Air source heat pump unit

Abstract

The invention relates to an air source heat pump unit, and belongs to the technical field of air conditioner defrosting, the air source heat pump unit comprises a controller, the controller is configured to enter a priority setting mode after receiving a defrosting signal, in the priority setting mode, whether the unit is set as a priority unit or not is judged, and if not, operation is not carried out; if yes, adding one to the number of the preferential units; continuing to judge whether the next unit is a priority unit, and repeating the steps until all units are judged; performing quantity judgment, judging whether the quantity of the priority units exceeds a preset quantity value or not, and if not, entering a correction mode; if yes, carrying out numbering judgment to update the number of the priority units and entering a correction mode; the correction mode is used for adjusting selection of a priority unit, and the defrosting mode is started after the correction mode; and in the defrosting mode, the preferential unit is defrosted preferentially.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of air conditioning defrosting, and more particularly to an air source heat pump unit. Background Technology

[0002] Air source heat pump units are highly efficient and energy-saving heating devices widely used in building heating systems in cold regions. Their working principle involves absorbing low-temperature heat from outdoor air, raising its temperature through a compressor and heat exchanger, and then releasing that heat into the room to achieve heating. In multi-module systems, multiple outdoor units typically share a common water circuit design, working together to meet large-capacity heating demands. However, in low-temperature and high-humidity environments, the evaporator surface of the unit is prone to frost buildup, leading to decreased heat exchange efficiency and reduced heating capacity. Therefore, regular defrosting operations are necessary to restore the unit's performance.

[0003] Currently, air source heat pump units often employ a sequential defrosting control strategy based on unit number. Specifically, the system checks each unit sequentially in ascending order of its unit number to determine if defrosting is required. If a unit with a lower unit number requires defrosting, it is prioritized for defrosting; units with higher unit numbers must wait for the former to complete defrosting before entering the defrosting process. This approach is logically simple, easy to implement, and to a certain extent, ensures the system's basic defrosting needs.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned strategy of defrosting in order of unit number has significant drawbacks. When units with smaller unit numbers require frequent defrosting due to installation location or environmental factors, units with larger unit numbers may not receive defrosting opportunities for extended periods, leading to severe frost buildup on their evaporators and affecting overall heating performance. Furthermore, this strategy fails to consider the actual operating status of each unit, environmental differences, and users' needs for heating stability, making it impossible to achieve intelligent allocation of defrosting resources. Especially in shared water circuit systems, this can easily cause fluctuations in the overall system heating capacity, affecting indoor comfort and making it difficult to meet high-standard heating demands. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention at least partially solves one of the technical problems in the related art.

[0006] Therefore, this application aims to provide an air source heat pump unit that can prioritize defrosting by setting priority units, and the system can automatically adjust the priority units according to the situation, so that the priority units can perform defrosting work first, thus solving the technical problem that the existing technology cannot achieve intelligent allocation of defrosting resources.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an air source heat pump unit, comprising: Multiple generating units, each with a different number; The controller is configured to: upon receiving a defrost signal, enter a priority setting mode; in the priority setting mode, determine whether the unit is set as a priority unit; if not, no operation is performed; if so, increment the number of priority units by one; continue to determine whether the next unit is a priority unit, and repeat the above steps until all units have been determined. Perform a quantity check to determine if the number of priority units exceeds the preset quantity value. If not, enter correction mode; if so, perform a number check to update the number of priority units and enter correction mode. The correction mode is used to adjust the selection of priority units. After the correction mode is activated, the defrost mode is entered. In defrosting mode, priority is given to defrosting the priority units.

[0008] The technical solution incorporates a priority unit setting mechanism to intelligently schedule the defrosting sequence of air source heat pump units. Priority units can be manually set. Upon receiving a defrosting signal, the controller automatically identifies and counts the number of units marked as priority. If the number is within the limit, the defrosting process begins directly; otherwise, it optimizes and filters by numbering, ensuring that critical units are defrosted first. This method effectively avoids the "long waiting time for large units" problem caused by traditional serial number-based defrosting, and is particularly suitable for outdoor environments with large temperature differences and high humidity, improving the overall heating stability and response efficiency of the system. Furthermore, this control logic requires no additional hardware support, is highly compatible, adaptable to different numbers of connected units and installation environments, and possesses excellent engineering applicability and scalability.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the controller is configured to: calculate the total number of all units before determining whether the number of priority units is less than a preset number value, and call the preset number value according to the number of units, wherein the number of units is directly proportional to the preset number value.

[0010] The technical solution optimizes the number of priority units. Too many priority units negate the purpose of prioritizing defrosting, resulting in priority failure. Therefore, a preset number of priority units is dynamically allocated based on the total number of actually online units, ensuring a direct proportional relationship between the number and the number of units. This allows the system to flexibly adapt to unit combinations of different sizes. For example, fewer priority units are set in small systems to avoid excessive resource concentration; in large systems, the number of priority units is appropriately increased to improve the overall defrosting scheduling capability. This design enhances the system's adaptability, enabling it to maintain an efficient defrosting strategy in different application scenarios, avoiding the scheduling rigidity that might result from a fixed number setting, and improving the system's intelligence and environmental adaptability.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, if the number of units is between 2 and a, the preset quantity value is x; if the number of units is between a and 2a, the preset quantity value is 2x; if the number of units is greater than 2a, the preset quantity value is 3a.

