Air conditioner refrigerant leakage detection method, air conditioner and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an air conditioner refrigerant leak detection method, an air conditioner, and a computer-readable storage medium. The air conditioner refrigerant leak detection method includes: when the collected refrigerant gas concentration is greater than a preset leakage concentration P0, controlling the indoor fan to shut down, closing the air inlet and closing the air outlet to form an inner cavity into a sealed cavity, and a refrigerant sensor to collect the initial refrigerant concentration P1 of the sealed cavity; after the sealed cavity is continuously sealed for a first preset time, controlling the indoor fan to operate at a minimum speed, and after controlling the indoor fan to shut down, the refrigerant sensor collects the leaked refrigerant concentration P2 of the sealed cavity; judging the degree of refrigerant leakage based on at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1, and the leaked refrigerant concentration P2, and executing a preset operation based on the degree of refrigerant leakage. The air conditioner refrigerant leak detection method of the present invention can accurately identify the degree of refrigerant leakage, quickly respond to execute intelligent operation processing, improve the degree of intelligent control, and enhance the safety of air conditioner refrigerant.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With tightening environmental regulations, the global residential air conditioning industry is facing the challenge of replacing refrigerants with lower global warming potential (GWP). Compared to traditional refrigerants (also known as "refrigerants") such as R22, R410A, and R134a, R290, with its extremely low GWP of 3, has become a popular environmentally friendly alternative. However, R290 has an A3 safety rating and is highly flammable and explosive. Improving its safety is a pressing technical challenge for its widespread use.

[0003] Since the adjacent pipes of the air conditioner evaporator are connected with U-shaped pipes, there is a risk of refrigerant leakage in the connection area. If the leaked R290 refrigerant is released into the air, it poses a major safety hazard.

[0004] In the related art, refrigerant sensors are generally installed to monitor the refrigerant concentration in the use environment, so as to promptly alarm when the refrigerant concentration in the use environment is too high, thereby avoiding safety accidents such as combustion and explosion caused by refrigerant leakage. However, in the actual monitoring process of the refrigerant sensor, the refrigerant sensor has errors in detecting the refrigerant concentration at different leakage locations and in different leakage directions, and is interfered with by the operation of the air conditioner fan. This makes the detection accuracy of refrigerant leaks in the actual use environment low, the false detection rate is high, and the safety risk is high. In order to detect different potential leak points, the existing technology is to arrange multiple sensors at different potential leak points to avoid risks, but this greatly increases the production cost of the product.

[0005] Furthermore, existing air conditioner refrigerant leak detection methods rely on refrigerant sensors to monitor the refrigerant concentration in the operating environment. When the refrigerant concentration detected by the refrigerant sensor exceeds a set alarm value, the refrigerant sensor triggers an alarm. However, existing air conditioner refrigerant leak detection methods cannot accurately identify the extent of the refrigerant leak, making it impossible to perform related intelligent operations and processing, which in turn affects the level of intelligent control. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The first purpose of the present invention is to provide an air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method that can accurately identify the degree of refrigerant leakage, quickly respond to and perform intelligent operation processing, improve the degree of intelligent control, and improve the safety of air conditioning refrigerant.

[0007] A second object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that implements the above-mentioned air conditioner refrigerant leakage detection method.

[0008] A third object of the present invention is to provide a computer-readable storage medium for implementing the above-mentioned air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method.

