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: acquiring an indoor refrigerant concentration, and determining that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the indoor refrigerant concentration; controlling a four-way valve in the air conditioner according to a current mode of the air conditioner, so that the four-way valve is in a refrigeration state; controlling an indoor unit air deflector to open to a maximum air outlet angle; 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 and an indoor fan, so that the refrigerant in the air conditioner is recovered into a gas-liquid separator. According to the control method of the air conditioner, when the refrigerant leaks in the indoor, the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner can flow to the outdoor side quickly and be finally collected into the gas-liquid separator, so that the leakage amount of the refrigerant on the indoor side can be reduced, 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: acquiring an indoor refrigerant concentration, determining when a refrigerant leak occurs in the air conditioner based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, and determining the current mode of the air conditioner; controlling a four-way valve in the air conditioner according to the current mode of the air conditioner, so that the four-way valve is in a cooling state, and controlling the indoor unit's air guide vane to open to the maximum air outlet angle; controlling the second throttling element and the control valve to close, and controlling the first throttling element to remain open; and controlling the compressor and the indoor fan to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator.

[0009] According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the four-way valve is controlled to be in cooling state, the indoor unit air guide plate is controlled to open to the maximum air outlet angle, the second throttling element and the control valve are controlled to be shut off, and the compressor and indoor fan are controlled so that the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner flows quickly to the outdoor side and is finally collected in the gas-liquid separator, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, controlling the four-way valve in the air conditioner according to the current mode of the air conditioner includes: controlling the four-way valve to switch directions when the air conditioner is currently in heating mode or heating standby mode; and controlling the four-way valve to remain unchanged in its current state when the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, defrosting mode or cooling standby mode.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, after controlling the second throttling element and the control valve to shut off, controlling the compressor and the indoor fan includes: controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed.

[0012] Furthermore, after controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, the method further includes: determining the operating time for the air conditioner to perform refrigerant recovery; and when the operating time reaches a first preset time, controlling the first throttling element to turn off and shutting down the compressor.

[0013] 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.

[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 refrigerant leaks indoors, the controller controls the four-way valve to be in cooling mode, controls the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, controls the second throttling element and control valve to close, and controls the compressor and indoor fan to make the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner flow quickly to the outdoor side and finally be collected in the gas-liquid separator, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side and thus 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 a control program for an air conditioner, which, when executed by a processor, implements the control method for the air conditioner described above.

[0017] According to the computer-readable storage medium of the present invention, when the refrigerant leaks indoors, the control method of the air conditioner determines that the four-way valve is in a cooling state, the indoor unit air guide plate is opened to the maximum air outlet angle, the second throttling element and the control valve are closed, and the compressor and indoor fan are controlled so that the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner flows quickly to the outdoor side and is finally collected in the gas-liquid separator, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side 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 determine the current mode of the air conditioner when a refrigerant leak occurs based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, and to control the four-way valve in the air conditioner according to the current mode, so that the four-way valve is in a cooling state. After controlling the indoor unit's air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, the controller closes the second throttling element and the control valve, and keeps the first throttling element open. The controller also controls the compressor and the indoor fan to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the controller is further configured to control the four-way valve to switch directions when the air conditioner is currently in heating mode or heating standby mode; and to control the four-way valve to maintain its current state when the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, defrosting mode or cooling standby mode.

[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, control the compressor to operate at a preset frequency threshold and control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed.

[0021] Furthermore, the controller is also configured to, after controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, determine the operating time for the air conditioner to perform refrigerant recovery, and when the operating time reaches a first preset time, control the first throttling element to turn off and shut down the compressor.

[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] 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

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 A flowchart of an air conditioner control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 A flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] 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.

[0028] Figure label:

[0029] Compressor 1, First liquid receiver 11, Second liquid receiver 12, Four-way 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

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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 1The air conditioner shown 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 via a first throttling element 4. The second port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 7 via a second throttling element 6. The third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the compressor 1 via a control valve 10. The first throttling element 4 and the second throttling element 6 can be electronic expansion valves. The compressor 1 can be a dual-cylinder independent compressor 1. The compressor 1 may be equipped with a first... The first liquid receiver 11 and the second liquid receiver 12 can both 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 the control valve 10. The air conditioner also includes a four-way 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.

[0033] 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 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.

