A heat pump system and control method

Abstract

This invention discloses a heat pump system and control method, relating to the field of heat pump technology. It addresses the problem of high costs caused by the large number of control devices and the large space occupied by control cabinets in current heat pump systems with cold source group control schemes. The heat pump system also includes multiple mixing valves and user-side terminal equipment. The user-side terminal equipment includes a valve actuator coupled to each of the multiple mixing valves. The inlet of some of the heating devices is coupled to the outlet of one of the mixing valves. The outlet of each of the heating devices is coupled to the first inlet of the corresponding mixing valve. The second inlets of the multiple mixing valves are connected in parallel and coupled to the output of a hydraulic separator. The valve actuator is configured to control the opening degree of the valve core in the mixing valve coupled to it.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of heat pumps, and in particular to a heat pump system and a control method. Background Art

[0002] At present, the cold source group control scheme in the heat pump system can coordinately control multiple heat pump units. However, the control devices in the cold source group control scheme are numerous, the control cabinet is large in volume and high in cost, and it cannot meet the project requirements of small and medium-sized apartments. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention provide a heat pump system and a control method, which solve the problems that the cold source group control scheme in the current heat pump system has a large number of control devices and the control cabinet occupies a large space, resulting in high costs.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the embodiments of the present invention adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a heat pump system, which includes a cascade control box, multiple heat pump units, multiple heating devices, a hydraulic separator, a multi-way valve, and a domestic water tank. The cascade control box includes a cascade controller. The multiple heat pump units are connected in parallel and then coupled to the input end of the hydraulic separator. The multiple heating devices are connected in parallel and then coupled to the output end of the hydraulic separator. Among them, the first heat pump unit is coupled in parallel with other heat pump units through a multi-way valve. The multi-way valve is further coupled to at least the cascade controller and the domestic water tank. Among them: The cascade controller is configured to control the multi-way valve to be in a first conduction state when it is determined that there is a demand for domestic hot water preparation. The first conduction state is used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the domestic water tank through the multi-way valve. When it is determined that there is no demand for domestic hot water preparation, the multi-way valve is controlled to be in a second conduction state. The second conduction state is used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the multiple heating devices through the multi-way valve and the hydraulic separator.

[0006] Thus, the present application controls multiple small heat pump units connected in parallel through a cascade control box, which can avoid the problems of large space occupation and high cost of the control cabinet in the cold source group control scheme. Moreover, by controlling multiple small heat pump units connected in parallel through a cascade control box, a master-slave relationship can exist between the cascade control box and the multiple heat pump units, which can well coordinate the operation and control between the heat pump units, realize the linkage control of multiple heat pump units, and meet the heating or cooling requirements of the user side. For example, in addition to domestic hot water preparation through the first heat pump unit, heating can also be carried out in combination with other units.

[0007] In some embodiments, the heat pump system further includes a plurality of mixing valves and a user-side terminal device. The user-side terminal device includes a valve actuator coupled to each of the plurality of mixing valves. The inlet of each of the plurality of heating devices is coupled to the outlet of one of the plurality of mixing valves. The outlet of each of the plurality of heating devices is coupled to the first inlet of the mixing valve corresponding to the heating device. The second inlets of the plurality of mixing valves are connected in parallel and coupled to the output of a hydraulic separator. The valve actuator is configured to control the opening degree of the valve core in the mixing valve coupled to the valve actuator.

[0008] In some embodiments, the user-side terminal device further includes a plurality of temperature sensors and a plurality of terminal wired controllers; each of the plurality of temperature sensors is coupled to one of the heating devices in the plurality of heating devices, and each of the plurality of terminal wired controllers is coupled to at least one temperature sensor and one valve actuator, and at most two of the plurality of terminal wired controllers are connected in parallel and coupled to one of the plurality of heat pump units. The temperature sensors are configured to acquire temperature information of the heating devices coupled to the temperature sensors and transmit the temperature information to the terminal wired controllers coupled to the temperature sensors. The terminal wired controllers are configured to transmit the temperature information to a cascade controller via the heat pump units coupled to the terminal wired controllers. The cascade controllers are further configured to determine a control signal based on the temperature information, the control signal being used to control the valve actuator.

[0009] In some embodiments, the cascade control box further includes a protocol converter, so the cascade controller also includes a communication interface. Each of the plurality of heat pump units is also coupled to the protocol converter, which is further coupled to the communication interface. The protocol converter is configured to perform protocol conversion on a signal received from the communication interface to obtain a first signal, and send the first signal to at least one of the plurality of heat pump units. It is also configured to perform protocol conversion on a signal received from one of the plurality of heat pump units to obtain a second signal, and send the second signal to the communication interface.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cascaded control box further includes a touch screen coupled to a communication interface. The touch screen is configured to set operating parameters of the heat pump system.

