Air conditioner, control method thereof, air conditioner controller, and storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses an air conditioner and a control method thereof, an air conditioner controller and a storage medium. The control method of the air conditioner comprises the following steps: when the air conditioner is in a refrigeration mode, acquiring an indoor refrigerant concentration; when it is determined that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the indoor refrigerant concentration, controlling a second throttling element and a control valve to be turned off, controlling a first throttling element to keep an open state, and controlling a compressor, an indoor fan and an outdoor fan to be in an operating state, so as to recycle refrigerant in the air conditioner into a gas-liquid separator. According to the control method of the air conditioner, when the air conditioner is in the refrigeration mode and it is determined that the refrigerant leaks in the indoor, the operation of the air conditioner is kept, the second throttling element and the control valve are controlled to be turned off, and the refrigerant in the air conditioner is recycled into the gas-liquid separator, so that the refrigerant can be prevented from continuously leaking in the indoor, and the safety of the air conditioner is improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Air conditioners typically use R32 (difluoromethane) or R290 (propane) as refrigerant. Both R32 and R290 are flammable, and safety accidents can easily occur when the refrigerant comes into contact with a source of ignition.

[0003] In related technologies, when an air conditioner leaks refrigerant, it is controlled to shut down. However, if the leak point is located indoors, the remaining refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger still poses a risk of leakage, which may result in a significant amount of refrigerant leaking from the indoor side, posing a certain safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the aforementioned technical problems in the prior art. Therefore, a first objective of the present invention is to provide a control method for an air conditioner that improves the safety of the air conditioner.

[0005] The second objective of this invention is to provide an air conditioner controller.

[0006] A third objective of this invention is to provide a computer-readable storage medium.

[0007] The fourth objective of this invention is to provide an air conditioner.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, the air conditioner including an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and a gas-liquid separator. A first port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via a first throttling element, a second port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the indoor heat exchanger via a second throttling element, and a third port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the compressor via a control valve. The method includes: when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, acquiring the indoor refrigerant concentration; when it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, controlling the second throttling element and the control valve to close, and controlling the first throttling element to remain open; and controlling the compressor, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator.

[0009] According to the air conditioner control method of the present invention, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode and it is determined that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the air conditioner is kept running, and the second throttling element and control valve are controlled to shut off, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator, thereby preventing the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors, and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after controlling the second throttling element and the control valve to close, controlling the compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan to be in operation includes: determining the current operating frequency of the compressor; when the current operating frequency of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold, controlling the compressor to maintain the current operating frequency, controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and controlling the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

[0011] Furthermore, controlling the compressor, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation also includes: when the current operating frequency of the compressor is less than a preset frequency threshold, controlling the compressor to operate at the preset frequency threshold, controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and controlling the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, determining that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the indoor refrigerant concentration includes: determining that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak when the indoor refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a preset concentration threshold.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after controlling the compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan to be in operation, the method further includes: determining the operating time for the air conditioner to perform refrigerant recovery; when the operating time reaches a preset time, controlling the first throttling element to turn off and shutting down the compressor.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, a second aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner controller, including a memory, a processor, and an air conditioner control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the air conditioner control program, it implements the above-described air conditioner control method.

[0015] According to the air conditioner controller of the present invention, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode and it is determined that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the air conditioner is kept running, and the second throttling element and control valve are shut off to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator. This can prevent the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors, thereby improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0016] To achieve the above objectives, a third aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing an air conditioner control program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described air conditioner control method.

[0017] According to the computer-readable storage medium of the present invention, by means of the above-described air conditioner control method, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode and it is determined that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the air conditioner is kept running, and the second throttling element and control valve are controlled to shut off, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator, thereby preventing the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors, and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0018] To achieve the above objectives, a fourth aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner, comprising: an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and a gas-liquid separator. A first port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via a first throttling element, a second port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the indoor heat exchanger via a second throttling element, and a third port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the compressor via a control valve. A concentration detection sensor is used to detect the indoor refrigerant concentration. A controller is used to acquire the indoor refrigerant concentration when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, and, based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, determine if a refrigerant leak has occurred in the air conditioner, control the second throttling element and the control valve to close, control the first throttling element to remain open, and control the compressor, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the controller of the air conditioner is used to maintain the operation of the air conditioner when it is in cooling mode and it is determined that refrigerant leakage has occurred indoors. The controller controls the second throttling element and the control valve to shut off, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator, thereby preventing the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is further configured to, after controlling the second throttling element and the control valve to shut off, determine the current operating frequency of the compressor, and when the current operating frequency of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold, control the compressor to maintain the current operating frequency, control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and control the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

