Air conditioner

Abstract

An air conditioner (100). The air conditioner (100) comprises: a control valve provided between an exhaust port (101) and the head end of a first pipe (110), the head end of a second pipe (120) and the tail end of a third pipe (130) and used for changing the flow direction of a refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port (101); and a controller connected to the control valve and configured to control an open state of the control valve on the basis of an operation mode of the air conditioner (100), so as to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port (101) to enter the first pipe (110), the second pipe (120) and / or the third pipe (130).

Description

Air conditioner

[0001] This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application with an application number of 202411464199.3 filed on October 18, 2024; and a Chinese patent application with an application number of 202422533421.2 filed on October 18, 2024; and a Chinese patent application with an application number of 202411464125.X filed on October 18, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of air conditioners, and in particular to an air conditioner. Background art

[0003] In the related art, an air conditioner adopts a scheme of adding a water tank to the refrigeration system to realize the function of preparing domestic hot water while the air conditioner is operating in a refrigeration or heating mode. However, after the refrigerant is discharged from the compressor, regardless of the mode of the air conditioner, it will first pass through the water tank to heat the water in the water tank, so that the air conditioner will have problems of insufficient or excessive refrigeration or heating capacity. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure aims to solve the problem of insufficient or excessive refrigeration or heating capacity of an air conditioner caused by the refrigerant heating the water tank first.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an air conditioner is provided, which includes: a water tank, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a compressor, a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a third pipeline, a control valve, and a controller; the water tank is used for storing domestic water; the first heat exchanger is located outdoors and is used for exchanging heat with the circulating refrigerant; the second heat exchanger is connected to the water tank and is used for exchanging heat with the domestic water; the third heat exchanger is located indoors and is used for adjusting the indoor temperature; the compressor has an exhaust port; the first ends of the first pipeline and the second pipeline are both used for connecting to the exhaust port, the second ends of the first pipeline and the second pipeline are both used for connecting to the first end of the third pipeline, the second end of the third pipeline is used for connecting to the exhaust port, the first heat exchanger is located on the first pipeline, the second heat exchanger is located on the second pipeline, and the third heat exchanger is located on the third pipeline; the control valve is arranged between the exhaust port and the first ends of the first pipeline, the second pipeline, and the second end of the third pipeline, and the control valve is used for changing the flow direction of the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port; the controller is connected to the control valve, and the controller is configured to: control the conduction of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipeline, the second pipeline, and / or the third pipeline.

[0006] According to the air conditioner of this disclosure, three heat exchangers are respectively installed on different pipelines, and a control valve is installed between each pipeline and the compressor's exhaust port. Thus, when the compressor discharges refrigerant, the refrigerant is no longer preferentially passed through the water tank. Instead, the opening and closing of the control valve is controlled based on the air conditioner's operating mode, thereby selectively controlling the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port to enter the first pipeline, the second pipeline, and / or the third pipeline. This allows the air conditioner to have multiple different operating modes while avoiding the problem of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity caused by the refrigerant heating the water tank first. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 7 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 9 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 10 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 11 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 12 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 13 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 14 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 15 is a structural diagram of an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 16 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 17 is a structural diagram of refrigerant flow in an air conditioner according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Embodiments

[0024] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Apparently, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments provided by the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art belong to the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0025] The air conditioner of the present disclosure performs a refrigeration cycle of the air conditioner by using a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The refrigeration cycle includes a series of processes, involving compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, and supplies refrigerant to the air that has been conditioned and heat-exchanged.

[0026] The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas in a high-temperature and high-pressure state and discharges the compressed refrigerant gas. The discharged refrigerant gas flows into the condenser. The condenser condenses the compressed refrigerant into a liquid phase, and heat is released to the surrounding environment through the condensation process.

[0027] The expansion valve expands the liquid-phase refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state condensed in the condenser into a low-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant. The evaporator evaporates the refrigerant expanded in the expansion valve and returns the refrigerant gas in a low-temperature and low-pressure state to the compressor. The evaporator can achieve a refrigeration effect by using the latent heat of evaporation of the refrigerant to perform heat exchange with the material to be cooled. Throughout the cycle, the air conditioner can adjust the temperature of the indoor space.

[0028] The indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger are used as condensers or evaporators. When the indoor heat exchanger is used as a condenser, the air conditioner serves as a heater in the heating mode, and when the indoor heat exchanger is used as an evaporator, the air conditioner serves as a cooler in the cooling mode.

[0029] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an air conditioner. By using this air conditioner, the refrigerant flow direction can be changed according to different operating modes. While the air conditioner has multiple operating modes, it can avoid the problems of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity caused by the refrigerant heating the water tank first.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, for an air conditioner 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 100 may include a compressor 1. The compressor 1 has an exhaust port 101 and an intake port 102.

[0031] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include a water tank 2. The water tank 2 is used to store domestic water.

[0032] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include a first heat exchanger 3, a second heat exchanger 4, and a third heat exchanger 5. The first heat exchanger 3 is located outdoors and is configured to exchange heat for the circulating refrigerant. The second heat exchanger 4 is connected to the water tank 2 and is configured to exchange heat for domestic water. The third heat exchanger 5 is located indoors and is configured to adjust the indoor temperature. That is, the air conditioner is a combined heat and power unit.

[0033] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include a first pipeline 110, a second pipeline 120, and a third pipeline 130. The leading ends of the first pipeline 110 and the second pipeline 120 are configured to be connected to the exhaust port 101. The trailing end of the first pipeline 110 and the trailing end of the second pipeline 120 are configured to be connected to the leading end of the third pipeline 130. The trailing end of the third pipeline 130 is configured to be connected to the exhaust port 101. The first heat exchanger 3 is located on the first pipeline ۱۱۰. The second heat exchanger 4 is located on the second pipeline 120. The third heat exchanger 5 is located on the third pipeline 130.

[0034] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include a control valve. The control valve is disposed between the exhaust port 101 and the leading ends of the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the trailing end of the third pipeline 130. The control valve is configured to change the flow direction of the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101.

[0035] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include a controller. The controller is connected to the control valve. The controller may be configured to: control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and / or the third pipeline 130. Based on the above architecture of the air conditioner 100, the controller of the air conditioner 100 is configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and / or the third pipeline 130.

[0036] For example, to solve the above problems, a first pipeline 110 and a second pipeline 120 are led out from the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 1 of the air conditioner 100 of the present disclosure. The first pipeline 110 connects the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 1 to the first heat exchanger 3, the second pipeline 120 connects the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 4 to the second heat exchanger 4, and the third pipeline 130 connects the ends of the first pipeline 110 and the second pipeline 120 to the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 4. The second heat exchanger 4 is controlled independently as a separate circuit, and control valves are provided on the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 to control the opening and closing of the control valves according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100, thereby changing the flow direction of the refrigerant at the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 1, so that the refrigerant flows into the second heat exchanger 4 to heat domestic water according to the operating mode, or does not flow into the second heat exchanger 4 to avoid heating the water tank 2 first. Thus, the air conditioner 100 can achieve multiple operating modes and avoid the problem of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity of the air conditioner 100 caused by heating the water tank 2 first. Therefore, compared with the related art, regardless of the mode of the air conditioner 100, the refrigerant will first pass through the water tank 2 to heat the water in the water tank 2. The present disclosure leads out the first pipeline 110 and the second pipeline 120 from the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 4, controls the second heat exchanger 4 independently as a separate circuit instead of connecting it in series between the compressor 4 and other heat exchangers, and sets control valves to change the flow direction of the refrigerant according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100. If there is no need to heat the water tank 2 in the operating mode, the refrigerant can be made not to enter the second heat exchanger 4 and does not necessarily pass through the second heat exchanger 4. Thus, the air conditioner 100 can achieve multiple operating modes and avoid the problem of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity of the air conditioner 100 caused by heating the water tank 2 first. If there is a need to heat the water tank in the operating mode, the refrigerant can be made to enter the second heat exchanger 4 to produce hot water during heating or cooling, thereby improving the comfort of the air conditioner 100, and producing hot water while cooling can reduce energy waste. The control valve can be various valves, such as solenoid valves, expansion valves, three-way valves, four-way valves, etc., which are not specifically limited here. Hereinafter, the control valve is taken as a solenoid valve for example for illustration.

[0037] In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger 3 can be a finned tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between air and refrigerant, or a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between water and refrigerant, or a shell-and-tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between water and refrigerant. The second heat exchanger 4 can be a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between water and refrigerant, or a shell-and-tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between water and refrigerant. The third heat exchanger 5 can be a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between water and refrigerant, or a shell-and-tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between water and refrigerant. The types of heat exchangers can be selected according to actual situations, and no specific limitations are made here.

[0038] In some embodiments, a heat exchanger may be installed inside the water tank 2 to heat the water inside the tank. The inlet and outlet of the water tank 2 are also the inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger inside the tank. The heat exchanger is connected to the water tank via a water pump 16, which controls the flow of domestic water in the tank. An insulation layer is installed inside the water tank 2 to keep the domestic water inside the tank warm and prevent energy waste.

[0039] In some embodiments, if it is determined that the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling but there is no hot water production demand, as shown in FIG. 2, the on-off states of the solenoid valves on the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 sequentially passes through the first pipeline 110 and the third pipeline 130 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is heating but there is no hot water production demand, as shown in FIG. 3. At this time, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 sequentially passes through the third pipeline 130 and the first pipeline 110 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water production demand, as shown in FIG. 4. The on-off states of the solenoid valves on the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then the refrigerant is split, with a part passing through the first pipeline 110 and the other part passing through the third pipeline 130 and finally entering the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water production demand, as shown in FIG. 5. The on-off states of the solenoid valves on the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, passes through the third pipeline 130 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water production demand, as shown in FIG. 5. The on-off states of the solenoid valves on the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then passes through the third pipeline 130 and enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water production demand, as shown in FIG. 6. The on-off states of the solenoid valves on the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 can be controlled so that a part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and the other part passes through the first pipeline 110, and after confluence, enters the third pipeline 130 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 has only a hot water production demand, as shown in FIG. 7. The on-off states of the solenoid valves on the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then passes through the first pipeline 110 and enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1.Alternatively, if the air conditioner 100 has heating and hot water production requirements, as shown in Figure 8, the solenoid valves on the first pipe 110, the second pipe 120, and the third pipe 130 can be controlled to allow part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 to flow through the second pipe 120 and the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, while the other part flows through the third pipe 130, and after converging, it flows through the first pipe 110 and then into the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1. Alternatively, if the air conditioner 100 requires defrosting in its operating mode, as shown in Figure 9, the conduction of the solenoid valves on the first pipe 110, the second pipe 120, and the third pipe 130 can be controlled. This allows the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 to flow through the first pipe 110, then through the third pipe 130 back to the compressor 1's intake port 102, or through the second pipe 120 to flow through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, before returning to the compressor 1's intake port 102. This allows the air conditioner 100 to have multiple different operating modes while avoiding the problem of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity caused by the refrigerant preheating the water tank.

[0040] According to some embodiments of the air conditioner 100 disclosed herein, three heat exchangers are respectively installed on different pipelines, and a control valve is installed between each pipeline and the compressor's discharge port 101. Therefore, when the compressor discharges refrigerant, the refrigerant is no longer preferentially directed through the water tank. Instead, the opening and closing of the control valves are controlled based on the air conditioner's operating mode, thereby selectively controlling the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 101 to enter the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and / or the third pipeline 130. This allows the air conditioner to have multiple different operating modes while avoiding the problem of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity caused by the refrigerant first heating the water tank.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the air conditioner 100 may include a liquid receiver 6. The outlet of the liquid receiver 6 is connected to the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the air conditioner 100 may include a first expansion valve 7. The first expansion valve 7 is disposed on a first pipeline 110 and is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate in the first pipeline 110. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the air conditioner 100 may include a second expansion valve 8. The second expansion valve 8 is disposed on a second pipeline 120 and is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate in the second pipeline 120. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the air conditioner 100 may include a third expansion valve 9. The first end of the third expansion valve 9 is connected to the end of the first pipeline 110 and the end of the second pipeline 120, and the second end of the third expansion valve 9 is connected to the first end of the third heat exchanger 5. The third expansion valve 9 is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate in the third pipeline 130. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1, the control valve may include a first four-way valve 10, a second four-way valve 11, and a three-way valve 12. The first four-way valve 10 has its D end connected to the vent 101, its C end connected to the beginning of the second pipeline 120, and its E end connected to the inlet of the storage tank 6 via a common connection with its S end. The second four-way valve 11 has its D end connected to the vent 101, its E end connected to the end of the third pipeline 130, and its S end connected to the inlet of the storage tank 6. The three-way valve 12 has its first end connected to the beginning of the first pipeline 110, its second end connected to the C end of the second four-way valve 11, and its third end connected to the inlet of the storage tank 6.

