Air conditioning and water heating integrated machine and control method therefor, and computer program product

Abstract

Provided is a control method for an air conditioning and water heating integrated machine. An air conditioning and water heating integrated machine comprises an outdoor refrigerant adjustment valve used for adjusting the amount of a refrigerant flowing through an outdoor heat exchanger. The control method comprises: in response to an air conditioning and water heating integrated machine running in an air conditioner refrigeration water tank heating mode, acquiring an outdoor environment temperature and the water temperature in a water tank; and determining the optimal valve opening degree of an outdoor refrigerant adjustment valve on the basis of the outdoor environment temperature and the water temperature. The problem that existing air conditioning and water heating integrated machines cannot well balance the refrigeration requirements of indoor units and the heating requirements of water heating modules is solved. Also provided are an air conditioning and water heating integrated machine and a computer program product.

Description

An integrated air conditioning and hot water unit and its control method and computer program product

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410675115.4, filed on May 28, 2024, entitled "An Integrated Air Conditioner and Water Heater and Its Control Method and Computer Program Product", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of air handling technology, and in particular to an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit, a control method for the integrated air conditioning and hot water unit, and a computer program product. Background Technology

[0004] Currently, integrated air conditioning and hot water systems consist of an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and a hot water module. There may be one or more indoor units, each including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor electronic expansion valve. The outdoor unit includes a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger. The hot water module includes a water tank and a water tank heat exchanger, with the water tank heat exchanger located inside the water tank. When the indoor unit is cooling and the hot water module is heating, the integrated air conditioning and hot water system works as follows: High-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant is discharged from the compressor's exhaust port and splits into two paths. One path flows through a four-way valve and enters the outdoor heat exchanger. After being throttled by the indoor electronic expansion valve, it becomes low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant and finally flows into the indoor heat exchanger, completing the cooling process. The other path flows into the water tank heat exchanger, releases heat to the water tank, and after being throttled by the water tank electronic expansion valve, it also becomes low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before flowing into the indoor heat exchanger.

[0005] However, during the process of indoor unit cooling and hot water module heating, the outdoor heat exchanger is exposed to a relatively stable outdoor air environment, while the water tank heat exchanger is immersed in a water environment with a constantly rising temperature. In other words, the outdoor heat exchanger and the water tank heat exchanger are in different external environments, which can easily lead to an uneven distribution of the two refrigerant lines discharged from the compressor. Therefore, existing integrated air conditioning and hot water systems have the problem of not being able to effectively balance the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the hot water module. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above problems, this application is made to provide an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit, a control method for the integrated air conditioning and hot water unit, and a computer program product that overcomes or at least partially solves the above problems, aiming to solve the problem that existing integrated air conditioning and hot water units cannot well balance the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the hot water module.

[0007] Specifically, according to one aspect of this application, the following technical solution is provided:

[0008] A control method for an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit, wherein the integrated air conditioning and hot water unit includes an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve for regulating the amount of refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger;

[0009] The control method includes:

[0010] In response to the operation of the air conditioning and hot water unit in the air conditioning cooling water tank heating mode, the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature in the water tank are obtained;

[0011] Determine the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve based on the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature;

[0012] Control the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to perform the optimal valve opening.

[0013] Optionally, the air conditioning and hot water unit has a pre-stored mapping table of outdoor ambient temperature, water temperature and optimal valve opening.

[0014] Determining the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve based on the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature includes:

[0015] The optimal valve opening corresponding to the current outdoor ambient temperature and the current water temperature is determined based on the mapping table.

[0016] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0017] After controlling the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to execute the optimal valve opening for a first time, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is then controlled to execute the preset valve opening; wherein, the preset valve opening is not equal to the optimal valve opening, and the difference between the preset valve opening and the optimal valve opening is within a preset range;

[0018] After a second period of time, the step of controlling the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to achieve the optimal valve opening is executed again.

[0019] Optionally, determining the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve based on the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature includes:

[0020] Every preset time interval, the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature in the water tank are obtained once to adjust the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve in real time.

[0021] Optionally, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is located on the high-temperature refrigerant inlet side of the four-way valve; or

[0022] The outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is located between the four-way valve and the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0023] Optionally, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is an outdoor electronic expansion valve or an electric valve.

[0024] Optionally, the integrated air conditioning and hot water unit includes multiple indoor units connected in parallel; or

[0025] The air conditioning and hot water integrated unit includes an indoor unit.

