Refrigerant leakage detection method and heat pump system

Abstract

The invention provides a refrigerant leakage detection method, which is applied to a heat pump system, the heat pump system comprises a plurality of components, two adjacent components in the plurality of components are connected through a pipeline, the method obtains the flowing direction of a refrigerant in the pipeline between the two adjacent components, and then detects the leakage of the refrigerant according to the flowing direction of the refrigerant. And whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system leaks or not is determined. When the refrigerant in the heat pump system leaks, the refrigerant flows to the leakage point, so that the flowing direction of at least part of the refrigerant is different from the flowing direction when leakage does not occur, and whether the refrigerant leaks or not can be judged according to the flowing direction of the refrigerant. Whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system leaks or not can be effectively detected, under the condition that leakage of the refrigerant is known, leakage of the refrigerant can be intervened as soon as possible, continuous leakage of the refrigerant is prevented, performance reduction of the heat pump system is avoided, and safe and efficient operation of the heat pump system can be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of heat pump system detection, and in particular, relates to a refrigerant leakage detection method and a heat pump system. Background Art

[0002] Heat pump systems play an important role in environmental temperature control, industrial production, and food refrigeration. Vapor compression heat pump systems are widely used due to their large heating temperature range, wide heating range, simple unit structure, and ease of use. This type of heat pump system currently uses a large amount of Freon refrigerants, which are colorless and odorless. The leakage process is difficult to detect and is usually not discovered until the leakage is serious enough to affect the performance of the equipment. Refrigerant leakage causes the performance of the heat pump to decline and harms the environment.

[0003] At present, the refrigerant used in a large number of heat pump systems is still Freon, especially large refrigeration equipment, which has a large refrigerant charge and is installed relatively concentrated in the basement. The harm caused by the leakage of refrigerant in such equipment is more serious, and the detection of refrigerant leakage is more important. At present, there is still a lack of effective methods for detecting refrigerant leakage in heat pump systems, so when refrigerant leakage occurs, it is impossible to detect the leakage of refrigerant and intervene early. The amount of refrigerant in the heat pump system changes, and the performance of the heat pump system is seriously reduced, affecting the safe and efficient operation of the heat pump system. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is to provide a refrigerant leakage detection method, which aims to effectively detect whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking, intervene in the refrigerant leakage early, prevent the refrigerant from continuing to leak, avoid causing the performance of the heat pump system to decline, and ensure the safe and efficient operation of the heat pump system.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application proposes a refrigerant leakage detection method, which is applied to a heat pump system. The heat pump system includes multiple components, and two adjacent components of the multiple components are connected by pipelines. The refrigerant leakage detection method includes:

[0006] Obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in all the pipes between the two adjacent components;

[0007] Whether there is refrigerant leakage in the heat pump system is determined according to the flow direction of the refrigerant.

[0008] Further, determining whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking according to the flow direction of the refrigerant includes:

[0009] According to the flow direction of the refrigerant, determining whether there is a target flow direction in the flow direction that is opposite to a preset direction;

[0010] When the target flow direction is opposite to the preset direction among the flow directions, determining that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked;

[0011] In the case where there is no target flow direction in the flow direction that is opposite to the preset direction, determining that no refrigerant leakage occurs in the heat pump system;

[0012] The preset direction is the flow direction of the refrigerant when the heat pump system operates normally.

[0013] Further, in the case where there is the target flow direction opposite to the preset direction in the flow direction, after the step of determining that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes:

[0014] According to the target flow direction and the preset direction, determining the previous-level pipeline of the pipeline where the target flow direction is located; wherein, along the preset direction, the refrigerant passes through the previous-level pipeline and the pipeline where the target flow direction is located in sequence;

[0015] The location of the refrigerant leakage is determined according to the pipeline where the target flow direction is located and the previous pipeline; wherein the refrigerant leakage location is a component between the pipeline where the target flow direction is located and the previous pipeline.

[0016] Furthermore, before the step of obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipes between all the two adjacent components, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes:

[0017] A first identification is marked on each pipe between two adjacent components, wherein the first identification includes numbers and letters.

