Air conditioner and control method of air conditioner

Abstract

The application discloses an air conditioner and a control method of the air conditioner. The air conditioner comprises: a heat exchange flow path for realizing heat exchange between a domestic water tank and a refrigerant circulation flow path; a control valve group arranged on the refrigerant circulation flow path and used for conducting or cutting off the refrigerant circulation flow path; and a controller connected with the control valve group and a four-way valve. The controller is configured to: acquire a target operation mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operation mode at least comprises a heating mode, a cooling mode and a cooperative mode in which the heating mode, the cooling mode and a hot water mode are combined; determine that the target operation mode of the air conditioner is the cooperative mode; and control the opening and closing states of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode, so as to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and adjust the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank. The air conditioner can meet the cooling, heating and hot water demands of users at the same time, and the waste heat generated during the refrigeration or heating is fully utilized to prepare hot water, thereby avoiding energy waste of the air conditioner during the operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioner technology, and in particular to an air conditioner and a control method for an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] With the intensification of global warming, air conditioners are used to address thermal comfort in high-temperature environments during summer. However, air conditioners generate a large amount of waste heat when operating in cooling mode and release it outdoors, further exacerbating the urban heat island effect. Existing air conditioners cannot simultaneously operate in cooling, heating, and hot water modes, and they cannot utilize the waste heat generated during cooling and heating to produce hot water; instead, the waste heat is directly released into the environment, increasing environmental heat pollution and causing energy waste during operation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can simultaneously meet the user's needs for cooling, heating, and hot water production, and fully utilize the waste heat generated during cooling or heating to produce hot water, thereby reducing environmental heat pollution and avoiding energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner.

[0004] The second objective of this invention is to provide a control method for an air conditioner.

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerant circulation path, wherein the refrigerant circulates within a flow path consisting of a vapor-liquid separator, a compressor, a finned heat exchanger, a throttling device, a liquid receiver, a heat exchanger assembly, and a four-way valve; the heat exchanger assembly includes multiple refrigerant branches arranged in parallel, each branch equipped with a heat exchanger; the four-way valve includes a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port, the first port being connected to the heat exchanger assembly, the second port to the vapor-liquid separator, and the third port to the finned heat exchanger; a domestic water tank for storing domestic water; and a heat exchange flow path, one end of which is connected to the outlet of the compressor, and the other end of which is connected to the fourth port. The domestic water tank is placed on the heat exchange path, which is used to realize heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation path; a control valve group is located on the refrigerant circulation path and is used to open or close the refrigerant circulation path; a controller is connected to the control valve group and the four-way valve, and the controller is configured to: acquire the target operating mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operating mode includes at least a coordinated mode combining heating mode, cooling mode and hot water mode; determine the target operating mode of the air conditioner as the coordinated mode; and control the on / off state of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the coordinated mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and adjust the water temperature of the domestic water tank.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a combined mode of heating, cooling, and hot water production, the air conditioner controls the on / off states of the control valve group and the four-way valve to ensure that different heat exchangers in the heat exchanger group can simultaneously operate in cooling and heating modes. Hot water is produced by exchanging heat between the water in the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation path through the heat exchange flow path. This allows the air conditioner user to simultaneously meet the needs of cooling, heating, and hot water production. Furthermore, the air conditioner uses waste heat generated during the heating and cooling modes to produce hot water, significantly improving the overall energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner. This effectively reduces energy waste during operation, reduces environmental heat pollution, and saves users a significant amount of electricity.

[0007] In some embodiments, the control valve assembly includes: a first multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the third port, and a second valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to one end of the finned heat exchanger; a second multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the second multi-way valve is connected to one end of the throttling device, and a second valve port of a fifth multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the finned heat exchanger; a third multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the third multi-way valve is connected to a first end of the heat exchanger assembly, and a second valve port of the third multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the throttling device and one end of the liquid reservoir; and a fourth multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve is connected to a second end of the heat exchanger assembly, and the first multi-way valve... The second valve port is connected to the other end of the liquid receiver; the fifth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the first port, and the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the third end of the heat exchanger assembly; the sixth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the sixth multi-way valve is connected to the third end of the heat exchanger assembly; the seventh multi-way valve, the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve, and the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to the fourth end of the heat exchanger assembly; the eighth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the outlet of the compressor, and the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve and the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve.

[0008] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel, and the refrigerant circulation path includes a cooling path and a heating path. To control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank by controlling the switching states of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode, the controller is specifically configured to: control the switching state of the control valve group to a first state according to the cooperative mode; control the third port to connect with the fourth port to conduct the cooling path, causing the first heat exchanger to operate in the cooling mode; conduct the heating path, causing the second heat exchanger to operate in the heating mode; and conduct the heat exchange path to control heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange path.

[0009] In some embodiments, for controlling the switching states of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank, the controller is further configured to: control the switching state of the control valve group to a second state according to the cooperative mode; control the first port to connect with the fourth port to conduct the cooling flow path, so that the second heat exchanger operates in the cooling mode; conduct the heating flow path, so that the first heat exchanger operates in the heating mode; and conduct the heat exchange flow path to control heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0010] In some embodiments, a first end of the first heat exchanger is connected to a first port of the fourth multi-way valve, a second end of the first heat exchanger is connected to a second port of the fifth multi-way valve and a first port of the sixth multi-way valve, a first end of the second heat exchanger is connected to a first port of the third multi-way valve, and a second end of the second heat exchanger is connected to a second port of the seventh multi-way valve; the control valve group further includes: a ninth multi-way valve, the first port of which is connected to a second end of the second heat exchanger and a second port of the seventh multi-way valve, and the second port of which is connected to one end of the finned heat exchanger and a second port of the first multi-way valve; and a tenth multi-way valve, the first port of which is connected to a first end of the second heat exchanger and a first port of the third multi-way valve, and the second port of which is connected to a first port of the second multi-way valve and one end of the throttling device.

