Detection method and device for air conditioner, air conditioner, storage medium

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of intelligent household appliances, and discloses a detection method for an air conditioner, which comprises the following steps: recovering refrigerant in a refrigerant pipeline to a gas storage tank; determining a refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure of the gas storage tank, or determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of an indoor heat exchanger. In the process of detecting the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas storage tank, so that the pressure value of the gas storage tank and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger are both not easily affected by factors such as the opening degree of an electronic expansion valve. Therefore, refrigerant leakage detection can be carried out by referring to the pressure of the gas storage tank or the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, and the reliability of detecting the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner can be improved. The application further discloses a detection device for the air conditioner, the air conditioner and a storage medium.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of intelligent household appliances, for example to a detection method and device for an air conditioner, an air conditioner and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, due to non-standard installation of an air conditioner or overlong use of the air conditioner, the air conditioner is prone to refrigerant leakage during operation. In the case of refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner, the heating or cooling effect of the air conditioner is deteriorated, and even the compressor is damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to detect whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage during operation.

[0003] In order to detect whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage, the related technology provides a refrigerant leakage detection method, comprising: during operation of the air conditioner, after the compressor is started and first runs stably, detecting a pipeline pressure value P1 of a compressor suction pipeline through a pressure acquisition device, and obtaining a preset pressure threshold P0; comparing the pipeline pressure value P1 with the pressure threshold P0 to determine whether P1 is less than P0; if yes, the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage. In this way, according to the size relationship between the pipeline pressure value of the compressor suction pipeline and the pressure threshold, the air conditioner refrigerant leakage can be detected.

[0004] In the process of implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is found that at least the following problems exist in the related technology:

[0005] Although the air conditioner refrigerant leakage can be detected in the related technology, the related technology detects whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage by judging whether the compressor suction pressure is too low during operation of the air conditioner. However, the reason for causing the compressor suction pressure to be too low during operation of the air conditioner is not limited to that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage. For example, too small opening of the electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner can also cause the compressor suction pressure to be too low. Therefore, the scheme of detecting the air conditioner refrigerant leakage based on the suction pressure of the compressor during operation of the air conditioner in the related technology has low reliability.

[0006] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above BACKGROUND section is only used to strengthen the understanding of the background of the present application, and therefore can include information that does not constitute prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. SUMMARY

[0007] In order to have a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, the following is a simple summary. The summary is not a general review, nor is it intended to determine key / important components or delineate the scope of protection of these embodiments, but as a prelude to the detailed description below.

[0008] The method and device for detecting, the air conditioner and the storage medium can improve the reliability of detecting the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner.

[0009] In some embodiments, the air conditioner comprises a refrigerant circulation loop comprising a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an electronic expansion valve, an indoor heat exchanger and a gas storage tank connected in series; wherein the method comprises:

[0010] recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas storage tank;

[0011] determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure of the gas storage tank, or determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger.

[0012] Optionally, the gas storage tank is connected in series to the refrigerant pipeline between the four-way valve and the suction port of the compressor, the inlet of the gas storage tank is connected to the four-way valve, and the outlet of the gas storage tank is connected to the suction port of the compressor; and the gas storage tank comprises a liquid pipe valve and a gas pipe valve; the liquid pipe valve is arranged at the inlet of the gas storage tank, and the gas pipe valve is arranged at the outlet of the gas storage tank; recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas storage tank comprises: closing the gas pipe valve of the gas storage tank and opening the liquid pipe valve of the gas storage tank; operating the compressor; in the case that the suction pressure of the compressor reaches the maximum suction pressure allowed by the compressor, closing the liquid pipe valve of the gas storage tank and stopping the operation of the compressor.

[0013] Optionally, operating the compressor comprises: controlling the compressor to operate at a start frequency; wherein the start frequency is the operating frequency of the compressor in the case that the start time of the air conditioner does not exceed a preset time.

[0014] Optionally, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure of the gas storage tank comprises: obtaining an actual pressure and a reference pressure of the gas storage tank; determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the comparison result of the actual pressure and the reference pressure; wherein the reference pressure is the pressure of the gas storage tank after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas storage tank in the case that the air conditioner does not have refrigerant leakage.

