Cold storage air conditioner, cooling method, controller and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cold storage air conditioner, a cooling method, a controller, and a computer-readable storage medium. The cold storage air conditioner includes a cold storage tank filled with a refrigerant, a cooling module, and an auxiliary module. The cooling module utilizes the cooling capacity of the refrigerant to provide cooling to users. The cooling module includes a circulating pump, the water inlet of the circulating pump being placed in the refrigerant. The auxiliary module includes a compressor, a heat supply heat exchanger, a first throttling device, and a first cooling heat exchanger connected in sequence to form an auxiliary circuit. The heat supply heat exchanger is placed in the refrigerant, and the compressor drives the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cooling capacity from the heat supply heat exchanger and then transports the absorbed cooling capacity to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to users. This method solves the problem of the circulating pump failing to operate normally and providing no cooling capacity during the initial startup of the cold storage air conditioner, thereby achieving efficient and energy-saving operation of the cold storage air conditioner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular to a cold storage air conditioner, a cooling method, a controller and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Cold storage air conditioners use a cold storage tank filled with refrigerant to store cold energy at night or during off-peak hours. This cold energy is stored as cold water or solidified phase change material. When operating in cooling mode, the cold storage tank can be used to provide cooling, saving operating costs.

[0003] Most cold-storage air conditioners on the market use ice storage. As the water in the cold storage tank gradually freezes during the cold storage process, it's common for the entire tank to freeze completely. During this period, the circulating pump inside the tank can no longer draw water and supply cold water to the air conditioner's indoor heat exchanger, resulting in no cooling output from the air conditioner. Related technologies have addressed this issue by using electric heating wires to heat the ice near the circulating pump's water inlet. However, these heating wires consume electricity, and during the initial heating phase, the amount of ice melted is minimal, so the circulating pump remains inoperative, causing the air conditioner to lose cooling output for extended periods. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following is a summary of the subject matter described in detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention provide a cold storage air conditioner, a cooling method, a controller, and a computer-readable storage medium, which can assist in melting a solid coolant when the water supply of a circulating pump is insufficient, while also providing cooling capacity and being highly efficient and energy-saving.

[0006] An embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention provides a cold storage air conditioner, comprising:

[0007] A cold storage tank filled with coolant;

[0008] A cooling module, configured to utilize the cooling capacity of the brine to provide cooling to users, the cooling module comprising a circulating pump, the water inlet of the circulating pump being placed in the brine;

[0009] an auxiliary module, comprising a compressor, a heating heat exchanger, a first throttling device, and a first cooling heat exchanger, wherein the compressor, the heating heat exchanger, the first throttling device, and the first cooling heat exchanger are sequentially connected to form an auxiliary circuit, and the heating heat exchanger is placed in the brine;

[0010] The controller is used to start the compressor to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and to transport the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to the user.

[0011] The cold storage air conditioner according to the embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: the compressor, the heating heat exchanger, the first throttling device and the first cooling heat exchanger constitute an auxiliary circuit. Under the drive of the compressor, the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit can absorb the cold of the refrigerant at the heating heat exchanger and transport the cold to the first cooling heat exchanger; since the heating heat exchanger is placed in the refrigerant, when the circulating pump cannot normally extract the liquid refrigerant, the refrigerant in the heating heat exchanger can absorb the cold of the refrigerant, that is, provide heat to the refrigerant, accelerate the phase change of the refrigerant into liquid, and then restore the normal operation of the circulating pump; in this process, the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit absorbs heat at the first cooling heat exchanger, so that the temperature at the first cooling heat exchanger drops, so that the cold storage air conditioner can provide cooling to the user even when the circulating pump cannot work normally, solves the problem that the circulating pump cannot work normally and no cooling is provided in the initial stage of the cold storage air conditioner startup, and achieves the high-efficiency and energy-saving working effect of the cold storage air conditioner.

[0012] In some embodiments, a cold storage module is also included, which includes an evaporator, a second throttling device and a condenser. The evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the second throttling device are connected in sequence to form a cold storage circuit, and the evaporator is placed in the coolant.

[0013] In some embodiments, a baffle is provided in the cold storage tank, which divides the cold storage tank into a first area and a second area. The refrigerant circulates between the first area and the second area. The water inlet pipe of the circulating pump and the heat supply heat exchanger are located in the first area, and the evaporator is located in the second area.

[0014] In some embodiments, one end or both ends of the baffle are connected to the side wall of the cold storage box.

[0015] In some embodiments, the baffle is provided with a plurality of through holes.

[0016] In some embodiments, a first valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the heat supply heat exchanger, and a second valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the condenser. The controller is also used to control the first valve to open to connect the auxiliary circuit, and to control the second valve to open to connect the cold storage circuit.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cooling module further includes a second cooling heat exchanger, the inlet of the second cooling heat exchanger is connected to the water outlet of the circulation pump, and the outlet of the second cooling heat exchanger is placed in the refrigerant.

[0018] In some embodiments, a fan is further included, and the fan is used to drive the air flow to perform heat exchange with the first cooling heat exchanger and / or the second cooling heat exchanger.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first cooling heat exchanger and the second cooling heat exchanger are located on the same side of the fan.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first throttling device is a capillary tube, a thermal expansion valve, or an electronic expansion valve.

[0021] A second embodiment of the present invention provides a cooling method for a cold storage air conditioner, the cold storage air conditioner comprising:

[0022] A cold storage tank filled with coolant;

[0023] A cooling module, configured to utilize the cooling capacity of the brine to provide cooling to users, the cooling module comprising a circulating pump, the water inlet of the circulating pump being placed in the brine;

[0024] an auxiliary module, comprising a compressor, a heating heat exchanger, a first throttling device, and a first cooling heat exchanger, wherein the compressor, the heating heat exchanger, the first throttling device, and the first cooling heat exchanger are sequentially connected to form an auxiliary circuit, and the heating heat exchanger is placed in the brine;

[0025] The cooling method comprises:

[0026] Under the cooling operation condition of the cold storage air conditioner, detecting the water supply amount of the circulation pump;

[0027] When the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold, the compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy is transported to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to users.

[0028] In some embodiments, it further includes:

[0029] detecting the water inlet temperature of the circulating pump;

[0030] When the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold and the water inlet temperature of the circulation pump is less than or equal to the preset temperature, the compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy is transported to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to the user;

[0031] The preset temperature is related to the phase transition temperature of the coolant between liquid and solid.

[0032] In some embodiments, before detecting the water supply volume of the circulation pump and the water inlet temperature of the circulation pump, the cooling method further includes:

[0033] Receive a start command;

[0034] The fan and the circulation pump of the cold storage air conditioner are turned on, and the rotation speed of the circulation pump is set according to the start-up instruction.