[0042] In some embodiments, if it is determined that the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling but there is no hot water demand, as shown in Figure 2, the conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 sequentially passes through the first pipeline 110 and the third pipeline 130 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is heating but there is no hot water demand, as shown in Figure 3. At this time, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 sequentially passes through the third pipeline 130 and the first pipeline 110 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water demand, as shown in Figure 4. The conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then the refrigerant is split. One part passes through the first pipeline 110, and the other part passes through the third pipeline 130 and finally enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water demand, as shown in Figure 5. The conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, passes through the third pipeline 130 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water demand, as shown in Figure 5. The conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then passes through the third pipeline 130 and enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is cooling and there is a hot water demand, as shown in Figure 6. The conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 can be controlled so that one part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and the other part passes through the first pipeline 110, and after converging, enters the third pipeline 130 and then enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Or the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is only hot water demand, as shown in Figure 7. The conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 can be controlled so that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then passes through the first pipeline 110 and enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1.Or, if the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 has heating and hot water supply requirements, as shown in FIG. 8, by controlling the conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 12, a part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and another part passes through the third pipeline 130, and after confluence, enters the intake port 102 of the compressor 1 through the first pipeline 110. Or, if the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 has a defrosting requirement, as shown in FIG. 9, by controlling the conduction states of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 12, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 through the exhaust port 101 passes through the first pipeline 110, then returns to the intake port 102 of the compressor 1 through the third pipeline 130 or passes through the second pipeline 120, flows through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then returns to the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. The refrigerant flow rates in the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120 and the third pipeline 130 are respectively adjusted by the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8 and the third expansion valve 9, and the refrigerant flow rate is accurately distributed according to actual requirements, so as to avoid the problems of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity caused by the refrigerant heating the water tank first while enabling the air conditioner 100 to have multiple different operating modes.

[0043] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include an economizer 13. The economizer 13 is used to adapt to the booster compressor. The economizer 13 can improve the heating performance in a low-temperature environment, increase the suction enthalpy value of the compressor 1 by recovering part of the energy of the refrigerant, so as to improve the heating capacity and the energy efficiency ratio of the air conditioner 100. For example, the economizer 13 may be a plate heat exchanger for heat exchange between refrigerants or a shell-and-tube heat exchanger for heat exchange between refrigerants, and specific limitations are not made here.

[0044] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include a second liquid storage tank 14. Since the refrigerant demand is different in different modes, in order to balance the refrigerant, the second liquid storage tank 14 is provided to store the excess refrigerant, thereby avoiding air conditioner failures caused by too much or too little refrigerant.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air conditioner 100 may include a fourth expansion valve 15. The fourth expansion valve 15 is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate into the economizer 13. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, for controlling the on - off state of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and / or the third pipeline 130, the controller 100 is specifically configured to, when the operating mode is the refrigeration mode, control the first expansion valve 7 and the third expansion valve 9 to be both open, control the second expansion valve 8 to be closed, and control the C - end of the first four - way valve 10 to be connected to the S - end of the first four - way valve 10, the E - end of the first four - way valve 10 to be connected to the D - end of the first four - way valve 10, the C - end of the second four - way valve 11 to be connected to the D - end of the second four - way valve 11, the E - end of the second four - way valve 11 to be connected to the S - end of the second four - way valve 11, and the first end of the three - way valve 12 to be connected to the second end of the three - way valve 12, so as to guide the refrigerant to enter the intake port 102 of the compressor 1 from the exhaust port 101 through the first pipeline 110 and the third pipeline 130 in sequence.

[0046] For example, if it is determined that the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is the refrigeration mode, then control the first expansion valve 7 and the third expansion valve 9 to be both open, control the second expansion valve 8 to be closed, and control the C - end of the first four - way valve 10 to be connected to the S - end of the first four - way valve 10, the E - end of the first four - way valve 10 to be connected to the D - end of the first four - way valve 10, the C - end of the second four - way valve 11 to be connected to the D - end of the second four - way valve 11, the E - end of the second four - way valve 11 to be connected to the S - end of the second four - way valve 11, and the first end of the three - way valve 12 to be connected to the second end of the three - way valve 12. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is as shown in FIG. 2. That is to say, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 1 flows into the D - end of the second four - way valve 11, then flows into the second end of the three - way valve 12 through the C - end of the second four - way valve 11, flows into the first heat exchanger 3 from the first end of the three - way valve 12, condenses and releases heat in the first heat exchanger 3, then passes through the first expansion valve 7, the economizer 13, the second liquid storage tank 12, and the third expansion valve 9 and enters the third heat exchanger 5. In the third heat exchanger 5, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, that is, the refrigerant releases heat to the indoor air to achieve the refrigeration effect, and then flows into the C - end of the first four - way valve 10, flows into the liquid storage tank 6 through the S - end of the first four - way valve 10, and finally returns to the compressor 1 through the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Thus, the air conditioner 100 completes the refrigeration operating mode.

[0047] According to the controller configuration in the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in cooling mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 12 are controlled to guide the flow of refrigerant. After the refrigerant is discharged from the compressor 1 exhaust port 101, it passes through the first pipeline 110 and the third pipeline 130 in sequence and enters the compressor 1 intake port 102, thereby completing the cooling operation mode of the air conditioner 100.

[0048] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the controller is specifically configured to control the conduction of the control valves according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120 and / or the third pipeline 130. When the operating mode is heating mode, the controller controls the first expansion valve 7 and the third expansion valve 9 to open, controls the second expansion valve 8 to close, and controls the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the D end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 to connect with the second end of the three-way valve 12, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port 101 through the third pipeline 130 and the first pipeline 110 into the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1.

[0049] For example, if the air conditioner 100 is determined to be in heating mode, then the first expansion valve 7 and the third expansion valve 9 are both opened, the second expansion valve 8 is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 3. In other words, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the C end of the second four-way valve 11, and then flows into the third heat exchanger 5 through the S end of the second four-way valve 11. In the third heat exchanger 5, it exchanges heat with the low-temperature indoor air to achieve a heating effect. Then, it passes through the third expansion valve 9, the second liquid receiver 14, and the economizer 13. After passing through the economizer 13, a portion of the refrigerant passes through the first expansion valve 7 and enters the first heat exchanger 3 to absorb heat from the outdoor air. Then, it flows into the third three-way valve 12. One end of the refrigerant flows from the second end of the three-way valve 12 into the C end of the first four-way valve 10, then through the S end of the first four-way valve 10 into the liquid storage tank 6, and finally returns to the compressor 1 through the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1; the other part of the refrigerant returns to the economizer 13 after passing through the fourth expansion valve 15, and is converted into a gaseous state, then flows from the economizer 13 into the gas replenishment and enthalpy increase port of the compressor 1, and returns to the compressor 1. The economizer 13 improves the heating performance of the air conditioner 100, thereby completing the heating operation mode of the air conditioner 100.

[0050] According to the controller configuration in the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in heating mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 12 are controlled to guide the flow of refrigerant. The refrigerant passes through the third pipe 130 and the first pipe 110 in sequence and then enters the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1, thereby completing the heating operation mode of the air conditioner 100 and improving the heating performance of the air conditioner 100 through the economizer 13.

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4, to control the conduction of the control valves according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipe 110, the second pipe 120, and / or the third pipe 130, the controller is specifically configured to, when the operating mode is simultaneous cooling and hot water production mode, control the opening of the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, and the third expansion valve 9, and control the connection between the C end of the first four-way valve 10 and the D end of the first four-way valve 10, and the connection between the E end of the first four-way valve 10 and the first… The S end of the four-way valve 10 is connected to the C end of the second four-way valve 11 and the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 and the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 and the third end of the three-way valve 12, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port 101 into the second pipeline 120, and at the end of the second pipeline 120, the refrigerant is split so that part of the refrigerant enters the first pipeline 110 and another part of the refrigerant enters the third pipeline 130, and finally the refrigerant flows into the liquid storage tank 6 and then enters the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1. This control method is suitable for scenarios where the demand for hot water production is higher than the demand for cooling. In other words, when the demand for hot water production is high, the refrigerant is controlled to preferentially enter the second pipe 120 where the second heat exchanger is located to heat domestic water. At the same time, considering the low demand for cooling, in order to avoid the problem of excessive cooling caused by all the refrigerant discharged from the second pipe 120 entering the third pipe 130, the refrigerant discharged from the second pipe 120 is diverted. That is, by controlling the opening of the first expansion valve 7, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the second pipe 120 is delivered into the first pipe 110, thereby limiting the amount of refrigerant in the third pipe 130, thus ensuring the user's cooling demand while meeting the demand for hot water production.

[0052] For example, if the air conditioner 100 is determined to be operating in a simultaneous cooling and hot water mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, and the third expansion valve 9 are all opened, and the C end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the third end of the three-way valve 12. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 4. In other words, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the D end of the first four-way valve 10, then into the second heat exchanger 4 via the C end of the first four-way valve 10, heating the domestic water stored in the water tank 2. After passing through the second expansion valve 8, it is split. One part of the refrigerant passes through the third expansion valve 9 and enters the third heat exchanger 5, where it exchanges heat with the indoor air, releasing heat to achieve a cooling effect. This part then flows into the E end of the second four-way valve 11 and exits through the S end. The other part of the refrigerant passes through the first expansion valve 7 and enters the first heat exchanger 3 for condensation and heat dissipation. It then flows into the first end of the three-way valve 12 and exits through the third end. The two parts of the refrigerant merge and enter the liquid receiver 6, finally returning to compressor 1 through the air inlet 102. Thus, the air conditioner 100 completes the simultaneous cooling and hot water production operation mode.

[0053] According to the controller configuration in the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in heating mode, by controlling the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12, the refrigerant flow is guided. The refrigerant enters the second pipe 120 from the exhaust port 101 and is split at the end of the second pipe 120, so that part of the refrigerant enters the first pipe 110 and another part of the refrigerant enters the third pipe 130. Finally, after the refrigerant flows into the liquid storage tank, it enters the compressor's air inlet 102, so that the air conditioner 100 completes the simultaneous cooling and hot water operation mode.

[0054] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, for controlling the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120 and / or the third pipeline 130, the controller is specifically configured to control the second expansion valve 8 and the third expansion valve 9 to be both opened, control the first expansion valve 7 to be closed, and control the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to be connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to be connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 to be connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to be connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 to be connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12, so as to guide the refrigerant to enter the intake port 102 of the compressor 1 from the exhaust port 101 through the second pipeline 120 and the third pipeline 130 in sequence. This control method is applicable to the scenario where the hot water production demand is similar to the refrigeration demand, thereby achieving the full recovery of waste heat, improving the comprehensive energy utilization rate of the air conditioning system, and reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner.

[0055] For example, if it is determined that the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is the simultaneous refrigeration and hot water production mode, control the second expansion valve 8 and the third expansion valve 9 to be both opened, control the first expansion valve 7 to be closed, and control the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to be connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to be connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 to be connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to be connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 to be connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in FIG. 5. That is to say, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 1 flows into the D end of the first four-way valve 10, flows into the second heat exchanger 4 through the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, then flows through the second expansion valve 8 and into the third expansion valve 9, and enters the third heat exchanger 5. In the third heat exchanger 5, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, that is, the refrigerant releases heat to the indoor air to achieve the refrigeration effect, then flows into the E end of the second four-way valve 11, flows out from the S end of the second four-way valve 11 and enters the liquid storage tank 6, and finally returns to the compressor 1 through the intake port 102 of the compressor 1. Thus, the air conditioner 100 completes the simultaneous refrigeration and hot water production operating mode.

[0056] According to the controller configuration of the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in the simultaneous cooling and hot water production mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 12 are controlled to guide the flow of refrigerant. The refrigerant enters the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1 from the exhaust port 101 through the second pipe 120 and the third pipe 130, thereby the air conditioner 100 completes the simultaneous cooling and hot water production operation mode.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, to control the opening and closing of the control valves according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipe 110, the second pipe 120, and / or the third pipe 130, the controller is specifically configured to, when the operating mode is simultaneous cooling and hot water production mode, control the opening of the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, and the third expansion valve 9, and control the C end and the D end of the first four-way valve 10. The first four-way valve 10 is connected to the first four-way valve 10 at its E end, the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the second four-way valve 11 at its C end, the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the second four-way valve 11 at its D end, the third four-way valve 11 is connected to the second four-way valve 11 at its E end, and the third three-way valve 12 is connected to the third three-way valve 12 at its first end, so as to guide a portion of the refrigerant into the first pipeline 110 and another portion of the refrigerant into the second pipeline 120, and then into the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1 after the refrigerant flows into the third pipeline 130. This control method is suitable for scenarios where the demand for hot water is lower than the demand for cooling. In other words, when the demand for hot water is lower than the demand for cooling, the refrigerant is diverted at the exhaust port 101. Part of it enters the second pipe 120 where the second heat exchanger is located, thereby limiting the amount of refrigerant in the second pipe 120 to heat domestic water. At the same time, considering the high demand for cooling, the other part of the refrigerant enters the first pipe 110. Then, the refrigerant in the first pipe 110 and the refrigerant in the second pipe 120 merge into the third pipe 130 to ensure the user's cooling needs.