[0026] Optionally, determining the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve based on the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature includes:

[0027] The optimal valve opening is calculated using the following formula:

[0028] Optimal valve opening degree = a * outdoor ambient temperature + b * room temperature

[0029] Where 'a' is the first proportion coefficient;

[0030] b is the second weight coefficient.

[0031] According to another aspect of this application, a computer program product is also provided. The computer program product includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the aforementioned control method for an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit.

[0032] According to another aspect of this application, an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit is also provided. The integrated air conditioning and hot water unit includes an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve and a controller. The controller includes the aforementioned computer program, and when the controller runs the computer program, it controls the operation of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve.

[0033] In this application, an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit, its control method, and a computer program product are described. Since water temperature and outdoor ambient temperature are key factors affecting the amount of refrigerant flowing through the water tank heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, the invention addresses this by: 1) providing an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to adjust the amount of refrigerant entering the outdoor heat exchanger; and 2) adaptively adjusting the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating device based on the outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature. This allows for the adaptive adjustment of the refrigerant flow through both the water tank and outdoor heat exchangers. Therefore, when operating in the air conditioning and hot water tank heating mode, the invention effectively balances the refrigerant flow between the water tank and outdoor heat exchangers. Compared to related technologies, this invention overcomes the influence of outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature on the heat exchange efficiency of the outdoor and water tank heat exchangers, thereby effectively balancing the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the water tank, thus improving user experience.

[0034] Furthermore, the control method of this application has the beneficial effect of being simple and easy to implement.

[0035] Therefore, those skilled in the art will more clearly understand the above and other objects, advantages and features of this application from the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The following sections will describe some specific embodiments of the invention in detail by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts or portions. Those skilled in the art should understand that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a control method for an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an air conditioning and hot water integrated unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram of an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a computer program product according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The following description, with reference to Figures 1 to 8, outlines an embodiment of the present invention of an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit, its control method, and a computer program product. The terms "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and "lateral," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the figures. They are used solely for the purpose of facilitating and simplifying the description of the present invention, and do not imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0046] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature, that is, include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. When a feature "includes or contains" one or more of the features it encompasses, unless otherwise specifically stated, this indicates that other features are not excluded and may be further included.

[0047] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," "link," "fix," and "couple" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art should be able to understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0048] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or it can include contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. That is, in the description of this embodiment, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," or "below" of the second feature can mean the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0049] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0050] Any reference to prior art in the specification is not and should not be construed as an admission or in any way an implication that such prior art constitutes part of the general common knowledge in the application region or any other jurisdiction, or that such prior art could be reasonably understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art.

[0051] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a control method for an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 2-8, this embodiment of the present invention provides a control method for an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit 100. The integrated air conditioning and hot water unit 100 includes an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve for regulating the amount of refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger 123.

[0052] A control method for an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit 100 includes the following steps:

[0053] S100: When the air conditioner-water heater 100 is running in the air conditioner cooling water tank heating mode, it obtains the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature in the water tank.

[0054] S200 determines the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve based on the outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature;

[0055] S300 controls the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to achieve the optimal valve opening.

[0056] This embodiment specifically provides a control method for the air conditioning and hot water integrated unit 100 when operating the air conditioning cooling water tank heating mode.

[0057] Since water temperature and outdoor ambient temperature are key factors affecting the amount of refrigerant flowing through the water tank heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger 123, this embodiment includes an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to adjust the amount of refrigerant entering the outdoor heat exchanger 123. Furthermore, when the air conditioning and hot water unit 100 operates in air conditioning cooling water tank heating mode, it adaptively adjusts the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating device based on the outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature. This allows for adaptive adjustment of the amount of refrigerant flowing through the water tank heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger. Therefore, this embodiment effectively balances the amount of refrigerant flowing through the water tank heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger 123 when operating in air conditioning cooling water tank heating mode. Compared with related technologies, this embodiment overcomes the influence of outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature on the heat exchange effect of the outdoor heat exchanger and the water tank heat exchanger, thereby effectively balancing the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the water tank, improving user experience.

[0058] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, when the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve performs the optimal valve opening, the refrigerant flow rate in the water tank heat exchanger is the optimal flow rate.

[0059] In other words, in this embodiment, S200, the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is determined based on the outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature, so that when the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve performs the optimal valve opening, the refrigerant flow rate in the water tank heat exchanger reaches the optimal flow rate.

