Refrigerant leakage protection method and device, air conditioner and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and provides a refrigerant leakage protection method and device, an air conditioner and a computer readable storage medium. The refrigerant leakage protection method is used for the air conditioner, the air conditioner is used for being installed outdoors, the air conditioner is provided with a shell, a partition plate is arranged in the shell, the partition plate is used for dividing the space in the shell into an indoor unit cavity and an outdoor unit cavity, the indoor unit cavity is provided with an inner fan communicating with the indoor space through an air pipe, and the shell is further provided with an exhaust mechanism. The air exhaust mechanism is suitable for being communicated with an indoor unit cavity and used for exhausting air outdoors, and the refrigerant leakage protection method of the air conditioner comprises the steps that the refrigerant leakage concentration of the indoor unit cavity is obtained; and according to the fact that the refrigerant leakage concentration of the indoor unit cavity is larger than or equal to the preset leakage protection threshold value, an exhaust mechanism is controlled to be started, and an inner fan is controlled to stop running. According to the technical scheme, when refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit cavity of the air conditioner, the refrigerant can be discharged outdoors in time, so that the use safety of indoor users is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning, and in particular to a refrigerant leakage protection method, device, air conditioner and computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] This section merely provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] In the related art, HC-based refrigerants commonly used in air-conditioning systems, such as R290 and R32, are flammable gases. For rooftop air conditioners, which are installed outdoors, when refrigerant leakage occurs inside the air conditioner, the refrigerant is blown into the room through the air conditioner's internal fan and air duct. When the refrigerant leakage concentration reaches a certain value, it is easy to explode or ignite. Therefore, necessary measures need to be taken to quickly discharge the leaked refrigerant inside the air conditioner to reduce the risk of explosion or ignition when the air conditioner leaks refrigerant. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant leakage protection method, device, air conditioner and computer-readable storage medium, which are used to at least solve the problem that the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner cannot be discharged to the outside in time, resulting in the refrigerant concentration reaching a certain value and easily exploding or igniting. This object is achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0005] The first aspect of the present invention provides a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner is installed outdoors and has a housing, wherein the housing is provided with an external machine chamber and an internal machine chamber, wherein a partition is provided between the internal machine chamber and the external machine chamber, wherein the internal machine chamber is provided with an internal fan, wherein the internal fan is connected to the room through an air duct, wherein an exhaust mechanism is further provided on the housing, wherein the exhaust mechanism is suitable for being connected to the internal machine chamber and used for exhausting air to the outside, wherein the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner comprises:

[0006] Obtaining the refrigerant leakage concentration of the internal machine chamber;

[0007] According to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the internal machine being greater than or equal to a preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to be turned on, and the internal fan is controlled to stop running.

[0008] According to the refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner provided by the present invention, an exhaust mechanism for exhausting air to the outdoors is arranged on the shell. When refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit chamber and when the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber reaches the refrigerant leakage alarm threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to open and the indoor fan is controlled to stop running to stop supplying air to the room, and the exhaust mechanism is used to draw air to the outdoors, so that the refrigerant in the room and the indoor unit chamber can be quickly discharged to the outdoors, and the refrigerant leakage concentration in the room and the indoor unit chamber can be reduced in time, thereby reducing the risk of explosion or ignition of the indoor or indoor unit chamber due to refrigerant leakage.

[0009] In addition, the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner provided by the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerant leakage protection method of the air conditioner further includes:

[0011] According to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the inner machine chamber being less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to be closed.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, before the step of controlling to close the exhaust mechanism, the method further includes:

[0013] According to the refrigerant leakage concentration from the internal machine chamber into the indoor room being less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the step of controlling to close the exhaust mechanism is performed.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, after the step of determining that the refrigerant leakage concentration in the internal machine chamber is greater than or equal to a preset leakage protection threshold, the method further includes:

[0015] Control to open the alarm;

[0016] According to the alarm duration being longer than the preset duration, the steps of controlling to open the exhaust mechanism and controlling the internal fan to stop running are executed.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust fan provided in the internal machine chamber, and the step of controlling to open the exhaust mechanism includes:

[0018] Control to turn on the exhaust fan.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the partition is provided with an exhaust passage, the exhaust mechanism further comprises an air valve provided on the partition and an external fan provided in the external machine chamber, the air valve is used to open or close the exhaust passage, and the step of controlling to open the exhaust mechanism comprises:

[0020] Controlling to open the air valve and controlling to start the external fan;

[0021] Alternatively, the air valve is controlled to be opened, and the exhaust fan and the external fan are controlled to be turned on.

