Method and apparatus for controlling a heat pump unit, heat pump unit and storage medium

Abstract

This application relates to the field of heat pump unit technology, and discloses a method for controlling a heat pump unit, including: responding to a start-up signal to activate either a cooling or heating mode; determining a target flow path for the refrigerant based on the cooling or heating mode; and controlling the on / off state of a first refrigerant circulation loop and a second refrigerant circulation loop based on the target flow path. When the ambient temperature is high, the user sets the heat pump unit to operate in cooling mode, and the refrigerant flows through the first refrigerant circulation loop and passes through the condenser for heat exchange and condensation. When the ambient temperature is low, the user sets the heat pump unit to operate in heating mode, and the refrigerant flows through the second refrigerant circulation loop, avoiding the condenser. This avoids the problem of the condenser being unable to exchange heat properly with the refrigerant if the water in the condenser is at risk of freezing at low temperatures. This application also discloses a device for controlling a heat pump unit, a heat pump unit, and a storage medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of heat pump unit technology, and for example to a method, apparatus, heat pump unit and storage medium for controlling a heat pump unit. Background Technology

[0002] Multi-split systems in direct expansion heat pump units can be used in edible mushroom cultivation enterprises. Each room has an indoor fan, while one or two small-capacity modular units are installed outdoors. In summer, the direct expansion heat pump unit operates in cooling mode, lowering the temperature inside the cultivation room through the indoor fans. In winter, it operates in heating mode, raising the temperature inside the cultivation room through the indoor fans to achieve a suitable temperature for mushroom growth year-round. The condenser of a direct expansion heat pump unit often uses water-cooled spray cooling to exchange heat with the refrigerant entering the condenser. When operating in heating mode in winter, the low outside temperature can cause the water in the condenser to freeze, affecting the normal operation of the direct expansion heat pump unit.

[0003] The related technology discloses an antifreeze control method for a heat pump water heater, (1) when the antifreeze controller detects that the ambient temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius and the internal temperature of the condenser is below 3 degrees Celsius, the heat tracing cable and the water pump are turned on; when the internal temperature of the condenser is above 10 degrees Celsius, the heat tracing cable and the water pump are turned off; (2) when the antifreeze controller detects that the water pump is off and the ambient temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius and the inlet water temperature is below 3 degrees Celsius, the water pump is turned on; when the water pump is on and the inlet water temperature is above 15 degrees Celsius, the water pump is turned off.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, at least the following problems were found in the related art:

[0005] Using a heat tracing cable to prevent the condenser from freezing is a complex and energy-intensive method.

[0006] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not intended as a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0008] This disclosure provides a method, apparatus, heat pump unit, and storage medium for controlling a heat pump unit. By setting different refrigerant circulation loops, when the outside temperature is low, the refrigerant bypasses the condenser and directly enters the shell-and-tube heat exchanger for heat exchange, reducing the impact of water freezing in the condenser on the operational stability of the heat pump unit. Changing the refrigerant flow direction through the piping is structurally simple.

[0009] In some embodiments, the heat pump unit includes a first refrigerant circulation loop, a second refrigerant circulation loop, a first valve assembly, and a second valve assembly. The first refrigerant circulation loop includes a first refrigerant line sequentially connected to a compressor, a condenser, a receiver, an indoor fan unit, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The second refrigerant circulation loop includes a second refrigerant line sequentially connected to a compressor, an indoor fan unit, a receiver, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The first valve assembly is disposed on the first refrigerant line. The second valve assembly is disposed on the second refrigerant line. A method for controlling the heat pump unit includes: the heat pump unit responding to a start-up signal to perform cooling operation or heating operation; in cooling operation, opening the first valve assembly and closing the second valve assembly, allowing refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant line; or, in heating operation, closing the first valve assembly and opening the second valve assembly, allowing refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant line.

[0010] Optionally, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is provided with an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. After closing the first valve group and opening the second valve group, the method for controlling the heat pump unit further includes: obtaining the outlet water temperature of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger outlet pipe; and adjusting the compression ratio of the compressor according to the outlet water temperature.

[0011] In some embodiments, the apparatus for controlling a heat pump unit includes a processor and a memory storing program instructions. The processor is configured to execute the aforementioned method for controlling the heat pump unit when the program instructions are executed.

[0012] In some embodiments, the heat pump unit includes a first refrigerant circulation loop, a second refrigerant circulation loop, a first valve assembly, and a second valve assembly. The first refrigerant circulation loop includes a first refrigerant line sequentially connected to a compressor, a condenser, a receiver, an indoor fan unit, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The second refrigerant circulation loop includes a second refrigerant line sequentially connected to the compressor, the indoor fan unit, the receiver, and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The first valve assembly is located on the first refrigerant line. The second valve assembly is located on the second refrigerant line. In cooling operation, the first valve assembly is opened and the second valve assembly is closed, allowing refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant line; or, in heating operation, the first valve assembly is closed and the second valve assembly is opened, allowing refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant line.