[0021] Furthermore, the controller is also configured to, when the current operating frequency of the compressor is less than a preset frequency threshold, control the compressor to operate at the preset frequency threshold, control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and control the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is further configured to determine that the air conditioner has experienced a refrigerant leak when the indoor refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a preset concentration threshold.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is further configured to determine the operating time for refrigerant recovery of the air conditioner, and when the operating time reaches a preset time, control the first throttling element to turn off and shut down the compressor.

[0024] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A flowchart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure label:

[0030] Compressor 1, First liquid receiver 11, Second liquid receiver 12, Four-way reversing valve 2, Outdoor heat exchanger 3, First throttling element 4, Gas-liquid separator 5, Second throttling element 6, Indoor heat exchanger 7, First sensor 8, Second sensor 9, Control valve 10, Concentration detection sensor 20, Controller 30. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0032] The following describes in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an air conditioner and its control method, an air conditioner controller and a storage medium according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to... Figure 1As shown, the air conditioner includes an indoor heat exchanger 7, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, a compressor 1, and a gas-liquid separator 5. The first port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 3 through a first throttling element 4, the second port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 7 through a second throttling element 6, and the third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the compressor 1 through a control valve 10. The first throttling element 4 and the second throttling element 6 can be constructed as electronic expansion valves. The compressor 1 can be a dual-cylinder independent compressor 1, and the compressor 1 may be equipped with a first liquid storage tank. The air conditioner includes a first liquid receiver 11 and a second liquid receiver 12, both of which can be connected to the return port of the compressor 1. The third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the first liquid receiver 11 of the compressor 1 through a control valve 10. The air conditioner also includes a four-way reversing valve 2, which has a C valve port, a D valve port, an E valve port and an S valve port. The C valve port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the D valve port is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 1, the E valve port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 7, and the S valve port is connected to the second liquid receiver 12 of the compressor 1.

[0034] The third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the compressor 1 via a control valve 10 to form a make-up gas branch. The control valve 10 can be a solenoid valve. A first sensor 8 can be installed on the make-up gas branch. The first sensor 8 can be a temperature and / or pressure sensor to detect the temperature and / or pressure of the make-up gas branch. The D port of the four-way reversing valve 2 is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 1 to form an exhaust branch. A second sensor 9 can be installed on the exhaust branch. The second sensor 9 can be a temperature and / or pressure sensor to detect the temperature and / or pressure of the exhaust branch.

[0035] An air conditioner has at least a cooling mode and a heating mode. In cooling mode, the D port of the four-way reversing valve 2 is connected to the C port, and the E port is connected to the S port. The flow path of the refrigerant in the air conditioner is as follows: Figure 1 As shown by the solid arrow, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows sequentially through the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the first throttling element 4, and the gas-liquid separator 5. The liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can sequentially pass through the second throttling element 6 and the indoor heat exchanger 7 before entering the second liquid receiver 12 of the compressor 1. The gaseous refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can pass through the control valve 10 before entering the first liquid receiver 11 of the compressor 1.

[0036] In heating mode, the D port of the four-way reversing valve 2 is connected to the E port, and the C port is connected to the S port. The refrigerant flow path in the air conditioner is referenced... Figure 1 As shown by the dashed arrow, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows sequentially through the indoor heat exchanger 7, the second throttling element 6, and the gas-liquid separator 5. The liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can sequentially pass through the first throttling element 4 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 before entering the second liquid receiver 12 of the compressor 1. The gaseous refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can pass through the control valve 10 before entering the first liquid receiver 11 of the compressor 1.

[0037] Figure 2 A flowchart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided, with reference to... Figure 2 As shown, the control methods for air conditioners include:

[0038] Step S1: When the air conditioner is in cooling mode, obtain the indoor refrigerant concentration.

