A refrigerant leakage detection method and device for an air conditioner, a storage medium, and an air conditioner

Abstract

The application provides a refrigerant leakage detection method and device of an air conditioner, a storage medium and the air conditioner. The method comprises the following steps: when the air conditioner is in standby, detecting whether the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature of the air conditioner is within a preset range; the preset range is a temperature fluctuation range centered on a current ambient temperature value; if it is detected that the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature is not within the preset range, judging whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the system internal pressure change of the air conditioner. The scheme provided by the application can accurately judge whether the refrigerant has leakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of control, and more particularly to a method, apparatus, storage medium, and air conditioner for detecting refrigerant leakage. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing environmental awareness both domestically and internationally, developing air conditioners using environmentally friendly refrigerants has become a mainstream international trend. Developed countries like the European Union have introduced even stricter standards for the use of environmentally friendly refrigerants. R290 refrigerant has a GWP of 3 and an ODP of 0, making it a natural and environmentally friendly working fluid that will not harm the environment during use. The main component of R290 refrigerant is propane, which is a flammable and explosive gas at room temperature and pressure. Its relative density is greater than air, and after leakage, it will diffuse downwards under gravity and accumulate at the bottom of enclosed rooms. When leaked R290 refrigerant from an indoor air conditioner reaches a certain concentration in the air, people in that environment will experience discomfort, and in severe cases, it can cause physical harm. Furthermore, when the volume fraction of leaked R290 gas is between 2.1% and 9.5%, and the surface temperature is high or there is an open flame or high-energy spark, it may ignite and explode. Therefore, when using R290 refrigerant in indoor air conditioners, there are higher requirements for the refrigerant charge and the air conditioner's fire and explosion prevention devices.

[0003] The main technology involves adding a combustible gas concentration detection module to the indoor unit of the air conditioner to detect refrigerant leaks. Then, the controller issues commands to control the operation of components such as indoor and outdoor fans, compressors, and expansion valves to reduce the damage caused by the leak. However, whether the controller can respond in time depends heavily on the detection sensitivity of the gas concentration sensor. At the same time, due to the complexity of the internal structure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and the disturbance caused by the indoor fan, when a slow leak occurs in the refrigerant system, the gas sensor often cannot respond in time or even does not respond at all, causing the leaked refrigerant to locally agglomerate. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the aforementioned related technologies and provide a method, device, storage medium, and air conditioner for detecting refrigerant leakage, so as to solve the problem that gas sensors often cannot respond in time or even fail to respond when a slow leak occurs in the refrigerant system in the related technologies.

[0005] This invention provides a method for detecting refrigerant leakage in an air conditioner, characterized by comprising: when the air conditioner is in standby mode, detecting whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range; the preset range is a temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature; if the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit is not within the preset range, determining whether the air conditioner has experienced refrigerant leakage based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system.

[0006] Optionally, it further includes: before detecting whether the heat exchanger tube temperature of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range, detecting whether the concentration of combustible gas inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a preset concentration threshold using a combustible gas concentration sensor; if the combustible gas concentration inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner is not detected to reach the preset concentration threshold by the combustible gas concentration sensor, detecting whether the heat exchanger tube temperature of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range.

[0007] Optionally, it further includes: if the combustible gas concentration inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner is detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor to reach a preset concentration threshold, then it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, and the refrigerant leak mode of the air conditioner is determined according to the magnitude of the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes; wherein, if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is greater than a second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a first refrigerant leak mode; if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a second refrigerant leak mode, and the refrigerant leak rate of the first refrigerant leak mode is greater than the refrigerant leak rate of the second refrigerant leak mode.

[0008] Optionally, it further includes: if it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, controlling the air guide vane of the air conditioner to open at a preset angle, controlling the indoor fan of the air conditioner to start running at a first preset windshield, and controlling the alarm system to start; if it is determined that the refrigerant leak mode is the first leak mode, further controlling the air sweeping blades of the air conditioner to perform left and right sweeping, and controlling the indoor fan windshield of the air conditioner to be raised to a second preset windshield; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset windshield is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset windshield.

[0009] Optionally, determining whether the air conditioner has experienced refrigerant leakage based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change within the air conditioner system includes: determining whether the internal pressure change value of the air conditioner system within a preset time is greater than or equal to a preset pressure change value, wherein the preset pressure change value is a negative value; if the internal pressure change value of the air conditioner system within a preset time is greater than or equal to the preset pressure change value, then it is determined that the air conditioner has not experienced refrigerant leakage; if the internal pressure change value of the air conditioner system within a preset time is less than the preset pressure change value, then it is determined that the air conditioner has experienced refrigerant leakage.

[0010] Optionally, the method further includes: if it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, then the refrigerant leak mode of the air conditioner is further determined based on the magnitude of the change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature; wherein, if the change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature is greater than a second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a first refrigerant leak mode; if the change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset change rate threshold and less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a second refrigerant leak mode; the refrigerant leak rate of the first refrigerant leak mode is greater than the refrigerant leak rate of the second refrigerant leak mode; and / or, if it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, then a corresponding leak alarm is sent to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leak mode.

[0011] Optionally, it further includes: if it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, then the air conditioner is controlled according to the determined refrigerant leak mode, wherein: if the refrigerant leak mode is determined to be the second leak mode, then the air guide vane of the air conditioner is controlled to open at a preset angle, the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to start running at a first preset windshield, and / or the alarm system is activated; if the refrigerant leak mode is determined to be the first leak mode, then the air guide vane of the air conditioner is controlled to open at a preset angle and the air sweeping blades of the air conditioner are controlled to perform left and right air sweeping, the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to start running at a second preset windshield, and / or the alarm system is activated; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset windshield is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset windshield; and / or, if it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, then a corresponding leak alarm is sent to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leak mode.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention provides a refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner, comprising: a detection unit, configured to detect whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range when the air conditioner is in standby mode; the preset range being a temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature; and a judgment unit, configured to determine whether the air conditioner has experienced a refrigerant leakage based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change of the air conditioner system if the detection unit detects that the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit is not within the preset range.