[0011] Secondly, this application provides a control method for a heat pump system. The heat pump system includes a cascaded control box, multiple heat pump units, multiple heating devices, a hydraulic separator, a multi-way valve, and a domestic water tank. The cascaded control box includes a cascaded controller. The multiple heat pump units are connected in parallel and coupled to the input end of the hydraulic separator. The multiple heating devices are connected in parallel and coupled to the output end of the hydraulic separator. A first heat pump unit is coupled in parallel with other heat pump units via a multi-way valve. The multi-way valve is also coupled to at least the cascaded controller and the domestic water tank. The method includes: when a domestic hot water preparation demand is determined, controlling the multi-way valve to be in a first conducting state, the first conducting state being used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the domestic water tank through the multi-way valve. When a domestic hot water preparation demand is determined not to be required, controlling the multi-way valve to be in a second conducting state, the second conducting state being used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the multiple heating devices through the multi-way valve and the hydraulic separator.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the second aspect can be found in the explanation of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0013] In some embodiments, the heat pump system further includes a plurality of mixing valves and a user-side terminal device. The user-side terminal device includes a valve actuator coupled to each of the plurality of mixing valves. The inlet of each of the plurality of heating devices is coupled to the outlet of one of the plurality of mixing valves. The outlet of each of the plurality of heating devices is coupled to the first inlet of the mixing valve corresponding to the heating device. The second inlets of the plurality of mixing valves are connected in parallel and coupled to the output of a hydraulic separator. The method includes controlling the opening degree of the valve core in the mixing valve coupled to the valve actuator.

[0014] In some embodiments, the user-side terminal device further includes a plurality of temperature sensors and a plurality of terminal wired controllers; each of the plurality of temperature sensors is coupled to one of the heating devices in the plurality of heating devices, and each of the plurality of terminal wired controllers is coupled to at least one temperature sensor and one valve actuator, and at most two of the plurality of terminal wired controllers are connected in parallel and coupled to one of the plurality of heat pump units, the method comprising: acquiring temperature information of the heating devices coupled to the temperature sensors and sending the temperature information to the terminal wired controllers coupled to the temperature sensors; sending the temperature information to a cascade controller through the heat pump units coupled to the terminal wired controllers; determining a control signal based on the temperature information, the control signal being used to control the valve actuator.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cascaded control box further includes a protocol converter, so the cascaded controller also includes a communication interface. Each of the plurality of heat pump units is also coupled to the protocol converter, which is also coupled to the communication interface. The method includes: performing protocol conversion on a signal received from the communication interface to obtain a first signal, and sending the first signal to at least one of the plurality of heat pump units; and performing protocol conversion on a signal received from one of the plurality of heat pump units to obtain a second signal, and sending the second signal to the communication interface.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cascaded control box further includes a touch screen coupled to a communication interface, the method including: setting the operating parameters of the heat pump system. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pump system;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a heat pump system provided in this application;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process for controlling a multi-way valve 24 to be in a first conducting state or a second conducting state, provided for this application;

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a heat pump system provided in this application;

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a heat pump system provided in this application;

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a heat pump system provided in this application;

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a heat pump system provided in this application;

[0024] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a heat pump system provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a heat pump system provided in this application; Detailed Implementation

[0026] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that 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 indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, when describing pipelines or channels, the terms "connection" and "linking" used in this application have the meaning of establishing electrical conductivity. The specific meaning needs to be understood in conjunction with the context.

[0029] 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.

[0030] like Figure 1 The diagram shows a structural schematic of a heat pump system 100, which includes: multiple large heat pump units 10, user-side terminal equipment 11, a cascade control box 12, and multiple heating devices 13. The user-side terminal equipment 11 is coupled to the cascade control box 12, and the user-side terminal equipment 11 is also coupled to the multiple heating devices 13. The cascade control box 12 is also coupled to the multiple large heat pump units 10, and the multiple large heat pump units 10 are also coupled to the multiple heating devices 13. Wherein:

[0031] Large heat pump units 10 can be, for example, screw heat pump units or magnetic levitation heat pump units.

[0032] User-side terminal device 11 is used to collect the temperature of multiple heating devices 13 and transmit the collected temperature of multiple heating devices 13 to cascade control box 12. Cascade control box 12 controls the operating status of heat pump system 100 according to the collected temperature of multiple heating devices 13, such as controlling large heat pump unit 10 to lower or raise the temperature of heat pump system 100.

