air conditioner

Abstract

The present invention discloses an air conditioner, comprising: a compressor; an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger; a four-way valve; and a liquid storage device comprising: a liquid storage tank, a first tube, a second tube, and a third tube. The liquid storage tank is provided with a liquid storage cavity, one end of the first tube extends into the liquid storage cavity, one end of the second tube is connected to the liquid storage cavity, one end of the second tube is arranged opposite to the first tube, and one end of the third tube extends into the liquid storage cavity. When refrigerant enters the liquid storage cavity from the first tube and is discharged from the third tube, the liquid storage cavity stores refrigerant during cooling; when refrigerant enters the liquid storage cavity from the third tube and is discharged from the first tube, the liquid storage cavity stores refrigerant during heating. In this way, the optimal refrigerant amount for intermediate and low loads of the air conditioner for cooling or heating can be tested, and the refrigerant amount required by the air conditioner during intermediate and low loads can be adjusted, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the intermediate and low loads, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular to an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] At present, the proportion of variable frequency air conditioners is increasing. Variable frequency air conditioners use seasonal energy efficiency, and seasonal energy efficiency requires testing of intermediate loads (cooling and heating). Some models also need to test minimum loads (cooling and heating). In the seasonal energy efficiency formula, the energy efficiency of intermediate loads and minimum loads has a greater weight. In order to improve energy efficiency, the heat exchange area of ​​the air conditioner heat exchanger is increased. As the heat exchanger is increased, the refrigerant flow path becomes longer, and the process resistance loss increases, resulting in greater capacity loss. In addition, the pressure difference during intermediate load and low load operation is small, and the flow rate becomes slower, resulting in greater capacity loss.

[0003] In the related art, one or more liquid storage devices are added to the air conditioner. The liquid storage device includes an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and a liquid storage tank. During cooling, the refrigerant enters the liquid storage device from the inlet pipe and exits from the outlet pipe. If it is heating, the refrigerant enters from the outlet pipe and exits from the inlet pipe. However, during cooling, due to the influence of gravity, the refrigerant cannot be stored at all. During heating, after the refrigerant cools, part of the refrigerant evaporates into gas. Under the influence of gravity, the liquid is at the bottom and the gas is at the top. The gas is absorbed first, and the volume of the gas is at least 40 times that of the liquid, resulting in a serious reduction in the unit flow rate of the refrigerant circulation and a deterioration in the unit heat exchange capacity. Directly connecting the liquid storage device to the pipe cannot accurately control the refrigerant amount, and the energy efficiency of the air conditioner is not significantly improved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides an air conditioner that can detect the optimal amount of refrigerant circulating during intermediate and low load conditions for cooling or heating, and can also adjust the refrigerant amount required by the air conditioner during these intermediate and low load conditions, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the air conditioner during these intermediate and low load conditions, thereby improving the product energy efficiency of the air conditioner.

[0005] The air conditioner according to the present invention includes: a compressor for compressing low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharging it to the condenser; an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, wherein one works for the condenser and the other works for the evaporator; a four-way valve for controlling the flow direction of the refrigerant so that the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger are switched between serving as the condenser and the evaporator; the air conditioner also includes: a liquid storage device, the liquid storage device includes: a liquid storage tank, a first tube body, a second tube body and a third tube body, the liquid storage tank is provided with a liquid storage cavity, one end of the first tube body extends into the liquid storage cavity and the other end is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, one end of the second tube body is connected to the liquid storage tank and communicates with the liquid storage cavity, and the second tube body One end is arranged opposite to the first tube body and the other end is connected to the indoor heat exchanger, one end of the third tube body extends into the liquid storage cavity and the other end is connected to the indoor heat exchanger, and the third tube body is spaced apart from the second tube body; wherein, when the refrigerant enters the liquid storage cavity from the first tube body and is discharged from the third tube body, the liquid storage cavity is used to store the refrigerant during the cooling operation of the air conditioner, so that the air conditioner performs a load test during the cooling operation according to the stored refrigerant; when the refrigerant enters the liquid storage cavity from the third tube body and is discharged from the first tube body, the liquid storage cavity is used to store the refrigerant during the heating operation of the air conditioner, so that the air conditioner performs a load test during the heating operation according to the stored refrigerant.