[0013] Optionally, the detection unit is further configured to: detect, before detecting whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range, whether the concentration of combustible gas inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a preset concentration threshold using a combustible gas concentration sensor; and if the combustible gas concentration inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner is not detected to reach the preset concentration threshold by the combustible gas concentration sensor, whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range.

[0014] Optionally, the judgment unit is further configured to: if the detection unit detects that the concentration of combustible gas inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a preset concentration threshold through the combustible gas concentration sensor, then determine that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, and determine the refrigerant leak mode of the air conditioner based on the magnitude of the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes; wherein, if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is greater than a second preset change rate threshold, then it is determined to be a first refrigerant leak mode; if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, then it is determined to be a second refrigerant leak mode, wherein the refrigerant leak rate of the first refrigerant leak mode is greater than the refrigerant leak rate of the second refrigerant leak mode.

[0015] Optionally, it further includes: a first control unit, configured to, if the judgment unit determines that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, control the air guide vane of the air conditioner to open at a preset angle, control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to start running at a first preset windshield, and control the alarm system to start; if the refrigerant leak mode is determined to be the first leak mode, further control the air sweeping blades of the air conditioner to perform left and right sweeping, and control the indoor fan windshield of the air conditioner to be raised to a second preset windshield; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset windshield is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset windshield; and a first alarm unit, configured to, if the judgment unit determines that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, send a corresponding leak alarm to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leak mode.

[0016] Optionally, the determination unit determines whether the air conditioner has experienced refrigerant leakage based on the magnitude of the change in the internal system pressure of the air conditioner, including: determining whether the change in the internal system pressure of the air conditioner within a preset time is greater than or equal to a preset pressure change value, wherein the preset pressure change value is a negative value; if the change in the internal system pressure of the air conditioner within the preset time is greater than or equal to the preset pressure change value, then it is determined that the air conditioner has not experienced refrigerant leakage; if the change in the internal system pressure of the air conditioner within the preset time is less than the preset pressure change value, then it is determined that the air conditioner has experienced refrigerant leakage.

[0017] Optionally, the determination unit is further configured to: if it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, then further determine the refrigerant leak mode of the air conditioner based on the magnitude of the change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature; wherein, if the change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature is greater than a second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a first refrigerant leak mode; if the change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset change rate threshold and less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a second refrigerant leak mode; the refrigerant leak rate of the first refrigerant leak mode is greater than the refrigerant leak rate of the second refrigerant leak mode.

[0018] Optionally, it further includes: a second control unit, configured to control the air conditioner according to a determined refrigerant leakage mode if the judgment unit determines that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, wherein: if the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be a second leakage mode, the air conditioner's air guide vane is controlled to open at a preset angle, the air conditioner's indoor fan is controlled to start running at a first preset windshield, and / or an alarm system is activated; if the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be a first leakage mode, the air conditioner's air guide vane is controlled to open at a preset angle and the air sweeper blades of the air conditioner are controlled to perform left and right air sweeping, the air conditioner's indoor fan is controlled to start running at a second preset windshield, and / or an alarm system is activated; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset windshield is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset windshield; and / or a second alarm unit, configured to send a corresponding leakage alarm to a mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leakage mode if the judgment unit determines that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system.

[0019] In another aspect, the present invention provides a storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the methods described above.

[0020] In another aspect, the present invention provides an air conditioner, including a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory that can run on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of any of the methods described above.

[0021] In another aspect, the present invention provides an air conditioner including any of the refrigerant leakage detection devices described above.

[0022] According to the technical solution of the present invention, based on the physical change process (gas volume expansion, liquid-gas phase change) during refrigerant leakage (both are endothermic reactions), the pipe temperature and internal pressure of the air conditioning system change accordingly. By detecting the pipe temperature and pressure fluctuations of the indoor unit heat exchanger and the rate of temperature change, it is possible to accurately detect whether a refrigerant leak has occurred in the system. At the same time, it is possible to determine whether the system is experiencing a rapid or slow leak based on the magnitude of the change rate, and the refrigerant leak situation can be promptly reflected to the mobile terminal (phone) to reduce the losses caused by refrigerant leaks.

[0023] According to the technical solution of the present invention, by judging whether the pressure and temperature fluctuation values ​​inside the indoor unit pipes exceed the preset values ​​under standby conditions, and combining the feedback value of the gas concentration sensor to judge whether the refrigerant has leaked, the refrigerant leakage can be accurately determined.

[0024] According to the technical solution of the present invention, by judging whether the rate of change of system pipe temperature and pipe pressure exceeds the preset value, the degree of refrigerant leakage can be determined, that is, whether the leakage is rapid or slow, and the degree of leakage can be sent to mobile terminals such as mobile phones.

[0025] According to the technical solution of the present invention, the detection sensitivity when a leak occurs in an air conditioner using flammable refrigerant can be improved, thereby enhancing safety and reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection method for air conditioners provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an air conditioner indoor unit sensor according to the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection method for air conditioners provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection method for air conditioners provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection method for air conditioners provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 The indoor refrigerant gas concentration distribution is shown when the indoor unit is unresponsive.

[0033] Figure 7 The indoor refrigerant gas concentration distribution during indoor unit response is shown;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection device for air conditioners provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this invention, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0036] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of the invention described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0037] In related technologies, to ensure the safe use of household air conditioners using R290 refrigerant, when the refrigerant charge of the air conditioning system exceeds the corresponding standard value, a combustible gas detection sensor needs to be installed to ensure that the actuator can act in time when refrigerant leaks. However, in actual experiments, whether the sensor can detect the leak depends on its installation location and the refrigerant leakage rate. In particular, when the system experiences a slow leak, the sensor usually cannot respond in time or may not respond at all.

