Multi-split system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-split system and a control method thereof, the system comprises an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units, and the outdoor unit communicates with the indoor units through refrigerant pipelines; a recycling assembly used for recycling refrigerants to the outdoor unit is arranged between the outdoor unit and the multiple indoor units, and the recycling assembly is arranged on the refrigerant pipeline. Each indoor unit is correspondingly provided with a cut-off assembly used for cutting off refrigerants of the indoor unit, the cut-off assemblies are located between the recovery assembly and the indoor units corresponding to the cut-off assemblies, and the cut-off assemblies are arranged on the refrigerant pipeline. A cut-off assembly is arranged for each indoor unit, so that when any indoor unit leaks refrigerants, the refrigerant flow path can be cut off independently, the refrigerant leakage amount is reduced, normal operation of other indoor units is not affected, a recovery assembly is arranged between the outdoor unit and all the cut-off assemblies, and after the refrigerants of the multiple indoor units are cut off, the recovery efficiency is improved. And the refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant pipeline is recycled to the outdoor unit through the recycling assembly, and it is ensured that the refrigerant is used safely.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of HVAC technology, and in particular to a multi-connected system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In traditional VRF systems, non-flammable refrigerants with high GWP (Global Warming Potential) are generally used as refrigerants.

[0003] In order to protect the environment, the current trend of refrigerant use is transitioning from high-GWP non-flammable refrigerants to low-GWP combustible refrigerants. However, this low-GWP combustible refrigerant is flammable and explosive. During use, once it leaks into the room and reaches a certain concentration, there is a risk of explosion, thus posing a safety hazard to users. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to propose a multi-connected system and a control method thereof in view of the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, and the purpose is achieved through the following technical solutions.

[0005] A first aspect of the present application provides a multi-split system, the system comprising: an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units, the outdoor unit being connected to the plurality of indoor units via a refrigerant pipeline;

[0006] A recovery component for recovering the refrigerant to the outdoor unit is provided between the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units, and the recovery component is provided on the refrigerant pipeline;

[0007] Each of the indoor units is provided with a corresponding cut-off component for cutting off the refrigerant of the indoor unit. The cut-off component is located between the corresponding indoor unit and the recovery component, and the cut-off component is arranged on the refrigerant pipeline.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present application, a refrigerant sensor for detecting whether there is a refrigerant leak is provided inside each of the indoor units;

[0009] The refrigerant sensor is connected to a cut-off component corresponding to the indoor unit, or the refrigerant sensor is connected to the indoor unit.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present application, the shutoff assembly includes a first liquid pipe shutoff valve and a first gas pipe shutoff valve;

[0011] The first liquid pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant liquid pipe in the refrigerant pipeline, and the first gas pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant gas pipe in the refrigerant pipeline.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present application, the recovery assembly includes a second liquid pipe shutoff valve and a second gas pipe shutoff valve;

[0013] The second liquid pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant liquid pipe in the refrigerant pipeline, and the second gas pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant gas pipe in the refrigerant pipeline.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present application, the recovery component further includes a first pressure sensor for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant liquid pipe and a second pressure sensor for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant gas pipe.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, each of the indoor units is provided with a control panel for receiving user operations, and the control panel is respectively connected to the cut-off component of the indoor unit and the indoor unit.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, the system further comprises: a control module, the control module comprising a first controller in each of the cutoff components, a second controller in the recovery component, and a third controller in the outdoor unit;

[0017] The first controller, the second controller and the third controller are connected in series via a communication line.

