Air conditioner and control method therefor

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an air conditioner, comprising an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a first sensor and a controller. The indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit, and comprises an electrical box. The first sensor is arranged on the electrical box, and is configured to measure the concentration of a refrigerant. The controller is configured to: at a first moment, acquire a first refrigerant concentration by means of the first sensor; if determining that the first refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold value, control the air conditioner to execute a false alarm detection operation with respect to refrigerant leakage, the first preset threshold value being smaller than a third preset threshold value; at a second moment, acquire a second refrigerant concentration by means of the first sensor, the second moment being a moment after the first moment; and if determining that the second refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold value, control the air conditioner to emit a refrigerant leakage alarm signal.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese application No. 202310186767.7, filed on February 28, 2023, Chinese application No. 202310769153.1, filed on June 27, 2023, and Chinese application No. 202310672414.8, filed on June 7, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of air conditioning device technology, in particular to an air conditioner and a control method thereof.BACKGROUND

[0003] With the improvement of living standards, based on people's demand for somatosensory temperature comfort, air conditioners have entered thousands of households and become necessary electrical appliances in people's daily lives. During the operation of the air conditioner, the refrigerant needs to circulate in the refrigerant circulation pipeline between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit.SUMMARY

[0004] In an aspect, there is provided an air conditioner including an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a first sensor, and a controller. The indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit and includes an electric box. The first sensor is disposed on the electric box and is configured to detect a refrigerant concentration. The controller is configured to: acquire a first refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a first time; if it is determined that the first refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a false alarm detection operation of refrigerant leakage; where the first preset threshold is less than a third preset threshold; acquire a second refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a second time; where the second time is a time after the first time; and if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold, control the air conditioner to issue a refrigerant leakage alarm signal.

[0005] In another aspect, there is provided a control method of an air conditioner, where the air conditioner includes an outdoor unit, an indoor unit, a first sensor, and a controller. The indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit and includes an electric box. The first sensor is disposed on the electric box and is configured to detect a refrigerant concentration. The method includes: acquiring initial operating parameters of the air conditioner at a first time; acquiring a first refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at the first time; if it is determined that the first refrigerant concentration reaches a first preset threshold, controlling the air conditioner to perform a false alarm detection operation of refrigerant leakage; where the first preset threshold is less than a third preset threshold; acquiring a second refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a second time; where the second time is a time after the first time; if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold, controlling the air conditioner to issue a refrigerant leakage alarm signal; and if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is less than the third preset threshold, controlling the air conditioner to operate with the initial operating parameters.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 2 is another structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 3 is a connection diagram of a four-way valve of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 5A is a circulation principle diagram of an air conditioner in a cooling mode according to some embodiments. FIG. 5B is a circulation principle diagram of an air conditioner in a heating mode according to some embodiments. FIG. 6 is a structural diagram of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of circle B in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of airflow of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 9 is another structural diagram of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of circle A in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a structural diagram of a connecting portion according to some embodiments. FIG. 12 is a structural diagram of an electric box according to some embodiments. FIG. 13 is a partial structural diagram of an electric box according to some embodiments. FIG. 14 is another structural diagram of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 15 is a flowchart of performed steps by an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 16 is another flowchart of performed steps by an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 17 is another schematic diagram of airflow of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of swinging of a second air deflector according to some embodiments. FIG. 19 is yet another schematic diagram of airflow of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of swinging of a first air deflector according to some embodiments. FIG. 21 is a distribution map of a refrigerant concentration according to some embodiments. FIG. 22 is yet another schematic diagram of airflow of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 23 is yet another schematic diagram of airflow of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 24 is yet another schematic diagram of airflow of an indoor unit according to some embodiments. FIG. 25 is another schematic diagram of swinging of a second air deflector according to some embodiments. FIG. 26 is another schematic diagram of swinging of a first air deflector according to some embodiments. FIG. 27 is yet another flowchart of performed steps by an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 28 is yet another flowchart of performed steps by an air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 29 is a structural diagram of another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 30 is a flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 31 is another structural diagram of another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 32 is another flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 33 is yet another flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 34 is yet another flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 35 is yet another flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 36 is yet another structural diagram of another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 37 is yet another structural diagram of another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 38 is yet another flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 39 is yet another structural diagram of another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 40 is a flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 41 is another flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 42 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerant leakage amount of another air conditioner during a refrigerant recovery process according to some embodiments. FIG. 43 is a schematic diagram of another refrigerant leakage amount of another air conditioner during a refrigerant recovery process according to some embodiments. FIG. 44 is yet another flowchart of performed steps by another air conditioner according to some embodiments. FIG. 45 is a structural diagram of a controller according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by persons skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided by the present disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0008] Unless otherwise required by the context, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprise" and other forms thereof, such as the third-person singular form "comprises" and the present participle form "comprising" are construed in an open, inclusive meaning, that is, "comprising, but not limited to". In the descriptions of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" are intended to indicate that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics related to this embodiment or example are included in at least one of the embodiments or examples of the present disclosure. The schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to a same embodiment or example. Moreover, the described specific features, structures, materials or characteristics can be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable manner.

[0009] In the followings, the terms "first" and "second" are used for purposes of description only, and cannot be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly indicate the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined by "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the descriptions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0010] In describing some embodiments, the expressions "coupled" and "connected" and their extended expressions may be used. The term "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, the "connected" can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or become integrated; it may be directly connected, or may be indirectly connected through an intermediary. The term "coupled", for example, indicates that two or more components are in direct physical contact or electrical contact. The term "coupled" or "communicatively coupled" may also mean that two or more components are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other. The embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited to the contents herein.

[0011] "A and / or B" includes a combination of the following three: A alone, B alone, and a combination of A and B.

[0012] The use of "suitable for" or "configured to" herein means open and inclusive language that does not exclude devices suitable for or configured to perform additional tasks or steps.

[0013] Additionally, the use of "based on" means open and inclusive, as processes, steps, calculations, or other actions that are "based on" one or more of the stated conditions or values may in practice be based on additional conditions or beyond the stated values.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the air conditioner 10 includes an indoor unit 11 and an outdoor unit 12.

[0015] The indoor unit 11 is disposed indoors, and is configured to exchange heat with an indoor environment. In some embodiments, the indoor unit 11 is, for example, an indoor wall-mounted unit or an indoor cabinet unit.

[0016] The outdoor unit 12 is disposed outdoors, and is configured to exchange heat with an outdoor environment. The outdoor unit 12 may be connected to a plurality of indoor units 11. In FIG. 1, the outdoor unit 12 is indicated by a broken line.

[0017] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 10 further includes a refrigerant pipeline 13, the refrigerant pipeline 13 may also be referred to as a circulation pipeline, and the refrigerant pipeline 13 communicates the indoor unit 11 and the outdoor unit 12 to form a refrigerant circulation loop.

[0018] During the operation of the air conditioner, the refrigerant needs to circulate in the refrigerant circulation pipeline between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. When the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circulation pipeline, there is a risk that refrigerant leakage occurs. At present, the refrigerants used in air conditioners (such as R290, R32, etc.) are flammable, so after a refrigerant leakage occurs in an air conditioner, it may lead to dangerous accidents such as fire and explosion. Furthermore, if the refrigerant leakage of the air conditioner occurs indoors, since the indoor space is confined, the air flow is poor, and the risk factor is high.

[0019] In the related art, an air conditioner can determine whether or not a refrigerant leakage has occurred in the air conditioner based on a measurement value of a refrigerant concentration sensor. However, due to the affection by the installation position of the refrigerant concentration sensor or the indoor air conditions, for example, the existence of water vapor and alcohol in the air, certain deviations may exist in the measurement values of the refrigerant concentration sensor, which will easily lead to misjudgment of refrigerant leakage.

[0020] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides an air conditioner 10 and a control method thereof.

[0021] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit 11 of the air conditioner 10 includes a first heat exchanger 111 configured to perform one of liquefying or vaporizing of a refrigerant by exchanging heat between indoor air and the refrigerant transmitted in the first heat exchanger 111. The outdoor unit 12 includes a second heat exchanger 123 configured to perform the other one of the liquefying or vaporizing of the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the outdoor air and the refrigerant transmitted in the second heat exchanger 123.

[0022] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit 12 further includes a compressor 121 configured to compress a gas-phase refrigerant in a low-temperature and low-pressure state and discharge the compressed gas-phase refrigerant at a high temperature and high pressure. The compressor 121 includes a suction port 1211 in communication with a gas-liquid separator 126 described below, and a discharge port 1212 in communication with a four-way valve 122 described below. It is to be noted that, in the cooling mode, the second heat exchanger 123 functions as a condenser; in the heating mode, the first heat exchanger 111 functions as a condenser.

[0023] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the outdoor unit 12 further includes a four-way valve 122, and the four-way valve 122 is configured to realize mutual conversion between cooling and heating of the air conditioner 10 by changing the flow direction of the refrigerant in the pipeline of the air conditioner 10. The four-way valve 122 includes four ports, a D port, an E port, an S port, and a C port, respectively. The D port is connected to the compressor 121, the E port is connected to the first heat exchanger 111, the S port is connected to the gas-liquid separator 126 described below, and the C port is connected to the second heat exchanger 123.

[0024] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 11 further includes an indoor fan 112, the indoor fan 112 generates an airflow of indoor air through the first heat exchanger 111, and is configured to facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing in a heat transfer tube of the first heat exchanger 111 and the indoor air, so as to assist in the temperature adjustment. The outdoor unit 12 further includes an outdoor fan 124, the outdoor fan 124 generates an airflow of outdoor air through the second heat exchanger 123, and is configured to facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing in a heat transfer tube of the second heat exchanger 123 and the outdoor air.