[0011] In some embodiments, in the first state, the first valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the first multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve, the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the ninth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve, and the first valve port of the tenth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve.

[0012] In some embodiments, in the second state, the first valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the first multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the ninth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve, and the first valve port of the tenth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, used in the air conditioner described in the above embodiments. The control method includes: acquiring a target operating mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operating mode includes at least a coordinated mode combining a heating mode, a cooling mode, and a hot water mode; determining the target operating mode of the air conditioner as the coordinated mode; and controlling the on / off state of a control valve group and a four-way valve according to the coordinated mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and adjust the water temperature of the domestic water tank.

[0014] According to the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a combined mode of operating heating mode, cooling mode and hot water mode, the on / off state of the control valve group and the on / off state of the four-way valve are controlled to control different heat exchangers in the heat exchanger group to operate cooling mode and heating mode simultaneously. Hot water is produced by exchanging heat between the water in the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation path through the heat exchange flow path. This allows the air conditioner user to simultaneously meet the needs of cooling, heating and hot water production. Furthermore, the air conditioner produces hot water by using the waste heat generated during the operation of heating mode and cooling mode, which greatly improves the overall energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner, reducing environmental heat pollution, and saving users a lot of electricity bills.

[0015] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel. The switching states of the control valve group and the four-way valve are controlled according to the cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank. This includes: controlling the switching state of the control valve group to a first state according to the cooperative mode; controlling the third port to connect with the fourth port to control the first heat exchanger to operate in the cooling mode; controlling the second heat exchanger to operate in the heating mode; and controlling heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0016] In some embodiments, controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the target operating mode further includes: controlling the switching state of the control valve group to a second state according to the cooperative mode, controlling the first port to connect with the fourth port to control the second heat exchanger to operate in the cooling mode, controlling the first heat exchanger to operate in the heating mode, and controlling heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a cooperative mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a cooperative mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a refrigeration mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a refrigeration mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a refrigeration mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a refrigeration mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in heating mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in heating mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a hot water production mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a hot water production mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 11 This is a flowchart of a control method for an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] Air conditioner 1000;

[0032] 1. Vapor-liquid separator; 2. Compressor; 3. Finned heat exchanger; 4. Throttling device; 5. Liquid receiver; 6. Heat exchanger assembly; 7. Four-way valve; 8. Domestic water tank; 9. Control valve assembly.

[0033] First heat exchanger 61; second heat exchanger 62; first multi-way valve 901; second multi-way valve 902; third multi-way valve 903; fourth multi-way valve 904; fifth multi-way valve 905; sixth multi-way valve 906; seventh multi-way valve 907; eighth multi-way valve 908; ninth multi-way valve 909; tenth multi-way valve 910. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary. The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.

[0035] To address the aforementioned problems, the first aspect of this invention proposes an air conditioner that can simultaneously meet the user's needs for cooling, heating, and hot water production. Furthermore, it fully utilizes the waste heat generated during cooling or heating to produce hot water, thereby reducing environmental heat pollution and avoiding energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner.

[0036] The following is for reference. Figure 1 An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is described, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioner 100 includes: a refrigerant circulation path, a domestic water tank 8, a heat exchange path, a control valve group 9, and a controller.

[0037] The refrigerant circulation path allows the refrigerant to circulate within a flow path consisting of a vapor-liquid separator 1, a compressor 2, a finned heat exchanger 3, a throttling device 4, a liquid receiver 5, a heat exchanger assembly 6, and a four-way valve 7. The heat exchanger assembly 6 includes multiple parallel refrigerant branches, each equipped with a heat exchanger. The four-way valve 7 includes a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port. The first port is connected to the heat exchanger assembly 6, the second port to the vapor-liquid separator 1, and the third port to the finned heat exchanger 3. A domestic water tank 8 is used to store domestic water. One end of the heat exchange path is connected to the outlet of the compressor 2, and the other end is connected to the fourth port. The domestic water tank 8 is placed on the heat exchange path, which facilitates heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the refrigerant circulation path. A control valve assembly 9 is located on the refrigerant circulation path and is used to open or close the refrigerant circulation path. A controller is connected to the control valve assembly 9 and the four-way valve 7.

[0038] The controller is configured to perform the following steps.

[0039] First, obtain the target operating mode of the air conditioner, which includes at least a coordinated mode combining heating mode, cooling mode and hot water mode.

[0040] Specifically, users can send control commands about the operating mode to the air conditioner through voice, gestures, or other means via a remote control, an air conditioner application on a mobile terminal, or the control panel on the air conditioner itself. Upon receiving the control commands about the operating mode, the air conditioner controller obtains the target operating mode of the air conditioner. For example, the target operating mode of the air conditioner may be a combined mode of heating, cooling, and hot water production, or a heating mode, cooling mode, or hot water production mode, without any restrictions.

[0041] Then, the target operating mode of the air conditioner is determined to be the cooperative mode.

[0042] For example, if the air conditioner receives a control command for the cooperative mode, the controller then determines that the target operating mode of the air conditioner is the cooperative mode.

[0043] Finally, the on / off states of the control valve group 9 and the four-way valve 7 are controlled according to the collaborative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group 6 and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank 8.