[0039] It should be noted that the reference Figure 4 As shown, the air conditioner may have a concentration detection sensor 20 installed in the indoor unit. The concentration detection sensor 20 may be installed close to the indoor heat exchanger 7. The concentration detection sensor 20 can detect the refrigerant concentration in the indoor environment. When the indoor refrigerant concentration obtained by the concentration detection sensor 20 is less than the preset concentration threshold, no refrigerant leakage occurs indoors. The concentration detection sensor 20 continues to obtain the indoor refrigerant concentration. When the indoor refrigerant concentration obtained by the concentration detection sensor 20 is greater than or equal to the preset concentration threshold, refrigerant leakage occurs indoors.

[0040] Step S2: When it is determined that the air conditioner is leaking refrigerant based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, control the second throttling element and the control valve to shut off, control the first throttling element to remain open, and control the compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan to be in operation, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator.

[0041] Understandably, in an air conditioner, the compressor 1, outdoor heat exchanger 3, first throttling element 4, second throttling element 6, gas-liquid separator 5, and control valve 10 are all located on the outdoor side. The refrigerant in the indoor unit is mainly located in the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the refrigerant connection pipes adjacent to it. When a refrigerant leak is detected indoors based on the obtained indoor refrigerant concentration, the second throttling element 6 is shut off to prevent refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from entering the indoor unit. The control valve 10 is also shut off to prevent refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from recirculating in the compressor 1. The first throttling element 6 is then controlled to shut off. Component 4 remains open and controls the compressor 1, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation, so that the refrigerant that has not leaked in the refrigerant connection pipes located in the indoor heat exchanger 7 and adjacent to the indoor heat exchanger 7 flows quickly to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side, and flows into the gas-liquid separator 5 after passing through the compressor 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the first throttling element 4. This realizes the recovery of refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator 5 on the outdoor side, thereby reducing refrigerant leakage on the indoor side. Since refrigerant is usually flammable, reducing refrigerant leakage on the indoor side can prevent safety accidents caused by leaked refrigerant encountering a fire source.

[0042] Therefore, according to the air conditioner control method of the present invention, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode and it is determined that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the air conditioner is kept running, and the second throttling element 6 and control valve 10 are controlled to be shut off, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby preventing the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors, and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, after the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 are shut off, the compressor 1, the indoor fan and the outdoor fan are controlled to be in operation, including: determining the current operating frequency of the compressor 1; when the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold, controlling the compressor 1 to maintain the current operating frequency; controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed; and controlling the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed, so that the refrigerant flows quickly to the gas-liquid separator 5 located on the outdoor side, reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side, thereby helping to ensure the safety of users indoors and improving the reliability of the air conditioner.

[0044] It should be noted that the preset frequency threshold can be set according to the maximum operating frequency of compressor 1. Preferably, the preset frequency threshold is greater than or equal to 75% of the maximum operating frequency of compressor 1, so that when the current operating frequency of compressor 1 is greater than or equal to the preset frequency threshold, and compressor 1 maintains its current operating frequency, the refrigerant can flow to the gas-liquid separator 5 at a faster speed. At the same time, the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the preset maximum indoor unit speed to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the indoor heat exchanger 7, thereby increasing the heat absorption rate of the liquid refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 7. This allows the liquid refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 7 to quickly absorb heat and evaporate into a gaseous state, and then the gaseous refrigerant flows to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side to reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side. Furthermore, the outdoor fan is controlled to operate at the preset maximum outdoor unit speed to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger 3, thereby increasing the heat release rate of the gaseous refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 3, so that the gaseous refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 3 can quickly release heat and condense into liquid, and then the liquid refrigerant can flow to the gas-liquid separator 5 so that the gas-liquid separator 5 can store the refrigerant.