[0018] Further, the heat pump system includes a plurality of flow sensors and a controller;

[0019] The pipeline between each of the two adjacent components is provided with at least one of the flow sensors, and the flow sensor is marked with a second identifier, wherein the second identifier includes numbers and letters;

[0020] The flow sensor is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline. The controller is connected to the multiple flow sensor signals, and the controller stores the first identifier and the second identifier, as well as the corresponding relationship between the first identifier and the second identifier.

[0021] Further, the heat pump system includes a plurality of flow sensors, each pipeline between two adjacent components is provided with at least one of the flow sensors, the flow sensor is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline, and when there is a target flow direction opposite to the preset direction in the flow direction, after determining that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes:

[0022] According to the target flow direction and the preset direction, the target flow sensor and the previous flow sensor that detect the target flow direction are determined; wherein along the preset direction, the refrigerant passes through the previous flow sensor and the target flow sensor in sequence;

[0023] The location of the refrigerant leakage is determined according to the target flow sensor and the previous flow sensor; wherein the refrigerant leakage location is a component and / or pipeline between the target flow sensor and the previous flow sensor.

[0024] Furthermore, before the step of obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipes between all the two adjacent components, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes:

[0025] Each of the flow sensors is labeled with a second identifier, wherein the second identifier includes numbers and letters.

[0026] Furthermore, the heat pump system includes a controller, which is connected to the multiple flow sensors, and the controller stores the second identifier and the corresponding relationship between each of the second identifiers and the pipeline.

[0027] On the other hand, the present application proposes a heat pump system, which includes multiple components, two adjacent components among the multiple components are connected by pipes, and the heat pump system is detected using any of the refrigerant leakage detection methods described above.

[0028] Further, the heat pump system comprises a plurality of flow sensors and a controller, each pipeline between two adjacent components is provided with at least one of the flow sensors, the flow sensor is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline, and the controller is connected to the signals of the plurality of flow sensors;

[0029] The multiple components include a condenser, a liquid reservoir, a throttling mechanism, an evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, a compressor and an oil separator which are connected in sequence. The inlet of the oil separator is connected to the compressor, and the outlet of the oil separator is connected to the condenser.

[0030] The present application discloses a refrigerant leakage detection method, which is applied to a heat pump system. The heat pump system includes multiple components, and two adjacent components among the multiple components are connected by pipes. The method obtains the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipes between all two adjacent components, and then determines whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking based on the flow direction of the refrigerant. When the refrigerant in the heat pump system leaks, the refrigerant flows to the leakage point, causing the flow direction of at least part of the refrigerant to be different from the flow direction when no leakage occurs. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the refrigerant is leaking based on the flow direction of the refrigerant. The present application can effectively detect whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking. When the refrigerant is leaking, the refrigerant leakage can be intervened early to prevent the refrigerant from continuing to leak, avoid causing the performance of the heat pump system to decline, and ensure the safe and efficient operation of the heat pump system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a refrigerant leakage detection method in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the decomposition steps of step S2 in the embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a heat pump system in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat pump system when detecting a leakage point in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a heat pump system detecting a leakage point in another embodiment of the present application.

[0036] In the accompanying drawings, each reference numeral represents: 11, condenser; 12, liquid storage tank; 13, throttling mechanism; 14, evaporator; 15, gas-liquid separator; 16, compressor; 17, oil separator; 101, flow sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0038] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "circumferential", "radial" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0039] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0040] At present, the refrigerant used in a large number of heat pump systems is still Freon, especially large refrigeration equipment, which has a large refrigerant charge and is installed relatively concentrated in the basement. The harm caused by the leakage of refrigerant in such equipment is more serious, and the detection of refrigerant leakage is more important. At present, there is still a lack of effective methods for detecting refrigerant leakage in heat pump systems, so when refrigerant leakage occurs, it is impossible to detect the leakage of refrigerant and intervene early. The amount of refrigerant in the heat pump system changes, and the performance of the heat pump system is seriously reduced, affecting the safe and efficient operation of the heat pump system.

