Air conditioner

Abstract

The application relates to the air conditioner technical field and discloses an air conditioner, which comprises a first liquid storage device, a refrigerant pipeline arranged between an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, the first liquid storage device is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger through a first pipe section and connected to the indoor heat exchanger through a second pipe section, a first valve device arranged in the first pipe section and capable of working in a throttling state or a non-throttling state, and a second valve device arranged in the second pipe section and capable of working in a throttling state or a non-throttling state. The application can match the appropriate refrigerant circulation amount under different loads and different modes, thereby avoiding the negative influence of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation, and being beneficial to improving the dynamic response performance, actual temperature control capacity and overall energy efficiency level of the air conditioner in the full load range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of air conditioning technology, for example, to an air conditioner. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, air conditioners are commonly used in various cooling and heating applications. The actual refrigerant requirements of air conditioners vary significantly depending on their operating conditions. To regulate the refrigerant circulation under different operating conditions, a proposed air conditioner includes a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a throttling device. A liquid storage device is installed on the side of the pipe with the throttling device but without the compressor, between the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers. The liquid storage device is installed inverted. The indoor heat exchanger extends into the liquid storage device from its lower part through a first pipe, and the outdoor heat exchanger extends into the liquid storage device from its lower part through a second pipe. The height of the free end of the first pipe extending into the liquid storage device is lower than the height of the free end of the second pipe extending into the liquid storage device.

[0003] In the process of implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, at least the following problems were found in the related art:

[0004] Related technologies can store excess refrigerant in the system during heating operation to reduce the amount of refrigerant circulating in the system. However, the refrigerant circulation requirements of air conditioners vary dynamically under different load conditions. For example, under high-load heating conditions, the system requires more refrigerant for heat exchange, and the related technologies' predetermined liquid storage operation may actually inhibit the refrigerant circulation, leading to a decrease in heating capacity. Conversely, under low-load cooling conditions, the system requires less refrigerant, and the related technologies' predetermined liquid discharge operation may cause excessive refrigerant circulation, resulting in reduced energy efficiency. Therefore, these technologies, which only set refrigerant storage or discharge based on the operating mode, lack adaptability to different operating loads and struggle to achieve precise adjustment of the system's refrigerant circulation, thus limiting the air conditioner's operational responsiveness, temperature control capabilities, and energy efficiency.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0006] To provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed embodiments, a brief summary is given below. This summary is not intended as a general commentary, nor is it intended to identify key / important components or describe the scope of protection of these embodiments, but rather as a prelude to the detailed description that follows.

[0007] This disclosure provides an air conditioner that can match the appropriate refrigerant circulation volume under different loads and modes, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation. This is beneficial to improving the dynamic response performance, actual temperature control capability, and overall energy efficiency of the air conditioner across the entire load range.

[0008] In some embodiments, the air conditioner includes: a first liquid storage device, a refrigerant pipeline disposed between an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger, the first liquid storage device being connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via a first pipe section and to the indoor heat exchanger via a second pipe section; a first valve device disposed in the first pipe section, capable of operating in a throttling state or a non-throttling state; and a second valve device disposed in the second pipe section, capable of operating in a throttling state or a non-throttling state.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first liquid storage device includes a first inner cavity for storing refrigerant; a first pipe segment extends into the first inner cavity for a first length of H1, a second pipe segment extends into the first inner cavity for a second length of H2, a first heat exchange area of ​​the outdoor heat exchanger is S1, a second heat exchange area of ​​the indoor heat exchanger is S2, and when S1≥S2, H1≥H2; or, when S1≤S2, H1≤H2.

[0010] In some embodiments, when S1≥S2, the larger the difference between S1 and S2, the smaller H2 is.

[0011] In some embodiments, when S1≤S2, the larger the difference between S2 and S1, the smaller H1 is.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first liquid storage device includes a first inner cavity for storing refrigerant; the air conditioner further includes a first heating device disposed within the first inner cavity.

[0013] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes: a third pipe section, wherein the first liquid storage device is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via the third pipe section and the first pipe section respectively; a fourth pipe section, wherein the first liquid storage device is connected to the indoor heat exchanger via the fourth pipe section and the second pipe section respectively; a third valve device, disposed in the third pipe section, which can operate in a throttling state or a non-throttling state; and a fourth valve device, disposed in the fourth pipe section, which can operate in a throttling state or a non-throttling state.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first liquid storage device includes a first inner cavity for storing refrigerant; a first pipe segment extends into the first inner cavity for a first length of H1, a second pipe segment extends into the first inner cavity for a second length of H2, a third pipe segment extends into the first inner cavity for a third length of H3, and a fourth pipe segment extends into the first inner cavity for a fourth length of H4, wherein H3 ≤ H4 when H1 ≥ H2; or, H3 ≥ H4 when H1 ≤ H2.

[0015] In some embodiments, the air conditioner further includes: a second liquid storage device, a refrigerant pipeline arranged parallel to the first liquid storage device between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, the second liquid storage device being connected to the outdoor heat exchanger via a fifth pipe section and to the indoor heat exchanger via a sixth pipe section; a fifth valve device, disposed in the fifth pipe section, capable of operating in a throttling state or a non-throttling state; and a sixth valve device, disposed in the sixth pipe section, capable of operating in a throttling state or a non-throttling state.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first liquid storage device includes a first inner cavity for storing refrigerant, and the second liquid storage device includes a second inner cavity for storing refrigerant; the first length of the first pipe segment extending into the first inner cavity is H1, the second length of the second pipe segment extending into the first inner cavity is H2, the fifth length of the fifth pipe segment extending into the second inner cavity is H5, and the sixth length of the sixth pipe segment extending into the second inner cavity is H6, wherein when H1≥H2, H5≤H6; or, when H1≤H2, H5≥H6.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second liquid storage device includes a second inner cavity for storing refrigerant; the air conditioner further includes a second heating device disposed within the second inner cavity.

[0018] The air conditioner provided in this disclosure can achieve the following technical effects:

[0019] In this embodiment, a first liquid storage device is installed in the refrigerant pipeline between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger, with a first pipe section and a second pipe section connected to its two ends, and a first valve device and a second valve device respectively configured at each end. The air conditioner can reasonably control the working state of the first valve device and the second valve device according to the operating mode and load conditions, thereby flexibly adjusting the first liquid storage device to adapt to different operating conditions by storing or discharging refrigerant, thus achieving precise adjustment of the refrigerant circulation volume in the system. Therefore, this embodiment allows the air conditioner to match an appropriate refrigerant circulation volume under different loads and modes, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation, and improving the dynamic response performance, actual temperature control capability, and overall energy efficiency of the air conditioner across the entire load range.

[0020] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0021] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements. The drawings are not to be scaled. And wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a control method for an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another control method for an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of another control method for an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a control device for an air conditioner provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure label:

[0034] 100: Refrigerant circulation loop; 101: First pipe section; 102: Second pipe section; 103: Third pipe section; 104: Fourth pipe section; 105: Fifth pipe section; 106: Sixth pipe section; 10: Compressor; 20: Four-way valve; 30: Outdoor heat exchanger; 40: Indoor heat exchanger; 51: First liquid storage device; 511: First inner cavity; 52: Second liquid storage device; 521: Second inner cavity; 61: First valve device; 62: Second valve device; 63: Third valve device; 64: Fourth valve device; 65: Fifth valve device; 66: Sixth valve device; 71: First heating device; 72: Second heating device; 80: Control device for air conditioner; 81: Processor; 82: Memory; 83: Communication interface; 84: Bus. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To provide a more detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, the implementation of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may still be implemented without these details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices may be simplified in their depiction to simplify the drawings.