[0038] Existing data shows that in standby mode, the refrigerant distribution in an air conditioner can be as high as 65% to 70% in the evaporator, with the refrigerant accumulating on the indoor side. When the air conditioner is running, the refrigerant content on the indoor side is about 30%. This indicates that the potential hazards of refrigerant leakage are greater in standby mode. Therefore, a device and control method that can accurately detect refrigerant leakage are needed to reduce the potential hazards during the use of air conditioners.

[0039] This invention provides a method for detecting refrigerant leakage in air conditioners.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection method for air conditioners provided by the present invention.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant leakage detection method for the air conditioner includes at least steps S120 and S130. Preferably, step S110 is included before step S120.

[0042] Step S110: When the air conditioner is in standby mode, the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner unit is detected by a combustible gas concentration sensor to see if it reaches a preset concentration threshold.

[0043] If the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner unit is detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor to reach a preset concentration threshold, it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, and the refrigerant leak mode of the air conditioner is determined according to the magnitude of the temperature change rate of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit.

[0044] Specifically, if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is greater than the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a first refrigerant leakage mode; if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a second refrigerant leakage mode, and the refrigerant leakage rate of the first refrigerant leakage mode is greater than the refrigerant leakage rate of the second refrigerant leakage mode.

[0045] Preferably, if a refrigerant leak is determined to occur in the air conditioner, the air guide vane of the air conditioner is controlled to open at a preset angle, the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to start operating at a first preset fan speed, and the alarm system is activated. If the refrigerant leak mode is determined to be the first leak mode, the air guide vane and / or the sweeping blades of the air conditioner are further controlled to sweep the air, and the indoor fan speed of the air conditioner is controlled to be raised to a second preset fan speed; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset fan speed is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset fan speed. The first preset fan speed is, for example, a high speed, and the second preset fan speed is, for example, a super high speed.

[0046] For example, in the standby state of the air conditioner, the combustible gas concentration sensor is always ready to respond. When the detected combustible gas concentration value inside the air conditioner's indoor unit reaches the preset concentration threshold, it is determined that there is a refrigerant leak, and an immediate response is made. The controller opens the air deflector at a preset angle (for example, opens the air deflector to the first grid, that is, sends the air flow parallel to the ground to evenly disperse it into the room to reduce the agglomeration concentration of the refrigerant), starts the indoor fan (starts the fan with the first preset wind speed as the target wind speed, and the first preset wind speed is, for example, high gear), and starts the audible and visual alarm system. The buzzer sounds an alarm, and at the same time, the fault code is displayed on the display board of the indoor unit. Then, by judging the magnitude of the change rate dT of the tube temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger and the preset value b (the second preset change rate threshold), it is determined whether the leakage mode is rapid leakage (the first leakage mode) or slow leakage (the second leakage mode). Here, dT = (T2 - T1) / Δt, where Δt is the temperature detection interval time, and the unit can be seconds (s), for example, preferably 15 s; T1 is the temperature at the initial moment; T2 is the temperature after Δt from the initial moment. Optionally, the above temperature values can be in Kelvin. When |dT| > b, it is the first leakage mode, that is, rapid leakage; when |dT| < b, it is the second leakage mode, that is, slow leakage. The second preset change rate threshold b can be, for example, 0.7 K / s. When it is determined as the rapid leakage mode, on the basis of the slow leakage response, the fan wind speed is increased (the target wind speed is increased to the second preset wind speed, and the second preset wind speed is, for example, super high gear), and the air deflector sweep mode and / or the left and right sweep mode of the sweep blades are opened to accelerate the diffusion of the refrigerant agglomerated in the indoor unit into the room and reduce the risk of combustion and explosion. The WiFi module sends a rapid leakage alarm to the customer's mobile terminal (mobile phone).

[0047] Optionally, the method may further include: if it is determined that there is a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner, then according to the judged refrigerant leakage mode, a corresponding leakage alarm is sent to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner. For example, when a refrigerant leak is detected, a rapid leakage or slow leakage alarm is sent to the customer's mobile terminal (mobile phone) through the air conditioner's WiFi module. When it is determined as the slow leakage mode, the WiFi module sends a slow leakage alarm to the customer's mobile terminal (mobile phone), and when it is determined as the rapid leakage mode, the WiFi module sends a rapid leakage alarm to the customer's mobile terminal (mobile phone).

[0048] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the sensors in the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the present invention. As Figure 2 shown, a combustible gas concentration sensor is built into the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The combustible gas concentration inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner can be detected through the combustible gas concentration sensor. Optionally, as Figure 2As shown, the indoor unit of the air conditioner can also have a built-in temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the heat exchanger tubes. The method of this invention can be implemented in an air conditioner controller, which can detect the concentration of combustible gas inside the indoor unit using the combustible gas concentration sensor, and / or detect the temperature of the heat exchanger tubes using the temperature sensor.

[0049] When the indoor unit of an air conditioner is in standby mode, if a refrigerant leak occurs in the system, the gas leaking from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side expands and absorbs heat (physical process: gas compression releases heat, expansion absorbs heat), causing the pipe temperature to drop. At the same time, the leaked refrigerant inside the pipe rapidly evaporates from a liquid state to a gaseous state, absorbing a large amount of heat (physical process: liquid evaporation absorbs heat, gas condensation releases heat), further reducing the pipe temperature and pressure. The degree of temperature and pressure reduction is positively correlated with the leakage rate; that is, the faster the refrigerant leakage rate (the greater the mass flow rate), the greater the amount of refrigerant evaporating from a liquid state to a gaseous state, and the more significant the temperature and pressure reduction inside the pipe. Therefore, the magnitude of the rate of change dT of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature over a time interval Δt can be used to determine whether a leak has occurred and whether the leak is a rapid or slow leak.

[0050] If the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner unit does not reach the preset concentration threshold as detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor, the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the air conditioner unit is detected to be within the preset range (i.e., step S120 is executed).