[0058] For example, if the air conditioner 100 is determined to be operating in a simultaneous cooling and hot water mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, and the third expansion valve 9 are all opened, and the C end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 6. In other words, part of the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the D end of the second four-way valve 11, then through the C end of the second four-way valve 11 into the second end of the three-way valve 12, and from the first end of the three-way valve 12 into the first heat exchanger 3, where it condenses and releases heat, and then passes through the first expansion valve 7; the other part of the refrigerant flows into the D end of the first four-way valve 10, and through the CC end of the first four-way valve 10 into the second heat exchanger 4, where it heats the domestic water stored in the water tank 2, and then through the second expansion valve 8, where the two parts of refrigerant merge and enter the third heat exchanger 5, where the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, that is, the refrigerant releases heat to the indoor air to achieve a cooling effect, and then flows into the E end of the second four-way valve 11, and from the S end of the second four-way valve 11 into the liquid storage tank 6, and finally returns to compressor 1 through the air inlet 102 of compressor 1, thus completing the simultaneous cooling and hot water production operation mode of air conditioner 100.

[0059] According to the controller configuration of the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in the simultaneous cooling and hot water production mode, by controlling the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12, the refrigerant flow is guided. Part of the refrigerant enters the first pipe 110, and another part of the refrigerant is guided into the second pipe 120. After the refrigerant flows into the third pipe 130, it enters the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1, thereby enabling the air conditioner 100 to complete the simultaneous cooling and hot water production operation mode.

[0060] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7, the controller is specifically configured to control the conduction of the control valves according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and / or the third pipeline 130. When the operating mode is hot water mode, the controller controls the first expansion valve 7 and the second expansion valve 8 to open, controls the third expansion valve 9 to close, and controls the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 to connect with the third end of the three-way valve 12, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port 101 through the second pipeline 120 and the first pipeline 110 into the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1.

[0061] For example, if the air conditioner 100 is determined to be operating in hot water mode, the first expansion valve 7 and the second expansion valve 8 are both opened, the third expansion valve 9 is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the third end of the three-way valve. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 7. In other words, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into terminal D of the first four-way valve 10, then into the second heat exchanger 4 via terminal C of the first four-way valve 10, heating the domestic water stored in the water tank 2. After passing through the second expansion valve 8 and the first expansion valve 7, it flows into the first heat exchanger 3 to absorb heat from the outdoor air. Then it flows into the first terminal of the three-way valve 12, and from the second terminal of the three-way valve 12 into terminal C of the first four-way valve 10. Finally, it flows into the liquid receiver 6 via terminal S of the first four-way valve 10, and finally returns to compressor 1 via the air inlet 102 of compressor 1. Thus, the air conditioner 100 completes the hot water production operation mode.

[0062] According to the controller configuration of the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in hot water production mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 12 are controlled to guide the flow of refrigerant. The refrigerant enters the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1 from the exhaust port 101 through the second pipe 120 and the first pipe 110, thereby completing the hot water production operation mode of the air conditioner 100.

[0063] In some embodiments, to control the opening and closing of the control valves according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100, so as to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipe 110, the second pipe 120, and / or the third pipe 130, the controller is specifically configured to, when the operating mode is simultaneous heating and hot water production mode, control the opening of the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, and the third expansion valve 9, and control the connection between the C end and the D end of the first four-way valve 10. The E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12, so as to guide a part of the refrigerant into the third pipeline 130 and guide another part of the refrigerant into the second pipeline 120, and after the refrigerant flows into the first pipeline 110, it enters the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1.

[0064] For example, if the air conditioner 100 is determined to be operating in a simultaneous heating and hot water mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, and the third expansion valve 9 are all opened, and the C end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 8. In other words, part of the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the D end of the refrigerant inlet valve 11, and then into the third heat exchanger 5 through the E end of the second four-way valve 11. In the third heat exchanger 5, it exchanges heat with the low-temperature air in the room to achieve a heating effect. Then it passes through the third expansion valve 9, the second liquid storage tank 14, and the economizer 13. The other part of the refrigerant flows into the D end of the first four-way valve 10, and then into the second heat exchanger 4 through the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2. Then it passes through the second expansion valve 8. The two parts of refrigerant merge and then pass through the first expansion valve 7 into the C end of the second four-way valve 11. It flows out through the S end of the second four-way valve 11 to the liquid storage tank 6, and finally returns to compressor 1 through the air inlet 102 of compressor 1. In this process, after the refrigerant flows through the economizer 13, part of the refrigerant passes through the first expansion valve 7; the other part of the refrigerant passes through the fourth expansion valve 15 and returns to the economizer 13, where it is converted into a gaseous state. Then, it flows from the economizer 13 into the gas injection port of the compressor 1 and returns to the compressor 1. The economizer 13 enhances the heating performance of the air conditioner 100, thereby enabling the air conditioner 100 to complete the simultaneous heating and hot water operation mode.

[0065] According to the controller configuration of the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in the simultaneous heating and hot water operation mode, by controlling the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11 and the three-way valve 12, the effect of guiding the refrigerant flow is achieved. Part of the refrigerant enters the third pipe 130, and another part of the refrigerant is guided into the second pipe 120. After the refrigerant flows into the first pipe 110, it enters the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1, so that the air conditioner 100 completes the simultaneous heating and hot water operation mode.

[0066] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2, the controller is specifically configured to control the conduction of the control valves according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 into the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120 and / or the third pipeline 130. Specifically, when the operating mode is defrost mode, the controller controls the first expansion valve 7 and the third expansion valve 9 to open, controls the second expansion valve 8 to close, and controls the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 to connect with the second end of the three-way valve 12, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port 101 through the first pipeline 110 and the third pipeline 130 into the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1. Alternatively, in defrost mode, as shown in Figure 9, the first expansion valve 7 and the second expansion valve 8 are both opened, the third expansion valve 9 is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port 101 through the first pipeline 110 and the second pipeline 120 into the intake port 102 of the compressor 1.

[0067] For example, if the air conditioner 100 is determined to be in defrost mode, the second expansion valve 8 is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 2. In other words, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the D end of the second four-way valve 11, then flows through the C end of the second four-way valve 11 into the second end of the three-way valve 12, and then flows through the first end of the three-way valve 12 into the first heat exchanger 3. In the first heat exchanger 3, heat is released by condensation. Then, after passing through the first expansion valve 7, the economizer 13, the second liquid storage tank 12, and the third expansion valve 9, it enters the third heat exchanger 5. In the third heat exchanger 5, the refrigerant exchanges heat with the indoor air, that is, the refrigerant releases heat to the indoor air to achieve the defrosting effect. Then, it flows into the C end of the first four-way valve 10, and then flows through the S end of the first four-way valve 10 into the liquid storage tank 6. Finally, it returns to compressor 1 through the air inlet 102 of compressor 1.

[0068] Alternatively, control both the first expansion valve 7 and the second expansion valve 8 to open, control the third expansion valve 9 to close, and control the C end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to connect with the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the C end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the D end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to connect with the S end of the second four-way valve 11, and the first end of the three-way valve 12 to connect with the second end of the three-way valve 12. In this case, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 9. The refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into terminal D of the second four-way valve 11, then through terminal C of the second four-way valve 11 into the second terminal of the three-way valve 12, and from the first terminal of the three-way valve 12 into the first heat exchanger 3. In the first heat exchanger 3, it condenses and releases heat. Then, after passing through the first expansion valve 7 and the second expansion valve 8, it flows into the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water stored in the water tank 2. Then, it flows into terminal C of the first four-way valve 10, and from terminal S of the first four-way valve 10 into the liquid receiver 6. Finally, it returns to compressor 1 through the air inlet 102. Thus, the air conditioner 100 completes the defrost operation mode.

[0069] According to the controller configuration of the above embodiment, when the air conditioner 100 is in defrost mode, by controlling the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12, the refrigerant flow is guided. The refrigerant enters the compressor 1's intake port 102 from the exhaust port 101 through the first pipe 110 and the third pipe 130 in sequence; or the refrigerant enters the compressor 1's intake port 102 from the exhaust port 101 through the first pipe 110 and the second pipe 120 in sequence, thereby completing the defrost operation mode of the air conditioner 100.

[0070] In some embodiments, based on the above architecture, the controller of the air conditioner can be configured to perform the following steps S1-S4.

[0071] Step S1: Obtain the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger and the water tank temperature. For example, temperature sensors can be installed at the second heat exchanger 4 and the water tank 2 to monitor the water tank temperature and send the acquired water tank temperature to the controller. The third heat exchanger can be a plate heat exchanger, and the heat exchange temperature is determined by detecting the temperature at the outlet of the plate heat exchanger.

[0072] Step S2: Determine the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner based on the water tank temperature. For example, the heat recovery of the air conditioner 100 utilizes the waste heat generated during operation to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2 or for other waste heat utilization. Determining the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 based on the water tank temperature means determining the amount of waste heat to be recovered to heat the water in the tank. If the water tank temperature is low, more waste heat is needed to heat the water in the tank 2, so the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 is determined to be full heat recovery, thereby maximizing the recovery and utilization of waste heat and improving heating efficiency. If the water tank temperature is moderate, some waste heat is still needed to heat the water in the tank 2, so the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 is determined to be partial heat recovery, providing appropriate waste heat to heat the tank 2, thus ensuring heating efficiency while avoiding unnecessary energy waste. Therefore, the air conditioner 100 disclosed herein can dynamically adjust the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner according to the water tank temperature, thereby selecting a suitable heat recovery state in combination with the water tank temperature. This not only ensures that the water in the water tank 2 reaches the required temperature, but also optimizes the operating efficiency of the air conditioning system and reduces unnecessary energy consumption.

[0073] Step S3: Determine the cooling state of the air conditioner based on the heat exchange temperature. For example, when the third heat exchanger 5 is cooling, the refrigerant flowing inside exchanges heat with the indoor air to raise its temperature. The third heat exchanger 5 uses the waste heat generated by cooling to heat the domestic water in the water tank. At this time, the high-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the water discharged from the third heat exchanger 5 to raise the outlet water temperature. Conversely, if the third heat exchanger 5 is not cooling, the outlet water temperature cannot be raised. Based on this, the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is determined by the outlet water temperature of the third heat exchanger 5, that is, whether the air conditioner 100 is cooling is determined by the outlet water temperature of the third heat exchanger 5. For example, if the outlet water temperature is higher than the cooling temperature threshold used to determine whether the air conditioner 100 is cooling, then the air conditioner 100 is determined to be in a cooling state; if the outlet water temperature is lower than the cooling temperature threshold used to determine whether the air conditioner 100 is cooling, then the air conditioner 100 is determined to be in a non-cooling state.

[0074] Step S4: Control the conduction of the first four-way valve, the second four-way valve, and the three-way valve according to the heat recovery state and the cooling state. For example, to solve this problem, some embodiments of this disclosure determine the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 based on the water tank temperature, that is, determine the waste heat to be recovered for heating the domestic water in the water tank based on the water tank temperature, and control the conduction of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 according to different heat recovery and cooling states, thereby changing the flow path of the refrigerant in the air conditioner 100, so that all or part of the refrigerant discharged by the compressor 1 flows into the second pipeline 120, and can then pass through the second heat exchanger 4 to heat the domestic water, so as to recover all or part of the waste heat generated by the air conditioner 100 to heat the domestic water, thereby meeting the heating needs of the domestic water in the water tank, and simultaneously meeting the user's needs for cooling or no cooling. Therefore, compared to the scheme of using two four-way valves in series and two one-way valves, or one four-way valve and four one-way valves to achieve complete waste heat recovery in related air conditioners, some embodiments of this disclosure use a scheme of a first four-way valve 10, a second four-way valve 11 and a three-way valve 12 to more accurately distribute the flow of refrigerant in the air conditioner 100. This allows the air conditioner 100 to achieve both complete and partial waste heat recovery, improving the overall energy utilization rate of the air conditioning system and reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner 100.

[0075] For example, if it is determined that the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 is full heat recovery, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is no cooling, then by controlling the opening and closing of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12, all the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the second pipe 120 and then back to the compressor 1 via the third pipe 130. Alternatively, if the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 is full heat recovery, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is cooling, then the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 1 is guided to flow into the third pipe 130 via the second pipe 120. Alternatively, if it is determined that the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 is partial heat recovery, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is no cooling, then by controlling the opening and closing of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the second pipe 120, thereby allowing another portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 to flow into the third pipe 130. Alternatively, if the air conditioner 100 requires partial heat recovery and is in cooling mode, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of the compressor 1 flows through the first pipe 110, the second pipe 120, and then into the third pipe 130, thereby achieving full heat recovery and partial heat recovery, improving the overall energy utilization rate of the air conditioning system, and reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner 100.

[0076] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the air conditioner 100 controls the conduction of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 by controlling the waste heat required to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2 and the cooling state, so as to recover all or part of the waste heat generated by the air conditioner 100 to heat the domestic water. Therefore, some embodiments of the present disclosure employ a scheme using the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, the three-way valve 12, the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and the third pipeline 130 to more accurately distribute the flow of the refrigeration unit within the air conditioner 100. This allows the air conditioner 100 to achieve both complete and partial waste heat recovery, improving the overall energy utilization rate of the air conditioning system and reducing the electricity consumption of the air conditioner 100.

[0077] In some embodiments, for determining the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 based on the water tank temperature, the controller is specifically configured to: determine the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 as a full heat recovery state if the water tank temperature is less than a first preset temperature threshold; determine the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 as a partial heat recovery state if the water tank temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature threshold and less than or equal to a second preset temperature threshold; and determine the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 as a stopped heat recovery state if the water tank temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold. The preset temperature threshold is a preset temperature critical value used to control the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100. The first and second preset temperature thresholds can be set according to actual conditions and are not specifically limited here. For example, the first preset temperature threshold can be 45°C, and the second preset temperature threshold can be 55°C.

