Relay control method of electric auxiliary heating device, air conditioner and storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a relay control method of an electric auxiliary heating device, an air conditioner and a storage medium. The method comprises the following steps: when the electric auxiliary heating device is working, the number of relays to be turned on is obtained; if the number of relays to be turned on is less than the total number of relays in the electric auxiliary heating device, the cumulative load energy of each relay is obtained every first preset time interval; and the relays with the least cumulative load energy are selected to work. The relay control method of the electric auxiliary heating device can balance the use of each relay and prolong the service life of the circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of relay control technology, specifically to a relay control method for an electric auxiliary heating device, an air conditioner using the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device, and a computer-readable storage medium using the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device. Background Technology

[0002] As an indispensable environmental control device in modern life, air conditioners provide users with a comfortable temperature and humidity environment through cooling, heating, dehumidification, and ventilation. Their operation depends on the coordinated work of multiple key components, including compressors, fan systems, condensers, evaporators, temperature control systems, air purification modules, fresh air systems, and electric auxiliary heating devices. These components are controlled by relay switches to achieve start / stop and adjustment of operating status.

[0003] Currently, most air conditioners use electric auxiliary heating devices controlled by a combination of multiple relay switches, with the power level proportional to the number of relay switches simultaneously activated. In traditional methods, only one relay switch is activated at low speeds, while all relay switches are activated at high speeds. This prolonged high-voltage operation of the low-speed relays can shorten their lifespan, severely impacting the overall circuit lifespan. For example, the internal heating element A is controlled by relay switch A, and group B by relay switch B. At low speeds, either group of heating elements can be activated, and either relay switch A or B can be active; the default is relay switch A. At high speeds, both relay switches A and B are activated simultaneously. Because there are always relay switches in both on and off states at low speeds, and relay switch A is always active regardless of the speed setting, there will inevitably be differences in the load capacity of each relay. This causes relay switch A to remain active for extended periods, leading to premature failure and a reduced overall circuit lifespan.

[0004] Therefore, a more optimized relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device needs to be considered. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The first objective of this invention is to provide a relay control method for an electric auxiliary heating device that can balance the use of each relay switch and extend the circuit life.

[0006] The second objective of this invention is to provide an air conditioner that can balance the use of each relay switch and extend the circuit life.

[0007] A third objective of this invention is to provide a computer-readable storage medium that can balance the use of various relay switches and extend circuit life.

[0008] To achieve the aforementioned first objective, the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device provided by the present invention includes: when the electric auxiliary heating device is working, obtaining the number of relay switches that need to be turned on; if the number of switches turned on is less than the total number of relay switches in the electric auxiliary heating device, obtaining the corresponding cumulative load energy of each relay switch once every first preset time interval; and selecting the number of relay switches with the least cumulative load energy to work.

[0009] As can be seen from the above scheme, the relay control method of the electric auxiliary heating device of the present invention acquires the corresponding cumulative load energy of each relay switch at a first preset time interval, and selects the number of relay switches with the least cumulative load energy to operate. This allows for automatic switching of the relay switches, enabling them to work alternately and balancing their usage, thereby extending their service life. Furthermore, by accumulating the load energy of each relay switch, it bypasses traditional nonlinear device heating detection and possesses the ability to respond to load changes in real time.

[0010] In a further scheme, the step of obtaining the corresponding cumulative load energy of each relay switch every first preset time interval includes: obtaining the current cycle load energy and historical cumulative load energy of the current relay switch, and using the sum of the current cycle load energy and the historical load energy as the cumulative load energy.

[0011] Therefore, by using the sum of the load energy used in the current cycle and the load energy used in the past as the cumulative load energy, the total load energy of the current relay switch can be statistically analyzed, and the relay switch has the ability to respond to load changes in real time.

[0012] In a further proposed scheme, the load energy used in this cycle is obtained by the following formula: Q current =I avg 2 *R*t; where I avg R is the average current flowing through the current relay switch within the first preset time period; t is the contact resistance value of the relay switch; and t is the first preset time period.