[0012] The technical solution further refines the tiered setting method for preset quantity values. By mapping the range of unit quantity to preset quantities, a tiered management of the priority unit quantity is achieved. This tiered strategy ensures the rationality of the priority unit quantity while avoiding the control complexity caused by excessively frequent adjustments to the priority unit settings when the number of units changes. This design is particularly suitable for modular heat pump systems that expand or reduce capacity at different stages, ensuring the continuity and stability of the defrosting strategy and improving the system's maintainability and ease of operation.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the preset quantity value is 1 / 3 of the total number of units. If the calculation is not an integer, the decimal part is rounded. If the calculation result is less than 1, the preset quantity value is set to 1. If the calculation result is greater than 3, the preset quantity value is set to 3.

[0014] The technical solution provides a method for determining the number of priority units. This method is advantageous because its mathematical logic is clear, its operation is simple, and it is easy to embed the algorithm into the controller. Through proportional control, the system can automatically adjust the number of priority units according to the online scale, thus avoiding the "priority invalidation" problem caused by an excessive number of priority units.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the controller is configured as follows: In the numbering judgment, the number of the current priority unit is obtained and sorted from smallest to largest. The units that are at the top of the sort and have the same number as the preset quantity are marked as priority units; the remaining units are marked as ordinary units.

[0016] In the technical solution, after setting priority units, the number of manually set priority units may exceed the preset number. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude redundant priority units. In this case, the units are sorted by their numbers from smallest to largest, and the units with the highest numbers (i.e., the ones with the smallest numbers) are selected as priority units. The advantage of this method is its simple logic and high execution efficiency, enabling rapid priority determination even with limited control resources. It avoids random selection of priority units, ensuring the fairness and predictability of the scheduling process.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, the controller is configured to, after entering the correction mode, enter a first correction section, in which: Check in turn whether each unit is connected to the water temperature wired controller; If not, end the first revision section; If yes, calculate the number of connected wired controllers; determine if the number is 1. If yes, set the corresponding unit as a priority unit; otherwise, end the first correction section. After completing the first revision section, enter defrost mode.

[0018] In the technical solution, manually designated priority units may not actually be the units that truly require priority defrosting. Therefore, this is revised in the first amendment section. When only one unit is connected to the water temperature controller in the system, it needs to play a core control role and can be understood as the main unit. Therefore, it needs to prioritize defrosting to ensure the normal operation of the entire air source heat pump unit. Without the first amendment section, there might be a situation where the main unit is already frosted over, but has not yet entered defrost mode. Furthermore, if multiple units in the air source heat pump are connected to the water temperature controller, if all of them are designated as priority units, there may be too many priority units, causing them to lose their priority for defrosting. Also, it is possible that user-designated priority units may be excluded by units connected to water temperature controllers, causing user-designated priority units to become ordinary units, thus defeating the purpose of user-designated priority units.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the controller is configured to: in the first amendment section; when a unit connected to a wired controller is set as a priority unit, designate the unit with the highest number among the remaining priority units as a normal unit.

[0020] The technical solution ensures that the number of priority generating units does not exceed a preset value. This ensures the "scarcity value" of priority generating units, thereby guaranteeing their existence.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, an evaporator sensor and a discharge pressure sensor are also included, wherein the evaporator sensor is used to acquire the target evaporation temperature value of each unit; and the discharge pressure sensor is used to acquire the discharge refrigerant pressure value of each unit. The controller is configured to: after entering the correction mode, enter the second correction section, in which: control the evaporator sensor and the discharge pressure sensor to obtain the target evaporation temperature value and the discharge refrigerant pressure value of the unit respectively; Determine whether the target evaporation temperature of the priority unit meets the preset evaporation temperature value and whether the discharged refrigerant pressure value meets the preset refrigerant pressure value; If not, the priority unit will be set as a normal unit, and the next priority unit will be determined. If so, proceed to the next priority unit assessment; After all priority units have been assessed, the second correction section ends, and the system enters defrosting mode.

[0022] In the technical solution, the current operating status of the priority unit is monitored in the second amendment section. If the target evaporation temperature and discharge refrigerant pressure of the priority unit are abnormal, it is automatically downgraded to a normal unit. This avoids false defrosting or defrosting delays caused by data anomalies, and prevents data anomalies from affecting the entire logical judgment. This mechanism improves the system's safety and reliability, ensuring that the selected priority unit can stably perform and complete the defrosting mode, preventing data anomalies in the priority unit from causing the defrosting mode to fail and subsequently affecting the defrosting of other units, thus improving the system's fault tolerance.