[0006] According to the air conditioner of the present invention, the first tube body, the second tube body and the third tube body are provided on the liquid storage device, and the opening and closing of the second tube body and the third tube body are controlled so that the refrigerant can be stored in the liquid storage cavity, so that the optimal amount of refrigerant participating in the circulation when the air conditioner is in intermediate load and low load for cooling or heating can be tested, and the amount of refrigerant required by the air conditioner at intermediate load and low load can be adjusted, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the intermediate load and low load, thereby improving the product energy efficiency of the air conditioner, and also improving the energy efficiency of the low load operation when the air conditioner is in normal operation for cooling and heating, thereby achieving product energy saving.

[0007] In some examples of the present invention, the air conditioner further includes: a first valve body and a second valve body, the first valve body is arranged at the second pipe body to control the on and off of the second pipe body, and the second valve body is arranged at the third pipe body to control the on and off of the third pipe body.

[0008] In some examples of the present invention, the maximum depth of the first tube extending into the liquid storage cavity is H1, and the value range of H1 is: H-(V 热 / S) 热 ​is the volume of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity at the intermediate heating load or the lowest heating load, and S is the bottom area of ​​the liquid storage cavity.

[0009] In some examples of the present invention, the maximum depth of the third tube extending into the liquid storage cavity is H2, and the value range of H2 is: (V 冷 / S)<H2<H;wherein, V 冷 The volume of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity at the intermediate refrigeration load or the lowest refrigeration load.

[0010] In some examples of the present invention, the air conditioner further includes: a throttling device, wherein the throttling device is arranged between the indoor heat exchanger and the liquid storage device; or, the throttling device is arranged between the outdoor heat exchanger and the liquid storage device.

[0011] In some examples of the present invention, the air conditioner further includes: a controller, wherein the controller is configured to: detect whether the air conditioner is in a test mode, in which the air conditioner is used to test the optimal refrigerant amount under different loads; when it is determined that the air conditioner is in the test mode, further determine whether the liquid storage chamber is used to store the refrigerant during the heating operation process or the cooling operation process of the air conditioner; when the liquid storage chamber is used to store the refrigerant during the heating operation process or the cooling operation process of the air conditioner, control the first valve body to close, and control the second valve body to open.

[0012] In some examples of the present invention, the controller is further configured to: when it is determined that the air conditioner is in the test mode but the liquid storage chamber is not used to store refrigerant, control the first valve body to open and control the second valve body to close.

[0013] In some examples of the present invention, the controller is further configured to: when it is determined that the air conditioner is not in the test mode, further determine whether the air conditioner is in the cooling operation state or the heating operation state; when in the cooling operation state or the heating operation state, detect the operating frequency f of the air conditioner, and determine whether the operating frequency f is consistent with the preset frequency f 设 When it is determined that the operating frequency f exceeds the preset frequency f 设 When the first valve body is controlled to open, the second valve body is controlled to close.

[0014] In some examples of the present invention, the controller is further configured to: when it is determined that the operating frequency f does not exceed the preset frequency f 设 When the first valve body is controlled to be closed, the second valve body is controlled to be opened.

[0015] In some examples of the present invention, the controller is further configured to: when it is determined that the air conditioner is not in a cooling operation state or a heating operation state, control the first valve body to open, and control the second valve body to close.

