Refrigerant leak handling methods, operation control devices, and multi-split air conditioning systems

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for handling refrigerant leaks in a multi-split air conditioner, an operation control device, and an air conditioner. The multi-split air conditioner includes multiple indoor units. The method includes: collecting refrigerant concentration measurements from the multiple indoor units at first preset time intervals; determining a refrigerant concentration for each indoor unit based on the refrigerant concentration measurements; identifying the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leak risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leak risk; and determining whether the multi-split air conditioner has a refrigerant leak risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leak risk. The refrigerant leak risk assessment for multi-split air conditioners considers both the changing trends of the refrigerant concentration measurements from multiple indoor units and the comparison of refrigerant concentration measurements between the multiple indoor units, effectively improving the accuracy of refrigerant leak assessment and reducing the probability of abnormal shutdowns.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and in particular to a method for handling refrigerant leakage in a multi-split air conditioner, an operation control device, and the multi-split air conditioner itself. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with increasingly stringent requirements for environmentally friendly refrigerants, the usage rate of R32 refrigerant is gradually rising. However, due to the flammable and explosive nature of R32 refrigerant, air conditioners using this refrigerant must implement appropriate leak prevention measures. Conventional air conditioners simply place a refrigerant leak detection sensor in the indoor unit. When the refrigerant leak reaches a certain amount, the corresponding protective control of the air conditioner is triggered to prevent the leak from gradually increasing.

[0003] For multi-split air conditioning systems, each indoor unit is typically equipped with a corresponding refrigerant detection sensor. The system then triggers its corresponding protection controls based on whether the refrigerant concentration reaches a preset threshold. However, this approach, where each indoor unit only monitors its own refrigerant concentration, makes the system's leak-proof measures prone to false triggering, leading to frequent and unexpected shutdowns. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a refrigerant leakage handling method, operation control device and air conditioner for multi-split air conditioners, which can improve the accuracy of refrigerant leakage judgment of multi-split air conditioners and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for handling refrigerant leakage in a multi-split air conditioning system, the multi-split air conditioning system comprising multiple indoor units, the method comprising:

[0006] The refrigerant concentration of multiple indoor units is measured at first preset time intervals;

[0007] The refrigerant concentration for each indoor unit is determined based on the measured refrigerant concentration.

[0008] Based on the refrigerant concentration of each indoor unit, the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is identified;

[0009] The risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split air conditioner is determined based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit where the risk of refrigerant leakage is greatest.

[0010] The refrigerant leakage handling method for multi-split air conditioners provided by the embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: For each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by the refrigerant measurement concentration obtained at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in previous collection cycles, so that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit; on this basis, the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is determined from all the indoor units based on the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit; finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is used to determine whether there is a refrigerant leakage risk in the multi-split air conditioner. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split air conditioner consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split air conditioner and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, the step of determining the refrigerant concentration for each indoor unit based on the measured refrigerant concentration includes:

[0012] Compare the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle for each indoor unit with the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle.

[0013] If the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is greater than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle, the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is determined as the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerant leakage handling method further includes: if the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in the current cycle is less than the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in the previous cycle, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit remains unchanged.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, the indoor unit with the greatest risk of refrigerant leakage is the indoor unit with the highest determined refrigerant concentration among all the indoor units.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, the step of determining whether the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk includes:

[0017] When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage exceeds a preset concentration threshold, it is determined that the multi-split air conditioner has a risk of refrigerant leakage.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, the step of determining whether the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk includes:

[0019] When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage exceeds the preset concentration threshold, the number of leakage detections is incremented by one.

[0020] If the number of leakage detections exceeds a preset threshold, it is determined that the multi-split air conditioner has a refrigerant leakage risk.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the greatest risk of refrigerant leakage is less than a preset concentration threshold, the number of leakage judgments is reset to zero.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split unit, the multi-split unit is shut down.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, the refrigerant concentration determination is effective for a second preset time period.

[0024] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an operation control device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. The processor executes the program to implement the refrigerant leakage handling method described in the first aspect embodiment above.

[0025] The operation control device provided by the embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: For each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by the refrigerant measurement concentration obtained at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in the previous collection cycle, so that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit. On this basis, the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is determined from all the indoor units based on the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit. Finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is used to determine whether there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split system. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split system consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split system and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0026] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a multi-unit air conditioner, including the operation control device described in the second aspect of the embodiments above.

