Control method of refrigerator, storage medium, and refrigerator

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerator control method, a storage medium and a refrigerator. The refrigerator control method comprises: obtaining a first change rate of carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigerator within a unit time during a refrigeration stage of the refrigerator; determining whether the first change rate is less than a first preset change rate; and controlling the refrigerator to start defrosting if the first change rate is less than the first preset change rate. We know that the lower the temperature is, the higher the solubility of carbon dioxide in water is. Therefore, during the refrigeration process of the refrigerator, the air temperature in the refrigerator gradually decreases, which causes the carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigerator to gradually decrease until the water vapor in the refrigerator is completely condensed, and the change rate of the carbon dioxide concentration tends to be stable. The refrigerator control method provided by the application detects the change rate of the carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigerator to know the frosting degree of the refrigerator, controls the refrigerator to start defrosting after the water vapor in the refrigerator is completely condensed, and improves the intelligence of defrosting control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of refrigerator technology, and particularly relates to a refrigerator control method, storage medium and refrigerator. Background Technology

[0002] During the refrigeration process of a refrigerator, the return air from the freezer and refrigerator compartments carries water vapor to the surface of the evaporator, causing frost to form on the evaporator surface and affecting the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator.

[0003] The commonly used defrosting control method usually controls the start and stop of defrosting based on the refrigerator's operating time and the compressor's running time. The refrigerator / compressor's running time cannot reflect the degree of evaporator icing and defrosting. Therefore, this defrosting control method is not intelligent enough, which may increase the refrigerator's energy consumption and cause the storage compartment to become too hot, which is not conducive to food preservation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a refrigerator control method, storage medium, and refrigerator, which can solve the problem of insufficient intelligence in the defrosting control of refrigerators.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A method for controlling a refrigerator, comprising:

[0007] During the refrigeration phase of the refrigerator, the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time is obtained;

[0008] Determine whether the first rate of change is less than a first preset rate of change;

[0009] If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

[0010] In some embodiments, controlling the refrigerator to begin defrosting if the first rate of change is less than a first preset rate of change includes:

[0011] If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then obtain the total number of times the rate of change of the internal carbon dioxide concentration of the refrigerator during this cooling process changes from greater than the first preset rate of change to less than the first preset rate of change.

[0012] If the total number of times reaches the first preset number, then the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

[0013] In some embodiments, controlling the refrigerator to begin defrosting if the first rate of change is less than a first preset rate of change includes:

[0014] If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then obtain the total duration during which the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator is in a decreasing state during this cooling process.

[0015] If the total duration reaches the second preset duration, the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

[0016] In some embodiments, obtaining the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigerator per unit time includes:

[0017] Obtain the first concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator;

[0018] After a first preset time period, the second concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator is obtained;

[0019] The first rate of change is determined based on the first preset duration, the first concentration, and the second concentration.

[0020] In some embodiments, after controlling the refrigerator to begin defrosting, the method further includes:

[0021] During the defrosting stage of the refrigerator, the second rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time is obtained;

[0022] Determine whether the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change;

[0023] If the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change, then the refrigerator is controlled to stop defrosting.

[0024] In some embodiments, controlling the refrigerator to stop defrosting if the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change includes:

[0025] If the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change, then after waiting for a third preset time, the refrigerator is controlled to stop defrosting.

[0026] A storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program executes the above-described refrigerator control method when it is run.

[0027] A refrigerator, comprising:

[0028] A gas sensor is used to detect the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator;

[0029] The controller, connected to the gas sensor, is used for:

[0030] During the refrigeration phase of the refrigerator, the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time is obtained;

[0031] Determine whether the first rate of change is less than a first preset rate of change;

[0032] If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

[0033] In some embodiments, the refrigerator further includes a freezing air duct, wherein an evaporator is disposed within the freezing air duct;

[0034] The gas sensor is installed inside the refrigeration duct to detect the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigeration duct.

[0035] In some embodiments, the gas sensor is disposed at the bottom of the refrigeration duct.