[0045] Therefore, by controlling the operating status of compressor 1, indoor fan and outdoor fan, the refrigerant is quickly recovered to gas-liquid separator 5 in the refrigerant operating circuit of the air conditioner, reducing the residence time of refrigerant on the indoor side, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage when refrigerant leakage occurs on the indoor side.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, controlling the compressor 1, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation further includes: when the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is less than a preset frequency threshold, controlling the compressor 1 to operate at the preset frequency threshold, controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and controlling the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed. It can be understood that the compressor 1 provides power for the circulation of refrigerant. If the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is low, the power for the refrigerant flow is poor, and the refrigerant in the indoor evaporator cannot flow to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side in time, which may cause the refrigerant to leak further into the indoor environment, resulting in flammable refrigerant affecting the safety of users. Therefore, when the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is less than the preset frequency threshold, controlling the compressor 1 to operate at the preset frequency threshold is used to increase the operating frequency of the compressor 1, so that the refrigerant flows quickly to the gas-liquid separator 5 located on the outdoor side, reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, the preset frequency threshold is greater than or equal to 75% of the maximum operating frequency of compressor 1. Optionally, the preset frequency threshold is 80%, 90%, or 100% of the maximum operating frequency of compressor 1.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, determining that an air conditioner has leaked refrigerant based on the indoor refrigerant concentration includes: determining that the air conditioner has leaked refrigerant when the indoor refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a preset concentration threshold. The preset concentration threshold is the minimum measurement accuracy of the concentration detection sensor 20, or the preset concentration threshold can be set according to the flammability limit and lower explosive limit of the refrigerant, or the preset concentration threshold can be dynamically adjusted according to the operating parameters of the air conditioner.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present invention, the preset concentration threshold is the minimum measurement accuracy of the concentration detection sensor 20. For example, if the minimum measurement accuracy of the concentration detection sensor 20 is 0.1%, the preset concentration threshold can be set to 0.1%. When the refrigerant content in the indoor air is greater than or equal to 0.1% by volume, it is determined that the air conditioner has leaked refrigerant. In other words, when the concentration detection sensor 20 can detect the refrigerant concentration in the indoor environment, it is determined that the refrigerant has leaked indoors, so as to eliminate the safety risk in the early stage of refrigerant leakage.

[0050] In other embodiments of the present invention, the preset concentration threshold can be selected according to the type of refrigerant. The preset concentration threshold can be set based on the flammability limit and lower explosive limit of the refrigerant. The preset concentration threshold can be set much lower than the flammability limit and lower explosive limit of the refrigerant to ensure the safety of the air conditioner. For example, when the refrigerant is R290 (propane), the preset concentration threshold can be 0.2%, meaning that when the refrigerant concentration in the indoor air is greater than or equal to 0.2% by volume, a refrigerant leak is determined to have occurred in the air conditioner. As another example, when the refrigerant is R32 (difluoromethane), the preset concentration threshold can be 0.5%, meaning that when the refrigerant concentration in the indoor air is greater than or equal to 0.5% by volume, a refrigerant leak is determined to have occurred in the air conditioner. Therefore, the safety performance of the air conditioner can be guaranteed, while avoiding the problem of false alarms caused by setting the preset concentration threshold too low.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, the preset concentration threshold can be dynamically adjusted according to the operating parameters of the air conditioner. It is understood that the concentration detection sensor 20 has a certain measurement error, and the reliability of the concentration detection sensor 20 will decrease with the increase of usage time. The concentration detection sensor 20 may be affected by external environmental factors and generate false alarms. In order to improve the accuracy of judging whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage indoors, the preset concentration threshold can be dynamically adjusted according to the operating parameters of the air conditioner. For example, the preset concentration threshold can be adjusted according to the operating current of the compressor 1. When the operating current of the compressor 1 is less than the rated operating current, the preset concentration threshold is adjusted to the minimum measurement accuracy of the concentration detection sensor 20. It is understood that if refrigerant leakage occurs, the workload of the compressor 1 will decrease and the operating current will decrease. Therefore, when the operating current of the compressor 1 is less than the rated operating current, there is a possibility of refrigerant leakage. Thus, the preset concentration threshold is adjusted to the minimum measurement accuracy of the concentration detection sensor 20 so as to detect refrigerant leakage in time.