[0025] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the indoor unit further includes a first throttle device 113, and the outdoor unit 12 further includes a second throttle device 125. The first throttle device 113 and the second throttle device 125 are configured to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant within the pipeline of the air conditioner 10. The first throttle device 113 and the second throttle device 125, for example, are each an electronic expansion valve. The pressure of the refrigerant flowing through the second heat exchanger 123 and the first heat exchanger 111 is adjusted by the magnitude of an opening degree of the electronic expansion valve, so as to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing between the second heat exchanger 123 and the first heat exchanger 111. If the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is decreased, the flow path resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve is increased. If the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is increased, the flow path resistance of the refrigerant passing through the electronic expansion valve is reduced. The flow rate and the pressure of the refrigerant flowing between the second heat exchanger 123 and the first heat exchanger 111 will affect the heat exchange performance of the second heat exchanger 123 and the first heat exchanger 111.

[0026] In some embodiments, the outdoor unit 12 further includes a gas-liquid separator 126 disposed between the compressor 121 and the indoor unit 11 and configured to separate the gas-phase refrigerant and the liquid-phase refrigerant.

[0027] The compressor 121, the condenser (the first heat exchanger 111 or the second heat exchanger 123), the throttle device (the first throttle device 113 or the second throttle device 125), and the evaporator (the second heat exchanger 123 or the first heat exchanger 111) perform the refrigerant circulation of the air conditioner 10. The refrigerant circulation includes a series of processes involving compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation, and supply refrigerant to the conditioned side in a circulating manner.

[0028] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 10 further includes a fourth sensor 129 and a second sensor 130. The fourth sensor 129 is disposed at the discharge port 1212 of the compressor 121, and is configured to detect the discharge pressure of the compressor 121. The second sensor 130 is disposed in a pipeline between the gas-liquid separator 126 and the four-way valve 122, and is configured to detect the suction pressure of the compressor 121.

[0029] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner 10 further includes a controller 15. The controller 15 is a device capable of generating a control signal based on a command operation code and a timing signal to instruct the air conditioner 10 to execute a control command. The controller 15 is coupled to each component of the air conditioner 10, and is configured to control the operation of each component of the air conditioner 10 to cause each component of the air conditioner 10 to operate, thereby realizing each predetermined function of the air conditioner 10. In some embodiments, the controller 15 may be integrated in any one of the outdoor unit 12 or the indoor unit 11.

[0030] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the air conditioner 10 is operating in the cooling mode, the C port and the D port of the four-way valve 122 are in communication, and the S port and the E port thereof are in communication. At this time, the second heat exchanger 123 functions as a condenser, and the first heat exchanger 111 functions as an evaporator.

[0031] The gas-phase refrigerant in low temperature and low pressure state is compressed by the compressor 121 and then transformed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 123 through the four-way valve 122. The second heat exchanger 123 condenses the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant into a liquid-phase refrigerant in a high-pressure state, and heat is released to the surrounding environment during the condensation process. The second throttle device 125 and the first throttle device 113 reduce the pressure of the liquid-phase refrigerant in the high-pressure state through throttling, the first heat exchanger 111 absorbs heat from the indoor environment and evaporates the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in a low-pressure state to form a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant, and the gas-phase refrigerant in the low-temperature and low-pressure state is returned into the compressor 121 through the four-way valve 122, so as to form a refrigeration cycle.

[0032] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the air conditioner 10 is operating in the heating mode, the C port and the S port of the four-way valve 122 are in communication, and the D port and the E port thereof are in communication. At this time, the second heat exchanger 123 functions as an evaporator, and the first heat exchanger 111 functions as a condenser.

[0033] The gas-phase refrigerant in low temperature and low pressure state is compressed by the compressor 121and then transformed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant, and the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant flows into the first heat exchanger 111 through the four-way valve 122. The first heat exchanger 111 condenses the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant into a liquid-phase refrigerant in a high-pressure state, and heat is released to the indoor environment during the condensation process. The first throttle device 113 and the second throttle device 125 reduce the pressure of the liquid-phase refrigerant in the high-pressure state through throttling, the second heat exchanger 123 absorbs heat from the surrounding environment and evaporates the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant in a low-pressure state to form a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant, and the gas-phase refrigerant in the low-temperature and low-pressure state is returned into the compressor 121 through the four-way valve 122, so as to form a heating cycle.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the air conditioner 10 may further include at least one of the following: a fifth sensor 180, a communicator 18, or a memory 19.

[0035] The fifth sensor 180 (e.g., an ambient temperature sensor) is disposed at the second heat exchanger 123 and is configured to detect an outdoor ambient temperature.

[0036] The communicator 18 is configured to establish communicative connections with other network entities. For example, the communicator 18 establishes a communicative connection with a terminal device.

[0037] The memory 19 is configured to store software programs and data. The controller 15 executes various functions and data processing of the air conditioner 10 by running the software programs or data stored in the memory 19. The memory 19 stores an operating system for operating the air conditioner 10. The memory 19 in some embodiments of the present disclosure may store an operating system and various application programs, and may also store codes for executing the control method of the air conditioner 10 provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the indoor unit 11 further includes a housing 110, and the housing 110 includes an air inlet 1101 and an air outlet 1102.

[0039] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the indoor unit 11 further includes a first air deflector 150 and a second air deflector 160. The first air deflector 150 and the second air deflector 160 are covered on the air outlet 1102 of the housing 110, and the first air deflector 150 is configured to adjust the wind direction of the air flow blown out from the air outlet 1102 in a first direction (X direction as shown in FIG. 8). The second air deflector 160 is configured to adjust the wind direction of the air flow blown out from the air outlet 1102 in a second direction (Y direction shown in FIG. 8). The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

[0040] During the operation of the air conditioner 10, the indoor air enters the inside of the indoor unit 11 through the air inlet 1101, passes through the first heat exchanger 111, the indoor fan 112, the second air deflector 160, and the first air deflector 150 in this order, and then is blown into the room through the air outlet 1102 of the indoor unit 11.

[0041] In some embodiments, the indoor unit 11 further includes a water receiving tray. The water receiving tray is disposed below the first heat exchanger 111, and is configured to receive condensed water generated on the surface of the first heat exchanger 111.

[0042] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the indoor unit 11 further includes an electric box 170 disposed on a side of the housing 110 facing the refrigerant pipeline 13. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the electric box 170 includes a fixing portion 171 (for example, a sheet metal member), a mounting cavity, and a wiring groove 173. The mounting cavity is configured to mount a substrate and other electronic components. The outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 are connected to each other by a wire through the wiring groove 173, that is, the connection wire between the outdoor unit 12 and the indoor unit 11 can be limited within the wiring groove 173.

[0043] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, the fixing portion 171 further includes at least one connecting portion 172 (for example, a screw hole), and the fixing portion 171 is fixed to the outer surface of the electric box 170 by the at least one connecting portion 172 and a fastener. When the at least one connecting portion 172 includes two connecting portions 172, the two connecting portions 172 are disposed on opposite sides of the fixing portion 171. Furthermore, the distance between the at least one connecting portion 172 and the substrate within the electric box 170 is greater than 10 mm, so as to prevent the fastener from entering the mounting cavity of the electric box 170 and contacting the substrate within the electric box 170 to cause damage to the substrate.

[0044] It should be noted that the outer surface of the electric box 170 is a surface thereof away from the mounting cavity.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 13, the indoor unit 11 further includes a first sensor 140 (e.g., a refrigerant concentration sensor). The first sensor 140 is disposed inside the indoor unit 11, and is configured to detect the refrigerant concentration in the vicinity of the refrigerant pipeline 13.

[0046] It is to be noted that, a response time of the first sensor 140 to the refrigerant concentration when the first sensor 140 is disposed inside the indoor unit 11 is faster than a response time of the first sensor 140 to the refrigerant concentration when the first sensor 140 is disposed outside the indoor unit 11.

[0047] In some embodiments, when the first sensor 140 is disposed at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the first heat exchanger 111, the range of the response time to the refrigerant concentration is, for example, greater than or equal to 3 minutes. As such, the response time of the first sensor 140 to the refrigerant concentration is too long, which may cause a large amount of leakage of the refrigerant, resulting in a potential safety hazard.

[0048] In some embodiments, when the first sensor 140 is disposed close to the water receiving tray and the refrigerant pipeline 13, the range of the response time to the refrigerant concentration is, for example, [33 s, 47 s], which satisfies the response time requirement for the first sensor 140 to the refrigerant concentration in the present disclosure. Therefore, in some embodiments, the first sensor 140 is disposed at a position close to the refrigerant pipeline 13 of the indoor unit 11.

[0049] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14, the first sensor 140 may be disposed at at least one of a seventh position 141, an eighth position 142, or a ninth position 143, for example.

[0050] The seventh position 141, the eighth position 142, and the ninth position 143 are located inside the indoor unit 11 and close to the water receiving tray and the refrigerant pipeline 13. The distance between the seventh position 141 and the refrigerant pipeline 13 is smaller than the distance between the eighth position 142 and the refrigerant pipeline 13, and the distance between the eighth position 142 and the refrigerant pipeline 13 is smaller than the distance between the ninth position 143 and the refrigerant pipeline 13.

[0051] When the first sensor 140 is disposed at the seventh position 141, the response time of the first sensor 140 to the refrigerant concentration is a first time T1. When the first sensor 140 is disposed at the eighth position 142, the response time of the first sensor 140 to the refrigerant concentration is the second time T2. When the first sensor 140 is disposed at the ninth position 143, the response time of the first sensor 140 to the refrigerant concentration is the third time T3. Where, T1 < T2 < T3.

[0052] In the present disclosure, the first sensor 140 is disposed at the eighth position 142 in consideration of perspectives including the space limitation inside the indoor unit 11, the installation of the first sensor 140, and the maintenance. Where the eighth position 142 is, for example, a position where the fixing portion 171 of the electric box 170 is located, and at this time, the first sensor 140 is fixed to the fixing portion 171 by a fastener.

