A control method and device for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of control method and device for high-temperature disinfection of air conditioning unit with water tank, and relates to air conditioning control technical field, comprising: S1, receives and stores user setting disinfection configuration information through human-computer interaction interface;S2, real-time comparison system clock and disinfection starting time, when meeting trigger condition, all force unit switch to heating operation mode, start high-temperature disinfection process;S3, with electric heating system as second heating source and heat pump system common temperature rise;S4, control unit makes water tank water temperature at target disinfection temperature continues to run;S5, when detecting that water temperature monitoring element is abnormal, immediately stop compressor operation, terminate high-temperature disinfection process, and output fault identification and disinfection failure signal.The application considers temporary disinfection demand and long-term regular disinfection, and cycle mode is automatically recycled, reduce the operation burden of user repeated setting, realize multiple abnormal monitoring and instant protection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air conditioning control technology, and in particular to a control method and device for high-temperature disinfection of air conditioning units with water tanks. Background Technology

[0002] Tri-generation air conditioning units have been widely used in recent years due to their multi-functional integration, energy efficiency, and other advantages. While operating in cooling or heating mode, these units can utilize waste heat from the system or a heat pump to heat domestic water and store the hot water in a built-in water tank for users to use at any time, thus better meeting users' dual needs for comfortable indoor environment control and domestic hot water supply.

[0003] However, as a storage container for domestic hot water, the water inside the tank is kept in a closed state for a long time. In actual use, the water in the tank cannot be completely and frequently replaced, and some water may remain in the tank for several hours or even days. Within the temperature range of 20℃ to 55℃, bacteria, mold, and microorganisms remaining in the water can easily multiply and proliferate. At the same time, minerals such as calcium and magnesium ions in the water will gradually precipitate out under continuous heating, forming scale that adheres to the inner wall of the tank and the surface of the heat exchanger. The long-term accumulation of these problems will not only lead to sensory problems such as odor and turbidity in the domestic hot water, but may also pose a potential threat to human health in severe cases, causing water hygiene and safety hazards such as skin allergies and digestive diseases. Therefore, regularly disinfecting and sterilizing the domestic hot water in the tank at high temperatures is a necessary means to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the water used by users.

[0004] Currently, the disinfection functions of existing tri-generation air conditioning units and related air conditioning units with water tanks mostly adopt a factory-preset fixed-cycle triggering method. Users cannot flexibly customize the weekly disinfection execution date and specific time according to their actual water usage habits, seasonal changes, or special hygiene needs. More importantly, the triggering and execution of the disinfection function are often strictly limited by the current operating conditions of the unit. For example, when the unit is running in cooling mode, the operating parameters of the heat pump system conflict with the high-temperature heating conditions required for disinfection. The controller may skip the current disinfection trigger or forcibly interrupt the disinfection process midway. This design logic of prioritizing operating conditions and then disinfection leads to frequent problems of missed triggers and incomplete execution of the disinfection function in actual use, failing to achieve truly effective periodic disinfection as desired by the user. Furthermore, most existing products use a fixed-duration heat preservation control mode, and the controller does not automatically calculate and match the corresponding heat preservation time based on the actual temperature difference reached in the water tank during the disinfection process. This fixed insulation method makes it easy for disinfection to be incomplete when the disinfection temperature is too low, resulting in bacteria not being completely inactivated and the disinfection effect being greatly reduced; while when the disinfection temperature is too high, the heat loss of the air conditioning unit increases and energy consumption rises, resulting in unnecessary long-term high-temperature insulation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a control method and device for high-temperature disinfection of air conditioning units with water tanks, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank, comprising the following steps: S1. Receive and store the disinfection configuration information set by the user through the human-computer interaction interface. The disinfection configuration information includes at least the disinfection time base, disinfection execution mode, disinfection start time, and target disinfection temperature. S2. Real-time comparison of the system clock with the disinfection start time. When the trigger condition is met, regardless of the current operating condition of the unit, the unit is forcibly switched to the heating operation mode, the high-temperature disinfection process is started, and a status signal indicating that disinfection is in progress is output. S3. During the high-temperature disinfection process, a heat pump system is used as the first-stage heating source to raise the temperature of the water in the tank. When the heat pump system operates alone for a first preset time and the water temperature in the tank still does not reach the target disinfection temperature, an electric heating system is used as the second-stage heating source to raise the temperature together with the heat pump system. When the heat pump system and the electric heating system operate together for a second preset time and the water temperature in the tank still does not reach the target disinfection temperature, the heating process is determined to be abnormal, the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated, and a disinfection failure signal is recorded and output. S4. When the water temperature in the tank reaches the target disinfection temperature, determine the corresponding heat preservation duration based on the target disinfection temperature, control the unit to keep the water temperature in the tank running at the target disinfection temperature until the continuous running time reaches the heat preservation duration, then end the high-temperature disinfection process and cancel the disinfection in progress status signal.

