Clothes treating apparatus with heat pump cycle and method for controlling the same

A method for controlling a clothes treating apparatus including a drum configured to accommodate an item for drying, a circulation duct configured to form an air circulation flow channel that allows air to circulate through the drum, a heat pump cycle including an evaporator and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from one another within the circulation duct, the heat pump cycle being configured to absorb heat of air released from the drum through the evaporator and transmit the absorbed heat to air introduced to the drum through the condenser, by using a working fluid that circulates by way of the evaporator and the condenser, and a first water cooling type heat exchanger and a second water cooling type heat exchanger installed within the circulation duct, the first water cooling type heat exchanger being disposed upstream relative to the evaporator and the second water cooling type heat exchanger disposed downstream relative to the evaporator with respect to a direction of airflow through the evaporator in order to dehumidify air passing through the evaporator, the method comprising:

• measuring a feed water temperature supplied to the first water cooling type heat exchanger and the second water cooling type heat exchanger and an evaporation temperature of the evaporator;
• and
• comparing the feed water temperature and the evaporation temperature, and
• selectively supplying water to the first water cooling type heat exchanger and the second water cooling type heat exchanger according to a comparison between the feed water temperature and the evaporation temperature in order to dehumidify air passing through the evaporator.

A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

• a case;
• a drum installed within the case and configured to accommodate an item for drying;
• a circulation duct configured to form an air circulation flow channel that allows air to circulate through the drum;
• a heat pump cycle including an evaporator and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from one another within the circulation duct, the heat pump cycle being configured to absorb heat of air released from the drum through the evaporator and transmit the absorbed heat to air introduced to the drum through the condenser, by using a working fluid that circulates by way of the evaporator and the condenser;
• a first water cooling type heat exchanger and a second water cooling type heat exchanger installed within the circulation duct, the first water cooling type heat exchanger being disposed upstream relative to the evaporator and the second water cooling type heat exchanger disposed downstream relative to the evaporator with respect to a direction of airflow through the evaporator in order to dehumidify air passing through the evaporator in the circulation duct;
• a first temperature sensor configured to measure a feed water temperature supplied to the first water cooling type heat exchanger and the second water cooling type heat exchanger;
• a second temperature sensor configured to measure an evaporation temperature of the evaporator;
• and
• a controller configured to selectively supply water to the first water cooling type heat exchanger and the second water cooling type heat exchanger according to a comparison between the feed water temperature and the evaporation temperature.

A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

• a case;
• a drum installed within the case and configured to accommodate an item for drying;
• a circulation duct configured to form an air circulation flow channel that allows air to circulate through the drum;
• a heat pump cycle including an evaporator and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from one another within the circulation duct, the heat pump cycle being configured to absorb heat of air released from the drum through the evaporator and transmit the absorbed heat to air introduced to the drum through the condenser, by using a working fluid that circulates by way of the evaporator and the condenser;
• a first air cooling type heat exchanger and a second air cooling type heat exchanger installed within the circulation duct, the first air cooling type heat exchanger being disposed upstream relative to the evaporator and the second air cooling type heat exchanger being disposed downstream relative to the evaporator with respect to a direction of airflow through the evaporator;
• an intake pipe configured to form an intake flow channel to allow air outside the case to be introduced to the first air cooling type heat exchanger therethrough;
• a fan installed at the intake pipe and configured to generate airflow through the intake pipe to the first air cooling type heat exchanger;
• a plurality of exhaust pipes respectively installed at the first air cooling type heat exchanger and the second air cooling type heat exchanger and configured to form an exhaust flow channel to allow air from the first air cooling type heat exchanger and the second air cooling type heat exchanger to be exhausted outside the case;
• and
• a connection duct configured to connect the first air cooling type heat exchanger and the second air cooling type heat exchanger to allow air discharged from the first air cooling type heat exchanger to be introduced to the second air cooling type heat exchanger so as to be re-used.

A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

• a case;
• a drum installed within the case and configured to accommodate an item for drying;
• a circulation duct configured to form an air circulation flow channel that allows air to circulate through the drum;
• a heat pump cycle including an evaporator and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from one another within the circulation duct, the heat pump cycle being configured to absorb heat of air released from the drum through the evaporator and transmit the absorbed heat to air introduced to the drum through the condenser, by using a working fluid that circulates by way of the evaporator and the condenser;
• a first water cooling type heat exchanger and a second water cooling type heat exchanger installed within the circulation duct, the first water cooling type heat exchanger being disposed upstream relative to the evaporator and the second water cooling type heat exchanger disposed downstream relative to the evaporator with respect to a direction of airflow through the evaporator in order to dehumidify air passing through the evaporator in the circulation duct;
• a water supply device configured to supply water to the first water cooling type heat exchanger and the second water cooling type heat exchanger;
• a water feed pipe is connected to the first water cooling type heat exchanger to allow the water from the water supply device to be supplied to the first water cooling type heat exchanger;
• a connection pipe connecting the first water cooling type heat exchanger with the second water cooling type heat exchanger to allow water discharged from the first water cooling type heat exchanger to be introduced to the second water cooling type heat exchanger so as to be re-used;
• and
• a drain pipe connected to the second water cooling type heat exchanger to discharge water from the second water cooling type heat exchanger.

A method for controlling clothes treating apparatus including a drum configured to accommodate an item for drying, a circulation duct configured to form an air circulation flow channel that allows air to circulate through the drum, a heat pump cycle including an evaporator and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from one another within the circulation duct, the heat pump cycle being configured to absorb heat of air released from the drum through the evaporator and transmit the absorbed heat to air introduced to the drum through the condenser, by using a working fluid circulating by way of the evaporator and the condenser, and a first air cooling type heat exchanger and a second air cooling type heat exchanger installed within the circulation duct, the first air cooling type heat exchanger being disposed upstream relative to the evaporator and the second air cooling type heat exchanger disposed downstream relative to the evaporator with respect to a direction of airflow through the evaporator in order to dehumidify air passing through the evaporator, the method comprising:

• measuring an evaporation pressure of the evaporator and a condensing pressure of the condenser;
• supplying ambient air to the first air cooling type heat exchanger to dehumidify air introduced to the evaporator;
• and
• comparing at least one of the evaporation pressure and the condensing pressure with a reference pressure to exhaust the ambient air from the first air cooling type heat exchanger or move the ambient air discharged from the first air cooling type heat exchanger to the second air cooling type heat exchanger so as to be re-used to heat air which has passed through the evaporator according to the evaporation pressure or the condensing pressure.