[0053] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the first sensor 140 is connected to the substrate within the electric box 170 through the wiring groove 173 of the electric box 170. At this time, the first sensor 140 and the electric box 170 can be regarded as an integral component, therefore, the first sensor 140 can be repaired or replaced by disassembling the electric box 170.

[0054] In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a control method of the air conditioner 10, which is applied to a controller 15. As shown in FIG. 15, the method includes S11 to S14.

[0055] In S11, a first refrigerant concentration C1 is acquired at a first time.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first time is, for example, one of the following times: a time when the controller 15 receives a control instruction instructing the air conditioner 10 to detect the refrigerant concentration; a time after the time when the controller 15 receives the control instruction instructing the air conditioner 10 to detect the refrigerant concentration; and a start time of each detection cycle of the refrigerant concentration detection cycles set in advance.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner 10 further includes a manipulation device 20 (for example, a remote controller, a wire controller, or a mobile phone), and during operation of the air conditioner 10, a control instruction for instructing the air conditioner 10 to detect the refrigerant concentration can be issued to the air conditioner 10 through the terminal device or the manipulation device 20. At this time, taking a time when the controller 15 receives the control instruction as the first time, or taking a time after the when the controller 15 receives the control instruction as the first time, the controller 15 acquires the first refrigerant concentration in the vicinity of the refrigerant pipeline 13 by the first sensor 140 at the first time.

[0058] In other embodiments, during operation of the air conditioner 10, the controller 15 may periodically detect and obtain the first refrigerant concentration by the first sensor 140, that is, taking a start time of a predetermined detection period of the controller 15 as the first time, the controller 15 acquires the first refrigerant concentration by the first sensor 140 at the first time.

[0059] In S12, whether the first refrigerant concentration C1 is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold C set1 is determined. If yes, S13 is performed, and if not, S11 is continued to be performed.

[0060] The first preset threshold C set1 is less than a third preset threshold C set2 . In some embodiments, the first preset threshold C set1 is, for example, 60%-90% of the third preset threshold C set2 .

[0061] It is to be noted that, when the refrigerant concentration inside the air conditioner 10 detected by the first sensor 140 is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold C set2 , the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to issue a refrigerant leakage alarm signal.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller 15 may obtain the first preset threshold C set1 based on the third preset threshold C set2 . For example, a refrigerant concentration value less than the third preset threshold C set2 and is close to the third preset threshold C set2 is determined as the first preset threshold C set1 .

[0063] If it is determined that the first refrigerant concentration C 1 is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold C set1 , then this indicates that the refrigerant concentration data acquired by the controller 15 from the first sensor 140 is greater than or equal to a preset refrigerant concentration data threshold, and at this time, a refrigerant leakage may have occurred in the air conditioner 10.

[0064] However, in addition to the refrigerant which can cause the controller 15 to acquire the concentration data from the first sensor 140, other interfering substances (for example, alcohol or water vapor) in the indoor air may also cause the controller 15 to acquire the concentration data from the first sensor 140, thereby causing the measurement value of the refrigerant concentration within the air conditioner 10 by the first sensor 140 to deviate. At this time, it is necessary to further confirm the refrigerant concentration in the air conditioner 10, and it proceeds to perform S13.

[0065] If it is determined that the first refrigerant concentration C 1 is less than the first preset threshold C set1 , which indicates that the air conditioner 10 is operating normally, then it continues to perform S11.

[0066] In S13, the air conditioner 10 is controlled to perform a false alarm detection operation.

[0067] In some embodiments, the controller 15 controls the swings of the first air deflector 150 and the second air deflector 160 and the rotational speed of the indoor fan 112 to influence the airflow and further influence the refrigerant concentration within the air conditioner 10, to complete the false alarm detection operation. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 16, S13 further includes S131 to S134.

[0068] In S131, the first air deflector 150 and the second air deflector 160 are controlled to perform a first swing operation.

[0069] In some embodiments, the controller 15 controls the first air deflector 150 and the second air deflector 160 to perform a first swing operation, that is, controls the first air deflector 150 to swing toward a third direction (such as the Q direction in FIG. 20) and controls the second air deflector 160 to swing toward a fourth direction (such as the W direction in FIG. 18) to reduce the refrigerant concentration inside the air conditioner 10. At this time, the flow direction of the airflow in the indoor unit 11 is shown by a broken arrow in FIG. 17.

[0070] It can be understood that the swings of the first air deflector 150 and the second air deflector 160 will affect the direction of the airflow inside the indoor unit 11.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 18, the controller 15 controls the second air deflector 160 to swing toward the fourth direction such that the gas inside the indoor unit 11 flows toward the fourth direction, so as to drive the gas at the position where the first sensor 140 is located to flow and be discharged into the indoor, to reduce the concentration in the air at the position where the first sensor 140 is located, that is, the refrigerant concentration detected by the first sensor 140 is decreased. Thus, when the first refrigerant concentration C 1 being greater than or equal to the first preset threshold C set1 is caused by other interfering substances, conditions in which the refrigerant concentration detected by the first sensor 140 being greater than or equal to the third preset threshold C set2 and causing the air conditioner 10 to issue a false alarm reminder of refrigerant leakage may be prevented.

[0072] For example, as shown in FIG. 18, in some embodiments, the second air deflector 160 includes a third end 1601 (i.e., one end) connected to the housing 110 and a fourth end 1602 (i.e., the other end) that is pivotable. The controller 15 controls the fourth end 1602 to swing from the first position 1 toward a fourth direction to the second position 2, to reduce the refrigerant concentration detected by the first sensor 140. The first position 1 is an initial position of the second air deflector 160, which is acquired by the controller 15 at the first time. The second position 2 is a limit position to which the second air deflector 160 swings toward the fourth direction.

[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 19, the controller 15 controls the first air deflector 150 to swing toward the third direction, such that the air inside the indoor unit 11 is deflected toward the third direction. In this way, when the refrigerant leakage occurs in the air conditioner 10, resulting in the first refrigerant concentration C 1 being greater than or equal to the first preset threshold C set1 , the refrigerant discharged into the indoor can be reduced, and the concentration of the refrigerant in the indoor can be prevented from being too high to cause a danger.

[0074] For example, as shown in FIG. 20, in some embodiments, the first air deflector 150 includes a first end 1501 (i.e., one end) connected to the housing 110 and a second end 1502 (i.e., the other end) that is pivotable. The controller 15 controls the second end 1502 to swing from the third position 3 toward the third direction to the fourth position 4, to reduce the refrigerant discharged into the indoor. The third position 3 is the initial position of the second end 1502, and is acquired by the controller 15 at the first time. The fourth position 4 is a position of the second end 1502 when the second end 1502 and the first end 1502 are at the same height in the horizontal direction.

[0075] It is to be noted that, as the swing amplitude of the first air deflector 150 is different, the distribution of the refrigerant discharged into the indoor is also different. As shown in FIG. 21, the distribution of the refrigerant discharged into the indoor is less affected by gravity, and the refrigerant concentration in the direction in which the air is blown out from the first air deflector 150 is larger than the refrigerant concentration in other areas. Where, the position M is the position of the second end 1502 when the first air deflector 150 is in a closed state. The position N is the above fourth position 4. The included angle between the air deflector 150 when the second end 1502 is located at the position O and the air deflector 150 when the second end 1502 is located at the position M is 60°. The included angle between the air deflector 150 when the second end 1502 is located at the position P and the air deflector 150 when the second end 1502 is located at the position M is 30°.

[0076] When the second end 1502 swings toward the third direction to the position N, a region having a relatively high refrigerant concentration is mainly concentrated in a region having the same height as that of the indoor unit 11 and in the horizontal plane, while a region close to the floor surface has a relatively low refrigerant concentration. In the case where the second end 1502 is located at any one of the position M, the position O, or the position P, the region having a relatively high refrigerant concentration is mainly concentrated in the direction in which the air is blown out along the first air deflector 150 and in the intermediate region in the indoor. Further, as the included angle between the air deflector 150 when the air deflector 150 is at different positions and the air deflector 150 when the second end 1502 is at the position M is smaller, the refrigerant concentration in the intermediate region in the indoor is higher, and thus, if a refrigerant leakage occurs in the air conditioner 10, by swinging the second end 1502 from the initial position toward the third direction to the position N, that is, the position 4, the area of the region having a relatively high refrigerant concentration in the indoor can be effectively reduced.

[0077] It is to be noted that, since the density of the refrigerant is greater than the density of air, when the air deflector 150 is close to the closed state, the refrigerant is blown out to the upper part of the indoor through the air deflector 150, and the refrigerant located at the upper part of the indoor goes down to the middle part of the indoor due to the affection by the density.

[0078] In some embodiments, the controller 15 may also increase the rotational speed of the indoor fan 112, increase the rate at which the refrigerant is discharged from the indoor unit 11, so as to reduce the concentration of the refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11.

[0079] In some embodiments, the air conditioner 10 further includes a ventilation device, and at this time, the controller 15 may also control the ventilation device to start, so as to reduce the refrigerant concentration inside the indoor unit 11.

[0080] In S132, a third refrigerant concentration C 3 is acquired at a third time.

[0081] Where, the third time is a time between the first time and a second time described below.

[0082] The controller 15 controls the first sensor 140 to detect the third refrigerant concentration C 3 at the third time.

[0083] In S133, whether the third refrigerant concentration C 3 is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold C set3 is determined. If yes, S134 is performed, and if not, S131 is continued to be performed.

[0084] Where the second preset threshold C set3 is less than the first preset threshold C set1 . In some embodiments, the second preset threshold C set3 is, for example, 30%-60% of the third preset threshold C set2 .