[0016] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned by practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection of an air conditioner with multiple refrigerants according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 2. This is a connection diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention when heating with multiple refrigerants;

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the liquid storage device;

[0021] Figure 4 is a control block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Reference numerals:

[0023] 1. Air conditioner;

[0024] 10. Compressor; 20. Outdoor heat exchanger; 30. Four-way valve; 40. Liquid storage device; 41. Liquid storage tank; 42. First tube body; 43. Second tube body; 44. Third tube body; 45. Liquid storage chamber; 50. First valve body; 60. Second valve body; 70. Throttling device; 80. Indoor heat exchanger. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. The embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary. The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0026] Reference below Figure 1-Figure 4 An air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0027] Air conditioner 1 includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor and outdoor units are connected by piping to transmit refrigerant. The indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger 80 and an indoor fan. The outdoor unit includes a compressor 10, a four-way valve 30, an outdoor heat exchanger 20, an outdoor fan, and an expansion valve. The compressor 10, outdoor heat exchanger 20, expansion valve, and indoor heat exchanger 80, connected in sequence, form a refrigerant circuit. The refrigerant circulates within this refrigerant circuit, exchanging heat with the air through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80, respectively, to achieve cooling or heating mode for the air conditioner 1.

[0028] The compressor 10 is configured to compress the refrigerant so that the low-pressure refrigerant is compressed to form a high-pressure refrigerant.

[0029] The outdoor heat exchanger 20 is configured to exchange heat between outdoor air and the refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 20. For example, in the cooling mode of the air conditioner 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 operates as a condenser, causing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 10 to condense by dissipating heat to the outdoor air through the outdoor heat exchanger 20. In the heating mode of the air conditioner 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 operates as an evaporator, causing the decompressed refrigerant to absorb heat from the outdoor air through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and evaporate.

[0030] In some embodiments, the outdoor heat exchanger 20 further includes heat exchange fins to expand the contact area between the outdoor air and the refrigerant transmitted in the outdoor heat exchanger 20, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the outdoor air and the refrigerant.

[0031] The outdoor fan is configured to draw outdoor air into the outdoor unit through the second air inlet of the outdoor unit and send the outdoor air after heat exchange with the outdoor heat exchanger 20 out through the third air outlet of the outdoor unit. The outdoor fan provides power for the flow of outdoor air.

[0032] The expansion valve is connected between the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80. The expansion valve's opening adjusts the refrigerant pressure flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80, thereby regulating the refrigerant flow rate between the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80. The flow rate and pressure of the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80 affect the heat exchange performance of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80. The expansion valve can be an electronic valve. Its opening is adjustable to control the flow rate and pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the expansion valve.

[0033] The four-way valve 30 is connected to the refrigerant circuit and is configured to switch the flow direction of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit so that the air conditioner 1 performs a cooling mode or a heating mode.

[0034] The indoor heat exchanger 80 is configured to exchange heat between indoor air and the refrigerant flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 80. For example, in the cooling mode of the air conditioner 1, the indoor heat exchanger 80 operates as an evaporator, so that the refrigerant, after dissipating heat through the outdoor heat exchanger 20, evaporates by absorbing heat from the indoor air through the indoor heat exchanger 80. In the heating mode of the air conditioner 1, the indoor heat exchanger 80 operates as a condenser, so that the refrigerant, after absorbing heat through the outdoor heat exchanger 20, condenses by dissipating the heat to the indoor air through the indoor heat exchanger 80.

[0035] In some embodiments, the indoor heat exchanger 80 further includes heat exchange fins to expand the contact area between the indoor air and the refrigerant transmitted in the indoor heat exchanger 80, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency between the indoor air and the refrigerant.

[0036] The indoor fan is configured to draw indoor air into the indoor unit through the third air inlet of the indoor unit and send the indoor air, which has exchanged heat with the indoor heat exchanger 80, out through the fourth air outlet of the indoor unit. The indoor fan provides power for the flow of indoor air.

[0037] Air conditioner 1 also includes a control device. The control device is configured to control the operating frequency of compressor 10, the opening of the expansion valve, and the speed of the outdoor and indoor fans. The control device is connected to compressor 10, the expansion valve, the outdoor and indoor fans via data cables for communication.

[0038] The control device includes a processor. The processor may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor (microprocessor), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and may be configured to perform the corresponding operations described in the control device when the processor executes a program stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the control device. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include a magnetic storage device (e.g., a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a magnetic tape), a smart card, or a flash memory device (e.g., an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a card, a stick, or a keyboard drive).