[0052] Furthermore, when the operating current of compressor 1 is equal to the rated operating current, the preset concentration threshold can be set according to the combustion limit and lower explosive limit of the refrigerant. It is understood that if the refrigerant does not leak, the working load of compressor 1 is normal. Therefore, when the operating current of compressor 1 is equal to the rated operating current, the risk of refrigerant leakage is relatively small. In order to avoid false alarms caused by the decrease in the reliability of the concentration detection sensor 20, the preset concentration threshold can be adjusted to be greater than the minimum measurement accuracy of the concentration detection sensor 20, and the preset concentration threshold is also less than the combustion limit and lower explosive limit of the refrigerant used by the air conditioner, so as to improve the accuracy of judging whether the air conditioner has leaked refrigerant indoors while ensuring safety.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present invention, after controlling the compressor 1, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation, the method further includes: determining the operating time for refrigerant recovery in the air conditioner; when the operating time reaches a preset time, controlling the first throttling element 4 to turn off and shutting down the compressor 1. The preset time can be set according to the operating frequency of the compressor 1 and / or the refrigerant content in the air conditioner. The preset time is negatively correlated with the operating frequency of the compressor 1 and positively correlated with the refrigerant content in the air conditioner. When the operating time reaches the preset time, all the refrigerant in the air conditioner has been recovered to the gas-liquid separator 5. At this time, controlling the first throttling element 4 to turn off closes all pipes connecting the gas-liquid separator 5 to the outside, sealing the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5. Simultaneously, the compressor 1 is also shut down to prevent it from being damaged by idling.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present invention, after the first throttling element 4 is turned off and the compressor 1 is shut down when the running time reaches a preset time, the method further includes: controlling the air conditioner to disconnect the power so that the air conditioner is in a shutdown and maintenance state. In this state, the first throttling element 4, the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 are all kept closed to prevent refrigerant leakage in the gas-liquid separator 5.

[0055] Figure 3 A flowchart of an air conditioner control method according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided, with reference to... Figure 3 As shown, the control methods for air conditioners include:

[0056] Step S11: The air conditioner is in cooling mode.

[0057] Step S12: Read Con in real time.

[0058] Wherein, Con represents the indoor refrigerant concentration.

[0059] Step S13: Determine if Con ≥ Conset. If yes, proceed to step S14; otherwise, return to step S12.

[0060] Wherein, Conset is the preset concentration threshold.

[0061] Step S14, LR2 = 0.

[0062] Wherein, LR2 is the opening degree of the second throttling element 6. In step S14, the opening degree of the second throttling element 6 is controlled to be 0, that is, the second throttling element 6 is controlled to be turned off.

[0063] Step S15: Control valve shut off.

[0064] Step S15 can be executed synchronously with step S14.

[0065] Step S16: Determine if Fr ≥ Frset. If yes, proceed to step S18; otherwise, proceed to step S17.

[0066] Where Fr is the current operating frequency of compressor 1, and Frset is the preset frequency threshold.

[0067] Step S17, Fr = Frset.

[0068] It is understandable that when Fr≥Frset, the compressor 1 is controlled to maintain Fr, and when Fr<Frset, the compressor 1 is controlled to increase its operating frequency to Frset.

[0069] Step S18, Ir = Irmax.

[0070] Wherein, Ir is the indoor fan speed, and Irmax is the preset maximum indoor fan speed. In step S18, the indoor fan is controlled to run at the preset maximum indoor fan speed.

[0071] Step S19, Pr = Prmax.

[0072] Wherein, Pr is the outdoor fan speed, and Prmax is the preset maximum outdoor fan speed. In step S19, the outdoor fan is controlled to run at the preset maximum outdoor fan speed. Optionally, steps S18 and S19 can be executed simultaneously.

[0073] In step S20, after time t, LR1 = 0 and Fr = 0.

[0074] Where t is the preset time, LR1 is the opening degree of the first throttling element 4, that is, when the air conditioner's refrigerant recovery operation time reaches the preset time, the first throttling element 4 is controlled to turn off and the compressor 1 is shut down.

[0075] To implement the above embodiments, the present invention also proposes an air conditioner controller, including a memory, a processor, and an air conditioner control program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the air conditioner control program, it implements the air conditioner control method of the above embodiments.

[0076] According to the air conditioner controller of the present invention, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode and it is determined that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the air conditioner is kept running and the second throttling element 6 and control valve 10 are shut off to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby preventing the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0077] To implement the above embodiments, the present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium storing an air conditioner control program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the air conditioner control method of the above embodiments.

