Control method of air conditioner, air conditioner, and medium

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, specifically providing a control method, air conditioner, and medium for an air conditioner. The aim is to solve the problems of existing air conditioners where the water pump operates at a fixed speed, resulting in insufficient heat exchange, energy waste, and ice buildup inside the heat exchanger during defrosting. To this end, the invention acquires the air conditioner's operating mode, the heat exchanger's superheat, subcooling, and outlet water temperature; compares at least one of these parameters with a preset threshold; and controls the water pump to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison result and the air conditioner's operating mode. This setup improves the heat exchanger's efficiency, reduces energy waste, extends its lifespan, and enhances the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, specifically providing an air conditioning control method, an air conditioner, and a medium. Background Technology

[0002] As people's living standards improve, air conditioners have become an indispensable household appliance. However, while bringing convenience, air conditioners have also inevitably brought about further problems.

[0003] For example, current heating and air conditioning units cannot identify the heating area matched to each underfloor heating system and fan coil unit. Therefore, the water pump can only operate at a fixed speed. This results in undersaturation of the heat exchanger connected to the pump, leading to insufficient heat exchange and increased power consumption, thus wasting energy. Furthermore, when the heating and air conditioning unit defrosts under low-temperature conditions, the water temperature inside the heat exchanger connected to the pump becomes too low, causing freezing and damage to the heat exchanger, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0004] Accordingly, there is a need in the field for a new air conditioning control method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, namely, the problem that the water pump of the existing air conditioner operates at a fixed speed, which makes it impossible to exchange heat fully, resulting in energy waste, and the problem that ice easily forms inside the heat exchanger during defrosting.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for controlling an air conditioner, the air conditioner including a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger including a water outlet, the method comprising the following steps:

[0007] The operating mode of the air conditioner, the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger are obtained.

[0008] The superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger are compared with a preset threshold, and the air conditioner is controlled to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison result and the operating mode of the air conditioner.

[0009] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned air conditioner control method, the air conditioner further includes a water pump, and the preset threshold includes a superheat threshold, a subcooling threshold, and an outlet water temperature threshold. The step of "comparing at least one of the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger with the preset threshold, and controlling the air conditioner to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison result and the operating mode of the air conditioner" includes:

[0010] When the air conditioner is running in cooling mode, the superheat of the heat exchanger is compared with the superheat threshold, and the water pump is controlled to perform a first operation based on the comparison result;

[0011] And / or, when the air conditioner is running in heating mode, the subcooling degree of the heat exchanger is compared with the subcooling degree threshold and the water pump is controlled to perform a second operation based on the comparison result;

[0012] And / or, when the air conditioner is operating in defrost mode, the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is compared with the outlet water temperature threshold, and the water pump is controlled to perform a third operation based on the comparison result.

[0013] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned air conditioning control method, the step of "controlling the water pump to perform the first operation based on the comparison result" includes:

[0014] When the superheat of the heat exchanger is greater than the superheat threshold, the speed of the water pump is reduced until the speed of the water pump is a first speed and / or the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the superheat threshold.

[0015] When the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than the superheat threshold, the speed of the water pump is increased until the speed of the water pump is a second speed and / or a first difference is greater than or equal to a difference threshold, wherein the first difference is the absolute value of the difference between the superheat of the heat exchanger and the superheat threshold.

[0016] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned air conditioning control method, the step of "controlling the water pump to perform the second operation based on the comparison result" includes:

[0017] When the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, the speed of the water pump is increased until the speed of the water pump is the third speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling threshold.

[0018] When the subcooling of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling threshold, the speed of the water pump is reduced until the speed of the water pump is the fourth speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold.

[0019] In the optional technical solutions of the above-mentioned air conditioning control method, the step of "controlling the water pump to perform a third operation based on the comparison result" includes:

[0020] When the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the outlet water temperature threshold, the speed of the water pump is increased until the speed of the water pump reaches the fifth speed and / or the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is greater than the outlet water temperature threshold.

