Control Method of Air Conditioner, Air Conditioner, Device and Readable Storage Medium

Abstract

The present invention discloses a control method and an air conditioner for an air conditioner, which are applicable to a multi-connected air conditioner. When the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, the electronic expansion valve is controlled to maintain the opening degree before shutdown, and then the electronic expansion valve is closed after a first preset time, effectively reducing the situation of refrigerant liquid seal in the high-pressure side causing pipe explosion during shutdown, and also being able to play a role in preventing refrigerant migration; after the electronic expansion valve is closed, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve can be controlled according to the outdoor ambient temperature, and by adjusting the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, the pressure generated by the liquid seal can be reduced, greatly reducing the possibility of pipe explosion caused by refrigerant liquid seal in the case of a relatively high outdoor ambient temperature, and improving the reliability of the air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular, to a control method for an air conditioner, an air conditioner, a control device, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] A multi-connected air conditioner refers to an outdoor unit connected to two or more indoor units through pipes. For the outdoor unit of a heat pump type multi-connected air conditioner, an electronic expansion valve needs to be provided at the front end of the outdoor heat exchanger. During heating operation, the refrigerant flow rate entering the outdoor heat exchanger is adjusted by controlling the opening of the electronic expansion valve. However, when the multi-connected air conditioner stops cooling, the refrigerant liquid seal on the high-pressure side is likely to cause the refrigerant pipe to burst when the electronic expansion valve is closed, and the occurrence of pipe bursting will be accelerated when the outdoor working temperature is too high, resulting in a decrease in the reliability of the multi-connected air conditioner. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. For this purpose, the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, which can effectively reduce the possibility of pipe bursting when the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, making the operation of the air conditioner more stable and reliable.

[0004] The present invention also provides a control device, an air conditioner, and a computer-readable storage medium for executing the above control method.

[0005] According to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention, a control method for an air conditioner is used for a multi-connected air conditioner, and the control method includes:

[0006] When the operating state of the air conditioner is shutdown in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner to maintain the opening before shutdown;

[0007] After a first preset time, close the electronic expansion valve;

[0008] After closing the electronic expansion valve, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature;

[0009] Control the opening of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature.

[0010] According to the control method of the embodiment of the present invention, it has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0011] The control method of the embodiment is applicable to a multi-connected air conditioner. When the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, the electronic expansion valve is controlled to maintain the opening degree before shutdown, and then the electronic expansion valve is closed after a first preset time, effectively reducing the situation of refrigerant liquid seal in the high-pressure side during shutdown and causing pipe explosion, and also being able to play a role in preventing refrigerant migration; after closing the electronic expansion valve, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve can be controlled according to the outdoor ambient temperature, and by adjusting the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, the pressure generated by liquid seal can be reduced, greatly reducing the possibility of pipe explosion caused by refrigerant liquid seal in the case of a relatively high outdoor ambient temperature, and improving the reliability of the air conditioner.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature includes:

[0013] When the outdoor ambient temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to open.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controlling the electronic expansion valve to open includes:

[0015] Control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to increase by at least a preset opening degree.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature further includes:

[0017] When the outdoor ambient temperature changes to be less than the first preset temperature and greater than a second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the current opening degree.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature further includes:

[0019] When the outdoor ambient temperature changes to be less than or equal to the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature includes:

[0021] When the outdoor ambient temperature is less than the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to remain in the closed state.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature includes:

[0023] When the outdoor ambient temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after closing the electronic expansion valve, obtaining the outdoor ambient temperature includes:

[0025] After closing the electronic expansion valve, wait for a second preset time;

[0026] When the second preset time is reached, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature.

[0027] The control device according to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the control method described in the first aspect embodiment above. Since the control device adopts all the technical solutions of the control method in the above embodiment, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions in the above embodiment.

[0028] The air conditioner according to the third aspect embodiment of the present invention includes the control device described in the second aspect embodiment above. Since the air conditioner adopts all the technical solutions of the control device in the above embodiment, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions in the above embodiment.

