WO2008133399A1

WO2008133399A1 - Air conditioning system for communication equipment and controlling method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2008133399A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/001148
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hee Tae Park
Original assignee: Chang Jo 21 Co Ltd
Current assignee: Chang Jo 21 Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-04-27
Filing date: 2008-02-27
Publication date: 2008-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2009-10-27
Also published as: KR100869534B1

Abstract

The present invention provides an air conditioning system for communication equipment to enhance a cooling efficiency by selectively using indoor air or outdoor air if needed and a method for controlling the same. The present invention provides an air conditioning system for communication equipment comprising an outdoor unit including a compressor, a condenser, a reservoir tank, a drier, and an outdoor housing, and an indoor unit including an expansion valve, an evaporator, a first fan, and an indoor housing wherein the indoor housing includes a first inlet including a first opening/closing unit and a second inlet including a second opening/closing unit for controlling flow of outdoor air and indoor air, and a first outlet for flowing cooled air into outdoor space.

Description

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to an air conditioning system for communication equipment and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly, to an air conditioning system for communication equipment to enhance cooling efficiency by selectively using indoor air or outdoor air if needed and a method for controlling the same.

[2]

Background Art

[3] Generally, an air conditioner uses the evaporation heat that is absorbed from surroundings of a refrigerant while the refrigerant is evaporated. The refrigerant includes liquids such as ammonia, freon, azeotropic refrigerant, and chloride methyl which is easily evaporated at relatively low temperatures.

[4] Typically, the air conditioner performs following processes: The high-pressure vaporized refrigerant compressed by a compressor is changed into a high-pressure refrigerant liquefied by heat exchange with outdoor air at a condenser; The high-pressure liquefied refrigerant is changed into a low-pressure vaporized refrigerant by an expansion value and a capillary; and The low-pressure vaporized refrigerant flowed into an evaporator is evaporated by heat exchange with indoor air and the evaporated refrigerant is flowed back into the compressor. The refrigerant flowed into the compressor repeatedly circulates by the above processes. Air cooled by evaporation heat of the refrigerant occurred at the evaporator is blown into a predetermined space or objects to be cooled.

[5] As described above, a conventional air conditioner can cool objects by using characteristics of refrigerant to which a phase change, e.g.,condensation and evaporation easily occurs.

[6] In the meanwhile, there are many kinds of wire or wireless communication equipment in the base station for communication or communication vehicles. Typically, heat resulted from the operation of the communication equipment may cause malfunction such as breakdown of components in communication equipment or a contact error between two nodes in communication equipment. Therefore, those communication equipment should be air-conditioned all the year round to guarantee an operation stability of itself.

[7] There is a problem that the conventional air conditioner for communication equipment does not appropriately use outdoor air or indoor air to cool the communication equipment according to surrounding temperature of the communication equipment. Also, there is another problem that since the conventional air conditioner is continueously operated by external power source, the power consumption of the conventional air conditioner is very high and the cooling efficiency of itself is very low.

[8]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[9] The present invention is directed to provide an air conditioning system for communication equipment to enhance cooling efficiency by selectively using indoor air or outdoor air if needed and a method for controlling the same.

[10]

Technical Solution

[11] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioning system for communication equipment including an outdoor unit arranged outside a base station and an indoor unit arranged with the communication equipment in the base station.

[12] The outdoor unit includes a compressor for compressing a refrigerant into a high- pressure/high-temperature vaporized refrigerant; a condenser for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air; a reservoir tank for reserving the refrigerant liquidized by the condenser for a predetermined time; a drier for removing vapor and impurities of the refrigerant reserved in the reservoir tank; and an outdoor housing surrounding the compressor, the condenser, the reservoir tank and the drier.

[13] The indoor unit includes an expansion valve for changing the refrigerant transferred from the drier into a low-temperature/low-pressure liquefied refrigerant; an evaporator for exchanging heat between the low-temperature/low-pressure refrigerant and indoor air; a first fan for blowing air cooled by the evaporator into the communication equipment; and an indoor housing surrounding the expansion valve, the evaporator, and the first fan.

[14] The indoor housing has a first inlet and a second inlet for controlling the flow of outdoor air and indoor air, and a first outlet for flowing the cooled air into outdoor spa ce. The first inlet has a first opening/closing unit. The second inlet has a second opening/shosutedting unit.

[15] As described above, the present invention can open or closed the first opening/ closing unit and the second opening/closing unit to selectively suck or circulate indoor air and outdoor air according to outdoor temperature and indoor temperature.