[0085] It is to be noted that, if the refrigerant concentration is continuously reduced, the refrigerant concentration detected by the first sensor 140 will always be less than the third preset threshold C set2 . As such, even when a refrigerant leakage occurs in the air conditioner 10, a refrigerant leakage alarm reminder cannot be issued. Therefore, when the third refrigerant concentration C 3 is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold C set3 , S134 is performed.

[0086] In S134, the first air deflector 150 and the second air deflector 160 are controlled to perform a second swing operation.

[0087] The controller 15 controls the first air deflector 150 to continue to swing toward the third direction, and controls the second air deflector 160 to swing toward the fifth direction (such as the R direction in FIG. 22), so as to increase the refrigerant concentration inside the air conditioner 10.

[0088] It is to be understood that, as shown in FIG. 22, when the second air deflector 160 swings toward the fifth direction, the air inside the indoor unit 11 will flow toward the first sensor 140, and the air at a position where the first sensor 140 is located cannot flow to the outside of the indoor unit 11 due to a baffle structure at that position, therefore, as shown in FIG. 23, a part of the airflow that cannot flow to the outside of the indoor unit 11 forms a vortex at the first sensor 140.

[0089] For example, when the third refrigerant concentration C 3 is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold C set3 , as shown in FIG. 25, the controller 15 controls the fourth end 1602 of the second air deflector 160 to swing from the second position 2 toward the fifth direction to the fifth position 5. Where, the fifth position 5 is a limit position to which the fourth end 1602 of the second air deflector 160 swings toward the fifth direction.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 26, the controller 15 controls the second end 1502 of the first air deflector 150 to continue to swing from the position 4 toward the third direction to the sixth position 6. The included angle between the first air deflector 150 when the second end 1502 is at the sixth position 6 and the first air deflector 150 when the second end 1502 is closed is 10°.

[0091] When the first air deflector 150 continues to swing toward the third direction, it is possible to further reduce the amount of outflow of the air inside the indoor unit 11, and form a vortex as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 inside the indoor unit 11.

[0092] When the refrigerant concentration detected at the first sensor 140 being higher than the first preset threshold C set1 is caused by the interfering substances, since the air conditioner 10 will not release other interfering substances, the refrigerant concentration inside the air conditioner 10 will not continue to increase, or the increase amplitude will decrease, so that the refrigerant concentration value acquired by the controller 15 from the first sensor 140 is less than the third preset threshold C set2 .

[0093] when the refrigerant concentration detected at the first sensor 140 being higher than the first preset threshold C set1 is caused by an occurrence of a refrigerant leakage, since the air conditioner 10 will continue to leak the refrigerant and the refrigerant circulates inside the indoor unit 11, so that the refrigerant concentration inside the air conditioner 10 will increase again, and the increase amplitude will remain unchanged or will increase, so that the refrigerant concentration value acquired by the controller 15 from the first sensor 140 is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold C set2 . At this time, the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to issue an alarm reminder.

[0094] Therefore, when the third refrigerant concentration C 3 is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold C set3 , the controller 15 increases the refrigerant concentration inside the indoor unit 11 by controlling the first air deflector 150 and the second air deflector 160 to perform a second swing operation, and determines, based on the condition of the increase in the refrigerant concentration, whether the first refrigerant concentration C 1 detected by the first sensor 140 being greater than the first preset threshold C set1 is caused by a refrigerant leakage in the air conditioner 10.

[0095] In some embodiments, the controller 15 may also reduce the rotational speed of the indoor fan 112, for example, to a lower limit value of a predetermined rotational speed range, to increase the refrigerant concentration inside the indoor unit 11.

[0096] In S14, a second refrigerant concentration C 2 is acquired at a second time.

[0097] Where the second time is a time after the first time, and the third time is between the first time and the second time.

[0098] It is to be understood that, the second refrigerant concentration C 2 is the adjusted refrigerant concentration of the indoor unit 11 during performing the false alarm operation.

[0099] The controller 15 acquires the second refrigerant concentration C 2 through the first sensor 140 at the second time.

[0100] In S15, whether the second refrigerant concentration C 2 is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold C set2 is determined. If yes, S16 is performed, and if not, S14 is continued to be performed.

[0101] It is to be understood that, when the refrigerant concentration detected by the first sensor 140 being greater than the first preset threshold C set1 is caused by the interfering substances, the second refrigerant concentration C 2 may be greater than or equal to the first refrigerant concentration C 1 , but is less than the third preset threshold. Therefore, if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration C 2 is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold C set2 , the influence of other interfering substances on the measurement value of the first sensor 140 can be eliminated, thereby indicating that a refrigerant leakage has occurred in the air conditioner 10.

[0102] In S16, the air conditioner 10 is controlled to issue a refrigerant leakage alarm signal.

[0103] In some embodiments, when the second refrigerant concentration C 2 is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold C set2 , the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to issue an alarm reminder. For example, the air conditioner 10 is controlled to issue a voice alarm reminder.

[0104] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the air conditioner 10 further includes an alarm device 30. When the second refrigerant concentration C 2 is greater than or equal to a third preset threshold C set2 , the controller 15 controls the alarm device 30 to issue an alarm reminder.

[0105] In some embodiments, the alarm reminder may be, for example, that the manipulation device 20 of the air conditioner 10 displays that the refrigerant leakage has occurred in the air conditioner 10, or a terminal device that establishes a communicative connection with the air conditioner 10 displays that the refrigerant leakage has occurred in the air conditioner 10.

[0106] In some embodiments, after the air conditioner 10 issues a refrigerant leakage reminder, the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to enter a refrigerant recovery mode to recover the leaked refrigerant.

[0107] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 27 and FIG. 28, the control method may further include S21 to S22.

[0108] In S21, initial operating parameters of the air conditioner are acquired at a first time.

[0109] The initial operating parameters are operating parameters before the air conditioner 10 performs the false alarm detection operation of the refrigerant leakage.

[0110] In S22, if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is less than the third preset threshold, the air conditioner is controlled to operate with the initial operating parameters.

[0111] According to the control method of the air conditioner 10 provided by the present disclosure, the influence of other interfering substances on the measurement value of the first sensor 140 can be eliminated according to the condition of the increase in the refrigerant concentration after adjusting the refrigerant concentration, so as to determine whether the alarm reminder of the air conditioner 10 is caused by the occurrence of refrigerant leakage.

[0112] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 29, the refrigerant pipeline 13 includes a first refrigerant main pipeline 131 (i.e., a liquid pipeline) and a second refrigerant main pipeline 132 (i.e., a gas pipeline). The first refrigerant main pipeline 131 is in communication with the first heat exchanger 111 and the second heat exchanger 123, respectively. The second refrigerant main pipeline 132 is in communication with the first heat exchanger 111 and the four-way valve 122, respectively. In some embodiments, the first refrigerant main pipeline 131 and the second refrigerant main pipeline 132 are charged with a refrigerant, such as refrigerant R32.

[0113] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 29, the air conditioner 10 further includes a first cutoff device 127 (e.g., a cutoff valve, a solenoid valve, or an electronic expansion valve) and a second cutoff device 128 (e.g., a cutoff valve, a solenoid valve, or an electronic expansion valve). The first cutoff device 127 is disposed in the first refrigerant main pipeline 131, and is configured to control the turning on and turning off of the first refrigerant main pipeline 131. The second cutoff device 128 is disposed in the second refrigerant main pipeline 132, and is configured to control the turning on and turning off of the second refrigerant main pipeline 132.

[0114] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 29, the air conditioner 10 further includes a first cutoff device 134 (e.g., a cutoff valve) and a second cutoff device 135 (e.g., a cutoff valve). The first cutoff device 134 is disposed in the first refrigerant main pipeline 131, and is configured to control the flow rate of the refrigerant in the first refrigerant main pipeline 131. The second cutoff device 135 is disposed in the second refrigerant main pipeline 132, and is configured to control the flow rate of the refrigerant in the second refrigerant main pipeline 132. In some embodiments, after the installation of the air conditioner 10 is completed, the first cutoff device 134 and the second cutoff device 135 remain normally open.

[0115] In some embodiments, when a refrigerant leakage is determined, the controller 15 may control components of the air conditioner 10 to perform refrigerant recovery.

[0116] In some other embodiments, when the refrigerant leakage is determined, the air conditioner 10 may receive a refrigerant recovery instruction, and perform refrigerant recovery based on the instruction.

[0117] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 29, the refrigerant pipeline 13 further includes a first bypass branch 136 that is in communication with the gas-liquid separator 126 and the second heat exchanger 123, respectively.

[0118] In some embodiments, the air conditioner 10 further includes a first bypass device 133 (e.g., an electronic expansion valve) disposed in the first bypass branch 136 and configured to control the turning on and turning off of the first bypass branch 136.

[0119] In some embodiments, the air conditioner 10 further includes a third sensor 139 disposed at the suction port 1211 of the compressor 121 and configured to detect the suction pressure of the compressor 121.

[0120] The present disclosure provides another control method of the air conditioner 10, applied to the controller 15. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 30, the method includes S1001 to S1004.

[0121] In S1001, if a refrigerant leakage is determined, a refrigerant charge amount S 1 is acquired.

[0122] The refrigerant charge amount S 1 refers to a total amount of refrigerant currently included in the air conditioner 10.

[0123] In S1002, it is determined whether the refrigerant charge amount S 1 is greater than a preset charge amount S set . If yes, S1003 is performed, and if not, S 1004 is performed.

[0124] It is to be noted that, when the refrigerant charge amount S 1 is larger than the preset charge amount S set , it indicates that the refrigerant charge amount S 1 of the air conditioner 10 is larger than the storage range of the refrigerant by the second heat exchanger 123. When the refrigerant charge amount S 1 is less than or equal to the preset charge amount S set , it indicates that the refrigerant charge amount S 1 of the air conditioner 10 is within the storage range of the refrigerant by the second heat exchanger 123.

[0125] Where, the preset charge amount S set may be set in advance by a manager when the air conditioner 10 is shipped from the factory.

