Heat exchange system, control method thereof, air conditioner and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a heat exchange system and a control method thereof, an air conditioner and a computer readable storage medium, and belongs to the technical field of air conditioners. The heat exchange system is improved. After the refrigerant is throttled, the throttled refrigerant is first subjected to outdoor electric control before phase separation. The refrigerant is used for precooling the outdoor electric control through the heat exchanger, so that the heat generation of the outdoor electric control can be effectively transferred, overheating of the outdoor electric control is avoided, and the reliability of the outdoor electric control is improved. The throttled two-phase working medium is introduced into a phase separator to be subjected to gas-liquid separation through a phase separation technology, the dryness of the working medium at the inlet of the evaporator is changed, the heat exchange capacity of the system is improved, the system power is reduced, and the system energy efficiency is improved. In the application, the flow of the gaseous refrigerant is controllable, the flow of the liquid refrigerant is adjusted at the same time, the operation range is increased, the system pressure under extreme working conditions can also be ensured to be within the system safety range, the phase separation effect under the refrigeration mode or the heating mode is realized, and the reliability of the system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning technology, and more particularly to heat exchange systems and control methods thereof, air conditioners, and computer-readable storage media. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, heat exchange systems mostly use throttling devices such as throttling short tubes and capillary tubes for throttling. After isenthalpic pressure reduction throttling in this way, the working fluid is in a gas-liquid mixed state, and then the working fluid directly enters the evaporation side to evaporate and absorb heat.

[0003] However, due to the relatively small heat exchange capacity of the gas phase portion, the large proportion of gas phase at the evaporation side inlet leads to some energy waste. This reduces the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchange system and increases its power and energy consumption, resulting in poor performance under extreme industrial control conditions. Furthermore, the narrow flow control range of conventional systems makes it difficult to control high pressure under extreme conditions, which reduces the reliability of the heat exchange system. At the same time, the large current at high frequencies generates significant heat, which has a substantial impact on the reliability of the electrical control components. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to provide a heat exchange system and its control method, an air conditioner, and a computer-readable storage medium, aiming to solve the technical problem of how to improve the heat exchange capacity and reliability of the heat exchange system and avoid energy waste.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a heat exchange system, the heat exchange system comprising:

[0006] A four-way valve, comprising a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port;

[0007] A compression device, wherein the input end and the output end of the compression device are respectively connected to the third port and the first port of the four-way valve;

[0008] An outdoor unit heat exchanger, wherein the outdoor unit heat exchanger is connected to the fourth port of the four-way valve;

[0009] An indoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is connected to the second port of the four-way valve;

[0010] A throttling device, wherein the throttling device is connected to the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the indoor unit heat exchanger respectively;

[0011] A first solenoid valve is disposed between the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the throttling device;

[0012] The second solenoid valve is disposed between the indoor unit heat exchanger and the throttling device;

[0013] The first three-way valve is disposed between the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve;

[0014] The second three-way valve is disposed between the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the indoor unit heat exchanger;

[0015] A phase separator, comprising a refrigerant inlet, a liquid phase outlet, and a gas phase outlet; the refrigerant inlet of the phase separator is connected to a first three-way valve; the liquid phase outlet of the phase separator is connected to the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the indoor unit heat exchanger respectively via a second three-way valve; the gas phase outlet of the phase separator is connected to the input end of the compression device.

[0016] When the heat exchange system is running, the mixed refrigerant obtained after being throttled by the throttling device enters the phase separator through the refrigerant inlet of the phase separator for gas-liquid separation to obtain gaseous refrigerant and liquid refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant enters the compression device through the gaseous outlet of the phase separator, and the liquid refrigerant enters the outdoor unit heat exchanger or indoor unit heat exchanger through the liquid outlet of the phase separator via the second three-way valve for evaporation before entering the compression device.

[0017] Optionally, the heat exchange system further includes:

[0018] A refrigerant regulating device is disposed between the gas phase outlet of the phase separator and the compression device.

[0019] Optionally, the compression device includes:

[0020] The compressor is used to compress and deliver refrigerant;

[0021] An oil separator, wherein the input end of the oil separator is connected to the output end of the compressor, the first output end of the oil separator is connected to the first port of the four-way valve, and the second output end of the oil separator is connected to the input end of the compressor;

[0022] The liquid storage tank has its input end connected to the third port of the four-way valve and the gas phase outlet of the phase separator, and its output end connected to the input end of the compressor.