[0018] A second aspect of the present application provides a control method for the multi-connected system as described in the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0019] When a cutoff component of any indoor unit among the multiple indoor units detects an indoor shutdown signal or a refrigerant leakage signal, the cutoff component cuts off the refrigerant of the indoor unit and sends the indoor shutdown signal or the refrigerant leakage signal to the outdoor unit;

[0020] When the outdoor unit determines that the refrigerant of the multiple indoor units is cut off, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the outdoor unit through the recovery component, and the outdoor unit determines whether the refrigerant of the multiple indoor units is cut off according to the received indoor shutdown signal or refrigerant leakage signal.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present application, the method of cutting off the refrigerant of any indoor unit by the cutting-off component includes:

[0022] The cut-off assembly closes the first liquid pipe cut-off valve and the first gas pipe cut-off valve.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present application, the step of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit through a recovery component includes:

[0024] The outdoor unit sends a refrigerant recovery notification to the recovery component;

[0025] The recovery component recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit according to the refrigerant recovery notification.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, the recovery component recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit according to the refrigerant recovery notification, including:

[0027] In the case where the refrigerant recovery notification carries information that the outdoor unit is operating in a cooling mode, the recovery component performs a first action;

[0028] When the refrigerant recovery notification carries information that the outdoor unit operates in a heating mode, the recovery component performs a second action.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present application, the first action is to first close the second liquid pipe shut-off valve, and when a preset condition is met, close the second gas pipe shut-off valve;

[0030] The second action is to first close the second gas pipe shut-off valve, and then close the second liquid pipe shut-off valve when a preset condition is met.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present application, the preset conditions include that the return air pressure value of the compressor in the outdoor unit is less than the preset pressure and / or the refrigerant pressure value detected by the pressure sensor in the recovery component is less than the preset pressure.

[0032] Based on the above multi-link system and control method thereof, the technical solution of the present application has the following beneficial effects or advantages:

[0033] By providing a cut-off component for cutting off the refrigerant of the indoor unit for each indoor unit in the multi-split system, when there is refrigerant leakage in any indoor unit, this refrigerant flow path can be cut off individually to reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage without affecting the normal operation of other indoor units, and a recovery component for recovering the refrigerant to the outdoor unit is provided between the outdoor unit and all the cut-off components. After the refrigerant is cut off from multiple indoor units in the multi-split system, the recovery component is used to recover the refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit to ensure the safe use of the refrigerant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0035] Figure 1This is a structural schematic diagram of a multi-link system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a multi-connected system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant flow in a refrigerant recovery process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant flow in another refrigerant recovery process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a circuit connection diagram of a multi-link system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a circuit connection diagram of another multi-link system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 7 The present application is a flowchart of a method for controlling a multi-connected system according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0042] In the above figure:

[0043] 100-multi-split system, 10-outdoor unit, 20-indoor unit, 30-refrigerant pipeline, 40-cutoff component, 50-recovery component, 60-control panel;

[0044] 201-Refrigerant sensor;

[0045] 401-first liquid pipe shut-off valve, 402-first gas pipe shut-off valve;

[0046] 501 - second liquid pipe shut-off valve, 502 - second gas pipe shut-off valve, 503 - first pressure sensor, 504 - second pressure sensor.

[0047] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0049] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0050] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in this application are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0051] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0052] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in the field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0053] Common unit machines (such as split-type air conditioners) consist of an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. The outdoor unit and the indoor unit are simply controlled by a 24V voltage signal, and complex information or operating parameters cannot be transmitted. In contrast, the multi-split system consists of an outdoor unit and multiple indoor units, that is, one outdoor unit drives multiple indoor units to operate. The outdoor unit and multiple indoor units transmit information such as operating parameters and fault signals through communication lines, which has a more complex communication method.

[0054] At present, the use of flammable refrigerants is increasing in multi-split systems. Flammable refrigerants can reduce the impact on the environment, but this also brings new technical problems, especially the problem of refrigerant leakage, which poses a safety hazard to users.

[0055] To this end, the present application provides the following embodiments to solve or improve the problems existing in the prior art. In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0056] Embodiment 1:

[0057] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a multi-split system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The multi-split system 100 includes an outdoor unit 10, a plurality of indoor units 20 ( Figure 1 2 , two indoor units 20 , a refrigerant pipe 30 , a recovery unit 50 , and a shutoff unit 40 corresponding to each indoor unit 20 are shown.

[0058] The refrigerant pipeline 30 may also be referred to as a circulation pipeline, which connects the outdoor unit 10 with a plurality of indoor units 20 to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

[0059] The recovery assembly 50 for recovering the refrigerant to the outdoor unit 10 and the cut-off assembly 40 for cutting off the refrigerant of the indoor unit are both disposed on the refrigerant pipeline 30 .

