Air conditioner and control method thereof

Abstract

An air conditioner and a control method thereof, the air conditioner comprises an outdoor unit (12), an indoor unit (11), a compressor (121) and a controller (15), the indoor unit (11) communicates with the outdoor unit (12), and the controller (15) is configured to obtain the current exhaust pressure and suction pressure of the compressor (121) in the refrigerant recovery process, determine the compression ratio of the compressor (121) according to the exhaust pressure and suction pressure of the compressor (121), and control the compressor (121) according to the compression ratio. And determining a calculated rotational speed regulation value of the compressor (121) according to the compression ratio of the compressor (121) and a preset target compression ratio, determining a target rotational speed of the compressor (121) according to the current rotational speed of the compressor (121) and the calculated rotational speed regulation value, and controlling the compressor (121) to operate at the target rotational speed.

Description

Air conditioner and control method thereof

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application with application number 202310186767.7 filed on February 28, 2023; and priority to the Chinese patent application with application number 202211249984.8 filed on October 12, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of air conditioning equipment, and in particular to an air conditioner and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0003] With the improvement of living standards and the demand for thermal comfort, air conditioners have become an essential appliance in every household. During operation, air conditioners require refrigerant to circulate through the refrigerant circulation pipeline between the outdoor and indoor units.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner comprising an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a compressor, and a controller. The indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit. The controller is configured to: during a refrigerant recovery process, obtain the discharge pressure and suction pressure of the compressor; determine the compression ratio of the compressor based on the discharge pressure and suction pressure of the compressor; determine a calculated speed adjustment value for the compressor based on the compression ratio of the compressor and a preset target compression ratio; determine a target speed for the compressor based on the current speed of the compressor and the calculated speed adjustment value, and control the compressor to operate at the target speed.

[0006] On the other hand, the present disclosure provides a control method for an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner includes a compressor, a first pressure sensor, a second pressure sensor, and a controller. The first pressure sensor is configured to detect the exhaust pressure of the compressor. The second pressure sensor is configured to detect the suction pressure of the compressor. The controller is coupled to the compressor, the first pressure sensor, and the second pressure sensor. The method includes: during the refrigerant recovery process, obtaining the exhaust pressure of the compressor through the first pressure sensor, and obtaining the suction pressure of the compressor through the second pressure sensor; determining the compression ratio of the compressor based on the exhaust pressure and suction pressure of the compressor; determining the calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor based on the compression ratio and a preset target compression ratio; determining the target speed of the compressor based on the current speed of the compressor and the speed adjustment value, and controlling the compressor to operate at the target speed.

[0007] In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a compressor, a first throttling device, a third stop valve, a refrigerant recovery pipeline, a fourth stop valve, a fifth stop valve, a concentration sensor, and a controller. The indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit; the first throttling device is disposed on the first refrigerant pipeline and is configured to regulate the refrigerant flow in the first refrigerant pipeline. The third stop valve is disposed on the third refrigerant pipeline between the first throttling device and the indoor unit and is configured to control the connection and interruption of the third refrigerant pipeline. A first end of the refrigerant recovery pipeline is connected to a fourth refrigerant pipeline between the first throttling device and the third stop valve, and a second end of the refrigerant recovery pipeline is connected to an eighth refrigerant pipeline between the gas-liquid separator and the fifth stop valve. The fourth stop valve is disposed in the refrigerant recovery pipeline and is configured to control the connection and interruption of the refrigerant recovery pipeline. The fifth stop valve is disposed on a seventh circulation pipeline between the indoor unit and the gas-liquid separator and is configured to control the connection and interruption of the seventh circulation pipeline. The concentration sensor is configured to detect the refrigerant concentration in the environment surrounding the indoor unit. The controller is coupled to the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, the compressor, the first throttling device, the third shut-off valve, the refrigerant recovery line, the fourth shut-off valve, the fifth shut-off valve, and the concentration sensor. The method includes: when the concentration sensor detects that the refrigerant concentration in the environment surrounding the indoor unit is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, if it is determined that the air conditioner is in cooling mode, controlling the first throttling device to close and controlling the fourth shut-off valve to open. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG1 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0009] FIG2 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0010] FIG3 is a connection diagram of a four-way valve of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0011] FIG4 is a cycle principle diagram of an air conditioner in cooling mode according to some embodiments;

[0012] FIG5 is a block diagram of a hardware configuration of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0013] FIG6 is a flow chart of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0014] FIG7 is a flow chart of another method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0015] FIG8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a refrigerant leakage amount during a refrigerant recovery process of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0016] FIG9 is a schematic diagram illustrating another type of refrigerant leakage during a refrigerant recovery process of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0017] FIG10 is a flow chart of another method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0018] FIG11 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0019] FIG12 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0020] FIG13 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0021] FIG14 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0022] FIG15 is a structural diagram of multiple indoor units in an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0023] FIG16 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0024] FIG17 is a structural diagram of multiple indoor units in another air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0025] FIG18 is a flow chart of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0026] FIG19 is a flow chart of another method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0027] FIG20 is a flow chart of another method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments;

[0028] FIG21 is a hardware structure diagram of a controller according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to clearly and completely describe some embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all embodiments. Based on the embodiments provided by the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0030] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and its other forms, such as the third person singular form "comprises" and the present participle form "comprising", are to be interpreted as open and inclusive, that is, "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" are intended to indicate that the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics associated with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure. The schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the particular features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner.

[0031] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0032] When describing some embodiments, the expressions "coupled" and "connected" and their derivatives may be used. The term "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. The term "coupled" indicates, for example, that two or more components are in direct physical or electrical contact. The term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also refer to two or more components that are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the contents of this document.

[0033] “A and / or B” includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0034] The use of "adapted to" or "configured to" herein is intended to be open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices adapted or configured to perform additional tasks or steps.

[0035] Additionally, the use of “based on” is meant to be open and inclusive, as a process, step, calculation, or other action “based on” one or more stated conditions or values ​​may, in practice, be based on additional conditions or values ​​beyond those stated.

[0036] FIG1 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG1 , the air conditioner 10 includes an indoor unit 11 and an outdoor unit 12 .

[0037] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 11 is an indoor wall mounted unit, in which case the indoor unit 11 is typically mounted on a wall surface. In other embodiments, the indoor unit 11 is an indoor cabinet unit, in which case the indoor unit 11 is typically placed on a floor. The present disclosure does not limit the type of indoor unit 11.

[0038] The outdoor unit 12 is typically located outdoors and is configured to assist in heat exchange with the indoor environment. The outdoor unit 12 can be connected to multiple indoor units 11. Typically, the outdoor unit 12 is located outdoors on the opposite side of the indoor units 11, separated by a wall. Therefore, the outdoor unit 12 is represented by a dotted line in Figure 1.

