Multi-split air conditioner, control method thereof and readable storage medium

Abstract

This invention discloses a multi-split air conditioner, its control method, and a computer-readable storage medium, comprising the following steps: when at least two indoor units are running, determining the historical contribution of each indoor unit based on its current operating mode; determining the target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner based on the historical contribution; and controlling the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode. The multi-split air conditioner of this invention can adaptively adapt to the usage of the indoor units, automatically adjust the priority of the indoor units, and then select a preferred operating mode based on the priority. Furthermore, the selected preferred operating mode closely approximates user habits, thereby improving the adjustment effect of the multi-split air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and more particularly to a multi-split air conditioner, its control method, and a readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] A multi-split air conditioner includes an outdoor unit and multiple indoor units connected to the outdoor unit. Since all indoor units in a multi-split air conditioner are supplied with refrigerant by the outdoor unit, if different indoor units operate in different modes—for example, some indoor units in cooling mode while others are in heating mode—the outdoor unit cannot simultaneously meet the operational requirements of all indoor units. In this case, the outdoor unit either cannot start, or a priority mode needs to be determined, and then all indoor units operate in that mode.

[0003] In the example technology, the outdoor unit determines the priority operating mode based on the priority of the indoor units, thereby controlling the state of the four-way valve. The priority of the indoor units is determined based on either a master-slave principle or a first-to-start principle. For example, in the master-slave principle, one indoor unit is pre-set as the master indoor unit, and the other indoor units are set as slave indoor units, with the master indoor unit having a higher priority than the slave indoor units. Alternatively, in the first-to-start principle, the priority of the indoor unit that is turned on first is higher than that of the indoor unit that is turned on later, based on the order in which the indoor units are turned on.

[0004] However, during use, it was found that when the outdoor unit determines the priority operation mode based on the master control principle or the first-to-open principle, it is not flexible enough and cannot adapt to the usage of the indoor unit or automatically adjust the priority of the indoor unit's operation mode, resulting in poor performance of the multi-split air conditioner.

[0005] It should be noted that the above content is only used to help understand the technical problem solved by the present invention, and does not represent an admission that the above content is prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide a multi-split air conditioner, its control method, and a computer-readable storage medium, which aims to enable the multi-split air conditioner to adapt to the usage of the indoor unit, automatically adjust the priority of the indoor unit's operating mode, and improve the performance of the multi-split air conditioner.

[0007] Based on this, the present invention provides a control method for a multi-split air conditioner, the control method for the multi-split air conditioner comprising the following steps:

[0008] When at least two indoor units are running, the historical contribution of each indoor unit is determined based on its current operating mode.

[0009] The target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner is determined based on the historical contribution.

[0010] Control the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode.

[0011] Optionally, the step of determining the historical contribution of the indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes:

[0012] Obtain the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit based on its current operating mode;

[0013] The historical contribution is determined based on the cumulative adjustment amount, and the larger the cumulative adjustment amount, the greater the historical contribution.

[0014] Optionally, the step of determining the target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner based on the historical contribution includes:

[0015] Compare the historical contributions of each of the aforementioned individuals;

[0016] The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest historical contribution is taken as the target operating mode.

[0017] Optionally, the step of using the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest historical contribution as the target operating mode includes:

[0018] If the indoor unit with the largest historical contribution includes at least two indoor units and the current operating modes of at least two indoor units are different, obtain the sum of the historical contributions corresponding to at least two operating modes of the indoor unit;

[0019] The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest total historical contribution is taken as the target operating mode.

[0020] Optionally, the step of using the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the largest sum of historical contributions as the target operating mode includes:

[0021] When the indoor units with the largest total historical contribution include at least two units and the current operating modes of at least two indoor units are different, the input power of the indoor units is obtained.

[0022] The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest input power is taken as the target operating mode.

[0023] Optionally, when at least two indoor units are running, the step of determining the historical contribution of each indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes:

[0024] When at least two indoor units are running, the historical contribution of each indoor unit under the current environmental information is determined based on the current operating mode of the indoor units. The current environmental information includes at least one of the current time, current indoor ambient temperature, and current outdoor ambient temperature.

[0025] Optionally, when at least two indoor units are running, the step of determining the historical contribution of each indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes:

[0026] When at least two indoor units are running, determine whether the current operating modes of the indoor units are the same;

[0027] If they are different, the historical contribution of the indoor unit is determined based on the current operating mode of the indoor unit;

[0028] If they are the same, then control the outdoor unit to operate according to the current operating mode.

[0029] Optionally, the control method for the multi-split air conditioner further includes:

[0030] When the indoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner is running, the total single-time adjustment of the indoor air by the current operating mode is calculated during the process from start-up to shutdown of the indoor unit.

[0031] The single total adjustment amount is added to the cumulative total adjustment amount of the indoor unit for indoor air in the current operating mode;

[0032] The cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit is calculated based on the cumulative total adjustment amount and the output power of the indoor unit.

[0033] Optionally, the step of calculating the total single-cycle adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode during the process of the indoor unit starting up and shutting down includes:

[0034] Based on the current operating mode of the indoor unit, the current opening degree of the electronic expansion valve and the preset flow-opening mapping relationship are used to predict the refrigerant flow of the indoor unit;

[0035] The enthalpy values ​​of the evaporator inlet and outlet are determined based on the evaporator inlet temperature, evaporator outlet temperature, condenser outlet temperature, compressor suction pressure, and discharge pressure of the indoor unit.

[0036] The unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit is calculated based on the refrigerant flow rate and the enthalpy value.

[0037] The total single-time adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode is calculated based on the unit cooling capacity and the operating time of the indoor unit.

[0038] Optionally, the step of calculating the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit based on the cumulative total adjustment amount and the output power of the indoor unit includes:

[0039] Obtain the correction coefficient for the indoor unit;

[0040] The cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit under the current operating mode is calculated based on the cumulative total adjustment amount, the output power of the indoor unit, and the correction coefficient.

[0041] Optionally, embodiments of the present invention also provide a control method for a multi-split air conditioner, the control method for the multi-split air conditioner comprising the following steps:

[0042] When the indoor unit is running, calculate the total single-time adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode during the process from start-up to shutdown of the indoor unit;

[0043] The single total adjustment amount is added to the cumulative total adjustment amount of the indoor unit for indoor air in the current operating mode;

[0044] The cumulative adjustment amount of the indoor unit on the unit area per unit area is calculated based on the cumulative total adjustment amount and the output power of the indoor unit. The cumulative adjustment amount represents the historical contribution of the indoor unit to the current operating mode.