[0029] The computer-readable storage medium according to the fourth aspect embodiment of the present invention stores computer-executable instructions, and is characterized in that the computer-executable instructions are used to execute the control method described in the first aspect embodiment above. Since the computer-readable storage medium adopts all the technical solutions of the control method in the above embodiment, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions in the above embodiment.

[0030] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the subsequent description, and part of them will become obvious from the description or be understood by implementing the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious and easy to understand from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an outdoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a control method of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a control method of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 is a flowchart of controlling the opening degree of an electronic expansion valve according to an outdoor ambient temperature according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Reference numerals:

[0039] Compressor 100; four-way valve 110; outdoor heat exchanger 120; electronic expansion valve 130; exhaust check valve 140; fan 150; filter 160; liquid side valve 170; gas side valve 180; gas-liquid separator 190. Detailed implementation manners

[0040] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described by referring to the drawings below are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, if the first, second, etc. are described only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, they should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the sequence relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0042] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as up, down, etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installation, connection, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0044] A multi-connected air conditioner refers to an outdoor unit connected to two or more indoor units through pipes, commonly known as "one drag many". Multi-connected air conditioners are increasingly widely used in small and medium-sized buildings and some public buildings. Multi-connected air conditioners are usually heat pump type and can achieve refrigeration and heating operations. For the outdoor unit of a heat pump type multi-connected air conditioner, an electronic expansion valve needs to be provided at the front end of the outdoor heat exchanger. During the heating operation, the opening of the electronic expansion valve is controlled to adjust the refrigerant flow rate entering the outdoor heat exchanger to ensure the efficient and reliable operation of the unit.

[0045] Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic structural diagram of an outdoor unit of a multi-connected air conditioner. The outlet end of the compressor 100 is connected to port D of the four-way valve 110, and the inlet end of the compressor 100 is connected to port S of the four-way valve 110 through a gas-liquid separator 190. Port C of the four-way valve 110 is connected to an outdoor heat exchanger 120 and an electronic expansion valve 130. Port E of the four-way valve 110 is connected to one end of an indoor heat exchanger (not shown in the drawing) through a gas-side valve 180, and the electronic expansion valve 130 is connected to the other end of the indoor heat exchanger through a liquid-side valve 170. A fan 150 is provided on the outdoor heat exchanger 120. Among them, an exhaust check valve 140 is provided between the outlet end of the compressor 100 and port D of the four-way valve 110. In the heating mode, port D and port E of the four-way valve 110 are conducted, and port C and port S are conducted. The refrigerant flows through the four-way valve 110 and the gas-side valve 180 and then flows to the indoor heat exchanger, and after heat exchange, it flows to the electronic expansion valve 130 and the outdoor heat exchanger 120; in the cooling mode, port D and port C of the four-way valve 110 are conducted, and port E and port S are conducted. The refrigerant sequentially passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 120 and the electronic expansion valve 130, and then flows to the indoor heat exchanger for heat exchange. In both the heating mode and the cooling mode, the refrigerant passes through the four-way valve 110 and the gas-liquid separator 190, and finally returns to the compressor 100, which will not be elaborated here.

[0046] When shutting down in the operating state of the cooling mode, when the electronic expansion valve 130 is in the closed state, a closed pipeline is formed between the exhaust check valve 140 and the electronic expansion valve 130. Since there is liquid refrigerant in this closed pipeline, a liquid seal is generated, which easily causes the pressure in the refrigerant pipe to be too high and leads to the situation of pipe explosion. Especially when the outdoor ambient temperature rises above 45 °C, the pressure of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid seal section rises abnormally, and the risk of exceeding the pressure resistance of the copper pipe is relatively large, increasing the possibility of pipe explosion.

[0047] Based on this, the control method provided by the embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a multi-connected air conditioner. Aiming at the problem that pipe explosion is likely to occur when shutting down in the cooling mode, when shutting down in the cooling mode, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to maintain the opening degree before shutdown, such as Figure 1 shown, after shutdown, the electronic expansion valve 130 remains in the open state. At this time, the refrigerant pipeline between the exhaust check valve 140 and the electronic expansion valve 130 is in a non-closed state, avoiding excessive pressure, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of pipe explosion caused by refrigerant liquid seal on the high-pressure side during shutdown; after a first preset time, the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed, and after closing the electronic expansion valve 130, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled according to the outdoor ambient temperature. By adjusting the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130, the pressure generated by the liquid seal can be reduced, thereby greatly reducing the possibility of pipe explosion caused by refrigerant liquid seal in the case of a relatively high outdoor ambient temperature.

