Air conditioner, refrigerant leakage detection method and device thereof and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses an air conditioner, a refrigerant leakage detection method and device of the air conditioner and a storage medium, and the method comprises the steps that the air conditioner is controlled in response to a starting instruction of the air conditioner, so that the refrigerant pressure of an indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches critical pressure; and under the condition that the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, whether refrigerant leakage happens to the indoor unit or not is detected within the preset time. According to the detection method, whether refrigerant leakage exists in the indoor unit of the air conditioner or not can be actively detected, and the refrigerant leakage detection precision can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the continuous development of industrialization and the acceleration of urbanization, people's requirements for quality of life are constantly increasing, and the use of air conditioners has become more and more common. Air conditioners rely on refrigerants to transport heat. A good air conditioner has a certain amount of refrigerant filling. More or less will reduce the performance of the air conditioner. For air conditioner users, when using the air conditioner, it is very likely that the air conditioner will not cool or the cooling effect is poor, and the cause of this problem is often refrigerant leakage. There may be the following situations regarding refrigerant leakage: 1. The air conditioner itself has refrigerant leakage before installation; 2. There is a problem with the air conditioner during installation, resulting in refrigerant leakage in the air conditioning system; 3. Due to other reasons, the air conditioner has refrigerant leakage after running for a period of time.

[0003] In addition, there are many pipes welded in the air conditioner, and the indoor and outdoor are connected by connecting pipes. Therefore, poor welding or loose connection will cause refrigerant leakage. Refrigerant leakage not only causes the air conditioner performance to decline, causing the compressor to operate in a poor condition, but also even damages the compressor in serious cases; with the use of flammable refrigerants R32 and R290, their leakage may also cause explosions, so comprehensive and effective refrigerant leakage detection is necessary.

[0004] In the related art, by setting up refrigerant sensors and other methods, when the air conditioner is running or in standby mode, it is passively detected whether there is a flammable refrigerant leak. However, in the scenario where there is a slight leak in the system, due to the detection accuracy and installation location of the refrigerant sensor, it may not be possible to identify the system leak in time or even fail to do so. Furthermore, if the system slight leak occurs when the system is powered off and the refrigerant sensor cannot work, the continuously accumulated flammable refrigerant poses a huge safety risk, which in serious cases endangers the personal safety of users. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve one of the technical problems in the related art to at least a certain extent. To this end, the first purpose of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner, by responding to a power-on instruction of the air conditioner, controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure, and when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, detecting whether the indoor unit has a refrigerant leakage within a preset time, thereby being able to actively detect whether the indoor unit of the air conditioner has a refrigerant leakage, and improving the accuracy of detecting the refrigerant leakage.

[0006] A second objective of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner.

[0007] A third object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable storage medium.

[0008] A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner.

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention proposes a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner, the method comprising: in response to a power-on command of the air conditioner, controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure; when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, detecting whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit within a preset time.

[0010] According to the refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner of the embodiment of the present invention, firstly, in response to the power-on instruction of the air conditioner, the air conditioner is controlled so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure, and then, when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, whether the indoor unit has a refrigerant leakage within a preset time is detected. Thus, the method can actively detect whether the indoor unit of the air conditioner has a refrigerant leakage, and can improve the accuracy of detecting the refrigerant leakage.

[0011] In addition, the refrigerant leakage detection method for the air conditioner according to the above embodiment of the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure includes: controlling one or more of the compressor, the reversing valve, the indoor fan and the outdoor fan of the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control of one or more of the compressor, reversing valve, indoor fan and outdoor fan of the air conditioner includes: controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency, wherein the preset frequency is greater than the maximum heat exchange operating frequency of the compressor and less than the maximum allowable operating frequency of the compressor; and / or, controlling the reversing valve to operate in a preset state so that the indoor heat exchanger is in a condensing state; and / or, controlling the indoor fan to operate at a first preset wind speed, wherein the first preset wind speed is less than the minimum heat exchange operating wind speed of the indoor unit; and / or, controlling the outdoor fan to operate at a second preset wind speed, wherein the second preset wind speed is greater than or equal to the maximum heat exchange operating wind speed of the outdoor fan and less than the maximum allowable operating wind speed of the outdoor fan.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, detecting whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit includes: obtaining the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit, and detecting whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit based on the refrigerant concentration; or, obtaining the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline of the indoor unit, and detecting whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit based on the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: if refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is detected within the preset time, refrigerant protection is performed on the air conditioner and a refrigerant leakage reminder message is issued; if refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is not detected within the preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate normally.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the critical pressure is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present invention, before controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure, the method further includes: obtaining the type of the power-on instruction; when the type is a forced power-on type, controlling the air conditioner to operate normally; when the type is a non-forced power-on type, controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure.