[0009] In order to achieve the first purpose of the present invention, the present invention provides an air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method, the air conditioner includes an indoor unit, the indoor unit includes a casing, a windshield, an air guide plate, an indoor fan, an evaporator and a refrigerant sensor, the casing is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, the windshield can be moved to open or close the air inlet, the air guide plate can be moved to open or close the air outlet, the evaporator and the indoor fan are arranged in the inner cavity of the casing, and the refrigerant sensor is arranged on the evaporator. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method includes: the air conditioner is powered on, and the refrigerant sensor collects the refrigerant gas concentration at a preset period T interval; when the refrigerant gas concentration collected for at least two consecutive preset periods T is greater than the preset leakage concentration P0, it is judged whether the air conditioner is turned on and running, such as When the air conditioner is turned on and running, the indoor fan is controlled to be turned off, the wind shield is controlled to close the air inlet, and the wind guide plate is controlled to close the air outlet, so that the inner cavity forms a sealed cavity. At this time, the refrigerant sensor collects the initial refrigerant concentration P1 of the sealed cavity; after the sealed cavity is continuously sealed for a first preset time, the indoor fan is controlled to run at the minimum speed, and other loads of the air conditioner are controlled to be turned off; when the indoor fan runs at the minimum speed for a second preset time, the indoor fan is controlled to be turned off, and then the refrigerant sensor collects the leakage refrigerant concentration P2 of the sealed cavity; the degree of refrigerant leakage is judged according to at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leakage refrigerant concentration P2, and the preset operation is performed according to the degree of refrigerant leakage.

[0010] A preferred solution is that when |P2-P1|≤ΔP3 and |P2-P0|≤ΔP3 are satisfied, the refrigerant leakage level is determined to be an extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and a preset operation is performed according to the extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and the air conditioner is controlled to resume the original set mode of operation, where ΔP3 is the first preset concentration difference.

[0011] A further solution is that when ΔP3<|P2-P1|≤ΔP4 is satisfied, the refrigerant leakage degree is determined to be a trace refrigerant leakage degree, and a preset operation is performed according to the trace refrigerant leakage degree, then the wind shield is controlled to open the air inlet, the air guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to run at the maximum speed, where ΔP4 is the second preset concentration difference.

[0012] A further solution is that when |P2-P1|>ΔP4 is satisfied, the refrigerant leakage level is determined to be a severe refrigerant leakage level, and a preset operation is performed based on the severe refrigerant leakage, the air guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to run at the minimum speed.

[0013] A further solution is to calculate the refrigerant leakage mass M1 = V × (P2-P1), when When , it is determined that the refrigerant leakage level is an extremely low refrigerant leakage level. The preset operation is performed according to the extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and the air conditioner is controlled to resume the original set mode operation, where V is the preset inner cavity volume, M0 is the preset total refrigerant mass, and m1 is the first preset ratio.

[0014] A further solution is to When , it is determined that the refrigerant leakage degree is a trace refrigerant leakage degree, and the preset operation is performed according to the trace refrigerant leakage degree, then the wind shield is controlled to open the air inlet, and the air guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to run at the maximum speed, where m2 is the second preset ratio.

[0015] A further solution is to When the refrigerant leakage level is determined to be a serious refrigerant leakage level, a preset operation is performed according to the serious refrigerant leakage, the air guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the minimum speed.

[0016] A further solution is that after the preset operation is performed according to the serious refrigerant leakage, the refrigerant sensor collects the refrigerant leakage concentration P5. When P5≤P6 is satisfied, the wind shield is controlled to open the air inlet and the indoor fan is controlled to run at the maximum speed, where P6 is between 5% LFL and 8% LFL.

[0017] A further solution is that a first sealing ring is provided around the wind shield, and the first sealing ring can be sealed against the circumferential surface of the air inlet; and / or, a second sealing ring is provided around the wind guide plate, and the second sealing ring can be sealed against the circumferential surface of the air outlet.

[0018] In order to achieve the second purpose of the present invention, the present invention provides an air conditioner, including an indoor unit and an outdoor unit having a circuit board, the circuit board is provided with a processor and a memory, the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, the various steps of the above-mentioned air conditioner refrigerant leakage detection method are implemented.

[0019] In order to achieve the third purpose of the present invention, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which implements the various steps of the above-mentioned air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method when the computer program is executed by a processor.