[0045] Optionally, the step of calculating the total single-cycle adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode during the process of the indoor unit starting up and shutting down includes:

[0046] Based on the current operating mode of the indoor unit, the current opening degree of the electronic expansion valve and the preset flow-opening mapping relationship are used to predict the refrigerant flow of the indoor unit;

[0047] The enthalpy values ​​of the evaporator inlet and outlet are determined based on the evaporator inlet temperature, evaporator outlet temperature, condenser outlet temperature, compressor suction pressure, and discharge pressure of the indoor unit.

[0048] The unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit is calculated based on the refrigerant flow rate and the enthalpy value.

[0049] The total single-time adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode is calculated based on the unit cooling capacity and the operating time of the indoor unit.

[0050] Optionally, the formula for calculating the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​the current operating mode includes:

[0051]

[0052] U is the cumulative adjustment amount, wi is the cumulative total adjustment amount of the indoor unit in the current operating mode, c is the output power of the indoor unit, and k is the correction coefficient.

[0053] The present invention also provides a multi-split air conditioner, the multi-split air conditioner including a memory, a processor, and a control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the control program is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the control method for the multi-split air conditioner as described above.

[0054] Furthermore, the computer-readable storage medium stores a control program that, when executed by a processor, implements the various steps of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described above.

[0055] The multi-split air conditioner, its control method, and a readable storage medium provided by this invention, when at least two indoor units are running, determine the historical contribution of each indoor unit based on its current operating mode; then, determine the target operating mode of the outdoor unit based on the historical contribution; and control the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode. When multiple indoor units are running, the outdoor unit determines the priority of each indoor unit based on its historical contribution to the indoor environment. Indoor units with higher historical contribution have higher priority, and their operating modes are prioritized. Therefore, the outdoor unit's priority operating mode can be determined by the historical contribution of each indoor unit's current operating mode. The historical contribution characterizes the indoor unit's adjustment to the indoor environment. This allows for adaptive adjustment of the indoor unit's priority based on its adjustment (usage). For example, an indoor unit with a higher historical contribution has higher priority, and the outdoor unit operates in the current operating mode of the higher-priority indoor unit. This makes the selection of the outdoor unit more in line with user habits, allowing the multi-split air conditioner to operate in a mode that better meets user needs, improving performance and user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware architecture of a multi-split air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner according to the present invention;

[0058] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the multi-split air conditioner of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a second embodiment of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner according to the present invention.

[0060] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the third embodiment of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the fourth embodiment of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the fifth embodiment of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner according to the present invention.

[0063] The objectives, features, and advantages of this invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0064] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0065] A multi-split air conditioner includes an outdoor unit and multiple indoor units connected to the outdoor unit. Since all indoor units in a multi-split air conditioner are supplied with refrigerant by the outdoor unit, if different indoor units operate in different modes—for example, some indoor units in cooling mode while others are in heating mode—the outdoor unit cannot simultaneously meet the operational requirements of all indoor units. In this case, the outdoor unit either cannot start, or a priority mode needs to be determined, and then all indoor units operate in that mode.

[0066] In the example technology, the outdoor unit determines the priority operating mode based on the priority of the indoor units, thereby controlling the state of the four-way valve. The priority of the indoor units is determined based on either a master-slave principle or a first-to-start principle. For example, in the master-slave principle, one indoor unit is pre-set as the master indoor unit, and the other indoor units are set as slave indoor units, with the master indoor unit having a higher priority than the slave indoor units. Alternatively, in the first-to-start principle, the priority of the indoor unit that is turned on first is higher than that of the indoor unit that is turned on later, based on the order in which the indoor units are turned on.

[0067] However, during use, it was found that when the outdoor unit determines the priority operation mode based on the master-slave principle or the first-to-open principle, at least the following problems exist:

[0068] The master-slave principle, once the main indoor unit is set, generally operates in the same mode as it. Other slave indoor units can only operate in the same mode. When the main indoor unit switches from cooling to shutdown, the slave units cannot directly start heating; they must be manually turned on to start the main indoor unit before they can start. Furthermore, if the main indoor unit requires maintenance or repair and its power is lost, the system will report a fault because it cannot be detected, causing the entire multi-split unit to malfunction. The main indoor unit must be manually reset to ensure the normal operation of the other slave units. This approach is inflexible, as it cannot adaptively adjust or replace the main indoor unit based on usage conditions.

[0069] In the first-to-operate priority principle, any indoor unit can be the first to run. However, if the operating mode of the first indoor unit is set incorrectly, it will operate in that mode, causing other indoor units to operate in the same mode instead of the user-defined mode. The user then needs to manually shut down all indoor units and restart the first indoor unit in the target operating mode to switch to the desired mode. This method has low automation and flexibility, and cannot automatically adapt or change the operating mode based on the usage of the indoor units.

[0070] Therefore, in scenarios where multiple indoor units operate in different modes, the outdoor unit lacks flexibility in determining the priority mode based on the master control principle or the first-to-open principle. It cannot adapt to the usage of the indoor units and automatically adjust the priority of the indoor unit's operating mode, resulting in a poor user experience for multi-split air conditioners.

[0071] Based on this, this invention provides a control method for a multi-split air conditioner. When at least two indoor units are running, the historical contribution of each indoor unit is determined based on its current operating mode. Then, the target operating mode of the outdoor unit is determined based on the historical contribution. The outdoor unit is then controlled to operate according to the target operating mode. In other words, when multiple indoor units are running, the outdoor unit determines the priority of each indoor unit based on its historical contribution to the indoor environment using its current operating mode. Indoor units with higher historical contributions have higher priority, and their operating modes are prioritized. Therefore, the priority mode of the outdoor unit can be determined by the historical contribution of each indoor unit's current operating mode. The historical contribution characterizes the indoor unit's adjustment of the indoor environment (similarly, it also characterizes the usage of the indoor unit, which is related to user habits; for example, if a user frequently uses indoor unit 1 in heating mode, the historical contribution of indoor unit 1 in heating mode is higher; if a user frequently uses indoor unit 2 in cooling mode, the historical contribution of indoor unit 2 in cooling mode is higher). Thus, the multi-split air conditioner of this invention can adaptively adjust the priority of the indoor unit based on the usage of the indoor unit, thereby enabling the outdoor unit to select an operating mode that is more in line with the user's usage habits. This allows the multi-split air conditioner to operate in a mode that better meets the user's needs, improving the performance and providing a better user experience.