[0018] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the second aspect of the embodiment of the present invention proposes a refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner, comprising: a control module, used to control the air conditioner in response to a power-on command of the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure; a detection module, used to detect whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit within a preset time when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure.

[0019] According to the refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is used to respond to the start-up instruction of the air conditioner and control the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure; the detection module is used to detect whether the indoor unit has a refrigerant leak within a preset time when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure. Thus, the device can actively detect whether the indoor unit of the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, which can improve the accuracy of detecting refrigerant leaks.

[0020] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a third aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon, which implements the above-mentioned refrigerant leakage detection method for the air conditioner when executed by a processor.

[0021] According to the computer-readable storage medium of the embodiment of the present invention, by implementing the above-mentioned refrigerant leakage detection method for the air conditioner during execution, it is possible to actively detect whether there is a refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and the accuracy of detecting refrigerant leakage can be improved.

[0022] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, an air conditioner proposed in an embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention includes a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, the refrigerant leakage detection method of the above-mentioned air conditioner is implemented.

[0023] The air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention can actively detect whether there is a refrigerant leak in the indoor unit of the air conditioner by executing the above-mentioned refrigerant leak detection method of the air conditioner, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting the refrigerant leak.

[0024] 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

[0025] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner according to a specific example of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] 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 intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0030] The following describes a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner, a refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner, a computer-readable storage medium, and an air conditioner provided in embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 4 is a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] like Figure 1As shown, the refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention may include the following steps:

[0033] S1, in response to a start-up instruction of the air conditioner, controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure.

[0034] S2, when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, detect whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage within a preset time. The preset time can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0035] Specifically, the power-on command is a command that can control the air conditioner to change from an off state to an on state. After the air conditioner is turned on, the compressor, outdoor fan, indoor fan and other related components of the air conditioner start to work. For example, a user can issue a power-on command to the air conditioner through an air conditioner remote controller, or can issue a power-on command through a mobile device connected to the air conditioner.

[0036] After responding to the start-up instruction of the air conditioner, the air conditioner can be controlled, for example, the air conditioner can be controlled to operate in a heating mode, the air conditioner can be controlled to operate in a cooling mode, the air conditioner can be controlled to operate in a defrosting mode, etc., so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure. In addition, the compressor frequency of the air conditioner can be controlled, or the outdoor fan and the indoor fan of the air conditioner can be controlled, so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure. Among them, the magnitude of the critical pressure can be determined according to actual conditions. The critical pressure is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally. Therefore, when the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit reaches or exceeds the critical pressure, the refrigerant leakage amount of the possible micro-leakage can be increased, which helps to improve the accuracy of detecting refrigerant leakage. In other words, due to the fact that the pipeline may have leakage points due to long-term operation and corrosion, or due to the fact that the pipeline connection is not tightly connected, if the air conditioner is operating normally, the refrigerant micro-leakage cannot be discovered in time, and by increasing the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit, the leakage amount can be increased, so as to expose the refrigerant leakage in advance, so that it can be detected by a corresponding detection method.

[0037] Thus, when the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit reaches the critical pressure, whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage can be detected within a preset time, wherein the detection can be performed continuously during the preset time, or a specific time can be selected during the preset time for detection, so that it is convenient to detect whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage when the refrigerant leakage amount continues to increase. For example, the preset time can be 8 minutes, that is, the indoor temperature can be detected by the temperature sensor within 8 minutes. When it is detected that the indoor temperature change amplitude is not large, for example, when the air conditioner is running in the cooling mode, the indoor temperature obtained at the first minute is 28 degrees Celsius, and the indoor temperature obtained again at the eighth minute is 27 degrees Celsius, and the indoor temperature change amplitude is small; or, the indoor temperature is continuously obtained from the first minute to the eighth minute, and the indoor temperature change amplitude is judged. If the indoor temperature change amplitude is small, it means that the current indoor unit may have refrigerant leakage, which makes the heat exchange effect of the air conditioner worse, and the heat exchange effect of the air conditioner during normal cooling cannot be achieved.