[0023] In some embodiments of this application, the controller is configured to enter a third correction section after entering the correction mode. In the third correction section, it is determined whether the number of priority units is less than a preset number value. If not, the third correction section ends and the defrosting mode is entered. If so, the target evaporation temperature and refrigerant pressure of the ordinary unit will be obtained at preset intervals within the preset cycle time. The temperature difference is obtained by subtracting the new target evaporation temperature value from the target evaporation temperature value previously obtained for the same unit. The pressure difference is obtained by subtracting the new discharge refrigerant pressure value from the previous discharge refrigerant pressure value of the same unit. Compare the temperature and pressure differences between the units; Determine whether the temperature difference exceeds the first error value. If so, sort the units into standby units in descending order of temperature difference. If not, then determine whether the pressure difference exceeds the second error value. If so, then sort the units into standby units in descending order of pressure difference. If not, obtain the cooling capacity values ​​of each unit and sort the units as standby units in descending order of cooling capacity values. If the cooling capacity of each unit is the same, the units will be sorted into standby units in ascending order of their numerical numbers. Subtract the number of priority units from the preset number of units to obtain the quantity value N; In the standby units, the top N units in the order are designated as priority units; End of the third revision section, enter defrost mode.

[0024] In this technical solution, if the number of priority units is less than a preset value, it means there are still slots available to add more priority units. In this case, by monitoring the target evaporation temperature and refrigerant pressure changes of each unit within a preset period, units with urgent defrosting needs are identified based on the temperature and pressure differences and elevated to priority. The advantage of this method lies in its forward-looking and adaptive capabilities. It can dynamically adjust priority units based on actual operating data, avoiding the rigidity problems caused by fixed settings. This significantly improves the accuracy and timeliness of defrosting scheduling, enhancing overall system energy efficiency and user comfort.

[0025] In some embodiments of this application, the controller is configured to: after entering correction mode, enter the second correction section after the first correction section ends, and enter the third correction section after the second correction section ends.

[0026] The technical solution ensures that priority units sequentially undergo the first, second, and third correction sections, forming a complete priority unit determination and optimization process. This process encompasses multiple dimensions of judgment logic, including confirmation of the main unit's priority, confirmation of the priority unit's status, and prediction of defrosting trends, constructing a hierarchical and logically rigorous intelligent defrosting control system. By executing each correction step in an orderly manner, the system can make reasonable defrosting decisions under various complex operating conditions, improving the overall performance of the system.

[0027] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the operation of an air source heat pump unit according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the operation of an air source heat pump unit according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of determining the number of the air source heat pump unit according to the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the first revised section of the air source heat pump unit according to the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the second revised section of the air source heat pump unit according to the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the third revised section of the air source heat pump unit according to the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 This is a flowchart of the operation of an air source heat pump unit according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 8This is a flowchart of the operation of an air source heat pump unit according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the operation of an air source heat pump unit according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a flowchart of the operation of an air source heat pump unit according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0029] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention. In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances. In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature. In this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0030] The present invention will now be described in detail through exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that, without further description, elements, structures, and features in one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments. In this application, the air source heat pump unit includes multiple units connected in parallel. Each unit includes a compressor, condenser, fan, throttling device, and other structures. The units are paired with indoor terminal equipment (such as fan coil units, ducted units, ceiling units, etc.). Each structure is connected to the electrical communication line through refrigerant pipelines (including gas pipes and liquid pipes). Among them, the outdoor units are linked to a common electrical cabinet through parallel refrigerant pipelines to ensure coordinated load distribution. The outdoor main unit and the indoor terminal are connected through a branch pipe (or manifold) to distribute the refrigerant. The electrical communication line is responsible for transmitting temperature signals and operating commands, so that the controller can adjust the compressor frequency, fan speed, and throttling device opening of the outdoor unit according to the indoor demand, so as to realize the circulation and heat exchange of refrigerant in the system, and finally complete the heating or cooling of the indoor environment.

[0031] In the following, embodiments of this application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Please refer to all the accompanying drawings. In one illustrative embodiment of the air source heat pump unit of the present invention, the air source heat pump unit includes: multiple units, each of which is numbered differently.

[0033] In some embodiments, the air source heat pump unit further includes a controller for controlling each unit.

[0034] In some embodiments, the unit number can be a factory preset, with each unit having a pre-defined number at the factory. However, it is important to note that the unit numbers within an air source heat pump cannot be the same. The unit numbering rule can be a consecutive integer not less than 0. It can start from 0 or 1. Alternatively, it can be a non-consecutive positive integer.

[0035] In another embodiment, the unit numbering can be set by the user. The user can assign numbers to each unit or change the numbers of units that already have numbers. However, it is worth noting that the numbers in a unit cannot be the same.

[0036] In the two embodiments described above, the unit numbers are fixed. Therefore, upon power-on, the numbers of each controller are automatically obtained. If necessary, a check can be performed to detect if there are duplicate numbers, and an alarm will be triggered if duplicates are found. Specifically, the controller is configured to obtain the unit numbers upon receiving the power-on signal.

[0037] In another embodiment, the system automatically numbers each air source heat pump unit each time it is turned on. Specifically, the controller automatically numbers each unit upon receiving the start-up signal. The rules for automatic numbering can be set based on the physical connection order of the units (such as the wiring order of refrigerant pipes and electrical communication lines), inherent hardware identifiers (such as the MAC address and serial number preset at the factory), or the response priority during initialization (such as assigning a smaller number to the unit that receives the controller detection signal first).

[0038] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: upon receiving a defrost signal, enter a priority setting mode, in which the number of priority units is obtained. It is understood that if no priority unit number is set, the number of priority units is 0.