[0013] Optionally, the indoor fan unit includes multiple indoor heat exchange branches, each of which includes a first indoor heat exchange branch. The first refrigerant piping includes a first pipe, a second pipe, a fourth pipe, a first bypass pipe, and a second bypass pipe. The first pipe connects to the compressor and the condenser. The second pipe connects to the condenser and the receiver. One end of the fourth pipe connects to the receiver. One end of the first bypass pipe connects to the other end of the fourth pipe, and the other end connects to the multiple first indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit. One end of the second bypass pipe connects to the multiple first indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit, and the other end connects to the shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

[0014] Optionally, the first valve group includes a first on / off valve, a third on / off valve, a fourth on / off valve, a fifth on / off valve, an eighth on / off valve, and a tenth on / off valve. The first on / off valve is located in the first pipeline. The third on / off valve is located in the second pipeline. The fourth on / off valve is located in the chilled water inlet pipeline connected to the inlet pipeline of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The fifth on / off valve is located in the chilled water outlet pipeline connected to the outlet pipeline of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The eighth on / off valve is located in the first bypass pipeline. The tenth on / off valve is located in the second bypass pipeline.

[0015] Optionally, each indoor heat exchange branch also includes a second indoor heat exchange branch. The second refrigerant line includes a fifth line, a third bypass line, and a third line. One end of the fifth line is located between the compressor and the condenser and is connected to the first line, while the other end connects to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit. One end of the third bypass line connects to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit, while the other end connects to the other end of the fourth line. The third line connects the receiver and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

[0016] Optionally, the second valve assembly includes a second on / off valve, a sixth on / off valve, a seventh on / off valve, and a ninth on / off valve. The second on / off valve is located in the fifth pipeline. The sixth on / off valve is located in the ground source outlet pipeline connected to the outlet pipeline of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The seventh on / off valve is located in the ground source inlet pipeline connected to the inlet pipeline of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The ninth on / off valve is located in the third bypass pipeline.

[0017] In some embodiments, the heat pump unit further includes the aforementioned means for controlling the heat pump unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, the storage medium stores program instructions. When executed, the program instructions perform the aforementioned method for controlling the heat pump unit.

[0019] The method, apparatus, heat pump unit, and storage medium for controlling a heat pump unit provided in this disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

[0020] The heat pump unit includes two refrigerant circulation loops. The first refrigerant circulation loop flows through the outdoor condenser, while the refrigerant flow path in the second refrigerant circulation loop avoids the condenser. When the ambient temperature is high, the user sets the heat pump unit to operate in cooling mode, and the refrigerant flows through the first refrigerant circulation loop, passing through the condenser for heat exchange and condensation. When the ambient temperature is low, the user sets the heat pump unit to operate in heating mode, and the refrigerant flows through the second refrigerant circulation loop, avoiding the condenser. This prevents the condenser from failing to exchange heat properly with the refrigerant when the water in the condenser is at risk of freezing at low temperatures, thus reducing the impact of water freezing in the condenser on the operational stability of the heat pump unit. Changing the refrigerant flow direction through the piping is structurally simple. The above general description and the description below are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0021] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not to be scaled. And wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a heat pump unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow path when the heat pump unit is operating in cooling mode according to an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the refrigerant flow path when the heat pump unit is operating in heating mode according to the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a method for controlling a heat pump unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another method for controlling a heat pump unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a device for controlling a heat pump unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a heat pump unit provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure label:

[0030] 1: Compressor;

[0031] 2: Condenser; 21: Water tank; 22: Spray pump; 23: Spray nozzle;

[0032] 3: Liquid reservoir; 31: First outlet; 32: Second outlet;

[0033] 4: Shell and tube heat exchanger; 41: Inlet pipe; 42: Outlet pipe; 43: First inlet; 44: Second inlet; 45: Third inlet;

[0034] 5: Indoor fan unit; 51: First indoor heat exchange branch; 511: Indoor fan; 512: Thermal expansion valve; 513: First solenoid valve; 52: Second indoor heat exchange branch; 521: Second solenoid valve;

[0035] 61: First pipeline; 611: Check valve; 62: Second pipeline; 63: Third pipeline; 64: Fourth pipeline; 65: Fifth pipeline;

[0036] 71: First bypass line; 72: Second bypass line; 73: Third bypass line; 74: Fourth bypass line; 75: Load balancing circuit; 751: Load balancing valve;

[0037] 81: Chilled water inlet pipe; 82: Chilled water outlet pipe; 83: Ground source water inlet pipe; 84: Ground source water outlet pipe;

[0038] 91: First shut-off valve; 92: Second shut-off valve; 93: Third shut-off valve; 94: Fourth shut-off valve; 95: Fifth shut-off valve; 96: Sixth shut-off valve; 97: Seventh shut-off valve; 98: Eighth shut-off valve; 99: Ninth shut-off valve; 910: Tenth shut-off valve; 911: Eleventh shut-off valve;

[0039] 100: Device for controlling the heat pump unit; 101: Processor; 102: Memory; 103: Communication interface; 104: Bus;

[0040] 110: Heat pump unit. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0042] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0043] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0044] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0045] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0046] The term "correspondence" can refer to an association or binding relationship. The correspondence between A and B means that there is an association or binding relationship between A and B.