[0022] A second aspect of the present application provides a control device for an air conditioner, comprising: a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner described in any one of the first aspect embodiments can be implemented.

[0023] The third aspect of the present application provides an air conditioner, which is used to be installed outdoors, comprising: a housing having an inner chamber and an outer chamber, a partition being provided between the inner chamber and the outer chamber, an inner fan being provided on the inner chamber, the inner fan being connected to the room through an air duct, and an exhaust mechanism being provided on the housing, the exhaust mechanism being used to exhaust air outdoors;

[0024] A first refrigerant sensor is disposed in the inner machine chamber;

[0025] A second refrigerant sensor is disposed in the room; and

[0026] As described in the second aspect of the present invention, the control device is electrically connected to the indoor fan, the exhaust mechanism, the first refrigerant sensor and the second refrigerant sensor, and is used to implement the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner as described in any one of the first aspect of the implementation method when executing a computer program.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present invention, the exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust fan disposed on the internal machine chamber, and the exhaust fan is used to exhaust air to the outdoors.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present invention, the partition is provided with an exhaust passage, and the exhaust mechanism further includes an air valve provided on the partition and an external fan provided in the external machine chamber, and the air valve is used to open or close the exhaust passage.

[0029] The fourth aspect of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner as described in any one of the first aspect embodiments is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the accompanying drawings to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0032] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0033] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0034] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to a specific embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0036] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to another specific embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0037] Figure 7 A schematic block diagram of the structure of a control device according to some embodiments of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0038] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of a partial structure of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown;

[0039] Fig. 9 A partial structural diagram of an air conditioner according to another embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0040] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0041] 100. air conditioner; 200. control device;

[0042] 10. Shell; 11. Inner chamber; 12. Outer chamber; 13. Partition; 14. Inner fan; 15. Evaporator; 16. Compressor; 21. Exhaust fan; 22. Air valve; 23. Outer fan;

[0043] 210. Processor; 220. Memory. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided in order to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0045] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise", "contain", and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the existence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the execution order is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0046] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0047] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figure, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "below", "above", "above", etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, then the elements described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented as "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features". Therefore, the example term "below..." can include both upper and lower orientations. The device can be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative descriptors used in the text are interpreted accordingly.

[0048] See also Figure 1 In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner is installed outdoors and has a housing, wherein a partition is provided in the housing, wherein the partition separates the space in the housing into an outdoor unit chamber and an indoor unit chamber, wherein the indoor unit chamber is provided with an indoor fan connected to the indoor room through an air duct, and the housing is further provided with an exhaust mechanism for exhausting air to the outdoors, wherein the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner comprises:

[0049] Step S10: obtaining the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the indoor unit;

[0050] Step S20: According to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the indoor unit being greater than or equal to the preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to be turned on, and the indoor fan is controlled to stop running.

[0051] In this embodiment, when the refrigerant leaks in the chamber of the air conditioner, the refrigerant will be blown into the room through the internal fan and the air duct, thereby increasing the concentration of the refrigerant leakage in the room, and causing the risk of explosion or ignition in the chamber of the internal machine and the room. The refrigerant leakage may be caused by the refrigerant pipe leaking due to welding quality problems at the welding points, or the interface corresponding to the refrigerant pipe is not connected in place.

[0052] Based on this, the present invention provides an exhaust mechanism for exhausting air to the outdoors on the shell of the air conditioner. The exhaust mechanism is directly or indirectly connected to the indoor unit chamber and is used to exhaust air to the outdoors when the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber and the room is greater than or equal to a preset leakage protection threshold, so as to discharge the leaked refrigerant to the outdoors.