[0078] For example, if the water tank temperature is lower than the first preset temperature threshold, more waste heat is needed to heat the water in the water tank 2. In this case, the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is determined to be the full heat recovery state, that is, all the waste heat generated by the air conditioner 100 is allocated to the water tank 2. If the water tank temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold, some waste heat is still needed to heat the water in the water tank 2. In this case, the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is determined to be the partial heat recovery state, that is, some of the waste heat generated by the air conditioner 100 is allocated to the water tank 2. If the water tank temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, no waste heat is needed to heat the water in the water tank 2. In this case, the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is determined to be the stopped heat recovery state.

[0079] In some embodiments, when determining the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner 100 based on the water tank temperature, the controller's specific process includes the following steps: Step S5, determining whether the water tank temperature is lower than a first preset temperature threshold; if yes, proceed to step S6; if no, proceed to step S7. Step S6, the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner is full heat recovery. Step S7, determining whether the water tank temperature is higher than a second preset temperature threshold; if yes, proceed to step S8; if no, proceed to step S9. Step S8, the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner is partial heat recovery. Step S9, the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner is stopped heat recovery.

[0080] In some embodiments, when determining the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 based on the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger 5, the controller is specifically configured to determine that if the heat exchange temperature is less than a third preset temperature threshold, the cooling state is no cooling; and if the heat exchange temperature is greater than or equal to the third preset temperature threshold, the cooling state is cooling.

[0081] In some embodiments, the controller process for determining the cooling state of the air conditioner based on the outlet water temperature includes the following steps: Step S10, determining whether the heat exchange temperature is less than a third preset temperature threshold; if yes, proceeding to step S11; if no, proceeding to step S12. Step S11, the air conditioner's cooling state is not cooling. Step S12, the air conditioner's cooling state is cooling.

[0082] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the air conditioner 100 may include a first expansion valve 7, a second expansion valve 8, and a third expansion valve 9. The first expansion valve 7 is disposed on the first pipeline 110, the second expansion valve 8 is disposed on the second pipeline 120, and the third expansion valve 9 is disposed on the third pipeline 130. Regarding controlling the conduction of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 according to the heat recovery state and the cooling state, the controller is specifically configured to, under the conditions of full heat recovery state or partial heat recovery state and no cooling state, control the connection between the D end and the C end of the first four-way valve 10, the connection between the D end and the E end of the second four-way valve 11, the connection between the C end and the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the connection between the first end and the second end of the three-way valve 12, the conduction of the first expansion valve 7 and its fully open state, the conduction of the second expansion valve 8, and the closing of the third expansion valve 9.

[0083] For example, if it is determined that the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is full heat recovery state, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is no cooling; or, if it is determined that the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is partial heat recovery state, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is no cooling, then the following connections are made: the D and C ends of the first four-way valve 10 are connected; the D and E ends of the second four-way valve 11 are connected; the C and S ends of the second four-way valve 11 are connected; the first and second ends of the three-way valve 12 are connected; the first expansion valve 7 is open and fully open; the second expansion valve 8 is open; and the third expansion valve 9 is closed. The refrigerant flow direction at this time is shown in Figure 11. In other words, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the D end of the first four-way valve 10, and then flows into the second heat exchanger 4 through the C end of the first four-way valve 10. That is, all the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the second heat exchanger 4. The refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanger 4 is a high-temperature refrigerant. This high-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the domestic water in the water tank 2. At this time, the second heat exchanger 4 uses the heat from all the refrigerant to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2. The refrigerant after heat exchange flows into the second expansion tank through the fourth end of the second heat exchanger 4. The expansion valve 8 regulates the flow rate of refrigerant from the second heat exchanger 4 to lower the refrigerant temperature. After being throttled and depressurized, the refrigerant flows into the first heat exchanger 3 through the fully open first expansion valve 7. The first heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air, releasing heat to further lower the refrigerant temperature. The refrigerant after heat exchange flows through the first end of the first heat exchanger 3 into the first end of the three-way valve 12, then through the third end of the three-way valve 12, and finally back to the compressor 1 through the air inlet 102. Thus, the air conditioner 100 achieves complete or partial recovery of waste heat even when not cooling.

[0084] In some embodiments, for controlling the conduction of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 according to the heat recovery state and the cooling state, the controller is specifically configured to, under the condition that the heat recovery state is the full heat recovery state and the cooling state is the cooling state, control the D end of the first four-way valve 10 to be connected to the C end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to be connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the D end of the second four-way valve 11 to be connected to the C end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to be connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the three-way valve 12 to be cut off, the first expansion valve 7 to be closed, the second expansion valve 8 to be open, and the third expansion valve 9 to be open.

[0085] For example, if it is determined that the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is the total heat recovery state, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is cooling, the D end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the C end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the D end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the C end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the three-way valve 12 is shut off, the first expansion valve 7 is closed, the second expansion valve 8 is open, and the third expansion valve 9 is open. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 12. In other words, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into terminal D of the first four-way valve 10, and then flows into the second heat exchanger 4 through terminal C of the first four-way valve 10. All the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the second heat exchanger 4. The refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanger 4 is a high-temperature refrigerant. This high-temperature refrigerant exchanges heat with the domestic water in the water tank 2. At this time, the second heat exchanger 4 utilizes all the heat from the refrigerant to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2. Therefore, the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is in a full heat recovery state. After heat exchange, the refrigerant flows into the second expansion valve 8 through terminal 4 of the second heat exchanger 4 to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 4 and reduce the temperature of the refrigerant. The refrigerant, after being throttled and depressurized, flows into the third expansion valve 9. After being throttled and depressurized by the third expansion valve 9, the refrigerant temperature is further reduced. Then, it flows into the third heat exchanger 5 through the second end of the third expansion valve 9. The refrigerant flowing in the third heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat with the indoor air to absorb indoor heat and reduce the indoor temperature. That is, the third heat exchanger 5 absorbs heat. At this time, the air conditioner 100 is running in cooling mode. Then, the refrigerant after heat exchange flows into the E end of the second four-way valve 11 through the first end of the third heat exchanger 5, and then flows back to the compressor 1 through the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1 through the S end of the second four-way valve 11. Thus, the air conditioner 100 achieves complete recovery of waste heat in the cooling mode.

[0086] In some embodiments, for controlling the conduction of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 according to the heat recovery state and the cooling state, the controller is specifically configured to, under the condition that the heat recovery state is a partial heat recovery state and the cooling state is cooling, control the connection between the D end of the first four-way valve 10 and the C end of the first four-way valve 10, the connection between the E end of the first four-way valve 10 and the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the connection between the D end of the second four-way valve 11 and the C end of the second four-way valve 11, the connection between the E end of the second four-way valve 11 and the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the connection between the first end of the three-way valve 12 and the second end of the three-way valve 12, the conduction of the first expansion valve 7 and its fully open state, the conduction of the second expansion valve 8, and the conduction of the third expansion valve 9.

[0087] For example, if it is determined that the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is partial heat recovery state, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is cooling, the control connects the D end of the first four-way valve 10 to the C end of the first four-way valve 10, the E end of the first four-way valve 10 to the S end of the first four-way valve 10, the D end of the second four-way valve 11 to the C end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the first end of the three-way valve 12 to the second end of the three-way valve 12, the first expansion valve 7 is turned on and in a fully open state, the second expansion valve 8 is turned on, and the third expansion valve 9 is turned on. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 13. In other words, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the D end of the second four-way valve 11, then through the C end of the second four-way valve 11 into the second end of the three-way valve 12, and then through the first end of the three-way valve 12 into the first heat exchanger 3. The first heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air, that is, the refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor air to lower the refrigerant temperature. After heat exchange, the refrigerant flows through the fully open first expansion valve 7 into the third expansion valve 9. After the third expansion valve 19 throttles and reduces the pressure, the refrigerant temperature is further reduced, and then it flows through the second end of the third expansion valve 9 into the third heat exchanger 5. Another portion of the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the D end of the first four-way valve, and then through the C end of the first four-way valve into the second heat exchanger 4. That is, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into the second heat exchanger 4, and the refrigerant flowing into the second heat exchanger 4 is a high-temperature refrigerant. The high-temperature refrigerant reacts with the domestic water in the water tank 3. Heat exchange occurs during the process. At this time, the second heat exchanger 4 uses part of the heat from the refrigerant to heat the domestic water in the water tank 3. The refrigerant after heat exchange flows into the second expansion valve 10 through the fourth end of the second heat exchanger 4 to regulate the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing out of the second heat exchanger 4 and reduce the temperature of the refrigerant. Then, after throttling and depressurization, the refrigerant flows into the third expansion valve 9. After throttling and depressurization, the refrigerant further reduces the temperature of the refrigerant. Then, it flows into the third heat exchanger 5 through the second end of the third expansion valve 9. The refrigerant flowing in the third heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat with the indoor air to absorb indoor heat and reduce the indoor temperature. That is, the third heat exchanger 5 absorbs heat. At this time, the air conditioner 100 operates in cooling mode. Then, the refrigerant after heat exchange flows into the E end of the second four-way valve 11 through the first end of the third heat exchanger 5, and then flows back to the compressor 1 through the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1 through the S end of the second four-way valve 11. Thus, the air conditioner 100 achieves partial recovery of waste heat in the cooling mode.

[0088] In some embodiments, the conduction status of the first four-way valve 10, the second four-way valve 11, and the three-way valve 12 is controlled according to the heat recovery state and the cooling state. Specifically, the controller is configured to control the connection between the S end of the first four-way valve 10 and the D end of the first four-way valve 10, the connection between the D end of the second four-way valve 11 and the C end of the second four-way valve 11, the connection between the E end of the second four-way valve 11 and the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the connection between the first end of the three-way valve 12 and the second end of the three-way valve 12, the conduction of the first expansion valve 7 and its fully open state, the closing of the second expansion valve 8, and the conduction of the third expansion valve 9 when the heat recovery state is the stopped heat recovery state and the cooling state is the cooling state.

[0089] For example, if it is determined that the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner 100 is the stopped heat recovery state, and the cooling state of the air conditioner 100 is cooling, the S end of the first four-way valve 10 is connected to the E end of the first four-way valve 10, the D end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the C end of the second four-way valve 11, the E end of the second four-way valve 11 is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve 11, the first end of the three-way valve 12 is connected to the second end of the three-way valve 12, the first expansion valve 7 is turned on and in a fully open state, the second expansion valve 8 is closed, and the third expansion valve 9 is turned on. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is shown in Figure 14. In other words, the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port 101 of compressor 1 flows into terminal D of the second four-way valve 11, then through terminal C of the second four-way valve 11 into the second terminal of the three-way valve 12, and then through the first terminal of the three-way valve 12 into the first heat exchanger 3. The first heat exchanger 3 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air, that is, the refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor air to reduce the refrigerant temperature. After heat exchange, the refrigerant flows into the third expansion valve 9 through the fully open first expansion valve 7. After the refrigerant passes through the third expansion valve 9 and undergoes throttling and pressure reduction, its temperature is further reduced. Then, the refrigerant flows into the third heat exchanger 5 through the second end of the third expansion valve 9. The refrigerant flowing in the third heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat with the indoor air to absorb indoor heat and reduce the indoor temperature. That is, the third heat exchanger 5 absorbs heat. At this time, the air conditioner 100 runs in cooling mode. Then, the refrigerant after heat exchange flows into the E end of the second four-way valve 11 through the first end of the third heat exchanger 5, and then flows back to the compressor 1 through the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1 through the S end of the second four-way valve 11. Thus, the air conditioner 100 achieves cooling without the need to recover waste heat.

[0090] In some embodiments, when the second expansion valve 8 is turned on, the controller is further configured to acquire the discharge superheat of the compressor 1 and the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline; and control the opening degree of the second expansion valve 8 based on the discharge superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. That is, when the heat recovery state is in a full heat recovery state or a partial heat recovery state and the cooling state is non-cooling, or when the heat recovery state is in a partial heat recovery state and the cooling state is cooling, when the second expansion valve is turned on, the opening degree of the second expansion valve is controlled based on the discharge superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline.