[0060] The cut-off component 40 is located between the recovery component 50 and the indoor unit 20 corresponding to the cut-off component 40. When a refrigerant leak occurs in the corresponding indoor unit 20, the cut-off component 40 can cut off a refrigerant flow path of the indoor unit 20 alone, so that the refrigerant cannot enter the indoor unit 20, while other indoor units 20 can still operate normally.

[0061] The recovery component 50 is located between the outdoor unit 10 and the plurality of indoor units 20 . When the refrigerants of the plurality of indoor units 20 are cut off, the recovery component 50 can recover the refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant pipeline 30 to the outdoor unit 10 , thereby storing the refrigerant in the outdoor unit 10 .

[0062] It is worth noting here that the cut-off component 40 can be set close to the port of the indoor unit 20 connected to the refrigerant pipeline 30 to shorten the pipeline length between the cut-off component 40 and the indoor unit 20, thereby minimizing the refrigerant leakage when cutting off the refrigerant.

[0063] Furthermore, the recovery component 50 can be disposed close to the port of the outdoor unit 10 connected to the refrigerant pipeline 30 to shorten the pipeline length between the recovery component 50 and the outdoor unit 10, so as to store as much refrigerant as possible in the outdoor unit 10 after the refrigerant recovery is completed.

[0064] In the embodiment scheme of the present application, a cut-off component 40 for cutting off the refrigerant of the indoor unit 20 is provided for each indoor unit 20 in the multi-split system 100, so that when there is refrigerant leakage inside any indoor unit 20, this refrigerant flow path can be cut off separately to reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage without affecting the normal operation of other indoor units 20, and a recovery component 50 for recovering the refrigerant to the outdoor unit 10 is provided between the outdoor unit 10 and all the cut-off components 40. After the refrigerant is cut off from the multiple indoor units 20 in the multi-split system 100, the recovery component 50 is used to recover the refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant pipeline 30 to the outdoor unit 10 to ensure the safe use of the refrigerant.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 2 As shown, the multi-split system 100 further includes a refrigerant sensor 201 for detecting whether there is a refrigerant leakage, and a refrigerant sensor 201 is provided inside each indoor unit 20 .

[0066] The refrigerant sensor 201 is used to detect the concentration of the surrounding refrigerant. When the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant sensor 201 exceeds a preset concentration, it indicates that there is a refrigerant leak inside the indoor unit 20. Exemplarily, the refrigerant sensor 201 can be implemented in various forms such as a gas sensor and a concentration sensor. The present application does not specifically limit the implementation form of the refrigerant sensor 201.

[0067] In one example, the refrigerant sensor 201 can be connected to the cut-off component 40 corresponding to the indoor unit 20, so that the refrigerant concentration collected by the refrigerant sensor 201 each time is transmitted to the cut-off component 40 through the connection, and the cut-off component 40 determines whether the received refrigerant concentration exceeds the preset concentration. When it is determined that the refrigerant concentration exceeds the preset concentration, it is considered that there is a refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit 20, and the cut-off component 40 cuts off this refrigerant flow path of the indoor unit 20 to reduce refrigerant leakage.

[0068] In actual applications, since the cut-off component 40 is disposed on the refrigerant pipeline 30 and the refrigerant sensor 201 is disposed inside the indoor unit 20 , a communication line is required to connect the cut-off component 40 and the refrigerant sensor 201 .

[0069] In this example, since the refrigerant sensor 201 is directly connected to the cut-off component 40 , the cut-off component 40 can directly detect whether there is a refrigerant leakage based on the refrigerant concentration collected in real time. When a refrigerant leakage is detected, the refrigerant flow path is cut off to prevent the refrigerant from entering the indoor unit 20 .