[0036] We know that the lower the temperature, the higher the solubility of carbon dioxide in water. Therefore, during the refrigeration process of a refrigerator, the air temperature inside the refrigerator gradually decreases, causing the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator to gradually decrease until all the water vapor inside the refrigerator condenses, at which point the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration tends to stabilize. The refrigerator control method, storage medium, and refrigerator provided in this application embodiment detect the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to determine the degree of frost formation, and control the refrigerator to begin defrosting after all the water vapor inside the refrigerator has completely frostted, thus improving the intelligence of defrosting control. Attached Figure Description

[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0038] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a first flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a second flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure 3 A third flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a fourth flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a first structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a second structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a third structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] This application provides a refrigerator control method, for example, please refer to [link to example]. Figure 1 , Figure 1 A first flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in an embodiment of this application. The control method is executed, for example, by the refrigerator's controller, and includes the following steps S101-S103:

[0048] Step S101: During the refrigeration phase of the refrigerator, obtain the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time;

[0049] Understandably, the higher the temperature, the lower the solubility of carbon dioxide in water; conversely, the lower the temperature, the higher the solubility. During the refrigeration process, the air temperature inside the refrigerator gradually decreases, leading to a gradual increase in the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved by water vapor. This causes the carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to gradually decrease until all the water vapor condenses. At this point, carbon dioxide no longer dissolves in water, and the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration begins to stabilize. After this, unless new items are placed in the refrigerator compartment, introducing new carbon dioxide and water vapor, the carbon dioxide concentration will no longer change significantly. Therefore, the initial rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration within a unit of time can reflect the degree of icing inside the refrigerator, and thus the degree of frost buildup on the evaporator.

[0050] It should be noted that the refrigerator may include a gas detection device for detecting carbon dioxide concentration. This gas detection device can be installed in the refrigerator's freezer air duct, or in compartments such as the refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment that participate in the internal air circulation during the cooling process. Preferably, the gas detection device is installed in the freezer air duct or freezer compartment. It is understood that carbon dioxide sinks in the atmosphere, therefore the concentration is higher at lower altitudes, and its concentration change is more pronounced. Therefore, more preferably, installing the gas detection device at the bottom of the freezer air duct or freezer compartment allows for more accurate detection of the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration.

[0051] Step S102: Determine whether the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change;

[0052] It should be noted that the first preset rate of change is a preset value, and a small value close to 0. Therefore, when the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, it indicates that the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration tends to be stable, which means that at this time, almost all the water vapor in the refrigerator has condensed into ice, and frost has formed on the surface of the evaporator.

[0053] Step S103: If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then control the refrigerator to start defrosting.

[0054] It is understandable that frost on the evaporator surface will affect the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator, so it is necessary to defrost the evaporator to restore its heat exchange efficiency.

[0055] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A second flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in an embodiment of this application. After the refrigerator begins defrosting, the method further includes the following steps S104-S106:

[0056] Step S104: During the defrosting stage of the refrigerator, obtain the second rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time;

[0057] Understandably, during the defrosting process in a refrigerator, the defrosting device heats the evaporator, causing the frost on its surface to gradually melt and release carbon dioxide. This causes the carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to gradually increase until all the frost has melted, at which point the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration begins to stabilize. Therefore, the second rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time can reflect whether the frost has completely melted.

[0058] Step S105: Determine whether the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change;

[0059] It should be noted that the second preset rate of change is a preset value, and a relatively small one. Therefore, when the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change, it indicates that the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration is stabilizing, meaning that the frost has essentially melted away.

[0060] Step S106: If the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change, then control the refrigerator to stop defrosting.

[0061] Understandably, because the carbon dioxide released from melting ice flows to other compartments through natural convection, the gas detection device may not detect the increase in carbon dioxide concentration when there is little frost remaining. This causes the refrigerator to stop defrosting before the frost has completely melted, deeming the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration to have plateaued. To address this issue, after detecting a second rate of change that is less than a second preset rate of change, the system can wait for a third preset time before stopping the refrigerator's defrosting function, ensuring complete defrosting before shutting off the defrosting device.

[0062] The refrigerator control method provided in this application detects the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to know the degree of frost formation and defrosting. It controls the refrigerator to start defrosting after the water vapor inside the refrigerator has completely frosted, and stops defrosting after defrosting is completed, thereby improving the intelligence of defrosting control.

[0063] For further details, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A third flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in this application embodiment. The refrigerator includes a freezing air duct, an evaporator and a defrosting device are provided in the freezing air duct, the defrosting device is used to defrost the evaporator, and the refrigerator control method may include the following steps S201-S206:

[0064] Step S201: During the refrigeration stage of the refrigerator, obtain the first concentration of carbon dioxide in the freezing air duct;

[0065] Step S202: After a first preset time, obtain the second concentration of carbon dioxide in the refrigeration duct;

[0066] Step S203: Determine the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigeration duct per unit time based on the first preset duration, the first concentration, and the second concentration;

[0067] Step S204: Determine whether the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change;

[0068] Step S205: If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then obtain the total number of times the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigeration duct of the refrigerator changes from greater than the first preset rate of change to less than the first preset rate of change during this refrigeration process.