[0039] Fig. 2 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 2 , the air conditioner 10 further includes a first refrigerant pipeline 13, a second refrigerant pipeline 14, and a controller 15 (as shown in Fig. 5).

[0040] The indoor unit 11 includes an indoor heat exchanger 111, an indoor fan 112, and an indoor throttling device 113. The outdoor unit 12 includes a compressor 121, a four-way valve 122, an outdoor heat exchanger 123, an outdoor fan 124, an outdoor throttling device 125, a gas-liquid separator 126, a first stop valve 127, a second stop valve 128, a first pressure sensor 129, and a second pressure sensor 130. A first refrigerant line 13 communicates with the indoor heat exchanger 111 and the outdoor heat exchanger 123, respectively. When the air conditioner 10 is operating in cooling mode, refrigerant flows from the outdoor heat exchanger 123 through the first refrigerant line 13 into the indoor heat exchanger 111. A second refrigerant line 14 communicates with the indoor heat exchanger 111 and the four-way valve 122, respectively.

[0041] The first shut-off valve 127 is provided on the first refrigerant pipeline 13 and is configured to control the flow of the first refrigerant pipeline 13. The second shut-off valve 128 is provided on the second refrigerant pipeline 14 and is configured to control the flow of the second refrigerant pipeline 14. The first shut-off valve 127 and the second shut-off valve 128 can be devices capable of controlling the flow of the refrigerant pipeline, such as solenoid valves, or devices capable of controlling the degree of opening, such as electronic expansion valves.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first refrigerant pipeline 13 and the second refrigerant pipeline 14 are filled with refrigerant, such as refrigerant R32.

[0043] The compressor 121, the condenser (the indoor heat exchanger 111 or the outdoor heat exchanger 123), the throttling device (the indoor throttling device 113 or the outdoor throttling device 125), and the evaporator (the outdoor heat exchanger 123 or the indoor heat exchanger 111) perform the refrigerant cycle of the air conditioner 10. The refrigerant cycle includes a series of processes involving compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, and circulates the refrigerant to the conditioned side.

[0044] The indoor heat exchanger 111 liquefies or vaporizes the refrigerant by exchanging heat between indoor air and the refrigerant passing through the indoor heat exchanger 111. The outdoor heat exchanger 123 is configured to liquefy or vaporize the refrigerant by exchanging heat between outdoor air and the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 123.

[0045] Indoor fan 112 generates an airflow of indoor air through indoor heat exchanger 111 and is configured to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tubes of indoor heat exchanger 111 and the indoor air, thereby assisting in temperature regulation. Outdoor fan 124 generates an airflow of outdoor air through outdoor heat exchanger 123 and is configured to promote heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing through the heat transfer tubes of outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the outdoor air.

[0046] The indoor throttling device 113 and the outdoor throttling device 125 are configured to regulate the refrigerant flow rate within the air conditioner 10's pipelines. The indoor throttling device 113 and the outdoor throttling device 125 are, for example, electronic expansion valves. The opening of the electronic expansion valves regulates the refrigerant pressure flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the indoor heat exchanger 111, thereby adjusting the refrigerant flow rate between the outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the indoor heat exchanger 111. Reducing the opening of the electronic expansion valves increases the flow resistance of the refrigerant through the electronic expansion valves. Increasing the opening of the electronic expansion valves decreases the flow resistance of the refrigerant through the electronic expansion valves. The flow rate and pressure of the refrigerant flowing between the outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the indoor heat exchanger 111 affect the heat exchange performance of the outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the indoor heat exchanger 111. The compressor 121 is configured to compress the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant and discharge the compressed high-temperature, high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant, which then flows into the condenser. Compressor 121 includes an air intake port 1211 and an air discharge port 1212. Air intake port 1211 is connected to gas-liquid separator 126, and air discharge port 1212 is connected to four-way valve 122. It should be noted that in cooling mode, outdoor heat exchanger 123 acts as a condenser; in heating mode, indoor heat exchanger 111 acts as a condenser.

[0047] The first pressure sensor 129 is configured to detect the discharge pressure of the compressor 121. The second pressure sensor 130 is configured to detect the suction pressure of the compressor 121.

[0048] The four-way valve 122 is configured to achieve mutual switching between cooling and heating of the air conditioner 10 by changing the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline of the air conditioner 10 .

[0049] FIG3 is a connection diagram of a four-way valve of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG3 , the four-way valve 122 includes four ports, namely, a D port, an E port, an S port, and a C port. The D port is connected to the compressor 121, the E port is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 111, the S port is connected to the gas-liquid separator 126, and the C port is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 123. When the air conditioner 10 is operating in cooling mode, the D port is connected to the C port, and the E port is connected to the S port. When the air conditioner 10 is operating in heating mode, the D port is connected to the E port, and the C port is connected to the S port.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller 15 is a device that can generate an operational control signal based on an instruction opcode and a timing signal, thereby instructing the air conditioner 10 to execute the control instruction. The controller 15 is coupled to the various components of the air conditioner 10 and is configured to control the operation of the various components of the air conditioner 10, thereby enabling the various components of the air conditioner 10 to operate and thereby achieve the various predetermined functions of the air conditioner 10. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller 15 can be integrated into the outdoor unit 12.

[0051] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a cycle in cooling mode for an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in Figure 4 , when the air conditioner 10 is operating in cooling mode, ports C and D of the four-way valve 122 are connected, while ports S and E are connected. In this case, the outdoor heat exchanger 123 functions as a condenser, and the indoor heat exchanger 111 functions as an evaporator.

[0052] The low-temperature, low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant is compressed by compressor 121 and converted into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant flows into the outdoor heat exchanger 123 through the four-way valve 122. The outdoor heat exchanger 123 condenses the high-temperature, high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant into a high-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant, and heat is released into the surrounding environment during the condensation process. The outdoor throttling device 125 and the indoor throttling device 113 throttle and reduce the pressure of the high-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant to form a low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. The indoor heat exchanger 111 absorbs heat from the surrounding environment and evaporates the low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant to form a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant. The low-temperature, low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant returns to the compressor 121 through the four-way valve 122, forming a refrigeration cycle.

[0053] FIG5 is a block diagram of a hardware configuration of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG5 , in some embodiments, the air conditioner 10 may further include at least one of the following: an ambient temperature sensor 16 , a refrigerant leak detection device 17 , a communicator 18 , or a memory 19 .

[0054] The ambient temperature sensor 16 is configured to detect the outdoor ambient temperature.

[0055] The refrigerant leakage detection device 17 is configured to detect whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the air conditioner 10 and send refrigerant leakage information to the controller 15 .