Advantageous Effects [16] An air conditioning system for communication equipment according to the present invention can open or closed the first opening/closing unit and the second opening/ closing unit to selectively use indoor air and outdoor air for cooling the communication equipment. Also, since the air conditioning system can selectively use indoor air and outdoor air for cooling the communication equipment, the air conditioning system does not operate both of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit but operate only the indoor unit if the internal temperature of the communication equipment is not relatively low. Therefore, it can be efficiently reduce power consumption required for cooling the communication equipment.

[17]

Brief Description of the Drawings

[18] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an air conditioning system for communication equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[19] Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling an air conditioning system for communication equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[20] Figs. 3 and 4 are a block diagram showing an air conditioning system controlled according to the method in Fig. 2.

[21]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[22] Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to drawings provided according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[23] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an air conditioning system for communication equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[24] As shown, the air conditioning system for communication equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes an outdoor unit 100 arranged outside a base station 300 and an indoor unit 200 arranged with the communication equipment (not shown) in the base station 300.

[25] The outdoor unit 100 includes a compressor 110, a condenser 120, a reservoir tank

130, and a drier 140, an outdoor housing 150 surrounding the compressor 110, the condenser 120, the reservoir tank 130 and the drier 140. The outdoor unit 100 is arranged on the roof or the outer wall of the base station 300.

[26] The compressor 110 compresses the high-temperature/low-pressure refrigerant converted by heat exchange in an evaporator 220 into a high-temperature/high-pressure refrigerant with an adiabatic compression. The high-temperature/high-pressure refrigerant converted in the compressor 110 is changed into a low- temperature/high-pressure refrigerant by heat exchange with outdoor air in the condenser 120. Herein, outdoor air used by heat exchange in the condenser 120 is flow into the outdoor housing 150 through the first opening 152 of the outdoor housing 150 and blown into outdoor space by a condensing fan 122. The low- temperature/high-pressure refrigerant converted by processes as described above is reserved in the reservoir tank 130 for a predetermined time, and vapor and impurities included in the low-temperature/high-pressure refrigerant is removed by the drier 140.

[27] In the meantime, the outdoor housing 150 includes a temperature sensor 160 for measuring outdoor temperature to control a first to a third opening/closing units 262, 264, and 266. The temperature sensor 160 is preferably arranged in or near a first inlet 312 of the indoor unit 200 for flowing outdoor air into the indoor unit 200.

[28] The indoor unit 200 includes an expansion valve 210, an evaporator 220, a first fan

230, a second fan 240 for flowing indoor air into outdoor space, and an indoor housing 250 arranged on inner wall 310 of the base station 300. That is, the indoor housing 250 is arranged in the internal space of the base station 300.

[29] The expansion valve 210 converts the low-temperature/high-pressure refrigerant in which vapor and impurities is removed by the drier 140 into a low- temperature/low-pressure refrigerant with isothermal expansion. The low- temperature/low -pressure refrigerant changed by the expansion valve 210 is changed into the high-temperature/low-pressure by heat exchange with indoor air in the evaporator 220. The first fan 230 transfers air cooled by the evaporator 220 into the communication equipment that should be cooled. The second fan 240 is operated to blow indoor air into outdoor space when the circulaton of indoor air is not relatively well. Herein, the second fan 240 can be set up or removed depending on user's requirement.

[30] Preferably, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, air is used as the refrigerant circulating between the indoor unit 200 and the outdoor unit 100. Since the communication equipment should be generally cooled below only a predetermined temperature T , .e.g., 25 degrees, refrigerant such as Freon gas is not required to cool si the communication equipment.

[31] The indoor housing 250 uses the wall 310 of the base station 300 as one side of the same and is parted into an upper room 254 and a lower room 256 by a partition wall 252.

[32] The first inlet 312 is arranged on one side of the upper room 254 i.e., the wall 310 of the base station 300. The first inlet 312 includes the first opening/closing unit 262 for selectively transferring outdoor air into the upper room 254. A filter 270 for filtering impurities of outdoor air is arranged at one side of the first inlet 312. A first outlet 282 is arranged on the opposite side of the first inlet 312 in the upper room 254 and the evaporator 220 is arranged at one side of the first outlet 282. The first fan 230 is arranged at one side of the evaporator 220. The second inlet 284 is arranged on a bottom wall, i.e., the partition wall 252 of the upper room 254. The indoor air flowed in the lower room 256 through a third inlet 286 is transferred through a second inlet 284 into the upper room 254. The second inlet 284 includes the second opening/ closing unit 264 for selectively transferring indoor air of the lower room 256 into the upper room 254.