[0039] Furthermore, if the number of priority units is determined to be 0, the defrosting mode can be entered directly. However, preferably, after determining that the number of priority units is 0, the quantity can be determined sequentially according to the procedure, or the quantity determination can be skipped and the correction mode can be entered directly. The purpose is to automatically select the priority units for defrosting in the correction mode. Compared with the prior art, this allows for the selection of units that urgently need defrosting and the initiation of priority defrosting work based on the situation, ensuring the operational stability of the units.

[0040] Understandably, the defrost signal is issued by the user, which can originate from a button on the remote control, a message sent to the cloud via a mobile phone, or program control, such as a timed start.

[0041] Because priority units require user configuration, in some embodiments, the user can configure the priority units, which can be a separate mode for user-defined priority units. This mode can be set either before or after entering defrost mode. That is, in the controller, the setting mode can be set either before or after receiving the defrost signal.

[0042] In some embodiments, the user can directly input the desired priority units through the controller. Therefore, the specific rule for obtaining the number of priority units can be that after receiving the defrost signal, the controller retrieves the numbers of the priority units set by the user and directly calculates the number of priority units. Alternatively, the controller can directly calculate the number of priority units set by the user without retrieving the priority unit numbers.

[0043] In other embodiments, users can assign priority to individual units. In this case, the controller cannot directly determine whether each unit is designated as a priority unit. Therefore, the specific rule for determining whether a unit is designated as a priority unit can be as follows: If the unit is not designated as a priority unit, no action is taken, and the system continues to determine whether the next unit is a priority unit; if the unit is, the number of priority units is incremented by one; the system continues to determine whether the next unit is a priority unit, and the above steps are repeated until all units have been determined, at which point the priority setting mode ends.

[0044] In the above scheme, the order in which units are determined as priority units can be based on their unit numbers in descending or ascending order. Other rules or random ordering are also possible. However, it is important to note that each unit is determined only once to avoid duplicate checks and errors in the count. Furthermore, during the determination of whether a unit is designated as a priority unit, the unit number can be directly recorded, or it can be obtained in subsequent number determination processes.

[0045] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to, after acquiring the number of priority units, perform a quantity judgment to determine whether the number of priority units exceeds a preset value. If not, it enters a correction mode; if so, it performs a numbering judgment to update the number of priority units and enters the correction mode again. The correction mode is used to adjust the selection of priority units, and after the correction mode, it enters the defrost mode. In the defrost mode, priority units are defrosted first. The controller also determines whether the number of priority units exceeds a limit. If it does not exceed the limit, it directly enters the defrost process; if it exceeds the limit, it optimizes and filters by numbering to ensure that critical units are defrosted first. This method effectively avoids the "long waiting time for large unit numbers" problem caused by traditional defrosting by unit number, and is especially suitable for outdoor environments with large temperature differences and high humidity, improving the overall heating stability and response efficiency of the system. Furthermore, this control logic requires no additional hardware support, has strong compatibility, can adapt to different numbers of connected units and installation environments, and has good engineering applicability and scalability.

[0046] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: calculate the total number of units before determining whether the number of priority units is less than a preset value, and call the preset value based on the number of units, or obtain the preset value based on a preset relationship between the number of units and the preset value. The number of units is directly proportional to the preset value. This optimizes the number of priority units. If there are too many priority units, the purpose of prioritizing defrosting is lost, i.e., priority failure occurs. Therefore, the preset value is dynamically called based on the total number of actually online units, and it is made directly proportional to the number of units, allowing the system to flexibly adapt to different sizes of unit combinations. For example, fewer priority units can be set in small systems to avoid excessive resource concentration; in large systems, the number of priority units can be appropriately increased to improve the overall defrosting scheduling capability of the system. This design enhances the system's adaptability, enabling it to maintain an efficient defrosting strategy in different application scenarios, avoiding the scheduling rigidity problem that may be caused by a fixed number setting, and improving the system's intelligence and environmental adaptability.

[0047] In some embodiments, the preset quantity value is calculated based on the number of units. To improve the running speed of the program, the number of connected units can be calculated when the air source heat pump unit leaves the factory or during the first startup to obtain the total number of units, and the preset quantity value can be called or calculated based on the total number of units. The preset quantity value is then used every time it is retrieved thereafter.

[0048] In some embodiments, to ensure the accurate selection of the preset quantity value, the number of online units is calculated at preset intervals to obtain the total number of units, and the preset quantity value is called or calculated based on the total number of units. For example, the above judgment is performed after every 5 defrost cycles or after every 5 power-on cycles upon receiving a defrost signal.

[0049] Preferably, the air source heat pump unit calculates the number of connected units each time it is started to obtain the total number of units, and calls or calculates a preset quantity value based on the total number of units. Specifically, the controller can be configured to obtain the total number of connected units when performing quantity determination, and call or calculate a preset quantity value based on the total number of units.

[0050] In some embodiments, if the number of units is between 2 and a, the preset quantity value is x; if the number of units is between a and 2a, the preset quantity value is 2x; if the number of units is greater than 2a, the preset quantity value is 3a. The hierarchical setting method of the preset quantity value is further refined. By mapping the unit quantity range to the preset quantity, a tiered management of the priority unit quantity is achieved. This hierarchical strategy ensures the rationality of the priority unit quantity and avoids the control complexity caused by excessively frequent adjustments to the priority unit setting when the number of units changes. This design is particularly suitable for modular heat pump systems that expand or reduce capacity at different stages, ensuring the continuity and stability of the defrosting strategy and improving the maintainability and ease of operation of the system. Here, a is a constant.