[0051] Step S120: If the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner indoor unit is not detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor to reach the preset concentration threshold, the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the air conditioner indoor unit is detected to be within the preset range.

[0052] The preset range is the temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature. Specifically, if the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner's indoor unit does not reach the preset concentration threshold as detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor, the indoor unit's heat exchanger pipe temperature (e.g., evaporator coil temperature) is checked at preset intervals to see if it is within the preset range. That is, when the combustible gas concentration sensor does not respond, pipe temperature detection is performed cyclically, with each cycle lasting Δt. Within the cyclic detection period, if the real-time pipe temperature T is within the real-time ambient temperature T... 环 If the temperature fluctuates within the allowable fluctuation range ΔT, i.e., the temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature, it indicates that the system has not leaked, and the next cycle continues. ΔT is used to exclude interference caused by ambient temperature fluctuations, and its preferred value is 2K, where K is the unit of temperature.

[0053] When the internal pipe temperature of the detection system (such as the evaporator coil temperature) is affected by the change of the ambient temperature and the temperature fluctuation exceeds the preset fluctuation value ΔT, that is, it is not within the preset temperature range, it is further determined whether the internal pressure of the system changes during this period, and it is determined whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the change magnitude of the internal pressure of the system, that is, step S130 is executed.

[0054] Step S130, if it is detected that the pipe temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger is not within the preset range, it is determined whether the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the change magnitude of the internal pressure of the system of the air conditioner.

[0055] Specifically, it is determined whether the internal pressure change value ΔP of the air conditioner within the preset time Δt is greater than or equal to the preset pressure change value m. The internal pressure of the system can specifically be the pressure inside the pipe of the indoor unit heat exchanger of the air conditioner (abbreviated as internal pipe pressure); if it is determined that the internal pressure change value of the air conditioner within the preset time Δt is greater than or equal to the preset pressure change value m, it is determined that the air conditioner has no refrigerant leakage; if it is determined that the internal pressure change value of the air conditioner within the preset time Δt is less than the preset pressure change value m, it is determined that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage.

[0056] Among them, the preset pressure change value m is a negative value. The smaller m is, the greater the pressure drop indicates. The negative sign indicates the pressure drop. The internal pressure (internal pipe pressure) change value ΔP = P2 - P1 within the time Δt, and its positive and negative values respectively represent pressure increase and pressure drop. P1 is the pressure at the initial moment, with the unit of MPa; P2 is the pressure after Δt at the initial moment, with the unit of MPa. If the internal pressure change value ΔP ≥ m within the time Δt, it can be determined that the internal temperature fluctuation of the system is mainly caused by the change of the external ambient temperature and the refrigerant has no leakage; if the internal pressure change ΔP < m within the time Δt, it indicates that the internal pressure drop of the system exceeds the preset value and leakage may occur. The preset pressure change value m is to exclude the influence of the ambient fluctuation on the temperature fluctuation, and the preferred value is -0.05 MPa, and the negative sign indicates the pressure drop.

[0057] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the method of another embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner provided by the present invention.

[0058] As Figure 3 shown, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner further includes step S140.

[0059] Step S140, if it is determined that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the change magnitude of the internal pressure of the system of the air conditioner, it is further determined the refrigerant leakage mode of the air conditioner according to the change rate magnitude of the pipe temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger of the air conditioner.

[0060] Specifically, if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipes is greater than a second preset threshold, it is determined to be a first refrigerant leakage mode; if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipes is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold and less than or equal to the second preset threshold, it is determined to be a second refrigerant leakage mode. The refrigerant leakage rate in the first refrigerant leakage mode is greater than the refrigerant leakage rate in the second refrigerant leakage mode. For example, the first refrigerant leakage mode is a rapid leakage, and the second refrigerant leakage mode is a slow leakage.

[0061] For example, if the first preset rate of change threshold is 'a' and the second preset rate of change threshold is 'b', when 'a' ≤ |dT| ≤ b, it indicates that the system refrigerant is leaking slowly (second refrigerant leakage mode); when |dT| > b, it indicates that the internal pipe temperature of the system has changed significantly in a short period of time, indicating that the system refrigerant is leaking rapidly (first refrigerant leakage mode). The preferred value for the first preset rate of change threshold is 0.15 K / s, and the preferred value for the second preset rate of change threshold is 0.7 K / s.

[0062] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the refrigerant leakage detection method for air conditioners provided by the present invention.

[0063] like Figure 4 As shown, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerant leakage detection method for the air conditioner further includes step S150.

[0064] Step S150: If it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, then the air conditioner is controlled according to the determined refrigerant leak mode.

[0065] Specifically, if the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be the second leakage mode, then the air guide vane of the air conditioner is controlled to open at a preset angle, the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to start running at the first preset windshield, and / or the alarm system is activated; if the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be the first leakage mode, then the air guide vane of the air conditioner is controlled to open at a preset angle, the air sweeping blades of the air conditioner are controlled to perform left and right sweeping, the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to start running at the second preset windshield, and / or the alarm system is activated; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset windshield is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset windshield. Preferably, if the air conditioner is determined to have a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, a corresponding leak alarm can also be sent to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leakage mode.

[0066] When a ≤ |dT| ≤ b, it indicates that the refrigerant in the system is leaking slowly. Then the controller turns on the fan, the air deflector, and the audible and visual alarm system, and at the same time sends a slow leak alarm to the customer's mobile device (mobile phone) through the air conditioner's WiFi module. When |dT| > b, it means that the internal pipe temperature of the system has changed greatly in a short time, indicating that the refrigerant in the system is leaking quickly. Then the controller strengthens the fan speed on the basis of the slow leak response, turns on the left and right sweeping mode, and at the same time sends a quick leak alarm to the customer's mobile device (mobile phone) through the air conditioner's WiFi module.

[0067] To clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the execution process of the refrigerant leak detection method provided by the present invention will be described below with a specific embodiment.