[33] A second outlet 314 is arranged on one side of the lower room 256, i.e., the wall 310 of the base station 300 for transferring indoor air into outdoor space. The second outlet 314 includes the third opening/closing unit 266 for selectively transferring indoor air of the lower room 254 into outdoor space. The second fan 240 is arranged at one side of the second inlet 314.

[34] Although the indoor unit 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention in Fig. 1 is arranged on the wall 310 of the base station, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made. For instance, there can be left a space between the wall 310 and the indoor unit 200. If there is space between the wall 310 and the indoor unit 200, an aid apparatus such as a duct can be used for controlling flow of outdoor air or indoor air.

[35] The indoor housing 250 includes a temperature sensor 290 for measuring indoor temperature. The indoor temperature measured by the temperature sensor 290 is used to control an operation of the first to third opening/closing units 262, 264, and 266. Herein, it is preferred that the temperature sensor 290 is arranged at the outside of the indoor housing 250 in order to accurately measure indoor temperature.

[36] The first to third opening/closing units 262, 264, and 266 can use an electric louver.

In the electric louver, a plurality of plates are horizontally and regularly arranged. The first to third opening/closing units 262, 264, and 266 are opened or closed according to indoor temperature and outdoor temperature measured by the pair of temperature sensors 160 and 290, respectively.

[37] An air conditioning system according to the present invention as describecoolove can cool the communication equipment by selectively using indoor air or outdoor air. In detail, to control air-conditioning onditioning of the communication equipment, only the indoor unit is operated or both of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are operated according to the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature. Therefore, the air conditioning system by the present invention can reduce useless power consumption and enhance efficiency of power consumption needed for air-conditioning the communication equipment.

[38] A method for controlling the air conditioning system is described hereinafter with reference to Figs 2 to 4. [39] Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling an air conditioning system for communication equipment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are a block diagram showing an air conditioning system controlled according to the method illustrated in Fig. 2.

[40] The inside temperature and the outside temperature of the base station, i.e., the indoor temperature T and the outdoor temperature T are measured by the m out temperature sensor 160 of the outdoor unit 100 and the temperature sensor 290 of the indoor unit 200, respectively (S 102). If the indoor tinperature T is higher than a first predetermined temperature T , e.g. 25 degrees (S 104), the indoor unit 200 is operated si

(S 106). In this case, indoor air that does not exchange heat or outdoor air that does not exchange heat is used for air-conditioning the communication equipment of the base station. Herein, this case is called a natural fanning state. [41] On the natural fanning state, the outdoor temperature T is measured (S 108). If the out indoor temperature T m is higher than the outdoor temperature T out (S 110), as shown in

Fig. 3, the first opening/closing unit 262 and the third opening/closing unit 266 are opened (Sl 12). Then, outdoor air is flowed into the indoor unit 200 through the first inlet 312 and indoor air of the indoor unit 200 is flowed into outdoor space through the second outlet 314 . Herein, the second opening/closing unit 264 is closed to prevent indoor air in the lower room 256 of the indoor unit 200 from blowing into the upper room 254 of the indoor unit 200. [42] If the outdoor temperature T is higher than the indoor temperatur T , as shown in out m

Fig. 4, the first opening/closing unit 262 and the third opening/closing unit 266 are closed. Then, outdoor air is prevented to flow into the indoor unit 200 through the first inlet 312 and indoor air of the indoor unit 200 is prevented to flow into outdoor space through the second outlet 314. Also, the second opening/closing unit 264 is opened and then, indoor air circulates between the lower room 256 and the upper room 254 (S 122).

[43] The former case(Sl 12) is a method for air-conditioning the communication equipment using low-temperature outdoor air. The latter case(S122) is a method for air-conditioning the communication equipment by preventing high-temperature outdoor air from blowing into the indoor unit 200.

[44] In case that the first and the third opening/closing units 262 and 266 are opened and the second opening/closing unit 264 is closed, if the indoor temperature T is higher than a predetermined temperature T , e.g., 26.5 degrees (Sl 14), the outdoor unit 100 is s2 operated. Then, refrigerant circulates between the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 (Sl 16). Both of the outdoor unit 100 and the indoor unit 200 are operated substantially at the same time and heat exchange is performed in the evaporator 220. In detail, outdoor air flowed through the first inlet 312 is cooled by heat exchange in the evaporator 220 and the cooled air is flowed into the communication equipment. Herein, this case is called a air-conditioning state. If the indoor temperature T is lower than the outdoor temperature T (Sl 18), the first and the third opening/closing units out