[0091] For example, when the refrigerant flow rate in the air conditioner 100 is too high, the refrigerant stays in the compressor 1 for a relatively short time, and the refrigerant cannot fully exchange heat with the compressor 1, resulting in insufficient exhaust superheat of the compressor 1. Conversely, when the refrigerant flow rate in the air conditioner 100 is too low, the refrigerant stays in the compressor 1 for a relatively long time, and the refrigerant fully exchanges heat with the compressor 1, resulting in excessive exhaust superheat of the compressor 1. Furthermore, the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline is the temperature at which the refrigerant is in a saturated state (i.e., partially liquid and partially vapor exist simultaneously) under a certain refrigerant pressure. Since the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline can only heat the domestic water in the water tank when it is higher than the water temperature in the water tank, the opening degree of the second expansion valve 8 is controlled based on the exhaust superheat and / or the pipeline refrigerant pressure. For example, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 is controlled according to the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. If the water temperature in the water tank is T1, the opening of the second expansion valve 10 is used to control the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline between T1+1 and T1+3℃. If the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline is lower than T1, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 is reduced to decrease the refrigerant flow, allowing the refrigerant to fully exchange heat with the compressor 1, thereby increasing the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the compressor 1. If the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline is higher than T1+3℃, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 is increased to increase the refrigerant flow, preventing the refrigerant from fully exchanging heat with the compressor 1, thereby reducing the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the compressor 1. Alternatively, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 can be controlled based on the exhaust superheat. Exhaust superheat refers to the difference between the exhaust temperature and the saturation temperature corresponding to the exhaust pressure. The exhaust superheat should be within a preset superheat range, which can be 15℃-20℃. If the exhaust superheat is lower than the lower limit of the preset superheat range, it indicates that the refrigerant flow is too large. In this case, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 is reduced to decrease the refrigerant flow, allowing the refrigerant to fully exchange heat with the compressor 1, thereby increasing the exhaust superheat of the compressor 1 and preventing the exhaust superheat of the compressor 1 from being too low. If the exhaust superheat is higher than the upper limit of the preset superheat range, it indicates that the refrigerant flow is too small. In this case, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 is increased to increase the refrigerant flow. In this case, the refrigerant cannot fully exchange heat with the compressor 1, thereby reducing the exhaust superheat of the compressor 1 and preventing the exhaust superheat of the compressor 1 from being too high.

[0092] In some embodiments, the controller process for controlling the opening degree of the second expansion valve 10 based on the discharge superheat and / or pipeline refrigerant pressure includes the following steps: Step S13, obtaining the compressor's discharge superheat and pipeline refrigerant pressure. Step S14, controlling the opening degree of the second expansion valve based on the discharge superheat and / or pipeline refrigerant pressure.

[0093] In some embodiments, when controlling the third expansion valve 9 to open, the controller is further configured to acquire the compressor's discharge superheat and the pipeline refrigerant pressure; and control the opening degree of the third expansion valve 9 based on the discharge superheat and the pipeline refrigerant pressure. That is, under the conditions of full heat recovery and cooling, or partial heat recovery and cooling, or heat recovery stopped and cooling, the opening degree of the third expansion valve 9 is controlled based on the discharge superheat and the pipeline refrigerant pressure when controlling the third expansion valve 9 to open.

[0094] For example, when the refrigerant flow rate in the air conditioner 100 is too high, the refrigerant stays in the compressor 1 for a relatively short time, and the refrigerant cannot fully exchange heat with the compressor 1, resulting in insufficient exhaust superheat of the compressor 1. When the refrigerant flow rate in the air conditioner 100 is too low, the refrigerant stays in the compressor 1 for a relatively long time, and the refrigerant fully exchanges heat with the compressor 1, resulting in excessive exhaust superheat of the compressor 1. Furthermore, the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline is the temperature at which the refrigerant is in a saturated state (i.e., partially liquid and partially vapor exist simultaneously) under a certain refrigerant pressure. The domestic water in the water tank can only be heated when the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline is higher than the water temperature in the water tank. Therefore, the opening of the third expansion valve 9 is controlled according to the exhaust superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. For example, the opening of the third expansion valve 9 is controlled according to the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. If the water temperature in the water tank is T1, the saturation temperature of the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline is controlled between T1+1 and T1+3℃ by controlling the opening of the third expansion valve 9. The specific control process can refer to the opening control of the second expansion valve 10 mentioned above.

[0095] In some embodiments, the controller process for controlling the opening of the third expansion valve 9 based on the exhaust superheat and / or pipeline refrigerant pressure includes the following steps: Step S15, obtaining the compressor's exhaust superheat and pipeline refrigerant pressure; Step S16, controlling the opening of the third expansion valve based on the exhaust superheat and pipeline refrigerant pressure.

[0096] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to stop the air conditioner 100 from operating when the water tank temperature is greater than a second preset temperature threshold and the heat exchange temperature is less than a third preset temperature threshold. For example, when the water tank temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, the temperature of the domestic water in the water tank 2 has reached the user's needs. If heat recovery continues to heat the domestic water in the water tank, it will cause energy waste and may also create safety hazards due to the excessively high water tank temperature. Furthermore, when the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger 5 is less than the third preset temperature threshold, the indoor temperature is very low, so the air conditioner 100 does not need to continue cooling, and the air conditioner 100 is controlled to stop operating. Thus, the air conditioner 100 is controlled to stop operating when the domestic water temperature is high and the indoor temperature is low, thereby avoiding energy waste.

[0097] The control process of the air conditioner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated below, with specific steps as follows: Step S17, Start. Step S18, The user inputs the operating mode of the air conditioner, wherein the operating mode is cooling mode. The user can input the operating mode of the air conditioner through a remote control, an air conditioner application on a mobile terminal, or the control panel on the air conditioner body, using voice, gestures, or other operation methods. Step S19, The air conditioner enters cooling mode. Step S20, The cooling circulating water pump runs for 2 minutes. Step S21, The controller determines whether the heat exchange temperature is less than a third preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to step S39; if no, proceed to step S22. Step S22, The controller determines whether the water tank temperature is less than a first preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to step S23; if no, proceed to step S48. Step S23, If the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner is full heat recovery state and the cooling state is cooling, the third heat exchanger acts as an evaporator. The refrigerant flowing in the third heat exchanger exchanges heat with the indoor air to absorb indoor heat, thereby reducing the indoor temperature and achieving cooling of the air conditioner. Step S24: Connect the third end of the three-way valve to the S end of the second four-way valve. Step S25: Connect the D end of the first four-way valve to the C end of the first four-way valve, connect the D end of the second four-way valve to the C end of the second four-way valve, and connect the E end of the second four-way valve to the S end of the second four-way valve. Step S26: Control the second expansion valve to be fully open. Step S27: Control the first expansion valve to be closed. Step S28: Control the opening of the third expansion valve according to the exhaust superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. Step S29: The user sets a second preset temperature threshold, which can be 55℃. Step S30: Determine whether the water tank temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to step S32; otherwise, proceed to step S31. Step S31: Determine whether the water tank temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to step S48; otherwise, proceed to step S21. Step S32: If the air conditioner requires a heat recovery state that is stopped and a cooling state that is in cooling mode. Step S33: Determine if the heat exchange temperature is less than the third preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to step S55; otherwise, proceed to step S34. Step S34: Control the second expansion valve to close. Step S35: Control the first expansion valve to be fully open. Step S36: Control the opening degree of the second expansion valve according to the exhaust superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. Step S37: Control the second end of the three-way valve to connect with the C end of the second four-way valve. Step S38: Control the fan's operating state according to the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline, and proceed to step S21. Step S39: Determine if the water tank temperature is less than the first preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to step S40; otherwise, proceed to step S22.Step S40: If the air conditioner requires a total heat recovery state and is in cooling mode, the first heat exchanger acts as an evaporator, exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air, i.e., the refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor air to further reduce the refrigerant temperature. Step S41: Connect the third terminal of the three-way valve to the S terminal of the second four-way valve. Step S42: Connect the D terminal of the first four-way valve to the C terminal of the first four-way valve, and connect the D terminal of the second four-way valve to the C terminal of the second four-way valve, and connect the E terminal of the second four-way valve to the S terminal of the second four-way valve. Step S43: Control the opening of the second expansion valve based on the exhaust superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. Step S44: Control the second expansion valve to be fully open. Step S45: Control the third expansion valve to be closed. Step S46: The user sets a second preset temperature threshold. Step S47: Determine if the water tank temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold. If yes, proceed to step S33; otherwise, proceed to step S30. Step S48: If the air conditioner requires partial heat recovery and is in cooling mode. Step S49: Connect the second end of the three-way valve to the C end of the second four-way valve. Step S50: Connect the D end of the first four-way valve to the C end, connect the D end of the second four-way valve to the C end, and connect the E end of the second four-way valve to the S end. Step S51: Control the opening of the second expansion valve based on the exhaust superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. Step S52: Control the first expansion valve to be fully open. Step S53: Control the opening of the third expansion valve based on the exhaust superheat and / or the refrigerant pressure in the pipeline. Step S54: The user sets the second preset temperature; proceed to step S30. Step S55: Control the air conditioner to stop operating.

[0098] In some embodiments, this disclosure may also employ seven solenoid valves connected in parallel and series to change the flow direction of the refrigerant discharged at the exhaust port 101. Specifically, referring to Figure 15, the first end of the first pipe 110 is connected to the exhaust port 101 via a first solenoid valve, the first end of the second pipe 120 is connected to the exhaust port 101 via a second solenoid valve, the ends of both the first pipe 110 and the second pipe 120 are used to connect to the first end of the third pipe 130, and the end of the third pipe 130 is connected to the exhaust port 101 via a third solenoid valve. The first heat exchanger 3 is located on the first pipe 110, the second heat exchanger 4 is located on the second pipe 120, and the third heat exchanger 5 is located on the third pipe 130. 0; The first expansion valve 7 is installed on the first pipeline 110, the second expansion valve 8 is installed on the second pipeline 120, and the third expansion valve 9 is installed on the third pipeline 130; the first end of the fourth solenoid valve is connected to the third solenoid valve and the end of the third pipeline 130, the second end of the fourth solenoid valve is connected to the first end of the fifth solenoid valve 17, the first end of the seventh solenoid valve 19, and the air inlet 102, the first end of the sixth solenoid valve 18 is connected to the first solenoid valve, and the second end of the sixth solenoid valve 18 is connected to the beginning of the first pipeline 110 and the second end of the seventh solenoid valve 19; the controller is configured to control the conduction of each solenoid valve and each expansion valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100. The first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, the fourth solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17, the sixth solenoid valve 18, and the seventh solenoid valve 19 distribute the refrigerant flowing to the first heat exchanger 3, the second heat exchanger 4, and the third heat exchanger 5.

[0099] For example, to solve this problem, this disclosure uses a parallel and series connection of three expansion valves and seven solenoid valves. When the air conditioner 100 operates in full or partial heat recovery mode, the flow and direction of the refrigerant are changed by controlling the conduction of each expansion valve and each solenoid valve. This achieves both full and partial recovery of air conditioner waste heat. In other words, the conduction of each solenoid valve and each expansion valve is controlled according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100. Specifically, depending on whether it is a full or partial heat recovery mode, the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, the fourth solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17, the sixth solenoid valve 18, and the seventh solenoid valve 19 are controlled to change the flow and direction of the refrigerant. This allows the second heat exchanger to use part or all of the refrigerant to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2, achieving full or partial recovery of waste heat. In contrast to other air conditioners that use two four-way valves in series and two one-way valves, or one four-way valve and four one-way valves to achieve complete waste heat recovery, this disclosure uses a scheme of three expansion valves and seven solenoid valves connected in parallel and in series to more accurately distribute the refrigerant flow in the air conditioner 100. This allows the air conditioner 100 to achieve both complete and partial waste heat recovery, improving the overall energy utilization rate of the air conditioning system, reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner 100, and thus saving on electricity costs.

[0100] In some embodiments, if the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is determined to be full heat recovery mode, then by controlling the opening or closing of the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, the fourth solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17, the sixth solenoid valve 18, and the seventh solenoid valve 19, all the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the second heat exchanger 4. The high-temperature gaseous refrigerant exchanges heat with the domestic water in the water tank 2 on the other side of the second heat exchanger 4. At this time, the second heat exchanger 4 uses all the refrigerant to generate heat to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2. Then, the refrigerant after exchanging heat with the second heat exchanger 4 flows back to the compressor 1 after exchanging heat through the third heat exchanger 5. Alternatively, if the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 is determined to be partial heat recovery mode, then by controlling the opening or closing of the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, the third expansion valve 9, the fourth solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17, the sixth solenoid valve 18, and the seventh solenoid valve 19, the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant exchanges heat with the domestic water in the water tank 2. The opening or closing of the third expansion valve 9, the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, the fourth solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17, the sixth solenoid valve 18, and the seventh solenoid valve 19 allows a portion of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 to flow into the second heat exchanger. This portion of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant exchanges heat with the domestic water in the water tank 2 on the other side of the second heat exchanger 4. At this time, the second heat exchanger 4 uses a portion of the refrigerant to generate heat to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2. Simultaneously, another portion of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the first heat exchanger 3 for heat exchange. After exchanging heat with the second heat exchanger 4 and the first heat exchanger, the refrigerant flows back to the compressor 1 through the third heat exchanger 5. This achieves both total heat recovery and partial heat recovery, improves the overall energy utilization rate of the air conditioning system, reduces the electricity consumption of the air conditioner 100, and thus saves on electricity costs.

[0101] According to some embodiments of the air conditioner disclosed herein, three heat exchangers are respectively installed on different pipelines, and seven solenoid valves are installed between each pipeline and the compressor exhaust port 101 to regulate the refrigerant flow. Thus, when the compressor discharges refrigerant, it no longer prioritizes the refrigerant to pass through the water tank, but controls the conduction of each solenoid valve and each expansion valve based on the air conditioner's operating mode. This selectively controls the refrigerant discharged at the exhaust port 101 to enter the first pipeline 110, the second pipeline 120, and / or the third pipeline 130. This allows the air conditioner to have multiple different operating modes while avoiding the problem of insufficient or excessive cooling or heating capacity caused by the refrigerant heating the water tank first.

