Air conditioner and method of detecting refrigerant leakage therein

An air conditioner, comprising:

• a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger;
• a n indoor heat exchanger;
• an indoor expansion valve;
• an outdoor expansion valve;
• and
• a four-way valve controlling a refrigerant flowing direction, which are connected to each other by a refrigerant pipe, wherein
• said refrigerant pipe includes a first detecting section extending from the indoor expansion valve to an inlet port of the compressor while passing through the indoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve, a second detecting section extending from the outdoor expansion valve to the inlet port of the compressor while passing through the outdoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve, and a third detecting section extending from the indoor expansion valve to the inlet port of the compressor while passing through the outdoor expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve;
• a pressure sensor is provided on the refrigerant pipe at a position between the four-way valve and the inlet port of the compressor;
• and
• a control unit is provided to detect a refrigerant leakage in each of the first, second and third detecting sections by comparing a variation in refrigerant pressure of each section sensed by said pressure sensor with a preset variation in the refrigerant pressure in accordance with a normal operation of each of the sections associated with no refrigerant leakage, during a refrigerant leakage detection mode.

A method of detecting a refrigerant leakage in an air conditioner, said air conditioner comprising a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor expansion valve installed indoors, an outdoor expansion valve installed outdoors, and a four-way valve controlling a refrigerant flowing direction so as to allow the air conditioner to selectively perform a cooling mode operation or a heating mode operation, which are connected to each other by a refrigerant pipe, said refrigerant pipe including a first detecting section extending from the indoor expansion valve to an inlet port of the compressor while passing through the indoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve, and a second detecting section extending from the outdoor expansion valve to the inlet port of the compressor while passing through the outdoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve, with a pressure sensor provided on the refrigerant pipe at a position between the four-way valve and the inlet port of the compressor, the method comprises:

• closing one expansion valve associated with the first detecting section to be detected or the second detecting section to be detected, and opening a remaining expansion valve associated with a section, which is not subjected to leakage detection, when a refrigerant leakage detection mode is started;
• receiving a signal indicating a sensed variation in refrigerant pressure of a respective detected section per unit time, said signal outputted from the pressure sensor;
• and
• comparing the sensed variation in refrigerant pressure with a preset variation in refrigerant pressure in accordance with a normal operation associated with no refrigerant leakage of the respective detected section, and determining that a refrigerant leakage in the respective detected section has occurred, when the sensed variation is less than the preset variation.

An air conditioner having a compressor, an expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor heat exchanger, comprising:

• a refrigerant pipe interconnecting each of said compressor, said expansion valve, said outdoor heat exchanger, and said indoor heat exchanger, said refrigerant pipe being sectioned into a high pressure section extending from an outlet port of the compressor to an inlet port of the expansion valve, and a low pressure section extending from an outlet port of the expansion valve to an inlet port of the compressor;
• a pressure sensor provided on the refrigerant pipe within a first section of the plurality of sections;
• and
• a control unit detecting a refrigerant leakage in the first section by comparing a change in a refrigerant pressure level sensed by the pressure sensor with a predetermined change in the refrigerant pressure level in accordance with a normal operation associated with no refrigerant leakage in the first section.

A method of detecting a refrigerant leakage in an air conditioner, the air conditioner having a compressor, expansion valves, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor heat exchanger, each interconnected by a refrigerant pipe, comprising:

• sectioning the refrigerant pipe into a plurality of sections;
• sensing a pressure level of a refrigerant within a first section of the plurality of sections of the refrigerant pipe;
• and
• comparing a change in the sensed pressure level of the refrigerant with a predetermined change in the refrigerant pressure level in accordance with a normal operation associated with no refrigerant leakage in the first section of the plurality of sections;
• and
• detecting a refrigerant leakage in accordance with a result of the comparing.

An air conditioner having a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor expansion valve, an outdoor expansion valve, and a four-way valve, comprising;

• a first detecting section extending from the indoor expansion valve to an inlet port of the compressor while passing through the indoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve;
• a second detecting section extending from the outdoor expansion valve to the inlet port of the compressor while passing through the outdoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve;
• and
• a third detecting section extending from the indoor expansion valve to the inlet port of the compressor while passing through the outdoor expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger and the four-way valve;
• and
• a control unit having a sensor to sense variations in refrigerant pressure with respect to a preset level of one or more sections sensed by the sensor according to a pressure level in the one or more sections.