[0021] In an optional technical solution of the above-mentioned air conditioner control method, the air conditioner further includes a compressor, and after reducing the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump is a first speed and / or the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the superheat threshold, the method further includes:

[0022] If the pump speed is reduced to the first speed and the superheat of the heat exchanger is still greater than the superheat threshold, then the compressor frequency is increased.

[0023] After increasing the pump speed until the pump speed reaches a second speed and / or the first difference is greater than or equal to a difference threshold, the method further includes:

[0024] If the speed of the water pump increases to the second speed and the first difference is less than the difference threshold, then the frequency of the compressor is reduced.

[0025] In an optional technical solution of the above-mentioned air conditioner control method, the air conditioner further includes a compressor, and after increasing the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump reaches a third speed and / or the subcooling degree of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling degree threshold, the method further includes:

[0026] If the speed of the water pump is increased to the third speed and the subcooling degree of the heat exchanger is still greater than or equal to the subcooling degree threshold, then the speed of the compressor is increased.

[0027] After reducing the pump speed until the pump speed reaches a fourth speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, the method further includes:

[0028] If the pump speed is reduced to the fourth speed and the subcooling of the heat exchanger is still less than the subcooling threshold, then the compressor speed is reduced.

[0029] In an optional technical solution of the above-mentioned air conditioner control method, the air conditioner further includes a compressor, and after increasing the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump reaches a fifth speed and / or the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is greater than the outlet water temperature threshold, the method further includes:

[0030] If the pump speed is increased to the fifth speed and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is still less than or equal to the outlet water temperature threshold, then the compressor speed is increased.

[0031] In a second aspect, the present invention also provides an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an air conditioner body, a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the air conditioner control method as described in any one of the above descriptions.

[0032] In a third aspect, the present invention also provides a readable storage medium storing a plurality of program codes adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the air conditioning control method described in any one of the above.

[0033] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in the technical solution of this invention, the operating mode of the air conditioner, the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger are obtained; at least one of the superheat, subcooling, and outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is compared with a preset threshold, and the water pump is controlled to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison result and the operating mode of the air conditioner. This setup can improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger, reduce energy waste, extend the service life of the heat exchanger, and enhance the user experience.

[0034] Furthermore, the method further includes: if the water pump speed decreases to a first speed and the superheat of the heat exchanger is still greater than the superheat threshold, then the compressor frequency is increased; if the water pump speed increases to a second speed and the first difference is less than the difference threshold, then the compressor frequency is decreased. And / or, if the water pump speed increases to a third speed and the subcooling of the heat exchanger is still greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, then the compressor speed is increased; if the water pump speed decreases to a fourth speed and the subcooling of the heat exchanger is still less than the subcooling threshold, then the compressor speed is decreased. And / or, if the water pump speed increases to a fifth speed and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is still less than or equal to the outlet water temperature threshold, then the compressor speed is increased. This setting can further solve the problem of insufficient heat exchange in the heat exchanger and the problem of ice formation on the heat exchanger during defrosting, further improving the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The disclosure of this invention will become more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. Furthermore, similar numbers in the drawings are used to denote similar components, wherein:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of an air conditioner according to a practical application scenario based on the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main steps of controlling the air conditioner to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison results and the air conditioner's operating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 4This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of controlling a water pump to perform a first operation based on a comparison result according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of controlling a water pump to perform a second operation based on a comparison result according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 This is a main structural block diagram of an air conditioner used to implement the air conditioner control method of the present invention.

[0042] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0043] 11-Inlet pipe; 111-Water pump; 112-Inlet water temperature sensor; 12-Outlet pipe; 121-Outlet water temperature sensor; 13-Heat exchanger; 131-Inlet interface; 132-Outlet interface; 133-Gas interface; 134-Liquid interface; 14-Four-way valve; 15-Variable frequency compressor; 16-Gas-liquid separator; 17-First heat exchanger; 18-Electronic expansion valve. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] In the description of this invention, "module" and "processor" can include hardware, software, or a combination of both. A module can include hardware circuitry, various suitable sensors, communication ports, memory, and may also include software components, such as program code, or a combination of software and hardware. A processor can be a central processing unit, microprocessor, image processor, digital signal processor, or any other suitable processor. The processor has data and / or signal processing capabilities. The processor can be implemented in software, in hardware, or a combination of both. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media includes any suitable medium capable of storing program code, such as magnetic disks, hard disks, optical disks, flash memory, read-only memory, random access memory, etc. The term "A and / or B" means all possible combinations of A and B, such as only A, only B, or A and B. The terms "at least one A or B" or "at least one of A and B" have a similar meaning to "A and / or B" and can include only A, only B, or A and B. The singular terms "a" or "this" can also include plural forms.