[0007] Preferably, in step S1, the disinfection time base can be set in a single day or a combination of multiple days, and different disinfection dates can be independently configured by associating them with different target disinfection temperatures. The disinfection execution mode includes a one-time execution mode and a periodic execution mode. The one-time execution mode automatically clears the disinfection configuration information after the current disinfection is completed, while the periodic execution mode retains the disinfection configuration information after the current disinfection is completed and repeats the execution on a weekly cycle. The disinfection start time can be customized by the user within the entire time range of the system clock.

[0008] Preferably, in step S2, the forced switch to the heating operation mode has the highest control priority and is not constrained by the current operating status of the unit in cooling mode, heating mode or standby mode.

[0009] Preferably, in step S3, the heat pump system and the electric heating system adopt a tiered upgrade strategy: the electric heating system is only put into operation for joint heating when the heat pump system alone is insufficient, so as to reduce system energy consumption and avoid continuous overload operation of a single heat source.

[0010] Preferably, step S3 further includes an abnormal recovery step: after the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated due to an abnormal heating process or an abnormal water temperature monitoring element, the control unit performs a shutdown protection, and after reaching a preset shutdown interval, automatically recovers to the operating conditions of the unit before the forced switch or the user-preset normal operating mode, the normal operating mode including cooling operation, heating operation or hot water operation; the preset shutdown interval is a fixed duration or a dynamic duration associated with the compressor operating status.

[0011] Preferably, in step S4, the temperature control step, the temperature maintenance duration is dynamically obtained using the following calculation formula: ; Where T represents the heat preservation time, in minutes; The target disinfection temperature is expressed in degrees Celsius; a, b, and c are normal values ​​fitted based on experimental data; and the heat preservation time T is related to the target disinfection temperature. There is a negative correlation.

[0012] Preferably, the process further includes step S5: at any stage of the high-temperature disinfection process, when an abnormality is detected in the water temperature monitoring element, the compressor is immediately stopped, the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated, and a fault identifier and the disinfection failure signal are output. The status information of the heating phase, constant temperature phase, and fault phase in the high-temperature disinfection process is visualized through the human-machine interface. The status information includes a disinfection in progress indicator, a disinfection success indicator, a disinfection failure indicator, and a fault code. The disinfection failure indicator can be cleared through the confirmation operation of the human-machine interface.

[0013] Preferably, in step S3, both the first preset duration and the second preset duration are preset fixed time thresholds, or the second preset duration is less than the first preset duration, so that the electric heating system can intervene in advance when the heat pump system is unable to heat up.

[0014] A control device for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank, comprising the above-mentioned control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank, including: The parameter preset module is used to receive and store the disinfection time base, disinfection execution mode, disinfection start time and target disinfection temperature set by the user; The arbitration module is used to monitor the system clock and compare it with the disinfection start time in real time. When the triggering conditions are met, the original operating instructions of the unit are blocked and the heating operation instructions are forcibly output to start the disinfection process. The graded heating control module is used to activate the heat pump heating unit and the electric auxiliary heating unit sequentially or in combination during the disinfection process, monitor the continuous running time of each heating unit, and trigger process termination when heating timeout occurs. The heat preservation time calculation module has a built-in mapping model between the target temperature and the heat preservation time, which is used to calculate the corresponding heat preservation time based on the current target disinfection temperature; The sensor interlock module is used to collect signals from the water tank temperature monitoring element in real time, and immediately cut off the compressor power supply and terminate the disinfection process when the signal is abnormal; and, The human-computer interaction module is used to present the disinfection process status, disinfection results, and fault information to the user.

[0015] Preferably, the graded heating control module includes a timing subunit and a comparison subunit. The timing subunit is used to accumulate the running time of each heating unit, and the comparison subunit is used to compare the running time with the first preset time and the second preset time, and output a heating level switching command or a process termination command based on the comparison result. The mapping model in the heat preservation time calculation module is a nonlinear function model based on the target disinfection temperature. The output value of this model decreases monotonically as the input temperature value increases.

