Air conditioning equipment and fault detection methods

Abstract

This application provides an air conditioning device and a fault detection method, relating to the field of air conditioning equipment technology, to at least solve the problem that the method of detecting refrigerant leakage by adding sensors in related technologies increases the hardware design and manufacturing costs of air conditioning equipment. The air conditioning device includes a controller, an outdoor unit connected to the controller, and multiple indoor units; each indoor unit is equipped with an indoor valve; the controller is configured to: respond to an operating command, control the opening of a first number of indoor valves corresponding to a first number of indoor units, so that the first number of indoor units operate; determine a first target temperature corresponding to a first target parameter, a first indoor temperature, and a first target outdoor temperature based on a first correspondence between a first operating parameter, an initial indoor temperature, an outdoor temperature, and a target indoor temperature; and determine that a refrigerant leakage fault has occurred in the air conditioning device if the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset difference.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioning equipment technology, and in particular to air conditioning equipment and fault detection methods. Background Technology

[0002] Air conditioning equipment is widely used, but during its use, problems such as loose valve interfaces in leak prevention pipelines or aging refrigerant pipes may occur, leading to refrigerant leakage and posing risks.

[0003] In related technologies, sensors are added to air conditioning units to detect refrigerant leaks. When a certain amount of refrigerant is detected, a refrigerant leak is identified, and an alert is sent to the user, prompting them to contact maintenance personnel for repairs. However, this method of detecting leaking refrigerant by adding sensors increases the hardware requirements of the air conditioning unit, raising manufacturing costs. Furthermore, this method places strict requirements on the sensor placement, significantly increasing the complexity of the air conditioning unit's hardware design. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an air conditioning device and a fault detection method to at least solve the problem in related technologies where adding sensors to detect refrigerant leaks increases the hardware of the air conditioning device, thereby increasing the hardware design and manufacturing costs of the air conditioning device.

[0005] In a first aspect, an air conditioning device is provided, including a controller, an outdoor unit connected to the controller, and multiple indoor units; the multiple indoor units are respectively connected to the outdoor unit via pipes, and each indoor unit is equipped with an indoor valve; the indoor valve is used to control the amount of refrigerant entering the indoor unit from the pipes; the controller is configured to: in response to an operating command, control the opening of a first number of indoor valves corresponding to a first number of indoor units, so as to enable the first number of indoor units to operate; the operating command instructs the air conditioning device to operate with a first target parameter; the first target parameter includes a first preset duration and a first quantity; the first preset duration indicates the duration of operation of the air conditioning device, and the first quantity is the number of indoor units. The number of indoor units to be operated in the indoor unit; based on the first operating parameters, the initial indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature and the target indoor temperature, the first target temperature corresponding to the first target parameters, the first indoor temperature and the first outdoor temperature is determined; the first indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment is not running, and the first outdoor temperature is the outdoor environment temperature where the air conditioning equipment is located; if the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault; the second indoor temperature is the indoor temperature reached by the indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment has been running for a first preset time.

[0006] The first operating parameter includes the number of indoor units operating among the multiple indoor units, i.e., the first quantity.

[0007] The aforementioned first indoor temperature is the indoor temperature when the air conditioning equipment is not in operation. Optionally, the first indoor temperature may be collected when the air conditioning equipment is preparing to enter operation or when it begins operation.

[0008] As a method for obtaining the first indoor temperature, when all indoor units are installed in the same indoor environment or the indoor ambient temperatures corresponding to each indoor unit are not significantly different, in order to obtain the first indoor temperature quickly, the aforementioned first indoor temperature can be the indoor ambient temperature corresponding to any one of any first number of indoor units.

[0009] As another way to obtain the first indoor temperature, in order to ensure the accuracy of obtaining the first indoor environment, the first indoor temperature can also be the average value of the indoor environment temperature corresponding to each of the first number of indoor units, so as to avoid the problem that the indoor environment temperature difference is too large due to the difference in the indoor environment of each indoor unit, thus causing the first indoor temperature to be inaccurate.

[0010] Before or after the air conditioning equipment is turned on, the outdoor ambient temperature is not much different, meaning that the operation of the air conditioning equipment has little impact on the outdoor ambient temperature. Therefore, the aforementioned first outdoor temperature can be the outdoor temperature for a period of time before the air conditioning equipment is turned on, or the outdoor temperature for a period of time during which the air conditioning equipment is turned on.

[0011] The aforementioned first preset duration can be any duration after the air conditioning equipment starts running; or it can be the duration of operation when the air conditioning equipment enters a stable operating state.

[0012] It should be noted that the method described above for determining refrigerant leakage faults in air conditioning equipment is executed when the air conditioning equipment is in fault detection mode. That is, when the air conditioning equipment is in fault detection mode, the controller of the air conditioning equipment performs the above fault detection.

[0013] The technical solution provided in this application provides at least the following beneficial effects: The air conditioning unit has a first correspondence between a first operating parameter, an initial indoor temperature, an outdoor temperature, and a target indoor temperature. Based on this first correspondence, the first target temperature can be determined by acquiring the current operating parameters of the air conditioning unit (i.e., the first target parameter), the initial indoor temperature when the air conditioning unit is not running (i.e., the first indoor temperature), and the current outdoor temperature (i.e., the first outdoor temperature). After the air conditioning unit has been running for a first preset time, the second indoor temperature is acquired. By comparing the second indoor temperature with the first target temperature, it is determined whether the second indoor temperature is within a reasonable temperature range. If it is not within a reasonable temperature range, a refrigerant leak fault is identified in the air conditioning unit. Therefore, the air conditioning unit can determine a refrigerant leak fault based on the first correspondence by acquiring the first operating parameters, the first indoor temperature, the second indoor temperature, and the first outdoor temperature, without the need for an additional refrigerant leak detection device, reducing the hardware cost of the air conditioning unit and thus reducing the user's air conditioning unit usage cost.

[0014] Furthermore, when refrigerant leaks in air conditioning equipment, its cooling or heating capacity will significantly decrease. Therefore, under constant indoor and outdoor environmental conditions and with the same operating parameters, the temperature set by the malfunctioning unit will differ greatly from that set by a working unit. Thus, comparing the current temperature with the target temperature can promptly reflect refrigerant leakage, enabling timely identification of refrigerant faults and ensuring prompt repair. This addresses the problem of high maintenance costs caused by prolonged operation of air conditioning systems in faulty conditions due to delayed fault detection.

[0015] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine that the air conditioning equipment has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault when the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is less than a first preset difference.