[0036] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0037] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0038] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0039] The term "correspondence" can refer to an association or binding relationship. The correspondence between A and B means that there is an association or binding relationship between A and B.

[0040] Currently, air conditioners are commonly used in various cooling and heating applications. The actual refrigerant requirements of air conditioners vary significantly depending on their operating conditions. To regulate the refrigerant circulation under different operating conditions, a proposed air conditioner includes a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a throttling device. A liquid storage device is installed on the side of the pipe with the throttling device but without the compressor, between the indoor and outdoor heat exchangers. The liquid storage device is installed inverted. The indoor heat exchanger extends into the liquid storage device from its lower part through a first pipe, and the outdoor heat exchanger extends into the liquid storage device from its lower part through a second pipe. The height of the free end of the first pipe extending into the liquid storage device is lower than the height of the free end of the second pipe extending into the liquid storage device.

[0041] Related technologies can store excess refrigerant in the system during heating operation to reduce the amount of refrigerant circulating in the system. However, the refrigerant circulation requirements of air conditioners vary dynamically under different load conditions. For example, under high-load heating conditions, the system requires more refrigerant for heat exchange, and the related technologies' predetermined liquid storage operation may actually inhibit the refrigerant circulation, leading to a decrease in heating capacity. Conversely, under low-load cooling conditions, the system requires less refrigerant, and the related technologies' predetermined liquid discharge operation may cause excessive refrigerant circulation, resulting in reduced energy efficiency. Therefore, these technologies, which only set refrigerant storage or discharge based on the operating mode, lack adaptability to different operating loads and struggle to achieve precise adjustment of the system's refrigerant circulation, thus limiting the air conditioner's operational responsiveness, temperature control capabilities, and energy efficiency.

[0042] Combination Figure 1 As shown in the illustration, this disclosure provides an air conditioner, including: a first liquid storage device 51, a first valve device 61, and a second valve device 62. The first liquid storage device 51 is disposed in the refrigerant pipeline between the outdoor heat exchanger 30 and the indoor heat exchanger 40. The first liquid storage device 51 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 30 via a first pipe section 101 and to the indoor heat exchanger 40 via a second pipe section 102. The first valve device 61 is disposed in the first pipe section 101 and can operate in a throttling state or a non-throttling state. The second valve device 62 is disposed in the second pipe section 102 and can operate in a throttling state or a non-throttling state.

[0043] The air conditioner provided in this embodiment features a first liquid storage device 51 installed in the refrigerant pipeline between the outdoor heat exchanger 30 and the indoor heat exchanger 40. A first pipe section 101 and a second pipe section 102 are connected to the first liquid storage device 51 at both ends, and a first valve device 61 and a second valve device 62 are respectively configured thereon. The air conditioner can rationally control the operating states of the first valve device 61 and the second valve device 62 according to the operating mode and load conditions, thereby flexibly adjusting the first liquid storage device 51 to adapt to different operating conditions by storing or discharging refrigerant, thus achieving precise adjustment of the system's refrigerant circulation volume. Therefore, this embodiment allows the air conditioner to match appropriate refrigerant circulation volumes under different loads and modes, thereby avoiding negative impacts on system operation caused by insufficient or excessive refrigerant, and improving the dynamic response performance, actual temperature control capability, and overall energy efficiency of the air conditioner across the entire load range.

[0044] It is understandable that non-throttling states include fully open or closed states, while throttling states include micro-throttling or normal throttling states. When the valve is fully open, its corresponding pipe section is open to the maximum extent, and there is no throttling or pressure reduction effect on the refrigerant. When the valve is closed, its corresponding pipe section is blocked, and the refrigerant cannot pass through. When the valve is in a micro-throttling state, its corresponding pipe section is open to a first intermediate opening slightly smaller than the maximum opening, resulting in a weak throttling and pressure reduction effect on the refrigerant. When the valve is in a normal throttling state, its corresponding pipe section is open to a second intermediate opening much smaller than the maximum opening, resulting in a significant throttling and pressure reduction effect on the refrigerant. The second intermediate opening is smaller than the first intermediate opening.

[0045] Optionally, the first valve device 61 is an electronic expansion valve.

[0046] Optionally, the second valve device 62 is an electronic expansion valve.

[0047] In this way, by adjusting the opening of the electronic expansion valve, the first valve device 61 and the second valve device 62 can be controlled to work in a throttling state or a non-throttling state, respectively, thereby flexibly adjusting the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the first liquid storage device 51, and thus achieving precise adjustment of the refrigerant circulation volume of the system.

[0048] Optionally, the first liquid storage device 51 is an inverted liquid storage tank. In this way, the first pipe section 101 and the second pipe section 102 can extend into the first inner cavity 511 of the liquid storage tank from the bottom, and by reasonably configuring their respective extension lengths, the adaptability of the system refrigerant regulation can be improved.

[0049] Optionally, the air conditioner also includes a compressor 10 and a four-way valve 20. The compressor 10, the four-way valve 20, the outdoor heat exchanger 30, the first valve device 61, the first liquid receiver 51, the second valve device 62, and the indoor heat exchanger 40 are connected in sequence through refrigerant pipelines to form a refrigerant circulation loop 100.

[0050] Thus, the present embodiment can construct a refrigerant circulation loop 100, switch the refrigerant flow direction through the four-way valve 20, and precisely adjust the refrigerant circulation volume through the first liquid storage device 51, thereby enabling the air conditioner to operate stably in cooling / heating mode, so as to better guarantee the user's actual cooling and heating needs.

[0051] Optionally, combined Figures 2 to 3 As shown, the first liquid storage device 51 includes a first inner cavity 511 for storing refrigerant. A first pipe section 101 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a first length of H1, a second pipe section 102 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a second length of H2, the first heat exchange area of ​​the outdoor heat exchanger 30 is S1, and the second heat exchange area of ​​the indoor heat exchanger 40 is S2. When S1≥S2, H1≥H2; or, when S1≤S2, H1≤H2.

[0052] Thus, both the first pipe section 101 and the second pipe section 102 extend into the first inner cavity 511 of the first liquid storage device 51, and are respectively configured with different extension lengths H1 and H2, matching the heat exchange areas S1 and S2 of the outdoor heat exchanger 30 and the indoor heat exchanger 40. Specifically, when S1≥S2, the heat exchange area of ​​the outdoor heat exchanger 30 is relatively larger. At this time, the amount of refrigerant circulation required by the air conditioner in cooling mode is often greater than that required in heating mode. By configuring H1≥H2, the first liquid storage device 51 can focus on ensuring the effect of refrigerant discharge through the second pipe section 102, which helps the first liquid storage device 51 release more refrigerant to participate in the system circulation under high cooling load conditions.

[0053] When S1≤S2, the heat exchange area of ​​the indoor heat exchanger 40 is relatively larger. In this case, the amount of refrigerant required for the air conditioner in heating mode is often greater than that in cooling mode. By configuring H1≤H2, the first liquid storage device 51 can prioritize the discharge of refrigerant through the first pipe section 101, helping it release more refrigerant to participate in the system circulation under high heating load conditions. Therefore, considering the asymmetry of indoor and outdoor heat exchange areas in different air conditioner models, this embodiment can reasonably configure the discharge tendency of the first liquid storage device 51, which is beneficial to improving the adaptability of the system's refrigerant regulation and further enhancing the actual temperature control capability of the air conditioner.

[0054] It should be noted that the heat exchange area of ​​a heat exchanger refers to the effective contact surface area between the refrigerant and the air (or other heat exchange medium) in the heat exchanger. It usually includes the total effective area of ​​the fins, the inner wall of the heat exchange tube, the outer wall of the heat exchange tube, etc. during the heat transfer process.