[0027] The multi-split air conditioner provided by the embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: For each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by measuring the refrigerant concentration at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in previous collection cycles. This ensures that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit. On this basis, the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is determined from all the indoor units based on the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit. Finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is used to determine whether the multi-split air conditioner has a risk of refrigerant leakage. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split air conditioner consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split air conditioner and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0028] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the refrigerant leakage handling method described in the first aspect embodiment above.

[0029] The computer-readable storage medium provided according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: For each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by measuring the refrigerant concentration at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in previous collection cycles, so that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit. On this basis, the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is determined from all indoor units based on the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit. Finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is used to determine whether there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split system. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split system consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split system and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0030] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims, and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The accompanying drawings are provided to further understand the technical solutions of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to explain the technical solutions of the present invention, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of the present invention.

[0032] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments;

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the multi-split air conditioner provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a refrigerant leakage handling method for multi-split air conditioners provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Detailed flowchart of step S220 in the process;

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Detailed flowchart of step S240 in the process;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a refrigerant leakage handling method for a multi-split air conditioner provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the operation control device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," "exceeding," etc. are understood to exclude the stated number, "above," "below," "within," etc. are understood to include the stated number, "at least one" refers to one or more, "at least one of the following" and similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. Where "first" and "second" are used in the description, they are only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or the order of the indicated technical features.

[0041] It should be noted that the terms "setting," "installing," and "connecting" in the embodiments of this invention should be interpreted broadly. Those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution. For example, the term "connection" can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows for mutual communication; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0042] It should be noted that the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0043] Currently, with increasingly stringent requirements for environmentally friendly refrigerants, the usage rate of R32 refrigerant is gradually rising. However, due to the flammable and explosive nature of R32, air conditioners using this refrigerant must implement appropriate leak prevention measures. Conventional air conditioners simply place a refrigerant leak detection sensor in the indoor unit. When the refrigerant leakage reaches a certain level, the corresponding protective control of the air conditioner is triggered to prevent the leakage from gradually increasing. For multi-split systems, each indoor unit is typically equipped with a corresponding refrigerant detection sensor. Based on whether the individual sensor detects a preset concentration threshold, the corresponding protective control of the multi-split system is triggered. This approach, where each indoor unit only focuses on its own refrigerant concentration, makes the leak prevention measures of the entire multi-split system prone to false triggering, leading to abnormal shutdowns of the multi-split system.

[0044] Based on this, embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerant leakage handling method, operation control device, and air conditioner for multi-split air conditioners. For each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by measuring the refrigerant concentration at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in previous collection cycles. This ensures that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit. On this basis, the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is determined from all the indoor units based on the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit. Finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is used to determine whether there is a refrigerant leakage risk in the multi-split air conditioner. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split air conditioner consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split air conditioner and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0045] The embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a multi-split air conditioner provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The multi-split air conditioner includes an outdoor unit and multiple indoor units, such as indoor unit 1, indoor unit 2, ..., indoor unit N. The outdoor unit communicates with indoor unit 1, indoor unit 2, ..., indoor unit N via a bus, and the multiple indoor units can also communicate with each other via the same bus. Furthermore, each indoor unit is equipped with a refrigerant concentration sensor for measuring the concentration of R32 refrigerant.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a refrigerant leakage handling method for a multi-split air conditioning system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. A first aspect of the present invention provides a refrigerant leakage handling method for a multi-split air conditioning system, including but not limited to steps S210 to S240:

[0048] Step S210: Collect refrigerant concentration measurements from multiple indoor units at first preset time intervals.

[0049] Understandably, the first preset time can be set to 10 seconds. After each indoor unit is powered on, the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant concentration sensor on each indoor unit is collected every 10 seconds to facilitate subsequent refrigerant leakage detection for multi-split systems.

[0050] Step S220: Determine the refrigerant concentration for each indoor unit based on the measured refrigerant concentration.