[0015] Optionally, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the comparison result of the actual pressure and the reference pressure comprises: in the case that the actual pressure is greater than the reference pressure, determining that the refrigerant leakage occurs; or in the case that the actual pressure is less than or equal to the reference pressure, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure difference between the reference pressure and the actual pressure.

[0016] Optionally, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure difference between the reference pressure and the actual pressure comprises: in the case that the pressure difference is less than or equal to a pressure difference threshold, determining that the refrigerant leakage does not occur; or in the case that the pressure difference is greater than the pressure difference threshold, determining that the refrigerant leakage occurs.

[0017] Optionally, the determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the indoor temperature and the indoor heat exchanger coil temperature comprises: determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to a temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the indoor heat exchanger coil temperature.

[0018] Optionally, the determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the indoor heat exchanger coil temperature comprises: determining that no refrigerant leakage occurs when △T≤TC, or determining that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage when △T>TC; wherein, △T=|T-Te|, T is the indoor temperature, Te is the indoor heat exchanger coil temperature, and TC is a temperature difference threshold.

[0019] In some embodiments, the device comprises a processor and a memory storing program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to execute the foregoing detection method for an air conditioner when running the program instructions.

[0020] In some embodiments, the air conditioner comprises a refrigerant circulation loop, and the refrigerant circulation loop comprises a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an electronic expansion valve, an indoor heat exchanger, a gas storage tank and the foregoing detection device for an air conditioner connected in series.

[0021] In some embodiments, the storage medium stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions execute the foregoing detection method for an air conditioner when running.

[0022] The detection method and device for an air conditioner, the air conditioner and the storage medium provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

[0023] During operation of the air conditioner, if refrigerant leakage occurs, air is easy to enter the refrigerant pipeline, so that air is mixed into the refrigerant. After the refrigerant mixed with air is recovered to the gas storage tank, the actual pressure of the gas storage tank is greater than the pressure value in the gas storage tank after the pure refrigerant is recovered to the gas storage tank in the case that the air conditioner does not occur refrigerant leakage. Moreover, in the case that the air conditioner does not occur refrigerant leakage, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline, including the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, is recovered to the gas storage tank, and since there is almost no refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger basically has no heat exchange capacity, at this time, the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger tends to approach the indoor temperature. In this way, after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas storage tank, on the one hand, according to the pressure of the gas storage tank, it can be determined whether the air conditioner has occurred refrigerant leakage. On the other hand, according to the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, it can also be determined whether the air conditioner has occurred refrigerant leakage. Thus, the detection of the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner is realized. In the process of detecting the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner, the pressure of the gas storage tank and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger are not easy to be affected by factors such as the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas storage tank. Therefore, after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline of the air conditioner is recovered to the gas storage tank, the refrigerant leakage detection is performed by referring to the pressure of the gas storage tank or referring to the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, which can improve the reliability of detecting the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner.

[0024] The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to be limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be limiting of the embodiments, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements in the drawings and in which:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connection of an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a detection method for an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another detection method for an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a detection device for an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 6 is another schematic view of an electrical connection of an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Reference signs:

[0033] 1, compressor; 2, four-way valve; 3, outdoor heat exchanger; 4, electromagnetic valve; 5, electronic expansion valve; 6, indoor heat exchanger; 7, gas storage tank; 8, liquid pipe valve; 9, gas pipe valve; 10, controller; 11, first temperature sensor; 12, second temperature sensor; 13, pressure sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to enable a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are only used for reference and do not limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following technical description, in order to facilitate explanation, a plurality of details are provided to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments can still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices can be simplified to show.

[0035] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the specification and claims of the embodiments of the present disclosure and the above-described drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily have to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data thus used can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein can be implemented. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0036] Unless otherwise specified, the term "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0037] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the character " / " represents an "or" relationship between the preceding and following objects. For example, A / B represents: A or B.

[0038] The term "and / or" is a description of the association relationship between objects, which means that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or, A and B, the three relationships.

[0039] The term "corresponding" can refer to an association relationship or a binding relationship, A corresponding to B means that there is an association relationship or a binding relationship between A and B.