[0016] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows: (1) This invention takes into account both temporary disinfection needs and long-term regular disinfection through two modes: one-time execution and periodic execution. The periodic mode automatically cycles, reducing the user's burden of repeated settings. Once the triggering conditions are met, the unit will unconditionally switch to the heating mode and shield the current operating status, ensuring that the disinfection task is executed at the predetermined time, eliminating delays caused by human error or operating condition interference, realizing multiple abnormal monitoring and real-time protection, and avoiding long-term overload operation of the equipment. (2) The present invention uses a high-efficiency heat pump system as the first-stage heat source to reduce operating energy consumption, avoid long-term high-power operation of electric heating, prevent overheating of the circuit and scaling of the heating tube, and optimize energy utilization. The second preset time can be less than the first preset time, so that electric heating can intervene in advance when the heating is weak, which avoids energy waste and prevents the total disinfection time from being too long. When the disinfection time reaches the manually set disinfection time, the water in the water tank is disinfected first, without being restricted by the current mode and state, thus meeting customer needs. (3) The present invention maintains the temperature within the effective disinfection range through real-time water temperature feedback, avoids overheating or insufficient temperature, and ensures the effectiveness of disinfection. If an abnormality occurs during the disinfection process, it will automatically return to the normal operation mode without manual intervention and without affecting the daily use of the unit. The system calls the built-in accurate calculation formula to accurately obtain the required disinfection time and fault protection control measures to avoid false high temperature disinfection. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention, but do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method steps of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the custom settings of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the disinfection process of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a fault cascading protection diagram of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] This invention provides, for example Figures 1-4 This paper presents a control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank.

[0020] Example 1: Includes the following steps: S1. The system receives and stores user-defined disinfection configuration information via a human-machine interface (HMI). This configuration information includes at least the disinfection time base, disinfection execution mode, disinfection start time, and target disinfection temperature. The HMI receives various disinfection parameters input by the user and stores the configuration information in the unit controller's non-volatile memory to ensure that the configuration is not lost after a power outage. The HMI can be a touchscreen or a button-type LCD display, providing an intuitive parameter setting interface for users to flexibly configure disinfection plans according to their actual needs. The disinfection time base can be set in single-day or multi-day combinations, and different disinfection dates can be independently configured with different target disinfection temperatures. For example, the "disinfection date" supports any single or multi-day date from Sunday to Saturday, associated with a corresponding target "disinfection temperature," allowing for flexible selection based on user needs.

[0021] The disinfection execution modes include a one-time execution mode and a periodic execution mode. The one-time execution mode automatically clears the disinfection configuration information after each disinfection cycle, meaning the disinfection is only executed once on the set date and will not be repeated on the same date. The periodic execution mode retains the disinfection configuration information after each disinfection cycle and repeats the process weekly, meaning the settings are retained after each cycle and will be executed weekly on the same date. The disinfection start time can be customized within the entire time range of the system clock. The "Disinfection Time" supports customization from 00:00 to 23:59, and the "Disinfection Temperature" can be preset to a target disinfection temperature based on actual needs. These configuration methods are designed to meet the differentiated disinfection needs of different locations, such as the differences between weekends and weekdays in schools, hospitals, and office buildings, while reducing the burden of repetitive settings for users.

[0022] The following list is provided:

[0023] S2. Real-time comparison of the system clock with the disinfection start time. When the trigger condition is met, regardless of the unit's current operating condition, the unit is forcibly switched to heating mode, initiating the high-temperature disinfection process. This heats the water in the tank to the target disinfection temperature to achieve the disinfection effect and outputs a status signal indicating that disinfection is in progress. The system clock is a real-time clock module built into the unit, providing a precise time reference. Its function is to ensure the timely triggering of the disinfection start time. The forced switching function is implemented through the operating condition arbitration logic unit in the controller. This unit is used to block the current operating mode command and directly output the heating mode drive signal after detecting the trigger condition.

[0024] Forced switching to heating mode has the highest control priority and is not constrained by the unit's current operating status (cooling, heating, or standby). This highest priority setting ensures that high-temperature disinfection is executed unconditionally at the predetermined time, preventing delays in the disinfection process due to user error or the unit being in cooling standby mode, thus ensuring the hygiene and safety of the water in the tank. Status signals indicating that disinfection is in progress can be displayed through the human-machine interface using text prompts or flashing icons, and can also be uploaded to a remote monitoring platform via a communication interface. This serves to remind the user that the system is currently in the high-temperature disinfection stage, preventing accidental operation.