[0035] In some embodiments, starting the compressor to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit includes:

[0036] starting the compressor at a preset frequency;

[0037] After controlling the compressor to run for a preset time, detecting the water supply of the circulation pump and the air outlet temperature of the cold storage air conditioner;

[0038] When the water supply of the circulation pump is greater than or equal to the water supply threshold, turning off the compressor;

[0039] When the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold, the operating frequency of the compressor is controlled according to the air outlet temperature.

[0040] In some embodiments, controlling the operating frequency of the compressor according to the outlet air temperature includes:

[0041] When the air outlet temperature is lower than the set air outlet temperature, reducing the operating frequency of the compressor;

[0042] When the outlet air temperature is greater than the set outlet air temperature, increasing the operating frequency of the compressor;

[0043] When the outlet air temperature is equal to the set outlet air temperature, the operating frequency of the compressor is maintained.

[0044] In some embodiments, it further includes:

[0045] After controlling the operating frequency of the compressor according to the outlet air temperature and maintaining the compressor running at the current frequency for the preset time, the water supply of the circulation pump and the outlet air temperature of the fan of the cold storage air conditioner are re-detected.

[0046] In some embodiments, the cold storage air conditioner further includes a cold storage module, the cold storage module including an evaporator, a second throttling device and a condenser, the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the second throttling device are sequentially connected to form a cold storage circuit, the evaporator is placed in the refrigerant, a first valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the heat supply heat exchanger, and a second valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the condenser; starting the compressor to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to work includes:

[0047] closing the second valve to close the cold storage circuit;

[0048] opening the first valve to open the auxiliary circuit;

[0049] The compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit.

[0050] In some embodiments, when the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold and the water inlet temperature of the circulation pump is greater than the phase change temperature threshold, the air outlet temperature of the fan of the cold storage air conditioner is obtained;

[0051] When the outlet air temperature is greater than the set outlet air temperature, the compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy is transported to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to the user.

[0052] A third aspect of the present invention provides a controller comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the cooling method as described in the second aspect when executing the computer program.

[0053] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for executing the cooling method as described in the second aspect.

[0054] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or will be understood by practicing the present invention. The purposes and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Figure 1 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a cold storage air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figures 2 to 4 Schematic diagram of the positions of the fan and two cooling heat exchangers provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 5 This is a side view of the connection structure between the baffle and the cold storage box provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 6 This is a front view of the connection structure between the baffle and the cold storage box provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the baffle provided by the embodiment of the present invention with a through hole

[0060] Figure 8 This is an overall flow chart of the cooling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 9 This is a flow chart of starting the auxiliary module according to the inlet water temperature and water supply provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 10 This is a flow chart of starting the auxiliary module based on the outlet air temperature provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 11 This is a flow chart of the initial startup of the cold storage air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of the operation of the startup auxiliary module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 13 This is a flow chart of controlling the operating frequency of a compressor according to the outlet air temperature provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0066] Figure 14 is a flow chart of controlling the first valve and the second valve to start the auxiliary module provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 15 It is an overall flow chart of the cooling method provided by an example of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 16 It is a structural connection diagram of the controller provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the characteristics, operations or features described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementation methods. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be exchanged or adjusted in order in a manner that is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the specification and the drawings are only for the purpose of clearly describing a certain embodiment and are not meant to be a necessary order, unless otherwise specified that a certain order must be followed.

[0070] In the description of the present invention, "several" means one or more, "many" means more than two, "greater than," "less than," and "exceed" are understood to exclude the number itself, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the number itself. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is solely for the purpose of distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, implicitly specifying the number of the indicated technical features, or implicitly specifying the order of the indicated technical features.

[0071] The serial numbers assigned to components herein, such as "first," "second," etc., are used solely to distinguish the objects being described and do not convey any sequential or technical meaning. References to "connection" and "coupling" herein, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (couplings).

[0072] A cold storage air conditioner is an energy storage device that uses the low-peak temperature at night to store cold energy in the form of cold water or solidified phase change materials. During peak load periods, the cold storage air conditioner partially or fully utilizes the stored cold energy to provide cooling to users, thereby reducing the installed capacity of refrigeration equipment, lowering operating costs, and shaving the peak and filling the valley of electricity load.

[0073] During operation, a cold storage air conditioner (CSA) releases the cold energy from the refrigerant in the cold storage tank to provide cooling to the user. To increase the cold energy stored in the refrigerant, conventionally used refrigerants undergo a phase change during the cold storage process, from liquid to solid. This phase change releases a significant amount of heat, achieving optimal cold storage. Therefore, during the cooling process, CSAs also utilize this phase change to absorb significant heat, extending the cooling time. During the cold storage process, the liquid refrigerant gradually solidifies. This solid refrigerant cannot be pumped out by the circulating pump, preventing it from delivering it to the heat exchanger. Consequently, the CSA loses its cooling output. For example, if the refrigerant is water, the CSA continues to cool the 0°C water, causing the water in the CSA to gradually freeze, eventually blocking the circulating pump's inlet pipe and rendering the circulating pump inoperable. Generally speaking, cold storage air conditioners will control the cold storage process to try to prevent the refrigerant from freezing the water inlet pipe of the circulation pump. However, in some cases, excessive cooling or uneven cooling will still cause the water inlet pipe of the circulation pump to freeze, which will affect the user experience.

[0074] Based on this, an embodiment of the present invention provides a cold storage air conditioner, a cooling method, a controller and a computer-readable storage medium. A heat supply heat exchanger is set in the cold storage box, and an auxiliary circuit with refrigerant flowing is constructed based on the heat supply heat exchanger. The heat supply heat exchanger is used to heat the refrigerant in the cold storage box, and the cold absorbed by the heated refrigerant is delivered to the user. On the one hand, it solves the problem of thawing the water inlet pipe of the circulating pump, and on the other hand, it can also provide cooling for the user when the circulating pump cannot work normally.

[0075] The following is an explanation with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0076] Reference Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a cold storage air conditioner, comprising:

[0077] The cold storage box 100 is filled with a coolant;

[0078] The cooling module 200 is used to provide cooling to users by using the cooling capacity of the brine. The cooling module 200 includes a circulating pump 210, and the water inlet of the circulating pump 210 is placed in the brine;

[0079] The auxiliary module includes a compressor 310, a heat supply heat exchanger 410, a first throttling device 420, and a first cool supply heat exchanger 430. The compressor 310, the heat supply heat exchanger 410, the first throttling device 420, and the first cool supply heat exchanger 430 are sequentially connected to form an auxiliary circuit. The heat supply heat exchanger 410 is placed in the refrigerant.

[0080] The controller is used to start the compressor 310 to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger 410, and to transport the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 to provide cooling to the user.