[0068] As Figure 2 shown, the air conditioner indoor unit is provided with a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a combustible gas concentration sensor, and an air conditioner controller. The signals collected by each sensor are transmitted to the air conditioner controller, and after being processed by the controller, corresponding instructions are sent to the execution components such as the indoor unit fan and the air deflector.

[0069] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the method of a specific embodiment of the refrigerant leak detection method of the air conditioner provided by the present invention. Figure 5 It shows a schematic diagram of the process of the refrigerant leak detection method in the standby state.

[0070] As Figure 5 shown, in the standby state, the combustible gas concentration detection sensor is always ready to respond. When the detected combustible gas concentration value inside the air conditioner reaches the preset concentration threshold, it immediately responds. The controller turns on the air deflector, starts the internal fan, and starts the audible and visual alarm system, and then judges whether the leak mode is a quick leak or a slow leak by judging the magnitude of the change rate dT of the tube temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger and the preset value b. Among them, when |dT| > b, it is a quick leak, and when |dT| < b, it is a slow leak. When it is determined to be a slow leak mode, the WiFi module sends a slow leak alarm to the customer's mobile device (mobile phone). When it is determined to be a quick leak mode, on the basis of the slow leak response, the fan speed is increased, and the air deflector sweeping mode and / or the left and right sweeping mode of the sweeping blades are turned on to accelerate the diffusion of the refrigerant agglomerated in the indoor unit into the room and reduce the risk of combustion and explosion. The WiFi module sends a quick leak alarm to the customer's mobile device (mobile phone). When the system detects refrigerant leakage, a quick leak or slow leak alarm is sent to the customer's mobile device (mobile phone) through the air conditioner's WiFi module.

[0071] When the combustible gas concentration detection sensor does not respond, the tube temperature detection mode is cyclically executed, and the time interval of each cycle is Δt. During the cycle detection period, if the real-time temperature T of the tube temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger is within the allowable fluctuation range ΔT of the ambient temperature T 环 of (T环 -ΔT ≤ T ≤ T 环 +ΔT), it indicates that there is no refrigerant leakage, and the next cycle is continued.

[0072] When the internal pipe temperature of the system is affected by the change of ambient temperature and the temperature fluctuation exceeds the allowable fluctuation range ΔT of the ambient temperature T 环 the internal pressure of the system is further judged whether it changes during this period. If the internal pressure change ΔP ≥ m (m is a negative value, the smaller m is, the greater the pressure drop, and the negative sign indicates the pressure drop), it can be judged that the internal temperature fluctuation of the system is mainly caused by the change of external ambient temperature and the refrigerant does not leak, and the next cycle is continued; if the internal pressure change ΔP < m, it indicates that the internal pressure drop of the system exceeds the preset value and leakage may occur, and the change rate |dT| of the internal pipe temperature of the system during this period is further judged. When a ≤ |dT| ≤ b, it indicates that the refrigerant of the system leaks slowly, and the controller turns on the fan, air deflector and sound and light alarm system, and at the same time sends a slow leakage alarm to the customer's mobile terminal (mobile phone) through the air conditioner WiFi module; when |dT| > b, it means that the internal pipe temperature of the system changes greatly in a short time, indicating that the refrigerant of the system leaks quickly. On the basis of the slow leakage response of the controller, the fan speed gear is strengthened, the air deflector is turned on for air guiding and / or the left and right sweeping mode of the sweeping blade is turned on, and at the same time a fast leakage alarm is sent to the customer's mobile terminal (mobile phone) through the air conditioner WiFi module.

[0073] Figure 6 shows the indoor refrigerant gas concentration distribution when the indoor unit does not respond. In the standby state, a gas cylinder is used to simulate the leakage source of the indoor unit, and the room refrigerant distribution concentration during refrigerant leakage is detected. Different curves respectively show the change of the gas concentration value detected by the combustible gas concentration sensors in different regions and / or heights with time, that is, each sensor corresponds to a concentration change curve with time. When the gas concentration sensor is not used or a single gas concentration sensor does not respond, that is, when the indoor fan does not operate, the indoor room R290 refrigerant LEL (lower explosive limit of combustible gas) concentration during refrigerant leakage is as Figure 6 shown. During the experiment, the total leakage amount is controlled to be 750 g, the leakage time is 467 s, and ventilation measures are taken 180 s after the leakage ends to evacuate the indoor R290 gas. The experimental results show that a 100% LEL concentration point appears near the indoor unit, posing a very high safety hazard.

[0074] Figure 7 shows the indoor refrigerant gas concentration distribution when the indoor unit responds. A gas cylinder is used to simulate the leakage source of the indoor unit, and the room refrigerant distribution concentration during refrigerant leakage is detected. When leakage occurs and the indoor unit detects refrigerant leakage and performs corresponding actions, the indoor refrigerant distribution concentration is as Figure 7 shown. Figure 7Different curves in the diagram illustrate the changes in gas concentration values ​​detected by combustible gas concentration sensors at different areas and / or heights over time; each sensor corresponds to a concentration-time curve. The total leakage amount was controlled at 750g, the leakage time was 510s, and after the leakage ended, ventilation measures were implemented after 180s of diffusion to ventilate the room of R290 gas. Experimental results show that when the system detected a leak, no 100% LEL (Leakage Limit) points appeared in the room; the peak point was at the air outlet of the internal fan (53.4%). After the leak ended, during the diffusion phase, the leaked refrigerant was evenly distributed throughout the room due to the airflow disturbance from the fan, and no area with a risk of combustion or explosion appeared.

[0075] The present invention also provides a refrigerant leakage detection device for air conditioners.

[0076] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of the refrigerant leak detection device for air conditioners provided by the present invention. Figure 8 As shown, the refrigerant leakage detection device 100 for the air conditioner includes a detection unit 110 and a judgment unit 120.

[0077] The detection unit 110 is used to detect whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range when the air conditioner is in standby mode; the preset range is the temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature value.

