Air conditioner and control method of air conditioner
By collecting real-time data on the air conditioner's pipe pressure and operating current, the problem of untimely and misjudged refrigerant shortage detection has been solved, achieving accurate refrigerant shortage detection and ensuring the normal operation of the air conditioner and the protection of the compressor.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HISENSE (SHANDONG) AIR CONDITIONING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-08-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-12
Smart Images
Figure CN119492082B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioner technology, and in particular to an air conditioner and a control method for an air conditioner. Background Technology
[0002] In related technologies, existing air conditioners detect whether the air conditioner is low on refrigerant by collecting temperature values such as exhaust temperature, coil temperature, or intake temperature values from temperature sensors. However, the temperature values change very slowly during the operation of the air conditioning system, and the temperature values are affected by environmental factors, resulting in errors. This leads to problems such as untimely detection of refrigerant shortage and misjudgment of refrigerant shortage. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can detect refrigerant shortage by combining pipeline pressure values and actual operating current, thereby enabling timely detection of refrigerant shortage, avoiding misjudgments, and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0004] The second objective of this invention is to provide a control method for an air conditioner.
[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner, comprising: an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit and the indoor unit communicate via a 24V communication mode; a refrigerant circulation loop, wherein the refrigerant circulates in a loop consisting of a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, a throttling device, an indoor heat exchanger, and a four-way valve; a pressure sensor for acquiring the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve; a current transformer for acquiring the actual operating current of the compressor; and a controller connected to the pressure sensor and the current transformer, wherein the controller is configured to: after determining that the compressor has run for a preset duration, acquire the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current; and determine the refrigerant shortage state of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet a preset refrigerant shortage condition.
[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner detects its refrigerant shortage status by comparing the real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current with preset refrigerant shortage conditions. If the pipeline pressure value and actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, compared with the method of detecting refrigerant shortage by temperature value, this application determines whether the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current, instead of by temperature value. This enables timely detection of refrigerant shortage, avoids the problem of misjudgment of refrigerant shortage, and improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0007] In some embodiments, for determining the refrigerant shortage state of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the controller is specifically configured to: acquire the rated pressure value and the rated current value; acquire the refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value; acquire the refrigerant shortage current value based on the rated current value; if the pipeline pressure value is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value, then determine that the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state; if the pipeline pressure value is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and / or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current value, then determine that the air conditioner is in a non-refrigerant shortage state.
[0008] In some embodiments, for obtaining the rated pressure value and rated current value, the controller is specifically configured to: obtain the current operating frequency of the compressor; and obtain the rated pressure value and rated current value based on the current operating frequency.
[0009] In some embodiments, for obtaining the refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value, the controller is specifically configured to: obtain the outdoor ambient temperature; obtain a pressure adjustment coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature; multiply the rated pressure value and the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain a first product value, and use the first product value as the refrigerant shortage pressure value.
[0010] In some embodiments, for obtaining the refrigerant-deficient current value based on the rated current value, the controller is specifically configured to: obtain the outdoor ambient temperature; obtain a current adjustment coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature; multiply the rated current value and the current adjustment coefficient to obtain a second product value, and use the second product value as the refrigerant-deficient current value.
[0011] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: acquire the outdoor ambient temperature and the current temperature value of the outdoor heat exchanger; obtain an absolute temperature difference based on the outdoor ambient temperature and the current temperature value; acquire the exhaust superheat; and determine the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner based on the absolute temperature difference or the exhaust superheat.
[0012] A second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, characterized in that, for the air conditioner described in the above embodiment, the method includes: after determining that the compressor's running time has reached a preset duration, acquiring the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve and the actual operating current of the compressor; and determining the refrigerant shortage state of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet a preset refrigerant shortage condition.