[0025] S3. During the high-temperature disinfection process, the heat pump system is prioritized as the first-stage heating source to raise the temperature of the water in the tank. If the heat pump system operates alone for a first preset time but the water temperature in the tank still does not reach the target disinfection temperature, the electric heating system is used as the second-stage heating source to raise the temperature together with the heat pump system. If the heat pump system and the electric heating system operate together for a second preset time but the water temperature in the tank still does not reach the target disinfection temperature, the heating process is deemed abnormal, the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated, and a disinfection failure signal is recorded and output. The heat pump system includes a compressor, a four-way reversing valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, a throttling device, and a water tank heat exchanger. Its function is to transfer heat from the external environment to the water in the tank through refrigerant circulation. It has the advantage of high energy efficiency and can effectively reduce operating energy consumption as the first-stage heating source. The electric heating system includes electric heating elements installed inside the water tank or in the water pipes. Its function is to provide supplementary heat as an auxiliary heat source to compensate for the decrease in the heating rate of the heat pump system in low-temperature environments or when the water temperature is high.

[0026] The heat pump system and the electric heating system employ a tiered upgrade strategy, meaning that the electric heating system is only activated for combined heating when the heat pump system's heating capacity alone is insufficient. This reduces system energy consumption and avoids continuous overload operation of a single heat source. The function of this tiered strategy is to optimize energy utilization efficiency while preventing overheating of the circuits or scaling of the heating element caused by long-term high-power operation of the electric heating system.

[0027] Both the first and second preset durations are fixed time thresholds, or the second preset duration is shorter than the first preset duration, to allow the electric heating system to intervene earlier when the heat pump system is struggling to heat up. This duration setting aims to rationally allocate heating time based on the heating capacity of different units, avoiding exceeding the total disinfection time limit due to excessive waiting or increasing unnecessary energy consumption due to premature intervention. Disinfection failure signals are recorded in the controller's fault log storage area and output through the human-machine interface or communication interface, serving to alert the user to abnormal heating for timely maintenance.

[0028] Abnormal Recovery Procedure: If the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated due to an abnormal heating process or a malfunction in the water temperature monitoring element, the control unit will execute a shutdown protection mechanism. After reaching the preset shutdown interval, it will automatically return to the unit's operating conditions before the forced switch or the user-preset normal operating mode. The normal operating mode includes cooling, heating, or hot water operation. The preset shutdown interval is a fixed duration or a dynamic duration related to the compressor's operating status. If the high-temperature disinfection process is abnormally terminated due to a heating timeout during the high-temperature disinfection process, the disinfection failure information will be recorded and retained, and the "Disinfection Failure" warning message will be displayed on the wired controller interface. The unit will then automatically resume normal operating mode after a 3-minute shutdown protection mechanism, performing the user-preset cooling, heating, or hot water operation without manual intervention and without affecting the unit's daily use.

[0029] Shutdown protection is achieved through a compressor delay protection module in the controller. Its function is to prevent frequent compressor starts and stops under high pressure or overheating conditions, thus preventing compressor lubricant dilution or motor burnout. When the preset shutdown interval is a fixed duration (e.g., 3 or 5 minutes), it provides a standardized cooling recovery cycle. When the preset shutdown interval is a dynamic duration related to the compressor's operating status, it is calculated based on parameters such as the accumulated continuous compressor running time, exhaust temperature, and current ambient temperature. This provides more precise protection, extending the shutdown time after heavy load operation and shortening the shutdown time after light load operation, thus balancing protection effectiveness and ease of use. The function of automatically restoring to the operating conditions before forced switching is achieved through an operating condition memory register in the controller. This register stores the current operating mode and set parameters before forced switching, so that the user's original usage habits can be restored after disinfection is terminated. If the memory is lost or the user has set a normal operating mode, the system will restore to the user's preset mode. This ensures that the unit can still normally serve air conditioning or hot water needs after exiting an abnormal state, avoiding prolonged shutdown affecting normal user operation.