[0051] It is understandable that for each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration is determined based on the refrigerant concentration measured at first preset time intervals. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit in the current sampling period is not necessarily the refrigerant concentration just measured, but is determined by combining the refrigerant concentration measured in previous sampling periods. This ensures that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of its refrigerant concentration. In some embodiments, the refrigerant concentration measured in the current period can be compared with the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous period, and the larger refrigerant concentration can be used as the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit. In other words, the refrigerant concentration measured during the rising phase is used as the refrigerant determination concentration, while the refrigerant concentration measured during the falling phase is ignored.

[0052] Step S230: Determine the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk based on the refrigerant concentration of each indoor unit.

[0053] Understandably, by determining the refrigerant concentration of each indoor unit, the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is identified from all the indoor units. This means that the refrigerant leakage risk assessment of multi-split systems first considers the comparison of refrigerant concentration measurements among multiple indoor units, and increases the comparison with other indoor units, thereby reducing the risk of abnormal shutdowns caused by sensor false alarms.

[0054] Step S240: Determine whether there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split system based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage.

[0055] According to the refrigerant leakage handling method for multi-split air conditioners provided in the embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerant leakage risk assessment of multi-split air conditioners considers both the changing trend of refrigerant concentration measurements of multiple indoor units and the comparison of refrigerant concentration measurements among multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of refrigerant leakage assessment of multi-split air conditioners and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0056] Reference Figure 3 In some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, step S220, which determines the refrigerant concentration of each indoor unit based on the measured refrigerant concentration, includes steps S310 to S320:

[0057] Step S310: Compare the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle for each indoor unit with the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle;

[0058] Step S320: If the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is greater than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle, the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is determined as the refrigerant concentration for the indoor unit.

[0059] Reference Figure 3 In some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, step S220, which determines the refrigerant concentration of each indoor unit based on the measured refrigerant concentration, further includes step S330:

[0060] Step S330: If the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is less than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle, the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit remains unchanged.

[0061] It is understood that in this embodiment, for each indoor unit, the refrigerant concentration in the rising phase is used as the refrigerant determination concentration, while the refrigerant concentration in the falling phase is ignored. This ensures that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant concentration of that indoor unit, which can effectively improve the accuracy of refrigerant leakage judgment in multi-split systems and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0062] In the refrigerant leakage handling method provided in some embodiments of the present invention, the indoor unit with the greatest risk of refrigerant leakage is the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant concentration among all indoor units.

[0063] Understandably, once the refrigerant concentration for each indoor unit is determined, the refrigerant concentrations of all indoor units are compared to obtain the maximum value among multiple refrigerant concentrations, thereby identifying the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage.

[0064] In some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, step S240, which determines whether the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk, includes:

[0065] When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage exceeds the preset concentration threshold, it is determined that there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split system.

[0066] Understandably, by setting a preset concentration threshold, the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is compared with the preset concentration threshold. If the concentration exceeds the preset threshold, the multi-split system is determined to have a refrigerant leakage risk. Moreover, using the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage for judgment is more representative, avoiding the situation where the refrigerant concentration measured by any indoor unit can lead to the judgment that the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk, and reducing the risk of abnormal shutdown due to false alarms from individual indoor unit sensors.

[0067] Reference Figure 4 In some embodiments of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided by the present invention, step S240, which determines whether the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk, includes steps S410 to S420:

[0068] Step S410: When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is greater than the preset concentration threshold, the number of leakage detections is incremented by one;

[0069] Step S420: When the number of leak detections exceeds the preset threshold, it is determined that there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split system.

[0070] In this embodiment, both a preset concentration threshold and a preset number threshold are set. By counting the number of leak detections, the multi-split unit is determined to have a refrigerant leak risk only when the number of leak detections exceeds the preset number threshold. In other words, a more stringent leak detection condition is set. Only when the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leak risk exceeds the preset concentration threshold multiple times is it determined that there is a refrigerant leak risk, thus avoiding misjudgments caused by abnormal refrigerant concentration measured in a single measurement.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the greatest risk of refrigerant leakage is less than a preset concentration threshold, the number of leakage judgments is reset to zero.

