Air conditioner group control system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an air conditioner group control system and a control method thereof. The air conditioner group control system comprises n air conditioner units and a bus, all the air conditioner units are electrically connected to the bus, and n is an integer larger than 1; the n air conditioning units comprise at least one current host, a plurality of current slaves and a standby unit, the current host is any one of the n air conditioning units, the current slaves are any one of the n air conditioning units, and the current host and the current slaves are different air conditioning units; each air conditioning unit comprises a controller; the current host is used for sending a control instruction to the bus through the controller, and the current slaves are used for receiving the control instruction through the controller and sending slave data to the bus, so that the current host receives the slave data, transmitted on the bus, of the current slaves through the controller; and the standby machine is used for receiving the control instruction through the controller for operation. The reliability of the air conditioner control system can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In central air conditioning control systems, to ensure that air conditioning units operate to meet user requirements and provide a positive user experience, backup units are typically deployed for replacement operation. Therefore, a reliable, easy-to-use, and cost-effective group control method is required. Existing technologies typically implement group control using hard wiring or dedicated master controllers. However, existing group control methods suffer from cumbersome and error-prone wiring, resulting in low reliability of the air conditioning control system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides an air-conditioning group control system and a control method thereof, so as to solve the problem that the wiring of the air-conditioning system controlled by the group control is complicated and error-prone, and improve the reliability of the air-conditioning control system.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioning group control system, comprising: n air conditioning units and a bus, each of the air conditioning units being electrically connected to the bus, and n being an integer greater than 1;

[0005] The n air-conditioning units include at least one current master, multiple current slaves, and a standby unit, wherein the current master is any one of the n air-conditioning units, the current slave is any one of the n air-conditioning units, and the current master and each current slave are different air-conditioning units;

[0006] Each of the air-conditioning units includes a controller; the current host is used to send control instructions to the bus through the controller, and the current slave is used to receive the control instructions through the controller and send slave data to the bus, so that the current host receives the slave data of each current slave transmitted on the bus through the controller; the standby machine is used to receive the control instructions through the controller for operation.

[0007] Optionally, the bus includes a CAN bus.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for the air conditioning group control system according to any embodiment of the first aspect, characterized by comprising:

[0009] Determine the current master and the current slave belonging to the same group control network according to a preset identity rule; wherein the air conditioning group control system includes at least one of the group control networks;

[0010] Generate a first control instruction according to a preset rotation rule to switch the rotation identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit;

[0011] After the identity of each of the air-conditioning groups is determined, the controller of the current host sends a second control instruction based on the host data and the group control network parameters, and the controller of each of the current slaves synchronizes parameters with the current host according to the second control instruction to achieve overall control of the air-conditioning group control system.

[0012] Optionally, determining the current master and the current slave belonging to the same group control network according to a preset identity rule includes:

[0013] Determine the group-controlled operating units according to the current status of each of the air-conditioning units;

[0014] Obtaining and determining the current host according to the address parameters of each group-controlled operating unit and the preset identity rules;

[0015] The controller of the current master sends a communication signal and determines that the controller of the current slave receives the communication signal, then the current slave and the current master belong to the same group control network; otherwise, the current slave becomes the current master of another group control network.

[0016] Optionally, the obtaining and determining the current host according to the address parameters of each of the group-controlled operating units and the preset identity rules includes:

[0017] According to the size relationship of the address parameters of the group-controlled operating units, based on the preset identity rule, the air-conditioning unit corresponding to the smallest address parameter is determined as the current host;

[0018] Alternatively, an identity designation signal is obtained and, based on the preset identity rule, the smallest of the address parameters of the air-conditioning groups contained in the identity designation signal is determined as the current host.

[0019] Optionally, generating a first control instruction according to a preset rotation rule to switch the rotation identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit includes:

[0020] Determining whether the current master and the current slave meet a preset rotation condition;

[0021] When the preset rotation conditions are met, the controller of the current host generates the first control instruction according to the fault status and operating time in the preset rotation rules, and rotates the identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit; otherwise, no identity rotation is performed.

[0022] Optionally, the preset rotation condition includes at least one of a first rotation condition, a second rotation condition, and a third rotation condition;

[0023] The first rotation condition is that a fatal fault occurs in the air-conditioning unit in operation in the group control network;

[0024] The second rotation condition is reaching the time point corresponding to the preset rotation period;

[0025] The third rotation condition is that the actual temperature parameter of the current slave obtained by the controller of the current master exceeds the sum of the set temperature and the temperature deviation value.