[0034] An air conditioner has at least a cooling mode and a heating mode. In cooling mode, valve port D of four-way valve 2 is connected to valve port C, and valve port E is connected to valve port S. 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.

[0035] In heating mode, valve ports D and E of four-way valve 2 are connected, and valve ports C and S are connected. The refrigerant flow path in the air conditioner is referenced below. 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.

[0036] In addition, the air conditioner also has a defrost mode. In defrost mode, the D port of the four-way valve 2 is connected to the E port, and the C port is connected to the S port. The flow path of the refrigerant 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. In defrosting mode, the indoor fan does not run, and the outdoor fan runs.

[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: Obtain the indoor refrigerant concentration, and determine the current mode of the air conditioner when a refrigerant leak occurs based on the indoor refrigerant concentration.

[0039] It should be noted that the reference is... 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: Control the four-way valve in the air conditioner according to the current mode of the air conditioner so that the four-way valve is in the cooling state and control the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle.

[0041] When the four-way valve 2 is in cooling mode, the D valve port of the four-way valve 2 is connected to the C valve port, and the E valve port is connected to the S valve port. The indoor unit air guide plate is opened to the maximum air outlet angle so that the opening of the air outlet of the air conditioner indoor unit is at its maximum.

[0042] Step S3: Control the second throttling element and control valve to shut off, and control the first throttling element to remain open, and control the compressor and indoor fan to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator.

[0043] 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 four-way valve 2 is controlled to be in cooling mode. This prevents the refrigerant in the compressor 1 and outdoor heat exchanger 3 from flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the refrigerant connection pipes adjacent to it when flowing towards the gas-liquid separator 5, thus avoiding further refrigerant leakage on the indoor side. The indoor unit's air guide vane is then opened to its maximum air outlet angle to ensure unobstructed airflow at the indoor unit's outlet, guaranteeing the heat exchange efficiency of the indoor heat exchanger 7. The second throttling element 6 is turned off to prevent the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from entering the room. The control valve 10 is turned off to prevent the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from entering the compressor 1 for recirculation. The first throttling element 4 is kept open, and the compressor 1 and the indoor fan are kept running. This allows 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 to flow quickly to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side. After passing through the compressor 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the first throttling element 4, it flows into the gas-liquid separator 5. This achieves the recovery of the 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.

[0044] Therefore, according to the air conditioner control method of the present invention, when refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the four-way valve 2 is controlled to be in cooling state, the indoor unit air guide plate is controlled to open to the maximum air outlet angle, the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 are controlled to be closed, and the compressor 1 and the indoor fan are controlled so that the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner flows quickly to the outdoor side and is finally collected in the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, the four-way valve 2 in the air conditioner is controlled according to the current mode of the air conditioner, including: when the air conditioner is currently in heating mode or heating standby mode, controlling the four-way valve 2 to switch directions; when the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, defrosting mode or cooling standby mode, controlling the four-way valve 2 to remain unchanged in its current state.

[0046] It should be noted that when the air conditioner is in heating mode or heating standby mode, the D and E ports of the four-way valve 2 are connected, and the C and S ports are connected. In this state, if all the refrigerant in the air conditioner needs to be recovered into the gas-liquid separator 5, the refrigerant in the compressor 1 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 needs to pass through the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the refrigerant connection pipes adjacent to the indoor heat exchanger 7. If it has been confirmed that the refrigerant has leaked indoors, the refrigerant is prone to secondary leakage when passing through the refrigerant connection pipes of the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the adjacent indoor heat exchanger 7. Therefore, in order to reduce the refrigerant leakage indoors, it is necessary to control the four-way valve 2 to switch to the cooling state, that is, the D and C ports of the four-way valve 2 are connected, and the E and S ports are connected, so that the refrigerant is recovered through the outdoor compressor 1 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 into the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0047] Meanwhile, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, defrosting mode or cooling standby mode, the four-way valve 2 is in cooling state, that is, the D valve port of the four-way valve 2 is connected to the C valve port, and the E valve port is connected to the S valve port, so that the four-way valve 2 can be controlled to maintain the current state unchanged.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, after the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 are shut off, the compressor 1 and the indoor fan are controlled, including: controlling the compressor 1 to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor 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.