[0039] Combining the above, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the air conditioner 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a compressor 10, an outdoor heat exchanger 20, an indoor heat exchanger 80 and a four-way valve 30. The compressor 10 is mainly used to compress the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser. Among them, one of the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80 works as a condenser, and the other works as an evaporator to control the flow direction of the refrigerant, and the four-way valve 30 can switch the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the indoor heat exchanger 80 between the condenser and the evaporator. In this way, the air conditioner 1 can work in different modes.

[0040] In addition, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the air conditioner 1 also includes: a liquid storage device 40, which can be mainly used to store refrigerant. It can be understood that when the air conditioner 1 is at an intermediate load and a low load, the amount of refrigerant it requires is lower than the total amount of refrigerant in the air conditioner 1. This will result in an excessive amount of refrigerant at the intermediate load and the lowest load, a maximum condensing temperature and an excessively low evaporating temperature, resulting in low energy efficiency at the intermediate load and the lowest load. The liquid storage device 40 can store a portion of the refrigerant when the air conditioner 1 is at an intermediate load and a low load, ensuring that the optimal amount of refrigerant is involved in the circulation of the air conditioner 1 at the intermediate load and the low load.

[0041] Specifically, if Figure 3 As shown, the liquid storage device 40 includes: a liquid storage tank 41, a first tube body 42, a second tube body 43 and a third tube body 44. The liquid storage tank 41 is provided with a liquid storage cavity 45. The liquid storage tank 41 is the main part of the liquid storage device 40, and a liquid storage cavity 45 can be formed inside. It is mainly used to store refrigerant, and one of the first tube body 42, the second tube body 43 and the third tube body 44 is used for liquid inlet, and the other one of the first tube body 42, the second tube body 43 and the third tube body 44 is used for liquid outlet. The refrigerant enters the liquid storage cavity 45 from one of the first tube body 42, the second tube body 43 and the third tube body 44, and then the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity 45 is discharged from the other one of the first tube body 42, the second tube body 43 and the third tube body 44.

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, one end of the first tube body 42 extends into the liquid storage cavity 45, and the other end of the first tube body 42 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 20, one end of the second tube body 43 is connected to the liquid storage tank 41, and one end of the second tube body 43 is communicated with the liquid storage cavity 45, one end of the second tube body 43 is arranged opposite to the first tube body 42, and the other end of the second tube body 43 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 80, one end of the third tube body 44 extends into the liquid storage cavity 45, and the other end of the third tube body 44 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 80, and the third tube body 44 is spaced apart from the second tube body 43.

[0043] It should be noted that the first tube 42 is connected to the upper end of the liquid storage tank 41, while the second tube 43 and the third tube 44 are connected to the lower end of the liquid storage tank 41. Specifically, when the air conditioner 1 is operating normally, that is, cooling and heating normally, when the air conditioner 1 is cooling and does not need to store liquid in the liquid storage tank 41, the refrigerant first enters the liquid storage chamber 45 from the first tube 42. At this time, the second tube 43 is opened and the third tube 44 is closed, and the refrigerant is discharged directly from the second tube 43 due to gravity. When the air conditioner 1 is heating and does not need to store liquid in the liquid storage tank 41, the second tube 43 is opened and the third tube 44 is closed. The refrigerant enters the liquid storage chamber 45 from the second tube 43 under the action of force. Moreover, because one end of the second tube 43 is arranged opposite to the first tube 42, the refrigerant can enter the first tube 42 under the action of force at the moment of being discharged from the second tube 43, and can then be discharged through the first tube 42. In this way, normal cooling and heating of the air conditioner 1 can be achieved.

[0044] Among them, when the refrigerant enters the liquid storage chamber 45 from the first tube body 42 and is discharged from the third tube body 44, the liquid storage chamber 45 is used to store the refrigerant during the cooling operation of the air conditioner 1, so that the air conditioner 1 performs a load test during the cooling operation according to the stored refrigerant. When the refrigerant enters the liquid storage chamber 45 from the third tube body 44 and is discharged from the first tube body 42, the liquid storage chamber 45 is used to store the refrigerant during the heating operation of the air conditioner 1, so that the air conditioner 1 performs a load test during the heating operation according to the stored refrigerant.