[0020] The air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of the present invention can accurately judge the degree of refrigerant leakage based on the difference between at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leakage refrigerant concentration P2, or calculate the refrigerant leakage mass M1 = V × (P2-P1) based on at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leakage refrigerant concentration P2, and accurately judge the degree of refrigerant leakage based on the comparison of the refrigerant leakage mass M1 with the preset refrigerant total mass M0, so as to intelligently execute preset operations according to the degree of refrigerant leakage, thereby being able to accurately identify the degree of refrigerant leakage, and execute intelligent operation processing with rapid response, thereby improving the degree of intelligent control and improving the safety of air-conditioning refrigerant. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a first-view structural diagram of the indoor unit in an air-conditioning embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram of the indoor unit from a second perspective in an embodiment of the air conditioner of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the evaporator and the refrigerant sensor in the air conditioner embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 2 is a cross-sectional view of an indoor unit of an air conditioner embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 Flowchart of the first embodiment of the air conditioner refrigerant leakage detection method of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 6 4 is a flow chart of a second embodiment of the air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of the present invention.

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] First embodiment of the air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method:

[0029] See also Figures 1 to 4The air conditioner of this embodiment includes an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit 10 includes a housing 111, a windshield 114, an air guide plate 112, an indoor fan 120, an evaporator 116, and a refrigerant sensor 117. The housing 111 is provided with an air inlet 118 and an air outlet 119. The windshield 114 can be moved to open or close the air inlet 118, and the air guide plate 112 can be moved to open or close the air outlet 119. The evaporator 116 and the indoor fan 120 are disposed within an inner cavity 121 of the housing 111. The refrigerant sensor 117 is disposed on the evaporator 116 and is used to detect the concentration of the flammable refrigerant. Specifically, the refrigerant sensor 117 of this embodiment may employ NDI R non-dispersive infrared detection technology or metal semiconductor oxide gas sensing technology. The refrigerant sensor 117 is suitable for refrigerants such as R32 and R290.

[0030] In order to ensure the sealing of the closure, a first sealing ring 113 is provided around the wind shield 114 of this embodiment, and the first sealing ring 113 can be sealed against the circumferential surface of the air inlet 118, thereby ensuring that the wind shield 114 seals and closes the air inlet 118. In addition, a second sealing ring 115 is provided around the wind guide plate 112 of this embodiment, and the second sealing ring 115 can be sealed against the circumferential surface of the air outlet 119, thereby ensuring that the wind guide plate 112 seals and closes the air outlet 119, avoiding the inner cavity 121 of the casing 111 from circulating with the outside, so that the inner cavity 121 of the casing 111 forms a sealed cavity with good sealing performance.

[0031] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 4 is a flow chart of the air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of this embodiment. The specific steps of the air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of this embodiment are as follows.

[0032] First, step S11 is executed. When the air conditioner is powered on, step S12 is executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 collects the refrigerant gas concentration at a preset period T. Then, step S13 is executed to determine whether the refrigerant gas concentration collected for at least two consecutive preset periods T is greater than the preset leakage concentration P0. If so, step S14 is executed. If not, step S12 is continued, and the refrigerant sensor 117 continues to collect the refrigerant gas concentration at the preset period T. Specifically, in this embodiment, the preset period T is between 0.1 seconds and 5 seconds, and the preset leakage concentration P0 is between 0.1% LFL and 2% LFL. Because the refrigerant leak may diffuse or the refrigerant sensor 117 is far away from the leak point, the refrigerant sensor 117 may detect the leaked refrigerant after diffusion and dilution. Therefore, the preset leakage concentration P0 is set to a low value as a preliminary pre-judgment condition.

[0033] When step S13 is executed to determine that the refrigerant gas concentration collected for at least two consecutive preset cycles T is greater than the preset leakage concentration P0, it indicates that the refrigerant is suspected to have leaked, and step S14 is executed to determine whether the air conditioner is turned on and running. If the air conditioner is turned on and running, step S16 is executed. If it is determined that the air conditioner is not turned on and running, step S15 is executed, and the panel of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 displays a refrigerant leakage fault code, and the indoor unit 10 issues a voice alarm to remind the user.