[0047] Combination Figure 1 As shown, this disclosure provides a heat pump unit, including a first refrigerant circulation loop, a second refrigerant circulation loop, a first valve group, and a second valve group. The first refrigerant circulation loop includes a first refrigerant pipeline sequentially connected to a compressor 1, a condenser 2, a receiver 3, an indoor fan unit 5, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The second refrigerant circulation loop includes a second refrigerant pipeline sequentially connected to the compressor 1, the indoor fan unit 5, the receiver 3, and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The first valve group is located on the first refrigerant pipeline. The second valve group is located on the second refrigerant pipeline. In cooling operation, the first valve group is opened and the second valve group is closed, allowing refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant pipeline; or, in heating operation, the first valve group is closed and the second valve group is opened, allowing refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant pipeline.

[0048] Optionally, the condenser 2 includes an evaporative condenser, which uses air cooling and water cooling for heat exchange with the refrigerant. The water cooling system includes a water tank 21, a spray pump 22, and spray nozzles 23. When water cooling is required, the spray pump 22 pumps water from the water tank 21 into the spray nozzles 23 located at the top of the condenser 2, spraying water from the top of the condenser 2 downwards.

[0049] Optionally, the indoor fan unit 5 includes multiple indoor heat exchange branches, wherein each indoor heat exchange branch includes a first indoor heat exchange branch 51 and a second indoor heat exchange branch 52. The first indoor heat exchange branch 51 includes an indoor fan 511, a thermal expansion valve 512, and a first solenoid valve 513 connected in sequence, and the second indoor heat exchange branch 52 includes an indoor fan 511 and a second solenoid valve 521 connected in sequence. When the heat pump unit operates in cooling mode, the refrigerant flows through the multiple first indoor heat exchange branches 51 of the indoor fan unit 5; when the heat pump unit operates in heating mode, the refrigerant flows through the multiple second indoor heat exchange branches 52 of the indoor fan unit 5.

[0050] Optionally, the first refrigerant piping includes a first pipe 61, a second pipe 62, a fourth pipe 64, a first bypass pipe 71, and a second bypass pipe 72. The first pipe 61 connects to the compressor 1 and the condenser 2. The second pipe 62 connects to the condenser 2 and the receiver 3. One end of the fourth pipe 64 connects to the receiver 3. One end of the first bypass pipe 71 connects to the other end of the fourth pipe 64, and the other end connects to multiple first indoor heat exchange branches 51 of the indoor fan unit 5. One end of the second bypass pipe 72 connects to multiple first indoor heat exchange branches 51 of the indoor fan unit 5, and the other end connects to the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4.

[0051] Optionally, the first valve group includes a first on / off valve 91, a third on / off valve 93, a fourth on / off valve 94, a fifth on / off valve 95, an eighth on / off valve 98, and a tenth on / off valve 910. The first on / off valve 91 is located in the first pipeline 61. The third on / off valve 93 is located in the second pipeline 62. The fourth on / off valve 94 is located in the chilled water inlet pipeline 81, which is connected to the inlet pipeline 41 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The fifth on / off valve 95 is located in the chilled water outlet pipeline 82, which is connected to the outlet pipeline 42 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The eighth on / off valve 98 is located in the first bypass pipeline 71. The tenth on / off valve 910 is located in the second bypass pipeline 72.

[0052] Specifically, the first refrigerant circulation loop includes a first sub-circuit and a second sub-circuit. The first sub-circuit includes a compressor 1, a first pipe 61, a condenser 2, a second pipe 62, a receiver 3, a third pipe 63, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4, all connected in sequence. The second sub-circuit includes a compressor 1, a first pipe 61, a condenser 2, a second pipe 62, a receiver 3, a fourth pipe 64, a first bypass pipe 71, an indoor fan unit 5, a second bypass pipe 72, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4, all connected in sequence. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4 includes an inlet pipe 41 and an outlet pipe 42. The inlet pipe 41 connects to the chilled water inlet pipe 81, and the outlet pipe 42 connects to the chilled water outlet pipe 82. The first pipeline 61 is equipped with a first shut-off valve 91, the second pipeline 62 is equipped with a third shut-off valve 93, the chilled water inlet pipeline 81 is equipped with a fourth shut-off valve 94, the chilled water outlet pipeline 82 is equipped with a fifth shut-off valve 95, the first bypass pipeline 71 is equipped with an eighth shut-off valve 98, and the second bypass pipeline 72 is equipped with a tenth shut-off valve 910.