[0060] In existing integrated air conditioning and water heater units, during the indoor cooling and hot water module 127 heating process, the water tank heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger are connected in parallel and are both condensers. This results in a small pressure drop at the inlet and outlet of the outdoor heat exchanger when the refrigerant is fully condensed, leading to a small pressure drop across the inlet and outlet of the water tank heat exchanger. Consequently, the refrigerant flow rate within the water tank heat exchanger is very low, affecting the heat exchange effect and thus the heating performance of the water tank. In other words, the refrigerant flow rate is also a crucial factor affecting the heat exchange performance of the water tank heat exchanger.

[0061] Therefore, in this embodiment, the refrigerant flow rate is an important parameter for determining the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve. When the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve executes the optimal valve opening, the refrigerant flow rate in the water tank heat exchanger reaches the optimal flow rate, which can effectively solve the problem of low refrigerant flow rate in existing water tank heat exchangers.

[0062] Furthermore, this embodiment can better balance the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the hot water module 127.

[0063] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the air conditioning and hot water unit has a pre-stored mapping table of outdoor ambient temperature, water temperature and optimal valve opening, as shown in Table 1 below.

[0064] Table 1. Mapping Relationship between Outdoor Ambient Temperature, Water Temperature, and Optimal Valve Opening

[0065] As shown in Figure 2, step S200 includes: S201, determining the optimal valve opening corresponding to the current outdoor ambient temperature and the current water temperature based on the mapping relationship table of outdoor ambient temperature-water temperature-optimal valve opening.

[0066] Specifically, the optimal valve opening in the mapping table refers to the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve. Furthermore, when the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve operates at its optimal valve opening, the refrigerant flow rate within the water tank heat exchanger reaches its optimal flow rate.

[0067] The refrigerant flow rate in the water tank depends on the relationship between three parameters: the water temperature in the tank, the outdoor ambient temperature, and the opening degree of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve. Since the refrigerant flowing from the water tank heat exchanger enters the indoor electronic expansion valve for throttling, the electronic expansion valve is always at its maximum opening when both cooling and hot water are running simultaneously to minimize refrigerant congestion in the water tank heat exchanger. When the water temperature in the tank and the outdoor ambient temperature are fixed, the refrigerant flow rate in the water tank heat exchanger is only related to the opening degree of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve. Therefore, through testing, the optimal valve opening value of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve under different water tank temperatures and different outdoor ambient temperatures is determined to maximize the refrigerant flow rate in the water tank heat exchanger.

[0068] Further, step S201 includes: determining the range of the current outdoor ambient temperature in the mapping table, and determining the range of the current water temperature in the mapping table; then finding the optimal valve opening of the corresponding outdoor refrigerant regulating valve in the mapping table.

[0069] As shown in Figure 3, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, step S200 specifically includes:

[0070] S202, calculate the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve according to the following formula:

[0071] Optimal valve opening degree = a * outdoor ambient temperature + b * room temperature

[0072] Where a is the first weight coefficient and b is the second weight coefficient.

[0073] Specifically, the first and second specific gravity coefficients can be obtained through extensive experimentation. This embodiment offers the advantage of ease of implementation. In some alternative embodiments, the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve can also be obtained through other algorithms.

[0074] As shown in Figure 4, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, the control method further includes the following steps:

[0075] S400: After controlling the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to execute the optimal valve opening for the first time, control the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to execute the preset opening; wherein, the preset valve opening is not equal to the optimal valve opening, and the difference between the preset valve opening and the optimal valve opening is within the preset range; after the second time, execute S300 again.

[0076] In this embodiment, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve operates in a cyclical pattern of "optimal valve opening - preset valve opening - optimal valve opening". By changing the valve opening, the disturbance of the refrigerant in the water tank heat exchanger can be further increased, thereby further increasing the refrigerant flow rate. In other words, through the above-mentioned cyclical method, it can be ensured that the refrigerant on both the air conditioner and the water side can be sufficiently disturbed, thereby better balancing the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the hot water module.

[0077] Specifically, the difference between the preset valve opening and the optimal valve opening is equal to |preset valve opening - optimal valve opening|. In other words, the difference between the preset valve opening and the optimal valve opening is positive. The preset range can be set as needed, for example, the preset range can be [3, 20]. Preferably, the preset range is [5, 10]. Since a difference that is too small between the preset valve opening and the optimal valve opening may result in insufficient disturbance, and a difference that is too large may lead to system instability, the difference must be within a reasonable range to ensure sufficient disturbance of the refrigerant while minimizing impact on system stability.