[0055] Optionally, when (S1-S2) / S2≥a0>0, H1>H2>0; or, when (S2-S1) / S1≥b0>0, H2>H1>0.

[0056] Thus, when (S1-S2) / S2≥a0>0, it indicates that the first heat exchange area S1 of the outdoor heat exchanger 30 is significantly larger than the second heat exchange area S2 of the indoor heat exchanger 40. At this time, the air conditioner mainly utilizes its cooling capacity, and the amount of refrigerant circulation required in cooling mode is far greater than that required in heating mode. By configuring H1>H2>0, this embodiment of the present disclosure allows the first liquid storage device 51 to more readily discharge refrigerant via the second pipe section 102, which helps the first liquid storage device 51 release more refrigerant to participate in system circulation under high-load cooling conditions, thereby further improving the cooling effect of the air conditioner.

[0057] When (S2-S1) / S1≥b0>0, it indicates that the second heat exchange area S2 of the indoor heat exchanger 40 is significantly larger than the first heat exchange area S1 of the outdoor heat exchanger 30. In this case, the air conditioner mainly utilizes its heating capacity, and the amount of refrigerant circulation required in heating mode is much greater than that required in cooling mode. By configuring H2>H1>0, the embodiments of this disclosure can make the first liquid storage device 51 more inclined to discharge refrigerant through the first pipe section 101, which helps the first liquid storage device 51 release more refrigerant to participate in the system circulation under high heating load conditions, thereby further improving the heating effect of the air conditioner.

[0058] Optionally, when S1≥S2, the larger the difference between S1 and S2, the smaller H2 is.

[0059] In this way, when the gap between S1 and S2 widens significantly (for example, a large outdoor unit paired with a small indoor unit), by significantly reducing H2 through design, the refrigerant in the first inner cavity 511 can be discharged earlier through the second pipe section 102, effectively accelerating the liquid discharge response of the first liquid storage device 51 in cooling mode, avoiding refrigerant accumulation due to excessive extension of the second pipe section 102, which is beneficial to improving the refrigerant matching efficiency of the air conditioner under high cooling load conditions, thereby improving the actual cooling effect of the air conditioner.

[0060] Optionally, when a1>(S1-S2) / S2≥a0, the second length H2 is h. 21 Alternatively, when (S1-S2) / S2≥a1, the second length H2 is h. 22 Where a1 > a0, h 21 >h 22 .

[0061] In this way, the embodiments of this disclosure can further refine the range of heat exchange area difference (S1-S2) / S2, and configure the second length H2 of the second pipe section 102 extending into the first inner cavity 511 according to this gradient, so as to realize the adaptive matching of the first liquid storage device 51 to different heat exchange area configuration models, thereby improving the rationality of refrigerant distribution and flow efficiency.

[0062] Optionally, the values ​​of a0 and a1 range from 0 to 200%. In some embodiments, a0 = 20% and a1 = 40%. In other embodiments, a0 = 30% and a1 = 60%.

[0063] Optionally, h 21 and h 22 The value of h ranges from 0% to 50% of the total height of the first liquid storage device 51. In some embodiments, h 21 The height of the first liquid storage device 51 is 10% of the total height, h 22 It is 5% of the total height of the first liquid storage device 51. In other embodiments, h 21The height of the first liquid storage device 51 is 20% of the total height, h 22 It is 10% of the total height of the first liquid storage device 51.

[0064] Optionally, when S1≤S2, the larger the difference between S2 and S1, the smaller H1 is.

[0065] In this way, when the gap between S2 and S1 widens significantly (for example, a large indoor unit paired with a small outdoor unit), by significantly reducing H1 through design, the refrigerant in the first inner cavity 511 can be discharged earlier through the first pipe section 101, effectively accelerating the liquid discharge response of the first liquid storage device 51 in heating mode, avoiding refrigerant accumulation due to the first pipe section 101 extending too far, which is conducive to improving the refrigerant matching efficiency of the air conditioner under high heating load conditions, thereby improving the actual heating effect of the air conditioner.

[0066] Optionally, when b1>(S2-S1) / S1≥b0, the first length H1 is h. 11 Alternatively, when (S2-S1) / S1≥b1, the first length H1 is h. 12 Where b1 > b0, h 11 >h 12 .

[0067] Thus, the embodiments of this disclosure can further refine the range of heat exchange area difference (S2-S1) / S1, and configure the first length H1 of the first pipe section 101 extending into the first inner cavity 511 according to this gradient, so as to realize the adaptive matching of the first liquid storage device 51 to different heat exchange area configuration models, thereby improving the rationality of refrigerant distribution and flow efficiency.

[0068] Optionally, the values ​​of b0 and b1 range from 0 to 200%. In some embodiments, b0 = 20% and b1 = 40%. In other embodiments, b0 = 30% and b1 = 60%.

[0069] Optionally, h 11 and h 12 The value of h ranges from 0% to 50% of the total height of the first liquid storage device 51. In some embodiments, h 11 The height of the first liquid storage device 51 is 10% of the total height, h 12 It is 5% of the total height of the first liquid storage device 51. In other embodiments, h 11 The height of the first liquid storage device 51 is 20% of the total height, h 12 It is 10% of the total height of the first liquid storage device 51.

[0070] Optionally, combined Figure 4 As shown, the first liquid storage device 51 includes a first inner cavity 511 for storing refrigerant. The air conditioner also includes a first heating device 71 disposed within the first inner cavity 511.

[0071] Thus, by installing a first heating device 71 inside the first inner cavity 511 of the first liquid storage device 51, the refrigerant in the first inner cavity 511 can be heated during low-temperature start-up or defrosting scenarios, which helps to increase the enthalpy of the refrigerant and thus improve the system's low-temperature heating capacity. It can also assist in defrosting the heat exchanger, enabling defrosting without shutting down the system.

[0072] Optionally, the first heating device 71 is an electric heating wire. In this way, the refrigerant in the first inner cavity 511 of the first liquid storage device 51 can be rapidly heated by activating the electric heating wire, thereby improving the operational stability of the air conditioner in low-temperature start-up or defrosting scenarios.

[0073] Optionally, combined Figure 5 As shown, the air conditioner also includes: a third pipe section 103, a fourth pipe section 104, a third valve device 63, and a fourth valve device 64. The first liquid storage device 51 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 30 via the third pipe section 103 and the first pipe section 101. The first liquid storage device 51 is connected to the indoor heat exchanger 40 via the fourth pipe section 104 and the second pipe section 102. The third valve device 63 is located in the third pipe section 103 and can operate in a throttling or non-throttling state. The fourth valve device 64 is located in the fourth pipe section 104 and can operate in a throttling or non-throttling state.

[0074] Thus, by adding a third pipe section 103 and a fourth pipe section 104 to both ends of the first liquid storage device 51, and independently configuring a third valve device 63 and a fourth valve device 64, this embodiment of the present disclosure can construct a parallel structure with dual storage and discharge paths. On the one hand, it can improve the redundancy of the refrigerant storage and discharge paths and enhance the safety of system operation. On the other hand, it can flexibly switch to a suitable refrigerant storage and discharge path under a specific valve control strategy to adapt to the refrigerant demand under different operating modes and load conditions, thereby improving the stability and adaptability of refrigerant management.

[0075] Optionally, the third valve device 63 is an electronic expansion valve.

[0076] Optionally, the fourth valve device 64 is an electronic expansion valve.