[0034] When step S14 is executed to determine that the air conditioner is turned on, step S16 is executed to control the indoor fan 120 to be turned off, and the wind shield 114 is controlled to close the air inlet 118, and the wind guide plate 112 is controlled to close the air outlet 119, so that the inner cavity 121 forms a sealed cavity. At this time, the refrigerant sensor 117 collects the initial refrigerant concentration P1 of the sealed cavity.

[0035] Then, step S17 is executed. After the sealed chamber remains sealed for the first preset time, the indoor fan 120 is controlled to operate at the minimum speed, and other loads of the air conditioner, such as the compressor and outdoor fan in the outdoor unit, are controlled to be turned off. After the windshield 114 closes the air inlet 118 and the wind guide 112 closes the air outlet 119 to form a sealed chamber within the inner chamber 121 of the casing 111, the sealed chamber remains sealed for the first preset time. This allows any refrigerant leaking from the evaporator 116's pipeline to be trapped within the sealed chamber and prevent it from overflowing, allowing more refrigerant to accumulate for a more accurate determination of the refrigerant leakage concentration. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first preset time is between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

[0036] Next, step S18 is executed. After the indoor fan 120 has been running at the minimum speed for a second preset time, the indoor fan 120 is controlled to be turned off. The refrigerant sensor 117 then detects the refrigerant leakage concentration P2 in the sealed chamber. Running the indoor fan 120 at the minimum speed for the second preset time can evenly mix the refrigerant in the sealed chamber, thereby facilitating accurate detection of the refrigerant leakage concentration P2. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second preset time is 3 to 10 seconds.

[0037] Thus, the refrigerant leakage degree is determined according to at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leaked refrigerant concentration P2, and a preset operation is performed according to the refrigerant leakage degree.

[0038] Specifically, step S19 is performed to determine whether |P2-P1|≤ΔP3 and |P2-P0|≤ΔP3 are satisfied. If so, step S110 is performed; if not, step S112 is performed. ΔP3 is a first preset concentration difference. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first preset concentration difference ΔP3 is between 2% LFL and 5% LFL.

[0039] When executing step S19 and determining that |P2-P1|≤ΔP3 and |P2-P0|≤ΔP3 are satisfied, it indicates that there is no refrigerant leakage in the sealed cavity or the refrigerant leakage is extremely low and is not enough to cause a safety hazard, then executing step S110 to determine that the refrigerant leakage level is an extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and then executing step S111 to perform the preset operation according to the extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and then controlling the air conditioner to resume the original set mode of operation.

[0040] If it is determined that |P2-P1|≤ΔP3 and |P2-P0|≤ΔP3 do not satisfy, step S112 is executed to determine whether ΔP3<|P2-P1|≤ΔP4. If so, step S113 is executed; if not, step S115 is executed. ΔP4 is a second predetermined concentration difference. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second predetermined concentration difference ΔP4 is between 30% LFL and 40% LFL.

[0041] When step S112 is executed to determine that ΔP3<|P2-P1|≤ΔP4 is satisfied, it indicates that there is a trace leakage of refrigerant and there is a safety hazard. Then step S113 is executed to determine that the degree of refrigerant leakage is a trace leakage degree of refrigerant. Then step S114 is executed to perform a preset operation according to the degree of trace refrigerant leakage. The wind shield 114 is controlled to open the air inlet 118, and the air guide plate 112 is controlled to open the air outlet 119, and the indoor fan 120 is controlled to run at the maximum speed so that the leaked refrigerant quickly diffuses into the air. In addition, the panel of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 can display the refrigerant leakage fault code, and the indoor unit 10 can also issue a voice alarm, such as "The refrigerant leakage is serious, please open the doors and windows of the room to keep ventilation", to remind the user to open the doors and windows of the room to keep ventilation, to avoid the leakage refrigerant in the shell cavity 121 being too high and causing safety hazards.

[0042] When it is determined that ΔP3<|P2-P1|≤ΔP4 is not satisfied, step S115 is executed to determine whether |P2-P1|>ΔP4 is satisfied. If so, step S116 is executed. If not, step S12 is executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 continues to collect the refrigerant gas concentration at intervals of the preset period T.

