Refrigerator control method and device and refrigerator

The water-cooling and cooling technology solves the problem of energy consumption of fans during the refrigerator condensation process, improves the heat dissipation effect and energy efficiency, meets the heat dissipation needs of pure flat-mounted refrigerators, and reduces the load of condensers and fans.

CN119222931AActive Publication Date: 2024-12-31HUBEI MIDEA REFRIGERATOR CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202310783744.4
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-06-28
Publication Date
2024-12-31
Estimated Expiration
2043-06-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

During the condensation process, the fan consumes more energy and is difficult to meet the requirements of the cooling of the pure flat-mounted refrigerator, resulting in energy waste and noise problems.

Method used

The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor is cooled by water cooling, reducing the heat dissipation load of the condenser, and a heat exchanger is used to transfer the heat of the refrigerant to the water, reducing the heat dissipation of the condenser, and automatically controlling the water pump and fan according to the temperature setting. run.

Benefits of technology

It improves the heat dissipation effect of the refrigerator, reduces the heat dissipation load of the condenser and the fan load, meets the heat dissipation requirements of the pure flat-mounted refrigerator, reduces the heat dissipation area of ​​the condenser and the fan noise, and improves the energy efficiency and silent performance of the refrigerator.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The invention discloses a control method and device of a refrigerator and the refrigerator, and the control method of the refrigerator comprises the steps that the first set temperature and the first real-time temperature of a refrigerator chamber are obtained, and when the first set temperature is smaller than the first real-time temperature, a compressor, a water pump and a draught fan are started and continuously run for the first preset time; a second real-time temperature and a second set temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the heat exchanger are obtained, and when the second real-time temperature is smaller than the second set temperature, the water pump is closed; and the third real-time temperature and the third set temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the condenser are obtained, and when the third real-time temperature is smaller than the third set temperature, the draught fan is shut down, and according to the control method of the refrigerator, heat exchange can be conducted on the refrigerant through water cooling, so that part of heat of the refrigerant can be transferred into water before the refrigerant enters the condenser; therefore, the total amount of heat dissipated by the refrigerant in the condenser is reduced, the heat dissipation load of the condenser is reduced, the load of a fan is reduced, the heat dissipation effect of the refrigerator is improved, and the heat dissipation requirement of the refrigerator is met.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of household appliances, and in particular to a control method and a control device for a refrigerator and a refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] In the related technology, refrigerators mainly use compression cycle refrigeration. The refrigerant gas discharged by the compressor has the characteristics of high pressure and high temperature. When the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant passes through the condenser, the refrigerant gas condenses and generates a large amount of heat. This part of the heat is usually directly discharged into the indoor environment, resulting in energy waste. In addition, the condenser needs to use a fan to enhance air convection during the heat dissipation process, which consumes more energy and the heat dissipation load of the condenser is relatively large. With the development of refrigerator home integration, pure flat embedded refrigerators have become the mainstream of refrigerator development. Since the installation space of pure flat embedded refrigerators is relatively small and the gap between the box body and the inner wall of the installation position is small, the requirements for heat dissipation are higher. However, existing refrigerators usually use fans to cool the condenser to dissipate heat, which is difficult to meet the heat dissipation requirements. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a control method for a refrigerator, which cools down the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor by water cooling, reduces the heat dissipation load of the condenser, and improves the heat dissipation effect of the refrigerator.

[0004] A refrigerator control method according to a first aspect of the present invention includes:

[0005] Obtaining a first set temperature and a first real-time temperature of a refrigerator compartment;

[0006] Comparing the first set temperature with the first real-time temperature, when the first set temperature is lower than the first real-time temperature, starting the compressor, the water pump and the fan, and continuously running them for a first preset time;

[0007] Obtain a second real-time temperature and a second set temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the heat exchanger;

[0008] comparing the second real-time temperature with the second set temperature, and turning off the water pump when the second real-time temperature is lower than the second set temperature;

[0009] Obtaining a third real-time temperature and a third set temperature of the refrigerant at the condenser outlet;

[0010] The third real-time temperature and the third set temperature are compared, and when the third real-time temperature is less than the third set temperature, the fan is turned off.

[0011] The refrigerator control method according to the first aspect of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0012] The control method of the refrigerator can perform heat exchange on the refrigerant through water cooling, so that the refrigerant can transfer part of its heat to the water before entering the condenser, thereby reducing the total amount of heat dissipated by the refrigerant in the condenser, thereby reducing the heat dissipation load of the condenser and the load of the fan, which is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation effect of the refrigerator and meeting the heat dissipation requirements of the refrigerator.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the step of comparing the first set temperature and the first real-time temperature further includes: stopping the compressor when the first set temperature is greater than or equal to the first real-time temperature.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the step of comparing the second real-time temperature and the second set temperature further includes: when the second real-time temperature is greater than or equal to the second set temperature, controlling the water pump to continue running for a second preset time.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the step of comparing the third real-time temperature and the third set temperature further includes: when the third real-time temperature is greater than or equal to the third set temperature, controlling the fan to continue running for a third preset time.