[0053] The first and second sub-circuit loops both pass sequentially through compressor 1, first pipeline 61, condenser 2, second pipeline 62, and receiver 3. After receiver 3, the flow splits. The first sub-circuit loop connects to the third pipeline 63 and shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4, while the second sub-circuit loop connects to the fourth pipeline 64, first bypass pipeline 71, indoor fan unit 5, second bypass pipeline 72, and shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4.

[0054] The first pipeline 61 connects the condenser 2 and the compressor 1. The first pipeline 61 is equipped with a first on / off valve 91 and a one-way valve 611. The refrigerant flow direction of the one-way valve 611 is from the compressor 1 to the condenser 2. Opening the first on / off valve 91 allows the refrigerant to flow from the compressor 1 to the condenser 2.

[0055] The second pipeline 62 connects the condenser 2 and the liquid receiver 3. The second pipeline 62 is equipped with a third shut-off valve 93, which allows the refrigerant to flow from the condenser 2 to the liquid receiver 3.

[0056] The receiver 3 has a first outlet 31 and a second outlet 32, and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4 has a first inlet 43, a second inlet 44, and a third inlet 45. The third pipe 63 connects to the first outlet 31 of the receiver 3 and the first inlet 43 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4 at both ends. By directly connecting the first outlet 31 of the receiver 3 to the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4, the refrigerant flow rate in the refrigerant path can be adjusted when the heat pump unit is in low-load cooling mode, thereby improving the overall performance of the heat pump unit. The fourth pipe 64 connects to the second outlet 32 ​​of the receiver 3 at one end and to the first bypass pipe 71 at the other end, which in turn connects to the indoor fan unit 5.

[0057] One end of the first bypass pipe 71 is connected to the other end of the fourth pipe 64, and the other end is connected to multiple first indoor heat exchange branches 51 of the indoor fan unit 5. The first bypass pipe 71 is equipped with an eighth shut-off valve 98. When the eighth shut-off valve 98 is opened, the refrigerant can flow from the fourth pipe 64 to the multiple first indoor heat exchange branches 51.

[0058] The second bypass pipe 72 is connected at one end to multiple first indoor heat exchange branches 51 of the indoor fan unit 5, and at the other end to the second inlet 44 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The second bypass pipe is equipped with a tenth shut-off valve 910, which allows refrigerant to flow from the indoor fan unit 5 to the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4.

[0059] Optionally, the second refrigerant piping includes a fifth piping 65, a third bypass piping 73, and a third piping 63. One end of the fifth piping 65 is located between the compressor 1 and the condenser 2 and connected to the first piping 61; the other end connects to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches 52 of the indoor fan unit 5. One end of the third bypass piping 73 connects to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches 52 of the indoor fan unit 5; the other end connects to the other end of the fourth piping 64. The third piping 63 connects the liquid receiver 3 and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4.

[0060] It is important to understand that one end of the fifth pipe 65 is located between the compressor 1 and the condenser 2 and is connected to the first pipe 61. The point where the fifth pipe 65 connects to the first pipe 61 is defined as the first position of the first pipe 61, and the end of the first pipe 61 connected to the compressor 1 is defined as the first end. Therefore, the section between the first end and the first position of the first pipe 61 is a shared section. The refrigerant in both the first and second refrigerant circulation loops flows through this shared section of the first pipe 61 after exiting the compressor 1. That is, in cooling operation, when the first valve group is opened and the second valve group is closed, allowing the refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant pipe, the shared section belongs to the first refrigerant pipe; in heating operation, when the first valve group is closed and the second valve group is opened, allowing the refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant pipe, the shared section belongs to the second refrigerant pipe.

[0061] Optionally, the second valve group includes a second on / off valve 92, a sixth on / off valve 96, a seventh on / off valve 97, and a ninth on / off valve 99. The second on / off valve 92 is located in the fifth pipeline 65. The sixth on / off valve 96 is located in the ground source outlet pipeline 84, which is connected to the outlet pipeline 42 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The seventh on / off valve 97 is located in the ground source inlet pipeline 83, which is connected to the inlet pipeline 41 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The ninth on / off valve 99 is located in the third bypass pipeline 73.

[0062] Specifically, the second refrigerant circulation loop includes, in sequence, a compressor 1, a common section of the first pipeline 61, a fifth pipeline 65, an indoor fan unit 5, a third bypass pipeline 73, a fourth pipeline 64, a liquid receiver 3, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4 includes an inlet pipe 41 and an outlet pipe 42. The inlet pipe 41 connects to the ground source inlet pipe 83, and the outlet pipe 42 connects to the ground source outlet pipe 84. The fifth pipeline 65 is equipped with a second shut-off valve 92, the ground source outlet pipe 84 is equipped with a sixth shut-off valve 96, the ground source inlet pipe 83 is equipped with a seventh shut-off valve 97, and the third bypass pipeline 73 is equipped with a ninth shut-off valve 99.