[0081] A cold storage air conditioner generally includes a cold storage module 300 and a cold supply module 200. The cold storage module 300 is used to refrigerate the coolant in the cold storage tank 100, thereby storing cold energy. The cold supply module 200 is used to transport the coolant in the cold storage tank 100 to the heat exchanger on the user side, so that the coolant exchanges heat with the environment at the heat exchanger, thereby providing cold energy to the user. Generally, the cold storage module 300 and the cold supply module 200 do not work at the same time. The cold storage air conditioner determines how long it can provide cold energy to the user based on the cold storage level of the coolant in the cold storage tank 100 and the user's set temperature. In some cases, the coolant solidifies into a solid state after cold storage, which may freeze the water inlet pipe of the circulation pump 210 in the cold supply module 200, resulting in the inability of the circulation pump 210 to extract the coolant in the cold storage tank 100 after starting, affecting user use. To address this situation, an embodiment of the present invention improves the structure of the cold storage air conditioner by adding an auxiliary module. The auxiliary module constructs an auxiliary circuit with refrigerant flowing therein, which, on the one hand, thaws the secondary refrigerant, and on the other hand, provides cooling for the user. Specifically, a compressor 310, a heating heat exchanger 410, a first throttling device 420, and a first cooling heat exchanger 430 are sequentially arranged in the auxiliary circuit. The air outlet of the compressor 310 is connected to the inlet of the heating heat exchanger 410, the outlet of the heating heat exchanger 410 is connected to the inlet of the first throttling device 420, the outlet of the first throttling device 420 is connected to the inlet of the first cooling heat exchanger 430, and the outlet of the first cooling heat exchanger 430 is connected to the air inlet of the compressor 310. After the compressor 310 is started, it can drive the refrigerant to flow in the auxiliary circuit. The gaseous refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 310 to form a high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. When passing through the heating heat exchanger 410, the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant can release heat and absorb the coldness of the refrigerant around the heating heat exchanger 410 to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant then expands through the first throttling device 420 to form a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. When passing through the first cooling heat exchanger 430, the low-pressure liquid refrigerant can absorb the heat of the air around the first cooling heat exchanger 430, thereby providing cooling for the user. After that, the low-pressure liquid refrigerant becomes a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and returns to the air inlet of the compressor 310, starting the next round of heat exchange cycle.

[0082] When the circulating pump 210 fails to operate normally, the compressor 310 can be started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit, so that the refrigerant absorbs the coldness of the secondary refrigerant from the heating heat exchanger 410 and transmits the absorbed coldness to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 to provide cooling to the user. Since the circulating pump 210 fails to operate normally at this time, the cooling module 200 also fails to operate normally, and the user cannot obtain cooling through the cooling module 200. Therefore, the auxiliary module of the embodiment of the present invention can melt the secondary refrigerant while utilizing the coldness obtained from the melting secondary refrigerant to provide cooling to the user. This not only solves the problem of secondary refrigerant freezing the water inlet of the circulating pump 210, but also does not affect the user's cooling needs, making the cold storage air conditioner more efficient and energy-saving.

[0083] It is worth noting that the heat supply heat exchanger 410 can be set close to the water inlet of the circulation pump 210, so as to preferentially melt the refrigerant near the water inlet, thereby shortening the time required for the circulation pump 210 to resume normal operation.

[0084] The type of coolant can be selected based on actual needs. For example, the most common coolant in cold storage air conditioners using ice storage is water. Alternatively, some cold storage air conditioners use eutectic salts for cold storage, using eutectic salt materials as the coolant. The type of coolant is not limited here.

[0085] The cooling module 200 also includes a second cooling heat exchanger 220. The inlet of the second cooling heat exchanger 220 is connected to the water outlet of the circulating pump 210, and the outlet of the second cooling heat exchanger 220 is placed in the brine. In the cooling module 200, the cold storage tank 100, the circulating pump 210, and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 are sequentially connected to form a cooling circuit. The water inlet of the circulating pump 210 is located in the cold storage tank 100 and immersed in the brine. The water outlet of the circulating pump 210 is connected to the inlet of the second cooling heat exchanger 220, and the outlet of the second cooling heat exchanger 220 is located in the cold storage tank 100 and immersed in the brine. The brine is drawn from the circulating pump 210 into the second cooling heat exchanger 220, where it absorbs heat from the air surrounding the second cooling heat exchanger 220. It then returns to the cold storage tank 100 and enters the next cycle. It can be understood that in order to ensure that the cold capacity stored in the refrigerant in the cold storage tank 100 is fully utilized, the water inlet pipe of the circulating pump 210 and the outlet of the second cooling heat exchanger 220 are both arranged close to the bottom of the cold storage tank 100, and the water inlet pipe of the circulating pump 210 and the outlet of the second cooling heat exchanger 220 should be as far away from each other as possible. In this way, the refrigerant that has absorbed heat, has a higher temperature and a lower density returns to the cold storage tank 100 and floats in the cold storage tank 100. The refrigerant with a lower temperature and a higher density in the cold storage tank 100 sinks and is extracted by the circulating pump 210, so that refrigerants of different densities circulate in the cold storage tank 100, effectively utilizing the cold capacity in the cold storage tank 100.

[0086] It can be understood that the circulation pump 210 is a functional description of the pump. Any pump used to circulate the refrigerant can be applied to the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can select pumps of different types or models according to different refrigerant types and pump power requirements, and there is no limitation here.

[0087] It is worth noting that the above-mentioned first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 are both used to provide cooling to users. Therefore, structurally, the two can be arranged in the same module. For example, the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 share cooling fins, and the refrigerant pipes of the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 are respectively passed through the shared cooling fins, and the refrigerant pipes of the two are staggered. In this way, the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 form a whole, which not only reduces the volume of the cold storage air conditioner and saves material costs, but also maintains the appearance of the cold storage air conditioner of the embodiment of the present invention to be the same as that of a conventional cold storage air conditioner.

[0088] In order to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and the surrounding air in the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220, the cold storage air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a fan 120, which is used to drive the airflow to perform heat exchange with the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and / or the second cooling heat exchanger 220. The arrangement of the fan 120 can be adjusted according to the position of the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220. For example, when the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 share heat dissipation fins and form a whole, the fan 120 is located on one side of the whole. Figure 2 As shown, the air outlet side of the fan 120 faces the user, and the air inlet side is close to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220. The fan 120 exhausts air so that the air flows through the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220, and the cold air is blown out from the air outlet side of the fan 120; for example, referring to Figure 3 As shown, the air outlet side of the fan 120 is close to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220, and the fan 120 blows the air on the air inlet side to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 for heat exchange; for example, referring to Figure 4 As shown, the fan 120 is disposed between the first cooling heat exchanger 430 and the second cooling heat exchanger 220 .