[0038] Therefore, by responding to the start-up command of the air conditioner, the air conditioner is controlled so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure. When the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, it is detected within a preset time whether there is a refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, thereby being able to actively detect whether there is a refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting refrigerant leakage.

[0039] The specific working process of the refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner of the present invention is described in detail below.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, controlling an air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of an indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure includes: controlling one or more of a compressor, a reversing valve, an indoor fan, and an outdoor fan of the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure. The critical pressure is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit.

[0041] Specifically, the air conditioner is controlled so as to change the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Under different refrigerant pressures of the indoor unit, if there is a refrigerant leak, the refrigerant leakage amount is also different. That is, the greater the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit, the greater the leakage amount when the refrigerant leaks, and the smaller the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit, the smaller the leakage amount when the refrigerant leaks.

[0042] Therefore, in order to increase the leakage amount of possible micro-leaks in the indoor unit and improve the accuracy of detecting flammable refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner can be controlled so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit.

[0043] For example, when the air conditioner is operating normally, such as when operating in cooling mode, the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit is generally 0.95MPa. Under this pressure, the air conditioner can operate normally for cooling. The maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit can be determined according to different models. For example, the maximum allowable pressure can be 4.2MPa. The critical pressure cannot exceed the maximum operating pressure. That is, when it is too high, it is easy to cause serious heating of the compressor and affect the normal operation of the air conditioner. When determining the critical pressure, for example, the compressor of the air conditioner can be controlled, such as the frequency of the compressor can be controlled to gradually increase until the compressor operates at the maximum operating frequency. In this process, the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner can reach the critical pressure, that is, higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and not greater than the maximum operating pressure of the indoor unit. Therefore, compared with the situation when the air conditioner is operating normally, the leakage amount of the possible micro-leakage of the indoor unit can be increased, and the accuracy of detecting the leakage of the flammable refrigerant can be improved.

[0044] For another example, the indoor fan of the air conditioner can be controlled. It is understandable that the lower the wind speed of the indoor fan, the worse the heat exchange effect of the indoor heat exchanger, the refrigerant cannot be completely liquefied, and the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit will be greater. Therefore, the wind speed of the indoor fan can be controlled to gradually decrease until it runs at the lowest wind speed. In this process, the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner can reach the critical pressure, that is, higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and not greater than the maximum operating pressure of the indoor unit. Therefore, relative to the situation when the air conditioner is operating normally, the leakage amount of possible micro-leaks in the indoor unit can be increased, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting leaks of flammable refrigerant.

[0045] For another example, the outdoor fan of the air conditioner can be controlled. It can be understood that the greater the wind speed of the outdoor fan, the stronger the heat exchange effect of the outdoor heat exchanger, which can increase the pressure of the intake air. Therefore, the wind speed of the outdoor fan can be controlled to gradually decrease until it runs at the maximum wind speed. In this process, the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner can reach the critical pressure, that is, higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and not greater than the maximum operating pressure of the indoor unit, thereby increasing the leakage amount of possible micro-leaks in the indoor unit and improving the accuracy of detecting leaks of flammable refrigerant.

[0046] Since the risk of injury to people is high only when refrigerant leakage occurs on the indoor side, and the risk of injury to people is low when refrigerant leakage occurs on the outdoor side, it is sufficient to focus on detecting the refrigerant leakage on the indoor unit side. Since the pressure of the indoor heat exchanger when the air conditioner is running in hot-cooling mode is different from the pressure of the indoor heat exchanger when it is running in heating mode, when the air conditioner is running in cooling mode, the pressure on the outdoor heat exchanger side is higher, and the outdoor heat exchanger is equivalent to the condenser. When the air conditioner is running in heating mode, the pressure on the indoor heat exchanger side is higher, and the indoor heat exchanger is equivalent to the condenser. Therefore, the reversing valve can be controlled to make the air conditioner run in heating mode, so that the pressure on the indoor heat exchanger side is higher, so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is running normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit, thereby increasing the leakage amount of the possible micro-leakage of the indoor unit and improving the accuracy of detecting the leakage of flammable refrigerant.