[0051] In some embodiments, the preset quantity value is 1 / 3 of the total number of units. If the calculation is not an integer, the decimal part is rounded. If the calculation result is less than 1, the preset quantity value is set to 1; if the calculation result is greater than 3, the preset quantity value is set to 3. A method for obtaining the number of priority units is provided. The advantage of this method is its clear mathematical logic, simple operation, and ease of algorithm embedding in the controller. Through proportional control, the system can automatically adjust the number of priority units according to the online scale, thus avoiding the "priority failure" problem caused by too many priority units.

[0052] It is understandable that the minimum number of preset quantity values ​​is 1.

[0053] In some embodiments, the maximum preset quantity is 3. If the preset quantity exceeds 3, the purpose of setting priority groups is lost. The maximum preset quantity is 3, which is calculated to determine the maximum number of priority groups that can be processed in a group environment. Assuming each priority group requires C units of control resources, and the total resources are Ctotal, then the maximum number of priority groups, Nmax = Ctotal / C. Based on the hardware specifications of a typical controller (such as processor speed and memory size), this value is derived to be 3 to ensure that the system response time remains in the millisecond range and to avoid decision-making delays.

[0054] In some embodiments, when the total number of units is 2 to 8, the preset quantity is 1. This value is based on a balance between system resource optimization and maximizing defrosting efficiency: in small and medium-sized systems, establishing a single priority unit can most effectively concentrate defrosting resources, avoiding increased scheduling complexity and dilution of priority significance caused by multiple "priorities". Through queuing theory model analysis, setting a clear priority core at this scale can enable the system to achieve Pareto optimality between defrosting response time and overall heating stability. The technical effect is that it ensures that key units (such as the main unit connected to the water temperature controller or the unit with the most significant frosting trend) can be responded to in time, maintaining the stability of the core heating capacity of the system; it also avoids logical conflicts and decision delays caused by the dispersion of priorities, simplifies the control logic, and significantly improves the defrosting decision efficiency and operational reliability of small and medium-sized systems.

[0055] In some embodiments, when the total number of units is 8 to 16, the preset number is 2. When the number of connected units increases to a medium-sized system of 8 to 16, the preset number of priority units is correspondingly increased to 2. The core basis for this setting lies in the rebalancing of system complexity and defrosting resource allocation efficiency: the doubling of the number of units makes the heat load distribution and environmental differences more significant, and a single priority unit is no longer sufficient to cover critical defrosting needs. Through calculation using a dynamic partitioning model based on load balancing, the dual-priority unit architecture can logically divide the system into two relatively independent priority management domains, which can not only cope with possible dual-core water circuit structures or differentiated installation environments, but also enable rapid arbitration and switching between the two priorities through the controller. The key technical benefits it brings are a significant improvement in the system's fault tolerance and defrosting coverage. When a priority unit is unable to defrost immediately due to a problem, the system can still ensure that another priority unit can quickly start the defrosting procedure, effectively preventing systemic defrosting delays caused by the failure of a single priority point. At the same time, this setting, through limited priority expansion, enables the system to respond to the two most urgent defrosting needs simultaneously without overly complicating the scheduling. This effectively reduces the overall heating fluctuations caused by uneven frost formation in medium-sized online systems, ensuring the stability and continuity of heating quality.

[0056] In some embodiments, when the total number of units exceeds 16, the maximum number that can be manually set is 3. When the number of online units exceeds 16, constituting a large-scale system, the preset upper limit for the number of priority units is set to 3. The determination of this key threshold stems from the extreme balance between control complexity and decision-making efficiency in large-scale systems: simulation optimization analysis of multi-agent systems revealed that when the number of priority nodes exceeds 3, the controller's decision delay increases exponentially, while the marginal improvement in defrosting efficiency tends to level off. Therefore, 3 was chosen as the preset value.

[0057] In some embodiments, if the number of priority units exceeds a preset number, before or during numbering, units connected to wired controllers can maintain their priority unit settings, while units not connected to wired controllers are set as ordinary units by default.

[0058] Specifically, the controller is configured to, if the number of priority units exceeds a preset value, perform an importance judgment before or during the numbering judgment process. In the importance judgment, it checks whether the number of priority units exceeds the preset value. If so, it checks whether a wired controller is connected to the priority unit. If so, no operation is performed, and the next priority unit is judged. If not, the priority unit is set as a normal unit. The next unit is judged, and this process continues until the number of priority units equals the preset value, or until all priority unit judgments are completed.

[0059] Units connected to wired controllers are of higher importance than those not connected, and their defrosting priority has system-level importance. Therefore, when the number of priority units exceeds a preset value, the importance of units is determined by identifying the water temperature wired controller.

