Air conditioner control method and air conditioner

Abstract

The invention provides an air conditioner control method and an air conditioner, and the air conditioner control method comprises the steps that when the air conditioner runs, refrigerant parameters in an air duct of an indoor unit of the air conditioner are continuously obtained, and whether a refrigerant leaks or not is determined; and under the condition that the refrigerant leaks and the refrigerant parameters are in the first set interval, a first control method is executed, and the first control method comprises the steps that a refrigerant pipeline connecting an indoor unit and an outdoor unit of the air conditioner is disconnected, and the refrigerant in the outdoor unit is subjected to self-circulation in the outdoor unit. According to the scheme, whether refrigerant leakage happens to the indoor unit or not can be known in time by detecting the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit, so that treatment such as maintenance and the like can be carried out in time, and under the condition that the refrigerant parameters are within the first set interval, a refrigerant pipeline connecting the indoor unit and an outdoor unit of the air conditioner is disconnected; the refrigerant in the outdoor unit is self-circulated in the outdoor unit, so that the outdoor unit is prevented from continuously conveying the refrigerant to the indoor unit, the refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit is reduced, and the safety risk caused by the refrigerant leakage is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular to an air conditioner control method and an air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] As people's quality of life improves, air conditioning has become an indispensable part of people's lives. During the use of air conditioning, refrigerant (i.e., coolant) acts as a medium for heat conversion, flows in the pipes to achieve heat exchange between indoor and outdoor environments. With the improvement of environmental awareness and the continuous improvement of manufacturing technology, flammable refrigerants such as R32 and R290 are widely used.

[0003] After long-term operation, air conditioning pipes often rust and suffer damage. Since flammable refrigerants are active and prone to leakage, there is a risk of explosion if the amount of refrigerant leakage is too large. The existing technology lacks effective treatment for refrigerant leakage. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides an air conditioner control method and an air conditioner, so as to reduce the safety risk when refrigerant leakage occurs in the air conditioner.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an air conditioner control method, comprising: when the air conditioner is running, continuously obtaining the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking; when the refrigerant is leaking and the refrigerant parameters are in a first set range, executing a first control method, the first control method comprising:

[0006] Reversing steps: Disconnect the refrigerant pipes connecting the indoor and outdoor units of the air conditioner, and allow the refrigerant in the outdoor unit to self-circulate in the outdoor unit.

[0007] Further, the two inlets and outlets of the indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit are respectively connected to the second refrigerant pipe and the third refrigerant pipe, and the two inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger of the outdoor unit are respectively connected to the first refrigerant pipe and the fourth refrigerant pipe; wherein, in the cooling mode or the heating mode of the air conditioner, the first refrigerant pipe and the second refrigerant pipe are connected, and the third refrigerant pipe and the fourth refrigerant pipe are connected, and the reversing step includes:

[0008] Disconnect the second refrigerant pipe from the first refrigerant pipe, and connect the second refrigerant pipe to the third refrigerant pipe;

[0009] The fourth refrigerant pipe is disconnected from the third refrigerant pipe, and the fourth refrigerant pipe is connected to the first refrigerant pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the first control method further includes:

[0011] Mode setting steps: Set the air conditioner to cooling mode.

[0012] Further, setting the air conditioner to a cooling mode includes:

[0013] If the air conditioner is in cooling mode before executing the mode setting step, the air conditioner is kept in cooling mode;

[0014] If the air conditioner is in the heating mode before the mode setting step is performed, the air conditioner is switched to the cooling mode.

[0015] Furthermore, the mode setting step also includes:

[0016] Adjust the speed of the indoor fan of the indoor unit to the highest level;

[0017] Adjust the speed of the outdoor fan of the outdoor unit to the highest level;

[0018] Adjust the heating electronic expansion valve of the outdoor unit to fully open.

[0019] Furthermore, the first control method further includes:

[0020] Repair procedure: After the mode setting step is completed, wait for the set running time, then stop the outdoor fan and compressor of the outdoor unit, and keep the indoor fan of the indoor unit running;

[0021] Alarm procedure: Issue an alarm message to inform the user of the refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit.