[0045] That is to say, when the air conditioner 1 needs to store refrigerant during the cooling operation, the refrigerant enters the liquid storage chamber 45 from the first tube body 42. At this time, the second tube body 43 is closed and the third tube body 44 is opened. Part of the refrigerant can be stored in the liquid storage chamber 45. At the same time, if the air conditioner 1 is undergoing a cooling intermediate load test or a minimum load test, the total refrigerant amount of the air conditioner 1 minus the refrigerant amount stored in the liquid storage chamber 45 is the optimal refrigerant amount participating in the circulation at intermediate load and low load when the air conditioner 1 is cooling.

[0046] Similarly, when the air conditioner 1 needs to store refrigerant during heating operation, the second tube 43 is closed and the third tube 44 is opened, and the refrigerant enters the liquid storage chamber 45 from the third tube 44, and part of the refrigerant can be stored in the liquid storage chamber 45. At the same time, if the air conditioner 1 is in the intermediate load test or the minimum load test for heating, the total refrigerant amount of the air conditioner 1 minus the refrigerant amount stored in the liquid storage chamber 45 is the optimal refrigerant amount participating in the circulation at intermediate load and low load when the air conditioner 1 is heating.

[0047] Thus, by providing a first pipe 42, a second pipe 43, and a third pipe 44 on the liquid storage device 40, and by controlling the opening and closing of the second pipe 43 and the third pipe 44, the refrigerant can be stored in the liquid storage chamber 45, so that the optimal amount of refrigerant participating in the cycle during the intermediate load and low load of the air conditioner 1 for refrigeration or heating can be measured, and the amount of refrigerant required by the air conditioner 1 during the intermediate load and low load can be adjusted, improving the energy efficiency of the intermediate load and low load, further improving the product energy efficiency of the air conditioner 1, and also improving the energy efficiency of the low load operation during the normal operation of the air conditioner 1 for refrigeration and heating, thereby achieving product energy conservation.

[0048] Of course, as Figure 3 shown, the air conditioner 1 further includes: a first valve body 50 and a second valve body 60. The first valve body 50 is provided at the second pipe 43 to control the on / off of the second pipe 43, and the second valve body 60 is provided at the third pipe 44 to control the on / off of the third pipe 44. Both the first valve body 50 and the second valve body 60 can function to control the on / off. By setting the first valve body 50 at the second pipe 43, the first valve body 50 can control the on / off of the second pipe 43. By setting the second valve body 60 at the third pipe 44, the second valve body 60 can control the on / off of the third pipe 44. In this way, the normal operation mode of the air conditioner 1 can be realized, and it can be ensured that the air conditioner 1 can normally perform load testing.

[0049] Among them, as Figure 3 shown, the maximum depth of the first pipe 42 extending into the liquid storage chamber 45 is H1, and the value range of H1 is: H - (V_heat / S) < H1 < H, where H is the maximum depth in the liquid storage chamber 45, V_heat is the volume of the refrigerant corresponding in the liquid storage chamber 45 during the intermediate load or the lowest load of heating, and S is the bottom area of the liquid storage chamber 45. It can be understood that V_heat / S is the depth of the refrigerant in the liquid storage chamber 45 during the intermediate load or the lowest load of heating of the air conditioner 1, and H1 > H - (V_heat / S), that is, the first pipe 42 at least extends into the refrigerant in the liquid storage chamber 45 at this time. In this way, when the air conditioner 1 is heating and there is no need to store the refrigerant, the refrigerant can still enter the first pipe 42 from the second pipe 43 under the action of force. When the air conditioner 1 is heating and needs to store the refrigerant, the refrigerant enters the liquid storage chamber 45 through the third pipe 44, but cannot immediately enter the first pipe 42. In this way, the refrigerant will only be gradually stored in the liquid storage chamber 45, ensuring the effectiveness of the liquid storage of the liquid storage device 40. Of course, H1 < H, so that there can be a certain gap between the first pipe 42 and the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 45, enabling the refrigerant to normally flow between the first pipe 42 and the liquid storage chamber 45.