[0078] Preferably, the detection unit 110 is further configured to: detect whether the concentration of combustible gas inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a preset concentration threshold by means of a combustible gas concentration sensor before detecting whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range; and detect whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range if the combustible gas concentration inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner is not detected by means of the combustible gas concentration sensor.

[0079] The judgment unit 120 is further configured to: if the detection unit 110 detects through the combustible gas concentration sensor that the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner indoor unit reaches a preset concentration threshold, then determine that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, and determine the refrigerant leak mode of the air conditioner based on the magnitude of the temperature change rate of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.

[0080] Specifically, if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is greater than the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a first refrigerant leakage mode; if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be a second refrigerant leakage mode, and the refrigerant leakage rate of the first refrigerant leakage mode is greater than the refrigerant leakage rate of the second refrigerant leakage mode.

[0081] Preferably, the device 100 further includes: a first control unit (not shown), configured to, if the determination unit 120 determines that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, control the air deflector of the air conditioner to open at a preset angle, control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to start running at a first preset wind speed, and control the alarm system to start. If it is determined that the refrigerant leak mode is the first leak mode, further control the air deflector and / or the swing blades of the air conditioner to perform air sweeping, and control the wind speed of the indoor fan of the air conditioner to increase to a second preset wind speed; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset wind speed is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset wind speed.

[0082] For example, in the standby state of the air conditioner, the combustible gas concentration sensor is always ready to respond. When the combustible gas concentration value inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner is detected to reach the preset concentration threshold, it is determined that there is a refrigerant leak, and an immediate response is made. The controller opens the air deflector at a preset angle (for example, opens the air deflector to the first grid, that is, sends the air flow parallel to the ground to evenly disperse it into the room to reduce the agglomeration concentration of the refrigerant), starts the indoor fan (starts the fan with the first preset wind speed as the target wind speed, and the first preset wind speed is, for example, the high gear), and starts the audible and visual alarm system. The buzzer sounds an alarm, and at the same time, the indoor unit display board displays a fault code. Then, by judging the magnitude of the change rate dT of the tube temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger and the preset value b (the second preset change rate threshold), it is determined whether the leak mode is a fast leak (the first leak mode) or a slow leak (the second leak mode). Where dT=(T2 - T1) / Δt, Δt is the temperature detection interval time, and the unit can be seconds (s), for example, preferably 15 s; T1 is the temperature at the initial moment; T2 is the temperature after Δt from the initial moment. Optionally, the above temperature values can use the Kelvin temperature. When |dT|>b, it is the first leak mode, that is, a fast leak. When |dT|<b, it is the second leak mode, that is, a slow leak. The second preset change rate threshold b can be, for example, 0.7 K / s. When it is determined to be the fast leak mode, on the basis of the slow leak response, the fan wind speed is increased (the target wind speed is increased to the second preset wind speed, and the second preset wind speed is, for example, the super strong gear), the air deflector sweeping mode and / or the left-right sweeping mode of the swing blades are opened to accelerate the diffusion of the refrigerant agglomerated in the indoor unit into the room, reduce the explosion risk, and the WiFi module sends a fast leak alarm to the customer's mobile terminal (mobile phone).

[0083] Optionally, the device 100 may further include: a first alarm unit (not shown), configured to send a corresponding leak alarm to a mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leak mode if the determination unit 120 determines that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak. For example, when a refrigerant leak is detected, a fast leak or slow leak alarm is sent to the customer's mobile terminal (phone) via the air conditioner's WiFi module. When the leak is determined to be in a slow leak mode, the WiFi module sends a slow leak alarm to the customer's mobile terminal (phone); when the leak is determined to be in a fast leak mode, the WiFi module sends a fast leak alarm to the customer's mobile terminal (phone).

[0084] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an air conditioner indoor unit sensor according to the present invention is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the indoor unit of the air conditioner has a built-in combustible gas concentration sensor. The combustible gas concentration sensor can detect the concentration of combustible gas inside the indoor unit. Optionally, as... Figure 2 As shown, the indoor unit of the air conditioner can also have a built-in temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the heat exchanger tubes. The device of this invention can be implemented in an air conditioner controller, which can detect the concentration of combustible gas inside the indoor unit via the combustible gas concentration sensor, and / or the air conditioner controller can detect the temperature of the heat exchanger tubes via the temperature sensor.

[0085] When the indoor unit of an air conditioner is in standby mode, if a refrigerant leak occurs in the system, the gas leaking from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side expands and absorbs heat (physical process: gas compression releases heat, expansion absorbs heat), causing the pipe temperature to drop. At the same time, the leaked refrigerant inside the pipe rapidly evaporates from a liquid state to a gaseous state, absorbing a large amount of heat (physical process: liquid evaporation absorbs heat, gas condensation releases heat), further reducing the pipe temperature and pressure. The degree of temperature and pressure reduction is positively correlated with the leakage rate; that is, the faster the refrigerant leakage rate (the greater the mass flow rate), the greater the amount of refrigerant evaporating from a liquid state to a gaseous state, and the more significant the temperature and pressure reduction inside the pipe. Therefore, the magnitude of the rate of change dT of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe temperature over a time interval Δt can be used to determine whether a leak has occurred and whether the leak is a rapid or slow leak.

[0086] If the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner unit does not reach the preset concentration threshold as detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor, the detection unit 110 detects whether the heat exchanger tube temperature of the air conditioner unit is within the preset range.

[0087] The preset range is the temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature. Specifically, when the combustible gas concentration sensor does not detect that the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner's indoor unit reaches a preset concentration threshold, the detection unit 110 checks whether the indoor unit's heat exchanger pipe temperature (e.g., evaporator coil temperature) is within the preset range at preset intervals. That is, when the combustible gas concentration sensor does not respond, the pipe temperature detection is performed cyclically, with each cycle lasting Δt. Within the cyclic detection period, if the real-time pipe temperature T is within the real-time ambient temperature T... 环 If the temperature fluctuates within the allowable fluctuation range ΔT, i.e., the temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature, it indicates that the system has not leaked, and the next cycle continues. ΔT is used to exclude interference caused by ambient temperature fluctuations, and its preferred value is 2K, where K is the unit of temperature.