[0022] Furthermore, the air conditioner control method further includes: when the air conditioner is running, when the refrigerant leaks and the refrigerant parameter is in a second setting range, executing a second control method, the second setting range is smaller than the first setting range, and the second control method includes:

[0023] Keep the air conditioner running;

[0024] Send out an alarm message to inform the user of refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit;

[0025] After the air conditioner continues to run for the set delay time or the alarm message continues for the set delay time, the air conditioner is shut down.

[0026] Furthermore, the air conditioner control method further includes: when the air conditioner is running, when the refrigerant parameter is in a third setting interval, maintaining the normal operation of the air conditioner, and the third setting interval is smaller than the second setting interval.

[0027] Furthermore, the air conditioner control method also includes a standby control method, and the standby control method includes:

[0028] When the air conditioner is on standby, the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner are obtained to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking; if it is determined that there is no refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner is controlled to start and operate normally; if it is determined that there is a refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner is controlled not to start and an alarm message is issued.

[0029] Further, obtaining refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking includes:

[0030] Keep the compressor and outdoor fan of the outdoor unit not running, start and stop the indoor fan of the indoor unit at least twice within the set detection time, and record the real-time parameters of the refrigerant parameters when the indoor fan is running;

[0031] If the real-time parameters detected are less than or equal to the set values ​​each time the indoor unit is running, it is determined that there is no refrigerant leakage;

[0032] If the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit is running for the first time are all greater than the set values, and the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit is running for the last time are all less than or equal to the set values, it is determined that the refrigerant is not leaking;

[0033] If the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit was last running are all greater than the set values, it is determined that the refrigerant is leaking.

[0034] Furthermore, the refrigerant parameter is a concentration value of the refrigerant in the air, or the refrigerant parameter is a change in the concentration of the refrigerant in the air per unit time.

[0035] According to another aspect of the present invention, an air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner uses the above-mentioned air conditioner control method. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit through a refrigerant pipeline that can be switched on and off.

[0036] Furthermore, the indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger, and two inlets and outlets of the indoor heat exchanger are respectively connected to the second refrigerant pipe and the third refrigerant pipe. The outdoor unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor and a four-way valve. The two inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger are respectively connected to the first refrigerant pipe and the fourth refrigerant pipe. The four-way valve and the compressor are both installed on the fourth refrigerant pipe. The four-way valve is used to switch the refrigerant flow direction so that the air conditioner is in cooling mode or heating mode; the air conditioner also includes a switching valve, and the switching valve includes four valve ports A, B, C, and D. The first refrigerant pipe is connected to the A valve port, the second refrigerant pipe is connected to the B valve port, the third refrigerant pipe is connected to the C valve port, and the fourth refrigerant pipe is connected to the D valve port. The switching valve has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the A valve port and the B valve port are connected, and the C valve port and the D valve port are connected. In the second state, the B valve port and the C valve port are connected, and the A valve port and the D valve port are connected.

[0037] Furthermore, a refrigerant sensor is provided in the air duct of the indoor unit, and the refrigerant sensor is used to detect whether the indoor heat exchanger of the indoor unit leaks refrigerant.

[0038] The technical solution of the present invention is applied to provide an air conditioner control method, including: when the air conditioner is running, continuously obtaining the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking; when the refrigerant is leaking and the refrigerant parameters are in a first set interval, executing a first control method, the first control method including: disconnecting the refrigerant pipeline connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, and self-circulating the refrigerant in the outdoor unit in the outdoor unit. In this solution, by detecting the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit, it is possible to timely know whether the indoor unit has refrigerant leakage, so as to timely perform maintenance and other processing, wherein, when the refrigerant parameters are in the first set interval, the refrigerant pipeline connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is disconnected, and the refrigerant in the outdoor unit is self-circulated in the outdoor unit, so as to avoid the outdoor unit continuously delivering refrigerant to the indoor unit, thereby reducing the refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit and reducing the safety risks caused by the refrigerant leakage.