[0056] The communicator 18 is configured to establish a communication connection with other network entities. For example, the communicator 18 establishes a communication connection with a terminal device.

[0057] The memory 19 is configured to store software programs and data. The controller 15 executes various functions and data processing of the air conditioner 10 by running the software programs or data stored in the memory 19. The memory 19 stores the operating system that enables the operation of the air conditioner 10. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the memory 19 can store the operating system and various application programs, and can also store code for executing the control method of the air conditioner 10 provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0058] During operation, air conditioners require refrigerant to circulate through the refrigerant circulation line between the outdoor and indoor units. This circulation creates the risk of refrigerant leakage. Refrigerants currently used in air conditioners (such as R290 and R32) are flammable, so a refrigerant leak could potentially lead to dangerous accidents such as fires and explosions. Furthermore, if a refrigerant leak occurs indoors, the risk is even greater due to the enclosed space, poor air circulation, and proximity to people, posing a greater threat to human life.

[0059] In some embodiments, during the operation of the air conditioner 10 , the air conditioner 10 may perform refrigerant leakage detection, and automatically recover the refrigerant when a refrigerant leak is determined.

[0060] For example, maintenance personnel may input a refrigerant leakage detection instruction to the air conditioner 10 via a terminal device connected to the air conditioner 10. In response to the refrigerant leakage detection instruction, the air conditioner 10 may perform a refrigerant leakage detection operation via the refrigerant leakage detection device 17.

[0061] For another example, the air conditioner 10 can automatically start the refrigerant leakage detection device 17 at a preset time interval to perform refrigerant leakage detection. The preset time interval can be pre-set when the air conditioner 10 leaves the factory, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0062] In some embodiments, when refrigerant leakage is determined, the controller 15 can automatically control various components of the air conditioner 10 to recover the refrigerant.

[0063] In other embodiments, when refrigerant leakage is determined, the air conditioner 10 may receive a refrigerant recovery instruction and perform refrigerant recovery based on the instruction.

[0064] In some embodiments, when a refrigerant leak is determined, the controller 15 may send a prompt message to the remote control of the air conditioner 10, a terminal device connected to the air conditioner 10, etc., to remind the user that the refrigerant of the air conditioner 10 has leaked.

[0065] Similarly, maintenance personnel can input a recovery control instruction through a terminal device connected to the air conditioner 10. In response to the recovery control instruction, the air conditioner 10 can control various components of the air conditioner 10 to recover the refrigerant.

[0066] In the related art, in the control strategy for recovering leaked refrigerant, the air conditioner mostly controls the speed of the compressor according to the ambient temperature. When the ambient temperature is lower than a predetermined ambient temperature value, the air conditioner controls the compressor to operate at a first preset speed; when the ambient temperature is higher than or equal to the predetermined ambient temperature value, the air conditioner controls the compressor to operate at a second preset speed, where the first preset speed is higher than the second preset speed. However, in this way, the compressor can only operate at a fixed speed (such as the first preset speed or the second preset speed) at any time, resulting in the compressor not being able to operate at the target speed at a certain moment, thereby reducing the recovery rate of the refrigerant.

[0067] It should be noted that when the compressor 121 operates at the target speed, the air conditioner 10 recovers the refrigerant at the fastest speed and can recover more refrigerant.

[0068] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control method for refrigerant recovery of an air conditioner 10 , which is applied to a controller 15 .

[0069] Fig. 6 is a flow chart of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 6 , some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for controlling an air conditioner 10, the method comprising S101 to S105.

[0070] S101 , open the indoor throttling device 113 , the outdoor throttling device 125 , the first stop valve 127 , and the second stop valve 128 .

[0071] When the refrigerant recovery process starts, the controller 15 opens the indoor throttling device 113 , the outdoor throttling device 125 , the first stop valve 127 , and the second stop valve 128 .

[0072] S102 . During the refrigerant recovery process, the exhaust pressure and the suction pressure of the compressor 121 are obtained.

[0073] The controller 15 obtains the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 measured by the first pressure sensor 129 and the suction pressure of the compressor 121 measured by the second pressure sensor 130 .

[0074] S103 : Determine the compression ratio of the compressor 121 according to the exhaust pressure and the intake pressure of the compressor 121 .

[0075] The compression ratio of the compressor 121 is the ratio of the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 to the suction pressure.

[0076] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the compression ratio of the compressor 121 can be obtained by formula (1). E(t) = N(t) / I(t) Formula (1)

[0077] Wherein, E(t) is the compression ratio of the compressor 121 ; N(t) is the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 ; and I(t) is the suction pressure of the compressor 121 .

[0078] S104 : Determine a calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 according to the compression ratio E(t) of the compressor 121 and a preset target compression ratio.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 is obtained by formula (2). ΔH(t)=A×(E(t)-E(0))+B Formula (2)

[0080] Wherein, ΔH(t) is the calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor 121; A is the first preset coefficient; B is the second preset coefficient; E(t) is the compression ratio of the compressor; and E(0) is the preset target compression ratio.

[0081] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first preset coefficient and the second preset coefficient are both constants.

[0082] S105 , determining a target speed of the compressor 121 according to the current speed of the compressor 121 and the calculated speed adjustment value ΔH(t), and controlling the compressor 121 to operate at the target speed.

[0083] The target speed of the compressor 121 is the sum of the calculated speed adjustment value ΔH(t) and the current speed of the compressor 121 .

[0084] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the target speed of the compressor 121 can be obtained by formula (3). H(t+1)=H(t)+ΔH(t) Formula (3)

[0085] Wherein, H(t+1) is the target speed of the compressor 121; H(t) is the current speed of the compressor 121; and ΔH(t) is the calculated speed adjustment value.

[0086] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a control method for an air conditioner 10. By obtaining the exhaust pressure and intake pressure of the compressor 121, the compression ratio of the compressor 121 is determined. Based on the compression ratio of the compressor 121, the target speed H(t+1) of the compressor 121 is determined, and the compressor 121 is ultimately controlled to operate at the target speed H(t+1). In this way, during the refrigerant recovery process of the air conditioner 10, the compressor 121 can operate at the target speed at any time. This not only increases the speed of refrigerant recovery, but also recovers more refrigerant, thereby helping to reduce the amount of refrigerant leaking into the room.

[0087] FIG7 is a flowchart of another control method for an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG7 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control method further includes S201 to S202 .

[0088] S201 . During the refrigerant recovery process, determine whether the compressor 121 meets a first preset condition.

[0089] The first preset condition includes that the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure.

[0090] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first preset condition may further include at least one of the following: the exhaust pressure change rate of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to a preset exhaust pressure change rate, or the outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to a preset temperature.