[0102] Furthermore, based on the parallel and series connection of three expansion valves and seven solenoid valves, when the air conditioner 100 is operating in full or partial heat recovery mode, the flow and direction of the refrigerant are changed by controlling the conduction of each expansion valve and each solenoid valve, thereby achieving full or partial recovery of waste heat. Therefore, compared to related air conditioners that use two four-way valves in series and two one-way valves, or one four-way valve and four one-way valves to achieve full waste heat recovery, this disclosure uses a parallel and series connection of three expansion valves and seven solenoid valves to more accurately distribute the refrigerant flow within the air conditioner 100. This allows the air conditioner 100 to achieve both full and partial waste heat recovery, improving the overall energy utilization rate of the air conditioning system, reducing the power consumption of the air conditioner 100, and thus saving on electricity costs.

[0103] In some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to control the conduction of each solenoid valve and each expansion valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100 as follows: when the operating mode is a simultaneous cooling and hot water production heat recovery mode, the controller controls the second solenoid valve and the fourth solenoid valve to be open, and controls the first solenoid valve, the third solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17, the sixth solenoid valve 18 and the seventh solenoid valve 19 to be closed, and controls the first expansion valve 7 to be closed, the second expansion valve 8 to be open and the third expansion valve 9 to be open.

[0104] For example, if the air conditioner 100 operates in a simultaneous cooling and hot water production full heat recovery mode, then the second and fourth solenoid valves are both opened, and the first, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh solenoid valves are all closed, and the first expansion valve 7 is closed, the second expansion valve 8 is open, and the third expansion valve 9 is open. At this time, the refrigerant flow direction is as shown in Figure 16. The second heat exchanger uses all the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 to heat the water in the water tank 2. After heat exchange, the refrigerant then exchanges heat with the indoor air through the third heat exchanger to reduce the indoor temperature, thereby realizing the simultaneous cooling and hot water production full heat recovery mode of the air conditioner 100. In other words, the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows entirely into the second heat exchanger 4 through the second solenoid valve when the second solenoid valve is open and the first solenoid valve is closed. The high-temperature gaseous refrigerant exchanges heat with the domestic water in the water tank 2 on the other side of the second heat exchanger 4. At this time, the second heat exchanger 4 uses all the refrigerant to generate heat to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2. That is, the air conditioner 100 operates in the hot water full heat recovery mode. After heat exchange, the refrigerant flows into the third heat exchanger 5 after being throttled and depressurized by the second expansion valve 8 and the third expansion valve 9 to become low-temperature refrigerant. The low-temperature refrigerant flowing in the third heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat with the indoor air to absorb indoor heat and reduce the indoor temperature. Thus, the air conditioner 100 operates in the cooling mode. Then, after heat exchange, the refrigerant flows into the compressor 1's air inlet 102 through the fourth solenoid valve when the third solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17, the sixth solenoid valve 18 and the seventh solenoid valve 19 are all closed and the fourth solenoid valve is open. Thus, the air conditioner 100 achieves complete recovery of waste heat in the cooling mode.

[0105] In some embodiments, the controller is specifically configured to control the conduction of each solenoid valve and each expansion valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner 100, in the case of the operating mode being a heat recovery mode for simultaneous cooling and hot water production, control the first solenoid valve, the second solenoid valve, the fourth solenoid valve and the sixth solenoid valve 18 to be open, control the third solenoid valve, the fifth solenoid valve 17 and the seventh solenoid valve 19 to be closed, and control the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8 and the third expansion valve 9 to be open.

[0106] For example, when the air conditioner 100 operates in a partial heat recovery mode that simultaneously cools and heats water, the controller opens the first, second, fourth, and sixth solenoid valves 18, closes the third, fifth, and seventh solenoid valves 17 and 19, and opens the first expansion valve 7, second expansion valve 8, and third expansion valve 9. The refrigerant flow direction at this time is shown in Figure 17. That is, under the action of the first and second solenoid valves being open, part of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 flows into the second heat exchanger 4 through the second solenoid valve. Part of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant exchanges heat with the domestic water in the water tank 2 on the other side of the second heat exchanger 4. At this time, the second heat exchanger 4 uses part of the refrigerant to generate heat to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2. In other words, the air conditioner 100 operates in a partial heat recovery mode for hot water production. The refrigerant after heat exchange with the second heat exchanger 4 is throttled and depressurized to a low-temperature refrigerant at the second expansion valve 8 of the second pipeline 1207. Simultaneously, another part of the high-temperature gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 is throttled and depressurized at the first and sixth solenoid valves 18 and 19. With the opening of valve 18, refrigerant flows into the first heat exchanger 3 through the first solenoid valve and the sixth solenoid valve 18. The first heat exchanger is located outdoors. The first heat exchanger 3 exchanges some of the refrigerant with the outdoor air, that is, the refrigerant releases heat to the outdoor air to exchange heat with the circulating refrigerant. After exchanging heat with the first heat exchanger 3, the refrigerant, under the action of the first expansion valve 7, is throttled and depressurized through the first expansion valve 7 of the first pipeline 1106 to become low-temperature refrigerant. The low-temperature refrigerant that converges at the end of the first pipeline 1106 and the second pipeline 1207 is then... After being throttled and depressurized by the third expansion valve 9, the low-temperature refrigerant enters the third heat exchanger 5. The low-temperature refrigerant flowing in the third heat exchanger 5 exchanges heat with the indoor air to absorb indoor heat and reduce the indoor temperature. Thus, the air conditioner 100 operates in cooling mode. Then, under the action of the closing of the third solenoid valve and the seventh solenoid valve 19 and the opening of the fourth solenoid valve, the refrigerant flows into the air inlet 102 of the compressor 1 through the fourth solenoid valve. Thus, the air conditioner 100 achieves partial recovery of waste heat in the cooling mode.

[0107] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: control the compressor 1 to start when the outdoor ambient temperature is within the normal operating range of the compressor 1, the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger is greater than the first preset temperature, and the off-time of the compressor 1 reaches a preset duration, so that the air conditioner 100 operates in cooling mode; control the compressor 1 to start when the outdoor ambient temperature is within the normal operating range of the compressor 1, the domestic water temperature is lower than the second preset temperature, and the off-time of the compressor 1 reaches a preset duration, so that the air conditioner 100 operates in hot water production mode, wherein the hot water production mode includes a hot water production full heat recovery mode and a hot water production partial heat recovery mode; control the compressor 1 to start when the outdoor ambient temperature is within the normal operating range of the compressor 1, the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger is greater than the first preset temperature, the domestic water temperature is lower than the second preset temperature, and the off-time of the compressor 1 reaches a preset duration, so that the air conditioner 100 operates in simultaneous cooling and hot water production mode.

[0108] The first preset temperature can be understood as a pre-set temperature value used to determine whether the indoor environment requires the air conditioner 100 to operate in cooling mode for adjustment; the first preset temperature can be 5℃. The preset duration can be understood as a threshold duration for determining whether the compressor 1 has not started; the preset duration can be 3 minutes. The second preset temperature can be understood as a pre-set temperature value used to determine whether domestic hot water needs to be heated; the second preset temperature can be 55℃. When the third heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger, the heat exchange temperature is the outlet water temperature of the plate heat exchanger.

[0109] For example, the operation of compressor 1 in extreme outdoor ambient temperatures may affect the lifespan of compressor 1 and increase the risk of compressor 1 failure. When the outdoor ambient temperature is within the normal operating range of compressor 1, compressor 1 can start and operate normally and maintain a high-efficiency working state. When the indoor ambient temperature is high, it will lead to a high heat exchange temperature between the indoor environment and the third heat exchanger. Because the air conditioner 100 may start when the compressor 1 is not stopped for the preset time, but compressor 1 is temporarily stopped due to special circumstances. Based on this, when the outdoor ambient temperature is within the normal operating range of compressor 1, it indicates that compressor 1 can start and operate normally and maintain a high-efficiency working state. Furthermore, if the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger is greater than the first preset temperature, it indicates that the indoor ambient temperature is high. In this case, air conditioner 100 needs to operate in cooling mode. When the off-time of compressor 1 reaches the preset time, it indicates that compressor 1 has not started and air conditioner 100 is in a non-working state. Therefore, compressor 1 is controlled to start, so that air conditioner 100 operates in cooling mode. Thus, this disclosure determines whether air conditioner 100 operates in cooling mode by using the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger, and simultaneously ensures that the outdoor ambient temperature and the off-time of compressor 1 meet the requirements, thereby ensuring that compressor 1 can start normally and effectively improving the service life and working efficiency of compressor 1.

[0110] When the outdoor ambient temperature is within the normal operating range of compressor 1, it indicates that compressor 1 can start and operate normally and maintain a high-efficiency working state. If the domestic water temperature is lower than the second preset temperature, it indicates that the domestic water temperature is low, and air conditioner 100 needs to operate in hot water mode. When the compressor 1's off-time reaches the preset duration, it indicates that compressor 1 has not started and air conditioner 100 is in a non-working state, controlling compressor 1 to start so that air conditioner 100 operates in hot water mode. The hot water mode includes a total heat recovery mode and a partial heat recovery mode. Therefore, this disclosure determines whether air conditioner 100 operates in hot water mode based on domestic water temperature, and simultaneously ensures that the outdoor ambient temperature and compressor 1's off-time meet the requirements, ensuring that compressor 1 can start normally and effectively improving the compressor 1's service life and operating efficiency.

[0111] When the outdoor ambient temperature is within the normal operating range of compressor 1, it indicates that compressor 1 can start and operate normally and maintain a high-efficiency working state. If the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger is greater than the first preset temperature, it indicates that the indoor ambient temperature is high, and the air conditioner needs to operate in cooling mode. If the domestic water temperature is lower than the second preset temperature, it indicates that the domestic water temperature is low, and the air conditioner 100 needs to operate in hot water mode. When the compressor 1's off-time reaches the preset time, it indicates that compressor 1 has not started and the air conditioner 100 is in a non-working state, and compressor 1 is controlled to start, so that the air conditioner 100 operates in simultaneous cooling and hot water mode. Therefore, this disclosure determines that the air conditioner 100 operates in simultaneous cooling and hot water mode by using the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger and the domestic water temperature, and simultaneously ensures that the outdoor ambient temperature and the compressor 1's off-time meet the requirements, so as to ensure that compressor 1 can start normally and effectively improve the service life and working efficiency of compressor 1. Furthermore, it should be noted that compressor 1 is not allowed to start when the outdoor ambient temperature is not within the normal operating range of compressor 1.

[0112] In some embodiments, after the compressor 1 is started, the controller is further configured to execute steps S61 to S62: Step S61, determining a first temperature difference between the domestic water temperature and the target water temperature, and determining a second temperature difference between the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger and the target heat exchange temperature. Step S62, controlling the variation range of the operating frequency of the compressor 1 according to the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference. In some embodiments, the compressor 1 is started at an initial frequency f, which is generally between 25 and 40 Hz. After starting, the compressor 1 runs at the initial frequency f for 3 minutes, and after 3 minutes, the variation range of the operating frequency of the compressor 1 is controlled according to the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference.

[0113] The target water temperature is the domestic water temperature set by the user according to their needs.

[0114] For example, if the first temperature difference between the domestic water temperature and the target water temperature is less than 0, it indicates that the domestic water temperature has not reached the temperature set by the user according to their needs. In this case, it is necessary to control the compressor 1 to operate at a higher frequency to increase the refrigerant flow into the second heat exchanger 4, so that the refrigerant can perform more efficient heat exchange with the domestic water, thereby quickly raising the domestic water temperature. Moreover, the lower the first temperature difference, the higher the fluctuation range of the compressor 1's operating frequency. Furthermore, if the second temperature difference between the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger and the target heat exchange temperature is smaller, it indicates a greater cooling demand, and the fluctuation range of the compressor 1's operating frequency is also higher. Based on this, in order to balance cooling and hot water production needs when controlling the operating frequency of the compressor 1, this disclosure uses the first temperature difference and the second... The temperature difference controls the variation range of the compressor 1's operating frequency. That is, the cooling and hot water production demands are determined by the first and second temperature differences. Then, the corresponding variation range of the compressor 1's operating frequency is selected to meet these demands. The compressor 1's operating frequency is then controlled according to this variation range. For example, when both the first and second temperature differences are large, it indicates that the air conditioner 100 needs both rapid heating of domestic water and efficient cooling. In this case, the compressor 1's operating frequency is controlled at a high range to simultaneously meet both cooling and hot water production demands. Conversely, when both the first and second temperature differences are small, the compressor 1's operating frequency is controlled at a low range to simultaneously meet both cooling and hot water production demands, avoiding excessive adjustment and energy waste. Therefore, this disclosure dynamically adjusts the compressor 1's operating frequency based on cooling and hot water production demands, thereby balancing the air conditioner's cooling and hot water production needs and improving the overall system efficiency and user experience.

[0115] In some embodiments, a correspondence between the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference and a preset change range of the compressor 1 operating frequency can be preset in the controller, thereby obtaining the corresponding preset change range through the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference.