[0078] Preferably, the preset valve opening is smaller than the optimal valve opening. Specifically, the opening value of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve follows a "large-small-large" cyclical change. For example, when the water temperature is <t1 and the outdoor ambient temperature is <T1, the preset valve opening is represented by plus11'. Within n minutes, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve operates at plus11. From n minutes to n+a minutes, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve operates at plus11'. After n+a minutes, it returns to plus11. This cycle repeats to ensure that the refrigerant on both the air conditioner and the water side can be sufficiently agitated, thereby ensuring the cooling effect of the air conditioner and the heating effect of the water side.

[0079] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, determining the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve based on the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature includes: acquiring the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature in the water tank once every preset time interval to adjust the optimal valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve in real time. That is, S100 is executed once every preset time interval. Since the outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature are constantly changing, the control method of this embodiment is more conducive to adaptively adjusting the valve opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve, thereby better balancing the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the hot water module.

[0080] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is located on the high-temperature refrigerant inlet side of the four-way valve. When the air-conditioning and water-heating integrated unit is operating in the air-conditioning cooling water tank heating mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is discharged from the compressor exhaust port and splits into two paths. One path flows through the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve and the four-way valve before entering the outdoor heat exchanger. After being throttled by the indoor electronic expansion valve, it becomes low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant and finally flows into the indoor heat exchanger, completing the air-conditioning cooling process. By adjusting the opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve, the amount of refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger can be regulated, thereby adjusting the air-conditioning cooling effect.

[0081] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is located between the four-way valve and the outdoor heat exchanger. When the air conditioning and hot water unit is operating in the air conditioning cooling water tank heating mode, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is discharged from the compressor's exhaust port and splits into two paths. One path flows through the four-way valve and the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve before entering the outdoor heat exchanger. After being throttled by the indoor electronic expansion valve, it becomes low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant and finally flows into the indoor heat exchanger, completing the air conditioning cooling process. By adjusting the opening of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve, the amount of refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger can be regulated, thereby adjusting the air conditioning cooling effect.

[0082] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is an outdoor electronic expansion valve 131. The outdoor electronic expansion valve has the advantages of high precision and fast response speed. Specifically, using an outdoor electronic expansion valve as the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve can achieve a control precision of 0.1%, enabling rapid stabilization of liquid flow and pressure, thereby allowing for rapid and precise adjustment of the amount of refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0083] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is an outdoor electric valve. Electric valves have the advantages of high automation, simple operation, and accurate control. Specifically, using an electric valve as the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve, driven by a motor to control the fluid, enables fully automated operation and high control accuracy, thereby precisely regulating the amount of refrigerant flowing through the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0084] As shown in Figure 6, in some optional embodiments of the present invention, the integrated air conditioning and hot water unit includes multiple indoor units connected in parallel. The integrated air conditioning and hot water unit is a multi-split air conditioning and hot water unit.

[0085] For example, an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit includes a compressor 121, a four-way valve 122, an outdoor heat exchanger 123, three indoor units, and a hot water module 127.

[0086] The three indoor units are designated as Indoor Unit A, Indoor Unit B, and Indoor Unit C. Each indoor unit includes an indoor electronic expansion valve and an indoor unit, and each indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger. Indoor Unit A includes a first indoor electronic expansion valve 135A and indoor unit A 124, with indoor unit A 124 including a first indoor heat exchanger 1241. Indoor Unit B includes a second indoor electronic expansion valve 135B and indoor unit B (not shown in the figure), with indoor unit B including a second indoor heat exchanger. Indoor Unit C includes a third indoor electronic expansion valve 135C and indoor unit C (not shown in the figure), with indoor unit C including a third indoor heat exchanger. The hot water module 127 includes a water tank and a water tank heat exchanger, with the water tank heat exchanger located inside the water tank. The compressor 121's exhaust port connects to a first exhaust branch and a second exhaust branch. The first exhaust branch connects to the water tank heat exchanger, and the second exhaust branch connects to the high-temperature inlet of the four-way valve 122. A first solenoid valve 132 and a first shut-off valve 133 are provided on the first exhaust branch. The first solenoid valve 132 is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate of the water tank heat exchanger, and the first shut-off valve 133 is used to control the opening and closing of the first exhaust branch. A water tank electronic expansion valve 137 is provided on the outlet side of the water tank heat exchanger to throttle the refrigerant flowing out of the water tank heat exchanger. An outdoor refrigerant regulating valve, which is an outdoor electronic expansion valve 131, is provided between the outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the four-way valve 122. The outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the water tank electronic expansion valve 137 are both connected to the indoor unit through a liquid refrigerant manifold 151. The liquid refrigerant manifold 151 is connected to three liquid pipe connection branches: a first liquid pipe connection branch, which is configured to connect to indoor unit A; a second liquid pipe connection branch, which is configured to connect to indoor unit B; and a third liquid pipe connection branch, which is configured to connect to indoor unit C. A third shut-off valve 134 is provided between the outdoor heat exchanger 123 and the liquid refrigerant manifold 151.