[0047] In addition, multiple types of the air conditioner's compressor, reversing valve, indoor fan and outdoor fan can be controlled. For example, the air conditioner's compressor and reversing valve can be controlled at the same time, or the air conditioner's compressor and indoor fan can be controlled at the same time, or the air conditioner's compressor and outdoor fan can be controlled at the same time, or the air conditioner's compressor and outdoor fan can be controlled at the same time, or the compressor, reversing valve and indoor fan can be controlled at the same time, or the compressor, reversing valve and outdoor fan can be controlled at the same time, or the compressor, reversing valve, indoor fan and outdoor fan can be controlled at the same time, so that the critical pressure can be higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit.

[0048] According to one embodiment of the present invention, one or more of the compressor, the reversing valve, the indoor fan and the outdoor fan of the air conditioner are controlled, including: controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency, wherein the preset frequency is greater than the maximum heat exchange operating frequency of the compressor and less than the maximum allowable operating frequency of the compressor; and / or controlling the reversing valve to operate in a preset state so that the indoor heat exchanger is in a condensing state; and / or controlling the indoor fan to operate at a first preset wind speed, wherein the first preset wind speed is less than the minimum heat exchange operating wind speed of the indoor unit; and / or controlling the outdoor fan to operate at a second preset wind speed, wherein the second preset wind speed is greater than or equal to the maximum heat exchange operating wind speed of the outdoor fan and less than the maximum allowable operating wind speed of the outdoor fan.

[0049] Specifically, when controlling the compressor, the compressor can be controlled to operate at a preset frequency, which is higher than the maximum heat exchange operating frequency when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode or in heating mode, and the compressor must not exceed the compressor working limit when operating at the preset frequency, that is, the preset frequency must be less than the maximum operating frequency of the compressor. Thus, the compressor operates at a higher frequency, so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit. It should be noted that the preset frequency can be determined after multiple experiments when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode until the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit. When the parameters of other components remain unchanged, the higher the frequency of the compressor, the higher the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit, and the lower the frequency of the compressor, the lower the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit.

[0050] Since the pressure of the indoor heat exchanger when the air conditioner is running in hot-cooling mode is different from the pressure of the indoor heat exchanger when the air conditioner is running in heating mode, the pressure on the outdoor heat exchanger side is higher when the air conditioner is running in cooling mode, and the pressure on the indoor heat exchanger side is higher when the air conditioner is running in heating mode. Therefore, when controlling the reversing valve, the reversing valve can be controlled to operate according to a preset state. By controlling the reversing valve, the air conditioner can be operated in heating mode and the indoor heat exchanger can be in a condensing state, so that the pressure on the indoor heat exchanger side is higher.

[0051] When the indoor fan is controlled, the indoor fan can be controlled to operate at a first preset wind speed, which is less than the minimum heat exchange operation wind speed of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode or in heating mode, so that the air flows through the indoor heat exchanger at a speed less than the minimum wind speed during cooling or heating, so as to weaken the heat exchange effect of the indoor heat exchanger and increase the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. It should be noted that the first preset wind speed can be determined after multiple experiments when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode until the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit. When the parameters of other components remain unchanged, the lower the wind speed of the indoor fan, the higher the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit, and the higher the wind speed of the indoor fan, the lower the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit.

[0052] When the outdoor fan is controlled, the outdoor fan can be controlled to run at a second preset wind speed, wherein the second preset wind speed is greater than or equal to the maximum heat exchange operating wind speed of the outdoor fan and less than the maximum allowable operating wind speed of the outdoor fan. That is, the pressure of the intake air is increased by increasing the heat exchange effect of the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby increasing the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner. It should be noted that the second preset wind speed can be determined by multiple experiments when the air conditioner is running in heating mode until the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit reaches a refrigerant pressure higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit. When the parameters of other components remain unchanged, the higher the wind speed of the outdoor fan, the higher the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit, and the lower the wind speed of the outdoor fan, the lower the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit.

[0053] Preferably, the air conditioner can be operated in heating mode by controlling the reversing valve, and the preset frequency of the compressor, the first preset wind speed of the outdoor fan and the second preset wind speed of the indoor fan can be determined after multiple experiments until the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit reaches a value higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit, that is, the compressor is controlled to operate at the preset frequency, the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the first preset wind speed and the outdoor fan is controlled to operate at the second preset wind speed. In addition, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode, the compressor can also be controlled to operate at the preset frequency and the indoor fan can be controlled to operate at the first preset wind speed, or the compressor can be controlled to operate at the preset frequency and the outdoor fan can be controlled to operate at the second preset wind speed, or the indoor fan can be controlled to operate at the first preset wind speed and the outdoor fan can be controlled to operate at the second preset wind speed.