[0070] In another example, the refrigerant sensor 201 can also be connected to the indoor unit 20, so that the refrigerant concentration collected by the refrigerant sensor 201 each time is transmitted to the indoor unit 20 through the connection, and the indoor unit 20 determines whether the received refrigerant concentration exceeds the preset concentration. When it is determined that the refrigerant concentration exceeds the preset concentration, it is considered that there is a refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit 20, and the indoor unit 20 cuts off the voltage signal and shuts down. When the cut-off component 40 detects the shutdown signal of the indoor unit 20, the cut-off component 40 cuts off the refrigerant flow path of the indoor unit 20 to reduce refrigerant leakage.

[0071] In this example, since the refrigerant sensor 201 is connected to the indoor unit 20, the indoor unit 20 can directly detect whether there is a refrigerant leakage based on the refrigerant concentration collected in real time. When a refrigerant leakage is detected, the indoor unit 20 cuts off the voltage signal and shuts down. Since the indoor unit 20 and the external outdoor unit 10 are only simply switched on and off by a voltage signal and cannot transmit complex information or operating parameters, after the cut-off component 40 detects that the voltage signal is disconnected, it cannot distinguish whether the indoor unit 20 is shut down normally or due to a refrigerant leakage. However, the cut-off component 40 prevents the refrigerant from entering the indoor unit 20 by cutting off the refrigerant flow path of the indoor unit 20, thereby improving the safety of refrigerant use.

[0072] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 2 As shown, the shutoff assembly 40 may include a first liquid pipe shutoff valve 401 and a first gas pipe shutoff valve 402, and the refrigerant pipeline 30 includes a refrigerant liquid pipe for transmitting liquid refrigerant and a refrigerant gas pipe for transmitting gaseous refrigerant.

[0073] The first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 is disposed on the refrigerant liquid pipe in the refrigerant pipe 30 , and the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402 is disposed on the refrigerant gas pipe in the refrigerant pipe 30 .

[0074] It is worth noting that after the first liquid pipe shutoff valve 401 is closed, the liquid refrigerant transmitted in the refrigerant liquid pipe cannot enter the indoor unit 20 and is cut off at the position of the first liquid pipe shutoff valve 401; after the first gas pipe shutoff valve 402 is closed, the gaseous refrigerant transmitted in the refrigerant gas pipe cannot enter the indoor unit 20 and is cut off at the position of the first gas pipe shutoff valve 402. Since each indoor unit 20 has a separate set of first gas pipe shutoff valves 402 and first liquid pipe shutoff valves 401 for shutting off the refrigerant flow path, the state control of the first liquid pipe shutoff valve 401 and the first gas pipe shutoff valve 402 is usually consistent.

[0075] That is to say, during the operation of the indoor unit 20, the first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 and the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402 are both in an open state. When there is a refrigerant leak in the indoor unit 20 and / or the indoor unit 20 is shut down, the first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 and the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402 are both in a closed state.

[0076] In this embodiment, by setting the first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 in the shut-off component 40 on the refrigerant liquid pipe, and setting the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402 in the shut-off component 40 on the refrigerant gas pipe, the shut-off component 40 can shut off the refrigerant flow path by closing the first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 and the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402, so that the refrigerant cannot enter the corresponding indoor unit 20.

[0077] Exemplarily, the first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 and the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402 in the shut-off assembly 40 may be any one of an electronic expansion valve and a solenoid valve. The present application does not specifically limit the implementation form of the first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 and the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402, as long as it can ensure that the first liquid pipe shut-off valve 401 and the first gas pipe shut-off valve 402 have an open state and a closed state.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 2 As shown, the recovery component 50 may include a second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and a second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 .

[0079] The second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 is disposed on the refrigerant liquid pipe in the refrigerant pipe 30 , and the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 is disposed on the refrigerant gas pipe in the refrigerant pipe 30 .

[0080] It is worth noting here that the recovery component 50 recovers the refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant pipeline 30 between the shut-off component 40 and the recovery component 50 to the outdoor unit 10 by controlling the opening and closing states of the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502.