[0016] In this embodiment, after the air conditioning unit has been running for a first preset period of time, the second indoor temperature is compared with the first target temperature. If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is less than a first preset difference, the second indoor temperature is determined to be within a reasonable temperature range. This indicates that the air conditioning unit has not experienced a refrigerant leak and can operate normally. Therefore, based on this embodiment, the condition of no refrigerant leak in the air conditioning unit is determined to ensure its normal operation in the absence of a refrigerant leak, thereby ensuring the rationality of the air conditioning unit's control process.

[0017] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: close a first number of indoor valves when a refrigerant leak fault is determined to have occurred in the air conditioning unit; sequentially open only one of the first number of indoor valves to sequentially control each target indoor unit to operate at a second target parameter; the second target parameter includes a second preset duration; the opened indoor valve is a target indoor valve, and the indoor unit corresponding to the target indoor valve is a target indoor unit; sequentially determine the refrigerant leak fault of the target indoor unit until the number of target indoor valves opened individually is the first number; determining the refrigerant leak fault of the target indoor unit includes: determining a second target temperature corresponding to the second target parameter and the third indoor temperature based on the second operating parameter, the second correspondence between the initial indoor temperature and the target indoor temperature; the third indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the target indoor unit is running; determining that the target indoor unit has malfunctioned when the absolute value of the temperature difference between the fourth indoor temperature and the second target temperature is greater than or equal to a second preset difference; the fourth indoor temperature is the indoor environment to which the target indoor unit belongs reaches the indoor temperature when the target indoor unit has been running for a second preset duration.

[0018] In the above implementation, after determining that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault, the first step is to determine whether the operating indoor units have a refrigerant leakage fault. Specifically, the indoor valves of all indoor units operating with the first target parameters are first closed, and then the refrigerant leakage fault of each of the first number of operating indoor units is determined to identify the indoor unit where the refrigerant leakage fault has occurred.

[0019] In this embodiment, when it is determined that the air conditioning equipment is experiencing a refrigerant leak fault, the indoor valves corresponding to a first number of operating indoor units are closed to prevent refrigerant from entering the first number of indoor units. Then, by opening only one target indoor valve at a time to operate one target indoor unit, the refrigerant leak fault of each target indoor unit is determined sequentially to ascertain the number of target indoor units experiencing a refrigerant leak fault.

[0020] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to send a first alert message when it is determined that the target indoor unit has malfunctioned, to alert that the target indoor unit has a refrigerant leak malfunction.

[0021] As a form of notification, the first notification information includes the identification information of the target indoor unit that has malfunctioned.

[0022] Based on this embodiment, the first prompt information can indicate which indoor unit or units have a refrigerant leak, allowing users or maintenance personnel to target the faulty indoor unit when repairing the air conditioning equipment.

[0023] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine that the target indoor unit has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault when the absolute value of the temperature difference between the fourth indoor temperature and the second target temperature is less than a second preset difference.

[0024] Based on this embodiment, the situation where no refrigerant leakage fault occurs in each target indoor unit is determined, so as to distinguish between target indoor units that have refrigerant leakage faults and those that have not occurred in the first number of indoor units.

[0025] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to determine that an outdoor unit has a refrigerant leakage fault when none of the first number of target indoor units have experienced a refrigerant leakage fault.

[0026] Based on this embodiment, if the absolute value of the temperature difference between the third indoor temperature and the second target temperature of each of the first number of target indoor units is less than the second preset difference, it indicates that no refrigerant leakage fault has occurred in any of the target indoor units, thereby indicating that a refrigerant leakage fault has occurred in the outdoor unit.

[0027] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to send a second notification message when it is determined that a refrigerant leak has occurred in the indoor unit, to notify the outdoor unit that a refrigerant leak has occurred.

[0028] Based on this embodiment, the user can know that a specific outdoor unit has experienced a refrigerant leak based on the second notification information, so that the user or maintenance personnel can perform targeted repairs on the faulty outdoor unit when repairing the air conditioning equipment.

[0029] In some embodiments, the first operating parameter or the second operating parameter may further include at least one or more of the following: air volume, air conditioner speed, fan speed, and compressor operating frequency.

[0030] Secondly, a fault detection method for an air conditioning device is provided. The method includes: responding to an operating command, controlling the opening of a first number of indoor valves corresponding to a first number of indoor units to enable the first number of indoor units to operate; the operating command instructing the air conditioning device to operate with a first target parameter; the first target parameter includes a first preset duration and a first quantity; the first preset duration indicates the operating duration of the air conditioning device, and the first quantity is the number of indoor units to be operated among the multiple indoor units; determining a first target temperature corresponding to the first target parameter, the first indoor temperature, and the first outdoor temperature based on a first correspondence between the first operating parameter, the initial indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature, and the target indoor temperature; the first indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the air conditioning device is not operating, and the first outdoor temperature is the outdoor ambient temperature where the air conditioning device is located; determining that the air conditioning device has a refrigerant leakage fault if the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset difference; the second indoor temperature is the indoor temperature reached by the indoor environment when the air conditioning device has been operating for the first preset duration.

[0031] In some embodiments, the fault detection method further includes determining that the air conditioning equipment has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault if the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is less than a first preset difference.

[0032] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on any of the aforementioned devices, cause the device to perform any of the aforementioned fault detection methods.

[0033] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip, including: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer execution instructions, the processor is connected to the memory, and when the chip is running, the processor executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory to cause the chip to perform any of the above-mentioned fault detection methods.

[0034] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on any of the aforementioned devices, cause the device to execute any of the aforementioned fault detection methods.

[0035] In the embodiments of this application, the names of the components of the above-mentioned device do not limit the device itself. In actual implementation, these components may appear under other names. As long as the function of each component is similar to that of the embodiments of this application, it falls within the scope of the claims of this application and its equivalents.

[0036] Furthermore, the technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects two through five can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspect one above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the technical solutions of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain the technical solutions of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioning device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another air conditioning device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 3 A circuit system architecture diagram of an air conditioning device provided in this application embodiment;

[0041] Figure 4 A flowchart of a fault detection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the correspondence between ambient temperature, operating parameters, and target temperature, provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 6 A flowchart of another fault detection method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 7 A flowchart of another fault detection method provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0045] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the detection process of a fault detection device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 9 A flowchart of another fault detection method provided in this application embodiment;

[0047] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0050] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, as a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, when describing pipelines, the terms "connected" and "linked" as used in this application have the meaning of establishing electrical connection. The specific meaning needs to be understood in conjunction with the context.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0052] Air conditioning equipment is widely used, but during its use, problems such as loose valve interfaces in leak prevention pipelines or aging refrigerant pipes may occur, leading to refrigerant leakage and posing risks.

