Refrigerator and method for predicting service life of compressor of refrigerator

Abstract

The invention discloses a refrigerator and a method for predicting the service life of a compressor of the refrigerator. The refrigerator comprises a refrigerator body, a refrigerating system, a noise sensor, a strain sensor and a controller, and the noise sensor is used for detecting noise of the compressor; the strain sensor is used for detecting strain generated by stress deformation of the compressor; the controller is configured to judge that cylinder collision of the compressor exists if an instantaneous noise value, detected by the noise sensor, of the compressor is larger than a preset noise threshold value and a strain value, detected by the strain sensor, of the compressor is larger than a preset strain threshold value at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped; and calculating the service life of the compressor according to the running cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor. According to the method, whether the compressor cylinder collision problem exists or not is recognized according to the instantaneous noise at the start-stop moment of the compressor in combination with the instantaneous strain change, the accuracy and timeliness of compressor cylinder collision recognition are effectively improved, and then the accuracy of prediction of the service life of the compressor is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of refrigerators, and in particular to a life prediction method for a refrigerator and a compressor thereof. Background Art

[0002] Compressor cylinder collision is a major and vicious accident of reciprocating units, which is mainly manifested by a loud impact sound in the cylinder body. In severe cases, it will cause multiple damages to the unit, such as the cylinder head flying off, the large and small head bearings breaking or even explosion, causing the compressor to be unable to work normally and greatly reducing its lifespan. In addition to affecting the quality and safety of the compressor itself, compressor cylinder collision also causes noise problems. When the compressor hits the cylinder during start-up and shutdown, there will be a bang sound, and its sound power value far exceeds the noise rating. Therefore, it is necessary to discover the cylinder collision phenomenon as early as possible in the compressor design stage to avoid poor user experience due to noise problems after the refrigerator is launched on the market.

[0003] However, there is currently no specific identification method for the compressor cylinder collision problem. Usually, when testing the noise, the tester will only conduct an investigation and confirmation if he hears the sound of the cylinder collision. This results in the compressor cylinder collision problem not being discovered in time, and the compressor service life cannot be accurately predicted. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a life prediction method for a refrigerator and its compressor, which identifies whether there is a compressor cylinder collision problem based on the instantaneous noise at the start and stop moments of the compressor combined with the instantaneous strain change, thereby effectively improving the accuracy and timeliness of compressor cylinder collision identification, thereby greatly improving the accuracy of compressor service life prediction.

[0005] A refrigerator provided in a first embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0006] The box body, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, has several compartments inside;

[0007] A refrigeration system, which is arranged in the box, includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a fan;

[0008] The compressor is used to provide power for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, compressing the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas;

[0009] The condenser is used to condense and dissipate heat of high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, and cool the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into a normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid;

[0010] The evaporator is used to evaporate and absorb heat from a normal temperature and high pressure refrigerant liquid, and vaporize the normal temperature and high pressure refrigerant liquid into a low temperature and low pressure gas;

[0011] The fan is used to allow air to enter the evaporator of the refrigerator for heat exchange and to send the heat-released air into the refrigerator compartment;

[0012] A noise sensor is disposed inside the compressor compartment and is used to detect the noise of the compressor;

[0013] A strain sensor, which is arranged outside the compressor and is used to detect the strain caused by the deformation of the compressor;

[0014] The controller is configured to determine that there is a compressor cylinder collision if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than a preset noise threshold and the compressor strain value detected by the strain sensor is greater than a preset strain threshold when the compressor is started or stopped; and calculate the service life of the compressor based on the operating cycle length of the refrigerator and the compressor strain value.

