Air conditioner and control method of air conditioner

Abstract

The invention discloses an air conditioner and a control method of the air conditioner, and the air conditioner comprises a heat exchange flow path on which a living water tank is placed and which is used for realizing heat exchange between the living water tank and a refrigerant circulation flow path; the control valve group is arranged on the refrigerant circulating flow path and is used for opening or closing the refrigerant circulating flow path; the controller is configured to obtain a target operation mode of the air conditioner, and the target operation mode at least comprises a cooperative mode combining a refrigeration mode and a water heating mode; determining the target operation mode of the air conditioner as a cooperative mode; and the on-off states of the control valve set and the four-way valve are controlled according to the cooperative mode, so that the heating state of the domestic water tank is controlled according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank while the indoor temperature is adjusted till the water tank temperature reaches the preset temperature. By the adoption of the air conditioner, the requirements for refrigeration and water heating can be met at the same time, waste heat generated during refrigeration is fully utilized to prepare hot water, and energy waste in the operation process of the air conditioner is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] As global warming intensifies, air conditioners are installed to solve the problem of thermal comfort in high-temperature environments in summer. However, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, a large amount of waste heat is generated and discharged to the outside, further exacerbating the urban heat island effect. In the related art, the existing air conditioner cannot meet the needs of cooling and hot water at the same time, and the air conditioner cannot use the waste heat generated in cooling to produce hot water, but directly discharges the waste heat to the environment, thereby increasing environmental thermal pollution and causing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, one purpose of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner that can simultaneously meet the needs of refrigeration and hot water production, and fully utilize the waste heat generated during refrigeration to produce hot water, thereby reducing environmental thermal pollution and avoiding energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner.

[0004] A second object of the present invention is to provide a control method for an air conditioner.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention provides an air conditioner, comprising: a refrigerant circulation flow path, so that the refrigerant circulates in the flow path composed of a vapor-liquid separator, a compressor, a fin heat exchanger, a throttling device, a liquid storage device, a heat exchanger group and a four-way valve; the heat exchanger group includes a plurality of refrigerant branches arranged in parallel, and a heat exchanger is provided on each refrigerant branch; 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 group, the second port is connected to the vapor-liquid separator, and the third port is connected to the fin heat exchanger; a domestic water tank for storing domestic water; a heat exchange flow path, one end of the heat exchange flow path is connected to the outlet of the compressor, the other end of the heat exchange flow path is connected to the fourth port, and the domestic water tank is placed on the heat exchange flow path. 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 group, the control valve group is arranged on the refrigerant circulation flow path, and is used to conduct or cut off the refrigerant circulation flow path; a controller, the controller is connected with the control valve group and the four-way valve, and the controller is configured to: obtain a target operation mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operation mode at least includes a coordinated mode combining a cooling mode and a hot water mode; determine that the target operation mode of the air conditioner is the coordinated mode; control the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the coordinated mode, so as to control the heating state of the domestic water tank according to the tank temperature of the domestic water tank while adjusting the indoor temperature, until the tank temperature reaches a preset temperature.

[0006] According to the air conditioner of the embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, the needs of cooling and hot water making can be met at the same time by controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when the cooling mode is running to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0007] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel, the refrigerant circulation flow path includes a refrigeration flow path, and for controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode, the controller is specifically configured to: control the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to start; control the switching state of the control valve group to be a first state according to the collaborative mode, and control the third port to be connected with the fourth port to open the refrigeration flow path, control the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to run the refrigeration mode, and open the heat exchange flow path to control heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0008] In some embodiments, for controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode, the controller is specifically further configured to: control the first heat exchanger to start, and control the second heat exchanger not to start; control the switching state of the control valve group to be the second state according to the collaborative mode, and control the third port to be connected to the fourth port to open the refrigeration flow path, so that the first heat exchanger runs the refrigeration mode, and open the heat exchange flow path to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0009] In some embodiments, for controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode, the controller is specifically further configured to: control the second heat exchanger to start, and control the first heat exchanger not to start; control the switching state of the control valve group to be a third state according to the collaborative mode, and control the third port to be connected to the fourth port to open the refrigeration flow path, so that the second heat exchanger runs the refrigeration mode, and open the heat exchange flow path to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control valve group 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 fin heat exchanger; a second multi-way valve, wherein the first valve port of the second multi-way valve is connected to one end of the throttling device, and the second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the fin heat exchanger; a third multi-way valve, wherein the first valve port of the third multi-way valve is connected to the first end of the heat exchanger group, and the 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; a fourth multi-way valve, wherein the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve is connected to the second end of the heat exchanger group , the second valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the liquid reservoir; a 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 group; a sixth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the sixth multi-way valve is connected to the third end of the heat exchanger group; a 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 group; an eighth multi-way valve, the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the heat exchange flow path, and the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to one end of the liquid reservoir.

[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 second multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the second multi-way valve, the first valve port of the third multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the third 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 sixth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the sixth 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, and the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the eighth 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 second multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the second 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, and the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve.