[0043] If step S115 determines that |P2-P1|>ΔP4, indicating a severe refrigerant leak, step S116 is executed to determine the severity of the refrigerant leak. Then, step S117 is executed to perform a preset operation based on the severity of the refrigerant leak. The air guide plate 112 is controlled to open the air outlet 119, and the indoor fan 120 is controlled to operate at a minimum speed, so that the high concentration of leaked refrigerant in the housing cavity 121 is slowly released into the air. In addition, the panel of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 can display a refrigerant leak fault code, and the indoor unit 10 can also issue a voice alarm, such as "Severe refrigerant leak, please open the room doors and windows to maintain ventilation." If the air conditioner is connected to the network and has a distribution network, the refrigerant leak information can be sent to after-sales service, allowing after-sales personnel to promptly handle the situation.

[0044] After the preset operation is performed according to the serious refrigerant leakage, step S118 is executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 collects the refrigerant leakage concentration P5. Then step S119 is executed to determine whether P5≤P6 is satisfied. If so, step S120 is executed. If not, step S118 is continued to be executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 continues to collect the refrigerant leakage concentration P5.

[0045] If step S119 determines that P5 ≤ P6 is satisfied, step S120 is executed to control windshield 114 to open air inlet 118 and indoor fan 120 to operate at maximum speed to rapidly diffuse the leaked refrigerant into the air. In this embodiment, P6 is between 5% LFL and 8% LFL.

[0046] Therefore, the air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of this embodiment can accurately judge the degree of refrigerant leakage based on the difference between at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leakage refrigerant concentration P2, and intelligently perform preset operations according to the degree of refrigerant leakage, so as to accurately identify the degree of refrigerant leakage and perform intelligent operation processing with rapid response, thereby improving the degree of intelligent control and improving the safety of air conditioning refrigerant.

[0047] Second embodiment of the air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method:

[0048] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 4 is a flow chart of the air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of this embodiment. The specific steps of the air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of this embodiment are as follows.

[0049] First, step S21 is executed. When the air conditioner is powered on, step S22 is executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 collects the refrigerant gas concentration at a preset period T. Then, step S23 is executed to determine whether the refrigerant gas concentration collected for at least two consecutive preset periods T is greater than the preset leakage concentration P0. If so, step S24 is executed. If not, step S22 is continued, and the refrigerant sensor 117 continues to collect the refrigerant gas concentration at the preset period T. Specifically, in this embodiment, the preset period T is between 0.1 seconds and 5 seconds, and the preset leakage concentration P0 is between 0.1% LFL and 2% LFL. Because the refrigerant leak may diffuse or the refrigerant sensor 117 is far away from the leak point, the refrigerant sensor 117 may detect the leaked refrigerant after diffusion and dilution. Therefore, the preset leakage concentration P0 is set to a low value as a preliminary pre-judgment condition.

[0050] When step S23 is executed to determine that the refrigerant gas concentration collected for at least two consecutive preset cycles T is greater than the preset leakage concentration P0, it indicates that the refrigerant is suspected to have leaked, and step S24 is executed to determine whether the air conditioner is turned on and running. If the air conditioner is turned on and running, step S26 is executed. If it is determined that the air conditioner is not turned on and running, step S25 is executed, and the panel of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 displays the refrigerant leakage fault code, and the indoor unit 10 issues a voice alarm to remind the user.

[0051] When step S24 is executed to determine that the air conditioner is turned on, step S26 is executed to control the indoor fan 120 to be turned off, and the wind shield 114 is controlled to close the air inlet 118, and the wind guide plate 112 is controlled to close the air outlet 119, so that the inner cavity 121 forms a sealed cavity. At this time, the refrigerant sensor 117 collects the initial refrigerant concentration P1 of the sealed cavity.