[0023] Optionally, the throttling device includes:

[0024] An outdoor electrical control system is used to control the heat exchange system.

[0025] The first throttling component is connected to the first solenoid valve, the first three-way valve and the outdoor electrical control;

[0026] The second throttling component is connected to the second solenoid valve, the first three-way valve, and the outdoor electrical control.

[0027] Optionally, when the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the first solenoid valve is turned on and the second solenoid valve is turned off.

[0028] When the heat exchange system is in heating mode, the first solenoid valve is disconnected and the second solenoid valve is turned on.

[0029] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a control method for a heat exchange system, wherein the control method is applied to the heat exchange system described above, and the control method includes the following steps:

[0030] Obtain the operating mode of the heat exchange system;

[0031] The first and second solenoid valves are controlled according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system so that the phase separator separates the mixed refrigerant obtained after throttling by the throttling device.

[0032] Optionally, the step of controlling the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system includes:

[0033] When the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the first solenoid valve is opened and the second solenoid valve is closed.

[0034] Optionally, the step of controlling the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system further includes:

[0035] When the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the first solenoid valve is closed and the second solenoid valve is opened.

[0036] Optionally, the step of controlling the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system includes:

[0037] Obtain the exhaust temperature of the mixed refrigerant, and adjust the opening degree of the refrigerant regulating device in the heat exchange system according to the exhaust temperature.

[0038] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides an air conditioner, the air conditioner including the heat exchange system as described above, a memory, a processor, and a control program for the heat exchange system stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the control program for the heat exchange system is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the control method for the heat exchange system as described above.

[0039] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for a heat exchange system, wherein the control program for the heat exchange system, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method for the heat exchange system as described above.

[0040] This invention proposes a heat exchange system and its control method, an air conditioner, and a computer-readable storage medium, overcoming the technical problems of low heat exchange capacity and reliability in existing heat exchange systems, as well as energy waste during operation. This invention improves the heat exchange system by employing phase separation technology. The throttled two-phase working fluid is introduced into a phase separator for gas-liquid separation. The pure liquid phase then enters the evaporator to absorb heat, while the gas phase returns to the compressor through a return pipe. By changing the dryness of the working fluid at the evaporator inlet, the system's heat exchange capacity is increased, system power is reduced, and system energy efficiency is improved. In this invention, the flow rate of the gaseous refrigerant is controllable, and the flow rate of the liquid refrigerant is adjusted simultaneously, increasing the operating range and ensuring that the system pressure remains within the safe range even under extreme conditions. After refrigerant throttling, it passes through the outdoor electrical control unit before phase separation. The refrigerant pre-cools the outdoor electrical control unit via a heat exchanger, effectively transferring the heat generated by the outdoor electrical control unit and preventing overheating, thus improving its reliability. In this invention, the same piping system is used for both cooling and heating, and phase separation is achieved in either cooling or heating mode through the combined control of a four-way valve, a three-way valve, and a solenoid valve, further enhancing system reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the heat exchange system of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the heat exchange system of the present invention performing a refrigeration cycle.

[0043] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of the heat exchange system of the present invention performing a heating cycle.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure involved in the operation of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the control method for the heat exchange system of the present invention.

[0046] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0047] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0048] This invention provides a heat exchange system, referring to... Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure of an embodiment of the heat exchange system of the present invention.

[0049] In this embodiment, the heat exchange system includes:

[0050] Four-way valve 10, the four-way valve 10 includes a first port 101, a second port 102, a third port 103 and a fourth port 104;

[0051] Compression device 20, the input end and the output end of the compression device 20 are respectively connected to the third port 103 and the first port 101 of the four-way valve 10;

[0052] Outdoor unit heat exchanger 30, which is connected to the fourth port 104 of the four-way valve 10;

[0053] Indoor heat exchanger 40, which is connected to the second port 102 of the four-way valve 10;

[0054] A throttling device 50 is connected to the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 and the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 respectively;

[0055] The first solenoid valve 31 is disposed between the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 and the throttling device 50;

[0056] The second solenoid valve 41 is disposed between the indoor heat exchanger 40 and the throttling device 50.

[0057] A first three-way valve 60 is disposed between the first solenoid valve 31 and the second solenoid valve 41.