[0039] Through the above scheme, refrigerant leakage detection can be performed when the unit is in standby mode to avoid misjudgment and improve the accuracy of refrigerant leakage detection; during the operation of the unit, different control methods can be distinguished according to the detected refrigerant concentration and operating status, which can not only give timely warnings to avoid reaching the refrigerant combustion limit and reduce safety hazards, but also recycle the refrigerant in time to avoid further leakage of the refrigerant from the indoor unit side. This scheme distinguishes different treatment methods according to the refrigerant leakage concentration and operating status, which can maximize the utilization rate of the unit and improve user comfort, but also reduce the safety hazards caused by refrigerant leakage and facilitate timely maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The drawings constituting a part of the present application are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of an air conditioner control method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an air conditioner provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0043] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the air conditioner in cooling mode;

[0044] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the air conditioner in heating mode;

[0045] Figure 5 Shows Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the air conditioner in which the indoor unit and outdoor unit are disconnected.

[0046] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0047] 11. Indoor heat exchanger; 12. Indoor fan;

[0048] 21. First refrigerant pipe; 22. Second refrigerant pipe; 23. Third refrigerant pipe; 24. Fourth refrigerant pipe;

[0049] 31. Outdoor heat exchanger; 32. Outdoor fan; 33. Compressor; 34. Four-way valve;

[0050] 40. Switching valve;

[0051] 50. Refrigerant sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioner control method, comprising: when the air conditioner is running, continuously obtaining the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking; in the case of refrigerant leakage and the refrigerant parameters are in a first set range, executing a first control method, the first control method comprising: a reversing step: disconnecting the refrigerant pipeline connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, and allowing the refrigerant in the outdoor unit to self-circulate in the outdoor unit.

[0054] In this scheme, by detecting the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit, it is possible to promptly know whether a refrigerant leak occurs in the indoor unit so that repairs and other treatments can be carried out in a timely manner. Among them, when the refrigerant parameters are in the first set range, the refrigerant pipeline connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is disconnected, and the refrigerant in the outdoor unit is self-circulated in the outdoor unit. This avoids the outdoor unit from continuously supplying refrigerant to the indoor unit, thereby reducing refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit and reducing the safety risks caused by refrigerant leakage.

[0055] The refrigerant parameter is the concentration value of the refrigerant in the air, or the refrigerant parameter is the change in the concentration of the refrigerant in the air per unit time.

[0056] This solution can be applied to wall-mounted air conditioners or floor-standing air conditioners, the outdoor unit and indoor unit of which are split structures, the outdoor unit is installed outdoors, and the indoor unit is installed indoors. This solution can also be applied to integrated window air conditioners, in which the outdoor unit is the part of the window air conditioner installed outdoors, and the indoor unit is the part of the window air conditioner installed indoors.

[0057] Specifically, the two inlets and outlets of the indoor heat exchanger 11 of the indoor unit are respectively connected to the second refrigerant pipe 22 and the third refrigerant pipe 23, and the two inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger 31 of the outdoor unit are respectively connected to the first refrigerant pipe 21 and the fourth refrigerant pipe 24; wherein, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode or heating mode, the first refrigerant pipe 21 and the second refrigerant pipe 22 are connected, and the third refrigerant pipe 23 and the fourth refrigerant pipe 24 are connected, so that under normal circumstances, the refrigerant in the indoor unit and the outdoor unit can circulate for cooling or heating.

[0058] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the reversing step includes: disconnecting the second refrigerant pipe 22 and the first refrigerant pipe 21, and connecting the second refrigerant pipe 22 and the third refrigerant pipe 23; disconnecting the fourth refrigerant pipe 24 and the third refrigerant pipe 23, and connecting the fourth refrigerant pipe 24 and the first refrigerant pipe 21.

[0059] By switching the refrigerant pipe on and off, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are disconnected, which prevents the outdoor unit from continuously delivering refrigerant to the indoor unit, thereby reducing refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit. Moreover, after the connection is disconnected, the refrigerant in the outdoor unit can still flow, and the outdoor unit can be operated or stopped as needed.

[0060] Furthermore, the first control method further includes:

[0061] Mode setting steps: Set the air conditioner to cooling mode. That is, when refrigerant leakage is detected and the refrigerant parameters are in the first setting range, the air conditioner is adjusted to cooling mode regardless of whether it is in cooling mode or heating mode. By setting the air conditioner to cooling mode, the refrigerant flowing in the indoor unit is mainly liquid, which can reduce the impact of the refrigerant on the pipeline and valve parts and extend the service life.