[0050] In addition, the maximum depth of the third tube body 44 extending into the liquid storage cavity 45 is H2, and the value range of H2 is: (V_cold / S) < H2 < H, where V_cold is the volume of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity 45 at the refrigeration intermediate load or the lowest load. It can be understood that V_cold / S is the depth of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity 45 at the refrigeration intermediate load or the lowest load of the air conditioner 1, and H2 > (V_cold / S). That is to say, the depth of the third tube body 44 extending into the liquid storage cavity 45 is higher than the height of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity 45 at this time. In this way, when the air conditioner 1 is refrigerating and there is no need to store the refrigerant, the refrigerant can still directly enter the second tube body 43 from the first tube body 42 under the action of gravity, but cannot enter the third tube body 44. When the air conditioner 1 is heating and needs to store the refrigerant, the refrigerant enters the liquid storage cavity 45 through the third tube body 44. Since the depth of the third tube body 44 extending into the liquid storage cavity 45 is always higher than the height of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity 45, the refrigerant can be stored in the liquid storage cavity 45, ensuring the effectiveness of the liquid storage of the liquid storage device 40. Of course, H2 < H, so that there can be a certain gap between the third tube body 44 and the top of the liquid storage cavity 45, enabling the refrigerant to circulate normally between the third tube body 44 and the liquid storage cavity 45.

[0051] Furthermore, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the air conditioner 1 further includes: a throttling device 70, and the throttling device 70 is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 80 and the liquid storage device 40, or the throttling device 70 is disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the liquid storage device 40. It should be noted that after the refrigerant is cooled by the heat exchanger and before the throttling device 70, at this time, the pressure of the refrigerant is high, the density of the refrigerant is high, and the vaporization of the liquid is less, so the volume of the liquid storage tank 41 required to store the refrigerant is small. Therefore, when the air conditioner 1 refrigerates and stores a large amount of refrigerant, the throttling device 70 can be disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 80 and the liquid storage device 40. If the air conditioner 1 heats and stores a large amount of refrigerant, the throttling device 70 can be disposed between the outdoor heat exchanger 20 and the liquid storage device 40. Of course, if it is a single-cooling machine, the throttling device 70 can also be disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 80 and the liquid storage device 40. In this way, it can be ensured that when the air conditioner 1 refrigerates and heats, the liquid storage tank 41 can store enough refrigerant, meeting the best refrigerant volume participating in the cycle at the refrigeration and heating intermediate loads and low loads of the air conditioner 1.

[0052] In addition, as Figure 4 shown, the air conditioner 1 further includes: a controller, and the controller is configured to:

[0053] S1. Detect whether the air conditioner 1 is in test mode. In test mode, the air conditioner 1 is used to test the optimal refrigerant quantity under different loads. That is, when the air conditioner 1 is in test mode, the air conditioner 1 can test the optimal refrigerant quantity under rated load, and can also test the optimal refrigerant quantity under intermediate load and low load.

[0054] S11. When it is determined that the air conditioner 1 is in the test mode, it is further determined whether the liquid storage chamber 45 is used to store refrigerant during the heating operation or the cooling operation of the air conditioner 1. That is, after first determining that the air conditioner 1 is in the test mode, it is also necessary to determine whether the liquid storage chamber 45 is used to store refrigerant during the heating operation or the cooling operation of the air conditioner 1. In combination with the above, it can be understood that when the liquid storage chamber 45 is used to store refrigerant during the heating operation or the cooling operation of the air conditioner 1, the air conditioner 1 can test the optimal refrigerant amount under intermediate load and low load. In this way, it is necessary to further determine whether the air conditioner 1 has tested the optimal refrigerant amount under intermediate load and low load.