[0013] In some embodiments, in the third 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 second multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the second multi-way valve, the first valve port of the third multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the third 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 sixth 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 is connected to the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling an air conditioner, which is used for the air conditioner described in the above embodiment, and the control method includes: obtaining a target operating mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operating mode includes at least a collaborative mode combining a cooling mode and a hot water making mode; determining that the target operating mode of the air conditioner is the collaborative mode; and controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode, so as to control the heating state of the domestic water tank according to the tank temperature of the domestic water tank while adjusting the indoor temperature, until the tank temperature reaches a preset temperature.

[0015] According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve are controlled so as to meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when the cooling mode is running to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0016] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel, the refrigerant circulation flow path includes a refrigeration flow path, and controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode includes: obtaining a first start signal of the first heat exchanger and a second start signal of the second heat exchanger; controlling the start state of the first heat exchanger according to the first start signal, and controlling the start state of the first heat exchanger according to the second start signal; controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode, the start state of the first heat exchanger and the start state of the second heat exchanger.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0027] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in heating mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a hot water production mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of refrigerant circulation in a hot water production mode according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Fig.12 is a flow chart of a method for controlling an air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Reference numerals:

[0032] Air conditioner 1000;

[0033] Gas-liquid separator 1; compressor 2; fin heat exchanger 3; throttling device 4; liquid storage tank 5; heat exchanger group 6; four-way valve 7; domestic water tank 8; control valve group 9;

[0034] The first heat exchanger 61 ; the second heat exchanger 62 ; the first multi-way valve 901 ; the second multi-way valve 902 ; the third multi-way valve 903 ; the fourth multi-way valve 904 ; the fifth multi-way valve 905 ; the sixth multi-way valve 906 ; the seventh multi-way valve 907 ; and the eighth multi-way valve 908 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. The embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary. Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.

[0036] In order to solve the above problems, a first embodiment of the present invention provides an air conditioner, which can meet the needs of cooling and hot water production at the same time, and make full use of the waste heat generated during refrigeration to produce hot water, thereby reducing environmental thermal pollution and avoiding energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner.

[0037] Reference below Figure 1 An air conditioner according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioner includes: a refrigerant circulation flow path, a domestic water tank 8, a heat exchange flow path, a control valve group 9 and a controller.

[0038] Among them, the refrigerant circulation flow path allows the refrigerant to circulate in the flow path composed of the vapor-liquid separator 1, the compressor 2, the fin heat exchanger 3, the throttling device 4, the liquid storage device 5, the heat exchanger group 6 and the four-way valve 7; the heat exchanger group 6 includes a plurality of refrigerant branches arranged in parallel, and a heat exchanger is provided on each refrigerant branch; 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 group 6, the second port is connected to the vapor-liquid separator 1, and the third port is connected to the fin heat exchanger 3; the domestic water tank 8 is used to store domestic water; one end of the heat exchange flow path is connected to the outlet of the compressor 2, and the other end of the heat exchange flow path is connected to the fourth port, and a domestic water tank 8 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 8 and the refrigerant circulation flow path; the control valve group 9 is arranged on the refrigerant circulation flow path, and is used to conduct or cut off the refrigerant circulation flow path; the controller is connected to the control valve group 9 and the four-way valve 7.

[0039] The controller is configured to perform the following steps.

[0040] First, a target operation mode of the air conditioner is obtained, wherein the target operation mode at least includes a coordinated mode combining a cooling mode and a hot water making mode.

[0041] Specifically, the user can send control instructions about the operating mode to the air conditioner through the remote control, the air conditioning application in the mobile terminal or the control panel on the air conditioner body by language, gestures and other operating methods. The air conditioner receives the control instructions about the operating mode, and the controller obtains the target operating mode of the air conditioner. For example, the target operating mode of the air conditioner is a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, or a cooling mode or a hot water making mode, and there is no restriction on this.

[0042] Then, the target operation mode of the air conditioner is determined to be the cooperative mode.

[0043] Exemplarily, if the air conditioner receives a control instruction of the cooperative mode, the controller acquires that the target operation mode of the air conditioner is the cooperative mode.

[0044] Finally, the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 are controlled according to the collaborative mode, so as to control the heating state of the domestic water tank 8 according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank 8 while adjusting the indoor temperature until the water tank temperature reaches the preset temperature.