[0053] Specifically, by obtaining the refrigerant leakage concentration of the indoor unit chamber in real time, when refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit chamber, and when the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber reaches the refrigerant leakage alarm threshold, it means that the refrigerant leakage concentration is at a high risk value and is likely to cause explosion or ignition. The indoor fan is controlled to stop running to stop supplying air to the room, and the exhaust mechanism is controlled to open, and the exhaust mechanism is used to draw air to the outdoors, so that the refrigerant in the room and the indoor unit chamber can be quickly drawn to the outdoors, and the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber and the indoor unit chamber can be reduced in time, thereby reducing the risk of explosion or ignition in the indoor unit or the indoor unit chamber due to refrigerant leakage, thereby improving user safety.

[0054] It is understandable that when the refrigerant in the indoor unit chamber leaks, but the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber has not reached the preset leakage protection threshold, the indoor fan is still running at this time, and the indoor fan has blown part of the refrigerant leaked into the indoor unit chamber into the room. Therefore, when the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber reaches the preset alarm threshold, regardless of whether the indoor refrigerant concentration reaches the preset leakage protection threshold, the refrigerant leakage protection program should be immediately started, that is, the exhaust mechanism should be immediately controlled to open, and the indoor fan should be controlled to stop running, so as to control the exhaust to the outside and stop supplying air to the room.

[0055] See also Figure 2 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerant leakage protection method of the air conditioner further includes:

[0056] Step S30: According to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the indoor unit being less than a preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to be closed.

[0057] In the present embodiment, during the operation of the exhaust mechanism, the refrigerant blown from the indoor unit chamber to the indoor room can be first drawn into the indoor unit chamber through the air duct, and then discharged from the indoor unit chamber to the outdoors. Therefore, after the exhaust mechanism has been running for a certain period of time, and when the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber is reduced to below the preset leakage protection threshold, it means that the refrigerant in the indoor unit chamber has been basically or completely discharged to the outdoors. At this time, the safety risk of explosion or ignition due to refrigerant leakage is effectively reduced. At this time, the exhaust mechanism can be closed, and the indoor and outdoor units can be started and operated after the air conditioner is inspected and repaired.

[0058] It can be understood that when the refrigerant leakage concentration of the internal machine chamber is still greater than the preset leakage protection threshold, the internal fan is kept closed and the exhaust mechanism is kept in the open state.

[0059] See also Figure 3 According to some embodiments of the present invention, before the step of controlling closing the exhaust mechanism, the method further includes:

[0060] Step S40: According to the refrigerant leakage concentration from the chamber of the indoor unit to the indoor room being less than a preset leakage protection threshold, executing the step of controlling closing of the exhaust mechanism.

[0061] In this embodiment, since the refrigerant is blown into the room by the internal fan of the indoor unit chamber through the air duct, during the initial operation of the exhaust mechanism, the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber may be reduced to below the preset leakage protection threshold, but the refrigerant leakage concentration in the room may still be greater than or equal to the preset leakage protection threshold.

[0062] Based on this, before controlling the closure of the exhaust mechanism, it is also necessary to obtain the indoor refrigerant leakage concentration. When the indoor refrigerant leakage concentration and the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor machine chamber are both reduced to less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to be closed to further ensure the safety of indoor users.

[0063] See also Figure 4 According to some embodiments of the present invention, after the step of determining that the refrigerant leakage concentration in the internal machine chamber is greater than or equal to a preset leakage protection threshold, the method further includes:

[0064] Step S201: Control to start the alarm;

[0065] Step S202: Based on the alarm duration being greater than the preset duration, executing the step of controlling to open the exhaust mechanism and controlling the internal fan to stop running.

[0066] In this embodiment, illustratively, the air conditioner further includes an alarm device, which may be an alarm that uses voice broadcasting or emits warning lights.

[0067] Exemplarily, the preset time length is not less than 5 minutes. For example, the preset time length can be set to 5 minutes, 6 minutes, or 10 minutes.