[0081] The control logic of the recovery component 50 for refrigerant recovery is as follows:

[0082] When the outdoor unit 10 determines that the refrigerant of all indoor units 20 is cut off, it sends a refrigerant recovery notification to the recovery component 50. When the recovery component 50 receives the refrigerant recovery notification, if the current outdoor unit 10 is running in the cooling mode, the recovery component 50 first closes the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and starts to recover the refrigerant. When the refrigerant recovery end condition is met, the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 is closed and a refrigerant recovery completion signal is sent to the outdoor unit 10. After the outdoor unit 10 receives the refrigerant recovery completion signal, the outdoor unit 10 is shut down.

[0083] If the outdoor unit 10 is currently running in heating mode, the recovery component 50 first closes the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 and starts to recover the refrigerant. When the refrigerant recovery end condition is met, the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 is closed and a refrigerant recovery completion signal is sent to the outdoor unit 10. After the outdoor unit 10 receives the refrigerant recovery completion signal, the outdoor unit 10 is shut down.

[0084] The refrigerant flow direction of the recovery component 50 during the refrigerant recovery process is described as follows:

[0085] See also Figure 3 As shown, when the outdoor unit 10 is running in the cooling mode, since the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 is closed, the low-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor unit 10 is cut off by the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 in the refrigerant liquid pipe and cannot continue to flow, while the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant in the refrigerant air pipe will continuously enter the outdoor unit 10. In the outdoor unit 10, the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant is compressed, condensed, and supercooled to become low-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant stored in the outdoor unit 10 and in the refrigerant liquid pipe between the outdoor unit 10 and the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501. After the refrigerant recovery is completed, the second air pipe shut-off valve 502 is closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back into the refrigerant air pipe.

[0086] See also Figure 4 As shown, when the outdoor unit 10 is operating in the heating mode, since the second air pipe shut-off valve 502 is closed, the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor unit 10 is cut off by the second air pipe shut-off valve 502 in the refrigerant air pipe and cannot continue to flow, while the high-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant liquid pipe will continuously enter the outdoor unit 10. In the outdoor unit 10, the high-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant is supercooled, evaporated, and compressed to become a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant stored in the outdoor unit 10 and in the refrigerant air pipe between the outdoor unit 10 and the second air pipe shut-off valve 502. After the refrigerant recovery is completed, the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 is closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back into the refrigerant liquid pipe.

[0087] In this embodiment, by setting the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 in the recovery component 50 on the refrigerant liquid pipe, and setting the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 in the recovery component 50 on the refrigerant gas pipe, the recovery component 50 can control the closing sequence of the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 to recover the refrigerant to the outdoor unit 10 without causing the problem of refrigerant backflow.

[0088] Exemplarily, the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 in the recovery component 50 can be any one of an electronic expansion valve and a solenoid valve. The present application does not specifically limit the implementation form of the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502, as long as it can ensure that the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502 have an open state and a closed state.

[0089] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 2 As shown, the recovery component 50 may also include a first pressure sensor 503 for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant liquid pipe and a second pressure sensor 504 for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant gas pipe.

[0090] The refrigerant pressure collected by the first pressure sensor 503 can reflect the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant liquid pipe, and the refrigerant pressure collected by the second pressure sensor 504 can reflect the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant gas pipe. Therefore, during the refrigerant recovery process, the refrigerant pressure collected by the first pressure sensor 503 and / or the refrigerant pressure collected by the second pressure sensor 504 can be used to determine whether the refrigerant recovery is completed.

[0091] In this embodiment, by providing a first pressure sensor 503 for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant liquid pipe and a second pressure sensor 504 for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant gas pipe in the recovery component 50, the refrigerant pressure can be detected during the refrigerant recovery process to determine whether the refrigerant recovery is completed.

[0092] In some embodiments of the present application, see Figure 2 As shown, the multi-split system 100 may further include a control panel 60, one of which is provided for each indoor unit 20, and is used to receive user operations, such as shutdown operations, startup operations, temperature adjustment operations, wind speed adjustment operations, etc.

[0093] Among them, the control panel 60 is connected to the indoor unit 20, so that the indoor unit 20 can operate based on the user operation of the control panel 60, and the control panel 60 is also connected to the cut-off component 40 of the indoor unit 20, so that the cut-off component 40 can detect whether the indoor unit 20 is in the shutdown state or the running state.