[0072] Understandably, in this embodiment, the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage needs to be greater than a preset concentration threshold multiple times consecutively for the number of leakage judgments to accumulate to a value greater than the preset threshold. Otherwise, if the concentration falls below the preset threshold even once, the number of leakage judgments will be reset to zero and needs to be accumulated again. In other words, a more stringent leakage judgment condition is set. Only when the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is greater than the preset concentration threshold multiple times consecutively is it judged that there is a risk of refrigerant leakage. This can effectively improve the accuracy of refrigerant leakage judgment for multi-split air conditioners and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdowns.

[0073] In some embodiments of the present invention, a refrigerant leakage handling method is provided, in which the multi-split unit is shut down when it is determined that there is a risk of refrigerant leakage.

[0074] Understandably, once a refrigerant leak risk is confirmed in the multi-split unit, the unit should be shut down to prevent further leakage, and maintenance personnel should be notified to carry out timely repairs.

[0075] In some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerant concentration determination is valid for a second preset time.

[0076] Understandably, if the refrigerant concentration measured by the indoor unit in multiple consecutive samplings is lower than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle, the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit will remain unchanged. Therefore, setting a second preset time limit for the refrigerant concentration determination is implemented. If the refrigerant concentration is exceeded, the refrigerant concentration determination will be reset to zero. This avoids using the refrigerant concentration measured a long time ago as the refrigerant concentration determination of the indoor unit and improves the effectiveness of the refrigerant concentration determination.

[0077] Below, in conjunction with Figure 5 This paper provides a more detailed description and explanation of the refrigerant leakage handling method provided in the embodiments of the present invention. The refrigerant leakage handling method includes the following steps:

[0078] Step S510: The multiple indoor units of the multi-split air conditioner are powered on and enter the working state to start working; then proceed to step S520;

[0079] Step S520: Each indoor unit in operation collects the refrigerant concentration measured by the refrigerant concentration detection sensor every 10 seconds; then proceed to step S530.

[0080] Step S530: Each indoor unit compares the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle with the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle; then proceeds to step S540.

[0081] Step S540: Determine whether the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is greater than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle. If the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is greater than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle, proceed to step S550; otherwise, proceed to step S520.

[0082] Step S550: Determine the refrigerant concentration measured by the indoor unit in the current cycle as the refrigerant judgment concentration Rmax of the indoor unit; then proceed to step S560;

[0083] Step S560: Determine whether the refrigerant concentration Rmax of this indoor unit is greater than the refrigerant concentration Rmax of all other indoor units. If the refrigerant concentration Rmax of this indoor unit is greater than the refrigerant concentration Rmax of all other indoor units, then proceed to step S570; otherwise, proceed to step S520.

[0084] Step S570: Determine whether the refrigerant concentration Rmax of the indoor unit is greater than the preset concentration threshold. If the refrigerant concentration Rmax of the indoor unit is greater than the preset concentration threshold, proceed to step S580; otherwise, proceed to step S520.

[0085] Step S580: Determine whether the refrigerant concentration Rmax of the indoor unit is greater than the preset concentration threshold for 3 consecutive times. If yes, proceed to step S590; otherwise, proceed to step S520.

[0086] Step S590: Determine if there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split system and shut down the multi-split system.

[0087] The refrigerant leakage handling method provided in this embodiment of the invention continuously updates the refrigerant determination concentration Rmax of the indoor unit with the continuously increasing refrigerant measurement concentration collected in steps S530 to S550, and compares the updated refrigerant determination concentration Rmax of the indoor unit with the refrigerant determination concentration Rmax of other indoor units in step S560. This can increase the repeated comparison with the concentration values ​​of other indoor units and the comparison with the concentration increase trend before the refrigerant determination concentration of the multi-split unit reaches the concentration protection value, which can effectively avoid the risk of abnormal shutdown protection due to sensor false alarms.

[0088] See also Figure 6 A second aspect of the present invention provides an operation control device 600, including a memory 610, a processor 620, and a computer program stored in the memory 610 and executable on the processor 620. The processor 620 executes the program to implement the refrigerant leakage handling method of the first aspect embodiment above, for example, by performing... Figure 2 Method steps S210 to S240, Figure 3 Method steps S310 to S330, Figure 4Method steps S410 to S420, or execution Figure 5 Method steps S510 to S590.