[0087] The indoor heat exchanger connection port of the four-way valve 122 is connected to the gaseous refrigerant manifold 152 via a refrigerant pipe, and a second shut-off valve 136 and a second solenoid valve 138 are provided on the refrigerant pipe. The gaseous refrigerant manifold 152 has three gas pipe connection branches: a first gas pipe connection branch configured to connect to indoor unit A; a second gas pipe connection branch configured to connect to indoor unit B; and a third gas pipe connection branch configured to connect to indoor unit C.

[0088] When the air conditioning and water heater is operating in the air conditioning cooling water tank heating mode, the following valves are opened: first solenoid valve 132, first shut-off valve 133, second shut-off valve 136, second solenoid valve 138, third shut-off valve 134, outdoor electronic expansion valve 131, water tank electronic expansion valve 137, first indoor electronic expansion valve 135A, second indoor electronic expansion valve 135B, and third indoor electronic expansion valve 135C. Among them, water tank electronic expansion valve 137 is operated at its maximum opening degree.

[0089] The air conditioning and water heater also includes an outdoor temperature sensor 140, which is used to obtain the outdoor ambient temperature.

[0090] The air conditioning and water heater also includes a water temperature sensor to obtain the water temperature in the water tank.

[0091] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the air conditioning and hot water unit includes an indoor unit.

[0092] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the integrated air conditioning and hot water unit pre-stores a mapping table of outdoor ambient temperature, water temperature, and optimal valve opening. Furthermore, when the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve operates at the optimal valve opening, the refrigerant flow rate within the water tank heat exchanger reaches its optimal flow rate.

[0093] As shown in Figure 5, a control method for an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit includes the following steps:

[0094] S1 controls the integrated air conditioning and hot water unit to start the air conditioning cooling water tank heating mode;

[0095] S2, every preset time interval, obtains the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature in the water tank;

[0096] S3. Based on the mapping relationship table of outdoor ambient temperature, water temperature and optimal valve opening, determine the optimal valve opening of the outdoor electronic expansion valve 131 corresponding to the current outdoor ambient temperature and the current water temperature.

[0097] S4 controls the outdoor electronic expansion valve 131 to perform the optimal valve opening;

[0098] S5, after the first time interval, the outdoor electronic expansion valve 131 is controlled to execute the preset opening degree; wherein, the preset opening degree is less than the optimal valve opening degree; after the second time interval, S4 is executed again.

[0099] This embodiment provides a method for controlling a combined air conditioning and hot water unit that simultaneously provides cooling and heating. Compared with related technologies, it overcomes the influence of outdoor ambient temperature and water temperature on the heat exchange effect of the outdoor heat exchanger and the water tank heat exchanger, thereby effectively balancing the cooling demand of the indoor unit and the heating demand of the water tank, and improving the user's experience.

[0100] In some embodiments of the computer program product of the present invention, as shown in FIG8, the computer program product 200 includes a computer program 210, which, when executed by the processor 112, implements the steps of the control method of the air conditioning and hot water integrated unit 100 described above.

[0101] The computer program 210 used to perform the operations of this invention can be assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, status setting data, integrated circuit configuration data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​and procedural programming languages. The computer program 210 can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can connect to the user's computer via any type of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or it can connect to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, to perform aspects of the invention, electronic circuits including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs) can execute computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuits by utilizing state information of computer-readable program instructions.

[0102] For the purposes of this embodiment, computer program product 200 is a related product that includes computer program 210.

[0103] Computer program 210 may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0104] It should be noted that the logic and / or steps represented in the flowchart or otherwise described herein, for example, can be considered as a sequenced list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions, and can be specifically implemented in any computer-readable storage medium for use by, or in conjunction with, an instruction execution system, apparatus or device (such as a computer-based system, a processor-included system or other system that can fetch and execute instructions from, an instruction execution system, apparatus or device).

