US 12,385,653 B2
Air conditioning system and method for controlling air conditioning system
Jisung Lee, Seoul (KR); Yongcheol Sa, Seoul (KR); Chiwoo Song, Seoul (KR); and Ilyoong Shin, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
Appl. No. 17/778,477
Filed by LG ELECTRONICS INC., Seoul (KR)
PCT Filed Aug. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/KR2020/011420
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/153870, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 5, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2020-0010248 (KR), filed on Jan. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0003399 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. F24F 3/06 (2006.01); F24F 11/47 (2018.01)
CPC F24F 3/065 (2013.01) [F24F 11/47 (2018.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An air conditioning system, comprising:
an outdoor unit through which a refrigerant circulates, the outdoor unit including a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger;
a plurality of indoor units to which a fluid is supplied;
a heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and the fluid;
at least one indoor unit pipe that connects the heat exchanger to the plurality of indoor units, the at least one indoor unit pipe being configured to guide circulation of the fluid in the heat exchanger and the plurality of indoor units;
a plurality of pumps installed in the at least one indoor unit pipe to forcibly circulate the fluid, the plurality of pumps including a first pump and a second pump;
at least one flow rate meter configured to measure loads of the plurality of indoor units based on capacities of the plurality of indoor units and a length of the at least one indoor unit pipe when the plurality of indoor units is mapped to the plurality of pumps, the at least one flow rate meter being installed in the at least one indoor unit pipe and configured to measure a flow rate of the fluid circulating in the plurality of pumps and the plurality of indoor units; and
a controller configured to determine the loads of the plurality of indoor units based on the flow rate measured by the at least one flow rate meter, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine ranks of the plurality of indoor units based on flow rates measured for the plurality of indoor units;
map, to the first pump of the plurality of pumps, at least one first indoor unit having a first rank among the plurality of indoor units; and
map, to the second pump of the plurality of pumps, at least one second indoor unit having a second rank among the plurality of indoor units.