[0046] As described in the background section, in view of the problems that existing air conditioners' water pumps operate at a fixed speed, resulting in insufficient heat exchange, energy waste, and ice formation inside the heat exchanger during defrosting, this invention provides an air conditioner control method.

[0047] See appendix Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall architecture of an air conditioner according to the present invention in a practical application scenario. For example... Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes an inlet pipe 11, an outlet pipe 12, a heat exchanger 13, a four-way valve 14, a variable frequency compressor 15, a gas-liquid separator 16, a first heat exchanger 17, and an electronic expansion valve 18. The inlet pipe 11 is also equipped with a water pump 111 and an inlet water temperature sensor 112, and the outlet pipe 12 is also equipped with an outlet water temperature sensor 121. The heat exchanger 13 also includes an inlet water interface 131, an outlet water interface 132, a gas pipe interface 133, and a liquid pipe interface 134. Specifically, the inlet pipe 11 is connected to the inlet interface 131, and the outlet pipe 12 is connected to the outlet interface 132, thereby enabling water to enter and exit the heat exchanger 13; the gas interface 133 is connected to the E end of the four-way valve 14, and the liquid interface 134, the electronic expansion valve 18, the first heat exchanger 17, and the C end of the four-way valve are sequentially connected; the D end of the four-way valve, the variable frequency compressor 15, the gas-liquid separator 16, and the S end of the four-way valve are also sequentially connected. Preferably, the heat exchanger 13 can be a water-fluorine heat exchanger.

[0048] When the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode, the D end of the four-way valve 14 is connected to the C end, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the inverter compressor 15 becomes low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant liquid after passing through the first heat exchanger 17 and the electronic expansion valve 18. Then, the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant liquid enters the heat exchanger 13 through the liquid pipe interface 134, and exchanges heat with the water flowing in the inlet and outlet water pipes in the heat exchanger 13, thereby reducing the temperature of the water in the heat exchanger 13 and causing the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant liquid to evaporate. At the same time, the E end of the four-way valve 14 is connected to the S end, so the evaporated refrigerant gas can return to the inverter compressor 15 through the gas-liquid separator 16, thus completing one cycle.

[0049] When the air conditioner is running in heating mode, the D end of the four-way valve 14 is connected to the E end, allowing the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas discharged from the inverter compressor 15 to enter the heat exchanger 13 through the gas pipe interface 133. In the heat exchanger 13, the gas exchanges heat with the water flowing in the inlet and outlet water pipes, thereby increasing the temperature of the water in the heat exchanger 13 and turning the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into refrigerant liquid. Subsequently, the refrigerant liquid flows out of the heat exchanger 13 through the liquid pipe interface 134 and enters the first heat exchanger 17 through the electronic expansion valve 18. In the first heat exchanger 17, it absorbs heat and becomes refrigerant gas again. At this time, the C end of the four-way valve 14 is connected to the S end, so the refrigerant gas can return to the inverter compressor 15 through the gas-liquid separator 16, thus completing one cycle.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 1The overall architecture shown does not constitute a limitation on the air conditioning system. In practical applications, the air conditioning system may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements, or different types of components. For example, in practical applications, heat exchanger 13 may be other types of heat exchangers, etc.

[0051] Next, the air conditioner control method of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0052] See appendix Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner control method can be executed by a server, by the air conditioner itself, or by both the server and the air conditioner. Figure 2 As shown, the air conditioner includes a heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger includes a water outlet. The method includes the following steps:

[0053] Step S101: Obtain the air conditioner's operating mode, the heat exchanger's superheat, the heat exchanger's subcooling, and the heat exchanger's outlet water temperature.