[0058] The second three-way valve 61 is disposed between the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 and the indoor unit heat exchanger 40;

[0059] A phase separator 70 includes a refrigerant inlet, a liquid phase outlet, and a gas phase outlet. The refrigerant inlet of the phase separator 70 is connected to the first three-way valve 60. The liquid phase outlet of the phase separator 70 is connected to the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 and the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 via the second three-way valve 61. The gas phase outlet of the phase separator 70 is connected to the input end of the compression device 20.

[0060] When the heat exchange system is running, the mixed refrigerant obtained after being throttled by the throttling device 50 enters the phase separator 70 through the refrigerant inlet for gas-liquid separation to obtain gaseous refrigerant and liquid refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant enters the compression device 20 through the gaseous outlet of the phase separator 70, and the liquid refrigerant enters the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 or the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 through the liquid outlet of the phase separator 70 via the second three-way valve 61 for evaporation before entering the compression device 20.

[0061] It should be noted that the heat exchange system can be applied to air conditioners, which can be any type of air conditioner with indoor and outdoor units, such as wall-mounted air conditioners, cabinet air conditioners, window air conditioners, multi-split air conditioners, and ceiling-mounted air conditioners.

[0062] In this embodiment, the four-way valve 10 is a control valve with four ports, used to switch between cooling and heating modes. Its working principle is as follows: When the solenoid valve coil is de-energized, the pilot slide valve moves to the left under the drive of the right-side compression spring. High-pressure gas enters the capillary tube and then the right-end piston chamber. Meanwhile, gas in the left-end piston chamber is discharged. Due to the pressure difference between the two ends of the piston, the piston and the main slide valve move to the left, connecting the exhaust pipe to the outdoor unit connection pipe, and the other two connection pipes are connected, forming a cooling cycle. When the solenoid valve coil is energized, the pilot slide valve overcomes the tension of the compression spring and moves to the right under the magnetic force generated by the solenoid coil. High-pressure gas enters the capillary tube and then the left-end piston chamber. Meanwhile, gas in the right-end piston chamber is discharged. Due to the pressure difference between the two ends of the piston, the piston and the main slide valve move to the right, connecting the exhaust pipe to the indoor unit connection pipe, and the other two connection pipes are connected, forming a heating cycle. The first three-way valve 60 and the second three-way valve 61 can be two-position three-way valves.

[0063] As an example, in this embodiment, the heat exchange system further includes:

[0064] A refrigerant regulating device 80 is disposed between the gas phase outlet of the phase separator 70 and the compression device 20.

[0065] It should be noted that the refrigerant regulating device 80 can be a solenoid valve, a refrigerant regulating device 80, or other types of refrigerant flow regulating devices. The operating parameters of the refrigerant regulating device 80 (such as opening or closing, increasing the opening degree, decreasing the opening degree, or maintaining the opening degree) can be determined based on the actual operating conditions of the heat exchange system. Different operating conditions can correspond to different operating parameters of the refrigerant regulating device 80.

[0066] It is understood that the flow rate of the gaseous refrigerant entering the compression device 20 from the gaseous outlet of the phase separator 70 can be regulated by the refrigerant regulating device 80.

[0067] As an example, in this embodiment, the compression device 20 includes:

[0068] Compressor 200, the compressor 200 being used to compress and deliver refrigerant;

[0069] Oil separator 201, the input end of which is connected to the output end of compressor 200, the first output end of oil separator 201 is connected to the first port 101 of four-way valve 10, and the second output end of oil separator 201 is connected to the input end of compressor 200;

[0070] The liquid storage tank 202 has its input end connected to the third port 103 of the four-way valve 10 and the gas phase outlet of the phase separator 70, and its output end connected to the input end of the compressor 200.

[0071] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the compressor 200 is a driven fluid machine that elevates low-pressure gas to high-pressure gas, used for compressing and transporting refrigerant, and is the heart of the refrigeration system. It draws in low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas through the suction pipe, compresses it via a piston driven by a motor, and then discharges high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas through the exhaust pipe, providing power for the refrigeration or heating cycle. This achieves a refrigeration or heating cycle of compression → condensation (heat release) → expansion → evaporation (heat absorption). Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of the heat exchange system performing a refrigeration cycle in this embodiment. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of the heat exchange system performing a heating cycle in this embodiment.