[0041] In response to the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application proposes a refrigerant leakage detection method, which aims to effectively detect whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking, intervene in the refrigerant leakage early, prevent the refrigerant from continuing to leak, avoid causing the performance of the heat pump system to decline, and ensure the safe and efficient operation of the heat pump system.

[0042] As attached Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , it is a schematic diagram of the flow chart of the refrigerant leakage detection method in the embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 It can be seen that the refrigerant leakage detection method of the present application includes step S1 and step S2.

[0043] S1: Obtain the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipes between all two adjacent components.

[0044] S2: Determine whether there is refrigerant leakage in the heat pump system based on the flow direction of the refrigerant.

[0045] It can be understood that when a refrigerant leaks in a heat pump system, the refrigerant flows out from the leak point. The refrigerant flows in the heat pump system, and its pressure is greater than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, when the heat pump system is damaged or not tightly sealed, the damaged point or the position of the loose seal is the leak point, and the refrigerant flows from the position with high pressure to the position with low pressure, that is, it flows out from the leak point. At this time, the flow direction of at least part of the refrigerant in the heat pump system changes, and the flow direction of at least part of the refrigerant is different from the flow direction when no leakage occurs. Therefore, it is possible to judge whether the refrigerant leaks by the flow direction of the refrigerant. Since the flow direction of the refrigerant in the heat pump system flows in a set direction, in the case of a leak point, the refrigerant flows out from the leak point due to the internal and external pressures of the heat pump system, so the flow direction of at least part of the refrigerant in the heat pump system will be different from the preset direction. The flow direction of the refrigerant can effectively detect whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking. In the case of knowing that the refrigerant is leaking, the refrigerant leakage can be intervened early to prevent the refrigerant from continuing to leak, avoid causing the performance of the heat pump system to decline, and ensure the safe and efficient operation of the heat pump system.

[0046] In some embodiments, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes, when determining that the refrigerant is leaking in the heat pump system, issuing an alarm to alert the staff that the refrigerant is leaking, so that the staff knows that the refrigerant is leaking as early as possible and intervenes in the refrigerant leakage as early as possible. For example, after the alarm is issued, the staff knows that the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking, and the staff can repair the leak point to seal the leak point to prevent the refrigerant from continuing to leak. After the leak point is repaired, the amount of refrigerant remaining in the heat pump system can be determined to determine whether to add refrigerant so that the amount of refrigerant in the heat pump system can ensure the normal operation of the heat pump system.

[0047] In some embodiments, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes controlling the heat pump system to stop working when it is determined that the heat pump system has leaked refrigerant. When the heat pump system is in a shutdown state and the heat pump system pressure is balanced, the refrigerant does not flow, thereby preventing further leakage of the refrigerant. After the heat pump system stops working, an alarm may be sounded to remind the staff that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked. When there is a leak point in the heat pump system, the refrigerant leaks out of the heat pump system from the leak point, and the refrigerant in the heat pump system flows. However, when the heat pump system is shut down, the flow rate of the refrigerant may be reduced to reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage.

[0048] In some embodiments, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes controlling the heat pump system to stop working when it is determined that there is a refrigerant leak in the heat pump system. When the heat pump system is in a shutdown state and the pressure of the heat pump system is balanced, there is no refrigerant flow, which can prevent further leakage of the refrigerant. At the same time, an alarm is sounded to remind staff that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked.

[0049] As attached Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, step S2, determining whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking according to the flow direction of the refrigerant, includes step S21, step S22 and step S22'.

[0050] S21: According to the flow direction of the refrigerant, determine whether there is a target flow direction in the flow direction that is opposite to the preset direction.

[0051] S22: When there is a target flow direction in the flow direction that is opposite to the preset direction, it is determined that the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking.

[0052] S22`: When there is no target flow direction opposite to the preset direction in the flow direction, it is determined that there is no leakage of refrigerant in the heat pump system.