[0040] Currently, due to non-standard installation of the air conditioner or overlong use of the air conditioner, the air conditioner is prone to refrigerant leakage during operation. In the case of refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner, the heating or cooling effect of the air conditioner is poor, and even the compressor is damaged. Therefore, it is necessary to detect whether the air conditioner leaks refrigerant during operation.

[0041] In order to detect whether the air conditioner leaks refrigerant, the related technology provides a refrigerant leakage detection method, which comprises: during operation of the air conditioner, after the compressor is started and first runs stably, detecting a pipeline pressure value P1 of a suction pipeline of the compressor by a pressure acquisition device, and obtaining a preset pressure threshold P0; comparing the pipeline pressure value P1 with the pressure threshold P0 to determine whether P1 is less than P0; if yes, the air conditioner leaks refrigerant. In this way, according to the size relationship between the pipeline pressure value of the suction pipeline of the compressor and the pressure threshold, the related technology can detect the case of refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner. Although the related technology can detect the case of refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner, the related technology actually detects whether the air conditioner leaks refrigerant by judging whether the suction pressure of the compressor is too low during operation of the air conditioner. However, the reason for the too low suction pressure of the compressor during operation of the air conditioner is not limited to refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner. For example, too small opening of the electronic expansion valve of the air conditioner can also cause the too low suction pressure of the compressor. Therefore, the scheme of the related technology for detecting the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner based on the suction pressure of the compressor during operation of the air conditioner has low reliability.

[0042] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, which can make the pressure of the gas storage tank and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger not easily affected by factors such as the opening of the electronic expansion valve by recycling the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas storage tank during detection of the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner. In this way, refrigerant leakage detection by referring to the pressure of the gas storage tank or the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger can improve the reliability of detecting the refrigerant leakage condition of the air conditioner.

[0043] In combination Figure 1 As shown in the combination, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an air conditioner, which comprises a refrigerant circulation loop, and the refrigerant circulation loop comprises a compressor 1, a four-way valve 2, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, a solenoid valve 4, an electronic expansion valve 5, an indoor heat exchanger 6 and a gas storage tank 7 connected in series.

[0044] The gas storage tank 7 is connected in series to the refrigerant pipeline between the four-way valve 2 and the suction port of the compressor 1, the inlet of the gas storage tank 7 is connected with the four-way valve 2, and the outlet of the gas storage tank 7 is connected with the suction port of the compressor 1; and the gas storage tank 7 comprises a liquid pipe valve 8 and a gas pipe valve 9; the liquid pipe valve 8 is arranged at the inlet of the gas storage tank 7, and the gas pipe valve 9 is arranged at the outlet of the gas storage tank 7.

[0045] Optionally, in combinationFigure 2 As shown in the figure, the air conditioner further comprises a controller 10, a first temperature sensor 11, a second temperature sensor 12 and a pressure sensor 13.

[0046] The first temperature sensor 11 is used to detect the indoor temperature, and the second temperature sensor 12 is used to detect the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 6. The pressure sensor 13 is used to detect the pressure of the gas tank 7.

[0047] The controller 10 is connected with the compressor 1, the four-way valve 2, the electromagnetic valve 4, the electronic expansion valve 5, the liquid pipe valve 8, the gas pipe valve 9, the first temperature sensor 11, the second temperature sensor 12 and the pressure sensor 13 respectively. The controller 10 is used to control the operation of the compressor 1 and the four-way valve 2, and control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 5 and the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve 4, and control the opening and closing of the liquid pipe valve 8 and the gas pipe valve 9.

[0048] The controller 10 is further used to acquire the indoor temperature from the first temperature sensor 11, acquire the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 6 from the second temperature sensor 12, and acquire the pressure of the gas tank 7 from the pressure sensor 13.

[0049] Based on the air conditioner of Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a detection method for the air conditioner, which combines Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the method comprises the following steps.

[0050] S31, the controller recycles the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank.

[0051] S32, the controller determines the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure of the gas tank. Alternatively,

[0052] S33, the controller determines the refrigerant leakage condition according to the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger.