[0033] Because the heat pump system 100 uses a large heat pump unit 10, and the user-side terminal equipment 11 is directly coupled to the cascade control box 12, occupying control points in the cascade control box 12, the cascade control box 12 in the heat pump system 100 is large in size and expensive. For small and medium-sized apartments, space is usually limited and affordability is also limited. Therefore, the heat pump system 100 composed of such a large heat pump unit 10 cannot meet the project needs of small and medium-sized apartments.

[0034] Therefore, this application provides a heat pump system and control method that controls multiple small heat pump units through a cascaded control box to meet the project needs of small and medium-sized apartments.

[0035] like Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a heat pump system 200 provided in this application. The heat pump system 200 includes: a cascade control box 20, multiple heat pump units 21, multiple heating devices 22, a hydraulic separator 23, a multi-way valve 24, and a domestic water tank 25. The cascade control box 20 includes a cascade controller 26. Multiple heat pump units 21 are connected in parallel and coupled to the input terminal a of the hydraulic separator 23. Multiple heating devices 22 are connected in parallel and coupled to the output terminal b of the hydraulic separator 23. The first heat pump unit 21 is coupled in parallel to other heat pump units 21 through the multi-way valve 24. The multi-way valve 24 is also coupled to at least the cascade controller 26 and the domestic water tank 25.

[0036] In some embodiments, the cascade controller 26 is configured to control the multi-way valve 24 to a first open state when a domestic hot water preparation demand is determined. The first open state allows the first heat pump unit 21 to supply heat to the domestic water tank 25 through the multi-way valve 24. When a domestic hot water preparation demand is determined not to be required, the multi-way valve 24 is controlled to a second open state. The second open state allows the first heat pump unit 21 to supply heat to multiple heating devices 22 through the multi-way valve 24 and the hydraulic separator 23.

[0037] The multiple heat pump units 21 here can be, for example, small air source heat pump units. Such small air source heat pump units typically consist of an outdoor unit with a compressor and heat exchange equipment and an indoor unit for circulating indoor water circuits. Compared with traditional large heat pump units, such small air source heat pump units are smaller in size, but their heating or cooling capacity is weaker, usually not exceeding 25KW to 35KW. They can generally be used independently in small civil buildings, such as detached houses.

[0038] The multi-way valve 24 here may be, for example, a three-way valve, used to change the flow direction of the medium, including an inlet A, an outlet B and an outlet C, which is not limited in this application.

[0039] Multiple heat pump units 21 are connected in parallel to the main pipe of the heat pump system 200 via a water circuit design. The main pipe exchanges heat with other auxiliary heat sources through a hydraulic separator 23. For example, the main pipe can be understood as the main return water pipe and the main supply water pipe in the heat pump system 200. The auxiliary heat source can be, for example, a boiler, but this application is not limited thereto. The first heat pump unit 21 can be understood as... Figure 2 Heat pump unit 21 is designated as Unit 1. Other heat pump units 21 can be understood as units 2-N, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 8. This means the heat pump system 200 can support a maximum of 8 heat pump units 21 operating simultaneously. The first conduction state can be understood as heat pump unit 21 being connected to the domestic water tank 25 through inlet A and outlet B of the multi-way valve 24. The second conduction state can be understood as heat pump unit 21 being connected to other heat pump units 21 through inlet A and outlet C of the multi-way valve 24.

[0040] For example, when a user has a need for domestic hot water preparation, the cascade controller 26 controls the outlet B of the multi-way valve 24 to open, connecting heat pump unit 21 and the domestic water tank 25, allowing heat pump unit 21 to heat the water in the domestic water tank 25. When the user does not have a need for domestic hot water preparation and the user allows heat pump unit 21 to supply heat to multiple heating devices 22, the cascade controller 26 controls the outlet C of the multi-way valve 24 to open, connecting heat pump unit 21 with other heat pump units 21, allowing heat pump unit 21 and other heat pump units 21 to supply heat to multiple heating devices 22 together through the hydraulic separator 23.

[0041] Therefore, this application, by controlling multiple parallel small heat pump units 21 through a cascaded control box 20, avoids the problems of large space occupation and high cost of control cabinets in cold source group control schemes. Moreover, by controlling multiple parallel small heat pump units 21 through the cascaded control box 20, a master-slave relationship can be established between the cascaded control box 20 and the multiple heat pump units 21, which can effectively coordinate the operation and control between the heat pump units 21, realize the linkage control of multiple heat pump units 21, and meet the heating or cooling needs of the user.

[0042] The following steps 301-309 will explain how to determine whether the multi-way valve 24 is in the first or second conducting state.