[0068] When the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber reaches the preset leakage protection threshold, the alarm state is turned on by controlling the alarm device to remind the user to move from indoors to outdoors in time.

[0069] When the alarm duration is longer than the preset duration, it means that there is indeed refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit chamber, and it is not accidental, and the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber has a high safety risk. At this time, by controlling the opening of the exhaust mechanism and closing the indoor fan, the refrigerant leaked in the indoor unit chamber and the refrigerant in the room can be promptly pumped out to the outside.

[0070] See also Figure 5 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust fan disposed in the inner machine chamber, and the step of controlling the opening of the exhaust mechanism includes:

[0071] Control to open the exhaust fan.

[0072] In this embodiment, exemplarily, an exhaust port is provided on the inner machine chamber, an exhaust fan is correspondingly provided at the exhaust port, and an air outlet end of the exhaust fan is provided toward the outdoors.

[0073] When the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber reaches the preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust fan is controlled to start and the indoor fan is turned off, so that the exhaust fan can be used to continuously discharge the gas in the room and the indoor unit chamber to the outside, thereby reducing the refrigerant concentration in the room and the indoor unit chamber. When the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber and the room is reduced to less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust fan is controlled to stop running and the indoor fan is controlled to run.

[0074] See also Figure 6 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the partition is provided with an exhaust passage, the exhaust mechanism further comprises an air valve provided on the partition and an external fan provided in the external machine chamber, the air valve is used to open or close the exhaust passage, and the steps of controlling the opening of the exhaust mechanism include:

[0075] Control the opening of the air valve and at least control the opening of the external fan.

[0076] In this embodiment, the partition is used to separate the inner chamber and the outer chamber. By arranging an exhaust passage on the partition and arranging an air valve on the exhaust passage, the exhaust passage can be opened or closed when the air valve is opened or closed.

[0077] When the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber reaches the preset leakage protection threshold, the indoor unit chamber is connected to the outdoor unit chamber by opening the air valve, and at least the outdoor fan is controlled to be turned on, and the indoor fan is turned off to stop the indoor fan from supplying air to the room. The outdoor fan is used to draw the refrigerant leaked from the indoor unit chamber to the outdoor unit chamber through the exhaust duct, and then discharged from the outdoor unit chamber to the outdoors, thereby reducing the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit chamber. The indoor refrigerant can be drawn into the indoor unit chamber, and then enter the outdoor unit chamber from the indoor unit chamber and then be discharged to the outdoors, thereby reducing the indoor refrigerant leakage concentration and ensuring the safety of indoor users.

[0078] In addition, when the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber reaches the preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust fan and the outdoor fan can be turned on at the same time when the indoor fan is turned off and the air valve is opened. The exhaust fan and the outdoor fan can be used to discharge the refrigerant in the indoor unit chamber and the indoor refrigerant to the outside simultaneously to improve the efficiency of refrigerant discharge.

[0079] When the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor chamber and the room is reduced to less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the air valve is closed, the exhaust fan is controlled to stop running, and the indoor fan is controlled to run.

[0080] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the present application provides a refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner, the air conditioner is used to be installed outdoors, and the air conditioner has a shell, a partition is provided in the shell, the partition separates the space in the shell into an outdoor unit chamber and an indoor unit chamber, the indoor unit chamber is provided with an indoor fan connected to the indoor through an air duct, the indoor unit chamber is also provided with an exhaust fan, an air valve is provided on the partition, and the outdoor unit chamber is provided with an outdoor fan, wherein the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner includes:

[0081] Obtain the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the internal unit;

[0082] If the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the internal machine is greater than or equal to the preset leakage protection threshold, the alarm is activated;

[0083] If the alarm duration is longer than the preset duration, the refrigerant leakage protection program will be started;

[0084] According to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the indoor unit being reduced to less than the preset leakage protection threshold, and according to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the room being less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the refrigerant leakage protection program is turned off;

[0085] Among them, the refrigerant leakage protection program includes: controlling the exhaust fan to open and closing the internal fan;

[0086] Alternatively, the refrigerant leakage protection procedure includes: controlling the exhaust fan to open, opening the air valve, closing the internal fan, and controlling the operation of the external fan.

