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US 10,240,841 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for determining power consumption
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsSangbok Choi, Kibae Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator includes a compressor, an input current detector to detect input current of alternating current (AC) power inputted to the refrigerator, a converter to convert the inputted AC power into direct current (DC) power, a capacitor to store the converted DC power, an inverter to output AC power using the converted DC power for driving of the compressor, a DC terminal voltage detector to detect voltage at two terminals of the capacitor, and a compressor microcomputer to control the inverter and to calculate refrigerator power consumption based on the detected input current and the detected DC terminal voltage. The refrigerator enables simplified power consumption calculation.
Claims10
A refrigerator comprising:
- a compressor;
- an input current detector to detect input current of alternating current (AC) power from a commercial AC power source inputted to the refrigerator;
- a converter to convert the inputted AC power into direct current (DC) power;
- a capacitor to store the converted DC power;
- a relay located between the commercial AC power source and the converter;
- an AC heater connected to the relay, and operated based on the received input AC power by turn-on operation of the relay;
- a voltage dropper to output dropped DC power using the DC power from the capacitor;
- a main microcomputer to operate based on the dropped DC power from voltage dropper;
- a DC heater to operate based on the dropped DC power from voltage dropper;
- an inverter to output AC power using the converted DC power from the capacitor for driving of the compressor;
- a DC terminal voltage detector to detect voltage at two terminals of the capacitor;
- and
- a compressor microcomputer to control the inverter and to calculate refrigerator power consumption based on the detected input current and the detected DC terminal voltage,
- wherein the input current detector located between the commercial AC power source and the relay,
- wherein the compressor microcomputer includes a power factor table of power factor values corresponding to whether or not the compressor is operated,
- wherein the refrigerator power consumption is calculated by the compressor microcomputer based on the detected input current, the detected DC terminal voltage, and the power factor table, and
- wherein a greater power factor value is set by the compressor microcomputer when the AC heater is operated than a power factor value when the compressor is operated, and the refrigerator power consumption is calculated by the compressor microcomputer based on the set power factor value.
14 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a compressor;
- an input current detector to detect input current of alternating current (AC) power from a commercial AC power source inputted to the refrigerator;
- a converter to convert the inputted AC power into direct current (DC) power;
- a capacitor to store the converted DC power;
- a relay located between the commercial AC power source and the converter;
- an AC heater connected to the relay, and operated based on the received input AC power by turn-on operation of the relay;
- a voltage dropper to output dropped DC power using the DC power from the capacitor;
- a main microcomputer to operate based on the dropped DC power from voltage dropper;
- a DC heater to operate based on the dropped DC power from voltage dropper;
- an inverter to output AC power using the converted DC power from the capacitor for driving of the compressor;
- a DC terminal voltage detector to detect voltage at two terminals of the capacitor;
- and
- a compressor microcomputer to control the inverter and to calculate refrigerator power consumption based on the detected input current and the detected DC terminal voltage,
- a relay located between the commercial AC power source and the converter;
- an AC heater connected to the relay, and operated based on the received input AC power by turn-on operation of the relay;
- and
- a memory,
- wherein power factor values respectively corresponding to a case of the compressor being operated to supply cold air into a freezing compartment, a case of the compressor being operated to supply cold air into a refrigerating compartment, and a case of the AC heater being operated are stored as a power factor table in the memory or the compressor microcomputer, and
- wherein a greater power factor value is set by the compressor microcomputer when the AC heater is operated than a power factor value when the compressor is operated, and the refrigerator power consumption is calculated by the compressor microcomputer based on the set power factor value.
16 more elements
A home appliance comprising:
- an input current detector to detect input current of alternating current (AC) power from a commercial AC power source inputted to the home appliance;
- a converter to convert the inputted AC power into direct current (DC) power;
- a capacitor to store the converted DC power;
- a relay located between the commercial AC power source and the converter;
- an AC heater connected to the relay, and operated based on the received input AC power by turn-on operation of the relay;
- a voltage dropper to output dropped DC power using the DC power from the capacitor;
- a main microcomputer to operate based on the dropped DC power from voltage dropper;
- a DC heater to operate based on the dropped DC power from voltage dropper;
- an inverter to output AC power to a load using the DC power from the capacitor;
- a DC terminal voltage detector to detect voltage at two terminals of the capacitor;
- and
- a motor microcomputer to control the inverter and to calculate home appliance power consumption based on the detected input current and the detected DC terminal voltage,
- wherein the input current detector located between the commercial AC power source and the relay,
- wherein the motor microcomputer includes a power factor table of power factor values corresponding to whether or not the load is operated,
- wherein the motor microcomputer calculates the refrigerator power consumption based on the detected input current, the detected DC terminal voltage, and the power factor table, and
- wherein a greater power factor value is set by the compressor microcomputer when the AC heater is operated than a power factor value when the compressor is operated, and the refrigerator power consumption is calculated by the compressor microcomputer based on the set power factor value.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.