[0089] The cold storage module 300 includes an evaporator 340, a second throttling device 330, and a condenser 320. The evaporator 340, the compressor 310, the condenser 320, and the second throttling device 330 are sequentially connected to form a cold storage circuit, and the evaporator 340 is placed in the coolant. In the cold storage circuit, the evaporator 340 contacts the coolant and is used to cool the coolant. The flow direction of the refrigerant in the cold storage circuit is then very clear. The outlet of the evaporator 340 is connected to the air inlet of the compressor 310, the air outlet of the compressor 310 is connected to the inlet of the condenser 320, the outlet of the condenser 320 is connected to the inlet of the second throttling device 330, and the outlet of the second throttling device 330 is connected to the inlet of the evaporator 340. The refrigerant in the cold storage circuit exchanges heat with the coolant at the evaporator 340, absorbs heat, and becomes a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and enters the compressor 310. The compressor 310 compresses to obtain a high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and transports the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the condenser 320. The high-pressure gaseous refrigerant condenses and releases heat in the condenser 320, and becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the second throttling device 330 and becomes a low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and finally returns to the evaporator 340 to absorb heat and vaporize.

[0090] It's worth noting that compressor 310 is reused in both the cold storage circuit and the auxiliary circuit. The cold storage process obviously doesn't require the auxiliary circuit to operate, and when the auxiliary circuit is operating, the cold storage circuit obviously doesn't need to be activated. Therefore, the cold storage circuit and the auxiliary circuit can share refrigerant. To prevent the cold storage circuit and the auxiliary circuit from interfering with each other, a first valve 440 is provided between the exhaust port of compressor 310 and the heat supply heat exchanger 410, and a second valve 350 is provided between the exhaust port of compressor 310 and the condenser 320. The cold storage air conditioner is also configured to control the opening of first valve 440 to connect the auxiliary circuit, and the opening of second valve 350 to connect the cold storage circuit. That is, when operating in the cold storage mode, the cold storage air conditioner controls the second valve 350 to open and the first valve 440 to close. When operating in the auxiliary refrigerant melting mode, the cold storage air conditioner controls the first valve 440 to open and the second valve 350 to close. Of course, it is also possible to provide a compressor 310 for each cold storage circuit and the auxiliary circuit, with each compressor 310 driving the refrigerant in its respective circuit. This will not be discussed further here.

[0091] It is understandable that in the embodiment of the present invention, the cold storage circuit and the cold supply circuit are two independent circuits, and the condenser 320 of the cold storage circuit and the second cold supply heat exchanger 220 can be distributed in two separate spaces. For example, if the condenser 320 is set outdoors, the second cold supply heat exchanger 220 is set indoors to provide cooling for indoor users. This structure is different from a mobile air conditioner. The cold storage circuit and the cold supply circuit of a mobile air conditioner can be the same circuit. When the mobile air conditioner is indoors, the cold supply circuit is started for cooling. When the mobile air conditioner is outdoors, the cold storage circuit is started for cold storage. The above structure of the embodiment of the present invention obviously does not need to consider whether the air conditioner can be moved, but it does not limit the use of the above structure in mobile air conditioners.

[0092] Although the heat supply heat exchanger 410 is immersed in the brine, it cannot completely prevent the brine from solidifying into a solid state, and the water inlet of the circulation pump 210 may still freeze. To reduce the possibility of brine solidifying in the cold storage tank 100, the embodiment of the present invention provides a baffle 110 in the cold storage tank 100. The baffle 110 divides the cold storage tank 100 into a first area 130 and a second area 140. The brine flows between the first area 130 and the second area 140. The water inlet of the circulation pump 210 and the heat supply heat exchanger 410 are located in the first area 130, and the evaporator 340 is located in the second area 140.

[0093] The baffle 110 is used to block the brine and reduce its fluidity. Since the evaporator 340 and the water inlet are located in different areas, during the cold storage process, the evaporator 340 first solidifies the brine in the second area 140, and then the cold energy of the evaporator 340 gradually spreads to the first area 130. It is understood by those skilled in the art that a cold storage air conditioner can use a temperature sensor to determine the extent of cold storage of the brine in the cold storage tank 100. Therefore, the temperature sensor is positioned in the first area 130, or near the evaporator 340. When the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the brine at that location has reached a target value, the cold storage air conditioner automatically stops cold storage. At this time, the brine in the second area 140 is often still in a liquid state or a solid-liquid mixed state. At this time, starting the circulating pump 210 can still extract a certain amount of liquid brine, ensuring that the cold storage air conditioner can provide a certain amount of cold energy during initial startup. Of course, the baffle 110 cannot completely prevent the brine from completely solidifying. However, compared to a cold storage tank 100 without the baffle 110 or other partitioning device, the baffle 110 can slow down the freezing of the brine in the first region 130. Even if the brine completely solidifies, the cold storage air conditioner can still activate the auxiliary module to melt the brine.

[0094] It is worth noting that the refrigerant can flow between the first area 130 and the second area 140, allowing the cooling energy of the evaporator 340 to be transferred to the first area 130, rather than directly isolating the first area 130 and the second area 140. This method of cooling energy transfer is too inefficient and unsuitable for practical use. The division of the first area 130 and the second area 140 can be designed according to actual needs. For example, the cold storage box 100 can be divided into two areas arranged side by side on the left and right, or it can be divided into two areas arranged on the top and bottom.

[0095] Among them, the shape of the baffle 110 can be designed according to actual needs, and can be circular, square, cross-shaped or other shapes, and at least one end of the baffle 110 is connected to the side wall of the cold storage box 100. For example, the four ends of the cross-shaped baffle 110 are all connected to the side wall of the cold storage box 100, and the coolant in the first area 130 and the second area 140 flows through the rectangular opening formed between the cross and the side wall of the cold storage box 100; and the shape of the cold storage box 100 can also be designed according to actual needs, such as a cuboid, a sphere, etc.

[0096] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, taking the cold storage box 100 being divided into two areas side by side on the left and right as an example, the cold storage box 100 is a rectangular parallelepiped, the baffle 110 is a rectangular baffle 110, the width of the rectangular baffle 110 is equal to the width of the cold storage box 100, the height of the rectangular baffle 110 is less than the height of the cold storage box 100, the rectangular baffle 110 is connected to the side wall of the cold storage box 100 in the width direction, and divides the cold storage box 100 into a first area 130 and a second area 140 in the length direction, and the rectangular baffle 110 is separated from the side wall of the cold storage box 100 in the height direction, so that channels for the circulation of the secondary coolant are formed between the upper and lower parts of the baffle 110 and the side wall respectively.

[0097] Reference Figure 7 It is understood that the baffle 110 may be provided with a plurality of through-holes, which form passages for the coolant to flow between the first region 130 and the second region 140. In this case, the edge of the baffle 110 may be connected to the sidewall of the cold storage tank 100. The through-holes may have various shapes, such as circular, square, or triangular, and may be distributed in various ways, such as vertically separating the through-holes into two rows, or directly providing the through-holes in a matrix pattern, without limitation herein.

[0098] The above-mentioned first throttling device 420 and second throttling device 330 can be one of a capillary tube, a thermal expansion valve or an electronic expansion valve, both of which can expand and reduce the pressure of the liquid refrigerant. According to the different types of throttling devices actually used, the cold storage air conditioner can adopt different throttling control methods, which are not limited here.