[0043] like Figure 3 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a multi-way valve 24 to be in a first open state or a second open state, as provided in this application.

[0044] 301. The cascade controller 26 controls the outlet C of the multi-way valve 24 to open, so that heat pump unit 1 21 and other heat pump units 21 can supply heat to multiple heating devices 22 through the hydraulic separator 23.

[0045] 302. Is the parameter value of DHW_AUTO in the cascade controller 26 1?

[0046] The parameter value of DHW_AUTO is 1, which means that the user allows the cascade controller 26 to automatically control the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 to heat the water in the domestic water tank 25.

[0047] If the value of the DHW_AUTO parameter is 1, then proceed to step 303. If the value of the DHW_AUTO parameter is 0, then proceed to step 306.

[0048] 303. The cascade controller 26 determines whether the temperature of the domestic water tank 25 is greater than or equal to the set temperature of the domestic water tank.

[0049] The set temperature of the domestic water tank is set by the user, for example, it can be 60 degrees Celsius.

[0050] For example, when the parameter value of DHW_AUTO is 1, the temperature sensor collects the temperature of the domestic water tank 25 as 40 degrees. The temperature sensor sends the collected temperature to the cascade controller 26. The cascade controller 26 compares the collected temperature of the domestic water tank 25 with the temperature of the domestic water tank set by the user to determine whether to control the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 to heat the water in the domestic water tank 25.

[0051] If the temperature of the domestic water tank is greater than or equal to the user-set temperature, proceed to step 301. If the temperature of the domestic water tank is less than the user-set temperature, proceed to step 305.

[0052] 304. The cascade controller 26 controls the outlet B of the multi-way valve 24 to open, so that the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 heats the water in the domestic water tank 25.

[0053] That is, the cascade controller 26 controls the outlet B of the multi-way valve 24 to open, connecting the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 and the domestic water tank 25, and the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 heats the water in the domestic water tank 25. Then, step 304 is executed.

[0054] 305. The cascade controller 26 determines whether the temperature of the domestic water tank 25 is greater than or equal to the set temperature of the domestic water tank for a specified time.

[0055] The specified time here could be, for example, 10 minutes.

[0056] For example, as heat pump unit 21 heats the water in domestic water tank 25, the temperature of domestic water tank 25 continuously rises. The temperature sensor sends the collected temperature data to the cascade controller 26 at regular intervals. If the temperature of domestic water tank 25 exceeds the user-set temperature for 10 consecutive minutes, step 302 is executed. If the temperature of domestic water tank 25 does not exceed the user-set temperature for 10 consecutive minutes, step 304 is executed.

[0057] 306. Cascade controller 26 determines whether the parameter value of DHW_REQ is 1.

[0058] The parameter value of DHW_REQ is 1, indicating that the user has a need for domestic hot water preparation. The cascade controller 26 controls the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 to heat the water in the domestic water tank 25.

[0059] If the value of the DHW_REQ parameter is 1, then proceed to step 307. If the value of the DHW_AUTO parameter is not 1, then proceed to step 301.

[0060] 307. The cascade controller 26 controls the outlet B of the multi-way valve 24 to open, so that the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 heats the water in the domestic water tank 25.

[0061] That is, the cascade controller 26 controls the outlet B of the multi-way valve 24 to open, connecting the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 and the domestic water tank 25, and the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 heats the water in the domestic water tank 25. Then, step 308 is executed.

[0062] 308. The cascade controller 26 determines whether the temperature of the domestic water tank 25 is greater than or equal to the alarm temperature of the domestic water tank.

[0063] The alarm temperature here could be, for example, 80 degrees Celsius. This means that the alarm temperature of the domestic water tank is higher than the set temperature of the domestic water tank.

[0064] For example, the cascade controller 26 controls heat pump unit 21 to heat the water in domestic water tank 25. If the temperature of domestic water tank 25 collected by the temperature sensor is greater than or equal to 80 degrees, then step 309 is executed. If the temperature of domestic water tank 25 collected by the temperature sensor is less than 80 degrees, then step 306 is executed.

[0065] 309. The cascade controller 26 controls the outlet B of the multi-way valve 24 to close, so that the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 stops heating the water in the domestic water tank 25.

[0066] For example, the cascade controller 26 sets the parameter value of DHW_REQ to 0, the cascade controller 26 controls the outlet B of the multi-way valve 24 to close, the No. 1 heat pump unit 21 and the domestic water tank 25 are not connected, and then step 302 is executed.