[0072] To better understand the above technical solutions, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0073] As one implementation method, the hardware environment architecture involved in the control method of the multi-split air conditioner can be as follows: Figure 1 As shown.

[0074] Optionally, the hardware architecture involved in the control method of the multi-split air conditioner includes the multi-split air conditioner or a control terminal for the multi-split air conditioner, wherein the control terminal is used to control the multi-split air conditioner.

[0075] In one implementation, the multi-split air conditioner or control terminal includes: a processor 101, such as a CPU, a memory 102, and a communication bus 103. The communication bus 103 is used to establish communication between these components. The processor 102 is used to call an application program to execute control operations.

[0076] The memory 102 can be a high-speed RAM or a stable memory (non-volatile memory), such as a disk storage device.

[0077] It is understood that, in one embodiment, the control program for implementing the control process of the multi-split air conditioner is stored in the memory 102 of the multi-split air conditioner or in a computer-readable storage medium. When the processor 101 calls the control program from the memory 102 or the computer-readable storage medium, it performs the following operations:

[0078] When at least two indoor units are running, the historical contribution of each indoor unit is determined based on its current operating mode.

[0079] The target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner is determined based on the historical contribution.

[0080] Control the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode.

[0081] Based on the hardware architecture of the multi-split air conditioner described above, the following embodiments of the present invention are proposed.

[0082] First Embodiment

[0083] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The control method for a multi-split air conditioner proposed in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0084] Step S10: When at least two indoor units are running, determine the historical contribution of the indoor units based on their current operating mode.

[0085] This invention is applied to multi-split air conditioners or their control terminals. This embodiment uses a multi-split air conditioner as an example. A multi-split air conditioner includes one indoor unit paired with multiple indoor units, each capable of operating in cooling mode, heating mode, defrosting mode, and fan mode.

[0086] like Figure 3 As shown, multiple indoor units are supplied with refrigerant by one outdoor unit. However, the outdoor unit cannot operate simultaneously in cooling mode and heating mode (or heating mode and defrost mode). Therefore, when at least two indoor units are running, it is necessary to determine the target operating mode of the outdoor unit in order to clarify the operating mode of the outdoor unit.

[0087] Optionally, in this embodiment, the historical contribution of the indoor unit is determined based on the historical contribution of the outdoor unit in its current operating mode.

[0088] Alternatively, in one possible implementation, as long as two indoor units are turned on, the target operating mode of the outdoor unit is determined and the operating mode of the outdoor unit is clarified to ensure that the multi-split air conditioner can adaptively adjust the priority of the indoor units.

[0089] Alternatively, in another possible implementation, to simplify the process control and reduce computational redundancy, when it is determined that at least two indoor units are operating and their current operating modes are different, the historical contribution of the indoor units is determined based on their current operating modes to determine the target operating mode of the outdoor unit. If all indoor units have the same current operating mode, the outdoor unit is controlled to operate according to that current operating mode. In other words, the process for determining the target operating mode of the outdoor unit in this embodiment is only executed when there are differences in the current operating modes of the indoor units.

[0090] Optionally, in some embodiments, if at least two indoor units have different current operating modes and these current operating modes conflict, the historical contribution of the indoor unit is determined based on its current operating mode to determine the target operating mode of the outdoor unit. That is, the process for determining the target operating mode of the outdoor unit in this embodiment is only executed when there is a conflict in the current operating modes of the indoor units. Optionally, conflicting operating modes include, but are not limited to, conflicts between cooling and heating modes, and conflicts between heating and defrosting modes. In these cases, the outdoor unit can only operate in one mode; therefore, it is necessary to determine the target operating mode of the outdoor unit so that the operating modes of the other indoor units are consistent with the target operating mode. In this embodiment, when there is a conflict in the current operating modes of the indoor units, the historical contribution of the indoor unit is determined based on its current operating mode, thereby determining the target operating mode of the outdoor unit, simplifying the control process of the multi-split air conditioner and avoiding computational redundancy.

[0091] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, "at least two indoor units operating" can refer to at least two indoor units starting simultaneously. Alternatively, "at least two indoor units operating" can also refer to at least one indoor unit operating while at least another indoor unit starts. Or, "at least two indoor units operating" can also refer to at least one indoor unit switching its operating mode while at least two indoor units are operating.

[0092] Optionally, in this embodiment, the historical contribution represents the magnitude of the cumulative adjustment amount of the indoor unit to a unit of room. The larger the cumulative adjustment amount, the greater the contribution of the indoor unit to this operating mode.

[0093] In one optional embodiment, the step of determining the historical contribution of the indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes: obtaining the cumulative adjustment amount of the indoor unit's current operating mode on a unit area of ​​the indoor unit; and determining the historical contribution based on the cumulative adjustment amount. That is, in some embodiments, the priority of the indoor unit can be directly determined based on the cumulative adjustment amount of the indoor unit's current operating mode on a unit area of ​​the indoor unit; for example, the larger the cumulative adjustment amount, the higher the priority of the indoor unit.

[0094] It should be noted that the cumulative adjustment per unit area refers to the cumulative adjustment of the indoor unit under a unit output power (or unit horsepower). For example, if the total cumulative adjustment of a 1.5 horsepower indoor unit is 30 and the total cumulative adjustment of a 2 horsepower indoor unit is 35, then the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​the 1.5 horsepower indoor unit is 20, and the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​the 2 horsepower four-unit indoor unit is 17.5. Thus, even though the total cumulative adjustment of the 2 horsepower indoor unit is greater than that of the 1.5 horsepower indoor unit (35 > 30), the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​the 1.5 horsepower indoor unit is greater than that of the 2 horsepower indoor unit, indicating that the 1.5 horsepower indoor unit is used for a longer period of time, and users have a higher demand for the operating mode of the 1.5 horsepower indoor unit. Therefore, this embodiment measures the contribution of the current operating mode of the indoor unit to the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​the indoor unit based on the current operating mode, more accurately reflecting the user's usage habits and needs, so that the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner can adaptively select an operating mode that is more in line with the user's habits.

[0095] Optionally, in this embodiment, the relationship between the indoor unit's operating mode and the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area is pre-stored. For example, each time the indoor unit runs (including scenarios where the indoor unit runs alone or at least two indoor units run simultaneously), the adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit under that operating mode is accumulated, forming the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit under that operating mode. The system can directly obtain the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit under the current operating mode based on the correlation between the indoor unit's operating mode and the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area.