[0060] In the importance judgment, if all priority units have been judged, and units not connected to wired controllers are set as ordinary units, then all remaining priority units are connected to wired controllers. Three scenarios can occur: First, the number of priority units connected to wired controllers is less than a preset number. Second, the number of priority units connected to wired controllers equals the preset number. Third, the number of priority units connected to wired controllers exceeds the preset number. If it's the second scenario, the system directly enters correction mode. If it's the third scenario, it can directly proceed to subsequent numbering judgments to eliminate redundant priority units. However, the existence of the first scenario might result in the customer's selected priority units not being selected, leaving empty slots. Therefore, the controller is configured to, in the importance judgment, check if the number of priority units exceeds the preset number. If so, it checks if any priority unit is connected to a wired controller. If so, no action is taken, and the next priority unit is judged. If not, the priority unit is set as an ordinary unit and recorded as a rejected unit. The process then proceeds to determine the next priority unit, continuing until all priority units have been determined. After each determination, the current number of priority units is re-evaluated to ensure it matches the preset number. If so, the process enters correction mode. If not, it checks if the current number of priority units is less than the preset number. If not, it proceeds to numbering. If so, the unit with the smaller number among the rejected units is reactivated, continuing until the total number of priority units equals the preset number.

[0061] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: in the numbering determination, obtain the numbers of the current priority units and sort them from smallest to largest; designate the units at the top of the sort that have the same number as a preset quantity as priority units; and designate the remaining units as ordinary units. After setting priority units, the number of manually set priority units may exceed the preset quantity. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude redundant priority units. In this case, the units are sorted from smallest to largest by number, and the units at the top of the sort, i.e., those with smaller numbers, are selected as priority units. The advantage of this method is its simple logic and high execution efficiency, enabling rapid priority determination even with limited control resources. It avoids the random selection of priority units, ensuring the fairness and predictability of the scheduling process.

[0062] Furthermore, the priority unit numbers can be sorted using existing sorting methods such as bubble sort, insertion sort, quick sort, merge sort, and heap sort.

[0063] Specifically, the controller is configured to: in the numbering judgment, obtain the number of the current priority unit and sort it from smallest to largest; in the sorting, count each unit in the order from front to back; when the count is equal to a preset quantity value, define the remaining priority units as ordinary units.

[0064] This can be understood as follows: when all priority units are connected to the wired controller or none are connected to the wired controller, the priority unit setting is determined according to the unit number. Units with smaller unit numbers can retain the priority unit setting, while units with larger unit numbers are set to invalid priority units by default and are changed to ordinary units.

[0065] In some embodiments, for example, there are 8 units connected, numbered 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Units 0, 1, and 2 are connected to wired controllers. The maximum number of units that can be manually set as priority units is currently 2, i.e., the preset number is 2. If units 0, 1, 2, 4, and 7 are manually set as priority units, the number of priority units exceeds the preset number. According to the above rules, units 4 and 7, which are not connected to wired controllers, are set as ordinary units. Units 0, 1, and 2 are all connected to wired controllers. However, since unit 2 has the largest number, units 0 and 1 remain as priority units, and unit 2 is set as an ordinary unit. Ultimately, units 0 and 1 are selected as defrosting priority units, while units 2, 4, and 7, although manually set as priority units, are invalid by default.

[0066] Understandably, manually designated priority units may not be the units in the entire air source heat pump system that truly require priority defrosting. Therefore, the controller is configured with a correction mode. In correction mode, priority units are added or existing priority units are changed to ordinary units to ensure that the defrosting mode truly prioritizes the units that urgently need defrosting.

[0067] Therefore, in some embodiments, the controller is configured to, after entering the correction mode, enter the first correction section, in which: it sequentially determines whether each unit is connected to a water temperature wired controller; if not, the first correction section ends; if yes, it calculates the number of wired controllers connected; it determines whether the number is 1; if yes, it sets the corresponding unit as a priority unit and then ends the first correction section; if not, it ends the first correction section; after ending the first correction section, it enters the defrost mode.

[0068] Manually designated priority units may not actually be those requiring priority defrosting; therefore, this is addressed in the first revision section. When only one unit is connected to the water temperature controller in the system, it plays a core control role and can be considered the main unit. Therefore, it needs to prioritize defrosting to ensure the normal operation of the entire air source heat pump unit. Without the first revision section, situations might arise where the main unit is already frosted over, but hasn't yet entered defrost mode. Furthermore, if multiple units in the air source heat pump are connected to the water temperature controller, designating all of them as priority units could lead to an excessive number of priority units, rendering their priority defrosting meaningless. Additionally, user-defined priority units might be excluded by units connected to water temperature controllers, causing them to become ordinary units, thus negating the purpose of user-defined priority settings.

[0069] It is understandable that determining whether each unit is connected to the water temperature controller can be done through hardware electrical signals, system configuration and address identification, or software logic and status flags. The specific methods utilize existing technology and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0070] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: in the first amendment section; when a unit connected to a wired controller is designated as a priority unit, mark the unit with the highest number among the remaining priority units as a normal unit. This ensures that the number of priority units does not exceed a preset value. It also ensures the "scarcity value" of priority units, thereby guaranteeing their existence.