[0099] By utilizing the above-mentioned cold storage air conditioner, under the drive of the compressor, the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit can absorb the cold of the refrigerant at the heat supply heat exchanger 410 and transport the cold to the first cold supply heat exchanger 430; since the heat supply heat exchanger 410 is placed in the refrigerant, when the circulation pump 210 cannot normally extract the liquid refrigerant, the refrigerant in the heat supply heat exchanger 410 can absorb the cold of the refrigerant, that is, provide heat to the refrigerant, accelerate the phase change of the refrigerant into liquid, and then restore the circulation pump 210 to normal operation; in this process, the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit absorbs heat at the first cold supply heat exchanger 430, so that the temperature at the first cold supply heat exchanger 430 drops, so that the cold storage air conditioner can provide cold to the user even when the circulation pump 210 cannot work normally, which solves the problem that the circulation pump 210 cannot work normally and no cold is provided in the initial stage of the cold storage air conditioner startup, and achieves the high-efficiency and energy-saving working effect of the cold storage air conditioner.

[0100] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a cooling method for a cold storage air conditioner. The structure of the cold storage air conditioner in this embodiment can refer to the cold storage air conditioner in the aforementioned embodiment, and also includes a cold storage tank 100, a cold supply module 200, a cold storage module 300, and an auxiliary module. The cold storage tank 100 is filled with a refrigerant. The cold supply module 200 uses the cooling capacity of the refrigerant to provide cooling to the user during normal operation. The cold supply module 200 includes a circulating pump 210, and the water inlet of the circulating pump 210 is placed in the refrigerant. The auxiliary module includes a compressor 310, a heat supply heat exchanger 410, a first throttling device 420, and a first cold supply heat exchanger 430. The compressor 310, the heat supply heat exchanger 410, the first throttling device 420, and the first cold supply heat exchanger 430 are sequentially connected to form an auxiliary circuit. The heat supply heat exchanger 410 is placed in the refrigerant.

[0101] Reference Figure 8 The cooling method proposed based on the above-mentioned cold storage air conditioner includes but is not limited to the following steps S100 and S200.

[0102] Step S100, in the cooling state of the cold storage air conditioner, detecting the water supply L of the circulation pump 210;

[0103] In step S200, when the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 is less than the water supply threshold L1, the compressor 310 is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger 410, and the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy is transported to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 to provide cooling to the user.

[0104] In the cold storage mode of the cold storage air conditioner, the cold storage module 300 cools the coolant in the cold storage tank 100, causing the coolant to absorb cold energy and eventually change from a liquid phase to a solid phase. In the cold supply mode of the cold storage air conditioner, the cold supply module 200 extracts the coolant from the cold storage tank 100, causing the coolant to pass through the heat exchanger on the user side and exchange heat with the surrounding air at the heat exchanger, thereby providing cold air to the user. This requires that the cold supply module 200 can normally extract the liquid coolant from the cold storage tank 100. However, since the water inlet of the circulating pump 210 is immersed in the liquid coolant, when the liquid coolant solidifies into a solid state, it is easy to freeze the water inlet. At this time, when the user starts the cold storage air conditioner to cool, the circulating pump 210 cannot smoothly extract the coolant from the cold storage tank 100, resulting in no cold supply to the cold storage air conditioner and a poor user experience.

[0105] The cooling method based on step S100 and step S200 is used to solve the above-mentioned problem. Under the cooling condition of the cold storage air conditioner, the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 is first obtained. The water supply L reflects the amount of liquid refrigerant near the water inlet pipe. When the water supply L is less than the water supply threshold L1, it indicates that the liquid refrigerant near the water inlet pipe is insufficient, and the auxiliary module needs to be started to melt the refrigerant. The controller of the cold storage air conditioner starts the compressor 310 in the auxiliary module and uses the compressor 310 to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit. Specifically, after the compressor 310 is started, it can drive the refrigerant to flow in the auxiliary circuit. The gaseous refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 310 to form a high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. When passing through the heating heat exchanger 410, the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant can release heat and absorb the coldness of the refrigerant around the heating heat exchanger 410 to become a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant then expands after passing through the first throttling device 420 to form a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. When passing through the first cooling heat exchanger 430, the low-pressure liquid refrigerant can absorb the heat of the air around the first cooling heat exchanger 430, thereby providing cooling for the user. After that, the low-pressure liquid refrigerant becomes a low-pressure gaseous refrigerant and returns to the air inlet of the compressor 310, starting the next round of heat exchange cycle.

[0106] Therefore, through the above steps S100 and S200, the refrigerant can be melted while the cold energy obtained from the melting of the refrigerant can be utilized to provide cooling to the user. This not only solves the problem of the refrigerant freezing the water inlet pipe of the circulation pump 210, but also does not affect the user's cooling needs, making the cold storage air conditioner more efficient and energy-saving.

[0107] It is understandable that although the controller can determine the state of the refrigerant in the current cold storage tank 100 based on the amount of water supply L, thereby automatically starting the auxiliary module, the controller can also receive instructions sent by the user and start the auxiliary module according to the instructions.

[0108] The amount of water supply L can be measured in different ways, for example, by setting a flow sensor at the water inlet of the circulating pump 210, or by setting a flow sensor at a position where the water inlet is higher than the refrigerant level in the cold storage tank 100. When the circulating pump 210 is driven, the flow sensor can obtain the flow of the refrigerant entering the circulating pump 210. At this time, the aforementioned water supply L is equal to the water inlet. For example, the pump body of the circulating pump 210 itself is equipped with a flow sensor, which can measure the flow through the pump body. At this time, the aforementioned water supply L is the water supply L of the circulating pump 210. In addition, a flow sensor can also be set at the water outlet of the circulating pump 210, and so on. Examples are not given here one by one.

[0109] The water supply threshold L1 is a preset value, which can be determined with reference to the rated power of different models of circulating pumps 210 or the actual working conditions of the cold storage air conditioner. For example, different water supply thresholds L1 are set corresponding to different actual powers of the circulating pump 210. When the cold storage air conditioner starts the cooling module 200, the circulating pump 210 is started at a certain power according to the cooling demand set by the user (such as the set temperature). At this time, the water supply threshold L1 corresponding to the power is called, and the water supply threshold L1 is compared with the actual water supply L.

[0110] Reference Figure 9 In some embodiments, the cooling method further comprises:

[0111] Step S101, detecting the water inlet temperature T1 of the circulation pump 210;

[0112] Step S201: When the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 is less than the water supply threshold L1 and the water inlet temperature T1 of the circulation pump 210 is less than or equal to the preset temperature, the compressor 310 is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger 410 and transport the absorbed cold energy to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 to provide cooling to the user;

[0113] The preset temperature is related to the phase change temperature of the coolant between liquid and solid.