[0015] In the refrigerator provided by the second embodiment of the present invention, the controller is further configured as follows:

[0016] When the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within a first preset time is greater than a preset noise threshold;

[0017] If so, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0018] If not, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0019] In the refrigerator provided in the third embodiment of the present invention, the controller is further configured as follows:

[0020] After determining that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within a second preset time is greater than a preset strain threshold;

[0021] If so, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0022] Controlling the compressor to start and stop several times within a third preset time, and determining whether the strain peak and the abnormal transient noise have periodic fluctuations within the third preset time;

[0023] If so, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the time when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0024] If not, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0025] In the refrigerator provided by the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, specifically including:

[0026] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator's stable operating time, defrosting recovery time, and downtime;

[0027] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0028] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0029] In the refrigerator provided in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, specifically including:

[0030] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on user usage habits;

[0031] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0032] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0033] A method for predicting the life of a refrigerator compressor provided in a sixth embodiment of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator including a box, a refrigeration system, a noise sensor and a strain sensor; wherein a plurality of compartments are provided inside the box; the refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a fan; the compressor is used to provide power for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, compressing a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas; the condenser is used to condense and dissipate heat for the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, and cool the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into a normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid; the evaporator is used to evaporate and absorb heat for the normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid, and vaporize the normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas; the fan is used to allow air to enter the evaporator of the refrigerator for heat exchange and send the heat-released air to the refrigerator compartment; the noise sensor is provided inside the compressor, and is used to detect the noise of the compressor; the strain sensor is provided outside the compressor, and is used to detect the strain caused by the stress deformation of the compressor. The method for predicting the life of the refrigerator compressor includes:

[0034] When the compressor is started or stopped, if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than a preset noise threshold, and the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor is greater than a preset strain threshold, it is determined that the compressor has a cylinder collision;

[0035] The service life of the compressor is calculated based on the operating cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor.

[0036] In the refrigerator compressor life prediction method provided by the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes:

[0037] When the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within a first preset time is greater than a preset noise threshold;

[0038] If so, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0039] If not, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0040] In the refrigerator compressor life prediction method provided in the eighth embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes:

[0041] After determining that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within a second preset time is greater than a preset strain threshold;

[0042] If so, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0043] Controlling the compressor to start and stop several times within a third preset time, and determining whether the strain peak and the abnormal transient noise have periodic fluctuations within the third preset time;

[0044] If so, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the time when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0045] If not, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0046] In the refrigerator compressor life prediction method provided in the ninth embodiment of the present invention, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle length of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, specifically including:

[0047] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator's stable operating time, defrosting recovery time, and downtime;

[0048] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0049] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0050] In the life prediction method for a refrigerator compressor provided in the tenth embodiment of the present invention, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle length of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, which specifically includes:

[0051] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on user usage habits;

[0052] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0053] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0054] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effect of the life prediction method of a refrigerator and its compressor provided by an embodiment of the present invention is that a noise sensor is arranged inside the compressor to detect the instantaneous noise of the compressor when starting or stopping, and a strain sensor is arranged outside the compressor to detect the strain caused by the force deformation of the compressor when starting or stopping. The instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor is combined with the instantaneous strain change to identify whether there is a problem of compressor hitting the cylinder, which effectively improves the accuracy and timeliness of the identification of compressor hitting the cylinder, avoids poor compressor structural design in the design stage, and avoids user complaints after listing, resulting in poor user experience. At the same time, the service life of the compressor is predicted according to the operating cycle of the refrigerator combined with the strain value of the compressor, which effectively improves the accuracy of the prediction of the compressor service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator body provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a single refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a dual refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 5is a schematic diagram of a compressor of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 6 is a first working flow diagram of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 7 is a second working flow diagram of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 8 is a third working flow diagram of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0063] Fig. 9 is a fourth working flow diagram of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Fig.10 is a fifth working flow diagram of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Fig.11 The present invention is a flowchart of a refrigerator compressor life prediction method provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. 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.

[0067] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0068] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0069] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0070] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 : is a schematic diagram of the structure of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator provided in the embodiment of the present invention comprises:

[0071] The box body 10, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, is provided with a plurality of compartments inside;

[0072] A refrigeration system 20, which is arranged in the box, includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a fan;

[0073] The compressor is used to provide power for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, compressing the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas;

[0074] The condenser is used to condense and dissipate heat of high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, and cool the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into a normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid;

[0075] The evaporator is used to evaporate and absorb heat from a normal temperature and high pressure refrigerant liquid, and vaporize the normal temperature and high pressure refrigerant liquid into a low temperature and low pressure gas;

[0076] The fan is used to allow air to enter the evaporator of the refrigerator for heat exchange and to send the heat-released air into the refrigerator compartment;

[0077] A noise sensor 30, which is disposed inside the compressor compartment and is used to detect the noise of the compressor;

[0078] A strain sensor 40, which is arranged outside the compressor and is used to detect the strain caused by the deformation of the compressor;

[0079] The controller 50 is configured to determine that there is a compressor cylinder collision if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than a preset noise threshold and the compressor strain value detected by the strain sensor is greater than a preset strain threshold when the compressor is started or stopped; and calculate the service life of the compressor based on the operating cycle length of the refrigerator and the compressor strain value.