[0067] like Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a heat pump system 200 provided in this application. The heat pump system 200... Figure 2 The system also includes multiple mixing valves 40 and user-side terminal equipment 41. The user-side terminal equipment 41 includes a valve actuator 42 coupled to each of the multiple mixing valves 40. The inlet D of some of the heating devices 22 is coupled to the outlet E of one of the mixing valves 40. The outlet F of each of the heating devices 22 is coupled to the first inlet G of the corresponding mixing valve 40. The second inlets H of the multiple mixing valves 40 are connected in parallel and coupled to the output b of the hydraulic separator 23.

[0068] Valve actuator 42 is configured to control the opening degree of the valve core in the mixing valve 40 coupled to valve actuator 42.

[0069] The first inlet G here can be understood as the cold water inlet, and the second inlet H here can be understood as the hot water inlet. It can be understood that the temperature of the water flowing out of the outlet F of the heating device 22 is lower than the temperature of the water flowing into the second inlet H of the multiple mixing valves 40.

[0070] Depend on Figure 4 It can be seen that the multiple heating devices 22 directly coupled to the hydraulic separator 23 constitute the high-temperature zone in the heat pump system 200, while the multiple heating devices 22 coupled to the hydraulic separator 23 through multiple mixing valves 40 constitute the low-temperature zone in the heat pump system 200. This can be understood as the water flowing out of the outlet F of the heating device 22 and the water flowing into the second inlet H of the multiple mixing valves 40, after being mixed by the mixing valves 40, lowers the temperature of the water flowing into the inlet D of the heating device 22, thus forming the low-temperature zone.

[0071] For example, the valve actuator 42 adjusts the mixing ratio of hot and cold water at the second inlet H and the first inlet G of the multiple mixing valves 40 by controlling the opening of the valve core in the mixing valve 40, so that each heating device 22 in the low temperature zone can provide a different temperature.

[0072] like Figure 5 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a heat pump system 200 provided in this application. The heat pump system 200... Figure 4In addition to the above, the user-side terminal device 41 also includes multiple temperature sensors 43 and multiple terminal wired controllers 44. Each of the multiple temperature sensors 43 is coupled to one of the heating devices 22, and each of the multiple terminal wired controllers 44 is coupled to at least one temperature sensor 43 and one valve actuator 42. At most two of the multiple terminal wired controllers 44 are connected in parallel and coupled to one of the multiple heat pump units 21.

[0073] Temperature sensor 43 is configured to collect temperature information of heating device 22 coupled to temperature sensor 43 and send temperature information to end controller 44 coupled to temperature sensor 43.

[0074] The end-line controller 44 is configured to send temperature information to the cascade controller 26 via the heat pump unit 21 coupled to the end-line controller 44.

[0075] The cascade controller 26 is also configured to determine a control signal based on temperature information, the control signal being used to control the valve actuator 42.

[0076] One heat pump unit 21 can be coupled to a maximum of two terminal controllers 44, and one can be coupled to multiple temperature sensors 43 and multiple valve actuators 42. One temperature sensor 43 is coupled to a heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone, and one valve actuator 42 is coupled to a mixing valve 40 in the low-temperature zone. In other words, one terminal controller 44 can control multiple heating devices 22, and one heat pump unit 21 can communicate with a maximum of two terminal controllers 44. Users can set the temperature of the heating devices through the terminal controllers 44, for example, setting the heating temperature to 24 degrees Celsius.

[0077] For example, each heating device 22 is coupled to a temperature sensor 43. The temperature sensor 43 can collect the temperature information of the coupled heating device 22 in real time and send the collected temperature information of the heating device 22 to the end controller 44 coupled to the temperature sensor 43. The end controller 44 sends the received temperature information of the heating device 22 to the heat pump unit 21 coupled to it. The cascade controller 26 receives the temperature information of the heating device 22 sent by the end controller 44 and compares it with the temperature information set by the user. If the temperature of the coupled heating device 22 collected by the temperature sensor 43 is lower than the temperature set by the user, the cascade controller 26 controls the valve actuator 42 to control the opening of the valve core in the mixing valve 40, increasing the mixing ratio of hot water in the mixing valve 40, thereby raising the temperature of the heating device 22. If the temperature of the coupled heating device 22 collected by the temperature sensor 43 is higher than the temperature set by the user, the cascade controller 26 controls the valve driver 42 to control the opening of the valve core in the mixing valve 40, increasing the mixing ratio of cold water in the mixing valve 40, thereby reducing the temperature of the heating device 22.

[0078] like Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a heat pump system 200 provided in this application. The heat pump system 200... Figure 5 Based on this, the cascade control box 20 also includes a protocol converter 60, so the cascade controller 26 also includes a communication interface 61. Each of the multiple heat pump units 21 is also coupled to the protocol converter 60, and the protocol converter 60 is also coupled to the communication interface 61.