[0044] Specifically, existing air conditioners cannot simultaneously operate in cooling, heating, and hot water modes to meet the simultaneous needs of users. Furthermore, air conditioners cannot utilize waste heat generated during heating and cooling to produce hot water; instead, they directly release the waste heat into the environment, increasing thermal pollution and causing energy waste during operation. To address these issues, the air conditioner in this application, when operating in a combined heating, cooling, and hot water mode, controls the on / off states of the control valve group 9 and the four-way valve 7 to control the different heat exchanger groups 6. The air conditioner can operate in both cooling and heating modes simultaneously. It uses a heat exchange path to exchange heat between the water in the domestic water tank 8 and the refrigerant circulation path, raising the water temperature in the domestic water tank 8. This allows the air conditioner to utilize the waste heat generated during both cooling and heating modes to produce hot water. This simultaneously meets the cooling, heating, and hot water needs of air conditioner users. Furthermore, by utilizing the waste heat generated in both cooling and heating modes to produce hot water, the overall energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner are significantly improved. This effectively reduces energy waste during operation, minimizes environmental heat pollution, and saves users a significant amount of electricity.

[0045] Furthermore, when the target operating mode of the air conditioner is heating mode, cooling mode, or hot water mode, this application controls the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and the four-way valve 7 according to the target operating mode, thereby realizing the cooling, heating, or hot water function.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a combined mode of heating, cooling and hot water production, the air conditioner controls the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and the four-way valve 7 to control different heat exchangers in the heat exchanger group 6 to simultaneously operate in cooling and heating modes. Hot water is produced by exchanging heat between the water in the domestic water tank 8 and the refrigerant circulation path through the heat exchange flow path. This allows the air conditioner user to simultaneously meet the needs of cooling, heating and hot water production. Furthermore, the air conditioner 1000 produces hot water using waste heat generated during the heating and cooling modes, significantly improving the overall energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner. This effectively reduces energy waste during operation, reduces environmental heat pollution, and saves users a significant amount of electricity.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the control valve group 9 includes: a first multi-way valve 901, a second multi-way valve 902, a third multi-way valve 903, a fourth multi-way valve 904, a fifth multi-way valve 905, a sixth multi-way valve 906, a seventh multi-way valve 907, and an eighth multi-way valve 908.

[0048] Specifically, the first valve port of the first multi-way valve 901 is connected to the third port, and the second valve port of the first multi-way valve 901 is connected to one end of the finned heat exchanger 3; the first valve port of the second multi-way valve 902 is connected to one end of the throttling device 4, and the second valve port of the second multi-way valve 902 is connected to the other end of the finned heat exchanger 3; the first valve port of the third multi-way valve 903 is connected to the first end of the heat exchanger assembly 6, and the second valve port of the third multi-way valve 903 is connected to the other end of the throttling device 4 and one end of the liquid receiver 5; the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904 is connected to the second end of the heat exchanger assembly 6, and the second valve port of the first multi-way valve 901 is connected to the liquid receiver 5. The other end of valve 5 is connected to the compressor 2 outlet; the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905 is connected to the first port, and the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905 is connected to the third end of the heat exchanger group 6; the first valve port of the sixth multi-way valve 906 is connected to the third end of the heat exchanger group 6; the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907 is connected to the second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve 906, and the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907 is connected to the fourth end of the heat exchanger group 6; the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve 908 is connected to the outlet of the compressor 2, and the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve 908 is connected to the second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve 906 and the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907. Thus, by controlling the on / off state of the above control valve group 9, the refrigerant circulation path is opened or closed, thereby achieving the functions of simultaneous heating, cooling, and hot water production.

[0049] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group 6 includes a first heat exchanger 61 and a second heat exchanger 62 arranged in parallel. The refrigerant circulation path includes a cooling path and a heating path. To control the operation of the heat exchanger group 6 and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank 8 by controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and the four-way valve 7 according to the cooperative mode, the controller is specifically configured to: control the on / off state of the control valve group 9 to a first state according to the cooperative mode; control the third port and the fourth port to connect to conduct the cooling path so that the first heat exchanger 61 operates in cooling mode; conduct the heating path so that the second heat exchanger 62 operates in heating mode; and conduct the heat exchange path to control heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange path.

[0050] Specifically, the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 are respectively located in different spaces. For example, the first heat exchanger 61 is located in the first space, and the second heat exchanger 62 is located in the second space. When a user in the second space needs to turn on the heating mode, and another user in the first space needs to turn on the cooling mode, and at the same time needs to produce hot water, the air conditioner in this application operates in a coordinated mode combining heating, cooling, and hot water production. In this mode, the control valve group 9 is set to the first state, and the third and fourth ports are connected to conduct the cooling flow path, causing the first heat exchanger 61 to operate in cooling mode, and the heating flow path is conducted, causing the second heat exchanger 62 to operate in heating mode. The system connects the heat exchange flow path and controls the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path to increase the temperature of the water in the domestic water tank 8. This allows the air conditioner to use the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water. The air conditioner controls the control valve group 9 to its first state and connects the third and fourth ports, thus simultaneously meeting the cooling, heating, and hot water needs of the air conditioner user. Furthermore, by using the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water, the air conditioner significantly improves its overall energy efficiency and energy recovery, effectively reducing energy waste during operation, minimizing environmental heat pollution, and saving users substantial electricity costs.

[0051] In some embodiments, for controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and the four-way valve 7 according to the cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group 6 and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank 8, the controller is further configured to: control the on / off state of the control valve group 9 to a second state according to the cooperative mode, and control the first port and the fourth port to connect to conduct the cooling flow path so that the second heat exchanger 62 operates in cooling mode, and conduct the heating flow path so that the first heat exchanger 61 operates in heating mode, and conduct the heat exchange flow path to control heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path.