[0026] Optionally, the set temperature includes a low temperature set temperature and a high temperature set temperature, and the temperature deviation value includes a high temperature deviation value and a low temperature deviation value;

[0027] The third rotation conditions include:

[0028] The controller of the current master obtains the actual temperature value of each of the current slaves, and averages the actual temperature values ​​to obtain the actual temperature parameter;

[0029] The actual temperature parameter is compared with the sum of the low temperature setting temperature and the high temperature deviation value, and the actual temperature parameter is greater than the sum of the low temperature setting temperature and the high temperature deviation value; or, the actual temperature parameter is compared with the sum of the high temperature setting temperature and the low temperature deviation value, and the actual temperature parameter is less than the sum of the high temperature setting temperature and the low temperature deviation value.

[0030] Optionally, the controller of the current host generates the first control instruction according to the fault state and the operating time in the preset rotation rule to rotate the identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit, including:

[0031] When starting the standby machine, the standby machine without fatal faults and with short running time is preferentially activated, and the priority of the standby machine without fatal faults is higher than the priority of the standby machine with short running time;

[0032] When shutting down the running air-conditioning units, priority is given to shutting down the air-conditioning units with faults, and the priority of the air-conditioning units with faults is higher than the priority of the air-conditioning units with longer running time.

[0033] Optionally, the controller of the current master sends a second control instruction according to the master data and the group control network parameters, and the controllers of each current slave synchronize parameters with the current master according to the second control instruction, including:

[0034] When the group control network parameters and the host data of the current master are changed, the controller of each current slave synchronizes the group control network parameters and the slave data of the current slave with the group control network parameters and the host data of the current master according to the second control instruction;

[0035] The current host obtains the temperature and humidity data of each of the air-conditioning units, calculates the average speed of the fans of the air-conditioning units in the group control network, and sends the average speed to the controllers of each of the current slaves for execution.

[0036] An air conditioning group control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes n air conditioning units and a bus. Each of the n air conditioning units includes at least one active master, multiple active slaves, and a standby unit. The current master is any operating air conditioning unit other than the standby unit, and the current slaves are all operating air conditioning units other than the current master and the standby unit. In the air conditioning group control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the identities of the current master and current slave are not fixed; that is, each air conditioning unit can serve as both the current master and the current slave. This configuration significantly reduces the air conditioning group control system's reliance on the master unit when implementing group control functions. Even if the master unit is offline or malfunctioning, group control functions can still be implemented normally, thereby improving the reliability of the air conditioning group control system. Each air conditioning unit is electrically connected to the bus. The controller of the current master unit can receive slave data sent by the controller of the current slave unit via the bus and send control instructions to the controller of the current slave unit. The controller of the current slave unit can also receive control instructions via the bus and feed its own slave data back to the controller of the current master unit via the bus. The controller of the standby unit receives corresponding control instructions via the bus and operates, thereby achieving overall control of the air conditioning group control system. This eliminates the need for an additional main controller, reducing the system's hardware costs; the wiring is simple and error-prone, effectively improving the availability of the air conditioning group control system.

[0037] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0039] Figure 1 It is a group control logic diagram of an air conditioning system provided by the relevant technology;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a communication structure diagram of an air conditioning control system provided by the relevant technology;

[0041] Figure 3 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication structure of an air conditioning group control system provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 1 is a flow chart of a control method for an air conditioning group control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Specific flow diagram of step S110;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the communication structure of another air-conditioning group control system provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 Specific flow diagram of step S120;

[0046] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 Specific flow chart of step S130 in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the numbers used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0049] As mentioned in the background, in a central air conditioning control system, if a running air conditioning unit shuts down due to a fault and there is no backup unit to take over, the user experience can be affected and, in some critical situations, can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, a reliable, easy-to-use, and cost-effective group control solution is needed. Related technologies typically use hardwiring or a dedicated master controller to control the start and stop of multiple air conditioning units to achieve group control. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the group control logic of an air conditioning system provided for related technologies. Figure 1 Main controller 01 is a dedicated, externally purchased third-party controller. The startup and fault signals of air conditioning unit 02 are uniformly connected to main controller 01. Once main controller 01 determines that air conditioning unit 02 has failed, it activates standby unit 03. Air conditioning unit 02, standby unit 03, and main controller 01 are all electrically connected via hardwiring, allowing each unit's startup signal, fault feedback signal, and startup command signal to be uniformly connected to main controller 01. If a fault occurs in a running air conditioning unit 02, it outputs a fault signal to main controller 01. However, if standby unit 03 is not faulty at this time, meaning its startup conditions are met, main controller 01 will instruct standby unit 03 to start.

[0050] Figure 2 This is a communication structure diagram of an air conditioning control system provided by the related technology. Figure 2 In the related art air conditioning control system, the operating air conditioning units 02 are divided into master units and slave units. The controller of one air conditioning unit is fixed as the master unit 04, and the controllers of the remaining air conditioning units are slave units 05. The related art uses the MODBUS communication protocol to implement data exchange between the master unit 04 and the slave units 05. That is, the master unit 04 sends commands to the slave units 05 and reads data from the slave units 05. The slave units 05 receive commands from the master unit 04, enabling data sharing between the master unit 04 and all the slave units 05.