[0049] 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 the refrigerant can flow to the gas-liquid separator 5 at a faster speed. Optionally, the preset frequency threshold is 80%, 90%, or 100% of the maximum operating frequency of compressor 11. At the same time, the indoor fan is controlled to run at the preset maximum indoor unit speed to increase the refrigerant evaporation pressure and increase 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. In addition, the outdoor fan can be controlled to run 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.

[0050] Therefore, when refrigerant leaks indoors, by controlling the four-way valve 2 to be in cooling mode, controlling the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, controlling the compressor 1 to operate at a preset frequency threshold, and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, the refrigerant can be quickly recovered into the gas-liquid separator 5 in the refrigerant operating circuit of the air conditioner, reducing the residence time of the refrigerant on the indoor side and reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, after controlling the compressor 1 to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, the method further includes: determining the operating time for refrigerant recovery in the air conditioner; when the operating time reaches a first preset time, controlling the first throttling element 4 to turn off and shutting down the compressor 1; wherein the first preset time can be set according to the operating frequency of the compressor 1 and / or the refrigerant content in the air conditioner; the first 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 first 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, so that all pipelines connecting the gas-liquid separator 5 to the outside are closed, so that the refrigerant is sealed and stored in the gas-liquid separator 5; at the same time, controlling the compressor 1 to turn off, so as to avoid damage to the compressor 1 by idling.

[0052] 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 first preset time, the method further includes: controlling the power off of 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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 R (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. As another example, when the refrigerant is R (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. 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] Figure 3 A flowchart of an air conditioner control method according to another embodiment of the present invention is provided, with reference to... Figure 3As shown, the control methods for air conditioners include:

[0059] Step S11: Read Con in real time.

[0060] Wherein, Con represents the indoor refrigerant concentration.

[0061] Step S12: Determine if Con ≥ Conset. If yes, proceed to step S13; otherwise, return to step S11.

[0062] Wherein, Conset is the preset concentration threshold.

[0063] Step S13: Read the operating status of the air conditioner.

[0064] Step S14: When the air conditioner is in heating mode, control the four-way valve to switch on and control the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle.

[0065] Step S15: When the air conditioner is in defrosting mode, control the indoor unit's air guide vane to open to the maximum air outlet angle.

[0066] Step S16: When the air conditioner is in cooling mode or cooling standby mode, control the indoor unit's air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle.

[0067] Step S17: Control valve shuts off, LR2 = 0.

[0068] Wherein, LR2 is the opening degree of the second throttling element 6, and LR2 = 0 means that 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.

[0069] Step S18, Fr = Frset, Ir = Irmax.

[0070] Wherein, Fr is the current operating frequency of compressor 1, Frset is the preset frequency threshold, Ir is the indoor fan speed, and Irmax is the preset maximum indoor fan speed. In step S18, compressor 1 is controlled to operate at the preset frequency threshold, and the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the preset maximum indoor fan speed.

[0071] Step S19, after time t, LR1 = 0, Fr = 0.

[0072] Where t is the first 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 first preset time, the first throttling element 4 is controlled to turn off and the compressor 1 is shut down.

[0073] 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.

[0074] According to the air conditioner controller of the present invention, when the refrigerant leaks indoors, the controller controls the four-way valve 2 to be in cooling mode, controls the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, controls the second throttling element 6 and control valve 10 to be closed, and controls the compressor 1 and indoor fan to make the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner flow quickly to the outdoor side and finally be collected in the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0075] 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.

[0076] According to the computer-readable storage medium of the present invention, when the air conditioner control method of the above embodiment determines that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, the four-way valve 2 is controlled to be in cooling state, the indoor unit air guide plate is controlled to open to the maximum air outlet angle, the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 are controlled to be closed, and the compressor 1 and the indoor fan are controlled so that the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner flows quickly to the outdoor side and is finally collected in the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0077] To achieve the above embodiments, the present invention also proposes an air conditioner, see reference. 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 via a first throttling element 4, the second port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 7 via a second throttling element 6, and the third port of the gas-liquid separator 5 is connected to the compressor 1 via a control valve 10. The first throttling element 4 and the second throttling element 6 can be electronic expansion valves. The compressor 1 can be a twin-cylinder independent compressor 1, and the compressor 1 can be equipped with a first... 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 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.

[0078] 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 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.

[0079] An air conditioner has at least a cooling mode and a heating mode. In cooling mode, valve port D of four-way valve 2 is connected to valve port C, and valve port E is connected to valve port S. 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.