[0045] Specifically, the existing air conditioner cannot meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and the air conditioner cannot use the waste heat generated during refrigeration to produce hot water, but directly discharges the waste heat to the environment, thereby increasing environmental thermal pollution and causing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner. In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner in the present application controls the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 when operating in a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, so as to meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank 8 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when operating in the cooling mode to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0046] Exemplarily, when the user has the needs of both cooling and hot water production, the target operating mode of the air conditioner is the collaborative mode, and then the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 are controlled according to the collaborative mode to open or close the refrigerant circulation flow path, so as to adjust the indoor temperature while realizing heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path to produce hot water, and the heating state of the domestic water tank 8 is controlled according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank 8, that is, the heating state of the domestic water tank 8 is controlled to start heating or stop heating according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank 8, and in the process of heating the water in the domestic water tank 8, it is judged in real time whether the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank 8 reaches the preset temperature. If the water tank When the temperature reaches the preset temperature, the heating state of the domestic water tank 8 is controlled to stop heating, wherein the preset temperature can be set according to actual conditions and is not limited thereto. Therefore, in the present application, the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 are controlled to meet the needs of cooling and hot water production at the same time, and while running in the cooling mode, the water in the domestic water tank 8 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when running in the cooling mode to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0047] In addition, when the target operating mode of the air conditioner is heating mode, cooling mode or hot water mode, the present application controls the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 according to the target operating mode, thereby realizing the cooling, heating or hot water function.

[0048] According to the air conditioner of the embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 are controlled so as to meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank 8 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when the cooling mode is running to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0049] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group 6 includes a first heat exchanger 61 and a second heat exchanger 62 arranged in parallel, and the refrigerant circulation flow path includes a refrigeration flow path. For controlling the switch state of the control valve group 9 and the switch state of the four-way valve 7 according to the collaborative mode, the controller is specifically configured to: control the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 to start; control the switch state of the control valve group 9 to the first state according to the collaborative mode, and control the third port to be connected with the fourth port to conduct the refrigeration flow path, control the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 to run the refrigeration mode, and conduct the heat exchange flow path to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path. Among them, the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 can be arranged in different indoor spaces.

[0050] Specifically, the existing air conditioner cannot meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and the air conditioner cannot use the waste heat generated during cooling to produce hot water, but directly discharges the waste heat to the environment, thereby increasing environmental thermal pollution and causing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner. In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner in the present application controls the switch state of the control valve group 9 to the first state, and controls the third port and the fourth port of the four-way valve 7 to be connected to conduct the refrigeration flow path and the heat exchange flow path when operating in a collaborative mode combining the refrigeration mode and the hot water making mode, so as to meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank 8 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, thereby increasing the water temperature of the domestic water tank 8, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when operating in the refrigeration mode to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0051] In some embodiments, for controlling the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 according to the collaborative mode, the controller is specifically configured to: control the first heat exchanger 61 to start, and control the second heat exchanger 62 not to start; control the switching state of the control valve group 9 to be the second state according to the collaborative mode, and control the third port to be connected with the fourth port to conduct the refrigeration flow path, so that the first heat exchanger 61 runs the refrigeration mode, and conduct the heat exchange flow path to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path.

[0052] Specifically, the existing air conditioner cannot meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and the air conditioner cannot use the waste heat generated during cooling to make hot water, but directly discharges the waste heat to the environment, thereby increasing environmental thermal pollution and causing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner. In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner in the present application operates in a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, and controls the first heat exchanger 61 to start and the second heat exchanger 62 to not start. By controlling the switch state of the control valve group 9 to the second state, and controlling the third port of the four-way valve 7 to be connected to the fourth port, the cooling flow path and the heat exchange flow path are connected, so that the needs of cooling and hot water making can be met at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank 8 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, thereby increasing the water temperature of the domestic water tank 8, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when operating in the cooling mode to make hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0053] In some embodiments, for controlling the switching state of the control valve group 9 and the switching state of the four-way valve 7 according to the collaborative mode, the controller is specifically configured to: control the second heat exchanger 62 to start, and control the first heat exchanger 61 not to start; control the switching state of the control valve group 9 to be the third state according to the collaborative mode, and control the third port to be connected with the fourth port to open the refrigeration flow path, so that the second heat exchanger 62 runs the refrigeration mode, and open the heat exchange flow path to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path.

[0054] Specifically, the existing air conditioner cannot meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and the air conditioner cannot use the waste heat generated during cooling to produce hot water, but directly discharges the waste heat to the environment, thereby increasing environmental thermal pollution and causing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner. In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner in the present application operates in a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, and controls the second heat exchanger 62 to start and controls the first heat exchanger 61 not to start. By controlling the switch state of the control valve group 9 to the third state, and controlling the third port of the four-way valve 7 to be connected to the fourth port, the cooling flow path and the heat exchange flow path are connected, so that the needs of cooling and hot water making can be met at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank 8 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, thereby increasing the water temperature of the domestic water tank 8, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when operating in the cooling mode to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0055] In some embodiments, 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 .

[0056] Among them, 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 fin 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 fifth multi-way valve 905 is connected to the other end of the fin heat exchanger 3; the first valve port of the third multi-way valve 903 is connected to the first end of the heat exchanger group 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 reservoir 5; the first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904 is connected to the second end of the heat exchanger group 6, and the first multi-way valve 90 1 is connected to the other end of the liquid storage device 5; 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 other end of the heat exchange flow path, and the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve 908 is connected to one end of the liquid storage device 5. Thus, the refrigerant circulation flow path is turned on or off by controlling the switch state of the control valve group 9.