[0072] In this embodiment, the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 and the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 are devices that transfer part of the heat from a hot fluid to a cold fluid. Also known as heat exchangers, they are energy-saving devices that enable heat transfer between two or more fluids at different temperatures. Optionally, they can be floating head heat exchangers, fixed tube sheet heat exchangers, U-tube sheet heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, etc. In this embodiment, a plate heat exchanger is used as an example, and the specific types of the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 and the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 are not limited. Both the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 and the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 include two ports for providing channels for the flowing refrigerant.

[0073] As an example, in this embodiment, the throttling device 50 includes: an outdoor electrical control 500 for controlling the heat exchange system; a first throttling component 501 connected to the first solenoid valve 31, the first three-way valve 60, and the outdoor electrical control 500; and a second throttling component 502 connected to the second solenoid valve 41, the first three-way valve 60, and the outdoor electrical control 500.

[0074] As an example, in this embodiment, when the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the first solenoid valve 31 is turned on and the second solenoid valve 41 is turned off; when the heat exchange system is in heating mode, the first solenoid valve 31 is turned off and the second solenoid valve 41 is turned on.

[0075] It should be noted that in this embodiment, when the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the first port 101 and the fourth port 104 of the four-way valve 10 are connected, and the second port 102 and the third port 103 are connected. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged by the compression device 20 is transported to the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 (condenser) through the four-way valve 10. The first solenoid valve 31 is turned on, and after the refrigerant undergoes a heat dissipation and condensation process, it is transported to the throttling device 50 for throttling, cooling, and depressurization to become low-pressure refrigerant. Since the second solenoid valve 31 is turned on at this time, the refrigerant is turned on. With solenoid valve 41 open, the low-pressure refrigerant cannot directly enter the indoor unit heat exchanger 40. Instead, it must first pass through the first three-way valve 60 into the phase separator 70 for phase separation. The separated gaseous phase then passes directly through the refrigerant regulating device 80 into the return pipe and then through the liquid receiver 202 into the compressor 200. The separated liquid phase passes through the second three-way valve 61 into the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 (evaporator), where it absorbs heat and evaporates, transforming into gaseous refrigerant. This gaseous phase then passes through the liquid receiver 202 into the compressor 200 for compression, and the cycle repeats. During this process, the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 acts as the condenser, dissipating heat from the refrigerant, while the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 acts as the evaporator, absorbing heat from the refrigerant.

[0076] Conversely, when the heat exchange system is in heating mode, the first port 101 and the second port 102 of the four-way valve 10 are connected, and the third port 103 and the fourth port 104 are connected. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged by the compression device 20 is transported to the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 (condenser) through the four-way valve 10. The second solenoid valve 41 is turned on. After the refrigerant undergoes heat dissipation and condensation, it is transported to the throttling device 50 for throttling, cooling and depressurization to become low-pressure refrigerant. Since the first solenoid valve 31 is turned off at this time, the low-pressure refrigerant cannot directly enter the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30. Instead, it needs to pass through the first three-way valve 60 to enter the phase separator 70 for phase separation. The separated gas phase directly enters the return gas pipe through the refrigerant regulating device 80 and then enters the compressor 200 through the liquid storage tank 202. The separated liquid phase enters the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 (evaporator) through the second three-way valve 61. After absorbing heat and evaporating, it is converted into gaseous refrigerant and enters the compressor 200 through the liquid storage tank 202 for compression. The cycle repeats. In this process, the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 acts as the condenser end, dissipating heat from the refrigerant, while the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 acts as the evaporator end, absorbing heat from the refrigerant. In this embodiment, the opening degree of the refrigerant regulating device 80 is controlled according to the exhaust temperature of the gas phase outlet of the phase separator 70. The purpose is to maintain a dynamic ratio between the gas phase refrigerant directly separated and entering the liquid storage tank 202 and the gas phase refrigerant obtained after evaporation of the liquid phase refrigerant in the evaporator. Generally, the higher the exhaust temperature, the smaller the opening degree of the refrigerant regulating device 80.