[0089] According to the operation control device 600 provided in the embodiment of the present invention, for each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by the refrigerant measurement concentration obtained at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in the previous collection cycle. This ensures that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit. On this basis, the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is determined from all indoor units based on the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit. Finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is used to determine whether there is a refrigerant leakage risk in the multi-split system. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split system consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split system and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0090] In addition, a third aspect of the present invention provides a multi-unit air conditioner, including the operation control device 600 as described in the second aspect of the present invention.

[0091] According to the multi-split air conditioner provided in the embodiments of the present invention, for each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by measuring the refrigerant concentration at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in previous collection cycles. This ensures that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit. Based on this, the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is determined from all the indoor units according to the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit. Finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is used to determine whether there is a refrigerant leakage risk in the multi-split air conditioner. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split air conditioner consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split air conditioner and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0092] Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the refrigerant leakage handling method of the first aspect embodiment above, for example, executing... Figure 2 Method steps S210 to S240, Figure 3Method steps S310 to S330, Figure 4 Method steps S410 to S420, or execution Figure 5 Method steps S510 to S590.

[0093] According to the computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiments of the present invention, for each indoor unit, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit is determined by measuring the refrigerant concentration at a first preset time interval. That is, the refrigerant determination concentration of that indoor unit in the current collection cycle is not necessarily the refrigerant measurement concentration just collected, but is determined by combining the refrigerant measurement concentration collected in previous collection cycles. This ensures that the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit reflects the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of that indoor unit. Based on this, the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is determined from all the indoor units according to the refrigerant determination concentration of each indoor unit. Finally, the refrigerant determination concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is used to determine whether the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk. This makes the refrigerant leakage risk judgment of the multi-split system consider both the changing trend of the refrigerant measurement concentration of multiple indoor units and the comparison of the refrigerant measurement concentration between multiple indoor units, which can effectively improve the accuracy of the refrigerant leakage judgment of the multi-split system and reduce the probability of abnormal shutdown.

[0094] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or some of the steps and systems in the methods disclosed above can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and suitable combinations thereof. Some or all of the physical components can be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software can be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which may include computer storage media or non-transitory media and communication media or transient media. As is known to those skilled in the art, the term computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc DVD or other optical disc storage, magnetic cartridges, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and is accessible to a computer. Furthermore, as is known to those skilled in the art, communication media typically contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and may include any information delivery medium.

[0095] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for handling refrigerant leakage in a multi-split air conditioning system, characterized in that, The multi-split air conditioner includes multiple indoor units, and the method includes: The refrigerant concentration of multiple indoor units is measured at first preset time intervals; The refrigerant concentration for each indoor unit is determined based on the measured refrigerant concentration. Based on the refrigerant concentration of each indoor unit, the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is identified; The presence of refrigerant leakage risk in the multi-split system is determined based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk. The step of determining the refrigerant concentration for each indoor unit based on the measured refrigerant concentration includes: Compare the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle for each indoor unit with the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle. If the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is greater than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle, the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is determined as the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit.

2. The refrigerant leakage handling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: If the refrigerant concentration measured in the current cycle is less than the refrigerant concentration measured in the previous cycle, the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit remains unchanged.

3. The refrigerant leakage handling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk is the one with the highest determined refrigerant concentration among all the indoor units.

4. The refrigerant leakage handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method of determining whether the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk includes: When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage exceeds a preset concentration threshold, it is determined that the multi-split air conditioner has a risk of refrigerant leakage.

5. The refrigerant leakage handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method of determining whether the multi-split system has a refrigerant leakage risk based on the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest refrigerant leakage risk includes: When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage exceeds the preset concentration threshold, the number of leakage detections is incremented by one. If the number of leakage detections exceeds a preset threshold, it is determined that the multi-split air conditioner has a refrigerant leakage risk.

6. The refrigerant leakage handling method according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit with the highest risk of refrigerant leakage is less than a preset concentration threshold, the number of leakage detections is reset to zero.

7. The refrigerant leakage handling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, If it is determined that there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the multi-split system, the multi-split system will be shut down.

8. The refrigerant leakage handling method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerant concentration determination is valid for a second preset time period.

9. An operation control device, characterized in that, The device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the processor executing the program to implement the refrigerant leakage handling method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A multi-split air conditioner, characterized in that, Includes the operation control device as described in claim 9.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the refrigerant leak handling method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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