[0057] In some embodiments, in a first state, a first valve port of a first multi-way valve 901 is connected to a second valve port of the first multi-way valve 901, a first valve port of a second multi-way valve 902 is connected to a second valve port of the second multi-way valve 902, a first valve port of a third multi-way valve 903 is connected to a second valve port of the third multi-way valve 903, a first valve port of a fourth multi-way valve 904 is connected to a second valve port of the fourth multi-way valve 904, a first valve port of a fifth multi-way valve 905 is connected to a second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve 905, a first valve port of a sixth multi-way valve 906 is connected to a second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve 906, a first valve port of a seventh multi-way valve 907 is connected to a second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907, and a first valve port of an eighth multi-way valve 908 is connected to a second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve 908.

[0058] Specifically, when the target operation mode of the air conditioner 1000 is a cooperative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water mode, the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 are both started, the switch state of the control valve group 9 is controlled to be the first state, and the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are controlled to be connected to conduct the cooling flow path and the heat exchange flow path, that is, the refrigerant is connected according to Figure 1The arrow direction shows the circulation of the cooling and hot water circuits. Figure 1 The bold black solid line in the figure is the refrigeration flow path and the hot water flow path after being connected, so that the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path can be controlled while adjusting the indoor temperature. That is to say, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the compressor 2 flows into the domestic water tank 8 to exchange 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 in the domestic water tank 8. After releasing the heat, a part of the refrigerant flows into the liquid storage tank 5 through the eighth multi-way valve 908 under the connection between the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the eighth multi-way valve 908 and is stored. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the first multi-way valve 901 are connected, at the same time, the domestic water tank 8 is discharged. Another part of the refrigerant flows into the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, and then flows into the first multi-way valve 901 through the third port C of the four-way valve 7, and flows into the fin heat exchanger 3 through the first multi-way valve 901. The fin heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the high-temperature refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, the heat of the high-temperature refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor environment. The refrigerant after releasing the heat flows into the throttling device 4 through the second multi-way valve 902 to adjust the refrigerant flow rate. A part of the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 62 arranged on a refrigerant branch line through the third multi-way valve 903. The low-temperature refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby reducing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant after heat exchange flowing out of the compressor 62 passes through the seventh multi-way valve 907, the sixth multi-way valve 906, the fifth multi-way valve 905, the first port E of the four-way valve 7, the second port S of the four-way valve 7 and the vapor-liquid separator 1 in turn and flows back to the compressor 2. Another part of the refrigerant flows into the liquid reservoir 5 to be stored. The low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the liquid reservoir 5 flows from the fourth multi-way valve 904 into the first heat exchanger 61 arranged on another refrigerant branch line. 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 after heat exchange flowing out of the first heat exchanger 61 is connected to the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the fifth multi-way valve 905 through The fifth multi-way valve 905 flows into the first port E of the four-way valve 7, and then flows from the first port E of the four-way valve 7 into the second port S of the four-way valve 7, and flows 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 vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. The switching state of the control valve group 9 is controlled to be the first state, and the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are controlled to be connected, thereby realizing the cooling and hot water making functions, and the air conditioner 1000 produces hot water by running the cooling mode, which can effectively reduce the energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner 1000, reduce environmental thermal pollution, and save a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0059] 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 second multi-way valve 902 is connected to the second valve port of the second multi-way valve 902, 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, and 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.

[0060] Specifically, when the target operation mode of the air conditioner 1000 is a cooperative mode combining the heating mode and the hot water mode, and the first heat exchanger 61 is controlled to start, and the second heat exchanger 62 is controlled not to start, the switch state of the control valve group 9 is controlled to be the second state according to the cooperative mode, and the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are controlled to be connected to conduct the refrigeration flow path and the heat exchange flow path, that is, the refrigerant is controlled according to Figure 2 The arrow direction shows the circulation of the cooling and hot water circuits. Figure 2 The bold black solid lines in the middle are the refrigeration flow path and the hot water flow path after being connected, so that the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path can be controlled while adjusting the indoor temperature. That is to say, when the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by 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 in the domestic water tank 8. After releasing the heat, a part of the refrigerant flows into the liquid storage tank 5 through the eighth multi-way valve 908 under the connection between the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the eighth multi-way valve 908 and is stored. At the same time, another part of the refrigerant discharged from the domestic water tank 8 flows into the fin heat exchanger 3 through the fourth port D, the third port C and the first multi-way valve 901 of the four-way valve 7. The fin heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the high-temperature refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, the high-temperature refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor environment. The refrigerant after releasing the heat flows into the throttling device 4 through the second multi-way valve 902 for refrigerant flow regulation. The low-temperature refrigerant is stored in the liquid reservoir 5, and the low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the liquid reservoir 5 flows into the first heat exchanger 61 from the fourth multi-way valve 904. 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 after heat exchange flowing out of the first heat exchanger 61 flows into the first port E of the four-way valve 7 through the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the fifth multi-way valve 905, 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 vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. Therefore, by controlling the switch state of the control valve group 9 to the second state, and controlling the third port C of the four-way valve 7 to be connected to the fourth port D, the simultaneous hot water production and cooling functions are realized, and the air conditioner 1000 produces hot water by running the cooling mode, which can effectively reduce the energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner 1000, reduce environmental thermal pollution, and save a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0061] In some embodiments, in the third 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 second multi-way valve 902 is connected to the second valve port of the second multi-way valve 902, the first valve port of the third multi-way valve 903 is connected to the second valve port of the third multi-way valve 903, 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 sixth multi-way valve 906 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 is connected to the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve 907.