[0030] S4. When the water temperature in the tank reaches the target disinfection temperature, determine the corresponding heat preservation duration based on the target disinfection temperature, and control the unit to keep the water temperature in the tank at the target disinfection temperature until the continuous operation time reaches the heat preservation duration, then end the high-temperature disinfection process and cancel the disinfection in progress status signal. The water temperature in the tank is collected in real time by a water temperature monitoring element such as an NTC thermistor or thermocouple installed inside the tank. The function of this monitoring element is to provide an accurate water temperature feedback signal for the controller to perform closed-loop temperature control. The control unit keeps the water temperature in the tank continuously at the target disinfection temperature, which is achieved through a PID control module or a hysteresis comparison control module in the controller. Its function is to restart heating when the water temperature is lower than the target temperature and to stop heating when the water temperature reaches or exceeds the target temperature, thereby maintaining the water temperature within the effective disinfection temperature range.

[0031] In the constant temperature control process, the heat preservation time is dynamically obtained using the following formula: ; Where T represents the heat preservation time, in minutes; The target disinfection temperature is expressed in degrees Celsius; a, b, and c are normal values ​​fitted based on experimental data; and the heat preservation time T is related to the target disinfection temperature. There is a negative correlation.

[0032] When the target disinfection temperature is high, the sterilization effect is stronger, and the heat preservation time can be appropriately shortened to save energy. When the target disinfection temperature is low, the heat preservation time needs to be extended to ensure the same sterilization effect, thereby achieving a balance between disinfection effect and operating energy consumption. The function of canceling the status signal is to inform the user and the monitoring system that the current disinfection has been completed and the unit is ready to exit the disinfection mode.

[0033] S5. At any stage of the high-temperature disinfection process, if an abnormality is detected in the water temperature monitoring element, the compressor operation will be stopped immediately, the high-temperature disinfection process will be terminated, and a fault mark and disinfection failure signal will be output.

[0034] Abnormalities in the water temperature monitoring element include sensor open circuit, short circuit, resistance drift exceeding limits, or the acquired signal exceeding the effective measurement range. These abnormalities are detected in real-time by the sensor self-test circuit in the controller. The function of immediately stopping the compressor operation prevents the heat pump system from continuously heating due to water temperature feedback failure, avoiding safety hazards such as excessive water temperature rise leading to tank expansion and cracking, pipe bursts, or scalding. The fault identifier contains a specific fault code, stored in the controller's fault record unit. This code facilitates quick fault location by maintenance personnel, such as sensor open circuit or short circuit, improving maintenance efficiency. Disinfection failure signals are displayed along with the fault identifier through the human-machine interface and can be uploaded to the building management system via the communication interface, enabling remote alarm and centralized monitoring.

[0035] The status information of the heating phase, constant temperature phase and fault phase in the high-temperature disinfection process is visualized through the human-machine interface. The status information includes disinfection in progress, disinfection success, disinfection failure and fault code; the disinfection failure can be cleared by the confirmation operation of the human-machine interface.

[0036] The human-machine interface (HMI) is a backlit LCD screen or color touchscreen. Its function is to display the current disinfection progress and system status in real time, graphically or textually, allowing on-site personnel to intuitively grasp the disinfection process. The disinfection in progress indicator can use a dynamic progress bar or flashing indicator light to clearly inform the user that disinfection is currently underway, preventing accidental use of hot water or switching of operating modes. A successful disinfection indicator is displayed with fixed text or a green icon, informing the user that disinfection has been successfully completed and the water quality in the tank meets hygiene standards. A failed disinfection indicator is displayed with red warning text or a flashing symbol, along with a specific fault code, alerting the user that disinfection was unsuccessful and requires intervention. The failed disinfection indicator can be cleared via a confirmation operation on the HMI. This confirmation operation is achieved through physical buttons or a virtual "Confirm / Reset" button on the touchscreen. This prevents accidental clearing of fault information and allows the user to manually reset the indicator after reading and recording the fault information, preventing the fault indicator from occupying the display screen for an extended period and interfering with the viewing of other normal operating information. This clearing operation does not erase the fault log stored internally by the controller, preserving historical fault records for future maintenance.