[0063] The first end of the fifth pipe 65 is connected to the first pipe 61. Specifically, the first end of the fifth pipe 65 is located between the one-way valve 611 and the first on-off valve 91. The second end of the fifth pipe 65 is connected to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches 52 of the indoor fan unit 5. The fifth pipe 65 is equipped with a second on-off valve 92, which allows refrigerant to flow from the first pipe 61 to the fifth pipe 65. By controlling the opening of the first on-off valve 91 of the first pipe 61 and the second on-off valve 92 of the fifth pipe 65, the flow of refrigerant from the compressor 1 to the condenser 2 or to the indoor fan unit 5 can be restricted, thus realizing the first or second refrigerant circulation loop.

[0064] One end of the third bypass pipe 73 is connected to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches 52 of the indoor fan unit 5, and the other end is connected to the other end of the fourth pipe 64. One end of the third bypass pipe 73 is connected to the fourth pipe 64, and a ninth shut-off valve 99 is provided near the connection point. It can be understood that the third bypass pipe 73 is connected in parallel with the first bypass pipe 71. By controlling the opening of the eighth shut-off valve 98 of the first bypass pipe 71 or the ninth shut-off valve 99 of the third bypass pipe 73, the first refrigerant circulation loop or the second refrigerant circulation loop can be kept open.

[0065] In winter, when the outdoor ambient temperature is low, the heat pump unit operates in heating mode. In this embodiment, the refrigerant in the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4 of the heat pump unit is sourced from ground source water. The inlet pipe 41 and outlet pipe 42 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4 are respectively connected to the ground source inlet pipe 83 and the ground source outlet pipe 84. To adjust the inlet and outlet compression ratio of the compressor 1 in the heating mode of the heat pump unit, a fourth bypass pipe 74 is also provided between the ground source inlet pipe 83 and the ground source outlet pipe 84. The fourth bypass pipe 74 connects the ground source outlet pipe 84 and the ground source inlet pipe 83. The fourth bypass pipe 74 is equipped with an eleventh shut-off valve 911, which flows from the ground source inlet pipe 83 to the ground source outlet pipe 84.

[0066] Optionally, compressor 1 includes a magnetic levitation compressor or an air-levitation compressor.

[0067] Optionally, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4 includes a flooded shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

[0068] Optionally, the first refrigerant circulation loop includes a load balancing loop 75, and / or the second refrigerant circulation loop includes a load balancing loop 75. The first end of the load balancing loop 75 is connected to the first pipe 61, and the second end is connected to the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. Specifically, the first end of the load balancing loop 75 is located between the one-way valve 611 and the first on / off valve 91 of the first pipe 61, and the second end is connected to the third inlet 45 of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 4. The load balancing loop 75 is equipped with a load balancing valve 751, and the load balancing loop 75 can reduce surge in the heat pump unit.

[0069] The heat pump unit also includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to each of the aforementioned on / off valves to control the on / off status and opening degree of each valve.

[0070] Combination Figure 4 As shown, this disclosure provides a method for controlling a heat pump unit, including:

[0071] S401, the heat pump unit responds to the start signal to operate in either cooling or heating mode.

[0072] S402, in cooling operation, the first valve group is opened and the second valve group is closed, allowing refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant line; or, in heating operation, the first valve group is closed and the second valve group is opened, allowing refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant line.

[0073] The heat pump unit includes two refrigerant circulation loops. The first refrigerant circulation loop flows through the outdoor condenser, while the refrigerant flow path in the second refrigerant circulation loop avoids the condenser. When the ambient temperature is high, the user sets the heat pump unit to operate in cooling mode, and the refrigerant flows through the first refrigerant circulation loop, passing through the condenser for heat exchange and condensation. When the ambient temperature is low, the user sets the heat pump unit to operate in heating mode, and the refrigerant flows through the second refrigerant circulation loop, avoiding the condenser. This prevents the condenser from failing to exchange heat properly with the refrigerant when the water in the condenser is at risk of freezing at extremely low temperatures. Optionally, the target refrigerant flow path is determined based on the cooling or heating mode of the heat pump unit, including: when the heat pump unit is set to cooling mode, determining the target refrigerant flow path as the first refrigerant circulation loop; or, when the heat pump unit is set to heating mode, determining the target refrigerant flow path as the second refrigerant circulation loop.

[0074] When the cooling mode is activated, the ambient temperature is high. In this mode, the refrigerant flows through the condenser, operating in the first refrigerant circulation loop, which allows for better heat exchange and condensation. When the heating mode is activated, the ambient temperature is low. In this mode, the refrigerant flows around the condenser, operating in the second refrigerant circulation loop. This prevents water in the condenser from freezing, which would affect the normal operation of the heat pump unit.