[0087] It can be understood that the inner fan and the outer fan are initially in the open state, the air valve is initially in the closed state, and the exhaust fan is initially in the closed state.

[0088] According to some embodiments of the present application, the indoor unit chamber is also provided with a ventilation duct connected to the outside. When the refrigerant leakage concentration in the indoor unit chamber is greater than or equal to a preset leakage protection threshold, the indoor fan is controlled to rotate in the opposite direction to discharge the refrigerant leaked from the indoor unit chamber and the refrigerant in the room to the outside through the ventilation duct.

[0089] See also Figure 7 The second aspect of the present application provides a control device 200 for an air conditioner 100, including a memory 220 and a processor 210, wherein the memory 220 stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor 210, the steps of the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner 100 as described in any one of the first aspect embodiments are implemented.

[0090] See also Figure 8The third aspect of the present application provides an air conditioner 100, which is used to be installed outdoors, and includes a shell 10, a first refrigerant sensor (not shown in the figure), a second refrigerant sensor (not shown in the figure), an alarm device (not shown in the figure) and a control device 200 of the air conditioner 100 as the second aspect of the embodiment.

[0091] Specifically, the shell 10 has an indoor chamber 11 and an outdoor chamber 12, a partition 13 is provided between the indoor chamber 11 and the outdoor chamber 12, the indoor chamber 11 is provided with an indoor fan 14 connected to the indoor through an air duct, and the shell 10 is also provided with an exhaust mechanism, the exhaust mechanism is used to exhaust air to the outdoors; a first refrigerant sensor is arranged in the indoor chamber 11, for detecting the refrigerant concentration of the indoor chamber 11; a second refrigerant sensor and an alarm device are arranged indoors, and the second refrigerant sensor is used to detect the refrigerant concentration in the room; the control device 200 is electrically connected to the first refrigerant sensor, the second refrigerant sensor, the alarm device, the indoor fan 14 and the exhaust mechanism, and is used to implement a refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner 100 as any one of the first aspect embodiments when executing a computer program.

[0092] In this embodiment, the air conditioner 100 is exemplarily a rooftop air conditioner 100. The first refrigerant sensor and the second refrigerant sensor may be gas concentration detection sensors. The exhaust mechanism is directly or indirectly connected to the internal machine chamber 11.

[0093] Furthermore, the air conditioner 100 further includes components such as a compressor 16, a four-way valve, a refrigerant pipe, an electric control box, a throttling device, a condenser, and an evaporator 15. Exemplarily, the evaporator 15 and the electric control box are disposed in the internal machine chamber 11, the condenser and the compressor 16 are both disposed in the external machine chamber 12, and the compressor 16 forms a circulation loop with the evaporator 15, the condenser, and the throttling device through the refrigerant pipe, the four-way valve.

[0094] During the operation of the air conditioner 100, the indoor fan 14 operates normally and supplies air to the indoor room through the air duct. The first refrigerant sensor detects the refrigerant leakage concentration of the indoor machine chamber 11 and sends it to the control device 200 in real time. When the refrigerant concentration leaked from the indoor machine chamber 11 reaches a preset leakage protection threshold, the control device 200 controls the alarm device to start the alarm. After the alarm duration is greater than the preset duration, the control device 200 controls the indoor fan 14 to stop running to stop supplying air to the indoor room, and controls the start of the exhaust mechanism, and uses the exhaust mechanism to discharge the indoor refrigerant and the refrigerant in the indoor machine chamber 11 to the outdoors, thereby reducing the refrigerant concentration in the indoor machine chamber 11 and the room, so as to reduce the risk of explosion or ignition caused by the refrigerant concentration in the indoor machine chamber 11 and the room, thereby improving the safety of user use.