[0013] Therefore, by using the average current flowing through the current relay switch within the first preset time period to calculate the load energy used in this cycle, the interference of instantaneous current fluctuations can be avoided.

[0014] In a further embodiment, the electric auxiliary heating device also includes a current detection circuit with the same number of relay switches, where each current detection circuit detects the current flowing through one relay switch; the average current of the current relay switch is obtained by the following formula: window_size = f sample *t, f sample It is the sampling frequency of the current detection circuit, I. k It is the detection current of the kth time.

[0015] In a further embodiment, after obtaining the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle, the method further includes: if the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle is greater than the preset load energy, then the current relay switch is turned off and an overload alarm message is sent.

[0016] Therefore, if the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle is greater than the preset load energy, it indicates that the relay is overloaded. In order to avoid damage to the relay switch, the current relay switch needs to be turned off and an overload alarm message needs to be sent so that the user can be notified.

[0017] In a further proposed solution, after shutting down the current relay switch, the backup relay switch is also turned on.

[0018] Therefore, after turning off the current relay switch, in order to ensure the normal operation of the electric auxiliary heating device, it is necessary to switch the standby relay switch to be turned on.

[0019] In a further embodiment, after obtaining the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle, the method further includes: determining that the current relay switch is in an off state in this cycle; if the load energy used in this cycle is greater than zero, then sending a relay sticking alarm message and turning off the current relay switch.

[0020] Therefore, when the current relay switch is in the off state in this cycle, the load energy used in this cycle should be equal to zero. If the load energy used in this cycle is greater than zero, it means that the disconnection logic has been executed in the software of the current relay switch, but the hardware has not disconnected. Therefore, the relay is determined to be stuck, a relay sticking alarm message is sent and the current relay switch is turned off to avoid affecting the normal operation of the electric auxiliary heating device.

[0021] In a further embodiment, the steps for obtaining the number of relay switches that need to be turned on include: obtaining the operating position of the electric auxiliary heating device; and determining the number of switches to be turned on based on the operating position.

[0022] Therefore, each working position of the electric auxiliary heating device requires a corresponding number of relay switches to be turned on. Thus, the number of switches to be turned on can be determined by the working position of the electric auxiliary heating device.

[0023] To achieve the second objective of the present invention, the present invention provides an air conditioner including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device described above.

[0024] To achieve the third objective of the present invention, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a controller, implements the steps of the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device described above. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a circuit block diagram of an air conditioner using the relay control method of the electric auxiliary heating device of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the overload detection step of the relay switch in an embodiment of the relay control method of the electric auxiliary heating device of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the adhesion detection step at the relay opening in an embodiment of the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device of the present invention.

[0029] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Various exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The descriptions of the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative and are in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use. The invention can be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided to make the invention thorough and complete, and to fully express the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components and steps, the composition of materials, numerical expressions, and values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limiting.

[0031] The terms "first," "second," and similar words used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different parts. Words such as "including" or "comprising" mean that the element preceding the word encompasses the element listed after it, without excluding the possibility of encompassing other elements. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0032] In this invention, when a specific device is described as being located between a first device and a second device, an intermediary device may or may not be present between the specific device and the first or second device. When a specific device is described as being connected to other devices, the specific device may be directly connected to the other devices without an intermediary device, or it may be not directly connected to the other devices but have an intermediary device.

[0033] All terms used in this invention (including technical or scientific terms) have the same meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not as having an idealized or highly formalized meaning, unless expressly defined herein.

[0034] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0035] The relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device of the present invention is actually an application program used in air conditioners to control the relay switch of the electric auxiliary heating device.

[0036] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, the air conditioner includes a main control circuit 1 and an electric auxiliary heating device 2. The main control circuit 1 controls the electric auxiliary heating device 2 to perform heating operations. In this embodiment, the electric auxiliary heating device includes at least two relay switches 21, a current detection circuit 22 with the same number of relay switches 21, and a heating element 23 with the same number of relay switches 21. One current detection circuit 22 detects the current flowing through one relay switch 21, and one relay switch controls the start / stop state of one heating element 23. The number of heating elements 23 can be set according to the gear requirements of the electric auxiliary heating device 2. Since the relays need to switch and work alternately, although this can alleviate the long-term high load pressure of a single relay, it will lead to an increase in the number of relay opening and closing operations. Preferably, the relay switches 21 are solid-state relay switches without mechanical contacts.