[0075] Optionally, in the case of refrigeration operation, opening the first valve group and closing the second valve group includes: controlling the first, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and tenth on-off valves to be in the open state, and controlling the second, sixth, seventh, and ninth on-off valves to be in the closed state.

[0076] Combination Figure 2 As shown, the first refrigerant circulation loop is in a connected state, meaning the refrigerant circulation path is as shown when the heat pump unit is in cooling mode. The dashed arrows represent the water path. The refrigerant circulation path in the first sub-circuit is: compressor → condenser → receiver → shell-and-tube heat exchanger → compressor. The refrigerant circulation path in the second sub-circuit is: compressor → condenser → receiver → indoor air conditioning unit → shell-and-tube heat exchanger → compressor. When the target flow path is through the condenser, the first refrigerant circulation loop is controlled to be in a connected state, and the second refrigerant circulation loop is controlled to be in a disconnected state. That is, the first, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and tenth on-off valves are all controlled to be in an open state, and the second, sixth, seventh, and ninth on-off valves are all controlled to be in a closed state.

[0077] Optionally, in heating operation, closing the first valve group and opening the second valve group includes: controlling the second, sixth, seventh, and ninth on-off valves to be in the open state, and controlling the first, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and tenth on-off valves to be in the closed state.

[0078] Combination Figure 3 As shown, the second refrigerant circulation loop is in a connected state, meaning that when the heat pump unit is in heating / cooling mode, the refrigerant circulation path is as shown in the figure. The dashed arrows represent the water path. The refrigerant circulation path in the second refrigerant circulation loop is: compressor → indoor air conditioning unit → receiver → shell-and-tube heat exchanger → compressor. When the target flow path avoids the condenser, the second refrigerant circulation loop is controlled to be in a connected state, meaning that the first, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, and tenth on-off valves are all closed, and the second, sixth, seventh, and ninth on-off valves are all open.

[0079] Combination Figure 5 As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, another method for controlling a heat pump unit is provided, including:

[0080] S501, the heat pump unit responds to the start signal to operate in either cooling or heating mode.

[0081] S502, in cooling operation, the controller of the heat pump unit opens the first valve group and closes the second valve group, allowing refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant line; or, in heating operation, the controller of the heat pump unit closes the first valve group and opens the second valve group, allowing refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant line.

[0082] S503, with the first valve group closed and the second valve group open, the heat pump unit obtains the outlet water temperature of the shell and tube heat exchanger outlet pipe.

[0083] S504, the heat pump unit adjusts the compressor's compression ratio according to the outlet water temperature.

[0084] When the heat pump unit is operating in heating mode, in order to maintain the operating compression ratio on both the intake and exhaust sides of the compressor and make the compressor more energy-efficient, the inlet and outlet water valves of the shell and tube heat exchanger are adjusted to regulate the compression ratio of the compressor.

[0085] Optionally, the compression ratio of the compressor can be adjusted according to the outlet water temperature, including: the heat pump unit can adjust the opening degree of the seventh and eleventh on / off valves according to the outlet water temperature.

[0086] Optionally, the heat pump unit adjusts the opening of the seventh and eleventh on / off valves according to the outlet water temperature, including:

[0087] The heat pump unit calculates the exhaust temperature based on the set temperature.

[0088] The heat pump unit calculates the temperature difference between the exhaust temperature and the outlet water temperature.

[0089] The heat pump unit adjusts the opening of the seventh and eleventh on / off valves according to the temperature difference and the second preset temperature difference.

[0090] Among them, the exhaust temperature T is calculated. B =T S +ΔT1. T S To set the temperature, ΔT1 is the first preset temperature difference, where 1℃ < ΔT1 < 10℃. For example, ΔT1 = 2℃, 4℃, 5℃, 6℃, or 9℃, etc. The temperature difference between the exhaust temperature and the outlet water temperature is calculated as ΔT = T B -T C , among which, T C The outlet water temperature is set at ΔT1. The second preset temperature difference is ΔT2, where 1℃ < ΔT2 < 10℃. For example, ΔT1 = 2℃, 4℃, 5℃, 6℃, or 9℃, etc. The opening degrees of the seventh and eleventh on / off valves are adjusted by comparing the temperature difference ΔT1 with the second preset temperature difference ΔT2.

[0091] Optionally, the heat pump unit adjusts the opening degrees of the seventh and eleventh on / off valves based on the temperature difference and the second preset temperature difference, including:

[0092] When ΔT < ΔT2, decrease the opening of the seventh shut-off valve and increase the opening of the eleventh shut-off valve; or,

[0093] When ΔT2≤ΔT<2*ΔT2, keep the opening degree of the seventh and eleventh shut-off valves unchanged; or,

[0094] When ΔT≥2*ΔT2, increase the opening degree of the seventh shut-off valve and decrease the opening degree of the eleventh shut-off valve.