[0095] Similarly, the second refrigerant sensor is used to detect the refrigerant concentration in the room and send it to the control device 200 in real time. When the refrigerant concentrations detected by the first refrigerant sensor and the second refrigerant sensor are both less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the control device 200 controls the alarm device to stop the alarm, and controls the operation of the indoor fan 14 and closes the exhaust mechanism, thereby restoring the air conditioner 100 to its initial operating state.

[0096] See also Figure 8 According to some embodiments of the present invention, the exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust fan 21, which is disposed on the internal machine chamber 11 and is used to exhaust air to the outside.

[0097] In this embodiment, the exhaust fan 21 is illustratively an axial flow fan. In this way, the axial flow fan has multiple characteristics such as low energy consumption, small size, and high power, which can not only reduce the space occupied by the fan in the internal machine chamber 11, but also can discharge the refrigerant to the outside in time when the refrigerant leaks in the internal machine chamber 11, so as to reduce safety hazards.

[0098] Exemplarily, the evaporator 15 is disposed in the internal machine chamber 11 , and the evaporator 15 has a large surface. The exhaust fan 21 is disposed on a side of the internal machine chamber 11 facing the large surface of the evaporator 15 , and is disposed away from the external machine chamber 12 .

[0099] The exhaust fan 21 is directly arranged on the preset exhaust port of the indoor unit chamber 11, and the air outlet end of the exhaust fan 21 faces the outdoors. When the exhaust fan 21 is started, the gas in the indoor unit chamber 11 can be discharged to the outdoors, and the indoor gas can be drawn to the indoor unit chamber 11 through the air duct and then discharged to the outdoors, so that the refrigerant leaked from the indoor unit chamber 11 and the refrigerant blown into the room can be discharged to the outdoors. The structure and principle are relatively simple and easy to implement.

[0100] See also Fig. 9 According to some embodiments of the present invention, an exhaust passage is opened on the partition 13, and the exhaust mechanism also includes an air valve 22 and an external fan 23. The air valve 22 is arranged on the partition 13, and the external fan 23 is arranged on the external machine chamber 12. The air valve 22 is used to open or close the exhaust passage, and the external fan 23 is used to exhaust air to the outside.

[0101] In this embodiment, the air valve 22 and the external fan 23 are both electrically connected to the control device 200, and the control device 200 is used to control the air valve 22 to be opened or closed. The number of exhaust channels can be one or more, and the number of air valves 22 is the same as the number of exhaust channels, and they are arranged one by one. An air outlet is arranged on the external machine chamber 12, and the external fan 23 is arranged in the air outlet, and the air outlet end of the external fan 23 is arranged toward the outdoors.

[0102] It can be understood that when the air valve 22 is opened, the exhaust passage is opened, that is, the connection between the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12 is achieved; when the air valve 22 is closed, the exhaust passage is closed, and the connection between the inner chamber 11 and the outer chamber 12 is disconnected.

[0103] When the first refrigerant sensor detects that the refrigerant in the indoor unit chamber 11 reaches a preset leakage protection threshold, the control device 200 controls the opening of the air valve 22 to connect the indoor unit chamber 11 with the outdoor unit chamber 12, and controls the opening of the outdoor fan 23, closes the indoor fan 14, and stops the indoor fan 14 from supplying air to the room, and uses the outdoor fan 23 to draw the refrigerant leaked from the indoor unit chamber 11 to the outdoor unit chamber 12 through the exhaust duct, and then discharges it to the outdoors from the outdoor unit chamber 12, thereby reducing the refrigerant concentration in the indoor unit chamber 11.

[0104] Alternatively, the air valve 22, the exhaust fan 21 and the outdoor fan 23 may be controlled to open simultaneously, and the exhaust fan 21 may be used to discharge the refrigerant in the indoor unit chamber 11 to the outdoors, while the outdoor fan 23 may be used to lead the refrigerant in the indoor unit chamber 11 from the indoor unit chamber 11 to the outdoor unit chamber 12, and then discharged from the outdoor unit chamber 12 to the outdoors, so as to improve the efficiency of discharging the refrigerant leaked from the indoor unit chamber 11 and the refrigerant in the room.

[0105] The fourth aspect of the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, a refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner 100 as described in any one of the first aspect embodiments is implemented.