[0013] According to the air conditioner control method of the present invention, the refrigerant shortage state of the air conditioner is detected by comparing the real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current with the preset refrigerant shortage conditions. If the pipeline pressure value and actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, compared with the method of detecting refrigerant shortage by temperature value, this application determines whether the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current, instead of by temperature value. This enables timely detection of refrigerant shortage, avoids the problem of misjudgment of refrigerant shortage, and improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0014] In some embodiments, determining the refrigerant shortage state of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet preset refrigerant shortage conditions includes: obtaining the rated pressure value and the rated current value; obtaining the refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value; obtaining the refrigerant shortage current value based on the rated current value; if the pipeline pressure value is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state; if the pipeline pressure value is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure value, or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a non-refrigerant shortage state.
[0015] In some embodiments, obtaining a refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value includes: obtaining an outdoor ambient temperature; obtaining a pressure adjustment coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature; multiplying the rated pressure value and the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain a first product value, and using the first product value as the refrigerant shortage pressure value.
[0016] In some embodiments, obtaining the fluoride-deficient current value based on the rated current value includes: obtaining the outdoor ambient temperature; obtaining a current adjustment coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature; multiplying the rated current value and the current adjustment coefficient to obtain a second product value, and using the second product value as the fluoride-deficient current value.
[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit connection of an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] Figure 2This is a flowchart of a controller control process according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the controller control process according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] Figure 4 This is a coordinate diagram of the operating frequency and pipeline pressure value according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] Figure 5 This is a coordinate diagram of the operating frequency and actual operating current according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the controller control process according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] Figure 7 This is a coordinate schematic diagram of the outdoor ambient temperature and pressure regulation coefficient according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 8 This is a coordinate schematic diagram of outdoor ambient temperature and current regulation coefficient according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the controller control process according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 10 This is a flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] Figure label:
[0030] Air conditioner 10;
[0031] 1. Compressor; 2. Outdoor heat exchanger; 3. Throttling device; 4. Indoor heat exchanger; 5. Four-way valve; 6. Pressure sensor; Detailed Implementation
[0032] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary. The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.
[0033] Air conditioners require refrigerant circulation when operating in cooling or heating mode. However, due to installation and other reasons, there is a risk of refrigerant leakage. When refrigerant leaks, it is necessary to replenish it in time to avoid affecting the cooling or heating effect of the air conditioner and damaging the compressor.
[0034] In related technologies, existing air conditioners detect whether the air conditioner is low on refrigerant by collecting temperature values such as exhaust temperature, coil temperature, or suction temperature values from temperature sensors. However, the temperature values change very slowly during the operation of the air conditioning system, and the temperature values are greatly affected by environmental factors, which leads to problems such as untimely detection of refrigerant shortage and misjudgment of refrigerant shortage faults.
[0035] To address the aforementioned issues, the first aspect of this invention provides an air conditioner that can detect refrigerant shortage by combining pipeline pressure and actual operating current. This enables timely detection of refrigerant shortage, avoids misjudgments, and improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0036] The following is for reference. Figure 1 An air conditioner 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. The air conditioner 10 includes: an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a refrigerant circulation loop, a pressure sensor 6, a current transformer, and a controller.
[0037] The outdoor unit and indoor unit communicate via a 24V communication mode; the refrigerant circulation loop, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the refrigerant circulates in a loop consisting of compressor 1, outdoor heat exchanger 2, throttling device 3, indoor heat exchanger 4, and four-way valve 5; pressure sensor 6 is used to collect the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve; current transformer is used to collect the actual operating current of the compressor; the controller is connected to the pressure sensor and current transformer.
[0038] In this embodiment, since the outdoor unit and the indoor unit communicate via a 24V communication mode, that is, the outdoor unit and the indoor unit transmit switching signals via a 24V communication mode, for example, the indoor unit sends a cooling start signal or a heating start signal to the outdoor unit via the 24V communication mode. Therefore, the air conditioner in this application is a ducted air conditioner. Furthermore, the pressure sensor 6 is located at the E-pipe of the four-way valve, and the detected pipe pressure value is a low-pressure value when running in cooling mode and a high-pressure value when running in heating mode.