[0053] In related technologies, sensors are added to air conditioning units to detect refrigerant leaks. When a certain amount of refrigerant is detected, a refrigerant leak is identified, and an alert is sent to the user, prompting them to contact maintenance personnel for repairs. However, this method of detecting leaking refrigerant by adding sensors increases the hardware requirements of the air conditioning unit, raising manufacturing costs. Furthermore, this method places strict requirements on the sensor placement, significantly increasing the complexity of the air conditioning unit's hardware design.

[0054] In view of this, this application provides an air conditioning device, which is configured with a first correspondence between a first operating parameter, an initial indoor temperature, an outdoor temperature, and a target indoor temperature. Based on this first correspondence, the first target temperature can be determined by acquiring the currently operating parameters of the air conditioning device (i.e., the first target parameter), the initial indoor temperature when the air conditioning device is not running (i.e., the first indoor temperature), and the current outdoor temperature (i.e., the first outdoor temperature). After the air conditioning device has been running for a first preset time, a second indoor temperature is acquired. By comparing the second indoor temperature with the first target temperature, it is determined whether the second indoor temperature is within a reasonable temperature range. If it is not within a reasonable temperature range, it is determined that the air conditioning device has a refrigerant leakage fault.

[0055] Therefore, based on the first correspondence, the air conditioning equipment can determine that a refrigerant leak has occurred by obtaining the first operating parameters, the first indoor temperature, the second indoor temperature, and the first outdoor temperature of the air conditioning equipment. This eliminates the need for an additional refrigerant leak detection device, reducing the hardware cost of the air conditioning equipment and thus reducing the user's operating costs.

[0056] Furthermore, when refrigerant leaks in air conditioning equipment, its cooling or heating capacity will significantly decrease. Therefore, under constant indoor and outdoor environmental conditions and with the same operating parameters, the temperature set by the malfunctioning unit will differ greatly from that set by a working unit. Thus, comparing the current temperature with the target temperature can promptly reflect refrigerant leakage, enabling timely identification of refrigerant faults and ensuring prompt repair. This addresses the problem of high maintenance costs caused by prolonged operation of air conditioning systems in faulty conditions due to delayed fault detection.

[0057] In the embodiments of this application, the air conditioning equipment can be a multi-split air conditioning unit or a single-unit air conditioning unit, etc. The multi-split air conditioning unit includes one outdoor unit and multiple indoor units, while the single-unit air conditioning unit includes one outdoor unit and one indoor unit.

[0058] To further describe the solution of this application, the following section uses a multi-split air conditioning unit as an example to introduce a structural schematic diagram of an air conditioning unit provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0059] refer to Figures 1 to 3 The air conditioning unit 100 may include: an outdoor unit 200, multiple indoor units 300, and a controller 103. The controller 103 is connected to the indoor units 300 and the outdoor unit 200; the indoor units 300 and the outdoor unit 200 are connected via piping. Figure 2The connection structure between the outdoor unit and one indoor unit is shown in a simplified manner. The connection structure between other indoor units and the outdoor unit is the same, and will not be described in detail here.

[0060] The outdoor unit 200 includes: an outdoor heat exchanger 201, a compressor 202, a four-way valve 203, a bypass shut-off valve 204, an outdoor solenoid valve 205, and an outdoor throttling device 206.

[0061] In some embodiments, each indoor unit is equipped with a temperature detection device 101. Figure 1 and Figure 2 (Not shown in the image) is used to collect the first indoor temperature, the second indoor temperature, and the third indoor temperature.

[0062] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit further includes an outdoor liquid pipe temperature sensor 207 for detecting the outdoor ambient temperature, i.e., a first outdoor temperature.

[0063] In some embodiments, the compressor 202, four-way valve 203, and outdoor heat exchanger 201 in the outdoor unit 200 and the indoor expansion valve, indoor heat exchanger, and circulation branch solenoid valve in each indoor unit are sequentially connected by pipelines to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

[0064] In some embodiments, one end of the outdoor heat exchanger 201 is connected to the compressor 202 via a four-way valve 203, and the other end is connected to the indoor heat exchanger. The outdoor heat exchanger 201 is used to facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing in the heat transfer tubes of the outdoor heat exchanger 201 and the outdoor air.

[0065] In some embodiments, compressor 202 is configured between indoor heat exchanger 301 and outdoor heat exchanger 201 to provide power for refrigerant circulation. Taking cooling mode as an example, compressor 202 delivers compressed refrigerant to outdoor heat exchanger 201 via four-way valve 203. Optionally, compressor 202 can be a variable-capacity inverter compressor 202 with inverter speed control.

[0066] In some embodiments, the four ports of the four-way valve 203 are respectively connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 202, the outdoor heat exchanger 201, the suction port of the compressor 202, and the indoor heat exchangers of each indoor unit. The four-way valve 203 is used to switch between cooling mode and heating mode by changing the flow direction of refrigerant in the system pipeline.

[0067] In some embodiments, the bypass shut-off valve 204 is disposed between the four-way valve 203 and the indoor heat exchanger of each indoor unit. After the air conditioning equipment is installed, the bypass shut-off valve 204 remains in the normally open state.

[0068] In some embodiments, the outdoor solenoid valve 205 is disposed on the refrigerant bypass branch between the four-way valve 203 and each indoor heat exchanger, and is used to control the connection and disconnection of the refrigerant bypass branch.

[0069] In some embodiments, an outdoor throttling device 206 is disposed between an outdoor solenoid valve 205 and a compressor 202 to reduce the pressure of the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant delivered at the compressor discharge port. Exemplarily, the outdoor throttling device 206 may include an electronic expansion valve and / or a capillary tube.

[0070] Optionally, the outdoor throttling device 206 can also be installed between the outdoor solenoid valve 205 and the bypass shut-off valve 204.

[0071] Alternatively, the outdoor throttling device 206 can also be installed between the bypass shut-off valve 204 and each indoor unit. This application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0072] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit 200 further includes an outdoor fan (not shown) that generates an airflow through the outdoor heat exchanger 201 to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing in the heat transfer tubes of the outdoor heat exchanger 201 and the outdoor air.

[0073] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit 200 further includes an outdoor fan motor (not shown) connected to the outdoor fan for driving or changing the speed of the outdoor fan.

[0074] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit 200 also includes a high-pressure switch (not shown in the figure), which is electrically connected to the controller 103 and is used to monitor the pressure of the air conditioning pipe. When the pipe pressure of the air conditioning equipment 100 is abnormal, it sends an abnormal information to the controller 103 so that the controller 103 can control the system to shut down and ensure the normal operation of the air conditioning equipment 100.