[0054] Specifically, the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger can be determined by... Figure 1 The water temperature is obtained from the outlet water sensor.

[0055] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a water pump. Before acquiring the air conditioner's operating mode, the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger, the method further includes controlling the water pump to operate at a preset speed. Specifically, the air conditioner is set with a preset water flow rate, and the preset speed is the water pump speed at which the air conditioner achieves the preset water flow rate. That is, the water pump is set with different duty cycles (PWM), and different duty cycles (PWM) correspond to different speeds. When the air conditioner is turned on, the water pump operates at the duty cycle (PWM) of the air conditioner's preset water flow rate.

[0056] Step S102: Compare at least one of the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger with a preset threshold, and control the air conditioner to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison result and the working mode of the air conditioner.

[0057] Based on the above steps S101 to S102, this invention acquires the air conditioner's operating mode, the heat exchanger's superheat, subcooling, and outlet water temperature; compares at least one of the heat exchanger's superheat, subcooling, and outlet water temperature with a preset threshold, and controls the water pump to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison result and the air conditioner's operating mode. This setup can improve the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger, reduce energy waste, extend the heat exchanger's service life, and enhance the user experience.

[0058] Next, step S102 will be explained in more detail.

[0059] See appendix Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the main steps of controlling an air conditioner to perform corresponding operations based on comparison results and the air conditioner's operating mode, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a water pump. The preset thresholds include a superheat threshold, a subcooling threshold, and an outlet water temperature threshold. The process of comparing at least one of the heat exchanger's superheat, subcooling, and outlet water temperature with the preset thresholds, and controlling the water pump to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison results and the air conditioner's operating mode, includes the following steps:

[0060] Step S1021: When the air conditioner is running in cooling mode, the superheat of the heat exchanger is compared with the superheat threshold and the water pump is controlled to perform the first operation based on the comparison result.

[0061] Step S1022: and / or, when the air conditioner is running in heating mode, the subcooling degree of the heat exchanger is compared with the subcooling degree threshold and the water pump is controlled to perform a second operation based on the comparison result.

[0062] Step S1023: and / or, when the air conditioner is running in defrost mode, compare the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger with the outlet water temperature threshold and control the water pump to perform a third operation based on the comparison result.

[0063] For example, the superheat threshold and supercooling threshold can be values ​​set by the air conditioner manufacturer during design, or they can be user-defined values; the outlet water temperature threshold can be 0℃. The above-described methods for setting the superheat threshold and supercooling threshold, and the values ​​for the outlet water temperature threshold, are only illustrative examples, and can be selected according to actual needs in practical applications.

[0064] See appendix Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the main steps of controlling a water pump to perform a first operation based on a comparison result, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, controlling the water pump to perform the first operation based on the comparison result includes the following steps:

[0065] Step S10211: When the superheat of the heat exchanger is greater than the superheat threshold, reduce the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump is the first speed and / or the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the superheat threshold.

[0066] Step S10212: When the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than the superheat threshold, increase the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump is the second speed and / or the first difference is greater than or equal to the difference threshold, wherein the first difference is the absolute value of the difference between the superheat of the heat exchanger and the superheat threshold.

[0067] Specifically, when the superheat of the heat exchanger is greater than the superheat threshold, it indicates that the refrigerant has evaporated completely in the heat exchanger, so the water pump speed should be reduced; when the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than the superheat threshold, it indicates that the refrigerant has not evaporated completely in the heat exchanger, so the water pump speed should be increased.

[0068] For example, the pump speed can be reduced in stages or by multiples. For instance, when reducing the pump speed in stages, it can be reduced by 100 r / min every minute from the current pump speed until the pump speed reaches a first speed and / or the heat exchanger's superheat is less than or equal to the superheat threshold. When reducing the pump speed by multiples, it can be reduced to 80% of the current pump speed every minute until the pump speed reaches the first speed and / or the heat exchanger's superheat is less than or equal to the superheat threshold. Similarly, the pump speed can be increased in stages or by multiples, which will not be elaborated further here. The first speed can be the minimum allowable speed of the pump or a user-defined speed value lower than the current pump speed; the second speed can be the maximum allowable speed of the pump or a user-defined speed value higher than the current pump speed. The methods for reducing pump speed, increasing pump speed, setting the first speed, and setting the second speed described above are only illustrative examples. In actual applications, the appropriate method can be selected based on specific needs.