[0016] According to the control device of the second aspect embodiment of the present invention, it includes a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, and when the processor executes the computer program, it implements the control method of the refrigerator as described in the first aspect embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] A refrigerator according to an embodiment of a third aspect of the present invention comprises:

[0018] A refrigeration system, provided with a compressor and a condenser;

[0019] A hot water preparation system, provided with a water storage tank and a heater;

[0020] A waste heat recovery system is provided with a heat exchanger, a first pipeline, a second pipeline and a water pump, wherein the heat exchanger has a heat exchange cavity, and the first pipeline and the second pipeline are arranged through the heat exchange cavity;

[0021] The control device of the second aspect of the present invention is used to control the refrigeration system, the hot water system and the waste heat recovery system;

[0022] Among them, the compressor transports the refrigerant to the condenser through the first pipe, the water pump is used to pump the water in the water tank to the inlet end of the heater through the second pipe, and the first pipe and the second pipe can exchange heat in the heat exchange cavity to transfer the heat of the refrigerant to the water.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first pipeline and / or the second pipeline is provided with a heat exchange portion, the heat exchange portion is located in the heat exchange cavity, the heat exchange portion is spiral and extends along the length direction of the heat exchange cavity.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the second pipeline has a diversion section, the diversion section is arranged in the heat exchange cavity, and the outer wall of the diversion section is provided with a plurality of through holes communicating with the heat exchange cavity.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a heat storage medium is provided in the heat exchange cavity, and the heat storage medium fills the gap between the first pipe and the second pipe. The heat storage medium can absorb heat from the first pipe and release the heat to the second pipe.

[0026] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the hot water preparation system is further provided with a temperature control device, which includes a controller and a first temperature sensor connected to each other, the first temperature sensor is used to detect the water temperature at the outlet end of the second pipe, and the controller is connected to the heater.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature control device further includes a second temperature sensor connected to the controller, and the second temperature sensor is used to detect the water temperature at the outlet end of the heater.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the refrigerator is provided with a refrigerating compartment and a compressor compartment, the water reservoir is provided in the refrigerating compartment, and the heat exchanger is provided in the compressor compartment.

[0029] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator according to some embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the waste heat recovery system of some embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a waste heat recovery system;

[0034] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the waste heat recovery system of other embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the arrangement of a waste heat recovery system of a refrigerator in some embodiments of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 The present invention is a flowchart of a refrigerator control method according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] The figures are as follows:

[0038] Refrigeration system 100; compressor 110; condenser 120; evaporator 130;

[0039] Hot water preparation system 200; heater 210; temperature control device 220; water storage tank 230;

[0040] Waste heat recovery system 300; heat exchanger 310; heat exchange chamber 311; insulation layer 312; second pipeline 320; flow diversion section 321; through hole 322; outlet section 323; first pipeline 330; heat exchange part 340; heat storage medium 350;

[0041] Box body 400; refrigerating compartment 410; hot water outlet 411; cold water outlet 412; freezing compartment 420; compressor compartment 430. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientations, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., and orientations or positional relationships indicated are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0044] In the description of the present invention, if there is a description of first and second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing the technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0046] In the related technology, refrigerators mainly use compression cycle refrigeration. The refrigerant gas discharged by the compressor has the characteristics of high pressure and high temperature. When the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant passes through the condenser, the refrigerant gas condenses and generates a large amount of heat. This part of the heat is usually directly discharged into the indoor environment, resulting in energy waste. In addition, the condenser needs to use a fan to enhance air convection during the heat dissipation process, which consumes more energy and the heat dissipation load of the condenser is relatively large. With the development of refrigerator home integration, flat-mounted refrigerators have become the mainstream of refrigerator development. Since the installation space of flat-mounted refrigerators is relatively small and the gap between the box body and the inner wall of the installation position is small, the requirements for heat dissipation are higher. However, existing refrigerators usually use fans to cool the condenser to dissipate heat, which is difficult to meet the heat dissipation requirements.

[0047] To this end, the present invention proposes a control method for a refrigerator, which can cool down the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor by water cooling, reduce the heat dissipation load of the condenser, and improve the heat dissipation effect of the refrigerator.

[0048] The refrigerator includes a compressor, condenser, heat exchanger, water pump and fan. Figure 6 , the control method comprises the following steps:

[0049] S100: Obtaining a first set temperature and a first real-time temperature of the air in the refrigerator compartment. It is understood that in some embodiments, a temperature sensor may be provided in the refrigerator compartment, so that the first real-time temperature of the air in the refrigerator compartment is detected and obtained by the temperature sensor, and the value of the first set temperature may be specifically set by the user according to actual needs of refrigeration.