[0075] Furthermore, the indoor unit 300 includes: an indoor heat exchanger 301, an indoor expansion valve 302, a bypass branch solenoid valve 303, and a circulation branch solenoid valve 304.

[0076] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 300 further includes an indoor liquid pipe temperature sensor 305 and an indoor fan 306.

[0077] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the compressor 202 in the outdoor unit 200, the outdoor throttling device 206, the outdoor solenoid valve 205, the bypass shut-off valve 204, and the bypass branch solenoid valve and the indoor heat exchanger in the indoor unit are connected in sequence through pipelines to form a refrigerant bypass branch.

[0078] In some embodiments, the indoor heat exchanger 301 is used to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing in the heat transfer tubes of the indoor heat exchanger 301 and the indoor air.

[0079] In some embodiments, the indoor expansion valve 302 is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 301 and the outdoor heat exchanger 201, and has the function of expanding the refrigerant flowing through the electronic expansion valve to reduce pressure, and can be used to regulate the supply of refrigerant in the pipeline.

[0080] Optionally, the air conditioning unit 100 may be equipped with multiple electronic expansion valves. If the opening of an electronic expansion valve decreases, the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve increases. If the opening of an electronic expansion valve increases, the flow resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve decreases. In this way, even if the states of other devices in the circuit do not change, the refrigerant flow rate to the indoor heat exchanger 301 or the outdoor heat exchanger 201 will change when the opening of the electronic expansion valve changes.

[0081] It should be noted that, Figure 1 The number of electronic expansion valves shown is merely an example, and this application does not impose any specific limitations on it.

[0082] In some embodiments, the bypass branch solenoid valve 303 is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 301 and the four-way valve 203, and is used to control the connection and disconnection of the refrigerant bypass branch of a single indoor unit. It should be understood that the bypass branch solenoid valve 303 may also be disposed between the bypass shut-off valve 204 and the four-way valve 203, or between the indoor heat exchanger 301 and the four-way valve 203, as long as it is disposed on the main branch of the bypass refrigerant branch of each indoor unit, and this application does not limit it in this regard.

[0083] In some embodiments, the refrigerant circulation branch solenoid valve 304 is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 301 and the four-way valve 203, and is used to control the connection and disconnection of the refrigerant circulation branch of a single indoor unit.

[0084] In some embodiments, an indoor liquid pipe temperature sensor 301 is disposed in the liquid pipe of the indoor heat exchanger 301 for detecting the liquid pipe temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 301.

[0085] In some embodiments, the indoor fan 306 generates an airflow through the indoor heat exchanger 301 to facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing in the heat transfer tubes of the indoor heat exchanger 301 and the indoor air.

[0086] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 300 further includes an indoor fan motor (not shown) connected to the indoor fan for driving or changing the speed of the indoor fan.

[0087] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 300 further includes a plurality of capillary tubes (not shown) for reducing the refrigerant pressure in the pipes and depressurizing the high-pressure refrigerant delivered by the condenser before delivering it to the evaporator.

[0088] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 300 further includes a humidity sensor (not shown) for detecting the relative humidity of the indoor air.

[0089] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 300 also includes a dew point meter (not shown) for detecting the ambient dew point temperature near the indoor heat exchanger.

[0090] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 300 further includes a display 102. The display 102 is electrically connected to the controller 103.

[0091] Optionally, the display 102 is used to display the control panel of the air conditioning unit 100. For example, the display 102 may be used to display the indoor temperature or the current operating mode.

[0092] Optionally, the display 102 is connected to the controller 103, and the user can perform operations and set programs on the control panel through the display 102.

[0093] Optionally, the display 102 can transmit user commands to the control system based on user gestures, such as pressing buttons, to achieve human-computer interaction.

[0094] Optionally, the display 102 can be a liquid crystal display or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The specific type, size, and resolution of the display 102 are not limited, but those skilled in the art will understand that the display 102 can be modified in terms of performance and configuration as needed.

[0095] In some embodiments, controller 103 refers to a device that can generate operation control signals based on instruction opcodes and timing signals to instruct the air conditioning equipment 100 to execute control instructions. Exemplarily, controller 103 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. Controller 103 can also be other devices with processing functions, such as circuits, devices, or software modules; this application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0096] In some embodiments, the controller 103, in response to an operating command, first controls a temperature detection device to detect a first indoor temperature and controls the opening of a first number of indoor valves corresponding to a first number of indoor units, thereby enabling the first number of indoor units to operate. When the air conditioning equipment has been running for a first preset duration, the controller controls an outdoor temperature detection device to detect a second indoor temperature. Simultaneously, based on a first correspondence between the first operating parameters, the initial indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature, and the target indoor temperature, a first target temperature corresponding to the first target parameters, the first indoor temperature, and the first outdoor temperature is determined. If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to a first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has experienced a refrigerant leakage fault.

[0097] although Figure 1 As not shown, the air conditioning unit 100 may also include a power supply device (such as a battery and a power management chip) to supply power to various components. The battery can be logically connected to the controller through the power management chip, thereby enabling the power consumption management and other functions of the air conditioning unit 100 through the power supply device.

[0098] Figure 3 An exemplary circuit system architecture diagram of an air conditioning unit 100 is shown.

[0099] like Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioning equipment 100 may also include: an early warning device 104, a communication device 105, a human-machine interaction device 106, and a power supply 107.

[0100] The indoor heat exchanger 301, outdoor heat exchanger 201, temperature detection device 101, four-way valve 203, early warning device 104, communication device 105, human-machine interaction device 106, and power supply 107 are all connected to the controller 103.

[0101] In some embodiments, the communication device 105 is a component for communicating with external devices or external servers according to various communication protocol types. For example, the communication device may include at least one of the following: a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth communication protocol chip, a wired Ethernet communication protocol chip, other network communication protocol chips or near-field communication protocol chips, and an infrared receiver.

[0102] In some embodiments, the air conditioning unit 100 can transmit control signals and data signals with user-used terminal devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, wearable mobile devices, etc.), other home appliances (e.g., air conditioners, monitoring equipment, etc.), and servers via the communication device 105. For example, when a user issues a command to activate a working mode (e.g., activating heating mode, cooling mode, dehumidification mode, or sterilization mode) via a mobile phone, the air conditioning unit 100 receives the command via the communication device 105. In response to the user's command to activate a working mode, the controller 103 of the air conditioning unit 100 activates the corresponding working mode.

[0103] In some embodiments, the human-computer interaction device 106 is used to enable interaction between a user and the air conditioning device 100. The human-computer interaction device 106 may include one or more of physical buttons, a touch display panel, or a voice recognition device. For example, a user can start the air conditioning device 100 by using the human-computer interaction device 106, and can also set the operating program of the air conditioning device 100 by using the human-computer interaction device 106.