[0039] The controller is configured to determine the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner by following these steps.
[0040] After the compressor has been running for a preset period of time, the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current are obtained.
[0041] Specifically, after the controller determines that the compressor has run for a preset duration, which can be 10 minutes and is not limited thereto, it acquires the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve by the pressure sensor and the actual operating current of the compressor by the current transformer to ensure accurate acquisition of the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current.
[0042] Then, based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner is determined.
[0043] Specifically, existing air conditioners detect refrigerant shortages by collecting temperature values such as exhaust temperature, coil temperature, or intake temperature from temperature sensors. However, these methods suffer from slow temperature changes during system operation and are highly susceptible to environmental factors, leading to delayed detection and misjudgments. To address this issue, this application uses real-time monitoring of pipeline pressure and actual operating current to determine refrigerant shortages, instead of relying solely on temperature. Real-time monitoring of pipeline pressure and operating current allows for timely detection of refrigerant shortages. The actual operating current changes rapidly during the operation of the air conditioning system and is less affected by environmental factors, thus avoiding misjudgments of refrigerant shortage and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection. In other words, preset refrigerant shortage conditions are stored in the controller for detecting whether the air conditioner is low on refrigerant. The refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner is determined by comparing the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current with the preset refrigerant shortage conditions. For example, the preset refrigerant shortage conditions are the pipeline pressure value and operating current corresponding to the air conditioner being in a refrigerant shortage state. If the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Conversely, if the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current do not meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined not to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, compared to detecting refrigerant shortage in air conditioners based on temperature values, this application determines whether an air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by real-time collection of pipeline pressure values and actual operating current, instead of relying on temperature values. Because the pipeline pressure values and actual operating current are collected in real time, it is possible to detect refrigerant shortages promptly. Furthermore, the pipeline pressure values and actual operating current change rapidly during the operation of the air conditioning system and are less affected by environmental factors, thus avoiding misjudgments of refrigerant shortages. This improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection, effectively ensuring cooling and heating performance. When the system lacks refrigerant, it can promptly report the fault and control the compressor to stop operating, preventing compressor damage due to refrigerant shortages.
[0044] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner detects its refrigerant shortage status by comparing the real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current with preset refrigerant shortage conditions. If the pipeline pressure value and actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, compared with the method of detecting refrigerant shortage by temperature value, this application determines whether the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current, instead of by temperature value. This enables timely detection of refrigerant shortage, avoids the problem of misjudgment of refrigerant shortage, and improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0045] In some embodiments, the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner is determined based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the controller is specifically configured to perform the following steps.
[0046] Step S3: Obtain the rated pressure value and rated current value.
[0047] Step S4: Obtain the refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value.
[0048] Step S5: Obtain the fluoride deficiency current value based on the rated current value.
[0049] Step S6: If the pipeline pressure is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state.
[0050] Step S7: If the pipeline pressure value is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and / or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a non-refrigerant shortage state.
[0051] Specifically, existing air conditioners detect refrigerant shortages by collecting temperature values such as exhaust temperature, coil temperature, or suction temperature from temperature sensors. However, these methods are prone to problems because temperature changes are very slow during system operation and are greatly affected by environmental factors, leading to delayed detection and misjudgments. To address this issue, this application determines whether the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by judging whether the pipeline pressure is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and whether the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value. This allows for timely detection of refrigerant shortages, avoiding misjudgments and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection. In other words, when an air conditioner is low on refrigerant, the pipeline pressure decreases, reducing the compressor load and thus causing the compressor to... The operating current decreases, therefore, this application uses pipeline pressure and actual operating current to detect refrigerant shortage in air conditioners. Specifically, the controller acquires the rated pressure of the four-way valve and the rated current of the compressor. These rated pressure and rated current values are those calibrated when the air conditioner's refrigerant level is normal. The refrigerant shortage pressure is calculated based on the rated pressure, and the refrigerant shortage current is calculated based on the rated current. If the pipeline pressure is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current, it indicates that the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state due to the reduced pipeline pressure and actual operating current. Conversely, if the pipeline pressure is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure and / or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current, it indicates that the air conditioner's refrigerant level is normal, and the air conditioner is not in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, this application simultaneously judges the pipeline pressure and actual operating current to detect refrigerant shortage in air conditioners, thus avoiding misjudgments and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0052] In some embodiments, for obtaining rated pressure values and rated current values, such as Figure 3 As shown, the controller is specifically configured to perform the following steps.