[0050] S200: Compare the values ​​of the first set temperature and the first real-time temperature. If the first set temperature is lower than the first real-time temperature, start the compressor, water pump and fan, and continue to run for a first preset time. The first preset time can be specifically set as needed, for example, it can be 1 minute or 5 minutes or other time. It is understandable that when the first set temperature is lower than the first real-time temperature, it indicates that the temperature of the refrigerator compartment is still relatively high at this time, so refrigeration is still needed to reduce the temperature of the refrigerator compartment to the set temperature. At this time, the compressor, water pump and fan can be started and continue to run for the first preset time. When the compressor is running, it compresses the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is transported to the condenser after passing through the heat exchanger. The water pump transports water to the heat exchanger through a pipeline to exchange heat with the refrigerant. At this time, the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to the water, so the refrigerant The temperature of the refrigerator compartment drops and the temperature of the water rises. The refrigerant passes through the heat exchanger and enters the condenser to release heat to form a low-temperature liquid refrigerant. The fan blows air to the condenser to dissipate heat so that the heat of the refrigerant can be released as soon as possible. The low-temperature liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator after throttling. The refrigerant exchanges heat with the air in the refrigerator compartment in the evaporator. At this time, the heat of the air is transferred to the refrigerant, thereby lowering the temperature of the refrigerator compartment. The refrigerant absorbs the heat of the air and evaporates to form a gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant is then transported back to the compressor for compression, completing a cycle compression process of the refrigerant.

[0051] S300: Obtain the second real-time temperature and the second set temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the heat exchanger. It can be understood that in some embodiments of the present invention, a corresponding temperature sensor can be set to detect the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the heat exchanger, and the second set temperature is the target temperature of the refrigerant after water cooling heat exchange.

[0052] S400: Compare the second real-time temperature and the second set temperature, and if the second real-time temperature is less than the second set temperature, turn off the water pump. It can be understood that when the second real-time temperature is less than the second set temperature, it indicates that the refrigerant has been cooled to a desired temperature after water cooling and heat exchange, and the water pump can be turned off to stop water cooling and heat exchange of the refrigerant.

[0053] S500: Obtain the third real-time temperature and the third set temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the condenser. It can be understood that in some embodiments of the present invention, a corresponding temperature sensor can be set to detect the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the condenser, and the third set temperature is the target temperature of the refrigerant after the heat is dissipated by the condenser.

[0054] S600: Compare the third real-time temperature and the third set temperature, and if the third real-time temperature is less than the third set temperature, turn off the fan. It can be understood that when the third real-time temperature is less than the third set temperature, it indicates that the refrigerant has fully dissipated the heat in the condenser and reduced it to the target temperature range. At this time, the fan can be turned off to stop the air cooling of the condenser.

[0055] The control method of the refrigerator can perform heat exchange on the refrigerant through water cooling, so that the refrigerant can transfer part of its heat to the water before entering the condenser, thereby reducing the total amount of heat dissipated by the refrigerant in the condenser, thereby reducing the heat dissipation load of the condenser, reducing the load of the fan, which is beneficial to improving the heat dissipation effect of the refrigerator and meeting the heat dissipation requirements of a pure flat-panel refrigerator. At the same time, it is beneficial to reduce the heat dissipation area of ​​the condenser, reduce the cost of the condenser, reduce the noise of the fan, and improve the quiet performance of the refrigerator.

[0056] It can be understood that, in some embodiments of the present invention, in the step of comparing the values ​​of the first set temperature and the first real-time temperature, if the first set temperature is greater than or equal to the first real-time temperature, it indicates that the temperature of the refrigerator compartment has reached the set target temperature at this time, and therefore the compressor can be turned off to stop refrigerating the refrigerator compartment, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the refrigerator.

[0057] It is understandable that in some embodiments of the present invention, in the step of comparing the second real-time temperature and the second set temperature, if the second real-time temperature is greater than or equal to the second set temperature, it indicates that the refrigerant still has a large amount of heat after water cooling heat exchange in the heat exchanger, and water cooling heat exchange needs to be continued, so the water pump can be controlled to continue to run for the second preset time to continue water cooling heat exchange for the refrigerant. The second preset time can be specifically set as needed, for example, it can be 1 minute or 5 minutes or other time.

[0058] It is understandable that in some embodiments of the present invention, in the step of comparing the third real-time temperature and the third set temperature, if the third real-time temperature is greater than or equal to the third set temperature, it indicates that the heat of the refrigerant has not been fully dissipated after passing through the condenser, and air cooling is required to continue to dissipate heat, so the fan can continue to be turned on for the third preset time to air cool the condenser. The third preset time can be specifically set as needed, for example, it can be 1 minute or 5 minutes or other time.

[0059] The second aspect of the present invention also provides a control device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the refrigerator control method of the first aspect of the present invention.

[0060] The control device includes one or more processors and memories, and the processor and memory can be connected via a bus or other means. The memory, as a non-transient computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-transient software programs and non-transient computer executable programs. In addition, the memory may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-transient memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-transient solid-state storage devices. In some embodiments, the memory may optionally include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor, and these remote memories may be connected to the control device via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0061] It should be noted that making ice and ice water are common functions of refrigerator products. Some refrigerators also have the function of preparing hot water. The common solution for preparing hot water is to obtain hot water by electrically heating cold water, but this consumes a lot of electricity. When the refrigerator is working, on the one hand, the refrigeration system releases a large amount of heat to the environment, and on the other hand, a large amount of electricity is consumed when preparing hot water, which makes the energy efficiency of the refrigerator relatively low. For this reason, the present invention also proposes a refrigerator that can recover the heat emitted by the refrigeration system to prepare hot water through the control method of the first embodiment of the present invention, while improving the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.