[0104] In some embodiments, the power supply 107, under the control of the controller 103, provides power supply support to the air conditioning equipment 100 by using power input from an external power source.

[0105] Based on the above-mentioned air conditioning equipment, such as Figure 4 As shown in the figure, this application provides a fault detection method, which includes the following steps:

[0106] Step S401: In response to the operation command, control the opening of the first number of indoor valves corresponding to the first number of indoor units to enable the first number of indoor units to operate.

[0107] The aforementioned operating instruction instructs the air conditioning equipment to operate with a first target parameter; the first target parameter includes a first preset duration and a first quantity. The first preset duration indicates the duration for which the air conditioning equipment will operate, and the first quantity is the number of indoor units to be operated among multiple indoor units. It can be understood that the first operating parameter includes the number of indoor units operating among multiple indoor units, i.e., the first quantity.

[0108] In this step, based on the number of indoor units to be operated included in the first target parameter, the number of indoor units to be operated and the number of indoor units are determined among multiple indoor units.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first target parameter may further include at least one or more of the following operating parameters: preset air volume, preset air speed, preset compressor operating frequency, etc.

[0110] Step S402: Based on the first correspondence between the first operating parameters, the initial indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature and the target indoor temperature, determine the first target temperature corresponding to the first target parameters, the first indoor temperature and the first outdoor temperature.

[0111] This step can be understood as determining the target temperature corresponding to the first target parameter, the first indoor temperature, and the first outdoor temperature as the first target temperature.

[0112] In addition to the preset duration, the first operating parameters include at least one or more of the following: air volume, air conditioner speed, fan speed, and compressor operating frequency.

[0113] Wherein, the first indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment is not running, and the first outdoor temperature is the outdoor ambient temperature where the air conditioning equipment is located.

[0114] The aforementioned first target temperature represents the target temperature that the indoor environment can achieve when the air conditioning equipment is operating at the first target operating parameters, assuming no refrigerant leakage fault occurs.

[0115] The aforementioned first indoor temperature is the indoor temperature when the air conditioning equipment is not in operation. Optionally, the first indoor temperature may be collected when the air conditioning equipment is preparing to enter operation or when it begins operation.

[0116] As a method for obtaining the first indoor temperature, when all indoor units are installed in the same indoor environment or the indoor ambient temperatures corresponding to each indoor unit are not significantly different, in order to obtain the first indoor temperature quickly, the aforementioned first indoor temperature can be the indoor ambient temperature corresponding to any one of any first number of indoor units.

[0117] For example, an application scenario where multiple indoor units are installed in the same indoor environment could be a large conference room where multiple indoor units are installed.

[0118] Another example is a place where the indoor ambient temperature of each indoor unit is installed is not much different. This could be a space consisting of multiple bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, with each of these spaces corresponding to a location where an indoor unit is installed.

[0119] As another way to obtain the first indoor temperature, in order to ensure the accuracy of obtaining the first indoor environment, the first indoor temperature can also be the average value of the indoor environment temperature corresponding to each of the first number of indoor units, so as to avoid the problem that the indoor environment temperature difference is too large due to the difference in the indoor environment of each indoor unit, thus causing the first indoor temperature to be inaccurate.

[0120] In the scenario of obtaining the first outdoor temperature, the outdoor ambient temperature is not significantly different before or after the air conditioning equipment starts operating. That is, the operation of the air conditioning equipment has little impact on the outdoor ambient temperature. Therefore, the aforementioned first outdoor temperature can be the outdoor temperature during a period of time before the air conditioning equipment starts operating, or it can be the outdoor temperature during a period of time when the air conditioning equipment is operating. In this regard, this application does not specify a particular time for the air conditioning equipment to obtain the first outdoor temperature; it only requires that the first outdoor temperature reflects the outdoor ambient temperature at which the air conditioning equipment is operating.

[0121] For example, in response to an operating command, the controller acquires a first indoor temperature and a first outdoor temperature of the indoor environment.

[0122] like Figure 5 As shown, taking the first operating parameters, including preset duration and air conditioner speed, as an example, the following explanation is given of a first correspondence representation method.

[0123] The target indoor temperature (e.g., ETi1, ETi2, ETi3) will be different under different outdoor temperatures (e.g., To1, To2, To3…), different initial indoor temperatures (e.g., STi1, STi2, STi3…), different preset durations (e.g., △t1, △t2, △t3…), and different air conditioning speeds (e.g., N1, N2, N3…).

[0124] Specifically, when the first outdoor temperature is To1, the first indoor temperature is STi1, the first preset duration is Δt1, and the air conditioner speed is N1, the corresponding target indoor temperature is ETi1. When the first outdoor temperature is To2, the first indoor temperature is STi2, the first preset duration is Δt2, and the air conditioner speed is N2, the corresponding target indoor temperature is ETi2. When the first outdoor temperature is To3, the first indoor temperature is STi3, the first preset duration is Δt3, and the air conditioner speed is N3, the corresponding target indoor temperature is ETi3.

[0125] The above Figure 5 This application only provides three sets of data as examples and does not specify the exact number of data sets.

[0126] Furthermore, the aforementioned first correspondence can also be represented by a formula pattern, and this application does not impose specific limitations on the representation of the first correspondence.

[0127] Step S403: If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault.

[0128] The aforementioned second indoor temperature is the indoor temperature reached when the air conditioning equipment has been running for a first preset duration.

[0129] The aforementioned first preset duration can be any duration after the air conditioning equipment starts running; or it can be the duration of operation when the air conditioning equipment enters a stable operating state.

[0130] As a way to obtain a second indoor temperature: when the air conditioning equipment runs for a first preset time, the second indoor temperature of the current indoor environment is obtained.

[0131] The steps performed in this acquisition method can be executed between steps S401 and S402, or between steps S402 and S403. This application does not specifically limit the specific steps involved.

[0132] It should be noted that the methods used in steps S402 and S403 above to determine refrigerant leakage faults are control steps executed when the air conditioning equipment is in fault detection mode. That is, when the air conditioning equipment is in fault detection mode, the controller of the air conditioning equipment executes the above fault detection steps S402 and S403.

[0133] Figure 4 The technical solution shown brings at least the following beneficial effects: The air conditioning equipment provides a fault detection mode, which can determine that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault by obtaining the first operating parameters, the first indoor temperature, the second indoor temperature and the first outdoor temperature of the air conditioning equipment based on the first correspondence relationship, without the need to use an additional refrigerant leakage detection device, thereby reducing the hardware cost of the air conditioning equipment and thus reducing the user's air conditioning equipment usage cost.