[0062] Specifically, setting the air conditioner to the cooling mode includes: if the air conditioner is in the cooling mode before executing the mode setting step, then the air conditioner is kept in the cooling mode; if the air conditioner is in the heating mode before executing the mode setting step, then the air conditioner is switched to the cooling mode. In this way, when the refrigerant parameter is in the first setting range, by setting the air conditioner to the cooling mode, the refrigerant flowing in the indoor unit is mainly liquid, which can reduce the impact of the refrigerant on the pipeline and valve parts and extend the service life. In this method, the order of the mode setting step and the reversing step can be selected according to actual needs.

[0063] Specifically, the mode setting step also includes: adjusting the speed of the indoor fan 12 of the indoor unit to the highest level, so as to enhance the indoor air flow and avoid the dangerous accumulation of the leaked refrigerant in the local area. Adjusting the speed of the outdoor fan 32 of the outdoor unit to the highest level, so as to enhance the heat exchange, and adjusting the heating electronic expansion valve of the outdoor unit to the fully open state, so as to accelerate the flow of the refrigerant, which is conducive to the flow of more refrigerant to the outdoor unit.

[0064] In this solution, the first control method also includes:

[0065] Repair step: After the mode setting step is completed, wait for the set running time, and then shut down the outdoor fan 32 and the compressor 33 of the outdoor unit, that is, the outdoor fan 32 and the compressor 33 continue to run for a period of time (for example, 2 minutes) and then shut down, which is conducive to more refrigerant flowing to the outdoor unit. The indoor fan 12 of the indoor unit keeps running to avoid the accumulation of leaked refrigerant in the air duct of the indoor unit and improve safety.

[0066] Alarm procedure: Issue an alarm message to inform the user of the refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit so that the user can be informed of the situation in time to perform maintenance or open windows for ventilation.

[0067] Furthermore, the air conditioner control method further includes: when the air conditioner is running, when the refrigerant leaks and the refrigerant parameter is in a second setting range, executing a second control method, the second setting range is smaller than the first setting range, and the second control method includes:

[0068] Keep the air conditioner running; send out an alarm message to inform the user of the refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit; shut down the air conditioner after the air conditioner continues to run for a set delay time or the alarm message continues for a set delay time.

[0069] In this case, the refrigerant has leaked but it is not serious. The air conditioner can be kept running for a while to make full use of the cooling and heating of the air conditioner to avoid affecting the user's comfort due to the immediate shutdown of the air conditioner. The delay time for continuous operation can be set as needed. The alarm information can be a light alarm, a sound alarm, or an alarm issued by an app wirelessly connected to the air conditioner.

[0070] In this solution, the air conditioner control method further includes: when the air conditioner is running, when the refrigerant parameter is in a third setting interval, the air conditioner is kept in normal operation, and the third setting interval is smaller than the second setting interval. The third setting interval is a safe interval for the refrigerant parameter, which may be zero or a numerical range obtained through calculation and testing. If the refrigerant parameter is within the third setting interval, that is, the leakage of the refrigerant is within a safe range or there is no refrigerant leakage, in which case the air conditioner can operate normally and the user can use it with confidence.

[0071] Furthermore, the air conditioner control method also includes a standby control method, and the standby control method includes:

[0072] When the air conditioner is on standby, the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner are obtained to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking; if it is determined that there is no refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner is controlled to start and operate normally; if it is determined that there is a refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner is controlled not to start and an alarm message is issued.

[0073] That is, when the air conditioner is on standby, if a refrigerant leak is detected in the indoor unit, the air conditioner is prevented from starting up through control to avoid a large amount of refrigerant leakage caused by the operation of the air conditioner, and an alarm is promptly issued to inform the user so that the user can repair it in time.

[0074] Specifically, obtaining the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and determining whether the refrigerant is leaking includes:

[0075] Keep the compressor 33 and the outdoor fan 32 of the outdoor unit not running, start and stop the indoor fan 12 of the indoor unit at least twice within the set detection time, and record the real-time parameters of the refrigerant parameters when the indoor fan 12 is running;

[0076] If the real-time parameters detected are less than or equal to the set values ​​each time the indoor unit is running, it is determined that there is no refrigerant leakage;

[0077] If the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit is running for the first time are all greater than the set values, and the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit is running for the last time are all less than or equal to the set values, it is determined that the refrigerant is not leaking;

[0078] If the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit was last running are all greater than the set values, it is determined that the refrigerant is leaking.