[0048] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are some, but not all, embodiments of the present invention.

[0049] See Figure 2 as shown Figure 2 is a flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The control method includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0050] Step S100, when the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the opening degree before shutdown.

[0051] Step S200, close the electronic expansion valve after a first preset time.

[0052] Taking Figure 1 the outdoor unit of the multi-connected air conditioner shown as an example for illustration, it can be understood that when operating in the heating mode, the refrigerant first exchanges heat through the indoor heat exchanger and then returns to the outdoor heat exchanger 120. When shutting down in the heating mode, a closed state will not be formed between the exhaust check valve 140 and the electronic expansion valve 130, and the risk of pipe explosion is relatively low. Therefore, when the air conditioner shuts down in the heating mode, the air conditioner does not execute the control method of the above embodiment.

[0053] The control method of this embodiment is for the case of shutting down in the cooling mode. Specifically, when the air conditioner operates in the cooling mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 120 is a condenser, and the refrigerant passes through the condenser and then passes through the filter 160 and the electronic expansion valve 130 in sequence. The electronic expansion valve 130 operates normally according to the set opening degree, and most of the refrigerant is in a high-pressure liquid state, containing a small amount of gas. When the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to maintain the opening degree before shutdown. It can be understood that the state of the electronic expansion valve 130 before shutdown is the open state of normal operation, and the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is the opening degree preset according to the operating mode, which will not be further elaborated here. That is to say, the electronic expansion valve 130 remains in the open state after shutdown.

[0054] As Figure 1 shown, after shutting down in the cooling mode, since the electronic expansion valve 130 is in the open state, the refrigerant pipeline between the exhaust check valve 140 and the electronic expansion valve 130 is in a non-closed state. Therefore, the liquid refrigerant will not be blocked in the pipe body, avoiding the pipe body pressure from being too high due to immediately closing the electronic expansion valve 130 after shutdown and reducing the risk of pipe explosion.

[0055] It should be noted that if the electronic expansion valve 130 remains open after the refrigeration mode is shut down, considering the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor environments, refrigerant migration is likely to occur in the outdoor unit after shutdown. When the air conditioner is restarted, it is even unable to establish an effective degree of subcooling during the startup process or for some time after startup, reducing the refrigeration efficiency. Moreover, after refrigerant migration occurs, gaseous refrigerant and liquid refrigerant will be mixed together, and the gas-liquid mixture during the startup process is likely to generate turbulence, causing the electronic expansion valve 130 to vibrate greatly, resulting in noise and a poor user experience. In severe cases, it may even lead to user complaints.

[0056] See Figure 2 As shown, the control method in this embodiment controls the electronic expansion valve 130 to remain open when shutting down, and then closes it after the first preset time has elapsed since the electronic expansion valve 130 was opened. The first preset time can be set according to the actual product requirements. For example, the first preset time can be 1 min (minute), 3 min, 5 min, etc., and no further specific limitation is made. It can be understood that by controlling the electronic expansion valve 130 to open first and then close when shutting down, this can effectively solve the problem of burst pipes caused by high-pressure side liquid seal when shutting down in the refrigeration mode, and at the same time reduce the possibility of refrigerant migration, effectively solving the problem of noise caused by insufficient startup subcooling.

[0057] See Figure 2 As shown, the control method of the embodiment further includes the following steps:

[0058] Step S300: After closing the electronic expansion valve, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature;

[0059] Step S400: Control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature.