[0080] Specifically, a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a box body 10, a refrigeration system 20, a noise sensor 30, a strain sensor 40 and a controller 50. Figure 2 , Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a refrigerator body provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerator in this embodiment has an approximately rectangular shape, and the refrigerator includes a body 10 that defines a storage space. The body 10 serves as a supporting structure of the refrigerator, and is provided with a chamber inside, wherein the chamber includes a component storage cavity for placing components in the refrigerator, such as a compressor, etc., and also includes a storage space for storing food, etc. The storage space can be divided into a plurality of storage rooms (i.e., compartments), and the storage rooms can be configured as a refrigeration room, a freezing room, and a temperature-changing room (also called a fresh-keeping room) according to different uses. One or more door bodies 200 are provided at the opening of each storage room, for example, Figure 2 The upper storage room is a cold storage room, which is provided with a double-opening door body. The door body 200 includes a door body outer shell 210 located outside the box body 10, a door body inner liner 220 located inside the box body 10, an upper end cover 230, a lower end cover 240, and an insulation layer located between the door body outer shell 210, the door body inner liner 220, the upper end cover 230, and the lower end cover 240; usually, the insulation layer is filled with foam material. The door body can be pivotally arranged at the opening of the box body, and can also be opened in a drawer-like manner to achieve drawer-like storage.

[0081] The refrigerator performs refrigeration operation through the refrigeration system, providing cold energy to the compartment so as to maintain the compartment at a constant low temperature. Specifically, the refrigeration system of the refrigerator in this embodiment can be a single refrigeration system or a dual refrigeration system. Figure 3 , Figure 3 The single refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided in one embodiment of the present invention is a schematic diagram of the structure. The single refrigeration system of the refrigerator described in the embodiment of the present invention comprises a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an anti-condensation tube 3, a drying filter 4, a capillary tube 5, an evaporator 6 and a gas-liquid separator 7, and the working structure of the refrigeration system includes a compression process, a condensation process, a throttling process and an evaporation process.

[0082] The compression process is as follows: plug in the power cord of the refrigerator, and when the refrigerator needs to be cooled, the compressor 1 starts to work, and the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant is sucked into the compressor, compressed into high-temperature and high-pressure superheated gas in the cylinder of the compressor 1, and then discharged to the condenser 2;

[0083] The condensation process is as follows: the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas dissipates heat through the condenser 2, the temperature continues to drop, and is gradually cooled to a saturated vapor at room temperature and high pressure, and further cooled to a saturated liquid, the temperature no longer drops. The temperature at this time is called the condensation temperature, and the pressure of the refrigerant remains almost unchanged during the entire condensation process;

[0084] The throttling process is as follows: the condensed refrigerant saturated liquid is filtered through the drying filter 4 to remove moisture and impurities and then flows into the capillary 5, through which the throttling and pressure reduction are carried out, and the refrigerant becomes wet steam at room temperature and low pressure;

[0085] The evaporation process is as follows: the refrigerant begins to absorb heat and vaporize in the evaporator 6, which not only reduces the temperature of the evaporator and its surroundings, but also turns the refrigerant into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. The refrigerant coming out of the evaporator 6 passes through the gas-liquid separator 7 and returns to the compressor 1 again. The above process is repeated to transfer the heat in the refrigerator to the air outside the box, thereby achieving the purpose of refrigeration.

[0086] The fan allows air to continuously enter the fins of the evaporator 6 for heat exchange, and at the same time sends the air that becomes cold after the evaporator 6 releases heat to the refrigerator room through the air duct, so that the air in the room continuously circulates and flows, achieving the purpose of lowering the temperature.

