# US 12,117,857 B2 · Heat pump and method for operating heat pump > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,117,857 B2 - Document ID: US12117857B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/213,481 - Filed: 2021-03-26 - Published: 2021-10-14 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-31 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Youngjoo Shin; Ahrae Jo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12117857B2 ## CPC - F25B 25/005: {using primary and secondary systems} - G05D 7/0676: {by action on flow sources (G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence)} - F24F 11/85: using variable-flow pumps - F25B 30/02: of the compression type - F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems - G05B 19/4155: characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 41/20: Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) - F25B 2313/003: Indoor unit with water as a heat sink or heat source - F25B 2313/007: three pipes connecting the outdoor side to the indoor side with multiple indoor units - F25B 2313/0231: with simultaneous cooling and heating - F25B 2313/0253: in parallel arrangements - F25B 2500/19: Calculation of parameters - F25B 2600/13: Pump speed control - F25B 2700/15: Power, e.g. by voltage or current - G05B 2219/37371: Flow - Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A heat pump and a method for operating a heat pump are provided. The heat pump may include a compressor that compresses a refrigerant, at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a fluid, such as water, a pump including a motor, the pump forcing the fluid to flow into the at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger, and a controller. The controller may be configured to calculate power consumption of the pump, calculate a flow rate of fluid flowing due to the pump based on the power consumption of the pump, and control an operation of the pump to be stopped when the flow rate of the fluid is less than a predetermined reference flow rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat pump, comprising: a compressor that compresses a refrigerant; at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a fluid; a pump including a motor, the pump forcing the fluid to flow into the at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger; and a controller configured to: calculate power consumption of the pump; calculate a flow rate of the fluid flowing due to the pump based on the calculated power consumption; calculate an average and a standard deviation of the power consumption calculated for a predetermined period of time; determine a ratio of fluid that is a liquid to air flowing through a pipe connected to the pump based on the average and the standard deviation of the power consumption; and control an operation of the pump to be stopped based on at least one of a case where the flow rate of the fluid is less than a predetermined reference flow rate or a case where the determined ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat pump of claim 1, further comprising a shunt resistor connected to an output terminal of the motor, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the power consumption of the pump based on a voltage applied to the shunt resistor by a current flowing through the motor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The heat pump of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the flow rate of the fluid based on an input signal for controlling an operation of the motor and a look-up table for the power consumption of the pump. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat pump of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the ratio of fluid to air is less than a first ratio when the average of the power consumption is equal to or greater than a predetermined average. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The heat pump of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the ratio of fluid to air is equal to or greater than the first ratio or more and less than a second ratio when the average of the power consumption is less than the predetermined average and the standard deviation of the power consumption is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard deviation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The heat pump of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the ratio of fluid to air is equal to or greater than the second ratio when the average of the power consumption is less than the predetermined average and the standard deviation of the power consumption is less than the predetermined standard deviation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The heat pump of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the ratio of fluid to air increases as the average of the power consumption decreases, when the average of the power consumption is less than the predetermined average and the standard deviation of the power consumption is less than the predetermined standard deviation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The heat pump of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to control the operation of the pump to be stopped when the ratio of fluid to air is equal to or greater than the first ratio. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The heat pump of claim 8, wherein the predetermined average and the predetermined standard deviation are determined depending on the input signal for controlling the operation of the motor. ### Claim 10 A method for operating a heat pump, comprising: calculating via a controller power consumption of a pump forcing fluid to flow into at least one fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a fluid; calculating via the controller a flow rate of the fluid flowing due to the pump based on the calculated power consumption; calculating via the controller an average and a standard deviation of the power consumption calculated for a predetermined period of time; determining via the controller a ratio of fluid that is a liquid to air flowing through a pipe connected to the pump based on the average and the standard deviation of the power consumption; and stopping via the controller an operation of the pump based on at least one of a case where the calculated flow rate is less than a predetermined reference flow rate or a case where the determined ratio is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the heat pump comprises a shunt resistor connected to an output terminal of a motor of the pump, wherein the calculating of the power consumption of the pump comprises calculating the power consumption of the pump based on a voltage applied to the shunt resistor by a current flowing through the motor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the calculating of the flow rate of the fluid comprises calculating the flow rate of the fluid based on an input signal for controlling an operation of the motor and a look-up table for the power consumption of the pump. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the ratio of fluid to air is determined to be less than a first ratio when the average of the power consumption is equal to or greater than a predetermined average. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the ratio of fluid to air is determined to be equal to or greater than the first ratio or more and less than a second ratio when the average of the power consumption is less than the predetermined average and the standard deviation of the power consumption is equal to or greater than a predetermined standard deviation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the ratio of fluid to air is determined to be equal to or greater than the second ratio when the average of the power consumption is less than the predetermined average and the standard deviation of the power consumption is less than the predetermined standard deviation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the ratio of fluid to air is determined to be increasing as the average of the power consumption decreases, when the average of the power consumption is less than the predetermined average and the standard deviation of the power consumption is less than the predetermined standard deviation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: stopping via the controller the operation of the pump when the ratio of fluid to air is equal to or greater than the first ratio. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined average and the predetermined standard deviation are determined depending on the input signal for controlling the operation of the motor.