[0053] During operation of the air conditioner, if refrigerant leakage occurs, air is easy to enter the refrigerant pipeline, so that air is mixed into the refrigerant. After the refrigerant mixed with air is recovered to the gas tank, the actual pressure of the gas tank is greater than the pressure value of the gas tank when the pure refrigerant is recovered to the gas tank in the case that the air conditioner does not have refrigerant leakage. Moreover, in the case that the air conditioner does not have refrigerant leakage, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline, including the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, is recovered to the gas tank, and since there is almost no refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger basically has no heat exchange capacity, at this time, the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger tends to be close to the indoor temperature. After the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas tank by using the detection method for the air conditioner provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, on the one hand, according to the pressure of the gas tank, it can be determined whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage. On the other hand, according to the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, it can also be determined whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage. Thus, the detection of the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner is realized. In the process of detecting the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner, the pressure of the gas tank and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger are not easy to be affected by factors such as the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas tank. Therefore, after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline of the air conditioner is recovered to the gas tank, the refrigerant leakage detection is performed by referring to the pressure of the gas tank or the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, which can improve the reliability of detecting the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner.

[0054] Optionally, the controller recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank, including: the controller controls to close the gas pipe valve of the gas tank, and controls to open the liquid pipe valve of the gas tank. The controller controls the compressor to operate. The controller closes the liquid pipe valve of the gas tank and controls the compressor to stop operating in the case that the suction pressure of the compressor reaches the maximum suction pressure allowed by the compressor.

[0055] In the case that the gas pipe valve of the gas tank is closed and the liquid pipe valve of the gas tank is opened, the operation of the compressor can make the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline flow into the gas tank. If the liquid pipe valve of the gas tank is closed too early and the compressor is stopped operating during the process that the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is pressed by the compressor to flow into the gas tank, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline cannot be completely recovered. Since the gas pipe valve of the gas tank has been closed, the suction pressure of the compressor will gradually increase during the operation of the compressor. If the compressor is stopped too late, the suction pressure of the compressor is easy to be too high, which can cause damage to the compressor. Therefore, in the case that the suction pressure of the compressor reaches the maximum suction pressure allowed, it indicates that the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline has all flowed into the gas tank. At this time, closing the liquid pipe valve of the gas tank and stopping the operation of the compressor can realize the recovery of the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline, and can also reduce the case that the suction pressure of the compressor is too high, thereby reducing the damage to the compressor.

[0056] Optionally, the controller controls the compressor to operate at a start frequency, wherein the start frequency is a frequency of the compressor when the air conditioner is turned on for less than a preset time.

[0057] Generally, when the air conditioner is turned on for less than a preset time, i.e., when the air conditioner is in an initial running stage, the operating frequency of the compressor is low. During the process of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank, the gas pipe valve of the gas tank is closed, which hinders the suction of the compressor. At this time, if the operating frequency of the compressor is too high, the suction pressure of the compressor will increase sharply, which can easily cause damage to the compressor. Therefore, during the process of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank, the compressor is operated at a low frequency in the initial running stage of the air conditioner, which can reduce the situation of sharp increase of the suction pressure of the compressor, thereby reducing the damage to the compressor.

[0058] Optionally, the preset time t is in the range of t≤5min. More specifically, t=1min, 2min, 3min or 4min.

[0059] During the process of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank, the operating frequency of the compressor is the frequency within 5min of the air conditioner being turned on and operated, which can further ensure that the compressor operates at a low frequency during the refrigerant recovery process, thereby further reducing the situation of sharp increase of the suction pressure of the compressor, and further reducing the damage to the compressor.

[0060] Optionally, the controller determines the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure of the gas tank, including: the controller acquires an actual pressure and a reference pressure of the gas tank. The controller determines the refrigerant leakage condition according to a comparison result of the actual pressure and the reference pressure. The reference pressure is the pressure of the gas tank after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas tank, when the air conditioner does not have refrigerant leakage.

[0061] Optionally, the controller determines the refrigerant leakage condition according to the comparison result of the actual pressure and the reference pressure, including: the controller determines that the refrigerant leakage occurs when the actual pressure is greater than the reference pressure.