[0054] In addition, the air conditioner can also be operated in cooling mode by controlling the reversing valve, and after multiple experiments until the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit reaches a value higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit, the preset frequency of the compressor, the first preset wind speed of the outdoor fan, and the second preset wind speed of the indoor fan are determined, that is, the compressor is controlled to operate at the preset frequency, the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the first preset wind speed, and the outdoor fan is controlled to operate at the second preset wind speed. In addition, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode, the compressor can also be controlled to operate at the preset frequency and the indoor fan can be controlled to operate at the first preset wind speed, or the compressor can be controlled to operate at the preset frequency and the outdoor fan can be controlled to operate at the second preset wind speed, or the indoor fan can be controlled to operate at the first preset wind speed and the outdoor fan can be controlled to operate at the second preset wind speed.

[0055] As a specific embodiment, in an air-conditioning system using a flammable refrigerant, the normal operating frequency of the compressor is 46HZ, wherein the maximum heating operating frequency of the compressor is 87HZ, and the maximum allowable operating frequency of the compressor is 110HZ; the normal operating speed of the indoor fan is 850r / min, wherein the minimum heat exchange operating speed of the indoor fan is 400r / min; the four-way reversing valve signal is 0 (signal 0 represents the air conditioner operating in cooling mode), so that the indoor heat exchanger is in an evaporating state; the normal operating speed of the outdoor fan is 850r / min, wherein the outdoor fan The maximum heat exchange operating speed is 900r / min, and the maximum allowable operating speed of the outdoor fan is 1000r / min; the indoor heat exchanger operating absolute pressure is 0.95MPa, of which the maximum allowable absolute pressure of the indoor unit is 4.2MP. In the case of slight leakage, the smaller indoor heat exchanger operating absolute pressure will result in a lower leakage rate of flammable refrigerant at the slight leakage point, making the detection of refrigerant leakage inaccurate. For example, the detection concentration of the refrigerant sensor is always at a low value and cannot reach its detection threshold, so the refrigerant leakage situation cannot be accurately obtained.

[0056] Based on this, the operating frequency of the compressor is adjusted so that the preset operating frequency of the compressor is 105HZ (that is, the preset frequency is greater than the maximum heat exchange operating frequency of the compressor and less than the maximum allowable operating frequency of the compressor), the wind speed of the indoor fan is adjusted so that the preset operating speed of the indoor fan is 300r / min (the first preset wind speed is less than the minimum heat exchange operating wind speed of the indoor unit), and the preset state of the reversing valve is adjusted so that the preset operating signal of the four-way reversing valve is set to 1 (signal 1 represents the heating mode of the air conditioner), so that the indoor heat exchanger is in a condensing state (that is, the reversing valve is controlled to operate according to the preset state to put the indoor heat exchanger in a condensing state), and the speed of the outdoor fan is adjusted. The air conditioner is adjusted to a preset speed of 950 r / min for the outdoor fan (i.e., the second preset wind speed is greater than or equal to the maximum heat exchange operating wind speed of the outdoor fan and less than the maximum allowable operating wind speed of the outdoor fan), thereby making the operating absolute pressure of the indoor heat exchanger 3.9 MPa (i.e., the critical pressure is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit). In this way, in the event of slight leaks in the system, a higher operating absolute pressure of the indoor heat exchanger can increase the leakage rate of flammable refrigerant at slight leaks, thereby facilitating the detection of whether a refrigerant leak occurs. For example, the detection concentration of the refrigerant sensor is at a higher value, which can reach its detection threshold, thereby detecting whether a refrigerant leak occurs.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present invention, detecting whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in an indoor unit includes: obtaining the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit, and detecting whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit based on the refrigerant concentration; or obtaining the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline of the indoor unit, and detecting whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit based on the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline.