[0053] Step S8: Obtain the current operating frequency of the compressor.
[0054] Step S9: Obtain the rated pressure and rated current values based on the current operating frequency.
[0055] Specifically, when the outdoor unit receives a 24V cooling start signal, it controls the compressor's operating frequency by controlling the pipeline pressure. Under fixed operating conditions of the air conditioner, such as the rated cooling condition (e.g., outdoor 35 / 23.9, indoor 26.7 / 19.4), the compressor's operating frequency is changed by controlling the pipeline pressure. This calibrates the compressor's rated pressure and rated current values at different operating frequencies. Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the compressor's operating frequency corresponds to its rated pressure or rated current value, and the controller stores the corresponding rated pressure and rated current values at different operating frequencies. Therefore, the controller obtains the compressor's current operating frequency and retrieves the rated pressure and rated current values based on that frequency, thus enabling refrigerant level detection in the air conditioner. For example, as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, when the compressor's current operating frequency is 20Hz, the rated pressure is 0.98MPa and the rated current is 7A. Furthermore, the rated pressure is inversely proportional to the compressor's operating frequency, and the rated current is directly proportional to the compressor's operating frequency.
[0056] In some embodiments, the refrigerant shortage pressure value is obtained based on the rated pressure value, such as Figure 6 As shown, the controller is specifically configured to perform the following steps.
[0057] Step S10: Obtain the outdoor ambient temperature.
[0058] Step S11: Obtain the pressure regulation coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature.
[0059] Step S12: Multiply the rated pressure value with the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain the first product value, and use the first product value as the refrigerant shortage pressure value.
[0060] Specifically, since the outdoor ambient temperature affects the rated pressure value of the air conditioner during operation, this application adjusts the rated pressure value using a pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage pressure value. This refrigerant shortage pressure value is then used to detect refrigerant shortage, greatly improving the accuracy of the detection and avoiding misjudgments. In other words, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the outdoor ambient temperature and the pressure adjustment coefficient within the controller. Therefore, the controller obtains the outdoor ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor and uses this detected temperature to look up the corresponding pressure adjustment coefficient. For example, ... Figure 7 As shown, if the outdoor ambient temperature is 40℃, the pressure adjustment coefficient is 1.05. The rated pressure value is multiplied by the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain the first product value, which is then used as the refrigerant shortage pressure value. In this application, the rated pressure value is adjusted by the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage pressure value. This allows for the detection of refrigerant shortage in the air conditioner, greatly improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection and avoiding misjudgments of refrigerant shortage.
[0061] In some embodiments, for obtaining the refrigerant shortage current value based on the rated current value, the controller is specifically configured to: obtain the outdoor ambient temperature; obtain the current regulation coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature; multiply the rated current value and the current regulation coefficient to obtain a second product value, and use the second product value as the refrigerant shortage current value.