[0062] Specifically, when the target operation mode of the air conditioner 1000 is a cooperative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water mode, and the second heat exchanger 62 is controlled to start, and the first heat exchanger 61 is controlled not to start, the switch state of the control valve group 9 is controlled to be the third state, and the third port C is controlled to be connected with the fourth port D to conduct the cooling flow path and the heat exchange flow path, that is, the refrigerant is controlled according to Figure 3 The arrow direction shows the circulation of the cooling and hot water circuits. Figure 3The bold black solid line in the middle represents the refrigeration flow path and the hot water flow path after being connected, so that the heat exchange between the domestic water tank 8 and the heat exchange flow path can be controlled while adjusting the indoor temperature. That is to say, when the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by 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 in the domestic water tank 8. The refrigerant after releasing the heat flows into the fin heat exchanger 3 through the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7, the third port C of the four-way valve 7 and the first multi-way valve 901. The fin heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the high-temperature refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, the high-temperature refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor environment. The refrigerant after releasing the heat flows into the throttling device 4 through the second multi-way valve 902. After the refrigerant flow is adjusted by the throttling device 4, it flows into the second heat exchanger 62 through the third multi-way valve 903. The low-temperature refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat with the indoor environment. In exchange, it absorbs indoor heat, thereby lowering the indoor temperature. Due to the connection between the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the seventh multi-way valve 907, the sixth multi-way valve 906 and the fifth multi-way valve 905, the refrigerant after heat exchange flowing out of the second heat exchanger 62 passes through the seventh multi-way valve 907, the sixth multi-way valve 906 and the fifth multi-way valve 905 in sequence and flows into the first port E of the four-way valve 7, 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 vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. Therefore, by controlling the switch state of the control valve group 9 to be the third state, and controlling the third port C of the four-way valve 7 to be connected to the fourth port D, the simultaneous hot water production and cooling functions are realized, and the air conditioner 1000 produces hot water by running the cooling mode, which can effectively reduce the energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner 1000, reduce environmental thermal pollution, and save a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0063] In some embodiments, the target operation mode is the cooling mode, and the switch state of the control valve group 9 is controlled according to the cooling mode, and the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are controlled to be connected to conduct the cooling flow path, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the compressor 2 circulates in the cooling flow path, that is, according to Figure 4 The direction of the arrow shown is in the refrigeration flow circuit, where Figure 5The bold black solid line in the figure is the refrigeration flow path, that is, since the fourth port D and the third port C of the four-way valve 7 are connected, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the domestic water tank 8 and then flows 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 into the first valve port a of the first multi-way valve 901 through the third port C of the four-way valve 7, and flow into the fin heat exchanger 3 through the second valve port b of the first multi-way valve 901. The fin heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, it absorbs the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant. The heat of the refrigerant can be released 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 the heat can flow into the throttling device 4 through the second multi-way valve 902 to adjust the refrigerant flow. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the third multi-way valve 903 are connected, a part of the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 62 set on a refrigerant branch through the third multi-way valve 903. The low-temperature refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby reducing the indoor temperature. The first valve port a and the second valve port b of the multi-way valve 906 and the fifth multi-way valve 905 are connected. The refrigerant after heat exchange flowing out of the second heat exchanger 62 passes through the seventh multi-way valve 907, the sixth multi-way valve 906 and the fifth multi-way valve 905 in sequence and flows into the first port E of the four-way valve 7, 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 vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. Another part of the refrigerant flows into the liquid storage 5 to be stored. The refrigerant discharged from the liquid storage 5 flows from the fourth multi-way valve 904 into the first exchange valve 90 set 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 after heat exchange flowing out of the first heat exchanger flows into the first port of the four-way valve 7 through the fifth multi-way valve 905, 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 vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. The cooling mode is realized by controlling the switching state of the control valve group 9 and controlling the third port C of the four-way valve 7 to be connected with the fourth port D, thereby meeting the user's cooling needs.