[0055] S111. When the liquid storage chamber 45 is used to store refrigerant during the heating operation or cooling operation of the air conditioner 1, the first valve body 50 is controlled to be closed, and the second valve body 60 is controlled to be opened. Continuing from the above, the liquid storage chamber 45 is used to store refrigerant during the heating operation or cooling operation of the air conditioner 1, that is, the air conditioner 1 tests the optimal refrigerant amount under intermediate load and low load. At this time, the first valve body 50 is controlled to be closed, and the second valve body 60 is controlled to be opened, and the liquid storage chamber 45 is stored. After the refrigerant is stored in the liquid storage chamber 45, the total refrigerant amount of the air conditioner 1 is then subtracted from the refrigerant amount stored in the liquid storage chamber 45, which is the optimal refrigerant amount participating in the circulation under intermediate load and low load of the air conditioner 1.

[0056] Of course, if Figure 4 As shown, the controller is also configured to:

[0057] S112: When it is determined that the air conditioner 1 is in the test mode but the liquid storage chamber 45 is not used to store refrigerant, the first valve body 50 is controlled to open and the second valve body 60 is controlled to close. In other words, when the air conditioner 1 is in the test mode but is used to test the optimal refrigerant quantity under non-intermediate load and low load conditions, the liquid storage chamber 45 is not required to store refrigerant. Therefore, the first valve body 50 is controlled to open and the second valve body 60 is controlled to close, and the refrigerant circulates normally. For example, the optimal refrigerant quantity under the rated load can be tested.

[0058] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, the controller is also configured to:

[0059] S12: When it is determined that the air conditioner 1 is not in the test mode, further determine whether the air conditioner 1 is in the cooling operation state or the heating operation state. In other words, the air conditioner 1 is in the normal operation mode, and the normal operation of the air conditioner 1 includes different operation states such as cooling, heating, dehumidification, and ventilation. In this case, it is necessary to further determine whether the air conditioner 1 is in the cooling operation state or the heating operation state.

[0060] S121. When in the cooling operation state or the heating operation state, the operating frequency f of the air conditioner 1 is detected, and the relationship between the operating frequency f and the preset frequency f is determined. It should be noted that the operating frequency of the air conditioner 1 is the frequency of the air conditioner 1 during actual operation, and the preset frequency is the preset operating frequency of the air conditioner 1. By comparing the operating frequency of the air conditioner 1 with the preset frequency, the actual amount of refrigerant involved in the circulation can be determined.

[0061] S1211. When it is determined that the operating frequency f exceeds the preset frequency fset, the first valve body 50 is controlled to open, and the second valve body 60 is controlled to close. It is understandable that when the operating frequency exceeds the preset frequency, that is, the actual operating frequency of the air conditioner 1 is relatively high, the amount of refrigerant actually participating in the circulation needs to be sufficient. Therefore, the liquid storage chamber 45 is not required to store the refrigerant. Therefore, the first valve body 50 is controlled to open, and the second valve body 60 is controlled to close, so that the refrigerant can flow normally between the first tube body 42 and the second tube body 43.

[0062] Further, if Figure 4 As shown, the controller is also configured to:

[0063] S1212: When it is determined that the operating frequency f does not exceed the preset frequency fset, the first valve body 50 is controlled to close, and the second valve body 60 is controlled to open. Conversely, when the operating frequency does not exceed the preset frequency, that is, the actual operating frequency of the air conditioner 1 is relatively low, the amount of refrigerant actually participating in the circulation does not need to be sufficient. Therefore, the liquid storage chamber 45 is required to store some refrigerant, so the first valve body 50 is controlled to close, and the second valve body 60 is controlled to open, so that some refrigerant can be stored in the liquid storage chamber 45.

[0064] In addition, Figure 4 As shown, the controller is also configured to:

[0065] S122. When it is determined that the air conditioner 1 is not in the cooling or heating operating state, the first valve body 50 is controlled to open, and the second valve body 60 is controlled to close. In other words, when the air conditioner 1 is in other operating states, the refrigerant circulates normally, and the liquid storage chamber 45 is not required to store the refrigerant. Therefore, the first valve body 50 can be controlled to open, and the second valve body 60 can be controlled to close, to ensure normal operation of the air conditioner 1 in other operating states.