[0078] According to the computer-readable storage medium of the present invention, by means of the control method of the air conditioner of the above embodiment, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode and it is determined that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the air conditioner is kept running and the second throttling element 6 and control valve 10 are controlled to be shut off, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby preventing the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors, and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0079] To achieve the above embodiments, the present invention also proposes an air conditioner, see reference. Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioner includes: an indoor heat exchanger 7, an outdoor heat exchanger 3, a compressor 1, and a gas-liquid separator 5. The first port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 3 through a first throttling element 4, the second port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 7 through a second throttling element 6, and the third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the compressor 1 through a control valve 10. The first throttling element 4 and the second throttling element 6 can be constructed as electronic expansion valves. The compressor 1 can be a twin-cylinder independent compressor 1, and the compressor 1 can be equipped with a first storage tank. The air conditioner includes a liquid receiver 11 and a second liquid receiver 12, both of which can be connected to the return port of the compressor 1. The third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the first liquid receiver 11 of the compressor 1 through a control valve 10. The air conditioner also includes a four-way reversing valve 2, which has a C valve port, a D valve port, an E valve port and an S valve port. The C valve port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the D valve port is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 1, the E valve port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 7, and the S valve port is connected to the second liquid receiver 12 of the compressor 1.

[0080] The third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the compressor 1 via a control valve 10 to form a make-up gas branch. The control valve 10 can be a solenoid valve. A first sensor 8 can be installed on the make-up gas branch. The first sensor 8 can be a temperature and / or pressure sensor to detect the temperature and / or pressure of the make-up gas branch. The D port of the four-way reversing valve 2 is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 1 to form an exhaust branch. A second sensor 9 can be installed on the exhaust branch. The second sensor 9 can be a temperature and / or pressure sensor to detect the temperature and / or pressure of the exhaust branch.

[0081] An air conditioner has at least a cooling mode and a heating mode. In cooling mode, the D port of the four-way reversing valve 2 is connected to the C port, and the E port is connected to the S port. The flow path of the refrigerant in the air conditioner is as follows: Figure 1As shown by the solid arrow, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows sequentially through the outdoor heat exchanger 3, the first throttling element 4, and the gas-liquid separator 5. The liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can sequentially pass through the second throttling element 6 and the indoor heat exchanger 7 before entering the second liquid receiver 12 of the compressor 1. The gaseous refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can pass through the control valve 10 before entering the first liquid receiver 11 of the compressor 1.

[0082] In heating mode, the D port of the four-way reversing valve 2 is connected to the E port, and the C port is connected to the S port. The refrigerant flow path in the air conditioner is referenced... Figure 1 As shown by the dashed arrow, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows sequentially through the indoor heat exchanger 7, the second throttling element 6, and the gas-liquid separator 5. The liquid refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can sequentially pass through the first throttling element 4 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 before entering the second liquid receiver 12 of the compressor 1. The gaseous refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 can pass through the control valve 10 before entering the first liquid receiver 11 of the compressor 1.

[0083] Figure 4 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the structure of an indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air conditioner further includes: a concentration detection sensor 20 and a controller 30. Both the concentration detection sensor 20 and the controller 30 can be installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The concentration detection sensor 20 is used to detect the indoor refrigerant concentration. The concentration detection sensor 20 can be installed close to the indoor heat exchanger 7. The concentration detection sensor 20 can detect the refrigerant concentration in the indoor environment to determine whether the refrigerant has leaked indoors.

[0084] The controller 30 is used to obtain the indoor refrigerant concentration when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, and to control the second throttling element 6 and control valve 10 to close when the air conditioner is found to have refrigerant leakage based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, and to control the first throttling element 4 to remain open, as well as to control the compressor 1, indoor fan and outdoor fan to be in operation, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator 5.

[0085] Understandably, in an air conditioner, the compressor 1, outdoor heat exchanger 3, first throttling element 4, second throttling element 6, gas-liquid separator 5, and control valve 10 are all located on the outdoor side. The refrigerant in the indoor unit is mainly located in the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the refrigerant connection pipes adjacent to it. When a refrigerant leak is detected indoors based on the obtained indoor refrigerant concentration, the second throttling element 6 is shut off to prevent refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from entering the indoor unit. The control valve 10 is also shut off to prevent refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from recirculating in the compressor 1. The first throttling element 6 is then controlled to shut off. Component 4 remains open and controls the compressor 1, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation, so that the refrigerant that has not leaked in the refrigerant connection pipes located in the indoor heat exchanger 7 and adjacent to the indoor heat exchanger 7 flows quickly to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side, and flows into the gas-liquid separator 5 after passing through the compressor 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the first throttling element 4. This realizes the recovery of refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator 5 on the outdoor side, thereby reducing refrigerant leakage on the indoor side. Since refrigerant is usually flammable, reducing refrigerant leakage on the indoor side can prevent safety accidents caused by leaked refrigerant encountering a fire source.