[0051] However, in the air-conditioning group control scheme in the related art, the wiring is cumbersome and prone to errors, which affects the debugging efficiency. If the line is disconnected or the IO interface of the main controller 01 is damaged, it is easy to cause problems such as abnormal control of the air-conditioning system. At the same time, since an additional dedicated main controller 01 is required for logic processing, the hardware cost of the air-conditioning group control system is increased. In addition, the air-conditioning group control system in the related art relies on the host 04 to realize the group control function. When the controller of the host 04 is offline or cannot operate normally due to a fault, the other slaves 05 cannot normally receive data from other air-conditioning units 02, and the group control system will not operate normally. In addition, the rotation plan of the unit is usually started in the order of unit equipment number from small to large, resulting in the standby unit 03 with a smaller equipment number being in a frequent operation state, thereby increasing the failure rate of a single device and making the reliability of the air-conditioning group control system low.

[0052] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0053] An embodiment of the present invention provides an air-conditioning group control system. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the communication structure of an air conditioning group control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown, the air conditioning group control system includes: n air conditioning units 10 and a bus 20, each air conditioning unit 10 is electrically connected to the bus 20, and n is an integer greater than 1.

[0054] The n air-conditioning units 10 include at least one current host 11, multiple current slaves 12 and a backup unit, wherein the current host 11 is any one of the n air-conditioning units 10, the current slave 12 is any one of the n air-conditioning units 10, and the current host 11 and each current slave 12 are different air-conditioning units 10.

[0055] Each air-conditioning unit 10 includes a controller 13; the current host 11 is used to send control instructions to the bus 20 through the controller 13, and the current slave 12 is used to receive control instructions through the controller 13 and send slave data to the bus 20, so that the current host 11 receives the slave data of each current slave 12 transmitted on the bus 20 through the controller 13; the standby machine is used to receive control instructions through the controller for operation.

[0056] Specifically, the air conditioning group control system includes n air conditioning units 10, where n is an integer greater than 1, i.e., the air conditioning group control system includes at least two air conditioning units 10. In the embodiment of the present invention, each air conditioning unit 10 included in the air conditioning group control system can function as either a master or a slave in the system. In other words, the air conditioning group control system provided by the embodiment of the present invention does not fix the master or slave status of each air conditioning unit 10. This significantly reduces the air conditioning group control system's reliance on the master unit in implementing group control functions. Even if the master unit is offline or malfunctions, other air conditioning units 10 can function as masters to implement group control functions normally, thereby improving the reliability and availability of the air conditioning group control system.

[0057] In the actual application of the air conditioning group control system, it is necessary to determine a current master 11 and multiple current slaves 12 in a group control network. In addition, in order to ensure the normal implementation of the group control function of the air conditioning group control system, the air conditioning unit 10 also needs to include multiple standby machines for rotation. Among them, since the standby machine is in standby state when it is not rotated and is not in the communication network, Figure 3 The standby unit is not shown. The current master 11 can be any air conditioner 10 among the n air conditioners 10 except the standby unit, and the current slaves 12 can be all air conditioners 10 among the n air conditioners 10 except the current master 11 and the standby unit. In other words, the current master 11 and the current slave 12 are different air conditioners 10, i.e., a single air conditioner 10 cannot simultaneously serve as both the current master 11 and the current slave 12.

[0058] Each air conditioning unit 10 is equipped with a controller 13, and each controller 13 of each air conditioning unit 10 is electrically connected to a bus 20, thereby enabling data exchange between the air conditioning units 10 via the bus 20. The controller 13 of the current master 11 can send relevant control instructions via the bus 20, and the controller 13 of the current slave 12 can receive the control instructions on the bus 20, thereby sending relevant slave data to the bus 20 based on the control instructions. The controller 13 of the current master 11 receives the slave data to achieve overall control of the air conditioning group control system. The slave data may include the control parameters, fault parameters, and operating status parameters of the current slave 12. The control instructions sent by the controller 13 of the current master 11 may include commands for controlling the operation of the current slave 12 for functions such as fault determination and timed rotation. The air conditioning group control system thus established simplifies the group control network, effectively reducing complex and error-prone wiring. It also eliminates the need for an additional master controller, reducing the hardware cost of the air conditioning group control system.