[0095] When ΔT < ΔT2, it indicates that the indoor temperature setting is too low, and the compressor's suction pressure is close to its discharge pressure, which is detrimental to motor cooling. Therefore, the opening of the seventh on / off valve should be reduced, and the opening of the eleventh on / off valve should be increased to reduce the amount of water entering the shell-and-tube heat exchanger and lower the outlet water temperature. Specifically, the opening of the seventh on / off valve can be reduced by 10% from its current opening, and the opening of the eleventh on / off valve can be increased by 10% from its current opening. A judgment should be made again after a preset interval.

[0096] When ΔT2 ≤ ΔT < 2*ΔT2, it indicates that the compressor's compression ratio is appropriate, and the compressor saves energy. Therefore, the opening degrees of the seventh and eleventh on / off valves should remain unchanged.

[0097] When ΔT ≥ 2*ΔT², it indicates that the outlet water temperature is too low, which can cause the compressor to operate with a discharge pressure much higher than the suction pressure, increasing the compressor's energy consumption. Therefore, the opening of the seventh on-off valve should be increased, and the opening of the eleventh on-off valve should be decreased to raise the outlet water temperature. Specifically, the opening of the seventh on-off valve can be increased by 10% from its current opening, and the opening of the eleventh on-off valve can be decreased by 10% from its current opening. A judgment should be made again after a preset interval.

[0098] Combination Figure 6 As shown, this disclosure provides an apparatus 100 for controlling a heat pump unit, including a processor 101 and a memory 102. Optionally, the apparatus may further include a communication interface 103 and a bus 104. The processor 101, communication interface 103, and memory 102 can communicate with each other via the bus 104. The communication interface 103 can be used for information transmission. The processor 101 can call logical instructions in the memory 102 to execute the method for controlling the heat pump unit described in the above embodiment.

[0099] Furthermore, the logical instructions in the aforementioned memory 102 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0100] The memory 102, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store software programs and computer-executable programs, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of this disclosure. The processor 101 executes functional applications and data processing by running the program instructions / modules stored in the memory 102, that is, it implements the method for controlling the heat pump unit in the above embodiments.

[0101] The memory 102 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and applications required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the terminal device. Furthermore, the memory 102 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory.

[0102] Combination Figure 7 As shown, this disclosure provides a heat pump unit 110, which also includes the aforementioned device 100 for controlling the heat pump unit. The device 100 for controlling the heat pump unit is installed on the heat pump unit body. The installation relationship described herein is not limited to placement inside the product, but also includes installation connections with other components of the product, including but not limited to physical connections, electrical connections, or signal transmission connections. Those skilled in the art will understand that the device 100 for controlling the heat pump unit can be adapted to feasible product bodies to achieve other feasible embodiments.

[0103] This disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions configured to perform the above-described method for controlling a heat pump unit.

[0104] The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may be a transient computer-readable storage medium or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0105] The technical solutions of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes one or more instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium can be a non-transitory storage medium, including: a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, and other media capable of storing program code; it can also be a transient storage medium.

[0106] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of this disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, procedural, and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included in or replace parts and features of other embodiments. Moreover, the terminology used in this application is for describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit the claims. As used in the description of embodiments and claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to equally include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the term “and / or” as used in this application means including one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations thereof. Additionally, when used in this application, the term "comprise" and its variations "comprises" and / or "comprising" refer to the presence of stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, or apparatus that includes said element. In this document, each embodiment may focus on the differences from other embodiments, and similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. For methods, products, etc., disclosed in the embodiments, if they correspond to the method section disclosed in the embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to the description of the method section.