[0060] It can be understood that when the air conditioner shuts down in the refrigeration mode, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open first and then close. After the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed, a closed pipeline is formed between the exhaust check valve 140 and the electronic expansion valve 130, which can solve the problem of refrigerant migration. However, considering that there is still a risk of burst pipes when the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor is too large, especially when the outdoor ambient temperature rises above 45 °C, the pressure of the liquid refrigerant in the closed pipeline rises abnormally, and the risk of exceeding the pressure resistance of the refrigerant pipe is relatively large, and the possibility of burst pipes is relatively high. Therefore, in the embodiment, after closing the electronic expansion valve 130, the outdoor ambient temperature is obtained, and then the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled according to the outdoor ambient temperature, avoiding the electronic expansion valve 130 remaining closed when the outdoor ambient temperature is too high, which is beneficial to further reducing the risk of burst pipes.

[0061] Specifically, after the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed, the air conditioner can collect the outdoor ambient temperature through a temperature sensor. For example, a temperature sensor is set on the outdoor unit to detect the ambient temperature where the outdoor heat exchanger 120 is located, and then the outdoor ambient temperature is used as a control condition for adjusting the electronic expansion valve 130. It can be understood that when the outdoor ambient temperature is too high, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open. For example, when the outdoor ambient temperature exceeds 45°C, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open; it can also be that the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is adjusted according to the change of the outdoor ambient temperature. For example, when the outdoor ambient temperature exceeds 35°C, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to gradually increase. The higher the outdoor ambient temperature, the larger the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130, so as to reduce the situation of abnormal pressure increase caused by too high temperature difference, greatly reduce the possibility of refrigerant liquid seal causing pipe explosion in the case of high outdoor ambient temperature, and improve the reliability of the air conditioner.

[0062] It should be noted that the air conditioner in the embodiment is a multi-connected air conditioner. Since a multi-connected air conditioner can connect multiple indoor units through one outdoor unit, any indoor unit can work independently during the operation of the outdoor unit. That is to say, when one of the indoor units shuts down in the cooling mode, the outdoor unit will still continue to operate. Based on this, in the control method of the embodiment, the shutdown of the air conditioner in the cooling mode should be understood as the shutdown of the compressor 100 of the air conditioner in the cooling mode. Specifically, the operating state of the compressor 100 of the outdoor unit can be detected. When the air conditioner receives a shutdown instruction in the cooling mode, the compressor 100 is controlled to shut down. After the compressor 100 is shut down, it is determined that the operating state of the air conditioner is the shutdown state in the cooling mode, and then the steps of controlling the electronic expansion valve 130 to open first and then close, and controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature are executed.

[0063] See Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled according to the outdoor ambient temperature. That is to say, the outdoor ambient temperature is used to determine whether to open the electronic expansion valve 130, which specifically includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0064] Step S100, when the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the opening degree before shutdown;

[0065] Step S200, close the electronic expansion valve after a first preset time;

[0066] Step S300, after closing the electronic expansion valve, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature;

[0067] Step S410, when the outdoor ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to open.

[0068] It should be noted that considering the problem of abnormal pressure of the liquid refrigerant in the liquid seal pipe section when the temperature difference between the outdoor ambient temperature and the indoor ambient temperature is too large, the outdoor ambient temperature is compared with the first preset temperature as a judgment condition for determining whether the indoor-outdoor temperature difference is too large, so as to determine whether there is a risk of pipe explosion.

[0069] In the embodiment, when the outdoor ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, it is determined at this time that the outdoor ambient temperature is too high, and there is a risk that abnormal pressure of the liquid refrigerant is likely to cause pipe explosion. When the above conditions are met, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open, so as to reduce the pressure in the liquid seal pipe section, and further reduce the possibility of pipe explosion caused by too high outdoor ambient temperature, and improve the reliability of the air conditioner.

[0070] Among them, the first preset temperature can be set according to the actual requirements of the product. For example, the first preset temperature can be 40°C, 45°C, 50°C, etc., and no further limitation is made specifically. Taking the first preset temperature of 40°C as an example, when the outdoor ambient temperature is W1, step S410 specifically includes:

[0071] Step S411, when W1≥40°C, control the electronic expansion valve to open.