[0086] Therefore, in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 30 is used to maintain the operation of the air conditioner when it is in the cooling mode and determines that the refrigerant has leaked indoors, and controls the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 to shut off, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby preventing the refrigerant from continuing to leak indoors, and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to, after controlling the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 to close, determine the current operating frequency of the compressor 1, and when the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold, control the compressor 1 to maintain the current operating frequency, control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and control the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed, so that the refrigerant flows quickly to the gas-liquid separator 5 located on the outdoor side, reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side, thereby helping to ensure the safety of users indoors and improve the reliability of the air conditioner.

[0088] It should be noted that the preset frequency threshold can be set according to the maximum operating frequency of compressor 1. Preferably, the preset frequency threshold is greater than or equal to 75% of the maximum operating frequency of compressor 1, so that when the current operating frequency of compressor 1 is greater than or equal to the preset frequency threshold, and compressor 1 maintains its current operating frequency, the refrigerant can flow to the gas-liquid separator 5 at a faster speed. At the same time, the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the preset maximum indoor unit speed to increase the evaporation pressure of indoor heat exchanger 7 and increase the heat exchange efficiency of indoor heat exchanger 7, thereby increasing the heat absorption rate of liquid refrigerant in indoor heat exchanger 7. This allows the liquid refrigerant in indoor heat exchanger 7 to quickly absorb heat and evaporate into a gaseous state, and then the gaseous refrigerant flows to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side to reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side. Furthermore, the outdoor fan is controlled to operate at the preset maximum outdoor unit speed to increase the condensing pressure of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 and improve the heat exchange efficiency of the outdoor heat exchanger 3. This increases the heat release rate of the gaseous refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 3, allowing the gaseous refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 3 to quickly release heat and condense into a liquid state. Then, the liquid refrigerant flows to the gas-liquid separator 5 so that the gas-liquid separator 5 can store the refrigerant.

[0089] Therefore, by controlling the operating status of compressor 1, indoor fan and outdoor fan, the refrigerant is quickly recovered to gas-liquid separator 5 in the refrigerant operating circuit of the air conditioner, reducing the residence time of refrigerant on the indoor side, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage when refrigerant leakage occurs on the indoor side.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to control the compressor 1 to operate at a preset frequency threshold when the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is less than a preset frequency threshold, and to control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and to control the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed. It is understood that the compressor 1 provides power for the circulation of refrigerant. If the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is low, the power for the refrigerant flow is poor, and the refrigerant in the indoor evaporator cannot flow to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side in time, which may cause the refrigerant to leak further into the indoor environment, resulting in flammable refrigerant affecting the safety of users. Therefore, when the current operating frequency of the compressor 1 is less than the preset frequency threshold, the controller controls the compressor 1 to operate at the preset frequency threshold to increase the operating frequency of the compressor 1, so that the refrigerant flows quickly to the gas-liquid separator 5 located on the outdoor side, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side.

[0091] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to determine that the air conditioner has leaked refrigerant when the indoor refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a preset concentration threshold, wherein the preset concentration threshold is the minimum measurement accuracy of the concentration detection sensor 20, or the preset concentration threshold can be set according to the combustion limit and lower explosive limit of the refrigerant, or the preset concentration threshold can be dynamically adjusted according to the operating parameters of the air conditioner.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to determine the operating time for refrigerant recovery in the air conditioner, and when the operating time reaches a preset time, control the first throttling element 4 to turn off and shut down the compressor 1. The preset time can be set according to the operating frequency of the compressor 1 and / or the refrigerant content in the air conditioner. The preset time is negatively correlated with the operating frequency of the compressor 1 and positively correlated with the refrigerant content in the air conditioner. When the operating time reaches the preset time, all the refrigerant in the air conditioner has been recovered to the gas-liquid separator 5. At this time, the first throttling element 4 is turned off to close all pipes connecting the gas-liquid separator 5 to the outside, thus sealing and storing the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5. Simultaneously, the compressor 1 is also shut down to prevent it from being damaged by idling.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to, when the running time reaches a preset time, control the first throttling element 4 to turn off and the compressor 1 to turn off the power to the air conditioner so that the air conditioner is in a shutdown and maintenance state. In this state, the first throttling element 4, the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 are all kept closed to prevent refrigerant leakage in the gas-liquid separator 5.