[0087] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 : is a structural schematic diagram of a dual refrigeration system of a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The dual refrigeration system of the refrigerator described in the embodiment of the present invention includes a compressor 21 for compressing the refrigerant, a first capillary tube 14a and a second capillary tube 14b for decompressing the refrigerant, a refrigeration evaporator 15a and a freezing evaporator 15b as heat absorption mechanisms, a three-way valve 17 for controlling the refrigerant flow path, a one-way valve 18 for preventing the refrigerant from flowing back, a dryer 19 for removing moisture in the refrigeration cycle, and a refrigerant junction 13 for connecting the refrigerant flow path, which are connected by a pipe 20 to circulate the refrigerant to form a refrigeration cycle. In this process, the fans 12a and 12b respectively provided for each storage room are used to speed up the air flow rate, thereby speeding up the speed at which the refrigeration evaporator and the freezing evaporator absorb heat and improving the refrigeration speed of the storage room. Among them, the three-way valve 17 has a first outflow port 17a and a second outflow port 17b. When the three-way valve 17 is controlled to open the first outflow port 17a, the refrigerant flows sequentially through the first capillary tube 14a, the refrigeration evaporator 15a, the gas-liquid separator 16a, and the refrigerant junction 13, and then returns to the compressor 21. After passing through the first capillary tube 14a, the low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant flows through the refrigeration evaporator 15a, performs heat exchange with the refrigeration evaporator 15a and the air in the refrigeration chamber 110, and refrigerates the refrigeration chamber 110. Similarly, when the three-way valve 17 is controlled to open the second outflow port 17b, the refrigerant flows sequentially through the second capillary tube 14b, the freezing evaporator 15b, the gas-liquid separator 16b, and the refrigerant junction 13, and then returns to the compressor 21. After passing through the second capillary tube 14b, the low-pressure and low-temperature refrigerant flows through the freezing evaporator 15b, performs heat exchange with the freezing evaporator 15b and the air in the freezing chamber 120, and refrigerates the freezing chamber 120.

[0088] See also Figure 5, Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a refrigerator compressor provided by an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, the noise sensor 30 is used to detect the noise of the compressor and is arranged inside the compressor compartment, facing the position of the compressor. The strain sensor 40 is used to detect the strain caused by the deformation of the compressor under stress and is arranged on the side wall outside the compressor. At least one strain gauge is required to be arranged on the left and right sides of the compressor. In order to be able to more accurately detect the stress of each position of the compressor, a strain gauge can also be arranged on the front, back, left and right sides of the compressor.

[0089] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a first working flow chart of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Since a compressor cylinder collision usually occurs when the compressor starts or stops, the embodiment of the present invention detects the instantaneous noise of the compressor at the start and stop times through a noise sensor, and detects the strain caused by the force deformation of the compressor through a strain sensor. At the moment when the compressor starts or stops, if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than a preset noise threshold, and the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor is greater than the preset strain threshold, it is determined that the compressor cylinder collision exists. After determining that the compressor cylinder collision exists, the service life of the compressor is calculated based on the operating cycle length of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present invention, a noise sensor is arranged inside the compressor to detect the instantaneous noise of the compressor when it starts or stops, and a strain sensor is arranged outside the compressor to detect the strain caused by the force deformation of the compressor when it starts or stops. The presence of a compressor cylinder collision problem is identified based on the instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor combined with the instantaneous strain change, which effectively improves the accuracy and timeliness of the compressor cylinder collision identification, avoids poor compressor structural design in the design stage, and avoids user complaints after the product is put on the market, resulting in poor user experience. At the same time, the service life of the compressor is predicted based on the operating cycle of the refrigerator combined with the strain value of the compressor, which effectively improves the accuracy of the compressor service life prediction.