[0062] Reference Figures 1 to 5 A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention comprises a refrigeration system 100, a hot water preparation system 200, a waste heat recovery system 300 and a control device according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention. The refrigeration system 100 is used as a refrigeration module of the refrigerator to realize the refrigeration function of the refrigerator. Specifically, the refrigeration system 100 is provided with a compressor 110, a condenser 120 and an evaporator 130. The compressor 110 compresses a low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant, and then transports it to the condenser 120. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is condensed and releases heat to form a low-temperature liquid refrigerant, and then enters the evaporator 130 after throttling and reducing pressure. The liquid refrigerant is evaporated and absorbs heat to form a gaseous refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 110, completing a cycle of the refrigerant. The refrigeration system 100 usually also has an ice-making module. When the ice-making module is in operation, the refrigeration system 100 requires a large refrigeration load, resulting in a high heat dissipation load of the condenser 120, and the refrigeration system 100 needs to discharge a large amount of heat.

[0063] The hot water preparation system 200 is provided with a water reservoir 230 and a heater 210. The water reservoir 230 is a container with a cavity, which can store more water to meet the user's demand for multiple uses of drinking water and avoid the need to frequently add water to the water reservoir 230. The water in the water reservoir 230 can be used to make ice or to prepare hot water. The heater 210 can heat the water by electric heating or other heating methods to increase the temperature of the outlet water to the temperature set by the user to meet the user's demand for hot water temperature.

[0064] The waste heat recovery system 300 is provided with a heat exchanger 310, a first pipe 330 and a second pipe 320, and the heat exchanger 310 is arranged between the compressor 110 and the condenser 120. Specifically, the heat exchanger 310 has a heat exchange cavity 311, and the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 are penetrated in the heat exchange cavity 311. The first pipe 330 connects the compressor 110 and the condenser 120, so the compressor 110 can transport the refrigerant to the condenser 120 through the first pipe 330. The second pipe 320 connects the water storage 230 and the heater 210, so the water storage 230 can transport water to the heater 210 through the second pipe 320, and the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 are both arranged in the heat exchange chamber 311, and the high-temperature refrigerant in the first pipe 330 and the cold water in the second pipe 320 can realize heat exchange in the heat exchange chamber 311, so that the cold water can absorb the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant to realize preheating, and the temperature of the preheated water can be improved, so as to reduce the energy consumption required for the subsequent heater 210 to heat the water to the set temperature. In addition, the refrigerant and water are transported through the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 respectively, and the pipelines of the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 are not connected, and the two constitute independent transport pipelines, so as to prevent the mixing of water and refrigerant and cause the drinking water to be contaminated, which is conducive to ensuring the water quality of drinking water.

[0065] The control device can control the refrigeration system, the hot water preparation system and the waste heat recovery system so that the refrigerator can run the control method of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] When the refrigerator is working, the high-temperature refrigerant discharged by the compressor 110 is transported to the condenser 120 through the first pipe 330. When the user needs to take hot water, the control device controls the refrigerator to run the control method of the first embodiment of the present invention. At this time, the water storage tank 230 transports cold water to the heater 210 through the second pipe 320. Since the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 are both arranged in the heat exchange cavity 311 of the heat exchanger 310, the high-temperature refrigerant in the first pipe 330 and the cold water in the second pipe 320 can achieve heat exchange in the heat exchange cavity 311, so that the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant can be transferred to the cold water. , so that the cold water can be preheated to increase its temperature. The preheated water is then passed into the heater 210 for heating to reach the temperature required by the user. The refrigerator recovers the exhaust heat of the refrigeration system 100 through the waste heat recovery system 300, and uses the recovered heat to preheat the water. On the one hand, it can reduce the energy consumption required for the subsequent heater 210 to heat the water to a predetermined temperature. On the other hand, since the temperature of the refrigerant is reduced by water cooling, the heat dissipation load of the condenser 120 is reduced, and the heat dissipation energy consumption of the condenser 120 is reduced, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the refrigerator and improving the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 It can be understood that, in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant in the heat exchange cavity 311, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first pipe 330 is provided with a heat exchange part 340, and the heat exchange part 340 is located in the heat exchange cavity 311. The refrigerant can better dissipate heat to the heat exchange cavity 311 through the heat exchange part 340, so that the heat can be better absorbed by water to increase the temperature of the water. Specifically, the heat exchange part 340 can have a thinner wall thickness, so that the heat of the refrigerant can be more easily dissipated to the heat exchange cavity 311 through the heat exchange part 340; or the heat exchange part 340 can be made of a material with good thermal conductivity, so as to facilitate the rapid transfer of the heat of the refrigerant to the heat exchange cavity 311 to improve the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant; or the heat exchange part 340 can have a larger heat exchange area, so that the heat of the refrigerant can be fully dissipated to the heat exchange cavity 311, improving the heat exchange efficiency of the refrigerant. Of course, similarly, in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency of water in the heat exchange chamber 311, the second pipe 320 may also be provided with a heat exchange portion 340, and the heat exchange portion 340 is located in the heat exchange chamber 311. The structure of the heat exchange portion 340 may be similar to the structure of the heat exchange portion 340 of the first pipe 330 described above, thereby facilitating the improvement of the heat exchange efficiency of water in the heat exchange chamber 311, so that the water can fully absorb the heat of the refrigerant, thereby achieving the preheating and temperature increase of the water. Of course, the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 may also be provided with a heat exchange portion 340, thereby further improving the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and the water.