[0052] Specifically, the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 are respectively located in different spaces. For example, the first heat exchanger 61 is located in the first space, and the second heat exchanger 62 is located in the second space. When a user in the second space needs to turn on the cooling mode, and another user in the first space needs to turn on the heating mode, and at the same time needs to produce hot water, the air conditioner in this application operates in a coordinated mode combining heating, cooling, and hot water production. In this mode, the control valve group 9 is switched to the second state, and the first port E is connected to the fourth port D to open the cooling flow path, causing the first heat exchanger 61 to operate in heating mode, and the heating flow path to open the second heat exchanger 62 to operate in cooling mode. The system connects the heat exchange flow path and controls the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path to increase the temperature of the water in the domestic water tank 8. This allows the air conditioner to use the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water. The air conditioner controls the control valve group 9 to its second state and connects the first port E to the fourth port D, thus simultaneously meeting the cooling, heating, and hot water needs of the air conditioner user. Furthermore, by using the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water, the air conditioner significantly improves its overall energy efficiency and energy recovery, effectively reducing energy waste during operation, minimizing environmental heat pollution, and saving users substantial electricity costs.

[0053] In some embodiments, the first end of the first heat exchanger 61 is connected to the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904, the second end of the first heat exchanger 61 is connected to the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905 and the first valve port of the sixth multi-way valve 906, the first end of the second heat exchanger 62 is connected to the first valve port of the third multi-way valve 903, and the second end of the second heat exchanger 62 is connected to the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907; the control valve group 9 further includes: a ninth multi-way valve 909, the first valve port of the ninth multi-way valve 909 is connected to the second end of the second heat exchanger 62 and the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907, the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve 909 is connected to one end of the finned heat exchanger 3 and the second valve port of the first multi-way valve 901; a tenth multi-way valve 910, the first valve port of the tenth multi-way valve 910 is connected to the first end of the second heat exchanger 62 and the first valve port of the third multi-way valve 903, and the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve 910 is connected to the first valve port of the second multi-way valve 902 and one end of the throttling device 4. Therefore, by controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9, the refrigerant circulation path can be opened or closed, thereby achieving the functions of simultaneous heating, cooling and hot water production.

[0054] In some embodiments, in a first state, the first valve port of the first multi-way valve 901 is connected to the second valve port of the first multi-way valve 901, the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904 is connected to the second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904, the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905 is connected to the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905, the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907 is connected to the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907, the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve 908 is connected to the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve 908, the first valve port of the ninth multi-way valve 909 is connected to the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve 909, and the first valve port of the tenth multi-way valve 910 is connected to the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve 910.

[0055] Specifically, when the air conditioner 1000 receives cooling, heating, and hot water commands, and operates in a combined mode that integrates heating, cooling, and hot water modes, the on / off state of the control valve group 9 is set to the first state, and the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are connected to open the cooling flow path, heating flow path, and heat exchange flow path, i.e., the refrigerant flows according to... Figure 1 The arrows indicate that the flow circulates in the cooling, heating, and heat exchange paths. Figure 1The bold black solid lines represent the refrigeration flow path, heating flow path, and heat exchange flow path after they are connected. This allows heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path to occur simultaneously when the first heat exchanger 61 is operating in cooling mode and the second heat exchanger 62 is operating in heating mode. In other words, when a portion of the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the domestic water tank 8, it exchanges heat with the domestic water tank 8 to release heat to the domestic water tank 8. The domestic water tank 8 uses the refrigerant to heat the water inside. The refrigerant after releasing heat flows into the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7. Then, it flows into the first multi-way valve 901 through the third port C of the four-way valve 7. With the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the first multi-way valve 901 connected, it flows into the ninth multi-way valve 909. With the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the ninth multi-way valve 909 connected, it flows into the second heat exchanger 62. Due to the connection of the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the eighth multi-way valve 908 and the seventh multi-way valve 907, another portion of the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the second heat exchanger 62 through the eighth multi-way valve 908 and the seventh multi-way valve 907. The second heat exchanger 62 operates in heating mode, where its high-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor environment to release heat and thus raise the indoor temperature. The refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 62 after heat exchange passes through the tenth multi-way valve 910 into the throttling device 4 for refrigerant flow regulation before flowing into the liquid receiver 5. The refrigerant discharged from the liquid receiver 5 flows into the first heat exchanger 61 through the fourth multi-way valve 904. The first heat exchanger 61 operates in cooling mode, where its low-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat and thus lower the indoor temperature. After heat exchange, the refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger 61 flows through the first port a and the second port b of the fifth multi-way valve 905 into the first port E of the four-way valve 7, and then into the vapor-liquid separator 1 through the second port S of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 then separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid and flows back to the compressor 2. By controlling the switch state of the control valve group 9 to the first state and controlling the connection between the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, the functions of simultaneously producing hot water, heating and cooling are realized.

[0056] In this embodiment, the air conditioner can first run the cooling mode and the heating mode, and then run the hot water mode. That is, the on / off state of the control valve group 9 is controlled according to the running priority order, namely, controlling the first valve port and the second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904 to connect, controlling the first valve port and the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905 to connect, controlling the first valve port and the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907 to connect, the first valve port and the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve 908 to connect, the first valve port and the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve 909 to connect, the first valve port and the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve 910 to connect, and then controlling the first valve port and the second valve port of the first multi-way valve 901 to connect, so that the air conditioner runs the cooling mode and the heating mode, and then runs the hot water mode to meet the user's needs.