[0059] An air conditioning group control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes n air conditioning units and a bus. Each of the n air conditioning units includes at least one active master, multiple active slaves, and a standby unit. The current master is any operating air conditioning unit other than the standby unit, and the current slaves are all operating air conditioning units other than the current master and the standby unit. In the air conditioning group control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the identities of the current master and current slave are not fixed; that is, each air conditioning unit can serve as both the current master and the current slave. This configuration significantly reduces the air conditioning group control system's reliance on the master unit when implementing group control functions. Even if the master unit is offline or malfunctioning, group control functions can still be implemented normally, thereby improving the reliability of the air conditioning group control system. Each air conditioning unit is electrically connected to the bus. The controller of the current master unit can receive slave data sent by the controller of the current slave unit via the bus and send control instructions to the controller of the current slave unit. The controller of the current slave unit can also receive control instructions via the bus and feed its own slave data back to the controller of the current master unit via the bus. The controller of the standby unit receives corresponding control instructions via the bus and operates, thereby achieving overall control of the air conditioning group control system. This eliminates the need for an additional main controller, reducing the system's hardware costs; the wiring is simple and error-prone, effectively improving the availability of the air conditioning group control system.

[0060] Based on the above embodiment, optionally, the bus 20 includes a CAN bus.

[0061] Specifically, compared to the master-slave architecture-based MODBUS communication protocol used in related technologies, where only the master node can initiate communication and the slave nodes passively respond, in this embodiment of the present invention, bus 20 adopts the CAN communication protocol, a multi-master competitive bus architecture, in which all nodes can actively send data when the bus is idle. This reduces the reliance on the host computer when implementing group control functions, effectively improving the reliability of the air conditioning group control system provided by this embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a control method for an air-conditioning group control system. Figure 4 This is a flow chart of a control method for an air conditioning group control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The control method of the air conditioning control system specifically includes the following steps:

[0063] S110. Determine the current master and the current slave belonging to the same group control network according to a preset identity rule; wherein the air conditioning group control system includes at least one group control network.

[0064] Specifically, a group control network is a system that uses communication technology to centrally monitor, coordinate and intelligently manage multiple air-conditioning units. That is, the group control network is a unit in the air-conditioning group control system that performs unified control and management independently. The air-conditioning group control system may include at least one group control network. Each group control network is independently controlled by each other and can achieve the cooling target or heating target of the overall air-conditioning group control system. Each group control network contains at least two operating air-conditioning units, including a current host and at least one current slave, and the current host can be determined according to preset identity rules. After the current host is determined, the remaining air-conditioning units are all current slaves. Among them, the preset identity rules are a scheme for determining the identities of multiple air-conditioning units as current hosts or current slaves.

[0065] S120: Generate a first control instruction according to a preset rotation rule to switch the rotation identities of the running air-conditioning units and the standby units.

[0066] Specifically, in the actual application of the air-conditioning group control system, it is necessary to rotate the running air-conditioning units and the standby units to avoid the long-term operation of the fixed air-conditioning units, which seriously affects the service life and is prone to operational failures. The standby unit can be controlled to replace the running air-conditioning unit for operation according to the preset rotation rules. Among them, the preset rotation rules may include the conditions for rotation and the rotation plan; the first control instruction is an instruction generated by the current host according to the preset rotation rules to control the corresponding standby machine to replace the corresponding current slave machine for operation. For example, taking the example of determining that the first standby machine is used to rotate the second current slave machine according to the preset rotation rules, the first control instruction can be in the following form: control the first standby machine to enter the running state, and at the same time control the second current slave machine to shut down.

[0067] S130. After the identities of the air-conditioning units are determined, the controller of the current host sends a second control instruction according to the host data and the group control network parameters. The controllers of the current slaves synchronize parameters with the current host according to the second control instruction to achieve overall control of the air-conditioning group control system.

[0068] Specifically, since each air conditioner unit in the same group control network can serve as either the current master or the current slave, to ensure the smooth and normal operation of the air conditioner group control system after the air conditioner units rotate, the controller of the current master air conditioner unit can generate a second control instruction based on the master data and group control network parameters, and send it to the controllers of each current slave unit via a bus. The master data can be the operating parameters set by the current master air conditioner unit, such as the operating mode and operating temperature; the group control network parameters are parameters that affect the overall function of the air conditioner group control system, such as the number of units of each type included in the system, the operating time of each air conditioner unit, and the operating status; and the second control instruction can be used to control the current slave controller to set its own parameters based on the master data and group control network parameters. The controllers of each current slave unit in the same group control network receive the master data and group control network parameters from the current master via the bus and synchronize their own parameters to the master data and group control network parameters, thereby maintaining consistent parameters within the same group control network, facilitating overall control of the air conditioner group control system and improving the reliability of the group control system.