[0088] The judgment unit 120 is used to determine whether the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak if the detection unit 110 detects that the temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger tube is not within the preset range, based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system.

[0089] When the detection unit 110 detects that the temperature of the pipes inside the system (e.g., the temperature of the evaporator coil) is affected by changes in the ambient temperature, and the temperature fluctuation exceeds the preset fluctuation value ΔT, i.e., it is not within the preset temperature range, the judgment unit 120 further judges whether the internal pressure of the system has changed during this period, and judges whether the air conditioner has leaked refrigerant based on the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the system.

[0090] In one specific embodiment, the determination unit 120 determines whether the air conditioner has experienced refrigerant leakage based on the magnitude of the change in the system's internal pressure. This includes: determining whether the change in the system's internal pressure ΔP within a preset time Δt is greater than or equal to a preset pressure change value m; if the change in the system's internal pressure within the preset time Δt is greater than or equal to the preset pressure change value m, then the air conditioner is determined not to have experienced refrigerant leakage; if the change in the system's internal pressure within the preset time Δt is less than the preset pressure change value m, then the air conditioner is determined to have experienced refrigerant leakage. Specifically, the system's internal pressure can be the pressure inside the heat exchanger tubes of the air conditioner's indoor unit (referred to as the internal tube pressure).

[0091] Among them, the preset pressure change value m is a negative value. The smaller m is, the greater the pressure drop indicates. The negative sign represents the pressure drop. The change value of the internal pressure (inner tube pressure) of the system within Δt time is ΔP = P2 - P1, and its positive and negative values respectively represent pressure increase and pressure drop. P1 is the pressure at the initial moment, with the unit of MPa; P2 is the pressure after Δt at the initial moment, with the unit of MPa. If the change value of the internal pressure of the system within Δt time, ΔP≥m, it can be determined that the temperature fluctuation inside the system is mainly caused by the change of the external environment temperature, and the refrigerant has not leaked; if the change of the internal pressure of the system within Δt time, ΔP < m, it indicates that the internal pressure drop of the system exceeds the preset value, and leakage may occur. The preset pressure change value m is to exclude the influence of environmental fluctuations on temperature fluctuations, and the preferred value is -0.05 MPa, and the negative sign represents the pressure drop.

[0092] Optionally, the determination unit 120 is further configured to: if it is determined that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system, then further determine the refrigerant leakage mode of the air conditioner according to the magnitude of the change rate of the tube temperature of the indoor heat exchanger of the air conditioner; wherein, if the change rate of the tube temperature of the indoor heat exchanger is greater than the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined as the first refrigerant leakage mode; if the change rate of the tube temperature of the indoor heat exchanger is greater than or equal to the first preset change rate threshold and less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined as the second refrigerant leakage mode; the refrigerant leakage speed of the first refrigerant leakage mode is greater than the refrigerant leakage speed of the second refrigerant leakage mode. For example, the first refrigerant leakage mode is a fast leakage, and the second refrigerant leakage mode is a slow leakage.

[0093] For example, the first preset change rate threshold is a, and the second preset change rate threshold is b. When a≤|dT|≤b, it indicates that the system refrigerant has a slow leakage (the second refrigerant leakage mode); when |dT| > b, it means that the tube temperature inside the system changes greatly in a short time, indicating that the system refrigerant has a fast leakage (the first refrigerant leakage mode). The preferred value of the first preset change rate threshold is 0.15 K / s, and the preferred value of the second preset change rate threshold is 0.7 K / s.

[0094] Optionally, the device 100 further includes: a second control unit (not shown), configured to control the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leakage mode if the determination unit 120 determines that the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage according to the magnitude of the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system.

[0095] Specifically, if the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be the second leakage mode, the second control unit controls the air conditioner's air guide vane to open at a preset angle, controls the air conditioner's indoor fan to start operating according to the first preset windshield, and / or controls the alarm system to activate; if the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be the first leakage mode, the second control unit controls the air conditioner's air guide vane to open at a preset angle and controls the air conditioner's sweeping blades to perform left and right sweeping, controls the air conditioner's indoor fan to start operating according to the second preset windshield, and / or controls the alarm system to activate; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset windshield is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset windshield. Preferably, the device 100 further includes a second alarm unit (not shown), used to send a corresponding leakage alarm to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner if the judgment unit 120 determines that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leakage based on the magnitude of the change in the system internal pressure of the air conditioner.

[0096] When a≤|dT|≤b, it indicates a slow refrigerant leak in the system. The controller will activate the fan, air deflector, and audible and visual alarm system, and simultaneously send a slow leak alarm to the customer's mobile device (phone) via the air conditioner's WiFi module. When |dT|>b, it indicates a significant change in the internal pipe temperature of the system within a short period of time, indicating a rapid refrigerant leak. The controller will then, based on the slow leak response, increase the fan speed and activate the left and right swing mode, and simultaneously send a rapid leak alarm to the customer's mobile device (phone) via the air conditioner's WiFi module.

[0097] The present invention also provides a storage medium corresponding to the refrigerant leak detection method, wherein a computer program is stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the aforementioned methods.

[0098] The present invention also provides an air conditioner corresponding to the refrigerant leak detection method, including a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory that can run on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of any of the aforementioned methods.

[0099] The present invention also provides an air conditioner corresponding to the refrigerant leak detection device, including any of the aforementioned refrigerant leak detection devices.