[0091] As one of the optional embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0092] When the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within a first preset time is greater than a preset noise threshold;

[0093] If so, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0094] If not, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0095] Specifically, for the identification of the cylinder collision of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention adopts a combination of multiple dimensions, such as: time, noise value and strain value. If the combination of the above three dimensions can be satisfied at the same time, it can be determined that the compressor has a cylinder collision. In the embodiment of the present invention, at the moment when the compressor starts or stops, it is first determined whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within the first preset time is greater than the preset noise threshold. It should be noted that since it takes a very short time for the compressor to perform the start operation or stop operation after receiving the start command or the stop command, and the compressor cylinder collision also occurs within this time, the noise emitted by the cylinder collision is a transient noise. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first preset time can be set to a shorter time, for example: 3 to 5s. If the instantaneous noise value is greater than the preset noise threshold, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor starts or stops. If the instantaneous noise value is not greater than the preset noise threshold, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor starts or stops.

[0096] It should be noted that in order to prevent the overall noise caused by other faults from affecting the judgment of abnormal instantaneous noise at the start and stop time of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention first conducts a survey of the compressor noise before judging whether there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the start and stop time of the compressor. Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a second working flow diagram of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, a noise value test is performed during the noise survey cycle to survey the cycle value of the compressor to determine whether the overall noise is too high due to other faults rather than the instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor. After the survey is completed, it is determined whether there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the time of starting or stopping the compressor based on whether the noise value detected by the noise sensor is greater than the preset noise threshold and whether the noise occurs within the first preset time.

[0097] As one of the optional embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0098] After determining that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within a second preset time is greater than a preset strain threshold;

[0099] If so, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0100] Controlling the compressor to start and stop several times within a third preset time, and determining whether the strain peak and the abnormal transient noise have periodic fluctuations within the third preset time;

[0101] If so, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the time when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0102] If not, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0103] For details, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 It is a second working flow chart of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, after determining that there is abnormal transient noise at the moment when the compressor starts or stops, it indicates that there is a possibility of cylinder collision at this time. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention determines whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within the second preset time is greater than the preset strain threshold. It should be noted that the second preset time in the embodiment of the present invention is a period of time before and after the abnormal transient noise occurs, usually 10s before and after the abnormal transient noise occurs. If the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor is greater than the preset strain threshold, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor starts or stops. At this time, the compressor is controlled to start and stop several times within the third preset time, and it is determined whether there is periodic fluctuation between the strain peak and the abnormal transient noise within the third preset time. Because each start and stop of the compressor is a cycle, and the instantaneous values ​​determined at the same time are all started when the compressor receives a start command or a stop command. If there is periodic fluctuation, it can be identified twice in a start-stop cycle that satisfies L>50dB and t<3s. Therefore, if there is periodic fluctuation, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the moment when the compressor starts or stops. If there is no periodic fluctuation, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision at the moment when the compressor starts or stops.

[0104] As one of the optional embodiments, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, specifically including:

[0105] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator's stable operating time, defrosting recovery time, and downtime;

[0106] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0107] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0108] For details, please refer to Fig. 9 , Fig. 9This is the fourth working flow chart of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Since the speed of the compressor is high during the defrost recovery period, the instantaneous impact may be more severe. Therefore, when predicting the life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention also takes into account the influence of the defrost recovery period. When predicting the service life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention obtains the ratio of the stable operating time of the refrigerator and the defrost recovery period according to the electronic control software, and calculates a single-cycle operating time of the refrigerator according to the ratio. The single-cycle operating time includes multiple stable operating times, defrost recovery period durations, and downtime. Then, based on the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor, determine the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle. Multiplying this number by the operating cycle duration can give the service life of the compressor.

[0109] As one of the optional embodiments, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, specifically including:

[0110] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on user usage habits;

[0111] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0112] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0113] For details, please refer to Fig.10 , Fig.10 This is the fifth work flow chart of a controller in a refrigerator provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Since the speed of the compressor is high during the defrost recovery period, the instantaneous impact may be more severe. Therefore, when predicting the life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention also takes into account the impact of the defrost recovery period. At the same time, due to different user habits, the duration of a single operating cycle of the refrigerator is also different. For example: when the user opens the door more frequently, in order to achieve the cooling effect, the stable operating time of the refrigerator will usually be longer, and the duration of a single operating cycle of the refrigerator will also change. When predicting the service life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention determines the duration of a single operating cycle of the refrigerator according to the user's usage habits. Then, based on the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor, determine the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle. Multiplying this number by the operating cycle length can give the service life of the compressor.