[0053] Step S22 and step S22' are parallel steps, which do not occur at the same time, but occur one by one, that is, step S22 and step S22' are judgment steps under two different situations. The preset direction is the flow direction of the refrigerant when the heat pump system is operating normally. For example, the multiple components include a condenser 11, a liquid reservoir 12, a throttling mechanism 13, an evaporator 14, a gas-liquid separator 15, a compressor 16 and an oil separator 17. When the heat pump system is in a heating condition and operates stably, the refrigerant passes through the condenser 11, the liquid reservoir 12, the throttling mechanism 13, the evaporator 14, the gas-liquid separator 15, the compressor 16 and the oil separator 17 in sequence along the preset direction, and then flows back to the compressor 16 again, thereby circulating in the heat pump system along the preset direction.

[0054] The target flow direction is the flow direction opposite to the preset direction. Whether the flow direction of at least one pipeline among all the pipelines is the target flow direction, if there is at least one target flow direction, it means that the refrigerant of the heat pump system has leaked. If the flow direction of all the pipelines does not have the target flow direction, it can be determined that the refrigerant of the heat pump system has not leaked.

[0055] In some embodiments, in step S22, when there is a target flow direction opposite to a preset direction in the flow direction, after determining that a refrigerant leak occurs in the heat pump system, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes steps S23 and S24, that is, step S2 includes steps S23 and S24.

[0056] S23: According to the target flow direction and the preset direction, determine the upper-level pipeline of the pipeline where the target flow direction is located.

[0057] Among them, along the preset direction, the refrigerant passes through the previous level pipeline and the pipeline where the target flow direction is located in sequence.

[0058] It is understandable that when a leak occurs in a heat pump system, the refrigerant in the heat pump system flows from the surroundings of the leak to the leak, however, the general direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline is along the axial direction of the pipeline. If the flow directions of two adjacent pipelines are different, then there is a leak between the two adjacent pipelines. To accurately find the leak, it is necessary to first determine the pipeline where the target flow direction is located and the previous pipeline.

[0059] S24: Determine the location of the refrigerant leakage according to the pipe where the target flow direction is located and the previous pipe.

[0060] Among them, the refrigerant leakage position is a component between the pipeline in the target flow direction and the previous level pipeline.

[0061] If the refrigerant flows in the target flow direction due to a leak, then the leak can be determined to be located at a component between the pipeline in the target flow direction and the previous pipeline.

[0062] Exemplarily, along the preset direction, the refrigerant passes through the condenser 11, the liquid reservoir 12, the throttling mechanism 13, the evaporator 14, the gas-liquid separator 15, the compressor 16 and the oil separator 17 in sequence, and then flows back to the compressor 16 again, thereby circulating in the heat pump system along the preset direction. When the target flow direction is on the pipeline between the throttling mechanism 13 and the liquid reservoir 12, then the target flow direction is that the refrigerant flows along the throttling mechanism 13 to the liquid reservoir 12. The upper-level pipeline is the pipeline between the condenser 11 and the liquid reservoir, and the refrigerant flow direction of the upper-level pipeline is along the condenser 11 to the liquid reservoir 12. That is, the refrigerant flows from the pipeline between the throttling mechanism 13 and the liquid reservoir 12 to the liquid reservoir 12, and the refrigerant flows from the pipeline between the condenser 11 and the liquid reservoir to the liquid reservoir 12. From the above-mentioned embodiment, it can be seen that the refrigerant flows from all sides to the leakage point, so it can be determined that the leakage point is in the liquid reservoir 12.

[0063] According to the above embodiments, the present application can determine the location of the refrigerant leak according to the pipe where the target flow direction is located and the previous pipe. The present application can accurately find the location of the leak point and provide it to the staff so that the staff can repair the leak point as soon as possible to prevent further leakage of the refrigerant.

[0064] In some embodiments, before obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipes between all two adjacent components in step S1, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes step S01.

[0065] S01: Marking a first identification mark on each pipe between two adjacent components, wherein the first identification mark includes numbers and letters.

[0066] It can be understood that the heat pump system includes multiple pipelines. By marking the pipelines, the pipeline in the target flow direction and the upper-level pipeline can be identified as soon as possible, and the identification of the pipeline in the target flow direction and the upper-level pipeline identification can be transmitted to the display of the heat pump system, so that the staff can quickly confirm the leakage point according to the identification. Step S01 can be performed when the heat pump system is used for the first time after leaving the factory, and there is no need to perform step S01 thereafter. Step S01 can also be performed as needed.