[0068] Reference Figure 3It can be understood that in some embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchange part 340 is roughly spiral, the heat exchanger 310 is roughly cylindrical, and the heat exchange part 340 is extended from one end of the length direction of the heat exchange chamber 311 to the other end of the length direction of the heat exchange chamber 311, so that the length of the heat exchange part 340 in the heat exchange chamber 311 can be longer, and the area of ​​the heat exchange part 340 in the heat exchange chamber 311 is increased, so that the heat exchange area between the refrigerant and the water is larger, which is conducive to improving the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and the water, so that the heat of the refrigerant can be more fully transferred to the water, so that the water can be fully preheated, the temperature of the water is increased, and the effective utilization rate of the heat of the refrigerant is improved. Of course, the heat exchange part 340 can also be composed of multiple straight segments spliced ​​back and forth, so that a larger heat exchange area can be obtained.

[0069] Reference Figure 3 It can be understood that, in some embodiments of the present invention, the second pipe 320 has a diversion section 321 and an outlet section 323. The diversion section 321 is arranged in the heat exchange chamber 311. The outer wall of the diversion section 321 is provided with a plurality of through holes 322 connected to the heat exchange chamber 311. The through holes 322 can be relatively small micropores. The outlet section 323 is connected to the end of the heat exchanger 310. The water in the heat exchange chamber 311 is discharged from the heat exchange chamber 311 through the outlet section 323, and then enters the heater 210. The part of the second pipe 320 extending into the heat exchange chamber 311 is formed with a diversion section 321. When the cold water in the water storage 230 enters the diversion section 321, the water can be sprayed into the heat exchange chamber 311 through the through hole 322 on the outer wall of the diversion section 321, so that the cold water can cover the outer wall of the first pipe 330, so that the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant can be directly transferred to the cold water through the first pipe 330, reducing the distance of heat transfer, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of heat exchange, so that the temperature of the cold water can be quickly increased. It should be noted that after the cold water enters the heat exchange chamber 311, when the cold water basically fills the heat exchange chamber 311, the cold water can more fully cover the first pipe 330 in the heat exchange chamber 311, so that the heat of the refrigerant can be more transferred to the cold water through the first pipe 330, which is conducive to the recovery effect of the heat of the refrigerant by the waste heat recovery system 300. The preheated water is discharged from the heat exchange chamber 311 from the outlet section 323 and then enters the heater 210 for heating. Of course, in order to release more heat of the refrigerant in the heat exchange chamber 311, the portion of the first pipe 330 in the heat exchange chamber 311 can be spiral, thereby greatly increasing the contact area between the first pipe 330 and the cold water in the heat exchange chamber 311, so that when the refrigerant flows through the first pipe 330, the heat of the refrigerant can be more fully transferred to the cold water.

[0070] It should be noted that in the above embodiment, when the refrigerator is not in the refrigeration condition, the compressor 110 stops delivering high-temperature refrigerant to the condenser 120, or the amount of refrigerant delivered is very small. At this time, the waste heat recovery system 300 can recover very little refrigerant heat. When the user takes hot water, the water can absorb less refrigerant heat, and the preheating effect of the water is also relatively low, causing the heater 210 to consume more energy to heat the water. For this reason, refer to Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, a heat storage medium 350 is provided in the heat exchange chamber 311, and the heat storage medium 350 fills the gap between the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320. The heat storage medium 350 can absorb the heat of the first pipe 330 and release the heat to the second pipe 320. Through the above arrangement, when the refrigerator is in the refrigeration condition, the compressor 110 continuously transports the high-temperature refrigerant to the condenser 120 through the first pipe 330. When the high-temperature refrigerant passes through the heat exchange chamber 311, the heat storage medium 350 can absorb and store the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant; when the refrigerator is not in the refrigeration condition, and the user needs to take hot water, the water storage tank 230 transports the cold water to the heater 210 through the second pipe 320. When the cold water passes through the heat exchange chamber 311, the heat storage medium 350 transfers the stored heat to the cold water, so that the cold water can be preheated and the temperature rises, thereby reducing the energy consumption required for the subsequent heater 210 to heat the water to the set temperature, and improving the stability of the waste heat recovery system 300 for preheating the cold water.