[0077] In this way, by adjusting the opening of the above-mentioned electronic expansion valve, the third valve device 63 and the fourth valve device 64 can be controlled to work in a throttling state or a non-throttling state, respectively, thereby flexibly adjusting the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the first liquid storage device 51, and thus achieving precise adjustment of the refrigerant circulation volume of the system.

[0078] Optionally, the first liquid storage device 51 is an inverted liquid storage tank. In this way, the first pipe section 101, the second pipe section 102, the third pipe section 103, and the fourth pipe section 104 can extend into the first inner cavity 511 of the liquid storage tank from the bottom, and by reasonably configuring their respective extension lengths, the adaptability of the system refrigerant regulation can be improved.

[0079] Optionally, the first liquid storage device 51 includes a first inner cavity 511 for storing refrigerant. A first pipe segment 101 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a first length of H1, a second pipe segment 102 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a second length of H2, a third pipe segment 103 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a third length of H3, and a fourth pipe segment 104 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a fourth length of H4. When H1≥H2, H3≤H4; or, when H1≤H2, H3≥H4.

[0080] In this way, the lengths H3 and H4 of the third pipe segment 103 and the fourth pipe segment 104 extending into the first inner cavity 511 are in a reverse correspondence with the lengths H1 and H2 of the first pipe segment 101 and the second pipe segment 102 extending into the first inner cavity 511. This allows the two refrigerant storage and discharge paths to form a complementary structure under different operating conditions, and can simultaneously enhance the refrigerant storage and discharge effects under different refrigerant flow directions, so as to adapt to the refrigerant demand under different operating modes and load conditions, thereby ensuring that the system refrigerant can be more rationally allocated.

[0081] Alternatively, H4 = H1, H3 = H2.

[0082] Optionally, combined Figure 6 As shown, the air conditioner also includes: a second liquid receiver 52, a fifth valve device 65, and a sixth valve device 66. The second liquid receiver 52 is arranged parallel to the first liquid receiver 51 in the refrigerant pipeline between the outdoor heat exchanger 30 and the indoor heat exchanger 40. The second liquid receiver 52 is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger 30 via a fifth pipe section 105 and to the indoor heat exchanger 40 via a sixth pipe section 106. The fifth valve device 65 is located in the fifth pipe section 105 and can operate in either a throttling or non-throttling state. The sixth valve device 66 is located in the sixth pipe section 106 and can operate in either a throttling or non-throttling state.

[0083] Thus, by connecting the first liquid storage device 51 and the second liquid storage device 52 in parallel in the main refrigerant path, and configuring corresponding storage and discharge pipe sections and valve devices respectively, this embodiment of the present disclosure can construct a parallel structure of dual liquid storage devices. On the one hand, it can improve the redundancy of the refrigerant storage and discharge path and enhance the system's operational safety. On the other hand, it can flexibly switch to a suitable refrigerant storage and discharge path under specific valve control strategies to adapt to the refrigerant demand under different operating modes and load conditions, thereby improving the stability and adaptability of refrigerant management.

[0084] Optionally, the fifth valve device 65 is an electronic expansion valve.

[0085] Optionally, the sixth valve device 66 is an electronic expansion valve.

[0086] In this way, by adjusting the opening of the above-mentioned electronic expansion valve, the fifth valve device 65 and the sixth valve device 66 can be controlled to work in a throttling state or a non-throttling state, respectively, thereby flexibly adjusting the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the second liquid storage device 52, and thus achieving precise adjustment of the refrigerant circulation volume of the system.

[0087] Optionally, the second liquid storage device 52 is an inverted liquid storage tank. In this way, the fifth pipe section 105 and the sixth pipe section 106 can extend into the second inner cavity 521 from the bottom of the liquid storage tank, and by reasonably configuring their respective extension lengths, the adaptability of the system refrigerant regulation can be improved.

[0088] Optionally, the first liquid storage device 51 includes a first inner cavity 511 for storing refrigerant, and the second liquid storage device 52 includes a second inner cavity 521 for storing refrigerant. A first pipe segment 101 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a first length H1, a second pipe segment 102 extends into the first inner cavity 511 for a second length H2, a fifth pipe segment 105 extends into the second inner cavity 521 for a fifth length H5, and a sixth pipe segment 106 extends into the second inner cavity 521 for a sixth length H6. When H1 ≥ H2, H5 ≤ H6; or, when H1 ≤ H2, H5 ≥ H6.

[0089] In this embodiment, the lengths H5 and H6 of the fifth pipe segment 105 and the sixth pipe segment 106 extending into the second inner cavity 521 are in a reverse correspondence with the lengths H1 and H2 of the first pipe segment 101 and the second pipe segment 102 extending into the first inner cavity 511. This allows the two refrigerant storage and discharge paths to form a complementary structure under different operating conditions, and simultaneously enhance the refrigerant storage and discharge effects under different refrigerant flow directions. This adapts to the refrigerant requirements under different operating modes and load conditions, thereby ensuring that the system refrigerant can be more rationally allocated.

[0090] Optionally, H6 = H1, H5 = H2.

[0091] Optionally, combined Figure 7 As shown, the second liquid storage device 52 includes a second inner cavity 521 for storing refrigerant. The air conditioner also includes a second heating device 72 disposed within the second inner cavity 521.

[0092] Thus, by installing a second heating device 72 inside the second inner cavity 521 of the second liquid storage device 52, the refrigerant in the second inner cavity 521 can be heated during low-temperature start-up or defrosting scenarios, which helps to increase the enthalpy of the refrigerant and thus improve the system's low-temperature heating capacity. It can also assist in defrosting the heat exchanger, enabling system defrosting without shutting down.

[0093] Optionally, the second heating device 72 is an electric heating wire. In this way, the refrigerant in the second inner cavity 521 of the second liquid storage device 52 can be rapidly heated by activating the electric heating wire, thereby improving the operational stability of the air conditioner in low-temperature start-up or defrosting scenarios.

[0094] Based on the above air conditioner, combined with Figure 8 As shown, this disclosure provides a control method for an air conditioner, including:

[0095] S101, the control device obtains the operating load of the air conditioner.

[0096] S102, the control device controls the working status of the first valve device and the second valve device according to the operating mode and operating load of the air conditioner, so as to regulate the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the first liquid storage device.

[0097] The control method for air conditioning systems provided in this disclosure allows for reasonable control of the operating states of the first and second valve devices based on the operating mode and load conditions. This enables flexible adjustment of the first liquid storage device to adapt to different operating conditions by storing or discharging refrigerant, thereby achieving precise regulation of the system's refrigerant circulation volume. Therefore, this disclosure allows the air conditioner to match appropriate refrigerant circulation volumes under different loads and modes, avoiding negative impacts on system operation from insufficient or excessive refrigerant. This improves the air conditioner's dynamic response performance, actual temperature control capability, and overall energy efficiency across the entire load range.

[0098] Optionally, the control device acquires the operating load of the air conditioner, including: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the difference between the indoor return air temperature and the indoor target temperature is less than a first temperature difference threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is less than a first cooling load. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the difference between the indoor return air temperature and the indoor target temperature is greater than a second temperature difference threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is greater than a second cooling load. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the difference between the indoor target temperature and the indoor return air temperature is less than a third temperature difference threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is less than a first heating load. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the difference between the indoor target temperature and the indoor return air temperature is greater than a fourth temperature difference threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is greater than a second heating load. Wherein, the first temperature difference threshold is less than the second temperature difference threshold, and the third temperature difference threshold is less than the fourth temperature difference threshold.