[0100] Accordingly, the solution provided by this invention is based on the physical changes (gas volume expansion, liquid-gas phase change) during refrigerant leakage (both are endothermic reactions). The pipe temperature and internal pressure of the air conditioning system change accordingly. By detecting the pipe temperature and pressure fluctuations of the indoor unit heat exchanger and the rate of temperature change, it is possible to accurately detect whether a refrigerant leak has occurred in the system. At the same time, it is possible to determine whether the system is experiencing a rapid or slow leak based on the magnitude of the change rate. Furthermore, the refrigerant leak situation can be promptly reflected to a mobile device (phone) to reduce the losses caused by refrigerant leakage.

[0101] The solution provided by this invention can accurately determine whether a refrigerant leak has occurred by judging whether the pressure and temperature fluctuation values ​​inside the indoor unit pipes exceed preset values ​​during standby, and by combining the feedback value from the gas concentration sensor to determine whether a refrigerant leak has occurred.

[0102] The solution provided by this invention can determine the degree of refrigerant leakage by judging whether the rate of change of system pipe temperature and pipe pressure exceeds a preset value, that is, whether the leakage is rapid or slow, and can send the leakage degree to mobile devices such as mobile phones.

[0103] The solution provided by this invention can improve the detection sensitivity when a leak occurs in an air conditioner using flammable refrigerant, thereby enhancing safety and reliability.

[0104] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and embodiments are within the scope and spirit of this invention and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the functional units can be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a single unit.

[0105] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units can be a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between units or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0106] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Similarly, the components of the control device may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0107] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, in essence, or the part that contributes to related technologies, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0108] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for detecting refrigerant leakage in an air conditioner, characterized in that, include: When the air conditioner is in standby mode, the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is detected to be within a preset range; the preset range is the temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature value. If the detected temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is not within the preset range, then the determination of whether the air conditioner has experienced a refrigerant leak is based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change of the air conditioner system, including: Determine whether the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system within a preset time period is greater than or equal to a preset pressure change value, wherein the preset pressure change value is a negative value; If the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system within a preset time period is greater than or equal to the preset pressure change value, then it is determined that the air conditioner has not experienced refrigerant leakage. If the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner within a preset time period is less than a preset pressure change value, then the air conditioner is determined to have a refrigerant leak.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Before detecting whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within the preset range, the combustible gas concentration inside the indoor unit of the air conditioner is detected by a combustible gas concentration sensor to see if it reaches a preset concentration threshold. If the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner unit does not reach the preset concentration threshold as detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor, the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the air conditioner unit is detected to be within the preset range.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: If the combustible gas concentration inside the air conditioner's indoor unit is detected by the combustible gas concentration sensor to reach a preset concentration threshold, it is determined that the air conditioner has experienced a refrigerant leak. The refrigerant leak mode is then determined based on the rate of change of the heat exchanger pipe temperature in the indoor unit. If the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is greater than the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be the first refrigerant leakage mode; if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be the second refrigerant leakage mode, and the refrigerant leakage rate of the first refrigerant leakage mode is greater than the refrigerant leakage rate of the second refrigerant leakage mode.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: If it is determined that the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, the air guide plate of the air conditioner is controlled to open at a preset angle, the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to start running according to the first preset wind speed, and the alarm system is activated. If the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be the first leakage mode, then the air sweeping blades of the air conditioner are further controlled to perform left and right sweeping, and the indoor fan of the air conditioner is controlled to be raised to the second preset fan speed; the fan speed corresponding to the first preset fan speed is less than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset fan speed.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Also includes: If a refrigerant leak is determined based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change in the air conditioning system, then the refrigerant leak mode is further determined based on the magnitude of the temperature change rate of the heat exchanger pipes in the indoor unit of the air conditioner; wherein, If the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is greater than the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be the first refrigerant leakage mode; if the temperature change rate of the indoor unit heat exchanger tubes is greater than or equal to the first preset change rate threshold and less than or equal to the second preset change rate threshold, it is determined to be the second refrigerant leakage mode; the refrigerant leakage rate of the first refrigerant leakage mode is greater than the refrigerant leakage rate of the second refrigerant leakage mode. And / or, If the air conditioner is determined to have a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change, a corresponding leak alarm is sent to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leak pattern.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: If a refrigerant leak is determined based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change in the air conditioning system, then the air conditioning is controlled according to the determined refrigerant leak pattern, wherein: If the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be the second leakage mode, then control the air guide plate of the air conditioner to open at a preset angle, control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to start running according to the first preset windshield, and / or control the alarm system to start. If the refrigerant leakage mode is determined to be the first leakage mode, then control the air guide plate of the air conditioner to open at a preset angle and control the air sweeping blades of the air conditioner to sweep left and right, control the indoor fan of the air conditioner to start running according to the second preset windshield and / or control the alarm system to start. The fan speed corresponding to the first preset windshield is lower than the fan speed corresponding to the second preset windshield; And / or, If the air conditioner is determined to have a refrigerant leak based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change, a corresponding leak alarm is sent to the mobile terminal client bound to the air conditioner according to the determined refrigerant leak pattern.

7. A refrigerant leak detection device for an air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The detection unit is used to detect whether the temperature of the heat exchanger tube of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is within a preset range when the air conditioner is in standby mode; the preset range is the temperature fluctuation range centered on the current ambient temperature value. The judgment unit is used to determine whether the air conditioner has experienced refrigerant leakage based on the magnitude of the internal pressure change of the air conditioner system if the detection unit detects that the temperature of the indoor unit heat exchanger pipe is not within the preset range. This includes: Determine whether the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system within a preset time period is greater than or equal to a preset pressure change value, wherein the preset pressure change value is a negative value; If the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner system within a preset time period is greater than or equal to the preset pressure change value, then it is determined that the air conditioner has not experienced refrigerant leakage. If the change in the internal pressure of the air conditioner within a preset time period is less than a preset pressure change value, then the air conditioner is determined to have a refrigerant leak.

8. A storage medium, characterized in that, It stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-6.

9. An air conditioner, characterized in that, It includes a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory that can run on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of any one of the methods of claims 1-6, or includes the refrigerant leak detection device as described in claim 7.

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