[0057] In some embodiments, in the second state, the first valve port of the first multi-way valve 901 is connected to the second valve port of the first multi-way valve 901, the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904 is connected to the second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904, the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905 is connected to the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905, the first valve port of the ninth multi-way valve 909 is connected to the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve 909, and the first valve port of the tenth multi-way valve 910 is connected to the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve 910.

[0058] Specifically, when a user simultaneously needs cooling, heating, and hot water, they can send cooling, heating, and hot water commands to the air conditioner 1000 via a remote control, an air conditioner application on a mobile terminal, or the control panel on the air conditioner itself, using voice, gestures, or other methods. Upon receiving these commands, the controller operates the air conditioner 1000 in a combined heating, cooling, and hot water mode. This involves setting the control valve group 9 to its second state and connecting the first port E and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 to open the cooling, heating, and heat exchange paths, allowing the refrigerant to flow according to... Figure 2 The arrows indicate that the flow circulates in the cooling, heating, and heat exchange paths. Figure 2The thick black solid lines represent the refrigeration flow path, heating flow path, and heat exchange flow path after they are connected. This allows the first heat exchanger 61 to operate in heating mode and the second heat exchanger 62 to operate in cooling mode simultaneously, controlling heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path. In other words, when the compressor 2 discharges high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant into the domestic water tank 8, it exchanges heat with the domestic water tank 8 to release heat. The domestic water tank 8 uses the refrigerant to heat the water inside. After releasing heat, the refrigerant flows to the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, through which... The refrigerant flows into the fifth multi-way valve 905 through the first port E of the multi-way valve 7. From the first port a and the second port b of the fifth multi-way valve 905, the refrigerant flows into the first heat exchanger 61. The first heat exchanger 61 operates in heating mode, where the high-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor environment to release heat, thereby increasing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant flowing out of the first heat exchanger 61 after heat exchange is stored in the liquid receiver 5. The refrigerant discharged from the liquid receiver 5 flows into the throttling device 4. After the refrigerant flow is regulated by the throttling device 4, the refrigerant flows into the first port a and the second port b of the tenth multi-way valve 910. With the second valve port b connected, the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 62 through the tenth multi-way valve 910. The second heat exchanger 62 operates in cooling mode, where the low-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby lowering the indoor temperature. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the ninth multi-way valve 909 and the first multi-way valve 901 are connected, the refrigerant after heat exchange flows from the second heat exchanger 62 through the ninth multi-way valve 909 into the first multi-way valve 901, and then through the first multi-way valve 901 into the third port C of the four-way valve 7. The second port S of valve 7 flows into the vapor-liquid separator 1. After the vapor-liquid separator 1 separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid, it flows back to the compressor 2. This controls the switching state of the control valve group 9 to the second state and controls the connection between the first port E and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, thereby realizing the simultaneous hot water production, heating and cooling functions. Furthermore, the air conditioner 1000 produces hot water by operating in cooling mode and heating mode, which can effectively reduce energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner 1000, reduce environmental heat pollution, and save users a lot of electricity bills.

[0059] In some embodiments, the target operating mode is a cooling mode. The switching state of the control valve assembly 9 is controlled according to the cooling mode, and the third port C and fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are connected to open the cooling flow path, so that the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 circulates in the cooling flow path, i.e., according to… Figure 3 The arrow indicates that the flow circulates in the cooling path, where... Figure 4The thick black solid line represents the refrigeration flow path. That is, because the fourth port D and the third port C of the four-way valve 7 are connected, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the domestic water tank 8 and then back to the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the first multi-way valve 901 are connected, the refrigerant can flow through the third port C of the four-way valve 7 into the first valve port a of the first multi-way valve 901, and then through the second valve port b of the first multi-way valve 901 into the finned heat exchanger 3. The finned heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant and the outdoor environment, i.e., absorbs the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. The refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor environment. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the second multi-way valve 902 are connected, the refrigerant, after releasing heat, can flow through the second multi-way valve 902 into the throttling device 4 for refrigerant flow regulation. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the third multi-way valve 903 are connected, a portion of the refrigerant flows through the third multi-way valve 903 into the second heat exchanger 62 installed on a refrigerant branch. The low-temperature refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby lowering the indoor temperature. Due to the seventh multi-way valve 907 and the sixth... The first port a and the second port b of the multi-way valve 906 and the fifth multi-way valve 905 are connected. The refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 62 after heat exchange passes through the seventh multi-way valve 907, the sixth multi-way valve 906 and the fifth multi-way valve 905 in sequence into the first port E of the four-way valve 7, and then through the second port S of the four-way valve 7 into the vapor-liquid separator 1. The vapor-liquid separator 1 further separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid and then flows back to the compressor 2. Another part of the refrigerant flows into the liquid receiver 5 for storage. The refrigerant discharged from the liquid receiver 5 flows through the fourth multi-way valve 904 into the first valve on another refrigerant branch. Heat exchanger 61: The low-temperature refrigerant in the first heat exchanger 61 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby reducing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant that has undergone heat exchange flows out of the first heat exchanger and flows into the first port of the four-way valve 7 through the fifth multi-way valve 905, and then into the vapor-liquid separator 1 through the second port S of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 then separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid and flows back to the compressor 2. The cooling mode is achieved by controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and controlling the connection between the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, thereby meeting the user's cooling needs.