[0126] In S1003, the air conditioner 10 is controlled to perform a first refrigerant recovery operation, such that the first bypass branch 136 is turned on.

[0127] It is to be noted that, the air conditioner 10 transfers the refrigerant on the indoor side into the outdoor unit 12 to realize the recovery of the refrigerant, and it is possible to prevent the refrigerant from continuing to leak in the indoor. Normally, the air conditioner 10 recovers the refrigerant into the second heat exchanger 123 on the outdoor side. However, when the refrigerant charge amount S 1 is larger than the preset charge amount S set , the total amount of the refrigerant inside the air conditioner 10 exceeds the storage range of the refrigerant by the second heat exchanger 123, at this time, the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to perform the first refrigerant recovery operation.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first refrigerant recovery operation includes: the controller 15 controls the indoor fan 112 and the outdoor fan 124 to operate at a highest gear (i.e., 100% of the maximum rotational speeds of the indoor fan 112 and the outdoor fan 124) and controls the compressor 121 to operate at a preset rotational speed, to increase a speed at which the air conditioner 10 recovers the refrigerant. Further, the controller 15 controls the first cutoff device 127 to close, the second cutoff device 128 to open, and the first bypass device 133 to open, such that the first bypass branch 136 is turned on.

[0129] It is to be noted that, when the compressor 121 is operating at a preset rotational speed, the compressor 121 can operate at a frequency that satisfies the demand, and the compressor 121 can also be prevented from being shut down due to excessive frequency.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 31, when the air conditioner 10 executes the first refrigerant recovery operation, the D port and the C port of the four-way valve 122 are in communication, and the E port and the S port are in communication. The refrigerant flowing out from the first heat exchanger 111 sequentially passes through the second cutoff device 128 and the four-way valve 122 and enters the gas-liquid separator 126, and the compressor 121 compresses the refrigerant delivered by the gas-liquid separator 126, and transports the compressed refrigerant into the second heat exchanger 123. At this time, since the first cutoff device 127 is closed, and the first bypass device 133 is opened, the refrigerant flowing out from the second heat exchanger is returned to the gas-liquid separator 126 again through the first bypass branch 136. As such, both the second heat exchanger 123 and the gas-liquid separator 126 can store the refrigerant recovered from the indoor side, and the recovery amount of the refrigerant is increased.

[0131] In S1004, the air conditioner 10 is controlled to perform a second refrigerant recovery operation, such that the first bypass branch 136 is turned off.

[0132] When the refrigerant charge amount S 1 is less than or equal to the preset charge amount S set , the second heat exchanger 123 may store all the refrigerant inside the air conditioner 10, and at this time, it is not necessary to store the refrigerant on the indoor side by using the gas-liquid separator 126, so that the first bypass branch 136 can be in a turned off state.

[0133] In some embodiments, the second refrigerant recovery operation includes: the controller 15 controls the outdoor fan 124 and the indoor fan 112 to operate at a highest gear, and controls the compressor 121 to operate at a preset rotational speed, to increase a speed at which the air conditioner 10 recovers the refrigerant. Further, the controller 15 controls the first cutoff device 127 to close, the second cutoff device 128 to open, and the first bypass device 133 to close, such that the first bypass branch 136 is turned off.

[0134] According to the control method of the air conditioner 10 according to the present disclosure, after the refrigerant leakage is detected, when the refrigerant charge amount of the air conditioner 10 is larger than the storage range of the refrigerant by the second heat exchanger 123, the first bypass branch 136 of the air conditioner 10 can be controlled to be turned on, and further, the refrigerant recovered from the indoor side can be stored by the second heat exchanger 123 and the gas-liquid separator 126 at the same time, thereby increasing the recovery amount of the refrigerant, increasing the recovery rate of the leaked refrigerant, and improving the safety of the air conditioner 10.

[0135] In some embodiments, after S1003 is performed, as shown in FIG. 32, the method further includes S2001 to S2004.

[0136] In S2001, a suction pressure and a discharge pressure of the compressor 121 are acquired.

[0137] The controller 15 acquires the suction pressure of the compressor 121 measured by the second sensor 130 and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 measured by the third sensor 139.

[0138] In S2002, an opening degree adjustment amount of the first bypass device 133 is determined based on the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121.

[0139] In some embodiments, the opening degree adjustment amount of the first bypass device 133 is obtained by Equation (1). ΔV = A × N t − I t + B

[0140] Where, ΔV is an opening degree adjustment amount of the first bypass device 133; A is a first preset coefficient; B is a second preset coefficient; N(t) is the discharge pressure of the compressor 121; and I(t) is the suction pressure of the compressor 121.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first preset coefficient A satisfies:A> 0, and the second preset coefficient B satisfies:B ≥ 0.

[0142] In S2003, the opening degree of the first bypass device 133 is adjusted according to the opening degree adjustment amount ΔV of the first bypass device 133.

[0143] In some embodiments, the controller 15 may control the opening degree of the first bypass device 133 to increase or decrease or remain unchanged according to the opening degree adjustment amount of the first bypass device 133.

[0144] For example, if it is determined that the opening degree adjustment amount is less than zero, the opening degree of the first bypass device 133 is decreased. If the opening degree adjustment amount is larger than zero, the opening degree of the first bypass device 133 is increased. If the opening degree adjustment amount is equal to zero, the opening degree of the first bypass valve is controlled to remain unchanged.

[0145] In S2004, the compressor is controlled to continue to operate at a preset rotational speed.

[0146] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 33, after S2004, the method further includes S3000 to S3004.

[0147] In S3000, it is determined whether the compressor 121 satisfies a first preset condition (i.e., a preset condition). If yes, S3001 is performed, and if not, S2004 is continued to be performed.

[0148] Where the first preset condition includes at least one of the following: the suction pressure of the compressor 121 is less than or equal to a preset suction pressure; the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to a preset discharge pressure; and an operating time duration of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to a first preset time duration.

[0149] In some embodiments, the preset suction pressure, the preset discharge pressure, and the first preset time duration of the compressor 121 may be set in advance when the air conditioner 10 is shipped from the factory.

[0150] In S3001, the second cutoff device 128 is controlled to close.

[0151] When the compressor 121 satisfies the first preset condition, it indicates that the first refrigerant recovery operation has been completed, and the refrigerant on the indoor side has been recovered into the second heat exchanger 123 and the gas-liquid separator 126. At this time, the air conditioner 10 needs to control the compressor 121 to stop operation, however, if the compressor 121 stops operation, the refrigerant on the outdoor side may flow back to the indoor side through the second refrigerant main pipeline 132. Therefore, before the compressor 121 stops operation, the second cutoff device 128 is closed, so that the second refrigerant main pipeline 132 is turned off, so as to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back from the outdoor side to the indoor side through the second refrigerant main pipeline132.

[0152] In S3002, the compressor 121 is controlled to continue to operate at the preset rotational speed.

[0153] In S3003, it is determined whether the operating time duration of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the second preset time duration. If yes, S3004 is performed, and if not, S3002 is continued to be performed.

[0154] Where the second preset time duration is longer than the first preset time duration. In some embodiments, the second preset time duration may be set in advance when the air conditioner 10 is shipped from the factory.

[0155] In S3004, the compressor 121 is controlled to stop operation.

[0156] When the recovery time duration of the refrigerant recovery process is longer than or equal to the second preset time duration, the compressor 121 is controlled to stop operation, and the refrigerant recovery process is ended.

[0157] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 34, before performing S3004, the method further includes S4001.

[0158] In S4001, the opening degree of the first bypass device 133 is controlled to a preset opening degree.

[0159] The preset opening degree may be set in advance when the air conditioner 10 is shipped from the factory.

[0160] It can be understood that, as the ambient temperature increases, the pressure of the refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 also increases, which may cause potential safety hazards. At this time, the opening degree of the first bypass device 133 is controlled to a preset opening degree to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123, thereby improving the safety of the air conditioner 10.

[0161] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 35, before performing S1001, the method may further include S5000 to S5004.

[0162] In S5000, a subcooling degree of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125 is acquired.

[0163] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 31, the air conditioner 10 further includes a first temperature sensor 16, and first temperature sensor 16 is disposed at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125 and is configured to detect an outdoor ambient temperature.

[0164] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 31, the air conditioner 10 further includes a sixth sensor 17, and the sixth sensor 17 is disposed at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125, and is configured to detect a condensing pressure of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125.

[0165] In some embodiments, the controller 15 may acquire a temperature of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125 through the first temperature sensor 16, and acquire the condensing pressure of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125 through the sixth sensor 17.

[0166] Based on the difference between a saturation temperature corresponding to the condensing pressure and the above temperature of the refrigerant, the subcooling degree of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125 is determined.

[0167] In S5001, an amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is determined based on the above subcooling degree.

[0168] In some embodiments, when a refrigerant leakage is determined, the controller 15 needs to determine the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 by using the subcooling degree of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125, so as to determine whether it is necessary to recover the refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123.

[0169] It is to be noted that, when the subcooling degree is smaller than a preset subcooling degree, it is determined that the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is large. When the subcooling degree is greater than or equal to the preset subcooling degree, it is determined that the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is small.

[0170] In S5002, it is determined whether or not the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is greater than or equal to a preset refrigerant threshold. If yes, S5003 is performed, and if not, S1001 is performed.

[0171] Where, the preset refrigerant threshold may be set in advance when the air conditioner is shipped from the factory.

[0172] If it is determined that the refrigerant is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, it indicates that it is necessary to recover the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123, and at this time, S5003 is performed. If not, it indicates that it is not necessary to recover the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123, and the controller 15 acquires the refrigerant charge amount.

[0173] In S5003, the air conditioner 10 is controlled to perform a third refrigerant recovery operation, such that the first bypass branch 136 is turned on.