[0069] See appendix Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the main steps of controlling a water pump to perform a second operation based on a comparison result, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, controlling the water pump to perform a second operation based on the comparison result includes the following steps:

[0070] Step S10221: When the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, increase the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump is the third speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling threshold.

[0071] Step S10222: When the subcooling of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling threshold, reduce the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump is the fourth speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold.

[0072] Specifically, when the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, it indicates that the refrigerant is not exchanging heat sufficiently in the heat exchanger, so the water pump speed should be increased; when the subcooling of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling threshold, it indicates that the refrigerant is exchanging heat sufficiently in the heat exchanger, so the water pump speed should be reduced.

[0073] For example, the third speed can be the maximum allowable speed of the water pump, or it can be a user-defined speed value that is greater than the existing speed of the water pump; the fourth speed can be the minimum allowable speed of the water pump, or it can be a user-defined speed value that is less than the existing speed of the water pump. The above-described methods for setting the third and fourth speeds are only illustrative examples, and can be set according to actual needs in practical applications.

[0074] In some embodiments, controlling the water pump to perform a third operation based on the comparison result includes the following steps:

[0075] Step S10231: When the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the outlet water temperature threshold, increase the speed of the water pump until the water pump speed reaches the fifth speed and / or the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is greater than the outlet water temperature threshold.

[0076] For example, the fifth speed can be the maximum allowable speed of the water pump, or it can be a user-defined speed value that is greater than the existing speed of the water pump. The above-described method of setting the fifth speed is only for illustrative purposes, and can be selected according to actual needs in practical applications.

[0077] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a compressor. Before acquiring the air conditioner's operating mode, the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger, the method further includes: controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency. Specifically, the air conditioner is equipped with a preset heat exchanger outlet water temperature, and the preset frequency is the compressor frequency at which the air conditioner achieves the preset heat exchanger outlet water temperature. That is, when the air conditioner is turned on, the compressor frequency is increased in steps until the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger reaches the preset heat exchanger outlet water temperature, at which point the compressor is controlled to maintain the current frequency operation.

[0078] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a compressor, and after reducing the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump is a first speed and / or the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to a superheat threshold, the method further includes the following steps:

[0079] Step S201: If the pump speed is reduced to the first speed and the superheat of the heat exchanger is still greater than the superheat threshold, then increase the compressor frequency.

[0080] That is, if the refrigerant is still not completely evaporated in the heat exchanger after the water pump speed is reduced to the first speed, the compressor frequency is increased.

[0081] After increasing the pump speed until the pump speed reaches a second speed and / or the first difference is greater than or equal to the difference threshold, the method further includes the following steps:

[0082] Step S301: If the pump speed increases to the second speed and the first difference is less than the difference threshold, then reduce the compressor frequency.

[0083] If the absolute value of the difference between the superheat of the heat exchanger and the superheat threshold is still less than the difference threshold after the pump speed is increased to the second speed, then the compressor frequency is reduced.

[0084] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a compressor; after increasing the speed of the water pump until the water pump speed reaches a third speed and / or the subcooling degree of the heat exchanger is less than a subcooling degree threshold, the method further includes the following steps:

[0085] Step S401: If the pump speed is increased to the third speed and the subcooling of the heat exchanger is still greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, then increase the compressor speed.

[0086] If the refrigerant still does not exchange heat sufficiently in the heat exchanger after the water pump speed is increased to the third speed, then the compressor speed should be increased.

[0087] After reducing the pump speed until the pump speed reaches the fourth speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, the method further includes the following steps:

[0088] Step S501: If the pump speed is reduced to the fourth speed and the subcooling of the heat exchanger is still less than the subcooling threshold, then reduce the compressor speed.

[0089] That is, if the refrigerant still exchanges heat sufficiently in the heat exchanger after the water pump speed is reduced to the fourth speed, then the compressor speed is reduced.