[0094] It should be noted that the processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. The aforementioned processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this invention.

[0095] Additionally, logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be embodied in any computer-readable storage medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system, or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device). For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable storage medium" can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transmit programs for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: an electrical connection having one or more wires (electronic device), a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Alternatively, the computer-readable storage medium could be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0096] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0097] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0098] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A control method for an air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and a gas-liquid separator. A first port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via a first throttling element. A second port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the indoor heat exchanger via a second throttling element. A third port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the compressor via a control valve. The method includes: When the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the indoor refrigerant concentration is obtained; When the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner is determined based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, the second throttling element and the control valve are controlled to shut off, the first throttling element is controlled to remain open, and the compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan are controlled to be in operation, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator. After controlling the compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan to be in operation, the operating time for the air conditioner to perform refrigerant recovery is determined; when the operating time reaches a preset time, the first throttling element is controlled to turn off and the compressor is shut down. Furthermore, when the running time reaches the preset time, the first throttling element is controlled to turn off and the compressor is shut down. Then, the power to the air conditioner is cut off so that the air conditioner is in a shutdown and maintenance-ready state. The first throttling element, the second throttling element, and the control valve all remain in the closed state. Determining a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner based on the indoor refrigerant concentration includes: When the indoor refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a preset concentration threshold, it is determined that the air conditioner has experienced a refrigerant leak. The preset concentration threshold is dynamically adjusted based on the operating current of the compressor.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the second throttling element and the control valve are shut off, the compressor, indoor fan, and outdoor fan are put into operation, including: Determine the current operating frequency of the compressor; When the current operating frequency of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold, the compressor is controlled to maintain its current operating frequency, the indoor fan is controlled to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and the outdoor fan is controlled to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Controlling the compressor, indoor fan, and outdoor fan to be in operation also includes: When the current operating frequency of the compressor is less than a preset frequency threshold, the compressor is controlled to operate at the preset frequency threshold, the indoor fan is controlled to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and the outdoor fan is controlled to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

4. An air conditioner controller, characterized in that, The device includes a memory, a processor, and a control program for an air conditioner stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the control program for the air conditioner, it implements the control method for the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-3.

5. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It stores the control program of the air conditioner, which, when executed by the processor, implements the control method of the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-3.

6. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The system includes an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, and a gas-liquid separator. The first port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via a first throttling element, the second port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the indoor heat exchanger via a second throttling element, and the third port of the gas-liquid separator is connected to the compressor via a control valve. Concentration detection sensor, used to detect indoor refrigerant concentration; The controller is used to obtain the indoor refrigerant concentration when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, and to control the second throttling element and the control valve to shut off when the air conditioner is found to have refrigerant leakage based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, and to control the first throttling element to remain open, and to control the compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan to be in operation, so as to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator. After controlling the compressor, indoor fan and outdoor fan to be in operation, determine the operating time for the air conditioner to perform refrigerant recovery; When the running time reaches the preset time, the first throttling element is controlled to turn off, and the compressor is shut down; Furthermore, when the running time reaches the preset time, the first throttling element is controlled to turn off and the compressor is shut down. Then, the power to the air conditioner is cut off so that the air conditioner is in a shutdown and maintenance-ready state. The first throttling element, the second throttling element, and the control valve all remain in the closed state. The controller is also used to determine that the air conditioner has leaked refrigerant when the indoor refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a preset concentration threshold. The preset concentration threshold is dynamically adjusted based on the operating current of the compressor.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to, after controlling the second throttling element and the control valve to shut off, determine the current operating frequency of the compressor, and when the current operating frequency of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset frequency threshold, control the compressor to maintain the current operating frequency, control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and control the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to, when the current operating frequency of the compressor is less than a preset frequency threshold, control the compressor to operate at the preset frequency threshold, control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, and control the outdoor fan to operate at a preset maximum outdoor unit speed.

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