[0099] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the difference between the indoor return air temperature and the indoor target temperature is less than the first temperature difference threshold, it indicates that the indoor return air temperature is close to the indoor target temperature, the indoor environment is relatively comfortable, and the required cooling capacity is very small. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure can determine that the operating load of the air conditioner is less than the first cooling load, that is, the system is currently in a low-load cooling condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately reduced. When the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the difference between the indoor return air temperature and the indoor target temperature is greater than the second temperature difference threshold, it indicates that the indoor return air temperature is much higher than the indoor target temperature, the indoor environment is relatively high, and the required cooling capacity is large. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure can determine that the operating load of the air conditioner is greater than the second cooling load, that is, the system is currently in a high-load cooling condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately increased.

[0100] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the difference between the indoor target temperature and the indoor return air temperature is less than the third temperature difference threshold, it indicates that the indoor return air temperature is close to the indoor target temperature, the indoor environment is relatively comfortable, and the required heating capacity is low. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure can determine that the operating load of the air conditioner is less than the first heating load, that is, the system is currently in a low-load heating condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately reduced. When the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the difference between the indoor target temperature and the indoor return air temperature is greater than the fourth temperature difference threshold, it indicates that the indoor return air temperature is much lower than the indoor target temperature, the indoor environment is relatively low, and the required heating capacity is high. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure can determine that the operating load of the air conditioner is greater than the second heating load, that is, the system is currently in a high-load heating condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately increased.

[0101] Optionally, the first temperature difference threshold and the second temperature difference threshold can be set in conjunction with the outdoor environmental conditions. For example, the first temperature difference threshold can be set to 2°C to facilitate the identification of low-load cooling conditions, and the second temperature difference threshold can be set to 4°C to facilitate the identification of high-load cooling conditions. The first and second temperature difference thresholds can also be adjusted according to the user's actual needs, or set to any other reasonable values.

[0102] Optionally, the third and fourth temperature difference thresholds can be set in conjunction with outdoor environmental conditions. For example, the third temperature difference threshold can be set to 2°C to facilitate the identification of low-load heating conditions, and the fourth temperature difference threshold can be set to 4°C to facilitate the identification of high-load heating conditions. The third and fourth temperature difference thresholds can also be adjusted according to the user's actual needs, or set to any other reasonable values.

[0103] Optionally, the control device acquires the operating load of the air conditioner, including: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the compressor's operating frequency is less than a first frequency threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is less than a first cooling load. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the compressor's operating frequency is greater than a second frequency threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is greater than a second cooling load. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the compressor's operating frequency is less than a third frequency threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is less than a first heating load. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the compressor's operating frequency is greater than a fourth frequency threshold, the control device determines that the operating load of the air conditioner is greater than a second heating load. Wherein, the first frequency threshold is less than the second frequency threshold, and the third frequency threshold is less than the fourth frequency threshold.

[0104] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the compressor's operating frequency is less than the first frequency threshold, it indicates that the compressor is operating under low load, the air conditioner's current cooling power is low, and the required cooling capacity indoors is minimal. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure determines that the air conditioner's operating load is less than the first cooling load, meaning the system is currently in a low-load cooling condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately reduced. Conversely, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the compressor's operating frequency is greater than the second frequency threshold, it indicates that the compressor is operating under overload, the air conditioner's current cooling power is high, and the required cooling capacity indoors is greater. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure determines that the air conditioner's operating load is greater than the second cooling load, meaning the system is currently in a high-load cooling condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately increased.

[0105] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the compressor's operating frequency is less than the third frequency threshold, it indicates that the compressor is operating under low load, the air conditioner's current heating power is low, and the indoor heating demand is minimal. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure determines that the air conditioner's operating load is less than the first heating load, meaning the system is currently in a low-load heating condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately reduced. Conversely, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the compressor's operating frequency is greater than the fourth frequency threshold, it indicates that the compressor is operating under overload, the air conditioner's current heating power is high, and the indoor heating demand is greater. Therefore, this embodiment of the present disclosure determines that the air conditioner's operating load is greater than the second heating load, meaning the system is currently in a high-load heating condition, and the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation loop should be appropriately increased.

[0106] Optionally, the first and second frequency thresholds can be set in conjunction with outdoor environmental conditions. For example, the first frequency threshold can be set to 30Hz to facilitate identification of low-load cooling conditions, and the second frequency threshold can be set to 50Hz to facilitate identification of high-load cooling conditions. The first and second frequency thresholds can also be adjusted according to the user's actual needs or set to any other reasonable values.

[0107] Optionally, the third and fourth frequency thresholds can be set in conjunction with outdoor environmental conditions. For example, the third frequency threshold can be set to 40Hz to facilitate the identification of low-load heating conditions, and the fourth frequency threshold can be set to 70Hz to facilitate the identification of high-load heating conditions. The third and fourth frequency thresholds can also be adjusted according to the user's actual needs, or set to any other reasonable values.

[0108] Optionally, the control device controls the operating states of the first valve device and the second valve device according to the operating mode and operating load of the air conditioner to regulate the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the first liquid receiver. This includes: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is less than the first cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a fully open state and controls the second valve device to operate in a normal throttling state, so that the first liquid receiver stores refrigerant. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than the second cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a normal throttling state and controls the second valve device to operate in a fully open state, so that the first liquid receiver discharges refrigerant. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is less than the first heating load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a normal throttling state and controls the second valve device to operate in a fully open state, so that the first liquid receiver stores refrigerant. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than the second heating load, the control device controls the first valve to operate in a fully open state and controls the second valve to operate in a normal throttling state, so that the first liquid receiver can discharge refrigerant. In this case, the cooling capacity required by the first cooling load is less than the cooling capacity required by the second cooling load, and the heating capacity required by the first heating load is less than the heating capacity required by the second heating load.

[0109] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is less than the first cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently in a low-load cooling condition, and the refrigerant circulation in the system should be appropriately reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first valve device can be controlled to operate in a fully open state, and the second valve device can be controlled to operate in a normal throttling state. At this time, the first liquid receiver is on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure environment is conducive to the refrigerant maintaining a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively low, thereby increasing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid receiver. At this time, the first liquid receiver enters the refrigerant storage state, which can appropriately reduce the refrigerant circulation under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding the reduction of system energy efficiency caused by excessive refrigerant. When the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than the second cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently in a high-load cooling condition, and the refrigerant circulation in the system should be appropriately increased. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first valve device can be controlled to operate in a normal throttling state, and the second valve device can be controlled to operate in a fully open state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the low-pressure side. The low-pressure environment is not conducive to the refrigerant maintaining a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively high, thereby reducing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters the refrigerant discharge state, which can appropriately increase the refrigerant circulation volume under refrigeration conditions, thereby avoiding the decrease in refrigeration capacity caused by insufficient refrigerant.

[0110] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is less than the first heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a low-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation in the system should be appropriately reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first valve device can be controlled to operate in a normal throttling state, and the second valve device can be controlled to operate in a fully open state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure environment is conducive to the refrigerant maintaining a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively low, thereby increasing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters the refrigerant storage state, which can appropriately reduce the refrigerant circulation under heating conditions, thereby avoiding the reduction of system energy efficiency caused by excessive refrigerant. When the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than the second heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a high-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation in the system should be appropriately increased. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first valve device can be controlled to operate in a fully open state, and the second valve device can be controlled to operate in a normal throttling state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the low-pressure side. The low-pressure environment is not conducive to the refrigerant maintaining a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively high, thereby reducing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters the refrigerant discharge state, which can appropriately increase the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions, thereby avoiding the decrease in heating capacity caused by insufficient refrigerant.