[0174] In some embodiments, the third refrigerant recovery operation includes: the controller 15 controls the outdoor fan 124 and the indoor fan 112 to operate at a highest level, controls the compressor 121 to operate at a preset rotational speed, and controls the first cutoff device 127 to close, the second cutoff device 128 to close, and the first bypass device 133 to open.

[0175] It is to be understood that, before performing the first refrigerant recovery operation, if the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is large, the second heat exchanger 123 cannot store more of the refrigerant on the indoor side, thereby affecting the recovery amount of refrigerant. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 36, when the air conditioner 10 performs the third refrigerant recovery operation, the D port and the C port of the four-way valve 122 are in communication, the E port and the S port thereof are in communication, the first bypass branch 136 is turned on, and the refrigerant flowing out from the second heat exchanger 123 flows into the gas-liquid separator 126 through the first bypass branch 136, so that the second heat exchanger 123 can store more of the refrigerant on the indoor side during the refrigerant recovery process.

[0176] In S5004, it is determined whether or not the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is less than a preset refrigerant threshold. If yes, S1001 is performed, and if not, S5003 is continued to be performed.

[0177] In this way, the refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 can be recovered into the gas-liquid separator 126 through the first bypass branch 136, which reduces the time required for refrigerant recovery and improves the recovery rate of leaked refrigerant.

[0178] In some other embodiments, the controller 15 may further determine whether it is necessary to recover the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 in advance, according to the subcooling degree of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device 125.

[0179] For example, when the subcooling degree is greater than or equal to a preset subcooling degree, it is determined that it is necessary to recover the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 in advance, and the controller 15 controls the air conditioner 10 to perform the third refrigerant recovery operation. When the subcooling degree is less than the preset subcooling degree, it is determined that it is not necessary to recover the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 in advance.

[0180] The preset subcooling degree may be set in advance when the air conditioner is shipped from the factory.

[0181] In some embodiments, the controller 15 may also adjust the opening degree of the first bypass device 133 according to the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121, such that the difference between the discharge pressure and the suction pressure is greater than or equal to a preset difference. In this way, the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 can be stabilized within a preset range, so as to reduce the influence of the first bypass branch 136 on the compressor 121.

[0182] Where, the preset difference may be set in advance when the air conditioner is shipped from the factory.

[0183] In some other embodiments, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 37, the refrigerant pipeline 13 further includes a second bypass branch 138. One end of the second bypass branch 138 is in communication with the discharge port 1212 of the compressor 121, and the other end thereof is in communication with one end of the gas-liquid separator 126 close to the four-way valve 122.

[0184] In some embodiments, the refrigerant pipeline 13 further includes a second bypass device 137 (e.g., an electronic expansion valve). The second bypass device 137 is disposed in the second bypass branch 138, and is configured to control the turning on and turning off of the second bypass branch 138.

[0185] At this time, as shown in FIG. 38, the method may further include S6000 to S6004.

[0186] In S6000, a subcooling degree of the refrigerant at one end of the second heat exchanger 123 close to the second throttle device is acquired.

[0187] This can be referred to S5000, which will not be repeated here.

[0188] In S6001, an amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is determined based on the above subcooling degree.

[0189] This can be referred to S5001, which will not be repeated here.

[0190] In S6002, it is determined whether or not the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is greater than or equal to a preset refrigerant threshold. If yes, S5003 is performed, and if not, S1001 is performed.

[0191] This can be referred to S5002, which will not be repeated here.

[0192] In S6003, the air conditioner 10 is controlled to perform a fourth refrigerant recovery operation, such that the first bypass branch 136 and the second bypass branch 138 are turned on.

[0193] In some embodiments, the fourth refrigerant recovery operation includes: the controller 15 controls the D port and the C port of the four-way valve 122 to be in communication with each other, and the E port and the S port thereof to be in communication with each other, controls the outdoor fan 124 and the indoor fan 112 to operate at a highest gear, controls the compressor 121 to operate at a preset rotational speed, and controls the first cutoff device 127 to close, the second cutoff device 128 to close, the first bypass device 133 to open, and the second bypass device 137 to open.

[0194] For example, as shown in FIG. 39, when the air conditioner 10 performs the fourth refrigerant recovery operation, the first bypass branch 136 and the second bypass branch 138 are turned on, as such, a part of the refrigerant flowing out from the second heat exchanger 123 flows into the gas-liquid separator 126 through the first bypass branch 136, and the other part of the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 123 flows into the gas-liquid separator 126 sequentially through the four-way valve 122, the second bypass device 137, and the second bypass branch 138, so as to avoid a situation where as the outdoor ambient temperature suddenly increases, the outdoor unit 12 explodes due to an excessive amount of refrigerant stored in the second heat exchanger 123.

[0195] It is to be noted that, since the pressure at the discharge port 1212 of the compressor 121 is high, the other part of the refrigerant of the second heat exchanger 123, after passing through the D port and the C port of the four-way valve 122, will enter the second bypass branch 138 together with the refrigerant flowing out at the discharge port 1212 of the compressor 121.

[0196] In S6004, it is determined whether or not the amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger 123 is less than a preset refrigerant threshold. If yes, S1001 is performed, and if not, S6003 is continued to be performed.

[0197] In some embodiments, after the second bypass device 137 is opened, the opening degree of the second bypass device 137 may also be adjusted according to the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121, such that the difference between the discharge pressure and the suction pressure is greater than or equal to a preset difference. In this way, the suction pressure and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 can be stabilized within a preset range, so as to reduce the influence of the first bypass branch 136 and the second bypass branch 138 on the compressor 121.

[0198] Among the control strategies of recovering the leaked refrigerant, most of them involve that the air conditioner controls the rotational speed of compressor according to the ambient temperature. When the ambient temperature is lower than a predetermined ambient temperature value, the air conditioner controls the compressor to operate at a first preset rotational speed; and when the ambient temperature is higher than or equal to the predetermined ambient temperature value, the air conditioner controls the compressor to operate at a second preset rotational speed, the first preset rotational speed is higher than the second preset rotational speed. However, in this manner, the compressor can only operate at a fixed rotational speed (e.g., the first preset rotational speed or the second preset rotational speed) at any time, resulting in that the compressor operating at a time being unable to operate at a target rotational speed at that time, thereby reducing the recovery rate of the refrigerant.

[0199] It is to be noted that, when the compressor 121 operates at a target rotational speed, the air conditioner 10 recovers the refrigerant at the fastest speed, and can recover a larger amount of refrigerant.

[0200] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides yet another control method of the air conditioner 10, applied to the controller 15.

[0201] As shown in FIG. 40, in some embodiments, the method includes S101 to S105.

[0202] In S101, the first throttle device 113, the second throttle device 125, the first cutoff device 127, and the second cutoff device 128 are opened.

[0203] At the beginning of the refrigerant recovery process, the controller 15 opens the first throttle device 113, the second throttle device 125, the first cutoff device 127, and the second cutoff device 128.

[0204] In S102, during the refrigerant recovery process, a discharge pressure and a suction pressure of the compressor 121 are acquired.

[0205] The controller 15 acquires the suction pressure of the compressor 121 measured by the second sensor 130 and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 measured by the third sensor 130.

[0206] In S103, a compression ratio of the compressor 121 is determined based on the discharge pressure and the suction pressure of the compressor 121.

[0207] The compression ratio of the compressor 121 is the ratio of the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 to the suction pressure of the compressor 121.

[0208] In some embodiments, the compression ratio of the compressor 121 may be obtained by Equation (2). E t = N t / I t

[0209] Where, E(t) is the compression ratio of the compressor 121; N(t) is the discharge pressure of the compressor 121; and I(t) is the suction pressure of the compressor 121.

[0210] In S104, a calculated rotational speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 is determined based on the compression ratio E(t) of the compressor 121 and a preset target compression ratio.

[0211] In some embodiments, the calculated rotational speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 is obtained by Equation (3). ΔH t = A × E t − E 0 + B

[0212] Where, ΔH(t) is the calculated rotational speed adjustment value of the compressor 121; A is a first preset coefficient; B is a second preset coefficient; E(t) is the compression ratio of the compressor; and E(0) is the preset target compression ratio.

[0213] In some embodiments, the first preset coefficient and the second preset coefficient are both constants.

[0214] In S105, a target rotational speed of the compressor 121 is determined based on a current rotational speed of the compressor 121 and the calculated rotational speed adjustment value ΔH(t), and the compressor 121 is controlled to operate at the target rotational speed.

[0215] The target rotational speed of the compressor 121 is a sum of the calculated rotational speed adjustment value ΔH(t) and the current rotational speed of the compressor 121.

[0216] In some embodiments, the target rotational speed of the compressor 121 may be obtained by Equation (4). H t + 1 = H t + ΔH t

[0217] Where, H(t + 1) is the target rotational speed of the compressor 121; H(t) is the current rotational speed of the compressor 121; and ΔH(t) is the calculated rotational speed adjustment value.

[0218] In the control method of the air conditioner 10 provided by the present disclosure, a compression ratio of the compressor 121 is determined through the acquired discharge pressure and suction pressure of the compressor 121, and a target rotational speed H(t + 1) of the compressor 121 is determined based on the compression ratio of the compressor 121, and finally the compressor 121 is controlled to operate at the target rotational speed H(t + 1).In this way, the compressor 121 can operate at the target rotational speed at any time during the refrigerant recovery process of the air conditioner 10. This not only improves the speed of refrigerant recovery, but also can recover more refrigerant, thus being conducive to reducing the amount of refrigerant leaking into the indoor.

[0219] As shown in FIG. 41, in some embodiments, the control method further includes S201 to S202.

[0220] In S201, during the refrigerant recovery process, it is determined whether or not the compressor 121 satisfies a second preset condition.

[0221] The second preset condition includes that the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to a first preset discharge pressure.

[0222] In some embodiments, the second preset condition may further include at least one of the following: a discharge pressure change rate of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to a preset discharge pressure change rate, or an outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to a preset temperature.