[0079] The above scheme determines whether the refrigerant is leaking through multiple detections to avoid false detection and improve the accuracy of detection and alarm.

[0080] In a specific embodiment, during the detection, the indoor fan of the indoor unit is turned on, and it is turned on and off three times within 5 minutes, and the refrigerant sensor continues to work. If the refrigerant concentration is not detected after three starts and stops, that is, the refrigerant is not leaking, and the unit can be started and operated normally; if the refrigerant concentration is detected after the first start and stop, but not detected after the second and third starts and stops, or the refrigerant concentration is detected after the first and second starts and stops, but not detected after the third start and stop, it is a false alarm, the unit does not report the refrigerant leakage protection, does not perform protection processing, and the unit can be started and operated normally; if it is other situations, it is regarded as a refrigerant leakage, the unit cannot be started normally, reports the refrigerant leakage protection, and waits for maintenance. After the maintenance, it will be re-tested, and it can be started and operated normally after the conditions are met.

[0081] In a specific embodiment, the first setting interval is ≥100% DTLV, the second setting interval is 75% DTLV to 100% DTLV (excluding endpoint values), and the third setting interval is ≤75% DTLV, wherein DTLV is a monitoring threshold value obtained by experimental testing or calculated by empirical formula.

[0082] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the present invention also provides an air conditioner, the air conditioner uses the above air conditioner control method, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, the indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit through a refrigerant pipeline that can be switched on and off. The air conditioner can be a wall-mounted air conditioner, a vertical air conditioner or a window air conditioner.

[0083] Specifically, the indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger 11, and the two inlets and outlets of the indoor heat exchanger 11 are respectively connected to the second refrigerant pipe 22 and the third refrigerant pipe 23. The outdoor unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger 31, a compressor 33 and a four-way valve 34. The two inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger 31 are respectively connected to the first refrigerant pipe 21 and the fourth refrigerant pipe 24. The four-way valve 34 and the compressor 33 are both installed on the fourth refrigerant pipe 24. The four-way valve 34 is used to switch the refrigerant flow direction so that the air conditioner is in cooling mode or heating mode; the air conditioner also includes a switching valve 40, and the switching valve 40 includes four valve ports A, B, C, and D. The first refrigerant pipe 21 is connected to the A valve port, the second refrigerant pipe 22 is connected to the B valve port, the third refrigerant pipe 23 is connected to the C valve port, and the fourth refrigerant pipe 24 is connected to the D valve port. The switching valve 40 has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the A valve port and the B valve port are connected, and the C valve port and the D valve port are connected. In the second state, the B valve port and the C valve port are connected, and the A valve port and the D valve port are connected.

[0084] The above-mentioned setting can realize the cooling or heating of the air conditioner under normal conditions, and can also realize the disconnection of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit when the indoor unit leaks and needs to be dealt with. Specifically, in the case of normal cooling and heating, the switching valve 40 is in the first state, that is, the valve port A is connected to the valve port B, and the valve port C is connected to the valve port D, so that the indoor unit and the outdoor unit can circulate the refrigerant. In the case where it is detected that the refrigerant parameter is in the first set interval, that is, the refrigerant leakage is large and needs to be dealt with in time, the switching valve 40 is switched from the first state to the second state, and the reversing step is performed, that is, the valve port B is connected to the valve port C, and the valve port A is connected to the valve port D, so that the refrigerant pipeline connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit is disconnected, and the refrigerant in the outdoor unit is self-circulated in the outdoor unit, thereby reducing the refrigerant leakage of the indoor unit.

[0085] Optionally, each refrigerant pipe is connected to a corresponding valve port through a pipe fitting. The pipe fitting and the valve port can be welded or threaded. The switching valve 40 can be arranged indoors or outdoors.

[0086] When the switching valve 40 is in the first state, the air conditioner can cool or heat normally, and when the switching valve 40 is in the second state, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are disconnected.

[0087] In a specific embodiment, the switching valve 40 may adopt an existing four-way valve, which is a mature and reliable product and easy to switch and control.