[0060] In some embodiments, the target operating mode is a cooling mode. The switching state of the control valve assembly 9 is controlled according to the cooling mode, and the third port C and fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are connected to open the cooling flow path, so that the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 circulates in the cooling flow path, i.e., according to… Figure 5 The arrow indicates that the flow circulates in the cooling path, where... Figure 6The thick black solid line represents the refrigeration flow path. This means that control valve assembly 9 also includes an eleventh multi-way valve 911. Since the first port a and the second port b of the eleventh multi-way valve 911 are connected, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from compressor 2 can flow into the finned heat exchanger 3 through the eleventh multi-way valve 911. The finned heat exchanger 3 then exchanges heat between the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, it absorbs the heat from the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant and releases it into the outdoor environment. Since the first port a and the second port b of the second multi-way valve 902 are connected, the refrigerant after releasing heat flows through… After the refrigerant flow is regulated by the throttling device 4 via the second multi-way valve 902, a portion of the refrigerant flows through the third multi-way valve 903 through its first valve port a and second valve port b into a second heat exchanger 62 located on a refrigerant branch. The low-temperature refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby lowering the indoor temperature. Since the first valve ports a and second valve ports b of the sixth multi-way valve 906, the seventh multi-way valve 907, and the fifth multi-way valve 905 are connected, the refrigerant after heat exchange flows out of the heat exchanger. Refrigerant can flow into the first port E of the four-way valve 7 through the sixth multi-way valve 906, the seventh multi-way valve 907, and the fifth multi-way valve 905, and then into the vapor-liquid separator 1 through the second port S of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid components, and the refrigerant flows back to the compressor 2. Another portion of the refrigerant flows into the liquid receiver 5 for storage. Because the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the fourth multi-way valve 904 are connected, the refrigerant discharged from the liquid receiver 5 can flow from the fourth multi-way valve 904 into the first heat exchanger 61 installed on another refrigerant branch. The low-temperature refrigerant in compartment 61 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby reducing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant after heat exchange flows out from the first heat exchanger and flows into the first port E of the four-way valve 7 through the fifth multi-way valve 905, and then into the vapor-liquid separator 1 through the second port S of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 then separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid and flows back to the compressor 2. Thus, by controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and controlling the connection between the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, the cooling mode is realized, thereby meeting the user's cooling needs.

[0061] In some embodiments, the target operating mode is a heating mode. The on / off state of the control valve assembly 9 is controlled according to the heating mode, and the first port E and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are connected to open the heating flow path, so that the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 circulates in the heating flow path, i.e., according to… Figure 7 The arrow indicates that the flow circulates in the heating path, where... Figure 8The thick black solid line represents the heating flow path. That is, because the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the ninth multi-way valve 909, the seventh multi-way valve 907, and the sixth multi-way valve 906 are connected, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows through the eighth multi-way valve 908. A portion of the refrigerant flows through the seventh multi-way valve 907 into a second heat exchanger on a refrigerant branch. Inside the second heat exchanger, the high-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor environment to release heat, thereby increasing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant after heat exchange flows out of the heat exchanger and then flows through the third multi-way valve 903 into the throttling device 4. Another portion of the refrigerant flows through the sixth multi-way valve 906 into a first heat exchanger on another refrigerant branch. Inside the first heat exchanger, the high-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor environment to release heat, thereby increasing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant after heat exchange flows out of the heat exchanger and flows into the liquid receiver 5 for storage. The refrigerant discharged from the liquid receiver 5 flows into the throttling device 4. The refrigerant is fed into the flow device 4, which allows heat exchange between the refrigerant and the indoor environment through heat exchangers on two refrigerant branches, thereby raising the indoor temperature. After the refrigerant flow is regulated by the throttling device 4, it flows into the finned heat exchanger 3 through the second multi-way valve 902, which connects the first valve port a and the second valve port b. The finned heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the low-temperature refrigerant and the outdoor environment, i.e., the low-temperature refrigerant absorbs heat from the outdoor environment. The refrigerant after absorbing heat flows into the third port C of the four-way valve 7 through the connection of the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the first multi-way valve 901, and then flows into the vapor-liquid separator 1 through the second port S of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid and then flows back to the compressor 2. The heating mode is completed by controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and controlling the connection between the first port E and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, thereby meeting the user's heating needs.

[0062] In some embodiments, the target operating mode is a hot water production mode, controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9, and controlling the connection between the first port E and the fourth port D to conduct the heat exchange flow path, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 circulates in the heat exchange flow path, i.e., according to... Figure 9 The arrow indicates that the flow is circulating in the heat exchange path, where... Figure 10The thick black solid line represents the heat exchange flow path. This means that control valve group 9 also includes a twelfth multi-way valve 912. High-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from compressor 2 flows into domestic water tank 8 to exchange heat with it, releasing heat to the domestic water tank 8. Domestic water tank 8 uses the refrigerant to heat the water inside. With the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the twelfth multi-way valve 912 connected, the refrigerant flows through the twelfth multi-way valve 912 and into the liquid receiver 5 for storage. The refrigerant discharged from the liquid receiver 5 flows through the throttling device 4 for refrigerant flow regulation, and then, with the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the second multi-way valve 902 connected, flows through the second multi-way valve 912. 02 flows into the finned heat exchanger 3, where the low-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor environment. That is, the low-temperature refrigerant absorbs heat from the outdoor environment. After absorbing heat, the refrigerant flows into the second port S of the four-way valve 7 through the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the first multi-way valve 901. Then, it flows into the vapor-liquid separator 1 through the third port C of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 separates the refrigerant into gas and liquid and then flows back to the compressor 2. Thus, by controlling the on / off state of the control valve group 9 and controlling the connection between the first port E and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, the hot water production mode is realized, thereby meeting the user's hot water production needs.

[0063] In this embodiment, the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 are internally circulated with refrigerant and have fans for blowing air, which can exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air to meet the user's cooling or heating needs.