[0064] In some embodiments, the target operation mode is the cooling mode, and the switch state of the control valve group 9 is controlled according to the cooling mode, and the third port C and the fourth port D of the four-way valve 7 are controlled to be connected to conduct the cooling flow path, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the compressor 2 circulates in the cooling flow path, that is, according to Figure 6 The direction of the arrow shown is in the refrigeration flow circuit, where Figure 7The bold black solid line in the figure is the refrigeration flow path, that is, the control valve group 9 also includes the tenth multi-way valve 910. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the tenth multi-way valve 910 are connected, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 can flow into the fin heat exchanger 3 through the tenth multi-way valve 910. The fin heat exchanger 3 then exchanges heat between the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, absorbs the heat of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to release 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 the heat passes through the second After the multi-way valve 902 flows into the throttling device 4 to adjust the refrigerant flow, since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the third multi-way valve 903 are connected, a part of the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 62 set on a refrigerant branch through the third multi-way valve 903, and the low-temperature refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby reducing the indoor temperature. Since the first valve port a and the second valve port 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 flows out of the heat exchanger after the heat exchange. The 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 flow into the vapor-liquid separator 1 through the second port S of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 separates the vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. Another part of the refrigerant flows into the liquid reservoir 5 to be stored. Since 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 reservoir 5 can flow from the fourth multi-way valve 904 into the first heat exchanger 61 set on another refrigerant branch. The first heat exchanger The low-temperature refrigerant in the device 61 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to absorb indoor heat, thereby reducing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant after heat exchange flowing out of the heat exchanger flows into the first port E of the four-way valve 7 through the fifth multi-way valve 905, 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 vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. The cooling mode is achieved by controlling the switching 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.

[0065] In some embodiments, the target operation mode is the heating mode, and the switch state of the control valve group 9 is controlled according to the heating mode, and the first port E of the four-way valve 7 is controlled to be connected with the fourth port D to conduct the heating flow path, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 circulates in the heating flow path, that is, according to Figure 8 The direction of the arrow shown is in the heating flow path, where Fig. 9The bold black solid line is the heating flow path, that is, since 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 and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows through the ninth multi-way valve 909, and a part of the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 62 arranged on a refrigerant branch through the seventh multi-way valve 907. The high-temperature refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 62 exchanges heat with the indoor environment to release heat to the indoor environment, thereby increasing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 62 after heat exchange passes through the third multi-way valve 903 and flows into the throttling device 4. Another part of the refrigerant flows through the sixth multi-way valve 906 into the first heat exchanger arranged on another refrigerant branch. The high-temperature refrigerant in the first heat exchanger exchanges heat with the indoor environment to release heat to the indoor environment, thereby increasing the indoor temperature. The refrigerant enters the liquid storage tank 5 and is stored. The refrigerant discharged from the liquid storage tank 5 flows into the throttling device 4. After the refrigerant passes through the throttling device 4 and the refrigerant flow is adjusted, since the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the second multi-way valve 902 are connected, it can flow into the fin heat exchanger 3 through the second multi-way valve 902. The fin heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the low-temperature refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, the heat of the low-temperature refrigerant absorbs the heat of the outdoor environment. The refrigerant after absorbing the heat flows into the third port C of the four-way valve 7 under the connection between 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 vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. The heating mode is completed by controlling the switching state of the control valve group 9 and controlling the first port E of the four-way valve 7 to be connected with the fourth port D, thereby meeting the heating needs of the user.

[0066] In some embodiments, the target operation mode is a hot water mode, the switch state of the control valve group 9 is controlled, and the first port E is controlled to be connected with the fourth port D to conduct the heat exchange flow path, so that the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the compressor 2 circulates in the heat exchange flow path, that is, according to Fig.10 The direction of the arrows shown circulates in the heat exchange path, where Fig.11The bold black solid line in the middle is the heat exchange flow path, that is, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 2 flows into the domestic water tank 8 to exchange heat with the domestic water tank 8 to release heat to the domestic water tank 8, and the domestic water tank 8 uses the refrigerant to heat the water in the domestic water tank 8. Under the connection between the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the eighth multi-way valve 908, the refrigerant flows into the liquid reservoir 5 through the eighth multi-way valve 908 to be stored. After the refrigerant flow is adjusted by the throttling device 4, the refrigerant flows into the fin heat exchanger 3 through the second multi-way valve 902 under the connection between the first valve port a and the second valve port b of the second multi-way valve 902. The fin heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the low-temperature refrigerant and the outdoor environment, that is, the heat of the low-temperature refrigerant absorbs the heat of the outdoor environment. The refrigerant after absorbing the heat flows into the second port S of the four-way valve 7 under the conduction 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 third port C of the four-way valve 7. The vapor-liquid separator 1 then separates the vapor and liquid of the refrigerant and then flows back to the compressor 2. Therefore, the hot water making mode is realized by controlling the switching state of the control valve group 9 and controlling the first port E of the four-way valve 7 to be connected with the fourth port D, thereby meeting the user's hot water making needs.

[0067] In the embodiment, refrigerant flows inside the first heat exchanger 61 and the second heat exchanger 62 and a fan is provided for blowing air, so that the cooling or heating needs of the user can be met through heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air.

[0068] In the embodiment, the multi-way valve may be a multi-directional valve body such as a four-way valve 7 or a three-way valve, which is not limited thereto.

[0069] In the embodiment, the heat exchange tube of the domestic water tank 8 is in the shape of a coil, which is wound around the outside of the metal inner liner of the domestic water tank 8. There is thermal grease between the heat exchange tube and the metal inner liner, and the thermal grease can enhance heat transfer.