[0079] The protocol converter 60 is configured to perform protocol conversion on signals received from the communication interface 61 to obtain a first signal, and send the first signal to at least one of the plurality of heat pump units 21. It is also configured to perform protocol conversion on signals received from one of the plurality of heat pump units 21 to obtain a second signal, and send the second signal to the communication interface 61.

[0080] The first signal here can be understood as the cascade controller 26 sending a control signal to the valve actuator or controlling multiple heat pump units 21 to start working, etc. The second signal can be understood as the terminal wired controller 44 sending temperature information of the heating equipment 22 collected by the temperature sensor 43 to the cascade controller 26, etc.

[0081] For example, temperature sensor 43 sends the collected temperature information of heating device 22 to end controller 44. End sensor 44 sends the received temperature information of heating device 22 to protocol converter 60. Protocol converter 60 converts the received temperature information of heating device 22 to obtain a second signal and sends the second signal to cascade controller 26. The cascade controller 26 compares the received second signal with the user-set temperature. If the temperature of the coupled heating device 22 collected by the temperature sensor 43 is lower than the user-set temperature, it sends a signal through the communication interface 61 to the protocol converter 60 to control the valve core opening of the mixing valve 40 by the control valve driver 42, thereby increasing the mixing ratio of hot water in the mixing valve 40. The protocol converter 60 converts the received control signal into a first signal and sends the first signal to the heat pump unit 21. The heat pump unit 21 sends the first signal to the valve driver 42 through the terminal wired controller 44, driving the valve driver 42 to control the valve core opening of the mixing valve 40, thereby increasing the mixing ratio of hot water in the mixing valve 40 and raising the temperature of the heating device 22.

[0082] like Figure 7 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of a heat pump system 200 provided in this application. The heat pump system 200... Figure 6 Based on this, the cascade control box 20 also includes a touch screen 70, a transformer 71, and an intermediate relay 72. The touch screen 70 is coupled to the communication interface 61, the transformer 71 is coupled to the cascade controller 26 and the protocol converter 60, and the intermediate relay 72 is coupled to the cascade controller 26.

[0083] The touch screen 70 is configured to set the operating parameters of the heat pump system 200.

[0084] Transformer 71 is configured to convert mains voltage to the operating voltage of electronic devices such as cascade controller 26 and protocol converter 60, for example, 24V.

[0085] Intermediate relay 72 is configured to convert the low-voltage control signal from cascade controller 26 into a high-voltage control signal. This high-voltage control signal is used to control the external circuitry of the heat pump system 200, such as the control circuitry of a water pump. For example, a user can set the temperature of the heating equipment 22 in the high-temperature zone via touchscreen 70. The high-temperature heating equipment 22 is typically a wall-mounted heater in a home, and this application does not limit its use. For instance, if a user sets the home heating temperature to 24 degrees Celsius on touchscreen 70, the touchscreen 70 sends the set temperature information to cascade controller 26 via communication interface 61. Based on the received temperature information, cascade controller 26 controls multiple heat pump units 21 to heat or cool. If the home heating temperature is higher than the set temperature, cascade controller 26 controls multiple heat pump units 21 to cool. If the home heating temperature is lower than the set temperature, cascade controller 26 controls multiple heat pump units 21 to heat.

[0086] based on Figure 7 The following is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat pump system 200. The control method of the heat pump system 200 will be introduced below.

[0087] like Figure 8 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a heat pump system 200 provided in this application.

[0088] 801. When it is determined that there is a need for domestic hot water preparation, the cascade controller 26 controls the multi-way valve 24 to be in the first conducting state. The first conducting state is used for the first heat pump unit 21 to supply heat to the domestic water tank 25 through the multi-way valve 24.

[0089] The first conduction state has been introduced above and will not be repeated here.

[0090] 802. When it is determined that there is no need for domestic hot water preparation, the cascade controller 26 controls the multi-way valve 24 to be in the second conduction state. The second conduction state is used for the first heat pump unit 21 to supply heat to multiple heating devices 21 through the multi-way valve 24 and the hydraulic separator 23.

[0091] The second conduction state has been introduced above and will not be repeated here.

[0092] In this application, when multiple heat pump units 21 supply heat to heating equipment 22, the user's heating area can be divided into a high-temperature zone and a low-temperature zone, and the temperature of each heating equipment 22 in the low-temperature zone is adjustable.

[0093] The following section will explain how to adjust the temperature of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone. For example... Figure 9 The diagram shown is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a heat pump system 200 provided in this application.

[0094] 901. Temperature sensor 43 collects temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone.