[0090] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes a compressor, and after increasing the speed of the water pump until the water pump speed reaches a fifth speed and / or the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is greater than an outlet water temperature threshold, the method further includes the following steps:

[0091] Step S601: If the pump speed is increased to the fifth speed and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is still less than or equal to the outlet water temperature threshold, then increase the compressor speed.

[0092] This setting can further ensure that the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is not lower than the outlet water temperature threshold, thereby avoiding the occurrence of ice formation inside the heat exchanger or even the heat exchanger freezing and breaking.

[0093] It should be noted that although the steps in the above embodiments are described in a specific order, those skilled in the art will understand that in order to achieve the effects of the present invention, different steps do not necessarily have to be executed in such an order. They can be executed simultaneously (in parallel) or in other orders, and these variations are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0094] Furthermore, the present invention also provides an air conditioner.

[0095] See appendix Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a main structural block diagram of an air conditioner used to implement the air conditioner control method of the present invention. (See diagram below.) Figure 6 As shown, the present invention also provides an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner 2 includes an air conditioner body, a memory 21, a processor 22, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor 22 executes the computer program, it implements the control method of the air conditioner as described in any of the above method embodiments. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0096] The memory 21 can be an internal storage unit of the air conditioner 2, such as a hard drive or RAM. The memory 21 can also be an external storage device of the air conditioner 2, such as a plug-in hard drive, SmartMediaCard (SMC), SecureDigital (SD) card, or FlashCard. Furthermore, the memory 21 can include both internal and external storage units of the air conditioner 2. The memory 21 is used to store computer programs and other programs and data required by the air conditioner 2. The memory 21 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0097] The processor 22 can be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0098] In some possible implementations, the air conditioner 2 may include multiple memories 21 and multiple processors 22. The program executing the air conditioner control method of the above-described method embodiments can be divided into multiple subroutines, each of which can be loaded and run by a processor 22 to perform different steps of the air conditioner control method of the above-described method embodiments. Specifically, each subroutine can be stored in a different memory 21, and each processor 22 can be configured to execute programs in one or more memories 21 to jointly implement the air conditioner control method of the above-described method embodiments; that is, each processor 22 executes different steps of the air conditioner control method of the above-described method embodiments to jointly implement the air conditioner control method of the above-described method embodiments.

[0099] The aforementioned multiple processors 22 may be processors deployed on the same device, for example, multiple processors 22 may all be processors configured on air conditioner 2; in addition, the aforementioned multiple processors 22 may also be processors deployed on different devices, for example, multiple processors 22 may be processors on air conditioner 2 and processors on cloud server respectively.

[0100] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium. In one embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store a program for executing the air conditioner control method of the above-described method embodiments. This program can be loaded and run by a processor to implement the air conditioner control method described above. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention. The computer-readable storage medium can be a storage device device comprising various electronic devices. Optionally, in the embodiments of the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0101] Furthermore, it should be understood that since the various modules are only provided to illustrate the functional units of the device of the present invention, the physical devices corresponding to these modules may be the processor itself, or a part of the processor's software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Therefore, the number of modules shown in the figures is merely illustrative.

