US 12,215,883 B2
Chiller including heat transfer tube and method for controlling chiller to determine degree of contamination of the heat transfer tube
Youngjin Kim, Seoul (KR); Joongbeom Lee, Seoul (KR); and Solji Ryu, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/979,241.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2022-0106373 (KR), filed on Aug. 24, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0068698 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. F24F 11/83 (2018.01)
CPC F24F 11/83 (2018.01) 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A chiller, comprising:
a cooling tower configured to store cooling water that exchanges heat with outside air;
a condenser including at least one heat transfer tube through which the cooling water supplied from the cooling tower flows, and into which a refrigerant that exchanges heat with the cooling water of the at least one heat transfer tube is introduced;
a cooling water outlet temperature sensor provided in a cooling water outlet pipe through which cooling water is discharged from the condenser, and configured to detect a temperature of the discharged cooling water;
a condenser pressure sensor provided in the condenser and configured to detect a pressure of the refrigerant inside of the condenser;
a controller configured to collect operation data by calculating a difference between a temperature detected by the cooling water outlet temperature sensor and a refrigerant temperature, converted from the pressure detected by the condenser pressure sensor, to recognize a degree of contamination of foreign matter of the cooling water deposited in the at least one heat transfer tube of the condenser; and
a display configured to output information on the degree of contamination when it is recognized that information regarding the difference deviates from a predetermined amount, wherein the controller, in the process of recognizing the degree of contamination, is configured to stop a process of calculating the difference and collecting the operation data when a predetermined event occurs.