[0072] It should be noted that after the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed, when the outdoor ambient temperature exceeds the first preset temperature, the electronic expansion valve 130 needs to open a certain opening degree to ensure that the pressure in the closed pipeline can be reduced in time, and avoid the situation that the opening degree is too small to cause the pressure not to be released quickly, so as to achieve the purpose of effectively reducing the risk of pipe explosion.

[0073] In the embodiment, step S411 specifically includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0074] Step S412, when W1≥40°C, control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to increase by at least the first preset opening degree.

[0075] It can be understood that the first preset opening degree can be set according to the performance requirements of the actual product. The first preset opening degree can be an opening degree that satisfies the flow of the liquid refrigerant to achieve rapid pressure reduction. That is to say, when it is detected that the outdoor temperature exceeds 40°C, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open to the first preset opening degree or the maximum opening degree. At this time, no closed pipeline is formed between the exhaust check valve 140 and the electronic expansion valve 130, ensuring that the pressure generated by the liquid seal can be quickly released and effectively reducing the risk of pipe explosion. It can be understood that the electronic expansion valve 130 uses the number of steps as the measurement unit. For example, the first preset opening degree can be 150 steps, 300 steps, etc. In the embodiment, the first preset opening degree is 200 steps, that is, when W1≥40°C, control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 to at least reach 200 steps.

[0076] It should be noted that the outdoor ambient temperature is detected in real time by a temperature sensor. Since the outdoor ambient temperature will change, after the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed, when the outdoor ambient temperature exceeds the first preset temperature, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open; when the outdoor ambient temperature is lower than the first preset temperature, the risk of pipe explosion is relatively low at this time, and the electronic expansion valve 130 can be controlled to close to reduce the possibility of refrigerant migration; the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 can also be adjusted according to the actual application scenario.

[0077] In some embodiments, controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature specifically further includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0078] Step S420, when the outdoor ambient temperature is less than the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to remain in the closed state.

[0079] It can be understood that the first preset temperature is greater than the second preset temperature. Before controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature, the electronic expansion valve 130 is in the closed state. Then, when it is determined that the outdoor ambient temperature is less than the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, the condition of high risk of pipe explosion is not reached. Therefore, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to remain closed.

[0080] In some embodiments, controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature specifically further includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0081] Step S430, when the outdoor ambient temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

[0082] It can be understood that the second preset temperature is less than the first preset temperature. For example, the second preset temperature can be 30°C, 35°C, etc., and specific values are not further limited. Taking the second preset temperature as 30°C as an example, step S420 specifically includes:

[0083] Step S431, when W1 ≤ 30°C, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

[0084] Considering that when the outdoor ambient temperature is relatively low, the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed. At this time, although a closed pipeline is formed between the exhaust check valve 140 and the electronic expansion valve 130, due to the small temperature difference between indoor and outdoor, the pressure in the closed pipeline is relatively low, and the risk of pipe explosion is relatively low. Therefore, when the outdoor ambient temperature does not exceed the second preset temperature, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to close to prevent the problem of insufficient starting subcooling degree caused by refrigerant migration.

[0085] It can be understood that when W1 ≥ 40°C, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open to the first preset opening degree; when the outdoor ambient temperature changes to W1 ≤ 30°C, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to change from the open state to the closed state. It should be noted that after the shutdown in the refrigeration mode, when the obtained outdoor ambient temperature always remains less than or equal to the second preset temperature, the electronic expansion valve 130 will always remain in the closed state. That is to say, in the case of a relatively low outdoor ambient temperature, the risk of tube bursting is relatively low, and the electronic expansion valve 130 is in the closed state until the air conditioner is restarted and then the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open and enter the normal working state, which can effectively solve the problem of noise caused by insufficient starting supercooling degree.

[0086] It should be noted that in the embodiment, the first preset temperature is greater than the second preset temperature. During the process of controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature, the temperature range is divided into three, including the first temperature range greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, the second temperature range less than the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, and the third temperature range less than or equal to the second preset temperature. It can be understood that the outdoor ambient temperature will change. When the outdoor ambient temperature is in the first temperature range and the third temperature range, the control steps of the above embodiment are executed, which will not be elaborated here.