[0223] In S202, if it is determined that the compressor 121 satisfies the second preset condition, the target rotational speed H(t + 1) of the compressor 121 is determined based on a preset rotational speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 and the current rotational speed H(t) of the compressor 121.

[0224] In some embodiments, when the compressor 121 satisfies the second preset condition, the difference between the preset rotational speed adjustment value of the compressor 121 and the current rotational speed H(t) of the compressor 121 is regarded as the target rotational speed H(t + 1) of the compressor 121.

[0225] The target rotational speed of the compressor 121 can be obtained by Equation (5). H t + 1 = H t − M

[0226] Where, M is the preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0227] In some embodiments, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, M is a first preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0228] In some other embodiments, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure and less than a third preset discharge pressure, M is the first preset rotational speed adjustment value. When the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the third preset discharge pressure, M is a second preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0229] Where the third preset discharge pressure is greater than the first preset discharge pressure, and the second preset rotational speed adjustment value is greater than the first preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0230] In some embodiments, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, and the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, M is a third preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0231] In some other embodiments, the preset discharge pressure change rate includes a first preset discharge pressure change rate and a second preset discharge pressure change rate. The second preset discharge pressure change rate is greater than the first preset discharge pressure change rate.

[0232] For example, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, and the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure change rate and less than the second preset discharge pressure change rate, M is a third preset rotational speed adjustment value. When the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, and the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the second preset discharge pressure change rate, M is a fourth preset rotational speed adjustment value. Where the fourth preset rotational speed adjustment value is greater than the third preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0233] In some embodiments, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is higher than or equal to the preset temperature, M is a fifth preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0234] In some other embodiments, the preset temperature includes a first preset temperature and a second preset temperature. Where the second preset temperature is greater than the first preset temperature.

[0235] For example, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is higher than or equal to the first preset temperature and less than the second preset temperature, M is a fifth preset rotational speed adjustment value. When the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is higher than or equal to the second preset temperature, M is a sixth preset rotational speed adjustment value. Where the sixth preset rotational speed adjustment value is greater than the fifth preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0236] In some embodiments, the first preset rotational speed adjustment value is less than or equal to the third preset rotational speed adjustment value, and the third preset rotational speed adjustment value is less than or equal to the fifth preset rotational speed adjustment value.

[0237] The controller 15 substitutes the above different preset rotational speed adjustment values M obtained under different circumstances into Equation (5) for calculation, to obtain target rotational speeds of the compressor 121, and controls the compressor 121 to operate at the target rotational speeds under the different circumstances, so that the speed of refrigerant recovery can be increased, and more refrigerant can be recovered, which is conducive to reducing the amount of refrigerant leaking into the indoor.

[0238] It is to be understood that, before recovering the refrigerant, in addition to the refrigerant that has already leaked, there is further a refrigerant that has not leaked inside the indoor unit 11. If the refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11 is not recovered in time, the refrigerant may also leak into the indoor, resulting in an increase in the amount of refrigerant leakage. Therefore, it is necessary to collect as much refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11 as possible in order to reduce the amount of refrigerant leakage.

[0239] However, during the process of recovering the refrigerant inside the indoor unit, a first predetermined amount of refrigerant may leak into the indoor. When the refrigerant recovery is completed, a second predetermined amount of refrigerant remains inside the indoor unit 11 without being recovered, and there is a possibility that the second predetermined amount of refrigerant will leak into the indoor. Therefore, even during the process of recovering the refrigerant inside the indoor unit 11, the refrigerant leakage may occur. The total refrigerant leakage amount includes a first partial refrigerant leakage amount during the refrigerant recovery process and a second partial refrigerant leakage amount remaining inside the indoor unit 11 at the end of the refrigerant recovery. During the refrigerant recovery process, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, the rotational speed of the compressor 121 changes, and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121, the first partial leakage amount, and the second partial leakage amount also change accordingly.

[0240] FIG. 42 is a schematic diagram of a refrigerant leakage amount of an air conditioner during a refrigerant recovery process according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 42, Pd0 is the first preset discharge pressure, the curve Pd 1 (t) and the curve Pd 2 (t) are a change curve of the discharge pressure of the compressor 121, the curve H 1 (t) and the curve H 2 (t) are a change curve of the target rotational speed H(t + 1) of the compressor 121, and the curve m_leak 1 (t) and the curve m_leak 2 (t) are a change curve of the first partial refrigerant leakage amount.

[0241] Where, in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 40, the change curve of the compressor 121 is as shown in the curve Pd 1 (t), the curve H 1 (t) and the curve m_leak 1 (t); in the case where the second preset condition includes that the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, the change curve of the compressor 121 is as shown in the curve Pd 2 (t), the curve H 2 (t) and the curve m_leak 2 (t). In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 40, A corresponding to m_leak 1 and B corresponding to m_rest 1 represent the remaining first partial refrigerant leakage amount and the second partial refrigerant leakage amount respectively; in the case where the second preset condition includes that the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, A' corresponding to m_leak 2 and B' corresponding to m_rest 2 represent the remaining first partial refrigerant leakage amount and the second partial refrigerant leakage amount, respectively.

[0242] When the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, the controller 15 controls the compressor 121 to reduce the rotational speed, so that the compressor 121 maintains to operate at a relatively high rotational speed within the restriction conditions, so that the operating time duration of the refrigerant recovery process can be prolonged, the amount of refrigerant recovered by the air conditioner 10 is increased, and the remaining second partial refrigerant leakage amount is decreased. As shown in FIG. 8, the decrease amount (the value of B-B') of the second partial refrigerant leakage amount is larger than the increase amount (the value of A'-A) of the first partial refrigerant leakage amount, thereby improving the recovery rate of the refrigerant and reducing the total refrigerant leakage amount.

[0243] During the refrigerant recovery process, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, and the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, the rotational speed of the compressor 121 changes, and the discharge pressure of the compressor 121, the first partial leakage amount, and the second partial leakage amount also change accordingly.

[0244] FIG. 43 is a schematic diagram of another refrigerant leakage amount of an air conditioner during a refrigerant recovery process according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 43, being different from the curves shown in FIG. 42, FIG. 43 further includes a curve Pd 3 (t) which is a change curve of the discharge pressure of the compressor 121, a curve H 3 (t) which is a change curve of the target rotational speed H(t + 1) of the compressor 121, and a curve m_leak 3 (t) which is a change curve of the first partial refrigerant leakage amount. In a case where the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, and the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, the change curve of the compressor 121 is as shown in the curve Pd 3 (t), the curve H 3 (t) and the curve m_leak 3 (t). In a case where the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, and the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, A" corresponding to m_leak 3 and B" corresponding to m_rest 3 represent the remaining first partial refrigerant leakage amount and the second partial refrigerant leakage amount, respectively.

[0245] When the discharge pressure change rate of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, the controller 15 controls the compressor 121 to operate at the target rotational speed, so that the adjustment of the rotational speed of the compressor 121 can be prevented from failing to keep up with the change of the discharge pressure, and the operating time duration of the refrigerant recovery process can also be prolonged, thereby improving the recovery rate of the refrigerant and reducing the total refrigerant leakage amount.

[0246] During the refrigerant recovery process, when the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the first preset discharge pressure, the discharge pressure change rate is greater than or equal to the preset discharge pressure change rate, and the outdoor temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature, when the outdoor ambient temperature is greater than or equal to the preset temperature, the second partial refrigerant leakage amount accounts for a large proportion of the total refrigerant leakage amount. At this time, it is necessary to control the compressor 121 to decrease its rotational speed, so that the operating time duration of the refrigerant recovery process can be prolonged, thereby increasing the recovery rate of the refrigerant and reducing the total refrigerant leakage amount.

[0247] In some embodiments, when the compressor 121 does not satisfy the second preset condition, the controller sequentially performs S102 to S105 to control the operation of the compressor 121.

[0248] As shown in FIG. 44, in some embodiments, after S105, the method may further include S301 to S308.

[0249] In S301, it is determined whether or not a recovery time duration of the refrigerant recovery process has reached a first preset time duration, if yes, S302 is performed, and if not, S102 is continued to be performed.

[0250] In S302, the first cutoff device 127 is controlled to close.

[0251] The air conditioner 10 first operates for a first preset time duration, and then the controller 15 controls the first cutoff device to close, such that the refrigerant is circulated in advance, so as to recover a part of the refrigerant in the indoor unit 11 in advance.

[0252] In S303, S102 to S105 are continued to be performed.

[0253] In S304, it is determined whether or not the compressor 121 satisfies the third preset condition. If yes, S305 is performed, and if not, S303 is continued to be performed.

[0254] In some embodiments, the third preset condition includes at least one of the following: the suction pressure of the compressor 121 is less than or equal to the preset suction pressure; the discharge pressure of the compressor 121 is greater than or equal to the second preset discharge pressure; or, the recovery time duration of the refrigerant recovery process reaches a third preset time duration; where the third preset time duration is greater than or equal to the first preset time duration.

[0255] In S305, the second cutoff device 128 is controlled to close.

[0256] In some embodiments, if it is determined that the compressor 121 satisfies the third preset condition, the controller 15 controls the second cutoff device 128 to close, and controls the compressor 121 to continue to operate.

[0257] It is to be understood that, before the compressor 121 stops operation, in order to prevent the refrigerant from flowing back from the outdoor unit 12 to the indoor unit 11 through the second refrigerant main pipeline, the second cutoff device 128 needs to be in a closed state.

[0258] In S306, S102 to S105 are continued to be performed.

[0259] In S307, it is determined whether the recovery time duration of the refrigerant recovery process is greater than or equal to the second preset time duration. If yes, S308 is performed, and if not, S306 is continued to be performed.

[0260] Where the second preset time duration is greater than or equal to the first preset time duration, and the third preset time duration is less than or equal to the second preset time duration.

[0261] In S308, the compressor 121 is controlled to stop operation.