[0037] Optionally, the current detection circuit 22 can obtain the current using electromagnetic induction. Since current detection relies on electromagnetic coupling, electrical appliances are subject to electromagnetic interference in actual operating environments. Furthermore, the large current flowing through the load is often accompanied by ground loop noise and power supply noise, which cause large current fluctuations and numerous spikes, resulting in distortion between the detected current and the actual current flowing through the relay and load. In this embodiment, an RC smoothing filter is used to perform low-pass filtering on the current sampling signal to remove high-frequency noise. Simultaneously, based on the hardware RC filter circuit, a Kalman filter algorithm can be combined to dynamically optimize the RC-filtered signal, eliminating low-frequency noise and sudden interference. The Kalman filter algorithm is a well-known technique to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0038] Example of relay control method for electric auxiliary heating device:

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device first executes step S1 to determine whether the electric auxiliary heating device is working. When it is necessary to start the electric auxiliary heating device, it can be controlled to work by a start command. The start command for the electric auxiliary heating device can be automatically detected by the air conditioning system or manually set by the user.

[0040] If the electric auxiliary heating device is not in operation, step S1 continues for continuous monitoring. When the electric auxiliary heating device is in operation, step S2 is executed to obtain the number of relay switches that need to be turned on. In this embodiment, the step of obtaining the number of relay switches that need to be turned on includes: obtaining the operating position of the electric auxiliary heating device; and determining the number of switches to be turned on based on the operating position. Each operating position of the electric auxiliary heating device requires a corresponding number of relay switches to be turned on; therefore, the number of switches to be turned on can be determined by the operating position of the electric auxiliary heating device. For example, when the electric auxiliary heating device includes two heating elements and two relay switches, when the low position needs to be turned on, one heating element needs to be turned on, that is, one relay switch needs to be turned on; when the high position needs to be turned on, two heating elements need to be turned on, that is, two relay switches need to be turned on.

[0041] After obtaining the number of relay switches that need to be turned on, proceed to step S3 to determine whether the number of turned-on relay switches is less than the total number of relay switches in the electric auxiliary heating device. Since the relay switches in the electric auxiliary heating device may experience asynchronous lifespans when they are turned on at different times, it is necessary to perform balanced control on the relay switches when they are not turned on simultaneously.

[0042] If the number of conducting relays is less than the total number of relay switches in the electric auxiliary heating device, then step S4 is executed, whereby the cumulative load energy of each relay switch is acquired at first preset time intervals. The first preset time interval can be pre-set based on experimental data, and its magnitude determines the relay switching frequency, thus affecting user comfort. The cumulative load energy is related to the lifespan of the relay switches; the wear and tear of the relays can be dynamically assessed through the cumulative load energy. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire the corresponding cumulative load energy of each relay switch for analysis.

[0043] In this embodiment, the step of acquiring the corresponding cumulative load energy of each relay switch at a first preset time interval includes: acquiring the current cycle's used load energy and historical cumulative load energy of the current relay switch, and using the sum of the current cycle's used load energy and the historical used load energy as the cumulative load energy. Each first preset time interval is considered a cycle, and the sum of the current cycle's used load energy and the historical used load energy is used as the cumulative load energy. This allows for the statistical analysis of the current relay switch's total load energy and provides the ability to respond to load changes in real time.

[0044] In this embodiment, the load energy used in this cycle is obtained by the following formula: Q current =I avg 2 *R*t; where I avg The average current flowing through the current relay switch within the first preset time period is denoted as R, where R is the contact resistance of the relay switch, and t is the first preset time period. Calculating the load energy used in this cycle using the average current flowing through the current relay switch within the first preset time period avoids interference from instantaneous current fluctuations. The average current of the current relay switch is obtained using the following formula: window_size = f sample *t, f sample It is the sampling frequency of the current detection circuit, I. k It is the current detected in the kth iteration, obtained through the current detection circuit.