[0069] It should be noted that the cooling process described here refers to the cooling phase from the last time the refrigerator was turned on or after defrosting ended until the next time defrosting begins. Understandably, after the refrigerator is turned on or after defrosting, as it begins to cool, the carbon dioxide concentration in the freezer ducts will gradually decrease until the rate of change in concentration stabilizes. If the refrigerator door is opened, air will enter the storage compartment from the outside. The carbon dioxide in the air may cause the carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to increase rapidly, thus increasing the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration. Furthermore, the water vapor brought in from the air enters the refrigerator and gradually cools down until it freezes, dissolving more carbon dioxide, which in turn causes the carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to gradually decrease until the rate of change stabilizes.

[0070] Therefore, it is understandable that the more times the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration in the freezer duct changes from greater than the first preset rate to less than the first preset rate during this cooling process, the more water vapor condenses inside the refrigerator, indicating a thicker frost buildup on the evaporator surface. However, the thicker the frost buildup on the evaporator surface, the lower its heat exchange efficiency and the greater the energy waste.

[0071] Step S206: If the total number of defrost cycles reaches the first preset number of cycles, then activate the defrosting device;

[0072] It should be noted that the first preset count is an integer greater than 1. The refrigerator, for example, includes a counter that resets to zero whenever the refrigerator is turned off or defrosting begins. The counter increments by 1 each time a change in the carbon dioxide concentration within the freezer duct is detected, changing from a rate greater than a first preset rate of change to a rate less than a first preset rate of change.

[0073] If the total number of times reaches the first preset number, it means that the refrigerator door was opened multiple times during this cooling process. Opening the refrigerator door multiple times will cause more water vapor to enter. The water vapor will condense on the evaporator, making the frost on the surface of the evaporator thicker.

[0074] Understandably, the defrosting device is activated only after the total number of cycles reaches the first preset number. This means that the evaporator is only defrosted when the frost on its surface is thick enough, which avoids frequent activation of the defrosting device and increased energy consumption.

[0075] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A fourth flowchart of a refrigerator control method provided in this application embodiment. The refrigerator control method may further include the following steps S301-S306:

[0076] Step S301: During the refrigeration stage of the refrigerator, obtain the first concentration of carbon dioxide in the refrigeration duct;

[0077] Step S302: After a first preset time, obtain the second concentration of carbon dioxide in the refrigeration duct;

[0078] Step S303: Determine the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigeration duct per unit time based on the first preset duration, the first concentration, and the second concentration;

[0079] Step S304: Determine whether the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change;

[0080] Step S305: If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then obtain the total duration during which the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration in the refrigeration duct of the refrigerator is in a decreasing state during this refrigeration process.

[0081] It should be noted that the cooling process described here refers to the cooling phase from the last time the refrigerator was turned on or after defrosting ended until the next time defrosting begins. Understandably, after the refrigerator is turned on or after defrosting, as it begins to cool, the carbon dioxide concentration in the freezer ducts will gradually decrease until the rate of change in concentration stabilizes. If the refrigerator door is opened, air will enter the storage compartment from the outside. The carbon dioxide in the air may cause the carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to increase rapidly, thus increasing the rate of change in carbon dioxide concentration. Furthermore, the water vapor brought in from the air enters the refrigerator and gradually cools down until it freezes, dissolving more carbon dioxide, which in turn causes the carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to gradually decrease until the rate of change stabilizes.

[0082] Therefore, it's understandable that the longer the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration in the freezer duct remains in a decreasing state during the refrigeration process, the longer the time for water vapor to condense inside the refrigerator, and the more condensation occurs, resulting in a thicker layer of frost on the evaporator surface. However, the thicker the frost on the evaporator surface, the lower its heat exchange efficiency and the greater the energy waste.

[0083] Step S306: If the total duration reaches the first preset duration, then activate the defrosting device;

[0084] If the total duration reaches the first preset duration, it means that the water vapor inside the refrigerator has been condensing for a long time during this cooling process, and the frost on the evaporator surface is thick, requiring defrosting.

[0085] Understandably, the defrosting device is activated only when the total time reaches the first preset time. This means that the evaporator is only defrosted when the frost on the evaporator surface is thick enough, which can avoid the defrosting device being activated frequently and increasing energy consumption.