[0091] S202 : If it is determined that the compressor 121 meets the first preset condition, determine the target speed H(t+1) of the compressor 121 according to the preset speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 and the current speed H(t) of the compressor 121 .

[0092] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the compressor 121 meets the first preset condition, the difference between the preset speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 and the current speed H(t) of the compressor 121 is used as the target speed H(t+1) of the compressor 121.

[0093] The target speed of the compressor 121 can be obtained by formula (4). H(t+1)=H(t)-M Formula (4)

[0094] Wherein, M is the preset speed adjustment value.

[0095] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, M is a first preset speed adjustment value.

[0096] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure and less than the third preset exhaust pressure, M is the first preset speed adjustment value. When the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the third preset exhaust pressure, M is the second preset speed adjustment value.

[0097] The third preset exhaust pressure is greater than the first preset exhaust pressure, and the second preset speed adjustment value is greater than the first preset speed adjustment value.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, and the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, M is the third preset speed adjustment value.

[0099] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the preset exhaust pressure change rate includes a first preset exhaust pressure change rate and a second preset exhaust pressure change rate, wherein the second preset exhaust pressure change rate is greater than the first preset exhaust pressure change rate.

[0100] For example, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, and the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure change rate and less than the second preset exhaust pressure change rate, M is the third preset speed adjustment value. When the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, and the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the second preset exhaust pressure change rate, M is the fourth preset speed adjustment value. The fourth preset speed adjustment value is greater than the third preset speed adjustment value.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature, M is the fifth preset speed adjustment value.

[0102] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, the preset temperature includes a first preset temperature and a second preset temperature, wherein the second preset temperature is greater than the first preset temperature.

[0103] For example, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature and less than the second preset temperature, M is the fifth preset speed adjustment value. When the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature, M is the sixth preset speed adjustment value. The sixth preset speed adjustment value is greater than the fifth preset speed adjustment value.

[0104] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first preset speed adjustment value is less than or equal to the third preset speed adjustment value, and the third preset speed adjustment value is less than or equal to the fifth preset speed adjustment value.

[0105] The controller 15 substitutes the different preset speed adjustment values ​​M obtained under the above different conditions into formula 4 for calculation, obtains the target speed of the compressor 121 under different conditions, and controls the compressor 121 to operate at the target speed under different conditions. This can increase the speed of recovering the refrigerant and recover more refrigerant, which is beneficial to reduce the amount of refrigerant leaking into the room.

[0106] It is understood that before refrigerant recovery, in addition to the refrigerant that has already leaked, there is also unleaked refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 10. If the refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11 is not recovered promptly, this refrigerant may leak into the room, resulting in increased refrigerant leakage. Therefore, it is necessary to recover as much refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11 as possible to reduce refrigerant leakage.

[0107] However, during the process of recycling the refrigerant inside the indoor unit, a first predetermined amount of refrigerant will leak into the room. At the end of the refrigerant recycling, a second predetermined amount of refrigerant will remain inside the indoor unit 11 and will likely leak into the room. Therefore, during the process of recycling the refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11, refrigerant leakage also occurs. The total refrigerant leakage includes the first portion of refrigerant leakage during the refrigerant recycling process and the second portion of refrigerant leakage remaining inside the indoor unit 11 at the end of the refrigerant recycling process. During the refrigerant recycling process, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, the rotation speed of the compressor 121 changes, and the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121, the first portion of leakage, and the second portion of leakage also change accordingly.

[0108] FIG8 is a schematic diagram illustrating refrigerant leakage during a refrigerant recovery process in an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG8 , Pd0 represents a first predetermined exhaust pressure, curves Pd1(t) and Pd2(t) represent variations in the exhaust pressure of compressor 121, curves H1(t) and H2(t) represent variations in target speed H(t+1) of compressor 121, and curves m_leak1(t) and m_leak2(t) represent variations in the first portion of refrigerant leakage.

[0109] Wherein, in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG6 , the change curve of the compressor 121 is shown as the curve Pd1(t), the curve H1(t) and the curve m_leak1(t); in the case where the first preset condition includes the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 being greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, the change curve of the compressor 121 is shown as the curve Pd2(t), the curve H2(t) and the curve m_leak2(t). In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG6 , A corresponding to m_leak1 and B corresponding to m_rest1 respectively represent the remaining first part of the refrigerant leakage and the second part of the refrigerant leakage; in the case where the first preset condition includes the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 being greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, A' corresponding to m_leak2 and B' corresponding to m_rest2 respectively represent the remaining first part of the refrigerant leakage and the second part of the refrigerant leakage.

[0110] When the exhaust pressure of compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, controller 15 controls compressor 121 to reduce its speed, so that compressor 121 maintains a higher speed. This can extend the operating time of the refrigerant recovery operation, thereby increasing the amount of refrigerant recovered by air conditioner 10 and reducing the remaining second portion of refrigerant leakage. As shown in Figure 8, the reduction in the second portion of refrigerant leakage (the value of B-B') is greater than the increase in the first portion of refrigerant leakage (the value of A'-A), thereby improving the refrigerant recovery rate and reducing the total refrigerant leakage.

[0111] During the refrigerant recovery process, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, and the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, the rotation speed of the compressor 121 changes, and the exhaust pressure, the first part leakage and the second part leakage of the compressor 121 also change accordingly.

[0112] FIG9 is a schematic diagram illustrating another refrigerant leakage rate during the refrigerant recovery process of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG9 , unlike the curves shown in FIG8 , FIG9 also includes a curve Pd3(t) representing the change curve of the exhaust pressure of compressor 121, a curve H3(t) representing the change curve of the target speed H(t+1) of compressor 121, and a curve m_leak3(t) representing the change curve of the first portion of refrigerant leakage. When the exhaust pressure of compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure and the rate of change of the exhaust pressure is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, the curves of compressor 121 are shown as curves Pd3(t), H3(t), and m_leak3(t). When the exhaust pressure of compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure and the rate of change of the exhaust pressure is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, A" corresponding to m_leak3 and B" corresponding to m_rest3 represent the remaining first and second portion of refrigerant leakage, respectively.

[0113] When the exhaust pressure change rate of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, the controller 15 controls the compressor 121 to operate at the target speed, which can avoid the speed adjustment of the compressor 121 failing to keep up with the change in exhaust pressure, and can also extend the operating time of the refrigerant recovery work, thereby improving the refrigerant recovery rate and reducing the total refrigerant leakage.