[0062] Specifically, since the outdoor ambient temperature affects the rated current value of the air conditioner during operation, this application adjusts the rated current value using a current adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage current value. This refrigerant shortage current value is then used to detect refrigerant shortage, greatly improving the accuracy of the detection and avoiding misjudgments. In other words, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the outdoor ambient temperature and the current adjustment coefficient within the controller. Therefore, the controller obtains the outdoor ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor and uses this detected temperature to find the corresponding current adjustment coefficient. For example, ... Figure 8 As shown, if the outdoor ambient temperature is 40℃, the current adjustment coefficient is 1.1. The rated current value is multiplied by the current adjustment coefficient to obtain a second product value, and the first product value is used as the refrigerant shortage current value. Therefore, in this application, the rated current value is adjusted by the current adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage current value, thereby realizing the refrigerant shortage detection of the air conditioner through the refrigerant shortage current value, which greatly improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection and avoids misjudgment of refrigerant shortage.
[0063] In some embodiments, the degree of refrigerant shortage in an air conditioner is detected by the ratio of the refrigerant shortage pressure value, the rated pressure value, and the pipeline pressure value, or the ratio of the refrigerant shortage pressure value, the rated current value, and the actual operating current. For example, if the ratio of the rated pressure value to the pipeline pressure value or the ratio of the rated current value to the actual operating current is 50%, then if the pipeline pressure value is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value * 50% and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value * 50%, the degree of refrigerant shortage in the air conditioner is determined to be moderate. Furthermore, different degrees of refrigerant shortage can be classified based on these ratios, without limitation.
[0064] In addition, if the air conditioner cannot operate when the refrigerant level is 20% of the normal level, it can effectively protect the refrigeration system and indicate a refrigerant shortage fault.
[0065] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: acquire the outdoor ambient temperature and the current temperature value of the outdoor heat exchanger collected by relevant sensors, calculate the absolute temperature difference between the outdoor ambient temperature and the current temperature value, and determine the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner based on the absolute temperature difference, that is, to determine whether the absolute temperature difference is lower than a preset absolute temperature difference calibrated based on the air conditioner being in a refrigerant shortage state, wherein the preset absolute temperature difference can be 2°C. If so, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state because the difference between the outdoor ambient temperature and the current temperature value is small; otherwise, the air conditioner is determined not to be in a refrigerant shortage state; or because when the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state, the refrigerant flow rate of the compressor intake and exhaust is very small, resulting in increased exhaust superheat, thereby... The exhaust superheat is used to determine the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner. In other words, for 24V communication air conditioners, the indoor and outdoor units only have switch signals, not code signals. Therefore, the indoor unit cannot send parameters and operating status to the outdoor unit. The controller calculates the refrigerant saturation temperature based on the pipe pressure value detected by the pressure sensor at the four-way valve. It then calculates the exhaust superheat based on the refrigerant saturation temperature and uses this to determine the refrigerant shortage status. Specifically, it checks if the exhaust superheat is greater than a preset exhaust superheat value (e.g., 45°C) calibrated for a refrigerant shortage state. If the exhaust superheat is greater than the preset value, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state; otherwise, it is determined not to be. Therefore, this application, while detecting refrigerant shortage by pipe pressure and actual operating current, also uses exhaust superheat and absolute temperature difference to detect refrigerant shortage, thereby improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection and effectively protecting the refrigeration system.
[0066] In this embodiment, if the air conditioner is identified as having a refrigerant shortage a predetermined number of times within a preset time period (e.g., 0.5 hours) based on pipeline pressure, actual operating current, absolute temperature difference, or exhaust superheat, and this continues for a certain period (e.g., 3 minutes), a refrigerant shortage report is submitted, and the air conditioner is shut down for protection. Otherwise, a refrigerant shortage report is not submitted, the air conditioner is not shut down, the compressor operates at normal frequency, and the record of the number of times the air conditioner has been identified as having a refrigerant shortage is cleared. This avoids false reports of refrigerant shortage faults.
[0067] In this embodiment, if the compressor is shut down due to refrigerant shortage, the compressor will not be restarted. After the air conditioner is powered off, the refrigerant shortage determination will be re-evaluated. The air conditioner will exit the refrigerant shortage determination when it receives a power-on / off signal or is powered on again.