[0067] Exemplarily, the first identifier is a number, such as Figure 3 As shown, the heat pump system includes a condenser 11, a liquid reservoir 12, a throttling mechanism 13, an evaporator 14, a gas-liquid separator 15, a compressor 16 and an oil separator 17 which are connected in sequence. Then the pipeline between the condenser 11 and the liquid reservoir 12 is marked as 1, the pipeline between the liquid reservoir 12 and the throttling mechanism 13 is marked as 2, the pipeline between the throttling mechanism 13 and the evaporator 14 is marked as 3, the pipeline between the evaporator 14 and the gas-liquid separator 15 is marked as 4, the pipeline between the gas-liquid separator 15 and the compressor 16 is marked as 5, the pipeline between the compressor 16 and the oil separator 17 is marked as 6, and the pipeline between the oil separator 17 and the condenser 11 is marked as 7. When the target flow direction is in the pipeline between the throttling mechanism 13 and the evaporator 14, the pipeline can be determined to be marked as 3 and the upper-level pipeline can be marked as 2. Then it can be determined that the leakage point is on the component between the pipelines marked 3 and 2. Marks 3 and 2 can be sent to the display of the heat pump system, and the structural schematic diagram of the heat pump system can be displayed on the display. As shown in the attached Figure 4 As shown, the pipes corresponding to the mark 3 and the mark 2 are marked in red, so that the staff can see the content displayed on the display and locate the leakage point as soon as possible. In some embodiments, the structural diagram of the heat pump system in the display may display the first mark and the second mark, or may not display the first mark and the second mark.

[0068] For example, when the target flow direction is the pipeline between the gas-liquid separator 15 and the compressor 16, the pipeline can be identified as 5 and the previous pipeline can be identified as 4, that is, the previous pipeline identified as 4 is the pipeline between the evaporator 14 and the gas-liquid separator 15. Then it can be determined that the leak point is on the component between the pipelines identified as 5 and 4. The identification 5 and the identification 4 can be sent to the display of the heat pump system, and the structural diagram of the heat pump system can be displayed on the display. Figure 5 As shown, the pipes corresponding to the marks 5 and 4 are marked in red so that the staff can see the contents displayed on the display and locate the leakage point as soon as possible.

[0069] In some embodiments, the heat pump system includes a plurality of flow sensors 101 and a controller, and each pipeline between two adjacent components is provided with at least one flow sensor 101, and the flow sensor 101 is marked with a second mark, wherein the second mark includes numbers and letters. The flow sensor 101 is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline. The number of flow sensors 101 is multiple, and each pipeline is provided with at least one flow sensor 101. The flow sensor 101 has a corresponding relationship with the pipeline. The flow sensor is marked, and the flow direction can be identified by which flow sensor 101 is detected. In this way, the flow directions retrieved by multiple flow sensors 101 will not be confused, which facilitates the confirmation of the approximate location of the subsequent leakage point. The flow sensor 101 is a micro flow sensor 101 (MFS, Microfluidic Flow Sensor), which can be used for monitoring gaseous and liquid ultra-low flow. The micro flow sensor 101 includes a micro-electromechanical system and two pressure sensors, which measure the pressure drop on the precision-machined channel to determine the flow direction. The micro flow sensor 101 determines the flow direction of the refrigerant by pressure drop, and has no requirements on the physical properties of the refrigerant, and is applicable to heat pump systems using pure or mixed refrigerants. The heating capacity of the heat pump system in this embodiment is greater than 100kW.