[0088] Specifically, during refrigeration operation, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor, cooled and condensed by the outdoor heat exchanger 31 to form liquid refrigerant, which enters the A valve port through the first refrigerant pipe, enters the indoor unit through the second refrigerant pipe, flows through the refrigeration electronic expansion valve for throttling (the heating electronic expansion valve is in the fully open state at this time), enters the indoor heat exchanger 11 for evaporation and heat absorption, and then turns into gaseous refrigerant, flows through the third refrigerant pipe to enter the C valve port, and then enters the outdoor unit through the fourth refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant passes through the four-way valve (the four-way valve is in the power-off state at this time) and the gas-liquid separator and then returns to the compressor and circulates again.

[0089] During heating operation, the refrigerant becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure gas after being compressed by the compressor, flows through the four-way valve and the refrigerant pipe to enter the indoor heat exchanger 11 of the indoor unit for condensation and heat release, and is converted into liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant pipe returns to the outdoor unit side, flows through the heating electronic expansion valve for throttling (the refrigeration electronic expansion valve is in the fully open state at this time), and the outdoor heat exchanger 31 evaporates and absorbs heat, and is converted into a gaseous refrigerant. It passes through the four-way valve (the four-way valve is in the energized state at this time) and the gas-liquid separator, and enters the compressor for compression and circulates again.

[0090] A refrigerant sensor 50 is provided in the air duct of the indoor unit to detect whether the indoor heat exchanger 11 of the indoor unit leaks refrigerant. The refrigerant sensor 50 can be provided near the indoor heat exchanger, where the heat exchange tubes are concentrated and the risk of leakage is relatively high.

[0091] Through the above scheme, refrigerant leakage detection can be performed when the unit is in standby mode to avoid misjudgment and improve the accuracy of refrigerant leakage detection; during the operation of the unit, different control methods can be distinguished according to the detected refrigerant concentration and operating status, which can not only give timely warnings to avoid reaching the refrigerant combustion limit and reduce safety hazards, but also recycle the refrigerant in time to avoid further leakage of the refrigerant from the indoor unit side. This scheme distinguishes different treatment methods according to the refrigerant leakage concentration and operating status, which can maximize the utilization rate of the unit and improve user comfort, but also reduce the safety hazards caused by refrigerant leakage and facilitate timely maintenance.

[0092] The above is only an optional embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may be modified and varied in various ways. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

[0093] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0094] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this solution. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be considered as a part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being only exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so that once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0095] In the description of this scheme, it needs to be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this scheme and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this scheme; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contours of each component itself.

[0096] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0097] In addition, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only to facilitate the distinction between corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above words have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this scheme.

Claims

1. An air conditioner control method, characterized in that: include: When the air conditioner is running, continuously obtaining refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking; In the case of refrigerant leakage and the refrigerant parameter is in a first setting range, a first control method is executed, the first control method comprising: Reversing step: disconnect the refrigerant pipeline connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner, and allow the refrigerant in the outdoor unit to self-circulate in the outdoor unit.

2. The air conditioner control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two inlets and outlets of the indoor heat exchanger (11) of the indoor unit are respectively connected to the second refrigerant pipe (22) and the third refrigerant pipe (23), and the two inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger (31) of the outdoor unit are respectively connected to the first refrigerant pipe (21) and the fourth refrigerant pipe (24); wherein, in the cooling mode or the heating mode of the air conditioner, the first refrigerant pipe (21) is connected to the second refrigerant pipe (22), and the third refrigerant pipe (23) is connected to the fourth refrigerant pipe (24), and the reversing step comprises: Disconnecting the second refrigerant pipe (22) from the first refrigerant pipe (21), and connecting the second refrigerant pipe (22) to the third refrigerant pipe (23); The fourth refrigerant pipe (24) and the third refrigerant pipe (23) are disconnected, and the fourth refrigerant pipe (24) and the first refrigerant pipe (21) are connected.

3. The air conditioner control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first control method further includes: Mode setting step: setting the air conditioner to cooling mode.

4. The air conditioner control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Setting the air conditioner to the cooling mode includes: If the air conditioner is in cooling mode before executing the mode setting step, keeping the air conditioner in cooling mode; If the air conditioner is in the heating mode before executing the mode setting step, the air conditioner is switched to the cooling mode.