[0087] It can be understood that when the outdoor ambient temperature changes to the second temperature range, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled according to the outdoor ambient temperature. Specifically, when the outdoor ambient temperature changes from the first temperature range or the third temperature range to the second temperature range, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to maintain the current opening degree.

[0088] For example, the first preset temperature is 40°C, the second preset temperature is 30°C, the first temperature range is W1 ≥ 40°C, the second temperature range is 30°C < W1 < 40°C, and the third temperature range is W1 ≤ 30°C. When the outdoor ambient temperature is 45°C, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to open to the first preset opening degree. When the outdoor ambient temperature drops from 45°C to 38°C, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to maintain the state of the first preset opening degree. It can be understood that when the outdoor ambient temperature drops from the first temperature range to the second temperature range, the risk of tube bursting in the first temperature range is relatively high. After the outdoor ambient temperature drops from the first temperature range to the second temperature range, although the risk of tube bursting is reduced, considering that the outdoor ambient temperature will change within the range close to the first preset temperature, there is still a certain risk of tube bursting. Therefore, when the outdoor ambient temperature drops from the first temperature range to the second temperature range, the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled to remain in the open state, which also reduces the frequent control caused by temperature fluctuations and further improves the reliability of the air conditioner.

[0089] When the outdoor ambient temperature is 28°C, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to close. When the outdoor ambient temperature rises from 28°C to 35°C, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to remain closed. It can be understood that when the outdoor ambient temperature is in the third temperature range, the risk of pipe explosion is relatively low, and there is no need to control the opening of the electronic expansion valve 130. When the outdoor ambient temperature rises from the third temperature range to the second temperature range, the risk of pipe explosion in the second temperature range is still relatively low, and considering that the outdoor ambient temperature will vary within a range close to the second preset temperature, therefore, when the outdoor ambient temperature rises from the third temperature range to the second temperature range, controlling the electronic expansion valve 130 to remain closed is also beneficial to reducing frequent control caused by temperature fluctuations, thereby improving the reliability of the air conditioner.

[0090] It should be noted that when it is first determined that the outdoor ambient temperature is in the second temperature range, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to close. That is to say, after closing the electronic expansion valve 130, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature, and then make a first judgment based on the outdoor ambient temperature whether it meets the condition for adjusting the opening of the electronic expansion valve 130. When it is first determined that the outdoor ambient temperature is less than the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to close. Since the electronic expansion valve 130 is in the closed state before controlling the opening of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature, therefore, when it is first determined that the outdoor ambient temperature is less than the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to remain closed. For example, the first preset temperature is 40°C, the second preset temperature is 30°C, and when it is first determined that the outdoor ambient temperature is 35°C, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to close.

[0091] It can be understood that when shutting down in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve 130 to open first and then close, which can effectively solve the problem of pipe explosion caused by liquid seal on the high-pressure side when shutting down in the cooling mode, and then control the opening of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature. When the outdoor ambient temperature changes from the first temperature range to the second temperature range, the electronic expansion valve 130 remains open; when the outdoor ambient temperature changes from the third temperature range to the second temperature range, the electronic expansion valve 130 remains closed; when it is first determined that the outdoor ambient temperature is in the second temperature range, the electronic expansion valve 130 remains closed. Through the above control method, the possibility of pipe explosion caused by liquid seal on the high-pressure side when the outdoor ambient temperature is too high can be greatly reduced, and at the same time, problems such as insufficient subcooling degree and noise generation during the startup process caused by refrigerant migration when the outdoor ambient temperature does not exceed the first preset temperature can be solved.

[0092] Specifically, refer to Figure 4 As shown, taking the first preset temperature of 40°C and the second preset temperature of 30°C as an example, controlling the opening of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature specifically further includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0093] Step S440: Determine the temperature range in which the outdoor ambient temperature W1 is located;

[0094] Step S441: When W1 ≥ 40°C, control the electronic expansion valve to open to the first preset opening degree;

[0095] Step S442: When 30°C < W1 < 40°C, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the current opening degree;

[0096] Step S443: When W1 ≤ 30°C, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

[0097] It should be noted that the first preset temperature and the second preset temperature are not limited to the temperatures shown in the above embodiments, and can be specifically set according to the actual product and application scenarios. After the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, by continuously detecting the outdoor ambient temperature and determining the temperature range in which the outdoor ambient temperature is located, the electronic expansion valve 130 is adjusted as the outdoor ambient temperature changes. The control method can continue until the air conditioner is turned on again, or it can be that after the air conditioner has been shut down for a long time, the step of adjusting the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature is stopped, and the specific situation is not limited.