[0111] Optionally, after the control device obtains the operating load of the air conditioner, it further includes: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first cooling load and less than or equal to the second cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state and controls the second valve device to operate in a normal throttling state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the first liquid receiver; or, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first heating load and less than or equal to the second heating load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a normal throttling state and controls the second valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the first liquid receiver.

[0112] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first cooling load and less than or equal to the second cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently in a medium-load cooling condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be maintained as much as possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first valve device can be controlled to operate in a micro-throttling state, and the second valve device can be controlled to operate in a normal throttling state. At this time, the refrigerant inside the first liquid receiver is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, the overall refrigerant dryness is moderate, and the refrigerant storage and refrigerant discharge are balanced. At this time, the first liquid receiver enters a refrigerant maintenance state, which can reasonably maintain the refrigerant circulation volume under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation. Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first heating load and less than or equal to the second heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a medium-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be maintained as much as possible. Therefore, this embodiment can control the first valve device to operate in a normal throttling state and control the second valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state. At this time, the refrigerant inside the first liquid storage device is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, the overall refrigerant dryness is moderate, and the refrigerant storage and refrigerant discharge are balanced. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters the refrigerant maintenance state, which can reasonably maintain the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation.

[0113] Based on the above air conditioner, combined with Figure 9 As shown, this disclosure provides another control method for an air conditioner, including:

[0114] S201, The control device obtains the operating load of the air conditioner.

[0115] S202, the control device controls the working status of the first valve device, the second valve device, the third valve device and the fourth valve device according to the operating mode and operating load of the air conditioner, so as to regulate the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the first liquid storage device.

[0116] The control method for air conditioning systems provided in this disclosure allows for the rational control of the operating states of the first, second, third, and fourth valve devices based on the operating mode and load conditions. This enables flexible adjustment of the first liquid storage device to adapt to different operating conditions by storing or discharging refrigerant, thereby achieving precise regulation of the system's refrigerant circulation volume. Therefore, this disclosure allows the air conditioner to match appropriate refrigerant circulation volumes under different loads and modes, avoiding negative impacts on system operation from insufficient or excessive refrigerant. This improves the air conditioner's dynamic response performance, actual temperature control capability, and overall energy efficiency across the entire load range.

[0117] Optionally, the control device controls the operating states of the first valve device, the second valve device, the third valve device, and the fourth valve device according to the operating mode and operating load of the air conditioner, to regulate the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the first liquid receiver. This includes: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is less than the first cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in the closed state, controls the second valve device to operate in the closed state, controls the third valve device to operate in the fully open state, and controls the fourth valve device to operate in the normal throttling state, so that the first liquid receiver stores refrigerant. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than the second cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in the normal throttling state, controls the second valve device to operate in the fully open state, controls the third valve device to operate in the closed state, and controls the fourth valve device to operate in the closed state, so that the first liquid receiver discharges refrigerant. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is less than the first heating load, the control device controls the first valve to operate in normal throttling mode, the second valve to operate in fully open mode, and the third valve to operate in closed mode, and the fourth valve to operate in closed mode, so that the first liquid receiver stores refrigerant. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than the second heating load, the control device controls the first valve to operate in closed mode, the second valve to operate in closed mode, the third valve to operate in fully open mode, and the fourth valve to operate in normal throttling mode, so that the first liquid receiver discharges refrigerant. In this case, the cooling capacity required by the first cooling load is less than the cooling capacity required by the second cooling load, and the heating capacity required by the first heating load is less than the heating capacity required by the second heating load.

[0118] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is less than the first cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently in a low-load cooling condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately reduced. In this embodiment, the first valve and the second valve are controlled to be closed to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path formed by the first and second pipe sections, thereby preventing the shorter second pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section and causing the liquid refrigerant in the first liquid storage device to be easily discharged. On the other hand, the third valve is controlled to be fully open, and the fourth valve is controlled to be in a normal throttling state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure environment is conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively low, thereby increasing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters a refrigerant storage state, which can appropriately reduce the refrigerant circulation volume under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding excessive refrigerant causing a decrease in system energy efficiency. Furthermore, since the third and fourth pipe sections are connected as refrigerant storage and discharge paths, and the fourth pipe section, which extends a relatively long distance, serves as a drain pipe section, the draining difficulty of the first liquid storage device is relatively high, which indirectly enhances the refrigerant storage effect of the first liquid storage device in cooling mode.

[0119] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than the second cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently under high-load cooling conditions, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately increased. In this embodiment, the third valve and the fourth valve are controlled to be in the closed state to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path formed by the third and fourth pipe sections, thereby preventing the longer fourth pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section, which would make it difficult to discharge the liquid refrigerant in the first liquid storage device. On the other hand, the first valve is controlled to operate in a normal throttling state, and the second valve is controlled to be in the fully open state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the low-pressure side. The low-pressure environment is not conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively high, thus reducing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters a discharge storage state, which can appropriately increase the refrigerant circulation volume under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding a decrease in cooling capacity due to insufficient refrigerant. Furthermore, since the first and second pipe sections are connected as refrigerant storage and discharge paths, and the shorter second pipe section is used as a drain pipe section, the draining difficulty of the first liquid storage device is relatively low, which significantly improves the refrigerant discharge effect of the first liquid storage device in cooling mode.

[0120] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is less than the first heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a low-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately reduced. In this embodiment, the third valve and the fourth valve are controlled to be in a closed state to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path formed by the third and fourth pipe sections, thereby preventing the shorter third pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section and causing the liquid refrigerant in the first liquid storage device to be easily discharged. On the other hand, the first valve is controlled to operate in a normal throttling state, and the second valve is controlled to operate in a fully open state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure environment is conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively low, thereby increasing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. When the first liquid storage device enters the refrigerant storage state, the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions can be appropriately reduced, thereby avoiding excessive refrigerant causing a decrease in system energy efficiency. Furthermore, since the first and second pipe sections are connected as refrigerant storage and discharge paths, and the first pipe section with a longer extension serves as a drain pipe section, the draining difficulty of the first liquid storage device is relatively high, which indirectly enhances the refrigerant storage effect of the first liquid storage device in heating mode.

[0121] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than the second heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a high-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately increased. In this embodiment, the first valve and the second valve are controlled to be in a closed state to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path formed by the first and second pipe sections, thereby preventing the longer first pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section, making it difficult to discharge the liquid refrigerant in the first liquid storage device. On the other hand, the third valve is controlled to be in a fully open state, and the fourth valve is controlled to be in a normal throttling state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the low-pressure side. The low-pressure environment is not conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively high, thus reducing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters a discharge storage state, which can appropriately increase the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions, thereby avoiding a decrease in heating capacity due to insufficient refrigerant. Furthermore, since the third and fourth pipe sections are connected as refrigerant storage and discharge paths, and the shorter third pipe section is used as a drain pipe section, the drainage difficulty of the first liquid storage device is relatively low, which significantly improves the refrigerant discharge effect of the first liquid storage device in heating mode.

[0122] Optionally, after acquiring the operating load of the air conditioner, the control device further includes: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first cooling load and less than or equal to the second cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state, controls the second valve device to operate in a normal throttling state, and controls the third valve device to operate in a closed state, and controls the fourth valve device to operate in a closed state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the first liquid receiver; or, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first heating load and less than or equal to the second heating load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a closed state, controls the second valve device to operate in a closed state, controls the third valve device to operate in a normal throttling state, and controls the fourth valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the first liquid receiver.