[0062] During the operation of the air conditioner, when the refrigerant leakage occurs, air is easy to enter the refrigerant pipeline, so that the air with a density greater than that of the refrigerant is mixed into the refrigerant. After the refrigerant mixed with air is recovered to the gas tank, the actual pressure of the gas tank is greater than the pressure value (i.e., the reference pressure) in the gas tank when the pure refrigerant is recovered to the gas tank without refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner. Therefore, when the actual pressure is greater than the reference pressure, it can be determined that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage. Thus, the detection of the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner is realized.

[0063] Optionally, the controller determines whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to a comparison result of the actual pressure and the reference pressure. The controller determines the refrigerant leakage according to a pressure difference between the reference pressure and the actual pressure when the actual pressure is less than or equal to the reference pressure.

[0064] Optionally, the controller determines the refrigerant leakage according to the pressure difference between the reference pressure and the actual pressure, including: the controller determines that no refrigerant leakage occurs when the pressure difference is less than or equal to a pressure difference threshold. Alternatively, the controller determines that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage when the pressure difference is greater than the pressure difference threshold.

[0065] When the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage and air does not enter the refrigerant pipeline, if the refrigerant is recovered to the gas tank, the actual pressure of the gas tank is less than the reference pressure. However, during the process of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank, a small amount of refrigerant may be left on the wall of the refrigerant pipeline or in the heat exchanger. This situation will cause the actual pressure of the gas tank to be slightly less than the reference pressure after the refrigerant recovery is completed. If it is determined that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage only when the actual pressure of the gas tank is less than the reference pressure, it is easy to misjudge the refrigerant leakage situation. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the actual pressure is less than the reference pressure, the refrigerant leakage situation of the air conditioner is determined according to the size relationship between the pressure difference threshold and the pressure difference between the reference pressure and the actual pressure, that is, the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage only when the pressure difference is greater than the pressure difference threshold. In this way, the misjudgment of the refrigerant leakage situation can be reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the refrigerant leakage detection.

[0066] Optionally, the controller determines the refrigerant leakage according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, including: the controller determines the refrigerant leakage according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger.

[0067] Optionally, the controller determines the refrigerant leakage according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, including: the controller determines that no refrigerant leakage occurs when ΔT≤TC. Alternatively, the controller determines that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage when ΔT>TC. Wherein, ΔT=|T-Te|, T is the indoor temperature, Te is the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger, and TC is the temperature difference threshold.

[0068] In the case that the air conditioner does not leak refrigerant, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline, including the refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, is recovered to the gas storage tank. Since there is almost no refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger basically has no heat exchange capacity. At this time, the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger will tend to the indoor temperature. Conversely, in the case that the air conditioner leaks refrigerant, the process of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas storage tank will cause air to enter the refrigerant pipeline, thereby changing the pressure in the refrigerant pipeline and the indoor heat exchanger, causing the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger to change and not tend to the indoor temperature. In this way, in the case that the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger is greater than the temperature difference threshold, it can be determined that the air conditioner has leaked refrigerant. Thus, the detection of the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner is realized.

[0069] Optionally, ΔT≤5℃. More specifically, ΔT=1℃, 2℃, 3℃, or 4℃.

[0070] In combination Figure 4 As shown in the drawings, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide another detection method for an air conditioner, comprising:

[0071] S41, the controller acquires a detection instruction of refrigerant leakage.

[0072] S42, the controller recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas storage tank according to the detection instruction.

[0073] S43, the controller determines the leakage condition of the refrigerant according to the pressure of the gas storage tank. Alternatively,

[0074] S44, the controller determines the leakage condition of the refrigerant according to the indoor temperature and the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger.

[0075] By using the detection method for an air conditioner provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline needs to be recovered to the gas storage tank during the process of refrigerant leakage detection of the air conditioner. This makes the air conditioner need to stop running in the heating mode or the cooling mode and execute the refrigerant leakage detection mode in the case of refrigerant leakage detection. If the refrigerant leakage detection mode is frequently executed, the heating effect or the cooling effect in the room will be affected. Thus, according to the refrigerant leakage detection instruction of the user, the refrigerant leakage detection is executed, which can reduce the false execution of the refrigerant leakage detection, thereby reducing the case that the air conditioner stops running in the heating mode or the cooling mode, and further ensuring the heating effect or the cooling effect in the room.