[0069] An embodiment of the present invention provides a control method for an air-conditioning group control system, which determines the identities of the current host and the current slave for each air-conditioning unit belonging to the same group control network according to a preset identity rule. During actual operation, the current host generates a first control instruction according to a preset rotation rule, so that the corresponding standby machine and the corresponding operating air-conditioning unit perform identity rotation according to the first control instruction, thereby avoiding a fixed air-conditioning unit being in operation for a long time and a certain standby machine device not being in operation for a long time. After each time the identity of the air-conditioning unit is determined, the current host controller issues a second control instruction based on the host data and the group control network parameters, and each current slave controller sets the host data and the group control network parameters to its own parameters according to the second control instruction, so as to keep the parameters in the same group control network consistent, thereby realizing overall control of the air-conditioning group control system, which is beneficial to improving the reliability of the group control system.

[0070] Based on the above embodiments, Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Detailed flow chart of step S110 in FIG. Figure 5 Optionally, determining the current master and the current slave belonging to the same group control network according to the preset identity rule in step S110 specifically includes the following steps:

[0071] S111. Determine the group-controlled operating unit based on the current status of each air-conditioning unit.

[0072] Specifically, during the operation of the overall air conditioning group control system, each air conditioning unit has multiple states. For example, when a user presses a power button or key, if a power-on signal is generated to control the air conditioning unit to turn on, and no signal to enter group control is received, the air conditioning unit is in the "on" state; if a power-off signal is generated to control the air conditioning unit to shut down, the air conditioning unit is in the "off" state; if the air conditioning unit does not receive a signal to enter group control after turning on, the air conditioning unit is in the "running" state, i.e., it is a standalone air conditioning unit that is not in the group control network; if the air conditioning unit that receives a signal to enter group control after turning on is online in the group control network, the air conditioning unit is in the "group control in" state; if it is not online in the group control network, the air conditioning unit is in the "exited group control" state; if the air conditioning unit that enters group control does not receive a start command from the current host, the air conditioning unit is in the "standby" state, i.e., it serves as a backup unit; if any air conditioning unit fails, the air conditioning unit is in the "alarm shutdown" state. The conditions for an air conditioner to enter group control include the air conditioner being in "Standby" mode, the air conditioner having group control enabled, and the air conditioner being in "Group Control In Progress." The user can activate group control by pressing a group control enable button or key, generating a group control enable start signal that triggers the group control function.

[0073] The group-controlled operating units in the group control network can be determined based on the current status of each air conditioning unit. Group-controlled operating units are those in operation within the group control network; that is, they do not include standby units in "standby" status. The number of operating and standby units in the group control network can be set by the user on the system interface and are not restricted here. The number of air conditioning units to be operated = the total number of air conditioning units in the system - the number of standby units. The total number of air conditioning units in the system refers to the number of air conditioning units connected to the group control network and does not include standby units.

[0074] S112: Obtain and determine the current host according to the address parameters and preset identity rules of each group-controlled operating unit.

[0075] Specifically, each air conditioner in the group control network (i.e., each group-controlled operating unit) has its own unique address parameter, namely, its communication address on the CAN bus. The address parameters of each air conditioner are arranged in ascending order. When determining the current master, the air conditioner corresponding to the corresponding device address in the group-controlled operating unit is determined as the current master based on the device address of each group-controlled operating unit and preset identity rules.

[0076] S113: The controller of the current master sends a communication signal, and determines that the controller of the current slave receives the communication signal. If so, the current slave and the current master belong to the same group control network; otherwise, the current slave becomes the current master of another group control network.

[0077] Specifically, the communication signal is a "heartbeat" signal, that is, after the current host is determined, a "heartbeat detection" is performed on the communication status between the current host and the current slave. The controller of the current host sends a "heartbeat" signal, and the current slave receives the "heartbeat" signal. If the current slave still does not receive the "heartbeat" signal after a certain time delay, it can be determined that the current slave is in a communication interruption state with the current host, and the current slave automatically switches to a stand-alone operation state. The current host outputs a signal that the current slave of the device address is offline, and the current slave outputs a signal that the current host is offline, then the current slave is automatically determined as the new current master, and forms a new group control network with the air-conditioning units whose address parameters are arranged after it. Figure 6 This is a communication structure diagram of another air conditioning group control system provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 , taking the air conditioning group control system including n group control running units, namely, group control running unit 1# to group control running unit n, and group control running unit 1# is set as the current master by default as an example, during the "heartbeat detection" process, group control running unit 1# sends a "heartbeat" signal to other group control running units. Among them, group control running unit 2# receives the "heartbeat" signal, while group control running unit 3# does not receive the "heartbeat" signal. Then, group control running unit 1# and group control running unit 2# form a group control network, and group control running unit 1# is the current master, and group control running unit 2# is the current slave; group control running unit 3# and subsequent group control running units form at least one new group control network, and group control running unit 3# is the current master, and can continue to send "heartbeat" signals to subsequent group control running units to perform "heartbeat detection". In other words, if a communication bus is interrupted at a certain point, the group control units operating before the communication interruption point and the group control units operating after the communication interruption point will each form two or more independent group control networks. This ensures that each air conditioning unit in the air conditioning group control system maintains unimpeded communication with the corresponding current host, thereby achieving overall group control of the air conditioning group control system and improving system reliability.