[0114] See also Fig.11 , Fig.11It is a flow chart of a method for predicting the life of a refrigerator compressor provided by an embodiment of the present invention. The method for predicting the life of a refrigerator compressor provided in an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a refrigerator including a box, a refrigeration system, a noise sensor and a strain sensor; wherein a plurality of compartments are provided inside the box; the refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a fan; the compressor is used to provide power for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, compressing the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas; the condenser is used to condense and dissipate heat for the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, and cool the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into a normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid; the evaporator is used to evaporate and absorb heat for the normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid, and vaporize the normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas; the fan is used to allow air to enter the evaporator of the refrigerator for heat exchange and send the heat-released air to the refrigerator compartment; the noise sensor is provided inside the compressor, and is used to detect the noise of the compressor; the strain sensor is provided outside the compressor, and is used to detect the strain caused by the stress deformation of the compressor. The method for predicting the life of the refrigerator compressor includes:

[0115] S1, when the compressor is started or stopped, if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than a preset noise threshold, and the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor is greater than a preset strain threshold, it is determined that the compressor has a cylinder collision;

[0116] S2, calculating the service life of the compressor according to the operating cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor.

[0117] In the embodiment of the present invention, the noise sensor is used to detect the noise of the compressor, and is arranged inside the compressor compartment, facing the position of the compressor. The strain sensor is used to detect the strain caused by the deformation of the compressor under stress, and is arranged on the side wall outside the compressor. At least one strain gauge is required on the left and right sides of the compressor. In order to be able to more accurately detect the stress on each position of the compressor, a strain gauge can also be arranged on the front, back, left and right sides of the compressor. Since the compressor cylinder collision usually occurs when the compressor starts or stops, the embodiment of the present invention detects the instantaneous noise of the compressor at the start and stop time through the noise sensor, and detects the strain caused by the deformation of the compressor under stress through the strain sensor. At the moment when the compressor starts or stops, if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than the preset noise threshold, and the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor is greater than the preset strain threshold, it is determined that the compressor has a cylinder collision. After it is determined that the compressor has a cylinder collision, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operating cycle length of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor.

[0118] In the embodiment of the present invention, a noise sensor is arranged inside the compressor to detect the instantaneous noise of the compressor when it starts or stops, and a strain sensor is arranged outside the compressor to detect the strain caused by the force deformation of the compressor when it starts or stops. The presence of a compressor cylinder collision problem is identified based on the instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor combined with the instantaneous strain change, which effectively improves the accuracy and timeliness of the compressor cylinder collision identification, avoids poor compressor structural design in the design stage, and avoids user complaints after the product is put on the market, resulting in poor user experience. At the same time, the service life of the compressor is predicted based on the operating cycle of the refrigerator combined with the strain value of the compressor, which effectively improves the accuracy of the compressor service life prediction.

[0119] As an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0120] When the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within a first preset time is greater than a preset noise threshold;

[0121] If so, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0122] If not, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0123] Specifically, for the identification of the cylinder collision of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention adopts a combination of multiple dimensions, such as: time, noise value and strain value. If the combination of the above three dimensions can be satisfied at the same time, it can be determined that the compressor has a cylinder collision. In the embodiment of the present invention, at the moment when the compressor starts or stops, it is first determined whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within the first preset time is greater than the preset noise threshold. It should be noted that since it takes a very short time for the compressor to perform the start operation or stop operation after receiving the start command or the stop command, and the compressor cylinder collision also occurs within this time, the noise emitted by the cylinder collision is a transient noise. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first preset time can be set to a shorter time, for example: 3 to 5s. If the instantaneous noise value is greater than the preset noise threshold, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor starts or stops. If the instantaneous noise value is not greater than the preset noise threshold, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor starts or stops.

[0124] It should be noted that in order to prevent the overall noise caused by other faults from affecting the judgment of abnormal instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention first conducts a survey of the compressor noise before judging whether there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor. A noise value test is performed for one cycle during the noise survey period to survey the cycle value of the compressor to determine whether the overall noise is too high due to other faults rather than the instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor. After the survey is completed, it is determined whether there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the time of starting or stopping the compressor based on whether the noise value detected by the noise sensor is greater than the preset noise threshold and whether the noise appears within the first preset time.