[0077] This embodiment provides a heat exchange system that overcomes the technical problems of low heat exchange capacity and reliability in existing heat exchange systems, as well as energy waste during operation. This embodiment employs phase separation technology, separating the two-phase working fluid after throttling through a phase separator. The pure liquid phase then enters the evaporator to absorb heat, while the gaseous phase passes through a refrigerant regulating device and returns to the compressor via a return pipe. This avoids energy waste caused by the gaseous refrigerant, which does not require evaporation, entering the evaporator. This embodiment achieves increased heat exchange capacity, reduced heat exchange power, and improved heat exchange efficiency by changing the dryness of the working fluid at the evaporator inlet. Due to the refrigerant regulating device, the gaseous refrigerant flow rate is controllable in this embodiment. Combined with adjusting the liquid refrigerant flow rate and adjusting the fan frequency under different operating conditions, it can effectively improve the heating capacity under low-temperature conditions and the cooling capacity under high-temperature conditions. Furthermore, it ensures that the system pressure remains within the safe range under extreme operating conditions, improving system reliability. Since the opening degree of the refrigerant regulating device can be adjusted under different operating conditions, the operating range of the air conditioner is increased.

[0078] In this embodiment, after refrigerant throttling, the throttled refrigerant passes through the outdoor electrical control unit before phase separation. The throttled refrigerant pre-cools the outdoor electrical control components via a heat exchanger, effectively transferring heat from the electrical control system and preventing overheating, thus improving their reliability. In this embodiment, the heat exchange system uses the same piping system in both cooling and heating modes. Phase separation is achieved in both cooling and heating modes through the combined control of a four-way valve, a two-position three-way valve, and a solenoid valve, further enhancing system reliability.

[0079] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure involved in the operation of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] like Figure 4 As shown, the hardware can be an air conditioner. In addition to the aforementioned heat exchange system, the air conditioner also includes: a processor 1001, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, and a memory 1005. The communication bus 1002 is used to enable communication between these components. The user interface 1003 may include a display screen and an input unit such as a keyboard. Optionally, the user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface. The network interface 1004 may optionally include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface (such as a Wi-Fi interface). The memory 1005 may be a high-speed random access memory (RAM) or a stable non-volatile memory (NVM), such as a disk drive. Optionally, the memory 1005 may also be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0081] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 4 The structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the air conditioner and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0082] like Figure 4 As shown, the memory 1005, which serves as a storage medium, may include an operating system, a data storage module, a network communication module, a user interface module, and a control program for the heat exchange system.

[0083] exist Figure 4In the air conditioner shown, the network interface 1004 is mainly used for data communication with other devices; the user interface 1003 is mainly used for data interaction with the user; the processor 1001 and the memory 1005 in the air conditioner of the present invention can be set in the air conditioner. The air conditioner calls the control program of the heat exchange system stored in the memory 1005 through the processor 1001 and executes the relevant steps of the control method of the heat exchange system in the following embodiments.

[0084] This invention also provides a control method for a heat exchange system, which can be applied to the aforementioned heat exchange system and air conditioner.

[0085] Reference Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a control method for a heat exchange system according to the present invention.

[0086] In this embodiment, the control method of the heat exchange system includes:

[0087] Step S10: Obtain the operating mode of the heat exchange system;

[0088] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the executing entity is the outdoor electrical control in the heat exchange system, or the processor in the air conditioner containing the heat exchange system. The operating mode of the heat exchange system can be heating mode or cooling mode.

[0089] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the operating modes of the heat exchange system include a cooling mode and a heating mode. In different operating modes, the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 and the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 play different roles, as described in the above embodiments of the heat exchange system: in the cooling mode, the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 acts as the condenser end, dissipating heat from the refrigerant, while the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 acts as the evaporator end, absorbing heat from the refrigerant; in the heating mode, the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 acts as the condenser end, dissipating heat from the refrigerant, while the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 acts as the evaporator end, absorbing heat from the refrigerant.

[0090] Step S20: Control the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system, so that the phase separator separates the mixed refrigerant obtained after throttling by the throttling device.

[0091] It is understandable that in order to ensure that the refrigerant after throttling can be separated by the phase separator before entering the evaporator, it is necessary to ensure that the first solenoid valve 31 and the second solenoid valve 41 cannot be turned on at the same time. Therefore, it is necessary to control the opening and closing state of the first solenoid valve 31 and the second solenoid valve 41 in different modes to affect the refrigerant flow direction.

[0092] As an example, in this embodiment, step S20, which controls the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system, includes: when the operating mode of the heat exchange system is the cooling mode, opening the first solenoid valve 31 and closing the second solenoid valve 41.