[0114] During the refrigerant recovery process, when the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure, the exhaust pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset exhaust pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature, when the outdoor ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature, the second part of the refrigerant leakage accounts for a large proportion of the total refrigerant leakage. At this time, it is necessary to control the compressor 121 to reduce the speed, which can extend the operating time of the refrigerant recovery work, thereby improving the refrigerant recovery rate and reducing the total refrigerant leakage.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the compressor 121 does not meet the first preset condition, the controller sequentially executes S102 to S105 to control the operation of the compressor 121 .

[0116] Fig. 10 is a flow chart of another method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 10 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, after S105 , the method may further include S301 to S308 .

[0117] S301: Determine whether the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a first preset time. If so, execute S302; if not, continue to execute S102.

[0118] S302: Control the first stop valve 127 to close.

[0119] The air conditioner 10 first runs for a first preset time period, and then the controller 15 controls the first stop valve to close, so that the refrigerant circulates in advance, so as to recover a portion of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 in advance.

[0120] S303. Continue executing S102 to S105.

[0121] S304: Determine whether the compressor 121 meets the second preset condition. If so, execute S305; if not, continue to execute S303.

[0122] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second preset condition includes at least one of the following: the suction pressure of the compressor 121 is less than or equal to the preset suction pressure; the exhaust pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the second preset exhaust pressure; or, the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a third preset time; wherein the third preset time is greater than or equal to the first preset time.

[0123] S305 , controlling the second stop valve 128 to close.

[0124] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if it is determined that the compressor 121 meets the second preset condition, the controller 15 controls the second stop valve 128 to close and controls the compressor 121 to continue to operate.

[0125] It is understandable that before the compressor 121 stops operating, in order to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back from the outdoor unit 12 to the indoor unit 11 through the second refrigerant pipeline, the second stop valve 128 needs to be in a closed state.

[0126] S306. Continue executing S102 to S105.

[0127] S307: Determine whether the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process is greater than or equal to the second preset time. If so, execute S308; if not, continue to execute S306.

[0128] The second preset time length is greater than or equal to the first preset time length, and the third preset time length is less than or equal to the second preset time length.

[0129] S308: Control the compressor 121 to stop running.

[0130] When the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches the second preset time, the controller 15 controls the compressor 121 to stop running, and the refrigerant recovery work ends.

[0131] It should be noted that the preset target compression ratio, the first preset coefficient, the second preset coefficient, the preset speed adjustment value, the first preset time, the preset intake pressure, the second preset exhaust pressure, the third preset time and the second preset time can all be pre-set by the management personnel of the air conditioner 10 when it leaves the factory, or can be obtained by the controller 15 from other air conditioners. This disclosure is not limited to this.

[0132] FIG11 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG11 , the main difference between the air conditioner in FIG11 and the air conditioner in FIG2 is that the air conditioner 10 in FIG11 includes a first throttling device 140 and a third stop valve 141 .

[0133] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the compressor 121, the outdoor unit 12, the first throttling device 140, the third shut-off valve 141, the indoor unit 11, and the gas-liquid separator 126 form a refrigerant circulation loop, allowing refrigerant to circulate within the refrigerant circulation loop. The first throttling device 140 is located on the first refrigerant line 13 between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 and is configured to regulate the refrigerant flow rate in the first refrigerant line 13. The first throttling device 140 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve.

[0134] The third stop valve 141 is located on the third refrigerant pipeline between the first throttling device 140 and the indoor unit 11 and is configured to control the connection and interruption of the third refrigerant pipeline.

[0135] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 11, the air conditioner 10 also includes a refrigerant recovery pipeline 20, the first end 201 of the refrigerant recovery pipeline 20 is connected to the fourth refrigerant pipeline between the first throttling device 140 and the third stop valve 141, and the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery pipeline 20 is connected to the fifth refrigerant pipeline between the compressor 121 and the outdoor unit 12.

[0136] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 10 further includes a fourth stop valve 142 , which is disposed on the refrigerant recovery line 20 and configured to control the connection and disconnection of the refrigerant recovery line 20 .

[0137] The fourth shutoff valve 142 is, for example, a solenoid valve or an electronic expansion valve.

[0138] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 10 further includes a concentration sensor 143. The concentration sensor 143 is located on the indoor unit 11, is coupled to the controller 15, and is configured to detect the refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the indoor unit 11 is located, and transmit the detected refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the indoor unit 11 is located to the controller 15.

[0139] FIG12 is another structure diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG12 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the concentration sensor 143 includes a first concentration sensor 1431 , and the air conditioner 10 may further include a second throttling device 144 .

[0140] The second throttling device 144 is disposed on the sixth refrigerant pipeline between the indoor unit 11 and the third shut-off valve 141 and is configured to regulate the refrigerant flow in the sixth refrigerant pipeline. The second throttling device 144 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve. FIG13 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG13 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 10 may further include a fifth shut-off valve 145 in addition to a pressure sensor (such as the second pressure sensor 130).

[0141] The controller 15 is coupled to the first throttling device 140 , the third stop valve 141 , the fourth stop valve 142 , the first concentration sensor 1431 , the second throttling device 144 and the fifth stop valve 145 .

[0142] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the fifth stop valve 145 is located on the seventh refrigerant pipeline between the gas-liquid separator 126 and the indoor unit 11 and is configured to control the connection and disconnection of the seventh refrigerant pipeline.

[0143] It should be noted that the third refrigerant pipeline is a part of the first refrigerant pipeline 13 , and the third refrigerant pipeline includes a fourth refrigerant pipeline and a sixth refrigerant pipeline.

[0144] FIG14 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG14 , the outdoor unit 12 includes an outdoor fan 124 and an outdoor heat exchanger 123 , and the indoor unit 11 includes an indoor fan 112 and an indoor heat exchanger 111 .

[0145] FIG15 is a structural diagram of multiple indoor units in an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG15 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 10 may further include multiple indoor units 11. For example, the air conditioner 10 includes two indoor units 11. In this case, the air conditioner 10 further includes a third throttling device 146, and the concentration sensor 143 further includes a second concentration sensor 1432.

[0146] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG15 , the two indoor units 11 include a first indoor unit 1101 and a second indoor unit 1102, and the two indoor units 11 can be connected in parallel. A third throttling device 146 is provided on the circulation pipeline between the outdoor unit 12 and the second indoor unit 1102 and is configured to regulate the refrigerant flow in the circulation pipeline between the second indoor unit 1102 and the outdoor unit 12. The third throttling device 146 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve.

[0147] The second concentration sensor 1432 is located on the second indoor unit 1102 and is configured to detect the refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the second indoor unit 1102 is located, and send the detected refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the second indoor unit 1102 is located to the controller 15 .

[0148] The controller 15 is coupled to both the third throttling device 146 and the second concentration sensor 1432 .