[0070] The controller is connected to the signals of multiple flow sensors 101, and the flow sensor 101 transmits the retrieved flow direction information to the controller, that is, the controller obtains the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline between all two adjacent components, and judges whether the refrigerant is leaking and the specific location of the leak point based on the obtained flow direction. The controller saves the first identifier and the second identifier, as well as the corresponding relationship between the first identifier and the second identifier. According to the second identifier, a specific flow sensor 101 can be determined from multiple flow sensors 101, and according to the first identifier, a specific flow sensor 101 can be determined from multiple pipelines. The flow sensor 101 at least transmits the detected flow direction signal to the controller, and the signal transmitted by the flow sensor 101 to the controller includes the second identifier information of the flow sensor 101, so that the controller identifies the flow sensor 101. When the controller receives the flow direction information and the second identifier information sent by the flow sensor 101, the first identifier is determined based on the corresponding relationship between the second identifier information, the first identifier and the second identifier. Then the pipeline is determined based on the first identifier. In this way, the pipeline where the flow direction retrieved by the flow sensor 101 is located will not be confused.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the pipeline is used as the target object, and the component between the pipeline where the target flow direction is located and the upper-level pipeline is determined as the approximate leakage position of the leakage point. Checking the component can accurately find the location of the leakage point, saving the time of checking.

[0072] In some embodiments, the heat pump system includes a display, and the display can display a structural diagram of the heat pump system, in which at least the pipeline is marked with a first mark. When the flow sensor 101 transmits the detected flow direction information and the second identification information to the controller, the controller determines the first mark according to the correspondence between the second identification information, the first mark and the second mark. Then the pipeline is determined according to the first mark, the flow direction is marked on the pipeline, and the flow direction of the pipeline is displayed. When the flow direction of the pipeline is the target flow direction, the target flow direction and / or the pipeline where the target flow direction is located is marked in red, and the flow direction of the upper-level pipeline and / or the upper-level pipeline is marked in red. In this way, the staff can find the approximate location of the leakage point from the structural diagram of the heat pump system on the display screen, which can facilitate the staff to understand the flow direction of the refrigerant in the heat pump system and the approximate location of the leakage point as soon as possible.

[0073] In some embodiments, the heat pump system includes a plurality of flow sensors 101, and each pipe between two adjacent components is provided with at least one flow sensor 101, and the flow sensor 101 is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipe. In step S22, when there is a target flow direction opposite to the preset direction in the flow direction, after determining that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes step S23' and step S24', that is, step S2 includes step S23' and step S24'.

[0074] S23`: According to the target flow direction and the preset direction, the target flow sensor 101 and the previous flow sensor 101 that detects the target flow direction are determined.

[0075] Wherein, along the preset direction, the refrigerant passes through the previous flow sensor 101 and the target flow sensor 101 in sequence.

[0076] S24`: Determine the location of the refrigerant leakage according to the target flow sensor 101 and the previous flow sensor 101.

[0077] The refrigerant leakage location is a component and / or pipe between the target flow sensor 101 and the previous flow sensor 101 .

[0078] The flow sensor 101 retrieves that the flow direction is on the pipeline. In addition to the components of the heat pump system, there may be leakage points in the pipeline, which may cause refrigerant leakage. Compared with the components, the probability of leakage points in the pipeline is smaller, but there is still a certain probability. With the flow sensor 101 as the target, it is determined that the leakage point is in the pipeline and components between the two flow sensors 101, expanding the possible range of the leakage point. The staff can comprehensively check the possible range of the leakage point to prevent the possible location of the leakage point from being missed.

[0079] In some embodiments, before obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipes between all two adjacent components in step S1, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes step S01'.

[0080] S01`: label each flow sensor 101 with a second identification.

[0081] The second identification includes numbers and letters. It can be understood that the heat pump system includes multiple pipelines, each pipeline is provided with at least one flow sensor 101, and the number of flow sensors 101 is multiple. By identifying the flow sensor 101, the target flow sensor 101 that detects the target flow direction and the previous flow sensor 101 can be identified as soon as possible, and the second identification of the target flow sensor 101 that detects the target flow direction and the second identification of the previous flow sensor 101 can be transmitted to the display of the heat pump system, so that the staff can quickly confirm the possible location of the leakage point according to the second identification. Step S01` can be performed when the heat pump system is used for the first time after leaving the factory, and there is no need to perform step S01` thereafter. Step S01` can also be performed as needed.