[0052] Then, step S27 is executed. After the sealed chamber remains sealed for the first preset time, the indoor fan 120 is controlled to operate at the minimum speed, and other loads of the air conditioner, such as the compressor and outdoor fan in the outdoor unit, are controlled to be turned off. After the windshield 114 closes the air inlet 118 and the wind guide 112 closes the air outlet 119 to form a sealed chamber within the inner chamber 121 of the casing 111, the sealed chamber remains sealed for the first preset time. This allows any refrigerant leaking from the evaporator 116's pipeline to remain within the sealed chamber and prevent it from overflowing, and allows for more refrigerant to accumulate to more accurately determine the refrigerant leakage concentration. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first preset time is between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

[0053] Next, step S28 is executed. After the indoor fan 120 has been running at the minimum speed for a second preset time, the indoor fan 120 is controlled to be turned off. The refrigerant sensor 117 then detects the refrigerant leakage concentration P2 in the sealed chamber. Running the indoor fan 120 at the minimum speed for the second preset time can evenly mix the refrigerant in the sealed chamber, thereby facilitating accurate detection of the refrigerant leakage concentration P2. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second preset time is 3 to 10 seconds.

[0054] Thus, the refrigerant leakage degree is determined according to at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leaked refrigerant concentration P2, and a preset operation is performed according to the refrigerant leakage degree.

[0055] Specifically, step S29 is executed to calculate the refrigerant leakage mass M1=V×(P2-P1), where V is the preset volume of the inner cavity 121. Then, step S210 is executed to determine whether If the conditions are met, step S211 is executed. If not, step S213 is executed. Wherein, M0 is the preset total mass of the refrigerant, and m1 is the first preset ratio. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first preset ratio m1 is between 0.0001 and 0.02.

[0056] When step S210 is executed and it is determined that , indicating that there is no refrigerant leakage in the sealed cavity or the refrigerant leakage is extremely low and is not enough to cause a safety hazard, then step S211 is executed to determine that the refrigerant leakage level is an extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and then step S212 is executed to perform the preset operation according to the extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and the air conditioner is controlled to resume the original set mode of operation.

[0057] When the judgment is not satisfied , then execute step S213 to determine whether If the conditions are met, step S214 is executed. If not, step S216 is executed. m2 is a second preset ratio. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second preset ratio m2 is between 0.03 and 0.05.

[0058] When step S213 is executed and it is determined that , indicating a trace refrigerant leakage and a safety hazard, step S214 is executed to determine that the refrigerant leakage level is a trace refrigerant leakage level, and then step S215 is executed to perform a preset operation according to the trace refrigerant leakage level, then the wind shield 114 is controlled to open the air inlet 118, and the wind guide plate 112 is controlled to open the air outlet 119, and the indoor fan 120 is controlled to run at the maximum speed, so that the leaked refrigerant quickly diffuses into the air. In addition, the panel of the air-conditioning indoor unit 10 can display the refrigerant leakage fault code, and the indoor unit 10 can also issue a voice alarm, such as "The refrigerant leakage is serious, please open the doors and windows of the room to keep ventilation", to remind the user to open the doors and windows of the room to keep ventilation, to avoid the leakage refrigerant in the shell cavity 121 being too high and causing safety hazards.

[0059] When the judgment is not satisfied , then execute step S216 to determine whether If the conditions are met, step S217 is executed. If not, step S22 is executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 continues to collect the refrigerant gas concentration at intervals of the preset period T.

[0060] When step S216 is executed and it is determined that When the refrigerant leaks, it indicates a serious refrigerant leak, and step S217 is executed to determine the degree of refrigerant leakage as a serious refrigerant leak. Then, step S218 is executed to perform a preset operation based on the serious refrigerant leak, controlling the air guide plate 112 to open the air outlet 119 and controlling the indoor fan 120 to operate at the minimum speed, so that the large concentration of leaked refrigerant in the shell cavity 121 is slowly released into the air. In addition, the panel of the air conditioner indoor unit 10 can display a refrigerant leak fault code, and the indoor unit 10 can also issue a voice alarm, such as "The refrigerant leak is serious, please open the doors and windows of the room to keep the room ventilated." If the air conditioner is connected to the network and has a distribution network, the air conditioner refrigerant leakage information can be sent to the after-sales service center, so that after-sales personnel can promptly handle it on-site.