[0094] The control panel 60 can be understood as a remote control or wired controller of the indoor unit 20. Usually, the control panel 60 is set on a wall or integrated with the indoor unit 20. The user operations received by the control panel 60 will be detected by the indoor unit 20, so that the indoor unit 20 adjusts the operating parameters of the indoor unit 20 according to the user operations.

[0095] It should be noted that, since the cut-off assembly 40 is disposed on the refrigerant pipeline 30 , a communication line is required to connect the control panel 60 and the cut-off assembly 40 .

[0096] In this embodiment, by connecting the control panel 60 of the indoor unit 20 to the cutoff assembly 40, the cutoff assembly 40 can detect whether the indoor unit 20 is in the shutdown state or the operating state.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present application, the multi-connection system 100 further includes a control module ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 The control module includes a first controller in each cut-off component 40, a second controller in the recovery component 50, and a third controller in the outdoor unit 10.

[0098] Among them, each of the first controller, the second controller and the third controller is connected in series through a communication line, so that signal transmission between the cutoff component 40, the recovery component 50 and the outdoor unit 10 can be achieved.

[0099] Based on the above Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the description scheme of the illustrated embodiment, the first controller in the cut-off assembly 40 is connected to the first liquid pipe cut-off valve 401 and the first air pipe cut-off valve 402, and the first controller controls the closing state and the opening state of the first liquid pipe cut-off valve 401 and the first air pipe cut-off valve 402.

[0100] In addition, the second controller in the recovery component 50 is connected to the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501, the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502, the first pressure sensor 503 and the second pressure sensor 504, and the second controller controls the closing state and the opening state of the second liquid pipe shut-off valve 501 and the second gas pipe shut-off valve 502, and receives the refrigerant pressure detected by the first pressure sensor 503 and the second pressure sensor 504.

[0101] In this embodiment, by connecting the cutoff component 40, the recovery component 50 and the outdoor unit 10 in series, signal transmission between the three modules can be achieved, so that the outdoor unit 10 can control the recovery component 50 to recover the refrigerant according to the transmitted signal.

[0102] It should be noted here that the control module can also include a fourth controller in the indoor unit 20. It can be seen that the multi-split system 100 realizes the operation control of the entire system by combining the first controller, the second controller, the third controller and the fourth controller.

[0103] In one example, see Figure 5 The circuit connection of the multi-split system shown is that each cut-off component 40, recovery component 50 and outdoor unit 10 are connected in series using a communication line, the cut-off component 40 and the refrigerant sensor 201 inside the indoor unit 20 are also connected using a communication line, and the cut-off component 40 and the control panel 60 of the indoor unit 20 are also connected using a communication line.

[0104] In this example, the cut-off component 40 can determine whether there is a refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit 20 based on the refrigerant concentration collected by the refrigerant sensor 201 connected thereto. If a refrigerant leakage is determined, the refrigerant flow path of the indoor unit 20 is cut off, and a refrigerant leakage signal of the indoor unit 20 is sent to the outdoor unit 10.

[0105] In another example, see Figure 6In the circuit connection of the multi-split system shown in FIG. 1 , each cut-off component 40, recovery component 50 and outdoor unit 10 are connected in series using a communication line, and the refrigerant sensor 201 inside the indoor unit 20 is directly integrated on the main control board of the indoor unit 20, thereby realizing the connection between the refrigerant sensor 201 and the indoor unit 20, and the cut-off component 40 and the control panel 60 of the indoor unit 20 are also connected using a communication line.

[0106] In this example, the indoor unit 20 determines whether there is a refrigerant leakage based on the refrigerant concentration collected by the refrigerant sensor 201 connected thereto. When it is determined that there is a refrigerant leakage, the indoor unit 20 cuts off the voltage signal sent by the control panel 60, thereby stopping the operation of the indoor unit 20. At this time, the cut-off component 40 detects that the voltage signal of the control panel 60 is disconnected, and it can be determined that the indoor unit 20 is in a shutdown state or a refrigerant leakage state, so that the cut-off component 40 cuts off the refrigerant flow path of the indoor unit 20 and sends the shutdown signal of the indoor unit 20 to the outdoor unit 10.