[0107] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0108] The methods and products (including but not limited to devices and equipment) disclosed in the embodiments herein can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of units may be merely a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the shown or discussed units may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected to implement this embodiment according to actual needs. Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments of this disclosure may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0109] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than that shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. In the descriptions corresponding to the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings, the operations or steps corresponding to different blocks may also occur in a different order than disclosed in the description, and sometimes there is no specific order between different operations or steps. For example, two consecutive operations or steps may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. Each block in a block diagram and / or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a heat pump unit, characterized by, The heat pump unit includes: a first refrigerant circulation loop, including a first refrigerant pipeline sequentially connected to a compressor, a condenser, a liquid receiver, an indoor fan unit, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger; a second refrigerant circulation loop, including a second refrigerant pipeline sequentially connected to a compressor, an indoor fan unit, a liquid receiver, and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger; a first valve group, located in the first refrigerant pipeline; and a second valve group, located in the second refrigerant pipeline. The second valve group includes: a seventh shut-off valve, located in a ground source water inlet pipeline connected to the water inlet pipe of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger; the shell-and-tube heat exchanger has an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, which are respectively connected to the ground source water inlet pipeline and the ground source water outlet pipeline; a fourth bypass pipeline is provided between the ground source water inlet pipeline and the ground source water outlet pipeline, and an eleventh shut-off valve is provided on the fourth bypass pipeline. The method includes: The heat pump unit responds to the start-up signal and operates in either cooling or heating mode. In cooling operation, open the first valve group and close the second valve group to allow refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant line; or, in heating operation, close the first valve group and open the second valve group to allow refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant line. After closing the first valve group and opening the second valve group, the method further includes: adjusting the opening degree of the seventh and eleventh on-off valves according to the outlet water temperature, including: The exhaust temperature is calculated based on the set temperature. ;in, T S To set the temperature, ΔT1 is the first preset temperature difference; Calculate the temperature difference between exhaust temperature and outlet water temperature. ;in, T C The outlet water temperature; Based on the temperature difference and the second preset temperature difference, adjust the opening degree of the seventh and eleventh on / off valves, including: when Decrease the opening of the seventh shut-off valve and increase the opening of the eleventh shut-off valve; when Maintain the opening degree of the seventh and eleventh shut-off valves unchanged; when Increase the opening degree of the seventh shut-off valve and decrease the opening degree of the eleventh shut-off valve.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After closing the first valve group and opening the second valve group, the method further includes: Obtain the outlet water temperature of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger outlet pipe; Adjust the compressor's compression ratio according to the outlet water temperature.

3. A device for controlling a heat pump unit, comprising a processor and a memory storing program instructions, characterized in that, The processor is configured to execute the method for controlling a heat pump unit as described in claim 1 or 2 when running the program instructions.

4. A heat pump unit, characterized in that, include: The first refrigerant circulation loop includes a first refrigerant pipeline that connects the compressor, condenser, liquid receiver, indoor fan unit and shell and tube heat exchanger in sequence. The second refrigerant circulation loop includes a second refrigerant pipeline that connects the compressor, indoor fan unit, liquid receiver and shell and tube heat exchanger in sequence; The first valve assembly is installed in the first refrigerant pipeline; The second valve assembly is installed in the second refrigerant pipeline; the second valve assembly includes: a seventh on / off valve, installed in the ground source water inlet pipeline connected to the water inlet pipeline of the shell and tube heat exchanger; The inlet and outlet pipes of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger are connected to the ground source inlet and outlet pipes, respectively. A fourth bypass pipe is provided between the ground source inlet and outlet pipes, and an eleventh shut-off valve is provided on the fourth bypass pipe. The apparatus for controlling a heat pump unit as described in claim 3; Specifically, in cooling operation, the first valve group is opened and the second valve group is closed, allowing refrigerant to flow through the first refrigerant pipeline; or, in heating operation, the first valve group is closed and the second valve group is opened, allowing refrigerant to flow through the second refrigerant pipeline.

5. The heat pump unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The indoor fan unit includes multiple indoor heat exchange branches, and each indoor heat exchange branch includes a first indoor heat exchange branch; The first refrigerant pipeline includes: The first pipeline connects the compressor and the condenser; The second pipeline connects the condenser and the liquid receiver; The fourth pipeline connects to the liquid storage tank at one end; The first bypass pipe connects one end to the other end of the fourth pipe and the other end to multiple first indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit. The second bypass pipeline connects to multiple first indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit at one end and to the shell and tube heat exchanger at the other end.

6. The heat pump unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first valve assembly includes: The first on / off valve is installed in the first pipeline; The third shut-off valve is installed in the second pipeline; The fourth shut-off valve is installed on the chilled water inlet pipe connected to the inlet pipe of the shell and tube heat exchanger; The fifth shut-off valve is installed on the chilled water outlet pipe connected to the outlet pipe of the shell and tube heat exchanger; The eighth shut-off valve is installed in the first bypass pipeline; The tenth shut-off valve is installed in the second bypass pipeline.

7. The heat pump unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, Each indoor heat exchange branch also includes a second indoor heat exchange branch; The second refrigerant pipeline includes: The fifth pipeline has one end located between the compressor and the condenser and connected to the first pipeline, and the other end connected to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit. The third bypass pipe connects to multiple second indoor heat exchange branches of the indoor fan unit at one end and to the other end of the fourth pipe at the other end. The third pipeline connects the liquid receiver and the shell-and-tube heat exchanger.

8. The heat pump unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second valve assembly includes: The second shut-off valve is installed on the fifth pipeline; The sixth shut-off valve is installed on the ground source water outlet pipe connected to the outlet pipe of the shell and tube heat exchanger; The ninth shut-off valve is installed in the third bypass pipeline.

9. A storage medium storing program instructions, characterized in that, When the program instructions are executed, they perform the method for controlling the heat pump unit as described in claim 1 or 2.

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