[0149] Figure 16 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. The main difference between the air conditioner in Figure 16 and the air conditioner in Figure 14 is that the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery line 20 in Figure 16 is connected to the eighth refrigerant line between the gas-liquid separator 126 and the fifth shut-off valve 145. This disclosure does not elaborate on this.

[0150] FIG17 is a block diagram of another air conditioner with multiple indoor units according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG17 , the air conditioner 10 shown in FIG16 may also include multiple indoor units 11. For example, in the case where the air conditioner 10 includes two indoor units 11 (e.g., a first indoor unit 1101 and a second indoor unit 1102 ), the main difference between the air conditioner in FIG17 and the air conditioner in FIG16 is that the air conditioner 10 in FIG17 further includes: a fourth throttling device 147 , and the concentration sensor 143 further includes a third concentration sensor 1433 .

[0151] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG17 , the two indoor units 11 include a first indoor unit 1101 and a second indoor unit 1102, and the two indoor units 11 can be connected in parallel. A fourth throttling device 147 is provided on the circulation pipeline between the outdoor unit 12 and the second indoor unit 1102 and is configured to regulate the refrigerant flow in the circulation pipeline between the second indoor unit 1102 and the outdoor unit 12. The fourth throttling device 147 is, for example, an electronic expansion valve.

[0152] The third concentration sensor 1433 is located on the second indoor unit 1102 and is configured to detect the refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the second indoor unit 1102 is located, and send the detected refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the second indoor unit 1102 is located to the controller 15 .

[0153] The controller 15 is coupled to both the fourth throttling device 147 and the third concentration sensor 1433 .

[0154] The present disclosure also provides a method for controlling an air conditioner 10, which is applied to a controller 15. Figure 18 is a flow chart of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in Figure 18, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method includes steps S10 to S13.

[0155] S10. When it is detected that the refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the indoor unit 11 is located is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined whether the air conditioner 10 is in cooling mode. If so, S11 is executed; if not, S12 is executed.

[0156] When the concentration sensor 143 detects that the refrigerant concentration in the environment where the indoor unit 11 is located is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it means that the refrigerant concentration in the environment where the indoor unit 11 is located is too high and a refrigerant leakage has occurred.

[0157] S11, control the first throttling device 140 to close, control the fourth stop valve 142 to open, and execute S13.

[0158] According to any one of the air conditioners 10 shown in FIG11 to FIG15 , when the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery line 20 is connected to the fifth refrigerant line, the controller 15 controls the first throttling device 140 to close and the fourth shut-off valve 142 to open. In this case, since the air conditioner 10 is in cooling mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant generated by the compressor 121 can enter the indoor unit 11 through the refrigerant recovery line 20 to discharge the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11. In this way, the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit 11 can be quickly reduced, and the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 can be quickly recovered in the event of a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner 10, thereby timely reducing the amount of refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit 11 and reducing the probability of a dangerous situation.

[0159] According to the air conditioner 10 shown in FIG16 or FIG17 , when the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery line 20 is connected to the eighth refrigerant line, the first throttling device 140 is controlled to be closed and the fourth stop valve 142 is controlled to be opened. In this case, since the air conditioner 10 is in cooling mode, the pressure on the suction port 1211 side of the compressor 121 is greater than the pressure on the indoor unit 11 side. Based on the pressure difference, the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 enters the gas-liquid separator 126 from the refrigerant recovery line 20, which can quickly reduce the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit 11. This achieves rapid recovery of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 in the event of a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner 10, promptly reduces the amount of refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit 11, and reduces the probability of a dangerous situation.

[0160] S12: Control the air conditioner 10 to enter the cooling mode, increase the operating gears of the indoor fan 112 and the outdoor fan 124, and continue to execute S11.

[0161] If the air conditioner 10 is in a mode other than the cooling mode, the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to enter the cooling mode, so that the indoor heat exchanger 111 works as an evaporator, reduces the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit 11, and prevents the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 from continuing to leak into the environment in which the indoor unit 11 is located.

[0162] While the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to enter the cooling mode, increasing the operating gears of the indoor fan 112 and the outdoor fan 124 can increase the rate at which the liquid refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 is converted into the gaseous refrigerant, quickly reduce the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit 11, and achieve rapid recovery of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 in the event of a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner 10, timely reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit 11, and reduce the probability of dangerous situations.

[0163] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when increasing the operating gears of the indoor fan 112 and the outdoor fan 124 , the operating gears of the indoor fan 112 and the outdoor fan 124 may be adjusted to the maximum gear.

[0164] S13: Control the air conditioner 10 to shut down and issue a shutdown prompt message.

[0165] The shutdown prompt information is used to remind the user that the refrigerant recovery work is completed and to remind the user to repair the air conditioner 10.

[0166] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 10 itself can send a shutdown prompt message. The shutdown prompt message sent by the air conditioner 10 can be in the form of one or more of text, voice, vibration, or animation, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0167] In other embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 10 establishes a communication connection with the terminal device and sends a shutdown prompt message to the terminal device.

[0168] FIG19 is a flowchart of another control method for an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG19 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control method further includes S20 .

[0169] S20, controlling the first throttling device 140 to close, controlling the fourth stop valve 142 to open, increasing the operating frequency of the compressor 121, and controlling the second throttling device 144 to increase its opening.

[0170] Referring to the air conditioner 10 in Figures 11 to 15, when the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery pipeline 20 is connected to the fifth refrigerant pipeline, the controller 15 increases the operating frequency of the compressor 121 and controls the second throttling device 144 to increase the opening, so that the compressor 121 can quickly generate high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant generated by the compressor 121 can enter the indoor unit 11 through the second throttling device 144, quickly evaporate the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11, thereby increasing the evaporation rate of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11, and thereby increasing the refrigerant recovery rate of the air conditioner 10.

[0171] Referring to the air conditioner 10 shown in Figure 17 or Figure 18, when the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery pipeline 20 is connected to the eighth refrigerant pipeline, the operating frequency of the compressor 121 is increased, and the second throttling device 144 is controlled to increase the opening, thereby increasing the pressure difference between the compressor 121 and the indoor unit 11 side. By controlling the second throttling device 144 to increase the opening, the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 can enter the gas-liquid separator 126 from the refrigerant recovery pipeline 20 based on the pressure difference, which can quickly reduce the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit 11 and improve the refrigerant recovery rate of the air conditioner 10.

[0172] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when increasing the operating frequency of the compressor 121, the operating frequency of the compressor 121 may be increased to the maximum operating frequency of the compressor 121. When controlling the second throttling device 144 to increase its opening, the second throttling device 144 may be controlled to adjust its opening to the maximum opening.

[0173] FIG20 is a flowchart of another method for controlling an air conditioner according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG20 , in some embodiments of the present disclosure, after S11 or S20 , the method further includes S31 to S32 .