[0058] Specifically, when detecting whether a refrigerant leak occurs in the indoor unit, a judgment can be made based on the refrigerant concentration. For example, the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit can be obtained through a refrigerant sensor. Since the density of the refrigerant is greater than that of the air, when a refrigerant leak occurs, the refrigerant sensor can be installed at the bottom of the indoor heat exchanger to detect the concentration of the refrigerant. When the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit is obtained, the refrigerant concentration can be compared with the preset refrigerant concentration. When the refrigerant concentration is higher than the preset refrigerant concentration, it means that the refrigerant concentration inside the current indoor unit is high, and it can be determined that a refrigerant leak occurs in the current indoor unit. When the refrigerant concentration is lower than the preset refrigerant concentration, it can be determined that no refrigerant leak occurs in the current indoor unit. Among them, the preset refrigerant concentration can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0059] When detecting whether there is a refrigerant leak in the indoor unit, a judgment can also be made based on the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline. For example, the refrigerant pipeline temperature of the indoor unit can be obtained through a temperature sensor, and an interval time can be set. For example, one minute after the first acquisition of the refrigerant pipeline temperature, the refrigerant pipeline temperature is obtained again, and the ratio of the difference between the two temperatures to the interval time is calculated. The calculated result is compared with the preset temperature change. When the refrigerant pipeline temperature change is greater than the preset temperature change, it means that the current refrigerant is leaking and the refrigerant pipeline temperature has changed dramatically. It can be determined that the indoor unit has leaked. When the refrigerant pipeline temperature change is less than the preset temperature change, it means that the current refrigerant pipeline temperature has not changed dramatically, and it can be determined that the indoor unit has not leaked. Among them, the preset temperature change can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes: if refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is detected within a preset time, refrigerant protection is performed on the air conditioner and a refrigerant leakage reminder message is issued; if refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is not detected within the preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate normally. The preset time can be determined according to actual conditions.

[0061] Specifically, when detecting whether the indoor unit has a refrigerant leak, a preset time can be set, and the refrigerant leak can be detected within the preset time. When the indoor unit is detected to have a refrigerant leak within the preset time, the air conditioner can be protected from the refrigerant and a refrigerant leak reminder message can be issued. For example, the preset time can be set to 10 minutes. If the indoor unit is detected to have a refrigerant leak within ten minutes, the air conditioner can be protected from the refrigerant, such as recycling the refrigerant, stopping the compressor to prevent further refrigerant leakage, and controlling the fan speed to increase to disperse the leaked refrigerant.

[0062] And when the refrigerant leakage reminder information is issued, for example, a display panel can be set on the air conditioner, and when a refrigerant leakage is detected in the indoor unit, the refrigerant leakage information can be displayed on the display panel so that the user can check and repair it in time. For another example, a voice prompt can be used to remind the user of the refrigerant leakage in the form of a voice broadcast when a refrigerant leakage is detected in the indoor unit, so that the user can check and repair it in time.

[0063] If no refrigerant leakage from the indoor unit is detected within a preset time, the air conditioner can be controlled to operate normally, such as operating in a mode selected by the user, such as operating in a cooling mode or a heating mode.

[0064] In this way, the air conditioner can be protected from refrigerant when refrigerant leakage occurs, preventing huge safety risks caused by the continuous accumulation of flammable refrigerant. When no refrigerant leakage occurs, the air conditioner can operate normally according to the mode set by the user to meet the user's usage needs.

[0065] According to one embodiment of the present invention, before controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure, the method also includes: obtaining the type of the power-on instruction; when the type is a forced power-on type, controlling the air conditioner to operate normally; when the type is a non-forced power-on type, controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure.

[0066] Specifically, before the air conditioner is controlled so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure, the type of the power-on instruction can also be obtained when the air conditioner is turned on. The type of the power-on instruction may include a forced power-on type and a non-forced power-on type. The forced power-on type represents direct operation according to the mode set by the user, such as setting a corresponding fast cooling mode or a fast heating mode on the air conditioner remote control. Through this button, the user can directly enter the mode selected by the user without the need for refrigerant leakage detection. The non-forced power-on type means that the air conditioner does not directly operate according to the mode set by the user, but before operating in the mode set by the user, the indoor unit of the air conditioner is first detected for refrigerant leakage. For example, when the user selects the heating mode on a mobile device connected to the air conditioner, such as a smartphone, the air conditioner is first controlled to detect refrigerant leakage, and then the heating mode is operated.

[0067] That is, according to the type of the power-on instruction, when it is determined that the power-on instruction type is a forced power-on type, the air conditioner can be controlled to operate normally. For example, when the user selects the cooling mode, the air conditioner operates in the cooling mode to quickly lower the room temperature. When the user selects the heating mode, the air conditioner operates in the heating mode to quickly increase the room temperature. When it is determined that the power-on type is a non-forced power-on type, the air conditioner can be controlled, such as controlling the compressor, the outdoor fan, the indoor fan, the four-way valve, etc., so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure, so that when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, whether the indoor unit has a refrigerant leak can be detected.