[0125] As an optional embodiment, the method further includes:

[0126] After determining that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within a second preset time is greater than a preset strain threshold;

[0127] If so, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0128] Controlling the compressor to start and stop several times within a third preset time, and determining whether the strain peak and the abnormal transient noise have periodic fluctuations within the third preset time;

[0129] If so, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the time when the compressor is started or stopped;

[0130] If not, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision when the compressor is started or stopped.

[0131] Specifically, after determining that there is abnormal transient noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped, the embodiment of the present invention indicates that there is a possibility of cylinder collision at this time. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention determines whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within the second preset time is greater than the preset strain threshold. It should be noted that the second preset time in the embodiment of the present invention is a period of time before and after the abnormal transient noise occurs, usually 10s before and after the abnormal transient noise occurs. If the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor is greater than the preset strain threshold, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor starts or stops. At this time, the compressor is controlled to start and stop several times within the third preset time, and it is determined whether there is periodic fluctuation in the strain peak and abnormal transient noise within the third preset time. Because each start and stop of the compressor is a cycle, and the instantaneous values ​​determined at the same time are all started when the compressor receives a start command or a stop command. If there is a periodic fluctuation, it can be identified twice in a start-stop cycle that satisfies L>50dB and t<3s. Therefore, if there is a periodic fluctuation, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the moment when the compressor starts or stops. If there is no periodic fluctuation, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision at the moment when the compressor starts or stops.

[0132] As one of the optional embodiments, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, specifically including:

[0133] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator's stable operating time, defrosting recovery time, and downtime;

[0134] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0135] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0136] Specifically, due to the high speed of the compressor during the defrost recovery period, the instantaneous impact may be more severe. Therefore, when predicting the life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention also takes into account the impact of the defrost recovery period. When predicting the service life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention obtains the ratio of the stable operating time of the refrigerator and the defrost recovery period according to the electronic control software, and calculates a single-cycle operating time of the refrigerator according to the ratio. The single-cycle operating time includes multiple stable operating times, defrost recovery period durations, and downtime. Then, based on the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor, determine the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle. Multiplying this number by the operating cycle length can give the service life of the compressor.

[0137] As one of the optional embodiments, the service life of the compressor is calculated according to the operation cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor, specifically including:

[0138] Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on user usage habits;

[0139] Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor;

[0140] The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

[0141] Specifically, due to the high speed of the compressor during the defrost recovery period, the instantaneous impact may be more severe. Therefore, when predicting the life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention also takes into account the impact of the defrost recovery period. At the same time, due to different user habits, the single operating cycle length of the refrigerator is also different. For example: when the user opens the door more frequently, in order to achieve the cooling effect, the stable operating time of the refrigerator will usually be longer, and the single operating cycle length of the refrigerator will also change. When predicting the service life of the compressor, the embodiment of the present invention determines the single operating cycle length of the refrigerator according to the user's usage habits. Then, based on the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor, determine the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle length. Multiplying this number by the operating cycle length can give the service life of the compressor.

[0142] The embodiment of the present invention provides a method for predicting the life of a refrigerator and its compressor, by arranging a noise sensor inside the compressor to detect the instantaneous noise of the compressor when starting or stopping, and arranging a strain sensor outside the compressor to detect the strain caused by the force deformation of the compressor when starting or stopping. The instantaneous noise at the start and stop of the compressor is combined with the instantaneous strain change to identify whether there is a problem of compressor hitting the cylinder, which effectively improves the accuracy and timeliness of the identification of compressor hitting the cylinder, avoids poor compressor structural design in the design stage, and avoids user complaints after listing, resulting in poor user experience. At the same time, the service life of the compressor is predicted according to the operating cycle of the refrigerator combined with the strain value of the compressor, which effectively improves the accuracy of the prediction of the compressor service life.

[0143] It should be noted that the system embodiment described above is merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. In addition, in the drawings of the system embodiment provided by the present invention, the connection relationship between the modules indicates that there is a communication connection between them, which may be specifically implemented as one or more communication buses or signal lines. A person of ordinary skill in the art may understand and implement it without paying any creative effort.