[0045] After obtaining the cumulative load energy of each relay switch, step S5 is executed to select the relay switches with the lowest cumulative load energy to operate. After obtaining the cumulative load energy of the relay switches, each relay switch needs to be compared and sorted according to its cumulative load energy. This yields the relay switches with the lowest cumulative load energy, i.e., the number of relay switches that are operated at the bottom of the list. The cumulative load energy of each relay switch can be stored in a structure array. By iterating through the cumulative load energy of all relay switches, the number of relay switches with the lowest cumulative load energy can be determined. By selecting the relay switches with the lowest cumulative load energy to operate, the relay switches can work alternately in turn, balancing their usage and extending their service life.

[0046] When executing step S3, if the number of conducting switches is equal to the total number of relay switches in the electric auxiliary heating device, it means that all relay switches in the electric auxiliary heating device are turned on at the same time, and there is no need to perform equalization control operation on the relay switches. At this time, continue to execute step S3 to perform continuous detection, and record the cumulative load energy of all relay switches.

[0047] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, after obtaining the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle, step S11 is further executed to determine whether the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle is greater than a preset load energy. The preset load energy can be pre-set based on experimental data. Every first preset time interval, the system needs to check for any abnormal phenomena in each relay switch.

[0048] If the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle is less than or equal to the preset load energy, it indicates that the current relay switch is operating normally, and step S11 is executed to perform the test for the next cycle.

[0049] If the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle exceeds the preset load energy, then step S12 is executed to turn off the current relay switch and send a relay overload alarm message. If the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle exceeds the preset load energy, it indicates a relay overload. To prevent damage to the relay switch, the current relay switch needs to be turned off, and a relay overload alarm message needs to be sent so that the user is notified. To save computational load, relay overload judgment is only performed on the relay switches that are turned on in this cycle.

[0050] After closing the current relay switch, proceed to step S13 to turn on the standby relay switch. To ensure the normal operation of the electric auxiliary heating device after closing the current relay switch, the standby relay switch needs to be switched on. The standby relay switch can be selected based on the ranking of accumulated load energy; the standby relay switch with the lowest accumulated load energy among the non-conducting relay switches will be used as the standby relay switch.

[0051] In this embodiment, see Figure 4 After obtaining the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle, step S21 is also executed to determine whether the current relay switch is in the off state in this cycle. Whether the current relay switch is in the on state can be obtained by reading the system's record table.

[0052] If the current relay switch is in the ON state in this cycle, proceed to the next cycle. If it is confirmed that the current relay switch is in the OFF state in this cycle, execute step S22 to determine whether the load energy used in this cycle is greater than zero. Since a relay switch may have executed the disconnect logic in the software, but the hardware has not disconnected, causing the relay switch to remain in a continuously operating state, it is necessary to detect relay switches in the OFF state. If the relay switch is in the hardware OFF state, no load energy will be generated.

[0053] If the load energy used in this cycle is less than or equal to zero, it indicates that the relay switch in the off state is normal. If the load energy used in this cycle is greater than zero, then step S23 is executed, a relay sticking alarm message is sent, and the current relay switch is turned off. When the current relay switch is in the off state in this cycle, the load energy used in this cycle should be equal to zero. If the load energy used in this cycle is greater than zero, it indicates that the disconnection logic has been executed in the software of the current relay switch, but the hardware has not disconnected. Therefore, the relay is determined to be stuck, a relay sticking alarm message is sent, and the current relay switch is turned off to avoid affecting the normal operation of the electric auxiliary heating device.

[0054] As described above, the relay control method of the electric auxiliary heating device of the present invention acquires the corresponding accumulated load energy of each relay switch at a first preset time interval, and selects the number of relay switches with the least accumulated load energy to operate. This allows for automatic switching of the relay switches, enabling them to work alternately and balancing their usage, thereby extending their service life. Furthermore, by accumulating the load energy of each relay switch, it bypasses traditional nonlinear device heating detection, providing real-time response to load changes.