[0078] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, obtaining and determining the current host according to the address parameters and preset identity rules of each group-controlled operating unit in step S112 specifically includes the following steps:

[0079] According to the size relationship of the address parameters of each group-controlled operating unit, based on the preset identity rules, the air-conditioning unit corresponding to the smallest address parameter is determined as the current host; or, based on the identity designation signal, the smallest address parameter of each air-conditioning unit contained in the identity designation signal is determined as the current host based on the preset identity rules.

[0080] Specifically, the preset identity rule is to give priority to determining the air-conditioning unit with the smallest address parameter as the current host. For the air-conditioning group control network, the system initially defaults to determining the air-conditioning unit corresponding to the smallest address parameter as the current host, and the remaining air-conditioning units are all current slaves. Alternatively, the system can also receive user settings, and the user can generate an identity designation signal through the operation interface. The identity designation signal is to designate any air-conditioning unit as the current host, and the remaining air-conditioning units are all current slaves; if the user designates two or more air-conditioning units as the current host, the system can prioritize the air-conditioning unit with the smallest device address as the current host based on the device addresses of the two or more designated air-conditioning units; and when the original current host is offline or fails, the system can automatically determine the new current host from the two or more designated air-conditioning units based on the principle of giving priority to the unit with the smallest device address.

[0081] Based on the above embodiments, Figure 7 yes Figure 4 Detailed flow chart of step S120 in FIG. Figure 7 Optionally, step S120 generates a first control instruction according to a preset rotation rule to switch the rotation identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit, specifically including the following steps:

[0082] S121: Determine whether the current master and the current slave meet the preset rotation condition.

[0083] Among them, the preset rotation conditions can include multiple situations. Exemplarily, the preset rotation conditions include at least one of the first rotation condition, the second rotation condition and the third rotation condition. Among them, the first rotation condition is that a fatal fault occurs in the air-conditioning unit in operation in the group control network; the second rotation condition is that the time point corresponding to the preset rotation period is reached; the third rotation condition is that the actual temperature parameter of the current slave obtained by the controller of the current master exceeds the sum of the set temperature and the temperature deviation value. Specifically, the first rotation condition indicates that when a fatal fault occurs in the group control running unit in the "running" state in the group control network, affecting the operation of the unit, the standby machine needs to be used to rotate the unit. The second rotation condition indicates the situation where the system's timed rotation enable function is enabled, that is, the user can set the timed rotation time in advance in the operation interface. When the system runs to the timed rotation time, the system controls the standby machine and the corresponding group control running unit to rotate. The third rotation condition indicates that the current host determines the number of currently running group-controlled units based on the system's current operating temperature. Specifically, the current host's controller obtains the actual temperature values ​​of each current slave and averages them as the actual temperature parameter of the air conditioning group control system. For both heating and cooling, when the actual temperature parameter exceeds the sum of the set temperature and the temperature deviation value, after the cascade activation time, the current host will forcibly start a backup unit according to the preset rotation rules. When the actual temperature parameter does not exceed the sum of the set temperature and the temperature deviation value, after the cascade activation time, the current host will forcibly shut down a running group-controlled unit according to the preset rotation rules, thereby ensuring that the system's operating temperature meets user requirements and reducing unnecessary energy consumption. The cascade activation time is a group control network parameter that affects the group control function of the air conditioning group control system.

[0084] S122. When the preset rotation conditions are met, the controller of the current host generates a first control instruction according to the fault status and operating time in the preset rotation rules to rotate the identities of the running air-conditioning units and the standby units; otherwise, no identity rotation is performed.

[0085] Specifically, the controller of the current host generates a first control instruction according to the preset rotation conditions met by the running air-conditioning units and the preset rotation rules, so as to rotate the running air-conditioning units and ensure the normal operation of the air-conditioning group control system as a whole. If the preset rotation conditions are not met, the identity rotation of the running air-conditioning units will not be performed.

[0086] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, the set temperature includes a low temperature set temperature and a high temperature set temperature, and the temperature deviation value includes a high temperature deviation value and a low temperature deviation value.

[0087] The third rotation condition includes: the controller of the current master obtains the actual temperature value of each current slave, and calculates the average value of each actual temperature value to obtain the actual temperature parameter;

[0088] Compare the actual temperature parameter with the sum of the low temperature set temperature and the high temperature deviation value, and the actual temperature parameter is greater than the sum of the low temperature set temperature and the high temperature deviation value; or compare the actual temperature parameter with the sum of the high temperature set temperature and the low temperature deviation value, and the actual temperature parameter is less than the sum of the high temperature set temperature and the low temperature deviation value.