[0093] Understandably, when the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged by the compressor 20 is transported to the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 (condenser) through the four-way valve 10. The first solenoid valve 31 is opened to conduct, allowing the refrigerant to be transported to the throttling device 50 for throttling, cooling, and depressurization after the heat dissipation and condensation process, becoming low-pressure refrigerant. The second solenoid valve 41 is closed, so that the throttled low-pressure refrigerant cannot directly enter the indoor unit heat exchanger 40, but needs to first pass through the first three-way valve 60 to enter the phase separator 70 for phase separation. The separated gaseous phase directly enters the return gas pipe through the refrigerant regulating device 80 and then enters the compressor 200 through the liquid storage tank 202. The separated liquid phase enters the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 (evaporator) through the second three-way valve 61, and after absorbing heat and evaporating, it is converted into gaseous refrigerant and enters the compressor 200 through the liquid storage tank 202 for compression, and the cycle repeats.

[0094] As an example, in this embodiment, step S20, which controls the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system, further includes: when the operating mode of the heat exchange system is the cooling mode, closing the first solenoid valve 31 and opening the second solenoid valve 41.

[0095] Understandably, when the heat exchange system is in heating mode, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged by the compressor 20 is transported to the indoor unit heat exchanger 40 (condenser) through the four-way valve 10. The second solenoid valve 41 is opened to conduct, allowing the refrigerant to be transported to the throttling device 50 for throttling, cooling, and depressurization after the heat dissipation and condensation process, becoming low-pressure refrigerant. The first solenoid valve 31 is closed, so that the throttled low-pressure refrigerant cannot directly enter the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30, but needs to first pass through the first three-way valve 60 to enter the phase separator 70 for phase separation. The separated gaseous phase directly enters the return gas pipe through the refrigerant regulating device 80 and then enters the compressor 200 through the liquid storage tank 202. The separated liquid phase enters the outdoor unit heat exchanger 30 (evaporator) through the second three-way valve 61, and after absorbing heat and evaporating, it is converted into gaseous refrigerant and enters the compressor 200 through the liquid storage tank 202 for compression, and the cycle repeats.

[0096] As an example, in this embodiment, after step S20, the following steps are included: obtaining the exhaust temperature of the mixed refrigerant, and adjusting the opening degree of the refrigerant regulating device 80 according to the exhaust temperature.

[0097] It should be noted that, in order to maintain a dynamic ratio between the gaseous refrigerant that directly separates into the storage tank and the gaseous refrigerant obtained after the liquid refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator, this embodiment designs a dynamic opening control scheme for the refrigerant regulating device 80 located between the phase separator 70 and the compression device 20. Generally, the higher the exhaust temperature of the gas phase outlet of the phase separator 70, the smaller the opening of the refrigerant regulating device 80.

[0098] This embodiment provides a control method for a heat exchange system, overcoming the technical problems of low heat exchange capacity and reliability in existing heat exchange systems, as well as energy waste during operation. Based on an air conditioner incorporating the aforementioned heat exchange system, this embodiment employs phase separation technology. The two-phase working fluid, after throttling, is separated into gas and liquid phases via a phase separator. The pure liquid phase then enters the evaporator to absorb heat, while the gaseous phase, after passing through a refrigerant regulating device, returns to the compressor via a return pipe. This avoids energy waste caused by the gaseous refrigerant, which does not require evaporation, entering the evaporator. This embodiment achieves increased heat exchange capacity, reduced heat exchange power, and improved heat exchange efficiency by changing the dryness of the working fluid at the evaporator inlet. Due to the refrigerant regulating device, the gaseous refrigerant flow rate is controllable in this embodiment. Combined with adjusting the liquid refrigerant flow rate and adjusting the fan frequency under different operating conditions, it effectively improves the heating capacity at low temperatures and the cooling capacity at high temperatures. Furthermore, it ensures that the system pressure remains within the safe range under extreme conditions, improving system reliability. Since the opening degree of the refrigerant regulating device can be adjusted under different operating conditions, this embodiment increases the operating range of the air conditioner. In this embodiment, after refrigerant throttling, the throttled refrigerant passes through the outdoor unit's electrical control system before phase separation. The throttled refrigerant pre-cools the outdoor electrical control components via a heat exchanger, effectively transferring heat from the electrical control system and preventing overheating, thus improving their reliability. In this embodiment, the heat exchange system uses the same piping system in both cooling and heating modes. Phase separation is achieved in both cooling and heating modes through the combined control of a four-way valve, a two-position three-way valve, and a solenoid valve, further enhancing system reliability.