[0080] In heating mode, valve ports D and E of four-way valve 2 are connected, and valve ports C and S are connected. The refrigerant flow path in the air conditioner is referenced below. 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.

[0081] In addition, the air conditioner also has a defrost mode. In defrost mode, the D port of the four-way valve 2 is connected to the E port, and the C port is connected to the S port. The flow path of the refrigerant 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. In defrosting mode, the indoor fan does not run, and the outdoor fan runs.

[0082] 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. The concentration detection sensor 20 is used to detect the indoor refrigerant concentration. The concentration detection sensor 20 can be set close to the indoor heat exchanger 7. The concentration detection sensor 20 can detect the refrigerant concentration in the indoor environment. By obtaining the indoor refrigerant concentration, it can be determined whether the refrigerant has leaked indoors.

[0083] The controller 30 is used to determine the current mode of the air conditioner when a refrigerant leak occurs based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, and to control the four-way valve 2 in the air conditioner according to the current mode of the air conditioner so that the four-way valve 2 is in the cooling state. After controlling the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, the controller controls the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 to close, and controls the first throttling element 4 to remain open. The controller also controls the compressor 1 and the indoor fan to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator 5.

[0084] 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 four-way valve 2 is controlled to be in cooling mode. This prevents the refrigerant in the compressor 1 and outdoor heat exchanger 3 from flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the refrigerant connection pipes adjacent to it when flowing towards the gas-liquid separator 5, thus avoiding further refrigerant leakage on the indoor side. The indoor unit's air guide vane is then opened to its maximum air outlet angle to ensure unobstructed airflow at the indoor unit's outlet, guaranteeing the heat exchange efficiency of the indoor heat exchanger 7. The second throttling element 6 is turned off to prevent the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from entering the room. The control valve 10 is turned off to prevent the refrigerant in the gas-liquid separator 5 from entering the compressor 1 for recirculation. The first throttling element 4 is kept open, and the compressor 1 and the indoor fan are kept running. This allows 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 to flow quickly to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side. After passing through the compressor 1, the outdoor heat exchanger 3, and the first throttling element 4, it flows into the gas-liquid separator 5. This achieves the recovery of the 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.

[0085] Therefore, in the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the controller 30 determines that refrigerant leakage occurs indoors, it controls the four-way valve 2 to be in cooling mode, controls the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, controls the second throttling element 6 and control valve 10 to close, and controls the compressor 1 and indoor fan to make the refrigerant on the indoor side of the air conditioner flow quickly to the outdoor side and finally be collected in the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side and thus improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0086] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to control the four-way valve 2 to switch when the air conditioner is currently in heating mode or heating standby mode, and to control the four-way valve 2 to remain unchanged when the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, defrosting mode or cooling standby mode.

[0087] It should be noted that when the air conditioner is in heating mode or heating standby mode, the D and E ports of the four-way valve 2 are connected, and the C and S ports are connected. In this state, if all the refrigerant in the air conditioner needs to be recovered into the gas-liquid separator 5, the refrigerant in the compressor 1 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 needs to pass through the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the refrigerant connection pipes adjacent to the indoor heat exchanger 7. If it has been confirmed that the refrigerant has leaked indoors, the refrigerant is prone to secondary leakage when passing through the refrigerant connection pipes of the indoor heat exchanger 7 and the adjacent indoor heat exchanger 7. Therefore, in order to reduce the refrigerant leakage indoors, it is necessary to control the four-way valve 2 to switch to the cooling state, that is, the D and C ports of the four-way valve 2 are connected, and the E and S ports are connected, so that the refrigerant is recovered through the outdoor compressor 1 and the outdoor heat exchanger 3 into the gas-liquid separator 5, thereby improving the safety of the air conditioner.

[0088] Meanwhile, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, defrosting mode or cooling standby mode, the four-way valve 2 is in cooling state, that is, the D valve port of the four-way valve 2 is connected to the C valve port, and the E valve port is connected to the S valve port, so that the four-way valve 2 can be controlled to maintain the current state unchanged.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is also used to control the compressor 1 to operate at a preset frequency threshold and control the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor speed after controlling the second throttling element 6 and the control valve 10 to close, 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.