[0096] Optionally, in other embodiments, the historical contribution represents the total runtime of the indoor unit in its current operating mode (or the total runtime in this environment, such as the total runtime in the current time period or at the current indoor temperature). The longer the total runtime, the greater the historical contribution.

[0097] Optionally, in other embodiments, the historical contribution represents the number of indoor units operating in the current operating mode; the more indoor units there are, the greater the historical contribution. For example, if a large number of indoor units are operating in heating mode, it indicates that the heating mode of that indoor unit has a higher priority, and the outdoor unit uses the heating mode as the target operating mode.

[0098] Step S20: Determine the target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner based on the historical contribution.

[0099] Optionally, in this embodiment, the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest historical contribution is taken as the target operating mode.

[0100] By comparing the historical contribution of each indoor unit's current operating mode, the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest historical contribution is selected as the target operating mode.

[0101] For example, a multi-split air conditioner includes four indoor units, A, B, C, and D. Indoor units A and B are currently operating in heating mode, while indoor units C and D are currently operating in cooling mode. The outdoor unit needs to determine whether to operate in heating or cooling mode. In this case, the historical contribution values ​​of indoor unit A (heating mode) Uh1, indoor unit B (heating mode) Uh2, indoor unit C (cooling mode) Uc3, and indoor unit D (cooling mode) Uc4 are obtained.

[0102] Comparing Uh1, Uh2, Uc3, and Uc4, if Uh1 > Uh2 > Uc3 > Uc4, then the heating mode of indoor unit A has the greatest historical contribution, and this heating mode will be used as the target operating mode for the outdoor unit. If Uh1 < Uh2 > Uc3 > Uc4, then the heating mode of indoor unit B has the greatest historical contribution, and this heating mode will be used as the target operating mode for the outdoor unit. If Uh1 < Uh2 < Uc3 > Uc4, then the cooling mode of indoor unit C has the greatest historical contribution, and this cooling mode will be used as the target operating mode for the outdoor unit. If Uh1 < Uh2 < Uc3 < Uc4, then the cooling mode of indoor unit D has the greatest historical contribution, and this cooling mode will be used as the target operating mode for the outdoor unit.

[0103] Optionally, this embodiment determines the priority of the indoor unit by the historical contribution of the current operating mode of the indoor unit (the historical contribution represents the usage of the indoor unit and the user's usage habits), and then determines the target operating mode of the outdoor unit based on the current operating mode of the indoor unit with higher priority, so as to realize the adaptive selection of the operating mode of the outdoor unit according to the user's usage habits.

[0104] Step S30: Control the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode.

[0105] After determining the target operating mode, the outdoor unit controls the state of the compressor and the four-way valve according to the target operating mode. For example, when the target operating mode is cooling mode, the four-way valve is controlled to connect the compressor discharge port and the condenser (outdoor heat exchanger); when the target operating mode is heating mode, the four-way valve is controlled to connect the compressor discharge port and the evaporator (indoor heat exchanger).

[0106] In one optional embodiment, after step S30, the control method for the multi-split air conditioner further includes:

[0107] The calculation process involves determining the total single-cycle air conditioning effect of the indoor unit during its startup and shutdown in the current operating mode. This total single-cycle adjustment is then added to the cumulative total air conditioning effect of the indoor unit in the current operating mode. Based on this cumulative total adjustment and the output power of the indoor unit, the cumulative air conditioning effect per unit area of ​​the indoor unit in the current operating mode is calculated. Finally, the cumulative air conditioning effect per unit area of ​​the indoor unit in the current operating mode is updated so that a comparison can be made based on the new cumulative adjustment effect upon the next startup of the indoor unit.

[0108] The single-time total regulation refers to the total regulation effect of the indoor unit on the room when it is currently turned on. The sum of the total regulation effects of the indoor unit running the same operating mode multiple times is the cumulative total regulation effect of the indoor unit on the indoor air in that operating mode. For example, after the unit is installed and debugged, if the indoor unit is turned on for the first time and runs continuously for more than 10 minutes (0-30 minutes can be taken), the amount of heat / cooling removed from the room during this period (regulation effect) is calculated when it is turned off, and this is accumulated thereafter. Then, the cumulative regulation effect is calculated according to the output power of the indoor unit.

[0109] For example, if the cumulative total regulation of the indoor unit in cooling mode before this start-up is 300KJ, and the indoor unit is turned on and running in cooling mode, then the single total regulation of the indoor unit from turn-on to turn-off is calculated, for example, 25KJ. Then, the single total regulation of 25KJ in this operation is added to the cumulative total regulation of 300KJ. Thus, the cumulative total regulation of the indoor unit in cooling mode is 325KJ. Then, the cumulative regulation per unit area is calculated based on the output power of the indoor unit.

[0110] Optionally, the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit in its current operating mode is calculated based on the total cumulative adjustment amount, the output power of the indoor unit, and a correction coefficient. The correction coefficient can be a correction coefficient for different operating modes; for example, different operating modes correspond to different correction coefficients. Thus, after determining the current operating mode of the indoor unit, the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area is corrected by the corresponding correction coefficient. Optionally, it can be calculated using the following formula:

[0111]

[0112] U represents the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit based on its operating mode; C represents the output power of the indoor unit (horsepower – indoor units with the same rated capacity are distinguished by their project number); n ∈ N* (a non-zero natural number); and k is a correction coefficient, which defaults to 1 (can be 0.1 to 10). Optionally, the correction coefficient K is different for different operating modes, thus the calculated cumulative adjustment amount differs under different operating modes.

[0113] The formula above calculates the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit. Compared to direct addition, it can distinguish the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit based on the correction coefficient.

[0114] Optionally, in a further embodiment, the correction coefficient K can also be set and modified by the user. For example, when the target operating mode automatically determined by the system is not the operating mode currently needed by the user, such as when the current usage scenario of the indoor unit is special, such as when the number of people indoors suddenly increases, or when the outdoor environment changes abruptly, the user can change the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit by setting the correction coefficient K, thereby changing the target operating mode.

[0115] Optionally, the system calculates the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit under different operating modes, and displays the correction coefficient that needs to be set when changing the magnitude of the cumulative adjustment amount on the user interface. The user can select the correction coefficient through the displayed information, thereby changing the magnitude of the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area corresponding to each operating mode, thereby changing the historical contribution of each operating mode, changing the target indoor unit (changing the priority of the indoor unit), and finally achieving the purpose of changing the target operating mode of the outdoor unit.