[0116] Table 1

[0117] As shown in Table 1, the frequency variation of compressor 1 when ΔT1 ≤ -8 is higher than that when -1 < ΔT1 < 0. The frequency variation of compressor 1 when ΔT2 ≥ 8 is higher than that when -1 ≤ ΔT2 < -0.5. When ΔT1 ≥ 0, it indicates that the domestic water temperature has reached the temperature set by the user, so there is no need to increase the operating frequency of compressor 1 to heat the domestic water; in this case, the frequency variation of compressor 1 is controlled only based on the second temperature difference. When ΔT2 < -2, there is no cooling demand, so there is no need to increase the operating frequency of compressor 1 to increase the cooling capacity; in this case, the frequency variation of compressor 1 is controlled only based on the first temperature difference. When the first temperature difference ΔT1 is the same, the larger the second temperature difference ΔT2, the greater the frequency variation of compressor 1. Conversely, when the second temperature difference ΔT2 is the same, the larger the first temperature difference ΔT1, the greater the frequency variation of compressor 1.

[0118] In some embodiments, the variation range of the compressor 1's operating frequency can be obtained by consulting Table 1, which is shown below, using the first temperature difference ΔT1 and the second temperature difference ΔT2. If the first temperature difference ΔT1 ≤ -8 and the second temperature difference ΔT2 ≥ 8, the variation range of the compressor 1's operating frequency is +8.

[0119] In some embodiments, when controlling the first expansion valve 7 in the hot water production section heat recovery mode, the controller is further configured to perform steps S63 to S65: Step S63, determining a third temperature difference between the coil temperature of the first heat exchanger and the outdoor ambient temperature. Step S64, determining a first opening increment of the first expansion valve 7 based on the third temperature difference. Step S65, adjusting the opening of the first expansion valve 7 based on the first opening increment.

[0120] For example, the third temperature difference between the coil temperature of the first heat exchanger 3 and the outdoor ambient temperature is used to determine the superheat at the outlet of the first heat exchanger 3. When the third temperature difference is lower than the lower limit of the temperature difference range corresponding to the superheat setting requirement, the superheat at the outlet of the first heat exchanger 3 is insufficient. That is to say, at this time, the refrigerant flow rate in the first heat exchanger 3 is too large, the refrigerant residence time in the first heat exchanger 3 is relatively short, and the refrigerant cannot fully exchange heat with the first heat exchanger 3. At this time, it is necessary to reduce the opening of the first expansion valve 7 to reduce the refrigerant flow rate, so that the refrigerant... The refrigerant fully exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger 3 to increase the superheat at the outlet of the first heat exchanger 3, so that the superheat at the outlet of the first heat exchanger 3 meets the requirements. When the third temperature difference is higher than the upper limit of the temperature difference range corresponding to the superheat setting requirement, the superheat at the outlet of the first heat exchanger 3 is too high. That is to say, at this time, the refrigerant flow rate in the first heat exchanger 3 is too small, and the refrigerant stays in the first heat exchanger 3 for a relatively long time. The refrigerant fully exchanges heat with the first heat exchanger 3. At this time, the opening of the first expansion valve 7 needs to be increased to increase the refrigerant flow rate. Based on this, in order to ensure that the first heat exchanger 3 can operate efficiently and stably, in the heat recovery mode of the hot water section, when controlling the first expansion valve 7, the first opening increment of the first expansion valve 7 is determined according to the third temperature difference. The first opening increment is used to change the outlet superheat of the first heat exchanger 3 so that the outlet superheat of the first heat exchanger 3 meets the set requirements. That is, when the third temperature difference is lower than the set requirements, the first opening increment is controlled to be negative, and the higher the third temperature difference, the larger the first opening increment is, so as to increase the outlet superheat of the first heat exchanger 3 by the magnitude of the third temperature difference, so that the outlet superheat of the first heat exchanger 3 meets the requirements. When the third temperature difference is higher than the set requirements, the first opening increment is controlled to be positive, reducing the outlet superheat of the first heat exchanger 3, so that the outlet superheat of the first heat exchanger 3 meets the requirements.

[0121] In some embodiments, when the domestic water temperature is higher than the second preset temperature, the opening of the first expansion valve 7 is controlled according to the third temperature difference between the coil temperature Tg of the first heat exchanger 3 and the outdoor ambient temperature Th. That is, the first opening increment of the first expansion valve 7 is determined based on the third temperature difference, denoted as Tg-Th. When Tg-Th satisfies 10℃≤Tg-Th<15℃, the superheat of the first heat exchanger 3 meets the set requirement. If Tg-Th≤5℃, the first opening increment ΔD is -5; if 5℃<Tg-Th<10℃, the first opening increment ΔD1 is -2; if 10℃≤Tg-Th<15℃, the first opening increment ΔD1 is 0; if Tg-Th≥15℃, the first opening increment ΔD1 is +2. Furthermore, it should be noted that the opening of the first expansion valve 7 needs to be adjusted every 40 seconds. Additionally, it should be noted that when the domestic water temperature is lower than the second preset temperature, the opening of the first expansion valve 7 remains at 0 steps.

[0122] In some embodiments, when controlling the second expansion valve 8 in hot water production mode, the controller is further configured to perform steps S66 to S68: Step S66, obtaining the condensation temperature of the refrigerant and determining a fourth temperature difference between the condensation temperature and the domestic water temperature. Step S67, determining a second opening increment of the second expansion valve 8 based on the domestic water temperature and the fourth temperature difference. Step S68, adjusting the opening of the second expansion valve 8 based on the second opening increment. For example, when the second heat exchanger 4 uses the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 to heat the domestic water in the water tank 2, if the opening of the second expansion valve 8 decreases and the increment of the opening of the second expansion valve 8 is smaller, the flow rate of the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger 4 decreases, so that the refrigerant can fully exchange heat with the domestic water to enhance the temperature rise of the domestic water. If the opening of the second expansion valve 8 decreases and the increment of the opening of the second expansion valve 8 is larger, the flow rate of the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger 4 increases, so as to slow down the temperature rise of the domestic water. Furthermore, the superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 is determined by the fourth temperature difference between the condensing temperature and the domestic water temperature. When the fourth temperature difference is lower than the lower limit of the temperature difference range corresponding to the superheat setting requirement, the superheat at the outlet of the second heat exchanger 4 is insufficient. At this time, if the refrigerant flow rate in the second heat exchanger 4 is too high, the refrigerant residence time in the second heat exchanger 4 is relatively short, and the refrigerant cannot fully exchange heat with the second heat exchanger 4. At this time, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 needs to be reduced to reduce the refrigerant flow rate, so that the refrigerant can fully exchange heat with the second heat exchanger 4 and increase the superheat at the outlet of the second heat exchanger 4 to meet the requirements. When the fourth temperature difference is higher than the upper limit of the temperature difference range corresponding to the superheat setting requirement, the superheat at the outlet of the second heat exchanger 4 is too high. That is to say, at this time, the refrigerant flow rate in the second heat exchanger 4 is too low, the refrigerant residence time in the second heat exchanger 4 is relatively long, and the refrigerant can fully exchange heat with the second heat exchanger 4. At this time, the opening of the second expansion valve 8 needs to be increased to increase the refrigerant flow rate. Based on this, in order to achieve precise control of the superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 and to raise the temperature of domestic water, the second opening increment of the second expansion valve 8 is determined according to the domestic water temperature and the fourth temperature difference. This second opening increment changes the outlet superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 to ensure that the outlet superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 meets the set requirements. Simultaneously, the second opening increment also alters the domestic water heating effect, ensuring that the domestic water temperature reaches the user-set temperature. Specifically, when the fourth temperature difference is lower than the set requirement, the second opening increment is controlled to be negative, and the higher the fourth temperature difference, the larger the second opening increment, thereby increasing the outlet superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 to meet the requirements. When the fourth temperature difference is higher than the set requirement, the second opening increment is controlled to be positive, reducing the outlet superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 to meet the requirements.Meanwhile, if it is determined that the lower the domestic water temperature, the negative the second opening increment is, and the smaller the second opening increment is, the better the domestic water temperature rise effect is. Therefore, in this disclosure, the second opening increment of the second expansion valve 8 is determined based on the domestic water temperature and the fourth temperature difference, so as to achieve precise control of the superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 and achieve the heating of domestic water.

[0123] In some embodiments, the correspondence between the domestic water temperature and the fourth temperature difference and the second opening increment of the second expansion valve 8 can be preset in the controller, thereby obtaining the corresponding second opening increment through the domestic water temperature and the fourth temperature difference.

[0124] As shown in Table 2 below, the second opening increment ΔD2 when Tn-Tx≤0 is lower than the second opening increment ΔD2 when 0<Tn-Tx>5. When Tn-Tx satisfies 10℃≤Tn-Tx<15℃, the superheat of the second heat exchanger 4 meets the set requirements. Under the same Tn-Tx, the second opening increment ΔD2 when Tx<45℃ is lower than the second opening increment ΔD2 when 53≤Tx. That is, under the same Tn-Tx, the larger Tx is, the larger the second opening increment ΔD2 is.

[0125] Table 2

[0126] In some embodiments, the fourth temperature difference can be expressed as condensation temperature Tn - domestic water temperature Tx. The second opening increment ΔD2 is obtained by referring to the table in Table 2 using domestic water temperature Tx and Tn-Tx. For example, if Tn-Tx≤0 and 45≤Tx<50℃, then the second opening increment ΔD2 is -4.

[0127] In some embodiments, when controlling the third expansion valve 9 in simultaneous cooling and hot water production mode, the controller is further configured to: acquire the liquid pipe temperature of the third heat exchanger, the discharge temperature of the compressor 1, and the inlet water temperature of the third heat exchanger; determine a fifth temperature difference between the inlet water temperature and the liquid pipe temperature; determine a third opening increment of the third expansion valve 9 based on the discharge temperature and the fifth temperature difference; and adjust the opening of the third expansion valve 9 based on the third opening increment. The refrigerant temperature is located in the refrigerant-side connecting pipe of the plate heat exchanger.

[0128] For example, the discharge temperature of compressor 1 indicates the low pressure of the refrigeration system. When the low pressure is too high or too low, the refrigeration system becomes more unstable. In this case, the opening of the third expansion valve 9 needs to be changed to adjust the low pressure by changing the refrigerant flow. The superheat of the third heat exchanger is determined by the fifth temperature difference between the inlet water temperature and the liquid pipe temperature. When the fifth temperature difference is lower than the lower limit of the temperature difference range corresponding to the superheat setting requirement, the superheat of the third heat exchanger outlet is insufficient. That is to say, at this time, the refrigerant flow rate in the third heat exchanger is too large, and the refrigerant residence time in the third heat exchanger is relatively short, so the refrigerant cannot fully exchange heat with the third heat exchanger. At this time, the opening of the third expansion valve 9 needs to be reduced to reduce the refrigerant flow rate, so that the refrigerant can fully exchange heat with the third heat exchanger and increase the superheat of the third heat exchanger outlet to meet the requirements. Based on this, in order to achieve precise control of the superheat of the third heat exchanger and balance the low pressure of the refrigeration system, this disclosure determines the third opening increment of the third expansion valve 9 based on the exhaust temperature and the fifth temperature difference. The third opening increment is used to change the outlet superheat of the third heat exchanger to ensure that the outlet superheat of the third heat exchanger meets the set requirements. That is, when the fifth temperature difference is lower than the set requirements, the second opening increment is controlled to be negative, and the higher the fifth temperature difference, the larger the third opening increment. This is to increase the outlet superheat of the third heat exchanger by adjusting the size of the fifth temperature difference, so that the outlet superheat of the third heat exchanger meets the requirements. When the fifth temperature difference is lower than the lower limit of the temperature difference range corresponding to the superheat setting requirements, the third opening increment is controlled to be negative, and the higher the fifth temperature difference, the larger the third opening increment. This is to increase the outlet superheat of the third heat exchanger by adjusting the size of the fifth temperature difference, so that the outlet superheat of the third heat exchanger meets the requirements. At the same time, the third opening increment is used to change the low pressure of the refrigeration system to balance the low pressure of the refrigeration system.

[0129] In some embodiments, the correspondence between the exhaust temperature and the fifth temperature difference and the third opening increment of the third expansion valve 9 can be preset in the controller, thereby obtaining the corresponding third opening increment through the exhaust temperature and the fifth temperature difference.

[0130] For example, as shown in Table 3 below, when Tj-Ty satisfies Tj-Ty≥2, the superheat of the third heat exchanger meets the set requirements. The third opening increment of 0<Tj-Ty<2 is greater than the third opening increment of Tj-Ty≤0, that is, the larger Tj-Ty is, the higher the third opening increment. Under the same Tj-Ty conditions, the third opening increment of Tp<90℃ is less than the third opening increment of 90≤Tp<95℃ is less than the third opening increment of 95≤Tp, that is, under the same Tj-Ty conditions, the larger Tp is, the higher the third opening increment.

[0131] Table 3

[0132] In some embodiments, the fifth temperature difference can be represented as Tj-Ty. The third opening increment ΔD3 is obtained by referring to Table 3 using the exhaust temperature Tp and Tj-Ty. For example, if Tj-Ty ≥ 2 and Tp < 90°C, then the third opening increment ΔD3 is 0.

[0133] In some embodiments, when the first expansion valve 7, the second expansion valve 8, and the third expansion valve 9 interact and cause fluctuations, control is performed according to the rules in Table 4 below.