[0114] Simply relying on the water supply L to determine the brine status may be inaccurate in some cases. To improve the accuracy of determining the brine status in the cold storage tank 100, detecting the water inlet temperature T1 of the circulating pump 210 can be considered as an additional judgment condition. Specifically, when the water supply L of the circulating pump 210 is less than the water supply threshold L1 and the water inlet temperature T1 of the circulating pump 210 is less than or equal to a preset temperature, the cooling module 200 of the cold storage air conditioner is determined to be unable to start normally, and the auxiliary module is activated in the same manner as described above.

[0115] The preset temperature is generally set based on the phase change temperature of the refrigerant, which is the temperature at which the phase changes between solid and liquid. For example, if the refrigerant is water, the freezing temperature of water is 0 degrees Celsius. Water at 0 degrees Celsius continues to absorb cold and solidifies into ice at 0 degrees Celsius. Therefore, at 0 degrees Celsius, the refrigerant may be in a liquid state, a solid-liquid mixture, or a solid state. When the detected inlet water temperature T1 is greater than 0 degrees Celsius, it indicates that the refrigerant must be in a liquid state and the auxiliary module does not need to be activated. When the detected inlet water temperature T1 is less than 0 degrees Celsius, it indicates that the refrigerant must be in a solid state and the auxiliary module needs to be activated. When the detected inlet water temperature T1 is equal to 0 degrees Celsius, a judgment is made based on the water supply L detected above. If the water supply L is lower than the water supply threshold L1, it is determined that the auxiliary module needs to be activated.

[0116] In some embodiments, even if the detected water inlet temperature T1 is greater than 0 degrees Celsius and the coolant is in liquid state, it may not necessarily meet the cooling capacity required by the user. In this case, it is necessary to determine whether the outlet air temperature T2 of the cold storage air conditioner meets the requirements. Specifically, referring to Figure 10 , including the following steps:

[0117] Step S103, when the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 is less than the water supply threshold L1 and the water inlet temperature T1 of the circulation pump 210 is greater than the phase change temperature threshold, the air outlet temperature T2 of the fan 120 of the cold storage air conditioner is obtained;

[0118] In step S104, when the outlet air temperature T2 is greater than the set outlet air temperature Tx, the compressor 310 is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger 410 and transmit the absorbed cold energy to the first cooling heat exchanger 430 to provide cooling to the user.

[0119] When the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 does not meet the conditions and the water inlet temperature T1 meets the conditions, the outlet temperature T2 of the cold storage air conditioner is judged. When the outlet temperature T2 is too high (greater than the set outlet temperature Tx), it is considered that the current cooling capacity is insufficient. It may be that the refrigerant in some positions in the cold storage box 100 is still solid, or there is a slight deviation in the detection value of the water inlet temperature T1. At this time, the auxiliary module is also started.

[0120] Reference Figure 11 It is understandable that, before detecting the water supply volume L of the circulating pump 210 and the water inlet temperature T1 of the circulating pump 210, the cooling method further includes:

[0121] Step S105, receiving a start instruction;

[0122] Step S106 , turning on the fan 120 and the circulation pump 210 of the cold storage air conditioner, and setting the speed of the circulation pump 210 according to the start-up instruction.

[0123] Reference Figure 12In some embodiments, starting the auxiliary module in step S200 includes the following steps:

[0124] Step S210 , starting the compressor 310 at a preset frequency F1;

[0125] Step S220 , controlling the compressor 310 to run for a preset time t1 and then detecting the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 and the air outlet temperature T2 of the cold storage air conditioner;

[0126] Step S230 , when the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 is greater than or equal to the water supply threshold L1 , the compressor 310 is turned off;

[0127] In step S240 , when the water supply L of the circulation pump 210 is less than the water supply threshold L1 , the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is controlled according to the outlet air temperature T2 .

[0128] The preset frequency F1 is determined according to the design requirements of the cold storage air conditioner, such as the capacity of the coolant in the cold storage tank 100, the type of refrigerant, the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant at the heat supply heat exchanger 410, etc., and a suitable frequency value is taken as the preset frequency F1. The compressor 310 in the auxiliary module is started at a preset frequency F1, and the compressor 310 is controlled to run at the preset frequency F1 for a preset time t1 to determine whether the operation of the auxiliary module plays a role in melting the refrigerant. At this time, the circulating water supply L and the outlet air temperature T2 of the cold storage air conditioner are detected; when the water supply L is greater than or equal to the water supply threshold L1, it indicates that the refrigerant in the cold storage tank 100 can circulate normally, and the controller turns off the compressor 310 and stops the operation of the auxiliary module; when the water supply L is less than the water supply threshold L1, it indicates that the water supply L is still insufficient, then the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is controlled according to the outlet air temperature T2, and the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is adjusted according to the high or low outlet air temperature T2, so that the heat exchange efficiency between the heat supply heat exchanger 410 and the refrigerant in the auxiliary module matches the current working conditions.

[0129] It is worth noting that the above steps S210 to S240 can also start the auxiliary module based on the judgment result of step S201, that is, if it is judged in step S201 that the water supply L is less than the water supply threshold L1 and the water inlet temperature T1 is less than or equal to the preset temperature, steps S210 to S240 are executed.

[0130] Reference Figure 13 In some embodiments, controlling the operating frequency of the compressor 310 according to the outlet air temperature T2 in step S240 may specifically include the following steps:

[0131] Step S241: When the outlet air temperature T2 is lower than the set outlet air temperature Tx, the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is reduced;

[0132] Step S242: When the outlet air temperature T2 is greater than the set outlet air temperature Tx, the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is increased;

[0133] In step S243 , when the outlet air temperature T2 is equal to the set outlet air temperature Tx, the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is maintained.

[0134] The above steps are equivalent to determining the cooling capacity of the cold storage air conditioner and determining the adjustment method for the operating frequency of the compressor 310 based on the cooling capacity. Specifically, if the outlet air temperature T2 is less than the set outlet air temperature Tx, it indicates that the cooling capacity of the cold storage air conditioner is too high. At this time, even if the water supply L of the circulating pump 210 is insufficient, it is sufficient to meet the cooling capacity required by the user. Therefore, the operating frequency of the compressor 310 can be reduced. If the outlet air temperature T2 is greater than the set outlet air temperature Tx, it indicates that the cooling capacity of the cold storage air conditioner is insufficient and cannot meet the cooling capacity required by the user. Therefore, the operating frequency of the compressor 310 can be increased, thereby accelerating the melting of the refrigerant and increasing the cooling capacity output by the auxiliary circuit at the first cooling heat exchanger 430. If the outlet air temperature T2 is equal to the set outlet air temperature Tx, it indicates that the cooling capacity of the cold storage air conditioner just meets the user's needs. At this time, it is sufficient to maintain the current operating frequency of the compressor 310.