[0116] For example, if indoor unit A's heating mode has the largest cumulative adjustment per unit area, then according to the control logic of this embodiment, the target operating mode for the outdoor unit is heating mode. If there are many people indoors and the perceived temperature is high, the actual need is cooling mode. In this embodiment, the cumulative adjustment can be corrected using a correction coefficient. Therefore, the user can set a correction coefficient to change the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​each indoor unit's current operating mode. For instance, if the system outputs on the user interface that the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​indoor unit C's cooling mode is greater than that of indoor unit A, the correction coefficient needs to be set. If the user wants to switch modes, they can select the correction coefficient output on the user interface, causing the system to recalculate the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​the indoor unit's current operating mode. At this point, the cumulative adjustment of indoor unit C is greater than that of indoor unit A, therefore, the current operating mode of indoor unit C is determined as the target operating mode, and the outdoor unit operates in cooling mode, thus switching from heating mode to cooling mode.

[0117] In other words, in this embodiment, the correction coefficient of the indoor unit can be a different value corresponding to different operating modes of different indoor units, or it can be a value obtained based on user settings. Based on this correction value, this embodiment eliminates the need to shut down and restart the indoor unit to change the operating mode, enabling flexible, convenient, and quick adjustment of the outdoor unit's operating mode and improving the user experience.

[0118] Optionally, during the process of the indoor unit starting up and shutting down, the total single-time adjustment of the indoor air in the current operating mode is calculated in the following way: For example, based on the current opening degree of the electronic expansion valve and the preset flow-opening mapping relationship in the current operating mode of the indoor unit, the refrigerant flow rate of the indoor unit is predicted; then, based on the evaporator inlet temperature, evaporator outlet temperature, condenser outlet temperature, compressor suction pressure, and discharge pressure of the indoor unit, the enthalpy values ​​of the evaporator inlet and outlet are determined; then, based on the refrigerant flow rate and the enthalpy value, the unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit is calculated; and based on the unit cooling capacity and the operating time of the indoor unit, the total single-time adjustment of the indoor air in the current operating mode can be calculated.

[0119] Optionally, the unit cooling capacity can be calculated using the following formula:

[0120] Q = f(d, t1, t2, t3, p_absorbed, p_discharged);

[0121] Where Q represents the unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit; d represents the current opening degree of the electronic expansion valve of the multi-split air conditioner; t1 represents the condenser outlet temperature of the outdoor unit; t2 represents the evaporator inlet temperature of the indoor unit; t3 represents the evaporator outlet temperature of the indoor unit; psuction represents the suction pressure of the system or compressor; and pdischarge represents the discharge pressure of the system or compressor.

[0122] The refrigerant flow rate of the indoor unit can be calculated using the existing flow-opening mapping relationship of the electronic expansion valve (such as a preset flow curve) and the current opening. The enthalpy values ​​of the evaporator inlet and outlet can be obtained by using the evaporator inlet temperature t2 and outlet temperature t3 of the indoor unit, the condenser outlet temperature t1 of the outdoor unit, and the system suction / discharge pressure (psuction, pdischarge). The unit cooling capacity generated when the refrigerant flows through the indoor unit can then be calculated in kW. The same logic applies to heating.

[0123] Optionally, the cumulative cooling capacity of the indoor unit from the moment it is turned on to the moment it is turned off is the total single-time adjustment amount of the indoor air by the current operating mode of the indoor unit (the adjustment amount is also the amount of heat / cooling removed from the room). Optionally, the total single-time adjustment amount can be calculated by the following formula:

[0124]

[0125] Where W represents the amount of heat / cooling removed from the room by the indoor unit after running continuously for a period of time from the start-up time χ1 to the shutdown time χ2 (total adjustment amount per cycle), in kJ; Q represents the unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit.

[0126] Optionally, to improve the accuracy of the calculation, the unit cooling capacity can be calculated 5 minutes after the indoor unit is turned on (1 to 10 minutes is acceptable). That is, the unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit can be calculated after the air conditioning system has stabilized, which can improve the accuracy of the calculated adjustment.

[0127] In this embodiment, when at least two indoor units are running, the historical contribution of each indoor unit is determined based on its current operating mode. Then, the target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner is determined based on the historical contribution. The outdoor unit is then controlled to operate according to the target operating mode. When multiple indoor units are running, the outdoor unit determines the priority of each indoor unit based on its historical contribution to the indoor environment. Indoor units with higher historical contributions have higher priority, and their operating modes are prioritized. Therefore, the outdoor unit's priority operating mode can be determined by the historical contribution of each indoor unit's current operating mode. The historical contribution characterizes the indoor unit's adjustment to the indoor environment. This allows for adaptive adjustment of the indoor unit's priority based on its adjustment (usage). For example, an indoor unit with a higher historical contribution has a higher priority, and the outdoor unit operates in the current operating mode of the higher-priority indoor unit. This makes the selection of the outdoor unit more in line with user habits, allowing the multi-split air conditioner to operate in a mode that better meets user needs, improving performance and user experience.

[0128] Second Embodiment

[0129] Please refer to Figure 4 This embodiment of the invention is based on the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, when at least two indoor units are running, the step of determining the historical contribution of each indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes:

[0130] Step S11: When at least two indoor units are running, determine the historical contribution of the indoor units under the current environmental information based on the current operating mode of the indoor units.

[0131] Optionally, the current environmental information includes at least one of the current time, current indoor ambient temperature, and current outdoor ambient temperature.

[0132] Users' adjustment requirements for the indoor unit vary at different times, and also differ depending on the indoor and outdoor ambient temperatures. Therefore, the historical contribution of the operating mode differs under different environmental conditions. For example, users frequently use heating mode during some periods and cooling mode during others. Or, when the indoor or outdoor ambient temperature is within the range T1, the cumulative adjustment of the cooling mode is Uc1, and the cumulative adjustment of the heating mode is Uh1. When the indoor or outdoor ambient temperature is within the range Tn, the cumulative adjustment of the cooling mode is Ucn, and the cumulative adjustment of the heating mode is Uhn. If the cumulative adjustment of the heating mode Ucn is greater than the cumulative adjustment of the cooling mode Uh1, it is assumed that the cooling mode has a larger historical contribution. However, in reality, when the indoor or outdoor ambient temperature is within the T1 range, users may have a higher demand for heating mode, and the indoor unit may operate in heating mode for a longer period or more frequently. This means the cumulative adjustment of heating mode Uh1 is greater than the cumulative adjustment of cooling mode Uc1. Therefore, at this indoor or outdoor ambient temperature, the historical contribution of the actual heating mode is greater, the target operating mode of the outdoor unit is heating mode, and the air conditioner's operation is closer to the user's actual needs (or the user's historical usage habits). Therefore, this embodiment combines current environmental information to determine the historical contribution of the indoor unit's operating mode, which can more accurately judge the user's actual needs and improve control accuracy.