[0134] Furthermore, when refrigerant leaks in air conditioning equipment, its cooling or heating capacity will significantly decrease. Therefore, under constant indoor and outdoor environmental conditions and with the same operating parameters, the temperature set by the malfunctioning unit will differ greatly from that set by a working unit. Thus, comparing the current temperature with the target temperature can promptly reflect refrigerant leakage, enabling timely identification of refrigerant faults and ensuring prompt repair. This addresses the problem of high maintenance costs caused by prolonged operation of air conditioning systems in faulty conditions due to delayed fault detection.

[0135] In some implementations, combined Figure 4 like Figure 6 As shown, after performing step S402, the following steps can also be performed to determine whether there is a refrigerant leak in the air conditioning equipment.

[0136] Step S601: If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is less than the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault.

[0137] In this embodiment, after the air conditioning equipment has been running for a first preset time, the second indoor temperature is compared with the first target temperature. After comparison, it is determined that the relationship between the two meets the following condition: when the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is less than the first preset difference, it is determined that the second indoor temperature is within a reasonable temperature range, which indicates that the air conditioning equipment has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault and the air conditioning equipment can operate normally.

[0138] Therefore, based on this implementation method, the situation where the air conditioning equipment does not experience a refrigerant leakage fault is determined to ensure the normal operation of the air conditioning equipment in the absence of a refrigerant leakage fault, thereby ensuring the rationality of the air conditioning equipment control process.

[0139] In some implementations, combined Figure 4 like Figure 7 As shown, after performing step S403, the following steps can also be performed to determine the refrigerant leakage situation in each indoor unit of the air conditioning equipment.

[0140] Step S404: If it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leak fault, close the first number of indoor valves.

[0141] Step S405: Open any one of the first number of indoor valves in sequence to control each target indoor unit to operate with the second target parameters.

[0142] The aforementioned second target parameter includes a second preset duration. Simultaneously, the opened indoor valve is designated as the target indoor valve, and the indoor unit corresponding to the target indoor valve is designated as the target indoor unit.

[0143] Step S406: Sequentially determine the refrigerant leakage fault of the target indoor unit until the number of target indoor valves opened individually reaches the first quantity.

[0144] The fault determination method for each target indoor unit in step S406 above is the same. Specifically, the determination of refrigerant leakage fault of the target indoor unit includes: the controller first determines the second target temperature corresponding to the second target parameter and the third indoor temperature based on the second operating parameter, the second correspondence between the initial indoor temperature and the target indoor temperature. The third indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the target indoor unit is running. Then, the fourth indoor temperature is compared with the second target temperature. If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the fourth indoor temperature and the second target temperature is greater than or equal to a second preset difference, then the target indoor unit is determined to have malfunctioned. The fourth indoor temperature is the indoor temperature reached by the target indoor unit after running for a second preset time.

[0145] The second operating parameter mentioned above shall include at least one or more of the following: air conditioner speed, air volume, fan speed, and compressor operating frequency.

[0146] It should be noted that the aforementioned second correspondence can be a correspondence with the same parameters as the first correspondence, i.e., a second correspondence between the second operating parameters, the initial indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature, and the target indoor temperature. In this second correspondence scenario, the second outdoor temperature of the current outdoor environment can be obtained first when the target indoor unit is running.

[0147] Outdoor ambient temperatures do not differ significantly over short periods and are typically constant over a certain timeframe. Therefore, the first outdoor temperature and the second outdoor temperature are not significantly different. Based on the first correspondence, a second correspondence is established corresponding to the first outdoor temperature. Thus, this second correspondence can also be the correspondence between the second operating parameter, the initial indoor temperature, and the target indoor temperature.

[0148] Furthermore, the representation of the second correspondence is the same as that of the first correspondence, so it will not be repeated here.

[0149] In the above implementation, after determining that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault, the first step is to determine whether the operating indoor units have a refrigerant leakage fault. Specifically, the indoor valves of all indoor units operating with the first target parameters are first closed, and then the refrigerant leakage fault of each of the first number of operating indoor units is determined to identify the indoor unit where the refrigerant leakage fault has occurred.

[0150] For example, taking a first number of 3 indoor units as an example, the process of determining the refrigerant leakage fault of the indoor unit is explained as follows.

[0151] First, close the indoor valves of the three running indoor units. Then, open the first indoor valve of the first of the three indoor units, while keeping the two corresponding indoor valves (second and third indoor valves) of the other two indoor units closed, to control the first indoor unit to operate at the second target parameters. While the first indoor unit is operating at the second target parameters, use the collected third and fourth indoor temperatures of the first indoor unit to determine if a refrigerant leakage fault has occurred in the first indoor unit.

[0152] Furthermore, after confirming the refrigerant leak in the first indoor unit, the first indoor valve of the first indoor unit is closed, and simultaneously, the second indoor valve of the second indoor unit is opened to control the second indoor unit to operate at the second target parameters. The same method used to determine the refrigerant leak in the first indoor unit is applied to determine the refrigerant leak in the second indoor unit.

[0153] Furthermore, after confirming the refrigerant leak in the second indoor unit, the second indoor valve of the second indoor unit is closed, and simultaneously, the third indoor valve of the third indoor unit is opened to control the third indoor unit to operate at the second target parameters. The same method used to determine the refrigerant leak in the first indoor unit is applied to determine the refrigerant leak in the third indoor unit.

[0154] The determination results of the refrigerant leakage faults of the first to third indoor units are as follows: (1) Any one of the first to third indoor units has a refrigerant leakage fault. (2) Any two of the first to third indoor units have a refrigerant leakage fault. (3) All three of the first to third indoor units have a refrigerant leakage fault. (4) None of the three indoor units have a refrigerant leakage fault.

[0155] In this implementation method, when it is determined that the air conditioning equipment is experiencing a refrigerant leak, the indoor valves corresponding to a first number of operating indoor units are closed to prevent refrigerant from entering these units. Then, by opening only one target indoor valve at a time to operate one target indoor unit, the refrigerant leak fault is determined for each target indoor unit sequentially, thereby identifying the number of target indoor units experiencing a refrigerant leak.

[0156] In some embodiments, after determining that the target indoor unit has a refrigerant leak fault, the controller is further configured to perform the following steps: when it is determined that the target indoor unit has a fault, send a first prompt message to indicate that the target indoor unit has a refrigerant leak fault.

[0157] As a form of notification, the first notification information includes the identification information of the target indoor unit that has malfunctioned.