[0098] It can be understood that when the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, controlling the electronic expansion valve 130 to remain open and then closing it after the first preset time can effectively solve the problem of pipe explosion caused by liquid sealing on the high-pressure side when shutting down in the cooling mode, and at the same time reduce the possibility of refrigerant migration and solve the problem of noise caused by insufficient starting supercooling.

[0099] Considering that during the user's use of the air conditioner, the user may turn on the air conditioner immediately after it shuts down or restart it after a short period of time. In the above situations, the user may restart the air conditioner within the first preset time. After restarting, the electronic expansion valve 130 enters the normal working state, and there is no risk of pipe explosion at this time, and there is no need to perform the step of adjusting the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature. Therefore, in the control method of the embodiment, after completing the step of closing the electronic expansion valve 130 after the first preset time, it is necessary to wait for the second preset time before performing the control of the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature, where the first preset time is T1 and the second preset time is T2. That is to say, the air conditioner shuts down, closes the electronic expansion valve 130 after T1, then detects the outdoor ambient temperature W1 after T2, determines the temperature range in which W1 is located, and then performs the corresponding step of controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130. In this way, there is a time interval of T1 + T2 between the shutdown of the air conditioner and the step of controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 according to the outdoor ambient temperature, meeting the user's usage requirements.

[0100] It can be understood that the second preset time can be set according to the requirements of the time product usage scenario. For example, the range of the second preset time can be from 0 to 10 minutes. It should be noted that the second preset time can take the value of 0, that is, after the first preset time, the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed, and then the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 is controlled according to the outdoor ambient temperature.

[0101] See Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the control method of the air conditioner specifically includes but is not limited to the following steps:

[0102] Step S110, when the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the opening degree before shutdown;

[0103] Step S210, control to close the electronic expansion valve after the first preset time;

[0104] Step S310, after closing the electronic expansion valve and after the second preset time, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature;

[0105] Step S410, when the outdoor ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to open.

[0106] It should be noted that the step of obtaining the outdoor ambient temperature is not limited to being executed only after the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed. It can also be to continuously obtain the outdoor ambient temperature during the operation or after the shutdown of the air conditioner, and then judge the temperature range it is in according to the outdoor ambient temperature after the electronic expansion valve 130 is closed for the second preset time, which will not be elaborated here.

[0107] Illustrated with a specific example, see Figure 6 As shown, the control method of the air conditioner specifically includes the following steps:

[0108] Step S111, when the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the opening degree before shutdown;

[0109] Step S211, close the electronic expansion valve after 5 minutes;

[0110] Step S311, after closing the electronic expansion valve and after 3 minutes, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature;

[0111] Step S440, judge the temperature range where the outdoor ambient temperature W1 is located;

[0112] Step S441, when W1≥40°C, control the electronic expansion valve to open to the first preset opening degree;

[0113] Step S442, when 30°C<W1<40°C, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the current opening degree;

[0114] Step S443: When W1 ≤ 30°C, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

[0115] Through the control steps from step S110 to step S443 above, the risk of pipe explosion caused by too high outdoor ambient temperature during the shutdown of the refrigeration mode can be greatly reduced. At the same time, the possibility of refrigerant migration is also reduced, and the problem of noise caused by insufficient starting supercooling is solved.

[0116] It should be noted that in step S210, controlling the electronic expansion valve 130 to close after the first preset time includes:

[0117] Step S220: After the first preset time, control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to decrease to the minimum opening degree.