[0106] In this embodiment, examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include the following: an electrical connection with one or more wirings (electronic device), a portable computer disk case (magnetic device), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory, or flash memory), an optical fiber device, and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM, Compact Disc Read-Only Memory). In addition, the computer-readable storage medium may even be paper or other suitable medium on which the program may be printed, since the program may be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, deciphering, or processing in other suitable ways as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0107] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be provided as methods, devices (systems) or computer program products. Therefore, the present invention may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Moreover, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-readable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-readable program code.

[0108] The present invention is described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that each process and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of processes and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device generate instructions for implementing the processes in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in a block or multiple blocks.

[0109] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A function specified in one or more boxes.

[0110] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operating steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions for implementing the process. Figure 1 A process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps for the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0111] The above is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner is installed outdoors and has a housing, wherein the housing is provided with an external machine chamber and an internal machine chamber, wherein a partition is provided between the internal machine chamber and the external machine chamber, wherein the internal machine chamber is provided with an internal fan, wherein the internal fan is connected to the room through an air duct, wherein: The housing is also provided with an exhaust mechanism, which is suitable for being connected to the inner machine chamber and used for exhausting air to the outside. The refrigerant leakage protection method of the air conditioner includes: Obtaining the refrigerant leakage concentration of the internal machine chamber; According to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the chamber of the internal machine being greater than or equal to a preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to be turned on, and the internal fan is controlled to stop running.

2. The refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: According to the refrigerant leakage concentration in the inner machine chamber being less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the exhaust mechanism is controlled to be closed.

3. The refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that: Before the step of controlling the exhaust mechanism to close, the method further includes: According to the refrigerant leakage concentration from the internal machine chamber into the indoor room being less than the preset leakage protection threshold, the step of controlling to close the exhaust mechanism is performed.

4. The refrigerant leakage protection method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: After the step of determining that the refrigerant leakage concentration in the internal machine chamber is greater than or equal to a preset leakage protection threshold, the method further includes: Control to open the alarm; According to the alarm duration being longer than the preset duration, the steps of controlling to open the exhaust mechanism and controlling the internal fan to stop running are executed.

5. The refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust fan disposed in the internal machine chamber, and the step of controlling to open the exhaust mechanism includes: Control to turn on the exhaust fan.

6. The refrigerant leakage protection method for an air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The partition is provided with an exhaust passage, the exhaust mechanism further comprises an air valve provided on the partition and an external fan provided in the external machine chamber, the air valve is used to open or close the exhaust passage, and the step of controlling to open the exhaust mechanism comprises: Controlling to open the air valve and controlling to start the external fan; Alternatively, the air valve is controlled to be opened, and the external fan and the exhaust fan are controlled to be turned on.

7. A control device for an air conditioner, characterized in that: include: A memory and a processor, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the steps of the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 can be implemented.

8. An air conditioner for outdoor installation, characterized in that: The air conditioner comprises: The housing has an inner chamber and an outer chamber, a partition is provided between the inner chamber and the outer chamber, an inner fan is provided on the inner chamber, the inner fan is connected to the room through an air duct, and an exhaust mechanism is also provided on the housing, the exhaust mechanism is used to exhaust air to the outside; A first refrigerant sensor is disposed in the inner machine chamber; A second refrigerant sensor is disposed in the room; an alarm device, installed in the room; and The control device of the air conditioner as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control device is electrically connected to the indoor fan, the exhaust mechanism, the first refrigerant sensor, the second refrigerant sensor and the alarm device, and is used to implement the refrigerant leakage protection method of the air conditioner as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 when executing a computer program.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The exhaust mechanism includes an exhaust fan arranged in the inner machine chamber, and the exhaust fan is used for exhausting air to the outside.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, characterized in that: The partition is provided with an exhaust passage, and the exhaust mechanism further comprises an air valve arranged on the partition and an external fan arranged in the external machine chamber, wherein the air valve is used to open or close the exhaust passage.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the refrigerant leakage protection method for the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is implemented.

Images