[0174] S31 , after the fourth stop valve 142 is controlled to be open for a fourth preset time period, the fourth stop valve 142 is controlled to be closed, the third stop valve 141 is controlled to be closed, and a suction pressure value of the compressor 121 is obtained.

[0175] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in order to identify whether the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 has been discharged, the controller 15 controls the fourth stop valve 142 to close after controlling the fourth stop valve 142 to open for a fourth preset time period, controls the third stop valve 141 to close, and obtains the suction pressure value of the compressor 121, and determines whether the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 has been discharged based on the suction pressure value of the compressor 121.

[0176] The fourth preset duration may be pre-set when the air conditioner 10 is shipped from the factory, and this disclosure does not impose any limitation thereto. For example, when the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery line 20 is connected to the fifth refrigerant line, the fourth preset duration may be 0 to 30 seconds. When the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery line 20 is connected to the eighth refrigerant line, the fourth preset duration may be 20 to 120 seconds.

[0177] It can be understood that when the second end 202 of the refrigerant recovery pipeline 20 is connected to the eighth refrigerant pipeline, the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 is sucked into the gas-liquid separator 126 based on the pressure difference between the compressor 121 and the indoor unit 11. This process takes a long time, so the fourth preset time can be made longer to determine whether the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 has been discharged.

[0178] S32. When it is detected that the suction pressure value of the compressor 121 is less than or equal to the preset pressure threshold, the fifth stop valve 145 is controlled to be closed, and the second throttling device 144 is controlled to reduce its opening.

[0179] When it is detected that the suction pressure value of the compressor 121 is less than or equal to the preset pressure threshold, it means that the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 has been discharged. It can also be understood that the current refrigerant content in the indoor unit 11 is small, and there is no need to recover the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11. At this time, the controller 15 controls the fifth stop valve 145 to close, and controls the second throttling device 144 to reduce the opening, thereby completing the recovery of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11.

[0180] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, when controlling the second throttling device 144 to reduce the opening, the controller 15 may control the second throttling device 144 to adjust the opening to the minimum opening.

[0181] The preset pressure threshold is preset when the air conditioner 10 leaves the factory. For example, the preset pressure threshold is 0.1 MPa.

[0182] In the prior art, refrigerant leakage in air conditioners is typically addressed by closing the shutoff valves at the inlet and outlet of the leaking indoor unit, or by using conventional recovery technology to recycle some of the refrigerant outdoors. However, this only prevents all of the leaked refrigerant from entering the room and does not fully address the issue of recovering more of the leaked refrigerant.

[0183] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a control method for an air conditioner is disclosed. By adding a refrigerant recovery pipeline in the air conditioner 10, when it is detected that the refrigerant concentration in the environment of the indoor unit 11 is greater than or equal to a preset threshold value, the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 100 to enter the cooling mode, and controls the first throttling device to close and the fourth stop valve 142 to open, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant generated by the compressor can enter the indoor unit through the refrigerant recovery pipeline, so as to discharge the refrigerant in the indoor unit and quickly reduce the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit, thereby realizing the rapid recovery of the refrigerant in the indoor unit in the event of a refrigerant leak in the air conditioner, and timely reducing the leakage amount of the refrigerant in the indoor unit, thereby reducing the probability of a dangerous situation.

[0184] Figure 21 is a hardware structure diagram of a controller according to some embodiments. As shown in Figure 21, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a controller 15. Controller 15 includes a processor 151. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, controller 15 also includes a memory 152 and a communication interface 153 connected to processor 151. Processor 151, memory 152, and communication interface 153 are connected via a bus 154.

[0185] The processor 151 is used to execute the computer program code stored in the memory 152, thereby implementing a method for controlling an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0186] Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure scope of this application is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and certain elements of the embodiments may be modified and replaced without departing from the spirit of this application. The scope of this application is limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising: Outdoor unit; an indoor unit, the indoor unit being in communication with the outdoor unit; compressor; and The controller is configured as: During the refrigerant recovery process, obtaining the current discharge pressure and suction pressure of the compressor; determining a compression ratio of the compressor according to the exhaust pressure and the suction pressure of the compressor; determining a calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor according to the compression ratio of the compressor and a preset target compression ratio; The target speed of the compressor is determined according to the current speed of the compressor and the calculated speed adjustment value, and the compressor is controlled to operate at the target speed.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein The controller is further configured to: During the refrigerant recovery process, determining whether the compressor meets a first preset condition; the first preset condition includes: the exhaust pressure of the compressor is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure; If it is determined that the compressor meets the first preset condition, the target speed of the compressor is determined according to the preset speed adjustment value of the compressor and the current speed of the compressor.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein: The first preset condition also includes at least one of the following: The exhaust pressure change rate of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset exhaust pressure change rate; or, The outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature.

4. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor is calculated by the following formula: ΔH(t)=A×(E(t)-E(0))+B; Wherein, ΔH(t) is the calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor; A is the first preset coefficient; B is the second preset coefficient; E(t) is the compression ratio of the compressor; and E(0) is the preset target compression ratio.

5. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The outdoor unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger; The indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via a first refrigerant pipeline, and the indoor heat exchanger is connected to the four-way valve via a second refrigerant pipeline; The air conditioner further comprises: a first stop valve, provided on the first refrigerant pipeline, configured to control the conduction and disconnection of the first refrigerant pipeline; a second stop valve, provided on the second refrigerant pipeline, configured to control the conduction and disconnection of the second refrigerant pipeline; The controller is further configured to: If it is determined that the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a first preset time, controlling the first stop valve to close and controlling the compressor to continue operating; If it is determined that the compressor meets the second preset condition, controlling the second stop valve to close and controlling the compressor to continue operating; If it is determined that the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a second preset time, controlling the compressor to stop running; The second preset duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein The second preset condition includes at least one of the following: The suction pressure of the compressor is less than or equal to the preset suction pressure; The exhaust pressure of the compressor is greater than or equal to a second preset exhaust pressure; or, The recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a third preset time; wherein the third preset time is greater than or equal to the first preset time, and less than or equal to the second preset time.

7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The air conditioner further comprises: a first pressure sensor configured to detect a discharge pressure of the compressor; and a second pressure sensor configured to detect a suction pressure of the compressor; The controller is further configured to: obtain the exhaust pressure of the compressor through the first pressure sensor, and obtain the suction pressure of the compressor through the second pressure sensor.