[0135] It will be appreciated that during operation, the cold storage air conditioner must continuously monitor whether the current operating conditions continue to meet the user's cooling needs. Therefore, after controlling the operating frequency of compressor 310 based on outlet air temperature T2, the auxiliary module maintains compressor 310 at the current frequency for a preset period of time t1 before re-checking the water supply L of circulating pump 210 and the outlet air temperature T2 of the cold storage air conditioner's fan 120. Specifically, after each adjustment (or maintenance) of compressor 310's frequency, compressor 310 is allowed to operate at the adjusted frequency for a period of time before re-checking whether the water supply L meets the required level. When the water supply L exceeds a water supply threshold L1, the cold storage air conditioner assumes that the circulating pump 210 is functioning properly and controls compressor 310 to shut down. When the water supply L falls below the water supply threshold L1, the system further determines the relationship between outlet air temperature T2 and the set outlet air temperature Tx, and then adjusts the operating frequency of compressor 310 based on this relationship.

[0136] The cold storage module 300 of the cold storage air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an evaporator 340, a second throttling device 330 and a condenser 320. The evaporator 340, the compressor 310, the condenser 320 and the second throttling device 330 are sequentially connected to form a cold storage circuit. The evaporator 340 is placed in the coolant. A first valve 440 is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor 310 and the heat supply heat exchanger 410. A second valve 350 is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor 310 and the condenser 320. Figure 14, starting the compressor 310 to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to work, including the following steps:

[0137] Step S251, closing the second valve 350 to close the cold storage circuit;

[0138] Step S252, opening the first valve 440 to open the auxiliary circuit;

[0139] In step S253 , the compressor 310 is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit.

[0140] The first valve 440 is used to control the opening or closing of the auxiliary circuit, and the second valve 350 is used to control the opening or closing of the cold storage circuit. In each of the above steps, when starting the auxiliary circuit, the first valve 440 needs to be opened and the second valve 350 needs to be closed, so that the refrigerant circulates in the auxiliary circuit and does not circulate in the cold storage circuit. Similarly, when the auxiliary module completes its work and the compressor 310 is turned off, the controller closes the first valve 440, and the second valve 350 can remain closed or open. When the cold storage air conditioner starts the cold storage module 300, the second valve 350 is opened and the first valve 440 is closed, so that the refrigerant circulates in the cold storage circuit and does not circulate in the auxiliary circuit.

[0141] Through the above steps, the compressor is controlled to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit so that the refrigerant can absorb the cold of the refrigerant at the heating heat exchanger 410 and transport the cold to the first cooling heat exchanger 430; since the heating heat exchanger 410 is placed in the refrigerant, when the circulating pump 210 cannot normally extract the liquid refrigerant, the refrigerant in the heating heat exchanger 410 can absorb the cold of the refrigerant, that is, provide heat to the refrigerant, accelerate the phase change of the refrigerant into liquid, and then restore the normal operation of the circulating pump 210; in this process, the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit absorbs heat at the first cooling heat exchanger 430, so that the temperature at the first cooling heat exchanger 430 drops, so that the cold storage air conditioner can provide cooling to the user even when the circulating pump 210 cannot work normally, which solves the problem that the circulating pump 210 cannot work normally and no cooling is provided in the initial stage of the cold storage air conditioner startup, and achieves the high-efficiency and energy-saving working effect of the cold storage air conditioner.

[0142] The cooling method of the present invention is described below with a specific example.

[0143] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 15 , Figure 1 The structure of the cold storage air conditioner is shown, and water is used as the coolant. Figure 15 A cooling method based on a cold storage air conditioner is shown, comprising the following steps:

[0144] 1. The cold storage air conditioner is turned on, the circulating pump 210 in the cooling module 200 is started, the fan 120 is started, and the circulating pump 210 is operated at a set speed. The set speed corresponds to the water supply threshold L1 of the circulating pump 210 under normal operation;

[0145] 2. After running for a preset time t1, detect the water supply L of the circulation pump 210;

[0146] 3. When the water supply L is greater than or equal to the water supply threshold L1, it indicates that the water in the cold storage tank 100 can circulate normally, the auxiliary module is not started, and the cold storage air conditioner provides cooling according to the user setting;

[0147] 4. When the water supply L is less than the water supply threshold L1, indicating that the water in the cold storage tank 100 cannot smoothly enter the cooling module 200 for circulation, the water inlet temperature T1 of the circulation pump 210 is detected;

[0148] 5. When the water inlet temperature T1 is less than or equal to the preset temperature, it indicates that ice blockage has occurred in the cooling module 200, and the auxiliary module is started, and step 9 is executed;

[0149] 6. When the water inlet temperature T1 is greater than the preset temperature, the air outlet temperature T2 of the cold storage air conditioner is detected;

[0150] 7. When the outlet air temperature T2 is less than or equal to the set outlet air temperature Tx, it indicates that the water volume is insufficient and the cooling capacity is sufficient, and the cold storage air conditioner provides cooling according to the user's setting;

[0151] 8. If the air outlet temperature T2 is greater than the set air outlet temperature Tx (0 degrees Celsius in this example), it indicates insufficient water and cooling capacity. Go to step 9.

[0152] 9. Open the first valve 440, close the second valve 350, start the compressor 310 in the auxiliary module and run it at the preset frequency F1;

[0153] 10. The heat exchanger 410 in the auxiliary module heats up and absorbs cold energy from the water in the cold storage tank 100. The cold storage air conditioner uses the absorbed cold energy to provide cooling.

[0154] 11. After the compressor 310 runs at the current frequency for a preset time t1, the water supply volume L is detected;

[0155] 12. When the water supply L is greater than or equal to the water supply threshold L1, indicating that the water in the cold storage tank 100 can circulate normally, the compressor 310 is turned off, the first valve 440 is closed, and the second valve 350 is opened. The cold storage air conditioner provides cooling according to the user's settings;

[0156] 13. When the water supply L is less than the water supply threshold L1, indicating that the water in the cold storage tank 100 still cannot smoothly enter the cooling module 200 for circulation, the outlet air temperature T2 of the cold storage air conditioner is detected;

[0157] 14. When the outlet air temperature T2 is equal to the set outlet air temperature Tx, the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is maintained unchanged and the process returns to step 11;

[0158] 15. When the outlet air temperature T2 is lower than the set outlet air temperature Tx, the operating frequency of the compressor 310 is reduced to increase the outlet air temperature T2, and the process returns to step 11;

[0159] 16. When the outlet air temperature T2 is greater than the set outlet air temperature Tx, reduce the operating frequency of the compressor 310 to increase the outlet air temperature T2, and return to step 11.

[0160] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a controller, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the aforementioned cooling method is implemented.