[0095] In some embodiments, the temperature sensor 43 collects temperature information of the heating device 22 coupled to the temperature sensor 43 and sends the temperature information to the end wired controller 44 coupled to the temperature sensor 43.

[0096] The temperature sensor 43 has already been introduced above and will not be repeated here.

[0097] For example, each temperature sensor 43 collects temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone in real time and sends the collected temperature information of each heating device 22 to the end wired controller 44 coupled to each temperature sensor 43. It can be understood that the temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone may be the same or different.

[0098] 902. Temperature sensor 43 sends the collected temperature information of heating equipment 22 to cascade controller 26.

[0099] In some embodiments, the protocol converter 60 performs protocol conversion on the signal received from one of the multiple heat pump units 21 to obtain a second signal, and sends the second signal to the communication interface 61.

[0100] For example, the end controller 44 sends temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone to the cascade controller 26 via the heat pump unit 21 and protocol converter 60 coupled to the end controller 44.

[0101] 903. The cascade controller 26 adjusts the temperature of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone according to the temperature information received from the heating device 22.

[0102] In some embodiments, temperature sensor 43 sends temperature information to cascade controller 26 via heat pump unit 21 coupled to end controller 44. A control signal is determined based on the temperature information, and this control signal is used to control valve actuator 42. Protocol converter 60 performs protocol conversion on the signal received from communication interface 61 to obtain a first signal, and sends the first signal to at least one of the plurality of heat pump units 21.

[0103] The first signal and control signal have been introduced above and will not be repeated here.

[0104] For example, a user sets the temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone via a terminal wired controller. For instance, one heating device 22 might be set to 22 degrees Celsius, and another to 23 degrees Celsius. Different users can set different temperatures. The cascade controller 26 compares the received temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone with the user-set temperature information. If the temperature of a heating device 22 is lower than the user-set temperature, the protocol converter 60 and the heat pump unit 21 drive the valve actuator 42 to control the opening of the valve core in the mixing valve 40, increasing the proportion of hot water in the mixing valve 40 and thus raising the temperature of the heating device 22. If the temperature of a heating device 22 is higher than the user-set temperature, the protocol converter 60 and the heat pump unit 21 drive the valve actuator 42 to control the opening of the valve core in the mixing valve 40, increasing the proportion of cold water in the mixing valve 40 and thus lowering the temperature of the heating device 22.

[0105] In practical applications, if users are allowed to directly set the temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone via the terminal controller 44, the terminal controller 44 can be centrally installed in designated locations based on the user's floor and managed with corresponding passwords. If users are not allowed to set the temperature information of each heating device 22 in the low-temperature zone via the terminal controller 44, the terminal controller 44 can be centrally installed in the apartment management office or the equipment room where the heat pump system 200 is installed. Apartment management personnel can obtain the user's desired setting parameters through a client application and perform centralized settings.

[0106] This application controls multiple parallel small heat pump units 21 through a cascaded control box 20, avoiding the problems of large space occupation and high cost of control cabinets in cold source group control schemes. Moreover, by controlling multiple parallel small heat pump units 21 through the cascaded control box 20, a master-slave relationship can be established between the cascaded control box 20 and the multiple heat pump units 21, which can effectively coordinate the operation and control among the heat pump units 21, realize the linkage control of multiple heat pump units 21, and meet the heating or cooling needs of the user.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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.