[0061] After the preset operation is performed according to the serious refrigerant leakage, step S219 is executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 collects the refrigerant leakage concentration P5. Then step S220 is executed to determine whether P5≤P6 is satisfied. If so, step S221 is executed. If not, step S219 is continued to be executed, and the refrigerant sensor 117 continues to collect the refrigerant leakage concentration P5.

[0062] If step S220 determines that P5≤P6 is satisfied, step S221 is executed to control the windshield 114 to open the air inlet 118 and to control the indoor fan 120 to operate at the maximum speed so that the leaked refrigerant is quickly dispersed into the air. In this embodiment, P6 is between 5% LFL and 8% LFL.

[0063] Therefore, the air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method of this embodiment can calculate the refrigerant leakage mass M1 = V × (P2-P1) based on at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leakage refrigerant concentration P2, and accurately judge the degree of refrigerant leakage by comparing the refrigerant leakage mass M1 with the preset refrigerant total mass M0, and intelligently perform preset operations according to the degree of refrigerant leakage, so as to accurately identify the degree of refrigerant leakage, and perform intelligent operation processing with rapid response, thereby improving the degree of intelligent control and improving the safety of air conditioning refrigerant.

[0064] Air conditioning example:

[0065] The air conditioner in this embodiment includes an indoor unit 10 and an outdoor unit having a circuit board. The circuit board is provided with a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program that can be run on the processor, and when the processor executes the computer program, each step of the above-mentioned air conditioner refrigerant leakage detection method is implemented.

[0066] For example, a computer program can be divided into one or more modules, one or more of which are stored in a memory and executed by a processor to implement the various modules of the present invention. One or more modules can be a series of computer program instruction segments that can perform specific functions, and the instruction segments are used to describe the execution process of the computer program in a terminal device.

[0067] The processor referred to in the present invention may be a central processing unit (CPU), other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc. The processor is the control center of the electrical appliance, connecting all parts of the entire appliance using various interfaces and lines.

[0068] The memory can be used to store computer programs and / or modules. The processor implements various functions of the appliance by running or executing the computer programs and / or modules stored in the memory, and calling the data stored in the memory. The memory can mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area can store an operating system, at least one application required for a function, etc.; the data storage area can store data created based on the use of the appliance, etc. In addition, the memory can include high-speed random access memory and non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk, internal memory, a plug-in hard disk, a smart memory card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash memory card (FlashCard), at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device.

[0069] Computer readable storage medium embodiment:

[0070] If the computer program stored in the air conditioner's memory is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the present invention can also implement all or part of the process of the above-mentioned embodiment method by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. This computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed by a processor, this computer program can implement each step of the above-mentioned air conditioner refrigerant leak detection method.

[0071] Among them, computer programs include computer program code, which may be in source code form, object code form, executable files, or some intermediate form. Computer-readable media may include: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code, recording media, USB flash drives, removable hard drives, magnetic disks, optical disks, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electric carrier signals, telecommunications signals, and software distribution media. It should be noted that the content included in computer-readable media may be appropriately increased or decreased based on the requirements of legislation and patent practice within a jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, based on legislation and patent practice, computer-readable media does not include electric carrier signals and telecommunications signals.