[0055] Air conditioner example:

[0056] The air conditioner in this embodiment includes a controller, which executes a computer program to implement the steps in the relay control method embodiment of the electric auxiliary heating device described above.

[0057] For example, a computer program can be divided into one or more modules, one or more of which are stored in memory and executed by a controller to complete the present invention. One or more modules can be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of performing a specific function, which describe the execution process of the computer program in an air conditioner.

[0058] An air conditioner may include, but is not limited to, a controller and a memory. Those skilled in the art will understand that an air conditioner may include more or fewer components, or a combination of certain components, or different components; for example, an air conditioner may also include input / output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

[0059] For example, the controller can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose controllers, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose controller can be a microcontroller or any conventional controller. The controller is the control center of the air conditioner, connecting all parts of the air conditioner through various interfaces and lines.

[0060] The memory can be used to store computer programs and / or modules. The controller implements various functions of the air conditioner by running or executing the computer programs and / or modules stored in the memory, and by calling the data stored in the memory. For example, the memory may mainly include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system, at least one application program required for a function (e.g., sound receiving function, sound-to-text function, etc.); the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the mobile phone (e.g., audio data, text data, etc.). In addition, the memory may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as hard disk, RAM, plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other volatile solid-state storage device.

[0061] Examples of computer-readable storage media:

[0062] If the modules integrated into the air conditioner in the above embodiments are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the relay control method embodiments of the above-described electric auxiliary heating device can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by the controller, it can implement the steps of the relay control method embodiments of the above-described electric auxiliary heating device. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The storage medium can include: any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code, recording media, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, optical disks, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution media, etc. It should be noted that the content contained in the computer-readable medium can be appropriately added or removed according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, the computer-readable medium does not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0063] It should be noted that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the design concept of the invention is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to the present invention using this concept also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A relay control method for an electric auxiliary heating device, the electric auxiliary heating device comprising at least two relay switches and heating elements of the same number as the relay switches, wherein one relay switch controls the start / stop state of one heating element; characterized in that: The method includes: When the electric auxiliary heating device is working, it obtains the number of relay switches that need to be turned on. If the number of conducting circuits is less than the total number of relay switches in the electric auxiliary heating device, the cumulative load energy of each relay switch is acquired once every first preset time interval. The number of relay switches that have the lowest cumulative load energy will be selected for operation. The step of acquiring the corresponding cumulative load energy of each relay switch at a first preset time interval includes: Obtain the current cycle load energy and historical cumulative load energy of the relay switch, and use the sum of the current cycle load energy and the historical load energy as the cumulative load energy; The load energy used in this cycle is obtained by the following formula: ； in, The average current flowing through the current relay switch within the first preset time period. The contact resistance value of the relay switch; The first preset duration.

2. The relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electric auxiliary heating device also includes a current detection circuit with the same number of relay switches, one of which detects the current flowing through one of the relay switches; The average current of the current relay switch is obtained by the following formula: ； ， , It is the sampling frequency of the current detection circuit. It is the detection current of the kth time.

3. The relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: After obtaining the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle, the process also includes: If the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle is greater than the preset load energy, then the current relay switch is turned off and a relay overload alarm message is sent.

4. The relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device according to claim 3, characterized in that: After closing the current relay switch, the following is also included: Turn on the backup relay switch.

5. The relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: After obtaining the load energy used by the current relay switch in this cycle, the process also includes: It is determined that the current relay switch is in the off state during this cycle; If the load energy used in this cycle is greater than zero, a relay sticking alarm message will be sent and the current relay switch will be turned off.

6. The relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The steps for obtaining the number of relay switches that need to be turned on include: Obtain the operating position of the electric auxiliary heating device; The number of conductions is determined based on the working gear.

7. An air conditioner, comprising a processor and a memory, characterized in that: The memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the processor, implements the steps of the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by the controller, it implements the steps of the relay control method for the electric auxiliary heating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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