[0086] In practical applications, as users open the refrigerator door multiple times, the water vapor that enters each time the door is opened condenses on the evaporator surface, resulting in a thick layer of frost. This significantly impacts the heat exchange efficiency of the evaporator. At this point, the refrigerator automatically activates the defrosting device to defrost the evaporator. The opening and closing of the defrosting device is controlled according to the actual frost buildup on the evaporator surface, improving the intelligence of the refrigerator's defrosting control and preventing the waste of energy caused by frequent opening and closing of the defrosting device.

[0087] The refrigerator control method provided in this application embodiment detects the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator to know the degree of frost formation. It also determines the thickness of frost based on the total number of times the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration increases and then stabilizes again or the total duration of the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration decreasing. Defrosting only begins when the frost on the evaporator reaches a certain thickness, thus improving the intelligence of defrosting control and avoiding the waste of energy caused by frequent opening and closing of the defrosting device.

[0088] This application embodiment also provides a storage medium applied to a refrigerator, on which a computer program is stored, and the computer program executes any of the above-described refrigerator control methods when it runs.

[0089] This application also provides a refrigerator, which can be a single-door refrigerator, a double-door refrigerator, a side-by-side refrigerator, a French door refrigerator, or a French door refrigerator, etc. For example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figures 5-6 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a first structural embodiment of a refrigerator provided in this application. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a second structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application. The refrigerator 100 includes a gas sensor 110 and a controller 120.

[0090] The gas sensor 110 is used to detect the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator 100. The controller 120 is connected to the gas sensor 110 and is used to obtain the first rate of change of the carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time during the refrigeration phase of the refrigerator; determine whether the first rate of change is less than a first preset rate of change; if the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then control the refrigerator to start defrosting.

[0091] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a third structure of a refrigerator provided in an embodiment of this application. The refrigerator 100 also includes a freezing air duct 130, an evaporator 140, and a defrosting device 150.

[0092] The evaporator 140 and the defrosting device 150 are disposed within the refrigeration air duct 130, with the defrosting device 150 located below the evaporator 140. The gas sensor 110 is disposed at the bottom of the refrigeration air duct 130.

[0093] The controller 120 is connected to the defrosting device 150 and is used to activate the defrosting device 150 to defrost the evaporator 140 when it is confirmed that the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change.

[0094] The refrigerator 100 provided in this application embodiment can detect the rate of change of internal carbon dioxide concentration to know the degree of internal frost formation, and control the refrigerator to start defrosting after the internal water vapor has completely frosted. The defrosting control has a high degree of intelligence.

[0095] The control method, storage medium, and refrigerator provided in the embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a refrigerator, characterized in that, include: During the refrigeration phase of the refrigerator, the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time is obtained; Determine whether the first rate of change is less than a first preset rate of change; If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

2. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the refrigerator to start defrosting if the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change includes: If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then obtain the total number of times the rate of change of the internal carbon dioxide concentration of the refrigerator during this cooling process changes from greater than the first preset rate of change to less than the first preset rate of change. If the total number of times reaches the first preset number, then the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

3. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the refrigerator to start defrosting if the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change includes: If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then obtain the total duration during which the rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator is in a decreasing state during this cooling process. If the total duration reaches the second preset duration, the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

4. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time includes: Obtain the first concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator; After a first preset time period, the second concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator is obtained; The first rate of change is determined based on the first preset duration, the first concentration, and the second concentration.

5. The refrigerator control method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, After controlling the refrigerator to begin defrosting, the following is also included: During the defrosting stage of the refrigerator, the second rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time is obtained; Determine whether the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change; If the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change, then the refrigerator is controlled to stop defrosting.

6. The refrigerator control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of controlling the refrigerator to stop defrosting if the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change includes: If the second rate of change is less than the second preset rate of change, then after waiting for a third preset time, the refrigerator is controlled to stop defrosting.

7. A storage medium, characterized in that, It stores a computer program, which, when executed, performs the refrigerator control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A refrigerator, characterized in that, include: A gas sensor is used to detect the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigerator; The controller, connected to the gas sensor, is used for: During the refrigeration phase of the refrigerator, the first rate of change of carbon dioxide concentration inside the refrigerator per unit time is obtained; Determine whether the first rate of change is less than a first preset rate of change; If the first rate of change is less than the first preset rate of change, then the refrigerator is controlled to start defrosting.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a refrigeration air duct, wherein an evaporator is installed in the refrigeration air duct; The gas sensor is installed inside the refrigeration duct to detect the concentration of carbon dioxide inside the refrigeration duct.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 9, characterized in that, The gas sensor is located at the bottom of the refrigeration duct.

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