[0118] It can be understood that controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 to reach the minimum opening degree enables the electronic expansion valve 130 to be in a fully closed state, effectively preventing refrigerant migration. When the electronic expansion valve 130 in the embodiment is closed, it can be understood as reducing the electronic expansion valve 130 to the second preset opening degree to close the electronic expansion valve 130. Generally, the number of closing steps is 50 to 60 steps. Therefore, controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 to reach the minimum opening degree can also be understood as controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 130 to decrease by 50 to 60 steps.

[0119] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a control device, which includes: a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor. The processor and the memory can be connected through a bus or other means.

[0120] As a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the memory can be used to store non-transitory software programs and non-transitory computer-executable programs. In addition, the memory can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-transitory memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-transitory solid-state storage devices. In some embodiments, the memory can optionally include a memory remotely set relative to the processor, and these remote memories can be connected to the processor through a network. Examples of the above network include but are not limited to the Internet, enterprise intranet, local area network, mobile communication network, and their combinations.

[0121] The non-transitory software programs and instructions required to implement the air conditioner control method of the above embodiment are stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, they execute the air conditioner control method in the above embodiment. For example, they execute the Figure 2 method steps S100 to S400 described above, Figure 3 the method steps S100 to step S410 described above, Figure 4 the method steps S440 to step S443 described above,Figure 5 Steps S110 to S410 in Figure 6 Steps S111 to S443 in

[0122] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0123] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an air conditioner, including the control device as described in the above embodiment. Since the air conditioner adopts all the technical solutions of the control device in the above embodiment, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions in the above embodiment.

[0124] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-executable instructions. When the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor or a controller, for example, executed by a processor in the above air conditioner embodiment, the processor can execute the control method of the air conditioner in the above embodiment, for example, execute the Figure 2 Steps S100 to S400 in Figure 3 Steps S100 to S410 in Figure 4 Steps S440 to S443 in Figure 5 Steps S110 to S410 in Figure 6 Steps S111 to S443 in

[0125] Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that all or some of the steps and systems disclosed above in the methods can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and their appropriate combinations. Some physical components or all physical components can be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, or a microprocessor, or can be implemented as hardware, or can be implemented as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software can be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which can include a computer storage medium (or non-transitory medium) and a communication medium (or transitory medium). As is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, the term computer storage medium includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, it is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art that communication media typically contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transmission mechanism, and can include any information delivery medium.

[0126] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those of ordinary skill in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for an air conditioner, which is used for a multi-connected air conditioner, characterized in that The air conditioner includes a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an electronic expansion valve, and an indoor heat exchanger. The outlet end of the compressor is connected to port D of the four-way valve, and the inlet end of the compressor is connected to port S of the four-way valve through a gas-liquid separator. Port C of the four-way valve is sequentially connected to the outdoor heat exchanger and the electronic expansion valve. Port E of the four-way valve is connected to one end of the indoor heat exchanger through a gas-side valve, and the electronic expansion valve is connected to the other end of the indoor heat exchanger through a liquid-side valve. An exhaust check valve is provided between the outlet end of the compressor and port D of the four-way valve. The control method includes: When the air conditioner shuts down in the cooling mode, control the electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner to maintain the opening degree before shutdown. After a first preset time, close the electronic expansion valve. After closing the electronic expansion valve, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature. Control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature. When the outdoor ambient temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to open.

2. The control method of the air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The control to open the electronic expansion valve includes: Control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve to increase by at least a preset opening degree.

3. The control method of the air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature further includes: When the outdoor ambient temperature changes to be less than the first preset temperature and greater than a second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to maintain the current opening degree.

4. The control method of the air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that, The control of the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature further includes: When the outdoor ambient temperature changes to be less than or equal to the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

5. The control method of the air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The control of the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature includes: When the outdoor ambient temperature is less than the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to remain in the closed state.

6. The control method of the air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein The control of the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature includes: When the outdoor ambient temperature is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, control the electronic expansion valve to close.

7. The control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The obtaining of the outdoor ambient temperature after closing the electronic expansion valve includes: After closing the electronic expansion valve, wait for a second preset time. When the second preset time is reached, obtain the outdoor ambient temperature.

8. A control device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. An air conditioner, including the control device according to claim 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, characterized in that, The computer-executable instructions are used to execute the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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