[0089] Specifically, the air conditioning group control system can be divided into two situations: cooling and heating. In the cooling situation, if the actual temperature parameter of the system obtained and calculated by the controller of the current host is greater than the sum of the low temperature set point and the high temperature deviation value, it indicates that the temperature that the current system can achieve is insufficient to meet the user's requirement for a lower temperature. At this time, the current host can force the opening of a backup unit to assist in cooling, so that the operating temperature meets the user's requirement. If the actual temperature parameter of the system is less than the sum of the low temperature set point and the high temperature deviation value, it indicates that the temperature that the current system can achieve meets the user's requirement for a lower temperature. The current host can shut down a running slave unit as a backup unit. For heating, when the actual temperature parameter of the system obtained and calculated by the controller of the current host is less than the sum of the high temperature set temperature and the low temperature deviation value, it indicates that the temperature that can be achieved by the current system operation is not enough to meet the user's requirement for a higher temperature. At this time, the current host can force the start of a backup machine to assist in heating so that the working temperature meets the user's requirement; when the actual temperature parameter of the system is greater than the sum of the high temperature set temperature and the low temperature deviation value, it indicates that the temperature that can be achieved by the current system operation meets the user's requirement for a higher temperature. The current host can shut down a running current slave machine as a backup machine, thereby effectively reducing unnecessary energy consumption of the air-conditioning group control system.

[0090] Based on the above embodiments, optionally, the controller of the current host in step S122 generates a first control instruction based on the fault status and operating time in the preset rotation rule to rotate the identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit, specifically including the following steps:

[0091] When starting a standby machine, priority is given to the standby machine without fatal faults and with a short running time, and the priority of the standby machine without fatal faults is higher than the priority of the short running time; when shutting down a running air-conditioning unit, priority is given to the air-conditioning unit with a fault, and the priority of the standby machine with a fault is higher than the priority of the long running time.

[0092] Specifically, when the preset rotation conditions are met, rotation must be carried out according to certain preset rotation rules. Among them, when determining the standby machines that can be turned on, priority is given to screening the standby machines without fatal faults; for the standby machines without fatal faults, the standby machine with the shortest running time is selected to be turned on; among them, the standby machines without fatal faults can include standby machines with non-fatal faults and standby machines with no faults at all; if all standby machines have non-fatal faults, the standby machine with the shortest running time is preferably started; if some standby machines have non-fatal faults and some standby machines are completely fault-free, the standby machine with the shortest running time is selected from the completely fault-free standby machines to be started. When determining the air-conditioning units that need to be shut down, priority is given to screening the air-conditioning units with faults to be shut down; among them, the presence of faults can include the presence of fatal faults and the presence of non-fatal faults. If there are multiple air-conditioning units with faults, the air-conditioning unit with the longest running time is preferably shut down. If all air-conditioning units have no faults, the air-conditioning unit with the longest running time is preferably shut down. In this way, by rotating the running air-conditioning units through preset rotation conditions and preset rotation rules, it is possible to effectively avoid long-term operation or frequent startup of fixed air-conditioning units, which is conducive to extending the service life of the air-conditioning units.

[0093] Based on the above embodiments, Figure 8 yes Figure 4 Detailed flow chart of step S130 in FIG. Figure 8 Optionally, in step S130, the controller of the current master sends a second control instruction according to the master data and the group control network parameters, and the controllers of each current slave synchronize parameters with the current master according to the second control instruction, specifically including the following steps:

[0094] S131. When the group control network parameters and host data of the current host are changed, the controller of each current slave synchronizes the group control network parameters and slave data of the current slave with the group control network parameters and host data of the current master according to the second control instruction.

[0095] Specifically, the current slaves in the same group control network are all consistent with the group control network parameters and host data of the current host. Then, when the group control network parameters and host data of the current host change, the current host can generate a second control instruction, so that the controller of each current slave synchronizes the group control network parameters and host data of the current host with its own parameters according to the second control instruction, and after the current slave is synchronized with the current host parameters, its own group control network parameters and slave data cannot be modified.

[0096] S132: The current host obtains the temperature and humidity data of each air-conditioning unit, calculates the average speed of the fans of the air-conditioning units in the group control network, and sends the average speed to the controllers of each current slave for execution.

[0097] Specifically, the current master can also obtain the actual temperature and humidity data of each air conditioning unit in the group control network and calculate the average air conditioning fan speed based on this data. The current master sends the average fan speed to each current slave, so that each current slave synchronizes its fan speed with the current master. This ensures that the fan speed of each fan in the system is consistent, preventing excessive fluctuations in the actual system temperature and improving system reliability.