262 and 266 are closed and the second opening/closing unit 264 is opened (S 120). Then, since inflow of outdoor air and outflow of indoor air are prevented, it can prevent to drop efficiency for air-conditioning the communication equipment. [45] In the meantime, if the indoor temperature T is higher than a predetermined temperature T , e.g., 26.5 degrees (S 124) in case that the first and the third opening/ closing units 262 and 266 are closed and the second opening/closing unit 264 is opened, the outdoor unit 100 is operated. Then, refrigerant circulates between the indoor unit 100 and the outdoor unit 200 (S 126). The outdoor unit 100 and indoor unit 200 are operated and heat exchange is performed in the evaporator 220. In detail, outdoor air flowed through the second inlet 284 is cooled by heat exchange in the evaporator 220 and the cooled air is flowed into the communication equipment. Herein, this case is called a air-conditioning state. If the outdoor temperature Tout is lower than the indoor temperature T , the first and the third opening/closing units 262 and 266 are opened and the second opening/closing unit 264 is closed (S 130). The outdoor unit 100 is stopped to operate if the indoor temperature T is lower than a pre- determined temperature T , e.g., 26.5 degrees. Thus, it can prevent to drop efficiency for controlling the air condition of the communication equipment. Herein, the operation of the outdoor unit 100 is controlled by the temperature T . If the indoor temperature T is higher than the predetermined temperature T , the operation of the m s2 outdoor unit 100 is started. Otherwise, if the indoor temperature T is lower than the predetermined temperature T , the operation of the outdoor unit 100 is stopped. s2

[46] While the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the air that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

[1] An air conditioning system for communication equipment, comprising: an outdoor unit arranged outside a base station wherein the outdoor unit includes a compressor for compressing refrigerant into high-pressure and high- temperature refrigerant, a condenser for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and outdoor air, a reservoir tank for reserving the refrigerant liquidized by the condenser for a predetermined time, a drier for removing vapor and impurities of the refrigerant reserved in the reservoir tank, and an outdoor housing surrounding the compressor, the condenser, the reservoir tank and the drier; and an indoor unit arranged with the communication equipment in the base station wherein the indoor unit includes an expansion valve for changing the refrigerant flowed from the drier into low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant, an evaporator for exchanging heat between the low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant and indoor air, a first fan for blowing air cooled by the evaporator into the communication equipment, and an indoor housing surrounding the expansion valve, the evaporator, and the first fan; wherein the indoor housing has a first inlet and a second inlet for controlling flow of outdoor air and indoor air, and a first outlet for flowing the cooled air into outdoor space, wherein the first inlet has a first opening/closing unit and the second inlet has a second opening/closing unit.

[2] The air conditioning system of claim 1, wherein the indoor housing includes: an upper room including the first inlet, the second inlet, and the first outlet; and an lower room including a third inlet for flowing indoor air into the lower room and a second outlet including a third opening/closing unit for flowing indoor air of the lower room into outdoor space; wherein the second outlet has a third opening /closing unit and a second fan is selectively arranged at one side of the second outlet.

[3] The air conditioning system of claim 2, wherein the first to third opening/closing units are controlled according to a first temperature sensor arranged in the outdoor unit and a second temperature sensor arranged in the indoor unit.

[4] The air conditioning system according to claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the refrigerant includes air.

[5] The air conditioning system of claim 4, wherein the first to second opening/ closing units includes an electromotion type louver.

[6] The air conditioning system of claim 4, further comprising a filtering unit arranged at one side of the first inlet.

[7] A method for controlling the air conditioning system according to claim 4, comprising: a first step of measuring an indoor temperature; a second step of operating the indoor unit when the indoor temperature is higher than a first predetermined temperature; a third step of comparing an outdoor temperature with the indoor temperature; and a fourth step of controlling the first and third opening/closing units to be opened and the second opening/closing unit to be closed when the indoor temperature is higher than the outdoor temperature, and controlling the first and third opening/ closing units to be closed and the second opening/closing unit to be opened when the indoor temperature is lower than the outdoor temperature.

[8] The method of claim 8, further comprising: a fifth step of operating the outdoor unit when the indoor temperature is higher than a second predetermined temperature in case that the first and the third opening/closing units to be opened and the second opening/closing unit to be closed; a sixth step of comparing the outdoor temperature with the indoor temperature; and a seventh step of controlling the first and third opening/closing units to be closed and the second opening/closing unit to be opened if the indoor temperature is lower than the outdoor temperature.

[9] The method of claim 7, further comprising: an eighth step of operating the outdoor unit if the indoor temperature is higher than a second predetermined temperature in case that the first and third opening/ closing units to be closed and the second opening/closing unit to be opened; a ninth step of comparing the outdoor temperature with the indoor temperature; and a tenth step of controlling the first and third opening/closing units to be opened and the second opening/closing unit to be closed if the indoor temperature is higher than the outdoor temperature.