[0158] For example, based on the above example of three indoor units, when it is determined that only the first indoor unit has a refrigerant leak fault, a warning can be issued in the form of lights, sounds, or text, and the first warning message includes this warning. Alternatively, the identification information of the first indoor unit can be sent to the user's mobile terminal or the display of the air conditioning equipment to indicate that the first indoor unit has a refrigerant leak fault, such as: fault 007. Here, 007 is a unique identifier for the first indoor unit.

[0159] As another form of notification, the first notification message may also include the number of target indoor units that have malfunctioned. For example, when it is determined that both the first and second indoor units have a refrigerant leak, the first notification message may be for two malfunctions: 007 and 008. Here, 007 and 008 are unique identifiers for the first and second indoor units, respectively.

[0160] Based on this embodiment, the first prompt information can indicate which indoor unit or units have a refrigerant leak, allowing users or maintenance personnel to target the faulty indoor unit when repairing the air conditioning equipment.

[0161] In some implementations, based on the above Figure 7 The specific implementation steps of step S406 include the following steps in the process of determining the refrigerant leakage fault of the target indoor unit: if the absolute value of the temperature difference between the fourth indoor temperature and the second target temperature is less than the second preset difference, it is determined that the target indoor unit has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault.

[0162] Based on this implementation method, the situation where no refrigerant leakage fault occurs in each target indoor unit is determined, so as to distinguish between target indoor units that have refrigerant leakage faults and those that have not occurred in the first number of indoor units.

[0163] In some implementations, during the execution of step S406, if none of the indoor units experience a refrigerant leak, it is determined that the refrigerant leak is caused by a refrigerant leak in the outdoor unit. That is, if a first number of target indoor units do not experience a refrigerant leak, it is determined that the outdoor unit has experienced a refrigerant leak.

[0164] Based on this implementation method, if the absolute value of the temperature difference between the third indoor temperature and the second target temperature of each of the first number of target indoor units is less than the second preset difference, it indicates that no refrigerant leakage fault has occurred in any of the target indoor units, thereby indicating that a refrigerant leakage fault has occurred in the outdoor unit.

[0165] In some implementations, after determining that a refrigerant leak has occurred in the outdoor unit, the controller may also perform the following steps to indicate that a refrigerant leak has occurred in the outdoor unit.

[0166] The specific steps are as follows: when it is determined that the indoor unit has a refrigerant leak, a second prompt message is sent.

[0167] Based on this implementation method, the user can know which outdoor unit has a refrigerant leak fault according to the second prompt information, so that the user or maintenance personnel can perform targeted repairs on the faulty outdoor unit when repairing the air conditioning equipment.

[0168] As one specific implementation method, combined with Figure 8 and Figure 9 Taking N as an example, the fault detection process for the above-mentioned refrigerant leakage is explained as follows.

[0169] Step S901: Collect the first indoor temperature and the first outdoor temperature of the current indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment is ready to run, and obtain the first target parameter.

[0170] Step S902: Based on the first correspondence, determine the first target temperature corresponding to the first target parameter, the first indoor temperature, and the first outdoor temperature.

[0171] Step S903: When the air conditioning equipment has been running for a first preset time, obtain the second indoor temperature corresponding to the current indoor environment.

[0172] Step S904: When the absolute value of the difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault, and a first prompt message is sent.

[0173] Step S905: Close the N indoor valves of the N running indoor units.

[0174] Step S906: Open any one of the N indoor valves to control only one target indoor unit to be turned on.

[0175] The indoor valve that is opened is the target indoor valve. The indoor unit corresponding to the target indoor valve is the target indoor unit.

[0176] Step S907: Collect the third indoor temperature of the target indoor unit when it is ready to run, and obtain the second target parameter corresponding to the target indoor unit.

[0177] Step S908: Based on the second correspondence, determine the second target temperature corresponding to the second target parameter, the third indoor temperature, and the third outdoor temperature.

[0178] Step S909: When the air conditioning equipment has been running for a second preset time, obtain the fourth indoor temperature corresponding to the current indoor environment of the target indoor unit.

[0179] Step S910: When the absolute value of the difference between the fourth indoor temperature and the second target temperature is greater than or equal to the second preset difference, it is determined that the target indoor unit has a refrigerant leakage fault, and a second prompt message is issued.

[0180] Step S911: Determine whether all N indoor units have been turned on individually to determine whether the refrigerant leakage fault detection of the N indoor units has been completed; if yes, proceed to step S912; otherwise, return to step S906.

[0181] Step S912: End refrigerant leak fault detection.

[0182] The above steps can be achieved through Figure 8The fault detection device shown includes the following modules: unit data acquisition module, data construction module, fault judgment module, and fault indication module.

[0183] Specifically, the unit's data acquisition module is used to collect indoor temperature, operating parameters, and outdoor temperature. Before or during fault detection, the controller controls the unit's data acquisition module to collect the indoor temperature and outdoor temperature of each indoor unit in real time.

[0184] Furthermore, the data construction module is used to train or fit historical indoor temperatures, historical outdoor temperatures, and historical operating parameters to obtain a first correspondence and a second correspondence. Before fault detection, the data construction module obtains the first and second correspondences based on historical data when no refrigerant leakage faults occurred. This historical data includes different operating parameters of the air conditioning equipment, different operating durations corresponding to different operating parameters, different initial indoor temperatures, different outdoor temperatures, and target indoor temperatures after different operating durations.

[0185] Furthermore, the fault determination module is used to determine whether a refrigerant leakage fault has occurred based on the data collected by the unit data acquisition module and the correspondence constructed by the data construction module. During fault detection, a first target temperature is obtained using the first indoor temperature, first outdoor temperature, and first preset duration collected by the unit data acquisition module, along with the first correspondence in the data construction module. By comparing the first target temperature with the second indoor temperature after running for the first preset duration, a determination is made as to whether a refrigerant leakage fault exists in the air conditioning equipment. Simultaneously, if a refrigerant leakage fault is initially determined in the air conditioning equipment, a second target temperature is obtained using the third indoor temperature, second outdoor temperature, and second preset duration collected by the unit data acquisition module, along with the second correspondence in the data construction module. By comparing the second target temperature with the fourth indoor temperature after running for the second preset duration, a determination is made as to whether a refrigerant leakage fault exists in the target indoor unit.

[0186] Furthermore, the fault indication module is used to indicate faults. After fault detection, it displays the identification information of the target indoor unit that has failed the fault, or the number of target indoor units or the identification information of the outdoor unit that has failed the refrigerant leak fault.

[0187] As can be seen, the above mainly describes the solutions provided by the embodiments of this application from a methodological perspective. To achieve the above functions, the embodiments of this application provide corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules for executing each function. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the modules and algorithm steps of the various examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed by hardware or by computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0188] This application embodiment can divide the controller into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. Optionally, the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division; other division methods may be used in actual implementation.