[0071] It should be noted that in order to reduce the heat dissipation of the heat storage medium 350 to the outside of the heat exchanger 310 and improve the heat storage effect of the heat storage medium 350, refer to Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, the heat exchanger 310 is further provided with a heat-insulating layer 312, which is coated on the outer periphery of the heat exchange cavity 311. The heat-insulating layer 312 can reduce the heat dissipation of the heat storage medium 350 to the outside of the heat exchanger 310. Specifically, the heat-insulating layer 312 can be a vacuum layer, a foam layer, or other heat-insulating structures.

[0072] It is understandable that in some embodiments of the present invention, the heat storage medium 350 is sodium acetate, sand or water. Sodium acetate has a high energy storage density and can absorb or release more heat through phase change. It is a common heat storage medium 350. Of course, sand and water are also common heat storage media 350. A suitable heat storage medium 350 can be selected according to actual needs. When installing the waste heat recovery system 300, sodium acetate is filled into the heat exchange chamber 311, and the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 are inserted into the heat exchange chamber 311, and the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 are both closed in the heat exchange chamber 311, so as to prevent sodium acetate from contaminating water or refrigerant. At this time, sodium acetate is coated on the outer wall of the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320. When the refrigeration system 100 is working, when the high-temperature refrigerant flows through the first pipe 330 in the heat exchange chamber 311, the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant can be absorbed by the sodium acetate. If the user takes hot water at this time, the cold water flows through the second pipe 320 in the heat exchange chamber 311, and the sodium acetate transfers part of the heat to the cold water through the second pipe 320, thereby The cold water is preheated; if the user does not use hot water at this time, no cold water flows through the second pipe 320 in the heat exchange chamber 311, and sodium acetate absorbs the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant and accumulates the heat; when the refrigeration system 100 stops working, no high-temperature refrigerant flows through the first pipe 330 in the heat exchange chamber 311. If the user uses hot water at this time, cold water flows through the second pipe 320 in the heat exchange chamber 311, and sodium acetate releases the previously accumulated heat, so that the cold water can still be preheated without the refrigerant releasing heat, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the waste heat recovery system 300 for preheating cold water, so that the heater 210 can use lower power to heat the water to the set temperature. Specifically, the heater 210 can use a heating wire to heat the water. If the waste heat recovery system 300 does not use the heat storage medium 350 to buffer the heat release, when the refrigerator is not in a refrigeration condition, when hot water is used, the heater 210 needs a higher power to heat the water to the set temperature in a short time; if the waste heat recovery system 300 uses the heat storage medium 350 to buffer the heat release, when the refrigerator is not in a refrigeration condition, when hot water is used, since the heat storage medium 350 can release the previously accumulated heat to preheat the cold water, the heater 210 can heat the water to the set temperature in a short time with a lower power, which is beneficial to reduce the cost of the heater 210, and at the same time can make more effective use of the exhaust waste heat of the refrigeration system 100.

[0073] It is understandable that in order to further improve the heat exchange efficiency between the refrigerant and water in the heat exchange chamber 311, Figures 2 to 4In some embodiments of the present invention, the conveying direction of the refrigerant is opposite to that of the water in the heat exchange chamber 311. For example, the heat exchange chamber 311 is roughly cylindrical and placed horizontally, the conveying direction of the refrigerant is from the left end to the right end of the heat exchange chamber 311, and the conveying direction of the water is from the right end to the left end of the heat exchange chamber 311, so that when the refrigerant comes out of the heat exchange chamber 311, it needs to exchange heat with the water that has just entered the heat exchange chamber 311, so that the heat of the refrigerant can be further released, which is conducive to the cold water fully absorbing the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant and improving the efficiency of heat exchange.

[0074] It is understandable that in order to improve the heating accuracy of the heater 210, in some embodiments of the present invention, the hot water preparation system 200 is further provided with a temperature control device 220, which includes a controller and a first temperature sensor connected to each other, the first temperature sensor is used to detect the water temperature at the outlet end of the second pipe 320, and the controller is connected to the heater 210. The cold water is preheated in the heat exchange chamber 311, and its temperature rises. The preheated water is discharged through the outlet end of the second pipe 320, and finally enters the heater 210 and is heated to a preset temperature. The first temperature sensor detects the water temperature at the outlet end of the second pipe 320, thereby knowing the temperature of the cold water after preheating, and then the first temperature sensor sends the relevant data to the controller, and the controller controls the heating power and / or heating time of the heater 210 according to the relevant data, so as to quickly provide hot water to the user and improve the user's satisfaction with the refrigerator.

[0075] Of course, it is understandable that in order to monitor the temperature of water after being heated by the heater 210 to further improve the accuracy of the outlet water temperature, in some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature control device 220 also includes a second temperature sensor connected to the controller, and the second temperature sensor is used to detect the water temperature at the outlet end of the heater 210, so that when the second temperature sensor detects that the water temperature at the outlet end of the heater 210 does not reach the preset temperature, the second temperature sensor feeds back the relevant data to the controller, and the controller controls the heater 210 to increase the heating power and / or heating time, so that the outlet water temperature can be increased to the preset temperature, so as to improve the accuracy of the outlet water temperature and improve the user's satisfaction with the use of the refrigerator; when the second temperature sensor detects that the water temperature at the outlet end of the heater 210 exceeds the preset temperature, the second temperature sensor feeds back the relevant data to the controller, and the controller controls the heater 210 to reduce the heating power and / or heating time, so that the outlet water temperature can be reduced to the preset temperature, so as to improve the accuracy of the outlet water temperature and improve the user's satisfaction with the use of the refrigerator.