[0071] Specifically, in the first revision section, the number of connected wired controllers is calculated; it is determined whether the number is 1. If so, the corresponding unit is set as a priority unit. The current number and number of priority units are retrieved again, and it is determined whether the number of priority units is greater than a preset value. If so, the priority unit numbers are sorted from smallest to largest, and the units at the top of the sort that have the same number as the preset value are marked as priority units; the remaining units are marked as ordinary units. It is understood that this process is only performed once to ensure that there is no infinite loop error caused by a priority unit with a large number connected to a wired controller being set as an ordinary unit and then set as a priority unit again.

[0072] In another embodiment, in the first amendment section, the number of connected wired controllers is calculated; it is determined whether the number is 1. If so, it is determined whether the current number of priority units is equal to a preset number (because redundant priority units have been removed by numbering, the only possible scenario is that the number of priority units is less than or equal to the preset number). If so, the priority units are sorted from smallest to largest by number, and the unit with the largest number at the end of the sort is set as a normal unit; the unit connected to the wired controller is set as a priority unit. This ensures that the only unit connected to the wired controller can be defrosted first.

[0073] In some embodiments, the air source heat pump unit further includes an evaporator sensor and a discharge pressure sensor. The evaporator sensor is used to acquire the target evaporation temperature value of the evaporator of each unit; the discharge pressure sensor is used to acquire the discharge refrigerant pressure value of the compressor of each unit. It is understood that how the target evaporation temperature value and the discharge refrigerant pressure value are acquired is prior art and will not be described further here.

[0074] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: after entering the correction mode, enter the second correction section, in which: the evaporator sensor and the discharge pressure sensor are controlled to acquire the target evaporation temperature value and the discharge refrigerant pressure value of the unit respectively; determine whether the target evaporation temperature value of the priority unit meets the preset evaporation temperature value and whether the discharge refrigerant pressure value meets the preset refrigerant pressure value; if not, the priority unit is set as a normal unit and the next priority unit is determined; if yes, the next priority unit is determined; after all priority units are determined, the second correction section ends and the defrost mode is entered.

[0075] The second revised section monitors the current operating status of priority units. If the target evaporation temperature or discharge refrigerant pressure of a priority unit is abnormal, it is automatically downgraded to a regular unit. This prevents false defrosting or defrosting delays caused by data anomalies and avoids data anomalies affecting the overall logical judgment. This mechanism improves the system's safety and reliability, ensuring that the selected priority unit can stably perform and complete the defrosting mode, preventing data anomalies in the priority unit from causing the defrosting mode to fail and subsequently affecting the defrosting of other units, thus improving the system's fault tolerance.

[0076] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to, after entering the correction mode, enter the third correction section, in which: it determines whether the number of priority units is less than a preset number value; if not, the third correction section ends and the defrost mode begins; if so, within a preset cycle time, the target evaporation temperature value and the discharge refrigerant pressure value of the ordinary units are acquired at preset intervals; the new target evaporation temperature value is subtracted from the previously acquired target evaporation temperature value of the same unit to obtain a temperature difference value; the new discharge refrigerant pressure value is subtracted from the previously acquired discharge refrigerant pressure value of the same unit to obtain a pressure difference value; the magnitudes of the temperature difference values ​​and pressure differences of each unit are compared; and it is determined whether the temperature difference value exceeds [the specified value]. If the first error value is met, the units are sequentially ordered as standby units according to the temperature difference from largest to smallest. If not, it is determined whether the pressure difference exceeds the second error value. If so, the units are sequentially ordered as standby units according to the pressure difference from largest to smallest. If not, the cooling capacity of each unit is obtained, and the units are sequentially ordered as standby units according to the cooling capacity from largest to smallest. If the cooling capacity of each unit is the same, the units are sequentially ordered as standby units according to the number value from smallest to largest. The number of priority units is subtracted from the preset number of units to obtain the quantity value N. The top N units in the standby units are set as priority units. The third correction section ends, and defrosting mode is entered.

[0077] If the number of priority units is less than the preset number, it means there are still slots available to add more priority units. In this case, by monitoring the target evaporation temperature and refrigerant pressure changes of each unit within a preset period, units with urgent defrosting needs are identified based on temperature and pressure differences and elevated to priority. The advantage of this method lies in its forward-looking and adaptive capabilities. It can dynamically adjust priority units based on actual operating data, avoiding the rigidity problems caused by fixed settings. This significantly improves the accuracy and timeliness of defrosting scheduling, enhancing overall system energy efficiency and user comfort.

[0078] In some embodiments, in the third correction section, if the difference between the cooling capacity values ​​of each unit is within the third error value, then the cooling capacity values ​​of each unit can be considered to be the same.

[0079] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to: after entering correction mode, proceed to the second correction section after the first correction section ends, and then proceed to the third correction section after the second correction section ends. This ensures that priority units sequentially pass through the first, second, and third correction sections, forming a complete priority unit determination and optimization process. This process encompasses multiple dimensions of judgment logic, including confirmation of the host unit's priority, whether the priority unit's status is as described, and defrosting trend prediction, constructing a hierarchical and logically rigorous intelligent defrosting control system. By executing each correction stage in an orderly manner, the system can make reasonable defrosting decisions under various complex operating conditions, improving the overall performance of the system.