[0109] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A heat pump system, characterized in that, The heat pump system includes a cascaded control box, multiple heat pump units, multiple heating devices, a hydraulic separator, a multi-way valve, and a domestic water tank. The cascaded control box includes a cascaded controller. The multiple heat pump units are connected in parallel and coupled to the input terminal of the hydraulic separator. The multiple heating devices are connected in parallel and coupled to the output terminal of the hydraulic separator. The multiple heat pump units include a first heat pump unit and at least one other heat pump unit. The first heat pump unit is coupled in parallel to the other heat pump units through the multi-way valve. The multi-way valve is also coupled to at least the cascaded controller and the domestic water tank. The cascade controller is used to control the multi-way valve to be in a first conducting state when it is determined that there is a demand for domestic hot water preparation. The first conducting state is used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the domestic water tank through the multi-way valve. When it is determined that there is no need for domestic hot water preparation, the multi-way valve is controlled to be in a second open state. The second open state is used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the multiple heating devices through the multi-way valve and the hydraulic separator.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat pump system also includes multiple mixing valves and user-side terminal equipment. The user-side terminal equipment includes a valve actuator coupled to each of the multiple mixing valves. The inlet of some of the multiple heating devices is coupled to the outlet of one of the multiple mixing valves. The outlet of each of the multiple heating devices is coupled to the first inlet of the corresponding mixing valve. The second inlets of the multiple mixing valves are connected in parallel and coupled to the output of the hydraulic separator. Wherein: The valve actuator is configured to control the opening degree of the valve core in a mixing valve coupled to the valve actuator.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The user-side terminal device also includes multiple temperature sensors and multiple terminal wire controllers. Each of the multiple temperature sensors is coupled to one of the heating devices in the partial heating equipment. Each of the multiple terminal wire controllers is coupled to at least one temperature sensor and one valve actuator. At most two of the multiple terminal wire controllers are connected in parallel and coupled to one of the multiple heat pump units. The temperature sensor is configured to collect temperature information of the heating device coupled to the temperature sensor, and send the temperature information to the end-wire controller coupled to the temperature sensor. The end-line controller is configured to send the temperature information to the cascade controller via a heat pump unit coupled to the end-line controller; The cascade controller is further configured to determine a control signal based on the temperature information, the control signal being used to control the valve actuator.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cascaded control box further includes a protocol converter, the cascaded controller further includes a communication interface, each of the plurality of heat pump units is also coupled to the protocol converter, and the protocol converter is also coupled to the communication interface; The protocol converter is configured to perform protocol conversion on the signal received from the communication interface to obtain a first signal, and send the first signal to at least one of the plurality of heat pump units; And perform protocol conversion on the signal received from one of the plurality of heat pump units to obtain a second signal, and send the second signal to the communication interface.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cascaded control box also includes a touch screen, which is coupled to the communication interface; The touch screen is configured to set the operating parameters of the heat pump system.

6. A control method for a heat pump system, characterized in that, The heat pump system includes a cascaded control box, multiple heat pump units, multiple heating devices, a hydraulic separator, a multi-way valve, and a domestic water tank. The cascaded control box includes a cascaded controller. The multiple heat pump units are connected in parallel and coupled to the input terminal of the hydraulic separator. The multiple heating devices are connected in parallel and coupled to the output terminal of the hydraulic separator. The multiple heat pump units include a first heat pump unit and at least one other heat pump unit. The first heat pump unit is coupled in parallel to the other heat pump units through the multi-way valve. The multi-way valve is also coupled to at least the cascaded controller and the domestic water tank. The method includes: When a domestic hot water preparation demand is determined, the cascade controller controls the multi-way valve to be in a first conducting state. The first conducting state is used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the domestic water tank through the multi-way valve. When it is determined that there is no need for domestic hot water preparation, the cascade controller controls the multi-way valve to be in a second open state. The second open state is used for the first heat pump unit to supply heat to the multiple heating devices through the multi-way valve and the hydraulic separator.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The heat pump system further includes multiple mixing valves and user-side terminal equipment. The user-side terminal equipment includes a valve actuator coupled to each of the multiple mixing valves. The inlet of each of the heating devices is coupled to the outlet of one of the multiple mixing valves. The outlet of each of the heating devices is coupled to the first inlet of the corresponding mixing valve. The second inlets of the multiple mixing valves are connected in parallel and coupled to the output of the hydraulic separator. The method includes: The valve actuator controls the opening degree of the valve core in the mixing valve coupled to the valve actuator.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The user-side terminal equipment further includes multiple temperature sensors and multiple terminal controllers; each of the multiple temperature sensors is coupled to one of the heating devices in the partial heating equipment, each of the multiple terminal controllers is coupled to at least one temperature sensor and one valve actuator, and at most two of the multiple terminal controllers are connected in parallel and coupled to one of the multiple heat pump units, the method comprising: The temperature sensor collects temperature information from the heating device coupled to the temperature sensor and sends the temperature information to the end wired controller coupled to the temperature sensor. The end-wire controller sends the temperature information to the cascade controller via a heat pump unit coupled to the end-wire controller; The cascaded controller determines a control signal based on the temperature information, and the control signal is used to control the valve actuator.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cascaded control box further includes a protocol converter, and the cascaded controller further includes a communication interface. Each of the plurality of heat pump units is also coupled to the protocol converter, and the protocol converter is also coupled to the communication interface. The method includes: The protocol converter performs protocol conversion on the signal received from the communication interface to obtain a first signal, and sends the first signal to at least one of the plurality of heat pump units; Furthermore, the protocol converter performs protocol conversion on the signal received from one of the plurality of heat pump units to obtain a second signal, and sends the second signal to the communication interface.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cascaded control box further includes a touch screen, which is coupled to the communication interface. The method includes: The touchscreen is used to set the operating parameters of the heat pump system.

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