[0161] Reference Figure 16 , taking the control processor 1001 and the memory 1002 in the controller 1000 as an example that can be connected via a bus. The memory 1002, as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-transitory software programs and non-transitory computer executable programs. In addition, the memory 1002 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-transitory memory, such as at least one disk memory, a flash memory device, or other non-transitory solid-state memory device. In some embodiments, the memory 1002 may optionally include a memory remotely arranged relative to the control processor 1001, and these remote memories may be connected to the controller 1000 via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0162] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 16 The device structure shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the controller 1000, and the controller 1000 may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0163] In addition, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions are used to execute the above-mentioned cooling method, for example, Figure 16 The execution of one of the processors 1001 in the embodiment of the present invention may cause the one or more processors to execute the cold storage air conditioner in the embodiment of the above method, for example, to execute the above described Figure 8 Steps S100 to S200 of the method, Figure 9 Steps S101 to S201 of the method, Figure 10 Steps S103 to S104 of the method, Figure 11 Steps S105 to S106 of the method, Figure 12 Steps S210 to S240 of the method, Figure 13 Steps S241 to S243 of the method and Figure 14 Method step S251 is equivalent to step S253.

[0164] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, i.e., they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network nodes. Some or all of the modules may be selected based on actual needs to achieve the objectives of this embodiment.

[0165] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or some of the steps and systems described above can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Some or all of the physical components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software may be distributed on computer-readable media, which may include computer-readable storage media (or non-transitory media) and communication media (or transient media). As is well known to those skilled in the art, the term computer-readable storage media encompasses volatile and non-volatile, removable, and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer-readable storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVDs) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, as is well known to those skilled in the art, communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and may include any information delivery media.

[0166] The above is a specific description of the preferred implementation of the present application, but the present application is not limited to the above implementation mode. Technical personnel familiar with the field can also make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without violating the spirit of the present application. These equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included in the scope defined by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A cold storage air conditioner, characterized in that: include: A cold storage tank filled with coolant; A cooling module, configured to utilize the cooling capacity of the brine to provide cooling to users, the cooling module comprising a circulating pump, the water inlet of the circulating pump being placed in the brine; an auxiliary module, comprising a compressor, a heating heat exchanger, a first throttling device, and a first cooling heat exchanger, wherein the compressor, the heating heat exchanger, the first throttling device, and the first cooling heat exchanger are sequentially connected to form an auxiliary circuit, and the heating heat exchanger is placed in the brine; a controller configured to start the compressor to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and to deliver the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to users; The cold storage air conditioner also includes a cold storage module, which includes an evaporator, a second throttling device and a condenser. The evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the second throttling device are connected in sequence to form a cold storage circuit, and the evaporator is placed in the refrigerant; the cold supply module also includes a second cold supply heat exchanger, the inlet of the second cold supply heat exchanger is connected to the water outlet pipe of the circulating pump, and the outlet of the second cold supply heat exchanger is placed in the refrigerant.

2. The cold storage air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: A baffle is provided in the cold storage tank, which divides the cold storage tank into a first area and a second area. The refrigerant flows between the first area and the second area. The water inlet pipe of the circulating pump and the heat supply heat exchanger are located in the first area, and the evaporator is located in the second area.

3. The cold storage air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: At least one end of the baffle is connected to the side wall of the cold storage box.

4. The cold storage air conditioner according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The baffle is provided with a plurality of through holes.

5. The cold storage air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the heat supply heat exchanger, and a second valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the condenser. The controller is also used to control the first valve to open to connect the auxiliary circuit, and to control the second valve to open to connect the cold storage circuit.

6. The cold storage air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a fan, which is used to drive the airflow to perform heat exchange with the first cooling heat exchanger and / or the second cooling heat exchanger.

7. The cold storage air conditioner according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first cooling heat exchanger and the second cooling heat exchanger are located on the same side of the fan.

8. The cold storage air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first throttling device is a capillary tube, a thermal expansion valve or an electronic expansion valve.

9. A cooling method for a cold storage air conditioner, characterized in that: Applicable to the cold storage air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8; the cooling method comprises: Under the cooling operation condition of the cold storage air conditioner, detecting the water supply amount of the circulation pump; When the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold, the compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy is transported to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to users.

10. The cooling method according to claim 9, wherein: Also includes: detecting the water inlet temperature of the circulating pump; When the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold and the water inlet temperature of the circulation pump is less than or equal to the preset temperature, the compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy is transported to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to the user; The preset temperature is related to the phase transition temperature of the coolant between liquid and solid.

11. The cooling method according to claim 10, wherein: Before detecting the water supply amount of the circulating pump and the water inlet temperature of the circulating pump, the cooling method further includes: Receive a start command; The fan and the circulation pump of the cold storage air conditioner are turned on, and the rotation speed of the circulation pump is set according to the start-up instruction.

12. The cooling method according to claim 9, wherein: The starting of the compressor to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit includes: starting the compressor at a preset frequency; After controlling the compressor to run for a preset time, detecting the water supply of the circulation pump and the air outlet temperature of the cold storage air conditioner; When the water supply of the circulation pump is greater than or equal to the water supply threshold, turning off the compressor; When the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold, the operating frequency of the compressor is controlled according to the air outlet temperature.

13. The cooling method according to claim 12, wherein: The controlling the operating frequency of the compressor according to the air outlet temperature includes: When the air outlet temperature is lower than the set air outlet temperature, reducing the operating frequency of the compressor; When the outlet air temperature is greater than the set outlet air temperature, increasing the operating frequency of the compressor; When the outlet air temperature is equal to the set outlet air temperature, the operating frequency of the compressor is maintained.

14. The cooling method according to claim 12, wherein: Also includes: After controlling the operating frequency of the compressor according to the outlet air temperature and maintaining the compressor running at the current frequency for the preset time, the water supply of the circulation pump and the outlet air temperature of the fan of the cold storage air conditioner are re-detected.

15. The cooling method according to claim 9, wherein: The cold storage air conditioner further includes a cold storage module, which includes an evaporator, a second throttling device and a condenser. The evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the second throttling device are sequentially connected to form a cold storage circuit. The evaporator is placed in the refrigerant. A first valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the heat supply heat exchanger, and a second valve is provided between the exhaust port of the compressor and the condenser. Starting the compressor to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit includes: closing the second valve to close the cold storage circuit; opening the first valve to open the auxiliary circuit; The compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit.

16. The cooling method according to claim 10, wherein: The cooling method further comprises: When the water supply of the circulation pump is less than the water supply threshold and the water inlet temperature of the circulation pump is greater than the phase change temperature threshold, obtaining the air outlet temperature of the fan of the cold storage air conditioner; When the outlet air temperature is greater than the set outlet air temperature, the compressor is started to drive the refrigerant in the auxiliary circuit to absorb cold energy from the heating heat exchanger, and the refrigerant after absorbing cold energy is transported to the first cooling heat exchanger to provide cooling to the user.

17. A controller, characterized in that: The method comprises a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the cooling method according to any one of claims 9 to 16 when executing the computer program.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that Computer-executable instructions are stored, and the computer-executable instructions are used to execute the cooling method according to any one of claims 9 to 16.

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