[0076] It is understandable that in order to make the water available more quickly, in some embodiments of the present invention, the hot water preparation system 200 further includes a water pump, which can be arranged on the second pipe 320, or on the water reservoir 230, or at other locations on the cold water delivery pipeline. When the user takes hot water, the water pump starts, and drives the water through the impeller, so that the cold water in the water reservoir 230 can be pumped to the inlet end of the heater 210 through the second pipe 320. When the cold water passes through the heat exchange chamber 311, the cold water can be preheated so that the temperature rises, and finally input into the heater 210 for further heating, so that the water temperature can reach the preset temperature for the user to take.

[0077] Reference Figure 5 It is understood that the refrigerator is usually provided with a box body 400, and the box body 400 has a refrigerating compartment 410, a freezing compartment 420 and a compressor compartment 430. The compressor compartment 430 is located at the bottom of the freezing compartment 420, and the compressor 110 is located in the compressor compartment 430. The waste heat generated by the compressor 110 when working is relatively large, so the temperature of the compressor compartment 430 is also relatively high. In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to further improve the utilization rate of the waste heat of the refrigeration system 100 by the waste heat recovery system 300, the water storage tank 230 is arranged in the refrigerating compartment 410, and the heat exchanger 310 is arranged in the compressor compartment 430, so that when the cold water passes through the heat exchanger 310, the cold water can first absorb the heat in the compressor compartment 430, and then the cold water absorbs the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant or heat storage medium 350 in the heat exchange cavity 311 for preheating, so that the temperature of the cold water can be raised higher, and the recovery and utilization rate of the heat discharged by the refrigeration system 100 by the waste heat recovery system 300 is improved.

[0078] Several specific application embodiments of the present invention are provided below.

[0079] Example 1: Reference Figures 1 to 3The refrigerator is a 500L ice-making refrigerator. The heater 210 is a heating wire structure that generates heat when powered on. The first pipe 330 has a heat exchange portion 340 located in the heat exchange cavity 311. The heat exchange portion 340 is spiral. The second pipe 320 has a diversion section 321 extending into the heat exchange cavity 311. The outer wall of the diversion section 321 is densely covered with through holes 322 connected to the heat exchange cavity 311. After the refrigerator runs stably, it is switched to the ice-making function. The refrigerator's refrigeration temperature is set to 6°C and the freezing temperature is set to -18°C. The water pump delivers 20°C water at a flow rate of 0.5L / min toward the heater 210 through the second pipe 320 to simulate the water storage 230 supplying water to the heater 210. The outlet water temperature of the hot water is set to 80°C. In addition, using the same temperature control device 220 and heater 210, 0.5L / min of 20°C cold water is directly heated to 80°C. All tests record the power consumption. After the refrigerator runs stably, the average power of the refrigerator during ice making is 285W. In the first test case, the cold water absorbs the heat of the refrigerant through the heat exchange chamber 311 to achieve preheating. The average water temperature at the outlet of the second pipe 320 is 40.3℃, the water temperature rises by 20.3℃, the average temperature of the hot water at the outlet of the heater 210 is 73℃, and the heating power of the heater 210 is 1300W. In the second test case, the cold water is not preheated through the heat exchanger 310, but directly heated by the heater 210. When the hot water temperature at the outlet of the heater 210 reaches 73℃, the heating power of the heater 210 exceeds 2400W. It can be seen that the present invention recovers the heat of the refrigeration system 100 through the waste heat recovery system 300, and uses the heat to preheat the cold water when preparing hot water, thereby greatly reducing the energy consumption required by the heater 210 to heat the water to the set temperature. Therefore, a heater 210 with a smaller power can be used to meet the demand for preparing hot water, reducing the cost of preparing hot water, and at the same time helping to improve the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.

[0080] Embodiment 2: The refrigerator is a 500L ice-making refrigerator, and the heater 210 is a heating wire structure that is powered and heated. Figure 4, the heat exchange cavity 311 of the heat exchanger 310 is filled with a heat storage medium 350 sodium acetate, the first pipe 330 and the second pipe 320 both have a heat exchange portion 340 located in the heat exchange cavity 311, the heat exchange portion 340 is spiral, and the sodium acetate is coated on the outer wall of the heat exchange portion 340, and other test conditions are consistent with Example 1. After testing, the average power of the refrigerator during ice making is 263W, the average water temperature at the outlet of the second pipe 320 is 42.5℃, the water temperature rises by 22.5℃, and the water temperature at the outlet of the second pipe 320 is relatively stable, and more hot water can be continuously prepared. The average temperature of the hot water at the outlet of the heater 210 reaches 78℃, and the heating power of the heater 210 is fixed at 1300W, which is related to the fact that the heat storage medium 350 not only increases the temperature of the water but also can continuously output heat. Compared with Example 1, the heat exchanger 310 of this embodiment absorbs and releases heat through the heat storage medium 350, so that the efficiency of preparing hot water in the refrigerator is higher, and the energy efficiency of the refrigerator is further improved.