[0068] Combine the following Figure 2 The detection method of the present invention is described below.

[0069] As a specific example, the refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner of the present invention may include the following steps:

[0070] S101, obtaining the type of the power-on instruction.

[0071] S102, determining whether the type of the power-on instruction is a forced power-on type. If yes, executing step S103; if no, executing step S104.

[0072] S103, controlling the air conditioner to operate normally.

[0073] S104, controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency, controlling the reversing valve to operate at a preset state to put the indoor heat exchanger in a condensing state, controlling the indoor fan to operate at a first preset wind speed, and controlling the outdoor fan to operate at a second preset wind speed, so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit.

[0074] S105, determining whether refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is detected within a preset time. If yes, executing step S106; if no, executing step S103.

[0075] S106, performing refrigerant protection on the air conditioner and issuing a refrigerant leakage reminder message.

[0076] In summary, the refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention first responds to the power-on instruction of the air conditioner and controls the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure, and then detects whether the indoor unit has a refrigerant leakage within a preset time when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure. Thus, the method can actively detect whether the indoor unit of the air conditioner has a refrigerant leakage, and can improve the accuracy of detecting refrigerant leakage.

[0077] Corresponding to the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention further proposes a refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner.

[0078] like Figure 3 As shown, the refrigerant leakage detection device 100 of an air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention includes: a control module 110 and a detection module 120 .

[0079] The control module 110 is used to control the air conditioner in response to the start-up command of the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure. The detection module 120 is used to detect whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage within a preset time when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure.

[0080] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control module 110 controls the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure, and is specifically used to: control one or more of the compressor, reversing valve, indoor fan and outdoor fan of the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure.

[0081] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control module 110 controls one or more of the compressor, the reversing valve, the indoor fan and the outdoor fan of the air conditioner, and is specifically used to: control the compressor to operate at a preset frequency, wherein the preset frequency is greater than the maximum heat exchange operating frequency of the compressor and less than the maximum allowable operating frequency of the compressor; and / or, control the reversing valve to operate in a preset state so that the indoor heat exchanger is in a condensing state; and / or, control the indoor fan to operate at a first preset wind speed, wherein the first preset wind speed is less than the minimum heat exchange operating wind speed of the indoor unit; and / or, control the outdoor fan to operate at a second preset wind speed, wherein the second preset wind speed is greater than or equal to the maximum heat exchange operating wind speed of the outdoor fan and less than the maximum allowable operating wind speed of the outdoor fan.

[0082] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the detection module 120 detects whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit, and is specifically used to: obtain the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit, and detect whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit based on the refrigerant concentration; or obtain the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline of the indoor unit, and detect whether a refrigerant leakage occurs in the indoor unit based on the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline.

[0083] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control module 110 is also used to: if refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is detected within a preset time, the air conditioner is protected from refrigerant and a refrigerant leakage reminder message is issued; if refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is not detected within the preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate normally.

[0084] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the critical pressure is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit.

[0085] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the control module 110 is also used to: obtain the type of power-on instruction before controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure; when the type is a forced power-on type, control the air conditioner to operate normally; when the type is a non-forced power-on type, control the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure.

[0086] It should be noted that for details not disclosed in the refrigerant leakage detection device for the air conditioner in the embodiment of the present invention, please refer to the details disclosed in the refrigerant leakage detection method for the air conditioner in the embodiment of the present invention, and the details will not be repeated here.

[0087] According to the refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner of an embodiment of the present invention, the control module is used to respond to the start-up instruction of the air conditioner and control the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches the critical pressure; the detection module is used to detect whether the indoor unit has a refrigerant leak within a preset time when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure. Thus, the device can actively detect whether the indoor unit of the air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, which can improve the accuracy of detecting refrigerant leaks.

[0088] Corresponding to the above embodiment, the present invention also proposes a computer-readable storage medium.

[0089] The computer-readable storage medium of the embodiment of the present invention stores a program, and when the program is executed by a processor, the above-mentioned refrigerant leakage detection method for the air conditioner is implemented.

[0090] According to the computer-readable storage medium of the embodiment of the present invention, by executing the above-mentioned refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner, it is possible to actively detect whether there is a refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit of the air conditioner, and the accuracy of detecting the refrigerant leakage can be improved.