[0082] Exemplarily, the second identifier is a letter, and the heat pump system includes a condenser 11, a liquid reservoir 12, a throttling mechanism 13, an evaporator 14, a gas-liquid separator 15, a compressor 16, and an oil separator 17 connected in sequence. Then the flow sensor 101 on the pipeline between the condenser 11 and the liquid reservoir 12 is identified as A, the flow sensor 101 on the pipeline between the liquid reservoir 12 and the throttling mechanism 13 is identified as B, the flow sensor 101 on the pipeline between the throttling mechanism 13 and the evaporator 14 is identified as C, the flow sensor 101 on the pipeline between the evaporator 14 and the gas-liquid separator 15 is identified as D, the flow sensor 101 on the pipeline between the gas-liquid separator 15 and the compressor 16 is identified as E, the flow sensor 101 on the pipeline between the compressor 16 and the oil separator 17 is identified as F, and the flow sensor 101 on the pipeline between the oil separator 17 and the condenser 11 is identified as G. When the flow sensor 101 on the pipe between the throttling mechanism 13 and the evaporator 14 detects the target flow direction, the flow sensor 101 can be identified as C and the previous flow sensor 101 can be identified as B. Then it can be determined that the leak point is on the pipe or component between the flow sensors 101 with identification C and identification B. The identification C and identification B can be sent to the display of the heat pump system, and the structural diagram of the heat pump system can be displayed on the display. Figure 4As shown, the flow sensor 101 corresponding to the mark C and the mark B in the structural diagram of the heat pump system is marked in red, so that the staff can see the content displayed on the display and determine the approximate location of the leakage point as soon as possible. In some embodiments, the structural diagram of the heat pump system in the display may display the second mark or may not display the second mark.

[0083] In some embodiments, the heat pump system includes a controller, which is connected to a plurality of flow sensors 101, and the controller stores a second identifier and a corresponding relationship between each second identifier and a pipeline. The flow sensor 101 has a corresponding relationship with the pipeline, and the flow sensor is identified to identify which flow sensor 101 detects the flow direction. In this way, the flow directions retrieved by the plurality of flow sensors 101 will not be confused, which facilitates the subsequent confirmation of the approximate location of the leakage point.

[0084] The controller is connected to the signals of multiple flow sensors 101, and the flow sensor 101 transmits the retrieved flow direction information to the controller, that is, the controller obtains the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline between all two adjacent components, and judges whether the refrigerant is leaking and the approximate location of the leak point based on the obtained flow direction. The controller saves the second identifier and the correspondence between the second identifier and the pipeline. According to the second identifier, a specific flow sensor 101 can be determined from multiple flow sensors 101. The flow sensor 101 at least transmits the detected flow direction signal to the controller, and the signal transmitted by the flow sensor 101 to the controller includes the second identification information of the flow sensor 101, so that the controller can identify the flow sensor 101. When the controller receives the flow direction information and the second identification information sent by the flow sensor 101, the pipeline is determined based on the correspondence between the second identification information, the second identification and the pipeline. In this way, the pipeline where the flow direction retrieved by the flow sensor 101 is located will not be confused.

[0085] The present application also provides a heat pump system in an embodiment, the heat pump system includes multiple components, two adjacent components of the multiple components are connected by pipes, and the heat pump system uses any one of the refrigerant leakage detection methods in the above embodiments for detection. The refrigerant leakage detection method has been described in detail in the above embodiments. Since the heat pump system uses any one of the refrigerant leakage detection methods in the above embodiments for detection, the refrigerant leakage detection method of the heat pump system includes the steps in the above embodiments and the beneficial effects corresponding to the steps, which will not be repeated here.

[0086] In some embodiments, the heat pump system includes multiple flow sensors 101 and a controller (not shown in the figure), each pipe between two adjacent components is provided with at least one flow sensor 101, the flow sensor 101 is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipe, and the controller is connected to the signals of the multiple flow sensors 101.

[0087] The multiple components include a condenser 11, a liquid reservoir 12, a throttling mechanism 13, an evaporator 14, a gas-liquid separator 15, a compressor 16 and an oil separator 17 which are connected in sequence. The inlet of the oil separator 17 is connected to the compressor 16, and the outlet of the oil separator 17 is connected to the condenser 11.