[0068] The following is for reference. Figure 9 The control process of the controller in an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by example, and the specific content is as follows.
[0069] Step S13, Begin.
[0070] Step S14: After the compressor has been running for a preset time, the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current are detected.
[0071] Step S15: Determine whether the pipeline pressure value is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and whether the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value. If yes, proceed to step S17; otherwise, proceed to step S16.
[0072] Step S16: The compressor operates at its normal frequency.
[0073] Step S17: Simultaneously determine whether the absolute temperature difference reaches the preset absolute temperature difference and whether the exhaust superheat reaches the preset exhaust superheat. If yes, proceed to step S18; otherwise, proceed to step S16.
[0074] Step S18: Determine whether the number of times the above parameters meet the above conditions within 0.5h has reached the preset number. If yes, proceed to step S19; otherwise, proceed to step S16.
[0075] Step S19: Report a refrigerant shortage fault and shut down the compressor for protection.
[0076] Step S20, End.
[0077] A second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, used in the air conditioner described in the above embodiments, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the method includes at least steps S1 to S2.
[0078] Step S1: After determining that the compressor has run for a preset time, obtain the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve and the actual operating current of the compressor.
[0079] Specifically, after the controller determines that the compressor has run for a preset period of time, it acquires the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve by the pressure sensor and the actual operating current of the compressor by the current transformer to ensure accurate acquisition of the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current.
[0080] Step S2: Determine the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions.
[0081] Specifically, existing air conditioners detect refrigerant shortages by collecting temperature values such as exhaust temperature, coil temperature, or intake temperature from temperature sensors. However, these methods suffer from slow temperature changes during system operation and are highly susceptible to environmental factors, leading to delayed detection and misjudgments. To address this issue, this application uses real-time monitoring of pipeline pressure and actual operating current to determine refrigerant shortages, instead of relying solely on temperature. Real-time monitoring of pipeline pressure and operating current allows for timely detection of refrigerant shortages. The actual operating current changes rapidly during the operation of the air conditioning system and is less affected by environmental factors, thus avoiding misjudgments of refrigerant shortage and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection. In other words, preset refrigerant shortage conditions are stored in the controller for detecting whether the air conditioner is low on refrigerant. The refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner is determined by comparing the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current with the preset refrigerant shortage conditions. For example, the preset refrigerant shortage conditions are the pipeline pressure value and operating current corresponding to the air conditioner being in a refrigerant shortage state. If the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Conversely, if the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current do not meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined not to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, compared to detecting refrigerant shortage in air conditioners based on temperature values, this application determines whether an air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by real-time collection of pipeline pressure values and actual operating current, instead of relying on temperature values. Because the pipeline pressure values and actual operating current are collected in real time, it is possible to detect refrigerant shortage in an timely manner. Furthermore, the pipeline pressure values and actual operating current change rapidly during the operation of the air conditioning system and are less affected by environmental factors, thereby avoiding misjudgments of refrigerant shortage and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection. This effectively ensures the cooling and heating effects and prevents compressor damage.
[0082] According to the air conditioner control method of the present invention, the refrigerant shortage state of the air conditioner is detected by comparing the real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current with the preset refrigerant shortage conditions. If the pipeline pressure value and actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions, the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, compared with the method of detecting refrigerant shortage by temperature value, this application determines whether the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by real-time collected pipeline pressure value and actual operating current, instead of by temperature value. This enables timely detection of refrigerant shortage, avoids the problem of misjudgment of refrigerant shortage, and improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0083] In some embodiments, determining the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions includes: obtaining the rated pressure value and the rated current value; obtaining the refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value; obtaining the refrigerant shortage current value based on the rated current value; if the pipeline pressure value is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state; if the pipeline pressure value is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure value, or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a non-refrigerant shortage state.