[0080] This application introduces a priority unit setting mechanism to achieve intelligent scheduling of the defrosting sequence of each unit in an air source heat pump unit. Priority units can be manually set. Upon receiving a defrosting signal, the controller automatically identifies and counts the number of units marked as priority. If the number is within the limit, the defrosting process begins directly; otherwise, it optimizes and filters by numbering, ensuring that critical units are defrosted first. This method effectively avoids the "long waiting time for large units" problem caused by traditional defrosting by unit number, and is particularly suitable for operating conditions with large outdoor temperature differences and high humidity, improving the overall heating stability and response efficiency of the system. Furthermore, this control logic requires no additional hardware support, has strong compatibility, can adapt to different numbers of connected units and installation environments, and possesses good engineering applicability and scalability.

[0081] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to defrost priority units according to priority order after entering defrost mode.

[0082] In some embodiments, the unit includes a heat exchanger. The air source heat pump unit includes a compressor for supplying refrigerant to the heat exchanger.

[0083] In some embodiments, during defrosting mode, the compressor is controlled to deliver high-temperature refrigerant into the heat exchanger, so that the heat exchanger is used as a condenser to achieve defrosting. It is understood that the defrosting mode employs existing technical solutions, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0084] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air source heat pump unit, characterized in that, It includes: Multiple generating units, each with a different number; The controller is configured to: upon receiving a defrost signal, enter a priority setting mode, and in the priority setting mode, obtain the number of priority units; Quantity check: Determine if the number of priority units exceeds the preset quantity value. If not, enter the correction mode. The correction mode is used to adjust the selection of priority units. If so, then perform a numbering check to update the number of priority units and enter correction mode; After correcting the mode, it will enter defrost mode; In defrosting mode, priority is given to defrosting the priority units.

2. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is configured to: before determining whether the number of priority units is less than a preset number value, calculate the total number of units, and obtain a preset number value based on the number of units and a preset relationship between the number of units and the preset number, wherein the number of units and the preset number value are directly proportional.

3. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the number of units is between 2 and a, the preset quantity value is x; if the number of units is between a and 2a, the preset quantity value is 2x; if the number of units is greater than 2a, the preset quantity value is 3a. Where a is a constant.

4. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset quantity value is 1 / 3 of the total number of units. If the calculation is not an integer, the decimal part is rounded off. If the calculation result is less than 1, the preset quantity value is set to 1. If the calculation result is greater than 3, then the preset quantity value will be set to 3.

5. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is configured to: In the numbering judgment, the number of the current priority unit is obtained and sorted from smallest to largest. The units that are at the top of the sort and have the same number as the preset quantity are marked as priority units; the remaining units are marked as ordinary units.

6. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, The controller is configured to, upon entering correction mode, proceed to the first correction section, in which: Check in turn whether each unit is connected to the water temperature wired controller; If not, end the first revision section; If yes, calculate the number of connected wired controllers; determine if the number is 1. If yes, set the corresponding unit as a priority unit; otherwise, end the first correction section. After completing the first revision section, enter defrost mode.

7. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The controller is configured to, in the first amendment section, when a unit connected to a wired controller is set as a priority unit, designate the unit with the highest number among the remaining priority units as a normal unit.

8. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes an evaporator sensor and a discharge pressure sensor. The evaporator sensor is used to obtain the target evaporation temperature value of the evaporator of each unit; the discharge pressure sensor is used to obtain the discharge refrigerant pressure value of the compressor of each unit. The controller is configured to: after entering the correction mode, enter the second correction section, in which: control the evaporator sensor and the discharge pressure sensor to obtain the target evaporation temperature value and the discharge refrigerant pressure value of the unit respectively; Determine whether the target evaporation temperature of the priority unit meets the preset evaporation temperature value and whether the discharged refrigerant pressure value meets the preset refrigerant pressure value; If not, the priority unit will be set as a normal unit, and the next priority unit will be determined. If so, proceed to the next priority unit assessment; After all priority units have been assessed, the second correction section ends, and the system enters defrosting mode.

9. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 8, characterized in that, The controller is configured to enter the third correction section after entering the correction mode. In the third correction section, it is determined whether the number of priority units is less than a preset number. If not, the third correction section ends and the defrosting mode is entered. If so, the target evaporation temperature and refrigerant pressure of the ordinary unit will be obtained at preset intervals within the preset cycle time. The temperature difference is obtained by subtracting the new target evaporation temperature value from the target evaporation temperature value previously obtained for the same unit. The pressure difference is obtained by subtracting the new discharge refrigerant pressure value from the previous discharge refrigerant pressure value of the same unit. Compare the temperature and pressure differences between the units; Determine whether the temperature difference exceeds the first error value. If so, sort the units into standby units in descending order of temperature difference. If not, then determine whether the pressure difference exceeds the second error value. If so, then sort the units into standby units in descending order of pressure difference. If not, obtain the cooling capacity values ​​of each unit and sort the units as standby units in descending order of cooling capacity values. If the cooling capacity of each unit is the same, the units will be sorted into standby units in ascending order of their numerical numbers. Subtract the number of priority units from the preset number of units to obtain the quantity value N; In the standby units, the top N units in the order are designated as priority units; End of the third revision section, enter defrost mode.

10. The air source heat pump unit according to claim 9, characterized in that, The controller is configured to: after entering correction mode, enter the second correction section after the first correction section ends, and enter the third correction section after the second correction section ends.

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