[0123] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first cooling load and less than or equal to the second cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently in a medium-load cooling condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be maintained as much as possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first valve device can be controlled to operate in a micro-throttling state, and the second valve device can be controlled to operate in a normal throttling state. At this time, the refrigerant inside the first liquid receiver is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, the overall refrigerant dryness is moderate, and the refrigerant storage and refrigerant discharge are balanced. At this time, the first liquid receiver enters a refrigerant maintenance state, which can reasonably maintain the refrigerant circulation volume under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation. Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first heating load and less than or equal to the second heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a medium-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be maintained as much as possible. Therefore, this embodiment can control the third valve device to operate in a normal throttling state and control the fourth valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state. At this time, the refrigerant inside the first liquid storage device is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, the overall refrigerant dryness is moderate, and the refrigerant storage and refrigerant discharge are balanced. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters the refrigerant maintenance state, which can reasonably maintain the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation.

[0124] It should be noted that the above embodiments are based on Figure 5 The following explanation addresses the case where H1 ≥ H2 and H3 ≤ H4. It is understood that the same settings can be applied to the case where H1 ≤ H2 and H3 ≥ H4, as described in the previous embodiment; therefore, they will not be repeated here.

[0125] Based on the above air conditioner, combined with Figure 10 As shown, this disclosure provides another control method for an air conditioner, including:

[0126] S301, The control device obtains the operating load of the air conditioner.

[0127] S302, the control device controls the working status of the first valve device, the second valve device, the fifth valve device and the sixth valve device according to the operating mode and operating load of the air conditioner, so as to adjust the first liquid receiver to store or discharge refrigerant, or adjust the second liquid receiver to store or discharge refrigerant.

[0128] The control method for air conditioning systems provided in this disclosure allows for the rational control of the operating states of the first, second, fifth, and sixth valve devices based on the operating mode and load conditions. This enables flexible adjustment of the first or second liquid storage device to adapt to different operating conditions by storing or discharging refrigerant, thereby achieving precise regulation of the system's refrigerant circulation volume. Consequently, this disclosure allows the air conditioner to match appropriate refrigerant circulation volumes under different loads and modes, avoiding negative impacts on system operation from insufficient or excessive refrigerant. This improves the air conditioner's dynamic response performance, actual temperature control capability, and overall energy efficiency across the entire load range.

[0129] Optionally, the control device controls the operating states of the first valve device, the second valve device, the fifth valve device, and the sixth valve device according to the operating mode and operating load of the air conditioner, to regulate the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the first liquid receiver, or to regulate the storage or discharge of refrigerant in the second liquid receiver. This includes: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is less than the first cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in the closed state, controls the second valve device to operate in the closed state to maintain refrigerant in the first liquid receiver, and controls the fifth valve device to operate in the fully open state, and controls the sixth valve device to operate in the normal throttling state to store refrigerant in the second liquid receiver. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than the second cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in the normal throttling state, controls the second valve device to operate in the fully open state to discharge refrigerant from the first liquid receiver, and controls the fifth valve device to operate in the closed state, and controls the sixth valve device to operate in the closed state to maintain refrigerant in the second liquid receiver. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is less than the first heating load, the control device controls the first valve to operate in normal throttling mode, controls the second valve to operate in fully open mode to allow the first liquid receiver to store refrigerant, and controls the fifth valve to operate in closed mode, and controls the sixth valve to operate in closed mode to allow the second liquid receiver to maintain refrigerant. Alternatively, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than the second heating load, the control device controls the first valve to operate in closed mode, controls the second valve to operate in closed mode to allow the first liquid receiver to maintain refrigerant, controls the fifth valve to operate in fully open mode, and controls the sixth valve to operate in normal throttling mode to allow the second liquid receiver to discharge refrigerant. In this case, the cooling capacity required by the first cooling load is less than the cooling capacity required by the second cooling load, and the heating capacity required by the first heating load is less than the heating capacity required by the second heating load.

[0130] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is less than the first cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently in a low-load cooling condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately reduced. In this embodiment, the first valve and the second valve are controlled to be closed to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path corresponding to the first liquid receiver, thereby preventing the shorter second pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section and causing the liquid refrigerant in the first liquid receiver to be easily discharged. On the other hand, the fifth valve is controlled to be fully open, and the sixth valve is controlled to be in a normal throttling state. At this time, the second liquid receiver is on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure environment is conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively low, thereby increasing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the second liquid receiver. At this time, the second liquid receiver enters a refrigerant storage state, which can appropriately reduce the refrigerant circulation volume under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding excessive refrigerant causing a decrease in system energy efficiency. Furthermore, since the refrigerant storage and drainage path of the second liquid storage device is connected, and the sixth pipe section with a relatively long extension is used as the drainage pipe section, the drainage of the second liquid storage device is relatively difficult, which indirectly enhances the refrigerant storage effect of the second liquid storage device in the cooling mode.

[0131] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than the second cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently under high-load cooling conditions, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately increased. In this embodiment, the fifth valve and the sixth valve are controlled to be in the closed state to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path corresponding to the second liquid receiver, thereby preventing the longer sixth pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section, which would make it difficult to discharge the liquid refrigerant in the second liquid receiver. On the other hand, the first valve is controlled to operate in normal throttling mode, and the second valve is controlled to operate in the fully open state. At this time, the first liquid receiver is on the low-pressure side. The low-pressure environment is not conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively high, thus reducing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid receiver. At this time, the first liquid receiver enters a discharge storage state, which can appropriately increase the refrigerant circulation volume under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding a decrease in cooling capacity due to insufficient refrigerant. Furthermore, since the refrigerant storage and discharge path of the first liquid storage device is connected, and the shorter second pipe section is used as the discharge pipe section, the discharge difficulty of the first liquid storage device is relatively low, which significantly improves the refrigerant discharge effect of the first liquid storage device in the cooling mode.

[0132] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is less than the first heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a low-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately reduced. In this embodiment, the fifth valve and the sixth valve are controlled to be in a closed state to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path corresponding to the second liquid storage device, thereby preventing the shorter fifth pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section and causing the liquid refrigerant in the second liquid storage device to be easily discharged. On the other hand, the first valve is controlled to operate in a normal throttling state, and the second valve is controlled to operate in a fully open state. At this time, the first liquid storage device is on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure environment is conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively low, thereby increasing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the first liquid storage device. At this time, the first liquid storage device enters a refrigerant storage state, which can appropriately reduce the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions, thereby avoiding excessive refrigerant causing a decrease in system energy efficiency. Furthermore, since the refrigerant storage and drainage path of the first liquid storage device is connected, and the first pipe section with a relatively long extension is used as the drainage pipe section, the drainage of the first liquid storage device is relatively difficult, which indirectly enhances the refrigerant storage effect of the first liquid storage device in the heating mode.

[0133] Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than the second heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a high-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be appropriately increased. In this embodiment, the first valve and the second valve are controlled to be in a closed state to isolate the refrigerant storage and discharge path corresponding to the first liquid storage device, thereby preventing the long first pipe section from becoming a drain pipe section, making it difficult to discharge the liquid refrigerant in the first liquid storage device. On the other hand, the fifth valve is controlled to be in a fully open state, and the sixth valve is controlled to be in a normal throttling state. At this time, the second liquid storage device is on the low-pressure side. The low-pressure environment is not conducive to maintaining the refrigerant in a liquid state, and the overall refrigerant dryness is relatively high, thereby reducing the liquid refrigerant storage capacity inside the second liquid storage device. At this time, the second liquid storage device enters a discharge storage state, which can appropriately increase the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions, thereby avoiding a decrease in heating capacity due to insufficient refrigerant. Furthermore, since the refrigerant storage and discharge path of the second liquid storage device is connected, and the shorter fifth pipe section is used as the discharge pipe section, the discharge difficulty of the second liquid storage device is relatively low, which significantly improves the refrigerant discharge effect of the second liquid storage device in heating mode.