[0066] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0067] In the description of the present invention, "first feature" and "second feature" may include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more. In the description of the present invention, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may also include the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact via another feature between them. In the description of the present invention, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature.

[0068] Throughout this specification, reference to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0069] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising: The compressor is used to compress the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant gas into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas and discharge it to the condenser; An outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, wherein one works as a condenser and the other works as an evaporator; A four-way valve is used to control the flow direction of the refrigerant so that the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger can be switched between serving as a condenser and an evaporator; Characterized in that the air conditioner further comprises: A liquid storage device, the liquid storage device comprising: a liquid storage tank, a first tube body, a second tube body, and a third tube body, the liquid storage tank being provided with a liquid storage cavity, one end of the first tube body extending into the liquid storage cavity and the other end being connected to the outdoor heat exchanger, one end of the second tube body being connected to the liquid storage tank and communicating with the liquid storage cavity, one end of the second tube body being arranged opposite to the first tube body and the other end being connected to the indoor heat exchanger, one end of the third tube body extending into the liquid storage cavity and the other end being connected to the indoor heat exchanger, the third tube body being spaced apart from the second tube body; When the refrigerant enters the liquid storage cavity from the first tube body and is discharged from the third tube body, the liquid storage cavity is used to store the refrigerant during the cooling operation of the air conditioner, so that the air conditioner can perform a load test during the cooling operation according to the stored refrigerant. When the refrigerant enters the liquid storage chamber from the third tube and is discharged from the first tube, the liquid storage chamber is used to store the refrigerant during the heating operation of the air conditioner, so that the air conditioner can perform a load test during the heating operation according to the stored refrigerant; The maximum depth of the first tube extending into the liquid storage cavity is H1, and the value range of H1 is: H-(Vheat / S)<H1<H; Wherein, H is the maximum depth of the liquid storage cavity, Vheat is the volume of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity at the intermediate heating load or the lowest heating load, and S is the bottom area of ​​the liquid storage cavity.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A first valve body and a second valve body, wherein the first valve body is arranged at the second tube body to control the on-off of the second tube body, and the second valve body is arranged at the third tube body to control the on-off of the third tube body.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that The maximum depth of the third tube extending into the liquid storage cavity is H2, and the value range of H2 is: (V 冷 / S)<H2<H; Among them, V 冷 The volume of the refrigerant in the liquid storage cavity at the intermediate refrigeration load or the lowest refrigeration load.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: a throttling device, the throttling device being arranged between the indoor heat exchanger and the liquid storage device; Alternatively, the throttling device is arranged between the outdoor heat exchanger and the liquid storage device.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: A controller configured to: detecting whether the air conditioner is in a test mode, in which the air conditioner is used to test an optimal refrigerant amount under different loads; When it is determined that the air conditioner is in the test mode, further determining whether the liquid storage chamber is used to store refrigerant during the heating operation or the cooling operation of the air conditioner; When the liquid storage chamber is used to store refrigerant during the heating operation or the cooling operation of the air conditioner, the first valve body is controlled to be closed, and the second valve body is controlled to be opened.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that The controller is further configured to: When it is determined that the air conditioner is in the test mode but the liquid storage chamber is not used to store refrigerant, the first valve body is controlled to open and the second valve body is controlled to close.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that The controller is further configured to: When it is determined that the air conditioner is not in the test mode, further determining whether the air conditioner is in a cooling operation state or a heating operation state; When in cooling operation state or heating operation state, the operating frequency f of the air conditioner is detected, and the operating frequency f is compared with the preset frequency f. 设 the relationship between; When it is determined that the operating frequency f exceeds the preset frequency f 设 When the first valve body is controlled to open, the second valve body is controlled to close.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that The controller is further configured to: When it is determined that the operating frequency f does not exceed the preset frequency f 设 When the first valve body is controlled to be closed, the second valve body is controlled to be opened.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that The controller is further configured to: When it is determined that the air conditioner is not in the cooling operation state or the heating operation state, the first valve body is controlled to open, and the second valve body is controlled to close.

Images