[0090] 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 the refrigerant can flow to the gas-liquid separator 5 at a faster speed. Optionally, the preset frequency threshold is 80%, 90%, or 100% of the maximum operating frequency of compressor 11. 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, so that the liquid refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 7 can quickly absorb heat and evaporate into a gaseous state, and then the gaseous refrigerant can flow to the compressor 1 on the outdoor side to reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage on the indoor side. In addition, the outdoor fan can be controlled to run 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.

[0091] Therefore, when refrigerant leaks indoors, the controller 30 controls the four-way valve 2 to be in cooling mode, controls the indoor unit air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, controls the compressor 1 to operate at a preset frequency threshold, and controls the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed. This allows the refrigerant to be quickly recovered into the gas-liquid separator 5 in the refrigerant operating circuit of the air conditioner, reducing the residence time of the refrigerant on the indoor side and reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to, after controlling the compressor 1 to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, determine the operating time for refrigerant recovery of the air conditioner, and when the operating time reaches a first preset time, control the first throttling element 4 to turn off and shut down the compressor 1. The first preset time can be set according to the operating frequency of the compressor 1 and / or the refrigerant content in the air conditioner. The first 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 first 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 so that all pipelines connecting the gas-liquid separator 5 to the outside are closed, so that the refrigerant is sealed and stored in the gas-liquid separator 5. At the same time, the compressor 1 is also controlled to turn off to avoid damage to the compressor 1 due to idling.

[0093] 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 first preset time, the method further includes: controlling the power off of 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] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 is further configured to determine that a refrigerant leak has occurred in the air conditioner 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 it can be set based on the flammability limit and lower explosive limit of the refrigerant, or it can be dynamically adjusted based on the operating parameters of the air conditioner.

[0095] 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.

[0096] 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 R (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. As another example, when the refrigerant is R (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. 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.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 30 can dynamically adjust the preset concentration threshold 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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: The indoor refrigerant concentration is obtained, and the current mode of the air conditioner is determined based on the indoor refrigerant concentration when a refrigerant leak occurs. The four-way valve in the air conditioner is controlled according to the current mode of the air conditioner, so that the four-way valve is in the cooling state, and the indoor unit air guide plate is opened to the maximum air outlet angle. The second throttling element and the control valve are controlled to close, and the first throttling element is controlled to remain open. The compressor and the indoor fan are controlled to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner into the gas-liquid separator. After the second throttling element and the control valve are turned off, the compressor is controlled to operate at a preset frequency threshold, and the indoor fan is controlled to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed. After controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, the operating time for the air conditioner to perform refrigerant recovery is determined. When the operating time reaches a first preset time, the first throttling element is controlled to turn off, and the compressor is shut down. When the running time reaches the first preset time, the first throttling element is turned 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 state. The first throttling element, the second throttling element and the control valve are all kept closed. 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, Controlling the four-way valve in the air conditioner according to its current mode includes: When the air conditioner is in heating mode or heating standby mode, control the four-way valve to switch directions; When the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, defrosting mode, or cooling standby mode, the four-way valve is controlled to maintain its current state.

3. 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 1-2.

4. 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 1-2.

5. 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 determine the current mode of the air conditioner when a refrigerant leak occurs based on the indoor refrigerant concentration, and to control the four-way valve in the air conditioner according to the current mode of the air conditioner so that the four-way valve is in the cooling state. After controlling the indoor unit's air guide plate to open to the maximum air outlet angle, the controller controls the second throttling element and the control valve to close, and controls the first throttling element to remain open. The controller also controls the compressor and the indoor fan to recover the refrigerant in the air conditioner to the gas-liquid separator. After the second throttling element and the control valve are turned off, the compressor is controlled to operate at a preset frequency threshold, and the indoor fan is controlled to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed. After controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency threshold and controlling the indoor fan to operate at a preset maximum indoor unit speed, the operating time for the air conditioner to perform refrigerant recovery is determined. When the operating time reaches a first preset time, the first throttling element is controlled to turn off, and the compressor is shut down. When the running time reaches the first preset time, the first throttling element is turned 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 state. The first throttling element, the second throttling element and the control valve are all kept closed. 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.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller is also used for, When the air conditioner is in heating mode or heating standby mode, control the four-way valve to switch directions; When the air conditioner is currently in cooling mode, defrosting mode, or cooling standby mode, the four-way valve is controlled to maintain its current state.

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