[0037] Example 2: Based on Example 1, a control device for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank is provided, including a parameter preset module, a trigger arbitration module, a graded heating control module, a heat preservation duration calculation module, a sensor interlock module, and a human-machine interaction module. The parameter preset module is used to receive and store the disinfection time reference, disinfection execution mode, disinfection start time, and target disinfection temperature set by the user. The trigger arbitration module is used to monitor the system clock and compare it with the disinfection start time in real time. When the trigger condition is met, the original operation command of the unit is blocked, and a heating operation command is forcibly output to start the disinfection process. The graded heating control module is used to activate the heat pump heating unit and the electric auxiliary heating unit sequentially or in combination during the disinfection process, and monitor the continuous operation time of each heating unit. When the heating timeout occurs, the process is terminated. The heat preservation duration calculation module has a built-in mapping model between the target temperature and the heat preservation duration, which is used to calculate the corresponding heat preservation duration based on the current target disinfection temperature. The sensor interlock module is used to collect the signal of the water tank water temperature monitoring element in real time. When the signal is abnormal, the power supply to the compressor is immediately cut off and the disinfection process is terminated. The human-machine interaction module is used to present the disinfection process status, disinfection results, and fault information to the user.

[0038] The graded heating control module includes a timing subunit and a comparison subunit. The timing subunit is used to accumulate the running time of each heating unit, and the comparison subunit is used to compare the running time with the first preset time and the second preset time, and output a heating level switching command or a process termination command based on the comparison result. The mapping model in the heat preservation time calculation module is a nonlinear function model based on the target disinfection temperature. The output value of this model decreases monotonically as the input temperature value increases.

[0039] Example 3: Based on Example 1, the complete disinfection process of a tri-generation inverter air conditioning unit under normal operating conditions. Users set parameters via wired controller: high-temperature disinfection is performed every Monday and Thursday, the disinfection time is 02:00 AM, and the target disinfection temperature is 60℃.

[0040] Every Monday and Thursday at 02:00, the system forcibly switches the unit to hot water production mode and initiates disinfection. The unit relies on a heat pump system to heat the water in the tank, and the water temperature reaches 60℃ after running for 1 hour.

[0041] The system substitutes the formula to calculate the heat preservation time: ; After the unit maintains a constant temperature for 35 minutes, the disinfection process ends normally, the status feedback module pushes a disinfection success notification, and the unit returns to its original operating status.

[0042] Example 4: Based on Example 3, the three-generation inverter air conditioning unit, in the case of first-stage temperature rise timeout, uses electric heating to assist in temperature rise. The user sets the target disinfection temperature to 55℃, and the disinfection date and time are the same as in Example 3.

[0043] The system calculates the insulation time: ; After the heat pump system ran continuously for 4 hours, the water temperature in the tank did not reach 55℃, so the system automatically activated electric heating to assist in heating. After 2 hours of electric heating, the water temperature reached the standard and entered an 82-minute constant temperature insulation stage, and finally the disinfection was successful.

[0044] Example 5: Based on Example 4, the three-phase inverter air conditioning unit exits operation when two-stage heating timeout and disinfection anomaly occur. Continuing with the parameters from Example 4, the heat pump failed to reach the target temperature after 4 hours of heating, so electric heating was activated to continue operation. After another 4 hours of cumulative operation, the water temperature still did not reach 55°C. The system determined that the disinfection was abnormal, the wired controller displayed "Disinfection Failure," the disinfection process was terminated, and the failure information was recorded. The unit automatically resumed normal operation 3 minutes after shutdown.

[0045] Example 6: Based on Example 5, sensor fault interlocking during the disinfection process of a tri-generation inverter air conditioning unit. The unit started the disinfection process normally. During the heating phase, the water tank temperature sensor malfunctioned, and the temperature sampling data was abnormal. The whole process fault interlock module immediately shut down the compressor, terminated the disinfection process, and the wired controller displayed "Disinfection Failure" and displayed the fault code, marked the disinfection failure, and pushed the fault prompt to the user.

[0046] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Receive and store the disinfection configuration information set by the user through the human-computer interaction interface. The disinfection configuration information includes at least the disinfection time base, disinfection execution mode, disinfection start time, and target disinfection temperature. S2. Real-time comparison of the system clock with the disinfection start time. When the trigger condition is met, regardless of the current operating condition of the unit, the unit is forcibly switched to the heating operation mode, the high-temperature disinfection process is started, and a status signal indicating that disinfection is in progress is output. S3. During the high-temperature disinfection process, a heat pump system is used as the first-stage heating source to raise the temperature of the water in the tank. When the heat pump system operates alone for a first preset time and the water temperature in the tank still does not reach the target disinfection temperature, an electric heating system is used as the second-stage heating source to raise the temperature together with the heat pump system. When the heat pump system and the electric heating system operate together for a second preset time and the water temperature in the tank still does not reach the target disinfection temperature, the heating process is determined to be abnormal, the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated, and a disinfection failure signal is recorded and output. S4. When the water temperature in the tank reaches the target disinfection temperature, determine the corresponding heat preservation duration based on the target disinfection temperature, control the unit to keep the water temperature in the tank running at the target disinfection temperature until the continuous running time reaches the heat preservation duration, then end the high-temperature disinfection process and cancel the disinfection in progress status signal.