[0133] Optionally, in this embodiment, when calculating the cumulative adjustment amount of each operating mode on the indoor unit area, a relationship between the environmental information interval and the cumulative adjustment amount of the operating mode on the indoor unit area is established based on the pre-divided environmental information interval. When the system obtains the current environmental information, it obtains the corresponding cumulative adjustment amount based on the relationship between the environmental information interval and the cumulative adjustment amount of the operating mode on the indoor area, and then determines the contribution of the current operating mode of each indoor unit.

[0134] This embodiment uses indoor ambient temperature as an example to illustrate the relationship between the division of the interval and the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​the operating mode, as shown in Table 1 below:

[0135] Table 1:

[0136]

[0137]

[0138] It should be noted that in Table 1, Ti-env represents the indoor ambient temperature, Uc represents the cumulative adjustment amount of the cooling mode on the indoor unit area (the Uc corresponding to different indoor units may be different or the same), and Uh represents the cumulative adjustment amount of the heating mode on the indoor area (the Uh corresponding to different indoor units may be different or the same).

[0139] Third Embodiment

[0140] Please refer to Figure 5 Based on all the above embodiments, the present invention provides an embodiment of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner, which includes the following steps:

[0141] Step S10: When at least two indoor units are running, determine the historical contribution of the indoor units based on their current operating mode.

[0142] Optionally, the implementation of step S10 in this embodiment is the same as that of step S10 in the first embodiment described above. For a detailed description of step S10 in this embodiment, please refer to step S10 in the first embodiment described above.

[0143] Step S21: Compare the historical contribution of each indoor unit's current operating mode.

[0144] Step S22: Determine whether the indoor units with the largest historical contribution include at least two units and whether the indoor units have different operating modes.

[0145] The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that in this embodiment, there may be at least two indoor units with the greatest historical contribution, and the current operating modes of the at least two indoor units are different. For example, the current operating mode of one indoor unit is cooling mode, and the current operating mode of one indoor unit is heating mode.

[0146] For example, suppose there are four indoor units, A, B, C, and D. Indoor units A and B are currently operating in heating mode, while indoor units C and D are currently operating in cooling mode. The outdoor unit needs to determine whether to operate in heating or cooling mode. This is done by comparing the historical contribution values ​​of indoor unit A (heating mode, Uh1), indoor unit B (heating mode, Uh2), indoor unit C (cooling mode, Uc3), and indoor unit D (cooling mode, Uc4).

[0147] If Uh1 = Uc3 > Uh2 > Uc4, then the historical contribution of indoor unit A's heating mode and indoor unit C's cooling mode is the greatest. In this case, it is still impossible to determine whether the outdoor unit's target operating mode is heating or cooling. Alternatively, if Uh1 < Uc3 < Uh2 = Uc4, then the historical contribution of indoor unit B's heating mode and indoor unit D's cooling mode is the greatest. In this case, it is also impossible to determine whether the outdoor unit's target operating mode is heating or cooling.

[0148] Based on this, this embodiment further determines the target operating mode of the outdoor unit, as described in steps S23 and S24.

[0149] If so, proceed to step S23 to obtain the sum of historical contributions corresponding to at least two operating modes of the indoor unit;

[0150] Step S24: The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the largest total historical contribution is taken as the target operating mode.

[0151] The sum of historical contributions corresponding to at least two operating modes of the indoor unit refers to the sum of historical contributions of all operating modes (the sum of the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit by all operating modes). For example, if the indoor unit includes a cooling mode and a heating mode, and the historical contribution of the cooling mode is Uc and the historical contribution of the heating mode is Uh, then the sum of the historical contributions of the indoor unit's Uc and Uh is taken as the sum of the historical contributions of the indoor unit's operating modes.

[0152] Taking the four indoor units listed above as examples, indoor units A and B are currently operating in heating mode, while indoor units C and D are currently operating in cooling mode. Indoor units A and B also include a cooling mode (a mode that can be operated but is not currently in operation), and indoor units C and D also include a heating mode (a mode that can be operated but is not currently in operation).

[0153] The historical contribution of indoor unit A in heating mode is Uh1, and the historical contribution of indoor unit B in cooling mode is Uc1; the historical contribution of indoor unit B in heating mode is Uh2, and the historical contribution of indoor unit B in cooling mode is Uc2; the historical contribution of indoor unit C in heating mode is Uh3, and the historical contribution of indoor unit C in cooling mode is Uc3; the historical contribution of indoor unit D in heating mode is Uh4, and the historical contribution of indoor unit D in cooling mode is Uc4.

[0154] Given that Uh1 = Uc3 > Uh2 > Uc4, the historical contribution of indoor unit A (heating mode) and indoor unit C (cooling mode) is the highest. At this point, it's impossible to determine whether the target operating mode for the outdoor unit is heating or cooling. Therefore, the historical contribution Uc1 of indoor unit A (cooling mode) and Uh1 of indoor unit A (heating mode) are added together to obtain the total historical contribution U1 of indoor unit A. Similarly, the historical contribution Uc3 of indoor unit C (cooling mode) and Uh3 of indoor unit C (heating mode) are added together to obtain the total historical contribution U3 of indoor unit C. Then, U1 and U3 are compared to determine the largest value. If U3 is the largest, indoor unit C is chosen as the target indoor unit, and its current operating mode is cooling; therefore, the target operating mode for the outdoor unit is also cooling. If U1 is the largest, indoor unit A is chosen as the target indoor unit, and its current operating mode is heating; therefore, the target operating mode for the outdoor unit is cooling.

[0155] Alternatively, if Uh1 = Uc3 > Uh2 > Uc4, then the historical contribution of indoor unit A in heating mode and indoor unit C in cooling mode is the largest. In this case, it's still impossible to determine whether the target operating mode of the outdoor unit is heating or cooling. Therefore, add the historical contribution of indoor unit A (cooling mode Uc1) and heating mode (Uh1) to obtain the total historical contribution of indoor unit A, U1. Add the historical contribution of indoor unit B (cooling mode Uc2) and heating mode (Uh2) to obtain the total historical contribution of indoor unit B, U2. Add the historical contribution of indoor unit C (cooling mode Uc3) and heating mode (Uh3) to obtain the total historical contribution of indoor unit C, U3. Add the historical contribution of indoor unit D (Uc4) and heating mode (Uh4) to obtain the total historical contribution of indoor unit D, U4. Then compare U1, U2, U3, and U4 to determine the largest value among them. If U4 is the largest, then indoor unit D is selected as the target indoor unit, and indoor unit D's current operating mode is cooling mode; therefore, the target operating mode for the outdoor unit is cooling mode. If U2 is the largest, then indoor unit B is selected as the target indoor unit, and indoor unit B's current operating mode is heating mode; therefore, the target operating mode for the outdoor unit is cooling mode.