[0072] The above embodiments are only preferred examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent changes or modifications made based on the structure, features and principles of the patent application scope of the present invention should be included in the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for detecting refrigerant leaks in an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner includes an indoor unit, the indoor unit including a housing, a windshield, an air guide plate, an indoor fan, an evaporator, and a refrigerant sensor. The housing is provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, the windshield is movable to open or close the air inlet, and the air guide plate is movable to open or close the air outlet. The evaporator and the indoor fan are disposed within an inner cavity of the housing, and the refrigerant sensor is disposed on the evaporator. The method is characterized in that: The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method comprises: When the air conditioner is powered on, the refrigerant sensor collects the refrigerant gas concentration at a preset period T interval; When the refrigerant gas concentration collected for at least two consecutive preset periods T is greater than the preset leakage concentration P0, it is determined whether the air conditioner is turned on and running. If the air conditioner is turned on and running, the indoor fan is controlled to be turned off, the wind shield is controlled to close the air inlet, and the wind guide plate is controlled to close the air outlet, so that the inner cavity forms a sealed cavity. At this time, the refrigerant sensor collects the initial refrigerant concentration P1 of the sealed cavity; After the sealed chamber is continuously sealed for a first preset time, the indoor fan is controlled to operate at a minimum speed, and other loads of the air conditioner are controlled to be turned off; after the indoor fan operates at the minimum speed for a second preset time, the indoor fan is controlled to be turned off, and then the refrigerant sensor collects the refrigerant leakage concentration P2 of the sealed chamber; The refrigerant leakage degree is determined according to at least two concentration data among the preset leakage concentration P0, the initial refrigerant concentration P1 and the leaked refrigerant concentration P2, and a preset operation is performed according to the refrigerant leakage degree.

2. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: When |P2-P1|≤ΔP3 and |P2-P0|≤ΔP3 are satisfied, the refrigerant leakage level is determined to be an extremely low refrigerant leakage level. The preset operation is performed according to the extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and the air conditioner is controlled to resume the original set mode of operation, where ΔP3 is the first preset concentration difference.

3. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 2, characterized in that: When ΔP3<|P2-P1|≤ΔP4 is satisfied, the refrigerant leakage degree is determined to be a trace refrigerant leakage degree, and the preset operation is performed according to the trace refrigerant leakage degree, then the wind shield is controlled to open the air inlet, and the air guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the maximum speed, where ΔP4 is the second preset concentration difference.

4. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 3, characterized in that: When |P2-P1|>ΔP4 is satisfied, the refrigerant leakage degree is determined to be a serious refrigerant leakage degree, and the preset operation is performed according to the serious refrigerant leakage, the air guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the minimum speed.

5. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Calculate the refrigerant leakage mass M1=V×(P2-P1), when When , it is determined that the refrigerant leakage level is an extremely low refrigerant leakage level, and the preset operation is performed according to the extremely low refrigerant leakage level, then the air conditioner is controlled to resume the original set mode of operation, wherein V is the preset inner cavity volume, M0 is the preset total refrigerant mass, and m1 is the first preset ratio.

6. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 5, characterized in that: When satisfied When the refrigerant leakage degree is determined to be a trace refrigerant leakage degree, the preset operation is performed according to the trace refrigerant leakage degree, the wind shield is controlled to open the air inlet, the wind guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to run at the maximum speed, where m2 is the second preset ratio.

7. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 6, characterized in that: When satisfied When the refrigerant leakage degree is determined to be a serious refrigerant leakage degree, the preset operation is performed according to the serious refrigerant leakage, the air guide plate is controlled to open the air outlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to operate at the minimum speed.

8. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 4 or 7, characterized in that: After the preset operation is performed according to the serious refrigerant leakage, the refrigerant sensor collects the refrigerant leakage concentration P5. When P5≤P6 is satisfied, the wind shield is controlled to open the air inlet, and the indoor fan is controlled to run at the maximum speed, where P6 is between 5% LFL and 8% LFL.

9. The air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A first sealing ring is provided on the periphery of the windshield, and the first sealing ring can be sealed against the circumferential surface of the air inlet; And / or, a second sealing ring is provided around the periphery of the air guide plate, and the second sealing ring can be sealed against the circumferential surface of the air outlet.

10. Air conditioner, characterized in that The invention comprises an indoor unit and an outdoor unit having a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is provided with a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by the processor, each step of the air conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, each step of the air-conditioning refrigerant leakage detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

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