[0076] In combination Figure 5As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a detection device 500 for an air conditioner, which comprises a processor 100 and a memory 101. Optionally, the device can further comprise a communication interface 102 and a bus 103. The processor 100, the communication interface 102 and the memory 101 can complete mutual communication through the bus 103. The communication interface 102 can be used for information transmission. The processor 100 can call the logical instructions in the memory 101 to execute the detection method for the air conditioner in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0077] In addition, the logical instructions in the memory 101 described above can be realized in the form of a software function unit and sold or used as an independent product, which can be stored in a computer readable storage medium.

[0078] The memory 101 as a computer readable storage medium can be used to store software programs, computer executable programs, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the method in the embodiment of the present disclosure. The processor 100 executes the function application and data processing by running the program instructions / modules stored in the memory 101, that is, realizes the detection method for the air conditioner in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0079] The memory 101 can include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area can store an operating system and application programs required by at least one function; the data storage area can store data created according to the use of the terminal device, etc. In addition, the memory 101 can include a high-speed random access memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory.

[0080] In combination Figure 1 As shown, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides an air conditioner, which comprises a refrigerant circulation loop, and the refrigerant circulation loop comprises a compressor 1, a four-way valve 2, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, a solenoid valve 4, an electronic expansion valve 5, an indoor heat exchanger 6 and a gas storage tank 7 connected in series.

[0081] The gas storage tank 7 is connected in series to the refrigerant pipeline between the four-way valve 2 and the suction port of the compressor 1, the inlet of the gas storage tank 7 is connected with the four-way valve 2, and the outlet of the gas storage tank 7 is connected with the suction port of the compressor 1; and the gas storage tank 7 comprises a liquid pipe valve 8 and a gas pipe valve 9; the liquid pipe valve 8 is arranged at the inlet of the gas storage tank 7, and the gas pipe valve 9 is arranged at the outlet of the gas storage tank 7.

[0082] Optionally, in combination Figure 6 As shown, the air conditioner further comprises a detection device 500 for the air conditioner, a first temperature sensor 11, a second temperature sensor 12 and a pressure sensor 13.

[0083] The first temperature sensor 11 is configured to detect the indoor temperature, and the second temperature sensor 12 is configured to detect the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 6. The pressure sensor 13 is configured to detect the pressure of the gas storage tank 7.

[0084] The detection device 500 for the air conditioner is installed on the air conditioner. The installation relationship described herein is not limited to being placed inside the product, but also includes installation connection with other components of the product, including but not limited to physical connection, electrical connection or signal transmission connection, etc. Those skilled in the art can understand that the detection device 500 for the air conditioner can be adapted to a feasible air conditioner, thereby realizing other feasible embodiments.

[0085] The detection device 500 for the air conditioner is connected with the compressor 1, the four-way valve 2, the electromagnetic valve 4, the electronic expansion valve 5, the liquid pipe valve 8, the gas pipe valve 9, the first temperature sensor 11, the second temperature sensor 12 and the pressure sensor 13, respectively. The detection device 500 for the air conditioner is configured to control the operation of the compressor 1 and the four-way valve 2, and control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 5 and the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve 4, and control the opening and closing of the liquid pipe valve 8 and the gas pipe valve 9.

[0086] The detection device 500 for the air conditioner is further configured to acquire the indoor temperature from the first temperature sensor 11, acquire the coil temperature of the indoor heat exchanger 6 from the second temperature sensor 12, and acquire the pressure of the gas storage tank 7 from the pressure sensor 13.

[0087] The disclosure embodiment provides a storage medium storing computer executable instructions configured to execute the above-mentioned detection method for the air conditioner.

[0088] The storage medium described above can be a transitory computer readable storage medium or a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.