[0091] Corresponding to the above embodiment, the present invention also proposes an air conditioner.

[0092] like Figure 4 As shown, the air conditioner 200 of the embodiment of the present invention may include: a memory 210, a processor 220, and a program stored in the memory 210 and executable on the processor 220. When the processor 220 executes the program, the above-mentioned refrigerant leakage detection method of the air conditioner is implemented.

[0093] The air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention can actively detect whether there is a refrigerant leak in the indoor unit of the air conditioner by executing the above-mentioned refrigerant leak detection method of the air conditioner, thereby improving the accuracy of detecting the refrigerant leak.

[0094] It should be noted that the logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be specifically implemented in any computer-readable medium for use by an instruction execution system, device or apparatus (such as a computer-based system, a system including a processor, or other system that can fetch instructions from an instruction execution system, device or apparatus and execute instructions), or in combination with these instruction execution systems, devices or apparatuses. For the purposes of this specification, "computer-readable medium" can be any device that can contain, store, communicate, propagate or transmit a program for use by an instruction execution system, device or apparatus, or in combination with these instruction execution systems, devices or apparatuses. More specific examples of computer-readable media (a non-exhaustive list) include the following: an electrical connection portion with one or more wirings (electronic device), a portable computer disk box (magnetic device), a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable and programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber device, and a portable compact disk read-only memory (CDROM). In addition, the computer-readable medium may even be paper or other suitable medium on which the program is printed, since the program may be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium and then editing, interpreting or processing in other suitable ways if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0095] It should be understood that the various parts of the present invention can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof. In the above-mentioned embodiments, a plurality of steps or methods can be implemented by software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented by hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented by any one of the following technologies known in the art or their combination: a discrete logic circuit having a logic gate circuit for implementing a logic function for a data signal, a dedicated integrated circuit having a suitable combination of logic gate circuits, a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0096] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0097] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0098] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it 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 the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0099] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for detecting refrigerant leakage of an air conditioner, characterized in that: The method comprises: In response to a power-on instruction of the air conditioner, controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure; When the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure, whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage is detected within a preset time.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling of the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure comprises: One or more of the compressor, the reversing valve, the indoor fan and the outdoor fan of the air conditioner are controlled so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The controlling of one or more of the compressor, the reversing valve, the indoor fan and the outdoor fan of the air conditioner comprises: Controlling the compressor to operate at a preset frequency, wherein the preset frequency is greater than the maximum heat exchange operating frequency of the compressor and less than the maximum allowable operating frequency of the compressor; and / or, Controlling the reversing valve to operate according to a preset state so that the indoor heat exchanger is in a condensing state; and / or, Controlling the indoor fan to operate at a first preset wind speed, wherein the first preset wind speed is less than a minimum heat exchange operation wind speed of the indoor unit; and / or, The outdoor fan is controlled to operate at a second preset wind speed, wherein the second preset wind speed is greater than or equal to a maximum heat exchange operating wind speed of the outdoor fan and less than a maximum allowable operating wind speed of the outdoor fan.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detecting whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage comprises: acquiring the refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit, and detecting whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage based on the refrigerant concentration; or, The temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline of the indoor unit is obtained, and whether a refrigerant leak occurs in the indoor unit is detected based on the temperature change of the refrigerant pipeline.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: If a refrigerant leak is detected in the indoor unit within the preset time, refrigerant protection is performed on the air conditioner and a refrigerant leak reminder message is issued; If no refrigerant leakage is detected in the indoor unit within the preset time, the air conditioner is controlled to operate normally.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The critical pressure is higher than the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit when the air conditioner is operating normally and is not greater than the maximum allowable pressure of the indoor unit.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Before controlling the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure, the method further includes: Obtaining the type of the power-on instruction; When the type is the forced start type, controlling the air conditioner to operate normally; When the type is a non-forced startup type, the air conditioner is controlled so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure.

8. A refrigerant leakage detection device for an air conditioner, characterized in that: include: a control module, for controlling the air conditioner in response to a power-on instruction of the air conditioner so that the refrigerant pressure of the indoor unit of the air conditioner reaches a critical pressure; The detection module is used to detect whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage within a preset time when the refrigerant pressure reaches the critical pressure.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A program is stored thereon, and when the program is executed by a processor, a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-7 is implemented.

10. An air conditioner, characterized in that: The invention comprises a memory, a processor and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, a refrigerant leakage detection method for an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is implemented.

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