[0156] If not, proceed to step S25, and use the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest historical contribution as the target operating mode. In other words, the target operating mode is determined directly based on the historical contribution corresponding to the current operating mode of the indoor unit.

[0157] Step S30: Control the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode.

[0158] After determining the target operating mode, the outdoor unit controls the state of the compressor and the four-way valve according to the target operating mode. For example, when the target operating mode is cooling mode, the four-way valve is controlled to connect the compressor discharge port and the condenser (outdoor heat exchanger); when the target operating mode is heating mode, the four-way valve is controlled to connect the compressor discharge port and the evaporator (indoor heat exchanger).

[0159] Optionally, this embodiment is based on the first embodiment described above. After step S30, this embodiment further includes updating the cumulative adjustment amount of the operating mode, as specifically referred to in the first embodiment described above.

[0160] In this embodiment, when the target operating mode of the outdoor unit cannot be determined based on the historical contribution of the operating mode, it is determined by the sum of the historical contribution of multiple operating modes of the indoor unit, thereby improving the feasibility and effectiveness of the adaptive operating mode selection of the multi-split air conditioner.

[0161] Fourth embodiment

[0162] Please refer to Figure 6 Based on all the above embodiments, the present invention provides an embodiment of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner, which includes the following steps:

[0163] Step S10: When at least two indoor units are running, determine the historical contribution of the indoor units based on their current operating mode.

[0164] Optionally, the implementation of step S10 in this embodiment is the same as that of step S10 in the first embodiment described above. For a detailed description of step S10 in this embodiment, please refer to step S10 in the first embodiment described above.

[0165] Step S21: Compare the historical contribution of each indoor unit's current operating mode.

[0166] Step S22: Determine whether the indoor units with the largest contribution include at least two units and whether the indoor units have different operating modes;

[0167] If yes, then proceed to step S23 to obtain the sum of historical contributions corresponding to at least two operating modes of the indoor unit. If no, then proceed to step S25 to use the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the largest historical contribution as the target operating mode. In other words, the target operating mode is determined directly based on the historical contribution corresponding to the current operating mode of the indoor unit.

[0168] Steps S21 to S23 are the same as steps S21-S23 in the third embodiment above. Therefore, the specific process and principle of steps S21-S23 in this embodiment can be referred to the description of steps S21-S23 in the third embodiment above, and will not be repeated here.

[0169] Step S26: Determine whether the indoor unit with the largest total historical contribution includes at least two units and whether the indoor units have different operating modes.

[0170] This embodiment is a further embodiment based on the third embodiment above. In this embodiment, there may be at least two indoor units with the largest total historical contribution, and the two indoor units have different operating modes. For example, one indoor unit is currently operating in cooling mode, and the other indoor unit is currently operating in heating mode.

[0171] For example, consider four indoor units: the total historical contribution of indoor unit A (U1), indoor unit B (U2), indoor unit C (U3), and indoor unit D (U4). Comparing U1, U2, U3, and U4, determine the largest value among them. If U4 = U1 > U2 > U3, then the total historical contribution of indoor units A and D is the largest. However, indoor unit A is currently operating in heating mode, and indoor unit D is currently operating in cooling mode. Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether the target operating mode of the outdoor unit is heating or cooling.

[0172] Based on this, this embodiment further determines the target operating mode of the outdoor unit, as described in steps S27 and S28.

[0173] If so, proceed to step S27 to obtain the input power of the indoor unit;

[0174] Step S28: The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest input power is taken as the target operating mode.

[0175] The input power of the indoor unit is its nominal capacity, determined at the factory. The input power of the indoor unit is represented by its horsepower (HP). When the target operating mode of the outdoor unit cannot be determined based on historical contribution rates and the sum of historical contribution rates, the target indoor unit is determined by its input power, and thus the target operating mode is determined.

[0176] For example, if indoor unit A has a horsepower of 2 and indoor unit D has a horsepower of 1.5, then indoor unit A is determined to be the target indoor unit. If the current operating mode of indoor unit A is heating mode, then the target operating mode of the outdoor unit is heating mode.

[0177] If not, proceed to step S24, and use the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the largest total historical contribution as the target operating mode.

[0178] Step S30: Control the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode.

[0179] After determining the target operating mode, the outdoor unit controls the state of the compressor and the four-way valve according to the target operating mode. For example, when the target operating mode is cooling mode, the four-way valve is controlled to connect the compressor discharge port and the condenser (outdoor heat exchanger); when the target operating mode is heating mode, the four-way valve is controlled to connect the compressor discharge port and the evaporator (indoor heat exchanger).

[0180] Optionally, this embodiment is based on the first embodiment described above. After step S30, this embodiment further includes updating the cumulative adjustment amount of the operating mode, as specifically referred to in the first embodiment described above.

[0181] In this embodiment, when the target operating mode of the outdoor unit cannot be determined even if the sum of the historical contributions of multiple operating modes of the indoor unit is used, the target operating mode of the outdoor unit is determined by the output power of the indoor unit, thereby further improving the feasibility and effectiveness of the adaptive operating mode selection of the multi-split air conditioner.

[0182] Fifth embodiment

[0183] Please refer to Figure 7 This invention also proposes a control method for a multi-split air conditioner, the control method comprising the following steps:

[0184] Step S40: When the indoor unit is running, calculate the total single-time adjustment amount of the indoor air by the current operating mode during the process from start-up to shutdown of the indoor unit;

[0185] Regardless of whether the indoor unit operates alone, together with other indoor units, or if there are conflicting operating modes when operating together with other indoor units (as described in the first to fourth embodiments above), the method provided in this embodiment calculates the total single-time adjustment amount of the indoor unit's operating mode on the indoor air, thereby updating the indoor unit's operating mode and the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area. Thus, when the indoor unit meets the operating environment requirements of any of the first to fourth embodiments, its historical contribution can be determined based on the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area, thereby determining the target operating mode of the outdoor unit.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the step of calculating the total single-cycle adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode during the process of the indoor unit starting up and shutting down includes:

[0187] Based on the current operating mode of the indoor unit, the current opening degree of the electronic expansion valve and the preset flow-opening mapping relationship are used to predict the refrigerant flow of the indoor unit;

[0188] The enthalpy values ​​of the evaporator inlet and outlet are determined based on the evaporator inlet temperature, evaporator outlet temperature, condenser outlet temperature, compressor suction pressure, and discharge pressure of the indoor unit.