8. A method for controlling an air conditioner, wherein: The air conditioner comprises: compressor; a first pressure sensor configured to detect the exhaust pressure of the compressor; a second pressure sensor configured to detect a suction pressure of the compressor; a controller coupled to the compressor, the first pressure sensor, and the second pressure sensor; The method comprises: During the refrigerant recovery process, the exhaust pressure of the compressor is obtained through the first pressure sensor, and the suction pressure of the compressor is obtained through the second pressure sensor; determining a compression ratio of the compressor according to the exhaust pressure and the suction pressure of the compressor; determining a calculated speed adjustment value of the compressor according to the compression ratio and a preset target compression ratio; The target speed of the compressor is determined according to the current speed of the compressor and the speed adjustment value, and the compressor is controlled to operate at the target speed.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The method further comprises: During the refrigerant recovery process, determining whether the compressor meets a first preset condition; the first preset condition includes: the exhaust pressure of the compressor is greater than or equal to the first preset exhaust pressure; If it is determined that the compressor meets the first preset condition, the target speed of the compressor is determined according to the preset speed adjustment value of the compressor and the current speed of the compressor.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The first preset condition also includes at least one of the following: The exhaust pressure change rate of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset exhaust pressure change rate; or, The outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising: If it is determined that the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a first preset time, controlling the first stop valve to close and controlling the compressor to continue operating; If it is determined that the compressor meets the second preset condition, controlling the second stop valve to close and controlling the compressor to continue operating; If it is determined that the recovery time of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a second preset time, controlling the compressor to stop running; The second preset duration is greater than or equal to the first preset duration.

12. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a first throttling device, disposed on the first refrigerant pipeline and configured to adjust the refrigerant flow in the first refrigerant pipeline; a third stop valve, provided on the third refrigerant pipeline between the first throttling device and the indoor unit, and configured to control the connection and cutoff of the third refrigerant pipeline; a refrigerant recovery pipeline, wherein a first end of the refrigerant recovery pipeline is connected to a fourth circulation pipeline between the first throttling device and the third stop valve, and a second end of the refrigerant recovery pipeline is connected to a fifth circulation pipeline between the compressor and the outdoor unit; a fourth stop valve, disposed in the refrigerant recovery pipeline, configured to control the connection and cutoff of the refrigerant recovery pipeline; a concentration sensor configured to detect a refrigerant concentration in an environment where the indoor unit is located; The controller is also configured to: If it is determined that the concentration sensor detects that the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, And when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the first throttling device is controlled to be closed, and the fourth stop valve is controlled to be opened.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12, wherein The air conditioner further includes a second throttling device, which is provided on the sixth circulation pipeline between the third stop valve and the indoor unit and is configured to adjust the refrigerant flow rate of the sixth circulation pipeline; The controller is further configured to: While controlling the first throttling device to close and the fourth stop valve to open, the operating frequency of the compressor is increased and the second throttling device is controlled to increase its opening.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13, wherein The outdoor unit further includes a gas-liquid separator, which is disposed between the compressor and the indoor unit and is configured to separate gas-phase refrigerant and liquid-phase refrigerant; The air conditioner further comprises: a second pressure sensor, disposed at the suction port of the compressor, and configured to detect a suction pressure value of the compressor; a fifth stop valve, provided in the seventh circulation pipeline between the indoor unit and the gas-liquid separator, and configured to control the connection and cutoff of the seventh circulation pipeline; The controller is further configured to: After controlling the fourth stop valve to be open for a fourth preset time period, controlling the fourth stop valve to be closed, controlling the third stop valve to be closed, and obtaining the suction pressure value of the compressor through the second pressure sensor; If it is determined that the suction pressure value of the compressor is less than or equal to the preset pressure threshold, the fifth stop valve is controlled to be closed, and the second throttling device is controlled to reduce its opening.

15. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The indoor unit includes an indoor fan; The outdoor unit further includes an outdoor fan; The controller is further configured to: If it is determined that the concentration sensor detects that the refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the indoor unit is located is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and the air conditioner is currently in a mode other than the cooling mode, the air conditioner is controlled to enter the cooling mode, and the operating gears of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan are increased.

16. A method for controlling an air conditioner, wherein: The air conditioner comprises: Outdoor unit; an indoor unit, the indoor unit being in communication with the outdoor unit; compressor; a first throttling device, disposed on the first refrigerant pipeline and configured to adjust the refrigerant flow in the first refrigerant pipeline; a third stop valve, provided on the third refrigerant pipeline between the first throttling device and the indoor unit, and configured to control the connection and cutoff of the third refrigerant pipeline; a refrigerant recovery pipeline, wherein a first end of the refrigerant recovery pipeline is connected to a fourth refrigerant pipeline between the first throttling device and the third stop valve, and a second end of the refrigerant recovery pipeline is connected to an eighth refrigerant pipeline between the gas-liquid separator and the fifth stop valve; a fourth stop valve, disposed in the refrigerant recovery pipeline, configured to control the connection and cutoff of the refrigerant recovery pipeline; a fifth stop valve, provided in the seventh circulation pipeline between the indoor unit and the gas-liquid separator, and configured to control the connection and cutoff of the seventh circulation pipeline; a concentration sensor configured to detect a refrigerant concentration in an environment in which the indoor unit is located; and A controller is coupled to the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, the compressor, the first throttling device, the third stop valve, the refrigerant recovery pipeline, the fourth stop valve, the fifth stop valve, and the concentration sensor; the method includes: When the concentration sensor detects that the refrigerant concentration in the environment of the indoor unit is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, if it is determined that the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the first throttling device is controlled to be closed and the fourth stop valve is controlled to be opened.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein The air conditioner further includes a second throttling device, which is provided on the sixth circulation pipeline between the third stop valve and the indoor unit and is configured to adjust the refrigerant flow rate of the sixth circulation pipeline; The method further comprises: While controlling the first throttling device to close and the fourth stop valve to open, the operating frequency of the compressor is increased and the second throttling device is controlled to increase its opening.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein The method further includes: after controlling the fourth stop valve to be open for a fourth preset time period, controlling the fourth stop valve to be closed, controlling the third stop valve to be closed, and obtaining a suction pressure value of the compressor through the second pressure sensor; If it is determined that the suction pressure value of the compressor is less than or equal to the preset pressure threshold, the fifth stop valve is controlled to be closed, and the second throttling device is controlled to reduce its opening.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein: The indoor unit includes an indoor fan; The outdoor unit further includes an outdoor fan; The method further comprises: If it is determined that the concentration sensor detects that the refrigerant concentration of the environment in which the indoor unit is located is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and the air conditioner is in a mode other than the cooling mode, the air conditioner is controlled to enter the cooling mode, and the operating gears of the indoor fan and the outdoor fan are increased.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein The method further comprises: If it is determined that the concentration sensor detects that the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit's environment is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the first throttling device is controlled to be closed and the fourth stop valve is controlled to be opened.

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