[0107] Embodiment 2:

[0108] Corresponding to the aforementioned embodiments of the multi-split system, the present application also provides an embodiment of a control method of the multi-split system.

[0109] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a control method for a multi-connected system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Figures 1 to 6 Based on the embodiment shown, the control method is applied to a control module on a multi-connection system, such as Figure 7 As shown, the following steps are included:

[0110] Step 701: When a cutoff component of any indoor unit among the multiple indoor units detects an indoor shutdown signal or a refrigerant leakage signal, the refrigerant of the indoor unit is cut off by the cutoff component, and the indoor shutdown signal or the refrigerant leakage signal is sent to the outdoor unit;

[0111] Step 702: When the outdoor unit determines that the refrigerant of multiple indoor units is cut off, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the outdoor unit through the recovery component, and the outdoor unit determines whether the refrigerant of multiple indoor units is cut off according to the received indoor shutdown signal or refrigerant leakage signal.

[0112] Among them, the cut-off component detects the indoor shutdown signal, which means that the corresponding indoor unit has stopped running and is in the shutdown state, and no refrigerant circulation is required. The cut-off component detects the refrigerant leakage signal, which means that the corresponding indoor unit has a refrigerant leakage and can no longer circulate the refrigerant. Therefore, both the indoor shutdown signal and the refrigerant leakage signal mean that the refrigerant circulation of the indoor unit must be stopped, so the cut-off component must cut off the refrigerant flow path of the corresponding indoor unit, so that the refrigerant can no longer enter the indoor unit, thereby ensuring the safety of refrigerant use.

[0113] The indoor unit shutdown signal and the refrigerant leakage signal both carry the indoor unit identification, so the outdoor unit can determine which indoor units' refrigerant is cut off according to the indoor unit shutdown signal or the indoor unit identification in the refrigerant leakage signal.

[0114] At this point, the above Figure 7 The control flow of the multi-split system shown in the figure is that when there is refrigerant leakage in any indoor unit, this refrigerant flow path is cut off separately to reduce the refrigerant leakage without affecting the normal operation of other indoor units. After the refrigerant is cut off for multiple indoor units in the multi-split system, the refrigerant remaining in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the outdoor unit by using the recovery component located between the outdoor unit and all the cut-off components to ensure the safe use of the refrigerant.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present application, the process of cutting off the refrigerant of any indoor unit by using the cut-off component includes: the cut-off component closes the first liquid pipe cut-off valve and the first gas pipe cut-off valve.

[0116] In some embodiments of the present application, the process of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit through the recovery component includes: the outdoor unit sends a refrigerant recovery notification to the recovery component, and the recovery component recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit according to the refrigerant recovery notification.

[0117] The refrigerant recovery notification may carry information about the outdoor unit operation mode, that is, whether the outdoor unit is operating in cooling mode or heating mode.

[0118] In some embodiments of the present application, the process of a recovery component recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit based on the refrigerant recovery notification includes: when the refrigerant recovery notification carries information that the outdoor unit is operating in a cooling mode, the recovery component performs a first action; when the refrigerant recovery notification carries information that the outdoor unit is operating in a heating mode, the recovery component performs a second action.

[0119] Further, the first action is to close the second liquid pipe shutoff valve first, and then close the second air pipe shutoff valve when the first preset condition is met. And the second action is to close the second air pipe shutoff valve first, and then close the second liquid pipe shutoff valve when the second preset condition is met.

[0120] Among them, the first preset condition and the second preset condition are both conditions for completing refrigerant recovery.

[0121] Based on the above implementation, it can be known that when refrigerant recovery is performed, the recovery component can perform different actions according to different operating modes of the outdoor unit to complete refrigerant recovery without the need for the outdoor unit to switch modes.

[0122] In some embodiments of the present application, the first preset condition includes that the return air pressure value of the compressor in the outdoor unit is less than the preset pressure and / or the refrigerant pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor in the recovery component is less than the preset pressure.

[0123] Furthermore, the second preset condition includes that the return air pressure value of the compressor in the outdoor unit is less than the preset pressure and / or the refrigerant pressure value detected by the first pressure sensor in the recovery component is less than the preset pressure.