[0084] Specifically, existing air conditioners detect refrigerant shortages by collecting temperature values such as exhaust temperature, coil temperature, or suction temperature from temperature sensors. However, these methods are prone to problems because temperature changes are very slow during system operation and are greatly affected by environmental factors, leading to delayed detection and misjudgments. To address this issue, this application determines whether the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state by judging whether the pipeline pressure is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and whether the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value. This allows for timely detection of refrigerant shortages, avoiding misjudgments and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection. In other words, when an air conditioner is low on refrigerant, the pipeline pressure decreases, reducing the compressor load and thus causing the compressor to... The operating current decreases, therefore, this application uses pipeline pressure and actual operating current to detect refrigerant shortage in air conditioners. Specifically, the controller acquires the rated pressure of the four-way valve and the rated current of the compressor. These rated pressure and rated current values are those calibrated when the air conditioner's refrigerant level is normal. The refrigerant shortage pressure is calculated based on the rated pressure, and the refrigerant shortage current is calculated based on the rated current. If the pipeline pressure is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current, it indicates that the air conditioner is in a refrigerant shortage state due to the reduced pipeline pressure and actual operating current. Conversely, if the pipeline pressure is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure and / or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current, it indicates that the air conditioner's refrigerant level is normal, and the air conditioner is not in a refrigerant shortage state. Therefore, this application simultaneously judges the pipeline pressure and actual operating current to detect refrigerant shortage in air conditioners, thus avoiding misjudgments and improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection.
[0085] In some embodiments, obtaining a refrigerant shortage pressure value based on a rated pressure value includes: obtaining an outdoor ambient temperature; obtaining a pressure adjustment coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature; multiplying the rated pressure value and the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain a first product value, and using the first product value as the refrigerant shortage pressure value.
[0086] Specifically, since the outdoor ambient temperature affects the rated pressure value of the air conditioner during operation, this application adjusts the rated pressure value using a pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage pressure value. This refrigerant shortage pressure value is then used to detect refrigerant shortage, greatly improving the accuracy of the detection and avoiding misjudgments. In other words, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the outdoor ambient temperature and the pressure adjustment coefficient within the controller. Therefore, the controller obtains the outdoor ambient temperature detected in real time by the temperature sensor and queries the corresponding pressure adjustment coefficient using this real-time outdoor ambient temperature. For example, ... Figure 7 As shown, if the outdoor ambient temperature is 40℃, the pressure adjustment coefficient is 1.05. The rated pressure value is multiplied by the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain the first product value, which is then used as the refrigerant shortage pressure value. For example, if the rated pressure value is 0.98MPa at the current operating frequency of 20Hz, then the first product value, i.e., the refrigerant shortage pressure value, is 1.029MPa. In this application, the rated pressure value is adjusted by the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage pressure value. This allows for refrigerant shortage detection of the air conditioner, greatly improving the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection and avoiding misjudgments of refrigerant shortage.
[0087] In some embodiments, obtaining the refrigerant-deficient current value based on the rated current value includes: obtaining the outdoor ambient temperature; obtaining the current regulation coefficient based on the outdoor ambient temperature; multiplying the rated current value and the current regulation coefficient to obtain a second product value, and using the second product value as the refrigerant-deficient current value.
[0088] Specifically, since the outdoor ambient temperature affects the rated current value of the air conditioner during operation, this application adjusts the rated current value using a current adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage current value. This refrigerant shortage current value is then used to detect refrigerant shortage, greatly improving the accuracy of the detection and avoiding misjudgments. In other words, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the outdoor ambient temperature and the current adjustment coefficient within the controller. Therefore, the controller obtains the outdoor ambient temperature detected in real time by the temperature sensor and queries the corresponding current adjustment coefficient based on the detected outdoor ambient temperature. For example, ... Figure 8 As shown, if the outdoor ambient temperature is 40℃, the current adjustment coefficient is 1.1. The rated current value is multiplied by the current adjustment coefficient to obtain a second product value, and the first product value is used as the refrigerant shortage current value. For example, if the rated current value is 7A at the current operating frequency of 20Hz, then the second product value, i.e., the refrigerant shortage current value, is 7.7A. Therefore, in this application, the rated current value is adjusted by the current adjustment coefficient to obtain the refrigerant shortage current value, thereby realizing the refrigerant shortage detection of the air conditioner, which greatly improves the accuracy of refrigerant shortage detection and avoids misjudgment of refrigerant shortage.