[0070] In the embodiment, except for the compressor 2, the domestic water tank 8, the four-way valve 7, and the vapor-liquid separator 1, the multi-way valve and the heat exchanger have no directionality and can be connected in any direction.

[0071] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for controlling an air conditioner, which is used in the air conditioner of the above embodiment. Fig.12 As shown, the control method includes: step S1 to step S3.

[0072] Step S1, obtaining a target operation mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operation mode at least includes a coordinated mode combining a cooling mode and a hot water making mode.

[0073] Specifically, the user can send control instructions about the operating mode to the air conditioner through the remote control, the air conditioning application in the mobile terminal or the control panel on the air conditioner body by language, gestures and other operating methods. The air conditioner receives the control instructions about the operating mode, and the controller obtains the target operating mode of the air conditioner. For example, the target operating mode of the air conditioner is a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, or a cooling mode or a hot water making mode, and there is no restriction on this.

[0074] Step S2, determining that the target operation mode of the air conditioner is a cooperative mode.

[0075] Exemplarily, if the air conditioner receives a control instruction of the cooperative mode, the controller acquires that the target operation mode of the air conditioner is the cooperative mode.

[0076] Step S3, controlling the switch state of the control valve group and the switch state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode, so as to control the heating state of the domestic water tank according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank while adjusting the indoor temperature, until the water tank temperature reaches the preset temperature.

[0077] Specifically, the existing air conditioner cannot meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and the air conditioner cannot use the waste heat generated during refrigeration to produce hot water, but directly discharges the waste heat to the environment, thereby increasing environmental thermal pollution and causing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner. In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner in the present application controls the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve when operating in a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, so as to meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank 8 is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when operating in the cooling mode to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0078] Exemplarily, when the user has the needs of both cooling and hot water production, the target operating mode of the air conditioner is a coordinated mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water production mode. The switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve are controlled according to the coordinated mode to open or close the refrigerant circulation flow path, so as to adjust the indoor temperature while realizing heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path to produce hot water, and the heating state of the domestic water tank is controlled according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank, that is, the heating state of the domestic water tank is controlled to start heating or stop heating according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank, and in the process of heating the water in the domestic water tank, it is judged in real time whether the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank reaches the preset temperature If the water tank temperature reaches the preset temperature, the heating state of the domestic water tank is controlled to stop heating, wherein the preset temperature can be set according to actual conditions and is not limited to this. Therefore, in this application, by controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve, the needs of cooling and hot water production can be met at the same time, and while running in the cooling mode, the water in the domestic water tank is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when running in the cooling mode to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0079] According to the control method of the air conditioner according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the target operating mode is a collaborative mode combining the cooling mode and the hot water making mode, the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve are controlled so as to meet the needs of cooling and hot water making at the same time, and in the hot water making mode, the water in the domestic water tank is heat exchanged with the refrigerant circulation flow path through the heat exchange flow path, so that the air conditioner can use the waste heat generated when the cooling mode is running to produce hot water, which greatly improves the comprehensive energy efficiency and energy recovery of the air conditioner, thereby effectively reducing the energy waste of the air conditioner during operation, reducing environmental thermal pollution, and saving a lot of electricity bills for users.

[0080] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel, the refrigerant circulation flow path includes a refrigeration flow path, and controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode includes: obtaining a first start signal of the first heat exchanger and a second start signal of the second heat exchanger; controlling the start state of the first heat exchanger according to the first start signal, and controlling the start state of the first heat exchanger according to the second start signal; controlling the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the collaborative mode, the start state of the first heat exchanger, and the start state of the second heat exchanger.

[0081] Specifically, the existing air conditioner cannot meet the needs of cooling and hot water production at the same time, and the air conditioner cannot use the waste heat generated during refrigeration to produce hot water, but directly discharges the waste heat to the environment, thereby increasing environmental thermal pollution and causing energy waste during the operation of the air conditioner. In order to solve the above problems, the air conditioner in the present application controls the switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve according to the starting state of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. That is to say, the controller obtains the first starting signal of the first heat exchanger and the second starting signal of the second heat exchanger, then controls the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to be in the starting state, and then controls the switching state of the control valve group to be in the first state according to the starting state of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and controls the third port of the four-way valve to be connected with the fourth port to conduct the refrigeration flow path and the heat exchange flow path, thereby It can meet the needs of cooling and heating water at the same time; when the controller obtains the first start-up signal of the first heat exchanger but does not obtain the second start-up signal of the second heat exchanger, it controls the first heat exchanger to be in the start-up state, and then controls the switch state of the control valve group to be in the second state according to the start-up state of the first heat exchanger, and controls the third port of the four-way valve to be connected with the fourth port to conduct the cooling flow path and the heat exchange flow path, so as to meet the needs of cooling and heating water at the same time; when the controller obtains the second start-up signal of the second heat exchanger but does not obtain the first start-up signal of the first heat exchanger, it controls the first heat exchanger to be in the start-up state, and then controls the switch state of the control valve group to be in the third state according to the start-up state of the second heat exchanger, and controls the third port of the four-way valve to be connected with the fourth port to conduct the cooling flow path and the heat exchange flow path, so as to meet the needs of cooling and heating water at the same time.