[0262] When the recovery time duration of the refrigerant recovery process reaches the second preset time duration, the controller 15 controls the compressor 121 to stop operation, and the refrigerant recovery process is ended.

[0263] It is to be noted that, the preset target compression ratio, the first preset coefficient, the second preset coefficient, the preset rotational speed adjustment value, the first preset time duration, the preset suction pressure, the second preset discharge pressure, the third preset time duration, and the second preset time duration may be set in advance when the air conditioner 10 is shipped from the factory.

[0264] FIG. 45 is a hardware structural diagram of a controller according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 45, in some embodiments, the air conditioner includes a processor 151, and in some embodiments, the controller 15 further includes a memory 152 and a communication interface 153 connected to the processor 151. The processor 151, the memory 152, and the communication interface 153 are connected by a bus 154.

[0265] The processor 151 is configured to execute a computer program code stored in the memory 152, thereby implementing the control method of an air conditioner according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0266] Those skilled in the art will understand that, the scope of the disclosure of the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and that certain elements of the embodiments may be modified and substituted without departing from the spirit of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising: an outdoor unit; and an indoor unit, connected to the outdoor unit and comprising an electric box; a first sensor, disposed on the electric box and configured to detect a refrigerant concentration; and a controller, configured to: acquire a first refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a first time; if it is determined that the first refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a false alarm detection operation of refrigerant leakage; acquire a second refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a second time; wherein the second time is a time after the first time; and if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a third preset threshold, control the air conditioner to issue a refrigerant leakage alarm signal, wherein the first preset threshold is less than the third preset threshold.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is disposed on an outer surface of the electric box; the indoor unit further comprises: a housing, comprising an air outlet; a first air deflector, disposed at the air outlet, and configured to adjust a wind direction of an air flow blown out from the air outlet in a first direction; and a second air deflector, disposed at the air outlet, and configured to adjust a wind direction of an air flow blown out from the air outlet in a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; and the controlling the air conditioner to perform the false alarm detection operation comprises: controlling the first air deflector and the second air deflector to perform a first swing operation; acquiring a third refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a third time; wherein the third time is a time between the first time and the second time; and if it is determined that the third refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold, controlling the first air deflector and the second air deflector to perform a second swing operation; wherein the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controlling the first air deflector and the second air deflector to perform the first swing operation comprises: if it is determined that the first refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to the first preset threshold, controlling the first air deflector to swing toward a third direction, and controlling the second air deflector to swing toward a fourth direction.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 3, wherein, one end of the first air deflector is connected to the housing, and the other end of the first air deflector is pivotable; one end of the second air deflector is connected to the housing, and the other end of the second air deflector is pivotable; and the controlling the first air deflector to swing toward the third direction and the controlling the second air deflector to swing toward the fourth direction comprises: controlling the other end of the second air deflector to swing from a first position toward the fourth direction to a second position; wherein the first position is an initial position of the other end of the second air deflector, and is acquired by the controller at the first time; and controlling the other end of the first air deflector to swing from a third position toward the third direction to a fourth position; wherein the third position is an initial position of the other end of the first air deflector, and is acquired by the controller at the first time.

5. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, the controlling the first air deflector and the second air deflector to perform the second swing operation comprises: if it is determined that the third refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to the second preset threshold, controlling the first air deflector to continue to swing toward the third direction, and controlling the second air deflector to swing toward a fifth direction.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 5, wherein, one end of the first air deflector is connected to the housing, and the other end of the first air deflector is pivotable; one end of the second air deflector is connected to the housing, and the other end of the second air deflector is pivotable; and the controlling the first air deflector to continue to swing toward the third direction and the controlling the second air deflector to swing toward the fifth direction comprises: controlling the other end of the second air deflector to swing toward the fifth direction to a fifth position; wherein the fifth position is a limit position to which the fourth end swings toward the fifth direction; and controlling the other end of the first air deflector to swing toward the third direction to a sixth position; wherein an included angle between the first air deflector when the other end of the first air deflector is in the sixth position and the first air deflector when the first air deflector is closed is 10°.

7. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the controller is further configured to: acquire initial operating parameters of the air conditioner at the first time; and if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is less than the third preset threshold, control the air conditioner to operate with the initial operating parameters.

8. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an alarm device; and the controller is further configured to: if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold, control the alarm device to issue an alarm reminder.

9. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the indoor unit further comprises a first heat exchanger; the outdoor unit further comprises: a second heat exchanger; a compressor; a gas-liquid separator, disposed between the compressor and the first heat exchanger; a first bypass branch, in communication with the gas-liquid separator and the second heat exchanger, respectively; and a controller, configured to: if it is determined that the refrigerant leaks, acquire a refrigerant charge amount; and if it is determined that the refrigerant charge amount is greater than a preset charge amount, control the air conditioner to perform a first refrigerant recovery operation so that the first bypass branch is turned on.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 9, further comprising: a four-way valve; a first refrigerant main pipeline, in communication with the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, respectively; a second refrigerant main pipeline, in communication with the first heat exchanger and the four-way valve, respectively; a first cutoff device, disposed in the first refrigerant main pipeline, and configured to control turning on and turning off of the first refrigerant pipeline; a second cutoff device, disposed in the second refrigerant main pipeline, and configured to control turning on and turning off of the second refrigerant main pipeline; and a first bypass device, disposed in the first bypass branch, and configured to control turning on and turning off of the first bypass branch.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 10, wherein the controlling the air conditioner to perform the first refrigerant recovery operation comprises: controlling the first cutoff device to close, the second cutoff device to open, and the first bypass device to open, and controlling the compressor to operate at a preset rotational speed.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, further comprising: a second sensor, disposed at a suction port of the compressor, and configured to detect a suction pressure of the compressor; and a third sensor, disposed at a discharge port of the compressor, and configured to detect a discharge pressure of the compressor; and wherein the controller is further configured to: acquire a suction pressure of the compressor by the second sensor, and acquire a discharge pressure of the compressor by the third sensor; determine an opening degree adjustment amount of the first bypass device based on the suction pressure and the discharge pressure; and adjust an opening degree of the first bypass device according to the opening degree adjustment amount.

13. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the controller is further configured to: if it is determined that the refrigerant charge amount is less than or equal to the preset charge amount, control the air conditioner to perform a second refrigerant recovery operation so that the first bypass branch is turned off.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 13, wherein, the controlling the air conditioner to perform the second refrigerant recovery operation comprises: controlling the first cutoff device to close, the second cutoff device to open, and the first bypass device to close, and controlling the compressor to operate at a preset rotational speed.

15. The air conditioner according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein, prior to the acquiring the refrigerant charge amount, the controller is further configured to: acquire an amount of refrigerant within the second heat exchanger; and if it is determined that the amount of refrigerant in the second heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a preset refrigerant threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a third refrigerant recovery operation so that the first bypass branch is turned on until the amount of refrigerant in the second heat exchanger is less than the preset refrigerant threshold.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein, the controlling the air conditioner to perform the third refrigerant recovery operation comprises: controlling the first cutoff device to close, the second cutoff device to close, and the first bypass valve to open, and controlling the compressor to operate at a preset rotational speed.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 15, further comprising: a second bypass branch, in communication with the discharge port of the compressor and the gas-liquid separator, respectively; and a second bypass device, disposed in the second bypass branch, and configured to control turning on and turning off of the second bypass branch; and the controller is further configured to: if it is determined that the amount of refrigerant in the second heat exchanger is greater than or equal to a preset refrigerant threshold, control the air conditioner to perform a fourth refrigerant recovery operation so that the first bypass branch and the second bypass branch are turned on until the amount of refrigerant in the second heat exchanger is less than the preset refrigerant threshold.

18. The air conditioner according to claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to: if it is determined that the compressor satisfies a preset condition, control the second cutoff device to close, and control the compressor to operate at the preset rotational speed; wherein the preset condition comprises at least one of the following: the suction pressure of the compressor is less than or equal to a preset suction pressure; the discharge pressure of the compressor is greater than or equal to a preset discharge pressure; or an operating time duration of the compressor is greater than or equal to a first preset time duration; and if it is determined that the operating time duration of the compressor is greater than or equal to a second preset time duration, control the compressor to stop operating, wherein the second preset time duration is longer than the first preset time duration.

19. A control method of an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner comprises: an outdoor unit; and an indoor unit, connected to the outdoor unit and comprising an electric box; a first sensor, disposed on the electric box and configured to detect a refrigerant concentration; and the method comprising: acquiring initial operating parameters of the air conditioner at a first time; acquiring a first refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at the first time; if it is determined that the first refrigerant concentration reaches a first preset threshold, controlling the air conditioner to perform a false alarm detection operation of refrigerant leakage; wherein the first preset threshold is less than a third preset threshold; acquiring a second refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a second time; wherein the second time is a time after the first time; if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to the third preset threshold, controlling the air conditioner to issue a refrigerant leakage alarm signal; and if it is determined that the second refrigerant concentration is less than the third preset threshold, controlling the air conditioner to operate with the initial operating parameters.

20. The control method according to claim 19, wherein the first sensor is disposed on an outer surface of the electric box; the indoor unit further comprises: a housing, comprising an air outlet; a first air deflector, disposed at the air outlet, and configured to adjust a wind direction of an air flow blown out from the air outlet in a first direction; and a second air deflector, disposed at the air outlet, and configured to adjust a wind direction of an air flow blown out from the air outlet in a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; and the controlling the air conditioner to perform the false alarm detection operation comprises: controlling the first air deflector and the second air deflector to perform a first swing operation; acquiring a third refrigerant concentration by the first sensor at a third time; wherein the third time is a time between the first time and the second time; and if it is determined that the third refrigerant concentration is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold, controlling the first air deflector and the second air deflector to perform a second swing operation; wherein the second preset threshold is less than the first preset threshold.

Images