[0088] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A refrigerant leakage detection method, characterized in that: The refrigerant leakage detection method is applied to a heat pump system, wherein the heat pump system includes multiple components, two adjacent components of the multiple components are connected by a pipeline, and the refrigerant leakage detection method includes: Obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in all the pipes between the two adjacent components; Whether there is refrigerant leakage in the heat pump system is determined according to the flow direction of the refrigerant.

2. The refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of determining whether the refrigerant in the heat pump system is leaking according to the flow direction of the refrigerant includes: According to the flow direction of the refrigerant, determining whether there is a target flow direction in the flow direction that is opposite to a preset direction; When the target flow direction is opposite to the preset direction among the flow directions, determining that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked; In the case where there is no target flow direction in the flow direction that is opposite to the preset direction, determining that no refrigerant leakage occurs in the heat pump system; The preset direction is the flow direction of the refrigerant when the heat pump system operates normally.

3. The refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 2, characterized in that: After the step of determining that a refrigerant leak occurs in the heat pump system when there is a target flow direction opposite to the preset direction in the flow direction, the refrigerant leakage detection method comprises: According to the target flow direction and the preset direction, determining the previous-level pipeline of the pipeline where the target flow direction is located; wherein, along the preset direction, the refrigerant passes through the previous-level pipeline and the pipeline where the target flow direction is located in sequence; The location of the refrigerant leakage is determined according to the pipeline where the target flow direction is located and the previous pipeline; wherein the refrigerant leakage location is a component between the pipeline where the target flow direction is located and the previous pipeline.

4. The refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 3, characterized in that: Before the step of obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in all the pipes between the two adjacent components, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes: A first identification is marked on each pipe between two adjacent components, wherein the first identification includes numbers and letters.

5. The refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The heat pump system includes a plurality of flow sensors and a controller; The pipeline between each of the two adjacent components is provided with at least one of the flow sensors, and the flow sensor is marked with a second identifier, wherein the second identifier includes numbers and letters; The flow sensor is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline. The controller is connected to the multiple flow sensor signals, and the controller stores the first identifier and the second identifier, as well as the corresponding relationship between the first identifier and the second identifier.

6. The refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The heat pump system comprises a plurality of flow sensors, each pipeline between two adjacent components is provided with at least one of the flow sensors, the flow sensor is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline, and after the step of determining that the refrigerant in the heat pump system has leaked when there is a target flow direction opposite to the preset direction in the flow direction, the refrigerant leakage detection method comprises: According to the target flow direction and the preset direction, the target flow sensor and the previous flow sensor that detect the target flow direction are determined; wherein along the preset direction, the refrigerant passes through the previous flow sensor and the target flow sensor in sequence; The location of the refrigerant leakage is determined according to the target flow sensor and the previous flow sensor; wherein the refrigerant leakage location is a component and / or pipeline between the target flow sensor and the previous flow sensor.

7. The refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 6, characterized in that: Before the step of obtaining the flow direction of the refrigerant in all the pipes between the two adjacent components, the refrigerant leakage detection method includes: Each of the flow sensors is labeled with a second identifier, wherein the second identifier includes numbers and letters.

8. The refrigerant leakage detection method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The heat pump system includes a controller, which is connected to the multiple flow sensors and stores the second identifier and the corresponding relationship between each second identifier and the pipeline.

9. A heat pump system, characterized in that: The heat pump system comprises a plurality of components, two adjacent components among the plurality of components are connected by a pipeline, and the heat pump system is detected by using the refrigerant leakage detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The heat pump system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The heat pump system comprises a plurality of flow sensors and a controller, each pipeline between two adjacent components is provided with at least one flow sensor, the flow sensor is used to detect the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline, and the controller is connected to the plurality of flow sensor signals; The multiple components include a condenser, a liquid reservoir, a throttling mechanism, an evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, a compressor and an oil separator which are connected in sequence. The inlet of the oil separator is connected to the compressor, and the outlet of the oil separator is connected to the condenser.

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