[0082] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0083] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that: include: The refrigerant circulation flow path allows the refrigerant to circulate in the flow path composed of the vapor-liquid separator, the compressor, the fin heat exchanger, the throttling device, the liquid receiver, the heat exchanger group and the four-way valve; The heat exchanger group includes a plurality of refrigerant branches arranged in parallel, and each refrigerant branch is provided with a heat exchanger; The four-way valve comprises a first port, a second port, a third port and a fourth port, the first port is connected to the heat exchanger group, the second port is connected to the vapor-liquid separator, and the third port is connected to the fin heat exchanger; Domestic water tank, used to store domestic water; 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 being placed on the heat exchange flow path, and the heat exchange flow path being used to realize heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the refrigerant circulation flow path; A control valve group, the control valve group is arranged on the refrigerant circulation flow path, and is used to open or close the refrigerant circulation flow path; A controller, wherein the controller is connected to the control valve group and the four-way valve, and the controller is configured as follows: Acquire a target operation mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operation mode at least includes a coordinated mode combining a cooling mode and a hot water mode; determining that the target operation mode of the air conditioner is the collaborative mode; The switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve are controlled according to the collaborative mode, so as to control the heating state of the domestic water tank according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank while adjusting the indoor temperature until the water tank temperature reaches a preset temperature.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel, the refrigerant circulation flow path includes a refrigeration flow path, and for controlling the switch state of the control valve group and the switch state of the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode, the controller is specifically configured as follows: Controlling the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to start; According to the collaborative mode, the switch state of the control valve group is controlled to be the first state, and the third port is controlled to be connected to the fourth port to open the refrigeration flow path, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are controlled to run the refrigeration mode, and the heat exchange flow path is opened 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: Regarding controlling the switch state of the control valve group and the switch state of the four-way valve according to the coordinated mode, the controller is further configured as follows: Controlling the first heat exchanger to start, and controlling the second heat exchanger not to start; According to the collaborative mode, the switch state of the control valve group is controlled to be the second state, and the third port is controlled to be connected to the fourth port to open the refrigeration flow path, so that the first heat exchanger runs the refrigeration mode, and the heat exchange flow path is opened to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, characterized in that: Regarding controlling the switch state of the control valve group and the switch state of the four-way valve according to the coordinated mode, the controller is further configured as follows: Controlling the second heat exchanger to start, and controlling the first heat exchanger not to start; According to the collaborative mode, the switch state of the control valve group is controlled to be the third state, and the third port is controlled to be connected to the fourth port to open the refrigeration flow path, so that the second heat exchanger runs the refrigeration mode, and the heat exchange flow path is opened to control the heat exchange between the domestic water tank and the heat exchange flow path.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control valve group comprises: 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 fin 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 the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the fin 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 group, 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; a fourth multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the fourth multi-way valve is connected to the second end of the heat exchanger group, and a second valve port of the first multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the liquid reservoir; a fifth multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the first port, and a second valve port of the fifth multi-way valve is connected to the third end of the heat exchanger group; a sixth multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the sixth multi-way valve is connected to the third end of the heat exchanger group; a seventh multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to a second valve port of the sixth multi-way valve, and a second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve is connected to a fourth end of the heat exchanger group; An eighth multi-way valve, wherein a first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the other end of the heat exchange flow path, and a second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to one end of the liquid reservoir.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, 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 second multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the second multi-way valve, the first valve port of the third multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the third 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 sixth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the sixth 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, and the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 5, 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 second multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the second 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, and the first valve port of the eighth multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the eighth multi-way valve.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the third 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 second multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the second multi-way valve, the first valve port of the third multi-way valve is connected to the second valve port of the third 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 sixth 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 is connected to the second valve port of the seventh multi-way valve.

9. A method for controlling an air conditioner, characterized in that: For the air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the control method comprises: Acquire a target operation mode of the air conditioner, wherein the target operation mode at least includes a coordinated mode combining a cooling mode and a hot water mode; determining that the target operation mode of the air conditioner is the collaborative mode; The switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve are controlled according to the collaborative mode, so as to control the heating state of the domestic water tank according to the water tank temperature of the domestic water tank while adjusting the indoor temperature until the water tank temperature reaches the preset temperature.

10. The air conditioner control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The heat exchanger group includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger arranged in parallel, the refrigerant circulation flow path includes a refrigeration flow path, and controlling the switch state of the control valve group and the switch state of the four-way valve according to the cooperative mode includes: Acquire a first start signal of the first heat exchanger and a second start signal of the second heat exchanger; controlling a startup state of the first heat exchanger according to the first startup signal, and controlling a startup state of the first heat exchanger according to the second startup signal; The switching state of the control valve group and the switching state of the four-way valve are controlled according to the cooperative mode, the startup state of the first heat exchanger, and the startup state of the second heat exchanger.

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