convenience.

Abstract: Disclosed are a defrosting apparatus of an air conditioner and a method thereof. The defrosting apparatus includes a temperature sensor for sensing a pipe temperature of an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor temperature; a comparator for comparing the sensed pipe temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger and the sensed outdoor temperature, and generating and outputting a comparison signal; and a valve controller for increasing an opening value of an LEV (Linear Expansion Valve) at a defrosting operation and decreasing the opening value of the LEV at a defrosting operation termination. The apparatus and the method can increase efficiency of the defrosting operation and reduce a period of time required for performing the defrosting operation by determining the defrosting operation based on a difference between a pipe temperature of an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor temperature and increasing an opening value of an LEV at the defrosting operation.

Abstract: Disclosed are compressor-controlling device and method for an air conditioner comprising a plurality of compressors. The compressor-controlling device comprises a movable timer for sensing a stopping time (t) of stopped compressors selected from the plural compressors according to a decrease of a cooling load, a comparison unit for determining whether the stopping time (t) sensed by the movable timer exceeds a designated time (T), and a control unit for re-operating the stopped compressors after a lapse of the designated time (T) when the cooling load is increased, in case the comparison unit judges that the stopping time (t) does not exceed the designated time (T). When the cooling load is increased, the stopped compressors for satisfying the decrease of a cooling load are re-operated after the lapse of the designated time. Therefore, the compressor-controlling device assures the reliability of its system.

Abstract: Disclosed are an air conditioning system with two compressors so as to shorten standby time for re-operating a stopped compressor and variably change the compression capacity of a refrigerant according to cooling load, and a method for operating the air conditioning system. The method for operating the air conditioning system with two compressors, comprises the first step of simultaneously operating the compressors regardless of cooling load at an early stage of the operation, the second step of selectively operating one of the compressors according to the cooling load, and the third step of additionally re-operating the stopped compressor when the operated compressor selected from the compressor in the second step is continuously operated for longer than a designated time, thereby shortening the standby time for re-operating the stopped compressor, rapidly changing the compression capacity of the refrigerant according to the cooling load, and improving users' comfort within a room.

Abstract: An air conditioning system and a method for operating the air conditioning system, in which a plurality of compressors are simultaneously or selectively operated, based on the difference between a room temperature and a desired temperature generated during a waiting time for re-operation of the compressors. The room temperature varying during the waiting time for the re-operation of the compressors maintained at a stopped state is sensed to determine whether or not an increase in cooling load occurs. Based on the amount of the cooling load, it is determined whether the compressors have to operate simultaneously or selectively. That is, the refrigerant compression capacity of the air conditioning system is determined by reflecting the cooling load caused by a variation in room temperature occurring during the waiting time for re-operation taken until any compressor maintained in a stopped state is re-operated.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus for preventing an overload of an air conditioner and a method thereof. The apparatus includes current feedback units for feeding back the currents supplied to the compressors to the controller where at least one of a plurality of compressors, operated in response to currents generated from a controller for controlling an operation of the air conditioner, is in an overload state; and a comparator for sensing current differences between the currents inputted into the compressors and the currents fed back from the current feedback units. After sensing the current differences between the currents inputted into the compressors and the currents fed back from the current feedback units, the comparator determines that at least one of the compressors is in the overload state if a current difference does not exist.

Abstract: Disclosed is an air conditioning system and method employing at least two compressors so as to improve the refrigeration efficiency, in which expansion of a refrigerant in an expansion section is controlled according to a used state of the compressors depending on a refrigeration load, so that a general performance of the system can be improved. In the air conditioning system and method, measurement of the changes in the flowing quantity and the pressure of the refrigerant, which is necessary in order to control the opening state of the expansion section, can be executed by sensing and comparing the temperatures at the outlet port of the evaporation section and at the inlet port of the compression section, which show a temperature difference according to the flowing quantity and the pressure of the refrigerant. Therefore, the air conditioning system and method of the present invention achieves a simple construction, which can be easily assembled and enables the manufacturing cost to be reduced.

Abstract: A washing/drying machine and a clothes dryer including an air circulative duct for circulating air into the inner tub for washing or drying inputted clothes or an inner portion of a drum and an evaporator of the refrigerating cycle, positioned in the air circulative duct to dehumidify the circulated air can improve dehumidifying performance of the circulated air, reduce time for drying clothes and energy consumption.

Abstract: Disclosed is an air conditioning system and method employing at least two compressors so as to improve the refrigeration efficiency, in which expansion of a refrigerant in an expansion section is controlled according to a used state of the compressors depending on a refrigeration load, so that a general performance of the system can be improved. In the air conditioning system and method, measurement of the changes in the flowing quantity and the pressure of the refrigerant, which is necessary in order to control the opening state of the expansion section, can be executed by sensing and comparing the temperatures at the outlet port of the evaporation section and at the inlet port of the compression section, which show a temperature difference according to the flowing quantity and the pressure of the refrigerant. Therefore, the air conditioning system and method of the present invention achieves a simple construction, which can be easily assembled and enables the manufacturing cost to be reduced.