5. The air conditioner control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The mode setting step also includes: Adjusting the speed of the indoor fan (12) of the indoor unit to the highest speed; Adjusting the rotation speed of the outdoor fan (32) of the outdoor unit to the highest speed; The heating electronic expansion valve of the outdoor unit is adjusted to a fully open state.

6. The air conditioner control method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first control method further includes: Waiting for repair step: after the mode setting step is completed, wait for the set running time, then shut down the outdoor fan (32) and the compressor (33) of the outdoor unit, and keep the indoor fan (12) of the indoor unit running; Alarm step: issuing an alarm message to inform the user of the refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit.

7. The air conditioner control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air conditioner control method further includes: when the air conditioner is running, when the refrigerant leaks and the refrigerant parameter is in a second setting range, executing a second control method, the second setting range is smaller than the first setting range, and the second control method includes: Keeping the air conditioner running; Sending an alarm message to inform the user of the refrigerant leakage in the indoor unit; After the air conditioner continues to run for the set delay time or the alarm message continues for the set delay time, the air conditioner is shut down.

8. The air conditioner control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The air conditioner control method further includes: when the air conditioner is running, when the refrigerant parameter is in a third setting interval, maintaining the normal operation of the air conditioner, and the third setting interval is smaller than the second setting interval.

9. The air conditioner control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air conditioner control method further includes a standby control method, and the standby control method includes: When the air conditioner is on standby, the refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner are obtained to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking; when it is determined that there is no refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner is controlled to start and operate normally; when it is determined that there is a refrigerant leakage, the air conditioner is controlled not to start and an alarm message is issued.

10. The air conditioner control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: Obtaining refrigerant parameters in the air duct of the indoor unit of the air conditioner to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking includes: Keeping the compressor (33) and the outdoor fan (32) of the outdoor unit not running, starting and stopping the indoor fan (12) of the indoor unit at least twice within a set detection time, and recording the real-time parameters of the refrigerant parameters when the indoor fan (12) is running; If the real-time parameters detected each time the indoor unit is running are less than or equal to the set value, it is determined that the refrigerant is not leaking; If the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit is operated for the first time are all greater than the set values, and the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit is operated for the last time are all less than or equal to the set values, it is determined that the refrigerant is not leaking; If the real-time parameters detected when the indoor unit was last operated are all greater than the set values, it is determined that the refrigerant is leaking.

11. The air conditioner control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigerant parameter is the concentration value of the refrigerant in the air, or the refrigerant parameter is the change in the concentration of the refrigerant in the air per unit time.

12. An air conditioner, characterized in that: The air conditioner uses the air conditioner control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and the air conditioner includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit, wherein the indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit via a refrigerant pipeline that can be switched on and off.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 12, characterized in that: The indoor unit comprises an indoor heat exchanger (11), two inlets and outlets of the indoor heat exchanger (11) are respectively connected to a second refrigerant pipe (22) and a third refrigerant pipe (23), and the outdoor unit comprises an outdoor heat exchanger (31), a compressor (33) and a four-way valve (34), two inlets and outlets of the outdoor heat exchanger (31) are respectively connected to a first refrigerant pipe (21) and a fourth refrigerant pipe (24), the four-way valve (34) and the compressor (33) are both installed on the fourth refrigerant pipe (24), and the four-way valve (34) is used to switch the refrigerant flow direction so that the air conditioner is in a In cooling mode or heating mode; the air conditioner also includes a switching valve (40), the switching valve (40) includes four valve ports A, B, C, and D, the first refrigerant pipe (21) is connected to the valve port A, the second refrigerant pipe (22) is connected to the valve port B, the third refrigerant pipe (23) is connected to the valve port C, and the fourth refrigerant pipe (24) is connected to the valve port D. The switching valve (40) has a first state and a second state. In the first state, the valve port A is connected to the valve port B, and the valve port C is connected to the valve port D. In the second state, the valve port B is connected to the valve port C, and the valve port A is connected to the valve port D.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 12, characterized in that: A refrigerant sensor (50) is arranged in the air duct of the indoor unit, and the refrigerant sensor (50) is used to detect whether the indoor heat exchanger (11) of the indoor unit leaks refrigerant.

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