[0099] Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention also propose a computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for a heat exchange system, wherein the control program for the heat exchange system is executed by a processor using the relevant steps of any embodiment of the control method for the heat exchange system described above.

[0100] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0101] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0102] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The air conditioner and the software product are stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, including several instructions to cause a terminal device (which may be a mobile phone, an air conditioner, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0103] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heat exchange system, characterized in that, The heat exchange system includes: A four-way valve, comprising a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port; A compression device, wherein the input end and the output end of the compression device are respectively connected to the third port and the first port of the four-way valve; An outdoor unit heat exchanger, wherein the outdoor unit heat exchanger is connected to the fourth port of the four-way valve; An indoor heat exchanger, wherein the indoor heat exchanger is connected to the second port of the four-way valve; A throttling device, wherein the throttling device is connected to the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the indoor unit heat exchanger respectively; A first solenoid valve is disposed between the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the throttling device; The second solenoid valve is disposed between the indoor unit heat exchanger and the throttling device; The first three-way valve is disposed between the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve; The second three-way valve is disposed between the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the indoor unit heat exchanger; A phase separator, comprising a refrigerant inlet, a liquid phase outlet, and a gas phase outlet; the refrigerant inlet of the phase separator is connected to a first three-way valve; the liquid phase outlet of the phase separator is connected to the outdoor unit heat exchanger and the indoor unit heat exchanger respectively via a second three-way valve; the gas phase outlet of the phase separator is connected to the input end of the compression device. A refrigerant regulating device is disposed between the gas phase outlet of the phase separator and the compression device; When the heat exchange system is running, the mixed refrigerant obtained after throttling by the throttling device enters the phase separator through the refrigerant inlet of the phase separator for gas-liquid separation to obtain gaseous refrigerant and liquid refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant enters the compression device through the gaseous outlet of the phase separator, and the liquid refrigerant enters the outdoor unit heat exchanger or indoor unit heat exchanger through the liquid outlet of the phase separator via the second three-way valve for evaporation before entering the compression device. The opening degree of the refrigerant regulating device is controlled according to the exhaust temperature of the gas phase outlet of the phase separator, so as to maintain the dynamic ratio between the gas phase refrigerant directly separated by the phase separator and the gas phase refrigerant obtained after evaporation of the liquid phase refrigerant.

2. The heat exchange system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The compression device includes: The compressor is used to compress and deliver refrigerant; An oil separator, wherein the input end of the oil separator is connected to the output end of the compressor, the first output end of the oil separator is connected to the first port of the four-way valve, and the second output end of the oil separator is connected to the input end of the compressor; The liquid storage tank has its input end connected to the third port of the four-way valve and the gas phase outlet of the phase separator, and its output end connected to the input end of the compressor.

3. The heat exchange system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The throttling device includes: An outdoor electrical control system is used to control the heat exchange system. The first throttling component is connected to the first solenoid valve, the first three-way valve and the outdoor electrical control; The second throttling component is connected to the second solenoid valve, the first three-way valve, and the outdoor electrical control.

4. The heat exchange system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the first solenoid valve is turned on and the second solenoid valve is turned off. When the heat exchange system is in heating mode, the first solenoid valve is disconnected and the second solenoid valve is turned on.

5. A control method for a heat exchange system, characterized in that, The control method for the heat exchange system is applied to the heat exchange system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, and the control method for the heat exchange system includes the following steps: Obtain the operating mode of the heat exchange system; The first and second solenoid valves are controlled according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system so that the phase separator separates the mixed refrigerant obtained after throttling by the throttling device.

6. The control method for the heat exchange system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The step of controlling the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system includes: When the heat exchange system is in cooling mode, the first solenoid valve is opened and the second solenoid valve is closed.

7. The control method for the heat exchange system as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The step of controlling the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve according to the operating mode of the heat exchange system further includes: When the heat exchange system is in heating mode, the first solenoid valve is closed and the second solenoid valve is opened.

8. An air conditioner, characterized in that, The air conditioner includes a heat exchange system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, a memory, a processor, and a control program for the heat exchange system stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the control program for the heat exchange system is executed by the processor, it implements the steps of the control method for the heat exchange system as described in any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a control program for the heat exchange system, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the control method for the heat exchange system as described in any one of claims 5 to 7.

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