[0134] Table 4

[0135] In some embodiments, after the air conditioning unit is powered on, the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, and the third expansion valve perform a reset action, opening for 480 steps, then closing for 540 steps, and then opening back to the initial number of steps. The three expansion valves operate simultaneously, and the expansion valves can be electronic expansion valves.

[0136] The initial steps for the expansion valve are shown in Table 5 below:

[0137] Table 5

[0138] In some embodiments, the air conditioner 100 further includes an outdoor fan, and the controller is further configured to: control the outdoor fan to shut down in the hot water full heat recovery mode; and determine a sixth temperature difference between the condensation temperature of the refrigerant and the coil temperature of the first heat exchanger 3 in the hot water partial heat recovery mode, and control the speed of the outdoor fan according to the sixth temperature difference.

[0139] For example, in order to precisely control the speed of the outdoor fan, this disclosure controls the speed of the outdoor fan by the sixth temperature difference between the condensation temperature of the refrigerant and the coil temperature of the first heat exchanger 3. That is, the indoor ventilation requirements are determined by the sixth temperature difference, and the speed of the outdoor fan is adjusted according to the indoor ventilation requirements, thereby precisely controlling the speed of the outdoor fan, effectively solving the indoor ventilation problem, and improving indoor air quality.

[0140] In some embodiments, for controlling the speed of the outdoor fan based on the sixth temperature difference, the controller is specifically configured to: if the sixth temperature difference is higher than the first temperature difference threshold, control the speed of the outdoor fan to decrease; if the sixth temperature difference is lower than the second temperature difference threshold, control the speed of the outdoor fan to increase, wherein the first temperature difference threshold is greater than the second temperature difference threshold.

[0141] For example, if the sixth temperature difference is higher than the first temperature difference threshold, it indicates that less fresh air is needed indoors, so the speed of the outdoor fan is reduced; if the sixth temperature difference is lower than the second temperature difference threshold, it indicates that more fresh air is needed indoors, so the speed of the outdoor fan is increased. Therefore, this disclosure controls the speed of the outdoor fan by using the sixth temperature difference between the condensation temperature of the refrigerant and the coil temperature of the first heat exchanger 3, thereby precisely controlling the speed of the outdoor fan, effectively solving the indoor ventilation problem, and improving indoor air quality.

[0142] In some embodiments, in the heat recovery mode of the hot water production section, the sixth temperature difference Tn-Tg is controlled to satisfy 3℃≤Tn-Tg≤5℃. If Tn-Tg>5℃, the speed of the outdoor fan is controlled to decrease; if Tn-Tg<3℃, the speed of the outdoor fan is controlled to increase.

[0143] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG15, the air conditioner 100 includes a first water pump 20 and a second water pump 21. The first water pump 20 provides power for the water flow between the second heat exchanger and the water tank to heat and produce domestic hot water. The second water pump 21 delivers cold water and hot water to the user, thereby lowering or raising the temperature of the user's room.

[0144] In some embodiments, in hot water production mode, the coil temperature Tg of the first heat exchanger 3 is controlled to satisfy 5 ≤ Tg ≤ 12℃. If Tg > 12℃, the speed of the outdoor fan is reduced; if Tg < 5℃, the speed of the outdoor fan is increased. Alternatively, in cooling mode, the coil temperature of the first heat exchanger 3 is controlled to satisfy 35 ≤ Tg ≤ 45℃. If Tg < 35℃, the speed of the outdoor fan is reduced; if Tg > 45℃, the speed of the outdoor fan is increased.

[0145] In some embodiments, the control process of the first water pump is as follows: After the air conditioner 100 is turned on, the first water pump starts at its maximum speed. The status of the water flow switch is detected. If the water flow switch is detected to be open for 15 consecutive seconds, it indicates that the water flow is too low, and the first water pump stops operating. Also, when the domestic water temperature Tx - the second preset temperature ≥ 0℃, the first water pump shuts off after a 1-minute delay. When controlling the speed of the first water pump, the first water pump operates to maintain the outlet and inlet water temperatures of the second heat exchanger 4 at 4℃ ≤ outlet temperature - inlet temperature ≤ 6℃. If the outlet temperature - inlet temperature < 4℃, the speed of the first water pump decreases, and the duty cycle decreases by 10% per minute, adjusted once per minute. If the outlet temperature - inlet temperature > 6℃, the speed of the first water pump increases, and the duty cycle increases by 10% per minute, adjusted once per minute.

[0146] In some embodiments, the control process of the second water pump is as follows: After the air conditioner 100 is turned on, the second water pump starts at its maximum speed and detects the status of the water flow switch. If the water flow switch is detected to be open for 15 consecutive seconds, it indicates that the water flow is too low, and the second water pump stops operating. When the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger minus the first preset temperature is greater than 5°C, the second water pump restarts.

[0147] When the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger minus the first preset temperature is ≤ -2℃, the second water pump operates on a 2-minute on-time and 2-minute off-time cycle. After the air conditioner 100 is turned off, the second water pump shuts off after a 2-minute delay. When controlling the speed of the second water pump, the second water pump operates to maintain the outlet and inlet water temperatures of the second heat exchanger 4 at 4℃ ≤ inlet water temperature - outlet water temperature ≤ 6℃. If the inlet water temperature - outlet water temperature is < 4℃, the speed of the second water pump decreases, and the duty cycle decreases by 10% per minute, adjusting once per minute. If the inlet water temperature - outlet water temperature is > 6℃, the speed of the second water pump increases, and the duty cycle increases by 10% per minute, adjusting once per minute.

[0148] Those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and that modifications and substitutions can be made to certain elements of the embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An air conditioner, comprising: Water tank, the water tank being used to store domestic water; The first heat exchanger, located outdoors, is used to exchange heat with the circulating refrigerant; The second heat exchanger is connected to the water tank and is used to exchange heat with the domestic water. The third heat exchanger, located indoors, is used to regulate the indoor temperature; The compressor has an exhaust port; A first pipeline, a second pipeline, and a third pipeline, wherein the beginning ends of the first pipeline and the second pipeline are both used to connect to the exhaust port, the ends of the first pipeline and the second pipeline are both used to connect to the beginning end of the third pipeline, and the end of the third pipeline is used to connect to the exhaust port. The first heat exchanger is located on the first pipeline, the second heat exchanger is located on the second pipeline, and the third heat exchanger is located on the third pipeline. A control valve is disposed between the exhaust port and the beginning of the first pipeline, the beginning of the second pipeline, and the end of the third pipeline. The control valve is used to change the flow direction of the refrigerant discharged at the exhaust port. A controller connected to the control valve is configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner, so as to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipeline, the second pipeline and / or the third pipeline.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising: A liquid storage tank, the outlet of which is connected to the air inlet of the compressor; A first expansion valve is installed on the first pipeline and is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate in the first pipeline. The second expansion valve is installed on the second pipeline and is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate in the second pipeline. The third expansion valve has its first end connected to the end of the first pipeline and the end of the second pipeline, and its second end connected to the first end of the third heat exchanger. The third expansion valve is used to regulate the refrigerant flow rate in the third pipeline. The control valve includes: The first four-way valve has its D end connected to the exhaust port, its C end connected to the beginning of the second pipeline, and its E end and S end connected together to the inlet of the storage tank. The second four-way valve has its D end connected to the exhaust port, its E end connected to the end of the third pipeline, and its S end connected to the inlet of the storage tank. A three-way valve, wherein the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the beginning end of the first pipeline, the second end of the three-way valve is connected to the C end of the second four-way valve, and the third end of the three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the liquid storage tank.

3. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipe, the second pipe, and / or the third pipe, the controller being configured to: When the operating mode is cooling mode, the first expansion valve and the third expansion valve are both opened, the second expansion valve is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve, the E end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve, the C end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve, the E end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the second end of the three-way valve, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port through the first pipeline and the third pipeline in sequence into the air inlet of the compressor.

4. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipe, the second pipe, and / or the third pipe, the controller being configured to: When the operating mode is heating mode, the first expansion valve and the third expansion valve are both opened, the second expansion valve is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve, the E end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve, the C end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve, the E end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the second end of the three-way valve, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port through the third pipeline and the first pipeline in sequence into the air inlet of the compressor.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipe, the second pipe, and / or the third pipe, the controller being configured to: When the operating mode is simultaneous cooling and hot water production, the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, and the third expansion valve are all opened. The C-end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D-end, the E-end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S-end, the C-end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D-end, the E-end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S-end, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the third end. This guides the refrigerant from the exhaust port into the second pipeline, where it is split at the end of the second pipeline, allowing a portion of the refrigerant to enter the first pipeline and another portion to enter the third pipeline. Finally, the refrigerant flows into the liquid storage tank and then into the compressor's air inlet.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipe, the second pipe, and / or the third pipe, the controller being configured to: When the operating mode is simultaneous cooling and hot water production, the second expansion valve and the third expansion valve are both opened, the first expansion valve is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve, the E end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve, the C end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve, the E end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the second end of the three-way valve, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port through the second pipeline and the third pipeline in sequence into the air inlet of the compressor.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to: control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipe, the second pipe, and / or the third pipe; When the operating mode is simultaneous cooling and hot water production, the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, and the third expansion valve are all opened. The C-end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D-end of the first four-way valve, the E-end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S-end of the first four-way valve, the C-end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D-end of the second four-way valve, the E-end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S-end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the second end of the three-way valve. This guides a portion of the refrigerant into the first pipeline and another portion into the second pipeline. The refrigerant then flows into the third pipeline before entering the compressor's air inlet.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipe, the second pipe, and / or the third pipe, the controller being configured to: When the operating mode is hot water production mode, the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve are both opened, the third expansion valve is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve, the E end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve, the C end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve, the E end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the third end of the three-way valve, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port through the second pipeline and the first pipeline in sequence into the air inlet of the compressor.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipeline, the second pipeline, and / or the third pipeline, the controller being configured to: When the operating mode is simultaneous heating and hot water production, the first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, and the third expansion valve are all opened. The C end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve, the E end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve, the C end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve, the E end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the second end of the three-way valve. This guides a portion of the refrigerant into the third pipeline and another portion into the second pipeline. The refrigerant then flows into the first pipeline before entering the compressor's air inlet.

10. The air conditioner according to claim 2, wherein the controller is specifically configured to control the opening and closing of the control valve according to the operating mode of the air conditioner to guide the refrigerant discharged from the exhaust port into the first pipeline, the second pipeline, and / or the third pipeline, the controller being configured to: When the operating mode is defrosting mode, the first expansion valve and the third expansion valve are both opened, the second expansion valve is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve, the E end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve, the C end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve, the E end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the second end of the three-way valve, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port through the first pipeline and the third pipeline in sequence into the air inlet of the compressor; Alternatively, when the operating mode is defrosting mode, both the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve are opened, the third expansion valve is closed, and the C end of the first four-way valve is connected to the S end of the first four-way valve, the E end of the first four-way valve is connected to the D end of the first four-way valve, the C end of the second four-way valve is connected to the D end of the second four-way valve, the E end of the second four-way valve is connected to the S end of the second four-way valve, and the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the second end of the three-way valve, so as to guide the refrigerant from the exhaust port through the first pipeline and the second pipeline in sequence into the air inlet of the compressor.

11. An air conditioner, comprising: Water tank, the water tank being used to store domestic water; The first heat exchanger, located outdoors, is used to exchange heat with the circulating refrigerant; The second heat exchanger is connected to the water tank and is used to exchange heat with the domestic water. The third heat exchanger, located indoors, is used to regulate the indoor temperature; The compressor has an exhaust port and an intake port; A first pipeline, a second pipeline, and a third pipeline, wherein the beginning ends of the first pipeline and the second pipeline are both used to connect to the exhaust port, the ends of the first pipeline and the second pipeline are both used to connect to the beginning end of the third pipeline, and the end of the third pipeline is used to connect to the exhaust port. The first heat exchanger is located on the first pipeline, the second heat exchanger is located on the second pipeline, and the third heat exchanger is located on the third pipeline. The first four-way valve has its D end connected to the exhaust port, its C end connected to the beginning of the second pipeline, and its E end connected to its S end and then connected to the air inlet. The second four-way valve has its D end connected to the exhaust port, its E end connected to the end of the third pipeline, and its S end connected to the air inlet. A three-way valve, wherein the first end of the three-way valve is connected to the beginning end of the first pipeline, the second end of the three-way valve is connected to the C end of the second four-way valve, and the third end of the three-way valve is connected to the air inlet; The controller is configured to: The required heat recovery status of the air conditioner is determined based on the water tank temperature. The cooling status of the air conditioner is determined based on the heat exchange temperature of the third heat exchanger. The conduction status of the first four-way valve, the second four-way valve, and the three-way valve is controlled according to the heat recovery status and the refrigeration status.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the controller is specifically configured to determine the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner based on the water tank temperature, thereby determining: If the water tank temperature is less than the first preset temperature threshold, then the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner is determined to be the total heat recovery state. If the water tank temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature threshold and less than or equal to the second preset temperature threshold, then the heat recovery state required by the air conditioner is determined to be a partial heat recovery state. If the water tank temperature is greater than the second preset temperature threshold, then the required heat recovery state of the air conditioner is determined to be a stopped heat recovery state.

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