[0144] The above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A refrigerator, characterized in that: include: The box body, which serves as the supporting structure of the refrigerator, has several compartments inside; A refrigeration system, which is arranged in the box, includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a fan; The compressor is used to provide power for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, compressing the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas; The condenser is used to condense and dissipate heat of high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, and cool the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas into a normal-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant liquid; The evaporator is used to evaporate and absorb heat from a normal temperature and high pressure refrigerant liquid, and vaporize the normal temperature and high pressure refrigerant liquid into a low temperature and low pressure gas; The fan is used to allow air to enter the evaporator of the refrigerator for heat exchange and to send the heat-released air into the refrigerator compartment; A noise sensor is disposed inside the compressor compartment and is used to detect the noise of the compressor; A strain sensor, which is arranged outside the compressor and is used to detect the strain caused by the deformation of the compressor; The controller is configured to determine that there is a compressor cylinder collision if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than a preset noise threshold and the compressor strain value detected by the strain sensor is greater than a preset strain threshold when the compressor is started or stopped; and calculate the service life of the compressor based on the operating cycle length of the refrigerator and the compressor strain value.

2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: When the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within a first preset time is greater than a preset noise threshold; If so, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped; If not, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise when the compressor is started or stopped.

3. The refrigerator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller is also configured to: After determining that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within a second preset time is greater than a preset strain threshold; If so, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped; Controlling the compressor to start and stop several times within a third preset time, and determining whether the strain peak and the abnormal transient noise have periodic fluctuations within the third preset time; If so, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the time when the compressor is started or stopped; If not, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision when the compressor is started or stopped.

4. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The calculating the service life of the compressor according to the operation cycle of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor specifically includes: Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator's stable operating time, defrosting recovery time, and downtime; Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor; The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The calculating the service life of the compressor according to the operation cycle of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor specifically includes: Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on user usage habits; Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor; The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

6. A method for predicting the life of a refrigerator compressor, characterized in that: The method is applied to a refrigerator including a box, a refrigeration system, a noise sensor and a strain sensor; wherein a plurality of compartments are arranged inside the box; the refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and a fan; the compressor is used to provide power for the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator, and compresses low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas; the noise sensor is arranged inside the compressor, and is used to detect the noise of the compressor; the strain sensor is arranged outside the compressor, and is used to detect the strain caused by the deformation of the compressor under stress. The life prediction method of the refrigerator compressor includes: When the compressor is started or stopped, if the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor is greater than a preset noise threshold, and the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor is greater than a preset strain threshold, it is determined that the compressor has a cylinder collision; The service life of the compressor is calculated based on the operating cycle duration of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor.

7. The refrigerator compressor life prediction method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the instantaneous noise value of the compressor detected by the noise sensor within a first preset time is greater than a preset noise threshold; If so, it means that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped; If not, it means that there is no abnormal instantaneous noise when the compressor is started or stopped.

8. The refrigerator compressor life prediction method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After determining that there is abnormal instantaneous noise at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped, determining whether the strain value of the compressor detected by the strain sensor within a second preset time is greater than a preset strain threshold; If so, it means that there is a strain peak at the moment when the compressor is started or stopped; Controlling the compressor to start and stop several times within a third preset time, and determining whether the strain peak and the abnormal transient noise have periodic fluctuations within the third preset time; If so, it is determined that there is a compressor cylinder collision at the time when the compressor is started or stopped; If not, it means that there is no compressor cylinder collision when the compressor is started or stopped.

9. The refrigerator compressor life prediction method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The calculating the service life of the compressor according to the operation cycle of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor specifically includes: Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on the refrigerator's stable operating time, defrosting recovery time, and downtime; Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor; The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

10. The refrigerator compressor life prediction method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The calculating the service life of the compressor according to the operation cycle of the refrigerator and the strain value of the compressor specifically includes: Determine the operating cycle of the refrigerator based on user usage habits; Determining the number of times the compressor can withstand stress within the operating cycle according to the strain value of the compressor and the initial structural strength of the compressor; The service life of the compressor is obtained by multiplying the operation cycle duration by the number of times.

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