[0089] The technical solution of the disclosure embodiment can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes one or more instructions to make a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) execute all or part of the steps of the method described in the disclosure embodiment. The aforementioned storage medium can be a non-transitory storage medium, including a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc. various media that can store program codes, or a transitory storage medium.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] In the embodiments disclosed herein, the disclosed methods, products (including but not limited to apparatuses, devices, etc.), can be implemented in other manners. For example, the described apparatus embodiments can be implemented only in a form of a logical function, and can be implemented by using a manner such as software (for example, application program) or the like. In some embodiments, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the displayed or discussed coupling or direct coupling or indirect coupling or communication connection between different components can be implemented by using some interfaces, and a combination of indirect coupling and direct coupling can be used. The integrated display or functional division can be physical or logical, and can be any other form. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to implement the embodiments. In addition, the units in the embodiments disclosed herein can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist alone physically, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0093] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings show the possible implementation architectures, functions and operations of the system, method and computer program product according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowcharts or block diagrams can represent a module, a program segment or a part of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks can occur in an order different from that noted in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and sometimes they can be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. In the descriptions corresponding to the flowcharts and block diagrams in the drawings, the operations or steps corresponding to different blocks can also occur in an order different from that disclosed in the descriptions, and sometimes there is no specific order between different operations or steps. For example, two consecutive operations or steps can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and sometimes they can be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. Each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and the combination of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or actions, or can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

Claims

1. A detection method for an air conditioner, the air conditioner including a refrigerant circulation loop including, in series, a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an electronic expansion valve, an indoor heat exchanger, and an accumulator; characterized by, The gas tank is connected in series with a refrigerant pipeline between a four-way valve and a suction port of a compressor, an inlet of the gas tank is connected with the four-way valve, and an outlet of the gas tank is connected with the suction port of the compressor; the method comprises: recovering refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank; determining a refrigerant leakage condition according to a pressure of the gas tank, or determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to an indoor temperature and a temperature of a coil of an indoor heat exchanger.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The gas tank comprises a liquid pipe valve and a gas pipe valve; the liquid pipe valve is arranged at the inlet of the gas tank, and the gas pipe valve is arranged at the outlet of the gas tank; recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the gas tank comprises: closing the gas pipe valve of the gas tank and opening the liquid pipe valve of the gas tank; operating the compressor; in a case where a suction pressure of the compressor reaches a maximum suction pressure allowed by the compressor, closing the liquid pipe valve of the gas tank and stopping operation of the compressor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, operating the compressor comprises: controlling the compressor to operate at a start frequency; wherein the start frequency is a frequency of the compressor in a case where a length of time for which the air conditioner is turned on does not exceed a preset length of time.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure of the gas tank comprises: obtaining an actual pressure and a reference pressure of the gas tank; determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to a comparison result of the actual pressure and the reference pressure; wherein the reference pressure is a pressure of the gas tank after the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the gas tank in a case where the air conditioner does not have a refrigerant leakage.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the comparison result of the actual pressure and the reference pressure comprises: in a case where the actual pressure is greater than the reference pressure, determining that the refrigerant leakage occurs; or in a case where the actual pressure is less than or equal to the reference pressure, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to a pressure difference between the reference pressure and the actual pressure.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the pressure difference between the reference pressure and the actual pressure comprises: in a case where the pressure difference is less than or equal to a pressure difference threshold, determining that the refrigerant leakage does not occur; or in a case where the pressure difference is greater than the pressure difference threshold, determining that the refrigerant leakage occurs.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to a temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the temperature of the coil of the indoor heat exchanger comprises: determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the temperature of the coil of the indoor heat exchanger.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, determining the refrigerant leakage condition according to the temperature difference between the indoor temperature and the temperature of the coil of the indoor heat exchanger comprises: in a case where ΔT≤TC, determining that the refrigerant leakage does not occur; or in a case where ΔT>TC, determining that the air conditioner has the refrigerant leakage; wherein ΔT=|T-Te|, T is the indoor temperature, Te is the temperature of the coil of the indoor heat exchanger, and TC is a temperature difference threshold.

9. A detection apparatus for an air conditioner, comprising a processor and a memory having stored program instructions, characterized in that, The processor is configured to execute, when the program instructions are run, the detection method for the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An air conditioner comprising a refrigerant circulation circuit including, in series, a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an electronic expansion valve, an indoor heat exchanger, and an accumulator, characterized by, The air conditioner further comprises: the detection device for the air conditioner according to claim 9.

11. A storage medium storing program instructions, characterized in that, The program instructions, when executed, perform the detection method for the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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