[0064] In the embodiments, the multi-way valve can be a four-way valve 7, a three-way valve, or other multi-directional valve bodies, and there are no restrictions on this.

[0065] In this embodiment, the heat exchange tube of the domestic water tank 8 is in the shape of a coil, which is wrapped around the outside of the metal inner liner of the domestic water tank 8. There is thermally conductive silicone grease between the heat exchange tube and the metal inner liner, which can enhance heat transfer.

[0066] In this embodiment, except for the compressor 2, domestic water tank 8, four-way valve 7, and vapor-liquid separator 1 which have directions, the multi-way valve and heat exchanger are non-directional and can be connected in any direction.

[0067] A second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for an air conditioner, used in the air conditioner described in the above embodiments, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the control method includes steps S1 to S3.

[0068] Step S1: Obtain the target operating mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operating mode includes at least a combined mode of heating mode, cooling mode and hot water mode.

[0069] Specifically, users can send control commands about the operating mode to the air conditioner through voice, gestures, or other means via a remote control, an air conditioner application on a mobile terminal, or the control panel on the air conditioner itself. Upon receiving the control commands about the operating mode, the air conditioner controller obtains the target operating mode of the air conditioner. For example, the target operating mode of the air conditioner may be a combined mode of heating, cooling, and hot water production, or a heating mode, cooling mode, or hot water production mode, without any restrictions.

[0070] Step S2: Determine the target operating mode of the air conditioner as the cooperative mode.

[0071] For example, if the air conditioner receives a control command for the cooperative mode, the controller then determines that the target operating mode of the air conditioner is the cooperative mode.

[0072] Step S3: Control the on / off state of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank.

[0073] Specifically, existing air conditioners cannot simultaneously operate in cooling, heating, and hot water modes to meet the simultaneous needs of users. Furthermore, air conditioners cannot utilize waste heat generated during heating and cooling to produce hot water; instead, they directly release the waste heat into the environment, increasing thermal pollution and wasting energy during operation. To address these issues, the air conditioner in this application, when operating in a coordinated mode combining heating, cooling, and hot water modes, controls the on / off states of the control valve group and the four-way valve to control the different heat exchangers in the heat exchanger group. It can operate in both cooling and heating modes simultaneously, and through a heat exchange flow path, it exchanges heat between the water in the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation flow path to increase the temperature of the water in the domestic water tank. This allows the air conditioner to utilize the waste heat generated during both heating and cooling modes to produce hot water, thus simultaneously meeting the cooling, heating, and hot water needs of air conditioner users. Furthermore, by utilizing the waste heat generated during cooling and heating modes to produce hot water, it significantly improves the overall energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, effectively reducing energy waste during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving users a significant amount of electricity bills.

[0074] According to the control method of the air conditioner of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a coordinated mode combining heating mode, cooling mode and hot water mode, the on / off state of the control valve group and the on / off state of the four-way valve are controlled to enable different heat exchangers in the heat exchanger group to operate in cooling mode and heating mode simultaneously. Hot water is produced by exchanging heat between the water in the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation path through the heat exchange flow path. This allows air conditioner users to simultaneously meet their needs for cooling, heating and hot water. Furthermore, the air conditioner produces hot water by using the waste heat generated during the operation of heating and cooling modes, which greatly improves the overall energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving users a lot of electricity bills.

[0075] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel. The on / off state of the control valve group and the on / off state of the four-way valve are controlled according to a cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank. This includes: controlling the on / off state of the control valve group to a first state according to the cooperative mode, controlling the third port and the fourth port to connect, thereby controlling the first heat exchanger to operate in a cooling mode, controlling the second heat exchanger to operate in a heating mode, and controlling heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0076] Specifically, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are respectively located in different spaces. For example, the first heat exchanger is located in the first space, and the second heat exchanger is located in the second space. When a user in the second space needs to turn on the heating mode, and another user in the first space needs to turn on the cooling mode, and at the same time needs to produce hot water, the air conditioner in this application operates in a coordinated mode combining heating, cooling, and hot water production. In this mode, the control valve group is in the first state, and the third and fourth ports are connected to conduct the cooling flow path, causing the first heat exchanger to operate in cooling mode, and the heating flow path is conducted to cause the second heat exchanger to operate in heating mode, and the heating flow path is conducted to conduct the second heat exchanger to operate in heating mode. The heat exchange flow path controls the heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path to increase the temperature of the water in the domestic water tank. This allows the air conditioner to use the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water. The air conditioner controls the on / off state of the control valve group to the first state and connects the third and fourth ports, thus simultaneously meeting the cooling, heating, and hot water needs of the air conditioner user. Furthermore, by using the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water, the air conditioner significantly improves its overall energy efficiency and energy recovery, effectively reducing energy waste during operation, minimizing environmental heat pollution, and saving users substantial electricity costs.

[0077] In some embodiments, controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the target operating mode further includes: controlling the switching state of the control valve group to a second state according to the cooperative mode, controlling the first port to connect with the fourth port to control the second heat exchanger to operate in a cooling mode, controlling the first heat exchanger to operate in a heating mode, and controlling heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0078] Specifically, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are respectively located in different spaces. For example, the first heat exchanger is located in the first space, and the second heat exchanger is located in the second space. When a user in the second space needs to turn on the cooling mode, and another user in the first space needs to turn on the heating mode, and at the same time needs to produce hot water, the air conditioner in this application operates in a coordinated mode combining heating, cooling, and hot water production. In this mode, the control valve group is switched to the second state, and the first port and the fourth port are connected to conduct the cooling flow path, causing the first heat exchanger to operate in heating mode, and the heating flow path to conduct the second heat exchanger to operate in cooling mode. The heat exchange flow path controls heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path to increase the temperature of the water in the domestic water tank. This allows the air conditioner to utilize the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water. The air conditioner controls the valve group to its second state and connects the first and fourth ports, thus simultaneously meeting the cooling, heating, and hot water needs of the user. Furthermore, by using the waste heat generated during heating and cooling modes to produce hot water, the air conditioner significantly improves its overall energy efficiency and energy recovery, effectively reducing energy waste during operation, minimizing environmental heat pollution, and saving users substantial electricity costs.