[0102] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various modules in the device can be adaptively split or combined. Such splitting or combining of specific modules will not cause the technical solution to deviate from the principles of the present invention; therefore, the technical solutions after splitting or combining will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0103] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after such changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method of an air conditioner including a heat exchanger including a water outlet, the control method comprising: determining whether a water temperature of the water outlet is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature; and controlling the air conditioner to operate in a heating operation mode when the water temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature. The method includes the following steps: The operating mode of the air conditioner, the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger are obtained. The superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger are compared with a preset threshold, and the air conditioner is controlled to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison result and the working mode of the air conditioner. The air conditioner further includes an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, a heat exchanger, a four-way valve, a variable frequency compressor, a gas-liquid separator, a first heat exchanger, and an electronic expansion valve. The inlet pipe is equipped with a water pump and an inlet water temperature sensor, and the outlet pipe is equipped with an outlet water temperature sensor. The heat exchanger includes an inlet port, an outlet port, a gas port, and a liquid port. The inlet pipe is connected to the inlet port of the heat exchanger, and the outlet pipe is connected to the outlet port of the heat exchanger to facilitate water intake and exhaust. The gas port of the heat exchanger is connected to the E terminal of the four-way valve. The liquid port of the heat exchanger, the electronic expansion valve, the first heat exchanger, and the C terminal of the four-way valve are sequentially connected. The D terminal of the four-way valve, the variable frequency compressor, the gas-liquid separator, and the S terminal of the four-way valve are also sequentially connected. The preset thresholds include a superheat threshold, a subcooling threshold, and an outlet water temperature threshold. The step of "comparing at least one of the superheat of the heat exchanger, the subcooling of the heat exchanger, and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger with the preset thresholds, and controlling the air conditioner to perform corresponding operations based on the comparison results and the air conditioner's operating mode" includes: When the air conditioner is running in cooling mode, the superheat of the heat exchanger is compared with the superheat threshold, and the water pump is controlled to perform a first operation based on the comparison result; And / or, when the air conditioner is running in heating mode, the subcooling degree of the heat exchanger is compared with the subcooling degree threshold and the water pump is controlled to perform a second operation based on the comparison result; And / or, when the air conditioner is operating in defrost mode, the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is compared with the outlet water temperature threshold, and the water pump is controlled to perform a third operation based on the comparison result.

2. The air conditioning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps of "controlling the water pump to perform the first operation based on the comparison results" include: When the superheat of the heat exchanger is greater than the superheat threshold, the speed of the water pump is reduced until the speed of the water pump is a first speed and / or the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the superheat threshold. When the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than the superheat threshold, the speed of the water pump is increased until the speed of the water pump is a second speed and / or a first difference is greater than or equal to a difference threshold, wherein the first difference is the absolute value of the difference between the superheat of the heat exchanger and the superheat threshold.

3. The air conditioning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps of "controlling the water pump to perform a second operation based on the comparison results" include: When the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, the speed of the water pump is increased until the speed of the water pump is the third speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling threshold. When the subcooling of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling threshold, the speed of the water pump is reduced until the speed of the water pump is the fourth speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold.

4. The air conditioning control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps of "controlling the water pump to perform a third operation based on the comparison results" include: When the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the outlet water temperature threshold, the speed of the water pump is increased until the speed of the water pump reaches the fifth speed and / or the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is greater than the outlet water temperature threshold.

5. The air conditioning control method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air conditioner further includes a compressor, and the method further includes, after reducing the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump is a first speed and / or the superheat of the heat exchanger is less than or equal to the superheat threshold: If the pump speed is reduced to the first speed and the superheat of the heat exchanger is still greater than the superheat threshold, then the compressor frequency is increased. After increasing the pump speed until the pump speed reaches a second speed and / or the first difference is greater than or equal to a difference threshold, the method further includes: If the speed of the water pump increases to the second speed and the first difference is less than the difference threshold, then the frequency of the compressor is reduced.

6. The air conditioning control method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air conditioner also includes a compressor, and after increasing the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump reaches a third speed and / or the subcooling degree of the heat exchanger is less than the subcooling degree threshold, the method further includes: If the pump speed is increased to the third speed and the subcooling of the heat exchanger is still greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, then the compressor frequency is increased. After reducing the pump speed until the pump speed reaches a fourth speed and / or the subcooling of the heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the subcooling threshold, the method further includes: If the pump speed is reduced to the fourth speed and the subcooling of the heat exchanger is still less than the subcooling threshold, then the compressor frequency is reduced.

7. The air conditioning control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The air conditioner also includes a compressor, and after increasing the speed of the water pump until the speed of the water pump reaches a fifth speed and / or the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is greater than the outlet water temperature threshold, the method further includes: If the pump speed is increased to the fifth speed and the outlet water temperature of the heat exchanger is still less than or equal to the outlet water temperature threshold, then the compressor frequency is increased.

8. An air conditioner, comprising an air conditioner body, a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the air conditioning control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A readable storage medium storing a plurality of program codes, characterized in that, The program code is adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the air conditioning control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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