[0089] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.
[0090] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An air conditioner characterized by comprising: include: The outdoor unit and the indoor unit communicate with each other via a 24V communication mode; The refrigerant circulation loop allows the refrigerant to circulate within a loop consisting of the compressor, outdoor heat exchanger, throttling device, indoor heat exchanger, and four-way valve. A pressure sensor is used to collect the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve. A current transformer is used to collect the actual operating current of the compressor; The controller, connected to the pressure sensor and the current transformer, is configured to: After determining that the compressor has run for a preset period of time, the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current are obtained. The refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner is determined based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions. Specifically, the controller is configured to determine the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions. Obtain the rated pressure and rated current values; The refrigerant deficiency pressure value is obtained based on the rated pressure value; The fluoride deficiency current value is obtained based on the rated current value; If the pipeline pressure value is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. If the pipeline pressure value is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and / or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a non-refrigerant shortage state. For obtaining the rated pressure and rated current values, the controller is specifically configured as follows: Obtain the current operating frequency of the compressor; The rated pressure value and rated current value are obtained based on the current operating frequency; The controller is specifically configured to obtain the refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value as follows: Obtain the outdoor ambient temperature; The pressure regulation coefficient is obtained based on the outdoor ambient temperature. The rated pressure value is multiplied by the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain a first product value, and the first product value is used as the fluoride deficiency pressure value. The controller is specifically configured to obtain the fluoride deficiency current value based on the rated current value as follows: Obtain the outdoor ambient temperature; The current adjustment coefficient is obtained based on the outdoor ambient temperature. The rated current value is multiplied by the current regulation coefficient to obtain a second product value, and the second product value is used as the fluoride deficiency current value.
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: Obtain the outdoor ambient temperature and the current temperature value of the outdoor heat exchanger; The absolute temperature difference is obtained based on the outdoor ambient temperature and the current temperature value; Obtain the exhaust superheat; The refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner is determined based on the absolute temperature difference or the exhaust superheat.
3. A control method for an air conditioner, characterized in that, For use in the air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: After determining that the compressor has run for a preset period of time, the pipeline pressure value at the four-way valve and the actual operating current of the compressor are obtained. The refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner is determined based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions. The determination of the refrigerant shortage status of the air conditioner based on whether the pipeline pressure value and the actual operating current meet the preset refrigerant shortage conditions includes: Obtain the rated pressure and rated current values; The refrigerant deficiency pressure value is obtained based on the rated pressure value; The fluoride deficiency current value is obtained based on the rated current value; If the pipeline pressure value is lower than the refrigerant shortage pressure value and the actual operating current is lower than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a refrigerant shortage state. If the pipeline pressure value is higher than the refrigerant shortage pressure value, or the actual operating current is higher than the refrigerant shortage current value, then the air conditioner is determined to be in a non-refrigerant shortage state. Obtaining the refrigerant shortage pressure value based on the rated pressure value includes: Obtain the outdoor ambient temperature; The pressure regulation coefficient is obtained based on the outdoor ambient temperature. The rated pressure value is multiplied by the pressure adjustment coefficient to obtain a first product value, and the first product value is used as the fluoride deficiency pressure value. The fluoride deficiency current value is obtained based on the rated current value, including: Obtain the outdoor ambient temperature; The current adjustment coefficient is obtained based on the outdoor ambient temperature. The rated current value is multiplied by the current regulation coefficient to obtain a second product value, and the second product value is used as the fluoride deficiency current value.