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US 12,018,674 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for controlling compressor
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsJinseok Hu, Young Doo Kim, Jae Jun You, Koonseok Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and a method may control a compressor. The apparatus may control a motor (included in a compressor) such that the motor quickly repeats turn-on and turn-off operations in a cooling power supply time period/section, thereby enabling the compressor to compress refrigerant in the cooling power supply time period/section. Thus, cooling power of a refrigerator may change while the compressor operates with maximum efficiency.
Claims17
An apparatus for controlling a compressor that includes a piston and a motor, comprising:
- a rectifier configured to receive AC power and to output DC power;
- an inverter configured to convert the DC voltage from the rectifier into an AC voltage, and to provide the AC voltage to the motor;
- and
- a controller configured to control the AC voltage to be provided to the motor and to control reciprocating movement of the piston,
- wherein the controller is configured to control driving of the motor during a cooling power supply time period that includes a turn-on time period of the motor and a turn-off time period of the motor, wherein during the cooling power supply time period, the driving of the motor to repeat an operation cycle in which the motor is turned on and turned off,
- wherein during the turn-off time period of the motor, the piston is to move based on inertial energy, and
- wherein the controller is configured to control driving of the motor based on a first ratio that is set based on a command cooling power value of the compressor and a maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value of the compressor, wherein the first ratio is based on the turn-on time period and the turn-off time period,
- wherein during the turn-on time period of the motor, the compressor is configured to be driven based on the maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value, and the piston is configured to move based on electric energy, and
- wherein the first ratio is in proportion to a second ratio, the second ratio is a ratio based on the command cooling power value and a value determined by subtracting the command cooling power value from the maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value.
6 more elements
A method for controlling a compressor performed by a controller wherein the compressor includes a piston and a motor, comprising:
- receiving a command cooling power value;
- determining a first ratio based on a cooling power supply time period that includes a turn-on time period of the motor and a turn-off time period of the motor, wherein the first ratio is a ratio of the turn-on time period of the motor and the turn-off time period of the motor based on the command cooling power value of the compressor and a maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value of the compressor;
- and
- controlling driving of the motor during the cooling power supply time period so as to repeat an operation cycle in which the motor is turned on and turned off based on the first ratio,
- wherein, during the turn-on time period, the compressor is driven based on the maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value, and the piston is to linearly move based on electric energy provided by the motor,
- wherein, during the turn-off time period, the piston is to linearly move based on inertial energy,
- wherein determining the first ratio comprises setting the first ratio in proportion to a second ratio, and
- wherein the second ratio is a ratio of the command cooling power value and a value determined by subtracting the command cooling power value from the maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value.
5 more elements
An apparatus for controlling a compressor, the apparatus comprising:
- an inverter to provide voltage to a motor of the compressor;
- and
- a controller configured to control movement of a piston of the compressor based on the voltage provided to the motor,
- wherein the controller is configured to control driving of the motor during a cooling power supply time period that includes a turn-on time period of the motor and a turn-off time period of the motor,
- wherein during the turn-on time period of the motor, the piston is to move based on electric energy,
- wherein during the turn-off time period of the motor, the piston is to move based on inertial energy or elastic energy, and
- wherein the controller is configured to control driving of the motor based on a first ratio, wherein the first ratio is based on the turn-on time period of the motor and the turn-off time period of the motor,
- wherein during the turn-on time period of the motor the compressor is configured to be driven based on a maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value of the compressor, and the piston is configured to move based on electric energy, and
- wherein the first ratio is in proportion to a second ratio, the second ratio is a ratio based on a command cooling power value of the compressor and a value determined by subtracting the command cooling power value from the maximum-efficiency operation cooling power value.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.