[0098] The above specific embodiments do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions may be made based on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air conditioning group control system, characterized in that: include: n air-conditioning units and a bus, each of the air-conditioning units is electrically connected to the bus, and n is an integer greater than 1; The n air-conditioning units include at least one current master, multiple current slaves, and a standby unit, wherein the current master is any one of the n air-conditioning units, the current slave is any one of the n air-conditioning units, and the current master and each current slave are different air-conditioning units; Each of the air-conditioning units includes a controller; the current master is used to send a control instruction to the bus through the controller, and the current slave is used to receive the control instruction through the controller and send slave data to the bus, so that the current master receives the slave data of each current slave transmitted on the bus through the controller; The standby machine is used to receive the control instruction through the controller to operate.

2. The air conditioning group control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bus includes a CAN bus.

3. A control method for an air conditioning group control system according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: include: Determine the current master and the current slave belonging to the same group control network according to a preset identity rule; wherein the air conditioning group control system includes at least one of the group control networks; Generate a first control instruction according to a preset rotation rule to switch the rotation identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit; After the identity of each of the air-conditioning groups is determined, the controller of the current host sends a second control instruction based on the host data and the group control network parameters, and the controller of each of the current slaves synchronizes parameters with the current host according to the second control instruction to achieve overall control of the air-conditioning group control system.

4. The control method of the air conditioning group control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The step of determining the current master and the current slave belonging to the same group control network according to the preset identity rule includes: Determine the group-controlled operating units according to the current status of each of the air-conditioning units; Obtaining and determining the current host according to the address parameters of each group-controlled operating unit and the preset identity rules; The controller of the current master sends a communication signal and determines that the controller of the current slave receives the communication signal, then the current slave and the current master belong to the same group control network; otherwise, the current slave becomes the current master of another group control network.

5. The control method of the air conditioning group control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The obtaining and determining the current host according to the address parameters of each of the group-controlled operating units and the preset identity rules includes: According to the size relationship of the address parameters of the group-controlled operating units, based on the preset identity rule, the air-conditioning unit corresponding to the smallest address parameter is determined as the current host; Alternatively, an identity designation signal is obtained and, based on the preset identity rule, the smallest of the address parameters of the air-conditioning groups contained in the identity designation signal is determined as the current host.

6. The control method of the air conditioning group control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The generating of the first control instruction according to the preset rotation rule to switch the rotation identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit includes: Determining whether the current master and the current slave meet a preset rotation condition; When the preset rotation conditions are met, the controller of the current host generates the first control instruction according to the fault status and operating time in the preset rotation rules, and rotates the identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit; otherwise, no identity rotation is performed.

7. The control method of the air conditioning group control system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The preset rotation condition includes at least one of the first rotation condition, the second rotation condition and the third rotation condition; The first rotation condition is that a fatal fault occurs in the air-conditioning unit in operation in the group control network; The second rotation condition is reaching the time point corresponding to the preset rotation period; The third rotation condition is that the actual temperature parameter of the current slave obtained by the controller of the current master exceeds the sum of the set temperature and the temperature deviation value.

8. The control method of the air conditioning group control system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The set temperature includes a low temperature set temperature and a high temperature set temperature, and the temperature deviation value includes a high temperature deviation value and a low temperature deviation value; The third rotation conditions include: The controller of the current master obtains the actual temperature value of each of the current slaves, and averages the actual temperature values ​​to obtain the actual temperature parameter; The actual temperature parameter is compared with the sum of the low temperature setting temperature and the high temperature deviation value, and the actual temperature parameter is greater than the sum of the low temperature setting temperature and the high temperature deviation value; or, the actual temperature parameter is compared with the sum of the high temperature setting temperature and the low temperature deviation value, and the actual temperature parameter is less than the sum of the high temperature setting temperature and the low temperature deviation value.

9. The control method of the air conditioning group control system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The controller of the current host generates the first control instruction according to the fault state and the operating time in the preset rotation rule, and rotates the identities of the running air-conditioning unit and the standby unit, including: When starting the standby machine, the standby machine without fatal faults and with short running time is preferentially activated, and the priority of the standby machine without fatal faults is higher than the priority of the standby machine with short running time; When shutting down the running air-conditioning units, priority is given to shutting down the air-conditioning units with faults, and the priority of the air-conditioning units with faults is higher than the priority of the air-conditioning units with longer running time.

10. The control method of the air conditioning group control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The controller of the current master sends a second control instruction according to the master data and the group control network parameters, and the controllers of each of the current slaves synchronize parameters with the current master according to the second control instruction, including: When the group control network parameters and the host data of the current master are changed, the controller of each current slave synchronizes the group control network parameters and the slave data of the current slave with the group control network parameters and the host data of the current master according to the second control instruction; The current host obtains the temperature and humidity data of each of the air-conditioning units, calculates the average speed of the fans of the air-conditioning units in the group control network, and sends the average speed to the controllers of each of the current slaves for execution.

Images