[0105] For the purposes of this embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium can be any means capable of containing, storing, communicating, propagating, or transmitting a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include: an electrical connection (electronic device) having one or more wires, a portable computer disk drive (magnetic device), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable and editable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), fiber optic devices, and portable optical disc read-only memory (CDROM). Furthermore, a computer-readable storage medium can even be paper or other suitable media on which the program can be printed, since the program can be obtained electronically, for example, by optically scanning the paper or other medium, followed by editing, interpreting, or otherwise processing as necessary, and then stored in a computer memory.

[0106] This invention also provides an integrated air conditioning and hot water unit 100, which includes an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve and a controller 110. The controller includes the aforementioned computer program 210, and when the controller 110 runs the computer program 210, it controls the operation of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve.

[0107] Specifically, as shown in FIG7, the controller 110 includes a memory 111, a processor 112, and a computer program 210 stored in the memory 111 and running on the processor 112. When the processor 112 executes the computer program 210, it implements the steps of the control method of the air conditioner and water heater 100 of any of the above embodiments or combinations of embodiments.

[0108] The controller 110 can be directly installed inside the air conditioning and water heater 100, connected via wired connection to the relevant electrical components of the air conditioning and water heater 100, and implement the steps of the control method for the air conditioning and water heater 100. Alternatively, the controller can be installed on a cloud server, connected via wired or wireless connection to the relevant electrical components of the air conditioning and water heater 100, and implement the steps of the control method for the air conditioning and water heater 100.

[0109] The flowchart provided in this embodiment is not intended to indicate that the operations of the method will be performed in any particular order, or that all operations of the method are included in every case. Furthermore, the method may include additional operations. Within the scope of the technical concept provided by the method in this embodiment, additional variations can be made to the above method.

[0110] While this invention provides several exemplary embodiments, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of this invention can be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, the scope of this invention should be understood and recognized as covering all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1.A control method of an air conditioner and water heater integrated machine, the air conditioner and water heater integrated machine comprising an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve configured to regulate an amount of refrigerant flowing through an outdoor heat exchanger, the control method comprising: in response to the air conditioner and water heater integrated machine operating in an air conditioner and water tank heating mode, obtaining an outdoor ambient temperature and a water temperature in a water tank; determining an optimal valve opening degree of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature; and controlling the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to execute the optimal valve opening degree. 2.The control method of claim 1, wherein: a mapping relationship table of outdoor ambient temperature-water temperature-optimal valve opening degree is pre-stored in the air conditioner and water heater integrated machine; and the determining of the optimal valve opening degree of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature comprises: determining the optimal valve opening degree corresponding to the current outdoor ambient temperature and the current water temperature according to the mapping relationship table. 3.The control method of claim 1, further comprising: after controlling the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to execute the optimal valve opening degree for a first time, controlling the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to execute a preset valve opening degree, wherein the preset valve opening degree is not equal to the optimal valve opening degree, and a difference between the preset valve opening degree and the optimal valve opening degree is within a preset range; and after a second time, executing again the controlling of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve to execute the optimal valve opening degree. 4.The control method of claim 1, wherein: the determining of the optimal valve opening degree of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature comprises: every preset time length, executing the obtaining of the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature in the water tank to adjust the optimal valve opening degree of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve in real time. 5.The control method of claim 1, wherein: the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is arranged at a high-temperature refrigerant inlet side of a four-way valve; or the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is arranged between the four-way valve and the outdoor heat exchanger. 6.The control method of claim 1, wherein: the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve is an outdoor electronic expansion valve or an electric valve. 7.The control method of claim 1, wherein: the air conditioner and water heater integrated machine comprises a plurality of indoor units arranged in parallel; or the air conditioner and water heater integrated machine comprises one indoor unit. 8.The control method of claim 1, wherein: the determining of the optimal valve opening degree of the outdoor refrigerant regulating valve according to the outdoor ambient temperature and the water temperature comprises: calculating the optimal valve opening degree according to the following formula: optimal valve opening degree = a * outdoor ambient temperature + b * water temperature, wherein a is a first proportionality coefficient; and b is a second proportionality coefficient. The computer program is executed by a processor to implement the steps of the control method of the air conditioner and water heater integrated machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein, ​ 10. An air conditioner and water heater integrated machine comprising an outdoor refrigerant regulating valve and a controller, the controller comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and running on the processor, and when the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the control method of the air conditioner and water heater integrated machine according to any one of claims 1-8 are implemented.

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