[0189] This application also provides a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller. For example... Figure 10 As shown, the controller 103 includes a processor 901, and optionally, a memory 902 and a communication interface 903 connected to the processor 901. The processor 901, memory 902, and communication interface 903 are connected via a bus 904.

[0190] Processor 901 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a general-purpose processor, a network processor (NP), a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic device (PLD), or any combination thereof. Processor 901 may also be any other device with processing capabilities, such as a circuit, device, or software module. Processor 901 may also include multiple CPUs, and processor 901 may be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. Here, "processor" can refer to one or more devices, circuits, or processing cores used to process data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0191] The memory 902 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or it can be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer. This application embodiment does not impose any limitations on this. The memory 902 can exist independently or be integrated with the processor 901. The memory 902 may contain computer program code. The processor 901 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 902, thereby implementing the fault detection method for the air conditioning equipment provided in this application embodiment.

[0192] The communication interface 903 can be used to communicate with other devices or communication networks (such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.). The communication interface 903 can be a module, circuit, transceiver, or any device capable of communication.

[0193] The 904 bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. The 904 bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 10 The bus is represented by a single thick line, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0194] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including computer-executable instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to execute any of the fault detection methods for air conditioning equipment provided in the above embodiments.

[0195] This application also provides a computer program product containing computer execution instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to execute any of the fault detection methods for air conditioning equipment provided in the above embodiments.

[0196] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software programs, implementation can be, in whole or in part, in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer-executable instructions. When these computer-executable instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer-executable instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer-executable instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device containing one or more servers, data centers, etc., that can be integrated with the medium. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks, SSDs).

[0197] Although this application has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art, by reviewing the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments in carrying out the claimed application. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple instances. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0198] Although this application has been described in conjunction with specific features and embodiments, it is obvious that various modifications and combinations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Accordingly, this specification and drawings are merely exemplary illustrations of this application as defined by the appended claims, and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents within the scope of this application. Clearly, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and modifications to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if such modifications and modifications of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application is also intended to include such modifications and modifications.

[0199] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioning device, characterized in that, The system includes a controller, an outdoor unit connected to the controller, and multiple indoor units; the multiple indoor units are respectively connected to the outdoor unit through pipes, and each indoor unit is equipped with an indoor valve; the indoor valve is used to control the amount of refrigerant entering the indoor unit from the pipes. The controller is configured to: In response to an operating command, the system controls the opening of a first number of indoor valves corresponding to a first number of indoor units, so that the first number of indoor units can operate; the operating command instructs the air conditioning equipment to operate with a first target parameter; the first target parameter includes a first preset duration and the first number. The first preset duration indicates the duration of operation of the air conditioning equipment, and the first quantity is the number of indoor units to be operated among the plurality of indoor units; Based on the first correspondence between the first operating parameters, the initial indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature and the target indoor temperature, the first target temperature corresponding to the first target parameter, the first indoor temperature and the first outdoor temperature is determined; the first indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment is not running, and the first outdoor temperature is the outdoor ambient temperature where the air conditioning equipment is located; If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault; the second indoor temperature is the indoor temperature reached by the indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment has been running for a first preset time. The controller is also configured to: If it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leak fault, close the first number of indoor valves; Only one indoor valve from the first number of indoor valves is opened in sequence to control each target indoor unit to operate according to the second target parameters; the second target parameters include a second preset duration; the opened indoor valve is the target indoor valve, and the indoor unit corresponding to the target indoor valve is the target indoor unit; The refrigerant leakage faults of the target indoor unit are determined sequentially until the number of individual valves of the target indoor unit is the first quantity.

2. The air conditioning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is less than the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault.

3. The air conditioning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is configured to determine a refrigerant leak fault in the target indoor unit, including: Based on the second operating parameters, the second correspondence between the initial indoor temperature and the target indoor temperature, the second target temperature corresponding to the second target parameter and the third indoor temperature is determined; the third indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the target indoor unit is running. If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the fourth indoor temperature and the second target temperature is greater than or equal to the second preset difference, it is determined that the target indoor unit has malfunctioned; the fourth indoor temperature is the indoor environment where the target indoor unit is located reaches the indoor temperature when the target indoor unit has been running for a second preset time.

4. The air conditioning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: When it is determined that the target indoor unit has malfunctioned, a first prompt message is sent to indicate that the target indoor unit has a refrigerant leak.

5. The air conditioning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the fourth indoor temperature and the second target temperature is less than the second preset difference, it is determined that the target indoor unit has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault.

6. The air conditioning equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: If none of the first number of target indoor units have experienced a refrigerant leak, then the outdoor unit is determined to have experienced a refrigerant leak.

7. The air conditioning equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: When it is determined that the indoor unit has a refrigerant leak, a second notification message is sent to notify the outdoor unit that a refrigerant leak has occurred.

8. The air conditioning equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first or second operating parameter may also include at least one or more of the following: air volume, air speed, air conditioner speed, and compressor operating frequency.

9. A fault detection method for air conditioning equipment, characterized in that, The fault detection method includes: In response to an operating command, the system controls the opening of a first number of indoor valves corresponding to a first number of indoor units, so that the first number of indoor units can operate; the operating command instructs the air conditioning equipment to operate with a first target parameter; the first target parameter includes a first preset duration and the first number; the first preset duration indicates the duration for which the air conditioning equipment can operate, and the first number is the number of indoor units to be operated among the plurality of indoor units; Based on the first correspondence between the first operating parameters, the initial indoor temperature, the outdoor temperature and the target indoor temperature, the first target temperature corresponding to the first target parameter, the first indoor temperature and the first outdoor temperature is determined; the first indoor temperature is the initial temperature of the indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment is not running, and the first outdoor temperature is the outdoor ambient temperature where the air conditioning equipment is located; If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leakage fault; the second indoor temperature is the indoor temperature reached by the indoor environment when the air conditioning equipment has been running for the first preset duration. If it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has a refrigerant leak fault, close the first number of indoor valves; Only one indoor valve from the first number of indoor valves is opened in sequence to control each target indoor unit to operate according to the second target parameters; the second target parameters include a second preset duration; the opened indoor valve is the target indoor valve, and the indoor unit corresponding to the target indoor valve is the target indoor unit; The refrigerant leakage faults of the target indoor unit are determined sequentially until the number of individual valves of the target indoor unit is the first quantity.

10. The fault detection method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The fault detection method further includes: If the absolute value of the temperature difference between the second indoor temperature and the first target temperature is less than the first preset difference, it is determined that the air conditioning equipment has not experienced a refrigerant leakage fault.

Images