[0134] Optionally, after acquiring the operating load of the air conditioner, the control device further includes: when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first cooling load and less than or equal to the second cooling load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state, controls the second valve device to operate in a normal throttling state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the first liquid receiver, and controls the fifth valve device to operate in a closed state, and controls the sixth valve device to operate in a closed state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the second liquid receiver; or, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first heating load and less than or equal to the second heating load, the control device controls the first valve device to operate in a closed state, controls the second valve device to operate in a closed state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the first liquid receiver, and controls the fifth valve device to operate in a normal throttling state, and controls the sixth valve device to operate in a micro-throttling state, so as to maintain the refrigerant in the second liquid receiver.

[0135] Thus, when the air conditioner is operating in cooling mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first cooling load and less than or equal to the second cooling load, it indicates that the system is currently in a medium-load cooling condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be maintained as much as possible. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first valve device can be controlled to operate in a micro-throttling state, and the second valve device can be controlled to operate in a normal throttling state. At this time, the refrigerant inside the first liquid receiver is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, the overall refrigerant dryness is moderate, and the refrigerant storage and refrigerant discharge are balanced. At this time, the first liquid receiver enters a refrigerant maintenance state, which can reasonably maintain the refrigerant circulation volume under cooling conditions, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation. Similarly, when the air conditioner is operating in heating mode and the operating load is greater than or equal to the first heating load and less than or equal to the second heating load, it indicates that the system is currently in a medium-load heating condition, and the refrigerant circulation volume in the system should be maintained as much as possible. Therefore, this embodiment can control the fifth valve to operate in normal throttling mode and control the sixth valve to operate in micro-throttling mode. At this time, the refrigerant inside the second liquid storage device is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, the overall refrigerant dryness is moderate, and the refrigerant storage and refrigerant discharge are balanced. At this time, the second liquid storage device enters the refrigerant maintenance state, which can reasonably maintain the refrigerant circulation volume under heating conditions, thereby avoiding the negative impact of insufficient or excessive refrigerant on system operation.

[0136] It should be noted that the above embodiments are based on Figure 6 The following explanation addresses the case where H1 ≥ H2 and H5 ≤ H6. It is understood that the same settings can be applied to the case where H1 ≤ H2 and H5 ≥ H6, as described in the previous embodiment; therefore, they will not be repeated here.

[0137] Combination Figure 11As shown, this embodiment of the disclosure provides a control device 80 for an air conditioner, including a processor 81 and a memory 82. Optionally, the control device 80 may further include a communication interface 83 and a bus 84. The processor 81, communication interface 83, and memory 82 can communicate with each other via the bus 84. The communication interface 83 can be used for information transmission. The processor 81 can call logical instructions in the memory 82 to execute the control method for the air conditioner described in the above embodiment.

[0138] Furthermore, the logic instructions in the aforementioned memory 82 can be implemented as software functional units and, when sold or used as independent products, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0139] The memory 82, as a computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store software programs and computer-executable programs, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the methods in the embodiments of this disclosure. The processor 81 executes functional applications and data processing by running the program instructions / modules stored in the memory 82, thereby implementing the control method for the air conditioner in the above embodiments.

[0140] The memory 82 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store the operating system and application programs required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the terminal device. Furthermore, the memory 82 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory.

[0141] This disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions configured to perform the above-described control method for an air conditioner.

[0142] The technical solutions of this disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes one or more instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium can be a non-transitory storage medium, such as a USB flash drive, external hard drive, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk, etc., and other media capable of storing program code.

[0143] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than that shown in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. In the descriptions corresponding to the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings, the operations or steps corresponding to different blocks may also occur in a different order than disclosed in the description, and sometimes there is no specific order between different operations or steps. For example, two consecutive operations or steps may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. Each block in a block diagram and / or flowchart, and combinations of blocks in a block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, characterized in that, include: The first liquid storage device (51) is installed in the refrigerant pipeline between the outdoor heat exchanger (30) and the indoor heat exchanger (40). The first liquid storage device (51) is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger (30) through the first pipe section (101) and to the indoor heat exchanger (40) through the second pipe section (102). The first valve device (61) is installed in the first pipe section (101) and can operate in a throttling state or a non-throttling state. The second valve device (62) is installed in the second pipe section (102) and can operate in either a throttling state or a non-throttling state.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first liquid storage device (51) includes a first inner cavity (511) for storing refrigerant; a first pipe section (101) extends into the first inner cavity (511) for a first length of H1, a second pipe section (102) extends into the first inner cavity (511) for a second length of H2, an outdoor heat exchanger (30) has a first heat exchange area of ​​S1, an indoor heat exchanger (40) has a second heat exchange area of ​​S2, and when S1≥S2, H1≥H2; or, when S1≤S2, H1≤H2.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, When S1≥S2, the larger the difference between S1 and S2, the smaller H2 is.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, characterized in that, When S1≤S2, the larger the difference between S2 and S1, the smaller H1 is.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first liquid storage device (51) includes a first inner cavity (501) for storing refrigerant; the air conditioner further includes: The first heating device (71) is disposed in the first inner cavity (501).

6. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The third pipe section (103) and the first liquid storage device (51) are respectively connected to the outdoor heat exchanger (30) through the third pipe section (103) and the first pipe section (101); The fourth pipe section (104) and the first liquid storage device (51) are respectively connected to the indoor heat exchanger (40) through the fourth pipe section (104) and the second pipe section (102); The third valve device (63) is installed in the third pipe section (103) and can operate in a throttling state or a non-throttling state. The fourth valve device (64) is installed in the fourth pipe section (104) and can operate in either a throttling state or a non-throttling state.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first liquid storage device (51) includes a first inner cavity (511) for storing refrigerant; a first pipe section (101) extends into the first inner cavity (511) for a first length of H1, a second pipe section (102) extends into the first inner cavity (511) for a second length of H2, a third pipe section (103) extends into the first inner cavity (511) for a third length of H3, and a fourth pipe section (104) extends into the first inner cavity (511) for a fourth length of H4, wherein H3 ≤ H4 when H1 ≥ H2; or, H3 ≥ H4 when H1 ≤ H2.

8. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The second liquid storage device (52) is arranged in parallel with the first liquid storage device (51) in the refrigerant pipeline between the outdoor heat exchanger (30) and the indoor heat exchanger (40). The second liquid storage device (52) is connected to the outdoor heat exchanger (30) through the fifth pipe section (105) and to the indoor heat exchanger (40) through the sixth pipe section (106). The fifth valve device (65) is installed in the fifth pipe section (105) and can operate in a throttling state or a non-throttling state; The sixth valve device (66) is installed in the sixth pipe section (106) and can operate in either a throttling state or a non-throttling state.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first liquid storage device (51) includes a first inner cavity (511) for storing refrigerant, and the second liquid storage device (52) includes a second inner cavity (521) for storing refrigerant; the first length of the first pipe segment (101) extending into the first inner cavity (511) is H1, the second length of the second pipe segment (102) extending into the first inner cavity (511) is H2, the fifth length of the fifth pipe segment (105) extending into the second inner cavity (521) is H5, and the sixth length of the sixth pipe segment (106) extending into the second inner cavity (521) is H6. When H1≥H2, H5≤H6; or, when H1≤H2, H5≥H6.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second liquid storage device (52) includes a second inner cavity (521) for storing refrigerant; the air conditioner also includes: The second heating device (72) is located in the second inner cavity (521).

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