[0189] The unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit is calculated based on the refrigerant flow rate and the enthalpy value.

[0190] The total single-time adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode is calculated based on the unit cooling capacity and the operating time of the indoor unit.

[0191] Optionally, in this implementation, the specific calculation method of the single total adjustment amount is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and can be referred to the first embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] Step S50: The single total adjustment amount is added to the cumulative total adjustment amount of the indoor unit for indoor air in the current operating mode.

[0193] Step S60: Calculate the cumulative adjustment amount of the current operating mode of the indoor unit on the indoor unit unit area based on the cumulative total adjustment amount and the output power of the indoor unit. The cumulative adjustment amount represents the historical contribution of the indoor unit operating the current operating mode.

[0194] Optionally, in this embodiment, the specific implementation process of steps S50 and S60 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. The specific implementation process is the same as that of the first embodiment described above and will not be described again here.

[0195] Optionally, after step S60, the method further includes updating the cumulative adjustment amount corresponding to the current operating mode in the relationship table of operating mode-cumulative adjustment amount per unit area based on the current operating mode and the cumulative adjustment amount.

[0196] Optionally, in some embodiments, it is also necessary to obtain current environmental information and update the cumulative adjustment amount corresponding to the current operating mode in the current environment in the relationship table of environmental information-operating mode-cumulative adjustment amount per unit area.

[0197] Optionally, after the indoor unit is installed for the first time, the multi-split air conditioner can be controlled by automatically switching to the adaptive selection priority operation mode described in the first to fourth embodiments based on the first-to-first-turn-on principle and the operating data, according to the number of times it is turned on or the duration of operation.

[0198] In this embodiment, when the indoor unit is running, the cumulative adjustment amount of the indoor unit's operating mode per unit area is updated in a timely manner. This allows the air conditioner to adaptively select the indoor unit with higher priority according to the latest cumulative adjustment amount, and then control the outdoor unit with the current operating mode of that indoor unit. This further improves the accuracy of the indoor unit's priority adaptive adjustment and enhances the air conditioner's performance.

[0199] Optionally, the multi-split air conditioner includes a memory, a processor, and a control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the control program is executed by the processor, it implements the control method for the multi-split air conditioner as described in the above embodiments.

[0200] This invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a control program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the various steps of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in the above embodiments.

[0201] Optionally, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, the computer program product including control program code, which, when executed by a processor of a computer or other device, implements the above embodiments.

[0202] It should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a multi-split air conditioner, characterized in that, The control method for the multi-split air conditioner includes the following steps: When at least two indoor units are running, the historical contribution of each indoor unit is determined based on its current operating mode. The target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner is determined based on the historical contribution. Control the outdoor unit to operate according to the target operating mode; The step of determining the historical contribution of the indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes: Obtain the cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit based on its current operating mode; The historical contribution is determined based on the cumulative adjustment amount, and the larger the cumulative adjustment amount, the greater the historical contribution. The control method for the multi-split air conditioner also includes: When the indoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner is running, the total single-time adjustment of the indoor air by the current operating mode is calculated during the process from start-up to shutdown of the indoor unit. The single total adjustment amount is added to the cumulative total adjustment amount of the indoor unit for indoor air in the current operating mode; Obtain the correction coefficient for the indoor unit; The cumulative adjustment amount per unit area of ​​the indoor unit is calculated based on the cumulative total adjustment amount, the output power of the indoor unit, and the correction coefficient; The correction coefficient of the indoor unit is obtained based on the value obtained from the user's setting command; When at least two indoor units are running, the step of determining the historical contribution of each indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes: When at least two indoor units are running, the historical contribution of each indoor unit under the current environmental information is determined based on the current operating mode of the indoor units. The current environmental information includes at least one of the current time, current indoor ambient temperature, and current outdoor ambient temperature.

2. The control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the target operating mode of the outdoor unit of the multi-split air conditioner based on the historical contribution includes: Compare the historical contributions of each entity; The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest historical contribution is taken as the target operating mode.

3. The control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The step of using the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest historical contribution as the target operating mode includes: If the indoor unit with the largest historical contribution includes at least two indoor units and the current operating modes of at least two indoor units are different, obtain the sum of the historical contributions corresponding to at least two operating modes of the indoor unit; The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest total historical contribution is taken as the target operating mode.

4. The control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The step of selecting the current operating mode of the indoor unit with the largest total historical contribution as the target operating mode includes: When the indoor units with the largest total historical contribution include at least two units and the current operating modes of at least two indoor units are different, the input power of the indoor units is obtained. The current operating mode of the indoor unit with the highest input power is taken as the target operating mode.

5. The control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, When at least two indoor units are running, the step of determining the historical contribution of each indoor unit based on its current operating mode includes: When at least two indoor units are running, determine whether the current operating modes of the indoor units are the same; If they are different, the historical contribution of the indoor unit is determined based on the current operating mode of the indoor unit; If they are the same, then control the outdoor unit to operate according to the current operating mode.

6. The control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of calculating the total single-cycle adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode during the process of the indoor unit from startup to shutdown includes: Based on the current operating mode of the indoor unit, the current opening degree of the electronic expansion valve and the preset flow-opening mapping relationship are used to predict the refrigerant flow of the indoor unit; The enthalpy values ​​of the evaporator inlet and outlet are determined based on the evaporator inlet temperature, evaporator outlet temperature, condenser outlet temperature, compressor suction pressure, and discharge pressure of the indoor unit. The unit cooling capacity of the indoor unit is calculated based on the refrigerant flow rate and the enthalpy value. The total single-time adjustment of indoor air by the current operating mode is calculated based on the unit cooling capacity and the operating time of the indoor unit.

7. The control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The formula for calculating the cumulative adjustment per unit area of ​​indoor space under the current operating mode includes: ； U is the cumulative adjustment amount, wi is the cumulative total adjustment amount of the current operating mode of the indoor unit, c is the output power of the indoor unit, and k is the correction coefficient.

8. A multi-split air conditioner, characterized in that, The multi-split air conditioner includes a memory, a processor, and a control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When executed by the processor, the control program implements the steps of the control method for the multi-split air conditioner as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a control program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method for a multi-split air conditioner as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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