[0079] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0080] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The refrigerant circulation path allows the refrigerant to circulate within the flow path consisting of a vapor-liquid separator, compressor, finned heat exchanger, throttling device, liquid receiver, heat exchanger assembly, and four-way valve. The heat exchanger group includes multiple refrigerant branches connected in parallel, and each refrigerant branch is equipped with a heat exchanger; The four-way valve includes a first port, a second port, a third port, and a fourth port. The first port is connected to the heat exchanger assembly, the second port is connected to the vapor-liquid separator, and the third port is connected to the finned heat exchanger. Domestic water tanks are used to store domestic water. A heat exchange flow path is provided, one end of which is connected to the outlet of the compressor, and the other end of which is connected to the fourth port. The domestic water tank is placed on the heat exchange flow path, and the heat exchange flow path is used to realize heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation flow path. A control valve assembly is located on the refrigerant circulation path and is used to open or close the refrigerant circulation path. The controller, connected to the control valve assembly and the four-way valve, is configured to: Obtain the target operating mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operating mode includes at least a combined mode of heating mode, cooling mode and hot water mode; The target operating mode of the air conditioner is determined to be the cooperative mode; The switching states of the control valve group and the four-way valve are controlled according to the cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank. The heat exchanger assembly includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger connected in parallel, and the control valve assembly includes: A first multi-way valve, wherein the first valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the third port, and the second valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to one end of the finned heat exchanger. The second multi-way valve has its first valve port connected to one end of the throttling device and its second valve port connected to the other end of the finned heat exchanger. The third multi-way valve has its first valve port connected to the first end of the second heat exchanger, and its second valve port connected to the other end of the throttling device and one end of the liquid reservoir. The fourth multi-way valve has its first valve port connected to the first end of the first heat exchanger and its second valve port connected to the other end of the liquid reservoir. The fifth multi-way valve has its first valve port connected to the first port and its second valve port connected to the second end of the first heat exchanger. The sixth multi-way valve, wherein the first valve port of the sixth multi-way valve is connected to the second end of the first heat exchanger; A seventh multi-way valve, wherein the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve, and the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to the second end of the second heat exchanger; The eighth multi-way valve has its first valve port connected to the outlet of the compressor, and its second valve port connected to the second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve and the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve. The ninth multi-way valve has its first valve port connected to the second end of the second heat exchanger and the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve, and its second valve port connected to one end of the finned heat exchanger and the second valve port of the first multi-way valve. The tenth multi-way valve has its first valve port connected to the first end of the second heat exchanger and the first valve port of the third multi-way valve, and its second valve port connected to the first valve port of the second multi-way valve and one end of the throttling device.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigerant circulation path includes a refrigeration path and a heating path. To control the on / off states of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode, thereby controlling the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulating the water temperature of the domestic water tank, the controller is specifically configured as follows: The control valve group is controlled to switch to the first state according to the cooperative mode, and the third port and the fourth port are connected to conduct the refrigeration flow path so that the first heat exchanger operates in the refrigeration mode, and the heating flow path is conducted so that the second heat exchanger operates in the heating mode, and the heat exchange flow path is conducted to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, The controller is further configured to control the on / off states of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode, so as to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank. According to the cooperative mode, the switching state of the control valve group is controlled to the second state, and the first port is connected to the fourth port to conduct the cooling flow path, so that the second heat exchanger operates in the cooling mode, and the heating flow path is conducted to conduct the heating mode of the first heat exchanger, and the heat exchange flow path is conducted to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the first state, the first valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the first multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve, the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the ninth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve, and the first valve port of the tenth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that, In the second state, the first valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the first multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the ninth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the ninth multi-way valve, and the first valve port of the tenth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the tenth multi-way valve.

6. A control method for an air conditioner, characterized in that, For an air conditioner according to any one of claims 1-5, the control method includes: Obtain the target operating mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operating mode includes at least a combined mode of heating mode, cooling mode and hot water mode; The target operating mode of the air conditioner is determined to be the cooperative mode; The switching states of the control valve group and the four-way valve are controlled according to the cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger group and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank.

7. The control method for an air conditioner according to claim 6, characterized in that, The heat exchanger assembly includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger connected in parallel. The on / off states of the control valve assembly and the four-way valve are controlled according to the cooperative mode to control the operation of the heat exchanger assembly and regulate the water temperature of the domestic water tank, including: According to the cooperative mode, the switching state of the control valve group is controlled to the first state, and the third port is connected to the fourth port to control the first heat exchanger to operate in the cooling mode, the second heat exchanger to operate in the heating mode, and the heat exchange is controlled between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

8. The control method for an air conditioner according to claim 7, characterized in that, The control of the on / off states of the control valve group and the four-way valve according to the target operating mode also includes: According to the cooperative mode, the switching state of the control valve group is controlled to the second state, and the first port is connected to the fourth port to control the second heat exchanger to operate in the cooling mode, and the first heat exchanger to operate in the heating mode, and heat exchange is controlled between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

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