[0081] Example 3: Reference Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 5 The refrigerator is a 500L ice-making refrigerator. The heater 210 is a heating wire structure that is powered on and heated. The refrigerator uses R600a mixed with R290 as the refrigerant to increase the ice-making speed and exhaust temperature. The structure of the heat exchanger 310 is consistent with that of Example 1. The water storage tank 230 is installed in the refrigeration compartment 410. The door of the refrigeration compartment 410 has a cold water outlet 412 and a hot water outlet 411. The heat exchanger 310 is arranged in the compressor compartment 430. The second pipe 320 is placed on the side of the foaming layer close to the shell. After the refrigerator runs stably, it is switched to the ice-making function. The refrigeration temperature is set to 6°C and the freezing temperature is set to -18°C. The water in the water storage tank 230 is transported to the heat exchanger 310 for preheating through the water pump, and then flows to the hot water outlet after being heated by the heater 210. The hot water flow rate is set to 0.2L / min, and the heating power of the heater 210 is 500W. The test records the temperature of preparing 1 cup of 0.2L water. After the refrigerator runs stably, the test shows that the average power of the refrigerator during ice making is 330W, the average water temperature at the outlet of the second pipe 320 is 54.5°C, the water temperature rises by 48°C, and the average water temperature at the hot water outlet 411 reaches 75°C after further assisted heating by the heater 210. Compared with Example 1, this embodiment arranges the heat exchanger 310 in the compressor compartment 430, so that the cold water can absorb more heat, increases the temperature rise of the cold water, and realizes efficient preparation of instant hot water.

[0082] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a refrigerator, characterized in that: include: Obtaining a first set temperature and a first real-time temperature of a refrigerator compartment; Comparing the first set temperature with the first real-time temperature, when the first set temperature is lower than the first real-time temperature, starting the compressor, the water pump and the fan, and continuously running them for a first preset time; Obtain a second real-time temperature and a second set temperature of the refrigerant at the outlet of the heat exchanger; comparing the second real-time temperature with the second set temperature, and turning off the water pump when the second real-time temperature is lower than the second set temperature; Obtaining a third real-time temperature and a third set temperature of the refrigerant at the condenser outlet; The third real-time temperature and the third set temperature are compared, and when the third real-time temperature is less than the third set temperature, the fan is turned off.

2. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of comparing the first set temperature and the first real-time temperature further includes: stopping the compressor when the first set temperature is greater than or equal to the first real-time temperature.

3. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of comparing the second real-time temperature with the second set temperature also includes: when the second real-time temperature is greater than or equal to the second set temperature, controlling the water pump to continue running for a second preset time.

4. The refrigerator control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of comparing the third real-time temperature with the third set temperature also includes: when the third real-time temperature is greater than or equal to the third set temperature, controlling the fan to continue running for a third preset time.

5. The control device of the refrigerator, including: A memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the refrigerator control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 when executing the computer program.

6. A refrigerator, characterized in that include: A refrigeration system, provided with a compressor and a condenser; A hot water preparation system, provided with a water storage tank and a heater; A waste heat recovery system is provided with a heat exchanger, a first pipeline, a second pipeline and a water pump, wherein the heat exchanger has a heat exchange cavity, and the first pipeline and the second pipeline are arranged through the heat exchange cavity; The control device according to claim 5, used to control the refrigeration system, the hot water preparation system and the waste heat recovery system; Among them, the compressor transports the refrigerant to the condenser through the first pipe, the water pump is used to pump the water in the water tank to the inlet end of the heater through the second pipe, and the first pipe and the second pipe can exchange heat in the heat exchange cavity to transfer the heat of the refrigerant to the water.

7. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first pipeline and / or the second pipeline is provided with a heat exchange portion, and the heat exchange portion is located in the heat exchange cavity. The heat exchange portion is spiral and extends along the length direction of the heat exchange cavity.

8. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second pipeline has a diversion section, which is arranged in the heat exchange cavity. The outer wall of the diversion section is provided with a plurality of through holes communicating with the heat exchange cavity.

9. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that: A heat storage medium is arranged in the heat exchange cavity, and the heat storage medium fills the gap between the first pipe and the second pipe. The heat storage medium can absorb the heat of the first pipe and release the heat to the second pipe.

10. The refrigerator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The hot water preparation system is also provided with a temperature control device, which includes a controller and a first temperature sensor connected to each other. The first temperature sensor is used to detect the water temperature at the outlet end of the second pipe. The controller is connected to the heater.

11. The refrigerator according to claim 10, characterized in that: The temperature control device also includes a second temperature sensor connected to the controller, and the second temperature sensor is used to detect the water temperature at the outlet end of the heater.

12. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized in that: The refrigerator is provided with a refrigerating compartment and a compressor compartment, the water storage tank is arranged in the refrigerating compartment, and the heat exchanger is arranged in the compressor compartment.

Citation Information

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