2. The control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the disinfection time base can be set in a single day or a combination of multiple days, and different disinfection dates can be independently configured by associating them with different target disinfection temperatures. The disinfection execution mode includes a one-time execution mode and a periodic execution mode. The one-time execution mode automatically clears the disinfection configuration information after the current disinfection is completed, while the periodic execution mode retains the disinfection configuration information after the current disinfection is completed and repeats the execution on a weekly cycle. The disinfection start time can be customized by the user within the entire time range of the system clock.

3. The control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the forced switch to heating mode has the highest control priority and is not constrained by the current operating status of the unit in cooling mode, heating mode or standby mode.

4. The control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the heat pump system and the electric heating system adopt a tiered upgrade strategy: the electric heating system is only put into operation for joint heating when the heat pump system alone is insufficient, so as to reduce system energy consumption and avoid continuous overload operation of a single heat source.

5. The control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 4, characterized in that, Step S3 further includes an abnormal recovery step: after the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated due to an abnormal heating process or an abnormal water temperature monitoring element, the control unit performs a shutdown protection, and after reaching a preset shutdown interval, automatically restores the unit to the operating conditions before the forced switch or the user-preset normal operating mode. The normal operating mode includes cooling operation, heating operation, or hot water operation. The preset shutdown interval is a fixed duration or a dynamic duration related to the compressor's operating status.

6. The control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the temperature control step, the temperature maintenance time is dynamically obtained using the following calculation formula: ； Where T represents the heat preservation time, in minutes; The target disinfection temperature is expressed in degrees Celsius; a, b, and c are normal values ​​fitted based on experimental data; and the heat preservation time T is related to the target disinfection temperature. There is a negative correlation.

7. The control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes step S5: at any stage of the high-temperature disinfection process, when an abnormality is detected in the water temperature monitoring element, the compressor is immediately stopped, the high-temperature disinfection process is terminated, and a fault identifier and the disinfection failure signal are output. The status information of the heating phase, constant temperature phase, and fault phase in the high-temperature disinfection process is visualized through the human-machine interface. The status information includes a disinfection in progress indicator, a disinfection success indicator, a disinfection failure indicator, and a fault code. The disinfection failure indicator can be cleared through the confirmation operation of the human-machine interface.

8. The control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, both the first preset duration and the second preset duration are preset fixed time thresholds, or the second preset duration is less than the first preset duration, so that the electric heating system can intervene in advance when the heat pump system is unable to heat up.

9. A control device for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank, characterized in that, The control device for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank includes a control method for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank as described in any one of claims 1-8, comprising: The parameter preset module is used to receive and store the disinfection time base, disinfection execution mode, disinfection start time and target disinfection temperature set by the user; The arbitration module is used to monitor the system clock and compare it with the disinfection start time in real time. When the triggering conditions are met, the original operating instructions of the unit are blocked and the heating operation instructions are forcibly output to start the disinfection process. The graded heating control module is used to activate the heat pump heating unit and the electric auxiliary heating unit sequentially or in combination during the disinfection process, monitor the continuous running time of each heating unit, and trigger process termination when heating timeout occurs. The heat preservation time calculation module has a built-in mapping model between the target temperature and the heat preservation time, which is used to calculate the corresponding heat preservation time based on the current target disinfection temperature; The sensor interlock module is used to collect signals from the water tank temperature monitoring element in real time, and immediately cut off the compressor power supply and terminate the disinfection process when the signal is abnormal; and, The human-computer interaction module is used to present the disinfection process status, disinfection results, and fault information to the user.

10. The control device for high-temperature disinfection of an air conditioning unit with a water tank according to claim 9, characterized in that, The graded heating control module includes a timing subunit and a comparison subunit. The timing subunit is used to accumulate the running time of each heating unit, and the comparison subunit is used to compare the running time with a first preset time and a second preset time, and output a heating level switching command or a process termination command based on the comparison result. The mapping model in the heat preservation time calculation module is a nonlinear function model based on the target disinfection temperature. The output value of this model decreases monotonically as the input temperature value increases.

Images