[0124] It should be noted here that, for the method embodiment, since it basically corresponds to the system embodiment, the relevant parts can refer to the partial description of the system embodiment, and the specific implementation method of the above steps 701 to 702 will not be repeated here.

[0125] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. All equivalent structural changes made based on the concept of the present application and the contents of the present application description and drawings, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A multi-link system, characterized in that: The system comprises: an outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units, wherein the outdoor unit is connected to the plurality of indoor units via a refrigerant pipeline; A recovery component for recovering the refrigerant to the outdoor unit is provided between the outdoor unit and the plurality of indoor units, and the recovery component is provided on the refrigerant pipeline; Each of the indoor units is provided with a corresponding cut-off component for cutting off the refrigerant of the indoor unit. The cut-off component is located between the recovery component and the indoor unit corresponding to the cut-off component. The cut-off component is arranged on the refrigerant pipeline.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the indoor units is provided with a refrigerant sensor for detecting whether there is refrigerant leakage; The refrigerant sensor is connected to a cut-off component corresponding to the indoor unit, or the refrigerant sensor is connected to the indoor unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The cut-off assembly includes a first liquid pipe cut-off valve and a first gas pipe cut-off valve; The first liquid pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant liquid pipe in the refrigerant pipeline, and the first gas pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant gas pipe in the refrigerant pipeline.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The recovery assembly includes a second liquid pipe shutoff valve and a second gas pipe shutoff valve; The second liquid pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant liquid pipe in the refrigerant pipeline, and the second gas pipe shutoff valve is arranged on the refrigerant gas pipe in the refrigerant pipeline.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The recovery component also includes a first pressure sensor for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant liquid pipe and a second pressure sensor for detecting the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant gas pipe.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the indoor units is correspondingly provided with a control panel for receiving user operations, and the control panel is respectively connected to the cut-off component of the indoor unit and the indoor unit.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The system further comprises: a control module, the control module comprising a first controller in each of the cut-off components, a second controller in the recovery component, and a third controller in the outdoor unit; The first controller, the second controller and the third controller are connected in series via a communication line.

8. A control method for a multi-connection system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method comprises: When a cutoff component of any indoor unit among the multiple indoor units detects an indoor shutdown signal or a refrigerant leakage signal, the cutoff component cuts off the refrigerant of the indoor unit and sends the indoor shutdown signal or the refrigerant leakage signal to the outdoor unit; When the outdoor unit determines that the refrigerant of the multiple indoor units is cut off, the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline is recovered to the outdoor unit through the recovery component, and the outdoor unit determines whether the refrigerant of the multiple indoor units is cut off according to the received indoor shutdown signal or refrigerant leakage signal.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method of cutting off the refrigerant of any indoor unit by the cutting-off component comprises: The cut-off assembly closes the first liquid pipe cut-off valve and the first gas pipe cut-off valve.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method of recovering the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit through a recovery component includes: The outdoor unit sends a refrigerant recovery notification to the recovery component; The recovery component recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit according to the refrigerant recovery notification.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The recovery component recovers the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipeline to the outdoor unit according to the refrigerant recovery notice, including: In the case where the refrigerant recovery notification carries information that the outdoor unit is operating in a cooling mode, the recovery component performs a first action; When the refrigerant recovery notification carries information that the outdoor unit operates in a heating mode, the recovery component performs a second action.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first action is to first close the second liquid pipe shutoff valve, and then close the second gas pipe shutoff valve when the first preset condition is met; The second action is to first close the second gas pipe shut-off valve, and then close the second liquid pipe shut-off valve when the second preset condition is met.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first preset condition includes that the return air pressure value of the compressor in the outdoor unit is less than the preset pressure and / or the refrigerant pressure value detected by the second pressure sensor in the recovery component is less than the preset pressure; The second preset condition includes that the return air pressure value of the compressor in the outdoor unit is less than the preset pressure and / or the refrigerant pressure value detected by the first pressure sensor in the recovery component is less than the preset pressure.

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